The secret ingredient is always Love!

 This month's theme at our local swap group was to make a kitchen themed card with a pocket and include a summer recipe. 

My recipient was Carol and I got to hand deliver this one to her on Saturday when Suna and I visited her. 

I don't have any kitchen theme papers so a quick trip on Pinterest and Google, I found this gorgeous image.  I printed it onto some Fabriano 160gms card - it gave a really soft feel to the paper.  I also Googled the sentiment quote.  I printed it and used some Prismacolor pencils to add colour.  

My pocket is on the inside left hand side of the card.... and I included a recipe for Watermelon and Feta Salad.  A nice refreshing salad for summer. 

Was really pleased with how this turned out.   Hybrid digital card making can be such fun.  

Craft Fair fun and lots of cards....

Yesterday my friend, Suna and I headed to a Craft Fair - FYI - For your inspiration.  It's held at Lake Karapiro in the Waikato area.  About 2 hours south of Auckland.   A long drive, but we always stop about half way for breakfast.  We left around 7.30 and with stops to pick up some lunch, for breakfast  and top up of petrol and we made it by 10.30.   We talked all the way down.  My GPS - took me a different way and we drove over the Dam - never been that way before.   

We spent a few hours looking around the stalls... spending most of my money at Krafter's Cart stall.... got some lovely goodies - and saw the Lisa Horton Interference inks being demo'ed.  Suna ended up buying three colours.  I managed to get some Andy Skinner stamps.... been eyeing them up for some time. 

On our way home we made a stop to visit our friend, Carol.  She lives about 20 mins from where the craft fair was.   We had a lovely catch up and she gave us some goodies as she is destashing. 

Here is my haul...

I got a new pick up tool - it has 4 replacement wax tips - and a pokey tool at one end.   

Today was busy with catching up with the chores from yesterday and doing the ironing this afternoon.  But managed to grab a couple of hours in the craft room and got a few projects done

First one used one of the Creative Expressions/Andy Skinner stamps I got.  This one is "Let Your Dreams Take Flight"  I made an NZ A5 sized panel - used two Distress Oxide inks (Vintage Photo and Lost Shadow) and two Distress Inks (Weathered Wood and Picked Raspberry) smooshed on a piece of acetate and added to the panel.  I die cut a piece with a Gina K Master Layouts 1 die and did the mat in dark pink.  Stamped the image onto the panel and the sentiment onto some scrap card and fussy cut it. 

My next card was a bit of mixed media.

I used the other part of the panel I made.  I stamped a La Blanche silicon stamp - Bird's Nest (thanks Carol) in some Toffee Crunch Memento ink.  Added a Kaisercraft stamp - rose and scripty one- stamped parts of it randomly over the background in some dark grey ink.   Added some 49th & Market rub-ons and washi tape stickers purchased yesterday.

Next one was using the Waffle Flower - Layered Poinsettia stencil I also purchased.   

It's a lovely duo stencil.   I did the poinsettia in soft greens and added the leaves, centre and the other little bits with Lunar Paste in Minty Fresh.  I cut it the same size as my card base.   I added a sentiment from Concord & 9th - Big on Christmas.  Love how it turned out.   

In fact I also made another panel with the stencil 

This time in red and silver with a touch of gold paste for the flower centres.   

Thanks for coming by today and if you made to here... I appreciate it. 

Mixed media card

 Well it's been a while. I have made a couple of cards.... and done some sewing.  Had a lovely day looking after Grace on Monday and then three very long and busy days at work.

Today I'm sharing a card I made about 10 days ago... was looking for something in my storage cupboard and came across some Tim Holtz tissue paper.  Of course I decided I need to do something with it! 

Started by adding some Oxide ink blending onto a white panel and then took some gladwrap and used it to iron the tissue onto the panel.  I used a Gina K Master Layout die to cut out the panel.   I took some Prismacolor pencils and added colour to the butterflies, added some white gel pen dots and finished with a die cut sentiment and vellum layer.   Added a black mat and layered on to a card base.   

Here's a picture of the sewing I did on Sunday ....

These are little fabric baskets - made with some heavy weight curtain fabric and some cotton for the lining.  I'm going to using them for making a little goodie bags for my daughter and her family when they come.   The little blue one will be for the boys and I'll include some Minion toothpaste and some toothbrushes for them, little faceclothes. etc and in Emma's I'll add hand cream and washes,etc. 

Off to a Craft Fair on Saturday.  It's about 2 hours drive south of here, so I'm taking my friend Suna, and we are making a day of it... including visiting a friend who lives near where the fair is.   Should be fun and a good run for the car.  

Craft Roulette #234

 Finally got time to watch last weekend's Craft Roulette episode #234 and had some "funn" making a card after work today.   I had a design in my mind, so it quickly came together.  This is my 24th submission.

Made my 6"x6" card base from a sheet of 12"x12" white card.  Cut a 5.5" square panel and ran it through my die machine with a MRMK 3D embossing folder to add some texture.   Next I added the burlap and lace cloth.  Layered it onto a black mat. Took some of the rest of the card from the base and added a rainbow of colour with Distress Oxide inks.  Took the outline stamp from Altenew's Beautiful Day and stamped and then die cut.   Stamped the leaves twice, and die cut, leaving them uncoloured.  Finished with a die cut sentiment that was in my baggie of sentiments.  

So glad that the thought in my mind actually turned out just how I imagined it!  

Get Well Soon - Die Cut Divas.

It's the last day of September so time for me to share my card for Die Cut Divas. 

Our challenge is "Sympathy".  Our immediate thoughts run to the loss of a loved one, human or pet, but can extend further.  You can be sympathetic over a runaway pet or a person getting a cold, surgery or even having to take a tough exam. 

My card is a get well card.  I've used two Poppy Stamps dies 

I used the beautiful Floral Heart Split Border die and Get Well Soon dies.  I used white and teal cardstock.  And matted it with gold card. 

So come and join us here   

Christmas inspired by Stress Free Cardmaking Summit

 It's been a busy weekend.  Had a lovely lunch with my friend, Yvonne, and all her family to celebrate her 70th on Saturday.  Got home around 4pm and hit the computer to watch some of the presentations from the Stress Free Cardmaking Summit.   OMG - what amazing presenters and their projects.... Quick, easy and stress free!  I started with Ardyth Percy-Robb and her stenciling ideas.   

This one was inspired by Ardyth's idea of masking off part of a stencil to use it differently.   I took a Tim Holtz stencil (Festive) and masked off one of the Holly Leaves.  I used Distress Oxide inks to add the colour and added some red Nuvo Drops.  To keep it CAS I just added a sentiment.  It's a Woodblock stamp from Paper Inspirations (circa 2005) called Favorite Things Calligraphy - stamped in Altenew Charcoal Suit grey ink.  To give the look of matting, I did a faux matting by masking off the edges and using a Copic marker. 

My next card utilised the ink left on the stencil - I sprayed with water and used it to "print" a panel.  I then took inspiration from Julia - used an embossing folder. 

Once I dried the background (you can just make out the stenciled pattern) I ran it through my machine with a Couture Creations folder (Joyful Wishes).   It's only a 2D folder so rather than inking up the folder, I swiped some Mowed Lawn Distress Oxide across it.  Was really happy with the results.  To finish I took a Couture Creations Ringing Bells stamp that I had cut with my Scan'n'Cut.  I used some Tri-blends to colour with a touch of silver pen.  I also added some Spectrum Noir Sparkle pen to it as well.   Mounted on a silver glitter circle. 

And my final card was inspired by Joy's alcohol ink backgrounds.   Must say I can't even remember when I last used my alcohol inks!  I used the matt side of some photo paper like Joy used, and used a half a large sheet to get two backgrounds.  

When with the green theme again... used three different green inks, lots of blending solution and added some gold foil. I trimmed it and added to a card base.  I used a Concord & 9th sentiment from Big on Christmas stamp and die set.   Black stamping and clear embossing on vellum before doing the die cut.  The snowflakes are from a magazine freebie set cut with white paper and added some Nuvo iridescent flat sequins. 

And I still have a panel of green ink to use 

Big thanks if you made it this far.  I appreciate your visit.   

 

Sweet Stampin' Challenge - Transport

 It's time to share my sample card for the latest challenge at Sweet Stampin' Challenge... Transport. 

I decided to upcycle a Christmas card I received a few years ago and had kept... I used a Gina K Master Layouts mini slimline die.  Summer holiday in a V-Dub van. The sentiment is a Craft Creations one- Merry Christmas in Māori.  Perfect as we recently had  Te Wiki o te Reo Māori - Māori Language Week.    

Woodblock Wednesday.

 Time for Amy's monthly challenge - Woodblock Wednesday.

I had got a few stamps out that needed some love - a few Christmas ones and a couple of others.

I used a scripty stamp from a New Zealand based company - Rubadubadoo and a flower stamp from Penny Black.  I stamped the scripty stamp with Memento Toffee Crunch and did 1st and 2nd generation stamping with the flower.   I cut it with a Gina K Master Layout die and used the Toffee Crunch ink to blend around the edges before stamping the little sentiment from a House Mouse set.  I matted the panel onto a mustard coloured layer before adding to a square base.  

Now to make some more cards using those woodblock stamps I got out.