Thank You

 This month at Die Cut Divas, Bugaboo was our sponsor and for our last day, we the Diva's have some final cards... I did a Thank You card.

I printed the Flower Shelf onto kraft card and used some cheap colouring pencils and used a Dove Blender pen.  I added some tiny buttons from Docraft for the flower centres.  The little Thank You is a Stampin' Up! one.  It fitted beautifully along the edge of the shelf.   I die cut with a Lil' Inkers die.  I then trimmed my base card down to make a littler card.   

I've had a fun month with Bugaboo.  Be sure to visit us at Die Cut Divas for next month's challenge.  

A weekend away

Hi there..  No cards to share today as last week I was working on a commission that I can't share till after the person who it's for has their birthday!  In a couple of weeks.   And this weekend we went down to Rotorua with our friends, Michael and Yvonne and their family to celebrate Michael's 60th.  Rotorua is about 3 hrs south of Auckland and is a Thermal area.  Smells like rotten eggs at times but wasn't too bad this weekend.  So here a a few pics of the weekend.

This was Saturday morning down by the Lakefront.  Our friends have twin grandchildren who are 2 1/2.  They had a ball enjoying the playground and having a pony ride.

Some of the animals and fish at Paradise Springs.  I didn't get any decent photos of the lions that they have there.

This morning we headed about 30kms out of Rotorua to some thermal springs at Waikite Valley Springs

The bottom row shows the water that boils up in the Spring.  It was amazing.  You could see the bubbling boiling water coming up and the steam spewing out.  The pools were beautifully warm at around 30 degrees after the spring water is cooled by running it over some shallow cascades.  After sharing lunch we headed home.  An awesome weekend with lovely winter weather. 

Black Eye Daisies

 

Photo from Joy Ott

I saw this today on Facebook.  It is just like the flowers I made for the Card in a Box I was asked to make.

The person who requested it, wanted her Mom's name ~ Sarah~ on the card so I die cut the letters (Hero Arts dies) and added them on acetate.  Used punches for the grass, flowers and the pale green vellum butterflies, and die cuts for the white flourishes and the green leaves.  The back is stamped with a Kaisercraft sentiment and an Inkadinkado flourish.   The sentiment is Die cut from a Britannia die and added to a Spellbinders label.  I did add some white pearls to the centre of my daisies.  Hoping she likes it.

CASE Study #200

It's the 200th challenge over at CASE Study Challenge blog and the Muse is the amazing Shari Carroll with a delightful card.

 

I decided to try and use a circle stencil and some blue ink to make my background

The stencil is one from The Crafter's Workshop and I used a blue distress ink.  I stamped the work Brilliant (by Heidi Swapp) onto some grey card and the rest of the sentiment from Winnie & Walter.  The PP was punched and I added the heart and a little star.  I added the strip of black card down one side 

Winter is making it's presence felt here with some cold and wet weather.  Perfect to spend some time crafting this weekend.  I've been asked to make another card in a box.... here is the work in progress

Still a bit of work to be done to finish.    I did get a few other cards done too...Some DT work and my July CCC card... will share that when Cat lets me know it's arrived.  

Card in a Box...

I take part in a local monthly swap here in NZ, where each month we try out a new technique and send our card to our partner.  This month's challenge is "Pop Up Cards"  I tried a few different types of pop up cards to no avail... My cutting wasn't great... so I went back to a simple card in a box as I KNOW it works!

 

My butterflies are on acetate and appear to be flying when the card is opened.  I used a template I found on the Penny Black blog (Here) by Cathy Andronicou.  I used some PP from Rosie's Studio.  Chevrons for the top and dots underneath.  My flowers were punched and then sponged with Fired Brick distress ink and the white stripes added with a gel pen.  The larger ones have a punched stamen and a black gem.  The flourishes are a Cherry Lynn die.  The butterflies are a Martha Stewart punch.    My front panel is a Spellbinders labels die and the sentiment is cut with a Britannia Die.  

This is what it looks like closed and ready to post.  

 

The sentiment is from a free set by IndigoBlu that was with a magazine.  

I've entered this into the Die Cut Challenge at Virginia's View  

Thanks for visiting today.  I do appreciate that someone actually reads this blog!  Have an awesome weekend.

Monochromatic over at CCC Digi Creations

It's the middle of the month, so it time for another challenge over at CCC Digi Creations

Our sponsor this fortnight is Kathryne

 

I chose to use one of her little owls for my card.  And used browns for monochromatic colour.

I used a wood embossing folder for my dark brown background, some kraft for my background scallop oval.  The branch is part of a Memory Box die.  The sentiment is a bonus when you purchase this owl.

Would love to have you play along with us at CCC Digi Creations with our monochromatic challenge.

Stitched chervon from Pretty Pink Posh.

Have you heard of Pretty Pink Posh?  They have some amazing sequins and other embellishments on their site, but also a couple of really cool dies.  I was taken by the Stitched borders on, so decided to get it.  Really fast delivery time I must say too!

Anyway I had this idea in my head to do a series of die cuts in various colours with the chevron die so went with it...

 

I layered the stripes of colours to form a bit of a diamond pattern.  For the top of my card I cut the you from the Simon Says Stamp from the white space and again from red card and inlaid it.  The sentiment is from the matching stamp set,  The  butterfly is a Memory Box die.  Added a few sequins and all done.  It turned out exactly as I planned. 

Entering into the Die Cut Challenge at Virginia's View and the Word die cuts at Moxie Fab World.  

High Heel Glam

I had a very successful and fun day on Friday attending SENZ ~ NZ's biggest paper craft and scrapbooking expo and this year, it also had cake making and a cake decorating display and competition.  I didn't do any classes this year, but took my friend, Suna, along.  It was her first time to go to SENZ and she was stunned.  It was awesome this year, in a new venue and boy did we enjoy it.  We got there before the doors opened at 9.00am and left at 2.45pm.  I did have the joy of catching up with some FB friends - Tracey, Tash & Faith and a couple of ladies from a NZ online forum I belong to - Carol and Jude.

This is Tracey and Tash at Faith's stand at SENZ.

Amongst my purchases was this die from Tattered Lace.

 

And here is the card I made with it....

Totally all die cuts... the corner is a Spellbinders die and the sentiment is by Britannia Dies.  I did have trouble trying to photograph the card with all the silver mirror card and a the fact that the weather has been wet and windy for the last little while.  

And finally here are some photos of some of the cakes in the competition from the weekend.

Hello Friend

Another little Bugaboo card to share today.  As it's my month on the Die Cut Divas blog, I'll be sharing a few.

Are these little Teds just adorable.  You can get them HERE   I sized them to fit the openings in this little Spellbinders film strip die.  I kept my card CAS as is my want... just the bold sentiment from Winnie & Walter and of course, some mini buttons from Docrafts to fit our theme this month at Die Cut Divas blog.

Would love to have you join me there.  Buttons and/or bows plus using your Die cutting machine or embossing with your machine.

I am entering this into the Friendship challenge at Crafting When We Can 
and Die Cuts at Virginia's View

June CCC Reveal.

A bit late posting here, but here is the card I made for Deborah Nolan's CCC.  If you don't know about this..... it's a Win Win for everyone.  Deborah gives you the choice of making a card using a colour combo, or a sketch or a theme... or if you are clever you can do all three together!.  Then you send the card to the person above you in the link up.   My card for June went to Mynette who lives in Kansas

 

I used the theme of Friendship. And used my all time favourite Poppy stamp from Hero Arts.  I used water colour paints to colour and add the splatters.  Sentiment is from Winnie & Walter.  

And I was thrilled to get a beautiful card from Jo in England.  You can see her post about it HERE. It is simply stunning.  

And if you'd like to play along, July's sign up is HERE  ~ there is something special this month... a prize as well.

Happy 4th of July ~ Red, White & Blue.

The 4th of July is a big day in USA... celebration of Independence Day.  Over at Die Cut Divas today we are celebrating as well.

Here's my card

Using a cute Bugaboo image that I die cut with a Poppy Stamp journalling card die.  My sentiment is a die cut from Sizzix that I pop dotted onto my embossed background.  And to fit our theme of Buttons and Bows...I've added a red bow and white and blue buttons.

So to all my USA friend.. Have a Happy 4th of July celebration.

Distress inks and Winnie & Walter ~ A match made in Heaven.

My 2nd post of the day.  To see my Southern Girls Challenge card see this post.

I've really fallen in love with the beautiful sentiments and other stamps at Winnie & Walter and got my second lot last week.   They finally arrived in NZ after doing a bit of a detour to The Netherlands... And this week over at the Winnie & Walter blog this week, they are sharing the love with Distress inks.

You can win some distress inks and a sponge applicator simply by commenting on the post or adding a card based on the day's technique.  Day 1 was watercolouring.... always a fun technique.

I used Distress ink , DI markers and The Big, the Bold and Extras to make my card.  I stamped the background rose with Squeezed Lemonade and then used my waterbrush to move the colour around.  I coloured the outline rose with Dried Marigold marker and stamped. Once again, used the water brush.  Did the same with the leaves - Mowed Lawn and Crushed Olive, spreading the inks

I then scribbled some Salty Ocean distress marker onto my block and spritzed with some silvery Shimmer mist.  Mixing the two I did a colour wash over the rest of the paper. You can't see the amazing shimmer on the card in the photo, but believe me, it is stunning.   I then used Broken China just around the flowers.  Once the panel dried, I stamped the banner and coloured with the Broken China ink.  I stamped the sentiment words, shaping them to fit the banner.  Finished with some sequins.

I am also adding this to the Colour it challenge at A blog named Hero ( even though I haven't used a HA stamp you can still enter)

Day 2 is Ombre technique and Day 3 is Resist technique.  Hoping to get some more done over the weekend.

Tomorrow I'm off to SENZ - NZ biggest scarpbooking and papercrafting expo and this year, cake decorating.   My friend, Suna, and I have taken the day off work to go.  Looking forward to seeing all sorts of new items.  Should be a fun day.

Thanks to all my visitors.  Hope you enjoy visiting.

All things Round...and A DT Call

The beginning of the month has been busy with lots of my DT worSouthern Girls Challenge is in the mix.  We post every three weeks so mostly it doesn't clash... so anyway the challenge started today here... Our theme is Round... circles and all things round!  We have two sponsors, one of which is Lacy Sunshine stamps.  I got to use one of her images
k starting at the same time...and this time

http://lacysunshine.weebly.com/-lacy-sunshine-gang-digis.html

I used an image called Wix and to keep with our theme made my card round

 She is coloured with Copics.  Still trying to get the hair colouring.  Sometimes it cames off okay... not so sure about this one!  Finished with some punched leaves and a flower. 

And due to a few retirements on the DT for Southern Girls Design Team, we are having a DT call... so pop over here to check it out and come join this wonderful team.

New Challenge at CCC Digi Creations ~ Embossing

Hi there... A new challenge is underway at CCC Digi Creations... we want to see you cards with Embossing... wet or dry!  Our sponsor this month is none other than Bugaboo Digi Stamps

 

As you know I really enjoy working with Bugaboo Stamps.  They have such a variety.. from cute to humorous, and it's humorous that I worked with this month...

My embossing is a Tim Holtz embossing folder.  I printed the image in Word and used a frame from there to surround it.  Once I cut it out, I used a die cut 60 as this card is for our friend who is turning 60 at the end of the month.  The sentiment inside says "You know you're old when you get the same sensation from a rocking chair that once you got from a roller coaster"   

Do come over and join us this month.  

Buttons and Bows... a new challenge at Die Cut Divas

Hi there it's my turn to host the challenge over at Die Cut Divas this month... and I've chosen a nice and simple challenge for you.

Use a button or bow on your card or even both!  

Our sponsor this month is once again the fabulous Bugaboo

 

We thank them for offering 7 free digis to our winner.

Remember you must use your Die Cut Machine... cutting or embossing. 

For my samples I have made one with buttons and one with a bow.

First up ~ buttons

 

This image is Kidz Fishing Boy.  I printed him and then used a Poppy Stamp die to cut a 3x4 inch journalling card.  I coloured with Copics and sponged some blue chalk around edge.  I took some PP and embossed it with a circle folder and then used a sanding block to distress.  Added the three buttons along the top.

And now ~ a bow.

 This one is using Flower Bird.   Once she was printed I die a the journalling card with some card and used it as a template to draw around the hand cut her out. I used some chalk ink to sponge the edges. I used some paper piecing for her hat and the ribbon and bow on the hat.  My embossing this time was a thin folder which once again I sanded.  Added the ribbon and a bow.

So pull out your die cutter or embosser and join me in our challenge this month.... and look out for the later in the month when we introduce our new DT.

I was able to use these as my samples for the new challenge at Chalk'n'Stock as well.  Two challenges inspirations with one set of cards.