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. 

Quick birthday card with PET Tapes and washi stickers.

 Today I'm sharing a quick card I made using some PET tapes and washi stickers from a book of stickers and tapes I got from Journalsay.   It is so easy to combine the two.  The tapes are translucent and the stickers are on a white background. 

I had fun sticking these in a combination that pleased me. I got a new die at the Craft show- from Creative Expressions... so cut from gold card.  I die cut the panel and added some pale green for a layer.  Took a pale green shimmer envelope and added a line of floral tape along the bottom.  

Loved how quick this was to put together.    

Craft Roulette #211

I've missed a few weeks entering into the Craft Roulette.  Sunday,  I watched the replay of Episode 211.  An interesting set of parameters -

 

I went CAS with this card.  The greeting is Good Tidings for the recipient - summery sunshine, blue skies and green grass colours, the bike is mechanical and the little bow ties the bouquet of summer flowers together.   The bike is a Kaisercraft stamp and die set called Smile.  I found the little flowers in my stash - think they are from a Spellbinders set.  The sentiment is a Wordie pre printed sentiment. 

The bike stamp and die is being used for the first time, so I'm entering my card into Darnell's NBUS challenge. 

Bird on a Branch

 It's been a busy week... haven't had much time to craft... but finished work early.  During the week I saw that Scrapbook Central was having a class by Chick Mitchell.  As this is in Wellington (8 hours south of me) I can't go... but Chick has designed some cards with a bird and some beautiful backgrounds.  I contacted her and found the bird was from Memory Box.  Of course I had to get it!  And it arrived yesterday late afternoon.  So after signing off my computer (working from home day!) and before doing the housework, I popped into the craft room and had a play. 

 

I started by putting the little birdie together.  I die cut with some 160gm Fabriano paper.  It's a light cream colour (although the packaging says white)  It cuts like butter.  I used inks from Altenew's Tea Party ink set to add colour to the layers with a touch of some brown to darken parts.  The branches, flowers and leaves are from Spellbinders - Layered Cherry Blossom die set.  I added a touch of the lightest red inks to the creamy dies.  Used some rose gold metallic card for the centres.   My background was a variation on a technique that Chick taught at SENZ craft fair last July.  Used a chipboard panel of leaves.  I inked them with some Distress Oxide in Speckled Egg and spritzed and laid it onto my panel.  I then blended some of the same ink through the panel like a stencil and finally just added some of the ink onto the panel.  Just love the look I achieved.   Die cut a scalloped panel from Gina K Master Layouts 4 and trimmed the panel to fit inside.  Added the branches, flowers and leaves and the little birdie.  Finished with a pre-printed sentiment from Creative Expressions Woodies.

I can't wait to try different colour combos for this little bird.   I scoped out Pinterest and have got a few samples on my board.

Entering into Darnell's NBUS challenge - as it is the first outing for the die

and Just Us Girls - in Collaboration with Time Out Challenges - Birds of a Feather

Craft Roulette #206

 I managed to see the Craft Roulette show live yesterday ... 

Great parameters this week!  So much so I made two cards!   

Here's the one I made yesterday and submitted to the challenge

I started by making my background.   I was inspired by a video from Natasha Foote  - making a background with just one ink.... mine was a very old Hero Arts ink called Cup o' Joe.  I've had it for around 10 years.., and it still going well.   I smooshed it onto my craft mat and spritzed with water and dipped my Fabriano 160gms paper.  Dried and dipped again.  Then using a couple of lids to stamp circles and used a Catherine Pooler stamp set - Birds of a Feather to added some script and the Love postage stamp. Vintage colours ✓   I added a lace border using a Hero Arts wooden stamp called Lace Flower Cluster embossed with Ranger Vintage Pearl powder. - Lace on the Base ✓  It wasn't showing up so well... I added some extra ink blending to make it stand out.  Gave the background a bit of an ombre look.  I die cut a leaf cluster from the Fabriano paper with a Pinkfresh Curvy Leaves die.  I added a little bit of ink blending to the leaves.  That is my plant element.✓  My sentiment is from a Lawn Fawn stamp and die set - Magic Messages.   Again cut with the Fabriano paper and ink blended.  

Finally added a some little Hero Arts gems hearts to the centre flowers of my lace - Heart element ✓

And today - I made this one...

I've been seeing lots of cards using a birdcage and flowers... so that was my inspiration.  My patterned paper gave me a vintage vibe.  It was an A4 size so I cut it down into a 4" x 5.25" panel.  ✓  Used the same lace stamp and embossed it with the Vintage Pearl powder, ✓I have a very old Tim Holtz/Sizzix Bigz Die of a birdcage and bird.  I used some of the Fabriano paper ( it's a lovely light cream colour) to cut the die.  Added some gold gems along the bottom of the birdcage and a little bow from a bit of burlap.  My little grey heart from Altenew is added just under the bow ✓  And finally my plant element is the flowers and leaves.✓  The big green leaves are the Pinkfresh Curvy Leaves and the flowers are from the Spellbinders Be Bold Blooms.   I had them cut from some water colour paper and used Jasart Voyager Metallic paints to colour them.   I added a pre-printed sentiment from Creative Expressions - Everyday Wordies.

It was such a fun card to make.  I did some earlier in the day and the hubby and I meet up with our son and Grace at our local pub - The British Isles Inn just up the hill from us.  The boys had their glass of Guiness - to celebrate St Patrick's Day!  The pub was quite full of people dressed in green.  And there was a bank singing Irish songs.  Grace loved the music.   Florence didn't come with them as she is - unwell... ear infection and chest infection - poor wee mite.

Happy St Patrick Day 

Butterfly inlaid birthday wishes.

 Hi there.  Just a quick post - made this card last week but only got around to getting it photographed and ready to post.   And I've been busy at work getting everything organised for a 3 week break.  Plus trying to pack for three weeks in a medium sized suitcase.  Hubby is using the big one as we have two huge soft toys - a Tiger for Finn and our daughter's grizzly bear (given to her when she was born)   They take up just about all of the case.   Luckily he's only staying for one week so doesn't have as much as me to take. 

So anyway here's a super quick and simple card I did.

This card uses lots of stuff I got at the Craft Fair.   The patterned paper is a Christmas pack from Rosie's Studio. The butterfly is from Rosie's Studio as well.  It did take a while to cut the different colours and inlay but so worth it.   And the die cut sentiment is from Creative  Expressions.  The card base is one of the pack I recently bought.  It's a bit of an odd size so I trimmed it down to 4.5" x 5.5"  

Well this is be me for a while.   I will pop in a provide some photos of the grandies... And I've got a post scheduled for mid month.   Happy Crafting all. 

Morning Asters Birthday

 I've been playing with my new stuff from the weekend and my new Altenew stamps and dies that arrived mid last week.   I've got a family birthday coming up this weekend so combined the floral stamp and die with a technique I learnt at SENZ craft show.

The background panel was made using the chipboard panel I bought.  It comes all combined and can be cut up.  Before that, I used it to make the panel.  I started by adding Distress oxide inks to watercolour paper.  One was Cracked Pistachio and the other piece inked in Peacock Feathers.  I spritzed one of the panels added the chipboard panel and laid the other inked piece face down and ran the lot through my die cut machine.   I darker colour smooshes on the other one and where the chipboard was stays paler.  And the bonus is that the chipboard has beautiful colour on it and can be cut up and used.    While that was drying, I stamped the Altenew Build a Garden Morning Asters and used the matching stencils.  I didn't use all the layers of the stencils, leaving some white spaces. I used ink still on my blending brushes so softer colours.  Cut with the matching die and added to the base.  The sentiment is a pre-printed sentiment from Creative Expressions Everyday Wordies.   

I've done another double panel with this technique - using Chipped Sapphire and Cracked Pistachio.  So lots of panels to use.

Got to visit with Grace and Florence on Sunday.   

Take a sheet of scrapbook paper - and chop it up Part 1

 While I was browsing You Tube  I came across a video by Maymay Made it Crafts where she took a 12 x 12 scrapbook paper - particularly ones that are hard to use and just chop them up - don't look or chose an area - just chop.   I have a box of 12 x 12 sheets - have had them for years.... so decided I'd try and see what I could come up with.  

I chose a sheet of some grey paper with some black and clear embossing on it.  It came in a pack of mixed company's papers, so I'm not sure who produced it.   I chopped it at 4 inches by 5.25 inches and off I went...  Today I'll share the first three cards  I made. 

#1

For this one, I trimmed the panel a little and added a black layer.   I went with a monochromatic look for this first one.   I used one of the Altenew Craft Your Life kit - Hello Beautiful  stamps and used some Altenew grey inks to added some colour  I due cut the stamp with the matching die.  I die cut a couple more white dies and layered them all together.   The sentiment is from the same stamp set. 

#2

My next card had a bit more colour.  I used Altenew mini set - Adorable Anthurium stamp and die set to make three pots of flowers.   I used Altenew Woodless Watercolour pencils to add the colour.   I added the back one directly to the card and the front two were popped up on dimensional tape.  The sentiment is from the same set.  

#3

The background for this one was very textured.   So I decided to add a bit more with a Hero Arts stamp called - Old French Writing (an older wooden stamp.  I used a dark grey Altenew ink for this.  For my floral I used a 49th and Market rub on from the Vintage Bits Blendable 01.  The sentiment is a pre-printed one from Creative Expressions cut with an Altenew die.  The card looks much nicer in real life.  

I had fun coming up different ideas for this rather different paper.   I've done the other three cards but still have to photograph and edit them.   

Happy crafting

Playing with florals - and a card inspired by Bibi Cameron

 Over the last day or two I managed to get a small amount of time in my craft room.  I was tidying up a bit and decided to use a couple of stamp sets to just have a play. 

My first card uses a Pinkfresh stamp, stencil and die set called Just a Hello 

I stamped the image with versamark and heat embossed with Copper sparkle WOW powder.  I then used the matching stencils to add colour with Altenew inks.  I then used the dies to cut out the two pieces.  I used some white leather looking card to add them with some 3D tape.  The sentiment is a pre-printed one from Creative Expression.  I mounted it onto a red card base.  

My second card was inspired by a You Tube short I saw, by Bibi Cameron - see it here

I cut my slats at 1/2 inch wide and made my trellis.   I took an Altenew stamp (Sweetest Peas) and stamped four of the images.   I used my new Tri-blend pens to colour and then fussy cut them out and layered onto the trellis.   I used a sentiment from the stamp set.   An interesting technique.   Next time I'll make the slats a bit thinner.  

Thanks for stopping by today.  Have a crafty weekend.   

Purple Peony

Last weekend I did some background using my new Pixie Powders... so today I got around to using one of them

I had stamped Altenew Peony Bouquet over the portion of the background I'd concentrated the purple powder to.   Although it looks simple, layering the different stamps proved to be more difficult than I thought and I didn't quite get it right.  Added some more purple inks to give it a bit more depth.   I decided that all it needed was the die cut sentiment.  It's from Creative Expressions .  One of my purchases last Friday.  I added some washi tape along the top of my panel and then used some fun foam to pop it up.

Hope you have managed to get some crafting done.   It's back to work for me tomorrow as I did not win the BIG Lotto prize this weekend.   I'm going to leave you with a quick photo of Archer.  He's almost 12 weeks now.