Happy New Year - from our family to yours.

Last day of the year - where has 2018 gone?

This month over at Die Cut Divas we have been celebrating Winter /Winter Holidays with

I've finished the year with a New Year's card - with a winter theme

I love these little winter Polar Bears from Di's Digi... so sweet.  I started by adding the image to my into a Word document and removed the background. I then added a precoloured background (a free download from a magazine) and cropped it to fit behind my bears.  I printed this onto some Bristol paper.  I used Zig Clean Clear markers to colour up the image, using Di's image as inspiration.  Then it was die cut with a Lil'Inkers die.  The sentiment is from a Stamp and Die set I recently purchased.  A bit of stamp surgery was required to get it to fit on my card.  I finished with some Gel pen dots for snow.

Wishing you all a Happy  and Prosperous New Year. 

CAS Thanks

It's my turn to post at Die Cut Divas.  Our theme is "Thanks"

A2Z scrapbooking are the main retailer of Hero Arts Digital kits and today I have used two different ones to make my card.   

I do my digital editing in Microsoft Word.  It gives me lots of options when using the images - such as adding shadows (as I did with my Thanks sentiment) and to change the colour and size of my images (as I did with the flowers).

I used the following digi sets
Say it in Pieces
Petty Blossoms Printable  

I snipped one of the blossoms and pasted it onto my page.  Then resized, recoloured and printed it onto some Canson Bristol card.  I used a Lil'Inkers die to cut it out.  I used Zig markers and my Spectrum Noir sparkle pen to colour (lots of sparkle in real life) .  A few Nuvo drops in Rhubarb Crumble and it done.

You still have a few days to join our challenge over at Die Cut Divas.  

Christmas Ornament

When I got my new Catherine Pooler Spa inks I also got the Wonderful Time of the Year stamp.  I've used the sentiment from the set, but today I'm sharing a card I made using one of the ornaments in the set

I paired the ornament with the branches from a Sunny Studio set.  Just love these big full branches.  I stamped the ornament in Royal Treatment and Daydream blue.   I used some Spectrum Noir Sparkle pen to move the blue ink around.  I used a gold gel pen to add some more colour.  I did some splatters with the gold sparkle pen.  The sentiment is from a Penny Black stamp set. 

Thanks for stopping by.  

Card for a Baby Boy

It's my day over at Die Cut Divas and I here to share you a card I made for a little baby boy

I used a Couture Creations pram die and a Lil'Inkers stitched rectangle die to make the frame.   The sentiment is from Stampin' Up!

thanks for stopping by today.

It's Cake O'Clock...

I'm over at Die Cut Divas today to share one more card using as stamp from Jane's Doodles Cake stamp set. 

I used a new die cut - a cake one, that I picked up for $1 at my local magazine shop.  I die cut from dusty pink and silvery grey card and put some water colour behind the cake.   It sentiment is from the Jane's Doodles set.

Thanks for stopping by.

Hero Arts with Sparkle Medium.

It's my day at A2Z Scrapbooking to share my inspiration.  Our challenge this month is easy- Anything Goes with Hero Arts.

I used a Hero Arts Stencil - I used an older one called Swirl but you could use anyone of the stencils available here at A2Z Scrapbooking.  I used some Imagination Crafts Sparkle Medium called Welsh Gold.  It makes a stunning background, so sparkly and glittery.  As the background is so amazing, I did not want to add too much in the way of embellishment.  I used Hello Stamp and Cut  to die cut Hello..  I added the black card to some self adhesive fun foam prior to die cutting to give it some dimension.  The sentiment part was embossed with Ranger platinum powder and trimmed.  The stenciled panel was die cut with a Lil'Inkers die and the Hero Arts  Note card was embossed with the largest die.

I am entering this into the Sparkle challenge at The Mixed Media Card challenge.

Remember if you are in need of any items from the a2z Scrapbooking store  you can use code Dawn15 at checkout to receive 15% off your purchase of $25 or more. (before tax and shipping)  And don’t forget that we are on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.  Follow us on these different social media outlets so you won’t miss out on any fun promotions!

Supplies:
Swirl Stencil SA060  
Hero Arts Hello Stamp and Cut
Imagination Craft Sparkle Medium - Welsh Gold 

Watercolouring and embossing with Gina K

It's time for a new challenge at Die Cut Divas and this a new sponsor ...
 

Yes we are lucky to have the wonderful Gina K designs sponsoring us this month.    The team were lucky enough to have got a discount from Gina to get some stamps to inspire you.... and what is our latest challenge....

...........make a project you associate with April (such as Easter, Rain, Storms, April Fools Day, Spring, Autumn, IRS/Taxes or April holidays (www.holidayinsights.com) 

My card is inspired by Spring.... 

 The technique I used can be found here on StampTV - Gina K's video channel.  There are literally hundreds of videos here for you to view.  A great source of inspiration.
I have used Spring Wishes set.  The leaves however are from another set as in my day's stamping the leaves from the set just up and disappeared on me!  Don't you just hate when that happens.  So far they have eluded recapture!   I used splotches of Zig markers where I thought I would place my stamps, then clear embossed the stamps.  Finished with coating of black ink - not to heavy to allow some of the white and coloured background to show through.   Die cut the panel with a Lil' Inkers die and added a sentiment die cut with Spellbinders ovals and scallop ovals with some seam binding ribbon.  

I can highly recommend getting some Gina K stamps - they are such great quality and her StampTV videos are the best.  Awesome techniques, great inspiration for using the StampTV kits available in store and just all round great viewing. 

Thanks for visiting and hope you will join us at Die Cut Divas this month 



 

World Card Making Day (or should I say Weekend!)

3rd October is World Card Making Day and because we are the first place in the World to see the sun - I got to spend the weekend celebrating... as the 3rd in the States is the 4th here!

So I started on my Saturday and decided to do the challenges at StampNation - they started midnight Friday so by the time I looked just after lunch Saturday 4 challenges were already up... I managed three cards in the afternoon,  so here they come

#1 - Inspired by USA - Bandannas

Using a Doodled Dry Emboss technique I saw on Splitcoaststampers.   Time consuming but fun result.

#2 Inspired by Canada - Hudson Bay Blanket

using Simon Says Stamp Holiday Borders.  Sentiment from Hero Arts.

#3 Inspired by Switzerland - Edelweiss Flower

 Used Simon Says Stamp Fog card stock and Lil'inkers dies to make my base and layer.   Hero Arts Wreath stamped in Versafine Olmypia Green.  Flowers and leaves from Inkadinkado stamped in London Fog Memento ink.  Coloured with Zig Clean Clear markers and fussy cut.  Finished with a Impression Obsession die cut bow and a Hero Arts sentiment.

Thanks for stopping by and sharing my WCMD  fun.  I'll be back to show you a few more later in the week.   I did get two more cards made today - and hopefully the rest of the challenges during the coming week

And I'm leaving you with some exciting news in our family.... we are to be Grandparents in April next year... Our daughter and her husband are expecting.... Very exciting news.

Guest Designer at Morgan's ArtWorld

I am thrilled to be the Guest Designer over at Morgan's ArtWorld today.  I have only recently found the wonderful digital art work  there, thanks to Cathie, a fellow DT member at Die Cut Divas.  I entered the challenge on Morgan's blog (here) and was excited to be asked to do the guest design spot.  The challenge is "For the Kids"

I had so many choices of images to play with, (you can find them all here) so finally decided to do a beautiful scene on my card,

Isn't she just the most beautiful little fairy girl.  I had so much fun colouring her in with my Copic makers.  I die cut the main panel with a Lil' Inkers die and then used the largest die in the set to emboss my base card.  As the image is far to lovely to cover with a sentiment, that will go inside the card,

Many thanks to the team at Morgan's ArtWorld for inviting me to participate on their blog today.  Please hop over to the blog and have a look

Coming up Roses

Today I'm sharing another card I made for Die Cut Divas. 


I coloured this in a few weeks ago while I was away.  I white embossed the roses from Hero Arts and used aqua crayons to watercolour them.  I die cut the watercolour panel with a Lil'Inkers die and layered onto some PP.  I finished it with some sequins and a die cut sentiment from Winnie & Walter.

Entering into the Embossing Challenge at A Blog Named Hero 

Thanks for stopping by.. and do come join us at Die Cut Divas

My first Shaker card.

I take part in a Technique swap with a group of NZ crafters.  February is my turn to chose the theme and I decided on Make a Shaker card.    I chose this as I had never made one before.  At the moment Shaker cards are on trend... everyone seems to be making them.

So here is what I've done.

I'm really happy with the results of my first Shaker... might even try another one some time!

I am entering this into the challenge at Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes

Deer Me....

Today another of my design team cards is up over at Die Cut Divas

Our sponsor is none other than Bugaboo Stamps.... just love their designs

I used my Lil' Inkers die to cut the music PP for my background.   Just love these three little reindeer.

Do hop over to the blog and see another example of these three cuties.

Hear it for my Boy.........

New challenge underway at Southern Girls Challenge today and it's a fun one.... Let's hear it for my boy...

A very CAS card... I used some awesome PP from DCWV.  It's all glittery and textured.  The sentiment is from Kaisercraft and is stamped onto Kraft card cut with a Lil' Inkers die. 

This one is really for my boy.... I'm giving it to my son for his 26th birthday on Friday 13th.  I am really proud of my boy... the day after his birthday he is heading off to Nepal for a week to help a village in the Chitwan area, to build houses as part of Habitat for Humanity .  He has to pay his own way and has been fundraising to help.  His boss is also going with him as well a whole lot of others ( around 2000 people going to Nepal)  Wishing him well.  It's a chance of a lifetime.

Hope to see you join us of SGC with you boy cards and projects.  

Flowers everywhere.

Hi there... it's a new challenge at over at Creative Cottage Challenge Digi Creations.  And our theme is "Flowers"  This is your chance to use your digis and make a card.  Our sponsor this time is Aurora Wings.

We got to trial some of the beautiful digi stamps and today I'm sharing two cards I made.

First up is the image that Mitzi used for her logo

I am especially thrilled with the results of my colouring on this one.  I used Copics.  The layers are cut with a Lil Inker's die.  I am going to get this framed.

My second card is a little cutie, using Bluebell Sprite. 

 
My flowers are the Bluebells on the image.  I used Spellbinders dies for the oval and the fancy label.  This sweetie got posted off to a little cutie who recently turned 4.  Happy Birthday Miss Lilly.