Woodblock Wednesday - February 2024

 Hi.  Time to pull out my woodblock stamps for Amy's Woodblock Wednesday challenge for February.  

My card uses a Penny Black stamp - called day-dreams (circa 2009)  and I've paired it with a little sentiment stamp from a NZ company called Montarga. 

This is a combination of new and old products.   Last week I got an order from Scrapbook.com.  It included Penny Black Background Basics Stencils and an Altenew ink set... Sea Shore so I taped my stencil onto some watercolour card and then ink blended the Dew Drops, Aqualicious, Teal Cave and Galactic Stream inks.  Splashed with some water and once it was dried, stamped the Penny Black stamp and the Montarga stamp in Altenew Obsidian ink.  I used some Prismacolor Pencils to add the colours to the PB stamp.  A few iridescent confetti from Nuvo Drops finished the card.  I just realised I used the same stamp last month!   Totally forgot that!  

Entering this one into the Penny Black Saturday Challenge - Anything Goes.  

Weddings/Anniversaries at Sweet Stampin' Challenge

 Time for another challenge at Sweet Stampin' Challenge blog... and our theme is Weddings / Anniversaries.  

I chose to use the Anniversaries theme. 

I started by stamping the gorgeous Protea stamp from Rosie's Studio - Natures Gift.  I used my Spectrum Noir Tri-blends.  Added some soft blue blending around it.   The sentiment is from a New Zealand company called Montarga Stamps.  I picked this one up at the Craft Fair last month.  

I've scheduled this post as I will be most likely sitting in the airport in Perth, Australia, waiting for my flight home after spending 3 weeks with my daughter, her hubby and my grandsons.  

A few more Christmas cards

 Over the weekend, I manage on Saturday to get three quick Christmas cards done.  Both very CAS

This one used two different Kaisercraft stamp sets.   I clear embossed the presents and used my new Tri-blend pens.  I die cut the panel with Gina K Master Layouts 2.

Another Kaisercraft stamp set.  Using some Catherine Pooler inks to stamp the banners and the holly.  The holly was coloured with the Tri-blends.  I matted with some gold matt card and onto a dark green card base.  

And finally

This one using a sweet stamp from Montarga (a NZ company)  I used a smaller Master Layout die and some scrap green woodgrain paper.  This was left over from making a origami Christmas tree.  I only used an 8" square for the tree so had a few cutover bits that were perfect for a card layer.  

Sunday was spent playing in my craft room with Princess Grace.   I introduced her to Colour Burst/Nuvo shimmer powders.   Magic as she said... She loved tapping the powders on and then watching the magic happen as she spritzed the card.   She loves inking and stamping - she is so serious when she is making her "cards"  We certainly had fun with her.   She's like the Energizer Bunny... just keeps going and going.  I was very tired when Mummy and Daddy picked her.  

Christmas Tree

 The new challenge at Christmas Kickstart is up and running....the theme is Trees, Trees, Trees.

This one came together really quickly.  The background was made ages ago - using Nuvo Shimmer paste through a Tim Holtz stencil.   I had precut a Gina K Master Layout 2 before doing my stenciling.  I used a smaller stitched Gina K die and used my new Christmas Wording Tree stamp from Montarga  Stamps to gold emboss.  A nice and easy but effective looking card. 

I'm also entering this into Darnell's NBUS - first outing for the Tree stamp.

Same, same but different Christmas cards

 Hi there.  Today I'm sharing a set of Christmas cards that are the same design, but with different colours and colouring mediums.

Card 1

For this one I used dark green for the base and layering.  I stamped the Pohutukawa (a Montarga stamp) with Memento Tuxedo Black ink and used Copic markers to colour it up. The top of the flowers is gold Kindyglitz glitter glue. The sentiment is "Merry Christmas" in Māori (by Craft Creations)

Card 2

Same design this time in red.   This time stamped with Memento Bamboo Leaves and coloured with lighter colours - Altenew's Woodless Watercolour pencils.  The gold on the tips is a gold Sharpie. 

Card 3

This time inked with Memento Grey Flannel.  I chose darker colours of the Woodless Watercolour pencils.  I used a silver Sharpie to make the layer.  And the base in a lovely royal blue colour.  

A great design suitable for multiple stamping.   I'm sure I'll be doing more of this one. 

A few Christmas cards

 Hi there.   What a weekend!  I was set to go to the FYI (For Your Inspiration) Craft Fair with Suna.  It was being held at Lake Karapiro  - a trip of just over 2 1/4 hours from my place.   I picked up Suna and after about 1/2hr down the motorway I got a bit concerned about the noise my car was making.   So made the decision to abort the trip so we got off the motorway south and got onto the motorway north!   Luckily when Suna rang her hubby to tell him he said to take their car.   So we headed off again - finally making it to the fair at 10 to 11.  And did we have fun.  It was well organised and there were lots of stalls including our favourites like Krafter's Cart, Creatables, Imagine If, Faith Pocock Studio.  I was quite restrained.  I picked up a cool Altenew hot foil floral at 30% off and a couple of stamps from Montarga.  Plus some enamel dots, a few little bits and pieces.  

Anyway, today I have a couple of cards I created last week and on Saturday evening.    I also did some cards with a stamp I got in July and had put away and forgot about.  I'll share them later in the week. 

I had picked up a few stamps, dies and stencils at the local stationery store.  They were freebies from a magazine.  One of them was an Altenew set that was from 2021 - Bells  at $3.99

I used Altenew inks to stamp the bells and mistletoe.  The set had the matching dies for the bells.   The bows look black but are in fact silver card to match the silver pen strings.   Once I was finished I went to put the stamps away and oh no... the first layer of the bells couldn't be found anywhere.  Plus a couple of the little stars.... found one of them quickly but it took till the next day to find the big layer... about a metre away on a pad of paper that was on the floor.   Still missing one little star.    

My next card uses an embossing folder that was in one of the set I picked up for $6.99.  It had a stamp set, a matching die, a stencil and an embossing folder.  

I decided to do a bit of a letterpress look.  I swiped some Distress Ink onto the folder.  It bubbled up a bit and when I embossed it turned out very splotchy.  But I decided that I was going to just go with it.   I then added some gold Pocsa pen colouring to the stars.  The sentiment is one of the stamps I got from Montarga on Saturday.    

Had a lovely day yesterday with hubby for his birthday.   I took him to the local beach cafe - a nice walk down to Murrays Bay- for brunch, had a little sit at the beach before heading back home.  The family came round for dinner.  Our little one was super keen to get here so they arrived earlier than I expected.  Hubby had baby sat on Saturday morning and the two of them had a fun filled time - playing games, going to the Wonderland indoor playground and having chocolate ice-cream for breakfast!  Pop and Grace time went well.

Thanks for stopping by today.  Have fun crafting. 

WWC 301 Dawn's Challenge: All About Occasions

 Hi there.  Time for this weeks challenge at Watercooler Wednesday.  It's my turn to host this week and it's an All About Occasions challenge.  

I've got another Christmas card using my Montarga Gnomes.  This time I used the single gnome together with a new die from Paper Roses (an Australian die cut company) 

I stamped the Gnome and used my Scan'N'Cut to cut it out.  I cut the sentiment from the pale green card and the shadow from the dark green card. I found a little Merry from a freebie set that went well with the die cut.  The sentiment is large, so went for a slimline card.  A few gold gems and it was all done. 

Come and join in the fun at  Watercooler Wednesday Challenge and check out the project from the other designers.  Then take our challenge and link up your project to the challenge post.    We'd love to have you join us.  You have until Monday at 5 pm Mountain Standard Time (Tuesday at 11.00 am NZ time ) to link up your project.

WWC 299 - Heidi's Challenge: All About Occasions

 Hi there.  It's time for a Watercooler Wednesday challenge and Heidi is our hostess with an All About Occasions challenge. 

Last month, I was lucky enough to be able to go to a craft fair.  I did get a few bits and pieces, including a couple of different Gnomes stamps from a New Zealand company - Montarga.   Today I am sharing one of the cards I have made with the trio of Gnomes. 

I CASE'd a card on Montarga's website.  I used some dark Green and and softer green card for my base and panels.  I stamped the Trio of Gnomes and coloured with Copics and Altenew Markers.  The sentiment is from a Catherine Pooler stamp set.   A couple of black gems to finish off. 

Come and join in the fun at  Watercooler Wednesday Challenge and check out the project from the other designers.  Then take our challenge and link up your project to the challenge post.    We'd love to have you join us.  You have until Monday at 5 pm Mountain Standard Time (Tuesday at 11.00 am NZ time ) to link up your project.

Let's Squash It - #2 challenge - Christmas folder and a stamp

 The second challenge at Let's Squash It is underway and the challenge is to use a Christmas Embossing Folder and a stamp. 

My card using a Snowflake embossing folder to make my background.

My stamping is a cute little gnome.  He's one of three that are all together on one stamp by Montarga Stamps.  I used my Scan'n'Cut to cut each one out separately.  I cut my card to an American sized card so I could use my Gina K master layout dies for my layers.   This one uses a mixture of dies from Layout 1 & 2.  I am in love with my little gnomes so have been making a few cards to build up my supplies to sell at work. 

Thanks Jo and Gail for this cool challenge.  

And over at Christmas Kickstart challenge - it's the same theme.  So I am entering my card into that challenge too

Gnomes, Gnomes and Gnomes....

 Hi there.... I just had to play today with some of my new goodies from my trip to the FYI Craft show yesterday.    Two of my purchases were Gnome stamps made by Montarga Stamps - a New Zealand company   They are just adorable.  Gnomes are so trendy again this Christmas so was really pleased to pick these two up. 

I have already made 4 cards.  Two are for upcoming samples - the sneak peeks from yesterday's post.  So here are the two I made today

For this one, I used a pre-scored card by Rosie's Studio.  I used the Gina K layouts 2 for the die cut stitched panel.  I added a 1/8" matting with dark green card and used the little flag tag from Layouts 2 and stamped and embossed a silver sentiment.  I had stamped a few of this gnome and used my Scan'n'cut to cut them out.  For this one, I coloured him in red and green and then added dimensional tape to pop him up.  

For this second card, I chose some turquoise colours to colour him up, with pink for my accent colour.  I used some patterned papers to make my layers and some pale blue for the mats.  I added the panel to a dark blue base.  I used a Hero Arts sentiment and the dots are from a Catherine Pooler set. 

I am having so much fun with this stamp.  There will be more of them in the future I am sure. 

It's been a Tim weekend!

Yes I spend the weekend with Tim.... Tim Holtz stamps that is!  For some reason my cards over the past few days have all had Tim's stamps on them....

Firstly here is a Butterfly I painted last weekend and made up into card on Friday evening.

I was inspired by the blue brick background that I saw Kathy Racoosin do on one of her cards.  I used Zig Markers to colour the butterfly.  The sentiment from the same set as the butterfly and I embossed it in silver EP.

Next up is another image I watercoloured last weekend.

This is from the Tim Holtz Stamptember with Simon Says.  I started by using my Zig Markers to make a wash on the background.  Then stamped the image and then added some more intense markers on a few spots and some Glossy accents on a few parts as well.   This one was for hubby on his birthday on Friday.

And my last trio of cards uses Tim Holtz Crazy birds.... two for my twin great nephews who turn 9 on the 28th

The banner stamp is a new border stamp from Crea8tiv that I picked up at K-Mart the other day.  Stencil from MFT.  Winnie & Walter sentiment stamped in a Penny Black die cut speech bubble.

And this last one for a friend's Aunty.

Using sentiments from Kaisercraft and one from Montarga

thanks for sticking through this long post... As you can see I have had fun spending some time with Tim.