Boys and Men over at Die Cut Divas.

I've been away for a few days with NO internet :-(  Had withdrawal symptoms. 

And while I was away, Die Cut Divas started a new challenge.....The most talented Hannah has decided the theme Masculine cards.... for big or little guys!   And guess who we've got as our sponsor...  none other than the incredible Lawn Fawn

Hannah has interviewed the fantastic Kelly Marie Alvarez ~ see her interview HERE

I don't have many Lawn Fawn stamps but do have the "Say Cheese" stamp set and the matching die. So I decided to see what I could do....

 

As you can see I used the stamp and die to make the Polaroid frame.  I used a Sullivan's stamp for my unfortunate fisherman.   The "say cheese" sentiment is from the Lawn Fawn set, the "father's day" is from Stamp It and the "Happy" die is from Simon Says.  The PP is from a MME pack.   

I'm also entering this into A blog Named Hero's Mans challenge. 

So we'd love to see your Masculine cards ~ just remember to use your die machine... to emboss or die cut something on your project.

And I thought I'd just share how I spend Sunday afternoon...  a very pleasant early winter's day spent at Te Aria Point. 

Reading my Kindle laying on the beach

 watching a surfer heading out

and looking up at the Point...

We had a lovely long weekend at the beach with two stunning early winter's day.   Now it's back to work tomorrow. 

Postcard with Love

Today I was visiting Suzz's Stamping Spot ( a favourite of mine to visit) and saw her delightful Postcard card for the challenge over at City Crafter Challenge . I immediately knew what I wanted to do.... so half an hour later ( and a second panel later) I finished this card

I started with a cream panel of card just smaller than the card base.  I inked the Hero Arts "Old French Writing" in Old Paper distress ink and stamped all over the panel.  Next I took some of the stamps from Hero Arts "Carte Postale" set.  The main Postcard image was stamped in Vintage Photo, the remaining stamps with Walnut Stain distress ink... some 2nd generation to soften the look and under where the ribbon is... an Eiffel Tower from a Penny Black set. I added the hand dyed seam binding ( dyed with Shabby Shutters Distress stain and then spritzed and scrunched)  I added a little brown button on top of the bow. The Happy Birthday sentiment is from Stamp-It.  Distressed the edge of the panel with Tea Dye and Old Paper distress inks.


Also entering into this weeks challenge over at Simon Says Stamp!  ~ Buttons.
and Wee Memories ~ brads, buttons or bows.

Had a good sleep last night, and not such a hectic day at work today.... so feeling brighter.  Got the night to myself as hubby is out ~ and there's nothing decent on TV.... so some crafting, some blog hopping and even a glass of wine while I do....

Have a great weekend all

Cheers

Dawn 

Happy Mother's Day....

Happy Mother's Day to all who are celebrating.... I have had a great day.... a lazy morning and the pottering about afternoon.  Last night my son and his girlfriend cooked dinner ( it's her mother's birthday today as well, so they are spending it there) and gave me a lovely cyclamen plant. My daughter posted a lovely note to me on Facebook ~  tonight I'll be Skyping with her and I rang and talked to my Mum for nearly an hour..... a fabulous day all in all.

I decided I wanted to make an elegant card for my Mum so hunted around till I found some lovely elegant papers. 


My base card and the lace edging are a lovely soft pinky-salmon card from Stampin Up's pastel cardstock.  The PP is from Rosie's Studio and the lovely ribbon is seam binding from Donna... I only have one Mother's Day stamp by Stamp-It.  I used Spellbinders to cut the circle and the eyelet scallop.  Rolled some roses from the PP using a Die-Namics die.  The stick pin, I made with some millinery pins I picked up at Spotlight.  I added some beads and pushed it in.  These pins do not have a sharp point thank goodness as I had to post this card to Australia.

The last few days my Mojo has been working overtime!  Ideas and cards just seem to be flowing... I did a few ATC's, made some more Penny Black based cards...  I've bought a few magazines and the ideas have been coming thick and fast.  I love looking at a card and then using the items I have on hand to make something it has inspired me to do.  There are always so many techniques to try.  Saw an amazing tissue flower that I'm off to try now.  If it works, no doubt you'll see it here or on my Flickr photostream . 

Hope you got to do some crafting on National Scrapbooking Day and that you have a great Mother's Day if you are a mother...

I'd also like to thank all the lovely ladies who over the past few weeks have sent me such amazing cards.... Mariette, Greta, Mildred .... thank you all.  

Take care all

Dawn

Christmas on my mind....

This week I suddenly realised that although I had my overseas cards done... I still needed to do some more for friends and family living here... so Thursday night I got into "the office" as my craft room is known, and put the head down and the bum up and created.....

I started with some quick and easy cards which mainly used Patterned papers as the focus of the card with just a little stamping and embellishment...

thanks goes  to the lovely Linda who send me the sentiment stamp amongst a whole pile of other things including a fantastic ink pad... one of the famous Garden Green inks she uses in her video's  (Highly recommend you visit her blog and watch her videos) 

Next I did a black and white version of a white and black card I did a few weeks ago.  Really pleased how it turned out... ( Notice that sentiment yet again...)

 

 Finally I did a reasonably quick one - the Joy stamp is by Stamp-it and I embossed with Copper EP onto a very dark brown piece of card, layered it onto a gold patterned paper and then onto the chocolate brown square card.. 

I can tell you by the end of the night, I was pooped!!!!  But felt so much better that I had a few less cards to do now....   and got a few more done today at Stamp Group...  mainly duplicates of ones I had already done - so I knew what was needed.  Did do another digital one  - which is currently waiting for the Kindyglitz to dry so will photograph tomorrow and blog about the day I had...

Take care and thanks for stopping by....

More tags....

I'm really starting to enjoy making tags - albeit that the ones I have been doing are rather simple... not much layering etc.  I have done these two over the last couple of days.

The one on the right was very simple... I used a Hero Arts Collage stamp that I simply inked up in 3 different Memento inks -  Rich Cocoa, Rhubarb Stalk and Potters Clay and stamped directly onto the tag.  I added some red gems to the snowflakes and then added a sparkle snowflake and gem to the bottom.  I put some Kindyglitz on the Santa and it was finished.
The one on the left was a bit of trial and error.... I started with some practise of my blending tool for the distress inks. I always have trouble trying to get it nice and even. I started with Worn Lipstick and then added some Dusty Concord on the edges. It went a bit dark in the lower corner. Next I inked up the flower only on the Sparkle Poinsettia stamp and used Rocket red Brilliance and clear embossed it. The bits of silver are actually alcohol ink mixative that I stamped onto the tag - I had been playing at covering a piece of acetate with Plum and silver alcohol inks and this was what was still on the felt pad.  It left bits of silver and the plum on the tag which looked rather cool. I used red and green ink on the sentiment from Stamp-it to finish off.   I had to add a bit of thin card stock to the back of the tag as I always seem to get them messy when I use distress inks and my teflon sheet.  I will be writing on the back of the tag for the person who is getting this added to their present.
No more crafting tonight though... Hubby's work Christmas function is on.  We are going out to dinner at one of the local bars.  Should be a fun night, so am off to iron the top I want to wear.... HATE ironing but needs must!!!
Thanks for stopping by.  Hope your weekend is a great one.

Unto us a child is born.....

I got a new set of Christmas stamp from Inkadinkadoo this week.
O Holy Night.  For this card, I stamped the sentiment onto white card stock and cut it out with my Labels 1 nestibilites. While it was still in the nestie, I sponged the edge with Faded Jeans distress ink. I coloured the star with yellow pencil and used the aqua pen to spread the colour outwards. I then stamped the Mary and Jesus image onto card stock and coloured it in with blues and a touch of yellow. I cut it out and pop dotted it onto the corner of the label. I added some ribbon and used my Fiskers Threading water punch to edge the blue layer. I entered this into the CAARDvarks Color it Challenge. 

I also managed another quick card this week.  I had got a new set of Tim Holtz Alcohol inks... Salmon, Aqua and Sandal.  I used them to make the background for this card.  The sentiment  stamp is by Stamp It was stamped with Archival Ink in Sepia on white card. This was then overlaid with embossed vellum - with holly leaves on it.  I then finished with three bronze gems. 

Today I spend the morning in surgery.  I have been having a few issues with "woman's stuff" as my DH would say and had to have a D&C( Dilations and Curettage) and a hysteroscopy to see if there is anything wrong.  Initial results are all fine...Hopefully the D&C will fix the issues I'm having.  I am feeling a bit dopey still from the anaesthetic  and bit uncomfortable feeling so it's off to bed for an early night.  I've taken tomorrow off so if I feel better - will do a bit more crafting.

Thanks for stopping by.  I appreciate all the wonderful comments people leave.
Take care  ( one month till Christmas - 4 weeks till my Mum and Dad arrive to spend Christmas with us!!!!)

Lucy colour challenge #1

This week I has some sad news.... a very dear friend has just found out she has more cancer... last year she had a breast removed due to cancer, but now has some tumours in her brain.... I really wanted to make her a card to say I care.
I loved the colours that Lucy had chosen for her very first colour challenge ( kraft, aqua and pale pink- very Lucy colours!!)- but didn't have any aqua card.... then I remember I had seen her earlier post that showed some pale blue digi papers from Jen Allyson available at 2peas. I had downloaded it so found it on my computer and printed it off to use as background. I inked the edge in Faded Jeans distress ink and used my fingernail to distress further. The flower is the new cling I won from Hero Arts. I stamped in on the blue card and then onto pink and the blue again to get the layers. I added Kindyglitz to the centre and some Liquid Pearls in white opal to the tips of the flower and as dots along the bottom. The sentiment is from Stamp It.
For those of you who can, please say a few prayers for Sue... I certainly am...
Thanks for stopping by

Can you have too many butterfly stamps?

I don't think so!. Today my local stamp store ( Stamp'n'create) were having a birthday sale - 40% off. I couldn't resist getting this set by Stamp-it. I know I don't need more butterflies...but..... 40% off!!!
I also got a new set of nesties - The Dahlia plus some replacement channels for my cutter, some silver alcohol mixative and two sheets of different green Bazzil card. A good buy... but I'm locking my credit card up now. It needs a rest ( and allow me time to pay it off a bit)

Can wait to cut the stamps out and have a play. But it will have to wait as I have other things to do tonight- like the ironing Ugh!!! but it needs doing so I can have some clothes to wear to work.

Thanks for looking and I hope the week starts as well for you as me.....

Stamp club day - Saturday 11th

Had a great day at Stamp club day at Stamp'n'create yesterday. We started at 10am and finished at just after 4pm. There were a total of 7 of us there this month and we were greeted with a bag of goodies - paper, flowers and a strip of pompoms ( Sarah is into pompoms at the moment) We all worked on our own projects but got lots of ideas from each other. Lunch time is a shared lunch with goodies from asparagus rolls and sandwiches to coconut choc slice, oatmeal slice and pineapple lumps. We always eat well. After lunch we had a demo. This month was on using shrink plastic. Very interesting and informative.
I worked on these projects during the day. I made the gift pack of a set of 4 cards.... will do a seperate post about these shortly.... there are 4 cards in the gift pack. See my Flickr photostream to view them all.
The next project was to finish off the card I have working on using the techniques that Jennifer McGuire has been teaching in her Thinking Inking videos at 2Peasinabucket.com I used my new Scattered Leaf border stamp in versamark and embossed in white powder. I then used the resist technique and rubbed on Shabby Shutters and Faded Jeans distress ink. I then used the raindrops background in Spiced Marmalade. I mounted it on a greenish cardstock added the ribbon and then mounted onto the blue card base. I coloured the flower with the Shabby shutters and raindrops stamp, added a punched flower ( also coloured in Shabby Shutters) and an orange gem in the centre. Not sure what sentiment I will put on this, but it will need to be small.
Finally I made a pizza box for the monthly competition at my other stamp shop- Stamp Zone. This months competition is " Outside the box" - basically anything crafty as long as it uses a product purchased at their store. I got the stamp and the embossing powders from them.
I also started another distress card. I sponged a new ink colour I got - Old paper - onto the card, and then used a Tim Holtz mask and then sponged on Shabby Shutters. I again used the raindrops in Spice Marmalade. All I need to do now is decide how I'm going to use the background.
Thanks for looking - see my next post about Pay it Forward.