No Designer Paper - Sweet Stampin' Challenge.

 Hi - it's time for a new challenge at Sweet Stampin' Challenge.   Our challenge this time is "No Designer Paper/No Patterned Paper"

Although I have a lot of patterned paper in my stash, I still prefer just using stamping or die cutting...

 Today I have a "twofer" to share inspired by Natasha Foote (here)

I used a Woodware stamp - Floral Wonder.  I cut two panels from light and dark blue card -both 4" x 5.25" and then using my MISTI I stamped with Versamark and embossed with Altenew Silver EP.  Next I stacked the two panels together and used an Impress 3 in 1 nesting circle die, cut out the centre of the panels.  I added some double sided paper to the back and swapped the circles - matching up the embossing.   I then used some of the same blue card to cut out the Love You So die from Concord & 9th and used some vellum behind the dies.  

Do come and join us at Sweet Stampin' Challenge with your projects.

PS... our beautiful grandson Finlay George Dunning made his presence know rather quickly, early on Friday morning ... surprising Mummy and Daddy by being born at home!  Thank goodness, the paramedics arrived in time to deliver him.   Big brother Archie was very happy to meet him so soon after he was born.  Happy Nanny and Pop here in NZ.  Can't wait till 28 July when we will get our cuddles. 

Last minute gifts

 This week at Splitcoaststampers the main tutorial was a delightful Easel Note Holder.  I decided to make some last minute gifts.

I had four Post-It note pads at home and used some purple and white card to make the bases.  I had a couple of different patterned paper packs sitting on the floor next to my desk (just waiting to be put away!) so grabbed some papers to make my easel portion.   Die cut some sentiments for three and used pre-stamped and die cut bits from the Magic pile to add to the other one.  Now to make one for myself!

My bags are packed - just a couple of last minute items to go in.   We head off at around 8.00am in the morning as it will take about an hour to get to the airport and get the car parked.  Our flight is at 11.50am but the expected number of people through the airport tomorrow is around 50,000 so there will be long queues.    Everyone is super excited - on both sides of the "ditch"  - the Aussie's are over their bout of COVID (thank goodness) and we've been taking care to stay away from crowds.  

This will be my last post before Christmas - so I'm wishing all my friends and followers - a Very Merry Christmas.   Enjoy spending time with friends and family.   See you in the New Year 💖💖

Use Numbers at Sweet Stampin' Challenge

 Hi there.  It's time for my team to shine at Sweet Stampin' Challenge.  Our theme this month is Use Numbers.   I chose to make a piece of home decor 

I used some Tim Holtz stamps from a set called Persective.   I stamped the numbers background twice in Catherine Pooler Black Jack ink.   I stamped the Butterfly from the set onto some dotted vellum and coloured the back with green alcohol pens - hard to photographic so looking a bit black.   I stamped the the sentiment onto white card and then trimmed it out in each line.   I added it to some black card and cut it to size for my frame.  

Inspired by an older sketch from Cardabilities

 A couple of days ago a post came up on my gmail - with a pin that was saved from my Sketches I like board on Pinterest- and I thought I needed to try this one..

I decided to try it as a mini slimline card - and did NO stamping!

I used a Pretty Pink Posh scalloped edged die to cut each side of my centre panel.  Used some patterned paper from a My Mind's Eye - Lost & Found Blush pad.  I die cut a variety of leaves and branches from vellum (die by Altenew, CP Designs) and the circle with a Gina K Master Layouts 3 die.  The sentiment is a pre-printed one from Taylored Expressions.  I used another die from the GK ML3 set to get the fish tail end.  I used some scrap red card to cut the Poppy Stamps Grosgrain bow.  Finished with some enamel dots (Altenew Red Cosmos set) 

I will have to try it as a US-A2 card as well.  It's a fun sketch. 

Glad it's the end of the week... 'cause I got a visit from the Princess.  Her Dad often picks her up on a Friday and stops off at our place on their way home.   I was a bit late getting home from work today.... I got called in as one of our "shift" is a household contact with her son and husband COIVD positive.  She has to isolate for 7 days - luckily our shift is working from home next week.   But for me it was my last day working in the shift as I've been appointed to an new team at work - where we are ring fenced to just working on the property project...an exciting change for me and it's going to be a new challenge.  More working home I expect.  We are having our first virtual get together on Monday... the team is made up of staff from 4 different sites

Take care out there everyone

White ink highlighting

 I've had 5 days off work... from last Friday till today.  My work is in close down to allow the last part of our new system to be installed.  It will hopefully be already to start of business Thursday.  I'm signing in tomorrow to do some online training.  But have had a great time crafting over this time.  Got lots of cards made for upcoming design work, watched lots of crafting videos and trying out new techniques.

One of the videos I watched was about using white ink on an ink blended and embossed background. It is by Natasha Foote ( here)  She is a New Zealander and it's great to watch her work.  

Natasha used Distress Oxides for her blending.  I used some Altenew die inks... Heart Beat, Orange Cream and Fresh Lemon.  I used Altenew's 3D Beautiful Begonia folder to emboss the panel.  I then took my Hero Arts Unicorn ink and blended it over the top of the embossing.  It really is very subtle but I was pleased with the outcome.  I die cut a vellum doily and a white circle and added a sentiment.  I finished with some soft pink gems.  

Time to head off to my bed... back to getting up early - even though the trip to work is only 5 steps from the kitchen to my work space on the dining room table!   

Take care 

Autumn/Fall at Southern Girls.

Hi there.  Back again for my Southern Girls challenge.  It's coming into Autumn/Fall here in NZ and that's our theme this time around.    Our sponsors are

I'm using an image from Lacy Sunshine called "Bubbles Autumn,

I printed out the image after using Word to resize and add a frame around it.  I used my Prismacolour pencils to add colour.  I made my own background paper by using a Catherine Pooler stencil (Marching Leaves)  over a pale green card.  I used Rocky Shore and Olive inks from Altenew.  I cut a heart doily in half to put behind the focal image.  I then stamped and clear embossed the Autumn sentiment from "The Big Bold Seasons" from Winnie & Walter onto some vellum and fussy cut around it.

Do come and join us at Southern Girls Challenge with your Autumn/Fall creations

Little Panda for you

This month at my NZ Cardmakers swap our theme is "Animal" - however that takes your fancy.  I chose to send Carol a little whimsical Panda on my card

I used an idea I saw in the magazine I got the stamp and embossing folder from.  I made a blue die cut frame and used some embossed vellum.  I stamped all the elements and and fussy cut them.  They are coloured with watercolour pencils and Wink of Stella.

Packing almost complete and just one more day at work and then we are away!  Getting excited.

thanks for stopping by today.   

Pretty florals

I have a few flower cards and a tag to share today.  I love doing flower cards and recently my new WPlus9 "Coming Up Roses" stamp arrived.  A great opportunity to make some floral cards and a tag for Virginia's View challenge #4.  

I started by pulling out a piece of watercolouring I'd done a while back but wasn't happy with the amount of splatters I'd done.  I used my Tim Holtz Tag die to cut the tag. 

I then took the stamp set and some orange distress inks and stamped the roses.  I used some green distress inks to stamp the stems.  Next I added my recycled item... the wax paper from a little doily die I'd cut.  It really looks pretty in real life...  I then used the doily, which had been cut from Kraft card, as a stencil to sponge some more colour onto the tag.  Finished with some chiffon ribbon and a button and crochet cotton bow.  The sentiment from Hero Arts was stamped with Delicata Golden Glitz and clear embossed.

My next card was made to sent to a friend, whose Mum passed away last week.

My centre panel is some Bristol paper.  I used the WPlus9 set again and some distress inks.  I used my paintbrush and water to do a bit of water colouring.   The sentiment is from a Simon Says Stamp set.  The PP behind is from a pack by Prima called "Fairy Belle"  Inside I have added a Hero Arts sentiment "so sorry for your loss"  The gems and pearls finished off the card.

And just one more flower card.




This is for a challenge at The Paper Shelter - Flower Power. I used a digi stamp from The Paper Shelter and also the matching background.  I wanted to try out making some vellum roses after seeing this video.  I have a pack of coloured vellum that I got ages ago and there was a pretty pink amongst the pages.  The little ones were a bit fiddly but got there in the end.  I used glossy accents rather than hot glue for the little ones.

Thanks for persevering through my long post today.  Only 5 more sleeps till I head off to Perth to visit my daughter.  Getting a little excited now.  This will the longest trip I've done on my own.  I'm going on the direct flight - 6 hours 45 minutes.  I'll have a few posts schedules as I have a couple of DT challenges starting while I'm away.

Vellum Flowers.

I recently saw a video by Nichole Heady ( Make it Monday) where she used PTI inks to colour some heavy weight vellum.  I don't have any PTI stamps or inks so couldn't make a card for the challenge.  But really wanted to try the technique.  My vellum is a bit lighter than what Nichole used.

I stamped two lots of a Hero Arts Rose with Versamark ink and white embossed.  I then used a sponge tipped make-up Qtip to colour with Distress Inks in Spun Sugar, Pickled Raspberry and Mowed Grass.  I was really pleased how they turned out.  I attempted to make a card base like Nichole's.  I used a Spellbinders die, but when I went to put my flowers on, they were just too transparent.  So onto plan B... use a Cuttlebug embossing folder to make a background.  I embossed the sentiment onto vellum and cut as a banner.  This is a lovely technique that made a very elegant card.

I had the day at home today... woke with a bad headache so spend most of the day in bed, sleeping and resting.  Feeling better now thank goodness, just hope that I can sleep tonight.

Thanks for visiting.  I do appreciated all my visitors.

inky fingers.....

Warning... long post!!!!
Yesterday was Stamp Group day at Stamp'n'create.  I so enjoy this day and was determined not to miss it.... even though there was just so much to do at home.. This time we had a new member join us as a number of the group were away.... in total we only had 6 there but that was awesome as we had room to spread!!!!  I came home with inky fingers as I really had a productive day....
firstly I finished off painting some of my Xmas Tags.... then it was onto a card for Maim Doodles challenge of a shaped card.  I had printed out a couple of Lil' Rosie images and this is what I came up with.

I tried out Lysa's hair colouring technique ( shown here on Color Me Copics).  I only have black and cool grey but was pleased with the result.

Next it was onto a Christmas card.  I had seen this on Dawn Griffith's blog and thought I'd give it a go.


I used a Kaleidaclor ink (Blue Breeze) on the glossy card stock and then used Stazon to stamp the Three Wise Men from an Inkadinkado set.  I have decided that I will be doing more of this one for this years Christmas cards as it is such an easy one to do.

My next card is one I made with Hero Arts Large Flower.  I have ordered this stamp but it hasn't arrived yet, but one of the ladies at group had hers there so I borrow it.  I stamped it twice on vellum and embossed in white and then once in versamark on a pinky piece of Bazzil.



I cut it all out and layered onto the red card.  Sentiment from Stamp-It.  I wanted the flower to be the focal image.

Our demonstration this week was about using watercolour with reinkers.  I don't have many reinkers ( in fact only 2!) so thought I'd try with putting a bit of distress ink onto the acrylic block and picking up a dot.... worked okay - photo to come when I actually make up the bit into a card.... but learning the technique was awesome.  Jill is soooo talented

My final card was our Make and Take..... involved CB embossing folders, Spellbinders flower dies, and glimmermist.... AWESOME!!!!!  will be trying this one again.



Until I get permission from Judi ( originator of the card) I can't share entirely how it was made.

Well that's it from me today... Hope the length of this wasn't too off putting but will leaving in 3 days I need to post it all at once!!!!  Packing is going well.... almost finished - just a bit of ironing to do and add to the suitcase.

Take care everyone...