A little Blue Bird.

 Well I couldn't not make another card using the Memory Box Backyard Wren die today.  It has been a bit of a dismal day... woke to no power, so read for a bit, before heading to two suburbs north to have breakfast before doing our grocery shopping.  By the time we got home it was raining but the power was back on!  It kept raining on and off so headed to the craft room for the afternoon. 

And yeah, this time I made a blue bird.   My card was inspired by this beautiful card from Lin  

I loved the design Lin used, so I cased it.  I die cut an arch (Hero Arts Infinity Arches die) and used Gina K Tapestry embossing folder.   I still had my Distress Oxides out... The background panel was made with Speckled Egg spritzed with some Shimmer Spary - Frost.  In real life it is so shimmery. I stamped the Couture Creations sentiment directly to the panel. I die cut the bird and used Evergreen Bough, Salty Ocean to colour up the bird.  The beak and eye were done with Altenew Charcoal Suit grey ink.  I die cut Pinkfresh Studio Curvy leaves and blended Mowed Lawn Distress Oxide.  I used only part of the biggest die.  I used some Scrapbook.com 3D adhesive strips to add dimension to the frame and used some 3D dimensionals to pop up the bird.  Some little blue gems from my stash finished the card. 

I'm entering this into the Time Out Challenge and Just Us Girls collaboration challenge - Birds of a Feather.   

Hope there is some crafting in your weekend.   

 

Hope you chirp up soon

It's time for another project I made for A2Z Scrapbooking.  Our monthly challenge for September is all about TAGS.   This was quite good for me as I needed a tag to add to a little gift bag.

This little gift is for a friend who is not feeling the best at the moment.  I used WRMK's gift bag punch board to make my bag and made the the little tag to go on it.   I used a CAS-ual Fridays die to make my tag and with the help of MISTI, I inked up the bird from Hero Arts CL866 Color Layering Bird and Branch.   I used my favourite stencil Asian Flower (not in store at the moment, but there are lots of amazing stencils  HERE) to make a soft background.  Finished with the sentiment from the set

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! And the new catalogue items are in stock..  There are some awesome stamps and dies for Christmas.
Supplies:

• Hero Arts CL866 Color Layering Bird
  Stencil: Asian Flower Pattern
• CAS-ual Friday Tag Die
• Various inks - Hero Arts/Altenew/Versafine
• We Are Memory Keepers Gift Bag Punch Board.
• Fiskars Scallop Punch
• Twine

More watercolouring.... using Fireworks spray inks

I was thinking about my May CCC card (for those of you who don't know about CCC - see here)  I haven't had my email telling me who to send it to, but I've done it tonight.  I wanted to try some watercolouring with spray inks and I recently got a set of 3 Fireworks inks.  So found a lovely rose from a Hero Arts set (AC037) and off I went.

I started by using Dusty Concord and Bundled Sage Markers to colour the rose.  Spritzed with some water and stamped in the corner.  I then used water colour brushes and water with the spray inks to colour the flower.  I let it dry and then using the markers again, over stamped moving ever so slightly.   I then used the three spays to spritz the card.   When it was all dry, I used the Winnie & Walter stamp to ink my sentiment.  Just loving these bold and typewriter sentiments together.  So much choice. I then decided to layer it on an angle on the mat, for a bit of variety.  Finished with some sequins.

As I think this is CAS despite all the sprays... I'm entering it into the challenge at CASology ~ Cue word Flower and into the Monday Challenge at Simon Says ~ Botanical.

And I'm leaving you with a photo I took last evening.

I could hear a bird singing and when I looked up I saw this Thrush in the plum tree.  He had a beautiful voice.  

Some Shrinky Dink

This month is Stamptoberfest at Two Peas in a Bucket.  Lots of challenges going on.  My friend Anne ( See her blog here) is hosting a challenge to use shrink plastic - see her challenge here

I had some pre-printed shrink plastic that came with one of my stamping magazines that I had put away,  you know that " I'll use it someday" stash you have!  Well this was the right opportunity to get it out, colour it in and use in on a card.....

I coloured the plastic bird with Perfect Pearls and water, trimmed it and then did the magic thingie with my heat gun.   So pleased with how it turned out.   I embossed and distressed  the background.  Then cut a Spellbinder's tag and lightly distressed. The branch and leaf die is from Memory Box (which the delightful Paula gave me when I visited)  I did a bit of doctoring of the branches. The leaves were cut from some watercolour paper I had in green.   Finished with a little Happy Birthday sentiment.  

I had hoped to partake in some of the other challenges, but this week, time seems to have got away on me.  I managed to do my DT work, but not much else.   Keeping up with commenting on blogs seems to take so much time.... but I don't want to miss out on seeing all the beautiful work out in blogland!

This is me for the next few days as I have a break away from the computer.  I think I might go into a decline :-(   I'll miss it!

Have a great weekend all, get lots of crafting done and spend time with your families....

Dawn

"The Birds" challenge @ Red Carpet Studio

It's another card challenge over at Red Carpet Studio

 

Our lovely sponsor this week is Punkin' Patch

So the challenge calls for a card featuring a bird ..It can be anything - a stamp, die cut, sticker, etc. All birds are welcome! :)..

Here is my take on the challenge 

I started with some pretty PP from Webster's Pages for the background.  I found some lovely embossed silver paper and cut out a Tim Holtz bird cage.  I cut the bird with white card and coloured with distress inks.  The sentiment stamp is from Kasiercraft.  My flowers were brought back from Singapore for me when a friend went there on holiday.  They have a stalk which I curled up.  Finished with the green gems along the bottom of bird cage.

So do come and join us with your bird cards.... we would love to have you play!

And coming soon at a blog near you!

That's me for now.  Have a great week

Dawn 

Two birthdays...

Today (25th June) two people I know are having birthdays...
Nicola who I work with and Glenda who I have meet through stamping....

Nicola loves PINK.... her desk is covered in pink things... even her calculator is pink!!!  so I made her a PINK card.... tempered a little with cream and purple...

I found a pad of cream coloured textured card at my local Bargain store.. about 50 A5 sheets for $2.50 and this is what I used for my base card.  The Tim Holtz die was cut out of pink card and I stamped the bird with a music stamp.  The sentiment is by Hero Arts ad the flourishes (stamped in purple) are by Rosie's Studio.  I added some gems, a flower and the daisy ribbon.  Nicola really loved it.

And for Glenda I tried out a new technique I found here. It is called Faux Mother of Pearl and is quite stunning.

I used the same technique on the computer paper and cut out some Dahlia shapes with Spellbinders to make the flower.  The sentiment is by Stamp It.  As the background was so stunning, a few black pearls finished the card off nicely.   Glenda is a very elegant lady so this card was perfect for her and she said she liked it and her day was "special"
So a very happy birthday my lovely friends!!!

I went shopping today.... spend some of the birthday money... got some Graphic 45 papers  - an 8 x 8 pad called "A Perfect Gentleman"  - 10 different papers all double sided and vintage male images.  Fantastic as I have 2 male birthdays and Fathers Day while I

am away in Sept so will make a start on them.  I also got some Pearl Ex and Perfect Pearls powders, two stamps from Stamp It ( male orientated as well) and some black glossy card.  Got lots of ideas racing round in my head for some male cards... Actually finished one tonight but will wait till the morning to photograph - if the weather improves!!!   Heavy rain all day.  Just horrid.

Well the weekend has started for me... lots of housework to catch up on... son's old room to clean and the upstairs lounge where he spend his time waiting TV... and maybe even some more card making!!!

Have a great weekend and thanks for stopping by.

Birds Galore...

Anne is having a fabulous challenge this month with the most amazing prize... she will be making a donation in the winners name to the Heifer International.  Visit her blog here to read all about it.   This charitable organization helps fight poverty by donating livestock animals to impoverished families along with training. The animals provide food and income for these families. And, when the livestock produce offspring, the families are required to pass on the gift by giving the offspring to another needy family. In this way, a charitable contribution to Heifer is multiplied and continues to grow.
Anne is going to donate $20 for either Geese, Ducks or Chicken so her challenge is in two parts.... make something with birds on it and also to pass on a gift of some kind. This could be to make a card or project to give to someone else, it could be donating gently used items to Goodwill or a thrift shop, or it could be making a charitable donation of some kind. It doesn’t have to be a large gift, or an expensive gift, just one from the heart.
On Friday my son had a big clean up and gathered a bag of pre-loved clothing to which I added some of my stuff and we took it to the Cancer Kids collection bin.  The clothes are sorted and where possible sold to raise funds for the Cancer Kids charity to assist with research.
Today I made the card to enter the challenge.

 The inspiration for this card actually came from my 12 year old niece.  My hubby's sister and her family came to stay last night with us, and I let Lisa loose in my crafting room with instructions for her to use anything she liked....  She used some of this Kaisercraft paper and made a card.  I decided to use the last of the sheet of paper and came up with this.  The paper was from the Loire Valley collection.  The bird stamp is from Kaisercraft's Flora and Fauna set.   The darker flower is also from Kaisercraft.  It was a fawn colour but I added Aged Mahogany distress ink to change it's colour.  The sentiment is from Hero Arts.  I am very pleased with the result.

Hope the Easter bunny was good to you.... He left me a nice dark chocolate ( my favourite sort) bunny... 

Saturday stamping.

Yesterday was stamping group at Stamp'n'create.  I did quite a few cards.  I re-did the tie card and the gramophone card I made last week as I like them so much.  I also did a beautiful bird card inspired by one I saw in Australian Cardmaking, Stamping and Papercraft magazine.  I pretty much followed the instructions but used slightly more muted colours then the original.  I also had to adapt my branch as I did not have the right stamp.  I changed the flowers as well, cutting out small stamped flowers.  I was really pleased with the results of this one.  I also managed to do a couple of baby cards - very simple ones using patterned papers and some old stamps ( ultra cheep and nasty but did the trick)  We did a make and take as well, which was the Christmas card with the vellum overlay. I cut out the middle of the overlay and stamped my image in the middle.  I also made a box from a set I bought after Jill's demo.  So you can see it was a very productive day.

Hubby has now done his dash with trips down south... he left at 4.00am Friday morning to go to Levin for the last time and clear up the last of his mother's things.  Her flat has now sold and change of ownership is next weekend.  He has now cleaned everything up, got rid of most of the furniture to St Vincent De Pauls for charity, and bought some stuff home.  He took the trailer down with him.  Got back late last night.... tired but glad it is now all over. 

Thanks for stopping by. Hope everyone has a great week.

recycled card

I made a card yesterday but was not pleased with it so today decided that I need to revisit it and redo it. I like the bird stamp and the flower so I recycled them and made this one. Much happier with it.
I changed the label colour to pale blue card, stamped a different sentiment ( from the same set by HA CL129)in a darker blue ink, edged the bird in the same darker blue ink, matted it onto the mid-blue card which I CB'd with swiss dots. Finally mounted it all onto the dark cardstock.
I added a tiny pearl for the birds eye and three pearls under the sentiment.
This is for one of the ladies in my team who is leaving this week under the voluntary redundancy scheme we had a work. She is in her late 60's and was going to retire later this year so I hope all her dreams for the future come true for her.