Inspired by Virginia...

My crafty bloggy friend, Virginia, was up on the Altenew website yesterday with a great idea for using nesting dies to create a frame.  Of course, she used an Altenew die to make her frames, but as I don't have any, but have a LOT of Spellbinders nesting dies, I was inspired to make a frame.   I wanted to try some challenging colours for me as well.... Green and orange!

 I found a Heartfelt Creations Classic Rose stamp set that I hadn't opened.... I've had it for a year or more, but it was tucked away with some other stamping stuff and hadn't seen the light of day!  For some reason, orange roses came to mind... so I stamped the flower ad leaf layers with some Catherine Pooler Orange Twist ink and Eucalyptus ink.   I used my Scan'n'Cut to cut out the flowers and the leaves.  (since ordered the matching die as I'm sure it will be easier to use). I used a dauber to colour them all in in the same inks. I have the Heartfelt Creations basic 3D shaping mold so used that to add the texture to the petals.  I used the smaller dies to make my rose.

You can see the dimension of the rose in this picture.

Once the rose had dried I rubbed on soem Opal Dust (gel glitter).  I cut my frame from Spellbinders Labels Four nestibilities from some green watercoloured looking patterned paper and then used the Eucalyptus ink to sponge around the edges to give it some dimension.  I did the same with the panel it was mounted on.  I also used the same ink to add some interest in the centre of the card using a TCW stencil called Mini Beaded Curtain.  I added a sentiment from Altenew's Sincere Sentiments set and finished with some flat gold sequins topped with a dot of Ivory Seashell Nuvo drops.

Big thanks to Virginia for reminding me about making frames with nesting dies.  And because Virginia inspired me I'm adding this to her Show and Share for April.

Wishing you all a very Happy Easter Sunday

WWC#250 Helen's Feminine "Anything Goes" Challenge

Hello there, it’s time for another Watercooler Wednesday Challenge. Helen is our hostess this week with a Feminine "Anything Goes"  challenge.

My card today is using my favourite Purple colour with some pretty Altenew roses.

 I used Altenew Sweet Rose Bouquet stamp in Altenew inks - Wisteria, Hydrangea, Ultraviolet and Andromeda.  I stamped the leaves in Sweet Leaf, Just Green and Hunter Green.   The sentiment is from a Casual Fridays for Catherine Pooler Stamp of Approval set called "All About You" stamped in the Andromeda ink.  I has a small smudge so I die cut some little purple stars from the All About You die set and added them as embellishments.

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

 

Sweet Rose Bouquet...

I'm loving my Altenew stamps at the moment..... and a number of new sets have arrived over the last month or so, due to winning some gift vouchers and buying some stuff too.   I ordered two sets through Krafters Kart that arrived yesterday.... so with some time to play this afternoon, I broke out the Sweet Rose Bouquet set. 

It is a lovely layering set, but boy was it difficult to layer.... I didn't do too bad.   My card isn't exactly as how I planned.  The gold side was supposed to be on the left hand side, the flowers at the top and the sentiment at the bottom.... however as I went to stamp the greeting I did it upside down..... so I simply flipped the card and got it finished.    A few Nuvo drops to embellish and a thin stripe of pink card and I was happy with the result.

I'm entering this into the Happy Birthday challenge at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge.
And the "Throw on the Flowers" challenge at Star Stampz Challenge

Lasting Hearts Card Drive

Some of the team at A2Z Scrapbooking are doing a blog hop for the Lasting Hearts card drive.

What is Lasting Hearts card drive, I hear you ask.  You can read all about it on Jennifer McGuire's blog post  HERE
 
Her friend Kimberly is hoping to have copies of her helpful book along with handmade cards available for doctors to give to parents who lose their babies. What an amazing idea!

As I personally have lost a child, my first being still born, I can appreciate the difference this will make to the grieving parents.

If you are interesting in creating a card to be given to these parents when they get a book, here is the info. It is simple:

• You can send as many cards as you would like.
• Please use a sentiment such as: thinking of you, in my prayers, in my thoughts, sending hugs, sorry for your loss.
• For the inside of the card, you can either leave it blank or hand-write a simple message. Not much – just simple and kind. The message can be something listed above, along with your first name and hometown. (Such as: “Sending lots of prayers from Jennifer in Cincinnati.”)
• Please send cards in unsealed envelopes to:
        Lasting Hearts Card Drive
        2892 N Bellflower Blvd Ste 216
        Long Beach Ca 90815

 Of course the girls at A2Z are using Hero Arts products to make our cards.

 I have used the Antique Rose Stem stamp (K6136)  to emboss onto vellum.  I coloured the back with some Gelatos and then fussy cut.  I added to the PP from Rosie;s studio.  The sentiment is from Hero Arts Butterfly Pair stamp and cut (DC182)      These popular stamps are out of stock currently at A2Z Scrapbooking but you can order them by using the request custom order button on the site.


Check out our blog hop participants and comment by March 25 at 11:59 pm EDT on all the blogs for a chance to win a $25 gift certificate to a2z Scrapbooking.

Dawn Turley  ---ME

llina Crouse

Cindy Chiu

Char Kochensparger

Angie Cimbalo

We would love you to make a card (or three) to send to the drive (see above for the details)

Don't forget to use the code "Dawn15" at the Az2Scrapbooking store to get 15% off your orders of $25 or more (they have the Lasting Hearts campaign stamps in stock - and many other Hero Arts goodies)

Thanks

Vintage Roses

Last week I spend a bit of time watching some some videos on Altenew Layering stamps.  It's a free class available at the Altenew Academy (HERE)  I liked the way the stamps layer.  I do have a couple of them but decided play with a WPlus9  set.

I used Coming Up Roses together with some distress inks and some generation stamping

 I still need LOTS of practice but was reasonable happy with my results.  I embossed the sentiment across the centre using a Clearly Besotted set.  And of course a few Pretty Pink Posh sequins.

Back to work this week and it was hard going yesterday.  Slightly better today.  Luckily the weather has been a bit iffy so don't feel so bad... but not good for the parentals who are still staying with us.  Today they came into Takapuna for lunch with me even though it was raining.  They are here till Saturday before heading back to the Gold Coast.

Have a great week.

Dawn

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

Strawberries in August....

Over at Die Cut Divas Arlene has a theme of Hot August Nights...  It's summer time in the Northern Hemisphere and summer time means Strawberries to me... so today I am sharing a shaped card I made

I hand cut the strawberry from a template I found in a Papercrafts Inspirations magazine.  I embossed it with Swiss Dots folder and then added some Versamark and clear embossed it.  I used a Swirls folder on the dark green for the top of the strawberry.  I die cut a Holly Flourish and a small Tattered floral flower.  Added the double bow and some string.  I coloured my pearl with a Copic as I'd run out of big yellow ones.    My sentiment was computer generated and then die cut with a Spellbinders tag

As Virginia's View challenge this month is shaped cards, I've entered this one.

Been busy with commissions this week... One lady wanted three similar cards for Brother's Day, an Indian celebration... I did them but forgot to take a photo.  She also wanted a birthday card for a friend and I used a paper piecing technique that I saw on the OCC this week..

 

Using some PP to piece the Kaisercraft roses before fussy cut them out.    

Way behind in my homework for the class, but have been pinning like mad, some of the stunning gallery cards for inspiration.   Hoping to catch up later this week and over the weekend. 

Thanks for stopping by today.

Make it Glitter...

The latest challenge at Die Cut Divas is underway and Arlene has chosen the theme "Make it Glitter"   Our sponsor this month is none other than Hero Arts and they have an awesome prize package for the winner this month.

Here is the card I made using some awesome glitter paper from Die Cuts with a View that my friend, Suna, gave me for Christmas.

I stamped the Hero Art rose with Stazon ink onto the 4 different glitter papers and cut each one out for and pieced back together.  I die cut the Spellbinders die and sponged it before removing the die.  I then stamped the three sentiments from Hero Arts.  

Pop over to the blog and have look, Arlene has been very generous in her definition of what consists of glitter.  

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.

ANZAC Day ~ Lest We Forget

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them."
Lest we forget

Today is ANZAC Day here in New Zealand and Australia. It is a public holiday that honours the soldiers of the Australian and Zealand Army Corps who fought in Gallipoli in 1915.  My husband got up this morning to go to the Dawn Service.   

I spend the day pottering around in my craft room.   I did a couple of cards for some design work, finished off my ATC's for a swap that I'm involved in.  The theme was was "Text" ~ to use a book page on your ATC.  Here are my three

#1 ~ used some papers from a telephone directory that I tore up and glued onto the card.  I added some white and pink paint and some green distress stain.  My heart was die cut and stamped with some text and painted with some white paint.  The wings are stamped onto some pearlescent paper.  

#2 used some MME PP.  My book page was used for the photo corners and my flower.  I added some iridescence medium to the birds.  Added a flourish.

 #3 totally uses book paper from an old book on Roses.  I tore the page and distressed the edges and rubbed a white acrylic paint across it.   The rose was trimmed from the page and coloured with Gelatos and some pink and gold stickles.   The sentiment

I'll be posting these off in the morning and will be looking forward to receiving three in return. 

I'm also having a day off tomorrow.... I've got an appointment at the Dietician's at the hospital and then one with my own doctor to review my blood glucose levels.  It wasn't worth going back to work for the afternoon, so I'll be enjoying a long weekend.   And I'm going to Sandie's to stamp.  Yes, a good weekend!!!

  

Pretty Papers

I found a great free site via Pinterest where there are some amazing vintage type free papers.  Here is Astrid's Pinterest site and here is her blog.   I really liked the papers I saw and downloaded one I liked to use on a card.



I printed it out at A6 size onto some plain computer paper.  I wish now I used some slightly heavier card.  Any how, I trimmed the printed paper and added some stamps on the corners.  I used Hero Arts Hydrangea with some Dusty Concord distress ink and the sentiment is Hero Arts as well.  I used my Tim Holtz ruler and a pin to make the holes around the edge.  I distressed them to make them pop a bit.  I finished off with some roses made with lilac computer weight paper.  I layered three pieces together and cut with the die.  I then layered all the layers together.  Finished with a little lilac ribbon tied in a bow.

I have downloaded a few other papers from Astrid and added to my files.  So a big thanks to her.

Thanks for visiting
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