Catching up!

I’ve still been finding time to craft, but blogging has definitely taken a back seat lately. Today, though, on my non-work day, I finally found some time after lunch to head into the craft room, get creative, and catch up on sharing what I’ve been making. I have three cards to show you today, each with its own little story.

The first card is what I’d call a “Mesk” card — made from the bits and pieces that were sitting on my messy desk waiting to be turned into something useful.

I had a 3.75-inch strip of 12x12 patterned paper left over from making an envelope, so I trimmed it down to fit a white panel and rounded one side for a softer look. I added another scrap of patterned paper along the side, then went digging through my container of saved bits and found a sentiment I’d pre-cut awhile ago. A scrap of vellum became the circle tag, and I finished everything off with a few little gold hearts from my die-cut embellishments. This one actually came together earlier in the week, and I love how it made good use of leftovers.

The next card is a Christmas card, also made earlier this week. Back in March, I picked up some non-branded Christmas dies from my local stationery store, and they turned out to be such a great buy.

For this card, I die cut the pieces from green and red cardstock, then used scraps of gold and dark brown for the star and trunk. After that, it was simply a matter of piecing everything together to create the tree. To give the design a focal area, I used an old embossing folder to create a border around the panel and softly ink blended around the edges. A few gold dots on and around the tree finished it off nicely.

And finally, today’s make — another Christmas card.

This one came about while I was putting some of my stash back where it belonged. As I tidied up my Tim Holtz Bigz dies, I came across the Christmas Cardinal die and knew it would be perfect for the Christmas Kickstart Challenge — Season’s Tweetings.

I die cut the design — it’s an all-in-one die — and then used Tri-Blends alcohol markers to colour each section. For a snowy touch, I added White Nuvo Crystal Drops to the branch. To really let the die-cut image shine, I mounted it on a 5-inch square panel embossed with a Cuttlebug folder. The sentiment is from an LDRS Creative stamp set and was die cut with the coordinating Sentiment Stack II die.

And card #2 is being entered into Darnell's NBUS May Challenge 

Thank you so much for sticking with me to the end. I really do appreciate every one of my readers and commenters.

Happy crafting!

Feel better soon and a Christmas card

 Been a very busy week at work and as we had been away last weekend... not much crafting done this week.   Today I'm sharing a scrappy Christmas card and a Feel better soon card I made. 

First up the feel better card....

Another card of encouragement for my SIL who has just had her second round of chemo.

I recently purchased a gorgeous layering stencil from Papertrey Ink- In The Meadow - which I paired with a Waffle Flower Postage collage die and masking stencil.  I used Altenew purples/pinks  and greens inks with some soft blue to make background.  I used a sentiment from my stash - from Altenew Build a Flower  Grand Carnation stamp and die set.  

And my Scrappy Christmas card 

The patterned paper stripe was left over from a previous card.  Matted it onto a white panel and added to my card base.  The bells (Couture Creations) were already stamped and in a baggie with other Christmas bits and pieces.  I just added some colour with my Tri-blends from Spectrum Noir.   The circle die was in the bits pile, already embossed with Altenew's Organic Linen 3D folder. The little banner was already cut from a freebie from Natasha Foote.  I'd printed a few and cut with my Scan'n'Cut.  All I did for this one, was to use my dotty die to cut some dark red glitter card to make the embellishments.   

Looking forward to tomorrow as my crafty friend, Suna, is coming for a play date!   We haven't got together for a long time.... and this year I'm away for the craft fair we usually go to.   We finally found a Saturday we were both free and she is coming over.   I've been saving up ideas to do while she is here!

Hope you all get some crafty time this weekend.  

Calla Lilly - Cherish the Moment.

 Hi there.  Today I'm able to share one of the cards I made the other week.  It was a fun card - using up more of my backgrounds and scraps. 

I saw the design for this one on Facebook - so made myself a sketch of it.   The background panel is a smooshed background.  I matted it onto some navy blue card.  The die cut panels are from a couple of  Gina L Master Layout sets and some scraps of patterned paper.   I die cut a white circle  and backed it with a lacy die cut from the navy card.  The Calla Lilly is a mini stamp from Altenew.  I used Tri-blends to colour it and the matching die to cut it out.    I used small oval die to cut out the sentiment panel.   

Baby watch is still going on.  Daughter could be any time this week or weekend.  If not, she's being induced on Monday.  Daughter-in-law is just waiting for the hospital system to give her a date for her elective caesarean.   She is so ready to have this baby.  I'm on call to look after Grace as needed. 

I'm busy doing some more knitting - just finished a beanie and just started a little jacket.  Just trying to find time to do everything!

Use your scrappy strips or is that strippy scraps?

 Hi there.  My friend Suna chose the challenge at our local swap group.  And what a fun one.  Use up some of those scrappy bits we all seem to hoard.

I have a couple of baggies full of scraps and a couple of little containers with stamped and die cut bits and bobs.   I grabbed a real variety of scraps.  Some Christmas papers, some with foil, a strip of gold card -   quite an eclectic mix.  To make it a bit  cohesive I die cut the panel and ran it through my Cuttlebug with a swirl embossing folder.    My flower and leaves were in my container of pre-stamped and cut images as was my little hello die.  All I needed was to white emboss the sentiment onto a little scrap of black card.  Carol let me know it had arrived today and it was so lovely and bright on such a dull dreary day.   Glad it brightened her day. 

Auckland is into week 5 of our Lockdown level 4.  Hopefully we will have a lowering of the levels next week - not that Level 3 will be much of a change.  I will still have to work from home and shops can't open - cafes and restuarants are click and collect only - any sort of contactless sales.  I missing hugs from my little grandie.... we have been video calling her every few days.  The other day she read us her favourite story with help from her Daddy... not bad for just over 2 1/4.   

Isn't she so cute   

Life is too short....

Hi there.... it's Sunday evening here in New Zealand and tomorrow I'm back into the office after  2 and a half weeks Christmas break.  I've had a very relaxing time - 8 days at our friends in Managawhai and  a week back at home.  Haven't done a lot of crafting - nothing up north and only a couple of cards this week.  We have spend time at the beach, given the house a good clean, did a day trip to Waiheke Island ( a 40 min ferry ride from Auckland) and generally relaxed. 

However I did a card using a scrap of embossing sitting on my desk.  

This was a piece of paper that I had embossed with an Altenew 3D folder.  I used some Wilted Violet Distress oxide to colour it up.  I matted the panel onto some violet, and then on to a white card base.  Added the sentiment from Altenew's Paint a Flower, Spider Mum set.  I also had some ribbon sitting on my desk so added this as well.  It's been a long time since I've added ribbon to my cards... seems to have lost favour in the last few years.  

Thanks for stopping by.  Take care out there.

Waste not, want not....

On Saturday, I was making a number of 4 1/4" X 4 1/4" cards... some I ended up with little square pieces of card that I'll keep for sentiment tags etc.... but a couple I cut off the end of a folded card so got some little scraplings....

Here are a couple of them I made with some scraplets of PP as well



The delicate sentiment is from Stampendous.  I borrowed Betty's stamp ( since ordered from SSS - but not sure it will arrive in time to use this year~)  It stamps beautifully... very clean and crisp.  I'll be attaching these to some of my presents this year.

Well my Tim's Tags are not going well.... started with a Hiss and a Roar.... but life has got in the way.... too much to do... hence not a lot of commenting being done over at Flickr.    Plus I've realised I am about 8 cards short of what I need.... talk about scrambling.  Got 3 all the same done tonight... and one funny one with Santas on it for one of the girls I work with... just waiting for the glitter to dry.  Will photo tomorrow to share... if I get time.  I intend to wrap the presents tomorrow night and then get the house organised for my parents arrival on Saturday.  After that, there won't be a lot of time for the computer.... so if you don't see me, don't worry..

Wishing you all a non-stressful rest of the week... Christmas is almost here!

Cheers

Dawn 

A bit of a scrappy card......

Over at Wee Memories this weeks challenge is "Dust off those scraps".  I was perusing the Hero Arts Flickr group discussions and I saw that Sarah had challenged us to make a card with the colours of the new Hostesses aprons..... (see here) ~ well I came up with a very simple card that covered both....

I went to the scrap pile and found some card stock and some paint chips and punched out the 5 butterflies.... Then found the tall card for them to land on... added the sentiment ~perfect for these 5 very special ladies... Anita, Sharon D, Sally, Heather and Linda W. Simple but effective I think.

Today was the funeral for my stamping friend Sue.... a very emotional time as she was a very incredible woman, much loved by those who she touched.  Our group was all there to say goodbye... Sandie, Lei, Helen, Janet, Glenda and myself... We will miss Sue at our next gathering in a few weeks, won't be quite the same again.  RIP my friend.

thanks for stopping by..

Confessions of a HOARDER!!!!

Hello my name is Dawn and I'm addicted to:
- Hoarding papers, stamps, flowers, brads, eyelets... you name it I've got it!!!
- buying stamps
- computer blogs........( this one from Hubby who says I spend WAY TOO MUCH TIME on the computer).
and so it goes on....
Over the past few days I've found other bloggers like me who suffer this addiction... Anne, Deborah, Paula ....but to name a few.... and we are all uniting .... this year we ARE going to use our hoarded stuff!!!!
Anne has a wonderful challenge to use 3 hoarded items in a card.... see Paula's blog...she has started....

Well on Thursday I decided that as a start I needed to tidy up my craft room ... I could hardly find any space to work on.... so Dad bought me a three drawer basket unit to put on the desk... now I have lots of lovely space, my clear and cling stamps to hand, my pens, pencils and crayons close by...  I still have a pile of bits under the desk..two folders fill of papers and cardstock, plus a brown paper bag of A5 size cards ready to make bases and one of larger scrap bits.. Plus lots in the cupboard and on the desk behind me.....stuff I bought over the past 21 months and some even prior to that!!!

Today I got a chance to use some stuff!!!  The leader of our Family Group rang and asked me to make a Sympathy card for one of the woman in the group whose Dad had passed away on the 5th.  Yvonne wants to send it from all the group with our thoughts... so as it was short notice... she needed it this afternoon .... I had to fish in the stash to see what I could come up with.

So what's hoarded?  The CB folder was purchased after a class where we used it... but hasn't touched paper since!!!!... the corrugated green card was bought about 2 years ago ( can't even think why as I wasn't even doing cards then!)  and the paper for the strip was from a free gift at Stamp Group about 6 months ago... holding onto it for that something special....like Paula not sure what!.  The same goes for the flowers which I cut out of a piece of DCWV card matting that was also in a free pack from Stamp Group just before Christmas.... too nice to use so got put away..... but bit the bullet and cut it up...( its all glittery)

Not sure if that classes as 3 item of hoarder stuff for Anne's challenge but will enter it anyway....

As you can see from the photo taken around mid-day, we are having another fabulous summer day.  It started a bit cool.... well at least at 4.00am when we got up to take the parents to the airport.... but improved mid-morning.  By mid afternoon - well it was very warm.  Hubby went for a swim while I lay on the grassy bank by the beach and read in the sun.  Bliss... and nothing says Summer more than corn on the cob cooked on the barbeque in it's husks.... that was starters for dinner tonight followed by rib-eye steaks and a Greek salad.... I just LOVE summer!!!!  ( sorry to you American and European readers suffering the cold!!!)

Well thanks for stopping by.... I'm off to have an icecream for dessert!!!  Take care