October CCC...

It's that time of the month ....CCC time... the good time when a wonderful creation arrives in your letterbox from some amazingly talented lady somewhere in the world.....  and mine came from the lovely Linda W (aka ScrappinBari).  This month one of the theme's was Angels.  And this is what arrived in my letterbox

 Isn't it a stunner.  - Even the inside was stamped with some gold angels.   Linda also managed to do the sketch as well.... and enclosed some beautiful Hero Arts gems and flowers in a blue colour.... just perfect as I can not get these here in NZ easily.  Thank you so much Linda.

My partner this month is Isha who lives in Switzerland.  I'm not sure if she has received my card yet, but here is what I sent her.  I used the sketch.

I got some new DCWV card mat while I was away and this beautiful card was amongst the pages,  I added the blue/black butterflies punched with a Martha Stewart punch with some gems added.  The sentiment is from Hero Arts and I though it really encapsulated what card making is all about.... creativity!!!  I hope Isha likes it.

I have been pottering away this week..... getting my stockpile of cards sorted for my stall next week at work.  I did manage one card using the Acrylic Block technique that was in Week 2 of Jennifer McGuire's Holiday ThinkingInking... it is a fun way to make a background.  I used some Shabby Shutters and Barn Door distress inks and come up with this

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Was pleased with the result and have a few more pieces ready to use.

Well I'm feeling shattered tonight... the busy weekend catching up so a few more blog reads and some stamping then an early night... with maybe a few chapters of the book I'm reading... a rollicking good yarn by Matthew Reilly called " The Six Scared Stones" - a sequel to "Seven Ancient Wonders"

 

A great adventure/thriller by a young Australian author.  A bit in the vein of  "Raiders of the Lost Ark" but good fun.

Take care

Today is a Good Day....

Two years on from a Pulmonary Embolism.... and I am well and healthy (thanks to medication for cholesterol, diabetes and High Blood Pressure)  and enjoying life.  To find out a bit about what happened you can read last years post here.  I continually thank the Lord for each day.

The weekend was very special for my hubby as his birthday was on Saturday.  We meet with our two children and their partners for dinner on Friday night.  I can't get over what delightful adults they have grown into.... it was a pleasure to spend a very special night with them.  Then on Saturday morning hubby and son bonded while doing some work around our house.  They built a retaining wall round the side of the house.

While they were doing that, I snuck off to the Dunkley's craft fair.... I behaved myself and although I had a good look round all three stamping stalls and two scraping booking ones, I was good and didn't get anything other than a set of Seasons Greetings stickers.  I did buy some Pineapple Nougat, some spicy seeds, a piece of Gouda cheese and a new iron board cover (for the odd time I actually get the iron out!) so did well.

Saturday evening we celebrated with a barbeque with 2 other couples at home.  We were able to sit outside - albeit with jumpers on.....

Then last night, we went to see "Simply Red" who were playing in Auckland city.  What an amazing concert.  It was an indoor venue and we were on the floor level.... standing and dancing and singing.  I knew just about every song.... Even hubby enjoyed it!!!!  It really was more my musical taste even though I gave him the tickets for his birthday.....

Thanks for stopping by.... I really appreciate all the lovely comments I get. Take care

PDCC #51 Christmas

This weeks challenge at Play Date Cafe is to use soft blue, beige and a minty green.

This is what I came up with. The card base is a mint green and the layer on top is sand beige. I stamped in a very light green distress ink the Lace Background. The sentiment is stamped in Tumbled Glass ( looks much better and clearer in real life)The circle is the Starry Night stamp clear embossed onto a piece of card that was coloured with Tumbled Glass and Broken China. I used some glitter in white and green to add sparkle to the trees.  I added some pale blue ribbon and a snowflake coloured with Aqua alcohol ink with a pale green pearl in the centre. I added a few small pearls  as well to the circle.

 

These are not colours I would normally use, so this was a challenge to me.  I was surprised I even found a mint green piece of card in my stash. 

I am having a bit of a crafty afternoon while waiting to head off to see "Simply Red" perform.  Part of hubby's birthday present.  The concert starts at 7.00 so we will head off and have something to eat in town before going.   

Thanks for stopping by.

Look what Kathy's giving away.....

My blog friend Kathy from The Daily Marker is generously giving away some Penny Black stamps in a blog candy......

For those of you who haven't visited Kathy's blog.... you really must!!!!  She does the most amazing things with a white gel pen~~~~~  just look at the cards above.  I just love her work.  She currently is on the DT for Penny Black and she really makes the PB stamps sing~~~

Summer's Coming.....and a RAK

I know this for two reasons..... tonight we barbecued our steaks for dinner.... outside on the barbecue - although it was a bit too cool to sit outside to eat. Plus we had new asparagus, new baby potatoes and an awesome fresh salad with avocado, feta cheese, lettuce and tomatoes.

And that Darn Cat has been on the prowl again....this is the haul from last week....

Mostly knickers and swimming togs from one neighbour.  He only seems to do it in the summer time or when it is school holidays.  This week the kids are back at school, so nothing has come over....


The card I am going to share today is NOT made by me but by the amazing Tiffany Ervin.... she sent me this beauty together with a whole lot of other stuff in a RAK.... In amongst the goodies were some of the lovely flowers she used on her card.... so without further ado - feast your eyes on this ~

Isn't it just amazing.  Thank you so much for your generosity and kindness Tiffany.  I just love everything you sent me and will be able to use it all.....

I'm having some fun with distress inks and making some more bookmarks.... LOVE DISTRESS INK... there is just so much you can do with it...so that's all for tonight.

Enjoy your week.... for me the weekend is nearly here....a busy one starting with a family dinner out tomorrow to celebrate Hubby's birthday ( on Saturday) and finishing on Sunday with a 5km Fun Run.... Although it is 9.00am on Sunday I can imagine I'll be had it for the rest of the day!!!!

Ciao for now

Block background

I've been following Jennifer McGuire's latest Thinking Inking over at 2Peas. This week she used an acrylic block to stamp her background and this is what I did on this bookmark. I used Shabby Shutters and Vintage Photo smooched on my largest block, well spritzed with water and perfect pearls and then over stamped with Friends definition and the poppies. I coloured the poppies using Jennifer's technique from last weeks Thinking Inking- using the distress ink as a paint.  Because I used my big block, I managed to do a half a page at a time.... so got enough to do 2 bookmarks. 

Am off to do some more... I'm having a stall at work on the 28th so need to get some stock on hand.

Thanks for visiting... Ciao for now

Christmas trees

The final cards I made on Saturday were both the same... just slightly different colours.  I made them towards the end of the evening.... and it was getting the sentiments on that told me it was time to go.....  I was using a stamp'am'gig to make sure it was straight and twice in a row I stamped it upside down on the plate... Luckily I did that rather than straight on my card or I would have been a bit peeved!!!!  So here they are

I started by stamping the Pine Bough in Forest Green distress ink on one and Rhubarb Stalk Momento ink on the other and then using the distress ink as a paint, coloured in the pine needles and well as adding some pearlescent paint for shine.  The sentiment is from a set by Stamp-It.  Nice clean and simple cards.  Great idea for mass production.

I have also got a couple of photos of Connor's birthday cake - made by my talented daughter...

How cute is this..... Apparently Connor was over the moon with his cake.

Thanks for visiting - hope you week goes well

More Christmas cards

A couple more cards from Saturday's marathon effort....

this first one started with white card stock that I stamped with HA Music Background in Tea Dye distress ink and then blending the same ink over the card after putting a circle mask for the moon. Stamped the Angel on (from a set by Inkadinkado)I. The sentiment went up the side as it didn't quite fit along the bottom where I wanted it to go. Once I matted it onto the mulberry card, I realised it wasn't straight... so to hide that, I angled the piece onto the nutmeg card. Added some Kaisercraft pearls just to finish it off... thinking though I might add some Stickles to the angel's flowers.... what do you think?

My next Christmas card is for the Penny Black Octoberfest.  I have one stamp from their Christmas Catalogue so used that.

I coloured the mice with Pearlescent paints and matted it onto gold papers.  The black starry paper came from a $2 pack I got a couple of years ago and have never used... ( I have heaps of papers that I see, love, buy and then they sit in my cupboard forever lost!!!)
I bought the sentiment stamp on Saturday as I thought it was very sweet - here I embossed with a copper coloured EP - added a Fiskars edging done in the gold paper to cover the join and then pop dotted the main image.

I have just looked at my friend, Sue B's blog... she was at Stamp Group with me on Saturday and made the most cutest Teddy Bear Christmas cards.... really shabby chic looking... but oh so cute.  Pop over to her blog and have a look around...and leave her some love....her cards are so awesome.

Thanks for stopping by.... I really appreciate all the wonderful comments people are leaving... really makes my day.  Thanks so much,