Jumping for Joy!

Finally can share my exciting news..... been jumping for joy since I got an email from Clare who is the lead designer for the Card group on Simply Scrapping Crafts to say that my application to join the team was successful.... Yeah... thanks Clare and Judy ( the owner of the site)  I am so excited to be part of the team..

Today we got introduced and were able to provide our first samples as a team.... all three D's.... yes my other team members are Dani and Dana.... how's that for a bit of a giggle...
Here's our intros and this weeks challenge.... a sketch by Clare.

Here's my sample card

As you can see I turned the sketch upside down.  My card stock came with the sewing already printed on it... ( Got this set about 3 years ago at K-Mart to celebrate Breast Cancer Week)  I just had to add the tiny strips of paper and found a use for a little piece of daisy ribbon I had.  I made the die cut label using a couple of spellbinders, some masking and a HA background stamp.  Love this technique for making the frames ( see this video) Sentiment by Fiskars. Finished off with the rolled roses made with a Die-namics die.

I'm so pleased with my first sample ~ now to start work on next week's theme!!!  Please do come and join us at SSC.  There are so many great groups to join and it's all free....

Thanks for taking the time to read this today.... I'm still jumping up and down with joy

Life is a Journey....

Today was the day that my eldest (and only daughter... )set off on another stage of her journey through life.  Only 3 1/2 months ago she got married, and now her and her hubby are heading off to Perth to live.  Perth is in Australia ~ over on the western side of the country... 7 1/2 hours by plane from where we live....  I understand their reasons for moving... the need to extend themselves in their work and try new challenges... but it is a sad day for me.  I will miss the chats during the day when one of us is a bit bored at work, the family dinners we have every few weeks, and the random visits.   But as her hubby said to me today " you're not losing your first born, you're gaining a holiday home!!!!!"  Now onto the planning

We went out to the airport to have lunch with her and to say our goodbyes.  She left at 2.05pm but  her hubby is staying till next Thurs to finish up work and get the house ready to be rented out.  I was strong.... only a few little tears from both of us and her friend Natalie...

I made a card for her and gave it to her with a bag of Liquorice.  There is a bit of a story behind the liquorice.  My Hubby LOVES liquorice especially Black Knight Liquorice.  We have to buy a bag or two each fortnight when we do the major grocery shop... and he keeps it in a jar on top of the fridge.  The very first thing either child does when they visit, is to head straight to the jar and they get upset if there is no liquorice in it....So the liquorice was so she wouldn't miss out too much.

Now for the card

Very simple... I took a page from an old map book of New Zealand and tore  round it.  I distressed the edges with Vintage Photo and embossed one of the Hero Arts cling Bicycles.  The little letters are from a pack I got on the weekend.  Inside I used the computer to write
" hop on your bike and enjoy the ride" and stamped another one of the bikes.


So to Emma and Brad, ('cause it's nearly St Patrick's Day)


May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back,
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields and,
Until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

Love you both.  Enjoy the Journey!

---

Distress ink backgrounds...

As we know this months challenge over at Hero Arts is layer backgrounds.  Shari Carroll did a video and part of her technique was to smooch distress ink onto an acrylic block, spritz with water and then put onto your paper.... well on Saturday at my stamp group, Jill's demo used the same technique.  However in Jill's demo she then clear embossed Hero Arts Poppy background and then used the inks to colour in the poppies.   I decided to give it a go... but my first piece looked a bit yucky... sort of a bit muddy and I had used a grided block and there were some funny lines on the paper.... so I had another go.... using some similar colours inks ~ yellows and oranges with a touch of green.  Much better~~~

I used the Spiced Marmalade ink to colour the poppies and the Shabby Shutters for the stems.  Added some orange ribbon I had and some soft peachy orange Bazzil for the base... I had chosen some brighter orange background but my style guru (Sue B) persuaded me that it was not right... and sure enough she was right!!!!

So I decided that next I would try and rescue my first piece of background.... I used a distress applicator to sponge some more distress ink on the piece.  Then I stamped the Envelope pattern over it.  I remembered that Linda had made a card where she used two different inks on a vine stamp slightly moving the stamp ( see here)  I thought I'd try something like that on the background...

I used a green distress ink and then the black Versafine.  I used a Fiskers sentiment stamp and then found some interesting ribbon to add along the bottom with a bow.  The rescue was successful!

Both of these cards were made on my 8 1/2 hours at Stamp Group.... I made a few more, but some can't be revealed as yet... some secret squirrel stuff and some waiting for the recipients to receive... so more over the coming weeks.   I had a great time as usual.

Another weekend over and only 2 more days till my daughter leaves.  We had a lovely dinner at home last night with the children and their partners.   The last time for quite some time.  A touch of sadness.....

Hope your week is a happy one.

Double Bow

Over at Simply Scraping Crafts this weeks challenge is to use a double bow on your card.  The talented Clare has done a video (here) that shows you how to do them.  I was lucky to get some seam binding from Donna which I coloured with distress ink to use on my card.



I also found this video by Clare.  It is how to make a stamped die cut frame.  I decided to incorporate both techniques into my card.  I used three different companies stamps... Hero Arts for the frame edging ( Antique Background), My Favorite Things for the centre sentiment and Inkadinkado flourish for clear embossing in the corners.  I used one of my small handmade flowers for the centre of the bow.  

I can't believe how quickly this week has speed by... I suddenly realised I have done my card for the March CCC.... so it's on my list of cards to make at this weekend's stamp group at Stamp'n'create.... I seem to have lost track of the time... I spend lots of time blogging and looking and commenting on the lovely work I see, and not so much on making my own!!!!  Get heaps of ideas though... now to put them into practise.

Thanks for stopping by.... Take care

Going Green....

Not organically that is..... but the card I made for my great niece's birthday is very green... in colour of course.....



I had some lovely soft green spotted PP and I used it to make both the background and to paper piece the top of the Pure Innocence image.  I coloured her with Copics, cut her out and put onto the card.  I used two small triangles of green bazzill scraps to do the faux corner.   The sentiment is from a lovely set by My Favorite Things.  This is for Sophie, who turns 5 on the 15th March.  Not quite St Patrick's Day but the green colours for it!!!

Got my results back from my MRI yesterday.... I have no disc between my L4 and L3 vertebrae so looks like surgery to fuse the two together.  I have to wait to see if ACC ( accident compensation ) will pay as I hurt my back slipping on some wet tiles.... or whether I will have to pay.  If ACC pays, they will also pay 4/5th of my time off work, otherwise I will need to use sick leave, annual leave or leave without pay.  So you can guess I'm hoping they come to the party.  Not sure when I will find out....

Only one more week to my darling daughter leaves the country.  While I am pleased for them, I will miss her dreadfully.  No more calls during the week at work, no more girly shopping days.... will have to get the Skype up and working again...

Thanks for stopping by.  Your lovely comments are appreciated as always.  Take care

Layered background

The technique challenge over at Hero Arts this month is Layered backgrounds and on the new challenge site I recently found...Simply Scrapping Crafts.... the Wednesday card challenge was also to make a stamped background.  This site is great... lots of challenges and forums for scrapbookers and card makers.   So here is the card I made...


I followed Shari Carroll's video instructions for making the background ( here)   I did not have such a great success with my watercolouring of the leaves... I obviously chose the wrong inks... I used orange, brown and green, I used the Music Background which I stamped through a mask... and white embossed.  I then used some green distress ink on my acrylic block and spritzed with water and stamped over the embossing. I then overstamped the envelope pattern in Sahara Sand brillance ink. Then stamped the leaves. I felt it need a bit of colour so backed the piece onto some green card. Base card is a very light cream card with the envelope pattern stamped in Antique Linen distress. Not quite what I envisaged but not too shabby all the same. It is a fun technique that is a favourite of mine. 

Phew... busy busy...

I can't believe it's been nearly 5 days since I posted... life has been busy...  a bit of card making, lots of socialising and fun.  Friday I had a card to make for a friend.... for a christening.  I wanted to do something special so spend some time thinking about the stamps I had and what I could do.  I had bought a set of stamps by Rosie's Studio last week that were some dictionary definitions... so I chose 3 that I thought fitted a baptism... Joy, Believe and Love.... here's what I came up with

I was pleased with the results and so was my friend.  Something a bit different.   Stamps used:  Butterflies by Stamp-It.  Words by Rosie's Studio and Congratulations by Hero Arts.

Saturday evening we went to some friends about an hour south-east of our place for a dinner party.  We had a great night, staying over night as it was too far to come home after a few wines.   I made a card to say thanks to Prue and Roger for their hospitality.

I started by masking round the card base with painters tape and stamped the Envelope background with Old Paper distress ink.  Then edged the mask with a fineliner pen.  I stamped the Chair onto some pp I found in my stash, that looks like leather and cut it out.  Stamped the thank you and then inside used the computer to type... for your hospitality.  Just a bit of a fun card....

Sunday... we went to a Roxy Music Concert.... held on the green at a local vineyard...Villa Maria.  The weather was not very nice over the weekend, but had improved by the late afternoon.   It was definitely cooler than we have had for the last few weeks, but it was fine by the time the concert started.  Not the greatest of concerts but not too bad.  But now I am feeling a bit tired.... sitting here watching TV and catching up with blogging.

Thanks for stopping by.  Have a great week

Shabby Chic

I am a great admirer of Shabby Chic cards and am inspired by the amazing work of Jacqueline whose blog Jacqueline's Craft Nest is simply incredible.   Her work is so beautiful.   Please go see and leave her some love....Jacqueline loves to make tags and I decided to try and emulate her style and make a tag for Louise's Tag Tuesday challenge

this is what I made....

I got the background Post Card image from The Graphics Fairy and the vintage girl image from Antique Images.  Digital images are so cool.  You can resize them to whatever size you need.  I made mine small enough to fit on a tag.  I stamped a number of Hero Arts stamps onto the tag.  Old French Script, Silhouette Spray and Antique Background.   Used lots of Distress ink to stamp and distress the edges.  Added a flower and a ribbon.  I think I did okay!!!!

In fact, I love the tag so much, I decided to make a matching card.... resized a bit bigger this time....

Just made a few little changes... different colour ribbon, changed around the brads and flower colour. 


Hope all is well in your life this week.... I am still struggling a bit with back ache... have been to the spinal specialist and had an MRI ~ just waiting to hear what can be done to ease the issue... next Tuesday I go back for the results. 


Thanks for stopping by and as always any and all comments are appreciated.