Inkurable stampers box, bag or envelope challenge

I haven't participated in Inkurable stampers challenges over the past couple of months! somehow I could never get my head around the criteria! but I popped over last week and I thought the challenge was a great one and instantly knew that I was going to make a handbag!
So below is a handbag that I have made out of Bazzill cardstock using my own template, I covered it with Prima wash paper and the used my latin background stamp (brand unknown) with timber brown stazon ink to stamp the background and I inked the edges with a combination of brown and orange inks to give it a bit of an aged look, the swirls are Autumn Leaves and the 'just for you' is from Garden greetings stamp collection. I have also used my spellbinders scalloped circle dies to create a little embellishment on the front of the flap. The handle is from 7 gypsies and it is made out of material. Below is a photo of the bag itself.


I then decided that I would make it into a gift set and made 4 little cards decorated similar to the handbag. I also made the envelopes to go with the cards!

I adore making bags and boxes and I can't wait to see what everyone else comes up with, in fact I hope to try out many more of these bags, boxes and envelopes!
Thanks for looking!

Kazans sketch #36

Wow what a fabulous sketch from 2 sketches 4 You this week.

Here is my example for this week - I have used Bohemia pprs from Kaiser as well as paper flowers and a little metal ornament that I picked up somewhere!

Unfortunately this will be my last card for a while and I would like to thank Kazan and Laura for a wonderful and inspirational blog. Kazan, Laura and the past and current DT's have done such an excellent job with sketches and examples that I am really going to miss doing my weekly cards based on their sketches.

Neil and I (and Kouta) head off next week for a 2 month cycle around parts of Victoria and alas the scraproom cannot come with me!!! I thank you all for your kind words and comments that you have posted in the past ... I shall return mid december to take up the card sketch challenges again. Until then take care everyone!

Lauras sketch #35

Here is the first of my christmas cards using Lauras sketch from 2 sketches 4 You and Bo Bunny papers. I love these papers and the colours are just so vibrant. I am rather fond of this shade of aqua blue for christmas and I love it even more when it is used with the traditional christmas colours of red and blue.

Thanks for looking at my work and I hope you all have a good weekend!

Kazan sketch #35

I loved the sketch from over at 2 sketches 4 you. Kazan and the DT have done an excellent job with some awe inspiring cards.

I have made this apron card for my bosses at work (I work in an industrial kitchen so I thought the apron was quite tongue in cheek so to speak!) ... next week is my last week at work and after 11 years I am rather sad to go ... but it is time to travel!!!

I have made this apron card using cardstock and Sassafras Lass papers, Kaiser flowers and rub ons, Carolee Creations alpha stickers, ribbon, Francheville eyelets and a black pen for the fake stitching!

Thanks for looking and have a great week!

lauras sketch #34

Wow what a week here in Melbourne! my favourite football team, Geelong, have made it through to the preliminary finals ... and hopefully they will make it to the Grand final for the 3rd year straight!!! And only 2 weeks until Neil and I finish work and start out on our little adventure with our sweet little dog Kouta cycling around Victoria and eventually the rest of Australia ... woo hoo I can't wait!

Meanwhile I have used Lauras sketch from 2 sketches 4 you to make a birthday card for Neils sister.

I have used American crafts cardstock, Bella papers, ribbon and diecut, my favourite embossing folder from Cuttlebug and Carolee Creations alphabet stickers.

Well I hope everyone has a great week!

Kazan #34

Hello everyone. This coming sunday is fathers' day here in Australia and NZ. So I have used Kazans' sketch from over at 2 sketches 4 You to make my father a card. I am very fortunate this year that he is over here with me in Australia (he lives in NZ) for fathers day as he has just spent the last 5 weeks up in the Nothern Territory cycling.

I loved making this masculine card for him as he is a mad cycle tourist so I made use of my cycle stamps and rubons and come up with the above card. I have used Kaiser paper, scrapbook king rubons, spellbinders scalloped circle die and Carolee Creations alpha stickers.

Lauras sketch #33

Wow what a week it has been really windy here in Victoria but the temperature is getting warmer and as all the Northern Hemisphere cardmakers from 2 sketches 4 You gear up for their deathly cold winters ... I gear up for SUMMER!!! yay I can't wait!

I also received my Cardmaking, stamping and papercraft mag (Vol15 #4) yesterday and blow me away I had a card of mine on the cover! I knew I had a set of cards in the magazine but I didn't realise that it was going to be one of the cards to feature on the front cover! I certainly was doing the happy dance!

I managed to slip in Lauras sketch this week and came up with a card that I am happy with. I used Darkroom door stamps and Kaiser papers.

Until next week everyone have a good one!

2 sketches 4 You card

Well I promised I would go back to doing a normal card this week and I have to admit that this is my 2nd attempt at it! I think I just lost my mojo on Wednesday night when I went to use Kazans' sketch from 2 Sketches 4 You so I decided to have another go today and here it is.

I have used Core 'dinations cardstock, Kaiser Ever Blooming papers and flowers, Stazon and versa color inks, sizzix leaf die cut, American Crafts ribbon, the multi frame stamp is from Victoria's secrets and the 'just for you' stamp is from a set of garden greetings from Darkroom Door.

Thanks for looking!

Lauras sketch #32

Okay I have gone really DIFFERENT for this weeks sketch from Laura at 2 sketches 4 U. I have made a card completely out of RECYCLED HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS!!! What the!!!
We are celebrating "Green Week" here in Australia. And I endeavour to do my bit for the environment by recycling paper, card, plastic and green waste. So as I was emptying the recycling bin this week I began to wonder what a card would look like using some these products ... well this is what I came up with!

I have used my base cardstock from a cereal box and used the pattern side as part of the presentation. I have then used paper from the inside of an envelope (I knew the bills I received would become useful for something!) I have used AL 'who cares' stamps and randomly stamped 'reduce, reuse, recycle' over it and again on scrap card from the inside of the cereal box and cut them out and created a word ribbon at the top. The red plastic mesh is from a fruit bag.

I then stamped 'respect mother earth' on card from the inside of the cereal box and cut it out. The frilled edging around the title is actually the plastic that the cereal came in and I just cut it into strips and pleated the strips. I then mounted this on the red mesh. On the outside of the cereal box it had a recycling and 'Australia made' symbols which I cut out and with 3D foam tape I attached them near the title.

Here is a view of the back so you can see that using the outside of the box adds to the appeal of the card!
I promise next week to go back to a normal card! but I enjoyed making this card ... it was a challenge and I enjoy doing things outside my comfort zone ... give it a go!
Thanks for looking and have a great week.

Kazan #32 - Be my lil baby

Hi All
Over at 2 sketches 4 U Kazan has created a lovely sketch and the examples from her and the talent DT are just inspirational! They have used some beautiful ribbon from May Arts.
And I have to admit that every Tuesday morning (that is when I check the blog for the weekly sketch) I am absolutely gobsmacked at the talent of the cards presented and I look at the products used with these cards and I say to Neil ... 'I wish we lived in America!!!' ... I think since most scrapbooking and cardmaking products are made in USA it would be wonderful to live there and have so much unlimited (except finances!) access to these, whereas here in Australia we only have access to what the shop owners and wholesalers purchase from the manufacturers in USA. Usually ribbons are not high on the list and it tends to be paper, rubons, stickers and brads. But I think there is enough products in Australia to satisfy me ... but I can dream!!!
Below is a card that I made using Kazans' sketch. I have used Kaiser paper (sweets collection), Carolee Creations and Pink Paislee alpha stickers, Sizzix medium tipsy heart, split rings, cuttlebug heart embossing folder, American crafts ribbon, scalloped scissors and eyelets. I have used the split pins to hang the heart.
Thanks for looking and have a great week.

Lauras sketch #31

Wow what a great sketch to work with from 2 sketches 4 You. It was so easy to use that I was flicking through my favourite Australian card magazine and I came across a really beautiful card using these paper flowers (surrounding the '40'). As soon as I saw them I couldn't wait to have a go at them. They are a series of paper circles that have been torn and the edges inked. I have then mounted them with foam tape and I have slightly bent the edges to give them more volume. I am happy with the way they came out!

So this card is for my parents who will be celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary at the end of August (I know I am a little early!) I have used Making Memories paper, kaiser pearls, white cardstock, cuttlebug dot embossing folder, American thickers and ribbon.

Thanks for looking!

Cute Card Thursday Challenge #70

I have been lurking around the Cute Card Thursday blog for a while and decided to take the plunge and use their criteria to make a card. This weeks criteria was to use eyelets ... now I have thousands!!! And I loved the fact that this challenge used eyelets since they are quite an 'old' style product of scrapbooking, in fact I hardly use them at all (I have a preference for brads). So I was rather pleased that I got to create this simple card using 6 out of my thousands of eyelets!!!

I have used a sketch from SoSketchy for this card. I have used Bazzill cardstock, Fancy Pants paper, Spellbinders scalloped circles, Kaiser rubon, Lucy's Cherry blossom stamp, Stazon olive ink, eyelets and split rings.

Thanks for looking!

CPS #125 Best Wishes

The simplicity of the CPS are really good as a starting base for a card. There is so much room for creativity and the versatility of the sketches is excellent.

I made this card following the CPS #125 sketch and managed to use some of my older papers - Making Memories Ruby flocked paper which I absolutely adore! I also used a Sizzix scalloped card XL die to make the card base, MM ruby ribbon, Bazzill cardstock, Spellbinders scalloped circle, Crate paper rubons, Carolee Creations alpha stickers and kaiser pearls.

I look forward to doing another CPS sketch!

Thanks for looking!

Kazan #31

I really loved this sketch from the Kazan over at 2 sketches 4 U As soon as I saw it I thought it was like windows in a house and I really needed to do a 'home sweet home' card for someone! I love the resulting card and I am (as usual) reluctant to give it away!

Anyway I have used Hot Off The Press brick wall paper, a window stamp, bazzill cardstock, Sassafras Lass border stamps, paper flowers, kaiser pearls, acetate and stazon ink.

The make the roof tiles I have cut up cardstock into squares and inked the edges and layered them to make them to resemble tiles on a roof.

Thanks for looking!

Inkurable stampers - playing cards

This challenge was very hard!!! Over at Inkurable Stampers Sarah has challenged us to use playing cards in either a layout, card or OTP. It has taken me 2 weeks to figure out what I could do!!! Since my style of card making is clean lines I found that I couldn't alter the cards and so I resorted to using the actual cards for what they are.

I have used small cards (4.4cm x 3.0 cm) and have used the pattern side of the cards as my background paper and then used the face side of the cards to make a poker hand (small flush) and off course I have such a weird sense of humour that I created the title "I tried hard to keep a poker face when I found out your age." I have used Stampendous typewriter alphabet (red letters) and Studio G alphabet (blue letters) and the eyes are an unknown brand rubber stamp. I am happy with the end result and think the card is great for a guy!

Thanks for looking!

Lauras sketch #30

Gosh this week has just flown by and I really wish it was summer down here in Australia. I keep reading everyones blog and how they are having pool parties, bbqs' and how beautiful the sun is! It is winter down here and although Melbourne weather is not that cold during winter (around 12 - 17 degrees celcius - not sure on fahrenheit conversion!!!) I still wish I was in a warmer climate!

Anyhow 1 postive to miserable cold weather is that I can stay in the craft room longer!

This week I have used Sassafras Lass 'Fawned of You, too" papers and since the title of the papers makes a 'play' on words I also made a 'play' on the word OWL. I substituted the word 'I'll' for 'Owl' !!! I suppose it depends on how your accent is but when I say the word 'I'll' it definitely sounds like the owl bird!!! I have also used Prima owl stamp and have cut out layers of different Sassafras papers to make the feather layers at the front of the owl so it sort of gives it a 3D look. I have also used Kaiser pearls, Carolee Creations stickers and Pink Paislee stickers.

Thanks for looking and have a great week.

CPS #124

Here is a card I made using the sketch from Card Positioning Systems #124. I thought this is a wonderful sketch and would be the perfect sketch for a paper range that I love to use and so I made this birthday card.

This card I have made using Kaiser paper, pearls and rubons, AL swirl stamp, Spellbinders small scalloped circle, celebrate ribbon and Stampin' Up ink. I have cut out the flowers and used foam tape to give them a more 3D look - tedious cutting but I love it!

Thanks for looking!

CPS 123

This is my first go at a CPS sketch and I was pleasantly surprised how easy it was to use. The DT examples are excellent and so varied in styles.

For this card I have used Kaiser paper, my fishing toad (not sure on brand) and clouds (stampworld) was rubber stamped on watercolour paper and shaded in using a blender pen and Marvy markers, I have also used spellbinders small scalloped circle die, cuttlebug circle die and Carolee Creations stickers and rubons for the title.
Thanks for looking!

Kazan sketch #30

I am a little late with this card this week but I have been putting together 24 little tag kits for people at my work as part of a birthday card project for someone who is turning the big '60' - the end result will be 23 individual tags put created by 23 people who don't do craft and 1 tag made by yours truly who does do craft!!! I am looking forward to seeing the end result (at the end of July) and will post a photo of it here on my blog!

Anyway here is this weeks card from the fabulous Kazan from 2 sketches 4 U. This card just made itself really! the sketch was very user friendly. I have used Bo Bunny papers, stickers and rubons, Studio G stamps, Sizzix leaf die and ribbon.

Thanks for looking and have a great weekend/week!

Lauras sketch #29

Woo hoo I loved doing this cardbased on another beautiful sketch from Laura over at 2 sketches 4 U For the little picture scene I have used 4 different stamps - the sun is AL, Clouds is from Stamp world and the birdhouse and fence are stamps that I have no idea where I got them from!!! "you are my sunshine" title is a Daisy Bucket stamp. I have also used Sassafras papers and Core 'dinations cardstock.

I have just realised that the colours of this card are sooooo Australian!!! just as well as the card is for Neil!

Have a good week everyone and thanks for looking!

Kazan #29 sketch

Well yet another person at my work is leaving so I have to do another card ('leaving' cards are becoming my regular cards at the moment!) so I have used Kazans' fab sketch from 2 sketches 4 U as my base. Sort of went a bit of the sketch plan and substituted the 2 strips from the sketch for 2 trees!!! But I was trying to keep in mind who I was making the card for and I am sure she is going to love this card.

I have used heaps of cardboard scraps, cuttlebug embossing folders (dot and paisley), Kazzaz owl stamp, stazon ink, kaiser pearls, Carolee Creations Adornit Random alphabet stickers (love these alphas!) and lots of Bazzill!!!

Thanks for looking!

2 sketches 4 U Laura #28

I really loved the sketch this week from Laura from over at 2 sketches 4 U It was really easy to use and open for anything! So this week I decided to do an old favourite of mine and that is to cut the title from the edge of the card. This works very well with smaller words, so the word "you" has been cut away from the edge of the card. I have used some old chipboard alphabet letters that I have as my template for each letter and it works particularly well with a chunky type font (I don't have the patience for thinner letters!).

I have used Kaiser paper and pearls, American crafts foam alpha and ribbon, Bazzill cardstock and a white Gel pen to outline the letters.

Thanks for looking!

Inkurable Stampers - Bleach stamping

Here is a card I made for the Inkurable Stampers June challenge of Bleach Stamping. I must admit that I have never done this before and for someone like me who is use to clean crisp images bleach stamping takes a bit of getting use to!!! And Sarah is right do it in an open environment as the smell of bleach begins to get to you after a while.

But I am happy with the end result.

I have used 2 stamps (script and world) which I cannot remember who the maker is! The script stamp is stamped on Bazzill cardstock and the World stamp is stamped on Core dinations cardstock which gave a slightly different result as it shows the lighter version of the cardstock used. I have also used black and timber brown stazon ink, Carolee Creations and American Craft foam alphabet stickers.

Thanks for looking!

Kazan #28 and a toot toot!

Oops I am a little late this week! So busy that I finally have the time to sit down and put everything on computer. But firstly I have a set of window cards in this months (#79) For Keeps Creative Paper (Australian mag) - title "Whimsical Windows" pg 90. It is good to see my work in print again!

Kazans sketch this week was a little hard for me the oval shape for some strange reason really threw me ... I don't think I remember ever seeing an oval shape on any of the sketches before?!!!

Anyway I managed to do it using BG papers, Lucy's small cherry blossom stamp, Bazzill and Core dinations cardstock, Marvy and blender pens, Spellbinder scalloped circle (again!!!) a little ink and alot of paper scraping!

Thanks for looking

Sweeties sketches

I have another fav blog that I like to visit for inspiration and idea Sweeties Sketches Shell Barnard provides monthly sketches for both cards and layouts and the DT is just so fabulous with a variety of styles shown!

For this months June card sketch I have used some Delish papers from Dream Street, Carolee Creations stickers, Bazzill cardstock, stamps from Katstamps and ribbon from Francheville and Heidi Swapp.

Thanks for looking!

Lauras sketch #27

and the 1st ANNUAL 2 SKETCHES 4 YOU ULTIMATE CARD SHOWDOWN!!!

Woo hoo over at 2 sketches 4 You they have got a card competition to end all card competitions!!!

Laura has provided the sketch for this week and I found the sketch very easy to use ... very broad in its' interpretation.

I have used MM Lizzy papers and have used a Fiskars lace punch for the edges, Kaiser pearl strips, Lucy stamps, MM clear alphabet letters and ribbon and Spellbinders scalloped circle cutters.

Thanks for taking the time to look - have a great week!

Kazan #27 - Sweet You card

Woo Hoo another sketch from 2 sketches 4 U equals another card! I had to remind myself this week that I made a promise to myself to start using more 'older' papers and products that I have collected over the years and this week I decided to resume that promise. I have used Creative Imaginations paper and I can't quite remember the name but it was a pink and black girl collection that had cherries and skulls etc. I had previously used it to make an album for my niece and the papers were so her!

I have also used my Spellbinder scalloped circle cutters, Cuttlebug paisley embossing, the cupcake is a Kaszazz stamp and CC stickers. Thanks for looking and have a great week.

Inkurable stampers - Ribbon and Lace challenge

One thing I am loving at the moment is taking an animal stamp and putting it on a card and adapting a saying so it is a 'play' on what the animal is or says!!! So I have used the ribbon and lace challenge from Inkurable Stampers to do just this ... instead of 'i totally love you' I have replaced the 'totally' with 'toadily'!!! man I need a life!!!

Anyway I have stamped the background with Autumn Leaves Block Stamps 1 and the Toad stamp is from Imaginisce. The title is a combo of Carolee Creations rubons and stickers.

Thanks for looking!

Lauras sketch #26 - Crikey 50

Woo hoo I loved doing this sketch and card this week as it is Neils 50th Birthday this coming Thursday - hence I have done a masculine card using Kaiser Cafe culture paper range (one of my fav), Bazzill cardstock, my new Spellbinders scallop circle cutters (oh I love them!!!), the 50 is from my cuttlebug red tag alpha and I have painted it black and added dimensional magic over it to give it an epoxy look to it and I have added a ribbon (with a knot - I thought a bow could be a bit too feminine!) and a small tag.

You will notice the word "crikey" which is so Australian here basically it means something along the lines of OMG! and said in a surprised way!!!

Thanks for yet another great sketch this week and some fabulous examples from the DT girls!

Thanks for looking!

Kazans sketch #26

Kazan and the DT made a devine cards with this weeks sketch at 2 sketches 4 U and keeping with the theme of Kazans' non-traditional shaped card I also tried to make a different shaped card this week - although it is hard to see the sketch in the card I sort of stuck to it!

I have used Bazzill cardstock, Rebecca Erickson paper, carl scallop scissors, Daisy Bucket rubons and Carolee Creations number stickers. I have drawn the phone shape freehand and even had to look on the internet to see how the numbers go on a traditional dial phone!!! What is scary is that I remember these phones as a child and what is even worse is that when I was in NZ last I saw a dial phone in a museum ... does it mean that you are getting old when you find things you used when you were a child in a museum? ... I hope not!

Thanks for looking and have a great week everyone!

Lauras sketch #25 - sending wishes

Over at 2 sketches 4 U they have yet another fantastic DT that have provided some fabulous and inspiring cards for us all to drool over. And Laura has created an easy to use sketch this week and the above is the card I have made using the sketch as a guide.

I have used Bo Bunny Alyssa papers and stickers, Core dinations cardstock, Sizzix leaf die cut, cuttlebug embossing plate and MM ribbon. I am loving scraping my scissors on the edge of cardstock at the moment and I have begun to emboss cardboard and gently rub it with sandpaper to reveal a lighter shade of the cardstock ... fantastic!
Thanks for looking ... and CONGRATULATIONS to the new DT at 2 sketches 4 U ... your work is simply stunning!

Kazans sketch #25 - I appreciate you

I have gone all girly this week!!! Here is a card that I used from 2 sketches 4 U At first it had me stumped and I didn't know what to use as I didn't have any stars and then it hit me I will use hearts ... I thought Mothers Day is coming up here in Australia and NZ (on May 12) so I need to start making 2 cards (one my mum and another for Neils mother). So once I got started on this card I couldn't stop myself. I have used Melissa Frances papers and stickers that I have had for a long time and thought they make pretty girly cards ... which is a little different to what I normally have been doing lately! But I enjoyed doing cards that are outside my comfort zone and this is one of them. I have also used prima and kaiser flowers, kaiser pearls, sizzix tipsy heart diecuts and MM rubons.

Thanks for looking.

Inkurable stampers - black, orange and white

this months challenge over at Inkurable stampers is using black, orange and white and off course using stamps as the focus! this is to celebrate their 1st birthday. So happy birthday to Sarah Schwerin and Inkurable stampers!
Now I was fortunate enough to win some stamps from Darkroom Door and so I did a little bit of retail therapy while I was there and came across these fantastic Robot stamps and there was 2 to choose from and I couldn't decide so I got my nephew to choose and he chose the set with the girl and boy robots!
This is my first card made using this set, the other stamps used are Ferngully sheep stamp, Stampendous Alphabet stamps. Cardboard is Bazzill and MM paper.
I have stamped the robot on water colour paper and coloured it in with marvy pens and a blender pen and decorated it with Kaiser pearls. I then stamped the sheep 4 times on water colour paper and slightly coloured them. I put the robot amoungst the sheep and decided the title was rather appropriate ... dare to be different! The layout of the card is based on an old sketch from 2 sketches 4 U.
Thanks for looking.

Lauras sketch #24

I really enjoyed using Lauras sketch from 2 sketches 4 U this week. It was a fantastic sketch and I took advantage of it to make a birthday card for Neils' Uncle who turns 80 next weekend. And to enlighten his sense of humour I have made a rather cheeky one. I have also stamped the inside of the card which is a little different for me as I usually leave it blank.

I have used BG paper, BG and maya road velvet ribbon, carolee creations rubons, kaiser bling, pink paislee stickers, stazon ink, Imaginence stamps, Marvy markers and blender pen and Bazzill cardstock.

Thanks for looking!