happy birthday

Thought I would do a quick birthday card for the sketch from Freshly Made Sketches.  It is their 200th celebration and the sketch is super easy to follow.

 I have used the lovely stamps from Hero Arts - let love grow which is a set of layering stamps, so you stamp the base flower and then with various coloured stamps you stamp the flower highlights.  To add a little zing to the flowers I added a little glitter to the yellow flowers for the Shine challenge over at Southern Girls.
Here is my card ...

 and a close up of the glitter ...

Thanks for looking and enjoy your weekend.

dr. note required

It has been 3 months since I have posted on my blog, that is not to say I haven't made any cards ... just not cards based on challenge blogs!
Lately I have been playing around with texture paste and I have to admit that I do like how it comes out.  I have been seeing alot of texture paste in scrapbooking and mixed media and I wondered if it would work with clean and simple cards ... I think it looks good using stencils and even by itself with minimal fuss to highlight it (the way it is used in mixed media is not my style!).
Todays card I have used it with a stencil and kept it in its' natural white colour form (I have coloured it with ink and it looks great!).
I have followed the sketch from Freshly Made Sketches #197

 I would also like to enter it in The Southern Girls challenge of anything goes and Papertake Weekly Challenges - take your pick (and I choose a colour theme of green and blue).  Here is my card

and a close up of the texture paste

materials used:  Bazzill limeade, American Crafts cascade, smooth cardstock; Tim Holtz bird crazy stamp, The Alley Way Stamps gotta bug? (title); Versafine onyx black ink; Kaisercraft Geo Quarters stencil; Tim Holtz texture paste; Prismacolor pencils.
Thanks for looking.

Happy Birthday & Stuff

Okay my last card for today this time it is a bright and colourful card using a range of border stamps from Sassafras Lass

 basically I stamped various borders with different coloured inks diagonally and cut out a window, backed it with yellow paper and stamped the title with silver ink and embossing powder (something I haven't used in years!!!)
I followed the sketch from Feeling Sketchy 

materials used - smooth white cardstock, Kaisercraft splice cardstock; Simple Stories DIY Boutique papers and chipboard stickers; Sassafras Lass border stamps, Taylored Expressions big bold birthdays stamp set; Versa Color inks - cyan, marigold, opera pink, raspberry and lime, Versa Fine onyx black ink, Encore silver ink; Silver embossing powder, Silver foil; yellow satin trim; Memory box wild feathers die.
Thanks for looking.

hello I love you to bits!

Still playing with my Tim Holtz texture place and I used my Kaisercraft grid stamp to add a little pattern to my texture paste!  Here is my card ...

 and a close up ...

 I followed the sketch from The Pink Elephant challenge blog ...

I would also like to enter this card for the anything goes challenge over at Party Time Tuesday.
I forgot that Mothers Day is coming up in Australia and NZ and I that I ought to get a move on and make one and post it off to my mother!
materials used - Co're Dinations rouge cardstock, Archers watercolor paper; Simple Stories 'I am' papers, enamel dots and bits and pieces; Kaisercraft grid texture stamp; Tim Holtz texture paste; charcoal twine; Memory Box dies - meadow bird and wild feathers, Poppy Stamps fancy hello die; Cosmo Cricket bright tiny text stickers; Francheville enamel dots.

Thanks for looking.

Hello

I am into silver and gold foiling at the moment and simply love to use one or the other on my cards lately.  I particularly love die cutting a word in foil as well as simple strips as a highlight.

Here is a clean and simple card I made ...

I followed the sketch from Retro Sketches # 160

 
 I used Paper Smooches design motifs stamp set for my colourful barcodes!  I would also like to enter it for Paper Smooches SPARKS challenge - anything goes

and also for the Southern Girls - words.  Have a great weekend and thanks for looking.

Simply Wonderful

Wow there just doesn't seem to be enough hours in the day anymore!  I am spending less and less time in my craftroom lately and I miss it!  So this afternoon I decided that I would make some cards regardless!

My first card is my first play with texture paste.  I have seen this on scrapbooking pages and a few cards - however most are using stencils and I don't have any so I wondered if I could use stamps to create a little texture.  Knowing that the paste, when dry, goes hard so I thought as soon as I have stamped the background on the paste I should wash the stamp to remove the paste!  I also found that spraying the stamp lightly with water enables the stamp to come away from the paste better.  I also used an acrylic stamp - then I could wash it under running water. Here is the result ...

 and a close up ...

 I have based my card on the following sketch from CAS(E) this sketch #120

I would also like to submit it for the challenge at Cute Card Thursday - Clean and Simple.
materials - Co're Dinations rouge cardstock, smooth white cardstock, Arches watercolor paper; Grant Archival Grace Taylor butterfly stamp, Kaisercraft grid texture stamp; Staz On jet black ink; Versa fine onyx black ink; Watercolour pencils; Aqua brush; Francheville enamel dots; natural cord.

You're how old?!

Hi there, I was so excited when I managed to secure the crazy birds set of stamps from Tim Holtz ... I say this because they are as rare as 'birds teeth' here in Australia!  Whenever I had a look they were always sold out but alas I got the last one in one of the online shops I shop at and was jumping for joy when they came in the post.

I am not a big fan of Tim Holtz stamps but I saw this set and fell in love with the birds - they are super funny and quirky.

Here is my clean and simple card ...

 I followed this weeks sketch from CAS(E) this sketch #116 

materials used - smooth white cardstock; Tim Holtz crazy birds stamps, Stampendous typwriter alphabet stamps; Staz On black ink; Prismacolor pencils; Francheville yellow enamel dots; black fine tip pen.
thanks for looking!

'Hatty' Birthday

Hello, hope yorle having a great weekend so far ... it is pretty cool and miserable here in Melbourne so I spent the morning in the craftroom.  

Since I have just spent the last 5 months in NZ (keeping an eye on my mother!) I hardly got to craft at all and I remember as soon as I got there everyone asked if I had any birthday cards in stock .... ah considering I had previously spent the last 6 months wandering the outback on the push bike I didn't get the chance to craft at all!  So I knew that once I got back to Oz I would start stocking up on birthday cards ... thankfully the pile is getting highter so that should satisfy the family.  

This morning I had a ball and really enjoyed making this card and here is the result ...

 following this weeks sketch from Paper Smooches SPARKS challenge blog ...

 drawing inspiration from this months challenge over at Scrapbook Boutique (so loved the hats on the little cupcakes!)

and also following the challenge at Papertake Weekly Challenge blog - A cut above - a lot of fussy cutting and a little die cutting!
materials used - white cardstock; Kaisercraft sunshine cardstock; Echo Park a perfect summer papers; Paper Smooches stamps - Alphadot, green acres, streamers; Versafine onyx black ink; Paper Smooches wise dies borders 1; Prismacolor pencils.
Thanks for looking.

D'lish Scraps - forever

It has been such gorgeous weather here in Melbourne that we have been out and about cycling, walking and kayaking that I hardly have a moment in the craft room!  This is the best time of the year down here in Victoria!

I played along with this months Caribbean Skies Inspiration Board over at D'lish Scraps blog.  

I was really inspired by that delicious looking wedding cake and just had to make a card based on that ...

 the flowers are a Memory Box Primula die and to make them involved a lot of die cutting and to curve the petals I used an embossing tool and applied a circular motion to the back of each flower (there were lots of them!) flipped them over and again a smaller circular motion to the center of each flower.  The circular motion makes the flower curve up.  Here is a closer look at the flowers ...

Materials used - Bazzill light corduroy, crystal blue cardstock; Echo Park - a perfect summer papers; Memory Box stitched squares and primula flower dies; Ranger white opal liquid pearls; embossing tool; Creative Creations tied together embossing folder.
Thanks for looking and enjoy your weekend.

happy birthday bicycle

I love everything about this card ...

... the colours, the bicycle! the stripes, just everything!
I have followed the sketch from Retro Sketches #155

 I am also entering this for the Top Tip Tuesdays challenge use an action image (bicycle) and use Diecuts and Punches for the challenge over at Cute Card Thursday #363.
materials used - Kaisercraft bluebell carstock; Simple Stories DIY boutique papers and chipboard stickers; Spellbinders classic oval small nesties; Cherry Lynn Designs little pink bicycle die; Paper Smooches wise dies alphawhimsy; Annabelle Stamps shape it up stamps; Versafine onyx black ink; Kaisercraft ice blue rhinestones; black journalling pen.
Thanks for looking.

Happy Birthday CAS(E) this sketch

Continuing on with my CAS birthday card stock pile I followed this wonderful sketch from CAS(E) this sketch #113.

Also for the anything goes challenge over at Papertake Weekly Challenge blog and here is my card ...

I forgot I had this color wash stamp set from Pink Paislee! In fact it was so quick and easy to make this card that I made another ...

materials used - smooth white card, Kaisercraft cheddar, peacock, tomato cardstock; Versafine onyx black ink, Color Box turquoise, marigold and scarlet inks, Versa Color green, fresh green and lime inks; Paper Smooches wise dies hearts; Kaisercraft birthday cards rub ons; Ranger glossy accents.

Thanks for looking.

Happy Bird-day

Well it is great to be back home and back in my craft room, I did have some supplies with me in NZ but it is not the same as having your entire craft room at your finger tips!
I didn't get to do many cards while in NZ and so I have set myself a challenge to do a few birthday cards for the stock pile.
Following this weeks sketch from Mojo Mondays #387

 and also for Paper Smooches SPARKS anything goes challenge ...

and also Party Time Tuesdays anything goes challenge #196, I made this adorable birthday card!

I think when you need a few birthday cards in a hurry it is best to keep it clean and simple!
materials - smooth white cardstock; Simple Stories DIY Boutique papers and chipboard stickers; Paper Smooches chuby chums and alpadot stamps; Staz On ink; Renoir 3D alphabet stickers; black journalling pen; Spellbinders standard circles large nesties; Carl corner punch; Prismacolor pencils.
Thanks for looking and enjoy your weekend.

O.P.D

 This week I decided to make my nephew his birthday card since he is turning 15 it can be somewhat of a challenge to make a 'teenage' card especially for a boy ... so Paper Smooches has a great stamp set called teen routine and that is absolutely perfect for him ... but once he sees this card the first (among many!) things he will say is that "a play station console doesn't connect to a tablet like you have on this card, it is impossible" and then my reply to that would be something along the lines of "in MY craft world it does!"
So being the Aunty that has the sarcastic sense of humour (he is finally coming of age to understand and also retort back to this sense of humour of mine!) I made this card with him in mind and there is a little story behind it ... one day while driving him to his mates place he is chatting away about anything and everything and he accuses me of having an OCD and I laugh and ask what does he mean ... he says I have an 'organisational compulsive disorder' and that I like everything exact ... so giggling away I say  no the OCD stands for 'obsessive CRAFT disorder' and so we begin to say what everyone in the family has ... so according to him Nana and another Aunty have OSD - obsessive STRESS disorder, Grandad has OPBD - obsessive PLASTIC BAG disorder!  and so we come to him and I say he has OPD - obsessive PEST disorder!  and he laughs and thinks that is just so right and him! his pet name is Pest from the New Zealand movie Boy which we watched with him one day and the lead character calls one of his siblings Pest and so we adopted that name for him!
So finally here is the card ...

 I have diecut inlay the Obsessive Pest Disorder so that it is flush with the light blue patterned paper and here is a close up of the incorrect connection between the console and tablet!

to connect the 2 I used a ball and chain.

I have followed this weeks sketch from Paper Smooches SPARKS challenge

 the colours have been inspired by this months photo inspiration challenge over at Scrapbook Boutique

I have made is a birthday card for this weeks Creative Card Crew challenge #81 and I would also like to enter it for The Pink Elephant challenge blog - anything goes.
materials - Kaisercraft scarlet cardstock; Echo Park now and then papers; Paper Smooches teen routine and alphadot stamps; Versafine onyx black ink; Paper Smooches wise dies - alphawhimsy; ball and chain; Ranger glossy accents; Queen & Co. red pearls.
Thanks for looking.

a thankyou card

Gosh I must be on a roll ... another card today this time a thankyou card for the wonderful hospital team that is looking after my mum at the moment.

 here is a close up of the background that I stamped using Paper Smooches 'botancial flowers' set - I used the dandelion flower (minus the stem) and randomly stamped a white cardstock with various inks.

 The card is based on Retro Sketches #152

 and the colour inspiration came from this weeks photo inspiration from Paper Smooches SPARKS challenge blog

materials used - AC black cardstock, smooth white cardstock; a variety of papers from Lawn Fawn and Echo Park; Versa Color parika, peony and pink inks, Versafine onyx black ink; Paper Smooches botanicals, alphadot and banner stamp sets; Memory box feather dies, Scorpal; charcoal twine.

Thanks for looking.

Get well card

Hello there, it has been quite a while since I have posted on this blog ... and it has also been a while since I have made a card!  After spending the bulk of last year travelling around Australia and my mother being diagnosed with ovarian cancer towards the later part of 2014 and then going over to NZ to see her through her chemo and operation ... I feel I can get back to my hobby now that all seems to be settled!

So to begin with I decided to do a get well card for her to give her hospital room a little colour!

 and a close up of the little cute animals from Newtons Nook Designs 'hanging around' set and also my little sign hanging off the fence ...

To start my first card for about 4 months I wanted to use a very simple sketch and the one from Feeling Sketchy 114 was perfect ... I rotated the sketch 90 degrees ...

Choosing the colours for this card was easy - kraft and orange with splashes of brown ... very earthy and I love orange!  So this was perfect for the challenge over at Top Tip Tuesday - favourite colour combo.  I would also like to enter it for the anything goes challenge over at Party Time Tuesday 

materials used - Bazzill kraft; Lawn Fawn 'into the woods' paper; Newtons Nook designs 'hanging around' and Paper Smooches 'alphadot' stamp sets; Versafine onyx black, Versacolour brown inks; MFT fence die; rafia.

Thanks for looking at my card.