A Little Bit Of Vintage.

I finally managed to get my mitts on some of the absolutely gorgeous Pion Design papers.  These papers are just luscious.  I did start with a sketch and have followed it fairly accurately, but I'm sorry, there isn't a name on it so I don't know from where it came.  I used some wonderful LOTV edge stamps to stamp on the image and the base layer of violets.  Then with a blending tool, I sponged around the edges of all the components of the card including the punched photo corners.  The corrugated heart (gift from Linda) was swiped with a Adirondack pearl dabber and the Stempelglede greeting attached on a bit of an angle.  I think that's it re the construction, the embellishments are just bits and pieces from my flower stash.  The seam binding was dyed using Mill Lavender distress ink refill.

Thanks for visiting my blog and I hope you like my card.

Baby Girl!!

A friend of mine wanted a special baby card for a first time mother.  The parents know they are having a girl so here is the result.  I will say that when I delivered this card today, Anne was really happy with it, which is very gratifying.

Kaisercraft Lullaby collection papers  matched with pink and white card stock formed the basis for my card. I stitched around the card stock so I could tie in the cheesecloth which was added under the tag.  Some absolutely gorgeous lace and a strip of pearl ribbon went along the bottom with a pretty lace heart and a bud trio adorning the left hand corner.  I finished off with a double bow and a white velvet flower.

 I'm trying to do some sewing at the moment so my cards have taken a back seat.  My aim is to sort my days into sewing days and card making days.

Hope you like my card and thanks for visiting my blog today.

                                   

Merry Monday Challenge Three!!

This is my card for the Merry Monday Challenge 3 this week.  I took a leaf out of Becca Feeken's book and embossed this image in a cream embossing powder on vanilla card stock.  Then with my applique mat and ink blending tool I inked Wild Honey distress ink over the whole image, then cleaned off the ink from the embossing.  I'm really pleased with the result.

Becca had one of her patent bows on the top of her ornament and I liked the way it looked.

I combined my ornament with Kaisercraft's dp December 25th.  The gold in the dp picks up the colour of the ornament.  Always artichoke is a fabulous colour for these papers and the base card is Naturals ivory.  The red is some Bazzill that I had and I'm sorry I don't know the name of it.  I couldn't find a good match with my Stampin Up card stock.  The vintage button on top of the seam binding bow is a Webster's Pages button.  Love these things. lol

Thank you for visiting my blog and hope you all have a wonderful day.

Red Hat Birthday.

A friend of mine, who is a member of the Red Hats here in this area, asked me to make her a Red Hat birthday card to send to another Red Hat lady.  So here is the result.  I actually made this card twice, well nearly anyway.  Three quarters of the way through the first one, I decided it wasn't right and it went in the bin.  I salvaged a few bits, the image and the two nesties and used them for the second effort of which I'm quite proud.

Now for details...the image is a digi by Priscilla Heaton which fitted the bill perfectly. If you would like the link please email me.  I then coloured it with copics..I still need a lot of practice in this area.  I cut a mask and then air brushed, yes that's right, air brushed the background with my copics to take away the starkness of the white background.  I paper pieced the mannequin's head and very slightly moulded the hat and 3d'd it onto the base image to give it a touch of dimension.  I think I managed to get it just right.  The flower and feathers finished off the hat.  I was really pleased to find the exact colour feathers in my stash.  The sketch is based very loosely on a Mojo Monday one...185.  To add a bit more texture I embossed the purple panel and also added the white lace.  A greeting and silk ribbon finished it off.  I hope my friend likes it.

Enjoy this very sunny hot Tuesday everyone.

Stay safe!!

Inspiration Picture and a Sketch

Well I will say this week's challenge on 4 Crafty Chicks was a real challenge. This week we were given an inspiration picture....here. I'm not really very good with inspiration pictures so here is the result of my labours and I must say that I'm only getting in by the skin of my teeth. I used The Sweet Stop sketch for this week number 103. Instead of the sentiment I've added flowers and as an extra embellishment..pearls. Stampin' Up's Marina Mist and Blushing Bride went perfectly with these papers.

I've been missing in action for a bit. The last week has been quite busy here with work, relatives visiting and funerals. Thanks for visiting and hope you like my card.

The Sweet Stop - Think Spring!

I liked the latest The Sweet Stop sketch challenge, this week with a spin...Think Spring. Well I'm not sure whether my cards qualify or not but I did use the Graphic 45 Springtime papers. I think for once I wandered a little bit in my interpretation of the sketch. My base card is SU Confetti Cream which compliments the papers. The pink and aqua cardstock is Bazzill out of my stash. The Hope stamp is from a set that I received for my birthday from Jean which is one that I really love.
Actually looking at these cards again now, I am quite chuffed with them.
It's nearly my bedtime here because I have to be up at 4am to go and sort the mail. Hope there's lots of parcels for me. lol
Hope everyone is well and thanks for taking the time to visit my blog and commenting. Love reading them.

Jazmyne for The Sweet Stop sketch.

I've had this gorgeous paper since I went to a craft camp at Mt Tamborine last year. When I first saw it, I knew I just had to have it. I think the shop had the whole line at the time but I liked the glitter stripe and the glitter floral the best. Just recently I was shopping online and found these absolutely gorgeous velvet flowers. As soon as I saw them, I thought, they would go fabulously with these papers, so I purchased them too. lol
Well as you can see, they do match really well.

Yes, I realise you are probably sick of seeing these calendar easel cards but I've enjoyed making them and do have a few more calendars left to use up. This one uses The Sweet Stop sketch 95.
I dyed the seam binding myself with glimmer mist. I'm just not sure whether I'm using this seam binding the correct way. To my mind, the loops etc should be a bit messy but I just can't seem to get it that way. A very kind friend sent me the gorgeous glimmer brads from Stampin' Up, they are just the right purple for the papers. Yummy.

This was posted on Friday to Jean so I hope it has got to her safely.

Thanks once again for visiting my blog.

Elegant After Five for Jean.

While I was at Robyn and Sue's shop one day, Sue showed me this card she'd made up for class. I immediately said, I would like to do that one, so here it is. Just a smidge altered by adding some pearls. I absolutely love the silhouette image made by using a die. It's gorgeous. Whilst making it, I thought, this would be a perfect birthday card for Jean, 'cause I knew she loved these papers.
Thank you to everyone visits my blog and comments. All very much appreciated.

Two challenges in one!!

Well this is very unusual for me, two challenges in one project. The sketch is from Friday Sketcher's Challenge 141. The other challenge I'd like to enter this for is the Flourishes Timeless Tuesday Challenge 105. This week the challenge is to use three different pattern papers. Well I've done that. The verse is stamped onto a linen look paper that is from the same collection as the other two papers I have used.

Once again I've made a Calendar Easel card. This one is for a friend of mine who used to go to our craft group in Mackay. Since Anne closed the shop I think Marg is a bit lonely. I thought maybe this card may cheer her up. Hope so anyway. I did go a bit berserk with the pearls but they are just so pretty, I couldn't resist. The flowers are out of my stash. The die cut border is using a new toy that I received yesterday. I just had to use it.

Well two posts in one day is enough from me. Thanks for visiting.

Second English Rose 'Case'.

These are the other two cards I cased using a card by Debbie Olsen, same sketch, different papers. I did use the same nesties in the centre because they looked exactly right. The only thing I didn't do is the stitching around the edge. I do hope Debbie takes my 'casing' as a compliment, her work is beautiful. I certainly cannot do it justice.

With regard to Cyclone Yasi, well Mackay and further south like us here at Koumala, hardly a thing. There certainly wasn't the rain that we were expecting and the wind wasn't as bad as Ului. We didn't lose power, my brother did at Andergrove but as he's had a generator for years now, there wasn't a problem.
Actually we had more wind the next day than the lead up. Today there's been heavy rain on and off all day, one minute sun is out the next it's pouring. Strange thing the weather.
Right off to cook tea.
Thanks for visiting once again.

A 'Case' in English Rose

I'm loving the English Rose papers from Kaisercraft. I 'cased' these cards from this card by Debbie Olson. The papers are different but the sketch is exactly the same. The simplicity of Debbie's card took my eye.
The flourishes look quite good I think but dear me, a bit fiddley to work with. There must be an easier way but I don't know it. lol
For some reason I feel the cards are missing something but I'm not sure what and yet, if there was anymore on them, I feel they would look over done. Mmmmm.....oh well.

Keeping an eye on the updates for Cyclone Anthony. It's probable that we'll get some rain.
Hope you like my cards and thanks for visiting today.

Snow Globe Ornament Cards

These cards were made to accomodate the Yuletide Snow Globe stickers by K & Co and Vicki Burdick had the perfect card on her blog for me to case. I've kept to her sketch but have changed the punches, papers and colours. Please excuse the quality of the photos, I was in a tearing hurry this morning and had to get them photographed quickly. Two of these cards were orders and the girls bought the other two on the spot, so all four are gone. They were absolutely rapt with them because of the dual use, card and ornament.

The snowflakes were cut with different MS punches out of glitter cardstock.
Cherry Cobbler, Pear Pizzazz, Very Vanilla and the retired Ruby Red Stampin' Up cardstocks were perfect with these papers. The green cardstock is Bazzill.
The gold cord is unfortunately retired Stampin Up as well. I thought the bling added a bit of glitz to match the shimmer in the snow globes. Love that Petals-A-Plenty SU embossing folder.
I'm really chuffed with these cards and thank Vicki for her inspiration. Hope you like them too. Thanks for visiting.

Calisto Christmas cards

Here I am everyone after quite a spell away from my blog. I have been creating as well as running my son here, there and everywhere. It's rained here practically every day this month effectively putting an end to the crushing this year. At the end of October I went away to a craft retreat. I had a wonderful time. Jean and Jane were there too as well as heaps of other girls that have been to these camps in the past.
We went shopping at Scrapbook City on the way to camp and I ended up with the Anna Griffin Calisto range of papers, embellishments and kits. I made these four cards at camp using my new stash. Had to finish them off at home çause didn't have gold pearls with me. They are very simple, easy cards but I love them. I've already sold two so will have to make some more.
I made quite a few cards at camp and even did a challenge which I don't usually do. Many thanks to Jane who ferried Jean and I around. Since camp, I've made another clock, and have nearly finished some other projects which I'll show as soon as I do get them completed.
OK my time's up. Many thanks for visiting.

Male Mouse Tails

I've had these images coloured for months, so decided to make them into cards. Both are intended for male cards but looking at them now, they are suitable for females as well I suppose.
Once again, sorry I can't give credit for the sketches çause I can't remember which ones they were. These cards have been made for a month or so. Cardstock is Bazzill and Core'dinations, dp from my stash as too are the brads. I think the Happy Birthday greeting is a Stamp It one and the Best Wishes is Hero Arts.
Have a wonderful day everyone.

Purple and Pansies

A lady in our craft group that I'm a member of, is having a birthday on Saturday and as I'm the card maker in the group, I get to make all her cards. lol
This one is a special request because the gift is a crocheted pansy doiley so the card had to have pansies on it.
Here is the result. I used my Flourishes pansies. The first attempt at colouring was with copics. Well wasn't that a damm disaster!!!! Those efforts are in the bin. I went back to my old faithful Prisma Colour pencils. The paper is some that I've had for some time by Alison Ellis, so beautiful. I matched colours of the pansies to the papers and then picked the Bazzill cardstock to match. The flowers have been cut out and layered onto another stamped image. Half way through cutting them out I did wonder whether I was insane. Yep, very fiddley and it would have been easier just to cut the oval nestie around the whole image. Anyway it's done now. I layered the ovals onto the lattice pendant nestie then layered that onto the card. The gold was embossed with the Dawny CB embossing folder to give a bit more texture. In the original sketch there was a sentiment in the top right hand corner but I've replaced it with a bow.....yep, my favourite Stamp Simply satin ribbon. The white picks up the butterflies as well as the pansies background. I sponged purple ink very lightly around the edge of the white c/s, and added three gold brads to balance.
The sketch I used is from Sketch Saturday week 112 and was really easy to use.
Thanks for visiting.

Lilac Avenue

Don't fall down with shock people, I'm here again. This time with some Lilac Avenue cards that I have finally finished. Once again I used Leslie's idea and pre made kits and had the bases done and only need to add the toppers and ribbons. The post that I've highlighted is actually the post i was looking for yesterday to put in my Blue Awning blurb. The sketch I've used here on the square and A5 cards are based on this card by Sherry Cheever which I used to make this card.
These cards use a mixture of different companies items as with my Blue Awning cards. I love doing this, mixing the different products I have. That way at least I use them.
As much as I am a SU demo, I love all the products out there and can't help but buy them too.
Already one of these cards is spoken for so I must be doing something right don't you think?
I won't go into too much detail, I think most you will recognise the components used to make these cards.
Have a wonderful afternoon everyone and take care.

Blue Awning

Some years ago I bought a 12 x 12 K&Co Blue Awning paper pad. It sat in my stash for years until Sharon came out with a kit using the papers. In the kit is ribbon, bling and of course the 12 x 12 paper pad.
Well I couldn't resist, I purchased the kit. Absolutely gorgeous.
Now to make cards with it....Leslie Miller posted on her blog one day how she makes up card kits ahead of time using sketches and then when she's ready to make a card, the kit is ready. Well I thought this was a fabulous idea to do with my Blue Awning kit so off I went. I did up 40 odd kits all ready to add ribbon, bling and topper. Thank you Leslie for your wonderful tip.
Here is the results of some of my endeavours. I freely admit that I cased some of Sharon's cards and I think Leslie's too. Thank you both and also to anyone else that gave me inspiration. Also I've used different sketches that I collect.
All the cards use different stamp sets from different companies, such as Stampin' Up, Wordsworth, Waltzing Mouse Stamps, Just Rite Stamps etc.
I've also used nesties, Marianne dies, MS punches to name a just a few. Inks are mainly SU and Versafine. Cardstock, well here again, lots of different sorts, SU in particular because Soft Sky, Night of Navy, Very Vanilla, River Rock, Soft Suede and Kiwi Kiss all match these papers wonderfully. Other cardstock is Bazzill and Cordinations.
I think that's it for what I've used. I've made little notes on the bottom of each picture as extra info.

I had two of this particular card, the other had a different saying in the oval. It's already been taken by a friend of mine before I could get a photo.
Crochet lace, silk ribbons all from Sharon's kit.

Claire from Waltzing Mouse Stamps has wonderful stamp sets that match the Nesties labels sets so I used those stamps with these two cards. Once again, lace and ribbon from Sharon's kit. The sentiment here is SU and the little flourish is from one of Claire's sets.

I think this card needs something else, maybe a bow from the lace I've already used. Again there was another one of these cards, but it's gone. The embossed background is a Cuttlebug small embossing set, that cuts and embosses at the same time. Sentiment is a Just Rite one I think.

Originally there was another one of these cards too. I made four of them. Each with different sentiments but same sketch. I'm pretty sure I used an EK Success punch on these. Lace and silk ribbons all from the kit.

I realise I've been neglecting my blog but I have been doing cards as you can see. There are many others that I've completed that I'll show you over the coming days. Not all stamping ones, they say a change is as good as a holiday and I feel the same thing is true with my cardmaking techniques.

This week has been a bit of write off I'm afraid because I caught a bug which is proving hard to shift. I spent Wednesday night sleeping in the recliner to keep me upright and able to breathe.

Not good.

Then this afternoon my son rings me to say that his money has been stolen from his bag at the Sarina High School. Am I peeved, well actually a lot more than that but I won't say it here.

Thanks for reading this very long post if you've got this far.

Enjoy the rest of your day or night as the case may be.

Baby Girl

I apologise for the quality of this photo but it was taken on my phone. The silver thing you can see is actually a teddy bear charm. The stamps are Just Rite, stamped and layered onto corresponding Nesties. The lace was gathered up by a thread and then taped down with the button in the middle. Two fancy head pins, wrinkled pink ribbon and a charm finished my embellishment. I used a sketch but for the life of me can't remember which one. The lace is gorgeous and I'm a bit sorry now that I put the ribbon over it. Oh well too late now.
Thanks for visiting and I'm hoping to be back to being more active with my blog again.
I had two weeks school holiday where Dean and his girlfriend needed taxiing around then the last two weeks have been hectic too. My car turns automatically towards Sarina now and sometimes it's 3 or 4 trips a day. Cuts into the day somewhat.

Good Bye/Luck, New Home

A friend asked me to make her a card for a lady who is moving to a new area and a new home. I was a bit stumped actually until I remembered this PSX stamp that I've had for some time and hadn't used. So I coloured it using Prismas in the colours to match the papers I chose. The fence I thought was a great touch using the Martha Stewart picket fench punch.
Here's the sketch I used and slightly changed, it's from Carol's Sketch Fun. All in all, after a dodgey start, I'm quite happy with this card and Jan was stoked.

It seems to have rained all night here and there's a heck of a lot of water around.
I'm off today to Sue and Robyn's in Sarina to make cards all day, cool hey!! All my stuff is packed and ready to go. lol
Have a good day everyone and thanks for visiting.