Convention Swaps

The below swaps are what I've been up to for the past few weeks in between working etc.
These are the swaps I have made for this year's SU convention in Sydney. Tomorrow I fly out and I'm all packed ready to go.
This card uses Whisper White, Sage Shadow, Night of Navy, Not Quite Navy card stock with gold embossing and Night of Navy stamping. The stamp sets are Pendant Park and Pocket Silhouettes.
Permission to use case this card for a swap came from Donna from Butternut Sage Designs, one very clever lady. I did add another layer to the card in a vague hope of making it a bit different. Sorry about the crooked photo.

Next swap was a card I saw on Selene Kempton's blog and wanted to try it out. Thank you Selene for the tutorial on your blog of how you did the floating ink technique. I used the same colours but changed the stamp and added another layer I think, again in a vague hope of trying to make the card different from the original.
Bordering Blue, Rich Razzleberry, Whisper White are the colours used here.

I originally wanted to make a white on white card with the ribbon roses that Petronela showed on her blog but after doing one and working out that I would need 30!!!!, I decided on punched flowers instead. I love the way they turned out, looking a bit like waterlilies. The Very Vanilla was used to do something a little different. Actually I'm very very happy with this card.
The only colour is the Soft Suede used to stamp the wording.

This next swap card again is a case from someone else. I have permission from Carole'Anne Sluchinski to use her design. I had to change a couple of things because the original card used shimmer white card stock and shimmer paint which unfortunately aren't in our Australian catty.
I devised a way of making a similar background using En Francais and baby wiping pretty in pink and green galore ink over the whole piece. It gives it a creamy look with the script faintly showing through. This card was the most time consuming out of all my swaps. I had to watercolour the flower from Bloomin' With Beauty then meticulously cut every one of them out. Believe me, by the time I had cut out the 40 flowers required for these swaps, I was getting pretty expert at it. lol
The colour combination was originally what caught my eye and the different elements used on this card. Thanks Carole'Anne. Pretty in Pink, Green Galore and Basic Black card stock with the greeting stamped on Very Vanilla to complement the creamy gloss background.

I've seen these baby bibs on quite a few blogs now so I can't give credit to actually one person. I do know that Sandy MacIver has them on her blog. I love them and once you get the hang of where to place the card stock on the die to have the fold, they are very quick to make.
Pink Pirouette, Almost Amethyst, Bashful Blue, Certainly Celery and Pretty in Pink card stock with coordinating dp, ribbon and buttons were used.

My last swap, yep, once again is a case. With permission from Liane Peden (Canada) I used her design for this swap card. There is an extra layer added, the brushed gold and my sponging is certainly not as good as Liane's. I used the gorgeous black velvet ribbed ribbon out of the Valet Ribbon Originals for these swaps. My placement of the stamp used for the embossing leaves a lot to be desired but anyway I think they will pass. Hope so!!!
Real Red, Basic Black, Brushed Gold card stock with Asian Artistry and Vintage Vogue stamp sets embellished with black brads are the basic components for this card.

I have made some boxes especially for a team swap but I'll post them when I get back. It's a bit of a long story. lol I will say that I am very pleased with the way they turned out.
Thanks for visiting and hope you like my swap cards.

Nobody's Happy!!

Another update and a card. My back is good again thank goodness, thanks for everyone's best wishes. I'm still in the middle of convention swaps. I've done 90 and was going to do another 10 when I decided, in a fit of madness, to make some boxes for our team swap. Mmmmm I think I was mad, what started out as 24 boxes somehow has become 28. Either I can't count or they are just multiplying behind my back!!!!!

All the bases are done and now I'll start on the lids. Then the decorating. I won't show you a pic until the final product. A girlfriend of mine has also ordered two of my decorated clocks, so that is another thing that has to be done this week.

This card was made some weeks ago and I just love the image. Cracks me up everytime. I'm sorry but just at the moment, I can't remember the sketch I used. The dp is K & Co and the c/s is SU.
Sorry I'm just having another chuckle at the image.
Take care all and I'll get back to show you my swaps. I'm just so glad I started on them early this year. I wonder if I can get another 10 done to make it a round 100. Could be pushing it I think. lol

Still around

Just to update my blogging friends that I'm still around but at this stage haven't anything to put on my blog. I've been doing convention swaps and last weekend was spent at Mt Tamborine at a Craft Retreat. Wow, didn't we have a wonderful time. Jean, Jane, Kerry, Bethel and I all went shopping on the Friday at 2 different papercraft shops. We had a ball. Then four of us, not Bethel unfortunately, went on to Mt Tamborine where Kim had organised our retreat. Just imagine, crafting all weekend, all meals prepared for you and nothing to do but enjoy yourself. Well we did enjoy ourselves.
I spent last week up at Sue and Robyn's shop in Sarina with the intention of breaking the back of my convention swaps. I've done it too!!! Nearly 80 swaps finished and still 3 weeks to go until convention.
Everything was going too well I suppose. Saturday morning, I hurt my back. So that was that. I couldn't participate in Anzac Day which to me is so important. The two loaves of bread that I had to make into sandwiches for the morning tea were done sitting down and took three times as long to do because I had to have a break in between each sandwich. Thankfully Charlie helped me with them.
I'm managing to sit here at the computer at the moment, but any sudden moves are agony.
It's so very frustrating not being able to move around like I want to and really brings into prospective how well off one really is when healthy.
Happy crafting everyone.

Heather's Clock

After doing my own clock, I decided to do another one for a girlfriend's birthday. I've used Webster's Pages again but this time with Paper Inklings rub ons and velvet flowers. The bottom picture shows the charm close up and my spray of flowers that I managed to make myself. Definitely need more practice though. The bow is using gorgeous wrinkled ribbon that I received in the mail on Friday. Yummo!!!
What do you think? Hope Heather likes it.
Thanks for visiting my blog.

Renaissance

A few years ago I purchased a card display box. It came flat packed and you put it together yourself, which I did. The colour was white. Over the time that I've been using it in the Tourist centre is had become grubby and looked very tired.
So here is the revamped card display box. I used Graphic 45 Renaissance papers and a lot of Mod Podge Gloss Lustre. lol The label on the front is also from the Renaissance range with my stamp on it. More Mod Podge over that to hold it in place.
I think it came up really well and certainly looks better than the poor taped up thing it was.
Thanks for visiting and all the wonderful comments you leave.

Ribbon and Bows

I've seen quite a few cards made using Webster's Pages but I like Sharon's idea best. I took the liberty of using Sharon's idea to make my cards and hope she takes it as a compliment. Two of them are very similar using the same pages that Sharon used but I did change the verse on one and the ribbon on the other.
The Webster Pages are absolutely gorgeous and I hope I have not detracted from them in any way. I love using these double faced satin and silk ribbons. Can you tell I love bows and ribbon? lol
Thanks for visiting and have a wonderful day.

Blowin' in the Wind!!!

I've seen these cards on many many blogs, with little purses made from punches. So here's my interpretation of this technique. The papers are Bella with Kaisercraft bling. Punches are all Stampin' Up.

Now at the moment, there is a fair chance that we will definitely be 'Blowin' In The Wind' by tomorrow morning. Whether we get the full force of this cyclone or the outskirts of it. They are now saying that it will cross the coast tomorrow morning between Ayr and SARINA!!! Which makes it just that bit closer to us. Mackay is 52kms away but Sarina is only 22kms away.
Here's a link of the forecast tracking map for anyone interested. Anything can happen though, it may turn around or flit up and down the coast for a bit. You never know.

Have a great day everyone.

My Clock!!!

Right O, now you must promise not to laugh. This is my clock!!

I finished it this afternoon. Instead of photos in the two squares, before joining the two pieces together, I decoupaged two pictures in both squares from 6 x 6 Webster's Pages, added rubons then Mod Podged over it all a few times then put the top layer on. After that I decorated to my heart's content. lol I used 6 x 6 Webster's Pages for the front too with an extra butterfly decoupaged on with a couple of rubon butterflies as well. The back of the clock is covered with 6 x 6 Webster's Pages too. It's a fact of life that I'm not a painter. Just ask my friends and my OH. I was only allowed to paint inside the pantry when we were building this house. When he saw what I'd done, I was excused from any more painting. pmsl

I'm not happy with what I used to attach the lace but it's too late now. Will know better next time. The saying under the clock face says "Blessed are those who can laugh at themselves, for they shall never cease to be amused". This describes me quite accurately I thought.
In the "Be Unique" square is a little egg timer charm which is so cute. A cluster of punched butterflies in the clock corner finished it off with punched branch leaves, pearls, roses, buds, gardenia and hat pin.
I'll be posting cards next, no more Off the Page projects for a while.

Royal Flush

Two more cards for men or even die hard card players. They both used Kaisercraft papers called Shaken Not Stirred. The top card was inspired by this card by Sharon Johnson . Unfortunately my photography skills leave a lot to be desired. Mmmm, the bottom has been embossed with a cuttlebug border. It was a simple yet effective card to make, well I think so anyway. lol
The second card uses SCS sketch 252. This card was a joy to make, with everything co-ordinating.
Very windy and rainy today. I have to finish a clock today that my girlfriend Kerry talked me into to making yesterday at our craft session in Sarina. Mmmmm I really am not an off the page person but I will admit that I enjoyed yesterday. Are you reading this Kerry??? pmsl
Take care everyone and enjoy your day or night.

More for the Men!!!

Here are some more cards I made for the men in our lives. The top one is using a stamp from Stamp It called Surf's Up and a sketch by Papertake Weekly .
The second card uses a stamp I think by TAC. At the moment I can't find the wretched stamp so can't be sure. lol Same sketch as the top card.
Third and Fourth cards uses stamps by Stamp It called Pick Up Truck and Man of the House.
The sketch this time is from CCEE.
For the bottom two cards I used a TAC stamp and a Stamp It stamp called T Ford Coupe 1925.
Sketches for them were again Papertake Weekly and CCEE.
All the cards have Basic Grey Boxer papers on them with different embellishments. On one I've used Tim Holtz's gears, on another SU brads and Bizzy Bec's digi tickets.
The ink I used once again was Versafine, which once again I'll say is brilliant for solid stamps and with stamps with a bit of detail. Cardstock was mainly Core'dinations with SU Confetti White.
Nesties just gave the images a bit of interest instead of just being square or rectangle.
I'm pretty happy with them.
Thanks for taking the time to stop by.