Butterflies And A Bird.

I'm frantically trying to make cards to keep my outlets stocked.  This is one that I finished and it didn't even get on display.  Bought straight away.  The Webster's Pages base has some pretty laces and a pear pizzaz bow topped with a Webster's Pages vintage button added to the bottom section.  The top half of the card has the a bird cage which has been enamelled to give it some texture.  The bird has had rock candy distress stickles smothered over him, once again to give a touch of texture.  I then added a pearl flourish and butterflies to finish the card off.

Thanks for visiting my blog today.  Enjoy your day. 

Butterfly In A Garden

I made this card for a good friend's birthday.  The original card appeared in an issue of Australian Simply Cards magazine.  This particular issue has a fantastic array of cards that are right up my alley.  I love them.

I have changed things a touch.  I've used more layers and the sentiment is different from the original.  My card base is very vanilla, with a layer of cherry cobbler.  The dp has had some fussy cutting added to the top left hand corner.  Bashful blue has been used for the butterfly wings, which were stamped and rock candy distress stickles added.  Rock candy distress stickles have also been added to the flowers on the dp.  I think that's it.  Thanks for visiting my blog today.  Keep well. 

Sympathy.

I made this card for a friend of mine who unfortunately needed a Sympathy card.  I started out with a totally different idea in my head than the finished result but I'm really pleased with it.

Judi requested that the card have flowers and a butterfly on it.  So here it is.

Base is soft suede, then a layer of cranberry crisp.  The dp is Webster's Pages.

I thought the fence and gate looked pretty good and I had to try out my new dies. lol

The butterfly has been fussy cut from a piece of Mariposa dp and covered with Rock Candy distress stickles.  I don't think you can really see the shine.  I've also dry embossed the butterfly to give it dimension.  That's about it. 

Thanks for visiting today.  Hope you like my card. 

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I've finally finished my guest designer card for the Sunny Challenges & Creations this week.  The challenge is a sketch and the theme is Mothers.  Well you all know I do like a sketch.  Unfortunately I don't have the need for a Mother's Day card anymore and they don't seem to sell very well at the Tourist Centre, so I've made a feminine, girlie card which I hope meets the design team approval.

My aim was to create a card reminiscent of the couture houses of the eighteenth century.  Mind you, I haven't seen one in real life but what I imagine they would look like. lol

I started with a base of vanilla with a layer of Attic Boutique which reminded me of wall paper, then to add that floral touch I used another piece of Attic Boutique layered on Blushing Bride.

The focal collage panel was created using the stamp set Established Elegance, stamped in soft suede, blushing bride and so saffron with lace trim down one side.  The sketch has a circle on the focal panel so my wording took this spot, which has been stamped in early espresso.  I've trimmed it and then inked around the edges in soft suede ink with a blending tool and craft mat.  Actually all my layers have been inked in soft suede using a blending tool to give that vintage look.  I don't know that I'm very happy with my sentiment but as I'm late with this card, I'll leave it for the time being.

To finish off the card I've used lace and blushing bride pleated ribbon across the bottom with a hand dyed blushing bride seam binding bow topped with a blushing bride button.  I love bows. lol

Thank you for visiting my blog today and also thanks so much for your encouraging comments on my last card. I appreciated them.

Take care for the rest of the Easter weekend.

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I'm here finally with my guest designer card for this week's Sunny Challenges & Creations.  A sketch this week which is always a good thing.  I like sketches. lol

This card started out to be totally different from what you see here.  I stuffed around, changed things, procrastinated and basically just couldn't get it right.  Even now I'm not sure that I have that 'wow' factor. 

My base is vanilla with a layer of soft suede.  The dsp is from Attic Boutique by Stampin' Up. The bottom panel is pool party with some Spice Cake dsp (retired).  There is a tiny panel of Attic Boutique dsp in daffodil yellow peeking out from above my pool party seam binding bow.  I've used the new framelit dies that are now available from Stampin' Up, embossing the bottom layer.  I really prefer a narrower border when layering dies like this but that's the way these framelits have been made.  My images and greeting are from the new set called Tea Shoppe.  Around all the edges of each layer of card stock and dsp I have sponged soft suede ink using a foam blending tool and craft mat.  The look I wanted was a little bit vintage but not dirty.  The daffodil yellow of the bottom framelit gives the card a lift and all the colours combine so well together.

I have been away to a craft retreat in Brisbane arriving home last Thursday night.  I spent a couple of days in Nambour visiting friends before retreat.  Kim spends a lot of time and energy on these retreats and I just love them.  Thanks Kim.  Of course, I had far too much gear with me, will definitely have to cull in September when I go down for the next craft retreat. On the way back I fabric shopped in Maryborough and stayed with Jean in Gin Gin for a couple of days.  We played and made Tim Holtz tags from his Creative Chemistry 101 classes.  Now if ever there was something worth spending money on, it's these classes.  Absolutely brilliant.  Tim is a fabulous teacher and he shares his knowledge freely.  I know if ever I got the chance to do a live class with him, I'd be there like a shot. lol

That's a very quick update as to what I've been up to in the last few weeks. Thanks for visiting my blog today and now I'm home again and well (was sick for two months this year), I hope to get back into some serious card making.

Enjoy the rest of your day.

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As a previous Ray of Sunshine on Sunny Challenges & Creations, I was asked to be a guest designer for this week's challenge.  It's wonderful to be asked and I feel very honoured.  This week the challenge is a sketch with buttons to embellish.

Here is my card.  I wanted a white on white look with a touch of gold.  I think I succeeded and I'm quite happy with the result. The inspiration for my card came from this card made by Linda Coughlin (The Funkie Junkie), whose work I admire wholeheartedly.

The base is whisper white with a layer of gold, then an embossed piece of whisper white to add texture. The vertical piece is two layers of whisper white, one with a punched border down each side and the other embossed with a different embossing folder from the bottom layer.

The two hearts were made by gold embossing whisper white with the flower from the Stampin' Up set, You Are Loved.  I then die cut those pieces with the scalloped heart of hearts embosslit die.  I added a row of pearls to one and a black bow tie to the other.

My greeting is from a retired hostess set called Occasional Quotes, gold embossed and punched out with the decorative label punch. Two more punched pieces in gold are peeking out from behind the greeting to give it that lift.

White satin/organza ribbon, gold cord, pearls and my heart button completed the card.

I hope the design team cards inspire you to join in this week with the Sunny Challenges girls and that we see lots of entries.  Head on over there and see what the girls have done this week. Go on you can do it!!

Thanks for visiting my blog today and I hope everyone is well.

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.

Pretty Little Bird.

I've had this image coloured for months now.  It was coloured with copics but sorry, I have no idea which colours I used.  I wasn't sure what to do with this image until I saw this card by Marlies.  Absolutely perfect!! Thanks Marlies.   So I cased the layout but changed the punch border to lace and added some cheesecloth. The papers are different and of course my stitching isn't as good as Marlies.

I sponged the edges with distress ink and also stamped the edges with some edging stamps.  The papers are very old ones from Websters that I pulled out that matched the colours I used.  Flowers and lace are from my stash.

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

Springtime Vintage Buttons.

These two cards were made for very good friends of mine, Jean and Heather.  My inspiration for these cards came from a fabulous lady called Linda and a card she made here.  I admire her work and as much as I would love to be able to do the same sort of work, I'll have to resign myself to wanting to be like her when I grow up!!!

The corners on the cards were originally brass coloured.  Mmmm well perhaps less said about how they ended up looking like they do, the better.  I will say, that I experimented for some time to get the look I wanted but without success.  They didn't turn out too badly though and after a while, grew on me. lol

The seam binding has been dyed in two different colours...pale plum and perfect plum, then a bow made using the two colours at the same time.  I also dyed the cheesecloth and layered it underneath my toppers to soften the whole effect of the card.

Lots of other different elements on these cards, mostly self explanatory.  The gorgeous lace, button, metal corner and lace heart came from Linda.  The buttons card is a Stampin' Up stamp from a set called Sew Suite.  The papers are Stampin' Up Springtime Vintage unfortunately retired now.

There is lots to look at on these cards but that's how I wanted them to be.  I did start with a sketch but it's no use showing you that because these cards look nothing like that sketch now, in fact, far from it. lol

Thanks for visiting my blog today.  Keep well.

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.