Monday 31 March 2014

Last card challenge for the month.

http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge/ has an Anything goes challenge this time.

I have made this card for a person who loves red and will be attending an upcoming retreat I'm also attending. (Can't say too much more,they  might be reading this!)
Using scraps, I put some Kaiser patterned paper and white cardstock across my background.
Then I used old music as my next layer.
Another Kaiser patterned paper formed the spotted strip.
3 red brads embellished all this. My sentiment says create which suits a craft weekend.
My final touch is a chevron moustache I found lurking on my desk.

Shopping our stash with an old tree.

Shopping our stash has a theme of use your oldest tree stamp.
When I was 10, I was given a set of rubber stamps for Christmas.
Being Australian made, there was a gum tree in the set.
Later this year I turn 60 so that makes this stamp 50 years old.

I've used black ink and embossed my tree.
I've placed 3 heart stickers around my tree and the sentiment says hello.
There is a 1cm white stripe across the top of this card

Sunday 30 March 2014

Let's get Shabby #53

http://letsgetshabby.blogspot.com.au/ Here is the link to Let's get Shabby.

I used to do their challenges all the time but lately life got in the way.

Anyway Easter is almost upon us and cards need to be made.

En Route to Nelson Bay recently I stopped at Di Garling's shop at The Entrance.
There I bought 3 chipboard rabbits among other things of course.(But I won't discuss that now ;) )
The largest 2 Crafty rabbit has been chalked with various colours.
I inked the rabbit in white first.
I've added bling and enamel dots for his nose and flower centres.
A strip left from the previous card made the flowery grass.

While in the bling bag I found this Heidi Swapp word "FAMILY" so have used it as my sentiment.
This card will be for my sister & family.


Card makin Mamas #83



This stimulus picture has led me to create this spring themed  card. My sentiment says sweet.
I was inspired by the lime green on the drawers.
I embossed using the cuttlebug with flowers.
The hessian looking top on the stool reminded me of the flower I've used.
The floral pattern on the tray near the mirror is suggested in my sentiment strip.

Friday 28 March 2014

Case this sketch #70.



It is nearly Easter time, so I'm making a few cards for the family.
I've inked a 2 CRAFTY CHIPBOARD bunny in white and coloured his ears pink with gel pen.
Then I placed him in a field of pink flowers and cut some grass from another patterned paper.
His butterfly friend is a clear sticker as is the sentiment.


Thursday 27 March 2014

Two cards, one challenge

I've been making cards out of scraps.
The card on the left is in graffiti style and just for fun.
The one on the right is entered in http://avenue613.blogspot.se/ where the theme is birds.
I've used 2 pieces of patterned paper then stickers for the birds and sentiment.

Use your stuff with ink.

The theme this week is ink.
I don't do a lot of stamping despite owning quite a few stamps.
I've used butterfly stamp with blue ink...very unusual for me...to decorate this card.

Tuesday Taggers

The theme at Tuesday Taggers is MUSIC.
I've had this quote card for a few years and have never used it but this seemed appropriate.
On white card I've used cream background paper put through the cuttlebug with swiss dots.
On to that I placed some sheet music edged in gold ink.
Then the saying/sentiment was placed in the middle.
Across the top I've used co-ordinating washi tape.

Tuesday 25 March 2014

Curtain call cards

The theme this week at Curtain call is farm.

I've used 3 rub -ons that I have had for ages to make a bright happy card for a child.
I added enamel dots for the scarecrows buttons and the hole in the birdhouse.
The sentiment is FUN ,which is a sticker I applied to the front of the birdhouse.
It is simple but cute .


 
Do you like my animated Easter Bunny? I will leave him there until Easter.

Mojo Monday #338

The challenge at Mojo Monday this week enabled me to use some Washi Tape.
As I am short of male cards, I've decided to make this one.

The sentiment is a word sticker which stays beautifully on the hessian (burlap).

Note: Blogger put a white frame around this so it looks like the orange strip finishes early.I can assure you that is the edge of the card.

Monday 24 March 2014

Unscripted sketches #249

On my way home from holidays I stopped in to see Di Garling at The Entrance.
There I bought 3 pots of Viva Inca Gold which is a metallic gel you rub on cards ,flowers etc to add a metallic touch.
This was the first time I used it and you can see I went a bit over the top.
I'm still entering it to show we all make mistakes and card making is a learning experience.
I've used it properly around the edges and on the flower.

Counterfeit Kit Blog Hop

Hi Everyone,
Welcome to the blog hop. You should have come here from
Our blog hop looks at these 3 challenges

  1. Challenge #1 Water Color Challenge:  Use a water color technique on your project!
  2. Challenge #2 Let's get inspired by Jennifer! - Find something on Jennifer's Blog and create a project based on it.  Please make sure to share a link with your original inspiration.
  3. Challenge #3 Background texture  - Add texture to your background 
As I was involved in Challenge #1 already, I've chosen to show you Challenge #2 .
It was to scraplift one of my all time favourite scrappers...Jennifer Grace!
 Here is the link http://jennifergracecreates.com/scrap365-march-sketch-pink-noses-page/

From the first moment I stumbled upon Jennifer Grace I have admired her pages.
One of her tell-tale signs is little bits of bling,or enamel dots with  in clusters.
Another is gold washi tape.

This was her layout which was based on this sketch
 


Here is the layout

and a close up of the hessian fringe

and the cluster of items with gold washi tape,just like Jennifer



Here's the order for the Blog Hop  

Sunday 23 March 2014

Stuck?! March 15th



This was the sketch.

I recently spent a week at Nelson Bay and found that when you travel by yourself you see more things in your surroundings.
Carrying my trusty camera I noticed 3 lots of birds, all super friendly.
The magpie was at a café near the lighthouse with this spectacular view

As people finished their food it swooped down and ate the leftovers including cream from the Devonshire teas.
I didn't realise we had black swans in the eastern states of Australia, so it was another discovery.
Using the bird papers from 7 gypsies in my Counterfeit kit

 I've composed this page.
The flairs are from Shopevalicious.com ,the bird brad is from Kaiser and the jounalling block plus 3is from Glitzitnow.com

Saturday 22 March 2014

Scrapping4fun challenges card

Scrapping4fun challenges wanted a card using lace and buttons.
I found a strip of black lace edging so wound it around in a tight circle to create a flower.
Then, through the middle I have sewn a button.
The button and papers are all from Teresa Collins Far and Away range.

Friday 21 March 2014

Pink elephant cards

The challenge at Pink Elephant cards is to use layers, ribbon and a touch of green.
My effort looks like this.
There's 3 layers of patterned paper, a cloth tag, ribbon and a tree stamp.

Stuck on U sketches

this sketch has inspired me



Here's my interpretation.
I've used MM paper which has a zigzag edge.
Ribbon, washi tape, large flower cut in half, doileys,sticker snowflake andjournaling block all made up the matting under my photos.
These 2 dear little boys are 13 and 10 now.
I was visiting Mum and waited to see them as they were calling in for a quick visit.
Mum lived at No 45 hence the title.
The wood veneer frame is by WOW and the mushrooms misted are by Memory Maze chipboard.

Sketchabilities plus a card

First at Sketchabilities, this  is the sketch



and here is my interpretation of it
Ignore the blue line at top and bottom,the scanner did that!
Minion was the "mascot" at Camp Mojo last year and provided quite a few laughs.
 
Next my card for Shopping Our Stash where the theme is buttons and bows.
The ribbon was around 4 years old and the buttons about 20 years old.(From Mum's sewing stash)
The bow wouldn't behave itself but in the end I'm liking the way it is adorning the card.
Kind of whimsical and carefree.
 
Most of this in both cases is from my Counterfeit Kit

Thursday 20 March 2014

Kraft it Up.

I haven't bothered doing Kraft it up for several months, but this month's Counterfeit Kit papers etc suited the challenge.
The theme is to make lists.
I could swear that Kraft it Up wrote it with me in mind.

As a librarian, I'm very organised and make lists  daily to remind me to do things or to work out a logical order to attack jobs.
When finding this Christmas day photo I remembered it was me that did most of the shopping .
I chose Tim Holtz ledger Kraft.
I remembered the list and wrote it on the 7 gypsies journaling card.
I've added a punched edge of Christmas paper too.
The chipboard saying fits the theme.
A few drops of mist, some green bling and there you are.

Wednesday 19 March 2014

The squirrel and the fox

The call this time is for an autumn or spring card at The squirrel and the fox.
I went totally away from tradition with this one.

I had some Amy Tan paper from American crafts featuring conversation bubbles.
I've used the biggest one with lettering as my sentiment then added co-ordinating embellishments in the others.

Love story layout

Using more of my Counterfeit kit this month, I've composed a layout about my daughter and her partner.
It uses mainly 7 gypsies and Graphic 45 items.
I've also dabbed a bit of walnut ink there as well.
There is some symbols on here that only they will understand, for instance she gave him an antique pocket watch as a gift.

cas ual Fridays.Two shades of grey.

At Casual Fridays the challenge is to use 2 shades of grey.
I'm needing a wedding card for a neighbours son this week.
I found the patterned paper featuring wedding words.Another darker paper features small men and women symbols. I was able to cut it so that one male and one female were highlighted.
Next came a white strip of card featuring the rub on sentiment.
I finished it off with a gold heart.

Seize the Birthday plus Counterfeit Kit challenge 3

Counterfeit Kit Challenge #3 is to use stars on your project.
I've certainly done that on this card.


Seize the Birthday wants stitching on a birthday card.
I've used Faux stitching around the yellow square.

Use your stuff

The challenge at Use your stuff this week is monotone green.
I've made an AST by mounting 2 shades of green cardstock then some green patterned paper.Around its edges I have sewn with white.
I used the letters of scrapping to write adjectives describing my passion.
I've finished it off with a green rhinestone.

Monday 17 March 2014

Pinque Peacock

The next challenge at Pinque Peacock is to make anything except a card.
I had some thin strips of cardstock left after the last layout so I decided to make a Male tag.


I started with black patterned paper featuring a white tape measure.
Next, I found 2 pictures that were previously for a Sara Book(Remember those?)
As they were vintage and featured men this started the theme.

They went on at an angle but parallel to each other.
The filmstrip is washi tape and the lock & key are Graphic 45 stickers.
I've also added 2 brads, a white star and a square one featuring a scroll.
Finally, black ribbon was threaded through the hole at the top.

CSI # 114

CSI number 114 was this

It took a while but using the sketch, the layout finally came together. I've used quite an abundance from my Counterfeit Kit on this,including the rare find, the viewmaster wheel.

Sunday 16 March 2014

Fusion and Shopping Our stash card challenges


This is the inspiration for Fusion card challenge site.
I've used both the sketch and the inspiration.
I had a packet of floral die cuts which contained this daisy and leaves so I have arranged them on neon green background then mounted the whole thing on a paler lime card.
When you look at the card in real life, the petals stick up.
I finished it off with a green rhinestone and still thinking Irish I've used Good Luck as my sentiment.
Shopping Our stash asks for sentiments only.
I've made a card using Today was a good day as my main item.
 I've backed it with floral brown border on a cream strip and added 2 enamel dots plus a phone and clock.
These are understated.
I'm thinking of a man for this card, but it can also be used for a woman.

Show us your stuff

inspo board
Whenever I see green I think of Ireland, the green there is so vibrant.
On our tour around Ireland we saw many old castles, some in ruins.
This one at Knappogue was still intact and as we arrived early in the morning, there was still dew or rain left from overnight.
I noticed a spider web with water hanging on it (photo on right).
I've tried to re-create that using a chipboard vine and diamente braid. It is hand made in the sense that I cut it to resemble the spiders web.
There is also a celtic knot behind the title which I punched out.

Saturday 15 March 2014

Feeling Sketchy #84


The sketch at feeling sketchy #84 went beautifully with some of my Counterfeit Kit items.
The floral background is cut from a scrap of cardboard packaging I found.
I wove 3 strands of embroidery cotton across it then placed a Kaiser rose at the RHS.
The sentiment is from the same collection as the rose but it all came together beautifully I think, don't you?

Color Throwdown.#283

Do you keep those strips that you cut off the bottom of scrapbooking papers?
 I do. In fact I have a long thin basket to keep them in.
It was this same basket that helped my co-ordination of this card.
First, here's the color palette

I certainly had some strips of those.
I began with an orange card.
Next I used black & white grid paper.
On that I used some retro lime green droplets paper. By now I was thinking 1960s.
The grey strip plus the orange spotted strip and the grey stripe in its centre all came from the scrap basket.
The orange zigzag strip and the word Nostalgia are cut from a MME range of papers end strips.
So in total, that was 5 strips used up!

Mojo Monday #336


And here is my take on this card.
A get well card for a friend's mother who has recently had a knee replacement.
I made it sunshiny bright!