Birthday Card

I have made this birthday card for a friends young daughter's birthday.  The background papers are Kaisercraft (blue) and Grace Taylor (yellow polka dots).  The image is an Elisabeth bell stamp - "Lemon Pepper" in rubber by Whimsy.  Pepper has been coloured in with copics (sorry didn't take note of the colours - was sitting in front of the TV trying to multitask - poorly obviously).   The image was cut out with the largest of the spellbinders floral ovals (s4-356).  Don't know the source of lace and the pink ribbon - it was just sitting in my jars. The happy birthday from Kaszazz is stamped on the Spellbinders ribbon banner - the centre of which has been cut out, layered and popped up. Normally I'm not a huge fan of yellow but I think this worked out cute and girly.

I'd like to enter this card in the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamps Challenge Blog  - use dies and or punches

Oozak Challenge Blog  - Challenge #7 Diecuts

By the Cute and Girly Challenges - Birthdays.  By the way they are celebrating their 3rd birthday check out the great hop and prizes.

Southern Girls Challenge - Challenge #55 Tie a ribbon around it.

Bearly Mine Challenges - Anything goes

The Crafty Bloggers Network - Anything goes

Whoopsi Daisy Challenge - Birthday Cards

Card Mania Challenges - Happy Birthday

Wings

This card arose from playing with the Marks Finest Papers Tree Greeting stamp set I won on their blog hop.  The tree stamp was coloured with Marvy Markers and lightly spritz with water.  The background paper is Kaisercraft from their Timeless Classics paper pad. The purple paper is from Basic Grey and was punched with X-cuts Border Sparkler. The sentiment is from Crafty Secrets and cut with an Mpress die.  The chipie bird is kaisercraft and swiped roughly with Stampin Up's basic grey ink.  The purple Bazzil and unknown white card were cut with the Spellbinders circles. The ribbon I'm not sure of the source (other than my jar of orange ribbons).

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges

Mark's Finest Paper Speedy TV simple salutations challenge 14 Tweet Bird

Creative Card Crew Birds

Polka Doodles Wings and Things

Top Tip Tuesday Things with Wings

Bizzy Becs Store Blog Things with Wings

Distressing Experiments

Don't worry I'm not talking about vivisection!  At my local card class at Woodford Cards and Craft we were playing with using the Ranger Ink Refresher to distress card.  Spray it on, rub it in, scrunch it up, dry it off, colour it up and then iron out.  The end result is a textured card, with great distressed coloured effect, but the best of all it remains supple and almost feels like suede leather.  I loved the result so much I had to buy a bottle to play with, however the scientific enquiring mind I really wanted to know what it was and how it worked. So I felt it- slightly slimey when wet, drying with almost a slight stickiness; so I sniffed it - not much smell at all; so I tasted it (well they do say it is non toxic - but don't do this at home kiddies) and it all fell into place - it contains glycerine!  Hubby was in the papermaking industry for years and glycerine is used to soften and reduce shrinkage in paper. So I made some mixtures of glycerine and water - 1st too wet (ie too much water) paper ended up with holes as I scrunched it. 2nd too much glycerine a bit too thick and kept that sticky kind of feel. 3rd mixture worked like a charm.

The background of the following card was made with this distressing technique.   The butterfly image is Vintage Cherish from Kaisercraft.  The image was stamped 4 times and layered (though this isn't obvious from the photo).  The image is ink distressed and coloured with Tim Holtz Distress Inks (broked china, tumbled glass, brushed corduroy & frayed burlap) then coated with Jelly Roll glitter pen and finally Glossy accents.  The satin ribbon was also coloured with distress ink.

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges

Tutorial Time on SpeedyTV Challenge 18  This challenge was all about distressing following a tutorial on ink and physical distressing (like tearing) by Pam Stang.

Bunny Zoe's Crafts is also having a distressing challenge. Now that's not to say that anyone is in an unhappy state of of mind but the challenge is again all about distressing

Simon Says Stamp blog Celebrates World Card Making Day! Where they want everyone to show what cards they are working on.

Bizzy Becs Store.Blog Challenge for october which is "Things with Wings"

Vintage Elusions Challenge Blog with the theme of Wings/Anything goes

Mega Blog Candy

Donna's has sent out her last weekly blog candy, but that is no reason to cry. Check out this mega candy on the Bearly Mine Crafts blog. It so totally delicious that be warned you are going to need more than a napkin to catch the saliva that forms when you check out it sweet, sweet tastiness.

PS. If you reside in the UK Donna has another fantastic candy. Boo hoo for us colonials, but great if you're from the motherland.

FOSTV Challenge 39

As I've been feeling lacklustre of late I've been blog hopping and surfing looking at all the gorgeous craft blogs out there, looking for inspiration and hoping that some might magically come through the keyboard to my hands.  While hopping I was lucky enough to win a gorgeous set of stamps (Tree Greetings) on the Mark Finest Papers and Stamps August Blog hop.  In this set are some gorgeous palm trees. It made me think of Dad sailing up the Queensland coast with friends.  They asked him to come away with them for a while to take him out of the empty house and hopefully put a smile on his face, show him its ok to be happy.  I made the following card for the FOSTV Challenge 39 which is to put a tag or ticket on your card.  I hope this trip is the ticket to some happiness for Dad, he's been doing it hard this year.

The tag has distress ink back ground and the Mark's Finest Papers and Stamps palm trees have been coloured with copics. The background paper is from Stamp-it Australia - a gorgeous water colour image called Pelicans. Boy oh Boy do I have trouble with cutting up lovely patterned paper, I nearly cried.  That is probably why every drawer in my craftroom is chock-a-block full of papers. I think I need some counselling or I wont be able to move for paper. The ticket is from a cuttlebug cut and emboss die - vintage collage and coloured with distress ink.  The other embellishments are some ric rac and some kaisercraft pearls.

I'd also like to enter this card into the following challenge

The Poodles Parlour - Tag you're it challange

Make the best of every day

I been feeling pretty flat lately and really haven't been up to crafting very much.  It has been a pretty joyless couple of months. My mum died back in July after suffering with pancreatic cancer for 6 months, she was only 63.  She came out of pallative care so she could spend the last week of her life at home.  I think this is the hardest thing you can do - to watch someone you love just fade away.  In additon a friend suffered a terrible stroke which has left her with some partial paralaysis, but she's happy to be alive. Also young girl that I worked with had a terrible accident which has left her with severe burns. It will be a long road to recovery for her. There has also been a change in government here and there has been a lot of retrenchments from the state public service (in which I work), many people I know no longer have a job.  It has been depressing times.

You never know what the next day will hold - enjoy today - hug your family and friends, tell them they are loved, cuddle your pet, indulge in your hobby or passion and be thankful.

Ingvild Bolme New Blog Design Giveaway

Ingvild Bolme is celebrating her new blog design by giving away an absolutely massive bundle of gorgeous Prima products. Ingvild designs for Prima and produces the most mouth wateringly stunning layouts and projects. Her new blog is the pinnacle of shabby chic gorgeousness right from the home page banner, to the beautifully detailed page footer.  Ingvild's blog is filled with so many beautiful and inspirational projects that my eyes hurt from trying to take in the detail. Go to Ingvild site and check out this wonderful giveaway here before the 31st of August, but believe me it certainly wont be the last time you visit.

Bold, bright and colourful

At the recent Scrapbooking Expo in Brisbane I did a class using the Lindy's Stamp Gang and Dylusions sprays.  Our teacher was the extremely talented Kate Palmer Sparkle Tart. Kate has loads of great videos on youtube, showing a range of so many wonderful techniques, definitely worth a visit or 10.  I had a ball in the class and got very messy.  The background to the card below was one of the techniques using the Dylusion sprays, making a watermark using a stencil, stamping and "bleaching" the dyes using water.  The cute mushrooms on the background are Dyan Reaveley "Dylusions" stamps.  The little fairy and the lady(or man in this case)beetle are both Crafty Secrets and coloured with copics.  The snail is Inkadinkado and was stamped by colouring Marvy markers directly on the stamp, huffing and stamping. I absolutely love the bright clear colours the dylusions give, they're gorgeous.

 
I would like to enter this card in the following challenges

Bizzy Becs Store Blog  Colour Inspiration.  Check out their bright and tastey queue below

Crafty Sentiments Designs Bright Colours

Stamp and Create  Bold and Bright

Thankyou for looking, cheers Linda

Red, white, blue and little bits of ribbon

I made top 3 at Really Reasonable Ribbon for my father's day card and was a Poodle pick at the Poodles Parlour for the more masculinity card.  While neither were a top prize this didn't stop me from being so excited I nearly wet myself.  As I've only recently started to enter challenges it was a total thrill just to be recognised.

While checking out all the wonderful winners at both Really Reasonable Ribbon and The Poodles Parlour I spyed that they are both running red, white and blue challenges.  I thought that a new stamp I purchased at the Scrapbook and Papercraft Expo last weekend would be perfect for that colour scheme.  The cute beach huts is a Michael Powell design made by Urban Stamps.  I coloured it with copics, however, I think next time I might try watercolour pencils or crayons as the detail makes is hard to keep the copics in the lines and blend (well it is for me anyway, lol).  The die just peeking out behind the huts and the seagulls in the corner are also new purchases  - the brand is Mpress. The little 'hey you' sentiment is hero arts I think!!  The bunting at the top was cut from little bits of ribbon and stuck over some twine - definitely fiddley. Sorry but I have absolutely no idea what the papers are behind - they came out of my scrap drawers.

I would like enter this card in the following challenges

Really Reasonable Ribbon's  - Red, white and blue with Ribbon

The Poodles Parlour - Red White Blue

Cupcake Craft Challenges - Red, White and Blue

Sarah Hurley Challenge Blog - Red, White and Blue

Creative Inspirations - Trooping the Colour

Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge - Red, White and Blue

Mishelflo's Monthly Challenge - Red, White and Blue

The Artistic Stamper Creative Team Blog - Red, White and Blue

Thankyou for looking, cheers Linda

More Masculinity

In amoungst a parcel of scrapping goodies I ordered recently was some Tim Holtz/Idea-ology filmstrip ribbon. I thought, as I still had some of my manly themed stash out on my desk that I would make another masculine themed card. The background paper is Kaisercraft from their Timeless Classic pad, inked with Distress of course. The cogs were cut used the Spellbinders Sprightly Sprockets dies.  They were just cut from some silver card (I think it might have been from some wedding favours boxes from one of my nephew's recent weddings).  The cogs were then inked over with alcohol inks and a bit of black pigment ink, to try to make them look grungy.  The balloon and the pocket watch are 7 gypsies stamps just inked with distress (and a bit of crackle accents on the watch).  The ute is a Stamp-it stamp coloured with copics.  The text is Stamper Anonyomous and Studio G.  The filmstrip ribbon was stappled on. Thanks for looking.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:-

Kaboodle Doodles Challenge Blog - All Manly Men - Male inspired Challenge

Love to Create Challenge Blog - #18 Father's Day or a special Man in your Life

Little Scrap Pieces - Happy Father's Day Challenge

Card Makin Mamas - Father's Day challenge

The Poodles Parlour - Father's Day/Male card

Sweet Stamps - For Dad

C.R.A.F.T Challenge - Male Card

Digi Designs Challenge Blog  - male inspired creations

Atcs and Cards with Attitude - Anything goes - Father's Day

Delicious Doodles The Challenges - For the Fellas

My Father's Day

There are quite a number of challenges with a masculine theme out in blogland. It's a while off till Father's Day, June is just on the doorstep - my Dad's birthday month.   So I thought I would get out my, as yet untouched, Stampin Up "The Open Sea" set and create a card for him. To create the card I masked and inked the oval and stamped over with the ships log and ship stamps - all with my favourite Tim Holtz distress inks.  I then put some white gel pen on the sails and a bit of Copic for colour.  Then distressed the edges mounted on some really old, el cheapo patterned paper from my scrap drawers which I inked on the edges. Then tied so twine in a reef knot with a charm and stuck it all together.  I love blue and brown, its one of my favourite colour combos.

I'd like to enter this card in the following challenges.

Simon Says Stamp  Fathers Day or Special Male Challenge

Chocolate Coffee & Cards For the Boys Challenge

Fairy Tale Challenge Blog Boys + Men Challenge

Little Claire's Designs ideas & inspiration Male Theme Challenge

Stampavie and More for a Boy Challenge

DRS Designs   Masculine Cards Challenge

Hand Stamped Sentiments Masculine Theme

Really Reassonable Ribbon Father's Day or Masculine with Ribbon or Trim


Cheers for now, Linda

I wish it were Summer!

There appears to be quite a few challenges out in blogland with a summery theme.  It's a bit depressing as we have started to get out first real wintery days here.  Not that it gets really cold here, but I'm a sook and don't want to get out of bed if the temperature falls below double figures.  In degrees celcius that is, if it was below 10 fahrenheit I'd be a solid block of ice. So to warm up I dreamed of summer and created this card.

The background is Tim Holtz distress inks sponged directly onto the card background.  The stamps are all from a Papermania acrylic set called Summerbloom.  The hammock was coloured by using my Marvy Markers directly on the stamp (very fiddely), then I gave it a very light spritz and stamped, with mixed success. I did try a little tidy up with a washbrush. Might just try the Tim Holtz "Huff on it" next time. Rubber might have worked better with this technique too.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp and Show  Summer Holiday.  (Wish I was lazing is a hammock in the sun not coughing and hugging the fire.)

Wags n Whiskers Rubber Stamps Summer Fun. (Summer is definitely more fun than winter.)

Crafter's Companion Monthly Challenge Here Comes Summer. (Not for a while for me though boohoo)

Paper Play Challenges Summer Lovin. (Not a lot of lovin' goin' on around here in the contagion castle were both down with the flu)

Through the Craftroom Door  Photo Inspiration. (The photo with the cushions on the window seat actually made me think of this stamp, with all the cushions on the hammock)

For Your Inspiration Photo Inspiration. (I tried to replicate a beautiful sunset in the background behind the hammock stamp.  I did say tried!)

Cupcake Craftroom Photo Inspiration. (The fruit, especially the watermelon made me think of summer, and I tried to replicate the colours in the card).

I think it is beddy-byes for me.  Hopefully I'll wake up tomorrow without a head full of snot. Cheers for now, Linda

Die(cutt)ing

It's been a week today since this virus started and I'm still feeling like death warmed up!  Now the other half has got it and boy is he cranky!  So I thought while I'm on one of the Codral highs that I would slip into the craft room, away from his accusing eyes and get creative.  On the Southern Girls Challenge Blog they have a diecut challenge. So I thought I would give it a go.  Phew!! I didn't realise how much energy it took to run a few dies through the cuttlebug.  I'm exhausted now. Below is my entry into their challenge.  The border around the edge is the Spellbinders Elegant Posts trimmed to make the frame.  The other dies are all Nellie's Mulitframe dies.  The little birdy image on the inchie is a Dover image I fussy cut. All the inking is Tim Holtz distressing with a bit of glimmermist on the border.

I'd also like to enter this card in the following challenges:

Hotshot Craft Blog  Diecut Challenge

I think it might be time for a nap or maybe some therapeutic colouring of a nice stamp image, cheers for now, Linda.

Pretty Shabby

I've been feeling pretty shabby over the last week. The flu has kept me confined pretty much to bed, so what else was I going to do but surf around the net looking at inspirational blogs.  I found this fantastic site The Shabby Tea Room full of absolute creative beauty. As my symptoms have slowly begun to subside and I'm able to actually sit up at my desk I thought I might take all that inspiration and see if I could meet some challenges from blog land. The following card I produced for The Shabby Tea Room "garden party" challenge.  My first ever entry into the Tea Rooms challenges and also my first outside of a forum or ning. I had no idea there were so many inspirational challenge blogs out there.

The inspiration for the challenge was the following photo and it also required a dimensional flower or flowers.

I would also like to enter my card  in the following challenges

The Ribbon Reel challenge Spring colours Challenge
oozak Spring colours Challenge
Cute Card Thursday Pink and Green Challenge
City Crafter  A Rose is a Rose Challenge
Party Time Tuesdays Vintage or Shabby Chic
Whimsy Stamps Challenge Blog Vintage/Shabby Chic

This amazing blog candy is from the Cards by America blog. It's overflowing with the cutest House Mouse Stamps and fantastic charms, lace and trim. Jump on over to the blog before 2 June for your chance to haul in this massive stash.

The following card is my entry for the A2Z Scraplets Colour Challenge. I embosed the Scraplets chippie by running it through the Cuttlebug with the script folder beofore inking and spraying with glimmermist. The majority of the background papers are Kaisercraft.

The pretty colour palette for this challenge is below.