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