How time flies - December already!

Hmmm ..... so it's been a while.

The last few months have been a whirl of activity

however I think I've come back to earth and ready for some more crafting fun.

You may remember from previous years,

that in early December, the old folk at church enjoy a service together followed by a delicious Christmas lunch while being entertained by a talented choir.

I think it is always nice for each person to go home with a little gift

so this year I made Easel Calendar/Post-It Notes.

Each one is different, some traditional, some quirky, some masculine, some feminine 

but something for everyone.

I purchased the calendars and post-it notes, but everything else is from my stash.

Another member of the congregation also made beautiful embroidered handtowels 
which were given to all the ladies (the men got chocolates).

I'm sure everyone thoroughly enjoyed their celebratory lunch together.

Until next time .... happy crafting!

 

Zentangling Randomly

My brain is tired, so I think it's time to take a break from my usual cardmaking for a while, 
but I will be back - I have too many lovely stamp sets not to come back!

This week, I've been Zentangling!

As I haven't done any Zentangles for a while, 

I referred to a book that has lots of fabulous patterns in it.

I've been using blank pages in my journal as they have a dotty grid on them,

which makes Zentangle just a little bit easier.

On some pages, I've drawn outlines with black pen and filled them in. 

Some designs take a couple of hours, others have been worked on over a couple of days.

On some pages, I've drawn the outlines in pencil, filling them in with black ink,

then rubbing out the pencil lines.

It's always a bit of a surprise at how the pattern evolves and comes to completion.

Some pages are definitely more interesting than others,

but how they turn out is random, depending on what patterns I use.

 As I said at the beginning of this post, I'm going to take a little break from crafting

but I will be back, with some fresh ideas and enthusiasm.

Until then ......

Happy Crafting!

 

Wishing You a Special Day

As promised from yesterday, I'm back with card #2

After fiddling around with various background papers and not being happy with anything,

I did an about turn and got out my box of flowers, a piece of muslin, some printed vellum and a music note that was lying on my desk from a previous project.

Once I was happy with the arrangement, I glued everything in position with Glossy Accents.

As this was a regular square card and there were going to be six people signing it,

I created two pockets on the inside left and included three different sized tags 

for extra writing space.

As the flowers were too lumpy bumpy for an envelope,

I made a little pizza box for the card to sit in

and tied a pretty organza ribbon around it.

 Flowers - Prima; Little Birdie Flowers; Green Tara

Stamp - Stampendous 'Birthday Wish' 

Birthday Wishes to both of these good friends.

Happy Crafting!

 

We Dance and Play the Night Away

Recently, two good friends turned 60

and to celebrate, the Mother's Group girls

took them out to dinner at a lovely restaurant

overlooking the Harbour.

Of course, cards were needed to accompany the gifts

and I was delighted to make them.

So, card #1

I found this paper at my local papercraft shop while I was looking for something else

and it made me think of fairies and other woodland critters.

The card itself is quite large, it being folded A4.

I stamped the poem and the fairy, added an extra two toadstools

(which came in the co-ordinating embellishment pack)

and attached a sparkly 60 to one of the toadstools.

To make the inside just a little bit different, I used two folded A4 cards,

trimming down one side of each and adhering them together (if that makes sense).

I added a strip of paper which was left over from the front of the card to both sides of this cut down middle, stamping a sentiment on the front and extra fairies on the back.

There was plenty of room for everyone to sign the card

and the recipient was delighted.

 Stamps

Lavinia Stamps - Secret Night; Three Dancing Fairies; Dancing til Dawn

Stampendous - Birthday Wish

Paper

Kaisercraft - Enchanted Collection 'Fairytale'

Embellishment

Kaisercraft - Collectables 'Enchanted'

Cardstock

House of Paper - Earthy Recycled Oatmeal


I'll return shortly with card #2, so please come back ..... until then,

Happy Crafting!
 

Thank you

So, what have I been doing in a crafty way lately?

Probably not a lot, Mr Mojo has been conspicuous by his absence

and we've had a few bleak, dreary, winter days lately and I don't think that has helped. 

To top it off, I'm coughing up a lung and my back has gone out in sympathy.

Anyhoo ......

.... a few weeks ago, I was asked if I could make some thank you cards.

I thought I'd add a co-ordinating tag as well.

I made each of the cards in a similar style but with different stamps and colours.

All the cards were coloured using Inktense water colours.

This is a stamp I've had for many years, and it stamped just as well now as it did when it was new.

 I know the tags weren't requested, however, I thought if they weren't needed now, 
they could be used for a different occasion.

Stamps

49 and Market - Gabi's Hibiscus Stamp Set

 Stampotique - Flos

Penny Black - Fuchsia

 Stampendous - Say It Today

Thanks for visiting again today.  Until next time ....

Happy Crafting!

 

I woke up like this

I'm in a slump.  I buy new stamps and supplies, but the grey matter just won't play ball.

I've got out my colouring books, which apart from laying down colour, don't require much thought but even they don't seem to be 'doing it' for me either.  I'm not sure why, it's almost as though I'm tired, but I'm not; perhaps I'm bored and need a change to reboot my creative juices.

 

Anyhow, I decided I needed to make something with one of my new stamps,

so I went with a very basic design.

 

 

Says it all, really - doesn't it?

 

I stamped the fox and the #sentiment with Versafine Clair 'Nocturne' 

(my new favourite black ink)

and the background 'elements' with Versafine Clair 'Morning Mist'.

Colouring was done using KaiserCraft pencils.

 

 

Stamps

The Rabbit Hole Designs 

 If anyone has any suggestions to drag myself back into the land of creativity,

let me know.

 

In the meantime ....

Happy Crafting!

 

 

Showers of Love

As a blogger, I'm either blogging every day or instead, weeks go past.

That's not to say I'm not working on projects, just that sometimes I'm waiting for someone to receive a card or project and I refuse to blog something until I know it's been received.

Of course, sometimes there is nothing going on in my head at all, just fuzz going round and round.

It's times like this that I find playing along with challenges is just the kick I need to get started again. 

 With this in mind, Tag Your It Challenge #89 is Umbrellas

This lovely girl and her wee pupsicle are very reminiscent of some weather we've had recently,

winter with some rain showers.

Wouldn't it be fun if it rained little hearts instead of water?

Anyhoo .... take a peek over on the challenge to see some more umbrellas.

[This stamp set is unmarked (although I bought it from a papercraft shop)

 so my apologies if anyone is looking for it] 

Happy Crafting!

 

Family Portrait

I am SUCH a bad blogger, I hope you haven't given up on me?

I just have time to sneak my latest creation onto the 

Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers Challenge

which is "F is for Family"

Every family needs a framed portrait of themselves, don't they?

As usual though, most of my early photos were either missing heads or feet

and this motley bunch aren't much better!  And as for the background .... pfttttt !!

I don't know which is worse ..... no heads or no feet - oh dear!

And wouldn't you have thought they could have been colour co-ordinated?

Hahaha!  Not my family!

Anyhoo ..... pop over to the Snarky Stampers and take a look at some other families.

 

Stamps

Stampotique - L-R : Arnold; Mort had a Pin Curl; Chicken; Heart Throb; Checkers 

 See you again soon, until then ....

Happy Crafting! 

 

Mousey Greetings

Another birthday, another card .....

 

 

This one was whipped up fairly quickly and is just a bit of fun.

I cut a square from white card, stamped the cat and the mouse directly onto it, 

then stamped them again onto extra white card.

A couple of pieces of torn washi tape was added to ground both images,

then coloured and fussy cut them out, gluing directly over the first images.

I stamped a speech bubble and added a sentiment.  A light edging of Distress Ink around the card square and it was ready to adhere to the folded card.

 Stamps

Katzelkraft - Les rats des villes [KTZ179]

[KTZ 152]

Lawn Fawn - Open Me; Slow Down and Enjoy

I'm sure the cat stamp has a name, but I haven't got it written down, 

so if you know what it's called,  just let me know. 

'Happy Birthday, Kiddywink'

Until next time,

Happy Crafting!

    

Every Day is an Adventure

Some days are more adventurous than others,

today was definitely one of the latter LOL!

Anyhooooo ...... moving right along,

this little monster is having a lovely adventure with his tiny buddy in tow.

 White card was smooshed through a puddle of 'worn lipstick' and 'twisted citron'

Distress Oxide Inks and set aside to dry.

I stamped the monster and his little buddy onto a piece of pretty background paper, 

then fussy cut around all that fuzzy fur.

[I must be nuts!  LOL!!!]

Once the background was dry, I stamped 'Happy Birthday' along the bottom edge,

then stamped the monster, his little buddy and the sentiment.

 I wanted to give the monster different coloured horns [or are they ears?]

so stamped just them onto a tiny snippet of paper, cut them out and glued them in behind his fur.

I'm sure this little monster is having the best adventure,

and you never know .... he might turn up at your birthday party!

Stamps

Tracey Hey 'Alpaca Pals' - Monster Madness

Darkroom Door - Happy Birthday 

Challenges

 AAABirthday - #1 Anything Birthday Goes

Not Just Cards Challenge - May Challenge

Now, my only problem is .... which card to which friend?

Happy Crafting!

 

Chicken

May is a bit of a busy month,

what with a few Birthdays, Mother's Day, Anniversary ....

and a Wedding!

So, I thought I'd better make a start on a couple of birthday cards, 

one of which is winging its way overseas, the other to country NSW.

"Chicken" is one of my favourite stamps from Stampotique.

I stamped her directly onto the background paper, a second time on white cardstock

and again [this time only inking up her top] onto a scrap of pretty paper.

I coloured "Chicken" with my favourite pencils, then fussy cut both the card image 

and the floral paper.  Before gluing them into place, I added some washi tape

to the bottom and a couple of smaller torn pieces higher up on the wall.

The wall was layered onto a simple black mat,

which was adhered to folded white card.

Stamps

Stampotique - Chicken; 3 Greetings.

Even though this card is for a friend, 

I thought I'd play along with a couple of challenges at the same time.

AAABirthday - Anything Birthday Goes

Not Just Cards - May Challenge

Come back and visit again tomorrow - then I'll decide which card is going to which friend.

Happy Crafting!

 

Seeing Spots

I discovered that trying to make a postcard

without a focal point poses an interesting challenge.

At Sunday Postcard Art, the theme this week is

No Focal Image
 

After a couple of false starts, this is how my finished postcard looks,
using a stencil and one distress ink colour.

I used a black Glaze pen around the border. 

Yes, it is only one colour and I did think about doing some flicks of another colour,

but I thought if it didn't work, I'd have to start from scratch, so decided to leave it as you see it.

 Stencil

Cadence - MU42

Ink

Distress Oxide Ink - Twisted Citron

Happy Crafting!

 

Seven of Seven

Live your DREAM with Passion,

[some may say I'm dreaming day and night, LOL!]

These little hedgehogs have dreamed of bouncing on a trampoline

for years, and now they are finally doing just that - bouncing as high as they can!

Don't they look happy little chappies?

Stamps

49 and Market - Gabi's Line Stitch Stamp Set

Unknown - hedgehogs; sentiment

This is the final card for this challenge, Seven Cards in Seven Days,

which has been lots of fun.

Come back soon and see what else I've been dreaming about.

Happy Crafting!

  

Six of Seven

Almost there with this challenge ....

.... hold tight, and pretend it's a plan

I took a piece of patterned paper for the background, stamped the girl onto it,

then stamped twice again on two more patterned pieces of paper and once onto white card.

I fussy cut around the whole image on the white card, 

adding colour to her skin, hair and stockings.

More fussy cutting around her dress and the umbrella, 

then glued in place over the original.

The words are from Mr Holtz.

Black card gives this lots of contrast before adhering to folded white card.

Stamps

Katzelkraft - Solo

Words

Tim Holtz Idea-ology - Small Talk 

Paper

Cocoa Vanilla Studio - Happiness

I'll be back tomorrow with the last card for this challenge.

Happy Crafting!

  

Five of Seven

Normal is Boring - yes, sometimes it is,

but other times, it's fun to splash out and enjoy yourself.

I started off with the background paper, something that wasn't just plain white but wasn't too over the top either - would you call it boring perhaps?

I stamped Brutus directly onto the background, then again on white cardstock 
and a third time on patterned paper.

Brutus was coloured with Prismacolor pencils and fussy cut.  
His jacket was cut from the patterned paper and glued in place. 

Initially, the clouds were simply stamped on the background but were a bit bland, 

so to jazz them up a bit, I stamped them again on a tiny bit of leftover paper, cut them out

and glued them in place.  [I wonder if it's raining flowers?]

 There was plenty of leftover paper from the jacket to create a mat and for contrast, I  used a black card 
[this one will definitely need an insert].

To finish, glossy accents was added to his glasses and left to dry.

Stamps

Brutus/Monroe - Be Unique

 Two more days of cards to go, so come back and visit again.

Happy Crafting!

  

Four of Seven

I was in need of a 'thank you' card this week,

so what a good opportunity to include it in this challenge.

 This girl is such a joy to colour.

Of course, I had to use my favourite Prismacolor pencils!

While I was in the colouring mood, I stamped up a second card,

this time for an upcoming birthday.

Just a change of colour and sentiment and voila, a second card is made.

Stamps

Studio Magda Polakow - #2 Two Girls

Stampendous - Say It Today; Birthday Wish

I can't decide which is my favourite - what do you think?

Happy Crafting!

  

La Vie Parisienne

I was inspired by a FB friend to play along with the Lace theme

on the Sunday Postcard Art challenge.

I started by stamping a postcard image with Versamark ink 

and clear embossing it.

I then blended 'fossilized amber' and 'vintage photo' Distress Oxide Inks together.

Rubbing the embossing with a tissue brings out the postcard image.

I stamped this elegant lady with 'coffee' Archival Ink.

A strip of washi tape lace was added across the bottom of the postcard.

La Vie Parisienne was stamped with 'Potting Soil' Archival Ink.

To finish off the postcard, I added a little bit of  'Mammered' Mixed Media Powder and heat set it.

 Stamps

Stampotique - Paris Postcard

Katzelkraft - KTZ141

Pop over to Sunday Postcard Art and have a look at all the lovely creations.

Happy Crafting!