Festive Friday Challenge #32

Hello everyone,

Time for another Festive Friday Challenge. This round is a Father’s Day Special, mixed with the challenge of using brads as the focal point. I think I did okay, I struggled with it a little. Usually when doing something manly I don’t think brads, but I like what I cane up with.

I used the Best Dad Ever stamp set, and matched it up with the Just Add Cake and Well Worn DSP’s. The colours I used are Wild Wasabi, Early Espresso, Soft Suede and Very Vanilla. The middle tie is full of polka dots and I used the silver Mini Brads in place of them. After making this card I think it would have been more effective if I popped that one tie on dimensionals to stand out and look more 3D. I love the aged look of this card too. I just sponged some Soft Suede around the edges of the main panel and the Wild Wasabi DSP.

I hope you get a chance to play along this week, I would love to see what you create.

Thanks for dropping by!

Sweet Sunday Sketch #161!

Hello everyone!

Currently Karen who is the creator of Sweet Sunday Sketches is have a DT call on her blog. I thought I would have a go, you never know unless you try right?

So here is this weeks sketch

and here is my submission

I decided to have a play with the My Friend stamp set accompanied by Always Elegant. I did some second stage stamping with the main image of flowers and leaves. I also did quite a bit of sponging to make some of the panels ‘pop’. The little vintage brad was dipped in white Staz-On to change the colour a little.

I hope you all like my card,

Thanks for dropping by!

Festive Friday Challenge #22

Hello everyone!

It is Festive Friday Challenge time and it’s a sketch…

and here is my creation

I have always loved the large Christmas Baubles in the Letters to Santa DSP pack, which are the same images as the stamp in Merry and Type but bigger. As you can see I stamped the image in the background. I used colours, Blushing Bride, Soft Suede, Old Olive, and Riding Hood Red. I also tried to keep this card simple with few layers and limited stamping. I used some simple tools to make the card come to life though. I used the distressing kit and inside that kit I used the sanding block and files on the DSP and the Tea Stain Ink on the card base and image panel.

Don’t forget to link your creation to this challenge over at Nicole’s blog and I look forward to seeing them.

Thanks for dropping by!

Hello My Friend!

Hello everyone!

The card you are about to see was the first card I made while away on retreat. It was also Madonna’s Colour Challenge for everyone for the retreat weekend.

I used a stamp set I don’t own. Simply Soft. It is a hostess set in the front of the Stampin’ Up! catalogue. I paired it with My Friend {one of my faves}. The challenge colours were. Chocolate Chip, River Rock, Sahara Sand, Basic Grey and Marina Mist. Madonna was all about rediscovering the Neutral collection to show your creations don’t have to be bright to look gorgeous. So we received lots of goodies in neutral colours, like a share of the Mocha Morning SDSP. Thanks Mads. I dyed my white twine with Marina Mist ink lightly and I love how it looks.

Thanks for dropping by!

Established Elegance

Hello everyone!

I just had a very lovely weekend with my upline Madonna and 10 other fellow demos on retreat. It was just fabulous to get away and just create non-stop……well maybe we stopped to eat and sleep, but that’s about it. I walked away with lots of cards to share with you all and I will be posting them here for the next couple of weeks.

The first one I want to share is one of the cards I made from the ‘challenge bag’. Madonna had a brown paper bag full of challenges. We had to close our eyes and pick one out. Mine was to create a monochromatic card.

I may have pulled this stamp set out more than once on the weekend, but hey, I cannot help myself, I just love it. I did play with my stapler on this one, though, so there was something a little different. LOL! I also have to tell you that I did use the Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border punch A LOT! I used it so much and I asked for it so often that everyone just started calling it the KB punch for short because I also kept forgetting the proper name for it. LOL!

Anyway, I hope you stick around for the next couple of weeks so I can show you all the things I made and that I can inspire you in some way.

Before I go I just have to share with you all a couple of pics of my ultra cute and too funny Nephew Tre.

One with his mummy

And one with my kiddies. He is seriously cute people.

Thanks for dropping by!

Hello!

Hey everyone!

It’s been a little quiet here on my blog over the holidays, and now the kids are back at school (3 weeks now), I hope to get a routine in place for regular blogging and crafting. I have received a few emails asking where I am and that they miss my inspiration and some even asking if I have quit Stampin’ Up!. I know I haven’t responded to everyone yet, please bear with me. I promise to respond to all. I definitely haven’t quit SU! There has been some changes but definitely not leaving. LOL! I am also very flattered so many miss my little creations and I am very happy to inspire you all. I hope I continue to do so.

I can say though that I have been struggling to clear my head space to actually sit and craft. Life has just been crazy and here I thought I would have more time on my hands with my last one at school! HA! That’s a joke! I seem more busier. But I think that’s because I have taken on more school duties, because I can. It has affected my routine at home but I can see light at the end of the tunnel and should be back on course soon with a new routine in place. I know so far that I will be scrapping on Wednesdays and card making on Fridays. All other days are taken up with school activities…..I think! LOL!

In the past couple of months I had hoped to apply for some design team positions that were doing DT calls, but I missed out on applying for any. I just couldn’t get my time organised to create some new projects to apply with. I will keep my eye open though for others and if you know of any let me know. Being on a DT will help me get back to being regular! LOL!

Anyway I have some inspiration for you all

This is really simple but I love how it has turned out. I paired the new stamp set Spiced Paisley available in the current Summer Mini and the stamp set My Friend from the current IB&C. I think they go together quite well, but then again I think that ‘hello’ stamp goes with pretty much anything! LOL I also used some coordinating DSP Spice Cake. Very yummy stuff. I used colours More Mustard, Pool Party, Soft Suede, River Rock and Pear Pizzazz. A surprisingly gorgeous compilation of colours I must say.

Thanks for dropping by!

Inkspiration Challenge #95

Hey everyone!

I have finally made it back for an Inkspiration Challenge! I bet you were starting to think I quit the DT….lol! Well I only missed two, but it felt a lot longer than that. I reckon it’s because I missed all the comment love I usually get. I love to get an encouraging comment now and then, not to mention when someone admires my work and, my favourite part, that I have inspired them in some way. So I just want to thank all the lovely people for their lovely comments, all 3,625 of them. Yep that’s right, it is that many. I was just checking out my stats today and came across this and it also told me how many posts I have done since starting this here blog (this one included, 502), plus how many subscribers I now have, an amazing 267 people. I am just gobsmacked. I also noticed recently that I broke my record number of hits in one day recently not just once but twice. How super-duper is that. The record is now an amazing 1, 360 I think that is just awesome! Again thank you all for all of your support over the years and the wonderful friendships I have made along the way.  You all are the reason that I am inspired to create and to share the thing I love.

So anyway back to why I am here….an Inkspiration Sketch Challenge -

I am not entirely sure what I wanted the end result to be, lol! My first thought was Shabby Chic with the Kindness Matters SS, but it started out clean and crisp. and the main panel was distressed. So in conclusion I was undecided and ended up mish mashing both styles! LOL!

I used Kindness Matters, French Foliage {love} stamp sets. I stamped the butterflies twice, one for the base and another to cut out, colour a little with a blender pen and then layer onto the first image.  I also used two different DSP’s, one piece of Cajun Craze Patterned DSP and some of the First Edition {another love}. Colours are Cajun Craze, Old Olive, Baja Breeze and Very Vanilla. I don’t mind this combo but I am not entirely sure I pulled it off on this card. You know what ladies…….I must be going through a style change! It’s exactly like when you hit puberty, things are changing, things are looking a little odd, your tastes change and you’re wondering where it’s all heading! So that’s it, the description fits anyway!! LOL!

Don’t forget to go over to the Inkspiration Challenge Blog and check out the rest of the DTs creations and of course to submit your own!

Thanks for dropping by!

Inkspirations Challenge #77

Hey everyone!

It’s Inkspiration time! unfortunately my crafting has not ‘got the flow’ if you know what I mean……probably not so let me explain. When I start a card I don’t always have the end result in my head. It starts with a colour or stamp set. Gradually different ideas form as I work as I think what would suit the look I want and also the element that would make the card ‘pop’. Some very good elements and accents come out of this process. This is what I mean about missing mojo. You may have heard me mention about this before. So at this moment that flow is not happening and I get stuck on things and I now rush the card to get it finished in time for deadlines {which I think I was late for anyway….bugger!}. Oh well! Hopefully it will come back to me. Wish me luck! LOL!

Okay so the sketch for this week is

and my submission

I don’t know I am just not feelin’ it! It’s a nice enough card but I know it’s not the best I could do with it! LOL!

It is our neighbours sons 1st birthday this weekend, hence the theme. I am sure they will love it.

I glittered the dragonflies wings with dazzling diamonds and made the red beetle nice and shiny with crystal effects! They were meant to make the card ‘pop’…LOL!

Dont forget to go the Inkspirations Challenge blog to check out the rest of the DT’s creations and to submit your interpretation of this weeks challenge.

Thanks for dropping by!

Inkspiration Challenge #73

Hey everyone!

It’s Inkspiration time! This week is a sketch and it is super easy…..but then again they all are. It’s the choice of stamp sets and colours that’s the hard bit! LOL!

The sketch -

So many possibilities isn’t there?! This week though I made a purchase that’s been a long time coming. My new SS is French Foliage. It’s all Teneale Williams fault!!! LOL! I saw this CARD and it inspired me so much I bought the SS and then CASEd her gorgeous card. Thanks Teneale!

I used the colours More Mustard, Early Espresso and Bravo Burgundy for my inking, very Autumny…don’t you think? Did you notice I used a bevelled window pane? I won a pack at convention {amongst other goodies}, so I decided to pull them out and have a play.

The More Mustard panel was sponged with More Mustard, Bravo Burgundy and Early Espresso and also stamped with two leaf types and  the splotches. The image panel started as Very Vanilla. The leaf was inked up in More Mustard, then I daubed Bravo Burgundy and Early Espresso on the edges for different colour graduations in the leaf. The sentiment is out of a current hostess set Because I Care {another set that Ten has me thinking about…LOL!}

I would have loved to use the Autumn Spice DSP, but I have none….YET! Instead I used the Woodland Walk DSP, which I think fits nicely representing bark.

Anyhoo, check out the rest of the DT and submit your creation at the Inkspiration Challenge Blog!

Thanks for dropping by!

A Princesses Castle!

Hey everyone!

I know, I know……SHOCK, HORROR! I am doing a blog post that isn’t  an Inkspirations Challenge! LOL! It had to happen sometime right?

This particular post is about my upcoming workshops here in Gatton and local city Toowoomba. After coming home from convention I was chock block full of ideas and inspiration. The inspiration for these creations originated from a swap I received from Pat Carr. Pat is one super creative punch art designer and I had a blast recreating it.

Have a look a the card class-

a closer look-

I love how cute this is and I have a recipient already in mind. She is my little princess Akayla. When she saw this she ooohhed and aahhhed for ages. Sometimes hinting at having one of her own, God Bless her! Her favourite colours too! LOL!

Okay, I also do a scrapbook workshop and I usually keep it the same theme as the card class. This makes life much easier for me, as I tend to take to looooooooong thinking about scrap pages.

I must say my daughter Jemma was horrified when she saw this photo. LOL! I think she forgot on the day of her 6th birthday party she had her face painted like a cat and then ran around for the rest of the day. She ended up looking like a witch NOT a princess!! LOL! I do love how this page turned out, but the photos doesn’t do these projects justice.

I have taken some closer ones though-

Gotta love that Champagne Mist shimmer paint and the clear embossing. I also sponged a lot of edges to add some definition to the page. I am sure the girls will love creating these projects. Thank you Pat for the inspiration!

Well that’s all I have to show you today!

Thanks for dropping by!