Everything Eleanor!

Hello everyone!

Everything Eleanor would have to be my favourite stamp set out of the 2012-13 SU catalogue. It is simply gorgeous. It has a variety of solid, silhouette and line art images. I love this sort of variety, very similar to Elements of Style and Creative Elements, which you all know I use a fair bit of both of those sets. So really is it any surprise?! LOL

I had a play with two cards using the same colour combo but mixing it up.

I think this is my favourite, but I always have loved red flowers.

After creating them and sitting back to have a look at them I realised that the birds look like they are ‘pooping’ the pearls. LOL!! It was not meant to look like that, I can assure you.

I also like the Natural Composition SDSP quite a lot and can see me using this a lot too.

So…..it has been a very long time since I have made a card and this one (two), could be my jumping block to get started again. We’ll see! So don’t be shy, what do you think of my ‘return from mega long card making holiday’ creations? Let me know which one is your favourite!

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,

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To My Friend!

Hello everyone!

Are you enjoying all the things I made at retreat this year? I only have two more to share after this one. This one was also a challenge. I had to use the decorative frames embossing folder. It didn’t matter which one. I went with the oval anyway.

I also used some of the Crumb Cake seam binding Madonna gave us.  Yep another freebie from Mads. Did I mention that she is the best upline EVER!! I was also very proud that this was the only Crumb Cake card I made. We all know that this is my favourite colour for cards, LOL! I used stamp sets Friends Never Fade, Elements of Style, French Foliage and Friendly Phrases. I used the colours Crumb Cake, Bravo Burgundy, Pink Pirouette and Very Vanilla. You may have noticed on my Easter card also the scallop border around the oval. I used the Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border punch and used the same technique I used on my Elements of Style card. I threaded the seam binding through the sentiment piece and tied a bow. I just used a hobby knife to make the cut. Very simple. I used the Itty Bitty shapes punches to make the flowers and added a pearl in the centre. I love how petite they are. Even though they are so small I think they make a big impact on the overall look.

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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.

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Up in The Air

Hello everyone!

Another retreat card to share. Are you sick of them yet?! LOL! This was another challenge card. the challenge was make a card with butterflies and bling. Love that combo so that really wasn’t a hard challenge.

I used a couple of different stamp sets, Elementary Elegance, French Foliage and Up in The Air. The main image is from Up in The Air, though. After completing the card I thought it would have looked better if I did the flowers in Wisteria Wonder and the butterlies in Concord Crush. But that’s okay, I still like it.

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More Established Elegance…

Hello everyone!

I did tell you I couldn’t put the Established Elegance stamp set away, right?! LOL! This one though I think is a little prettier. This is also a sneak peek at something that is new in our upcoming Autumn/Winter Mini. Can you pick it?

I really love this card. It was also a challenge from Madonna, but this challenge was for everyone (we had three of these). This was a sketch challenge, and it was actually one of the Sweet Sunday Sketches from Karen Giron’s site and this was challenge #151.

You may have noticed I used some of my favourite paper, First Edition. Love that stuff. The “Hello” is from one of the Sale-A-Bration sets Elementary Elegance. I used some Victoria Crochet Trim and an Antique Brad and the new item I used was the Pleated Satin Ribbon. The colour is Blushing Bride. Isn’t it just divine?!

This card, you may have noticed is a teeny bit shimmery, here’s a closer look

I used the Vanilla Smooch Spritz over the top of the card when finished. I love this stuff. It just makes your project really shine.

Anyway, I will be back again soon with another creation to share.

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!

Wisteria Field Flowers

Hello everyone!

I was taking a gander around blog world yesterday and I decided it was about time I had a play with a challenge. It has been a while don’t you think?! One of the first ones I checked was Just Add Ink and they had a gorgeous colour combo challenge. Take a peek

Isn’t that a beautiful combo? But also a challenge for me as I always have a bold colour in the mix, maybe even two, but I don’t class any of these as bold. But I managed to make the Wisteria Wonder pop by embossing it. Have a look

Here’s a closer look

I used the stamp sets Field Flowers, French Foliage and Precious Butterflies for the sentiment. I used one of my favourite brads and the pretty Pool Party ribbon to add an accent. I also used the Woodgrain BG stamp on the base.

It was great having a go at a challenge again…..should do it again real soon!

Thanks for dropping by!

Nature Walk

Hello everyone!

I just wanted to quickly show you the card I made for Theresa’s workshop last weekend. She loved the Nature Walk set so that is what we worked with, Theresa also had a look back at my cards and said she really liked the Kindness Matters card I made for an Inkspiration challenge a while ago, so this is the end result

Colour combo is Baja Breeze, Cajun Craze, Very Vanilla and Old Olive. I love it and so did the girls who made it at Theresa’s party. Thank you Theresa for a lovely day especially the lunch afterwards. It was great to catch up as it has been a while since we had done any crafting together.

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!