A Happy Wish

A happy wish to you & yours, for a wonderful festive season, & my apologies to those of you who have left me some lovely comments, I will visit you eventually...but for now, thank you for popping in :)

I thought I had finished all my Christmas cards for the year, but I forgot I had signed up for SANDIE`s challenge over at her blog (sorry SANDIE, better late than never LOL) So here`s my last bit of crafting for the year... The top
card was a very easy one to make, it`s just a circle punch (Whale of a Punch) some DCWV pp, & metallic cs, Fiskars edge punch, ribbon, & a cuttlebug embossing folder.

For the second card, I used the stamp I won last month over at INKURABLE STAMPERS (thanks SARAH, & STAMP & SCRAPBOOK MADNESS), stamped the image using Versafine Ink, coloured it in using wc pencils, & added some KG, ribbon & the sentiment is from a DARKROOM DOOR word strip.

& here`s another card using one of my favourite Christmas set of stamps ( by DRD) Both the reindeer image & the word are from THIS SET. The pps are from DCWV, the green cs was in my scraps box, & I used 2 different edge punches (Martha Stewart`s for the green cs, & Fiskars for the blue DCWVpp) & a bit of ribbon to finish it off.

For this next one I used the circle punch again, & 2 different cb embossing folders, some ribbon & foam tape, & the words (from the DRD Christmas set) were stamped onto kraft card, distressed around the edges & mounted onto scraps of DCWV pp. The finished card was edged using Brilliance ink.

For this card, I raided my scraps box again, the green b`ground pp is Basic Grey, the strip of red cs was a left-over piece from the first card in this post (I just can`t throw ANYTHING away LOL) The beautiful images are from a Montage sheet (DRD), with some tiny Kaiser pearls in between, & the sentiment is from DRD Christmas set mounted onto a scrap of DCWV red pp.

Now we come to the very last card, made using BB cs (jade) DCWV metallic cs (copper) edged with a Fiskars punch & sanded back slightly to show the white core, DCWV pp (the dots are silver), reindeer image & word (from DRD set) stamped onto white cs using Versafine ink (Sepia) & some beads strung onto metallic embroidery floss. Again, card was edged with Brilliance ink. So these are the first 6 Christmas cards for NEXT year all taken care of LOL!!!!!!!!!!!

& if you read THIS post, you would know I was picked as one of the winners in the DRD FLICKR challenge, & my prize pack was delivered to me on Christmas eve (Thank you so much Rachel) I still haven`t had a chance to play with it, but that`s the first thing I plan to do next year...which is just around the corner!!!!!!!!! I don`t know about you, but this year has just flown by! & on that note I`d like to wish you & yours, a very happy & safe new year, may you only make resolutions you can actually stick to, I know I will :) Thanks for visiting, & see you next year : *

Party Favour Cones

Well, today DD will celebrate her 12th b`day, & she`s having a few friends over...I wanted to make her something special for the lollie bag, but it needed to be quick, & easy, so I thought what could be easier than a cone shape filled with lollies! The cs is pink pearlescent Christina Re, & I`ve used a scalloped nestie shape, an EK circle punch, a Collections cb heart, & the stamps are SeeDs (xoxo) Non Sequitur (butterflies) & Cherry Pie( bricks ) & I`ve used Vivid ink (pink) Versafine (bricks) StaZon black (b`flies) & Adirondack ( to colour the heart) & my crop-a-dile to punch the holes. The ribbon is actually torn satin fabric. So after making this one, I showed DD & she loved it, but asked if I could make the others in pp, so I got her to choose from some DCWV pps & she also had a look through my ribbon stash & in no time at all I had them all done : )

I won a great prize (a beautiful stamp) for my entry to last month`s twinchie challenge, over at INKURABLE STAMPERS, & I think this is the last bit of crafting I`ll get a chance to do this month, so I thought I would enter my pink, brown & cream cone into this month`s competition...I have joined in every single challenge there since it started, & I didn`t want to break my attendance record LOL. I know it`s only days to Christmas, but if you get some spare time, why not join in the fun, there`s some gorgeous prizes up for grabs, & like I always say, you`ve got to be in it to win it...I better go & get things organized, thhis is the calm before the storm : ) Thanks for popping in & enjoy your day.

Christmas Is Coming...

& here are the rest of my Christmas cards, as promised.

Can you see what they all have in common? I`ve used the beautiful images from the Darkroom Door Yuletide Montage sheet, & they are just the best thing for when you are running short on time. I kept their designs fairly simple, just adding ribbon, brads, string, or fibres, but I`m very happy with how they turned out. & I have to say, I`m getting a lot of use out of the word strips as well.

If you`re looking for some Christmas cards inspiration, make sure you visit the Darkroom Door blog, & if you want to win yourself some DRD goodies, just upload YOUR Christmas projects to the DRD Flickr group HERE, you never know your luck until you try. I`m living proof that you`ve got to be in it to win it, just found out this morning that I was picked as one of the winners of this Flickr challenge, WOOHOO! Thank you Rachel :)

Now, I better go & write some Christmas cards!

Don`t forget to visit Inkurable Stampers & have a go at the new challenge for this month, it`s a colour challenge, & a yummy one at that, & Sarah has made some beautiful Christmas cards as her samples for this month`s theme.

Thank you for your visit, & if you`ve taken the time to leave me a comment, I thank you even more : )

Cards, Babies & Ballet Shoes...

December is normally a very busy month for our family, but this year has been even more so. DD has taken up ballet & has had end-of-year-concert rehearsals, so both DH & I have shared taxi duties, plus we`ve had a couple of babies born, which has also meant visits to hospitals, & our own DD has just turned 12 years old!!! My, how time flies when you`re sleep deprived LOL
Anyway, here are a couple of cards I`ve created. Firstly are the 2 baby cards, top one is for a little baby girl, & the second one is for our new nephew.

I used this very cute hippo image & kept the designs fairly simple, as I only had a few minutes to make the cards, take a photo & go to the hospital to visit!!! I had the images ready, each hippo was stamped 3 times using black Versafine ink, coloured using wc pencils, & cut & layered for the 3-D effect, so all I had to do was "assemble"the cards

& this card went to my brother for his b`day, another quick card, as I already had the painted b`ground (painted with MM glaze on an old book page) So again, all I had to do was to stamp both the quote & truck image from THIS DRD set onto the paper, tear around the edges & create the trim n the middle (done using a hand punch)

& this is the card I created for my little angel, it`s the first time I`ve inked this stamp (from Stamp-it) but it wont be the last LOL. DH bought it for me a few weeks ago, but as so often happens, I just hadn`t had a chance to play with it yet... I have stamped the image twice (once onto white card & a secnd time onto scraps) using black Versafine ink, cutting each image out, & colouring them in using wc pencils. I then stuck some foam tape & layered the images to their corresponding mannequins. I`ve used some K&Co pp for the b`ground, some tiny rhinestones & the words are from a DRD word strip.

I hope all your Christmas shopping is done, & your Christmas cards have all been sent (mine are still waiting to be written up!) I`ll be back later on to share some more Christmas cards : ) Have a creative day, & thank you for visiting my humble "palace"

Christmas Cards & More

I finally got a chance to do my Christmas twinchie for INKURABLE STAMPERS this morning ( had to wait for a cool day to bring out the heat gun LOL)

Firstly, I stamped the DRD stamp (from THIS set) for my b`ground onto kraft card using red StaZon ink, & stuck it onto a 2"x2" piece of chipboard, trimming & sanding the edges.

I then stamped an AL flourish stamp onto a red BB cs piece with Brilliance ink (Cosmic copper) & clear EP & "coloured in" the flourish with a copper-coloured metallic gel pen.
I then over-stamped my twinchie with the same flourish using Versafine (vintage sepia) ink, & clear EP, again colouring in with gel pen, sticking it carefully in place with some ds tape. The edges of the red cs were inked with Brilliance ink & covered with clear EP. I used a Collections chipboard tag, inking the edges with the copper ink, & added the word Joy (from the same set of DRD stamps). I attached some ribbon, & added some glass beads in red, green & blue, & some metallic embroidery thread, & layered the card front to some copper DCWV cs, sanding the edges to show the white core.

& This next card is for SANDIE`S 12 Weeks of Christmas Competition...I`m pretty sure you can still join in, so check out THIS POST in her blog for the details.

I again used the small b`ground stamp from THIS DRD stamp set (it has quickly become my new best friend, even though I got it last year LOL)

I then added some silver foil, & layered the beautiful angel image (from PAPERFORESTDESIGNS onto some silver coloured DCWV cs, adding the sentiment (also from PAPERFORESTDESIGNS ) a little ribbon, & some tiny rhinestones.

& lastly, a quick Thank You card (I`ve a few of those to do ATM)

using some BG pp, a tree stamp from Hero Arts, & the Thank You is from THIS DRD set

The brand new DARKROOM DOOR DT was announced on the weekend, & if you check out the BLOG, you may be lucky enough to score yourself some new stamps...

Now go & create something :)

I`m Over the Top...

My good friend SANDIE (as well as LEESA) gave me this award a while ago, so I`ll share the answers & give you a little insight into me.

If you`d like to play along, feel free to follow the instructions & pass it on... Thank you girls for thinking of me :)
Right click "Your Blog Is Over The Top" image, save image to "My Pictures" then copy and paste what is written below into your blog post! Then add the pic to your blog and answer these questions!
Here are the rules of this award
1. You can only use ONE word!!!
2. Pass this along to 5 of your favorite bloggers!
3. Alert them that you have given them this award!
4. HAVE FUN!!!
Here we go -
1. Where is your cell phone? Handbag
2.. Your hair? Thick
3. Your mother? Close
4. Youur father? Away
5. Your fave food? Bread
6. Your dream last night? None
7. Your fave drink? Coffee
8. Your dream/goal? Travel
9. What room are you in? Study
10. Your hobby? Papercraft
11. Your fear? Spiders
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Europe
13. Where you were last night? Bed
14. Something that you aren't? Dull : )
15. Muffins? Please!
16. Wish List Item? Time!!!
17. Where did you grow up? Chile
18. Last thing you did? Snack
19. What are you wearing? Clothes
20. Your TV? Off
21. Your Pets? None
22. Friends? Many
23. Your Life? Relaxed
24. Your Mood? Happy
25. Missing Someone? Cuddles
26. Vehicle? Honda
27. Something you're not wearing? Jewellery
28. Your fave store? Big W
29. Your fave colour? Purple
30. Last time you laughed? Today
31. Last time you cried? Last week
32. Your best friend? Danielle
33. One place that I go to over and over? Garden
34. One person who emails regularly? Hubby ; )
35. Fave place to eat? Home

& there you have it...Now if you`ve taken the time to read this post, you automatically qualify to receive the award LOL

Catching Up

A long break in transmission, but now I`m back & trying madly to catch up...I had a bit of a problem with my back, & have been unable to sit (or stand, sleep etc, etc) comfortably for the past couple of weeks, & it has been soooo frustrating! The worst part has been my inability to do anything crafty, hence the title of this post.
I`d just like to share the beautiful returns I received for the "Prague" ATC swap organized by the very talented & generous Rachel, of Darkroom Door stamps.
The top row consists of "Happy Heart" which is my contribution to the swap, next we have Samantha N`s "Life", followed by Robyn W`s "Prague"
In the middle row we have "Enjoy.." by Liesbeth F, "Art" by Vicki B, & "Destiny" by Tracey S, & in the last row we have Teresa A "Fourth", Sandra DeM`s "Praha", & an extra of mine.



These are the returns for the second group of ATCs I sent in...
First one in the top row is "Memories" by yours truly, then "The Journey..." by Godelieve T (StampingMathilda), followed by Robyn W`s "Words Cannot Describe..."
In the middle row we have Judith B`s "Prague", Vicki B`s "Travel..." & Leesa H`s "Snapshot"
& in the last row we have Sarah S`s "Enchanted", Damaris M`s "Praha", & the last one is an extra one of mine.


Thank you ladies for these magnificent works of art, each one is a feast for the eyes, & a springboard for creativity. One of the things I enjoy the most about taking part in ATC swaps is seeing how differently we all interpret the same theme, & the different techniques we all use...
& a BIG thank you must also go to the hostess with the mostest, Rachel, who not only redistributes the ATC cards ( a task I don`t envy at all, I have enough trouble trying to slide my own cards into the ATC sleeves, nevermind trying to do 90 odd!!!!! LOL) but also always includes a gift for those who`ve taken part : )

I`ll be back later, but in the meantime, here`s something I came across a while back which gave me a bit of a giggle...I hope it brightens up your day too ; )
**Support bacteria – they’re the only culture some people have.**
And one most appropiate for me ATM,
**The sooner you fall behind the more time you’ll have to catch up.**
Have a good one & stay in the shade (it`s too hot here in Melbourne!!)

2 Quick Cards

Here are 2 cards I managed to make for SANDIE`s competition in her blog.

Firstly, a Halloween themed card using the purple, orange & black colour combination.

And the second one is for her 12 weeks to Christmas competition, using some DCWV pp, the reindeer image from the DRD stamp set, as well as the word Believe, from the same stamp set. Some kraft coloured card (another recycled envelope) & a little ribbon, & there`s another card ready to be sent :) Don`t forget to visit SANDIE & enter her competition, like I always say, you`ve got to be in it to win it, & even if you don`t win, you`ll end up with your Christmas cards all ready to go. Thank you for stopping by, & if you get the chance, do something creative & enjoy your day :)

Christmas Cards

Well, I totally missed SBT50 CC for the month of October, I had all the best intentions in the world, but real life (& other previous commitments) got in the way...but I`m determined to make up for it in the November CC!!!

We (DH & I) have been doing a bit of spring cleaning, or rather, spring CLEARING, changing a few things around the house, & cursing the fact that ALL 3 of us (DH, DD & I) are very keen readers & collectors of books & magazines. But I had to take a break & do something creative, & I remembered that a while back I put my name down to join SANDIE in her 12 Weeks to Christmas competition (you could win some of her beautiful hand-made daisies!!!)...So here are my first 3 Christmas cards for this year, & if you are making your cards this year, you`d better get a move on LOL.

For all 3 cards I stamped my images onto the reverse side of those large Aust.post envelopes, they are white on the outside, & kraft-coloured on the inside, & I have heaps, so I thought I`d re-purpose/recycle/re-use some of them : )

On the first card I`ve stamped the reindeer image (from THIS set from DRD) as well as the word JOY (from the same set) using black Archival ink. The base card is BB, the pp is BoBunny, & the frame is Collections (from TSQ) I used a bit of ribbon, & a Carl punch for the heart. & if you look closely, there`s KG (black opal) added to the tips of the antlers.

For the next card I used the same reindeer image, but in red Stazon ink & some more KG for the antlers. I also got out my Fiskars punch & used it on the pp, & the word is mounted using some foam tape.

& for my final offering, I stamped the image (from PaperForestDesigns) with black ink, & added the words from DRD stamps using some foam tape for added dimention. The pp is from The Green Stack by DCWV (made from 70% recycled paper) So, not only am I making my own Christmas cards, but I`m helping the environment as well : )

Thank you for stopping by, & I hope you`re doing well with your Christmas cards this year : ) & If you get a chance, why not pop in & join SANDIE, you may even win yourself some beautiful flowers : )

On a Winning Streak!

Oopps! In all my ATC excitement I forgot to mention that I had also been a winner at INKURABLE STAMPERS last month (for my mermaid), receiving a very generous G/V from Heike at SCRAPZ.BIZ (thanks Sarah & Heike) & I was also lucky enough to receive a very generous cardmakers pack from SCRAPBOOKING TOP 50 (Thanks Victoria) So you see, you have to be in it to win it (says she, who still hasn`t started on this month`s CC challenges over at SBT50!!!!!!!!!!!)

Anyway, I wanted to share the bag I made for this month`s theme at INKURABLE STAMPERS. I had already started it when DD asked me if I was going to show it in my blog, so out came the camera LOL.

I had a bit of trouble trying to find an ink that I could use on fabric, but thanks to Google, I went with Adirondak Dye Ink. I also found lots of free patterns for shoulder bags thanks to Google, complete with great tutorials, but none had the pattern for the style I was after, (a shopping bag) so I worked on the pattern myself, & it turned out just like I had pictured it.

Now, tutorials are not my thing, but I`ll share the photos that I did take & if anyone is interested, I`ll work on a tutorial for later on...just let me know.

I used denim for the outside, & 100% printed cotton for the inside lining. & the finished bag measures 18" x 14" approx. The first 2 photos are the inside bottom corners, it`s what gives the bag its shape.

I then added some short handles, I wanted this bag to replace the ugly but practical shopping bags.

& this is one of the images I used, isn`t it great (this is one of the stamps I chose from SRAPZ.BIZ, thanks Heike)

For stamping on fabric, the image will give great results if stamped onto wrinkle-free, tightly woven fabric, & as you need a hot, dry iron to set the image, cottons work best. Use your DYE inks, & stamp first onto scrap fabric, & when you`re happy with the stamp chosen, stamp onto the fabric, allow a few minutes to dry & then iron on both sides of image without moving the iron about (just press for a few seconds at a time) Now, I doubt that I`ll be washing this bag too often, but if you want to make sure your image can pass the washing test, use a good fabric ink, otherwise, just heat set, & wash gently LOL.

& this is the image I stamped for the opposite side (STAMPOTIQUE from THE STAMPING QUEEN)

& here`s the finished bag : )

& being modelled by my ever helpful DD (thanks darling)

It`s the first time I`ve made a bag, & I`m so happy with how quick & easy it was to make (I know it would have been quicker to make it without the lining, but I was having so much fun sewing FABRIC as opposed to cs LOL, & it looks so much prettier, giving it a nicer finish, don`t you think?). I do believe I`ll be making a couple more as gifts for Christmas (only another 10 weeks away!!!!!!!!)

Who knew stamps could be used on fabric????

Enjoy your weekend, & thanks for visiting : )

DRD ATC Returns

Rachel Greig from DARKROOM DOOR has been hosting ATC swaps from her BLOG, & these are my beautiful returns for the "Wilderness" swap (you can see a video of them HERE)

Top row L to R, "Explore" is my own ATC, next is "All Good Things..."by Jenene E, followed by "Explore" from Teresa A.

2nd row L to R, "Wild" is from Damaris M, "All Good Things.." is from Cheryl T, & "Lost" is from Judith B.

3rd row L to R, "All Good Things..." from Robyn W, "But O..." is from Sandra De M. & "Take a Walk..." is from Tracey S.

Next up are my returns for the "Essentials 3" swap:

Top row L to R (I should do it in reverse order, just to see if you`re paying attention LOL) "Original" is my ATC, followed by Sandra De M`s jade butterfly, & "Wild & Free" is from Tracey S.

2nd row has "Art" by Damaris M, "Art" by Leesa H, & "Inspire" by Judith B.

3rd row has "Explore" by Robyn W, "Mug Shot" by Rachel C, & "With Each..." is from Cheryl T.

& as I sent 2 lots of ATCs for this swap, here is my second lot of little beauties:

Top row L to R, "Dream Create & Inspire" is my own creation, followed by "Moment of Time" by Rachel C, & "Art" by Leesa H.

In the 2nd row we have, "Proof "by Michelle L, "Gilded Butterflies" by C. Blackburn, & "Look..."by Damaris M.

& in the 3rd row, "Flutter" by Robyn W, "Mug Shot" by Helen C, & "Dream.."by Sarah S.

Aren`t they all just gorgeous? Thank you so much Rachel , for hosting the ATC swaps, & of course, Thank you to each of the ladies whose work of art I have been lucky enough to receive, each ATC is so distinctive, & beautifully finished :)

Don`t forget, if you`d like to participate just visit the DRD BLOG for all the DETAILS.

& I`m also very proud to say that my cards for the WCMD competition over in the DRD Flickr group won me a great prize pack of DRD goodies, Thank you Rachel : )

WCMD

Just in case you hadn`t noticed, this past Saturday, October 3, was the official World Card Making Day, & there`s all sorts of competitions happenning in blogland to celebrate the day! The 2 that I had time to join in with were INKURABLE STAMPERS & DARKROOM DOOR. So here are my cards:

The first card is a heart-shaped gate fold card, made for the INKURABLE STAMPERS WCMD comp. The card measures 10cm X 16cm closed, & 30cm X 16cm open
I started with a BB piece of cs (30 cm X 16 cm) & scored it at 5 cm(mountain fold), 5cm(valley fold),10 cm(valley fold),& 5cm(mountain fold). I then drew, cut & traced the pattern of the heart onto the outside folds, distressing the edges. Using the same pattern, I traced it onto white cs (cutting it a bit smaller), which I then applied GM to in brown & sunflower. I cut the heart in 2 & stuck the 2 halves to the outside folds, stitching them in place. I then stamped the script image (from the DRD Sweet Dreams set) I stamped the dolls stamp(Catslife Press, from TSQ) onto a scrap piece of previously stamped paper (Dancing Spirals Sculpey clay texture sheet/stamp) using Versafine black ink & clear EP( cutting the image in half ) & layered the images onto matching cs, distressing the edges.
The inside of the card has a piece of torn mulberry paper, & the sentiment (Catslife Press from TSQ) was stamped with black ink & clear EP.







& the following are my entries for the DARKROOM DOOR BLOG comp, which had to be uploaded to the FLICKR DRD group:

I just realized that I`m only meant to have one card only (it`s good to take the time to read the details!!!!)

Anyway, here`s the recipe for my cards: A white base card, some torn mulberry paper, some machine sewing, Stamped image from the Viva La Flora Vol 2, using Marvy ink, layered over some red cs, & some more sewing in the corners, with some red ribbon, & the sentiment is from the Full Bloom Vol 1 set

For the second card I used the Venetian Vol 1 image stamped with brown ink & clear embossing powder, & coloured with chalks, & I did a second stamping & put that image onto a square piece of chipboard to give the 3-D look (which can be seen a little better in the close-up photo) The word Explore is from the same set of stamps, stamped onto fabric with black ink, & covered with clear EP.
Lots of texture with the torn cs (but no sewing LOL)

For this next one, I used an image from THIS SET did some bleach stamping, & then overstamped with black ink & clear EP onto some painted cs (using Twinks H2Os) The lilac b`ground is a piece of core`dination card which has been dry-embossed with CB, & sanded back with a sanding block. The word is from THIS word strip.

And this one using the same set, stamped onto a salt & watercolour b`ground (one of my favourite b`grounds)

& for this last one, I swiped a yellow Marvy ink pad directly onto white cd, & then stamped the flower image using Versamark ink & covered with clear EP. I then swiped red Marvy ink over the top & used my fingers to spread the ink around, I so enjoy getting messy LOL.

Well, I sent an email to Rachel apologizing for hogging the Flickr gallery, & I promise to take my time & READ the full instructions before I jump in & start to play : ) Thank you for stopping by, & I hope that by sharing my work I have sparked your interest to get out your supplies & play too. Until next time, stay inky!