Digi Topiary

Welcome

Firstly I would like to wish all who visit a blessed and joyful Christmas

I have need of numerous' thinking of you' cards at the moment, having just heard of two more extended family members who have been hit with serious illnesses.  I HATE CANCER!!

The image I used was a freebie from Ginny Maxam,  here at her blog

I coloured it with chalks/pastels, distressed and sponged the edges of the panels. 

 

The floral part of the image was initially pink, but then I realised that the butterfly was also pink, so I added a layer of purple...

 then masked the floral part of the image and sprayed it with a silver glimmer mist.  It can be seen in the above photo, and also the fact that I coloured the butterflies with metallic pens.  The finishing detail was the lace at the bottom of the card.

I used this as a class card to demonstrate how digi images can be re-sized, as the class images were smaller, and I also encouraged the class to colour and mount the images as they wanted too, so each card was different.

I am linking this to:

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Make it Sparkle

Crafty Gals Corner Challenge #102 - Anything Goes

Southern Girls Challenge # 150 - Anything Goes

The Mod Squad Challenge - A Little Bit of Spring

The Paper Shelter Blog Christmas Break Challenge - Anything Goes

Sunny Days Crafting Challenge #28 - Anything goes

Word Art Wednesday Challenge Weeks #262-263 - Anything Goes

Inspiration Destination Challenge #117 - Anything Goes

Lemon Shortbread Challenge #31 - Anything Goes

Creative Craft Cottage Challenge #78 - Anything Goes

Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog - may your day be blessed

Any comments you may leave are deeply appreciated

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Negative Smile

Welcome

Needless to say after I taught the class how to use die cuts in a back ground, there were lots of negative 'smiles' left around, and I was able to use these two as the feature on a card.

I also tried my hand at a shaker card, using layers of card for the 'walls' of the shaker box, rather than tape. It worked, albeit a fiddly exercise on this card, as some of the margins were very narrow.

I could not find my packet of gold sequins, so I sat and fiddled and picked out the gold ones from a mixture of odds and ends that I have on hand, then added some gold glitter and gold micro beads, which has made a really nice mix.

The sentiment was designed and computer generated by moi.

I am linking this to:

Word Art Wednesday Challenge weeks #260-261 - Anything goes

613 Avenue Create Challenge #192 - Anything Goes (optional twist holiday happiness)

One Stitch At A Time Challenge #277 - Anything Goes with lots of Sparkle

The Paper Nest Dolls Challenge #5 - Anything Goes

The Crazy Challenge #238 - Everything Goes

Sparkle 'n' Sprinkle December Challenge - Use loose glitter, embossing powder or flocking (I used loose glitter in the shaker element)

Love To Scrap Challenge Blog #92 - Anything goes

Craft Your Passion Challenge #342 - Anything Goes

Jos Stamp Shack Fun Day Friday Challenge #169 - Anything Goes

Crafty Catz challenge #351 - Anything Goes

Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog - may your day be blessed.

Any comments you may leave are deeply appreciated.

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A Poppy, Bees and Beads

Welcome

At the class I ran last week I taught how to use a die cut as a background.  I saw this technique used on a card in a blog that I follow, but cannot find the post now to give credit to the  artist . If anyone recognizes it, please let me know.

I altered the word and placed it on an angle in the background, offsetting each row.

After some thoughts, and watching how someone else modified their card, I added some wee bees to the flower and background, (all fancied up with some Kindy Glitz on their wings), and some beads to the centre of the flower (an old one {10 years or so} from Hero Arts). What cannot be seen in the photo is that I also painted the flower with WOS.

Here is a photo of the finished card, with an embossed sentiment on a hand cut banner.

I am linking this to:

One Stitch At A Time Challenge #277 - Use Lots of Sparkle

The Alphabet Challenge Blog - U is for Use Something Red

The Ribbon Girl December Challenge - Use any Image

Lil' Patch of Crafty Friends Challenge #47 - Anything Goes

HeARTful Stamping December Challenge - Anything Goes

Lacy Sunshine's December Challenge - Anything Goes

Polkadoodles Challenge Week #50 - Anything Goes

Penny Black December Challenge - Black and White plus one

Word Art Wednesday Challenge weeks #260-261 - Anything Goes

Through The Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog - may your day be blessed.

Any comments you may leave are deeply appreciated.

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CAS Masculine Birthday

Welcome

This card was made for one of three birthdays I have on one day in December!! 

It was made for a man who can only be described as a minimalist - he hates clutter and anything "fancy shamancy"!!

The kraft card was embossed with a shadow diamond folder after gold (heat) embossing the simple sentiment

The kraft panel was cut on an angle, and then I die cut and adhered some gears in a blue/green card to the orange base, tucking them under the panel as needed. 

I tucked a gift card into the card and voila, one birthday done and dusted!!

I am linking this to:

Creative Moments Challenge #108 - Anything Goes

Crafty Gals Challenge #101 - Anything Goes

Crafty Creations Challenge #330 - Masculine

Addicted To Stamps and More Challenge #224 - CAS

Through The Purple Haze Challenge #115 - Anything Goes

Southern Girls Challenge #149 (Team Trace) - Anything goes

Little miss Muffet Challenge #153 - Anything Goes

Crafty Girls Creations Challenge #31 - Anything Goes

Crafting with an Attitude Challenge #22 - Anything Goes

Word Art Wednesday Challenge Weeks #260 & 261 - Anything Goes

Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog - may your day be blessed

Any comments you may leave are deeply appreciated

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Die Cut Sparkles

Welcome

I made this card for an elderly friend recently, using  NBUS die set by Ultimate Crafts

(Framed Butterfly and Flourishes Set)

I die cut all the pieces in silver glitter paper, and adhered it to a matt green piece of patterned paper

I stamped and silver embossed the sentiment on a snippet of grey card, the same as the card base, sponged the edges with London Fog Memento ink, and added a bow in silver cord.

I was able to capture some of the glitter in these photographs

Unfortunately the green paper still shows as gray.

The recipient loved it and thanked me numerous time for it.

Note to self: next time use a firmer card for the die cut as the frame is very narrow and hard to get straight.

I am linking this to:

Lil' patch of Crafty Friends Challenge #47 - Anything Goes

Glitter 'n' Sparkle Challenge #218 - Anything Goes

613 Avenue Create Challenge #192 - Anything Goes

Craft Your Passion Challenge #342 - Anything Goes

Crafting From The Heard Challenge #140 - Anything Goes

Craft-dee BowZ December Challenge - Anything Goes with a bow

Artistic inspirations Challenge #169 - Anything Goes

The Paper Shelters 6th Birthday Blog Hop and Challenge

Brown Sugar Challenge #228 - Anything Goes

Word Art Wednesday Challenge Weeks #260 & #261 - Anything Goes

Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog - may your day be blessed

Any comments you may leave are deeply appreciated

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Lighthouse Birthday

Welcome

My 'invisible' new follower is Sue, of Sue's Card Craft - do pop over and have a look at her wonderful cards.  Thank you for following me Sue.

This card was made for a family member who loves lighthouses

I started with the main stamp from Our Daily Bread Designs set Keep My Lamp Burning, and stamped it in Memento London Fog ink on a grey recycled paper from my local printer.  I stamped using my Misti, thankfully, as it needed several applications, but even then it is not perfect - I should have been more patient.

This was mounted over a striped paper, which also has a clear sparkling stripe in it. I used my vertical birthday greeting, embossing it in a nautical blue ep.

The silver cord was knotted and adhered and three brads placed in the wide end of the cord. 

The brads were initially 'gold', but I tapped them onto my versamark ink pad, then into the blue ep, then heat set it - I repeated this several times.  I love the results.

I am linking this to:

Sunny Day Crafting Challenge #26 - Anything Goes

Our Daily Bread Designs ODBDSLC #281 - Lets get Sentimental

The Crafty Sentiments Challenge - Anything Goes

The Paper Shelter - Birthdays

The Male Room Challenge #50 - I chose the December Celebrations theme

Crafty Creations Challenge #330 - Masculine

Digi Choosday Challenge Week #49 - Anything Goes

Lemon Shortbread Challenge #30 - Anything Goes

Creative Moments Challenge #108 - Anything Goes

Inspiration Destination Challenge #115 - Anything Goes

Word Art Wednesday Challenge Weeks #260-261 - Anything Goes

Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog - may your day be blessed

Any comments you may leave are deeply appreciated

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This Year's Christmas Card

Welcome.

I would also like to extend a warm welcome to my latest follower - I cannot see a new photo, but the total number has gone up one.  If you would like to introduce yourself, that would be wonderful.

When Our Daily Bread Designs introduced their Christmas dies back in October I feel in love with them immediately, and bought this nativity set, and the word Peace.

I started the card by loosely painting the background with Rich Cobalt, Ocean Wave and Sunflower Twinkling H2O's, then masked the bottom of the card and sprayed it with Lindy's Blue Hawaiian Blue mica spray.

The word, star and angel were cut from gold paper and the nativity from thin black card and glued onto the base. 

This shot gives an idea of the sparkle this has. 

I made two prototype cards, and DH decided which one he would prefer.  This alternate one has just a sprayed background, which looked quite 'arty farty'. To be honest it was my favourite, but as his name is on the cards, I chose to honour his choice.

I am linking this to:

Inspiration Destination Challenge #114 - Anything Goes

Creatalicous Challenge #104 Anything Goes

The Paper Shelter Challenge #275  - Christmas Card

Crafting With An Attitude Challenge #22 - Anything Goes

CCC Digi Creations Challenge #62 - Anything Goes

Polka Doodles Challenge #48 - Anything Goes

Simply Papercraft Challenge #42 - Anything Goes

Creative Artiste Mixed Mesdia Challenge #21 - Anything Goes

Word Art Wednesday Challenge Weeks #258-258 - Anything Goes

Crafting Musketeers Challenge #44 - Anything Goes

Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog - may your day be blessed

Any comments you may leave are deeply appreciated

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Update - Fledged!!

Welcome

After several days of  chatting to the wee starling in the box, and it would sit there and chat back, this morning it fledged.

I saw it several times on the back lawn, and you could see it getting stronger and stronger with each attempt at flight, although its navigation needed quite a lot of improvement, even when I took this photo a few moments before he disappeared.

We have not see it since mid-morning, but are so glad that we got to see him fledge.

Thank you for your pleasure in these 'nature' posts

May your day be blessed

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Growing up

Welcome

It is late spring here in the Antipodes and we have had a starling box in the back yard for several years now - this year the pair started early, and hatched two chicks.

Of late we have seen more and more of the chicks sitting looking out of the hole, and one chick will let me get quite close before they duck back in.

I took these photos from a distance on full zoom, to be sure the chick would not hide, and unfortunately one is a bit fuzzy.

The marks around the hole are from the parents feathers when they hold onto the edge of the hole to feed the chicks

I think it will not be long before the chicks fledge, and then the back yard will be very quiet!!

The neighbours have two boxes, but their birds were much later to breed, so we will still have some starlings around, amongst the other birds.

Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog - may your day be blessed.

Any comments you may leave are deeply appreciated

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Folded Butterfly

Welcome

I wanted to use a background stamping technique recently, and not only did I create a reasonable background, I also used a folded butterfly shape I have recently learned.

To stamp the background you start with the darkest colour first and the boldest motive, followed by a medium colour and a more delicate motif, then the lightest colour and a background stamp.

I stamped the piece of copy paper that I was using for the butterfly with a co-ordinating colour and motif - it did not contrast enough, so I sponged the edges with the ink I used to stamp it with, then assembled the card.

The sentiment was stamped in a red ink, then embossed with a red ep, trimmed to a banner shape, then mounted over a matching red cardstock.

I was still not happy with the card as a whole so it sat on my desk for some days, then I added the red gemstones, and still not happy, picked up a sponge that had some delicata gold ink on and gently tapped it over the butterfly, putting paper under the edges to prevent smudging.  I then masked the butterfly and sprayed with perfect pearls perfect red spray, and was finally happy with it. 

I am linking this to:

Little Miss Muffet Challenge #151 - Anything Goes

Digital Delights Delightful November Challenge #16 - Anything Goes

Crafty Girls Creations Challenge #30 - Anything Goes

Crafting With An Attitude Challenge #21 - Anything Goes

Aud Sentiments Challenge - Anything Goes With a Sentiment

Creative Moments Challenge #107 - Anything Goes

The Mod Squad Challenge - Sparkle it Up

The Paper shelter Challenge #274 - Bingo

First vertical line - Sentiment, flowers, gemstones.

Southern Girls Challenge - Anything Goes With Team Lou

Addicted To Stamps Challenge #221 - Anything Goes

Word Art Wednesday Challenge Weeks #258-259 - Anything Goes

Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog - may your day be blessed

Any comments you may leaver are deeply appreciated

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A Question

Welcome

Can anybody tell me how to get another page header to show on my blog's home page?? 

 I do have a third page, but the tag does not show up, and I cannot figure out how to get it to show.... even less now that blogger has it's "new and improved" layout which I find totally frustrating!

Thanks in advance for all your help

Edited

Thank you all for your help - it's all fixed and functioning 😀

Water Colours and Leaves

Welcome

These past few weeks a have been very busy, and this week is shaping up to be the same...

I made this card earlier in the month as a demo for my stamp class

I started by loosely painting the background with watercolours, then when that was dry,  the branches embossing folder was inked on the raised image side of the folder using a brayer, then embossed the image on the background.

To tie the whole design together I stamped the Friends stamp (by Hastings Rubber Stamps) using the same ink, on the same card stock as the base  (a grey recycled card from a local printer). 

The final detail was to sponge all the edges with the same Espresso ink before assembling the card, and add some white flat back pearls.

I am linking this to:

Crafty Girls Creations Challenge #30 - Anything Goes

Crafting With An Attitude Challenge #21 - Anything Goes

Aud Sentiment Challenge # - Anything Goes with a Sentiment

Simply Papercraft Challenge #41 - Anything Goes

Morgan's Art World Challenge #23 - Use an Article From Your Stash

The stamp, paints and folder were all some of my early purchases, stash from way back! 

Crafting With Friends Challenge #32 - Anything Goes

PolkaDoodles Crafting Challenge #46 - Anything Goes 

Brown Sugar Challenge #225 - Anything Goes

Lil' patch pf Crafty Friends Challenge #46 - Anything Goes

Word Art Wednesday Challenge Weeks #256-257 - Anything Goes

Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog - May your day be blessed

Any comments you may leave are deeply appreciated

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Spotty Thanks

Welcome

We have had the most wonderful family filled weekend - we had 19 people around the table for one meal 😃.

I made this card a few days ago for a local woman who blessed us with a gift of fudge, made by her mother and couriered up from Wellington!!  The card was loved, and is now enroute to Wellington to the fudge maker.

I started with the lemon yellow base, and embossed it with a Swiss Dots folder, and added a page from a Prima journaling page.

The sentiment panel started as an experiment - the technique I was trying did not 'work' as it was supposed to, so I dropped water onto the distress inked panel and then dried it off, then sprayed it with a silver spray.  I was still not that happy, so die cut the sentiment from a snippet of matching cardstock and inserted it into the panel.   I then embossed another part sentiment after masking off the end of the stamp to have just the part of it that I wanted.

The finishing details were the rhinestones and the washi tape.

I am linking this to:

Crafty Card Makers Challenge #177 - Embossing wet or dry

Artistic inspirations Challenge #167 - Anything Goes

The Pencil Case Challenge Week #32 - Anything Goes

Crafty Friends Challenge #44 - For Someone Special

Lil' Patch of Crafty Friends Challenge #45 - Anything Goes

Great Impressions November Challenge - Anything Goes

Glitter 'N' Sparkle Challenge #214 - Anything Goes

Amusing November Challenge - Anything Goes

613 Avenue Create Challenge #190 - Anything Goes

Word Art Wednesday Challenge Weeks #256-257 - Anything Goes

Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog - may your day be blessed.

Any comments you may leave are deeply appreciated

All comments are moderated and spam deleted.