Flowers and Bling

Welcome I am so glad you have visited by blog.

Today I took refuge from the heat in studio and had fun playing with a new spellbinders die - Spiral Flowers Three, the leaves dies and a doily die.  My Cuttlebug had a real workout!!

The result is a very dimensional card, which I am pleased with. The flowers were sponged with violet ink to accentuate the colour. 

This is a close up, and in the bloom on the left, you can just see the purple rhinestone that I managed to place in the centre of each bloom.

The doily was cut in white card, and the swirl placed before the leaves and flowers were added - the swirl fought me somewhat and did not quite place as well as I may have liked.

The sentiment was simply stamped in a pearlescent ink to let the flowers take centre stage.

I am linking this to:

Crafty Cardmakers Challenge #85 - Blooming images

Euraka Stamps Challenge #26- Flower Power

Kaboodles Doodles Challenge #160 - Use any Bling

My Craft Spot Challenge #88 - Pop It Up

My Grafico Challenge #146 - Anything Goes

Oh La La Creations Challenge #124 - Sparkle and Shine

The Crazy Challenge # 139 - Use Pink and Gems

Thank you for visiting - May your day be blessed

A Colourful Engagement

Welcome, and thank you for visiting today.  

With a short month and some distractions, I was running late with my usual card making for March, so spent most of the weekend in my studio, card making.  What a marathon, not that I am complaining, you understand.

On Friday evening I was asked by a friend to make an engagement card for her daughter, and although she did not give me a 'deadline', I knew that her daughter was visiting on Saturday, and that would be a great time for her to give it.

I started with the classic red and white and gold combination that I love 

- and partly because they are a more mature couple.

I made an easel card, and embossed the panel on the front with the cuttlebug Hearts folder, and layered a ribbon with a sentiment panel over that.  The sentiment is only part of a stamp, which I often use as it is very versatile.

The ribbon was used again on the foot of the card, along with the sentiment and the gold embossed hearts - placed using the stamp-a-ma-jig to have them looking as though they are entwined. 

The card was finished with little gold heart shaped brads on both panels.

I am linking this to:

Word Art Wednesday Challenge #68 - Anything Goes

Creative Inspirations Challenge - Anything Goes

Challenges for Everybody #14 - Anything Goes

Dream Valley Challenge #51 - Ribbon and Bling

Joanna Sheen Challenge - Layer it Up

Kenny K's Krafty Krew - Layer it Up

Robyn's Fetish Challenge #148 - Ribbon or Twine

Thanks for visiting - May your day be blessed

Poppies and Pearls

Welcome. 

I want to start by saying I had a health scare the other day, and I am making some changes, one of which will be to spend less time on my computer and taking life a bit more quietly in the sense that I will not be 'rushing around', rather pacing myself, and giving myself more time to get jobs done.

This may mean that I do not comment on as many blogs as I have done, or as often.  Thank you for your understanding.

I have just finished this card and am very pleased with it, although the camera has for some reason made the colours more intense, as in real life they are pastels.

The card is going to a farmer's wife, and I had in mind the view out of a window over a garden to the surrounding hills - although at the moment they would be brown, not green!

The poppies are a die cut from spellbinders, which I embossed and stencilled while still in the die.

The card opens to a shadow box - a technique I saw here on Paige's blog
She gives the link to the instructions, which I had to convert to metric, and bear in mind that card stock here is a slightly different size too, it was challenging, and I am not sure that I got it perfect (grin).

But I do love the final result - attained by using the Floral Oval and plain oval dies from spellbinders!  All the colouring was done using chalks/pastels.

I am linking this to:
Pink By Design Stamps - In the Garden
The Craft Spot Challenge #87- Flowers
My Grafico Challenge #144 - Anything Goes
The Pretty Little Ribbon Shop Blog Challenge #19 - Anything Goes
Cutie Pie Challenge #38 - Pretty Pastels
Bunny Zoe's February Challenge - Flowers and Pearls
The Crafty Bloggers Network February Challenge - Anything Goes
Crafty Cardmakers Challenge #85- Blooming Flowers
House of Gilli Challenge #50- Anything Goes with Pastels

Thank you for visiting - may your day be blessed

Class Time Again

Oops - where has the time gone - I so intended to write more blog posts this month... but life has been busy.

Just recently we spent time visiting  family, where there are two special small people who occupy our time, and we have the third special little person visiting this coming weekend.

Button and Lil'M playing well together.

Yesterday I had my first card class for the year, and as usual we did two projects - both included bows, which was requested by some, and dreaded by others.

The first card was a valentines using the felted cardstock technique.

They all agreed that they would never look at paper napkins the same again! As ever, each card was unique, with numerous variations in the placement 

of the napkin on the panel, and ribbon.

 

I also added a few rhinestones to my sample.

The second card was a challenge for some as I got them to screw up some old dictionary paper - not just once but twice to really increase the texture!

The paper was then inked with the direct to paper method.

The top part of the card was a swing panel, which they were intrigued with.

And the bow was tied with a bow maker which several of the ladies had, but did not know how to use, hence the request.

I finished the card with these rhinestones so I could show how the I had used some part swirls and individual bling to make something different.

Thanks for visiting - may your day be blessed.

Black Valentines

Welcome to my corner of blog-dom.

Here in the Antipodes we do not celebrate Valentines to the extent of some other countries, but I do get to make a couple of Valentines cards most years.

Here is one that I have completed this year.

I started with a sheet of black 'lace' adhesive die cut paper which I mounted over a layer of red,and then black, then white.

The really difficult part was applying the glue in the tiny spaces and then the glitter.

The sentiment was computer generated and layered on black and red card, and mounted with foam dots.

I even stamped the inside!!

The final photo gives some idea of the sparkle - and I am still finding glitter everywhere - I was once quoted

"Glitter glitter everywhere, even in my hubby's hair" 

I nearly made that one with this card!!

I am linking this to:

Digi Haven Love/Valentine Challenge - Sentiment is digital

Lady Bug Crafts - February Challenge - Valentines/Love

Natalie and Amy's Challenge #6 - Something old (Glitter) 

Something New (Black diecut paper)

The Cupboard Trilogy Challenge #8 - A sprinkling of Red and Romance

The Stamping Shack - Love is in the Air

The Stamp Spot - Hearts

Visible Image - Love

Audsentiments - Adult Valentines

Milk Coffee Challenge - Valentines

Dare to be Sassy Thursday Challenge #162 - Love is in the Air

Thanks for visiting, and your comments are a great encouragement .

May your day be blessed.

Kraft Lighthouse

Welcome - Thank you for visiting today.

I needed a masculine card, and the first thing that came to mind was to use some T.H. Ide-ology Kraft paper - I bought a 12x12 pad some 18 months ago and have only ever used one page!

I found a page that appealed, cut a piece to size, then sponged the edge with Pumice Distress Ink.

I was not sure where to go from there, and rattled through my stamps and came across this lighthouse stamp from Our Daily Bread Designs. I stamped and gold embossed it - trouble was I had not stamped it where I intended to, but decided to run with it anyway!

The sentiment was also embossed with gold on a scrap of tan card, and cut with a Spellbinders double ended tag and while it was still in the die, sponged with the pumice ink.  I mounted this with brads, and wrapped the panel with a couple of strands of ecru pearle cotton as I did not have any twine.

I was still not happy with the card, as the image was somehow lost, so I sponged Moonlight White ink onto the lighthouse, folded a piece of scrap paper and sponged on some Cantaloupe ink for a light beam, and some Barn Door ink over the compass, and the whole came to life.

I mounted this over a tan card stock base and called it finished!

I am linking this to:

Southern Girls Challenge #61 - Get Krafty

Party Time Tuesday Challenge #105 - Anything Goes

Through the Craft Room Door Jan/Feb Challenge - Anything Goes

Twisted Tuesday Challenge - Free For All - anything goes

Nana Vic's Challenge at Lady Anne's Challenges - Anything Goes

Die Cutting Divas Challenge #100 - Any Thing Goes

Tuesday Alchemy Challenge #49 - Anything Goes
Ceative Moments Challenge #9 - Neutral Colours
Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes
The Perfect Sentiment PSC# - Anyhting Goes with a Die Cut

Thanks for spending time with me today, and any comments you leave are not only appreciated but they are a great encouragement. 

ay your day be blessed

Journey with a Rose

Welcome - thanks for visiting today.

This card is the result of an adventure in a new-to-me technique.

The technique is called pullin' pastels, and I first saw it ages ago, (read years) and when I saw this recent article I decided to have a go.... but be warned, this is not how it is supposed to look.

In fact this is the nearest to the true look, but without the shimmer. I did the original technique, but my base pastel colour did not have enough contrast, especially after I had an 'oops' moment with the hairspray that I use to seal the chalk with...... so I masked the image and sprayed it with a glimmer mist, with rather a heavy hand I must admit, and it did pick up some of the chalk and has a pink tinges in some lights.

The original sentiment was, by now, almost invisible, so I made an overlay - and to try and match the colours I sponged with two inks....

I trimmed the original panel slightly to layer it over a lighter colour, cut a wee slot either side of the stalks and threaded a ribbon through and tied a bow. Added the pearls and was still not happy with it!

Did you notice in the second photograph that there was no shading on the rose?  Yep - and the whole card looked as flat as a pancake!! 

Then inspiration struck, and I shaded the rose with the chalk and volia, the whole thing came to life. 

Arhhhhhhh, bliss!

I am linking this to:

Aud Sentiments - Inspirational Bingo - Die cut, 'Happy' and Flower

Chalk n Stock - Anything Goes

D.L.Art Thankful Thursday Challenge #102 - Use Red or Pink

Forever Friends and Co Challenge #53 - Favourite Embellishments - Die cut, Pearls and ribbon

Lilli's Little Faries Challenge - Anything Goes

Baffies Kreativladen Challenge #16 - Anything Goes with no Magnolia

Lady Anne's Challenge - Anything Goes

Fab 'n' Funky Challenge #155 - Use your favourite colour combination

Paper Pretties Wednesday Challenge PWC242 - Try a New Technique

Thanks for visiting - your comments are a real encouragement.

May your day be blessed.