Liebster Blog Award

I would like to thank my fellow crafter and long time Secret Stash Strokers Team mate Jane for nominating me for a Liebster Blog award! Apparently the award is for those smaller blogs just starting out on their quest to become world super-powers :-)

Hero Arts Gift Pack

What a great set to make quick and yet very effective cards. I made this pack of cards for a friend. 6 cards in a nice matching handmade gift box - I'm sure she will be delighted.

Field Flowers

I love this Stampin' Up! Field Flowers set, especially with the 'rock 'n' roll' technique as shown in the yellow flower card. My Spellbinders came in handy once again, cutting the shaped card in the first card and edging the second.

More Stained Glass Effect with velum

I really enjoy the stained glass effect with my velum cardstock. On this hydrangea card I also used the velum as a colour in itself. By stamping and embossing, then rubbing on the back of certain flowers with a stylus, the velum turns white and becomes textured. Its pretty hard to photograph, but in real life it looks great - trust me :-) This stamp is a retired Stampin' Up! set.

Local King Rubber King Stamps

My friend Katrina let me play with this adorable dragon fly stamp set, I love how this card came out. The dragon fly is stamped on scripted paper, sponged in a couple of colours, distressed and heat embossed. The embossing really brought out the colours in the dragon fly - love it. This set is on my 'need' to buy list :-)

Waltzing Mouse Stamps xxx

I LOVE Waltzing Mouse Stamps xxx The spellbinders compatible dies are just great, an example :

Card making extravaganza

Wonderful craft retreat with my good friend Katrina at the weekend. Day 1 we were a little slow to start, Day 2 decidedly more productive, Day 3 we were focussed and hard at work. Wish I could just spend every day in my craftroom - its a lovely place to be :-)

Retiring list of SU stamp sets 2012

To make room for new stamp sets and accessories, SU are saying goodbye to many of their stamp sets, Check out the size of this list :

To look a the list more closely or print it, follow the link :

Loving that cupcake punch

The cupcake punch is soooooo much more than a cupcake punch ! Its really versatile, I've made handbags, ice cream cones, gum ball machines, clouds and more.... Here is one examples made for a Birthday Party today.

Su recipe : Stamp set : Happiest Birthday Wishes

Cardstock : 2011-13 incolors, SAB 2012 dsp

Accessories : Cupcake punch, white gel pen, alphabet die cut, 1.75 circle and scallop circle punch

Stained Glass Effect

I love the stained glass window effect and made a card for a friend recently, which she loved :-) You do have to be careful when working with vellum, any crease or fold in the cardstock and it is there permanently. But you can use this to your advantage as I have in the grass below my butterflies - can you see it ? Its scored using a stylus. My butterflies are stamped in versamark and heat embossed with black powder n the front of the vellum. The butterflies are then coloured in from behind - you cant really see the effect in this pic, I was more concerned with showing the light through it. It is subtle and yet very effective, maybe more so with vellum paper - might try that next ! Thanks for dropping in :-)

Happy Easter

You gotta love punch art and SU punches, so many possibilities - like this little Easter Bunny. Main techniques here were embossing with the big shot, and using the spritzer tool. Wording printed on my printer. Such a cute bunny, I love him :-)

SU recipe :

Cardstock : Bliss blue, Whisper white, crumb cake, old olive, pretty in pink.

Ink : Pretty in pink, soft suede.

Accessories : 2.5" circle punch, scallop oval, boho blossom, jewelry tag, owl builder. SU embossing folder.

Brayering

Such a surprise to turn very vanilla card stock into this brightly colored card - thanks to my beloved brayer. We brayered the background in tempting turquoise and spritzed with water to give an almost textured look.

SU recipe :

Cardstock : Very vanilla

Stamp set : Triple treat flower, Style beautiful, 3 little words

Ink : Tempting turquoise, rose red, chocolate chip

Accessories : Antique brad, taffeta ribbon

Cards for boys

Few boys cards I made

Quirky !

The first time I used my new rubber necker stamps. I love the paper piecing and of course the hours I lose when I colour with my copics.

Stampin' Up! Lattice die

I love this lattice die that SU sell, so versatile and lovely in pastels as well as in stronger tones - black and pink.

Raised doily card

My adorable WMS doily stamps - embossed and die cut.

Punch art baby card

I really enjoyed making this card, using my Stampin' Up! punches, Priceless stamp (retired) and a piece of vellum. A lovely card - if I say so myself :-)

March Angry Birds Card

I saw this card online, beautifully designed by a fellow SU demonstrator, Maria Cameron. I loved this card. Thank you to Maria. I tried to leave a comment on her blog, but somehow it wouldn't work :-( I designed a cheat-sheet to make reproducing this card a little easier.

SU recipe :

Stamp set : Happiest Birthday Wishes, woodgrain

Cardstock : Whisper white, old olive, poppy parade, daffodil delight, sahara sand, black

Ink : Poppy parade, chocolate chip for sponging, wild wasabi, bliss blue

Tools and accessories : 1.75 circle punch, heart to heart punch, owl punch, hemp twine

March card - spring inspired

The final time using the lovely sale-a-bration dsp, Everyday Enchantment. I got the inspiration for the butterfly on this card from the spring mini, but instead of stamping the image I used vellum cardstock. Spring is definately arriving here, so a nice spring inspired card.

SU recipe :

Stamp set : Mixed bunch, heard from the heart

Cardstock : Vellum , lucky limeade, pool party, calypso coral, whisper white, Everyday enchantment dsp

Ink :Versamark, Concord crush

Tools and accessories : Everyday enchantment ribbon and brad, Blossom punch, simply scored stylus (for tracing over the versamark stamped image on the vellum), corner rounder punch

Fabulous Florets stamp set

Orange and green - my current favourite combination :-)

Shake your Tailfeathers

Love this stamp, love my copics ..... Enough said !

WMS Blog Party - Spring theme

For the first time I am taking part in Waltzing Mouse Stamps Blog Party - the theme was spring, but I realise my stamp collection is definately lacking in the 'image' department - to be rectified asap ! Anyway, for my spring themed card I went for a lovely combination of spring colours, although I used the Vintage Ornaments set ! I intended my ovals to be egg-like for Easter, but maybe only I realise that. LOL
Here in my little corner of Canada is has been pretty cold for a while, we have a lot of snow, so I am really looking forward to the arrival of a colourful spring :-)

What is Edna trying to say ?

I love this 'Golden Oldies' stamp by Art Impressions, but as I was making this card I was wondering what Edna is trying to say ? If I could draw a word bubble from her mouth what do you think it would say ?

February crafts

Each month I demonstrate new techniques, colour combinations, tools, styles etc. The monthly craft groups are now officially half way through their 8-month commitment so I wanted to recap on how much we'd achieved so far. I was amazed at how long my list was getting ! Some members of the group are seasoned crafters, others are quite new to the hobby, so I try each month to satisfy both :-) To my knowledge everyone is having fun, it really is quite the social event, and I dont know about them, but I really look forward to it each month.

Februarys cards :

This card is inspired by the red bandanas that many of us have. My dragon boat team wore these one year for a festival and we all looked pretty dapper I have to say !

SU Recipe :
Stamp set : Fresh Vintage, thank you kindly
Cardstock : Basic black, poppy parade, whisper white
Ink : Black
Punches : Scallop oval
Other embelishments : White gel pen, crimper

For my second card, my upline was at the Stampin' Up! Leadership Conference in January and brought back a selection of cards. I fell totally in love with one of them and decided to case it for my stampers groups. I loved how the colours worked so well together - I never would have thought to match up rich razzleberry with red, yellow and green ! I had to do some improvising as I didn't have some of the dies and punches, but then I added further embelishments, including the pins and tag. Hope you like it :-)



SU Recipe :
Stamp set : Mixed bunch, Fabulous phrases
Cardstock : Certain celery, rich razzleberry, whisper white, poppy parade, pocketful of posies designer series paper
Ink : Wild wasabi, poppy parade, daffodil delight
Punches : Decorative label, blossom, scallop circle, boho blossom, jewellry tag
Other embelishments : Daffodil delight 1/4" grossgrain ribbon, hat pin, brights button, hemp twine.

Sketch Challenge

Each month I set my craft groups a sketch challenge - they call it homework, but I keep telling them its supposed to be fun ! LOL

Here is my take on this months sketch, using the adorable Stampin' Up! Vintage Vogue set. I love the vintage sponged look of the flowers, and how the crumb cake (kraft) works with the very vanilla and marina mist. The crumb cake seam binding is great, so pliable and easy to work with - lots of twists and turns in there, but it still remains quite flat.

WMS Sketch Challenge #82

How exciting, my first submission for WMS sketch challenge.

Cute Birthday

LOVE LOVE LOVE this card I made for a friends daughters 4th Birthday.

Sharing a brew ...

Such an english thing to do really, havin' a cuppa or a brew. I guess it refers mainly to tea drinking in the traditional sense, but coffee seems to fit into this too :-) Both seem to be a central part of my day and life ! My friend loved this card I made for her birthday. Inside the card said : The perfect blend.

Variation on boys cards

For boys cards I like to experiment and use more than just blue ! LOVE how this card worked out .

Getting ready for a colourful Valentines xoxo

At my craft groups this week we were all buzzing - no post Christmas blues here ! We got straight on with an adorable Valentines card, which can be used for many ocassions if the sentiment is changed. The sentiments were typed and printed from my printer, and there was the choice of 'love is in the air' or 'sending love your way'. 'Sending love across the miles' would be good too - just did this on my nephews Birthday card. Such a great card, everyone loved it, and can now paper-piece and sponge a sky :) Me personally am soooo in love with Rich Razzleberry - I have to force myself to use other colours now I have it ! lol Hope you like the card :



SU recipe :
Stampset : Aint love grand
Cardstock : Bashful blue, rich razzleberry, whisper white and Pocketfull of Daisies dsp
Ink : Black, rich razzleberry
Other : Embosslits die - fashionable hearts, my printer for the sentiment

The second card was fun. The aim of this card was to demo how useful the stamp-a-ma-jig is. Seriously, how can anyone craft without it ! Hope you like it.

SU recipe :
Stampset : Tiny Teacup
Cardstock : Whisper white, 2010-2012 incolours - Peach parfait, poppy parade, pear pizzazz, concord crush and blushing bride
Ink : 2010-2012 incolours
Other : Scallop border punch, word window punch, stamp-a-ma-jig