Saturday 25 October 2008

Oh Baby Not Again!

Materials:
Stamps: Stampin Up Baby Firsts, Stamps by Judith Square, Unknown Wording
Inks: StazOn Black
Cardstock: Bazzill
Other: H2Os Blue Ice,Indian Copper, Gold Dust, Golden Opal, Blue Grosgrain, Bazzill Brads, Cuttlebug Embossing Folder, Stamp Positioner, PostIt Notes

Afternoon all,

Just a simple little one today. Well the concept was simple...the doing was more a pain in the butt! No way could I simply stamp six squares onto the white. No, oh no! I had to rule it all up first so I had a chance of getting it somewhere near even! Of course, the very first square I stamped came out with a big blob in the middle of it. Bugger! That meant tearing up the ruled card. Out came the scissors and I gave that stamp a haircut on the spot. Back to ruling up another piece of card. I had planned on a lighter Cuttlebugged piece but the colouring of the babies dictated I change my mind pretty smartly! I distressed the bottom edge of the green by rolling the edge slightly. I have decided I need a few more baby related stamps. I am now officially over the Stampin Up set I DO own (straight after I make my quilted one I want to do)! Don't quite remember why I bought that set in the first place. Ok going out to dinner in a little while, so I suppose I ought to see if there are sets of clothing we can wear (the fairies having visited and polished off the washing and ironing! ) Dream on, girl!!!!!!!

Friday 24 October 2008

Baby Card

Materials:
Stamps: Stampin Up Baby Firsts, Fern Gully Wording, Unknown Baby Bottle
Cardstock: Bazzill, Prisma
Inks: StaZon Black, Colourbox Chalk Orchid Pastel
Other: H2Os Cherry Sorbet, Pearl Ex Duo Blue/Green, Flamingo Pink, Rectangle Nestabilities, Pink Grosgrain Ribbon, White Gesso

Hey people,

Since I had to make a couple of boy baby cards, I thought now would be a really good time to make just a few to have in reserve, so here is a little girl one. I thought I would try the baby theme with one of the Pearlised Gesso backgrounds I made back in July, just to see if an arty background would go with the decidedly very cutesy Stampin Up stamps. I have seen a card similar to this a while back, though I do not now remember who made it, but I have changed lots of the elements to come up with my version. What do you think?

Tuesday 21 October 2008

Baby Blues

Materials:
Stamps: SU Baby Firsts, Hero Arts B3835 It's A Boy, Hero Arts C1121 Congratulations
Card: Bazzill, Spectrum, Die Cuts with a View Glitter Paper
Other: Nestabilities Circles (Plain and Scalloped), DSFT, Unknown Footprint Ribbon White Gel Pen, Crystal Glitter Glue (for the bubbles)
H2O's -Dreamsicle, Fairy Plum, Egyptian Gold, Oyster, Tahitian Blue


Heaven forbid. I made a baby card. For those who know me well, I do not make very many of these! But a good friend of ours had a baby boy last night, so really I just had to. No more excuses. I have to make another for yet another bub ...But I am already a week late for that one (and am ready to blame the postal system...lol....not really!),so a few more days will not hurt! Nestabilities are such a great aid to card making. I don't know what I would do without them now when making the conventional style of card.

Monday 20 October 2008

Cracked Glass Landrover

Materials:
Stamps: Amazing Creations Old Timer, StampIt Australia Landrover 3321E, Artee Ancient Script AS561H
Paper: Bazzill
Inks: Adirondack Butterscotch, Chalk Pads- Dark Brown & Chestnut Roan
Other: Crafty Kids Embellishments, SU Window Punches small and large, Clear Embossing Powder, Grsograin Ribbon, EK Success Wavy Cutter
Hello there,
Today, I revisited the cracked Glass technique...mainly because as soon as I picked up the Landrover stamp, I thought this was the technique to do for the day. Sometimes it is a bit of a drama to get the card to crack and I believe it is because I live in the tropics and the humidity comes into play. I have discovered if I stand at the freezer with my hands inside and do what needs to be done quickly, then all is well and I get a good crack going. I don't do "male" cards too often and need to really bolster my stash of them. This is a good start, I think!
Thanks for looking. Remember to click on the image if you wish to see more detail.


Saturday 18 October 2008

Micro Beads


Materials Used:
Stamps: Non Sequitur Bathing Beauties Plate
Card: Bazzill
Other: Gesso, Pearl Ex- Turquoise, Brilliant Yellow, Duo Blue/Green, Tiny Ric Rac, Kwik Clear, Double Sided Foam Tape, Brads


Today, I have resurrected my microbeads. The really superfine variety (over the main part of the image) are just gorgeous and give that watery look which certainly compliments a beach theme. I used the ordinary sized green microbeads to frame the image. The background was done using Pearl Ex and Gesso. I think the technique is called Pearlised Gesso? It gives a great texture not witnessed in this scan and the colours are shiny as you would expect with Pearl Ex...but not all over, making the tech interesting as the wetter parts of the gesso kept the Pearl Ex colour but dulled it.

Please click on an image to see more detail!

Friday 17 October 2008

Cute Snake


Materials Used:
Stamps: Whipper Snapper Designs Inc. MY842 Coiled Snake, Hero Arts LL165 Happy Everything Greetings
Paper- Unknown
Other: StaZon Black Ink, Ancient Page Primrose, Cuttlebug Embossing Folder; Lime Green Brads; Bright Pink Grosgrain Ribbon; Double Sided Foam Tape; Prisma Colouring Pencils with Odourless Solvent and Paper Stumps, Paper Piercing Mat and Tool



Well, it has been a long time since I have made a "cutesy" card. I guess it helps that I need to have one! I might do some more up so I have some on hand and don't have to go do the panic thing. It is very relaxing to sit and colour and was the one thing I could do over the last couple of weeks. The odourless solvent is a must in my book. It takes away the "streaks" left by using the pencils and gives your colouring a very professional look.

I got a parcel from Kaisercraft today and boy oh boy, the Xmas papers and matching brads are just exquisite. So many, I don't know where to begin.

Thursday 16 October 2008

Cuttlebug Highlights

I am not happy with this scan. I might try a digital photo of the card coz here it is hard to see the highlights of gold that I have over the wording. I finished this off this afternoon after I finished doing the accounts for the farm. Having paid the PAYG and BAS for another quarter, I can merrily forget about all things accounting! But for now the shoulder more than needs to rest!



This card actually has the Cuttlebug Smoosh thing happening ... sort of...The ink was a little dry, so it only just came out. I decided to highlight the wording instead with gold. It is subtle I must say, but any more gold and it would be overkill. The wording is raised from a second piece of card treated in the same manner.


Wednesday 15 October 2008

Madras Stamping Continued

This one is much more subtle as the Kaleidacolour really softened heaps overnight. I am unsure of the stamp manufacturer here as it was a borrowed stamp used in a stamp session at another stamper's house! It is wonderful to be able to have the opportunity to have sessions such as these, though they are quite rare for me due to me living in the sticks!

Madras Stamping


How's the new look? I love it! I haven't finished tweaking it yet but it is ever so interesting to watch it all evolve! I have always thought two columns was such a waste of space. Many thanks to Libby Dyson for steering me in the right direction!

Today, I would like to share some Madras stamping. For those of you who do not use their brayer, you truly are missing out on a great tool and heaps of super effects.

It was effortless to achieve this lovely sunset look with the Printblocks African Tree perfect for the image. I hummed and harred about adding embellishments with this one but decided I wanted to showcase the colour...not take away from it.

Tuesday 14 October 2008

Rehabilitating

I am rehabilitating, so the cards I will be doing for the next 6 weeks will be a simple as possible as I have no wish to injure my shoulder again. I am on a mission to use up scraps. I have so much scrap that I could open a shop with it. I am going to try ever so hard NOT to cut into an entire new piece of card from now until Xmas...except for when my mate Cheryll comes to visit and then all bets are off!



This card is using the same set as the other day...Retros Fifties from http://www.pinkcatstudio.com/Stamps/Retro50s.htm Well...I still had all the stuff out so thought....why not? You cannot see but the scarf is glittered slightly with crystal glitter and there is a little bling dot holding her belt to the dress. The wording is raised ever so slightly. As always much prettier in hand than looking at a photo. She has been coloured with Twinkling H2O's as this colouring system had the exact matches to the pinks and browns!


I have had a busy few days! My sister in law arrived with her grandson who hails from America. He was born here and did not go over there straight away but you would not know coz he has no Australian accent at all left. I find it interesting that, say an Englishman can hold his accent here after 40 years, but us Aussies lose our accent almost totally within a certain frame of time.

Saturday 11 October 2008

The Drought is Over!!!!!

Yipppppeeeeee!!!!

The drought is over. I have made my first card since late August. I did take it slowly so as not to damage my shoulder, and I must say that I totally enjoyed puddling around. I was only up to the one of course and it did take a while coz of the little rests in between....but I was determined!


Main fact is of course, that I am going stir crazy! One dreams of just laying around and doing nothing but after the teeniest of whiles the polish gets rubbed off the idea and rust settles in! I am hoping sincerely the other shoulder never has to be operated on!

Ok...to my card! I have this fabulous set from Pink Cat Studios http://www.pinkcatstudio.com/Stamps/Retro50s.htm which I have owned for so long and finally used portions of it to do this card. I know it is a 50's theme but it always conjures up images of Olivia Newton John and the movie "Grease"!