Secret Message

Closed....The black gets tied in a bow to the little pink ribbon i tucked underneath!

Top flap untied and opened.

Middle section. The tie at the top (from the last picture) has been undone and this is what it opens out to.

Left side untied and opened.

Right side untied and opened. Obviously, this is where I get to write my little missive!

Good morning everyone on this lovely showery Boxing Day!

We had a lovely family get together yesterday at my daughter's home to celebrate Xmas. Everyone was sufficiently stuffed and really happy with all their goodies. Today, everyone will descend to my house for another afternoon of fun and games and of course, more eating! Sigh.....It will take a month of Sundays to be rid of all the excess!

Here is a secret message card I made a while back...Lots of different nooks and crannies to this one, Each section is tied off, making it a very interesting card to receive as it takes a while to untie all the ties. I have them untied coz I wanted to take the piccies today...in between the showers!

What do you think?

Xmas Reindeer

Good morning everyone,

I am getting a head start on next year's cards whilst I am in the mood...As husband's can attest, one has to take notice and act upon "in the mood" scenarios...ROFL!

I have used the reindeer out of the Darkroom Door Christmas Reindeer set, an old Hero Arts C4207 Warm Wishes greeting and some lovely paper from Reminisce called Snowflake. I have had the pretty paper for a while but decided I should try and use it before it goes mouldy!

I stamped both the image and the sentiment in Colourbox Chestnut Roan and sponged the image with the same. Added some grosgrain and raised the image with DSFT and voilà. All done.

It is difficult at this time of year to be posting as often as I would like. Family and parties are eating into my stamping time and space. I know most of you are in the same boat, which makes it somewhat better!

MFT Frenzy

Hi there,

Am still working on Xmas cards and have to say I have been the very busy little bee in that area.

Here are four cards from a kit I bought from Michelle www.michellescardsandstamps.com.au a little while ago. Sometimes, it is lovely not to think at all and just do, so I was happy to throw these together using all her instructions. Pretty nifty, eh? I love MFT stamps, so it was a pleasure playing with them!

I am on a second design for Xmas now, so hope to share that with you soon.

Now on a Roll

Hello there,

I have settled on my Xmas design! YAY!....Ok, I am a little tardy with this, but I AM getting there. Life has certainly been in the way this last few weeks.

This card is not exactly traditional. I have opted for a green base, but the red part is hinged at the top and opens from that top to reveal the green base.

I have Cuttlebugged the white card, layered on to the red, add a bit of glitter glue to the ornaments, a swish of ribbon and a great diamante to embellish the top of the hinge.

Finally I used the good old Cuttlebug again to cut my long rectangle Nesties. I left the white in the straight Nestie and sponged Brilliance Pearlescent Ivy which is a perfect match to the Bazzill Ivy used as the base. I am pretty sure the sentiment is a PB and was also stamped with the Brilliance.

Seven down...Lots to go. I will aim to have most postal ones gone by Monday. A good aim, to be sure. Now to make it happen!

Traditional Xmas

Hello there,

Here is a more traditionally coloured Xmas card!!!!! I think if you click on it, you will see it better. I had troubles again because of the glittering...with the H2O's and glitter glue. I will have to investigate a way around this problem, though I do not have the time nor energy to do so right now.

Stamps Used: Stamp It Holly Swirls 3878E....and I am guessing the wording is Hero Arts?? It is a clear stamp and belongs to a set. I had thought PB, but could not find the set online....Doofus, I am!

Am still loving the Cuttlebug and its great versatility! The Nesties are a dream come true for getting proper shapes without trimming the card to nothingness and their best selling point to me is that I can use them in the Bug!

More Non Traditional Xmas

Good morning people on this fine, hot Monday!

Here is another non traditional Xmas card I had almost finished for the last couple of days! I have used an alcohol ink background, stamped in StazOn over the top with one of Stamp It's gorgeous Xmas range (with the little wording from TAC) and buffed to a shine using Judikins Micro Glaze. (I love that stuff!)

The background stamping is using one of the fabulous Darkroom Door stamps from Rachel's Reindeer set (This set is sooo versatile!)

I ended up having to take the piccie on the side as my camera has conniptions when trying to take gloss card, but I am sure you still get the idea of the card, even so!

Anothery

Thanks so much to Christyne for this award!

"Rules of Play" Tell some stuff about myself!!!!

1. I am a mad keen stamper. Oh wait! You know that already.
1 again. I do needlework as well and specialise in Cross Stitch and Hardanger...both really, really beautiful stitcheries.
2. I am married and have two adult children. Oh wait! You know that already.
2 again. I love to read and to watch on telly: whodunnits.....especially the British made ones!
3. I am 50 years old. Oh wait! You know that already.
3 again. I am a mad keen cryptic crossword person. I have them littered around all over the place.
4. I live in country Qld. Oh wait. You know that already.
4 again. I also like to do word games ...the wordfinder on Facebook, Scrabble at home and one where you find as many words as you can from 9 letters...called various names around the globe.
5. I come online every day ...if I can possibly physically do so. Oh wait. You already know that.
5 again. My whole family plays a myriad of games.....especially card games. It is surely a great way to spend a rainy afternoon and is a great excuse to call the family together. We taught the kids to play cards as soon as they recognised the numbers. It is so social!
6. I love to have visitors!
6 again. But I am also happy to have just my own company and have peace and quiet...Not at all like my husband. He is uncomfortable in the car if you are quiet for 5 minutes.

Over the Top Questionnaire

Ok I give up....NOTHING I do enables me to cut and paste into this thing....ARRRGGGGHHHH.....

I will type the thing up....

1. Where is your mobile phone? At my left hand!
2. Your hair? Shoulder length, bobbed, dyed and foiled.
3. Your mother?
4. Your father?
5. Your favourite food? Watermelon....and guess what? It is watermelon season!

6. Your dream last night? Do not remember....I am sure I do, but I rarely remember anything form the twilight zone....not event he blowing zeds parts sometimes!
7. Your favourite drink? Fresh orange juice...alas and alack I am not supposed to drink much of it!
8. Your dream/goal? To go travelling before I am too feeble to do so!
9. What room are you in? My son's old bedroom. It is where I set the computer up after he moved out. (Gave me tonnes more space in my dungeon aka artroom!)
10. Your hobby? Rubber stamping first and foremost!

11. Your fear? Heights...but I am getting good at that...climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge, didn't I?
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Alive and kicking thanks!
13. Where were you last night? In my dungeon, watching Stargate and cutting up card and paper for 15 Xmas cards.
14. Something you aren't? Ungenerous.
15. Muffins? Nope...don't see the big deal there!

16. Wish list item? Just got my wish list item...a sew mini for my birthday....But I would like some more Nesties.
17. Where did you grow up? South Grafton, Sydney and Lismore, NSW, Australia...Yes, I am a ring in for Qld!
18. Last thing you did? Read an email from Christyne!
19. What are you wearing? Yard clothes...having just come in from my early morning walk amongst the cane fields. One doesn't dress prettily for that activity when one has a very excitable little doggie!
20. Your TV? Near my stamping table....brand new...got the digital HD thing happening...with the dvd thing at the side of the telly and provision to tape shows straight onto a USB stick...brilliant!

21. Your pets? One crazy little doggie....chihuahua cross.
22. Friends? Do I have any? Oh yeah, they know who they are!
23. Your life? Insanely busy...I wish to sleeeeeeppppp!
24. Your mood? Very tired...too much to do....not usually a cranky person!
25. Missing someone? My friends from away who were here for my birthday!

26. Vehicle? Toyota Camry Altise and Mazda BT50
27. Something you are not wearing? Oh I could have been naughty there! Jewellery....only coz I haven't yet hit the shower.
28. Your favourite shop? Any papercrafts shop I can access!
29. Your favourite colour? Used to be maroon but am having a current love affair with teal.
30. Last time you laughed? This morning watching my crazy doggie chase anything that moves when we were out walking!

31. Last time you cried? Cannot remember precisely.
32. Your best friend? Hubby
33. One place that I go over and over? To the loo...don't you?
34. One person who emails regularly? Cheryll Miller
35. Favourite place to eat? Out...so I don't have to cook!

36. Facebook? Yes, but usually to play games and keep track of the billylids!

Ladies Ink Challenge Non Traditional Xmas

Hello everyone!

Here is my challenge card for November...I DID have it done Sunday, but life intervened and I couldn't get it up here on to the blog sooner.

Our mission for November was, as suggested in the title of this post, to create a non traditional Xmas card....meaning in particular....NO RED OR GREEN.

Here is my effort....I used alcohol inks to create the background, stamped one of the gorgeous Stamp It Xmas stamps in StazOn over the top. I used micro glaze over this which I buffed off to give the shiniest finish.

The dry embossing was achieved using an Impressibilities die with Brilliance Gold swiped over the top. Finishing elements are a diamante brad from Finishing Touch Ideas and the tab at the side punched from a SU punch and stamped with a TAC tiny stamp.

Awards

Hi again...I cleared out all my awards a little while ago, but have been given another two from sweet Jennie which I will share with you here!

The first one came accompanied by a little questionnaire...Here it is! Well, no it isn't...Can someone tell me how to get a whole page document in here without having to type it all out again. I have it currently in Word!

The people I would love to pass these two awards on to would be:

1. Christyne http://handstampedfromtheheart.blogspot.com

2. Paige http://shewhomuststamp.blogspot.com

3. Michelle http://inkyscraps.blogspot.com

4. Kristin http://kristinshappy.blogspot.com

5. Cathleen http://crookedcardcreations.blogspot.com

This second comes with 5 things you may or may not know about me!

1. I turned FIFTY on the 16th of November and am a Monday child.

2. I went to an all girls' school. I then insisted my own chidren went to a coed school!

3. I hate the hot weather even though I live in the tropics. The aircon is raging on right now trying to keep me cool.

4. I will have been married 24 years on the 4th of January. Lived a year with my husband before tying the knot...

5. I cut the top of my index finger off on my right hand when I was six....sitting in a deck chair and leant forward.....so I have a very funny looking finger happening there!

A Little bit of the old Xmas Feeling

Hi all,

Here is a little card based on something I saw in a Penny Black catalogue.

The holly is by PB, the sentiment by Stamp It Australia and the berries by me....I punched it out of left over rubber coz I couldn't find anything small enough to do the job I wanted it to do!

The little shadow stamp I have had for many years and do not remember where I acquired it...sorry! I used Colourbox Chalk Inks and StazOn Black for the colour and jazzed it up a little with Hero Arts bling.

Blue Joy

Hello everyone,

I made this little card on Sunday, but as yesterday was filled with a great day teaching Xmas cards, I haven't been able to upload it any sooner!

The stamp used is a Stamp It stamp, once more. They have sooo many gorgeous stamps to choose from and are a firm favourite with me. Card used is Bling by Bazzill and some vellum... an unknown source, I am afraid. I have added the two binding pieces to anchor the vellum as I find vellum spray adhesive as useful as tits on a bull in these parts...the humidity does it in really quickly and your vellum parts ways with your base card quicker than greased lightning! I also anchored the featured embossed wording with a beautiful bling brad...wasn't going to allow the piece to detach, no matter what!!!!

I am currently learning how to create a website and that is eating up a fair bit of my time...and will for the next couple of weeks. I am trying to keep abreast of everything!!!!! Please bear with me....funny saying that, when you think about it!

Xmas Tree

Moving right along to.....more Stamps by Judith.

I love how Judith's stamps interact and that a wee stamp can be responsible for making something as pretty as the tree. All stamps used are Stamps by Judith and the colour is achieved once more with the use of Kaleidacolour pads.

I am doing a class on Monday and think I might incorporate this into it. I was asked to do three Xmas cards. What do you think? Is it good enough?Have a great day people.

Mine is just starting and I do think I am going to melt a wee bit. Hubby has gone down to the farm to help tip the last lot of cane. We are hoping to cut the last of it without bogging! We had 5 inches of rain two weeks ago and the soda patches are giving us grief. The mill will shut down tomorrow, so it is a last ditch attempt to get it out. Left in the paddock means loss of income. The JOYS of farming!

Flower Garden

Cripes! I hope using PSE7 gets easier as you go along!!!!

Here is one of the cards I made last week when my friend was here annoying me. (I know full well she is going to read that!!!!!)

All stamps are Stamps by Judith and the ink is Kaleidacolour. We were watching the DVD on her interactive stamps and decided to give them a whirl. Pretty nifty, eh?

Trio Flowers

A simple little Stamps by Judith card.

The background was stamped using Artee Ancient Script AS561H and Hero Arts Large Delicate Wovcen Fabric H3317, SU Wording with all the rest being Stamps by Judith.

Cheers...Going out to tea for my 5oth!!!!!!

Hello There!

Hi people!!!!!!

Here I am...back....but not fully! My phone line repairs have been given an extension until next Monday. Sweet....NOT! I am on a temporary line...not good for the Internet as it is painfully slow.

Ok...I have been busily Stampscaping again. One decision I have made is to not mix Adirondack dye inks with the Marvy Markers coz even though you polish off at the end with Micro Glaze, the colours still fade...and in this case, substantially!

I don't mind the end muted look, but it certainly wasn't this muted before I went to bed.

To my blog group, I will try and catch up with all as soon as I am able.

By the Lake

Hi there,

Here is my attempt at getting a photo to be the right colours....It is sooo hard to photograph gloss card at the best of times.

I give many thanks to my Canadian friend, Christyne, in helping me through the minefield that is Photoshop! Without her help, I would be a beached whale!

Anyway...on to the scene. I was diligently following the lesson plan at Stampscapes...
http://www.stampscapes.com/lessenset.html which was supposed to be about the sunrays....ROFL....well, my rays ARE there, but not like they are supposed to be!

All stamps used are by Stampscapes except for the wording which is from the plate Viva La Flora by Darkroom Door. I mounted the wording on oval punched card. All card apart from teh white gloss is by Bazzill. The little pearl is by Kaisercraft and the ribbon is from who knows where?

And as suggested yesterday by Jennie, the scene has been raised with DS mounting tape! Even though I did not get the detail I wanted with the rays...and by that stage, I was too much the fraidy cat to stamp over what I had....in case I wrecked the whole thing.....I am somewhat pleased with the outcome. These things sure make dramatic cards!

Photoshop!

My many thanks to Christyne who has fixed my woeful attempt at catching this scene on camera and then with Photoshop!

It NOW looks pretty much as it does IRL.....significantly different to my poor attempt of Monday!

I have yet to get the Dummies book, but I think I just might send away for it today!

Thanks Chris.....I got another one I am going to practise on as soon as I have done the chores!

Stampscapes Scene

Hello there!

I ended up having a good sojourn last week and hope to be back on deck this coming week.

Here is a card I half made on the weekend. I have trouble with this type of scene adding finishing touches...mainly coz whatever I put with the scene detracts from the scene and that is not my purpose. I guess the scenes stand well enough alone. What do you think? Would YOU change it in any way?

I have used Marvy Brush Markers and India Ink for colour on white gloss card. The repeat stamping without reinking gives you dimension and distance within the image. I have used just the one stamp from Stampscapes...a line of pines. All card aside from the gloss is Bazzill, and I finally settled just on some paper piercing to create a frame for the image.

It always takes some time to get the colouring right with this type of stamping but the end result is pretty cool. This particular card was cased from one which was pictured with a stamp plate I bought from Stampscapes....It really doesn't look too much like the original even though I was trying to duplicate it at the time! My friend Cheryll and I were just practising our colouring skills...We NEED more practice....One shouldn't leave it so long in between scenes! But, I have to say, it does look pretty nifty IRL....Even the hubby has been studying it...and THAT says a lot!!!!

Calendar Page

Here is my calendar page which I have been stressing over for the last few weeks. The background was made using alcohol inks...in particular Denim and Stonewashed. I cut out the layers using Nesties (don't they make life easy!), layered on to Cuttlebugged Argyle and Just for Fun Borders. The little tag was stamped with SU Terrific Tags. All card, apart from the white gloss for the alcohol inks and the A4 sheet, was Bazzill.

And, of course, the stamp is by Inkadinkadoo...a really beautiful stamp to work with! I used the same sketch and colours as a previous card I did with this stamp....coz I didn't have time to think up something brilliant!