cut.colour.create

Make it Monday Challenge take 3

2011-02-12T09:03:00.003+11:00

Attempt no. 3 for a 'go-to sentiment' card inspired by Erin Lincoln's video for PTI which you can find here.

I think this is my favourite. It was a bit painstaking to cut out those outline alphabets, but oh so worth it :) I had the fan on and it blew the 'b' off my desk, I was about to give up searching for it and do another one when I finally found it. Phew!

Supplies
Stamps: Papertrey Ink Outline Alphabet, Mega Mixed Messages, Blooming Button bits, Everyday Button bits, Fillable Frames #5
Card: Crate Paper Snow Day collection, Echo Park summertime collection, PTI cardstock sweet blush, summer sunrise, aqua mist, simply chartreuse
Ink: Versafine black, versamark
Other: PTI Beautiful Blooms dies, simply chartreuse felt, white embossing powder, buttons, white embroidery thread.

PTI Button Challenge

2011-02-11T17:11:00.004+11:00

Oh dear. Yet another set of delicious PTI dies for my wishlist. Those buttons are adorable and I just want to create lots :)

So here is my button card for the challenge- the button bits stamps series are one of my favourites, they are so much fun!

This card is all about super simplicity and lots of empty space- I want the focus to be on the sweet buttons. Perfect for the one yr old birthday party we are going to tomorrow.

Supplies
Stamps: Papertrey Ink Blooming Button Bits, Tea for Two Additions
Card: PTI spring moss
Ink: PTI ripe avocado, versamark
other: white embossing powder, white thread, sewing machine.

Make it Monday Challenge take 2

2011-02-10T19:11:00.005+11:00

What an inspirational first video from Erin Lincoln. You can watch it here. I really enjoyed this second attempt at a 'go to sentiment' card b/c the design just kinda struck me while I was working on a different idea. Love that.

I'm always trying to build up more masculine cards in my stash, and I really like how this one is fun enough for a kid, but the sentiment is stylish enough for an adult- versatility rocks!

Supplies
Stamps: Papertrey Ink Outline Alphabet, Wreath for All Seasons, Mega Mixed Messages
Card: PTI Summer Sunrise, Ripe Avocado; Cosmo Cricket togetherness mini deck
Ink: Versafine onyx black
Other: PTI terracotta tile felt, various buttons

PTI Colour Challenge

2011-02-10T14:25:00.004+11:00

I often get stuck in a colour rut and go back to my tried and true combos, which is great for a last minute card, but sometimes trying something new is a great mojo kickstart. So I was excited to try this colour combo as suggested by Jessica Witty

And here is my take on it

Keep those Colour Combo downloads coming, PTI!

Supplies
Stamps: Papertrey Ink In Bloom, Blooming Button Bits
Card: PTI aqua mist, summer sunrise, rustic white
Ink: Hero Arts shadow ink soft pool, soft sand
Other: PTI rustic twine, buttons

Great to get stamping again

2011-02-09T21:27:00.004+11:00

How did I get this far into 2011 without doing any papercraft? I blame the seductive powers of yarn and a brand shiny new hobby. I was definitely in need of some inspiration and motivation...

The Papertrey Ink anniversary celebrations are just what I needed- especially the very first Make It Monday video from PTI. I really like the mix & match sentiment idea (I'm a font junkie) so jumped at the chance to get out the stamps. My first attempt is the perfect birthday card for a girl who likes her bling!

I don't have any larger sentiments that would work well as the focal point, so created my own using the outline alphabet set. LOVE that alphabet. Had some more ideas while I was doing this one, so I'll be back with more soon!

Supplies
Stamps: All Papertrey Ink- Outline Alphabet, Wreath for All Seasons, Round & Round, Mega Mixed Messages
Cardstock: PTI plum pudding
Ink: PTI snowy white pigment ink, versamark
Other: Signo silver gel pen, double sided tape, Prisma glitter, silver embossing powder, rhinestone.

Papertrey November Blog Hop challenge: Holiday Tags

2010-11-26T02:00:00.001+11:00

A big hello to all the PTI blog hoppers! Thanks for stopping by.

What a wonderful theme this month- holiday tags. So I thought I'd like to share a few quick tag ideas with you, in order of increasing time/technique complexity. First up...

ALL WRAPPED UP IN 60 SECONDS FLAT.

Shipping tags are my gift giving saviours. Cheap, easy to get and so simple.
Stamps: Papertrey Ink 2010 Holiday Tags, Holiday button bits.

NEED SOME WOW RIGHT NOW.

This is all about letting the dies do all the work. The wow comes from the non-traditional colour combo and the gorgeous scallop border with just a touch of glitter.
Stamps: PTI 2010 Holiday Tags
Other: PTI Limitless layers circles die set; cardstock chartreuse, raspberry fizz; Fresh snow pigment ink; prisma glitter; Sakura glue pen.

ELEGANCE WORTHY OF MARTHA.

But no glue gun in sight! The muted palette & tag shape are sophisticated and unisex. The embossed sentiment and acetate window make it a bit more complex and time consuming compared to the first two tags, but worth it don't ya think? Tip: Die cut two tags and cut the window through both layers at the same time so you have an exact match to adhere to the other side (hiding the acetate edges).
Stamps: PTI 2010 Holiday Tags, Holiday Button Bits.
Other: PTI mat stack 3 die, limitless layers circle die set; silver embossing powder; acetate; white Staz On ink; signo white gel pen; PTI silk ribbon.

Enjoy the rest of the blog hop, I'd love a comment if you have the time. Thanks!

My first shawl & the winner is.....

2010-11-21T14:26:00.004+11:00

I got bitten bad by the knitting bug after I started this shawl. It was a really enjoyable knit and now I am afraid that I will start knitting several shawls!

All the details about the pattern and yarn can be found on Ravelry here. The pattern is free by the way- Liz Abinante is one awesome knitter.

Speaking of free things....the giveaway winner picked by random number is SHEREE! Love ya Sheree, just contact me with your postal address so I can send an extra package to go under your tree :)

It is that time of year....GIVEAWAY!

2010-11-21T14:09:00.005+11:00

Change is in the air over here, and as Christmas is also upon us I think that calls for a giveaway :) It is kinda my way of saying Merry Christmas to those of you who pop by regularly and also high time I spread the love around.

So, here are the giveaway rules- just leave a comment on this post (one per person please) and a winner will be randomly picked next Thursday. AUSTRALIAN RESIDENTS ONLY. The contents of the package will be a surprise...but there will definitely be stamping goodies in there. Make sure there is a way I can contact you- either through a blog link or email address. Good luck!

Supplies
Stamps: Papertrey Ink A Wreath For all Seasons
Ink: Versamark, Distress Ink fired brick, antique paper
Other: Platinum stickles, American Crafts zing embossing powder leaf.

Sylvie's summer dress

2010-11-09T13:12:00.003+11:00

Very satisfying to finish a project yesterday- a Christmas present for my niece. The top is knitted and the fabric skirt sewn on.

All the details about the pattern, yarn and fabric can be found on Ravelry here.

Now to tackle the many other things in my queue!

*By the way, I'm going to be doing a giveaway soon, so stay tuned*

Garden layout with pocket

2010-10-27T10:08:00.003+11:00

Thanks to the lovely Sheree for the design and pocket idea which I scraplifted for this layout. We've been doing a lot more work trying to grow things in our garden lately.

Supplies
Paper, chipboard: Cosmo Cricket Garden Variety
Stickers, journal cards: Echo Park Summertime
Other: DIY mist (distress ink broken china reinker and mica powder), Prima packaging, sewing thread

A card, just because...

2010-10-25T13:34:00.005+11:00

It was pretty exciting cracking open my Crate Paper Snow Day collection pack on the weekend and making something with it. Totally unrelated to snow or Christmas, but in my opinion, versatility is one of the fabulous things about this pack.

TIP You know how Spellbinders circle dies leaves a lightly embossiedinner edge on your die cut cardstock circle? I added some glitter using a glue pen- the embossed border is the perfect guide. It gives the impression of an extra layer without one.

Supplies
Stamps: Papertrey Ink Mega Mixed Messages
Ink: Colorbox chestnut pigment ink
Paper: Crate Paper Snow Day, PTI rustic white cardstock
Other: Spellbinders large circle dies; PTI felt, PTI flower die, Prisma glitter; various buttons

Pink and green pastels

2010-10-20T18:07:00.003+11:00

I find it hard to work with pastel colours usually. But they are great for baby cards. Die cut layers and buttons are basically the features of this card. Simple but classic.

Supplies
Stamps: Papertrey Ink mega mixed messages
Dies: PTI fillable frames #1; Spellbinders labels 4
Paper: Basic Grey
Other: distress ink, PTI twill (ripe avocado)

A card in ten minutes

2010-10-14T17:30:00.003+11:00

Jennifer McGuire does amazing videos. And she has recently started a new stamping series called Holiday Thinking Inking. Visit her blog to find out more.

I used one of the techniques she showed in the most recent video to create the background for this card. I love how quick and easy it was to get a layered look to this plain white cardstock. The whole thing was done and dusted in less than ten minutes. I will say that I think this works best with heavy weight cardstock or watercolour paper. Mine is 300gsm (about as thick as you can get).

Tip: Use a tiny hole punch to make a notch in the side of the card where you want the twine to wrap around- it sits much more nicely in place on the card.

Finally, a layout

2010-10-12T07:00:00.000+11:00

I've been bitten by the knitting bug quite badly in the last couple of weeks, so scrapbooking has taken a bit of a back seat. But it was nice to get a page done "just because" on the weekend.

Supplies
Paper & chipboard: Crate Paper Brook collection
Other: Basic Grey mini mono stickers; Studio Calico chipboard alpha, fabrips; Jillibean Soup corrugated alpha; paint; My Minds Eye Life Stories journal card.

Gate fold card

2010-10-10T07:00:00.000+11:00

This was a super quick birthday card for a little boy. I rarely do gate fold cards so I was quite stumped for a while, but turning it 180 degrees and adding some felt and stickers made it pretty fun in the end.

Supplies
Cardstock Papertrey Ink aqua mist
Stamps PTI Everyday button bits
Stickers Echo Park Summertime, Sassafras Lass
Other: PTI cloud dies, felt airplane from fun felt set.

Love is simple

2010-10-07T15:26:00.004+11:00

Another World Cardmaking Day challenge at Scrapz.biz, this time a window card theme by Sheree. Dies make easy work of cutting windows in cards and it does jazz up even the most simple design.

I printed the template onto the red cardstock (use the inverted image & print on the back), cut it out and then die cut through all the layers on the card front. The felt heart I just cut freehand.

Supplies
Paper: Basic Grey
Cardstock: Papertrey Ink pure poppy
Tools: Be My Valentine template by Papertrey Ink, felt PTI ocean tides, die Spellbinders.

World Cardmaking Day Challenges

2010-10-05T11:28:00.003+11:00

There are some great challenges designed to boost your card stash over at Scrapz.biz. Here is one of my entries so far...more to share later.

So many people are in love with the Restoration collection by Crate Paper and I am no exception. I really like the idea of cutting out individual playing cards from the paper and using them as numerical embellishments- this will be a birthday card for a little girl turning two.

I also explored some of the decorative stitches on my sewing machine- stitching just goes so well with this collection.

Supplies
Paper: Crate Paper Restoration
Stamps: Papertrey Ink Just the Ticket
Other: Distress Ink (vintage photo); American Crafts Zing embossing powder (leaf); sewing machine.

Cup of Thanks Card

2010-09-29T09:08:00.004+10:00

A friend of mine is doing me a big favour this Friday so I've made a card and bought a little gift.

If you have small scraps from a patterned paper collection or in my case, left overs from a 6 inch paper pad, this card format of a die cut repeated over and over is a simple but really effective design. It works best with small scale patterns.

I've had this bunch of tiny jewelry tags for ages but never had stamps small enough to use with them...all solved now!

Supplies:
Stamps- Papertrey Ink Tea for Two Additions
Die- Papertrey Ink teacup
Paper- Pink Paislee Queen Bee 6 inch paper pad
Cardstock- Papertrey Ink smokey shadow
Ink- versafine onyx black
Other- jewelry tag

Papertrey September blog hop challenge: Sharing the love

2010-09-25T23:59:00.000+10:00

This card is all about THANKS. Thanks to all the crafters out there who gladly share their ideas, knowledge and experience with us just for the love of it.

Actually I found this quite a hard blog hop, just because it was a real challenge to pick something to focus on- I mean, everything I know about stamping I have learnt from a fellow stamper so it was kinda hard to narrow down! In the end I decided to go with my latest favourite PTI set and a technique that I haven't seen used around the traps so much lately, so hopefully it will be useful info for someone out there.

The idea is basically to use household bleach as an ink, but particularly on this card it was used inside the stamped outline to bleach out some of the cardstock, which makes it easier to add colour on top later. I think I learnt about this from a magazine quite a while back. It gives a striking effect on dark cardstock.

This shows the letters bleached on the left and unbleached on the right. I stamped the letters using Versafine and heat embossed them with clear powder- this makes it much easier to keep within the outline with both the bleach and the colour. I just used a fine paintbrush dipped in regular household bleach and coloured pencils with dimensional medium over the top (see photo below). The stitching is pure Nichole Heady (I always admire her use of stitching) and the simple use of bold patterned papers is inspired by Kristina Werner.

Thanks for hopping by, and thanks again for taking the time and effort to do tutorials, answer questions, share ideas and give encouragement. You know who you are.

Kaisercraft desk organiser 'Restored"

2010-09-24T12:01:00.003+10:00

I've been away on holidays ignoring the blog. BUT it hasn't been a complete papercraft disaster, because it did give me a chance assemble and decorate the Kaiserkraft large desk organiser. I love it, it has completely transformed the top of my telephone cabinet (seriously, I'm too embarrassed to show you before and after photos!)

This is my favourite part of the project, the three small drawers in the center. The knobs are by Tim Holtz. *swoon*. All the papers & die cuts are from Crate Paper Restoration collection.

If you are thinking of making one for yourself, my tips are:
- Assemble all the parts before starting and mark with a pencil the surfaces you want to cover and the edges that will be visible.
- I used a few coats of varnish on undecorated areas that are likely to collect dust.
- Adhesive fabric is fantastic for the thin edges if you don't want to bother with paint.
- I inked the edges of my paper before adhering with Vintage Photo distress ink.
- I found it necessary to use some glue to keep the whole thing together. I find dimensional medium great for this because it has an easy to control tip. I suggest you apply it where needed and lie the organiser on one side, with a small amount of folded newspaper supporting the main side (b/c of the border around the base, it will not lie completely flat on its side). Place some heavy books on top of it and let it dry.

If you have had a go at transforming this desk organiser, I'd love to see it- leave me a link in the comments.

One day wishes

2010-09-11T08:03:00.003+10:00

Back online after our internet went down for a few days and a couple of things to share:

My entry for the last round of Scrap That Ad. This one really put me to the test. Especially the traditional fairytale element, all I could think of was princess stuff and since I have no little princesses, it was tough! Loved working with the new Restoration collection from Crate Paper though.

And if you are in the mood for a giveaway, you should pop over to the Paislee Press blog. There is a fantastic $150 voucher up for grabs.

Scrap that Ad round 5

2010-09-02T07:39:00.004+10:00

So the challenge this week was based on the Evolution ad by Dove's Campaign for Real Beauty, so I decided to a do a digital layout featuring my very own "beauty product ad" so to speak.

Supplies: Katie Pertiet (designer digitals), Paislee Press, In the Making Designs, Songbird Avenue. Layout designed using Gimp 2.

Blooming baby card

2010-08-30T07:00:00.002+10:00

This card underwent an interesting evolution- initially I stamped the leaves and masked them off before stamping the dot background, but it just looked not right and off balance. So I ended up stamping more leaves, cutting them out and adding them on. Should have just done that in the first place!

By the way, see that ruffle along the base? I lifted that from Diane's blog hop post here. It is brilliant- it looks like kraft (which I love) but is SO much easier than using thick cardstock. And that my friends, is the perfect example of sharing making the crafty world go round. Thanks Diane :)

Supplies
Stamps: Papertrey Ink mega mixed messages, polka dot basics, turning a new leaf.
Ink: Papertrey Ink spring moss, Hero Arts soft pool shadow ink, versafine black
Paper: Papertrey Ink spring moss, aqua mist; Echo Park sweet summertime
Tools: Papertrey Ink flower die

Scrap That Ad round 4

2010-08-28T07:00:00.000+10:00

Be in it today, live more of your life. Be. In. It. Yeah!
Words to live by people. Those of you who watched TV in Australia during the 80's can add the jingle music. Here is my layout inspired by it

Paper and stickers Echo Park Sweet Summertime.
Stamp Ali Edwards for Technique Tuesday.

Hope you have a great day living life :)

Papertrey Ink August Blog Hop: brown bag garland

2010-08-26T07:00:00.000+10:00

A big hello to hopping Papertrey Inkers- thanks for visiting :) For anyone else out there, the challenge this month was to get creative with brown paper lunch bags. I have to admit I was quite stumped. But eventually got inspired by the classic kids craft activity of making strings of paper dolls holding hands. Here is what I did:

Trim off the sides and top of the bag, but NOT the bottom. Cut into strips as wide as you need (mine were about 2.5 inches). Flatten out the bottom bag fold so you have one long strip. Stamp the image you want to use at one end of the paper strip. You want to choose an image that is symmetrical and has an outline shape that is easy to recognise.

Accordian fold along the strip, making sure that the edges of your image are very close to the folds.

Cut out your shape, but leave a few points along the folds where you do not cut.

Unfold your strip- you now have a brown paper garland! You can leave it like this for something super quick, or go a bit more fancy and stamp along all the shapes and even add some extra decoration like I did in the middle of this flower garland.

Thanks for visiting, if you have time I'd really appreciate a comment!
Supplies
Stamps: Papertrey Ink Holiday Button Bits, Blooming Button Bits, In Bloom II
Paper: brown paper lunch bags, aqua cardstock
Ink: Papertrey Ink berry sorbet, fresh snow; Colorbox cranberry, chestnut; Hero Arts soft pool shadow ink.
Other: circle punch

Felt baby booties

2010-08-23T07:00:00.001+10:00

I love the internet. It allows me to find things like this for free. And then I can make things like this for friends.

It took me longer than I expected (all that blanket stitch!) and if I had just sewn the bottom with the machine as instructed I'm sure it would have been a lot simpler. I used more Papertrey Ink felt for this- I just love the quality of it for projects like this, no fraying and the wool will be great for little baby feet.

Felt hair clips

2010-08-21T07:00:00.001+10:00

I've been having a great time with the Papertrey Ink wool felt. This time I made some hair clips for Elena and a card to go with them using Tim Holtz tissue tape and hearts cut out from Basic Grey Olivia Ashlyn paper.

The hair clips were based on the instructions from the tutorial at The Purl Bee here. I'm planning to do the rose ones for Christmas presents. Supplies: plain hair clips (barrettes), Papertrey Ink wool felt (chartreuse & cream), Papertrey Ink flower die & cuttlebug machine, pink embroidery floss, pink buttons.

A couple of layouts

2010-08-19T16:24:00.004+10:00

*sigh* I've fallen behind with the blogging again. I'll blame life (yet again). This time I have a couple of layouts to share- they have been completed for the competition going on at Scrapz.biz.

Inspired by the "Happy Little Vegemites" famous series of ads. The diamonds in the corner were created by sanding the paper over a cuttlebug embossing folder and then inking the folder and carefully using it as a sort of stamp over the top. It's nice to be able to use them in a layout and not just on cards :)

Inspired by the "Not Happy Jan" Yellow Pages ad. Loved getting a chance to play with the Basic Grey Oliver collection. Great quality rub-ons. My tip when using rub-ons is lots of waxed paper (or baking paper) over everything else to protect the rest of the sheet from accidentally rubbing off onto your photos. It saves you from having the cut the sheet.

Scrap that Ad round 1

2010-08-04T08:16:00.004+10:00

My entry for the first round of Scrap That Ad happening over at Scrapz.biz. Can I just say I am very excited about exploring more uses for the Tim Holtz tissue tape!

Supplies:
Paper Basic Grey, My Minds Eye journal block, Pink Paislee die cut.
Alpha unknown- painted black and coated with Doodlebug black glitter
Other: Tim Holtz tissue tape, old postage stamps

Organising cardstock

2010-07-28T07:00:00.000+10:00

I spent some time on the weekend trying to get my cardstock more organised. I have ended up with quite a lot of cardstock from Papertrey Ink (and it is terrific quality- thick and smooth for stamping) and needed to get it sorted. Enter some wooden file holders from IKEA, designed as magazine holders I guess. While I was at it I decided to make a large swatch of my PTI cardstock for helping my choose colours for projects. Isn't it a beautiful sight?

Papertrey July Blog Hop Challenge: office supplies

2010-07-26T07:00:00.004+10:00

This is my first PTI blog hop, so an extra special welcome to any hopping visitors! I was very taken with the theme of using office supplies this month, and really tried to rack my brains to come up with interesting things to use.

In the end my supply list included paperclips, a staple, a shipping tag, a price tag and masking tape. And here they all are:

My favourite part of this card is the embossed background. I'm sure you can work out what I used! If you are keen to give this a go yourself, here is how I did it...

I scattered paperclips on a magnetic sheet which I have backed with grip mat. I used the magnetic sheet to combat any sliding around of the paperclips, but it would probably work just as well on a piece of chipboard. I used a Cuttlebug to do the embossing, sandwhich as follows (bottom up): A plate, B plate, magnetic sheet with paperclips on it, cardstock, polymer embossing mat, B plate.

Voila! Just be careful that you don't force anything through your machine that doesn't want to go- you'll break your plates. Got any other ideas for embossing with 'ordinary' items? I'd love to hear them!

My other tip is to try stamping on masking tape. It's kinda like DIY decorative tissue tape!

I tore a strip of tape and put it on some acetate so I could remove it after stamping, then used Papertrey Ink Background Basics text style and black StazOn ink. When it is dry, just remove it gently from the acetate and add it to your project.

Thanks so much for stopping by- I hope you found something fun, useful or inspirational to take with you. If you have the time, I'd really appreciate a comment :)

Card supplies
Paper: Papertrey Ink ripe avocado, kraft; Roman Print white cardstock 300gsm.
Stamps: Papertrey Ink background basics text style, fillable frames #1; Hero Arts galaxy of stars; postal stamps unknown.
Ink: Colorbox chestnut pigment ink, burnt sienna fluid chalk; Hero Arts soft pool shadow ink; Papertrey Ink vintage cream; StazOn black.
Tools: Cuttlebug; Papertrey Ink die fillable frames #1; Tim Holtz tiny attacher.
Other: shipping tag, masking tape, jute string, small price tag, foam adhesive

Welcome Poppy

2010-07-19T07:00:00.000+10:00

My favourite cards are the ones I personalise for the recipients. Some friends had their first baby recently, and she is named Poppy. What a perfect opportunity to use this poppy image from Hero Arts!

First I stamped Papertrey Ink Background Basics:text style on rustic white cardstock using Distress Ink (tattered rose). Over this I stamped Poppy Background using versafine ink (sepia). The background has been stamped using PTI polka dot basics, versamark ink and Pearl Ex (pearl) powder added. The sentiment is also PTI- fillable frames #5.

More felt goodness

2010-07-17T07:00:00.000+10:00

Still in love with the Papertrey Ink felt. Another card, this time with a die cut felt flower.

For this card I stamped some leaves on rustic white cardstock with spring moss ink, trimmed the piece to a rectangle but cut around the leaves on the edge. I inked the edges with antique linen Distress Ink. The flower is made of a base layer of die cut ocean tides felt, topped with a die cut layer of rustic white cardstock stamped with Background Basics: text style using tattered rose Distress Ink. The edges were inked and a button applied to the middle.

Add a sentiment, some ribbon and some faux stitching with a uniball signo white gel pen.

Felt, wonderful felt

2010-07-15T07:00:00.000+10:00

I think I get extra excited when two different hobbies come together in some way, and for this reason I am having a real thing for felt at the moment. This felt from Papertrey Ink is 100% wool, absolutely gorgeous stuff!

I'm torn between making a million and one different things with it and hoarding it in my stash forever! This is the first project it has gone towards- a baby card for some friends expecting soon. I drew the peapod shape on some tissue paper and used it as a pattern to cut the shape from the felt, then backstitched the detail by hand with cotton embroidery floss.

The sentiment and frame is more PTI goodness- Fillable Frames #5. I used the co-ordinating die to deboss the shape that the frame is stamped in. The cuttlebug sandwhich was (bottom up) A plate, B plate, thick cardstock shim, die cutting side down, cardstock centered over die, polymer embossing mat, B plate.

Flying banner birthday wishes

2010-07-13T07:00:00.001+10:00

Created with some of my newly arrived Papertrey Ink goodies combined with some favourite existing supplies. It is flying off to a birthday party very soon. This is the full set :

When I showed it to my 5 yr old son the first thing he said was "Look Mum, that one (the top plane) has a radial cooled engine, and the bottom one doesn't." I have to admit, that particular detail had passed me by!

PTI: Fly Away mini stamp set, poppy cardstock
Hero Arts cloud background and soft pool shadow ink
Sassafras Lass flag banner stickers.

Vintage layered flower tutorial

2010-07-11T07:00:00.000+10:00

So this is how I made the flower for the card in the last post:

Die cut three flower shapes of various sizes from grungepaper and text (I used Donna Salazar's Crafty Chronicle). The grungepaper is important, because it is very robust and sturdy but also pliable. I used Papertrey Ink dies to cut my shapes.

Use gel medium to glue the text flowers onto the corresponding grungepaper flowers & let dry. I use gel medium for this because it has great adhesion and not much moisture and dries quickly. Spray with the pearlised spray of your choice and set with fixative if required. Ink the edges with the distress inks of your choice.

Shape your flower layers (this is why the grungepaper is so important.) For the bottom layer I curled the petals up and then outwards. For the upper layers I shaped the petals more upwards and towards the center. Use adhesive foam to adhere the layers on top of each other and add a button to the flower center.

I attached mine to the card using more adhesive foam and put some Prima leaves around the base.

Vintage text flower card

2010-07-09T07:00:00.000+10:00

Last weekend I finally sat down and made a layered vintage flower- something I'd been meaning to try out for ages. Not quite as breathtaking as the Prima text flowers that inspired me, but I'm pretty happy with how it turned out.

It is definitely the main event on the card- I just rounded it out with a die cut mat and sentiment which I had coated with clear crackle paint. Paper & die cuts Pink Paislee.

My next post in a couple of days will have a step-by-step explaining what I did to make the flower, just in case you're interested.

Pink Paislee: 365 degrees of superhero

2010-07-07T07:00:00.000+10:00

Inspired by Heike's sketch challenge for the week at Scrapz.biz. I took these photos of Andy a few weeks ago and just couldn't wait to scrap them. They capture his personality and interests right now and make me laugh every time I see them.

Papers and embellishments all Pink Paislee 365 degrees collection, alphas American Crafts and Studio Calico.

Printing tip
Sometimes I like to print a bit of journaling on a tag rather than use my own handwriting. I just open a new document in Microsoft word, type up my text and eyeball it (making sure the view is set at 100%) and print it out on scrap paper until I'm happy with it. Then I put the die cut or cardstock or whatever over the top, trace the outline of it in pencil, remove it to check I'm happy with the placement of text and stick the die cut back over the text with repositional tape. Back it goes through the printer in exactly the same orientation as the first print and this time the print will be on the die cut.

Cowl for Emma

2010-07-05T07:00:00.000+10:00

This yarn is just heavenly- I am definitely in love with Rowan kidsilk haze yarn. I hope Emma likes it.

The pattern was from knitty for free. Gotta love that!

Incorporating kid's drawings into a layout

2010-07-03T07:00:00.000+10:00

I've been itching to get some of Alex's craft onto a layout. He drew these aircraft today and the house at preschool.

I finally got inspired by Mel's What's Cooking challenge over at Scrapz.biz. Thanks Mel!

Paper by October Afternoon (Thrift Shop) and Jilibean Soup. Blossoms Sassafras Lass. Alphas Cosmo Cricket.

Air male card

2010-07-01T07:00:00.002+10:00

Another male card today- it all seems to come in a rush! I wanted to use an airplane on the card for this particular person, so this sentiment seemed to fit nicely.

This one is really all about the simple design, textures and contrasting colours. The background is Basic Grey, the paper plane has been cut from some Cosmo Cricket paper & pops up a bit with foam adhesive, the Hero Arts sentiment is white embossed give some gloss & contrast and the 'line' backstitched by hand with embroidery floss.

When I hand stitch on cards, I draw the line in pencil, pierce it at regular intervals with a large sewing needle on top of a mouse pad turned over and then I erase the pencil line. After I do the sewing, the thread ends are secured with sticky tape and the cardfront adhered to the base cardstock.

Thanks to the men

2010-06-29T07:00:00.000+10:00

I needed to come up with four thank you cards quickly for some great guys who had donated their time and energy to helping out with some renovation work at our church office.

The Hero Arts stamp came to mind immediately and I black embossed the image to make it pop a bit more. But it still needed a little something, some twine and Scorbug embossing came to the rescue. Can't use glitter and ribbon for builders, now can you?!

Pin wheel card

2010-06-27T07:00:00.000+10:00

So you know how banners are everywhere at the moment? I think the pinwheel really follows that same spirit of old fashioned, church fete kind of fun. Perfect for a celebration card.

To make this I basically cut a 3 inch square from a piece of double sided paper, (Crate Paper), drew diagonal pencil lines across to each opposite corner and then cut along the lines, stopping about 1cm away from the center. I used double sided tape to secure the right hand corner of each triangular flap to the center and made it more secure with a needle and thread. Then I cut the split pins off a brad and stuck it onto the front with adhesive foam. Add a sentiment from Papertrey Ink mega mixed messages and you're done!

The stick is a bamboo skewer glued onto the card with Dimensional Magic.

Sketch challenge

2010-06-25T07:00:00.000+10:00

My last challenge for Scrapz.biz as a design team member is up on the store website here.

The My Minds Eye Quite Contrary collection is full of great die cut pieces and I am always telling Andy that he is "sooo cute". Of course, I am not biased in any way!

My favourite part of this layout was adding glitter highlights to the raindrops with a precision glue pen and prisma glitter. It really gives the sparkle of water in the sun.

Stash busting: mix and match

2010-06-23T07:00:00.001+10:00

My stash is getting out of control and it is time to use it and lose it. Cosmo Cricket always bring out drool worthy chipboard stickers, and they make quick, easy and eye-catching focal points for cards.

Just mix it up with a sentiment to match, a contrasting background to make it more striking and a decorative strip in a co-ordinating style. All the elements on the card above are from different companies and collections but I think they enjoy meeting new friends and finally getting put to good use!

Cosmo Cricket the boyfriend chipboard stickers, Papertrey Ink on my couch stamp set (sentiment), Studio Calico fabrips, We R Memory Keepers geo-hectic word grid paper.

Thrift shop card #2

2010-06-21T07:00:00.001+10:00

More fun with the October Afternoon thrift shop stamp set. This time it was the typewriter begging to get inky...

I stamped the typewriter with Versafine black on kraft cardstock. I used a kraft knife to cut two slits along the top and bottom of the roller in the image. I stamped 'smile' (Papertrey Ink mega mixed messages) on a small piece of old book paper, pulled it through the slits and folded it up so that the sentiment was right way up. I used a small piece of adhesive foam to prop up the part of the paper in the front. I'm definitely going to be doing this again with different mini messages on the typewriter.

October Afternoon Thrift Shop stamp set review

2010-06-19T07:00:00.000+10:00

Just arrived on my doorstep are these stamps from October Afternoon from the Thrift Shop collection.

Here is my first project using the set:

A very simple card playing around with some resist techniques. First I stamped and heat embossed the doily image in white, then applied distress inks (tattered rose, shabby shutters) using the foam applicator. Then I sprayed lightly with a DIY pearlised mist (tea dye re-inker with gold mica powder). Some inked edges, final stamping with the music bars and a Cosmo Cricket chipboard bird and one whimsical vintage card produced.

While am I at it, I might as well go on blogging record about how pleased am I with these stamps. Why?
1) The quality. They are made in the USA, beautiful thick, firm photopolymer stamps. They cling well and do not squish like cheaper clear stamps.
2) The mix of images and sentiments in the one set.
3) The size of the images make them versatile for scrapping (think repeated stamping as a background pattern or a single image as a focal embellishment) AND cardmarking (images as the focal point of a card, sentiments are great size for cards.)

Well done October Afternoon, I'll be keeping an eye out for more great stamp sets to collect from your company!

A long, long time ago...

2010-06-17T06:00:00.001+10:00

...the blogging music died. Well, went in arrest anyway. But I'm back and determined to share regularly. Thank you to Joy and Catherine for asking me about it and showing an interest!

My time with the DT at Scrapz.biz is almost over. It has been such a wonderful opportunity and a fantastic group to work with. Thank you so much Heike, Mel, Sheree, Deb, Lydell and Rach. I will definitely be hanging around though.

To kick off the return to the blogosphere here is the sample for my weekly challenge.

I handcut the large red damask motif from Pink Paislee 365 degrees paper; the border on the bottom is stamped with Versamark and embossed with American Crafts Zing glitter embossing powder (red). I've been waiting for a chance to use the Heidi Swapp bling frame forever and the title is from October Afternoon Thrift Shop shape stickers.

On an interesting side note, I bought the red glitter embossing powder by mistake- I was after red glitter but didn't check the description carefully enough. But it has been one of those beneficial slip-ups- I really like the effect it gives. And because it is powder rather than glitter, it really picks up some of the stamping detail glitter would miss.

We're going on an egg hunt

2010-04-04T13:51:00.000+10:00

And they're off! An early morning egg hunt to kick off Easter Sunday this morning. I love the anticipation of this photo. It is straight out of camera, so sorry for the slightly off colour balance.

The basket is one I made last year- I recommend origami baskets made out of vellum, thin but very strong!

A very happy Easter to you and your family.

"Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem." Luke 24: 46-47.

Silhouette girl card

2010-04-01T17:02:00.002+11:00

Several months ago after some encouragement (thanks Heike!) I submitted a set of cards to a magazine and to my shock, they actually published them. Who would have thunk it?

Well, this was the idea that started it all: Stamping on the back of patterned paper and cutting out the image to make a silhouette. And it works brilliantly with this stamp which is one of my favourites (Me and My Balloon by Laughing Moon.)

So now that it is past sale date- I get to say thanks to Australian Cardmaking, Stamping and Papercraft and share them here.

Wishing you all sunshine and laughter...

Starburst recycled pencilcase

2010-03-28T13:57:00.003+11:00

I had a go at making a pencilcase from recycled materials- no sewing required! It was the "Eye Candy" project from Simply Sublime Bags by Jodi Kahn.

Guess which bit the boys were very happy to help with? We might even try our hand at making one to hold keys & phone in the beach bag- the packing tape makes it pretty waterproof, so it should be perfect for the job.

Hope you have a great start to the week.

Hybrid scrapping with free frame

2010-03-26T15:30:00.003+11:00

A really useful and easy element to use in hybrid scrapping is a digital frame. I think this one is beautiful, and at the moment you can grab it for FREE from Joanne's blog here.

I have seen plenty of photo negative frames out there, but what convinced me about these is the very light but oh-so-important overlay inside the frame that really gives the whole thing a great look over the photo.

You might see this one turn up on a layout in the not too distant future ;) Thanks for the fantastic freebie Joanne!

Button chick gift tags

2010-03-24T08:13:00.003+11:00

My samples for my last Scrapz.Chickadees challenge. Papertrey Ink everyday button bits, Hero Arts cloud background, Spellbinders dies.

My own doodled take on the same concept. I think the designers at PTI are safe for now! But I kinda like my like chick's funky hairdoo :)

Airplane birthday party ideas

2010-03-21T07:56:00.002+11:00

My husband came up with these great ideas for activities

GAMES
- pin the propeller on the airplane
- Fighters and bombers (essentially a game of catch- the bombers have to run from one end to the other and if a fighter catches them they become a fighter too.)
- Make several paper airplanes and let the kids fly them around or have organised challenges for distance, best stunt, accuracy (aim at a hoop or target)
- set up a foam rocket toy (one with a foot air pump). Maybe see who can get it to go the highest.

PARTY BAGS
-I put a few lollies in a snaplock bag and stapled a tag with a ribbon loop to it. Each child went home with a helium balloon tied to the loop of the bag.
- Styrofoam gliders can be bought online for about $1 each.
- packet of Aeroplane jelly

FOOD
Apart from the cake I didn't do any other themed food. But easy to make food for the kids that I would recommend:
- popcorn
- jellycups
- chocolate crackles/rice crispies/honeyjoys
- mini cupcakes (there are some great packet kits out there that supply the cases, icing and decorations all in one box.)

Airplane birthday cake

2010-03-20T17:37:00.002+11:00

So my big A who is turning 5 has a long running obsession with airplanes. But I couldn't face making an airplane shaped cake, so instead I have made my favourite chocolate cake as normal but added some airport decorations.

Supplies used:
Angel food cake tin (creates a hole in the center of the cake and forms the base of the tower.)
Foil covered chocolate airplanes
Cardboard roll- use something sturdy like the inside of cling wrap roll.
Empty ribbon roll
Paint
Wire
bamboo skewers
Wooden number
coloured cardstock or patterned paper
glitter embossing powder (optional)

Basically the air traffic control tower is formed by the cardboard roll and the ribbon roll with paint and cardstock for decoration. The wooden number I painted and also covered with glitter embossing powder. It was hard to attach- I had to sew it on!

The chocolate airplanes you can get online or at specialty confectionery stores. Use fairly thick gauge wire and wind around something round (I used a paintbrush handle) and then wind tightly around the bamboo skewer (cut to the length you need.)

I'll be back later with airplane party activity ideas, and the party favour bags.

I had to pass this on

2010-03-18T07:27:00.002+11:00

You can grab this new kit by Danielle Thompson for only US$1 here. Personally I think that is one ultra good value deal- these cameras are a cute as it gets! Hurry because it is Wednesday (US time) only.

Easter card with fold-up flap

2010-03-17T18:55:00.005+11:00

My new challenge for Scrapz.Chickadees went up at Scrapz.biz today. It is a card using an A4 base, with a flap at the bottom. Lift the flap and see who is secretly at work....

Product details and instructions can be found here.

Blooms and buttons

2010-03-14T13:19:00.002+11:00

Finally getting around to posting this card. I am really enjoying this Papertrey Ink set (Blooming Button Bits) and let me also take this opportunity to sing the praises of their white pigment ink- GREAT coverage and a true white.

Details:
Stamped different sized blooms in a few orange-red shades on lemon tart cardstock and scrap white cardstock. (Note: to do this I had to cut apart one of the acrylic images in the set, but it doesn't hurt the stamps if you are careful.)

Stamped the branching leaves using Spring Moss ink. Cut out the images from the white cardstock and adhered with some dimensional foam. Stamped a solid circle in white on the other flowers.

Added a button and stitched punched border (Fiskars apron lace.)

Egg carton gift box

2010-03-12T08:51:00.002+11:00

Perfect for some Easter eggs of course, but just think how wonderful it would be to pop some flower bulbs in there for someone who loves gardening, or some bathbomb treats.

If you are interested, you can find the details to what I did and used here.

Hope you have a great Friday.

Step by step: mini pull out message card

2010-03-08T15:12:00.002+11:00

I haven't made a card "just because" for ages, so I scratched that itch today! I love the images in this clear set of stamps by Hero Arts (CL440) so whipped out a simple interactive card. Here is how...

Stamp sentiment, paper clips and envelope on background paper (I used a sheet from Camden 6 inch pad by Collage Press). Stamp document envelope on kraft cardstock and cut out image. Stamp message (I used Hero Arts thank you messages) and arrow on coordinating paper and cut it to look like a T shape. Make sure the width of the T is smaller than the width of the envelope image.

Apply very thin strips of double sided tape to the back of the cut out envelope image as shown, leaving a gap at the side for the sentiment to pull out of. Adhere the envelope to the card front with the message underneath. Enjoy!

origami rabbit card

2010-03-05T07:24:00.003+11:00

My first Scrapz.Chickadees challenge is posted at Scrapz.biz and this is the sample- a simple origami rabbit card. I think he is pretty cute AND he doesn't chew the furniture- it is a win win! Card details are in the challenge post.

March sneek peak

2010-03-01T17:59:00.002+11:00

Ready for a party? Put on your most yellow, most fluffy outfit and head over to Scrapz.biz for two weeks of daily challenges and prizes. Starts March 4th.

Sketch challenge sample

2010-02-25T16:48:00.002+11:00

The new weekly challenges are up at Scrapz.biz. This is my sample for the sketch challenge. Details can be found here.

Paper My Minds Eye, Pink Paislee. Elements Sassafras Lass border and stickers, Cosmo Cricket clouds, Heidi Swapp journaling spots. Digital Ali Edwards wordart.

Easy transfer baby gift

2010-02-20T14:25:00.002+11:00

So I'm back from blogging Siberia (sorry!) Holidays and life got the better of blogging for a while. But today I came across this fabulous tidbit from Emily Powers.

A few hours, some T-shirt transfer and a white cotton baby onesie later and voila! A super simple but stylishly cute baby gift. Front first-

And now the back...

You can pick up Life Snips 2 here (US$1 for a limited time). Enjoy your weekend.

Colour challenge papertrey style

2010-02-08T20:50:00.004+11:00

I apologise for the dodgy photo, I have to take it and upload tonight because I will be busy, busy tomorrow. You'll have to trust me that the colours look a lot more like this in real life...
This is a pretty out there colour combo for me! But it was fun trying something new. All the details for the challenge are at Nichole Heady's blog.

Cardstock: Papertrey Ink, Bazzil; Stamps Papertrey Ink, Hero Arts (sentiment); embossing folder Quickutz.

Super quick card

2010-02-08T13:59:00.003+11:00

If you are in need of a quick card or a challenge, then CPS card sketches are a great resource. Papertrey Ink are sponsoring a challenge there at the moment, and this card was based on the sketch for that challenge.

I used some felt in honour of the fact that PTI will now be stocking 100% wool felt at great prices and one of their sets I find REALLY useful- it co-ordinates perfectly with the Label One die set from Spellbinders. Products that work with each other...gotta love that.

Paper Pink Paislee cupid, Spellbinders label one die, Papertrey Ink Vintaage Labels.

Thank you Leora

2010-02-07T14:24:00.003+11:00

Leora Sanford and Paislee Press have seriously drool worthy digi scrapping prodcuts. And thanks to Leora, I will get to play with this collab kit soon because I was picked as the random winner of her giveaway! This birthday just keeps getting better- thanks again Leora and Liz :)

Ready to do some kissing?

2010-02-06T07:32:00.002+11:00

Because my second Scrapz.Amour challenge is up over at Scrapz.biz! There is another great stamp set up for grabs, so find some time this weekend to get inky.

Paper Making Memories, Pink Paislee, Fancy Pants. Stamps Hero Arts, Paperartsy, Unity Stamps, Laughing Moon.

The birthday bash continues

2010-02-05T17:30:00.003+11:00

over at Nichole Heady's blog. Papertrey Ink are going to start doing regular technique videos, which I am very excited about. Today Nichole did one about embossed resist, which has gotta be my favourite stamping technique.

For this card I stamped PTI basic backgrounds text on white cardstock, clear embossed Hero Arts three ferns over it and then applied a few different shades of Distress Ink. The blossoms are also Hero Arts.

Enjoy your weekend. Hope you get to do something fun or relaxing or worthwhile.

Sweets up for grabs

2010-02-04T07:34:00.002+11:00

This ultra fun stamp set is the prize for the Scrapz.Amour challenge #2. So register for the forum if you aren't already and head on over to Scrapz.biz to join in on all the fun and check out Sheree's great samples and troubleshooting solution #2: THINK INK part 1.

Have a great day!

Scrapz.Amour is here!

2010-02-03T17:55:00.003+11:00

Hip, hip, hooray...Scrapz.Amour starts today!

I'm really, really excited about this comp, because it is all about stamping. And there will be some great stamping prizes up for grabs, so head on over to Scrapz.biz for step by step instructions of this card, and all the challenge details. While you are there, check out my post stamp troubleshooting post as well. I will be doing a whole series during Scrapz.Amour. #1: condition your stamps can be found here.

And I know EWE'LL love the prize for challenge one ;)

Please note, you will need to be a registered user of the forum to view the challenge and stamp troubleshooting posts. Registration is fast and free.

Happy Birthday Papertrey

2010-02-03T17:47:00.002+11:00

Papertrey Ink is another company whose stamp designs I adore. Their DT is seriously amazing too. Heather Nichols produced this amazing free downloadable graphic for use in one of their birthday competitions. It is so cute.

Happy Birthday Papertrey Ink!

Coming soon

2010-02-01T07:30:00.000+11:00

Starts Wednesday, Feb 3rd.
I'm so excited that thiis comp is all about stamping, so if you are a stamper this is definitely the time to join in the fun at Scrapz.biz.
There will be a prize awarded randomly for participation for each challenge as well as a Super Stamper voucher prize given for the comp overall. All the details can be found in the forum here.

A little birdie told me what the prize for challenge #1 is, and all I can say is I know ewe will love it! ;)

Imagine

2010-01-30T07:54:00.003+11:00

New weekly challenges are up at Scrapz.biz. It was my turn to tackle the card challenge and this is one of the samples I made. It really reminds me of those little red houses you use in Monopoly. Haven't played it in years!

Paper Making Memories, October Afternoon. Stamps Hero Arts, Punch Fiskars.

Thunderstorms, scraps and buttons

2010-01-29T13:29:00.002+11:00

I was going to do a whole lot of uploading and editing on the computer last night, but we had electrical storms all evening. I made some cards with paper scraps, stickers and buttons instead. I think of them as funky valentines.

Besides, I need to keep using up my stash to make room for all the fabulous stuff I'm going to inevitably end up wanting from the CHA releases. I think my favourites were Apple Jack (Sassafras), Joy Ride (Cosmo Cricket) and the basics range from Basic Grey. Although I did spy some must have felt embellishments from Making Memories too. What about you? What are your fingers just itchin' to get a hold of?

Hectic

2010-01-25T17:16:00.004+11:00

Somehow public holidays make my life more hectic rather than less hectic! Good time to break out some fantastic papers by We R Memory Keepers called Geo Hectic. I have never ever bought any of their product before, but the retro mechanical look of this line just really captured me.

TIP: Clear heat embossing black ink makes it even blacker and gives it more pop- The 'zoom' looks so much better embossed. Trust me.

Papers and stamp We R Memory Keepers, Dymo labeller, digital frame Carina Gardiner.

Whoops!

2010-01-24T16:57:00.004+11:00

I completely forgot to post my sample for the Build It Up weekly challenge at Scrapz.biz. The challenges have restarted after a break for Christmas/New Year and it is the perfect time to have a go! Just create something to help keep you organised and upload it to the challenge gallery. You could be organised AND win a prize! Doesn't get better than that :)

Kaisercraft memo board, October Afternoon Farm Fresh papers

last minute Saturday

2010-01-23T10:29:00.000+11:00

This week there has been a couple of last minute "I need a card for...." moments. This one is a gift card holder I made using Lauren Meader's timeless templates (cash or charge) and Cosmo Cricket's The Boyfriend collection. Doesn't seem that long ago when boom boxes and Walkman's were the must have items, does it? Ah well, nothing like a little 80's nostalgia on the weekend.

More christmas scrapping

2010-01-20T17:12:00.002+11:00

I'm really enjoying doing multi-photo layouts now that I can print at home and have more control over the size of the photo. Unfortunately the glitter on the alpha stickers and red polka dots doesn't capture well when photographed.

Paper Jillibean Soup, Making Memories, October Afternoon; stickers Making memories; font Pea Roni script.

Finally, some Christmas scrapping

2010-01-17T07:51:00.002+11:00

I did my first layouts from the 2009 Christmas photos yesterday. These were taken at big A's preschool concert. I'm more and more interested in hybrid digi-paper scrapping these days now that I can print quality photos at home. This layout uses a digital frame cluster.

Paper October Afternoon, Making Memories; Fancy Pants glitter die cut; Thickers; digital frame by Katie Pertiet.

BIG SALE!

2010-01-16T07:52:00.009+11:00

50% off ALL patterned papers at Scrapz.biz

excludes paper already on sale

Apron strings

2010-01-15T08:00:00.000+11:00

My two boys are actually pretty neat and tidy....as far as small boys go. We bought the ladybug apron a couple of years ago in San Francisco after a trip to The Discovery Museum (if you find yourself in SF with kids, you MUST go there.) I made little A a star apron using the original as a template from fabric I bought here. The design involves a little tunnel for the twill to go through around the side through to the back so the neck length is completely adjustable.

My creation doesn't have a little pocket on the front like the original though. Maybe little A is jealous? It makes a good gift if you need that sort of thing.

Once upon a time

2010-01-13T07:39:00.004+11:00

Once upon a time...there was a paper crazy gal who wanted to try something new. Her first few efforts combining the background stamp with liquid pearls and the Scorbug (a Christmas present!) did NOT go well and she was going to give up. But just then the papercraft fairy appeared (otherwise known as good 'ol fashioned stubborness) and she decided to give it one more try. The result was a fairytale card with a quilted effect background. "Not bad" she thought. "Glad I didn't give up."

Spellbinders nestabilities label four, Hero Arts dots and flowers, Scorbug, liquid pearls, October Afternoon farmyard fresh paper.

More punched flowers!

2010-01-10T08:00:00.000+11:00

I've gone a bit crazy adding punched flowers to everything! This layout is for another Biggest Loser challenge at Scrapz.biz.

I used gel medium on the owl and branches to create a resist and painted over the rest of the paper with white paint, spreading it out thinly with a plastic credit card type scraper. After it mostly dried I wiped the paint off the gel medium areas with a nappy wipe. I planned out where I wanted my photo, added some more background paint using sand and blue colours and blended the paints over the photo. Added a strip of journaling on vellum and left the rest of it alone after toying with a title in the upper left corner.

It looks very different from the orginal paper- it was a bit of an experiment, but I'm pretty happy with how it turned out.

And look what turned up on my cards

2010-01-08T16:15:00.002+11:00

These are the cards my flowers ended up on- a quick and easy focal element. I think I will have to attack my scrap pile more often and come up with a stash of DIY embellishments to keep and giveaway.

Carl blossom punch, Fiskars upper crest border punch; all stamps Hero Arts; papers Pink Paislee, Sassafras Lass, Cosmo Cricket.

Attack the scraps

2010-01-06T21:44:00.002+11:00

Punched some small blossoms from scraps today. I have been really inspired to attack my scraps and get our study in shape from all the great challenges at Scrapz.biz. I'll show you what projects they have ended up on soon.

Carl punch, assorted buttons, glitter (attached to cardstock using punched scor-tape).

got zoom?

2010-01-03T14:04:00.000+11:00

I love to share exciting online finds, especially reliable stores- Kelani Fabric sell ultra cool fabrics and I have picked up a few remants from them lately.

This is my latest project using some Japanese fabric produced by echino. I just cut around one of the cars carefully, attached it to a T-shirt with iron on adhesive and then embroidered some black backstitch around it.

Welcome 2010

2010-01-01T16:08:00.003+11:00

A two week hiatus from blogging around the Christmas frenzy and I am back ready to begin 2010!

We saw out 2009 and brought in 2010 with some of our favourite activities- sleep, office organisation and the purchase of a new gizmo :) Yep, we really know how to party on.

A big no strings attached plug for Joyce Mayne- I had almost given up trying to find the Canon MP990 in a store for less than the full RRP (most did not even stock it) but got a great price at the Bennetts Green. My faith in bricks and mortar stores has been given a boost.

And don't forget to check out the inspiring challenges for The Biggest Loser at Scrapz.biz. I think everyone needs some encouragement after the excesses of the eating season!

It's blooming gift sets

2009-12-16T17:01:00.005+11:00

I think the In Bloom stamp set from Papertrey Ink is just gorgeous. I got this idea for producing cards using this design and multiple colours for gift sets from Nichole Heady's blog.

The sentiments were done using Hero Arts clear design basic alphabet and everyday sayings.

Tim's tags

2009-12-09T13:12:00.003+11:00

Tim Holz. Need I say more? The master of ink & distressed grunge is back with another 12 tags of Christmas, and if you haven't been taking a look then you really should. Although I suppose I should warn you, if you don't own any Ranger or Tim Holz products you could end up with a VERY serious wish list.

I have been trying to play along, and have done five tags so far. This is my favourite.

And I should mention, that in addition to providing priceless inspiration, Tim is also giving away a ton of prizes.

Papering the tree

2009-12-07T12:32:00.004+11:00

We have somehow ended up without access to our usual box of family ornaments, so I am facing delivery of our cut Christmas tree in two days with nothing except fairy lights and some candy canes. The solution? Some DIY ornaments and quick!

These are some made from origami paper- they use a simple modular fold and construction called Japanese brocade. To hang them I have used a long needle to get embroidery thread through the middle of the ball and a small button at the bottom. So how many do you think I need to decorate a 1.5m tree? Three down, about 17 to go!

Mash up

2009-12-03T17:15:00.004+11:00

I admit to watching Glee recently and the teacher is always talking about 'mash ups' which involves blending bits of various songs together.

So here is some Christmas mash up: design inspired by Nichole Heady, Papertrey Ink background stamps, Hero Arts image stamps and My Sentiments Exactly sentiment. It's all about harmony after all....

Another take on the same basic sketch below.

Look Ma, I finally finished!

2009-11-30T06:00:00.000+11:00

The scarf I have been knitting for my friend Liz, is finally finished. I used 4ply 100% wool from the Nundle Woollen Mill (a bundle of Nundle!) and a chevron pattern from a Jo Sharp knitting book.

I hope it keeps Liz's neck warm and cosy when she moves to New Zealand. Happy VERY belated birthday Liz :)

Inkurable twinchie

2009-11-27T10:06:00.001+11:00

My entry for the November challenge at Inkurable Stampers (twinchie theme this month). It was very fun working in miniature. I used grungepaper for the window frame because it is thin enough to cut through easily with a craft knife, but more flexible and durable than normal cardstock and paper, and takes vintage photo distress ink beautifully too.

Here it is incorporated into a project- a Christmas decoration box.
Paper BasicGrey, stamps Paperartsy.

One stamp, four ways

2009-11-24T19:19:00.005+11:00

I sat down this week with a new small set of Hero Arts stamps- Sparkle Clear Merry Christmas. These are the first four cards I have made with it.

This is the one I like the best I think:

The tree images, star and sentiment are all from this one mini set. I have posted tips and information about the techniques I used in this post at Scrapz.biz, where you can also purchase the set for yourself!

But in the meantime, here are a couple more tips from this card:

Use a fine brush and plain water to 'draw' a line along some patterned paper. Then tear it carefully and it will naturally follow the wet line. Much easier to control the tearing!

Make a DIY embossing buddy by sewing up a hankerchief into a pocket. Fill it with cornflour and sew up the last side. Swipe it over your cardstock and flick off excess before stamping and embossing. No more stray bits of embossing powder around the image.

Have yourself some merry Papertrey

2009-11-16T12:25:00.003+11:00

After shedding many a sigh over the gorgeous stamp designs at Papertrey Ink, I finally managed to get my hands on some! I am IN LOVE with the whole "button bits" concept (stamp sets specifically designed for buttons to form part of the image).

I am really happy with the quality of the stamps and cardstock. The only real drawback is that they only sell direct, which mean MEGA shipping costs for those of us living outside the USA. If you are also a Papertrey Ink fan possibly interested in sharing orders of PTI products with other Aussie stampers to reduce shipping costs, then leave me a comment with a way to contact you.

L is for Letterpress

2009-11-14T07:35:00.001+11:00

Have you heard about the new Letterpress from Quickutz? I was so tempted to order one a little while ago. The thing that stopped me in the end was the fact that you have to use it with their specially formulated paper. But I wouldn't complain if someone wanted to just GIVE me one. Like the folks at iDiY. The giveaway is here.

Sketch challenge

2009-11-13T21:42:00.001+11:00

The new weekly challenges are up at Scrapz.biz now that The Scrapper of Oz has moved into finals mode!

This week I have done a layout based on a PageMaps sketch. If you like the sketch, why not do a quick layout and go into the running for a shopping voucher at Scrapz.biz? Details are here.

Kaisercraft advent calendar: FINISHED!!!

2009-11-12T21:06:00.006+11:00

So here it is! I have left the center area almost completely blank b/c I will be putting nativity stickers in the drawers. Each day the boys will open a drawer and we will look up a verse of the bible related to the account of Jesus' birth and they can put the stickers in the middle. Some days they might even find something yummy in there too. Next year I can change what is in the center (I used repositionable tape).

Final thoughts:
pros
* quality of the materials used for the kit are very good
* I still really like the overall design
* Reasonable price
* Starting with a raw product means that your advent calendar is unique.

cons
* time- hard to know how long it took me in total to do this, but probably 10-12 hours with waiting time in between for paint to dry.
* NO INSTRUCTIONS (I'm sorry, am I repeating myself?)
* heavy item- if you are paying for shipping you might be charged extra.

My supplies:
Cosmo Cricket Early Bird collection, Reeves acrylic paints, thickers for some of the numbers & alpha, kraft cardstock, Papertrey Ink stamp (Silent Night set).

If you are interested in having bible verses as part of an advent activity, the verses I am using are below. We are only doing a 14 day countdown since 24 days is way too long for a 2 & 4 year old!

Thanks for taking the advent calendar journey with me :)

1) Micah 5:2 Bethlehem

2) Isaiah 9:6 Virgin with child

3) Luke 1:26-28 Gabriel

4) Luke 1:29-31 Mary troubled

5) Luke 1:32-33 Eternal kingdom

6) Matthew 1:18 Mary pregnant

7) Matthew 1:20- 21 Name Jesus

8) Luke 2:7 Manger

9) Luke 2:8-9 Shepherds

10) Luke 2:10- 12 Angels speak

11) Luke 2:13-14 Angels praise

12) Luke 2:15-16 Shepherds find Jesus

13) Matthew 2:1-2 Wise men see star

14) Matthew 2:10-11 Wise men give gifts

Kaisercraft advent calendar: part 3

2009-11-10T11:56:00.001+11:00

We are in the home stretch now! It took me longer than I expected to paint, assemble and cover all the drawers (an estimate would be 6 hours) and even painting the shell was time consuming because of all the small corners. I am pretty happy with the result though, this is just a sneak peek :)

I used Cosmo Cricket Early Bird collection for the paper. It isn't a Christmas themed collection, but I really like the greens and red they used and the splashes of non- traditional blue and yellow.

So now it is time to tackle the final touches of numbers, the central blank area, any other embellishments and finally the contents and come back with some final photos!

And I should also note that Kaisercraft DOES give you an extra drawer to make mistakes on- you get 25, but only need 24- THANKS Kaiser! :)