All A Flutter Birthday Card

Hi!

Today's card is for a very special woman - my mother-in-law.  It's her birthday tomorrow and so I needed to make her a card.  I've also decided to enter it in Just Add Ink's challenge, which is to Just Add Birthdays.

I chose the colour combination of Marina Mist, Perfect Plum and Sahara Sand, which I think looks quite pretty together.  I have had the All A Flutter butterfly stamp for a little while, but I hadn't even mounted it until I made this card.  I love this little butterfly and I can see myself using it lots.

The butterfly is popped up on a Dimensional to give it a bit of a lift.  And isn't that satin ribbon so lovely?

Stamps: All A Flutter, Baroque Motifs, Perfect Punches
Ink: Perfect Plum, Marina Mist
Card Stock: Sahara Sand, Marina Mist, Perfect Plum, Whisper White
Other: 5/8" Marina Mist Satin Ribbon, Marina Mist Designer Button, Scallop Edge Border Punch, 2" x 1 3/8" (Wide) Oval XL Punch, Stamp Positioner, Dimensionals, Sponge Dauber, Paper Snips, Embroidery Floss

Catch you later,

Tina

A Couple of Christmas Cards

Hi!

Today I thought I'd share with you two Christmas cards I made recently.  Both were pretty easy to mass produce and I ended up making 5 of each.  I needed to make a dent in my Christmas card list!  The first card uses the lovely Dasher stamp paired with the new Jolly Holiday DSP.

 

Next I decided to try something a little different.  This striped paper from the Celebrations DSP pack reminded me of Candy Cane so I used it as the basis of my card.  I paired it with one of the free ribbons you can earn with a purchase of Christmas themed products.  Click on the Dress Up Christmas flyer in my sidebar to find out more.

I hope these cards inspire you with some ideas for your Christmas cards.

Card 1
Stamps: Dasher, Curly Cute
Ink: Cherry Cobbler
DSP/Card Stock: Jolly Holiday DSP, Cherry Cobbler, Old Olive, Very Vanilla
Other: Scallop Edge Border Punch

Card 2
Stamps: Snow Swirled
Ink: Real Red
DSP/Card Stock: Celebrations DSP, Real Red, Whisper White
Other: Red Circle Rhinestone Brad, Rhinestones, Real Red 3/4" Polka-Dot Grosgrain Ribbon

Catch you later,

Tina

Stampin' Royalty Take 2

Hi!

I managed to sneak in some crafting time today so I thought I'd have another go at the Stampin' Royalty sketch.  This one is a much closer fit to the sketch!

Although I didn't use the Jolly Holiday DSP I used the colours that are in the DSP.  Probably because they were still on my craft desk!

Stamps: En Francais Background, Baroque Motifs, Curly Cute
Ink: Old Olive, Cherry Cobbler
Card Stock: Cherry Cobbler, Old Olive, Very Vanilla
Other: Rhinestones, 3/8" Very Vanilla Taffeta Ribbon, Oval Cutter, Stamp Positioner

Catch you later,

Tina

Snow Swirled Holiday

Hi!

You know how sometimes when you sit down to create a card based on a sketch everything just falls into place and the card ends up looking like the sketch?  Well, this is not one of those cards!  I started out with the newest sketch at Stampin' Royalty but my finished card can best be described as a loose interpretation.

Here's my card:

Yes, I know, it's so loose it would blow away on a gentle breeze lol.  It is a pretty cute card though, and it was inspired by the SR sketch!

Sigh, back to the drawing board....

Stamps: Snow Swirled, Tree Trimmings
Ink: Old Olive, Cherry Cobbler
DSP/Card Stock: Jolly Holiday DSP, Old Olive, Cherry Cobbler, Very Vanilla
Other: Old Olive 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon, Rhinestones, Dimensionals, Circle Cutter, Paper Snips

Catch you later,

Tina

Anyone for Icecream?

Hi!

This week's challenge at Just Add Ink is a colour challenge.  It was a colour combination I found particularly challenging.

When I do a colour challenge I usually pull out the supplies I have in the colours and just play around with them until I am inspired.  I reckon this time I sat there for a full hour before I was inspired.  Here's what I eventually came up with:

I used the technique where you turn the inkpad upside down and bang it on your cardstock on the Sahara Sand cone.  It gave it a nice visual texture that made it look like a waffle cone.  Sorry - I can't remember the name of the technique.  I used Crystal Effects and glitter on the icecream to give it a bit of texture too.

Stamps: Curly Cute
Ink: Bashful Blue, Sahara Sand
DSP/Card Stock: Celebrations DSP, Bashful Blue, Blushing Bride, Whisper White
Other: Big Shot, Polka Dot Embossing Folder, Scallop Edge Border Punch, 1 3/4" Circle XL Punch, Crystal Effects, Glitter, Dimensionals, 1/4" Bashful Blue Grosgrain Ribbon (retired)

Catch you later,

Tina

Jayne Mercer's Girls Night In Challenge #3

Hi!

Here's the last of my challenge cards.  The third challenge was to CASE any card out of the current Idea Book and Catalogue, but also to turn it pink.  Any excuse to flip through the catalogue!  I chose the thank you card from page 111.  I don't have that stamp set, so I had to dig through all my sets to find various thank you stamps.

I was quite pleased with how this one turned out!

A nice and simple card that was quite easy to reproduce.

Stamps: Curly Cute, Just Believe, Happy Moments (2010 SAB), Basic Phrases
Ink: Melon Mambo
Card Stock: Pink Pirouette, Melon Mambo, Whisper White
Other: Stamp Positioner, Pink Pirouette 1 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon (retired), White Embroidery Floss, Slot Punch (retired)

Catch you later,

Tina

Jayne Mercer's Girls Night In Challenge #2

Hi!

This was actually the first of Jayne's challenges that I tried.  The challenge was to CASE the baby card on page 56 of the current Idea Book and Catalogue, but to turn it pink.  I decided to flip the card around and make it a tall card.

Sorry the photo isn't brilliant - the soft colours just don't show up well and the auto adjust totally washed out the card. I coloured Just Believe with markers and layered in on matching cardstock.  The sentiment was layered over that.  On the bottom was a strip of crimped cardstock with Taffeta Ribbon wrapped around it.  Here's a slightly better picture:

I'm really loving these softer colour combinations right now.

Stamps: Just Believe
Ink: Pretty In Pink and Pear Pizzazz Stampin' Write Markers
Card Stock: Very Vanilla, Pretty In Pink, Pear Pizzazz
Other: Paper Crimper, 3/8" Pretty In Pink Taffeta Ribbon, Scallop Edge Border Punch, Dimensionals

Catch you later,

Tina

Jayne Mercer's Girls Night In Challenge #1

Hi!

Of the three challenges set by Jayne for her fundraiser I found this one the hardest.  The challenge was to make something pink.  Hmmmm.  I decided to sleep on it, and in desperation I even asked Rob for advice.  He suggested I cover the front of the card in stamped images and just leave one corner plain. Hmmmm.  Maybe not.  But on second thoughts his basic idea had some merit.  Here's what I came up with in the end.

I used the cute little mushroom stamp from Funky Four to create my own DSP.   I used my stamp positioner to line them up in rows, starting each row on a different mushroom to jumble it up a bit.

I also glued on tiny little star shaped rhinestones over the flowers in the magic tree.  They were the perfect shape and size.  I hope the card is pink enough for the challenge!

Stamps: Funky Four, Just Believe
Ink: Melon Mambo
Card Stock: Melon Mambo, Whisper White
Other: 1/8" Whisper White Taffeta Ribbon, Word Window L Punch, Dimensionals, Stamp Positioner, Rhinestones (non SU)

Catch you later,

Tina

Card Patterns #87 Guest Designer

Hi!

If you're after the technique blog hop, please scroll down to the next post - thanks!

This afternoon's post is the card I made as a Guest Designer for Card Patterns.  I was lucky enough to be selected their Super Six Winner which meant I got to be a Guest Designer for this challenge.  How exciting!  Here's the sketch I was given:

And here's the card I came up with:

I wanted a soft, gentle look to the card as it will be going to a friend who is going through a rough time at the moment.  I love the Very Vanilla satin ribbon and half pearls for a touch of luxury to the card.  I used my Peach Parfait marker to colour the sentiment stamp from Just Believe as I only wanted to use the word Believe, not the whole sentiment.

I hope you like my card, and thanks so much to the Card Patterns team for giving me the chance to be a Guest Designer for a challenge - I had a blast.

Stamps: Just Believe
Ink: Pear Pizzazz, Peach Parfait
DSP/Card Stock: Hostess In Colour DSP, Very Vanilla, Pear Pizzazz
Other: Very Vanilla Satin Ribbon, Very Vanilla Half Pearls, Very Vanilla Button, Embroidery Floss, Circle Cutter, Sponge Dauber

Catch you later,

Tina

Technique Blog Hop

Hi!

Welcome to our little blog hop.  Today a group of fellow Stampin ' Up! demonstrators are showcasing some stamping and papercrafting techniques for your inspiration.  We'd love to know what you think, so please leave us all a comment!  The stop before me was Amy Buchanan, and there are 5 stops in total on the hop - short and sweet!

I chose to demonstrate stitching on my projects today.  I hadn't attempted it before, but I'm pretty pleased with the final result.  Here's the card I made.

Each of the square panels has been stitched around using my sewing machine.  The hardest part of doing the stitching was getting the tension right on my machine.  I think if I do it again I would use a longer stitch length too.  Here's a close up of the stitching.

I tore around each of the DSP squares to give a bit of a shabby look.  In hindsight I should have torn first and stitched second. The stitching acted like perforations and made the paper want to tear along the stitching rather than just along side.

Here's a view of the centre circle, showing how I layered the different sections.  I used Dimensionals on some of the layers.

I also decided to make a coordinating gift card holder.  I based it on the boxes I've seen around for chocolate or DVD's.  Here it is in a closed position.

Here's a closer look at the front. I based it on the card, just making some minor changes.

And finally, an open view.  The recipient just pulls on the ribbon to reveal the gift card inside.

The gift card holder was pretty simple to make, but if you would like instructions or measurements please let me know in your comment.

So that's it for me. You're now off to see what the very clever Judy May has to show you.

Stamps: Punch Potpourri
Ink: Blushing Bride, Pear Pizzazz
DSP/Card Stock: Hostess DSP, Very Vanilla, Pear Pizzazz, Blushing Bride
Other: 1/2" Pear Pizzazz Stitched Poly Ribbon, Clear Rhinestone Brad, Rhinestones, Dimensionals, Sewing Machine, Two-Step Bird XL Punch, Full Heart XL Punch, 1 3/4" Circle XL Punch, Circle Cutter, Slot Punch (retired), Paper Snips

Here's all the stops:

Judy May

Nikki Sadler

Christine Blain

Amy Buchanan

Catch you later,

Tina

Pun Fun You're A Blast

Hi!

I'm back with another male card.  This time I went with the sketch at Unscripted Sketches.  They are doing a Breast Cancer Awareness Blog Hop this week as well as their challenge, so why not pop on over and have a look?  Here's their sketch this week:

Here's the card I came up with, once again using the bright and cheerful Celebrations DSP.

I love the combination of spots and stripes in the DSP!

Stamps: Pun Fun, Classic Stars Jumbo Wheel
Ink: Real Red
DSP/Card Stock: Celebrations DSP, Real Red, Pacific Point, Whisper White
Other: Paper Snips, Real Red Brad

Catch you later - hopefully on our mini blog hop tomorrow!

Tina

Curly Cute Birthday

Hi!

I sat down to craft last night determined to make some male cards.  My creations lately have been very girly so I need to build up my male stock to balance it out a bit.  I used the latest sketch at Card Patterns for inspiration.

Here's my card.  I used the new Celebrations DSP, which is bright and bold - perfect for a male card.

I didn't have enough brads to use as embellishments on the card, so I used my Crop-a-Dile to punch out some small circles and covered them with Crystal Effects.  They look fantastic as faux brads.

Stamps: Curly Cute
Ink: Real Red
DSP/Card Stock: Celebrations DSP, Real Red, Pacific Point, Whisper White
Other: 1/4" Real Red Grosgrain Ribbon, Crop-a-Dile, Crystal Effects

Catch you later,

Tina

Some Exciting News

Hi!

I've got three exciting things to share today.

Firstly, a blog hop.  A group of fellow demonstrators and I are running a small, but inspirational hop this Saturday.  We're showcasing a variety of stamping and papercrafting techniques on the hop, so please stop by.  I'm sure you'll find something new.

Secondly, I was given a blog award by Melissa at Bee Divine Designs.

Thanks Mel!

Now I'm meant to pass this award on to say thanks to people who pop by and comment regularly on my blog.  I'm passing it on to Sue M, Gardenia, Christine, Nikki, Sue B, Joy , Kathryn and also sending a big thanks back to Mel.  I wish I could share it with everyone to say thanks for commenting on my blog.

Finally, I was very excited to find that my card was selected as the Card Patterns Super Six Winner!  This means that I get to be a guest designer on the blog for Sketch 87.  This also happens on Saturday, but it will be later in the day.  So please pop by twice on Saturday to share my creations.

Catch you later,

Tina

Scraplifting

Hi!

Today I have a layout I've completed for the latest Stamp A Memory Challenge, which was to scraplift a layout from their blog.  Scraplifting is where you create a page that copies ideas and designs from someone else's layout, either in full or part.  The layout I based mine on is one done by my upline, Sue Madex.  You can view it here.  I chose this layout because I loved the way the photo told the story, so there was no need for extensive journaling.  The simplicity of the page is really appealing and I hope I have done her justice in my scraplift.

My photo was quite dark, so I wanted to use some bright cheerful papers to lift the page.  I chose the now retired Washington Apple DSP.  The photo was quite a special occasion - it was the first time that these three generations of my husband's family had been all together in the one place for a very long time.  We set the camera up on a timer and hoped for the best!

I think the title I chose tells the story - We Are Family.  However I couldn't resist adding some journaling.  To preserve the simplicity I loved in Sue's layout I hid the journaling on a tag that slides out of the right side of the photo.

Stamps: Perfect Punches
Ink: Riding Hood Red, Pumpkin Pie, Whisper White Craft, Basic Black Stampin' Write Marker
DSP/Card Stock: Washington Apple DSP (retired), So Saffron Textured, Whisper White
Other: 1/4" Pumpkin Pie Grosgrain Ribbon, Scallop Edge Border Punch, Round Tab XL Punch, Sponge Daubers, Chipboard Alphas (non SU)

Catch you later,

Tina

Kindy Boy

Hi!

I managed to get a couple of layouts finished over the weekend.  Do you ever get into moods for creating?  I tend to go through periods where I just want to make cards and others when I just want to scrap.  Lately I've been in a real scrapping mood and have managed to get some pages completed.  I've also been trying to try new things with my layouts.  This one has lots of layered paper and lots of tilted bits - things I don't do very often! 

It also has lots of blue, so I thought I'd enter it in Just Add Ink's latest challenge, which is to Just Add Blue.  JAI are raising awareness of the effects of depression and mental illness in the community, which is a fantastic cause to get behind.  I know a few people who battle with these issues every day - and it often is a battle for them.

This layout celebrates Hudson's first day at Kindy (preschool).  He's only 3 but he was eligible for early entry, and the Kindy insisted they wanted him to start.  He loves going there and the Kindy have made everything so easy for him and for me.

I included his bag in these photos of his first day as it is a bit special to me.  It is the same bag that Alex used when he went to Kindy.  It's a cute little Bob the Builder suitcase and it's unique - I've never seen another like it so it never gets mixed up with the other bags.

Ink: Basic Black Stampin' Write Journaler
DSP/Card Stock: Celebrations DSP, Hostess DSP, Real Red, Pacific Point, Whisper White, Bashful Blue
Other: Big Shot, Timeless Type Alphabet Dies, Real Red 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon, Bashful Blue 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon (retired), Corner Rounder Punch

Catch you later,

Tina

Blushing Bride Baby Card

Hi!

In a previous post I'd mentioned that I had to make a couple of baby cards, and that I had an idea that I was going to use for both of them.  The first card used graduating shades of pink for the sentiment.  I was going to do a similar thing on this card, but changed my mind at the last moment.

I changed my mind because my new stamp set, Punch Potpourri, arrived in the mail.  It had been on backorder as it was proving to be quite popular as a Hostess choice.  I decided to go for a more elegant look for this card so I used the butterfly stamp punched out and layered on a plain Blushing Bride butterfly punchie.  Here's a closer look at the butterfly.

So much softer and more elegant than the other, funkier card.

Stamps: Punch Potpourri
Ink: Blushing Bride
DSP/Card Stock: Blushing Bride Hostess DSP, Blushing Bride, Pear Pizzazz, Whisper White
Other: Rhinestone Brad, Big Shot, Lots Of Tags Sizzlits, 2" x 1 3/8" Oval XL punch, Butterfly XL punch, 3/8" Whisper White Taffeta Ribbon, Dimensionals, Sponge Dauber, Chit Chat Rub On (retired)

Catch you later,

Tina

Playing Dress Up

Hi!

In my last post I showed you a card I'd made for the latest Inkspirations challenge.  Today I have a layout that I made using the same colours.  Well, almost the same colours!  I didn't have any Pretty In Pink 12 x 12 card stock so I had to substitute that for Regal Rose.

A lot of my layout was made using non SU stuff.  I was just in one of those spring cleaning type moods and decided to use up some of my stash that has been untouched since I became a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator.  I based the embellishments on the colours in the girl's dress ups.  Lots of pink and sea blue with just a hint of yellow.

Here's a close up of the bottom left corner.  I coloured some chipboard swirls with Sahara Sand ink and then some Crystal Effects.  I then adhered lots of tiny rhinestones around the swirls and lots of layered flowers over the top.  Two little bows add just an extra little touch.  It's not my usual style for layouts, but I quite enjoyed creating this one.

Here's the Stampin' Up! products I used:

Ink: Sahara Sand, Marina Mist, Regal Rose Stampin' Write Marker
Card Stock: Regal Rose textured, Marina Mist, Whisper White
Other: Sponge Dauber, Daffodil Delight 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon, Glue Dots, Crystal Effects

Catch you later,

Tina

For Everything

Hi!

I haven't had time to play along with the Inkspirations challenges for a while, but the latest colour combination is so cute I just had to give it a go.

I love the dusty blue that is Marina Mist and the cheerful Daffodil Delight.  Here's the card I came up with:

Stamps: For Everything, Whimsical Words (2010 SAB)
Ink: Basic Black, Daffodil Delight, Marina Mist
Card Stock: Pretty In Pink, Whisper White, Marina Mist, Daffodil Delight
Other: Stamp Positioner, Blender Pen, White Brads, Pretty In Pink 3/8" Taffeta Ribbon

Catch you later,

Tina

Curly Cute Baby Card

Hi!

I've had two cousins recently have baby girls which required me to make cards for them. I've had the idea for this one in my head for a few days, just churning away in the background.  This was the first idea I had, but I also had some ideas for variations.  Hopefully the others will turn out as nicely as this one.

The initial idea I had was the graduated pink sentiment.  I hope you can see them all - the top 2 are quite pale!  In order the pinks are: Pretty In Pink, Blushing Bride, Regal Rose, Melon Mambo and Rose Red.  In hindsight I should have swapped the first two pinks around - next time!

The baby was stamped in Crumb Cake and coloured with Melon Mambo and Pretty In Pink.  The variations I'm planning will be to this part of the card, but you'll have to wait and see for those!

Stamps: Curly Cute, All In The Family
Ink: Pretty In Pink, Blushing Bride, Regal Rose, Melon Mambo, Rose Red, Crumb Cake
Card Stock: Melon Mambo, Whisper White, Regal Rose
Other: Scallop Circle Punch, Circle Punches, Dimensionals, Stamp Positioner, Blender Pen, 1/2" Melon Mambo Polka Dot Grosgrain Ribbon (retired)

Catch you later,

Tina

My First ATC

Hi!

I don't have a card to show you today.  Instead I have the very first Artist Trading Card I ever made.  I actually made it a little while ago for a swap I was in which had a paper piecing theme.  I only had the Greenhouse Gala DSP at the time, so that's what I used.

I was so glad when I saw the For Everything stamp set in the new catalogue.  It was a set I loved and I was glad to be able to use it for at least another 12 months.  I stamped the sentiment in Chocolate Chip and then coloured it with my Real Red marker.  It was just too fiddly to paper piece the sentiment, especially as I had to make 8 ATCs for the swap.  The butterflies, bird and flower are all paper pieced though.

Stamps: For Everything
Ink: Chocolate Chip Inkpad and Stampin' Write Marker, Real Red Stampin' Write Marker.
DSP/Card Stock: Greenhouse Gala DSP, Chocolate Chip, Read Red, Whisper White
Other: Paper Snips, Stamp Positioner

Catch you later,

Tina

Simple Just Believe

Hi!

When I first saw the new catalogue one of the first stamp sets on my wish list was Just Believe.  I finally received it yesterday and inked it up as soon as I could.

I wanted an elegant card to send to my Grandma.  She's 98 and losing her vision so it needed to be simple and visually uncluttered.  I originally just had the stamped panel on a Very Vanilla base but it looked a bit too simple so I added the extra Very Vanilla and Concord Crush layers to give a border around the edge of the card.

Stamps: Just Believe
Ink: Garden Green and Concord Crush Stampin' Write Markers
Card Stock: Very Vanilla, Concord Crush
Other: Stamp Positioner, Dimensionals

Catch you later,

Tina.

Greenhouse Gala Scrapbooking

Hi!

I managed to squeeze in some scrapping over the past few days, but I only completed 1 layout.  I had an idea of how I wanted it to work, but it just didn't quite come together in the way I'd hoped.  I still love the finished layout though.  In the end I decided that the DSP was busy enough and I didn't really need to add the embellishments.  Here it is.

The photo was taken on the last day of my mum's recent visit.  She lives in NSW so I only get to see her a few times a year.  She flew over for a week to help me celebrate my birthday.  Here's a close up of the journaling:

It reads: We all love it when Grandma comes to visit.  The kids love getting spoilt when she buys them little gifts and treats.  Rob and I get spoilt too - she does the dishes and ironing!  I kept mum so busy that I think she went home to have a break!

Stamps: Trendy Trees
Ink: Versamark, Chocolate Chip Stampin' Write Marker
DSP/Card Stock: Greenhouse Gala DSP, Chocolate Chip, Baja Breeze, Pumpkin Pie
Other: 5/8" Chocolate Chip Grosgrain Ribbon (retired), Clear Embossing Powder, 1" Circle M Punch, Big Shot, Timeless Type Alphabet Die, Paper Snips

Catch you later,

Tina

Cherry Cobbler Christmas Card

Hi!

I did a little blog surfing last night before I made this card.  I was looking for a challenge to inspire me and as soon as I saw the current sketch at Card Patterns I knew exactly how I would interpret it.  Don't you love it when things fall into place like that?

Here's the sketch.

And here's my card:

I love the little Polka Dots in the DSP - so bright and cheerful.  I was aiming for the look of a Christmas Wreath for the centre circle with all the punched out leaves.

Here's a side on view showing how I raised the centre section:

Stamps: Perfect Punches
Ink: Old Olive, Cherry Cobbler
DSP/Card Stock: Jolly Holiday, Very Vanilla, Old Olive, Pear Pizzazz
Other: Dimensionals, 3/4" Circle M Punch, Scallop Edge Border Punch, Two Step Bird XL Punch, Circle Cutter, Rhinestones, 1/8" Very Vanilla Taffeta Ribbon, 5/8" Old Olive Satin Ribbon

Catch you later,

Tina.