Less is More - Week 42 "Silhouettes"

This card popped into my head when out walking one morning this week,  I think because a friend became engaged recently.  And even better, it came together in 20 minutes - nothing like getting a card made when inspiration strikes.

What you need

Cardstock - PTI white, black

Stamps -  WMS Oval Classic Frames, Cameo Maker, Big Day Additions

Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black, London Fog

Afew more Christmas jobs can be ticked off.  With school finishing next Tuesday, all teacher gifts are done, will share next week.  My daughter's family birthday will be on Sunday, just a straight forward Aussie BBQ, with a special request for a chocolate mousse cake birthday cake. Love that girl's choice!

There is something about 9 year old girls in confined spaces .....

BOY, can they make alot of noise!  My daughter had her 9th birthday party yesterday with a small group of friends.  Very well behaved but can they squeal, especially with Selena Gomez on the iPod.

This was the invitation for the cooking party, at which they made ravioli and a croquembouche as the birthday cake.  I used SU's Domestic Goddess DSP and some WMS gingham.  Win, win. Mum didn't have to do anything for the party - well, till next weekend which is the family get-together.

These were the take-home gifts I put together from a blog post Kim Badelt did last year.  Thank you so much Kim.

Hope she doesn't expect much for next year!  Just a few more teacher gifts to organise and some family Christmas presents and maybe, just maybe, I might get around to a challenge or two.

November Waltzingmouse SOAP CASE challenge

There were so many absolutely divine cards to choose from in this month's SOAP blogs but this one, from Day One was a standout for me, minimal but SO elegant - and framed, just how I like my cards.  Now I have a use for all the foil cardboard leftover from daycare and school projects.  I may CASE this one for my Christmas cards if I get to them too late - just to let you know in advance Julia .

Here is my version of Julia's design, got my new stamps just in time.  I really didn't want to change anything as St. Nick looks so regal in blue.  But I found red first and used the Nutcracker instead.  Love how the light bounces off the foil.

What you need
Cardstock - Bazzill Basics white;  red metallic cardboard
Stamps - WMS Nutcracker Sweet;  Nordic Winter
Ink - SU Real Red
Gems - Kaisercraft

November Reject Blog Hop

Well, here we are again, another month gone by in a rush.  But I have not been idle, dear reader, a month full of PC submissions and making everyone else's Christmas cards but my own.  I did have 1 project picked up, always a good thing, but it was not my favourite, these 2 were.  As everyone keeps saying you just never know what they are looking for.

I have stitched at intervals down one side of this divine Cristina Re paper then used the reverse for the background.  The violet colours of the rose aren't usually one of my go to schemes but I think it worked particularly well.

This next one was loosely based on a card I did for my Mother-in-law earlier this year, again CR paper but in blue.  Not sure who could be the recipient of this but maybe  it will go in the box of keeper cards.  I had a peek  at some of the other "rejects" and they are gorgeous - we have some very talented people in cardmaking-land.

Here are a couple of challenges I played with yesterday, though I really should pay a bit more attention to the layering on a sketch.  I stuck everything down then realised I didn't have a scallop detail or ribbon across the corner.  Oh well, necessity is the mother of invention, or so they say.

I have been trying out a few techniques that were demonstrated in Jennifer McGuire's Inspiration Showcase, namely, using Perfect Pearls. The little geometric designs were stamped in Versamark then dusted with Perfect Pearls, then "waved" through a mist of water.  Love the effect.  The flowers look a little unbalanced but really couldn't think of another way out of my dilemma.

What you need

Cardstock - Bazzill Basics black, white;  SU Pear Pizzazz, Wisteria Wonder

DSP - SU Neutrals Collection

Stamps - Darkroom Door Spiral Flowers;  Verve Fern Leaf, Circular Sayings

Ink - Versamark;  Memento Tuxedo Black; SU Pear Pizzazz

Die - PTI Limitless Layers

Flowers and Gems - Kaisercraft

Perfect Pearls, Kindyglitz

This is the birthday card I made for one of my daughter's friends - actually Michelle's daughter.  It is based on a card Dawn McVey did about a month ago using Hero Arts/Basic Grey papers and stamps.  As it was a Hawaiian themed party, I really overdid the tropical flowers. 

Hope she liked it and enjoyed her special day.

This is my second post for today

Gotta love these colours, though I don't think this was as successful as the card I posted earlier to day.  I had to walk away for awhile (to do the ironing - a great time to think) to work out how I could pull it together.  There are 2 different yellows on this card indicating my complete lack of yellow inks, also indicating it isn't one of my favourite colours.  Were it green, I have endless shades of that hue.

What you need
Cardstock - Bazzill Basics Orange, mid brown. yellow;  SU white
Patterned Paper - Autumn Abundance
Stamps - PTI Mat Stack 4 Collection
Ink - SU Early Espresso, Pumpkin Pie;  Brilliance Sunflower Yellow
Ribbon - SU pumpkin pie taffeta

I think I will also enter it in the Ribbon Carousel Challenge

October already!

Where has the year gone!  My daughter has just returned to school this week and has only 7 weeks of Grade 3 left, I am sure she was only a toddler a year ago!  We had a lovely week in Ballarat with family only it was very cold and stormy which caused havoc across the southern states.

Anyway to a few challenges I have had my eye on this week.  I have finished my daughter's birthday invitations which I will put up next week when they have been sent, just need to work on the take home gift now.

This first card combines the gorgeous colours of the Shabby Tea Rooms latest challenge and the Sweet Stop's latest design.

This patterned paper would be my favourite of all the PTI papers but I always forget to use it.  

What you need

Cardstock - PTI white, new leaf;  SU Early Espresso

Patterned paper - Autumn Abundance

Stamps - PTI Turning a New Leaf, Beautiful Blooms 2;  SU Curly Cute

Ink - SU Real Red, Pumpkin Pie, Early Espresso (and marker)

Ribbon - ? American Crafts

Gems - Kaisercraft

The second challenge that caught my attention was Cards for Men utilising something sporty.  I have had this Snoopy stamp for a few years, my husband being a soccer fan, but never used it.  Well he has his Man Utd kit on and he is ready to play ball

What you need

Cardstock - SU black, white

Patterned paper - Kaisercraft Shaken not Stirred

Stamps - PTI Inside and Out:  Birthday;  Stampabilities Snoopy the Hot Shot

Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black;  SU Real Red

Copic Markers

And finally for now, one for the Daring Cardmakers challenge - a card featuring a foreign language.  I paired this with SU's new Beau Chateau DSP.

What you need

Cardstock - SU Soft Suede, Pink Pirouette, Vanilla

Patterned paper - SU Beau Chateau

Stamps  - SUCarte Postale

Ink - SU Soft Suede;  Versamagic Aegean Blue (reasonable match for Marina Mist)

Ribbon - SU Pink Pirouette striped grosgrain

Pearls - Kaisercraft

You can find links to all these challenges and more on the right hand sidebar.

Paper Crafts Blog Feature

It was a lovely surprise to be asked to write alittle bit about Christmas in Australia for the Paper Crafts Connection lead up to the PC Christmas ideas book for 2011.  It was one of my favourite submissions and may use it for some of my cards this year.

I can't wait to see how my other projects look in print and all the other great ideas of some very talented designers. 

A rare September post - Less is More

So for my second September post, which had to be reasonably quick, I have chosen the Less is More challenge - a sketch

Now that my focus is for Christmas, except for my daughter's birthday, I thought a Christmas card was in order.

What you need
Cardstock - SU white;  Bazzill Basics hot pink
Stamps - SUMy Friend;  Penny Black Merry Christmas
Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black, Rose Bud
Markers - Memento Rose Bud, Angel Pink
Stickles - Diamond

 I have been glued to Jennifer McGuire's online class "Inspiration Showcase" for the past couple of weeks and found an area of my stamp/ink collection which is sadly lacking - Distress inks and stains.  I have seen some of the techniques featured but definitely not all so hope to have a play when we get home from Victoria.

This is what I have been working on .... have known for quite sometime that these birthday calendar books needed to be done but, of course, I left getting them done till the last minute.

If I can indulge my ego for a moment, this weeks Paper Crafts blog is featuring the new Christmas cards special edition. A week or so ago Courtney Smith emailed me to say that a project of mine would be featured on the blog (Tuesday US time, so Wednesday in Oz).  So take a look and let me know what you think.

A Bundle of Joy

 It certainly has been a while since I blogged, unintentional, but if the motivation isn't there then there's no point pushing it - this is supposed to be fun.  It is school holidays now and my daughter and I are off to Victoria next week, so this week is my only chance to create and post.  I have a couple of birthday books to decorate before then so I may end up using card challenges for the covers.

This is one of my go-to designs for baby cards, I love the simplicity and gender neutrality (if that is the correct use of the word).  It covers 2 challenges, Just Add Ink - Just for Baby and Wee Memories - No Patterned Paper.

What you need

Cardstock - SU Sahara Sand, white, Barely Banana, Certainly Celery

Stamps - SU Eastern Blooms, Punches 3,  Polka Dot

Ink - Versamark; SU Certainly Celery

Filigree White Embossing Powder

Ribbon - SU Grosgrain Certainly Celery

This next card is one I did for a friend of mine whose birthday it was last week.  I hadn't used this set before and the inspiration was purely Maile Belles.  I think this set is going to take some practice but I do like how it turned out.

What you need

Cardstock - Bazzill Basics white, yellow

Stamps - PTI Gracious Vases

Ink - Memento Tangelo, Ladybird, Pear Tart, Cantaloupe

I have also been busy with the latest Papercrafts magazine submission, unfortunately none of mine were chosen, perhaps that may have reflected a lack of inspiration, but here is one that I really loved.  These sets really appealed to me, as I come from a chemistry background (thank you Deborah Fringes). 

 What you need

Cardstock - PTI white;  Bazzill Basics Orange

Stamps - There She Goes Chemistry, Chem 101

Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black

Copics

Amber at Damask Love has a Reject Blog Hop running, so check out all the other beautiful cards that missed out.