Now.... tell me...

... how is it that a day spent in not doing much activity leaves you exhausted.  My daughter had 5 teeth out today, not complicated but she had to deal with a general anaesthetic for the first time.  

 North West private hospital on the northside of Brisbane were BRILLIANT.  Every level of care were just fantastic, particularly with a child who has had no experience of a hospital.  

Thank you from the Jones family.

She came through it beautifully, and ate when she came home.  She will definitely have tomorrow off (as her nurse said "children, school and raw wounds - not a great mix").  

OK, here is a quick card from today - between serving various forms of cold food and blog surfing, I came up with this one.

What you need

Cardstock - PTI Black, white

Stamps - Cas-ual Fridays Woot-woot, HA Year Round Sentiments; PTI Star Prints

Ink - Versamark;  Versafine Onyx Black

Glitter Ritz

Bolshoi Ballet Sunday

Guess who's going to the ballet today!!  Can't wait.  Queensland audiences have been warned that we are too reserved when watching ballet (of the Russian kind) and that if we feel like clapping and cheering mid dance, then we should.  My daughter has one busy day today, still sick of course.  First up this morning she is doing "The Colour Run", a new thing to Australia but it looks SOOOO much fun.  She is doing it with one of her school/triathlon friends, so I think they will giggle more than run and enjoy having as much colour as possible hurled at them.  Parents at a respectful distance behind.  That is on the Gold Coast - 1 1/2 hours from home.  

So once we are plastered in colour, she has to be back for a private ballet lesson, presumably un-coloured, not sure how that will work out as I am pretty sure she won't have time to come home.  THEN, we go to the Bolshoi.  BIG BIG BIG here in Brisbane.  

So by evening she will be exhausted.  Le Corssaire (never been staged in Australia before) is 3 hours 20 minutes long with 2 intervals.  So we won't get home till after 7 and of course, it is a school night.

First up, a Christmas card of the CAS kind.  I assure you that his beard and hat are furry.  This one could be a goer for my daughter's friends cum the end of the year.

Edited to Add:  My little friend here was nominated for a Shout Out - what a thrill!

What you need

Cardstock - PTI white; Canson shimmer gold

Patterned paper - PTI patterns in New Leaf, Pure Poppy

Stamps - PTI Holiday Button Bits, Communique Curves

Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black;  Delicata Gold Glitz

Copics

Brads - SU

*****

Now for one of my favourite challenges, particularly when we have  a divine graphic like this one.  Summer - hmmm, second day of winter here, but none the less, most of our year is spent in near summer conditions so shouldn't have too much trouble channelling warmth.

It is hard to see, but the yellow paper is striped

What you need

Cardstock - PTI white, Summer Sunrise;  SU Old Olive;  BB mid pink

DSP - SU Brights Collection

Ink - Versafine Onyx Black

Stamps - Cas-ual Fridays Stamps Woot Woot

Dies - MFT Layer Flag Stax;  TE branch;  PTI Ribbon Ends (?)

MS butterfly punch

Pearls and Gems - Kiasercraft

*****

My Avery Elle stamps have arrived and what better way to christen them than with my first Avery Elle challenge - and in beautiful blues and blue-greens. 

Apologies for the photography - taken on my iPhone

What you need

Cardstock - PTI white

Stamps - Avery Elle Framed Fonts, To the Point

Ink - Memento Danube Blue, Bahama Blue;  PTI Hawaiian Shores

Twine - The Twinery (Ocean)

The Paper Players #147

 This card started out quite a different beast.  I wanted to combine it with another one of my favourite challenges, but when I had another look at the colours, the dominant hue was sadly lacking.  So no Stampin Royalty today.

This is probably the hardest challenge for me to do - this says multiple patterned papers to me (or stamping).  Not absolutely sure what I think about this one, perhaps the card size is a bit too big for the diecut.  I dunno!

What you need

Cardstock - PTI white, black

Patterned paper - Echo Park Victoria Gardens

Die - MFT

Stamps - MFT On the Line

Ink - Versafine Onyx Black

Gems - Kaisercraft

I hope to be back over the weekend with a couple of cards, certainly the plan is there.  Those gates still need painting.

PTI May 2013 Blog Hop

A beautiful winter's day here in Brisbane.  The perfect time to get some outdoor jobs done.  My husband and father-in-law have just built 2 side gates, which I love (if you can love gates) and now my job is to paint them.  I actually quite like painting and it gets me out of the housework!  

I had SOOOO much trouble picking a colour palette, I loved them all.  So went with the pink - no surprise there!  But I also missed last months challenge - tilted.  Therefore I have combined both challenges and am very happy with the result.

What you need
Cardstock - PTI white
Stamps - PTI Embroidered Blooms, Think Big Favourites
Ink - Versafine Onyx Black;  PTI Raspberry Fizz, Hibiscus Burst, Ripe Avocado;  Memento Tangelo
Black Marker
Gems - Kaisercraft

Edited to Add:  At Darnell's very kind suggestion, I am also entering this for the latest CAS(E) this Sketch challenge.  I don't know how I missed it. 

Pinspired No. 9

I think I will just make the deadline for this challenge.  Where has the week gone - well with a husband away and and child sick - up the spout.  Anyway, enough moaning,  a day playing mummy has allowed my to stamp YAY!  

All those rich pinks and golds, yum!  Had to have a go.  I think at the bottom of the graphic are sequins so I have added them.  Not my thing necessarily, but having a daughter, I have TONNES of them.  But didn't want to take it any further.

What you neeed
Cardstock - BB pink; Canson shimmer gold
Stamps - PTI Embroidered Blooms
Ink - Versamark
Embossing Powder - Zing! Glitter Black
Punch - SU
Sequins

? Christmas ..... already!

I have had the Festive Friday challenge sitting in my to do list for quite some time, but this is the first time I have attempted it.  So to go with that, the latest WMS Christmas card challenge, hosted by Charmaine Stack and the theme is Glitter.

So, lots of glitter and my favourite Christmas sweet treat - Gingerbread.  I am too lazy to decorate it but love baking and of course eating it (any time of year really).  

What you need

Cardstock - PTI white

Glitter card - Bella! Glitz Rouge

Stamps - WMS Nutcracker Sweet, Candy Jar Christmas Fillers

Ink - SU Early Espresso

Punch - SU scallop

Stickles - Red, Diamond

*****

I missed the dessert option for Dynamic Duos, initially but I was determined to use a bear for this sketch.  Must be telepathic!  

What you need

Cardstock - PTI white; SU Pacific Point

Stamps - PTI Baby Button Basics

Ink - VersafinStame Onyx Black;  Memento Bahama Blue

Copic T1

Various punches - SU

Glossy Accents

Goosebumps - K and Company

*****

And finally for this weekend - 2 colours I don't use much and 1 quite a bit.  And yes, you guessed it, another piece of 12 x 12 bites the dust - very satisfying!  I admit to a bit of recycling too.  The twine around the button came with my first (I anticipate many more) consignments of Cas-ual Fridays Stamps.  I had a very hard time limiting the number of stamp sets.  It's all Susan Raihala's fault, she has created some really great cards with these stamps lately.

I digress.  More baby cards, male or female this time I think

What you need

Cardstock - PTI white;  SU Calypso Coral, Island Indigo

Patterned Paper - Pebbles Inc Ever After (Sparkle)

Stamps - PTI Baby Button Basics

Ink  - Versafine Onyx Black

Die - SB classic scalloped circles

Pen - SU Calypso Coral

Button - PTI

Friday afternoon fun

This card started out a very different beast.  Let us just say, no glitter was involved.  But a quick trip to one of my favourite bloggers, led me to this Julie Ebersole for Ellen Hutson.  I had to try it.  Love the effect but, man does that ink travel fast!  Had to do a few quick fixes, but it is quite forgiving.

This photo, hopefully gives  a better idea of the  glitter.

But ... maybe not

What you need

Cardstock - PTI black, white

Big Shot Multi purpose adhesive sheets - SU

Stamps - HA Pattern Hearts and Flowers, Year Round Sentiments

Ink - Brilliance Graphite Black

Copics - YG05, YG17, R11, R14, R46,Colourless Blender

Glitter - Glitter Ritz Microfine Opaque white

Gems - Kaisercraft

A couple of mid-week cards

It's been a grey old day here today, looks like winter is not far away.  All children in Grades 3, 5, 7, and 9 are completing 3 days of national testing on numeracy and literacy today.  Stress over for another 2 years!  Most parents I have spoken to recently are completely in the dark about what the testing is designed to highlight - where an individual child may need help, or how well the school is teaching the test.  I saw one of my daughter's friends this morning before they headed off to orchestra, and said good luck with Maths today, R said, "Is that what we are doing today, I'll do whatever they put in front of me" . I guess that's how to handle it .

Anyway a chic card for a very chic ensemble.  I didn't want to do black and white stripes necessarily, then remembered this DSP.  The other details I wanted to highlight were the belt and buckle and the model walking away from camera, just over her shoulder.  The stamping didn't work quite as well as hoped so I went over it with the Molotow paint pen.

What you need

Cardstock - PTI black; Canson shimmer gold

DSP - SU Neutrals Collection

Stamps - PTI Think Big Favourites

Ink - Memories Unicorn white

Molotow paint pen

Buckle

***

Next up is one of my favourite challenges which I have missed the passed few weeks.  So this being a birthday celebration, we got to choose a favourite colour palette from the past year.  This is one from the last couple of weeks and while we are on the theme of slightly masculine cards, I think this one could be used for a young boy.

I had thought to stamp stripes but knew that would end up in too much wasted cardstock, so went with strips of card.  Not much stamping I admit, but love the effect.

What you need
Cardstock - Gina K white;  SU Bashful Blue, Pumpkin Pie
Stamps - HA Year Round Sentiments, Many Birthday Messages; PTI Star Prints
Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black; SU Bashful Blue, Pumpkin Pie
Die - MFT Star Stax

Little Boy Blue .....

My Mum needed a baby card for one of her former students, now a long term friend.  As usual I had more girly stuff than masculine, so, never one to not use up another piece of my 12 x 12 pile, I came up with this one.  

 What you need

Cardstock - Gina K white; BB brown; X-press It blending card
Patterned paper - Pebbles New Arrival (Mommy's Boy)
Stamps - PTI Baby Button Basics, Star Prints
Ink - Memento Rich Cocoa, Summer Sky
Copics - B12, B14
Silver Organza
Button - PTI (Spring Rain)
DMC thread

Miscellany on Sunday

First up is my entry for the Case Study Design Team call.  The brief was to interpret a piece by your personal "muse".  For me, it's Debbie Olson - I am completely in awe of her colouring, precision and her ability to put patterned papers together.  This card encompasses pretty much all of these things.  I am completely unable to incorporate this much detail without it looking a mess.  So with my simplified version, I have used the colours, scallops and of course seam binding.  

I think my Mum will love this card for Mother's Day next Sunday.  My family will be out doing the annual Mother's Day Classic, a walk/run to raise funds for breast cancer.  It has become a bit of a tradition with us, and usually followed by a gorgeous breakfast somewhere.

What you need

Cardstock - PTI white, Aqua Mist, red; X-press It Blending paper

Patterned paper - PTI Aqua Mist collection

Stamps - PTI All Booked Up, Mat Stack 3 Collection;  Verve One Person (sentiment)

Ink - HA Soft Pool;  Memento Lady Bug, Tuxedo Black

Die - MFT small scallop

Copics - R12, R14, R17; T4, T4; YG13;  BG11, BG13

Sean Binding ?

Ooh, just noticed the very latest Paper Players challenge is for Mother's Day.

 ******

I generally don't need this type of card, but you just never know.  I love the calm effect of this grass stamp, I hope it sees some more ink soon.

What you need

Cardstock - PTI Kraft, brown white

Stamps - HA Silhouette grass;  PTI Think Big Favourites.

Ink - SU Certainly Celery, Old Olive, Early Espresso

Square Punch - SU

*****

I have saved the cutest for last!

What a gorgeous little girl!  Oh, and the outfit is beautiful too.  I hate to think how much it costs.  I remember buying my daughter a reasonably costly ensemble when she was about 6 months, then fretted every time she wore it, that food would end up all over it - which of course it did.  Very silly on my part, but she looked divine for 5 minutes.

I couldn't quite tell whether the top was pink or cream but it doesn't really matter as it's for a little girl.  Congratulations Aga, enjoy this time as it REALLY does go in a flash.

What you need

Cardstock - PTI Sweet Blush, Black;  Canson metallic gold

Stamps - PTI Background Basics:  Dots and Spots;  Mega Mixed Messages

Ink - Versamark;  Memento Tuxedo Black

Embossing Powder - Zing! Matt Black

Die - MFT Bow

Pearl - Kaisercraft

Corner Rounder - We R Memory Keepers