Cardabilities Sketch #110

Hello again :)

Today is the final reveal for my first term at Cardabilities.  Ive really enjoyed playing with the sketches Karan has designed each month as well as being involved in such an organised friendly team of crafters.

You can see the new sketch here.

This time round I used a really old paper range from Pink Paislee, its some of the last pieces I have from it :(  There are just some ranges out there from different companies that I have just loved over the years and could not bring myself to cut into!!  But the pile was getting bigger so time to start playing with them - anyone else out there as bad as me? ;)

A little closeup of that cluster for you - some Prima flowers and leaves with a new leafy flourish die - yes I do have an addiction to dies ;) - Ive cut out using the packaging the flowers came in.

I loved this sketch so much I also made another card, this time much more simple and for a boy!  Its a bit of MME with a mixture of BoBunny stamps and embellishments.  To get the yellow behind the phrase at the bottom I stamped first in yellow paint, and then over the top in black archival ink, to make it stand out a bit more and tie in with colour scheme.

The 13 is stamped and embossed - its a set of stamps from BB Zip-a-Dee range.  That circle cluster is a very old set of clear stamps from Fancy Pants, a 12 x12 set that is one of my favs.
Both cards are quite different, but thats the perfect thing about sketches!

If you pop on over to the Cardabilities page you can see some really stunning examples and the featured designers - they're creativity will blow you away, simply stunning cards!!

Candy Cane Lane - BoBunny DT

Hey There! :)

This past weekend was a long one for us here in New Zealand,  Monday was a national holiday, Labour Day - and like most Labour weekends the weather was quite patchy! and of course today is glorious - the day we go back to labouring ;)

Today I have to share with you a couple of cards Ive made using Candy Cane Lane from BoBunny - surprisingly this has turned into one of my favourite collections.  I say surprising because Im a traditional chick - I love all those old fashioned traditional colours and graphics, so this collection took me by surprise!

Ive made these to add to the Christmas card pile, specifically with someone in mind - she loves pink!!

Nothing too hard for this first card - a few layers, some fussy cutting and die cutting and its done!

Theres my favourite flower die again lol, Ive changed the centre 'stamens' this time, and used a punch I had instead of using the die.  BB have recently changed the way they package their dot jewels, so you can purchase them in shades of colour - red, green, aqua etc and they come in pearls and jewels and they still match collections perfectly!!

This card I went all out pink :) but I love it!  Ive fussy cut those trees and centred them over a die cut wreath over a BB doily and just added some jewels.  Simple but effective.

Now hopefully Ive got you all inspired to make some non-traditional Christmas cards ;)
Thanks for popping by :)

BoBunny Supplies:
Patterned Paper: December, Snowflake, Naughty or Nice /Candy Cane Lane
Dollies: 4" Small
Jewels: Think Pink
Buttons: Candy Cane Lane
Noteworthy: Candy Cane Lane

Cardabitlities Sketch #109

Today is reveal day over at Cardabilities which means a new sketch for you to play with, and you will also see some of the beautiful cards picked as featured designers.  You can find the new sketch here.

This time I have decided to flip the sketch upside down, and created a card for a colleague at work who is about to start her big OE and venture out into the world.  Im betting Paris will be one of her stops ;)  I've used one of my favourite ranges from Teresa Collins, Memorabilia with some yummy Petaloo flowers.

If you pop on over to Cardabilities there are some beautiful interpretations of the sketch.  While you're there you could check out Sketchabilities too!

Changes, Halloween and Graphic 45.

I have a few funny quirks, don't laugh!  One of them being I hate change, unless of course Im the one making the change ;)  Some change is for the good and thats ok, but some change makes me sad and its come about through a state of progressive evolution I guess would be one of way of putting it.  So I bet you're wondering where Im going with this?!

Well, at the weekend I went down to Timaru with one of my Scrappy BFF's for a day of creativity.  Its a two hour drive to get there and it starts at 10am-10pm, we generally get going about 8am.  It got me thinking about how we got to this point, I mean its a long way to go for a monthly scrapbook crop!, but thats the way scrapping seems to have evolved.  Our dollar became so high against the US that people found it cheaper to buy from overseas, and with that came more variety of product being available.  And Im not saying that its right or wrong but that change, changed things in NZ and shops closed down with the decrease in sales.
For me that means theres only one wee store in Christchurch  www.thepaperteapot.co.nz when we used to have about 5 I think, depending on how far back you go, and that also means those weekly crops that some stores used to have, where you got together with your friends, chatted and created, learnt new tips and made new friends, have gone.  Hence my monthly trip to Timaru, spending the day at Artfull Crafts.  So yes, sometimes I hate change, and you could say its a purely selfish reason but I just find it sad.

Don't get me wrong, I love my days creating in Timaru, its just the journey of how we got to this point, I find sad for scrapbooking.  A group of us try to get together on a Wednesday which doesn't always work - my shift work often interferes :(  and things come up, thats just life.

So what did I create?  A few things, but this was my favourite.

In  NZ we don't really celebrate Halloween, although there is more and more of a Halloween influence here as the years go by, but nothing like Ireland or America.  Graphic 45 produced Steampunk Spells and I fell in love! and I don't even like Halloween!!  But those colours and graphics are just so cool!!

The base of this is two books that I found on sale at Typo, I just covered them and started building my layers and embellishments.

The bats are two layers stuck together, cut on my Cameo and the chipboard oval is Dusty Attic that I have painted and then inked to give it an aged look.

This handsome devil I found in the $2 shop and Ive given him 'wings' of spider webs again cut from my Cameo.

Aren't those flowers beautiful?!  The purple vine is from  Manor House that Ive been holding onto for awhile waiting for that perfect project - guess I found it :)

So considering I don't do halloween I bet you're wondering what Im going to do with it!  I did look at it when it was finished thinking I love it so much do I really want to give it away?  But I think it needs to be shown off and treasured by someone who loves Halloween, so its winging its way to Ireland tomorrow :)

See you next time!

Cardabilities #108

Hi Everyone!
Theres a new sketch over at Cardabilities right now, so go take a look at some of the gorgeousness the DT has created!

Heres the sketch :)

  And heres my take on it. Ive pretty much stuck to sketch this time.

 I've created my background this time, stamping the same stamp (Kaisercraft) three times, and then inking the edges with two distress inks, Walnut Stain and Old Paper.

I've also used some really old Basic Grey rubons to tuck in behind my flower cluster, which is a mixture of Prima and Petaloo.

I made this for a friend for her birthday last month, and made a tag to match.  I LOVE how its all turned out, think it might be one of my favourites yet!

Thanks for popping by!