Sunday 29 December 2013

The Squirrel and the Fox # 60- Anything goes

Hi there everyone - I do hope Santa came and left things just as he ought! I also hope that life is relaxed and comfortable today and you are looking forward to welcoming in the 2014 year. For those of you by the beach - keep the sun cream slathered on and drink lots of water! For those of you in the Northern climes  - rug up and stay warm and dry!


For this challenge the theme is 
ANYTHING GOES!



This is the image that I used from the sponsor for this Challenge at 


It's a great image because it can be anything you want really!


I have created a Retirement card today: this is the time of year many people retire - either to become coastal dwellers or country dwellers or to be grey nomads. If you are one of those people - best of luck to you and be aware that time takes on a different meaning once you are retired! My sentiment is from SU Lovely Thoughts stamp set. 


The image is colored up with my Prisma pencils and Zest to melt the wax and spread it about a little, merging the strokes and colors.  It has a nice soft feel - like dawn or dusk at the beach or the shack.

Take some time to relax and get out the new stuff, and have a go at making a paper item, then enter it in our current challenge-  ANYTHING GOES! The DT have created some lovely pieces to inspire you so pop over and have a look here. 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!


Wednesday 25 December 2013

Merry Christmas



Merry Christmas to all my readers and keep safe!



I do hope Father Christmas delivers the goods!
Enjoy the day with family and friends and if not, enjoy the day crafting!

Best Wishes
Susan and family!

Monday 23 December 2013

keep safe!

Just hearing about lots of terrible weather being visited on those of you who live in USA and and Canada,  and across across Europe and the UK. Keep safe and warm and happy.  We are all OK in lovely Melbourne - not too hot or cold!

Tuesday 17 December 2013

Late to post for Unstampabelles midway!

Hellooo - everyone as busy as I am?  Good to hear!


It's only a week or so to go until the happy man climbs down the chimneys (or in through the door) to leave a little piece of happiness behind for us - but only if you have been good! I have been very good - most of the time! that should count - right?


I have a half-way card for Unstampabelles's last challenge under the capable hands of Merry. She is retiring as General Manager, and I will pick up the reins in January.  Meanwhile - we have a challenge to create something Christmas WITHOUT using stamps of any kind - rubber, clear or digital.



There are some beautiful creations already entered in this challenge and a greet prize up for grabs from Merry herself:

The prize pack this month is from Merry.
Prize for December Challenge includes:
Laser cut cards and card fronts - Christmas Designs
Card front designs pre-holed ready for stitching.
Card front designs with the stitching pattern printed on the card.
Christmas stickers.
3 types of star brads
Christmas foil shapes
Four pads of Sticky Notes

Here is my card - to celebrate Merry herself!


I have used dies, ribbon, paper flowers and leaves.


Sunday 15 December 2013

Challenge #59 from the Squirrel and the Fox

Only one week to go!



The challenge at The Squirrel and the Fox over this fortnight has to be 

#59 - Christmas or Hanukkah 

Our sponsor for this is
offering 3 free digis!

I have made most of my cards now so I am making tags - I decided to use both the images the sponsor gave to the DT to use and so printed them out after resizing them, and coloured them with the Copics.  I wanted the shimmer on the ornaments, and so used my watercolour medium again for this, and you can certainly see it in the photos - it real life it is not so overpowering. I fussy-cut the images out. 


I grabbed a couple of big manilla tags, some die cuts I had floating and some scrap DP and basically threw them together to create the tags. 


I added some ribbon at the top and stamped WMS stamp in black ink on the top.  They are already tied to some presents!


A photo in direct sunlight to show that the shimmer is not at all overpowering the image. 


I am sure not everyone out there is doing Christmas shopping, baking and decorating! Even if you are, just grab a few minutes to yourself and create something Christmassy for this challenge! That last minute card or tag will do!

I have been annoyingly ill this last fortnight - you now, ENT infection leading to complications! I have latent ashma and it doesn't usually annoy me much unless it gets stirred up by this sort of thing - now I am coughing my head off and feeling so tired at the end of the day and my rib cage is so sore - and my throat is too. My voice would suit Marlene Deitrick well! It has put me at least five days behind with everything - and today I had to brave the shops and do a rushed shop! I thought I had broken the back on the shopping until I went to the present cupboard and found it nearly bare! Not sure what I had thought I had done but it needed doing again! Anyhoo.........there are no decorations up yet and I still have to make 10 cards. I have posted the bulk of them, or hubby did today, and I have the grandchildren's shopping for Canberra nearly ready to be posted Monday morning. I am sure it will all come together - perhaps, maybe, or anyway enough so that it will be OK......I hope.......you know what I mean!

Grandaughter number 2 turned 18 last week - ended up making her two cards in a very big hurry because I stuffed up number 1 (got ink on it) and didn't take any photos before they were delivered.  She also passed her P's for driving, so now is FREE.....it was so funny to drive passed their house the day after and see NO cars in the front yard after seeing at least one there for so long!

Enough babble - if you could see my disgustingly untidy and dirty workspace........off to do a tidy at least and start on the 10 remaining cards!

I will enter these tags into the following challenges:


Wednesday 11 December 2013

Challenge 17 for Crafting with Dragonflies

Well, we are knee deep in December - it is supposed to be summer here but it is wet, windy and cold today - when the sun is not shinning that is! Still, not long until we see the jolly fat man and get to eat ourselves silly!



I have done a lot of my shopping - I confess a lot of it earlier in the year, by happenschance, not deliberate. I have some left to do but should get through this pretty quickly. I am thinking of wrapping some already and have made some tags  - a set of four, although I need many more than that!

The Challenge at Crafting with Dragonflies is to make a Christmas tag! NOT a card - a TAG! The sponsors (yes, there are two) for our final challenge for 2013 are:

Sassy Studio Designs


they are offering 4 digis of the winner's choice



and QKR

QKR
who are offering 5 digis of the winner's choice

WOW - great prizes.



Anyway, I used a digi image from QKR called Santa in the Chimney

I ran the image off four times onto XPress Blending card and used the trusty Copics to colour it up I did all four together to make sure that the colours are pretty much the same across all of them.  


Once I had them coloured in I mounted them onto some red card - SU Poppy Parade - and looked around for a tag big enough to take them because I didn't remember to resize them before I began! I got them onto some big Manilla tags from Inkssentials (Ranger). I got the LOTV set called Christmas Grungy and stamped out four different stamps, coloured them up and added some Iridescent Medium to the top to make it all shimmery.


I tried to show the shimmer here - not sure if it works that well


Each tag has washi tape layered up the tag - I have purchased the tape and forgot it was there most of the time but had a sudden light-bulb moment and went to work.  There is a mixture of SU tape and other tape. I then added a snowflake from Frenchville, some bling and some ribbon. 

So, why not go and have a look at the other tags created by the team a Crafting with Dragonflies, and prepare to be amazed - they are outstanding! Then you can go and make a TAG or a set of TAGS and enter our last challenge for 2013!

I will enter these in the following challenges:

Deep Ocean Challenge: Santa is Coming - this blog has the most amazing mast head!
Just Inspirational: Washi tape - yep, lots!
Got in Top Three



Digi Darla's Challenges: Santa or Snowman image
Make it Monday: anything goes




Monday 2 December 2013

Challenge #30 for Unstampabelles - Final for Merry

WARNING: You might need to get a drink first!



Firstly some news: This challenge will be Merry's last one with this challenge blog called Unstampabelles. How sad are we all to see this day?  Very sad indeed.  Merry has been an excellent organiser for this great blog and a great friend to all the DT members. She is going to be missed big time.  This blog provides a chance for crafters who like to play with paper and ink and not always just with stamps!

Some more news: Remember previously I was talking about door opening and door closing and doors half-way open - if you read this blurb religiously you will perhaps remember that comment.  Anyhow, one new door was as a member of the DT at the Squirrel and the Fox which I love. Another half open door was the chance to run my own challenge blog.............and I thought and I thought and I had another gin, and I thought some more......and I finally decided that if I was going to die wondering that would be a shame! So, I have talked to Merry and.........very deep breath............ I will be taking over the running of Unstampabelles from January onward and we will see how it all pans out! So, Merry will be leaving but the blog will still be running, everything being equal!



Now, I will take another deep breath - keep breathing, keep breathing...... and we will go on;

 with the last challenge of Unstampabelles for 2013

Why, it's Christmas of course!

The sponsor for this month is .......drum roll........ MERRY!
And here is a photo of the prize she is offering


Prize includes:
Laser cut cards and card fronts - Christmas Designs
Card front designs pre-holed ready for stitching.
Card front designs with the stitching pattern printed on the card.
Christmas stickers.
3 types of star brads
Christmas foil shapes
Four pads of Sticky Notes

Now, for my contribution this time, I had a go at making up some cards from a freebie package given away with a magazine called Creative Cardmaking.  How many of us buy the magazines and then don't  know what to do with the stamps or papers or such.  They sit in bins or boxes and so I have made a decision - to either use them straight away or put them in my "give away" box that I have for school or grandchildren rather than horde them.

These papers were by Hot off the Press and were outstanding in quality and flexibility.  There were also three sheets of diecuts included with the set and a small  frame and sentiment stamp.   I made 11 cards - still have several pieces left from the die cuts, and at least three sheets of paper. Only two cards used the stamp. I initially CASed the suggested card designs from the magazine, but soon gave that away and went by instinct.


Here are all 11 cards - pretty colours

I used scraps up too - the white was left over from another card.  The sticker sentiment has been in my Christmas box for about four years now. Another thing used up!

A bit of ribbon and some dots of gold Perfect Pearls, as well as the stickers


See the dots of gold! Oh, a a bit of bling!


Some more bits of ribbon and the card blanks of course, trimmed on one side at the front for one of these. 


This is a CASed one - pretty isn't it


A sticker and a rub-on


Some dots of gold here too, and some paper lace


I like this trimmed edge thing so used it several times with the die cuts sticking over the edge. 


Again - some ribbon and bling


This ribbon bow came from some chocolates and the stamp is used here


The background paper here is a scrap of embossed music paper and the bling was added too. 


So, a lot of cards to add to the stash and a sense of achievement for getting rid of the freebie - of course, all the new stamps and papers that I have bought are still sitting there looking at me, and the new die cuts and stuff......guess you cannot have everything!

I will enter these in the following challenges:



Sunday 1 December 2013

Challenge #58 for The Squirrel and the Fox

This is my second posting for my newest DT position for The Squirrel and the Fox

Challenge #58 for The Squirrel and the Fox could be summer themed or winter themed, depending on where in the world you are when December comes around! I am in the southern hemisphere (best part) so naturally my choice is Summer!


Don't feel much like it but! Summer is supposed to be warm days and balmy nights, blue skies and sunshine! Hmph! Our summer is wet and cold this year and the weather bureau promises us more to come! Oh, lemons and lemonade; I don't cope that well in warm weather so it will be a bit of a blessing - yes, Pollyanna! 

This little lass feels warm enough even if there is no sun in her sky. 

I used an image from our sponsor for this challenge - Pink Cat Studios:


The prize is 5 free images

The first photo below was taken in the sun and shows the colours clearly.  I coloured the image after printing it off on X Press blending paper. I used my Copics - as you can see the image is quite large here but the good thing about digis is that you can resize them to suit the project you are working on. Once I had coloured it up I fussy-cut it out and fixed it with some dimensional circles to sit it off the background. 



The background was sponged ink (Momento) and I added some little clouds from Cloud 9 directly onto the commercial card blank.  The sentiment is from MFT - and die cut with the matching die - Banner Greetings, stamped in Momento black ink. The stamps and die arrived yesterday!


This was taken the night before - it was rainy and very overcast.  The colours are quite muted. 

There are no tortoises in Tasmania or Terripans - not naturally occuring that is - but I saw David Attenborough talking to one on TV, in London I think, that was big enough for a kid to ride on. Didn't look as happy for it to occur as this one though. However, I have seen quite a few ride-on toys featuring tortoises - must be a fashion trend. Still its a pretty cute image don't you think? 

Why not go over to The Squirrel and the Fox and look at the other cards produced by my fellow teamies,  and leave them some love on their blogs; and then have a go at creating either a summer or winter card for yourself and entering it - you have two weeks from today - GO!

I will enter this in the following challenges:

Sister Act Card Challenge: Anything Goes
4 Crafty Girls: Anything Goes
Cute Card Thursday: Anything Goes









Wednesday 27 November 2013

Ornament making for Christmas

Crafting with Dragonflies has a new challenge for the next two weeks

Challenge # 16: Christmas Ornament ( to hang on the tree or wall)


This is a 3D project, and one that should use a Christmas image of some kind.  Cards are not accepted for this one unless the ornament is attached to a card or turns into an ornament. 

We are sponsored for this by
Bugaboo - 7 Digis of winner's choice


Bugaboo also supplied us with some images - and I used one called SFWreath


I coloured her with Copics after printing her off twice onto XPress Blending card. Once both were coloured up, I fussy cut them out and attached them to a scallop circle die cut form white card. This is sitting on top of a die cut star - Spellbinders Shapeabilities Moroccan Motifs - cut from SU Poppy Parade. This is in turn attached to another larger  scallop circle die cut from the white card again. Oh, and I added some Stickles to make them sparkle. 


Between the two I attached a ribbon carrier, glued down with Prit so it will stay tight. I covered up the centre of this with some ribbon, and attached a ribbon loop to hand the ornament. From the bottom of the whole, I attached with gold thread two earings (old Christmas ones) with two gold beads between them to hold them slightly apart. Because they would not stop swinging, I could not photograph them properly!


You can see them best here



Another look at the layers of circles


Hanging outside but the flowers in he hanging basket next door intruded on the edge of the photo....


Another view


It tends to turn a bit in the breeze


Inside, hanging off a painting board on the easel. Ribbon was parcel wrapping ribbon - too nice to throw away. 



I will enter this in the following challenges:
Scrap Creations: make it sparkle - yep, it does!
Party Time Tuesday: Anything Goes
Through the Craftroom Door: Anything Goes