Hope you haven't been blown away!

I hope all those on the East Coast of USA were not blown away with Sandy, and are doing OK without power and other facilities. Watching it on TV over the last few days has been interesting, especially as we can say "we know where that is" when seeing footage.  Trick and Treat will be a bit of a disaster as well I expect! Anyway, to those who do celebrate All Hollows Night, Happy Halloween!

We had a great spring day yesterday, with the temp getting up to 25 and no wind.  Hubby has just had his second cataract op in a fortnight, and is looking OK, despite them have to put a few stitches in yesterday to draw his eye down on the bottom (cheek) side - he has ingrown eyelashes and they were annoying the eye a bit. 

I will have some card to share soon - having been making christmas cards and playing and hubby wants me to do my tax, so the pressure is on! 

Aniseed Rings

Time for our next challenge #57 at Lollipop Ladies. 

Aniseed Rings!

These yummy circles of jelly are coated in sugar - so you get that liquorish taste with the sweetness of the sugar. So the theme is BLACK AND WHITE and as they are also in circles AND are covered with sparkling sugar, a bit of sparkle wouldn't go astray as well. 

We're getting into the licorice this fortnight with  Aniseed Rings!

With the additional challenge of Black and White.

Guest DT spots are able to be won each fortnight

and our sponsor this fortnight is: Annabelle Stamps *

$10 Voucher (thanks to Andrea).

* Prize will only be offered if 7 or more entries partake in the challenge.

I added some red to mine as I felt that the black and white was a bit too cool for our summer (lol). Some snowflakes (appropriate as here in Hobart we are still getting hail and snow interspersed with sunshine as I write this! I have scheduled this to go up on the 26th, two days after the People's Day at the annual Hobart Show - always a ticklish time for weather!)  which have been die cut using a Sixxix die from some glimmer paper - the red is from SU but the white is a Co-ordinations sheet. 

The papers are from Papermania Liquorice Sherbet, and some SU Whisper White, with the base card a piece of black Bazzil, folded in  half. The sentiment is from SU and is called Heart of Christmas.  It has been stamped in Versamark and then embossed with Red Tinsel for a sparkly look.  The tag is die cut using a set from SU called Apothecary Accents, and has been sponged with some SU Pool Party ink before  being removed from the die. 

A few bits of bling added for extra sparkle to finish!

I will enter this in the following challenges:

A few different things.....

I have a couple of cards here that have been made over the last few days - blame it on the weather (four seasons in one day!) as I spent quite a bit of time downstairs playing!

I decided to play with alcohol inks and kraft card, and morphed into using it on Whisper White as well.  In addition, I did a little cleaning up and finishing off stuff - you know, you have an image which is coloured, and another item that might go together, so the challenge is to make a card! This one is one of those - the image is a Penny Black one coloured up with Copics.  The flowers on the bottom of the card were from a demo I gave using Copics and an air system, and are white Creativ Textured Borders. A bit of mounting, some bling and ribbon and some DP from the stash, and a piece of folded SU Tangerine Tango card folded to make the base. The sentiment is stamped using an Annabelle Stamp one from Party Animals, hand cut and mounted on dimensionals. I have entering this in their current Challenge #AC090 - a Kids Card.

Now back to the alcohol inks - do you sponge it on, use an applicator with felt or use it with sponge?  do you dot, add Blending Solution and dab or do you swirl?  How do different types of card take the ink? I think I will have to do a course and find out or just continue to experiment and ask lots of questions!

Anyway this is the outcome Number One!  I have already entered this in MFT's  current sketch challenge.

The butterfly die is from Memory Box - I didn't think it would be that big when I ordered it as I have trouble imagining size from descriptions so don't really bother that much. It looked delicious so I ordered it! Anyway that's two big butterfly dies I have now! The sentiment is from Verve - Wise Words - and the smaller stamped butterfly is from an Annabel Stamps set called All Things Grow.  The background papers are from the stash basket of scraps and  the card is SU Midnight Muse.  I also used the ink of this name. The background inks are a variety and I cannot remember which ones are on which bits of card - sorry. The parenthesis edge is from MFT. Bling got added too. 

I will enter this in the following:

Stamptacular Sunday: No Rules

This is another one using a bit of SU Kraft card - here is where I had problems as it didn't swoosh as easily as the WW does, and the blending solution just soaked into the card right away and left spots of colour rather than blended colours (although it did that too) but I decided I liked it.  I used sequin waste to create the circles and sponged the colour through that.  When I began to stamp images on the card after it had dried a bit, they seemed to get lost into the background and so I used my Copic Multi Liner and carefully drew over the image of the bike and the sentiment to make them darker.  I also used a purple pen to go over the bird.  Both the images and sentiments come from SU stamp sets - Silhouette Sentiments, Loving Thoughts, and Summer Afternoon -  and the purple background sheet is from a box of chocolates! Waste not, want not. The SU Turquoise card backing contrasted well and the card base is from a piece of Papermania 12 x 12. 

Taken in a brighter light - looks washed out a bit. 

I will enter this in the following:

Mad for Markers - Using multiliners

Challenges 4 Everybody - Anything Goes

Eggshells and Alcohol Ink

Yesterday I played around with a technique I had read about in a magazine, where you used eggshell and alcohol ink (mine is Tim Holtz) to create a background.  I went on-line and the only thing I could find easily was all about using this technique to make jewellery. It looks similar so I started with some JAC paper (a mistake as it turned out - more about that later) and some egg shells I had collected several weeks ago and prepared by removing the membrane inside them and soaking them in boiling water (some sites say bleach). I let them dry off and stored them in an airtight container until I needed them.  I cut off a rectangle of JAC paper and attempted to place the eggshell onto this - interesting. Eggshell by its nature is curved and my surface is flat - as you push the shell to the surface it breaks and scatters - but eventually I got enough to cover the surface to my satisfaction.  I shook off the smaller broken bits and began to apply the alcohol inks - initially using a sponge and an inkpad, then dropping ink and sponging to get coverage. 

The backing paper did not soak the ink up so while it soaked nicely into the shell it didn't soak nicely between the cracks.  It was at this stage that I realised that I should have used another backing paper or have removed the JAC and stuck it to something else. I think I would use adhesive on card next time and let it dry before adding the inks.  Anyway, I then covered the inked shell with Magic Dimension (SU's is called Crystal Effects) and put it aside on a flat surface to dry.  Should have known - as it dried it curled! So I peeled it off the JAC to stick it onto card and it cracked into three! I carefully put the pieces together and used my Copic pen to go around the edges after tidying it up with scissors. It looked amazing.  Then Mistake Number Two happened next!

I thought I would stamp it with blue Stayz On with an old sentiment from SU but it didn't do anything much, and didn't stamp properly on the right hand side.  You can see it just under the butterfly. So it had to be covered up without covering up the work with the shells and ink! 

I added the diecut butterflies - die cut from SU Pacific Point - after I had mounted the piece onto  a piece of background paper taken from Raspberry Road Designs Luxury Paper Collection free with a Cardmaking and Papercaft magazine this year. 

I stamped the sentiment this time with Momento ink - Paris Dusk - onto the DP and again wa disappointed with it - if I do this again, I will use a strong black or emboss it. I added some bling to the butterflies and mounted it all onto a piece of folded Pacific Blue card, and used a piece of the Raspberry Road paper for the inside as well. 

I will enter this in the following challenges:

A Gem of a Challenge: Flowers, which are on my DP (cheeky, I know)

Hiding in My Craft Room: Die Cuts

The Cupboard Trilogy: Things with Wings

Halfway for Unstampabelles

When Merry told us at the design team for Unstampabelles that the theme was recycling, I thought "goodie" as I had a few (more than a few) labels off wine bottles that I has stored away and it was a chance to take one or two out and make a card.  I did this and you can see the first one here for the Challenge currently going on at Unstampabelles (recycled or repurposed items) - there is still lots of time to enter!

At that time I made another card as well, using a wine label, and some of the same die cuts as the first one. Today Merry has put it up as  a half-way inspiration so thought I had better get this up quick ;)!

It is obviously a male card! The sentiment is a sticker and the dies are Tim Holtz into scraps of Bazzil card, sanded to distress. Trying to make it look old! The strip of DP 'road' is a scrap piece from the basket and I have no idea who the maker is. The label was not easy to remove, hence the wear marks on the image but again, I feel it tells a story and the viewer can make up their own version of it. Perhaps it is someone returning to a place after many years and feeling that they have only just left it.........

So, lots of repurposed bits in this one!

I will enter it into the following challenges:
Cards Galore: Anything Goes
DYSU Challenge Blog: Anything Vintage

Guest Designer for November!

Just wanted to share with you the fact that I have scored a position as a Guest designer for Chocolate, Coffee and Cards for November.  Their blog is well worth a visit and the DT's work is fabulous. I am a bit intimidated but all happy inside!

In the meantime I have a few cards to share. All products used are from Stampin' Up.

This is cased from a fellow demonstrator - her's was smaller and neater than mine! But the idea is all her's.  The flower's are from Bordering on Romance, stamped in a circle, coloured with the pens from the latest In Colours and with Crystal Effects added.  The 25DEC stamp is from the set Joyous Celebrations and the sentiment is from an old set (Warm Words).  The edge punch is SU and the card stock is Whisper White and Old Olive. The wreath is hand cut out and popped up with dimensionals. 

When I counted the sprays on the original she has two less than me - explains why mine does not work as well! 

This is a small box I made, with a lid. Baja Breeze and Whisper White for the base.

This is the decoration on the top of the box (a bit crocked, I notice now) using the Hostess set Happy You.  The image has been coloured in with pens using only the current In Colours (two sets) and highlighted in parts with the Crystal Effects again.  Backgrounding them is a scalloped circle cut with a die from the Sparkly red Glimmer paper.  I used a variety of circle punches and dies here to layer up, and the card is Raspberry Ripple.

Of course there are four small envelopes made using my Scor Board!

And four small cards (3 x 3 inches approx).  Raspberry Ripple card bases, Baja Breeze mounting, with Whisper White, the Glimmer paper and the images from the stamp set Happy You. All coloured with the pens and Crystal Effects added in places. 

Baby's so cute and the mushrooms are sweet.

Good for a Christmas tag

A nice little gift box ready for Christmas.  Hope my workshop ladies like them!

I will enter the gift cards and box into the following challenges:
Holly Jolly Christmas Challenge: 

This is their inspirational photo - my joy is in the making of a gift for Christmas.



Make it Monday:  Always Anything Goes

Painting Class has begun again

And we had a study with flowers to complete in class last week (or start in class and complete at home).  We could do a study with no background which I did with a lillium or put a background in which I did with one at home of a fushia (I think it is Ballerina?).

Here are my two attempts:

Watercolour and black in with pen work

Watercolour with pen and ink work using red paint and black ink

I wandered around blogland and found a new Challenge Blog - CAS(E) this Sketch - Challenge #1.  How exciting! So I made a quick card for it - it's a bit blaah but I had a go quickly and will think of something else to do later if possible.  Here it is:

Here is my first take:

White card stock folder over and scored three times (under pink line) on front - Ginge stamped in SU Close to Cocoa ink pad which is not quite juicy enough (but I don't have any ink to replace at this stage) and SU Melon Mambo.  The image and sentiment come from SU stamp sets - Scentsational Season and Joyous Celebrations.  I add some small bits of pink bling to the buttons on ginge. Afterwards I added the pink line with a Melon Mambo pen. 

Chupa Chups!

Challenge #56 - Chupa Chups

Given it's The Lollipop Ladies, it seemed about time to have another 'lollipop' challenge. So this fortnight we're going...

Chupa Chups

With the additional challenge of Curves

Guest DT spots are able to be won each fortnight
and our sponsor this fortnight is: Mad for Markers*

(thanks to Sammi).

A choice of 3 of her M4M digi stamps.
So cool :-)

Remember: there has to be seven entries before the prize will be awarded, so get out there and tell folks to enter! Good odds!

Now, these lollies are round and sweet and last quite a while ..... mmmmmm......what could I do for this challenge?  So I had a little think (no mean feat for me!) and came up with this.

Blue because they can be

Round because they are

Curved wings on the flying things

You get a better idea of the colour here and the inkiness of the paper used for the butterflies

A commercial blank was used and then I added a sheet as a background that was cut from a 12 x 12 page from DCWV's Pocket full of of Posies stack.Over the top of this I added a sheet of white glitter card from Grant.  Into this I had die cut two circles and I stamped onto it a Verve sentiment with Momento ink (Black Tuxedo) - this did not stamp that well due to the glitter but still is quite crisp. I die cut and embossed butterflies from some card I had previously played with - inking it with Tim Holtz Distress inks and and spraying it with various glitter sprays to create a lovely patina of colour, mostly mauve(ish).  However some of it had a beautiful turquoise sheen, so I used that as much as I could. The die is from SU and does a lovely job with the embossing a the same time as die cutting. 

I will enter this in the following challenges:

Papertake Weekly: all creatures great and small

Tip Top Tuesday: anything with wings

Down in the Garden

Joanna Sheen sells craft supplies from her new workshop in the wilds of the UK and I sometimes get stuff from her. It always arrives quickly and on time, and usually includes some plastic pockets  (A5 and A6 size) which I use to store my dies and embossing folders in plastic boxes. They are just the right size and soooo cheap (10 p for the smaller and 20 p for the bigger ones)!

While I was looking (just looking - honest - well, OK, I did end up ordering something, but don't tell!) at the latest stuff available I noticed that they had a blog hop on - and a great House Mouse prize - and that there is now a Challenge blog.

The latest Challenge at Joanna Sheen is called "Down in the Garden" and I assumed that they assumed that people would do flowers or cute gardens scenes.  I had just finished a card using a LOTV image of a boy playing in the garden - the end of the garden. So I used that!

I had coloured him up with Copics and I had seen on LOTV website where someone had used this image and put a piece of string over the drawn string, so I did that as well.  In fact it is sort-of cased from the site, although it is different as well.  Here are the pens used to colour the image - lots of them in the end!

And here is the final card.  

As I said LOTV image and sentiment, Annabelle Sprinkles; Spellbinders circle and scalloped circle dies; the background papers are My Minds Eye Nostalgia 6 x 6 papers and the ribbon is from the stash. The image is mounted on the DP which is mounted on SU Soft Suede, and the whole card and the scalloped circle is SU Baja Breeze. I used Momento inks and aged the sentiment circle with TH Antique Linen. 

I will also enter this in the following:

The Ribbon Girl Blog: a boy card

Chocolate, Coffee and Cards: a colour combo

Innocent Bystander

This is the name of a lovely Australian white wine I shared with family and the label was carefully peeled off the bottle for future use - the art work was too wonderful to throw out!

Why?  Challenge #16 which is on at Unstampabelles at the moment, requires you to use a recycled  item (or two) in your piece for the Challenge, and I thought I could use it for that.  Check out the wonderful prize for this challenge! Remember, no stamps for images BUT you can now use a small stamp for a sentiment if needed but we really prefer you challenge yourself and don't use any stamps at all - it can be done you know!

Donated by Craftmad 

Craft Mad is a craft community for anyone and everyone who enjoys anything to do with crafts. Every member has their own gallery space to display their work as well as view everyone else's.There are regular craft swaps and sketch challenges.

So, eventually I got to use the wine bottle label - telling a story, a mystery - in a card for Unstampabelles.  I got to use my new Tim Holtz die cuts ( jalopy and man with umbrella) and some Kaiser dies from a Collectables set called Sears and Son.  The DP is from Basic Grey's Oxford pad. 

The black cord is from a label that was attached to a piece of clothing - I'm a bit of a magpie - and the base card is a piece of packing which was just the right size. What is the story?  You tell me............

I will enter this is the following challenge:

Charisma Cards - for men

It's All About Vintage - Brown tones (dark brown here)

TandaStamps - something mystical