Off and Running with Eclectic Ellapu

Hello Peeps - hope you are all fit and well and managing all this climate change!

It really has been a little mad this season. 

On the weekend we had over 32 degrees (36 one day) and only dropping to low 20's at night and today is it max 14 and I have the heater on! I did sleep well last night though - got to 9! Even the kitten was willing to settle down and sleep! Apparently it is snowing in the highlands this morning.

Hot days and nights makes you want to head to the beach for a swim. Unfortunately haven't had one this year yet, despite the weather - just not the opportunity.

This is my childhood beach - Marion Bay. The land on the right and in the background is the bottom end of Maria Island. It was obviously a bit breezy the day this was taken. When I saw this on FB it bought back so many happy memories for me I had to share it. Our farm looked down over this beach and Hellfire Bluff (Cape Bernier) with Mercury Passage between it and the island.

Marion Bay beach and it’s fantastic view of Cape Bernier. Named after the astronomer on Baudins 1802 expedition and featured on his early maps of the area it is also known to early settlers as Hellfire Bluff referring to the red coloured cliffs

Photo courtesy of Cape Bernier Winery

On to what is happening at Eclectic Ellapu:

To start the year off we are going with the traditional 

'Anything Goes'

Remember, that means anything to do with paper - off the page, mixed media, journals, scrap pages, cards, tags - whatever.

I made several boxes to house some cards I made with a Colour Me Happy kit I purchased from Stampin' Up last year when the new alcohol pens came out. The kit was excellent and made up 16 cards  (4 x 4) of varying sizes and with various sayings; the cards were pre-cut; and all embellishments provided. There was also an instruction sheet provided. Each card also had an envelope. They are coloured using the new markers.

I made them up with the full intention of giving them away and just ran out of oomph to prepare them -  when cleaning up the Christmas mess last week I found them again and decided to make some  boxes. Each box has a selection of the four styles. The fourth set has a bellyband but was not ready for the photographs! I used some old SU DP (out of stock now) that I had in my stash and some old ribbon.

The sentiment is a foil die and I used my new foiling machine and some luscious pink foil to add this to card and on one occasion, a paper doily.

The base card is SU - each set has a plain base.

I just used my SU craft board to make the necessary folds and they quickly came together.

So, used up some stash - used my new foiler - cleaned up some space - and made some gifts!

Let's see what you have made lately

See you over at Eclectic Ellapu!

New Year for Crafting with Dragonflies!

Hi Everyone - this is the first 2018 challenge #96: Crafting with Dragonflies and as usual across the crafting world, it is

"Anything Goes"

with the exception that it MUST be a card!

This is mine:

I made the background when I was playing with the new Brusho's from Stampin Up.

This is in fact the second edition piece-- the one I laid on top of the first one to mop up some paint and water. It all looked so pretty and suited the idea of the line of glitter flakes across the middle and the simple sentimental heart message. 

This is embossed in gold onto some card and a bit of ink smeared across the white to make it stand out a bit more

I loved how the paint had melded into the water and then the paper - except the gold; it clumped a bit.

The glitter flakes were added using double sided tape and careful pushing or mooshing with my fingers to get them to stick - still some occasionally falling off but they are mostly stuck down well now. It just looks luxurious with them on the card. Imagine them in a shaker card - yummy!

You have a fortnight to create!

Hello Peeps! Welcome to 2018!

And a Happy New Year to you all as well! 

I have several things to share with you  - including some craft work - and one of them is currently racing around my craft space like a Dementor from Harry Potter's world - it is small and ginger and fast and it is called Weasley; I must say it is sometimes called other things too but they are unprintable, especially when he crawls under the bedclothes and bites some vulnerably part of me! Some days I think he thinks his name is "No - Naughty Cat!"

You can see how much work I can manage!

I scored well in the Christmas Present stakes with a GoFoil Me machine and foils and some stamps.

Thanks Hubby!

So, I made this!

I was given a small box of chocolates in a beautiful box and had to copy it - after several false starts, I did manage to make it. I foiled the 'Thanks' onto the SU DP 'Painted with Love'.

The box has about a dozen small toffees inside it at the moment but it could hold chocolates or similar - it is basically an open box folded over - if that makes sense - easy to make once you know how! As this was a prototype, please forgive the mistakes evident.

I have also taken advantage of the new Occasions Catty from Stampin' Up plus the freebies that come with Sale-A-Bration at this time of the year to get some new products.

Did you now that SU have now got some Brusho's!

They also have a lovely bundle called 'Sure Do Love You' 

The DP has foiled splashes of gold on it in delicious brushstrokes and there is some gorgeous glitter flakes and vinyl stickers too to go with the stamp set and the die set.....

yes, I got all of them........

This is what I made with them.....

Several cards but this one was so quick and easy

Cut DP and card - cut strip - die cut heart - stamp and emboss sentiment - smudge some ink and all done!

I made a  matching box for a gift. You can make tags or small cards to fit this; it fits a gift voucher or cash; or some tickets to the theatre perhaps.......or to Paris??? Some jewelry or a scarf........

This was so easy to make with the die - cut two; flip on upside down and stick together......then decorate!

I made another card too - but that is for another day!

I so love those rich colours.

See you soon......