Gingerloft and Critters of the Sea

Hi Peeps:

I have a new card for Gingerloft's latest challenge - wow, we got a lot of entries for our last one (Happy Birthday), so lets see how many people accept the challenge of this theme!

My entry is slightly left of centre - firstly, I really love this simple image of two kids fishing, and secondly........ I cannot think of a second reason! I just love this image. So I made it suit the theme.

I coloured the image by using my Inktense watercolour pencils and just love the brightness of the image.

The two kids are sitting on nothing so I created as place for them to sit - a jetty probably. The white card embossed with bubbles and with TH Peacock Feathers brushed across it is meant to represent the ocean. 

I added the sentiment (Flourish stamps - Time to Play) and tried to make it look like a bubble.  I added the fish charm and set the whole thing onto some Lauderdale paper by Basic Grey (the name of a suburb here) and all that onto a piece of folded card (Bazzil probably). 

The image and the card under it are die cut with a new set I got in Melbourne at the Paperific - called Majestic Elements (love it!)

 Hey Presto - a card! Hope you like it!

I will enter this in the following Challenges:
One Crazy Stamper: Summer Fun - fishing!
Sandy's Crafty Creations: embossed backgrounds
Challenges4Everbody: Anything Goes

Unstampabelles and CASing!

Challenge #24

What is CASing?  It is when you see someone else's work, and either love it or not, decide to use it as a template, or be inspired from it to create another card or project. You can either directly copy it, changing the colour, or one or two elements, or just be inspired by one part of it (colour scheme, technique or element).

The Belles this month have decided to challenge ourselves and you by CASing a card from a fellow Belle from a past challenge.

The Prize for this challenge is kindly donated by

I had great fun looking back through the old posts at Unstampabelles and reliving all the lovely things people had made. I was drawn in particular to Jan R's work and her circle card when we were using doilies in our challenge. I decided to make a circle card with my die-cutting machine and some dies, and re-create her card - albeit my card is much simpler than hers!

This is Jan's:
                              

This is my take on it:

My card is created using Co'Ordinations card stock, and a die - a Spellbinders Grand Nestabilities scallop.  Here was my firt error -assuming Jan's card was bigger than it was.  I purchased this set a while ago and can only use the first three dies as the rest are too big to go through my die machines. However, I can trace out and cut using the bigger ones and have done that several times. The card stock has a pink back similar in colour to the small acrylic flowers from SU that I have used on the front. 

The doily is also a die cut - from Di-namics - and I have put this through an SU embossing folder as well.  The card is SU Pool Party. The sentiment has been die cut too - from a scrap of the base card, and I thought I was doing it so that the dark side would show up, but got it round the wrong way, decided I liked it anyway, and so that is what we have! The die is a Marianne one. You can see it better below. 

The heart is die cut from white shimmer card using an SU die cut and smooched around with some TH Distress inks in similar colours as the ribbon. It probably should have an edge but I could get one that looked OK so left it as is. 

The ribbon is actually a hairclip - it is a locally made piece of craft, and I used it as the first thing to set the colour scheme by, and so that it can be taken off the card and used as a clip by the recipient of the card - hence the sentiment "Just for You".  It is currently attached with a piece of double sided tape! Now, the card is top heavy with ribbon, and I could not get it to sit properly - it rolls. JanR tells me that you take a small slice from the back bottom of the card and this solves the problem - so I did and it did! Thanks for the tip Jan!

Conclusion - it's pretty; I like making a round card, and now I know how to stop the rolling, I like it even better; and I now realize it doesn't have to be a big circle - a smaller circle would have been a better fit for the bits used, but I am happy with my CASing.  I did spray it with white shimmer and it does have a soft sheen as a result. This doesn't show in any photograph. 

I will enter it in the following challenges:

2 Creative Chicks:  buttons and bows

Emma's Cards: Buttons and Bows
The Ribbon Girl: ribbon and die cuts

Doing a little boasting............

Went to granddughter's Band performance on Thursday night at the local Eisteddfod.  Glenorchy Senior Band performed several pieces where she played cornet, but one of the pieces she put down the cornet and sang. I video'd it -first time using my phone - and it can be found here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgPM4xtOscc&feature=share

Sound quality not too good.

Congratulations to Sarah and her family

Unstampabelles latest challenge is to make an easel card - remember you cannot use stamps, either digital or inked, and it has to be a paper project although you can use things other than paper in it (as long as they are not the whole thing)!

One of our lovely team Sarah at Paperpie has just had a grand production - a beautiful baby boy called Elijah. Congratulations to Sarah and her family! 

The card is made using Spellbinders Lacy Squares (the biggest one) and some Bazzil 12 x 12  scraps of blue I had cut down - the base card is darker than the top card. I used another of the Joanne stickers I purchased in the USA about 5 years ago now and the image is from a sheet of Me and My Big Ideas - Baby Boy. I think it looks as if he is looking at the stars and things (like perhaps a mobile?)

The charm is from the stash, and the ribbon from Making Memories. The paper is from a Me to You paper pack (Carte Blanche).

The stars and things are from a small die set from Memory Box called Celestial Bodies.  I die cut them from sparkly card. I added bling to help make the easel stand up straighter!

Lollipop Ladies and Bugs!

Hi all - today's challenge at the Lollipop Ladies is to be inspired by this photo

Bug Lollipops..

with the additional challenge of Nature.

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.

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

Now, what could be easier! Why not have a go and then pop over and link up your creations! 

My take on this was this:

I used an old SU set called Garden Whimsy and created a background paper by stamping the sentiment flourish onto SU Whisper White and then using two other stamps - a ladybird and two smaller ladybirds stamped using SU Poppy Parade (another discontinued colour but I love it).

I then die cut a square in Poppy Parade, and added a stamped sentiment from LOTV into the middle of this - stamped with Momento Tuxedo Black. 

I took three white flowers from my flower stash and put into the centre of each a ladybird bug - these came as a freebie from Papercraft magazine a few months ago - I then layered these up onto a piece of SU Gumball green card which had gone through an embossing folder and had flowers and vines on it. HArd to see under the flowers.

This was layered up onto a piece of PP which was laying around on the desk and had gone through another embossing folder - you cannot see the chevrons under the green so I won't mention the make (it was SU I think).  My background paper was trimmed to size and layered up also onto some PP and the base card is white card from some of the stash I got from Kitty Lane! I added an extra bug because I like them!

The two smaller bugs - probably mealy bugs rather than ladybirds! Still cute. 

Could have used a different sentiment but couldn't find one I liked - thought about a lot of puns re bugs and discarded them all - my sense of humour does not always play nice - and so went with a simple one from LOTV.  Loving the die from Spellbinders thought - very pretty!

I will enter this in the following challenges:
Crafty Catz: inspired by a nursery rhyme (Ladybird, ladybird, fly away home; Your house is on fire and  your children are gone!)
Inspire Me Fridays; Anything Goes
Crafting by Design: Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamps: Anything Goes

Dragonflies are having One for the Girls!

Challenge #3 - One for the Girls

Hi all - this is the latest challenge at Crafting with Dragonflies.

You can make a card suitable for us girls (and we are all girls, right - no matter how many years have passed....); that is not too hard is it! Last challenge we had only a few takers so we are expecting lots this time!

Our Sponsors for this challenge are:

4 Digi's - Winners Choice

and

ADFD - $12 gift voucher to spend 

A big thank you to our wonderful sponsors...

Now, my card:

My card started out with a digi from A Day for Daisies which I printed off onto XPress blending card, and then had fun colouring up with Copics.  I then added some Smooch to give some lovely shimmer to various parts of the image. I did think about adding some bling to her hair, but decided not to and to use the Smooch instead - it looks fab IRL but I had to tilt the card to the light and take a sideways shot to get it to shimmer in the photo! Any hints/tips here about how to do this better - I'd be please to get. I enjoyed colouring her hair in a different colour too - saw a girl at the shopping centre the other day with this colour on the ends of white blond hair! Looked OK - but only because she was so young I suspect - not sure it would suit me!!!

I used various dies before settling onto the circle and the new Spellbinders Majestic Elements - it has so many combinations! I experimented before cutting the image with the circle and after sponging it with Momento blue and green ink, I added it to the middle of the purple diecut with dimentionals.

I threaded some lovely satin ribbon through between the circle and the die and attached these to some background paper from Prima Firefly. I used the computer to print off the saying

You have to kiss a lot of frogs.........before you meet the handsome Prince 

in purple ink and after cutting it up freehand, mounting it onto some lilac paper, and freehand cutting this as well, I glued the first part of the saying to the front and the rest inside the card. It could be an Engagement Card .................... or just a condolence card for a break-up!

I added some bling as well - and put all it on to a purple card base (SU Elegant Eggplant discontinued).

I collect frogs - started out with one or two and the kids and others have added to them. Some are from overseas - it's a small thing to bring back. Some are bigger - a large zinc one sits on the floor of the lounge room and when the grandies were smaller, they often would sit on it and 'ride' it! It is really getting a bit out of hand now - but there are a lot of very cute frogs out there! One person frog is another's slimy toad I expect. 

Why don't you go see what my other team mates are doing as well!

  Barb

Hilde

Judith

Kelli

Ina

Tania

I will enter this in the following challenges:

Party Time Tuesday: Anything Goes
Through the Craft Room Door:  Anything Goes
Created with Love: At least three layers - there are four on mine, counting the ribbon!
Lacy Sunshine Challenge: anything goes but must have hand coloured image - yep!

Lollipop Ladies and Boiled Sweets

Well, I am late again for Lollipop Ladies!

Heather swapped with me last week (thanks Heather) and I in my stupor thought it was Saturday for Saturday - and have just discovered it was for Thursday!!!!

My apologies to everyone. I have made my card and will tell you all about it below but first would like to thank all the lovely people in blog land who have sent their condolences on the death of my much loved step-MIL, Marjorie, who passed away on the 11th May in Melbourne. She was in her 100th year and as sharp as a tack but the body just couldn't do any more.  She was willing to go and died peacefully.

Now, my card:

The challenge at Lollipop Ladies is to make a card inspired by this image of BOILED LOLLIES:

The added challenge is to through in curves, if you wish.

Now, it astounds me that people do not enter these challenges, as they are easy to do, and have great prizes attached.  At the moment there is only one entry - closing on Wednesday morning - and there is a $10 gift voucher up for grabs at the lovely Annabelle Stamps, courtesy of Andrea. That prize unfortunately will only be able to be won if at least seven entries are put in.

Why not have a go! 

Here is my take on the photo of the boiled sweets  - memories of jawbreaking and teeth cracking and lots of sugary drool - and I have added a curve! I remembered I had a sentiment that mentions the word curves, and after searching for a few moments I found it - it's an Inkadinkadoo stamp. ! It related to baseball, and I had just got a Sparkle stamp of Oliver playing baseball (just 'cause my 7 yr old grandson has been playing this does not mean I purchased that stamp for him.......oh, OK I did......but don't tell him......he's now playing hockey!).

I also knew I had a stamp with circles on it and a new Kalidescope stamp pad with lots of lovely colours..........purchased at Paperific! I have had the circle stamp for years (by Judkins) and so I stamped a sheet of background.  Good thing too as I stuffed my first card up and had to remake the base and background! 

I coloured up Oliver with Copics and added some to the sentiment which has been die cut out with a new Spellbinders die (another Paperific purchase). The background paper inside the card has been in the stash for ages as was the card I mounted the images on, but the base card is SU Gumball Green.  

The sentiment has been smooched over with TH Salty Ocean, and the reason it is not sitting on a better spot is that I had to cover up a small mistake! The card front is shorter than the back and there is space to put a white block to write the personal greeting there - it won't show when the card is closed. 

I will enter this in the following challenges:

Charisma Cardz: Bring on Summer

Southern Girls: Lots of spotty stuff here, including the dots around the boy in Copic pen!

For Your Inspiration: blue skies, yellow and green - colours match!

Playdate Cafe: same colours!

Mothers Day and Dragonflies

Welcome to our second challenge with

 Crafting with Dragonflies 

around the theme of 

Mothers

In this challenge we want to see scrapbook layouts - no cards!

To make this more enticing our lovely sponsor Bugaboo is offering seven (7) of their digi images of your choice as the prize!

We had a great challenge last time and It was so pleasing to see people join in the fun.  Just one thing though,  if you enter please follow the rules- no backlinking, and you project must follow the theme.

 I have not scrapped for a long time, and when last was doing it I was trying to scrap travel albums. So, this was a bit of a challenge for me as well! I chose to scrap a photo of my husband and his step-mother on the occasion of her 99th birthday on Christmas Eve 2012. She is sitting on her favourite chair in her unit at The Lodge, where she was in assisted living. We only got to see her about twice a year but spoke at least every week if not more on the phone and I tended to occasionally write to her as well, as she loved getting a letter!

As I write this, Marj has passed away. She died peacefully on Saturday evening in her 99th year as her kidneys finally gave up and her heart. We miss her greatly already.

Sorry about the photography - I am not use to photographing layouts! 

This photo was printed off on my printer and is not a commercial print. I used a Twiddlybits chipboard frame, and the papers are from Stampin' Up. Some scraps of lace and red trim, some stickers and some mounting in SU card were used from my stash.

,

The chipboard LOVE comes from Typo as does the heart, and the sentiment is from Bugaboo, coloured up with Copics and Distress inks.  The stepmother sentiment is from WMS. 

Sad news

Just to let everyone know that my lovely mother-in-law passed away on Saturday evening. I will probably not blog for a few days as there is a bit to sort out and I will be a bit busy.

Update for Unstampabelles

Well, for those of you who have peeped in here over recent times, you would have noticed that things were a little haywire. Hubby and I went overseas for two weeks - we took John's car and drove to Devonport, caught the ferry across Bass Strait to Melbourne to visit family and then drove to Canberra to visit other family, and returned to Melbourne in a big zigzag across southern NSW and northern Victoria; there were good times and some not so good times - John's Mum has failing kidneys and is really not very well at all. We will lose her soon and it was hard to say goodbye last Tuesday knowing that this might be the last time we did see her.

Before we went I had frantically crafted to meet my obligations with my lovely teams, and scheduled my posts with Blogger. First one was fine but after that everything went west..........including my post for Unstampabelles which went a week early!!! Aaaagh! You can read it here!

However, here it is all over again.

This card is for my nephew in Melbourne, who turns 50 today. Happy Birthday Andrew. 

Our Sponsor this month is:-

Beth at 'Huggies Crafts'

Beth is one of our very own Design Team members and also an Independent Stampin Up Demonstrator.  Beth has kindly donated this months prize of  - 

DSP paper pack ‘Be of Good Cheer’; Jewels Basic Pearls; Jewels basic Rhinestones and a pack of Dimensionals.

I will now enter this in the following challenges:

Challenges 4 Everybody: #19 Anything Goes

The Ribbon Girl Blog: Use a button (my Grandmothers) and must have ribbon - black ribbon

Delicious Doodles: for the Boys