Wild About You!

Hi Everyone!  I hope you are all having a wonderful weekend.

Today I enjoyed some time out with the boys, doing some shopping and then we treated ourselves to a Baskin Robins Ice Cream.  I haven't had a BR Ice Cream since we moved from Brisbane over 12 years ago.   I tried their new flavor which was a mix of Half Blueberry, Half Raspberry flavored Ice cream. With Raspberry filled chocolate love hearts and a tart raspberry Ribbon called Berry Romantic. YUM!

Speaking of Romance,  I have had a few minutes here and there over the past few days to play. I haven't used a cute digi, in fact any digi for a while now, so I thought making a Valentine's Day Card was as good an excuse as any to do so.

I found this free Cheeky Monkey Image just perfect for Valentine's Day over on Dustin Pikes blog and couldn't resist it.

Paper: (I think is Echo Park) was a scrap from my stash.

Image:  Dustin Pike

Other:  Tria Markers, Computer Generated Sentiment, Spellbinders Nesting Circle Dies, 

SU Eyelet Border Punch, Butterfly Bling, Heart Ribbon and Red Kindy Glitz.

I am also playing along with the following challenges with this card!

Digi Haven - Love/Valentine Challenge

Allsorts Challenge Blog - #193 Valentines

Word Play Saturday - Balloons

Papercraft Star - #131 Love

Cute Card Thursday - #255 Love Struck

Heart & Soul

Hi Everyone and Happy Friday!  Friday is one of my favorite days of the week especially now that A is back at school and hubby and I got back to our normal routine.  We had a leisurely cooked breakfast, then had a lovely lunch out at one of our favorite pubs in town, did a bit of shopping and then brought something yummy for A to have when he arrives home from school before our usual Pizza and Movie night.

Whilst hubby had a afternoon nap, I managed to sneak into my craft room and play along with a couple of challenges to make this Valentines Day Card incorporating the cute Cupid Cutting File and Banner Cutting File that I cut out yesterday on my Sizzix Eclips.

The challenges that inspired my card are:-

Die Cutting Divas - #101 Sketch (Sketch Shown above and Must use Die Cuts) - My cupid is mounted on two Spellbinders Nesting Labels and my Cupid and Banner are both electronic cutting files.  

Cards & More - # 75 Love/Valentines Day (Must use a Stamp) - My Heart and Soul (Unity Stamps) was stamped onto my Banner with Real Red Ink from Stampin' Up!

Clear it Out - Theme: Anything Goes using Old Stash of Red and White Items.  The Polka Dot Paper is one of the very first pieces of Designer Paper I brought when I first became a SU Demo in 2009, plus the two heart brads and Red Kindy Glitz which I have covered my cupid with were also brought around this time.

Crazy Amigos Challenge - Theme: Hearts - My card being Valentine's Inspired obviously fits this theme.

Creative Craft Challenges - #3 Hugs and Kisses - Again Valentine's Inspired

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Love Struck!

Hi Everyone, just a quick post here to share a picture of my latest DT project for Altered Pages.  I have called this ATC - Love Struck as it uses this cute Cupid Cutting File which I got yesterday teamed with some of the great products available from Altered Pages which I love.

For all the details you will have to pop over to the Altered Pages Blog.

I am also entering this ATC into the following Challenges:-
Wicked Wednesday #70 - Valentine/Love
Papercraft Star #131 - Love

Another Cute Mini Album!

Hi Everyone! Have you seen the New Tag and Card Making Kits from The Robin's Nest.  If not,  be sure to check them out as they are on promotion for the month of January.  Anyway I have mentioned before how much I love the range of Tag Stickers from them, so when I saw these were included in the new Tag Kits  I couldn't resist using them to make another Cute Mini Album with Valentine's Day in Mind.

The Two Kits I received were the Flame Card Kit and the In Love Tag Kit.  Starting with the 3 envelopes from the Card Kit, I stuck each flap down and then folded each of them in half, and then glued them back to back to form a book allowing about 6 mm along the spine not to be glued so that regardless of how bulky each page becomes it will sit flat and open easily.  This album consists of the front and back cover and six pages.  I then cut a small strip from the top of each page to form pockets for Tags etc.

I then took some black acrylic paint and painted the spine and around all the edges so that it would tone in with the papers from the Flame Card Kit I used to cover my pages with.

After covering each page with the Flame Card Kit Papers and a piece of Chilli Cardstock, I was ready to embellish.  My front cover uses two different tag stickers stuck down on the coordinating sized tags from the In Love Tag Kit.  I mounted the three hearts tag on pop dots and added three Red Dew Drops.  The Zebra Tag I embellished further with Ribbon from the Kits, a die cut key hole some mini black brads and two Obsidian Diamond Dew Drops.

The Tab Sticker with the words I love you Announces for all to see the theme of this Album just in case the hearts didn't give it away.

Zebra Washi Tape (from my stash) covers the spine and brings in a bit of the wild to match my Zebra Tag on the front cover.  I stamped one of my Favorite Love Quotes (Unity Stamp Co) and used another Tag Sticker from the Tag Kit for the Centre Spread of my Album, whilst my other pages were a alternating combination of Chilli Cardstock embellished with a strip of the black glitter cardstock (only stuck down top and bottom so that you can slide a photo or other memento under it) and a Heart Tag Circle and the Black Glitter Cardstock on the opposite side.

Lastly a combination of the largest Tag Sticker with a fun sentiment and the Heart Tag Circle and some Ribbon make a great pull out Tag for the middle pocket of this album. 

What's the best thing about making a Mini Album out of the New Kits is that you will still have lots of left over pieces to make a Card to go with it.

FWF - Sweet, Kind, Nice, Wonderful

Boy has this week flown, I've literally been all over the place this week both physically and mentally and didn't get much crafting done apart from attending our Terrific Tuesdays Craft Group's first day back for the year and making a Baby Card for a last minute order yesterday. Following a morning of shopping and because I am on dinner duty tonight I wanted to get a quick card made and catch up with all my Unity Friends for their Friday Friends With Flair so I have another CAS Card for you this week using the Inlaid Embossing Technique.

A QUICK HOW TO - IN LAID EMBOSSING

For my Inlaid Embossed Card I started with 3 Die Cut Hearts, a  Piece of White Cardstock (as my backing piece) and the "Entangled" embossing Folder.   You can use any punched or die cut shape, paper scraps or even stamped and coloured images to create your inlaid piece with your chosen embossing folder.

I simply positioned and stuck down my die cut hearts where I wanted them onto my white cardstock piece, and then ran this through the big shot machine using my Entangled Embossing Folder.

My 3 Die Cut Heats cut from floral paper positioned on the backing piece

Placing my piece in the embossing folder ready to emboss with the Big Shot

  

That completes the inlaid part.

To complete my card today, once embossed I took some red ink on a sponge dauber and highlighted the embossed pattern on my hearts, this covers up any white showing from the  papers core that I used for my hearts that  has been exposed by the embossing process.  I then simply mounted this white piece to my red cardstock base and added my stamped sentiments.

The circular words for my sentiment - 'You' and 'Are' are from my Unity November 2011 SMAK Kit whilst the 'Sweet, Kind, Nice, Wonderful' is from the January KOTM which I just received in the post yesterday.

There has been some exciting new stamp releases over on the Unity Site lately including some just being released today, so be sure to take a look and for more Unity Inspiration be sure to visit their blog and view the other FWF Creations this week.

I also created this card with the following challenges in mind.

365 Cards - Day 346 Spread the Word Challenge
Paper Sundays - #106 Clean and Simple
Cards for Men - Seeing Red

PTT#54 Valentines

This week we want you to join the party and create a Valentine's Day card or project for someone you love.  

Image:  Digi Doodle Shop

Papers:  Stampin' Up!

Flourish Rhinestones and Flowers ZVA Creative

Other:  Computer Generated Sentiment, Heart Rhinestones

There has been lots of love given this week at Party Time Tuesdays with four fabulous sponsors joining the fun. ZVA Creative provided our Party Planners with the most beautiful rhinestones and flowers whilst Wee Stamps and Digi Doodle Shop allowed us to showcase some of their adorable images.  So be sure to stop by the PTT Blog to see all the wonderful and inspiring creations from the team and for further details about this weeks wonderful sponsors.

I hope you will join us as I just know that I am going to love seeing all the wonderful love themed entries for our challenge this week.

Magical Monday - For Someone You Love

It's another Paper Cupcakes Magical Monday and with Valentine's Day just around the corner we want you to join us in creating a Card for Someone You Love (ie.  Husband, Children, Sister) using the Colours Pink and White and one other colour, but that colour cannot be Red (because that would be too easy......right?).

Obviously your image can include some other colors if needed.  My other chosen colour for my card this week was orange and The Paper Cupcakes DT got to play with the delightful image 'Enjoy the Moment".  This is the monthly freebie which Nina so generously offers her followers, and it can be yours for free for the next 48 hours (until Wednesday) by simply following the link on the TIMITA Blog.

I used a couple of different shades of both the orange and pink with minimal white, for my card.  I did add a bit of other colour however for my image with my Tria makers.  I can't honestly say that I don't think I have combined these two colours before but with the splash of blue I am kind of liking the contrast and the way it all came together.

So now its your turn to play along, and I can't wait to see what you create.

More Crayons, Colour and Challenges with FWF

I can't believe its the end of another week already.  It's been wet here this summer which has meant cooler weather, but trying to get the washing done in between showers has been a challenge.  But I am not complaining, at least we are one of the lucky ones not having to be evacuated from our homes, which is happening at present to many people in other parts of NSW and Queensland.  The wet weather is set to remain with us for some time as I just heard the forecast that in February 21 out of the 28 days are expected to be wet.  It's great weather for ducks and frogs and need I say crafting!

Whilst having my crayons still on hand from yesterdays post where I showed a quick how to on doing a Crayon Resist Background, and with Valentine's Day just around the corner,  I thought I would use a Resist design (using some of my new Unity Stamps) and link up all my Unity Friends over at the Unity Blog for Friday Friends with Flair (FWF).  Today's post for FWF not only links you up with the wonderful creations of lovers of Unity, but also showcases some wonderful new stamps by Christy Tomlinson that I've just added to my wish list, so be sure to check it out!

For my CAS looking card today I started out using the Sketch over at Paper Players,  Challenge #80 using my resist piece.  Once I had completed my design and used my crayon I sponged around the stamped hearts with red ink to reveal the resist and then used my Red Tria Maker to colour in a couple of the hearts, finishing off the design with a punched heart and a rhinestone in the centre of one of these hearts.  These fabulous newspaper print hearts and the sentiment are from the 'We Treasure You' Stamp Set by Unity which was an end of year gift sent to their Kit of Month Subscribers.  They are just perfect to make a Valentine's Day Card for my hubby who is not really into all the cutesy stuff.

I am also entering this card into a couple of other challenges I play along with from time to time but this will be the first time in 2012.

Cards for Men - Challenge #3 Seeing Red
Paper Sundaes - Challenge #105 Valentines

I hope everyone has a Fabulous Weekend.

FWF - Filled with Love

Today I am Filled with Love and Joy because yesterday my December KOTM from Unity arrived which meant I got to play with these new stamps in time for Friday Friends with Flair.  This whole set is Filled with Love literally ........with lots of wonderful images and sentiments relating to love......but the stamp I was most looking forward to receiving was one of a Jar.

Yes that's right a Jar.  Why a Jar you ask.....well its because you can fill that jar with just about anything your heart desires and because I love making ATC's and can't draw for quids, it means I can now participate in the 'In A Jar Swaps'.... over at ATC's For All.

But this is really getting off the track, because today I have two Cards, Filled with Love, using this fabulous Jar and a couple of other stamps from the December KOTM to share with you.

For this first card I made a piece of crayon resist patterned background paper in my chosen colours to coordinate with the cardstock and add some interest by making a small colour block panel to go behind my jar.  The same crayon resist piece was used for a punched strip down one side of the card also.

For this second card I used the zigzag stamp from the December KOTM with my Kaleidocolour Ink Pad and Brayer to give a multi colour effect and filled my jar with hearts in the same colours.  Purple is one of my favorite colours however similar to pink  it doesn't photograph that well or that true to color unfortunately.

I just love my December KOTM and can see that it will be one I reach for often.  It is filled with love just like my post today.  So in ending if you Love Unity, are looking for Love-ly Inspiration be sure to pop over to the Unity Blog.

I am also entering these loved themed cards today in the Paper Players Challenge #77 - All You Need is Love!

Bunches of Love

As promised today I am sharing two Valentines Day Cards.

The first one features the adorable Popcorn Bear whilst the second is using the new Be My Valentine Stamp from the A La Carte Menu by Stampin' Up!

Isn't he cute, I love pink and green together and sticking to my New Years Resolution I am trying to use up my old papers and scraps.  This paper I have had for about 8 years, it must have been waiting for Popcorn to come along. 

This card is using a retired DSP from SU.  The decorative scallop border is one their newer punches. I have used my white gel pen to add faux stitching to give the impression of double stitched ribbon.

If any of you are scrapbookers, the Scrap Lounge is hosting a Cyber Crop over the next few days which started on Thursday.  There are some great layout challenges, to participate in with prizes for the best layout chosen by the CT Members.  So if you have time, why not check this out.