Cards in Envy - Love is in the Air

Staying in line with my goal of using stamps that I am yet to ink up or haven't used for ages, I created my card for the latest Cards in Envy Challenge - Love is in the Air.

Simple in both Design and Color here's a look at my Card it's the first time I have used these two stamps.

The Image and the Sentiment are both from Unity's December 2011 KOTM.  Paper is from Me to You with Love Paper Pack which was a freebie paper pack that came with a magazine purchase.

So if you are declaring your love this fortnight with a card for a loved one we'd love for you to share it and join in the fun at Cards In Envy.  All the details can be found over on the Cards In Envy Blog here.

It's another Itty Bitty a Day Challenge Week.

Hi Everyone and Happy Hump Day.  I hope you are all doing well.  As the title might have indicated Unity Stamp Company are hosting another Itty Bitty A Day Challenge this week.   You probably know that Unity is one of my favorite Stamp Companies ever since being introduced to them a few years back.  I own quite a few (okay tonnes) of there stamps.  Even more now following my recent win of their June {Be Inspired} Challenge.   My prize of lots and lots of their wonderful stamps arrived on Monday so I couldn't resist breaking out some of this new rubber and playing along again this week.

My first card uses the Itty Bitty 'Stuffed for Joy Stockings' and some cardstock scraps along with a background I had from when I sopped up my excess when playing with mists the other week.  I stamped my stockings onto this background and the Metallic Red Dew Drops are From the Robin's Nest.

My Second Day's Card uses the Love Birds Itty Bitty.    I went for a fun and fresh color scheme once again using up some of my paper scraps.

As part of my prize for my June Win, I have also been asked to be a Guest Designer on the Unity Blog for their next {Be Inspired} Blog Hop and Challenge, which is tomorrow, so I would love it if you pop back then and take a peek.

Have a great day!

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

Focusing on the Love.

Good Morning Everyone!  Happy last day of January!  It was a happy day here this morning as I saw our Foster Son off to school on the bus this morning, what a long few weeks we have all had together.  It's definitely been a bit of a roller-coaster as Rod and I get used to the whole parenting thing and 'A' gets used to the house rules, and new environment.  Let's just say he has definitely been testing the boundaries.  So it isn't just because Valentine's Day is around the corner that  I've been trying hard to focus on the love.....lol

Participating in Life Book 2013 has been a blessing, and finding a few minutes in-between keeping 'A' amused over the school holidays and running the rest of my family back and forth to various appointments etc has been a godsend.  Anyway today I thought I would share a couple of my journal page/experiments that I have been playing with.

This page is for my personal journal I created this week.   I was wanting to do something a little Shabby Chic which is so not my style.  I am yet to add a photo under the banner and words down the left of both pages.  It's kind of fitting as February is the month of Love and also the month Rod and I met some twenty plus years ago.

It was created uses a selection of products from Altered Pages - Vintage Text Pages, Glitz Pretty In Pink Papers, Chipboard Scroll Corners and the Glitz Love Games Clear Stamp Set along with a few other items from my stash.

This page is using a technique by Christy Tomlinson (and part of Life Book) to make flowers from Foil and Tissue Paper.  I created this a few weeks ago.  The background is a combination of Torn Paper, Washi Tape, and Water Color, Stamping, Doodling, Stickers and Rub Ons.  My messy hand written quote reads:-

"You have to take the good with the bad, Smile with the sad, love what you've got and remember what you had.  Always forgive, but never forget.  Learn from mistakes but never regret."

A bit of a reminder to focus on the good and be kind on myself which we all need from time to time.  In focusing on the good, I am looking forward to the month ahead with a short holiday on the horizon for Rod's Birthday.  I also start voluntary teaching next week and know I will have a bit more time to create and play with new things.  Look out too for the New Design Team which I was asked to join for the New Challenge Site Cards In Envy which kicks off Febraury 4th.

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.

Platypus Creek Digitals - Wonderland Release

Hi Everyone!  This is just a quick post today to share with you that yesterday and today saw the release of the Wonderland Images and Cutting Files at Platypus Creek Digitals, where you will find Alice, the Mad Hatter and Friends.  If you love Alice in Wonderland and Cute I am sure you will love these!

For my release project I chose to work with the Queen of Hearts.

The background paper is a very old Fiskars/Heidi Grace one that has been in my stash forever.  The Circle was cut with my spellbinders die, and then layered with 3 stripes of pink ribbon in between which are some embossed strips featuring Card Suits.  The To My Heart Ticket is from one of my Unity KOTM's and the flowers and heart brad are also from my stash.

Be sure to pop over and view both days for a full look at all the images and cutting files released and get tonnes of inspiration from the DT projects.

Anyway the rain has eased a little today so hubby and I are braving it and going to do a bit of shopping and go out for lunch, so I best be off.  I hope you all have a wonderful day!

Always and Forever

I've had a bit of a call for engagement and wedding cards of late, so here's a couple I have made recently.

Image:  Digi by Baby Star Design at My Grafico

Sentiment, Cardstock and Ribbon from Stampin' Up!

Image:  Feb KOTM from Unity Stamp Co

Paper:  Bo Bunny

Ribbon and Flowers from my stash.

You have probably noticed by now that I love black and white with a touch of colour for these such occasions.  .

Love Begins in A Moment

This is so true!  Love does begin in a moment and we just fell in love with our new kittens the minute we saw them.  Since arriving home with them, they have just been a joy.  Well okay not every second.  There has been a few naughty moments, like when Felix attacks your feet as you sleep.  I can vouch his teeth are razor sharp and not just because I have felt them for myself but because of all the chewing he and his sister are constantly doing at present.  But when they are not being naughty its enough to melt any cares away.  They are so cute to watch together when sharing moments of tenderness with one another and when at play.  We still have them confined to part of the house, but I have let them out for exploring the other parts for a few minutes each day to get used to everything.  BB is slowly coming out of her shell, she is not hiding away as much and has started coming to us looking for cuddles.  Felix is cuddle mad, whenever I step into the room he is there to greet me with a big purr and smooch.

I thought I would share some photos of them at play with a ribbon.  They are easily amused.  With the ribbon I simply give them each an end and let them go.  Felix starts with his end but usually works his way up the ribbon to meet BB at her end.  Meanwhile BB tugs at it and if she gets it free from Felix's Grip she usually takes off with it in her mouth to another part of the room to have a few moments alone.

So yes Love Begins in a Moment.  It also Grows over Time and Lasts an Eternity.  This is a great phrase for a wedding card don't you think?

I went searching for some Wedding Couple Digis and found this one which is part of a set by Baby Star Design over at My Grafico earlier today.  The sparkly black and pink damask paper and Dew Drops are by Robin's Nest and the beautiful sentiment which I have centered my post around today and the Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folder is from Stampin' Up!  The ribbed black cardstock used for the base is from Time to Create.   I just love how this turned out!

All Because Two People Fell in Love

Hi everyone, I haven't posted for a few days as I had a rather busy end to a busy week as well as feeling somewhat under the weather.  I wouldn't say that I have had a constant headache, but its like my head is foggy all the time and I have a dull niggling sensation.  I cant really concentrate on anything for long.  So I didn't get to finish the card I was planning for the Unity Friday Friends with Flair Link Up so I have it to show to you today instead.

On Friday I had to get new tires fitted to the car, so DH and I spent a lovely few hours down the street browsing the shops and having lunch out.   Whilst browsing the shops I came across some fabulous rectangular paper doilies which I just had to open and use on my unfinished card, so needless to say it evolved a bit from my original idea.  I have just managed to take a photo of this card now, so thought I would do this post at the same time.  And yes it is another loved themed card.

Stamps:  Unity Jan 2012 KOTM, Unity Generations Stamp Set.

Paper:  Echo Park, Ink:  SU Hunter Green

Other:  SU Ribbon, Prima Flower, Paper Doily.

This week plans to be another busy one, I think I have about 10 cards that I have to make, a birthday dinner and a party to plan.  My Terrific Tuesdays Craft Day tommorrow.  Tradesman to meet at the other house on Thursday, I have to pack for our trip away to Coffs Harbour, and organise the last things needed before the kittens arrive just to name a few things.

I am not sure if I have already shared this one, if I have please forgive me, This is one of the latest photos of them with their mum.  The Boy who we are going to call Felix is on the left and the Little Girl who we are calling Clarabell (aka BB for short, as Clarabell means Bright and Beautiful).  They are now 12 weeks old.  

We are so excited as it is now only two weeks until we bring them home, I foresee lots of cuddles on the horizon and visits from friends.

Anyway that's it from me for now, I hope you all have a fabulous week.

  

Sketchy Sundae's Topped with Cream

Today's card is combining the Day 349 Super Sketchy Sunday's Challenge over at 365 Cards and the Paper Sundaes Sundae Bar Challenge #107 where you have to use at least two of the following to create your card -  Cream, Blue, Distressing and Pearls.

I thought the four options from the Paper Sundaes Challenge together would make a wonderful wedding card, and I got to use these cute as a button cream ribbon flowers I purchased a while back.  The Cardstock is Stampin' Up!'s Very Vanilla and Baja Breeze whilst the paper is from Echo Park For the Record Collection.  The Dove Stamp is from Paper Pleasure Plus, the Sentiment is from Stampin' Up! and the Brackets Stamp is from my stash of lots of different clear stamps that I no longer have the packaging for.  I have lightly distressed all the paper/cardstock edges with my scissors and inked with Tattered Rose Distress and what every combination of darker colour was left on my sponge.  I have used Not Quite Navy and Marina Mist inks from Stampin' Up to stamp my sentiment and sponge the background of my die cut oval and brackets.

Thanks for stopping by.

.

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.

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!