Colorful Dreaming

Do you Dream in Colour?  I have a good friend who has the most vivid dreams, she is able to recall them the next day down to the finest detail, they are always of the most strangest things and her recollection of them and trying to decipher what they meant always make us laugh.

Of late I have been dreaming a lot, however as I don't record them the minute I awaken I soon forget what they were about other than who may have been in them.  I am also finding that I am going to bed thinking of lots of creative things that I want to try, and idea pops into my head and then it elaborately evolves and so I am kept awake as my mind is full of color and craft.  So this morning on waking and after feeding the cats (who otherwise would have driven me crazy by their demands) and whilst Rod was still asleep I ventured into my craft room.  I tidied up a little and found myself staring at the Dream Big Itty Bitty Stamp from Unity which was sitting on my desk.  This stamp has the sentiment Dream Big and an image of three butterflies in flight.

Stamps:  Dream Big Itty Bitty by Unity Stamp Co, Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black

Cardstock/Papers:  Stampin' Up, Echo Park Summer Days Collection

Other:  SU Punches, Flowers, Bling and Tria Markers to add the slightest of colour to the Butterflies.

Seeing this immediately had me thinking of all that kept me awake the night before and my dreams which were all soon forgotten this morning,.  I created this card thinking about colorful dreams and letting them take flight to destinations unknown, whilst playing along with the current sketch challenge over at Chocolate, Coffee and Cards Challenge Blog and also with the current challenge theme of Butterfly Kisses at Stamptacular Sundays.  I have also entered this card into the current Paper Sundaes and Cute Card Thursdays Challenges also.

Challenges Entered
Chocolate, Coffee and Cards - Challenge 12 Sketch
Stamptacular Sundays - Challenge #163 Butterfly Kisses
Paper Sundaes - Challenge #120 Things with Wings
Cute Card Thursday - Challenge #217 A Touch of Sparkle.

Usually when I dream alot, it is when I am needing to make a decision about what direction to take in my life or path to go down.  I think I know where this is all heading but I am sure I have a few more dreams to have before I know for sure.  I will let you know.

Cute as a Button!

I am loving the color combos over at Colour Combos Galore so couldn't pass up playing along with another one.  This is actually their challenge #220 from February however they were running late with posting it so it is open for entries until the end of March.   I so love the combination of pink and green so I actually made two cards using this inspiration board.

Flower Image - Unity KOTM, Sentiment - Stampin' Up!

Inks, Paper, Cardstock and Buttons are also from Stampin' Up!

Other:  Tria Markers to colour in petals and leaves.

Flower Stem Stamp from Stampin' Up, Ink:  Black Memento, Colour Tria Markers,

Paper:  Echo Park, Buttons from own Stash, EK Success Photo Corner Punch

Using similar colours I also took inspiration from this photo from the stem of the glass holding the flowers to use a flower stem stamps on both cards.  The tonal light and shade of the pinks of the flower petals on the first card and the green mat underneath the glass, translated into my sentiment panel at the bottom of the flower and the framing of both the sentiment and image with green on the first card and the grass on my second card.

Buttons and a CAS Design are all criteria from the challenges over at Stamptacular Sunday's and Paper Players this week hence these elements are also included in my cards today. 

Challenges Entered:

Colour Combos Galore - Inspiration Board #220

Stamptacular Sundays' - Challenge #155 Cute as a Button

Paper Players - Challenge #87 CAS with Buttons

I love you this much!

Inspired by a 'Terrific Tuesday' at Time to Create a few weeks back I broke the piggy bank and invested in some lovely pastel toned Versa Magic Chalk Inks and used them (Aloe Vera) to create the background for the sentiment on my card today which I have created with my April Unity Kit of the Month Stamps for the KOTM Sketch Challenge over at the Unity Stamp Company Blog.

Stamps:  Unity April KOTM - Small Things Matter Most

Paper:  Stampin' Up & others from my stash

Ink:  Aloe Vera Versa Magic Chalk Ink, Black Versafine, Daffodil Delight SU Marker

Other:  Gold Star Brad.

Don't you just love the sentiment.  It really is the focus of my card today so I did very little else other than add the checked stamped star with a gold star brad centre.

This card was also created with the following challenges in mind:

Unity Stamp Company Blog - June KOTM Sketch Challenge
Allsorts Challenge Blog - Week 109 Lemon and Lime
Stamptacular Sunday -  Challenge #117 Stars and Stripes
Cards for Men - Challenge #13 Stars

Life is a Beach - Dreaming of Warmer Weather

Yesterday was one of the coldest mornings so far this year.  Although we have a wood fireplace at home I am having to rug up to be in my craft room or office because the warmth of the fire doesn't reach there and somedays I feel like the Michelin Man, or can at least relate to him.  Anyway this week I have had fun exploring a lot of the international challenge blogs where they are celebrating warmer weather with lots of Summer Themed Challenges, knowing that I had the perfect new stamp to try for such a challenge.

My LSS Time to Create has recently got in a range of stamps from Crafty Individuals and I have fallen in love with them.  I have used one of them today and plan to be playing very soon with my others.  Luckily  I have been selling some of my old stamps because I certainly have purchased quite a lot of new stamps lately.  Ssssshhhhhhh!!! don't tell my hubby.

I am just loving this wonderful image it brings back such fond memories for me as I spent many a school holiday at the beach and during my late teens travelled up every weekend to Coolum on the Sunshine Coast where I was a Volunteer Surf Lifesaver during the Summer Months.

The Sentiment Life is a Beach is also from the same stamp set.  I coloured in the image with my SU Markers and Sponged some colour onto the background.  I choose my papers accordingly to match and represent the bright fun colours of Summer.  The papers are from the Echo Park Life is Good Collection..

I have made this card for the following challenges:

Anything Goes Challenge Blog - Here Comes Summer - Challenge 43
Stamptacular Sunday Challenge - #116 Fun in the Sun

Dad - A Manly Card Challenge

I've been on a bit of a mission of sorts this week and have been making lots of cards.  After yesterdays post which I said would be my last one until I am back from Brisbane on Friday, I found another Unity Challenge Blog - All Things Unity so Idecided to join in the fun for their latest challenge, ATU33 - Get Manly so I just had to share my card with you all.


The challenge is to create a male card for your Dad, Hubby, or other male in your life using your Unity or Ippity Stamps.

Last week I got the Ippity Set - Authentic Man so I put another fabulous stamp (the row of ties) from this set to use to create this card along with the gingham ribbon border and simple sentiment DAD from the Unity April Kit of the Month. I love the clean look and bright colours of this one.

Father's Dad is coming up in the States soon, so there are a couple of male/father's day oriented challenges I have also entered this card for: - Stamp, Scrap & Doodle Saturday and Stamptacular Sunday, who's challenges I have played along with a few times now, as well as making this my second entry into the Cards for Men Blue and Black Challenge.

Thanks for looking.

Back with a couple more Challenge Cards!

I have been playing along with lots of challenges lately and discovering lots of wonderful new blogs.  One blog I found called 365 Cards posts a new Card Challenge Daily, so this week it is my goal to play along with each one.

They start their week every Sunday with a Sketch Challenge and then various challenges daily.  So far I have completed two of their challenges the ones for Sunday and Monday.

This card follows their Sketch and I have also played along with the Current Colour Combination Challenge on Splitcoast Stampers - CC326 which was to use the Colours Regal Rose, Pink Pirouette and Melon Mambo for this card.  I have used the debossed side of the centre panel and apart from the embossing folder all items used to create this card were Stampin' Up!.

My second card today follows the Challenge from 365 Cards Day 98 Challenge (Monday) which is called Lucky 13.  You have to include 13 of something on your layout.  For this card I have stamped 13 small flowers onto the background of my card.

I also have played along with the Sketch Challenge SC335 over at Splitcoast Stampers for this Card and this weeks Colour Combination Challenge #114 on the Stamptacular Sunday Challenge Blog.  The stamps used to create this card are from one of my new Dark Room Door Viva La Flora Collection Set.

I am off now to play along with some more challenges and to get some washing done making the best of this beautiful fine day before the rain settles back in tommorrow.  Thanks for dropping by and looking at my new challenge creations.

TUIC May Challenge - Purple & Flowers

This month Kelly (Southpaw Paper Crafts) is hosting the TUIC Challenge for May and believe it or not I have done it early this time around.  The challenge is to use my favorite colour PURPLE and FLOWERS so when I saw this sketch I wanted to give a try over at Stamptacular Sunday's Challenge Blog I got straight  to it.

I have used one of my all time favorite SU Card and Paper Combinations along with the SU Cottage Garden Stamp Set, Martha Stewart Ribbon Loop Punch, SU Rich Razzleberry Polka Dot Ribbon, Silver Bling and lets not forget my Spellbinders Label Die.  I have stamped the sentiment and surrounding floral/flourish design and then onto another piece stamped some of the flowers which I have cut out and mounted over the top so that they add dimension and hang over the spell binder cut label edge.

So there you have it, two great challenges for you to give a try this week.  The TUIC Blog Group's Challenge which is open to non TUIC Members over on Kelly's Blog and/or the Sketch Challenge #110 over at the Stamptacular Sunday Challenge Blog. 

Until next time happy stamping!

Pretty in Pink Part 2

I  have had a thing for pink this last week or so, and whilst looking for a challenge or two to create to, as well as a need to make a card for a friend, I once again used this colour.  My overall colour combination was however inspired by the delightful Easter Blog Design over at the Paper Cutz Challenge Blog.  Even though we are heading into Autumn here in Australia I am reaching for spring colours which are used frequently to represent Easter.

The Stamptacular Sunday Challenge this week #103 "Are you talking to me" asked for the sentiment to be the main feature of your creation, whilst Challenge #83 over at the Paper Cutz Challenge Blog was simply "Your Choice".

I also chose to add some dimension and shine to my sponged and stamped background by embossing some of the flowers with my Crystal Effects rather than embossing powder which meant I could also enter the Paper Sundaes Challenge #61 this week which was to use either wet or dry embossing.  And lastly the Pile It On Challenge #12  was to use Pearls and Rhinestones and Bling, hence the three rather large rhinestones on the sentiment panel. 

Recipe:  Cardstock/Paper:  SU Whisper White and Pixie Pink, Echo Park Be Mine Digital Paper.  Ink:  Stampin' Up! Pixie Pink, Old Olive and Baja Breeze  Stamps: Occassional Greetings, Vintage Vogue and Summer Breeze all from Stampin' Up!  Other:  3 Large Rhinestones, Stampin' Up! Crystal Effects (Embossing)