Coffee Lovers Blog Hop for Card-makers

Hello there, my lovelies! I hope you've had your coffee today!

I'm taking part in a fun blog hop today organised by Chaitali Narla and Amy Tsuruta  for coffee loving card makers!

I do love my coffee, but I only allow myself one per day (ok sometimes 2) -  a cafe bought regular size strong Caffe Latte. When I'm travelling, in Asia, UK, USA, I find it difficult to get it just the way I like it. It seems we drink it stronger down under, probably more like Italy. Yes, I'm a coffee snob! But when you love it a lot and you only have one a day - it has to be right! I found this poster which is so on trend and sums up my feelings!

source

Don't ask me any questions until I've had my coffee - my brain does not function until after my caffeine boost!

I don't have any coffee related stamp sets, so I called my friend Lyndal, who I honestly believe has everything! I'm very lucky to have her as a friend and living close by! She has 3 stamp sets! 

So I borrowed them yesterday and had a bit of a stamping frenzy, before returning them to her so she could join in the hop.

I seem to have been in a Vintage and Retro sort of mood - a return to past styles! I've been inspired by the various challenges around, which have been asking us to use our designer paper - it's like I've just rediscovered it all.

The stamp sets I used were from Skipping Sones Designs (Funny Coffee) and Paper Smooches (Cyber Cafe). The last card is definitely not my style, but i made this cut file in Silhouette and thought it would go well with the Basic Grey papers.

Now, why don't you pop over to Chaitali's blog Cuts, Crops and Creativity and see what everyone else has created. If you are inspired and would like to participate, you have until 11.59pm PST 29 September to link up a card and there are some wonderful  coffee themed prizes too.

Another Autumn Card and then on to Spring!

Hi there! Happy Monday! It's a glorious Spring day today and the Irises in our garden are starting to sprout. I hope the Roses bloom soon!

I had some metal leaves sitting on my desk, left over from the Mixed Media Card challenge. We were showcasing craft metal from Add a Little Dazzle. So anyhow, when I noticed the challenge at The Card Concept, I knew I should put the leaves to use. I would also like to enter the Inspiration Emporium challenge - fall theme. 

I coloured the leaves with a combination of Liquid Pearls, Copic Markers and a metallic, yellow glitter pen.

I used my new Lil' Inkers impression plate and Stitched rectangle die (love, love, love!)

and then matted the panels adding a few sequins and a bow to finish off.

I'm entering this in the Card Concept - Clean and Layered category.

I'm also entering it in the Simon Wednesday Anything Goes Challenge.

I was also inspired by the Case Study Challenge, so I shall enter that as well, although I will probably be back with another one.

I will have another post go live at 11pm Melbourne time (6am PST) for the Coffee Lovers Blog Hop for card makers - if you are interested in participating - check out the details at Chaitali's blog.

Daisies make me happy!

Every week I have the intension of making a tag for the Tag You're it! Challenge, but I keep missing the deadline. I'm just sneaking it in this time!

The daisy and sentiment stamps are from Penny Black Petal Power and the tag and butterfly are cut with a PB die. 

I'm also entering this in the Simon Monday Challenge - Stencils and Stamps and the Simon Wednesday Anything Goes challenge.

More Feather Love!

I purchased some feather stamps from STAMPlorations a while ago, because I jujust had to have them and of course they then sat in my stash un-loved until now!

I thought I would take the opportunity of the inspiration at Case Study Challenge to break out these gorgeous stamps and I decided to try stamping on charcoal cardstock as an alternative to kraft. I think this will be a good sympathy card, although I hope I don't need it!

The stamps are from STAMPlorations Vignette Trendy Freathers. I stamped the feahers with Hero Arts White ink and brushed with pearl-ex white powder. The sentiment was stamped in black, with a Ranger emboss it marker and brushed with the same powder. After I applied the powder, I heat set, then brushed with a tissue to remove excess powder, spritzed with water and heat set again. 

 I am also entering this in the STAMPlorations Monthly Challenge - Stamps and markers
and the  Simon Monday Challenge - Stencils & Stamps.

Girls just wanna have fun!

I've just finished making something for a design team, which took a lot of thought to put together and I felt lie shaking the cobwebs out of my head and having a bit of fun. Then I remembered the fun inspiration photo at Fusion Card Challenge and the rest is history.

I stamped the car twice - once on the pink DP and again on some acetate. The I fussy cut them and placed the acetate over the pink.  The background paper is from Heidi Swapp . The palm tree stamp is from Kaisercraft and the sentiment is from Simon Says Stamp.

ETA: I'm entering this in the Simon Monday Challenge - Stencils & Stamps - I used 3 stamps.

I told my daughter she can have the card when she gets her license and she said she'd rather have the car! Me too!

Pattern Paper Play

Have you noticed all the challenges around , encouraging us to use our stash of designer paper? I was very inspired by Jacqueline's cards here and decided to use collage stamp on some of my favourite paper.

The paper is from MME Follow Your Heart and the stamp is Hero Arts Timely Bird. The sentiment is from Winnie & Walter The Big, the bold  and the seasons.

I'm entering this card in A Blog Named Hero's challenge - Paper, Please!

Butterfly Birthday

Hello there! Spring is back in Melbourne, after a very chilly week and people are out enjoying the warmth with smiles on their faces! Spring makes me think of flowers and butterflies.
I was inspired by the pretty shoe in the Runway Inspired challenge and was tempted to make a shoe shaped card, but well I decided to go with my default design favourite!

I began by embossing the white card with an embossing folder and then added a few splats of distress ink. Next I made a stencilled background with distress inks  and when dry, die cut the butterfly. The leaves have also been die cut - the cork was quite tricky as it is so fragile. I then arranged the foliage and butterfly on the card, adding the sentiment and bling.

Also a reminder about the Mixed Media Card Challenge  - the theme is Autumn colours  - you have until 25 september to enter and this month we have a great sponsor!

ETA: I'm also entering this in Simon's Monday Challenge - Rock the Techniques! One of my favourite techniques at the moment is stencilling!
supplies: embossing folder, WR Memories;   Dies, Simon Says Leaf cluster , CASual Fridays - casual vine;  stamp, Altenew Label Love; Ink Ranger distress ink spiced marmalade and seedless preserves.

Dream then Do!

Hello, another weekend has arrived and with it the dream of an Independent Scotland has once again been put on hold.  An amazing 4.3 million people turned out to vote - they certainly care about the future of their homeland! My Husband comes from Scotland and his family were divided in their views, but I do hope that Scotland will benefit in many ways, after giving Westminster a bit of a scare!

My card today is for the Case Study Challenge - we have another stunner by Debbie Hughes to inspire us! I went with the dream catcher theme in keeping with the dreams of many Scots.

I've actually done 2 versions of the card, but this is my favourite.

I stamped the background image on the kraft card with white ink  and then brushed it with Perfect Pearls and stitched a border. The dream catcher is cut with my Silhouette and then covered with white ink and heat embossed with white lustre powder. I added some liquid pearls and pearls to the dream catcher and then sprinkled some bling! The sentiment is from CASual Fridays. 

 This was my other version. I embossed the kraft card with an embossing folder and then swiped the edges of the card and heat embossed with the white lustre powder.

  Thanks for visiting and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

A Foxy Christmas!

I've finished 2 more cards I've been working on. They are both Fox cards - I'm quite addicted to this trend at the moment.

The first card is for the Moxie Fab Foxy foxes challenge,  Virginia's View #7 and A Blog Named Hero challenge.

The fox is made with Silhouette and the papers are from Studio Calico (  thanks Jill Foster!). I've sponged all the edges of the paper with distress ink to give some depth.
The embossing folder is from WeR Memories - love it!

ETA: I am also entering this card in the Color Throwdown challenge (thanks Lyndal!).

Well, the first fox was cute, but a tad small - so I enlarged it and decided to have a bit of fun!

I coloured the fox with Copic Markers and used enamel dots for the eyes and nose. I made the antlers myself. The stamp is a very old freebie. The Christmas trees were made with a Memory Box die. A few sequins and a bit of twine and it's beginning to feel like early Christmas!
So this is another card for the Moxie Fab World Foxy Foxes Challenge and A Blog Named Hero Papers, Please! Challenge and Virginia's View, because I've used glitter paper and Heidi Swapp paper for the sky.
ETA: I'm entering this in the Cutting edge challenge #10.

PS: My daughter is in to foxes and Christmas and has already staked her claim!

Mama Elephant meets Virginia's View

Hi there, it's another quick post, because I'm off to the docs. I've been coughing non-stop for 3 days and not getting any sleep - hope I can get something to help!

I made this card for Mama Elephant and me September Paper piecing challenge and also Virginia's View #7 challenge where we get to use Designer paper. I am also entering this in A Blog Named Hero challenge which is also to use DP.

I made the flower a few days ago, but couldn't decide how to progress. It's very busy, using patterns from one of my fave paper pads (Basic Grey Fresh Cut), so in the end I decided to make a small card and let the flower do the talking!
The thank you sentiment is inside the card.
The flower and sentiment are from Mama Elephant's Lovely Mums set.

First Christmas Project of 2014

When I saw Debby's gorgeous little burlap favour bag in this week's Case Study Challenge, I decided to do a favour of my own and that it should be a Christmas theme.

I stamped the Poinsettia (Waltzing Mouse Stamps  Big Bloom Poinsettia- one of the stamp sets  I acquired at our craft retreat - thanks Chupa!) on vellum and embossed it. Then I coloured the reverse side with Copic Markers. The sentiment is made with a Penny Black die. The pillow box was cut by my Silhouette.
I think you can see I was inspired by the burlap and the colours.

More Autumn Mixed Media

Hi there. Just here to remind you about the current Mixed Media Card Challenge. There's still plenty of time to play - the deadline is 25 September. The theme this month is Autumn.

You can see more inspiration on our reminder post here

I used a stencil on the background and a combination of distress ink and Pan Pastels. The bird is made from craft metal from our sponsor  Add a Little Dazzle. I die cut the metal and then embossed it, added die ink and perfect pearls and finally some glitter. The sentiment is cut with Silhouette from Winnie & Walter's cut file (The Big, the bold and The Blessings). I cut plain card and then added the glitter.  
I'm entering this in the Simon Wednesday Challenge, where the challenge is to make your own background.
I'm also entering this in the Inspiration Emporium Challenge - Autumn theme.

My Fave Butterfly

Hi there, another Monday has rolled around! Just a quick post, because I'm feeling a bit under the weather - just a virus with cough. I still wanted to make a card for the current Muse Card challenge,
 because the Muse is the uber talented Therese Calvird and her card is a stunner.

Here is my take

I used a stencil and distressed ink for the background and also lightly stamped some text through the stencil. My butterfly has more of a watercolour effect, made by colouring directly on to the Penny Black stamp and spritzing before stamping.

I'm also entering this in the Simon Wednesday Challenge, which is to make your own background. 

ETA: I see that City Crafter Challenge have Butterflies as their theme, so I shall this card.

MUSE CHALLENGE

CITY CRAFTER CHALLENGE

Foxy Friday

Hi there, just a quick post! Today I made a card for the Moxie Fab World Foxy foxes Challenge and have also used the inspiration photo from the Scrapbook boutique challenge.

The fox stamp was a freebie from a magazine and the sentiment is from Winnie & Walter. The tag die is from Papertrey Ink and the background on the tag was made with a Heidi swap stencil and distress ink. Sorry to be short and sweet - but I'm going out for lunch now! Have a great weekend!