JAI challenge - just add mother

Card: rich razzleberry, old olive, early expresso, whisper white
Ink: rich razzleberry, old olive
Stamp set(s): because I care, well scripted
Accessories: rich razzleberry satin ribbon, dazzling diamonds, frost white shimmer paint

Over at Just Add Ink, the challenge this week was to just add mother.   I wanted to try out the mother of pearl technique, and I thought this was the perfect opportunity to create something beautiful to honour my Mum.  I love my first attempt at this new technique - the frost white shimmer paint gives the perfect sheen to the whisper white cardstock.  I decided to give the flower some bling with dazzling diamonds, and I couldn't resist adding some ribbon.  I'm hoping Mum will love it (shhsh! don't tell her!).

Birthday butterfly

Card: pool party, calypso coral, whisper white
Ink: pool party, calypso coral
Stamp set(s): creative elements, well scripted
Accessories: blender pen, vintage wallpaper embossing folder, big shot, pool party ruffled ribbon, pearls

This card just came together which was cool as it often takes me ages to make the decisions about colours, stamps and design...  I used my blender pen to add some subtle colour to the main image, and the ruffled ribbon and pearls add that touch of 'wow'.  I"m loving the pool party and calypso coral, and the fresh, bright look of this project.  Enjoy!

Wisteria blossom

Card: lucky limeade, wisteria wonder, whisper white, confetti white
Ink: luck limeade, wisteria wonder
Stamp set(s): mixed bunch, well scripted
Accessories: blossom punch, lucky limeade brad, wisteria wonder ruffled ribbon, lucky limeade ribbon, vellum, top note die cut, big shot

I wanted to try out a new technique I had seen, and I love wisteria and limeade, so I decided to bring these together in this project.  I cut a top note with the big shot, then turned it 90 degrees and cut it again so it created the cool square with the fancy edge.  I'm sure you'll see more of this soon...!  I stamped a blossom and used the rock n roll technique to bring in some of the lucky limeade around the wisteria wonder.  I added some torn vellum and a mixture of ribbon, along with a brad.  Of course, I had to add an inside panel with a sentiment...done!

Happy Birthday Denise!

Card: pool party, calypso coral, whisper white
Ink: pool party, calypso coral, island indigo
Stamp set(s): mixed bunch, well scripted
Accessories: blossom punch, pool party brad, 1" circle punch, 3/4" circle punch

This is a CASE from the make n take at a fun day for demos in Wellington I went to last weekend. Not too sure if it was the lovely Paula or Sharlene that designed this one...! Denise is my sponsor child in Togo, West Africa, and it's her birthday today!  I know, it'll get to her very late, but I've been thinking of her all day, and I want to send big hugs and wishes for her birthday - it's never too late!  I'm thinking I'll send her some stickers as well...  Hopefully she'll love it!

I stuck everything down, and then realised that we had embossed the white panel with the perfect polk dot embossing folder for the make n take, and I forgot to do that here...doh!  My special take on the project :-)  I've also moved the sentiment from the bottom of the panel to the top (no 'white space there!).  A very simple card you could very easily demo at a workshop, or prep for a make n take at a workshop.  Happy Birthday Denise!

Blossom punched turned butterfly!

Card: calypso coral, pool party, whisper white
DSP: everyday encantment (SAB)
Ink: calypso coral, pool party, black staz on
Stamp set(s): mixed bunch, well scripted
Accessories: blossom punch, everyday enchantment brad (SAB), calyps coral ruffled ribbon

I love Dawn's work, and I just had to CASE this one today!  Here, the blossom punch has been turned into a butterfly - and the rock-n-roll technique on the butterfly always creates a wonderful effect.  This card is a little surprising as it opens on the whisper white rather than on the calypso coral.  It has soooo much potential, so thank you for the inspirationDawn!

Rich razzleberry meets island indigo...

Card: crumb cake, island indigo, rich razzleberry, very vanilla
Ink: rich razzleberry, island indigo
Stamp set(s): just believe, well scripted
Accessories: vellum, beautiful wings embosslit, big shot, sponges, pearls, very vanilla seam binding, piecing tool

I was looking online and found this and I just had to CASE it!!  I was also keen to try rich razzleberry and island indigo for a different colour combo...  What do you think?  I wasn't sure at first, but it's growing on me - definitely have to try this combo again soon!  I love the vellum butterfly - I keep forgetting about vellum, but it's so cool to use, especially when it's embossed.  And I've used my piecing tool to create some distressing around the image, which I'm keen to keep practicing with to use in more projects.  So many things buzzing around the inspiration bank, but so little time to get them out into projects...!

Happy Engagement!

Card: cherry cobbler, real red, whisper white
Ink: cherry cobbler, real red
Stamp set: well scripted
Accessories: beautiful wings embosslit, big shot, whisper white organza ribbon, pearls, bayer

A couple at church have just announced their engagement, and for their engagement party tonight, I created this card.  I dusted off my brayer to create the banner, and then stamped the sentiment.  A butterfly, pearls and ribbon finished off this project nicely.  I love how the two tones of red, and the brayered panel.  I added a real red and whisper white inside panel, but I had signed it before I had taken a pic, so haven't included it here.  Here's wishing the happy couple every blessing :-)

Birthday sparkles

Card: cherry cobbler, more mustard, baja breeze, confetti white
Ink: cherry cobbler, more mustard
Stamp set(s): creative elements, well scripted
Accessories: silver glimmer paper, vintage wallpaper embossing folder, big shot, blossom punch, fun flowers die cut, whisper white baker's twine, baja breeze designer button, sponge, whisper white organza ribbon

I still had some bits I played with at Stamp Camp, so I created this quick card to add to my stash...  The glimmer paper in silver is divine, and really makes this project pop.  I added a sentiment inside rather than on the front of card so it didn't distract from the flower detail.  I sponged everything in cherry cobbler, which added a subtle splash of colour, and created a little more depth in the flower.  I embossed the confetti white to add some texture, and added a button in the middle of the flower.  I used my colour coach to bring the colours together.  A quick card to make, but I like it!

Turquoise birthday

Card: whisper white, tempting turquoise

DSP: tempting turquoise patterned DSP

Ink: daffodil delight (marker), real red (marker)

Stamp set(s): creative elements, well scripted

Accessories: real red 1/4" grosgrain ribbon, pearl, beautiful wings embosslit, big shot

I've CASE'd this from the current Impressions magazine, which comes each month from Stampin' Up! when you sign on as a demonstrator. It has fantastic ideas and projects to use in workshops, and today when I was looking through the April magazine, I loved this design and wanted to re-create it with my own person touch. I have added a tempting turquoise panel inside to give the card a little more stability... This would be a simple project to use in a workshop or to re-create in batches. I've also used a technique that I have used before, which is to brush a marker across a stamped image, and highlight some areas of the stamp in a contrasting colour. Pretty cool!

Another Easter card

Card: crumb cake, chocolate chip, blushing bride, very vanilla

Ink: blushing bride, chocolate chip, crumb cake (marker)

Stamp set(s): mixed bunch, well scripted

Accessories: beautiful wings embosslit, big shot, blushing bride striped-poly ribbon, pearls

I wanted to make another Easter card today, seeing as it's Easter and all... I used this week's colour challenge from Just Add Ink as my inspiration. I don't have Pink Piroutte, so I've used blushing bride instead. I love the vintage, worn look of this card, and for me, the butterflies symbolise new life and transformation - the hope and joy of the Easter story.

Ruth is now home - the surgery went well, and hopefully we can have a quiet Easter break as she begins her recovery. Who would have thought that 1 second can change your life in so many different ways... It'll take about a year before her ankle is fully strong and functional again, but it only took a second to fall off her bike. But it's all good - we have been very impressed with her care, and the help of so many different people. Happy Easter!

Happy Easter!

Card: confetti white, pear pizzazz, blushing bride, whisper white

Ink: pear pizzazz, blushing bride

Stamp set(s): mixed bunch, well scripted

Accessories: brayer, beautiful wings embosslit, big shot, pearls

Over at Hand Stamped Sentiments, their challenge last week (missed their deadline...doh!) was to create something to do with Easter. I decided to go with a pastel, whimsy look, and love how this little card evolved. I masked off the strip of colour at the side and brayered and stamped before taking away the post-it notes (love these for masking!), and then stamped the sentiment. I added the bufferflies and pearls and layered it on dimensionals. On the inside, I stamped a few images in one corner, leaving it largely raw and textured, with the confetti showing through. I'm thinking I might make a few more of these to give away this Easter!

Easter card

Card: confetti white, wisteria wonder, calypso coral, soft suede, whisper white

Ink: wisteria wonder, calypso coral, soft suede

Stamp set(s): fresh vintage, well scripted

Accessories: calypso coral designer brad, wisteria wonder ruffled ribbon, linen thread

As part of the market I want to attend in a few weeks, I'm making up some Easter cards. This is one I have cased from Delys Cram - again! I love the design, and thought the new in-colours worked will with this design. I love the speckled confetti white, and of course, the ruffled ribbon and brad. Beautiful!

Easter card

Card: rich razzleberry, wisteria wonder, whisper white

Ink: rich razzleberry, wisteria wonder

Stamp set(s): delicate doilies, well scripted

Accessories: perfect polka dots embossing folder, wisteria wonder ruffled ribbon, pearls, sponge

I wanted a few more Easter cards to add to my collection for the market I'm attending in a few weeks, so I came up with this wee number. I've used some bright-ish, spring colours to sponge some faux-torn artwork on my project, and I've added some texture with the perfect polka dot embossing folder and the ruffled ribbon, but the pearls add that little bit of bling and 'wow'. What do you think?!

Cute Easter boxes

DSP: poppy parade, concord crush, pear pizazz, blushing bride DSP
Ink: poppy parade, concord crush, pear pizazz, blushing bride
Stamp set(s): four frames, well scripted
Accessories: poppy parade, concord crush, blushing bride striped poly ribbon, silver brads, rhinestones

Yesterday, I spent some time crafting with the lovely Sharlene... She had invited me over to craft with her, and I decided to make a dent in my creations for the market I will be selling at on the 1st April. As Easter is coming up, I thought I would make this the theme for my table, so I made these very cute Easter baskets. I'll probably fill them with a creme egg, or some small caramel eggs, ready to sell for Easter. Who could resist these?!

Birthday with a twist!

Card: marina mist, night of navy, whisper white
Ink: marina mist, night of navy
Stamp set(s): delicate doilies, well scripted

Accessories: beautiful wings embosslit, big shot, pearl

The lovely Paula shared a quick but very cool tutorial the other day on her blog, and today I wanted to CASE her project. This is my take, and trust me, it was quick! Yay! I ripped some scrap A4 printing paper and sponged with marina mist before stamping with night of navy. This is essentially a masking technique and so so effective! I just had to add a butterfly and a pearl to give it some 'wow'!

Card for a work colleague

Card: blushing bride, early expresso, pear pizzazz, whisper white
Ink: blushing bride, early expresso, pear pizzazz
Stamp set(s): just believe, well scripted
Accessories: blushing bride 1/4"poly-striped ribbon, top note, big shot, beautiful wings embosslit, brayer

A few weeks ago, a work colleague celebrated a birthday and I designed this card for the whole team to sign for her. It's A5 size, so quite big. But I love the hint of pear pizzazz that complements the blushing bride and early expresso (my colour coach comes in real handy!!). I tried to use some scraps I had lying around, but I knew I wanted to brayer some colour somewhere and use my new just believe stamp set. I was pretty pleased with the results, and the birthday girl loved it!

Ribbon birthday

Card: confetti white, calypso coral, pool party, crumb cake, whisper white
Ink: calypso coral, pool party, crumb cake (marker)
Stamp set(s): silloutte sentiments, well scripted, pocket sillouttes
Accessories: calypso coral ruffled ribbon, linen thread, pool party in-colour brad

I fell in love with Delys' colour challenge a few months back, and today was the day to CASE this one... Love the colour combo, and the ruffled ribbon and the confetti white cardstock create just enough different textures to make this card "sing"! Someone will be tickled with this birthday card, I'm sure :-)

Brayered birthday

Card: calypso coral, island indigo, whisper white


Ink: calypso coral, island indigo


Stamp set(s): delicate doilies, well scripted


Accessories: brayer, beautiful wings embosslit, big shot, pearls





This is a project I added to the tin of cards I gave my sister for Christmas. I know, it's taken me awhile to post this one...! But I adore this card, and the colour combo has got to be one of favourites still. I love the graduated look of the band of colour (that's what the brayer does - pretty cool!) because it stands out so well on the whisper white. Thought you might enjoy it :-)

For Valentines

Card: basic black, whisper white, real red
Ink: real red, cherry cobbler, poppy parade
Stamp set(s): delicate doilies, well scripted

Accessories: beautiful wings embosslit, big shot, sponges, pearls

I wanted another valentines day card, so I designed this one. Not quite how I had visualised it in my mind, but I quite like it! I love the three different reds together, and mounted on a thin red mat, then a black base. I think it looks classy! Fit for the special day tomorrow :-)

Valentine with a twist

Card: marina mist, night of navy, whisper white
Ink: marina mist, night of navy, whisper white
Stamp set(s): delicate doilies, well scripted

Accessories: brayer, beautiful butterflies die cut, petal cone die-cut, perfect polka dots embossing folder, big shot, rhinestones, 1/4" whisper white grosgrain ribbon

The challenge at Hand Stamped Sentiments this week was to use three different blues and a neutral colour. I only had one of the blues they suggested, so I've used two of the blues that I've got and whisper white. I thought I would make a valentines day card - the twist is that it's blue!

I've masked off a thin strip of the whisper white, and brayered top and bottom with marina mist and night of navy. I've stamped a sentiment across the strip that was created, added the top of the cone from the cone-petal die (embossed) and a beautiful butterfly (stamped with night of navy - you can just see it) with ribbon around it's middle for antenae (sp??!). The rhinestones give it a little bling.