Going to the Ball

I couldn't think of a better title as I haven't used a sentiment on this card. My inspiration for this card is this picture:

When I saw this photo I loved the dress, all that tulle, the soft colour, the little bits of silver, white, black, red and the sot green background.

I looked at everyone else's inspiration and all I could think of was using someone else's idea. That wasn't what the picture was saying to me. If you go through my blog you can see I love to colour in, copics, watercolour, intense pencils. So I decided to have a go even if its not what is expected. I get that they aren't looking for models and imitations but one of the Saturated Canary images just kept popping up in my head and decided tonight to go with that flow.

Here she is:

the sheer apricot gown flowing from the silver mesh bustier. Satin white gloves and satin apricot ribbon in her hair.

Finished off with red roses and delicate daisies and wee little silver tipped pins in her hair.

to Finish the card off I have run a gold strip down each side of the cardbase then attached the top layer. I wanted to add some greenery. I did this by die cutting a Hero Art palm leaf die I have then using the negative. I sponged or lightly dabbed actually with one of the Hero Art pale green inks, love the finished look.

As you can see her hair has been styled to perfection with soft brown streaks added and a couple of tendrils left out each side to soft the do. Ohh I crack myself up sometimes.

As is obvious I am entering this in the Challenge

Runway Inspired Challenge :ric#89 Christian Siriano

If I have taken the interpretation the wrong way please delete my entry.

Thanks for visiting and I hope you come again.

To love and be loved is precious

I started this card with all good intentions but my day did not go the way I planned so another one that had to be photographed at night.

I find night photos a. you are lucky to see the sparkle when its added and b. photos are less forgiving. I can see when the paint ended up on the card and was cleaned off. I can't when looking at the card but in each photo I can. Ahh well them the breaks.

I love how this card turned out. At first I was going to do the gems all one colour then thought nah rainbow colours. Then I was thinking of having the gems on the opposite side in the same order so it looked like a necklace but after stamping and silver embossing one side I felt it looked perfect just running down one side and would have looked too busy down both.

I decided to silver emboss this one and will do another with white embossing so I can see if it looks as good or better. Honest;y the painting is just light enough with a bit here and there darker for depth, everything is silver embossed and looks brilliant IRL. One gem I did not clean the area well enough so we have speckles of silver.

I might even do a card where its just silver embossed and no colour added because I liked that look too.

Back to the card

Once the Peerless watercolour had dried I covered each gem with the Wink of Stella Clear glitter and it truly does sparkle.

This is my interpretation of 'Precious' 

The sentiment is a combination of two sentiments. The precious along with the gems I used is all a Winnie and Walter set. 'To love and be loved' is part of a PTI sentiment that I cut apart but can be put back together.

I would like to enter this in:

CASology: Week 158 : Precious

sorry to anyone who gets this as a double post but I just saw 

Addicted to Stamps and More!: Challenge 156 Anything Goes

its perfect for there.

Thank you so much for coming to visit and hopeI see you again.

Pop Up Challenge

The Daily Marker is having a Pop Up Challenge or two

Heres the link (Pop Up Challenge) so you can read all about it.

Kathy will be having another 30 Day Colouring Challenge in October but until then there is to be a Pop Up challenge or two. Kathy has asked if we can spread the word and in doing so you have a chance to win a grab bag.

Gotta be in it to win it and I do soon love Kathy's Colouring Challenges.

Thanks for visiting, card coming soon.

It's exhausting being this fabulous......

I love these AI stamps, have quite a few and its time to start sharing them. Another last minute challenge,  nah there's still 13 hours but I thought I better get it finished and not risk missing the dead line.

I'm hoping to be home a couple of days this week so I am going to try and enter some Challenges before the last minute.

Ok, with this one I stamped onto watercolour paper. I then coloured my beautiful ladies in with Inktense pencils. I cheated with their skin and used Copics. Don't you just love that although they have their PJ's on they are still fully made up with lippy, blush and earrings.

Since they are on the couch, I thought they should have some wallpaper. Used some patterned paper from a Stampin Up paperpad. I attached the patterned paper flat to cardstock. Then cut out around my ladies, did a wee bit of light blue copic around them so I didn't have to try and cut off all the white as the watercolour paper is rather thick and hard to cut. Added the image with dimensional foam.

Then I did my usual and thought about the sentiment and where it should go. I have quite a few of their sentiments but decided just one would be fine. I chose the light purple colour cause it looks brilliant with the green strip on the wall paper. Oops got a bit of lippy on the third lady from the left teeth. Their too busy laughing to notice anyway.

Added bits of sparkle with glitter pens on their jewellery but night photos just don't pick it up so you will have to believe me - ok.

Going to enter this in:

Stamp, Ink, Paper : SIP Challenge 8 - Designer's Choice

using favourites: AI Stamps; Inktense pencils; Humour; Favourite Colours

Sister Act Card Challenge : Challenge #118 Anything Goes

Love their challenges so there we go.

Hope you enjoy your visit and come back again.

Berry Merry Thanks

No, no berries and its not Christmas theme either I just thought 'Thanks' was a bit boring and as I made this card to go in  the Less is More Colour Challenge : Berry Shades Thought this title worked.

okay here comes the card.

This is another last minute card. I was down looking after mum and dad, got home late this arvo. Unloaded the car, got Elysha settled, unpacked, takeaway (ahh bless Friday) and sat and looked through Feedly. Too much to catch up on, then saw the Less is More Challenge had only 10 hours left so I couldn't go to bed and do in the morning. I had another of those ideas or six stewing in the old brain but with shortness of time and tiredness setting in I went with the easier of the ideas.

I love how this card turned out but there was no way to get the camera to show the true depth of colour in the blended distress inks panel. Night time, lights, flash etc so you will just have to believe me. The colours are deep and rich and remind me of berries, boysenberries, blue berries, raspberries.

I used the Hero Art background stamp again, this one was actually embossed on watercolour paper but I distress ink blended and will have to try with watercolours another time.

I have used a third of the panel and cut two white panels same size. the watercolour panel is flat and the white panels a lifted ever so slightly. I then cut out the 'Thanks' word 3 times in white and glued together then the purply berry colour once. In a couple of photos it looks splotchy, don't know why because IRL its perfect, no glue marks. Maybe reflection.

Even the 'Thanks isn't showing up true colour here, I am disappointed.

Okay thats it. I hope this fits the bill. Still feeling my way these days.

Less is More: Week 235 Colour : Berry Shades

Marybeth was kind enough to point out another Challenge I could enter this in.

Since the Die cut 'Thanks' is a Serendipity die I will enter this in their  Monochrome Challenge

Serendipity Stamps Challenge SSCB#45 Monochrome

Thanks for coming to visit & I hope you come again.

Card Set

WARNING: This is a photo heavy post lol. I needed to clean my desktop and I had this set of cards sitting all over it so I decided post just to share what I did. No challenge in mind here.

Each of these cards has the same basic design. Used multi coloured wools/yarn on each. Lucky for me I had colours to go with each.

The same layout of 7 squares lined up within a piece of card stock I have cut 3/4" holes in as evenly as possible.  3/4" coloured cardstock that went together. Some left plain, some have a wee bit of glitter and some have glossy accents.

Some of the cards I just did 3 lines along the bottom of them with my score pal others I have done a crossed pattern on the card front with the score pal.

After I attached the coloured card stock piece then I went through my gem collection and added bits and pieces within the colour theme.

Some I have stamped with black ink, others with greys from Hero Arts inks.

When I attached the yarn to make sure it stayed on well, I cut a very small slit

at the fold on the card and fed the yarn thru. This made sure it stayed in one place. I actually didn't notice when I took the photos that some of the yarn was sitting very straight. It looks better crossed over so I fixed that before I wrapped the set to give away.

I used a mixture of sentiments from a few different companies. Some taking up centre stage others just at the top.

I was quite pleased with how it turned out and am pleased to say I have nearly used up all the card bases I made this way.

This sprang from a card I saw at an online class that looked so wonderful and when videoed it looked so simple. Simple turned into the card of the century.  Of course the card I saw the squares were just laid along the white strip - think I could get them straight - no way.  

You should have seen this place, first cutting out the squares, I swear that I must have punched out over 400 different squares going for all these different colour combinations. Then of course I had to add kindy glitz to some and glossy accents to others. some warped, smeared etc, it looked like a  mad house.

Now I can happily say there are just a few left, the box full of coloured squares that are left is tucked away where I can't see it to ponder using those other squares and I will never attempt to make these again. 

Lesson Learnt : I learnt that I should just make a couple of cards when I like an idea, stop obsessing over how it would look with this or that or I will never get through all the stamps, dies, papers, embellishments I have.

I hope you enjoyed my little journey with these cards and that you will come visit again.

Hang Loose

I was going through my stamps (the never ending pile and found another stamp to use). Penguin for the Muse Challenge - 50 minutes to go till closing. can I do it?

Isn't he cute as.

Stamped, coloured with copics, fussy cut out my ohhh so cute penguin. Will have to add the brand name later. Stamped with copic friendly ink but it wasn't black enough. Should have used the Misti. So I went in and coloured the black with black copic - very scary.

Got the card base and a great stencil (brand later) and thought this looks like waves so did my blending with blues from distress inks, once then lightly over again for more depth.

Added my penguin who is hitting the waves and saying 'Hang loose'. Just edited the photos so here goes.

MUSE : Muse Challenge #126 :Inspiration Tracey McNeely

Took the inspiration from Tracey relaxed Penguin and the stencilled background.

Hope you enjoy your visit.

Spread your Wings and Fly

This was an idea that was chugging away in my brain and I thought I might just be able to squeeze into a Challenge I had seen that is ending soon so thought I would give it a go.

First I cut the die cut butterfly out of the card front.

Then I looked through the bits and pieces I have coloured, painted, blended etc and saw the piece that is from a background stamp made by Hero Art. I love the stamp and have embossed cardstock and watercolour cardstock in gold, silver, clear, white, sparkle all with this pattern

But most of what I do just sits waiting for me to decide how to use it. Well I found one way. I had a gold embossed and it has colours blended in pinks using Distress Inks. I die cut another butterfly.

I cut a small piece of card stock to put behind the original butterfly, laid the patterned butterfly inside the die cut and held in place with temporary tape.

Then I put wee little dots of glue inside each space. Picked up each piece and placed inside, bit like making a puzzle but easier. I then die cut the body from gold vellum. Once they were all in place, I lifted the butterfly out line so it sat slightly raised.

Now I can't decide which I like more, all pressed flat or slightly raised. Any thoughts ??

Decided to keep this very simple with the sentiment stamped in Charcoal.

I would like to enter this card in:

CASology: Week 157 : WINGS Challenge

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge : Anything Goes

I think that makes three entered there

Sorry if you get this twice. Realised I had picked Less is More and forgot my colours didn't quite match Berry shade so had to delete.

Butterfly Challenge #36 Butterflies and 'W' for Washi Tape

no was tape but there is a butterfly

Enjoy your visit and see you again soon I hope.

Happy Father's Day

Yes I know its not Father's Day yet but thought I would colour a few cards so my grandkids can pick out which one they want for their dad when it gets closer (we celebrate Fathers Day in September here in Australia). This is one of the few Mo's Digital Pencil rubber stamps I own. Mostly own digital images of hers but have started buying the rubber which then gives me a bit more choice with my stamping. Actually I painted the little ballerina last week and she is also a Mo's clear rubber stamp (can't think of the name they use for clear stamps so that will do). 

 I coloured in with Distress inks and had a little bit of overflow with the orange t-shirt (lesson one - clear emboss when stamping with black ink just to ensure there is no overspill) I have always clear embossed for watercoloring but have become rather lazy/eager to get things done and have been bypassing this step.

Its not too bad but does look better with clear embossing so will get back into the habit. Also can't work out why I did the ground in grey, maybe I was thinking shadow and got carried away. Should have been grass - looks like dad is dragging her along the road (lol).

Ahh come on she's smiling, it can't be too bad!!!! Finished it off with a free stamp sentiment I got from Stamplorations the last time I bought something. Its a beauty hey!

Cut the panel smaller than the card base. Added a sheet of patterned paper to the base of the card then attached my coloured panel. All done.

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge : Anything Goes

Mo's Digital Challenge : Challenge #253 Anything Goes (optional Summer)

Crafty Gals Corner Challenge #30 - Anything Goes

Okay thanks for visiting and hopefully you will be back soon.

A Vase of Flowers

I love the Photo Challenge over on Addicted to Stamps and More.

So I decided to give it a go. Loved the flowers and have a couple of gerber flower stamps but they were all to big for what I wanted to do. I then thought of the new stamp set I had purchased from

Stamplorations 'Blooming Buds - Dee's Artsy Impressions'. Love them. So I stamped (cut out) and masked  and stamped some more  in a bunch. Then I stamped some more just on their own so I could add to the bouquet. 

I coloured them all in with copics and I can see the colour pink is lacking in my mix of colours so of course I will need to buy some more. But anyway I got the look I wanted. Now I needed a vase. 

What better than the glass jar die from the Stampendous 'Cling Build a Bouquet Set' which yes I am sad to say I have not used yet but is on my to do so very soon list (hang head in shame).

Anyway used the die for the jar and cut out using silver card stock (this was after first placing thud upside-down the first time and cutting a nice deep pattern into my magnetic plate). Moved the die up further after cutting to reduce the size of the jar and recut. Wish I had had shiny silver card stock but this will do.

I curved the die cut piece a bit then attached with dimensional foam tape. I coloured couple of additional flowers, fussy cut them out along with a couple of leaves.

Added the extra flowers also with dimensional foam tape. Cut the panel slightly smaller than the card base and attached flat to the card base. Decided not to add a sentiment, felt it would just crowd the card out.

Okay so what do you think? Does it work? Too much? Thinking maybe I should have coloured the pink flower fully pink. Ahh well its done.

I would like to enter this in :

Addicted to Stamps and More: Challenge #155 - Photo

Stamplorations Anything Goes Challenge

used their stamp set.

Simon Says - Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes

Thanks for coming to visit. Hope you come again.