Wednesday 28 January 2015

Happy New Home

Welcome to another glorious Summer's day in Melbourne! The sun is shining, yet strangely it's not overly hot and the Australian Tennis Open is in full swing….(oh yes, terrible pun intended) ….and the kids are nearly back at school :-)

So it must be time for another sketch from The Paper Craft Crew and the Team have created some awesome cards to inspire you this week so I hope you can take a moment to pop over and see them!  Here is the sketch:


For my card this week I wanted to use the new Crazy for You Thinlits and so I've taken a liberty or two   but I think you can still recognise the sketch from my card :-)


A little different "happy new home" card :-)

For the card base I used some Calypso Coral - yes, without doubt, my favourite colour so far this year!
Then I layered some of the Best Year Ever DSP onto some white card so as to help highlight the die cut "happy" . The little houses are also part of a  Free Stamp set and co-ordinate with the What's Up punch - such a fun idea!


Card stock: Calypso Coral, Whisper White, Gold Foil specialty
Designer Series Paper: Best Year Ever *
Inks: So Saffron, Coastal Cabana, Versamark
Stamps: Crazy About You, You Brighten My Day*
Accessories: Big Shot, Circle Thinlits, What's Up Punch, Hello You Thinlits, Candy Dots, White Cotton Twine*

Thanks for stopping by and I hope that you can take a moment to pop over and see all the great inspiration from the rest of the Team at The Paper Craft Crew and I look forward to seeing what you create with this sketch :-)

Happy stamping until next time :-)

Jan



Friday 23 January 2015

Balloon Bokeh

Welcome to a beautiful Friday in Melbourne! The last two days have been quite hot - 37 degrees (Celsius) yesterday but it has been the warm and very humid nights that have been the hardest. But it seems that is finally on the way out - we are more used to a dry heat -  the humid weather usually doesn't get this far south!! And it is a Holiday weekend  - we celebrate Australia Day on Monday so will be great chance to get away and enjoy the sun for many :-)

Today's card continues the theme of the last one - bokeh. As mentioned in my last post, I saw a tutorial by Dawn Olshefski and you can see more info on that here. This time, I experimented with some really bright (put your sunglasses on!) colours and used the whole background on the card.
And I'm also entering it into the SUO Challenge to add "dots" ….certainly a few of them here :-)


I did warn you it was bright :-)

So to create the background I sponged both Calypso Coral and Tempting Turquoise. And once that was dry I used my home made acetate circle stencil to add the White Craft ink and again set it aside to dry.
The basket and ropes image is stamped directly on the background using the Momento Tuxedo Black ink and then I stamped on a piece of white card and cut out the basket and added with a dimensional. The balloon is stamped in Turquoise and the birthday added. For accessories - it is pretty hard to go past the gorgeous Calypso Coral Pom Pom trim I think :-) And some gold sequins for a touch of sparkle and a hot summer sky card is made :-)


Card stock: Whisper White, Tempting Turquoise
Inks: Tempting Turquoise, Calypso Coral, Craft White
Stamps: Celebrate Today
Accessories: Big Shot, Balloon Framelits, Calypso Coral Pom Pom Trim, Gold Sequin Trim, dimensionals

Thanks for stopping by today and I hope you have a moment to check out all the great inspiration form the Team at SUO Challenges and maybe you might be the next to enter!

Happy stamping until next time,

Jan





Wednesday 21 January 2015

Bokeh Butterfly

This last week has been more than a little challenging with a neck problem that has caused a fall and a lot of pain and pins and needles down both arms….not very conducive to card making unfortunately! However, the worst seems to be over and I could hardly wait to see if I could make a card and try out this very IN technique at the moment called "Bokeh" Originally, bokeh is a photography technique -  to do with light causing a blurring effect. In the stamping world I have seen a variety of techniques to get this effect and I chose this one by Dawn Olshefski to create a background for my card for this week's sketch for The Paper Craft Crew. Yes, it is that time again already! This week really has seem to have flown by and I do hope that you can take a moment to check out all the great cards the Team has for you this week.

Here is the sketch:


And before I show you my card, here is the background Bokeh sample I created…it gives a hint towards the card subject :-)


So can you guess the card subject?


Yes, a butterfly :-)

To create the background, I used colours as in the DSP  - Calypso Coral, Coastal Cabana and some Crushed Curry - all sponged onto the card and allowed to dry before adding the white circles and creating the butterfly with the Butterfly Framelits. The greeting uses two of the stamps ( I masked them both) from the Crazy About You set and the co-ordinating Hello You word Thinlits for the "you".


Card stock: Calypso Coral, Whisper White
Designer Series Paper: Best Year Ever ( Saleabration)
Inks: Calypso Coral, Coastal Cabana, Crushed Curry, Craft White
Stamps: Crazy About You
Accessories: Big Shot, Best Year Ever Accessory Pack (ribbon), Butterfly Thinlit Dies, Hello You Thinlits, Large Polka Dot EF, Basic Pearls, Dimensionals

Thank you for stopping by and I hope you have a moment to hop over to The Paper Craft Crew and see all the great cards the Team have made to inspire you this week. And I look forward to seeing what you create with this sketch :-)

Happy stamping until next time - hopefully tomorrow :-)

Jan



Wednesday 14 January 2015

Silver Anniversary

Wow - where has the time gone? I can assure you I have been busy in the wings with a few little projects - some that I am looking forward to sharing with you shortly and others that are waiting for the (sometimes very snail like Postal services to deliver :-). Maybe the last few days of quite heavy rain makes everything seem to slow down? Though I think you would agree that 23 degrees (Celsius ) and a little rain is a lot better than snow  - like some of our good friends in the Northern Hemisphere are contending with so I am not going to complain! Besides, rain is of course very helpful in keeping the Bushfire risk down here this Summer :-) Do you get the feeling I am trying to convince myself the rain is good? Yes, I think so too!! Growing up in Nelson, the Sunshine capital of New Zealand has made anything over 2-3 days of rain seem an age…hence moving to "four seasons in one day" Melbourne lol!

But getting back on track :-)….it is Wednesday and so is time for another sketch from The Paper Craft Crew. Such a great sketch - and open to many interpretations  - so I hope you have a moment to check out the fabulous inspiration from the Team this week :-)




And my card  - it's a special one for my lovely friends Katerina and Vince who are celebrating a special Anniversary this week. Congratulations on 25 years of marriage - such a fabulous achievement along with raising your beautiful family!! May you enjoy many more wonderful years together :-)


When I saw this sketch it seemed perfect to try out the new Balloon Framelits and the co-ordinating stamp, Celebrate Today. And for the background I used some of Katerina's favourite sets - Gorgeous Grunge and Work of Art. One of the great things about creating your own cards for the special friends and family in our lives is that we can customise them to the likes of the recipients.  So hopefully the bling and and full background (no not quite CAS here!) will appeal :-)

25 years - according the the Traditional Gift List -  is Silver and so that is used for both the balloon (embossed) and in the Silver Glimmer paper. Lots of sparkle and shine! The banner on the balloon is a slight deviation from the sketch but it seemed the best way to add the "Anniversary" on top of the Silver and the banner just manages to fit within the balloon :-)  I was happily surprised at how well this new set is working with the older Teeny Tiny Sentiments and may well give that set another lease of life too :-)



Card stock: Real Red, Whisper White, Silver Glimmer
Designer Series paper: Back to Black
Inks: Blushing Bride, Real Red, Versamark
Stamps: Work of Art, Gorgeous Grunge, Celebrate Today, Teeny Tiny Sentiments
Accessories: Big Shot, Balloon Framelits, Itty Bitty Banner Framelits, Timeless Type alphabet (retired), Heart Framelits, Hexagon Punch, Silver Twine, Basic rhinestones

Thanks for stopping by today and I hope you can take a moment to pop over and see all the great inspiration from the Team at The Paper Craft Crew this week. And I look forward to seeing what you will create for this challenge too :-)

Happy stamping until next time,

Jan


Wednesday 7 January 2015

Male Typo for The Paper Craft Crew

Welcome to another warm Wednesday in Melbourne - 38 degrees (Celsius) - it is hot and slightly humid with clouds gathering for rain tonight. The veggie garden is fairing well - netting is working as a good sun shade and the tomatoes are producing fabulously! So too the cucumber, lettuces and rocket so we are pretty self sufficient salad wise (although the capsicum are a little slow this year and will get a different position for next). It's wonderful to be able to share our abundance with neighbours and friends.
So far the Bush fires in Victoria seem under control but our neighbouring state of South Australia is not faring so well with continuing high heat and winds. So far at least 26 homes have been lost but thankfully - and incredibly - no lives. There are firefighters from all over the country joining the local crews so hopefully they will get some respite and be able to get on top of the many fires soon. Some years ago I spent a few days in the Adelaide Hills with a group of friends  - a wonderful smorgasbord of farms, orchards and well known vineyards wineries and lots of native bushland on either side of the narrow roads. So can imagine it would be nightmarish in fire conditions and our thoughts and prayers are with all those facing the tough conditions this week.

And being Wednesday its time for this week's sketch from The Paper Craft Crew. I hope you have a moment to check out all the great and varied cards by the Team this week and welcome our newest team member, Heidi :-)


And I decided to make a card for a friend of ours who works as a Librarian and he also enjoys the odd Vintage car rally . So I adapted the sketch a little to fit with a "Stationary" theme.


So letters), typewriter, grid paper and snail mail (stamp)….and of course the paper clip on the ribbon!


The card base is some Basic black and then the white card is stamped several times with the alphabet stamp - no need for the Stamp-a-ma-jig here thanks to the Clear stamp :-) The DSP is from the Moonlight stack and I stamped the typewriter image onto some black card and embossed it with some white EP to give a chalk look ( yes! Just waiting for the new Chalk paper and inks to arrive LOL!) The Lost Lagoon card is punched on one side with the Spiral Border punch and the Little car stamp is punched using and layered onto the Postage Stamp base. And sitting in the black satin ribbon is a cute mini paper clip…..and the "stationery' themed card is complete :-) 


Card stock: Basic Black, Lost Lagoon, Whisper White
Designer Series Paper: Moonlight Stack
Inks: Versamark, Lost Lagoon
Stamps: Tap Tap Tap, Postage Due
Accessories: Spiral Border Punch, 1" Square punch, Postage Stamp Punch, White EP, Black Satin ribbon, Basics Hodgepodge Clips

Thanks for stopping by! I hope that extreme weather is not an issue where you are today and that you might have time to visit The Paper Craft Crew and join with me in giving a warm welcome to Heidi as she joins the Design Team :-)

Happy stamping until next time,

Jan



Saturday 3 January 2015

FMS Baby

Welcome to another hot Summer's day in Melbourne - last night we suffered through our hottest night on record - the lowest it got to was 28 degrees! (Celsius) And today will be 42 before the cool change arrives about 8pm. In the meantime it is quite windy outside too so our thoughts are with all those fighting the bush fires today in both South Australia and Victoria - a very difficult day ahead for them.

For us, it is a day of staying inside out of the heat - and so what better thing to do could there be than to make a card? None of course :-) So today I am using the great sketch this week by Narelle at Freshly Made Sketches 

And I've made a much needed baby card as I am about to become an Aunty again….and wanted to use the Pom Pom trim….:-)



I'm sure this would've been easier if I had stuck to pink as I struggled with this one but I think we got there in the end :-) 

Card stock: Calypso Coral, Crisp Cantaloupe, So Saffron, Whisper White
Designer Series paper: Lullaby
Inks: So Saffron, Calypso Coral
Stamps: Something For Baby, A Dozen thoughts
Accessories: Big Shot, Baby's Firsts Framlelits, Calypso coral Pom Pom trim

Talking of babies, in a bush in our yard in view of our back door, a Native Pigeon has been sitting on her nest and her chicks hatched yesterday - so not an easy day for them either. But she is being an awesome mother - I popped out to take a photo a moment ago and she was gone - soon to return with a cool worm or two for her hungry chicks when I'm sure she would rather be staying out of the sun. And yes - I have put a bowl of water out for her :-)

Here she is keeping her chicks safe despite the high wind:



Thanks for stopping by today and I hope you have time to check out the great inspiration by the Designers at Freshly Made Sketches and maybe you too might be the next to enter :-)

Happy stamping until next time,

Jan