La-La Land Blog Candy and DT Call

Well it has been ages since I have entered a Blog Candy, but this one was too good to pass up! At La-La Land Crafts there is a yummy Blog-candy to be won and a DT call as well! Irina is looking for six DT members, so if you are interested why not pop over and check it out!

Sweet Sketch Wednesday and Girls have fun with Pearls!

My card today is following the Sweet Sketch Wednesday challenge incorporated with "Girls just wanna have fun" challenge from Creative Card Crew and because I am still making cards with lots of pearls the Pearl challenge from Stamp with Fun.

I have used papers from SU and DCWV "Sweet Stack", pearls from my Pretties Kit, flowers from my stash and ribbon from some blog candy I won from Cheryl awhile back now.

My second sick day at home today and I am beginning to feel much better! My eyes are almost back to normal and I have been catching up on lots of rest. I am missing my class though and hope they are having a good day today with Debbie the teacher taking my class.

Thanks for visiting my blog today!

Tuesday Sketch with Pearls

I followed the sketch from Tuesday Morning Sketchers to make this card. Well - sort of followed it. I couldn't get the wavy look behind the image so I went for a straight piece instead.

I also used the Pearl Challenge from Stamp with Fun. It has been ages since I have combined two challenges for the one card. I am in love with pearls at the moment from my SU Pretties Kit. I love the ones you can glue on, because I have a bit of trouble sometimes with brads.

I LOVE this Magnolia pony stamp. I think it is just adorable. I coloured it with Pretty in Pink ink and my aqua painter and covered it in Crystal effects and Dazzling diamond glitter. Papers are all SU. I embossed the pink card with white and a retired Stampin' Around wheel.

I am having today and tomorrow off work as I have had a viral infection that has left me with an allergic eye condition. My eyes are all swollen and read and itchy - not a pretty sight! After three visits to the doctor and an optometrist, two different eye drops and an eye ointment, I think they have finally figured out the condition. Apparently I am over the worst of it.

Hope your week is going well for you.

Thanks for visiting my blog.

Pink Elephant Challenge

Last night I was looking for some motivation/inspiration and I came across a sketch challenge at The Pink Elephant. It has been quite a while since I have participated in one of their great challenges. I was originally looking for a simple sketch to make several cards but I only got through the one, when I decided to have an early night.

I am obsessed with embossing at the moment...if you haven't already figured that out (if you have read my last few posts) and am not tired of it yet. So I included some black embossing on my purple card stock again using a SU "Stampin Around wheel". I wanted to make a modern card, hence the colours green, purple and black and a digi stamp from Pink Petticoat Collections. I also embossed the sentiment in white. I punched out the flower shape for something a little different to my usual stick-on flowers.

A few dramas at school today...behaviour issues mainly. It can be draining...I am hoping the week will pick up! I hope you had a terrific day...thanks for visiting my blog. I love reading your comments.

Magnolia Down Under - Christmas in July

I wasn't sure if I would have a go at the Magnolia Down Under Challenge for Christmas in July, because I have very little Christmas stamping products, but I found a Merry Christmas stamp and then a scrap of snow-flake paper and before I knew it I was excitedly putting a card together.

I followed Kellie's Punched Scallop Border Tutorial to make the frill around the image. I used my heat gun to emboss white powder onto the "Not Quiet Navy" card using one of my "Stampin Around" rollers. I haven't used them for ages but they work really well with the embossing powder to decorate plain card stock. I also embossed the "Merry Christmas" sentiment. I added some silver ribbon and rhinestones to complete the look. I love this "Not Quite Navy" colour from SU. I think it looks gorgeous with sliver and white.

I hope you had an enjoyable day today, mine was pretty average to be honest, still trying to get over a viral infection (yuk!). Will be drinking more immune boosting herbs every day and night to ward off disease! A pity it tastes so disgusting! Thanks for visiting...

Friday Sketchers

I have been having a great time with my new heat gun and some embossing powders. I didn't realise how much fun there was to be had! I followed the sketch from Friday Sketchers. My first card (the rose card) was closer to the sketch. On the second card I made (the black and white one) I let loose a little and it turned out somewhat different, but I like it the best. On the rose card I used gold embossing powder on the black and white card I used both black and white embossing powder. The gold didn't show up very nicely in the photo.

Sweet Sketch Wednseday

I love to join in the Sweet Sketch Wednesday challenge - it is one of my favourite challenges. This weeek was a colour and sketch challenge. I used my new Magnolia Stamp that I won from Kellie. (Thank you so much Kellie she is such a cutie and will be very-well used!) I also practiced with my new heat gun and did some heat embossing on the orange card strip. I made those little white flowers myself! I was a bit excited about how they turned out. I had to turn the sketch a little to get it to work for me and my Tilda stamp that I was so keen on using. The colours are not something I would naturally put together, but the result was such a bright cheery card!

I am so glad it is finally the weekend. I plan to do lots more crafting this weekend and catch up on my blog-hopping. I hope you have a nice weekend planned too.

Delicious Divas

I am excited to announce that I have been accepted as a Guest Designer for a new challenge blog called Delicious Divas. This is my first time ever at being a Guest Designer so I am a true novice. But a very excited one! I have already had a few attempts at the first two challenges so I really can't wait for them to go live. Why not pop over to the blog and become a follower...As soon as the challenge begins I will let you know!

I made a card for Amanda last night as it was her birthday today. I didn't want to post it last night because she might go blog-hopping and see it before I could give it to her! We treated her with card-making supplies for her birthday (just what she needs!) and the last part to her present is on its way from overseas...it didn't make it in time unfortunately. I used the sketch from Kellie's Sketch Competition. It was tricky! I changed my colours about four times before deciding on pink, brown and green. I used a Digi-stamp called Penelope from Doodle's Designs.

I also made a card for Lucinda for one of her SU workshops. Sometimes she uses my designs for her parties. I keep the cards simple. This one is using Ballet Blue (my new favourite colour) and chocolate brown and the hostess stamps. It was very quick to make. Lucinda liked it so I was happy.

I visited my Naturopath after school today and stocked up on all my vitamins and herbs. She gave me extra immune boosting stuff to hopefully help me stop getting every germ that lingers past! If kids in my class get something I seem to quickly get it as well...

Thanks for coming and visiting my blog.

A Card, A Present and An Award!

Today is Ben's official 30th birthday and I made him a card last night and gave it to him today. I also made my own wrapping paper again. If you haven't made your own wrapping paper before you have to give it a go. All you need is an A3 piece of white paper and some ink and stamps. The freedom you feel to stamp anywhere is liberating! I didn't add any ribbon this time...seeing boys aren't really into ribbon. I used the SU inks Chocolate Chip, Ballet Blue, Old Olive and Night of Navy. I am borrowing Ballet Blue and Night of Navy off my friend Lucinda and I LOVE them! I have added them to my never-ending wish list.

I received this gorgeous award from Cheryl and I just love it! Thank you so much Cheryl for thinking of me. I would like to pass the award onto:

Amanda

Lucinda

Jeannie

Victoria

Beccy

Thanks very much for visiting my blog. Take care.

A Super Quick Post...

A super quick post tonight as I am just about to head off to a dinner party. I have lots of new goodies to practice with at the moment and have been creating all afternoon. I am just posting this little card tonight. It is for nobody in particular, but it is always good to have a male card up your sleeve! I think its a bit cute! I am cutting lots of circles at the moment as I have just purchased my circle nestabilities and I am loving them!

Hope you have a nice Sunday evening...

Sweet Sketch Wednesday

I was looking for a challenge and I love to participate in Sweet Sketch Wednesday. So I followed their sketch and this is what I came up with. I have used all SU papers, card stamps, markers and ribbons. The only parts not SU are the butterfly, sentiment and pearls. It feels like its been ages since I made a card and I don't think you can underestimate how therapeutic it really is. After a long, freezing, frustrating day, card-making is exactly what the soul requires...along with a hot chocolate, cooked dinner, massage and early night. (Ok so bits of that was me dreaming...but it sure sounds nice!) Hope your day was warmer than mine and more peaceful! Thanks for visiting my blog.

An Eventful Week...

I can't believe it has been a week since I last posted. It has gone so fast and been very busy! I have quite a bit to share with you tonight...

Firstly, I have got a card to show you. One of my friends at work has had some sad times lately so I made her and her family this little card. I used colours I love her wearing. She has long, chocolate brown hair and she looks stunning in black and red. I coloured the Tilda with chocolate brown hair and used black and red card stock. This Tilda I stamped off Amanda's magnolia stamp. She is cute - but that bouquet takes ages to colour! I did follow a sketch for this card but I was in such a rush to make it I didn't enter it. I would have preferred to stitch around the coloured panels but time did not allow! It kind of looks a bit unfinished I think.

Secondly I wanted to tell you how lucky I was to win Kellie's Magnolia stamp she was giving away and I wanted to show you the gorgeous card she gave me as well. I remember when Kellie posted this card on her website and I loved it! I was so surprised to open the envelope and see this card. It is my "favourite card ever" at the moment! Kellie has used this gathered ribbon in a few of her cards lately and I just love it! I must get some. Thank you so much Kellie for the cute Tilda stamp and the beautiful card.

Thirdly I wanted to post some photos of Ben's 30th birthday party. All our family travelled the 8-hour car trip and came and visited us for the weekend. It was very hectic, but lots of fun! Our two neices and two nephews stayed with us which got a bit CRAZY at times! There was no time for card-making unfortunately, but Charlotte (my four-year-old neice) was very interested in my craft table and was quite keen to make a card of her own.

Do you like the cake? I was pretty happy with how it turned out. I cut out the 30 and decorated it myself (with some help and advice). I haven't made a fancy birthday cake in a long time so I was a bit nervous.

We had about 20 people come to our house and we used the slow-cookers for the main course. Later on the people who brought their guitars got them out and entertained us and we all had a sing-a-long. We played some wii games and it all finished up at about 3:30am. It was a fun party, with a big lead-up and the last of the family leaves for home tomorrow. So all in all it has been an eventful week.

Holidays are now over and we are back at school...I am hoping to stay in that holiday bliss mood as long as I can hold onto it.

I hope you had a lovely weekend. Thanks for visiting my blog.

Sunday Sketch and Stamp with Digi-Images

I am just back from a card-making day with my lovely friends I make cards with. We made cards, ate yummy snacks and chatted all day long. It is such good therapy! I made two cards that I designed for myself last night because I am not very good at concentrating, talking and eating all at once. I followed the sketch from Sunday Sketch and Stamp and used the same DCWV papers I used on my Magnolia card last night. My digi-images are "Lily with present" and "Lili with flowers" from Digi-Stamp Boutique. The flowers were from my stash.

Tomorrow is a big clean-up day for me in preparation for our visitors that arrive on Thursday. Then Friday will be a big food shopping day and Saturday a big cooking day. Lots to do in preparation for Ben's party. It is a rainy day here today so I think I might curl up on the lounge with my book and wait for Ben to get home from work.

Thanks for coming and visiting my blog.

Magnolia Down Under

I had a lovely time with the sketch from Magnolia Down Under this week. I used papers from DCWV and ribbons and pearls from my stash. I had fun with the colours blue, apricot and green - something a little different.

I wanted to share a photo with you tonight of one of our sponsor kids - Emmanuel. We have been sponsoring him now for about three years and when this photo came in the mail last week we couldn't believe how happy he looks and how much he has grown! It was so nice to receive his photo - isn't he such a cutie!

Well thats all from me tonight - just a short post. I'm off to a day of card-making tomorrow, so that should be lots of fun! Hope you had a lovely Monday.

A late Sunday evening post...

I just got off the phone to talking to my sister and I had to quickly post these cards before I head to bed. I know it is very late for a Sunday evening - but the good news is that being on holidays means that you can really go to bed anytime you like! I made these cards earlier this evening. I was blog-hopping on my friend Amanda's blog and I saw this sketch she had tried from Papertake Weekly Challenge. She said it was a nice easy one to follow and she was right. This sketch is very flexible and quick and easy to make. I made two cards. The first one is closer to the sketch, the second one was me having a bit of fun with it. The top card is a baby card for Mum to give to my cousin.

Lots of fun things happening this week. Ben is turning 30 and we are having a party at our house Saturday night. All of our family are travelling to the Gold Coast for the party, so its going to be pretty exciting! Lots of cooking and cleaning to do in preparation...

Anyway, I hope you had a fun weekend and thanks for coming and visiting my blog. I'm off to get some sleep. Good night.