Finding inspiration....

Being a dedicated blurfer (blog surfer), I am blessed to read and view the talents of many wonderful people out there. A while back, Andrea (EnchantINK) followed a "Sweetie's Sketch" as seen here. One of her inspired creations was this card using the Priceless stamp set (SU).

Andrea's FAB Card

Now at this time, I was procrastinating (yeah...so unlike me I know) and suffering a nasty case of mojo-interruptus!! I had a card idea bouncing around my head for a week or 2...but the M-I virus can take up residence for an indeterminate amount of time. Basically....Andrea's post was the cure I needed. Without a word of a lie, this card was nearly the same as the one I had in my head. So.......creativity renewed....I set to work.....and this was my card!!

So, thanks to Andrea and her creativity, I unblocked a nasty narrowing and was very happy with the result. There is a wonderful myriad of talent out there, so tog up, grab a cuppa and have a blurf today.

Stuff used:

Card: Dk purple Bazzil, Whisper White (SU)

Ink: (SU) Pretty in Pink, Certainly Celery, So Saffron, Lovely Lilac

Stamps: (SU) Priceless

Punches: (SU) Lg and Small Oval Punch, 1 1/4 and  1 3/8 Square Punch, CM 1 1/4 Circle Punch

Paper: (SU) Tea Party DSP

Misc: Upkit gold numbers and purple organza ribbon fm stash.

Lynda xx

C.C's....Yes please!!

The amazing Miss Kellie Winnell (aka Wall, Waffle...and Magnolia Queen) has some brilliant blog candy on offer...as seen here....

If you would like the chance to win this beautiful kit, you can read about it here. There are RULES that you need to know, so please read it carefully. It is open until the 18th of February.

Catch you all soon.

Lynda xx

And they're OFF!!!!!!!

Back to school....woo hoo!!!

I have a sort of tradition that I like to do for kids that are about to start big school. As you all know, it is a big thing and even bigger if you go to a place where you are the smallest thing!! So to make it a wee easier...they get a special card in the mail. Sorry about the picture quality, the light was not that great!! This is the card I did for my daughter last year. Unfortunately time constraints did not allow me to take pics of the cards going out this year....cause we NEVER leave it to the last minute....do we??

I combined punches and stamps to go for a school-like theme. The actual blackboard is a cut down CP21 Square Punch and the 'woodgrain' around it is hand drawn. The "ABC" is from the SU Big Deal Alphabet with more punches to accompany.

I stamped the child's name with the alphabet set that I used with the bear card for Nadia a couple of posts back. Then it was punched out with a Carla Craft CP1 Apple and daisy petals for leaves. I think they are too cute. Also gives the card and extremely personal touch. The "Good Luck" on the blackboard is the same alphabet in white ink.

Hope all the Mum's out there are enjoying a well earnt PEACEFUL cuppa and some much meeded craft time....before the 3pm onslaught this afternoon.I know I will be!!

Stuff used

CS: Optix Sand and Generic White, red and green CS fm stash

Ink: (SU) real Red, Ballet Blue, Wild Wasabi, Basic Black, White ink (fm craft store)

Punches: CP2- Apple, Balloon Car, CP1- 1/4 circle, Apple, Daisy-S, CP21 Square

Stamps: (SU) Big Deal Alphabet, Mini "peg" alphabet set fm stash.

Lynda xx

Half Sheet Challenge!!

The FAB Claire Daly set a fantastic challenge recently. Some of you may have heard of a One Sheet Wonder (OSW) whereby you take a sheet of CS and randomly stamp images all over it and then make cards from that one sheet. There are many examples of how to do it and here is just one.

Anyhow, Claire set the challenge for a HALF sheet wonder......same concept but only half as much. Knowing my tight-fisted Scottish ancestory would come in handy, I decided to give it a burl. All in all I got 4 CARDS to the half sheet. The other challenge for me was to overcome a chronic case of procrastinations!!!! It started out like this...

then this.....

and finally...

Card 1

Card 2

Card 3

Card 4

I relied on the colours and CS I had the most of....then another problem....I ran out of Regal Rose CS.....AAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!! Hence the Pink Pirouette (card 2). The half sheet was stamped in Regal Rose, Certainly Celery, So Saffron, Bashful Blue and Lovely Lilac.

For those of you eagle eyes out there....you will notice that there were originally 5 cards planned.....but card 3 wound up a combo of two of them. I challenged myself by attempting things that I had not before...like the Faux Pinwheel (card 2) as well as using a little more ribbon than I do (card 4)!!!! Basically...I used it...LOL!! I also wanted to use a couple of my punches...and I am really happy with the results.

How's about you challenge yourself to a Half Sheet Wonder (HSW) or OSW. They are great fun and a real hoot....minus the procrastination of course!! Thanks Claire for helping me outa my creative comfort zone!!

Stuff used:

CS: (SU) Certainly Celery, So Saffron, Pink Pirouette, Bashful Blue, Regal Rose, Very Vanilla.

Inks: (SU) As above and Versamark

Stamps: (SU) Priceless, Best Yet, Birthday Wish, Polka Dot BGS

Punches: (SU) Scallop Edge Punch, Scallop Oval Punch, Scallop Square Punch, Wide Oval Punch,Lg Oval Punch, Lg and Small Tag Punch, Carla Craft CP2 - 3/4" Circle and CP1 1/2 " circle.

Misc: SU pink rhinestone brad, Dimensionals, Certainly Celery Twill Ribbon, Victorian Cuttlebug embossing plate.

Thanks for making it through to the end of the post. Catch you soon with some back to school fun!!

Lynda xx

Traditional and Adaptable

You may have noticed over the past couple of posts that I have been using versatile layouts. Well (sorry) here I show again!!! (and yes...a terrible array of sad puns!!)

Some time back I got this FAB old SU set (the name of which elluded me and the seller) from eBay, but it has the CUTEST bear. There are 13 stamps in the set all tolled and it is circa 1993. So old infact that SU mounted on black foam...not wood!!!


So here's where the OCD with the bear began.....

Recently, one of the gals I use to work with some years ago had a little baby girl. She named her Nadia. So I went to this beautiful set and tweaked it a bit. Here's the result...

As you can see, instead of using the ribbon/ ric-rac, I spelt the name of the baby in 1/2" and 3/4" circles. It was stamped onto SU Very Vanilla CS in Basic Brown ink. Unfortunately, I can't tell you the name of the alphabet set because I have had it for so long it has worn off the container. Each letter is on a circular peg like wooden mount....so they are super-dooper easy to use. The corners of the squares were done with a 1/4" circle punch. SU have a ticket corner punch, but I don't....so I had to improvise.....and it worked a treat!!

Oh yeah....and I AM AWARE I used a heap of pink for this card....LOL!!!

Stuff used:

Card: Optix Para Pink, Navy and Purple, SU Very Vanilla

Paper: DP fm multi pack I picked up at Big W.

Ink: SU Basic Brown, Night of Navy, Elegant Eggplant

Stamps: Alphabet set (unknown), SU Bear et al set (circa 1993).

Misc: Gold brads, ribbon and ric-rac fm stash, gold Upkit number stickers

Punches: CP 1 - 1/4", 1/2" and CP 2 -  3/4" Carla Craft punches.

Lynda xx

Clean and Simple Birthday

You have to love cards that are Clean and Simple (CAS).

My baby sister is a tough cookie. She appreciates the fact that I make cards....she's just not really THAT fussed about them. So for her birthday, I toned down everything.....literally!! I started out with a piece of SU Whisper White CS and then got some black ink and one of my fave SU sets....Pocket Silouettes. A bit of meauring...a bit of stamping and here's the result.

Added a white bit of ribbon and a sentiment from the FAB Amy R set and presto!!

I loved it so much that I also did one in Mellow Moss...same layout, but different feel. It could also be used for a Christmas card, Sympathy card...anything really.

Hope you like this CAS idea. I know I do. It goes up so very quick and looks pretty.

Thanks for dropping by and catch you next time.

Stuff used:

Card: (SU) Whisper White, Basic Black, Mellow Moss

Ink: (SU) Basic Black, Mellow Moss

Stamps: Pocket Silhouettes (SU) and Amy R "Birthday Sentiments".

Misc: White satin ribbon fm stash.

Lynda xx

One of the hardest to do.

One thing about my line of work (for those of you who don't know, I am a Registered Nurse) is that death is one of the things you have to deal with on a fairly regular basis. Over the past years, I have formed a very special patient/nurse relationship with many whom I have looked after and this also extends to the members of their families as well. Just after Christmas, one of my long aquainted families lost the patriarch of their family after a long battle with Cancer. Although we all knew what the eventual outcome would be, it still does not stem the sense of hurt and loss that you feel.

I wanted to make a card for the widow that reflected both my sentiments and the personality of her husband. I made 2 as I was unsure of which direction I would go in.

In the first card....I went back to my quilling roots and used a technique called Combing to make a Cross out if 3mm white quilling paper.This was glued onto a textured blue piece of Bazzil CS. I then punched some hearts to make the rose in the centre, punched some leaves, added a crystal bead and a sticker sentiment. Here is the result.

For the second card, I turned to my stamps. I had seen this card on SCS and thought it could reflect a sympathy sentiment as well. The gentleman was a big fan of nature and showed strength to the very end. I started with a base of SU Ballet Blue (BB) and Night of Navy (NON). The Soft Summer set has a wattle like image which I felt was perfect. I stamped off the main image in BB (inking directly was too strong for a sympathy card) onto Very Vanilla CS and then did the outline of NON. I matted the image onto a piece of silver shimmer paper and added 3 silver brads, then onto a NON base. I also paper pierced for the first time. The sentiment was stamped in NON and is from the Heartfelt Thanks SU set. I was wrapped with the result. So much so...that this was the one that the family received.

I hope you to can find inspiration from a person's card and then see it in a slightly different way.

Thanks for dropping by and have a fantastic, inspired day.

Stuff used:

Card 1:

CS: Blue Bazzil

Paper: 3mm white quilling paper, blue paper fm stash to make the rose and leaves.

Punch: CP1 Heart and Leaf

Sticker: Upkit "With Sympathy"

Card 2

CS: (SU) Ballet Blue, Night of Navy, Very Vanilla, Stardream Silver (fm Alice's).

Ink: (SU) Ballet Blue, Night of Navy.

Stamp Sets: (SU) Soft Summer, Heartfelt Thanks.

Extras: Silver brads and SU Mat Pack.

Lynda xx

Tote-tally cute!!

So it's a bad pun..but it's been a long day at work today!!

A fair while ago, my friend Kathryn and I attended a workshop conducted by Angela Sargeant. It was based around a very popular technique doing the rounds at the time which was watercolouring roses. We had so much fun doing this and we made the following cards. Please also take into consideration that this was my first real contact with embossing!!

The third project we did was a cute-to-boot little tote bag! I have had one more than 1/2 finished for my daughter...and thankfully...she is too young to read my blog (she's 5!!) I had to do a Chrissy present for the sister of Fantasy Box #5 who was 4 JUST before Christmas...so I thought this would be perfect. They hold a bucketload of fairies, plastic bling, Bratz......anything close to the heart of that generation. I put a very bright shirt in it an there you go!!

Here's the tote from the original workshop.....

...and here's the one I made for Miss 4!!

Again, these are made from one sheet of 12 x 12 paper and then contrast CS, bling and ribbon.

Hope that you have had a creative day.

Supplies:
Angela's w'shop -
CS: (SU) Old Olive, Tangering Tango, Confetti White.
Stamp set: (SU) 5th Avenue Floral
Ink: (SU) White Craft Ink, Reinkers - Pink Pirouette, Riding Hood Red, Tangerine Tango, Summer Sun.
DSP: (SU) Haiku
Extras: Riding Hood Red ribbon, White EP, brads, Tab Punch, Scallop Edge Punch.

My Bag:
Paper: EK Baby Collection DP - Hugs and Kisses
CS: Purple Stardream
Extras: Ribbon, Brads and Flowers fm Alice In Paperland


Lynda xx

1 card....2.looks!!

My Dad recently celebrated his b'day and as usual....male cards can be tough for the best (and worst) of us. I have my standard fall back colours...blues...brown....neutrals. This time I turned to my (ever expanding) pile of DSP's (double sided papers OR Designer Series Papers).

I also got out a stamp that I have had for some time, the 'Weathered' background stamp (BGS) from SU. BGS's are great for filling a plain gap or just adding a bit of interest at the back of another stamp. A lot of thought (perhaps too much) went into the layout of this card. The thing that happens when you think too much....boo-boos happen!! On the upside.....fm blunders...other creative opportunities happen.

I punched out the 1 1/4 squares and then laid them under the BGS to get the design going. I then got out my trusty SAMJ and stamped the fleur-de-lis. In my haste....I accidently stamped the image going 2 ways.....one BGS vertical...and then horizontal. One thing led to another...and these are the results.

If you look closely the BGS runs horizontally on one card and vertically on the other. Same card...but slightly different feel. The other glitch was the Choc chip larger square. It got lost on the upper part of the card.....solution...co-ordinate another colour (in this case Old Olive) and split the difference in the middle. Here it is up close

I finished it off by repeating the direction of the BGS on the top half of the card and dragging out my much neglected rub-ons. There you go.......from the procrastinations of a stuff up....came another....and if I do say so myself...not so bad 2nd card. So don't sweat the stuff ups....breathe...take a look and see what comes up!!

Stuff used:

Card: (SU) Chocolate Chip, Old Olive, Whicper White.

Paper: (SU) Windsor Knot DSP

Stamps: (SU) Carte Postale, Weathered Background Stamp

Inks: (SU) Chocolate Chip, Mellow Moss

Punches: (SU) 1 1/4 and 1 3/8 Square Punch.

Other: Rub-ons (from I can't recall where)

Lynda xx

Flight of Fantasy - #3

It is now with great pleasure I can post the last of my final fantasy boxes. The young lady who received it (again...another 11 yo) was in shock. Once the wrapping came off...and se pulled off the lid...it gently uncurled....and then the eyes bluged. "Whoa" and "So cool" were muttered.

I finally got a chance to take pics outside again...woo hoo!!!! I think it does justice to the vibrancy of the colours...and I was very lucky to find he right sized flowers to compliment it. Kez may regognise the paper!!

Thanks again for popping by. Quite a few of you out there have stated that you are going to give these delightful boxes a go...so please do...I can vouch that they are the PERFECT gift for 9-14yo girls!!



Stuff used:
Chipboard
Kaisercraft Scrapbooking Paper: Fun in the Sun "Sunshine"
Flowers fm Alice's.


Lynda xx

Who Needs Stamps??

Now before all my stamping friends launch a full scale assault on my being....let me explain. You see....before I even considered trying stamping...I was a passionate Punch Artist. For some odd reason I got HUGE mounts of pleasure from putting together different shaped pieces of paper and making a new form. That obsession has led to a MORE than healthy collection of punches (I was gunna tell you all how many...but it's embarrasing!!)

Back to the post...

I had inadvertently misplaced a birthday (as you sometimes do) and needed a card in a hurry. I recently aquired the large and small SU star punches and had not given them a go. That then led to my recalling that I had some star paper in my stash as well as a star embossing plate for my Cuttlebug. The card was for a 5yo boy and this was the end result.

I was so very happy with the result and as you can see I kept the colour scheme fairly bold and basic. Unfortunately what does not show that well is that the blue background had a shimmer to the paper. It just added a little bit of interest.

Thanks for stopping bu and I'll catch you again soon.

Supplies:

Punches: Lg and small SU star Punch, 1 1/4 and 1 3/8 SU square punch.

Other bits: Red and Yellow CS fm Alice's. Blue shimmer paper I think is called "Stardream" also fm Alice's. Upkit No "5" sticker.

Cuttlebug: Embossing folder "Stars"

Lynda xx

Lucky Me!!

Just a quick one today. I thought I'd share with you the wonderful handmade cards I received for Christmas this year. .One thing I have learnt since reading crafter's blogs is that no matter where you are geographically in the world....a friend is never far away.

Andrea sent me this beautiful card. A wee bit of BLING is always good!!

Deanne went with a pair of beautiful skaters. Classic and elegant.

Tanya sent this beautiful brown toned card. All the edges distressed...PERFECT for Chrissy!!! LOL!!

Kez must have had an inkling to my red passion of the 80's with this stunning red blingy effort.

Lastly and by certainly no means least(ly) my dear friend Kathryn...whom I blame fo getting me into stamping in the first place cause it was at HER place that I attended my first  stamping workshop that she hostessed!!! Kathryn does not have a blog...perhaps I can now persuade someone instead of everyone on my case!! LOL!!

Thank you so very much to all my crafty and amazingly talented friends.

Pop something in the post that u have done...and make someone smile.

Til next time,

Lynda xx

Boxing Day

Coming up to Christmas....my kitchen takes a bit of a battering. Being an Insulin Dependent Diabetic...you don't usually cook sweet things...but the festive season kinda dictates that its needed!! So with that in mind...I hit the kitchen and made Florentimes, Choc/Walnut Fudge and White Christmas. Most of it went to the kid's teachers in decorated noodle boxes. However, you always need to find that unique way to deliver that special sugar hit!!

I found mine whilst browsing an issue of "Cardmaking for Birthdays" (#1) in the article "The Perfect Package". This is what the finished result looked like!!

The best thing about these cute little boxes is that it is all made out of 1 sheet of A4 cardstock. The other good thing is that they hold HEAPS!!!!!

I have been a bit hit and miss with belly bands, but this one was easy peasy and the "bow" on top is 6 scallop circle punches (5 folded in 1/2 and glued back to back and the 6th acts as the base to which they are glued.)

Sorry that I can't help you with a link to "How to", but if you wish to know more, drop me an e mail at ellouise1969@hotmail.com and I'll try and organise a way of getting the measurements to you.

Stuff used:

Cardstock: (SU) Riding Hood Red, Old Olive, Chocolate Chip.

Paper: (SU)  Holiday Treasures DSP

Ink: Versamark,

Stamp Set: (SU) Seasons of Joy

Punch: (SU) Scallop Circle Punch

Enjoy what the day brings you.

Lynda xx

Flight of Fantasy - #2

As promised...here are the other 2 Fantasy boxes that I did for my nieces for Christmas.

#3 went to Miss 11...who since she was little has been into purple.

And her's a close up of the dragonfly.

#4 Last but not least was for Miss 11 (yes there are 2 of them!!) She is a very gentle, pastel kind of soul and I think this reflects her personality just perfectly.

Thanks again so much for stopping by.

Papers: #3 - Kaisercraft Scrapbooking Paper - Be Mine - "Charmed"

              #4 - Francheville Scrapbooking Paper - "Kinder Cosmic"

Lynda xx