A Long Overdue Challenge Card

I was fortunate enough to be a part of the wonderful month that was We Stamp For Lara which ran for November. One week we had a Sketch Challenge Which looked like this....

Now I do not have a LOT of confidence when it comes to challenges....as the procrastination factor goes into overdrive, but this time around I had a secondary motivation. My youngest SIL had announced that she was pregnant and I made her the diary here, so the sketch helped me make the card. I did take the obligatory liscence and flip the image.

I loved the DP I used in my very first post on this blog here, as it is a fantastic gender neutral paper. I coupled it with Certainly Celery, Barely Banana and Blush Blossom (confession...the first time I have EVER used this colour in a card!!)

The pram and "Stamp" effect are compliments of a set that was included in my Cuttlebug when i first got it. A die cut does the stamp and this then fits perfectly into the small embossing folder and there you have it....a Baby Carriage Stamp!!!

Stuff Used:

CS: (SU) Certainly Celery, Barely Banana, Blush Blossom, Pastel Patchwork DP

Ink: (SU) Regal Rose

Stamps: (SU) Teeny Tiny Sentiments

Other Bits: Cuttlebug Stamp die and emboss set

Lynda xx

Style Beautiful - #1

I was so very lucky for Christmas and received some things on my wishlist....that being Stamp Sets - Lovely As A Tree and Style Beautiful as well as the Scallop Trim Border and co-ordinating Corner Punch!!! I was wrapped!!

So....Boxing day and I am off to my cousin's place for a relo bash and BBQ. It was also a chance to catch up with my cousin and her kids from Adelaide. She turned 50 about the same time as I had my little whoopsy mid last year and as a result....whilst I had the present all ready to go, creativity was not with me, so sadly nothing made it over. This led to guilt and all sorts of angst.

So....with new rubbah....I got off my keester and decided to make an appropriate card (sadly not the one I had hoped to give) and I wanted to try another Vintage type of card. Style Beautiful came to mind and I used this card for inspiration. Again...sincere apologies for the less than flattering pic, but I had to take it in my cousin's bathroom as I had no time to do it before we left!! It is actually a little softer IRL. Anyhow...here's my take...

I am loving the filigrees and flourishes that this set has and I think as I experiment more with Vintage style, it may get a couple of more gurnseys.

I even got game and sponged lightly the top of the embossed image. I was lucky to have a very similar folder to the set in my Cuttlebug folders.

I decided to finish off the present and card with a duplicated "50" in the same paper on a tag to go on the bag that held the bracelet I had bought.

Thanks for popping by.

Stuff used:

CS: (SU) Very Vanilla, Crumb Cake (Kraft), Optix Mauve CS, Gold Stardust paper

Ink: (SU) Crumb Cake, Tim Holtz Distress Ink - Frayed Burlap

Stamps: (SU) Style Beautiful

Other Bits: Cuttlebug - Olivia Alphabet and Numbers set, Victoria Embossing folder, Dimensionals

Lynda xx



Starting off on the Right foot....

In my last post I made a couple of creative promises...so I am upholding one of them here...and that's to give pink a better go than it has previously had on this blog. I went to my (ever increasing) stash of stamps and pulled out Great Friend that I received from Tanya Kitto Christmas 2009. I then went to my case file and found this and this (if it is yours, thanks for the inspiration) as I thought I found it on SCS and now I cannot.

These are my two efforts...

I got to bust out my Square Lattice Embossing folder...and I LOVE IT!!!

And the So Saffron cards are a further testament to my paranoia about not having 2 cards the same!! Opps...just realised I forgot to pop the pearls on.....DOH!!

                                           

Apologies for the inconsistent colour as it has been very VERY bright (and hot) her these past few days. Glare is a real challenfe for my son's small pocket digital camera.

Hope your new year is fun and fabulous!!

Stuff used:
CS: (SU) Black, Regal Rose, So Saffron, Whisper White, Tea Party DP
Ink: (SU) Regal Rose, Black, So Saffron
Stamps: (SU) Great Friend, Vintage Labels
Punches: (SU) Curly Label, Wide Oval
Other bits: SU So Saffron Grosgrain Ribbon, Black Satin Ribbon fm Alice's, SU Square Lattice Embossing Folder, Dimensionals.

Lynda xx

Happy Bithday......

Yes....stunned readers everywhere....today - 123...EasyPC is 1 Year OLD!!!!!!!! WOO HOO!!!!!

I cannot believe the year has gone so very quickly. In that time I have done about 130 or so posts and had approximately 706 comments (yes I was sad enough and I added them all up....LOL!!)

Thank you to all those who have left comments, I appreciate them all so very much and thanks to those friends who "encouraged' me in all kinds of ways to get this baby off the ground.

With a new year...comes new resolve...and rather than making personal resolutions...i am going to make some crafting ones. No doubt...these will probably be easier to keep!


Crafting resolutions.....
1. Try not to procrastinate so much over projects. Accept what has turned out, no matter how so-so you feel about it.
2. Try and get into more Challenges. There have been but only a handful in 2010, but I did have fun and I did go to some pretty out there boxes to think in...hee hee hee.
3. Use what I have with fervour and zeal and not simply save it for a special project.
4. Be kinder to pink and give it a little more respect (this WILL be hard...but a resolution is JUST that....right??)
5. Go into my "Craft Crypt" where I have a myriad of techniques, projects, CASE cards etc etc...and give them the light of day they are meant to have.

There....done and out there. What do you think?? Did I miss any big ones??? Have you made any Crafting resolutions?? Please let me know, I'd love to hear them.

Once again, thank you to all those out there in blog world who have shared their thoughts, creativity and friendship. I look very much forward to more in 2011.

Have a magical, creative and inspired year.

Lynda xx

Feelin' the LURVE!!

Afternoon all!! I hope that all the party prepeparations are in check for tomorrow night....me....I am a nanna....and will prob JUST make it to midnight....and then collapse fm a very long day at work!!!

Saturday is a very special day....as this blog is turning 1!!! (inset blasting sounds of vuvuzellas and the cheers of the gathering throng!!)

2 very special people who "encouraged" (prompted/cajoled/coersed/etc/etc) me into getting this beast up and running were Andrea....EnchantINK and Kerry.....KB Papercraft. to my surprise and astonishment, both of them have bestowed upon my this.......

Now apart from these 2 ladies being wonderful friends...they are both incredibly generous in heart, soul and creative spirit. now as with most awards, this comes with conditions and the like....these are....

# thank and link the person(s) who gave it to me (done)

# share 8 things about myself (brace yourself folks)
# pass it on to 8 others (see bottom of this post)
# let them know about the award (check)

8 things about me...that you may not already know....

1. I am (and always have been) a GEEK. I am into Science in a big way. Thankfully...so is Master of Cool (aka Master 10)
2. BC (before children) I played Indoor Cricket on a team with my Hubby. We batted together and rarely got out (apparently all the threats worked...LOL!!)
3. I suck BIG time at Geography....if you wanna stump my at Trivial Pursuit....gimme the blue Q!
4. I have been on TV 3 times of note in my life.....once on Romper Room (with Miss Patricia as a 4yo), as a Contestant on Temptation (the old Sale of the Century) and most recently as a contestant on National Bingo Night (which sadly (thankfully) did not have a long run...but I did win a nice sum of cash!!)
5. As a child....I had heart surgery at the age of 7.....for a Congenital problem, and as a result of that developed Asthma.
6. I LOVE trivia...I have a major vault of useless crap stashed away to call upon at any given time.....and (sometimes knowingly) freak people out!!
7. "ditto 6" for song lyrics. MAJOR peeve of my DH that I can sing along to most anything!!!
8. Speaking of DH....I am apparently a walking dictionary....to be used at his beck and call to spell words for him that he cannot be bothered to look up for hmself or sound out....as we encourage our KIDS TO DO!!!!

Now Andrea also "tagged me"....and this involves making a list....of which I think will also give you a slightly BIGGER insight into my twistered world!! I have based this list on the one from Andrea's blog.

4 things that I watch
Bones, Castle, Home and Away, How I Met your Mother (love the humour in this show!!)

4 thing I am passionate about
Laughter, Creativity, Education, Friendships

4 things I have learnt from the past
# If you think something is not right....SPEAK UP
# Having chats to a loved one who has passed is not crazy...it's actually therapy.
# Acknowledge the way you are brought up, but it is not the only way to be.
# Lessons learnt from past experience teach you future resolve!!

4 things I am looking forward to
# My dad's 70th b'day next week.
# Finding/creating a creative space for me in my home....I currently work in a space of 2 seats on my diding table and pack away every night!!
# Seeing what the Sensor chip (that I am wearing in lat Jan) tells me about my diabetes
# The eternal desire to sleep in!!

4 things I did yesterday
# Watched the Cricket
# Had (another) hypo
# Did 2 loads of washing
# Made 4 cards (2 of each design...so essentially only 2...hee hee hee)

4 things I love abt Winter/Summer
I am not a cold person, but don't do well in extreme heat either!!
I have only been skiing once...and I hated it!!! (but then again...I don't do the beach either)
I love the smell of grass after a storm in Summer
LURVE daylight saving

4 places I would love to visit
Greece (again) esp Santorini and spend longer in Delphi this time!!
Singapore...which is on the list for mid next year as i will be visiting my bestie there!!
Andrea's (on the to do list for this year!!)
NT

Now I do believe that is nearly it....only gotta pass on the Stylish award to 8 people.....
Debbie P
Cheryl
Deanne
Heather
Tracey
Helen W
Katie
Sonia

Thanks for enduring this post...and will be back soon with one 1st birthday FUN!!

Lynda xx



Chrissy Cards #5

I have done the same layout on a whole heap of cards that were based around a layout done by Corene Brown aka Stampin Red here. It is the one in the bottom left corner as you are looking at it. Once I worked out the measurements I wanted, these cards went up in quick time. I also apologise for the slight (and somewhat recurrent) case of "crooked sentimentitis".

I then went a little monotoned and love the effect. Only the red micro bling broke the green...LOL (hence not being a true monotone I guess??)

I then went slightly non traditional with red, brown and a little smattering of blue and had this.

.

There are a couple of different variations on this theme, which I will not make you endure this time around. Perhaps next year, I may start posting a little earlier....hee hee hee.

If I may take this opportunity to say a MASSIVE thank you to all the devine souls who took the time to leave comments on my blog and to those who just "cruised by"....a MERRY CHRISTMAS to you all. Be safe, be happy and laugh a lot. May there be inspired creativity awaiting you under your tree.

Stuff used:

CS: (SU) Whisper White, Real Red, Handsome Hunter, Holiday Treasures DP, CM Green Gingham Paper

Ink: (SU) Real Red, Handsome Hunter, Chocolate Chip, Old Olive

Stamps: (SU) Contempo Christmas, Seasons of Joy

Punches: (SU) Ornament Punch XL

Other Bits: Dimensionals, KaiserCraft Clear Rhinestones, Red & Brown Micro Rhinestones (fm Hot Dollar Store), Olive Organza Ribbon.

Lynda xx

Vintage Class #2

These are the very FIRST cards I have tried in the Vintage style...and I am so very, VERY happy with the way they turned out. As usual, the pics do not do them justice, but trust me when I say they DO look like they have come out of Nanna's tea chest.

Once again I have used the DarkRoom Door "Noel" set that I used in the previous post. I have used Tim Holtz ink as well as an SU one and they worked BRILLIANTLY together. I liked the first card, but I thought the background was a little bare.

  

SU Chocolate Chip and TH Frayed Burlap Distress ink complimented beautifully. I am SOOOOOOOO in love with these images.

I also distressed the edges to add a more vintage feel.

And of course the magical "Noel"

For the 2nd card I stamped the background with the large ornament, that was stamped off a couple of times to lessen the intensity. Many "You Tube" clips were watched trying to get this technique right....and it is gunna take some time, but I am still happy.

The stamped off ornament..note to self don't press so hard next time...hee hee hee!!

And of course, the devine face of Santa in this STUNNING DP. I based the colours around the DP.

Thanks for enduring it to the end of this very long post, but I just wanted to share so much. Expect some more vintage stuff in the months to come.

Stuff used:

CS: (SU) Very Vanilla, Cherry Cobbler

DP: KaiserCraft 'Tis the Season Collection - St. Nick (P565)

Ink: (SU) Chocolate Chip, Tim Holtz Distress ink "Frayed Burlap"

Lynda xx