Magnolia Down Under Challenge #31 - A Girlie Card with a Sketch and The Colour Orange

This week we have a fabulous sketch for you to play with over at Magnolia Down Under Challenges. But it's not JUST a sketch challenge - your card must be girlie and have the colour orange on it somewhere!

Our fabulous sponsor this week is The Cutting Cafe and I've based the concept of my card around their fabulous printable background stamp "Sweetheart" - after all - what is more girlie than a love of sweet treats - LOL. I've cut a circle out of my printed sheet using my largest circle nestability, and then sponged some SU More Mustard ink around the edges. My 60s Tilda's Lollipop has got a "sugar" coating of stickles on - and is popped up on dimesionals for added effect.

I love orange and blue together so have paired my Magnolia DP with some SU Bashful Blue CS. I did change the sketch around a little by popping my flowers on the other side - there just wasn't room on the RHS. But Kellie always says - sketches are for inspiration and are NOT set in concrete. The flowers and digi ticket are Bizzy Bec's, the wire heart and lace was from Magnolia Down Under, and the flower was from The Stamp Spot.

I confess I hadn't heard of The Cutting Cafe before they sponsored our challenge - but I've been over to check out what they have on offer and have been most impressed! They offer a huge range of affordable printable stamps and cutting templates - I'll be off to check them out better ASAP!

And major apologies - due to my internet issues I wasn't able to let you know earlier that Kellie is having a SALE on ALL her stamps of 10-15% off for this weekend only at the Magnolia Down Under Store!!! This includes the personalised stamps!! There's still time to pop over and grab yourself a bargain!

My next job though is to pop over to MDUC and check out what the rest of our fabulous DT have come up with to amaze and inspire - I hope you can make the trip there too.....

xXx

I Could Just SCREAM!!!!! - Plus TGF Relay #4 - Prince Ian

So scream I WILL - AAAAAAAGH!!!! That's better - have it out of my system - LOL! Why scream you ask??? My wonderful telecommunications provider has had me pulling my hair out for the past 48 hours! I have had no home phone OR internet - and when we rang AGAIN earlier this afternoon we were told this would probably be the case until NEXT TUESDAY!!! WHHHAAAAAATTTTTTT!!!! Needless to say my neighbours and I have been fuming in the street - it's amazing and scary just how computer reliant we are! Over the past few hours our uni student kids need to enrol online, my kids have sold some toys on ebay and I can't access the seller's info, and - most importantly -  I NEED TO BLOG - LOL.....

I went out and bought a pre-paid internet modem so I wouldn't be completely cut off and as I was trying to get it up and running my computer came back online!!!! WHAT - it's only Friday evening???? But I'm NOT going to complain - I'm just ducking on quickly in case it's only short term!!!

LUCKILY for me The Greeting Farm relay had to be stopped due to unforseen circumstances so I didn't miss out on finishing the race - and luckily I had discovered this BEFORE my internet went down or I would have been going a little nutso - Oh OK - more nutso than usual - LOL!!! I did get my last fabulous digi image to play with - and you can get him FREE too - check it out HERE. I wanted to finish off what I started so here is my Prince Ian - better late than never!!!

I decided every Prince needs a Princess and/or a castle - and since Princess Anya is still on my wish list and not in my stamping room I had to give this guy a castle!!! I was inspired by THIS fabulous tri-fold castle by Deneen Treble - but as I believed time was limited I used it as inspiration to come up with a simpler card. I started with a standard 5 1/2" square card and used a version of Deneen's to come up with the turrets. The back is simply shaped into a pitched roof.

I used my cuttlebug to add some "stone" like texture to the turrets and some "wood grain" to the door! My wonderful new nesties from The Stamp Spot (currently on sale!!) and one of my new Martha Stewart border punches got a work out too! DP is from The Greeting Farm's Sunny Glen range and all CS if from Stampin' Up.

If any of my Aussie bloggers want to check out some awesome prices on MS punches I got mine HERE! They arrived in a couple of weeks and were well worth the wait - and the shipping was ridiculously cheap - I've had stamp sets cost me more than my FOUR new punches - I know - I do LOVE to shop - LOL!!! But I figure I need to make sure my crafting room is fully stocked BEFORE I quit my job and have no more cashflow!!!

Anyhow - enough of a good thing for now - I need to get this posted... just in case!!! I sincerely HOPE I'll be back soon!!!

xXx

TGF Relay #3 - Toby Cub

This is my second post for the day - scroll down to see my Stamp Spot DT card! I just realised that the colours and distressing are similar - even though I made these several days apart. I am obviously in a blue, distressed mood - maybe it's the thought of going back to work tomorrow  - LOL.

There were TWO problems playing with this little guy - getting him printed off as my DD17 is sleeping in the office while we re-do her room!! And we ALL know how WELL teenagers sleep in!!! I was getting REALLY close to trying to sneak in!!! I had Toby sitting there on my laptop just waiting to be printed off for what seemed like AGES - probably because it was...

 The other problem - DS11 who is HATING being teased about how this cute guy in a nappy is - why you ask??? My son's name is Toby too - LOL.

I used an old Friday Sketchers sketch for inspiration - this "speed stamping" as my friend Lisa puts it - is a challenge - so I needed a little help! I think I need to do some "training" if I decide to play along in future relays - LOL

I've used a favourite colour combo - kraft, blue and white. And this time I went with a more conventional sentiment - a digi ticket from Bizzy Bec's. The DP and CS is from Stampin' Up

Tomorrow's relay card will be a REAL challenge! I'm out this afternoon so will miss the preview and it's back to work tomorrow. I am SERIOUSLY thinking it might be the PERFECT night for takeaway for dinner so I can get it done - LOL

xXx

She's Cracking Up!

This week with my Rachelle Anne Miller stamp I decided to try a new technique - cracked glass - you can find the tutorial HERE. I've been wanting to try this for some time and Marcia's challenge for her Stamp Spot DT to use the same stamp for a month was the perfect opportunity. I figured the cracked glass made the image look more antique so decided to complete the look by colouring her in in sepia tones and sponging the edges before I embossed and cracked her. I kept the theme going by dragging out my poor neglected distressing tool to age the edges of all the layers. I do love the look of distressing and just don't use it enough - must be my neat freak streak!!! It certainly doesn't appear where my crafting space is concerned - LOL

I've used the fabulous Friday Sketchers sketch #86 for inspiration for the layout of my card.

The DP I've used is from Bo Bunny - Flutter Butter - and is available from The Stamp Spot Online Store. And don't forget Marcia's fabulous moving sale over at TSS store too - there are still some wonderful bargains to be had before February 19th, 2010.

I must say this has been a fascinating challenge to be given - and the other DT girls seem to have been having a great time with it too!
xXx

TGF Relay Day 2 - Charlotte

PHEW - I nearly stuffed my first entry up and missed out - I popped my email info in the wrong spot and was wondering why my next image hadn't come through - LOL. But I got it there in time and Charlotte dropped into my email box within half an hour! Luckily TGF had shown us the new image and I had my card all mapped out in my head!

When I saw Charlotte she reminded me of a teenager with some 'tude (I'm told this is short for attitude - LOL). Last week I saw THIS fabulous card by Kristine Breach and decided I would CASE it sometime. This was the perfect opportunity!!! I don't have a set of teenage sayings so I came up with this one on my computer - a little bit of teenage "spelling" helped me get the message across in the right style!

Phew - another one done!!! Am off to limber up for the next one - a.k.a. tidy up my work space - LOL

xXx

The Greeting Farm's CHA Relay!

When I popped into some of my friend's blogs this morning they had some really cute cards made with this FREE digi image from The Greeting Farm! TGF are offering a series of free stamps for playing along in their relay - if you get a card done and entered within the time frame you get sent the NEXT freebie emailed to you to play with - and so on! You can win up to 6 free stamps!!! Check out all the info and get your Mer Ian HERE. I thought this was such a fun and unique idea I had to give it a go - not sure I'll be able to get them all done though!!!

I've used my curvy cutter and my divine swirls cuttlebug folder to create the waves. I was going to pop them up on dimensionals but felt they would sit too high - so I popped some white waves in between and coated these with Dazzling Diamonds. The DP is from Bo Bunny and all my CS is from Stampin' Up. I computer generated the sentiment and tried to make it look a little wavy too!

I also coated Mer Ian with Glimmer Mist to make him shine - but have discovered it can make the printer ink bleed a little so be warned!!! I had to quickly dry mine off using my heat gun before it got too bad!!!

xXx

Tilda For Your Telephone Table

I used to be soooooo good at remembering dates - but just lately I've been HOPELESS!!! So when Kellie sent her Magnolia Down Under Store DT a cute little calendar to play with I knew what I wanted to use it for - a "Memory Station" for me to keep by the telephone. My plan is to highlight important events in different colours (eg: blue for birthdays) so I can see at a glance what's coming up. The idea for these with a little drawer to hold a notepad and pen came from Camille over at Capture a Heart - you can check her version out HERE. Camille's version is a bit smaller than mine - I was going to put post-it notes in the drawer but I often find them too small for note taking while on the phone. I found these notepads at my local newsagent for 80c each - they measure 3" x 5" and I popped 2 into the drawer. The pen I got from the Stampin' Up Convention last year and is a little shorter than conventional pens - but I'm sure you can find something similar elsewhere.

If you're interested the box measurements are as follows - and then add an easel card to the top:

2 pieces 4" x 6 7/8" for the wrap - score at 3/4" and 6 1/8" on both and glue the small edges of 1 piece to the small edges of the other piece to form a wrap for the drawer to go in.

1 piece 6 3/4" x 5 1/4" for the drawer - score in from each edge 3/4" and form into a box. I also added an extra strip of CS behind the front of one long side for added support - this side will have the drawer pull attached later! The drawer pull is a SU Build-a-Brad with a bead behind it so you can grasp the handle.

For the easel card you'll need 2 pieces of CS - one will be 8" x 5 3/8" (the card - score along long edge at 4" and 6") and the other will be 4" x 5 3/8" (the top)

Please contact me if these instructions don't make sense!

Now as I was creating I did have my hubby wondering what I was up too when he saw me going through the Melbourne phone book! I wanted to have Tilda standing in front of a page from the phone book - just to tie in with my theme! And what other name should I be looking to find other than MAGNOLIA - LOL. Luckily there were a few entries so my plan took shape - you can see "Magnolia" just above Tilda's head in bold writing!!! The sentiment goes with the calendar theme too - it's all about important dates - times to cherish!

All the CS is from Stampin' Up. The DP and that fabulous green lace is from Magnolia and I bought them at Kellie's store - unfortunately they were part of the Christmas range so are no longer available but Kellie does have similar items in stock. She's also taking pre-orders for Sweet Tilda who I've used here - she's in the Raising the Ceiling collection. And of course I've used roses, leaves and a digital ticket stamp from Bizzy Bec's range.

This was a fun little project to create - now just to use it for it's intended purpose - LOL.

xXx

Playing With My New Magnolia Stamps!

I had a wonderful idea of how this would turn out in my head - but I just couldn't get it to live up to my expectations! Don't get me wrong - I'm still happy with it but I prefer the one that's still rattling around in my head - LOL.

I've made a recessed window card and the tutorial for these can be found on Splitcoast Stampers HERE. You can see the recess better in this picture on the left. It adds a wonderful dimension to your cards. This card is meant for a special friend and I really wanted to send her a spray of flowers and have Tilda present them in her own beautiful style. You can't tell from the photos but Tilda's drop earrings are made up of mini rhinestones and I've added some Ice Stickles to the hem of her dress, sleeves and the rose brooch. I figured this little gal needed some party bling as she was all dolled up!

The DP is from Magnolia's Lazy Summer range and is available at Kellie's Magnolia Down Under Store right now! I've paired the Magnolia papers with SU's Chocolate Chip and Kraft CS. Noble Tilda is from the newly released Raising the Ceiling range and is available for pre-order at Kellie's. The flowers and leaves are all from the fabulous Bizzy Bec's range - and the digi stamp is also from Bec's digital range.

xXx

Anya Ink Challenge - Flowers

This week Anya Ink have an easy challenge for The Greeting Farm lovers - to use flowers!!! This is open to all sorts of interpretation and I've tried to use flowers in a variety of ways - my floral DP (which was left over from my nephew's wedding), the flower on this Madelynn Twinkle Tot's hat and the handmade 3D flower.  The flower is made from 10 layers of white tissue that I've punched scallop circles out of and held together with a red diamonte brad before scrunching the layers. There's a great tutorial HERE by Dawn McVey but the tissue version was inspired by Patti Lee HERE.

The layout this week follows Mojo Monday's sketch #122 - but you've probably noticed I've flipped it onto it's side. All CS is from SU.

I can't believe another weekend is upon us - the Summer holidays are nearly done and my son and I will be heading back to our respective schools for a new school year in about a week's time. My daughter finished High School last year and is beginning the next phase of her life - University!!! We are very proud that she has achieved her goal and was offered a place in her preferred course - Bachelor of Business (Banking and Finance) - the hope is she'll know how to help her poor old folks settle into retirement with comfort - LOL.

Enjoy your upcoming weekend!

xXx

New Magnolia Collection Available for Pre-Order

Magnolia has just released their new "Raise the Ceiling Collection" and Kellie has them listed for Pre-order at her store -  Magnolia Down Under .... so be sure to pop on over and have a look. I have several of them waiting to be inked up but there's always a couple more that don't come in the kits that I'm just going to HAVE to include in my collection - this Magnolia addiction is such a wonderful curse to have - LOL

xXx

A Sweet Little Lantern

Firstly I'd like to thank everyone for their comments and help with respect to my last post about SPAM - and I'm glad I may have helped some of you too. I have switched on Comment Moderation but not word verification - a happy medium as I can see what will get published BEFORE it gets published but I won't burden you with funny words! After looking at the SPAM it was definately a way of communicating so I'm not sure if word verification would stop this if real people were involved! Ah well - I'll see how I go - Live and Learn!

Now onto this post.................

Wednesdays are my DT day over at The Stamp Spot and as I mentioned to you last week Marcia has challenged her DT to use the same stamp for the whole month! This week I've made a cute little fairy lantern for a special little girl. To make sure there are no horrible accidents I'm going to be popping in a battery operated tea light to illuminate the lantern at night.

This stamp is a actually a fairy by Rachelle Anne Miller but I decided to clip her wings so she wouldn't take up the whole of the lantern. I toled the small mushroom again to add some extra dimension too. For some fairy sparkle I've outlined the lantern's "glass" with Ice Stickles - as well as popping some stickles onto her headband and the stamens in the white flower. Some green rhinestones finish off the bling - and what little girl doesn't like bling - or big girls for that matter -  LOL.

This fabulous lantern was originally designed as a Halloween lantern by the very clever Donna at Butternut Sage Designs - check her spooky version and the instructions out HERE. I had meant to make a Christmas version but it just never happened!

Don't forget to pop over to The Stamp Spot Online Store for Marcia's fabulous moving sale too - you can pick up the stamp and the stickles there while they are all a BARGAIN!!!

Now to work out what to do with this cutie for next Wednesday!!!

xXx

A Word of Warning!!!

I was just checking my past posts for something and I came across a post that had 126 comments on it. I thought it a bit strange as it wasn't a blog candy post and - as much as I liked the card - it wasn't AMAZING! When I checked it out it seems that a group of Japanese(?) speaking people have been using the comment section of this post to communicate with others and it's been going on for months!!! I set out to delete all of these unwelcome comments but then my daughter said maybe I should report it!!!

I'm going to improve the security on my site - sorry to all you legitimate commenters!!! But I also want advice on what to do?!?!?!? There are still several comments left to delete - should I report it and to whom???

And maybe you should have a quick check back in your archives too!!!

xXx

Debutante Album - A Couple of Pages

As I mentioned before I have FINALLY started on my daughter's Debutante album - the hard part is too GET started I've found. The reason it's taken soo long (18 months!) is lack of confidence with scrapbooking - which is really silly because I'm really enjoying the challenge. And to see my daughter check out what I've been up too with a smile on her face makes it all worth while!

This is the opening page of the album. My daughter Sarah asked one of her best friends to be her partner. Luke and Sarh have known each other since they were 3 - it's soo nice to have a good friend of the opposite sex who can share these special occaisions with you!

This next page is part of a 2 page spread - I haven't included the right hand side as it only has a picture of the ballroom and the programme for the evening. I thought it was fun to have the "getting ready" pictures in the album as this part often takes longer than the actual event - LOL.

The next thing was to meet up at a friend's house to have some champagne and catch a limo. We took some group shots outside before the limo arrived - these are the boys and the girls!

The next page features 6 of the kids partnered up. The only problem with these group shots is the shadows. It was a very sunny day so some bright spark decided to set the kids up under the trees for the shots - this does NOT make good photos - but the kids were more comfortable!

Then came the limo ride! I figured this was the FUN part of the evening so I created a spread to match! The rest of the album is fairly formal - I figured it should suit the event!

Some fabulous cutouts from the DP and funky letters cut using my Cuttlebug all add to the fun!

The DP and stickers I've used throughout the album is from Basic Grey's new Sugar Rush range. All the letters are cut using cuttlebug alphabet dies. The border punch I've used is from Fiskars - and I've used the punched out leaves and flowers too. The rub-ons are all from Kaiser.

I still have more pages to go - I'll bore you with those when they're done -LOL!

Thanx too for all the kindness and understanding I've received over my lack of Valentine's cards! You guys are AWESOME...

xXx

NEWS NEWS and MORE NEWS!

NEWS FROM MAGNOLIA DOWN UNDER CHALLENGES!

Kellie (MDUC Boss Lady) and Kristy (MDUC Mini Boss) have kindly let me off making a card for this challenge which is VALENTINE'S DAY. You see my father passed away suddenly on Valentine's Day when I was 18 and it is just a day my mother, sisters and I have had trouble celebrating ever since. It's a personal thing but I did want to explain why I don't make Valentine's cards - and I'm sure you'll understand!

The next generation celebrate the day - and for that I am thankful. I also LOVE to see the wonderful creations my fellow crafters come up with so I'll still be popping by to check out the entrants for the challenge.
 
Now if you ARE hoping to see some AMAZING inspiration for this challenge I HIGHLY recommend you pop over to the Magnolia Down Under Challenge Blog and check out what the rest of the fabulous DT have come up with for your viewing pleasure. You can check out the fabulous Magnolia paper pack you could win too!
 
I also want to mention that MDUC is having a Guest DT call HERE - so check it out if your interested - you have until the end of January 2010 to apply for a 6 month position - go ahead - we're a friendly bunch - LOL.
 
THE STAMP SPOT NEWS

The lovely Marcia over at The Stamp Spot Online Store is moving house and wants to cut down on her packing so YOU get to benefit. Marcia is offering between 30% and 70% off most items in the store. Australian residents only, sale ends February 19th 2010 or while stocks last. No rainchecks.

Marcia has also reduced the price of TGF stamps with the Aussie dollar being so strong - and she'll be getting some fabulous new stock in after her move!

Check it all out HERE

MY NEWS!

I won Sue's gorgeous January blog giveaway - wooohooooo - check out these beauties! I very seldom enter giveaways so it's extra special to win! AND guess what - this happens to be a Tilda I DON'T have - LOL.

Thanx Sue - I'll be having some fun with these beauties!

xXx

Mo's Challenge #14 and Colour Create Challenge #36

This week's challenge over at Mo's Digital Pencil is a fabulous sketch by Lisa Cook. I chose this gorgeous little gal called Sophie to use and coloured her in with some new Copics I bought from some silly gal who decided to sell them off. She's decided water colouring is her medium of choice - and I must admit she does it beautifully - HI KRISTY - see I'm using them - LOL.

The colours have been chosen by the Colour Create Challenge which is Kraft, Blue and White - colours I just adore together! Add in the option of using texture and playing along with this challenge was a no brainer for me!

All the CS, ribbon and DPs are from Stampin' Up while the flowers are a mix of Bizzy Bec's (The gorgeous Kraft coloured gardenia) and layered Kaisercraft flowers. The Digital Ticket sentiment is from Bizzy Bec's Digital Store - these are just fabulous as you can print them any size you need and there are sooo many phrases to choose from in each set!

Hope you find time to do some Krafting this weekend - pardon my silly pun - LOL!

xXx

The 50th Card For My Daughter To Give!

Last weekend we had my daughter's boyfriend's family over for a BBQ. Apart from having a lovely time getting to know each other I also managed to get an insight into what sort of card Matt's mum would like for her 50th - I made THIS one for Matt to give her but still had to make one for my daughter to give. Robyn seemed to prefer to simpler ones and loved the Father's Day one I made HERE - so this CASE of Norma's idea was the perfect choice - and it was the one my daughter chose too! I've used this idea twice before to make 40th cards - but guess my friends are ageing with me and the 50th's are starting - LOL.

The DP is Basic Grey while the main flower is layered using Kaisercraft flowers. The 50th was computer generated and then printed onto SU's Elegant Eggplant CS. After cutting them out I clear embossed them twice to give them some glass like shine. Unfortunately I had been using white embossing powder the day before and several flecks found their way onto the top layer - aaaaaaagh. What to do - reprint the numbers and start again - or make a positive out of a negative???? I ended up sprinkling on some extra white EP and heat setting it to see how it looked - and as both Sarah and I thought it looked more interesting this way I kept them! I did learn not to hold the heat gun at an angle as the white flecks slid sideways as the clear EP melted - see the top of the "5". Never mind - these are one off numbers - LOL.

I've been busy working on Sarah's debutante album - it's only taken me 18 months to get started as I'm really not a scrapbooker - but I DID promise her one and now it's taken over my work space!!! I'll share some pages with you soon....

xXx

Paper Tole Time at The Stamp Spot

For The Stamp Spot this month Marcia sent each of her DT a stamp to use for inspiration this month. I received this cute Rachelle Anne Miller stamp - Lily:Magic Fairy. I've decided my challenge with this cutie is to see how many different techniques I can come up with - this week I've paper toled her. I love the this look as it gives the image a more 3D effect - an effect I've added to by using a paper flower in her hair.



I based my colour scheme around some gorgeous Basic Grey DP I bought from The Stamp Spot Online Store. It's from the Indian Summer Paper Pad - and I love the fact that the scale in these paper pads is reduced - it works perfectly for cards! The whole range is gorgeous though - I had trouble deciding which one to use!!! I've used this week's Mojo Monday sketch - I love their sketches but very rarely find time to get a card entered - so this will be a first for me!! The Flowers are layered Kaisercraft flowers (available at TSS Store) - something I've been playing with recently - I love layered flowers! The sentiment is a digital ticket from Bizzy Bec's Digital Store. All CS is from Stampin' Up.

Just don't forget to see what fabulous things the other The Stamp Spot DT girls get up too with their stamps - and check back next Wednesday to see what I've come up with for mine!

xXx

Magnolia Down Under Store is Back for 2010

Kellie is back from Holidays and has re-opened her Magnolia Down Under Store with some amazing bargains on the beautiful Magnolia So Jolly Designer Papers - so rush in NOW to grab a bargain - once they're gone they're gone!!! She has also got new stamps and other DPs in store - FABULOUS! It's all just a mouse click away!

xXx

Mo's Challenge - It's All About Birthdays

YAY - I've finally found some time to play!!! The kids are both out with friends and hubby is jetting his way off to Singapore for a week of business meetings so I have the house to myself!!! I decided to card up this fabulous image from Mo Manning - I just lurve this curvaceous fairy - maybe because I share some of her curves - LOL. The purple theme is because she was one of the images I had coloured up as a choice for the 50th card from the previous post. I have glittered up her wings, and the sparks and star from her wand.

Luckily for me the latest challenge over at Mo Manning's Challenge Blog is "It's all about birthdays" - and I was more than happy to make a birthday card for my stash with this lovely lady! The sketch  came from the Just Christmas and Birthday Cards Challenge Blog - they always have fun sketches! This one is #53 by Georgia. I've turned it on it's side and popped the sentiment in place of the star.

The DPs I've used are from the Basic Grey Wisteria range - they are gorgeous IRL. The lovely roses are from Bizzy Bec's - as is the  McGill leaf punch I used. I've sprayed the roses with gold Glimmer Mist I got from The Stamp Spot.

Hoping the weather in your part of the world is bearable - we seem to be suffering extremes around the globe if the news is anything to go by - sweltering hot here in OZ and amazing snow storms in the Northern Hemisphere. Whatever your weather - stay safe!

xXx

Fabulous Fifty - My First Easel Card!!!

It's definately a decade for me to try new things - first there's the scrapbooking and now I'm trying card styles I've had on my "To Do" list for ages! These easel cards have been tempting me but I just hadn't had the opportunity to try one - until my DD's boyfriend asked me if I could make a card for his mum's 50th birthday. After asking his sister what her favourite colour was because he didn't know (typical male - LOL) - it's purple - I printed off a few Mo Manning images and coloured them in. Matt chose this one and then it was up to me!

I paired some Elegant Eggplant CS with Summer Sun CS - both from SU. The lilac DP is also from SU - it was sent to me by the lovely Donna over at Butternut Sage as a gift after I lamented the lovely Halloween papers the U.S had that we didn't - how sweet is she!!! The other DP is from Kaisercraft - it was a freebie in the back of their catalogue and just suited perfectly. I've found purple based DPs aren't that easy to come by!!!

The flowers and leaves are from Bizzy Becs - with the exception of the white flower - a local find!

I've cut the tag out using tag nestabilities that the lovely Marcia at The Stamp Spot sent me for Christmas - although the yellow tag was traced around the outside of the nestie and hand cut as I preferred a finer border. The numbers are cut using Cuttlebug dies and then slathered with Dazzling Diamonds. There is more sparkle on the yellow edge of the skirt and on the yellow flower at her waist to balance everything up.

I was warned by a fellow blogger that these cards are addictive - and I think Lynda might just be right!! I'm really happy with this card and the fact that it's a little "different" will hopefully make it a bit more special for the birthday girl.

My daughter has told me she would also like me to make a 50th card for Matt's mum - and HER'S has to be better than this one - LOL!!! Hmmm - now there's a challenge - wish me luck!

xXx

A Scrapbooking I Will Go!!!

Well it's a new year and I've decided to try my hand at a bit of scrapbooking!!! I've never been a scrapbooker but then 18 months ago I wasn't a card maker either, and it's a new decade so time to attempt a new challenge!!! I decided to use some of the gorgeous DPs and embellishments I had in my DT pack from The Stamp Spot - and came up with a page for my first DT day back there - this is an 8"x8" layout - start small - LOL - I have a whole Debutante Ball album to begin soon........

I had also bought some wonderful Kaiser rub-ons from The Stamp Spot last year - I've always loved the look of rub-ons but have had "issues" transferring them properly - but these worked fine - maybe because I didn't leave them to last and then worry I was going to stuff everything up if I messed it up  - and then messed up because I was stressed about it - LOL!!!!

I chose a couple of pictures of my son and nephew spending time together at St.Kilda beach on New Year's Eve - my nephew was staying with us from London so wasn't used to hot walks along the beach at this time of year!!! We had planned to go for a swim after a wonderful lunch and before heading home, but the beach was strewn with jelly fish - YUK - check out this picture of my son dodging them. The storm clouds were starting to roll in so it was all happening - the storm hit later almost causing the midnight fireworks to be cancelled!!!

The CS is from Stampin' Up but all the DP's, rub-ons and embellishments are from The Stamp Spot Online Store. I hope you pop over to The Stamp Spot Blog and check out what other fabulous inspiration the DT are coming up with too - the rest has done everyone's mojo the world of good - LOL.

xXx