A Challenge From Nancy

Here's an intersting challenge - and not the sort I've been doing! Nancy over at Cardworthy has issued me this challenge - to go into your picture files, open the 6th folder and post the 6th picture!

I just wanted to mention that Nancy has designed blog banners for several blogs and has decided to offer her services to raise money for children's charities that have special meaning to her - check out her story here. She's an amazing lady and her offer is incredibly generous. I know she's very busy with them at the moment - and I've told her there's no rush for mine - yes look out for a change!!!! But - if you're interested, let her know!

Now on with the challenge! This photo was taken back in 2007 at one of my daughter's figure skating comps - here she is with her friend and team mate Francesca - they had such a fun day and my daughter won her division - go Sarah!

Here's a photo from later in the day - just before results were announced! Sarah's 2nd from the left - the other girls are her good friends - (from L to R) - Nicki, Sarah, Daisy and Fran.

I have to boast a bit here - Sarah and I designed her costume based on a photo we had seen and I had to make the pattern up - it worked out well eventually!!! It looked great on the ice - it have multi coloured sequins on it and the under skirt was bright red. She nearly didn't get it as I almost didn't finish in time as I was also finishing off about 10 team costumes!!!!

I've had a lot of fun this week going through photos of myself and DH - I'm making a slide show for our anniversary party. I've found it amazing how much my photo taking has changed since I got a digital camera 7 years ago. We have far more pictures now - and don't seem to throw out the ones we don't like! We also have far less in albums - I tend to use my photos as a screen saver on my computer! It was fun to see what photo I would come up with for this challenge - boy was I relieved it was a nice one!! LOL

Now to pass the challenge on - hope they enjoy it! These are all lovely ladies I have met through stamping - I have actually met Ramona IRL and would love to meet the others too - it's a shame we're all so far away - I think we'd have a fabulous time over coffee and ink pads!!!!

Kellie Winnell - always loves a challenge!
Ramona Michaluk - hope she'll have time, she's working hard these days!
Michelle at Stamp and Smile - a lovely new blog buddy
Lisa at Craft's Meow - another wonderful new blog buddy

I'm not sure who else to challenge - but would like to ask anyone interested to give it a go and leave me your link! Sometimes it's nice to do something a little different!

Katie's Card

This card all came about because I treated myself to Tilda's little pet cat - I just had to ink it up straight away! I was also having some quiet ME time while waiting for the kids to wake up - and it's waaaaayyyy too hot here to do anything silly like housework - even with the air con running - LOL. As usual I coloured my designs using my aquapainter and water colour crayons - I'm loving these! The layout "just happened" - the way soo many of mine do! Plan ahead you say! I do have an idea in mind when I sit - but things always change along the way.

As this card was taking shape I realised it was "the perfect" card for my niece Katie - although I'll have to remember I've done it when her birthday comes around in August!! I'm also hoping I remembered her age right - hmmmm!

Recipe:
SU CS - Pumpkin Pie, Very Vanilla, Ruby Red, Kraft
Stamps - from Magnolia Stamps and SU Short and Sweet
Ribbon - SU Choc Chip Grosgrain
Other Bits - Nestabilities, Cuttlebug - folders and Hippy Chick alpha

Happy Australia Day!

I just wanted to wish all my Australian visitors a very happy Australia Day!

GO AUSSIE

After posting this gorgeous picture of our Australian Flag I was feeling very patriotic and had an idea for a card. I've only recently bought the Classic Stars wheel and this is the first time I've inked it up - I LOVE it!! I combined it with stars from the Summer Mini set In The Stars. I stamped them in Real Red, popped them on Dimensionals and then coated them with Crystal Effects. Along with the silver star brad - I've used them to signify our wonderful Southern Cross - which is synonymous with all things Aussie - a bit like the Stars and Stripes are for our American friends.

Hopefully this post will work ok - the last one deleted after I hit "publish post" and I had to restart the entire post - aaaaaaaaaagh!!!! Now I'm off to fire up the barbie and have some good Aussie tucker!

Blog Award

Thanx soo much to my cyber friend and fellow blogger Lisa at Craft's Meow for bestowing on me this Fabulos Blog award. Lisa is an amazing talent and well worth checking out - as well as being a fun person to get to know! She has recently attended a Copic's class so it will be interesting to see what she gets up to next!

A condition of this award it that you reveal 5 of your addictions - hmmm - guess you all know what one of them will be - LOL - Here goes.........

MY FAMILY - My family will always be my biggest addiction. Without them I wouldn't have the freedom or desire to be creative. I consider a number of my friends as family too - they're the family you choose, right?

PAPER CRAFTS - This has been a relatively new addiction - and my family tell me I must be a bit obsessive because once I get an interest in something - move aside!!! Mind you - I still think they put something in the rubber and ink - this craft really does take hold! AND then there are all those wonderful challenges to try out - aaagh - where do I stop!!! LOL

SEWING - Sewing has been my passion for a number of years. I make bears, quilts, dolls and, more recently, became the costume designer and maker for my daughter's synchronised figure skating team. My fabrics and sewing tools are currently "resting" while I indulge in "topping up" my stamping supplies!

COOKING - I've always enjoyed cooking - it was something I did with both parents on the weekends - standing on a kitchen chair so I could see into the pot on the stove. I don't enjoy it as much these days - there is always the "diet" to think of (I've never been a skinny person!). The day to day of feeding the family is also a chore - but watch out when there's something special going on!

SURFING - THAT'S BLOGS NOT THE REAL THING - lol - Along with my new passion for paper crafting has been the exciting world of blog hopping. Starting my own blog has in itself become an addiction - but then you HAVE to check everyone's elses out and let them know you've visited! This has been time consuming but a whole heap of fun. I've made some fabulous cyber friends from all around the world!

NOW on to passing this blog on. I have recently passed awards on to bloggers I have been following for some time - and LOVE their work. For this blog I wanted to nominate some blogs that I have recently discovered - have you noticed how fast my blog roll is growing!! I have discovered all of these blogs via other blogs or by checking out challenge entrants - see, this surfing is FUN! These gals are listed in no particular order - they are ALL fab.

Amy at Stampin' Stuff

Nilda at The Cuttlebug Spot

Amy at Me & Mi Stamps

Nancy at Card Worthy

Leigh at 'Cause I'm Me

Cuttlebug Be Inspired Challenge #15

Anyone who has been following my blog would have realised by now that one of my favourite tools is my Cuttlebug. I've also enjoyed trying my hand out at challenges - there are so many around. What better way to try my very first sketch challenge than to do one set by the Cuttlebug Challenge blog. The sketch is by talented guest designer Becky Fleck. The DT over at Cuttlebug Challenges have done some amazing examples. Here's my take on it...







I've been wanting to try a monochromatic scheme for some time - so here it is - or my version anyway - couldn't help the bit of colour! I started with a Very Vanilla card base and cuttlebugged various sized circles of Very Vanilla, Whisper White and So Saffrom (I had some scraps on my desk after the last challenge!). I also stamped the sentiment in Creamy Caramel from For a Friend. I then used my So Saffron and Pretty in Pink markers to colour it in. I love the touch of pink - it really adds a lot. Instead of the buttons on the sketch I used 1/2 pearls from the Pretties Kit.

It was a lot of fun trying this sketch challenge - I'm sure I'll be back with more along the way!

KWerner Color Challenge #39

What an interesting selection of colours Kristina set us for this week - hmmmm. The mix of Real Red, So Saffron and Green Galore was a real worry - I knew the black and white would slot in easily. Trying to come up with a design plan had me thinking - and all I could come up with was the idea of abstract and clean - hope I managed to pull it off!

I guess the idea for this came from our recent trip to the beach and the constant sight of seagulls sitting on the pier posts - of course seagull aren't black and piers aren't whacky colours - but then I did need to fit the challenge! I also gave my posts a stone texture using my Little Bubbles Cuttlebug folder. I wrapped some black cord around them for added texture and to give the appearance on rope. All this texture meant I had to pop the posts up on Dimensionals - the sentiment is also on Dimensionals. The stamp set I used was the hostess set Spring Solitude.

I did wonder what I could do with these colours when I saw them - and having checked out some other entrants it's amazing what can be done with such an odd mix!

Fiona's 50th

I'm off to a friend's birthday party this weekend so had to come up with a special card. I would have lied about her age to you but the big pink 50 on the card kind of gives it away! The 50 was cut using my Hippie Chick alphabet die and my - yes you guessed it - Cuttlebug!

When Fiona sent out her invitations she had included a photo of herself as a child - I decided it was such a cute photo I'd stay with the theme of her invitation and use the picture. The original photo was as you see to the left - but I wanted a more black and white photo so I could play more with colour in the layout. I scanned the invitation and played around with the photo before printing it out and using it on the card. The new colours weren't quite black and white - more a series of blues - so I decided on a Soft Sky card base. I also layered the picture onto some Soft Sky. The dark green set off the pale blue beautifully - and seemed to match the tonings of the photo - the colour is Handsome Hunter. I decided to re-introduce some pink with the felt flowers from the Summer Mini - with a rhinestone brad centre. The "Happy Birthday" comes from the hostess set For a Friend and is embossed in white.

It should be a great night on Saturday so Happy 50th Fiona - may you have many more!

Keesh's Colour Challenge #3

I have decided I really like trying out challenges - they make you think outside your comfort zone and I feel this has made me a better card designer. That being said - I really struggled with this one from Makeesha Byl. I don't know whether it's because my last couple of cards have been fairly bright or it's the hot weather, it's 38oC here in Melbourne today - that always makes me a bit grumpy - LOL.

I made this card yesterday - and really wasn't sure if I was going to post it! It probably didn't help when my 16yo daughter told me "it's not your best....but it's nice". Hmmmm - teenage honesty!! I used the Big on Spring stamp set from the Summer mini and stamped it in Chocolate Chip. I then used my ink pads and aquapainter to paint in the letter and heart. I run it through the Textured Script Cuttlebug folder and painted the heart with Crystal Effects.

After believing this wasn't going to be the challenge for me I checked out a couple of other entries - boy there's a couple of great ones! It inspired me to have another crack at it - and this is what I came up with - better than the first but still not my fave! I've used Artfully Asian and Eastern Blooms here. I have embossed the stem twice - once clear and once clear and Choc Chip - I had intended to have the back one just as a watermark - but the Versamark was still tacky when I poured the clear EP over the Choc Chip stamp (Doh!) - although it actually looks pretty good IRL! I decided to add some Dazzling diamond over Crystal Effects in the centre of the bloom as it tied in with the shine off the clear embossed stem.

I just noticed the blues look different in the photos - have raced to check and they ARE the same - must be the difference in lighting between yesterday and today!

Tilda and Edwin

Yesterday I saw a very cute card on Kellie's blog using a Tilda image. It reminded me that 2 of the images I had stamped to take away were from the same family - so I snuck away from the washing for a bit and pulled them out to play! I had also promised to show Kellie which stamps I had - so what better way?? All the supplies are SU with the exception of the Magnolia Stamps, the big green rhinestone and the 3D flowers.

I love this little Edwin - he's soo neat and tidy and yet I felt I had to use torn and distressed edges because all little boys have a little devil underneath the angel. I used a combination of water colour crayons, markers and inks to colour him (and Tilda), I don't have all colours in all mediums so I had to adapt. I used some Crystal Effects to pop lenses in his glasses - don't you hate the movies when the glasses are obviously fake?? This added such a cute dimension to his face as the lenses now catch the light and makes him look like he's watching you. The main colours here are Brilliant Blue and Certainly Celery - an old playground saying of "blue and green should never be seen" comes to mind - but I LOVE the mix.

This little Tilda was meant to be sitting on the bench instead of Edwin originally - but things never turn out the way I first see them! I had this idea of having Edwin sitting on a corrugated iron fence - but felt he was too neat and his mum would get mad at him if he got rust stains on his clothes - LOL. So little Tilda got the iron fence! I used some Brushed Metallic Silver CS and sponged on some Pumpkin Pie, Close to Cocoa and Chocolate Chip to give the appearance of rust. I then ran the strip through my crimper - I know - NO CUTTLEBUG!!! LOL. I gave her a sunset background using brayering and sponging - see Michelle Zindorf's blog if you want to know how to do this - she's the brayering guru!!! I started with a sheet of So Saffron, brayered on More Mustard and then sponged on Pumpkin Pie and Ruby Red. I gave the sun some Dazzling Diamonds rays - I wish you could see it sparkle IRL! Tilda's little wings are also coated in Dazzling Diamonds. I found these perfect little 3D flowers in my stash and popped them behind the Hodge Podge Hardware and sentiment - their stems were too delicate to be left out! I few Antique Brass Brads for fence nails and I think she came together very well. I layered her onto Basic Black and then onto a Ruby Red card

KWerner Color Challenge #38

I didn't think I'd get to do the challenge this week - they usually close on a Thursday (Kristina's time) and I was out of reach of all my stamping gear and a computer! I luckily(??) got woken up early this morning by my dog - so thought I may as well have a go at getting the challenge done in time. I checked out Kristina's blog and it was still open! So off I padded in my pj's and slippers to my stamping space - hadn't wanted to wake DH up by dressing!!!

The first thing these colours said to me was "butterfly" - don't know why - it could be the sleep deprivation! I decided to use my Garden Whimsy big butterfly and stamped it twice after inking it up in Pumpkin Pie and rolling the edges in the Ruby Red. I cut one out and used some Crystal Effects to stick it down - it also gave it something to "sit on" as the central fold is quite small and weak. I added some bling to the butterflies body and antennae with some orange (I say Pumpkin Pie today!) rhinestones from my stash. I also used my Forest Branches Cuttlebug folder to add some texture to the strip of Pumpkin Pie.

One more thing - a little hint from my pal Ramona - click on her name to check it out properly. I wasn't sure if I had any Ruby Red CS left - but I found some in my scraps box and knew it was the right colour because I used Ramona's idea of having a key tag with all the colours of CS on! Great idea Ramona - it's not just useful for colour matching while you're shopping!!!!

I better go and pop it into the challenge before I run out of time - be back soon with more!!!

Three Blog Awards - wow do I feel loved!

The lovely Jasmine over at Jazzy Stamper left this blog award for me just before I went off camping. It was such an honour and it also gave me the chance to check out Jasmine's work - another talented Aussie lady you should check out! My plan was to use some of my time away to decide who to pass it on to - there are soooo many lovely and talented people out there it's NOT an easy decision to make. Needless to say I didn't make ANY decision while I was away as my laptop was left at home as we had no internet access where we were going - aaagh. I've decided to stick with Aussie bloggers for this one - sorry you out of towners!!

Here are the rules for the award:

1. The winner gets to put the logo on their blog.

2. Put a link to the person who sent you the award.

3. Nominate 5 blogs for the award.

Here are the 5 that I nominate for this Kreativ Award - for a variety of reasons but mainly because I love what they do and who they are!

Ramona Michaluk

Kellie Winnell

Rainbows by Robyn

Debbie Minter at Hubby's Headache

Liam Pucher at Inspirestampin
I came home today from a wonderful week of camping near the beach to find that the wonderful Michelle at Stamp and Smile had kindly awarded me this blog award - wow it's great to know that someone I admire so much holds me in this regard. I have decided to be a little bit of a cheat on this one - it goes to all the recipients of the other 2 awards on this post! These blogs have become favourites because I feel a connection to the bloggers as well as an appreciation of their talents. Blogging has become such a big part of the Stampin Up community and my life, and I feel the shared interest in these wonderful products has added benefits I hadn't dreamed of. I know there are many more talented bloggers out there - and I'm in awe of all of you. It's not always easy to "put yourself out there" ....but it's a lot of fun!!!!!

I just love the idea for this award - and have become good cyberfriends with the lovely Kellie Winnell who passed it on to me. She is a fun lovin' lady whom I can't wait to meet for real.

"This is called The Proximity Award. These blogs believe and invest in PROXIMITY - nearness in space, time and relationships! These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers! Deliver this award to eight bloggers, who must choose eight more and include this cleverly written text into the body of their awards”.

These lovely bloggers not only inspire me but are very generous with sharing their talent and work - and I'm feeling that many of them are becoming good cyber buddies too - it's amazing what a little comment on a blog can lead too. If you haven't checked them out - DO SO!!!!

Makeesha Byl
Karen at Luv to Stamp
Sam at Ryemilan's
Michelle at Stamp and Smile
Nancy Riley at iStamp
Donna at Butternut Sage
Jean at Stampin Cos It's Fun
Becky Roberts at Inking Idaho

Back from Camping!

Hi Guys,

Wow - it's was so nice to see all the lovely comments that have been left while I was off camping with my family! I was hoping to be able to post a comment and holiday snap or 2 while I was away - but we were out of all internet and mobile phone range - it nearly killed my 16 yo daughter!! What nearly killed me was the fact that my plastic sleeve of stamped images got left behind - I was planning on a little colouring in while I was communing with Nature - ah well!

I'll post something really soon - have to check out what all those other lovely bloggers have been up to as well.....thanx for bearing with me while I get back into the swing of ELECTRICITY!!!!

xXx

KWerner Color Challenge #37

Well when I saw these colours I went - OH NO - I think they are gorgeous colours but had NO idea what to do with them! I really surprised myself and had no trouble at all!! The first set I grabbed was the Hostess Level 1 set , A Little Bit of Happiness. I stamped the leaf set in Chocolate Chip and then used my ink pads and Blender Pens to watercolur them. I had to swap in Soft Sky for the Baja Breeze as we don't have that colour in Oz. I also used my Forest Branches Cuttlebug folder to add some more "nature" to the look.

I've been trying to make more masculine cards - I find these hard to do, especially when a birthday is coming up and I "have to" do one NOW! This is going into my stash for one of these times!

Another Little Purse

Here's another little purse for you - a bit brighter this time! This one I stamped in Versamark onto a base of Regal Rose CS using the large stamp from Baroque Motifs and then embossed using white EP. I sponged some Regal Rose ink over the top - and a touch of Rose Red. The flowers are stamped in Rose Red. A white paper flower and a diamonte brad finished it off. The strap is made from layering a strip of Whisper White over a piece of Regal Rose - thought I'd mention that detail as you can't see it here!!

Now for the rest of my day - I managed to sneak this in before a day of yucky cleaning - I do love it when I'm done though - it's not hanging over my head while I'm trying to be creative! OK OK I'll stop procrastinating - here I go - off to clean - LOL........

Thank You Prezzie!

WOW - I can't believe it - I have my 25th wedding anniversary coming up on January 25th - of course I WAS a child bride!!!! LOL. To celebrate the occasion we have decided to have a few (if you can call 70 a few) family and friends coming over at the end of the month. We have also decided that this gathering will be our present to one another. As a result I get to kick back and have someone in to do the catering - yippeeeeeeee!!! A dear friend of my sisters is starting her own business and she has taken on the challenge. To thank her for the stress I'm putting her through I made this cute little purse box which I saw on Mel McCarthy's blog - Mel Stampz - the link for these purses is here. I'm planning on filling it with chocolates - you can't go wrong with chocolate can you!?!? I also made a little Love Note Thank You card. I figured Sky Blue and Whisper White worked well for a Silver Anniversary, simple yet elegant, especially with the 1/2 pearls. The brad in the centre of the flower is from my stash - I think it's from Kaisercraft.

Here's a little wedding pic from 25 years ago - my daughter couldn't believe all the lace and ruffles - and she's decided bow ties are just "awful"!!! Ah well - fashions and styles may change but the memories are of a very happy day!

I'm planning on making more of these little purses - with some stamping, cuttlebugging (of course!!) and some brighter colours too - so keep tuned!

Love You Card!

This is the first Valentine's day that I've been in the position of being a "public" cardmaker! It has caused me to think long and hard about what I wanted to do about it. You see my dearly beloved dad passed away on February 14th - and even though it was quite a long time ago now - Valentine's Day hasn't been celebrated in my family since. I hope you can understand why I won't be posting many - if any - cards for this day - I just don't have the heart or joy for it. There are some stunning cards appearing in Blogland if you are in the need for inspiration though!

That all being said - I did decide to use this gorgeous stamp from Big on Spring and the colour pink - but it's NOT a card for any other occasion than to tell someone I love them! I've stamped onto the flower using Going Gray and the big swirl from Baroque Motifs. I also decided not to completely cut the scallop edge - I quite like the look of the pink peeking through. The heart was stamped separately, cut out, glittered up and then given an outline of Rose Red before being popped up on dimensionals. The pink base was stamped, coloured and then run through my Cuttlebug script folder - I really DID try NOT to use my Cuttlebug - but in the end I just HAD too - LOL. I gave the card a Basic Black CS base to give it strength and it works well will these more subtle colours.

I had interesting critiques from my family when I showed them - hubby liked the colours, 10yo son thought it was too busy and 16yo daughter loved it!

Another WeiRd and WaCky LonGish CaRd

I thought I'd have another go and making a card using the WeiRd and WaCky LonGish template from Amazing Creations. Apart from the fact that I had sooo much fun doing the last one I thought I'd share with you a special you have been offered as readers of my blog!!!!

I had an email yesterday from Amazing Creations letting me know they had seen what I had made with their template and had liked it - yippee! They also asked me to pass on a special offer to you guys of a 10% discount on these templates if you order during the month of January 2009 and mention my blog!!! (This offer doesn't include p&h.) How cool is that!?!?! They currently only have 2 of the different templates in stock but are hoping the others come in soon. Note that the tri-fold templates can be used to make a trifold card or, if you don't add the 3rd section, a bi-fold card like I made - these are much more versatile to use. Hope some of you can take up this offer - and no - I'm not on commission - LOL - I just enjoy helping out Aussie companies who have great products!

For my card here I've used some more of my Christmas wrap teal and white ribbon, Taken with Teal CS, Saffron CS and Whisper White CS. The stamp sets are eastern Blooms and Short & Sweet. A little bit of Cuttlebug embossing too - I just can't help myself - LOL.

KWerner Color Challenge #36 Take 2!

OK OK, I know I made a boo-boo with the colours on the previous card - but I still prefer that one! Guess it's because it's a little wacky - it appeals to my inner child! Anyway - I decided to make another card for this challenge - this time using the right pink, although I realised I didn't actually have a sheet of Pretty in Pink and just found these scraps in my scrap box so I hope I did get it right - LOL!!!!

For this card used the Embrace Life set and a couple of different Cuttlebug folders - I do LOVE texture! I also used my Versamark pen to help emboss just the flower stamens in white. I had used my white gel pen but they just didn't pop enough for me. I had to re-outline the stamens using my Rose Red marker. I added a white brad to the centre of the flower, and then had to stick it together again as it split down the middle - oops! The center panel is popped up on Dimensionals as is the flower. To see my other challenge card for these colours click here., or just keep scrolling down if you're on my blog already - it's the next post!

KWerner Color Challenge #36

Wow - what a gorgeous colour combo for this week's challenge - I adore these colours together!

A long time ago before I was really into card making - yes, there was such a time LOL - I bought a template to make an odd shaped card and matching envelope. I thought this challenge would give me the opportunity to finally give it a go. It was really easy to use and I'm really happy with the result. The template comes from an Australian company called Amazing Creations and I have linked the page for these on their website for you here.

I used the one called "WeiRd and WaCky LonGish CaRd & EnvelOpe" - what a mouthful!!!! It's great that the template comes with an envelope to match - I'm not sure you'd get the card into a standard envelope!

The central piece is a window and the "flower garden" is actually fixed to the inside of the card. The stamps I've used for the card are the Scribble Jumbo Wheel and a sentiment from Spring Pictograms. I've also used the luscious Flower Fusion felt flowers from the Summer mini , white brads, white Taffeta ribbon and some punches. I also used the same stamps to embellish the envelope.

Oooooops - In my excitement to do this challenge I realise I've used the wrong pink - my humblest apologies - I grabbed Pink Passion instead of the softer Pretty in Pink!!!!

I thought I'd add in this picture of the inside of the card too!