Winter Wonderland Challenge A Christmas Gift Card Holder

To create the gift card holder I used the link on the Winter Wonderland site for Pop-up gift and card holder tutorial.  Stamps: Patchwork Kingdom Christmas, Studio G Snowflakes.  Cardstock: White hammered card, white card, blue card.  Paper: Dovecraft Winter Wonderland.  Inks: Memento tuxedo black, danube blue, summer sky, bahama.  Colouring: Derwent Inktense watercolour pencils, Sakura gel pen stardust clear.  Dies: Cuttlebug embossing folder Snowflakes.  Punches: Martha Stewart snowflake border.

This card was created for the Winter Wonderland Challenge.

Winner of a trip to the set of Creativity! TV

Just found out I am the winner of the docrafts Creativity! competition.  The prize is a day at the Creativity! TV studios, meet Clare Curd and watch the filming! How cool is that, I can't wait to go and meet all the lovely people that work for docrafts Creativity!

Here is the winning card.

Wall Panelling... Eventually

I have to confess to having had a mostly renovated hallway for well over a year now. It is a lovely wide hall with an archway half way and boarding from the dado rail to the ceiling. There are new hardwood floorboards which are so smooth and chocolately we haven't had them sealed as yet - I kid you not.

All we are waiting for is some pressed tin to line the ceiling which has a nasty patch where the builder's son stuck his boot through from upstairs. Its not a big job but it's not on the "To Do" list as yet. I am hoping that writing about this will help make it happen. Meanwhile here are some other nicely detailed, finished paneled rooms which I am inspired by. It really is a good look.

House Mouse & Friends Challenge # 68 Flower Power

On to the challenge.  I thought I'd have a go at Spotlighting technique here is my result.
To create this card I used.  Stamps: House Mouse Rainy Daisy Day.  Cardstock: White hammered card, purple card.  Paper: Doodlebug Designs Inc. Summer assortment, black, pink, purple paper.  Inks: Memento Tuxedo black, London fog.  Colouring: Derwent Inktense watercolour pencils, Sakura stardust gel pen.  Dies: Spellbinders Nestabilities Labels three, Sizzix Extended Cuts Small stuff.  Punches: Woodware rectangle, flowers, grass, X-Cut flower, L-Em.com stamen.  Embellishments: Papermania self adhesive shimmer dots, small brads. 

This card was created for the House Mouse and Friends Challenge.

Anyone for Anya? Sketch #9

To create this card I used Stamps: CC Designs Spring Set, Dovecraft clear stamps Sentiments.  Cardstock/Paper: Doodlebug Designs Inc. Spring assorted papers, orange papers, orange card, green paper, green card, white hammered card.  Inks: Memento Tuxedo black, Summer Sky.  Colourings: Copic markers, Derwent Inktense watercolour pencils, Sakura gel pens.  Dies: Sizzix branch w/leaves medium sizzlit, Sizzix embossing plate.  Punches:  small flower.  Embellishments: green glitter.

This card was created for Anyone for Anya? Challenge.

Penny Black Saturday Challenge Week 98 3 flowers..2 buttons and one bow.

To create this card I used Stamps: Penny Black Purrfect Day.  Cardstock/Paper: Doodlebug Designs Inc. green spotty paper, green paper, yellow paper, white hammered card, green card.  Inks: Memento Tuxedo black.  Colouring: Derwent Inktense watercolour pencils, Copic markers.  Punches: Martha Stewart Gothic arch, Woodware flowers.  Embellishments: green ribbon.

This card was created for the Penny Black Saturday Challenge.

Just Magnolia Challenge Week 52 Anything Goes

To create this card I used Stamps: Magnolia Tilda with Ice Cream.  Cardstock/Paper: White hammered card, blue paper, blue card, shiny blue paper, green paper, Doodlebug Designs Inc. Spring assortment. Inks: Memento Tuxedo black, Summer sky.  Colouring: Copic markers, Derwent Inktense watercolour pencils, Sakura glaze gel pens.  Dies: Spellbinders Nestabilities Petite ovals large, Marianne creatables flower.  Embellishments: Teal crossgrain ribbon.

This card was created for the Just Magnolia Challenge Blog.

A Step Up

Have seen some great stair treatments lately and had to post these two quirky stand-outs.

Winter Wonderland Challenge "Open Theme"

I am so excited I have been chosen as Winter Wonderland's Designer in the Spotlight.  The theme this week is "Open Theme", so you can make anything as long as it is a Christmas Card.  As I write this my hands are lovely shades of green and blue, as I was playing with my Cosmic Shimmer mists and I seem to have dyed my hands.

To create this card I used Stamps: Penny Black The wonder, Studio G snowflakes.  Papers/Cardstock: White hammered card, Green card, teal paper.  Dies: Sizzix Sizzlits snowflakes 5,6,7,8.  Punches: Woodware snowflakes various sizes.  Colouring: Memento Black Tuxedo ink, Stazon Jet Black ink, Copic markers, Derwent Inktense watercolour pencils, Sakura stardust pens, Cosmic Shimmer mists Peacock green, Meadow lush, clear pigment ink, Versamark watermark ink.  Embellishments: Ribbon, brads, Stampendous stamp n bond, Cosmic Shimmer embossing powder Lapis Sapphire, teal glitter, frosted shrink plastic, jump ring.

The background was created using Cosmic Shimmer mists.  I then stamped snowflakes on using Versamark ink and heat embossed it using Cosmic Shimmer embossing powder.  The tiny hedgehog embellishement was made using Frosted shrink plastic which I attached to the card using a jump ring.  I made matching brads for the card using a plain brad coated in clear embossing ink, then stamp n bond, then teal glitter.

This card was created for the Winter Wonderland Challenge.

30 Days Of Home

A big decorating event run by the ACP Lifetstyle Magazines, has been on in Sydney for most of this month. Called "30 Days of Home and Entertaining" it is a showcase of all the new trends and how to get it happening at your place!

This the brainchild of my good buddy Carolyn Innis, the creative director of ACP advertising. Love the mix of fashion and interiors.

2nd Entry for the Sir Stampalot Challenge April Fantasy

I love this challenge so much I thought I'd have another go.  So I decided to give you photographic evidence that there are indeed fairies at the bottom of the garden.  Here is the proof I hope the kids don't see them or they will be asking them all sorts of questions like "Do you let Father Christmas in on Christmas Eve?  Where do you put all the teeth when you take them away?  Do you know the Easter Bunny?"   This group of fairies are known to be called Sizzix fairies, they only come out when a crafter gets her Big Shot machine out.

Only kidding, to create these fairies (which can be used as flower picks and added to a nice bunch of flowers) I used Sizzix Dies: Dress ups body, girls hair and clothes, Butterfly #3.  Stamps: Peachy Keen faces stamps.  Papers/Cardstock: Assorted colours of mulberry paper, shiny papers. Punches: Small flower punch.  Embellishments:  Glamour dust crystal, Papermania shimmer dots, wooden skewers.

The fairies where paper pieced and decorated all slightly differently.  I chose mulberry papers to give the appearance of flowers.  Hope you like them love Linda.

These fairies where created for the Sir Stampalot Challenge.

Sizzix Easter Card Competition

Great news today I just found out I have won the Sizzix.co.uk Easter card competition.  The prize is a Texture Boutique machine and a selection of Sizzix Textured Impressions embossing folders how cool is that.

Here is the card.

Sir Stampalot Challenge April Fantasy

I decided to go with fairies at the bottom of the garden, I've always liked that idea.

To create this card I used Stamps: Woodware Fairy Tots, Magnolia grass tussock, Lavinia Cherry blossom tree.  Inks: Memento Tuxedo black, Summer sky, Pear tart, Cottage Ivy, Bamboo leaves.  Colouring: Copic markers, Sakura gel pens.  Cardstock/Paper: White hammered card, green card and paper, blue paper, pink paper, Doodlebug Designs Inc. Spring assortment.  Punches: X-Cut flower.  Dies: Sizzix Extended cuts grass. 

The background was stamped and coloured in using a mixture of Copic markers and Memento dye ink.  The Fairies were paper pieced and coloured in using Copic markers.  I decided to make this card an easel card so I could have fun creating a scene with the fairies, but I do find it hard to take a photograph of an easel card I can never seem to get the whole of the card in.

This card was created for the Sir Stampalot Challenge.

Anyone for Anya? Sweet as Sugar!

To create this card I used Stamps: CC Designs Spring Kit.  Inks: Memento dye ink Tuxedo black, Angel Pink.  Colouring: Copic markers, Sakura stardust gel pens.  Cardstock/Papers: White hammered card, pink paper and card, Daisy and Dandelion Some bunny loves you design papers.  Punches: Woodware flowers, blink, L-Em.com stamen, X-Cut flower.  Embellishemts: Dovecraft ribbon, Papermania brads pearls and gems.

This card was created for the Anyone for Anya Challenge?

Timeless

Once in a blue moon I wander over to the Ralph Lauren site to see what they are up to and to admire the faultless merchandising. The La Plage collection is so unbelieveably classic it could be at home in any decade, in any era.

I like to pull the look apart and define what makes it relevant to this season. Would it be the Louis-inspired chair mixed with nautical stripes? Louis at the beach is new. The retro Balinese floral print makes it modern.

This look also reminds me of my old friend Nell, an extraordinary fashion stylist who is now in charge of image at our biggest television network. Nell is a beach girl at heart and has always been a fan of the navy and white stripe T with classic white shorts. That could almost be her in the picture...

Penny Black Saturday Challenge Week 97 Monochromatic Brown

To create this card I used Stamps: Penny Black Purrfect day.  Inks: Memento dye ink Rich Cocoa and Tuxedo Black.  Colouring: Derwent Inktense watercolour pencils.  Cardstock/Papers: Doodlebug Designs Inc Fall assorted papers, various shades of brown card and paper.  Dies: Spellbinders Nestabilities Standard Circles large.  Punches:  Woodware flower,  L-Em.com stamen, Martha Stewart pine branch and Fiskars flower.  Embellishments: Papermania mosaic gems and brads, Trimcraft brown ribbon.

This card was made for the Penny Black Saturday Challenge.

Just Magnolia Challenge Blog Sketch by Mina with Thank You as the optional twist

To design this card I thought what can I add to it to make it a thank you gift and card in one.  So I decided to stamp Tilda on white shrink plastic and add a jump ring so she can be threaded on to a chain and used as a necklace.  You could put a chain in the card to go with shrink plastic Tilda.

To create this card I used Stamps: Magnolia Tilda with tulips, Dovecraft clear sentiments.  Dies: Nellie's Multi frames oval.  Punches: Woodware grass, Martha Stewart flower, L-Em.com stamen.  Papers/Cardstock: White hammered card, purple card and paper, green card and paper, Papermania Sweet Nothings paper.  Colouring: Inks Memento Tuxedo black, Stazon Jet black, Copic markers, Derwent Inktense watercolour pencils,  Sakura stardust pen.  Embellishments: White shrink plastic, 2 jump rings, green orgaza ribbon, 2 green brads.

This card was made for the Just Magnolia Challenge.

House Mouse & Friends Monday Challenge #67 - Recipe

This weeks challenge is a recipe 2 papers, 3 flowers and 1 ribbon.  To create this card I used House Mouse Hyper Mouse Muzzy stamp, Magnolia Two Tulips stamp, Color Box chalk inks, Copic markers, blue shimmer chalk, Papermania Honey & Hugs design paper, Woodware emboss flower punch, Nellie's Oval Multi frames, Sizzix Extended cuts grass die, Stampendous Stamp n Bond, clear pigment ink, pink flock, gold brads, pink organza ribbon, pink shimmer paper and spotty vellum.

The background behind the mouse was stamped using coloured chalk inks to make the background soft, die cut grass was added, which I coloured in using the same ink as the background.  The mouse was coloured in using Copic markers.

I though seeing as I was only allowed 3 flowers for this challenge and I love flowers I decided to make them big. The flowers where cut out of pink shimmer paper and vellum.  I made my own brads to match using plain gold brads which I coated in clear pigment ink, then stamp n bond which was then heated to make the glue sticky, then I coated the brad in pink flock.

This card was created for House Mouse & Friends Monday Challenge

Anyone for Anya? Get In Shape :)

I had to think about this one for a while, then I decided to keep it as simple as possible, so for the recipe I used 3 Circles, 2 squares and 1 body shape. To make this card I used The Greetings Farm Ruby stamp, Anita's Happy birthday stamp, Memento dye ink Tuxedo Black, Cuttlebug Spots and dots embossing folder, Sizzix Originals Circles #2 die and Doodlebug Designs Inc assorted Easter paper. The image was coloured in using Copic pens and Derwent Inktense watercolour pencils.

This card was made for the Anyone for Anya? Challenge.

Winter Wonderland Challenge Embossing

To create this card I decided to use two types of embossing (dry embossing and heat embossing). I used Kars Ollyfant Christmas Eve stamps, Papermania ornament stamps, Cuttlebug Christmas Ornament embossing die, Copic markers, clear pigment ink, copper embossing powder and Sizzix Sizzlits ornament die. The little girl image was paper pieced and coloured in using Copic markers. For the background image I decided to heat emboss the ornament with copper powder because I never use it and I thought it would make a nice change. The red card and bauble were dry embossed.

This card was made for the Winter Wonderland Challenge.

Penny Black Saturday Challenge Week 96 Buttons Galore

To create this card I decided to make a button frame with a matching button flower embellishment. I used Penny Black Seeing your face stamp, X-Cut flower punches, Tonic Studio flower punch, Woodware grass punches, Spellbinders Nestabilities Labels one and Papermania Sunshine Capsule Collection. The hedgehog was coloured in using Copic markers. The daffodil was paper pieced and coloured in using Derwent Inktense watercolour pencils.

This card was created for the Penny Black Saturday Challenge.

Just Magnolia Challenge Week 50 - Punch it out

For this challenge I decided to make a punched background. To create this card I used Magnolia Summer Tilda with bow and Shabby Chic Fence stamps, Woodware flower punches, Memento dye ink Tuxedo black, blue shimmer chalk, Sakura stardust pen, Copic markers, Derwent Inktense watercolour pencils, Spellbinders Nestabilities Labels One and Sizzix branch w/leaves medium die. The image was paper pieced and coloured in using Copics and watercolour pencils.

This card was created for Just Magnolia Challenge Blog.