christmas cards

Isn't it funny how our 'likes' change? Last year I quite enjoyed the 'cluttered' look of christmas cards, this year I'm loving the white on white with a touch of colour.

These cards were inspired through magazines and online sites I visited through google but never kept them as favourites........... what a ninny!!

Another challenge

this blog stuff reminds so much of why I never kept a diary as a teenager, I start with a hiss and a roar..............then.......... nothing!!

So as this year is coming to an end and a fresh year is just around the corner (where does the time go?) another start is made. I've been busy doing up my kits and cards and selling through trade-me, it's enough to tick me over and to buy more of my fangdangles to keep me happy. I've also tried hard to do the challenges through the crafts and hobbies section of the message board of Trade-me. It is one way of doing something for myself. This is this weeks challenge, which was a wishlist for 2010 along with christmas embellishments.

For my Son

My son has kindly set a challenge for me! Just what I need, not! His GF has her 21st coming up in 4 weeks and he has asked me to make up a scrapbook album................... eeek! 4 weeks!!!! time to work out a plan of action here. I've decided as I finish off an order, one page for the book will get done. Like all plans, nothing goes as planned! Two pages are done so far........... thank goodness I had a 8 x 4 scrapbook going spare, a lot better than having to do a whole book of 12 x 12. This layout was also done for the Trademe Scrappers Challenge using black & white or sepia with monotone colours. My son was quite happy with this layout, well I think he was, typical male........ a couple more grunts than normal must be a good sign. :)

Art Deco # 2

With a birthday coming up for a very dear friend of mine, also a cardmaker the challenge was on to do a 'great' card for her. So on with the thinking cap.............. as always! I adore the art deco look, but always feel hesitant when it comes to adding features to the face of the card. The worry over the decoration gets me, so maybe some research into this 'era' will be a big help. Happy Birthday Lesley!!

Trade Me Challenge #2

It's cold, wet and miserable here today! I am stuck at home with four of the grand-kids to top the day off nicely or so I thought! Until I logged into the message board of Trade-Me.......... now the feeling for the day has turned around quite nicely with finding out I'd won the 2nd challenge through the crafts and hobbies section. Be it a random selection, but a win non the less. Doing these challenges is one way of keeping up with my scrapbooks, so many photos to do, just as not many hours to do them in. Pictured is the layout I did for the challenge. It is of my brother and his wife, when they got married in Norfolk Islnad. The scrolls are stamped onto acetate then kindy glitzed over, the locketts are from the spellbinders Time Hertiage Collection. What gorgeous dies these are, I just love them!

OSW Activity

As I'm part of admin on Craftythingz.co.nz I set up an activity from my learning of the OSW's It was put up in stages in a way that everyone had to log in each day to find out the next step, not knowing just where they were heading. Loads of fun! Well from my end it was, but I'm sure the girsl think so too. This is still going on and I'm now waiting to see their creations. In the meantime I did another set and posted up on the site to show in what direction they're heading.

Traders Challenge

I troll through the message board of Trade-Me, in the craft and hobby section. One of the members put up a scrapbooking challenge. Yay! another chance to add to my own stuff. I used a sketch layout from 52 sketches 52 weeks. This photo of my step-granddaughter was taken on one of my trips back home to Gisborne. Little Miss was quite taken with him. (2006) I did the ribbon pleating with staples, from one of the tuturials on 52 sketches. Lots of tips and hints to be found in there. I love the distress look, one thing I don't have in my stash is distressing ink, so guess what will be on my 'to buy' list :)

OSW Challenge

I'm always on the lookout for challenges, it's one way of making myself take some time out to do something for my albums. Most of my time is taken up in making emellishment kits to sell on Trade-Me. Which makes my 'pin money' to feed the cuttlebug, who seems to be forever 'hungry'. lol

This challenge was put up a few weeks ago on craftyfingers.nz.co.nz we had to stamp a background paper, why I chose just black, I don't know and once started on the cardmaking, I realised there was too much 'white' space, which reduced the amount of useable template pieces. Oh well, one way of learning the ropes.

A giveaway!

As I'm reading the comments left on my layots in 52 sketches 52 weeks, one of the ladies in there has put a giveaway through her blog. Check it out here http://brainy-bairn.blogspot.com/ Avina's blog is just lovely and her baby is soooooo cute!! Thank you Avina for the chance of winning and to view your blog.

yesterday's layout

this layout #21 was a bit of challenge for me, as I really needed to measure!! Now measuring is not something I do! lol I'm a kinda 'by eye' kinda gal! But this time, out came the ruler and pencil. Worked much better too, made the 'stitching' lines much easier and straighter too. Funny that! I used Kindy Glitz for the 'stitching' Another great sketch to follow.

another sketch

this is sketch #10............. the many faces of my grand-daughter, how could I chose which photo to use! She loved Smokey, too much sometimes as all children do! This was a lovely easy sketch to follow.

back into it!

After putting my scrapbooking aside for awhile, I found this wonderful site with weekly sketches! It is brillant and has given me back the 'want' and 'need' to take time out from other stuff, to do layouts. 52sketches52weeks give it a try! I've tried loading on their blinky without success of course. This blogging bussiness is still new to me and a lot of my postings are trial and error. Here is my first take on sketch #11 While away visting mum, with my daughter and grand-daughter, a four generation page just had to be made!

stamp and frills

mum has a huge range of stamps, so I'm busy fossicking amongst her stash! This one took my fancy, the shoe stamps! Just gorgeous.......... so with some lace I set about to make a frill! What a job that turned out to be, didn't want to get out the sewing machine (would of been a lot quicker) I did this by hand, with double-sided tape. Oh well, I got there in the end! :)

three day card crop

I had my daughter and grand-daughter to stay, so we went on down to see my mum. Five generations together was very special. Now mum is also into card making and my daughter has finally shown an interest. So needless to say the nights were spent 'creating' cards. It was fun to help my daughter out and for mum and I to try new ideas too. One product we both had a go with was, Flower Soft. What gorgeous stuff this is! Just some PVA glue and a sprinkle or two with the product. Lovely stuff it is.

For my Brother

I set myself a challenge, of using a colour I hardly use. So GREY was the choice. My brother and his wife went to England last year for a holiday and sent over these shots. Trev, is the 'funny' of the family, always getting the last word in.............. now it's my turn to get him back. I laughed at some of these photos, they were him to a T!

Art Deco Card

seen as I live in the 'Art Deco' Captial of the world, so they say. lol. I've been itching to do a card which reflects that era. By Joves! it was fun, dharlings!

Not one for doing easter cards, I decided to get one done. Having bought a basket stamp I felt the 'need' to potter with it. Once coloured in, I cut the basket out and then used kindy glitz to embellish it further. The easter eggs are made from the oval shape of the cuttlebug 4 stamp set. I 3D'd the basket and placed the 'eggs' in. The flowers are from the combo card set of cuttlebug - gratitude, these have dimensional magic on, I just love this product!

another challenge

I'm involved in Craftythings forum, one of the challenges this month was to use the cuttlebug embossing folders, a die, kindy glitz and dimensional magic. It seems to have been ages since I did a page, something I used to do everyday! So yesterday was set aside for this challenge to be done. I had a go at embossing acetate, which looks really great. The bird call embossing folder under the photo, has been embossed twice on a longer strip of card,bit of a mission so that a 'join' dosen't appear, but once stuck down looked fine. The leaves are from the cuttlebug and they've gone through the bird call embosser as well for added depth, then glitzed.

a sketch challenge

I visited Do crafts which is an english site, some amazing stuff in there! Of course I had to have a go at doing the card sketch challenge. Which is now uploaded.

White and Cream

I felt that my 'mojo' had up and done a runner on me, with doing up scrapbooking kits to sell on Trade Me all my spare time had been taken up. Today I set aside as a 'me' only day. It was also a way to attempt the Febuary Challenge over at the Craftythingz forum, which is a layout or a card using flowers. So out came the scrapbooking magazines for inspiration............. guess what? ........it worked a treat! Using a photo from my brother's wedding over in Norfolk Island, I went with a white background and a bit of cream, along with cream and white flowers. The flowers were a bit of - prima flowers, punched flowers and cuttlebug scribble flowers. ............... with just a touch of light blue to add a bit of colour. The photo of the layout isn't the greatest though.

co-ordinating cards

I thought I'd try my hand at doing a OSW, and of course I failed! :) one color or two I can't seem to stay inside the square. So instead I've deicded that these are co-ordinating cards complete with a matching gift box for them to fit into. It was fun and something different for me to try.

Getting the Grandaughter Bugging!

I've got my little 3 year old grandaughter staying here at the moment, and as I head off into my room (mum and her are camping out in my craft van) she says to me, "Gran-ma? are you going to do your 'thing'? " so up on my knee she hopped, watching, then she decides it's her turn! :) Ok, is this something I'll regret? The delight on her face when she'd created a foot was worth it. Start 'em young with the bug!!

BLOGS OF INTEREST

Craftaholics Anonymous
jennie's scrap space
Mel Stampz

Valentine Card

I'm in the early learning curve of 3D card making. There are some gorgeous pictures out there, so many to choose from. This one, I had so much fun doing, must be the inner 'thinnes' in me coming out! lol..... oh well, it is nice to dream. looking at the photo of it now, I can see I still have a lot to learn, like cutting closer to the picture. But I'm sure this will become easier over time. Now, who to give it to? Best be the other half of me I guess.

My Photos

Photobucket Album

Slide show

http://s225.photobucket.com/albums/dd222/carol45_photos/?action=view&current=f6e7f7c7.pbw

Favouite Sites

http://www.craftythingz.co.nz/


http://www.craftythingz.co.nz/forum/index.php

http://www.craftythingz.co.nz/gallery/index.php

http://www.faceoff.co.nz/Crafts/

http://www.heartprints.net/gallery/cuttlebug/card/2758/

http://craftyfingers.socialgo.com/welcome.html

http://www.scrapbook.com/quotes/cat/149.html

3D Dora the Explora

My beautiful grand-daughter is turning 3 on sunday, gee time certainly does fly! I can remember the day she was born............ now it's 3 years on!

My first attempt at a 'free-hand' card for my sister.

bear with me

ok, the first part is done, now to learn how or what to do for the next. Could take me awhile.