Welcome to the Jungle

This is the theme at Janet's Corrosive challenge this week. Some chipboard letters up for grabs too. Amazingly I think every DT person has chosen a different animal so go check them all out.

I created a wee 3x3" notecard for a demo swap last year & last week it got transformed into a 4x4" birthday card for Pete's nephew's Max's 3rd birthday - as you can see he likes Lightning McQueen & Cars (the movie).


I must admit the giraffe is my favourite image in the set - it's just so adorable.

Stamp sets: Wild about You, Occasional Greetings
Ink: Real Rust, Old Olive
Paper: Old Olive, Soft Sky (retired), Whisper White, Sahara Sand, Fall Flowers DSP (retired)
Punches: Scallop circle, 1-3/8" circle, Spring Flower Bouquet (retired)
Other: Crystal effects, sponge dauber, cutter tool

More designer paper

With just over a month to go to the launch of the new Idea Book & catalogue. I thought it was appropriate to play with the DSP which we've been extremely lucky to have been able to have purchased for the last year at $13.95 for the 12 sheets as opposed to $19.95 as there was a typo in the last Idea Book & Catalogue which worked in our favour.

So at my recent home class we also made these really cool criss-cross cards (well my team voted for them to be a WOW card at the recent swap) & my home classes' version was even prettier.

Stamp set: Embrace Life, Cheers & Wishes, Occasional Greetings
Ink: Basic Brown, River Rock
Paper: River Rock, Groovy Guava, Ruby Red, Very Vanilla, Watercolour paper, Ginger Blossom DSP
Other: Glue stick, sticky strip, corner rounder, round tab punch, 1-3/8" circle punch, scallop circle punch, Earth Elements watercolour crayons, Aqua painter, crimper, River Rock DS ribbon
Technique: Criss- cross card click HERE to see a tutorial

Crazy for Christmas

Such a great name for a stamp set & little did I know that this was going to be my set for creating my cards when SU! offered it at 20% off but I just loved it & I'm really pleased how they turned out. I made 2 cards using the set (kinda got bored with embossing after awhile but had so many positive comments about the first one maybe I should have stayed being bored!)

Stamp set: Crazy for Christmas, Occasional Greetings
Ink: Versamark, Silver Encore, Sage Shadow for sponging
Card stock: Sage Shadow, Always Artichoke, Whisper White, Wintergreen DSP
Other: Silver EP, dimensionals, markers (Certainly Celery, Sage Shadow, Always Artichoke), dazzling diamonds glitter, sponge dauber, Stamp-a-ma jig


Cutting dimensions:
Whisper white: 1-1/2 x 4-3/8"
DSP: 1-3/4 x 4-5/8" and 1-3/4 x 3-1/2:
Always Artichoke: 2 x 4-7/8" and 2 x 3-3/4"

The second card is straight from the SU! demo website & I really loved colouring the pressies up.
Stamp set: Crazy for Christmas, Sleigh Full of Toys or Itty Bitty backgrounds
Ink: Basic Black, Ruby Red, Wild Wasabi, Bashful Blue
Card stock: Ruby Red, Wild Wasabi, Bashful Blue, Whisper White
Other: Wild Wasabi DS ribbon, mini glue dots, blender pen, Stamp-a-ma jig

Cutting dimensions:
Whisper White: 10.5 x 3 cm
Ruby Red: 14.8 x 3 cm

A really easy card but very effective, well I do hope to my friends that received one of the above & to ALL a very merry Christmas - may it be a special time spent with those you love.

BLING Time

This was the latest challenge from my SBS sister Janet but surprisingly I found it hard! Guess I'm just not a bling girl. I used a "reject" from an Always Stamp Class that I attended. My original card I gave away to my dear friend Judy & SBS sister who also struggled with this challenge. You can see it HERE.

I've used the soon to be released Live Your Dream flower & butterfly to make the background (I love these wee stamps).

My bling is a rhinestone brad from my Stylised Silver Hodgepodge, & also coloured up one of the Pretties flowers with Blue Bayou ink & Kindy Glitzed the other to make sparkly. It does look really pretty IRL.

Stamp sets: Always, Live Your Dream, Occasional Greetings
Ink: Soft Sky, Blue Bayou, Old Olive, Creamy Caramel
Card stock: Soft Sky, Old Olive, Whisper white
Other: Pretties kit, Stylised Silver, Kindy Glitz (Derivan)

Happy birthday mum

My mum Noleen is 73 today & it's been a rough year for her (& us) with at times more being in hospital than out, but at the moment she's a box of birds - touch wood & I do hope you enjoy your special day.

Mum loves butterflies & I've never created a Garden Whimsy card combining the tulip with the butterfly or the snail for that matter. This card's colours were inspired by the colour wheel & believe or not I've used ruby red on the tulip again - I did try a couple of other combos see the wee snap shot but settled on cameo coral & ruby red & handsome hunter (colour wheel combo) as it was the brightest. This was a good show case for colouring on stamps with markers - don't forget for the first time ever we can buy them separately for $5.95 until Nov 30th. More details click HERE.

The card was inspired by Jayne Mercer & I love her colour combo but "not my mum". I've stamped the blush blossom card stock with the wee ladybird but not sure if it will show in the photo.


Stamp sets: Garden Whimsy, Occasional Greetings
Card Stock: Ruby Red, Handsome Hunter, Whisper White, Blush Blossom
Ink: Creamy Caramel, Apricot Appeal, Blush Blossom
Markers: Ruby Red, Cameo Coral, Handsome Hunter
Other: Cutter tool (distressing), dimensionals, 2-way glue pen, dazzling diamonds glitter, Ivory organza (retired)

Rejected colours (not bright enough):

LHS: So Saffron, More Mustard, Old Olive
RHS: Apricot Appeal, Pumpkin Pie, Certainly Celery

Have a great weekend all!

Happy Father's day to all dad's

Don't you just love it when you're told late on Friday night that the get together with Pete & his dad is actually taking place on Saturday lunch, instead of Sunday. I had a medical appointment Saturday & was in the middle of making 28 cards for demo-swap for Auckland regional training of us SU! demonstrators.

So a real quick card needed. I used this card as my inspiration but wanted to make it bright & cheery so used the striped paper from Spring Break DP series.

Stamp set/s: Occasional Greetings, Boho Backgrounds, Weathered (BG)
Card Stock: Blue Bayou, Soft Sky, Old Olive, Whisper White, Spring Break DP
Ink: Old Olive, Soft Sky, Blue Bayou
Other: Earth elements markers, crop-o-dile, jumbo eyelets (pewter), vintage brads, hemp twine

Certainly not my best work but Pete's dad was pleased with it & we all had a lovely long lunch & get together which is what it is all about.

Bodacious Class

I just loved Trudi's pizza box. I thought it would make a neat wee box to give someone with some small cards or in my case one thank you card & some movie money.

It was very easy to create so if you haven't already made it have a go!

Stamp set/s: Bodacious Bouquet, Short & Sweet, Occasional Greetings
Card stock: Very Vanilla, Mellow Moss, Brocade Blue
Ink: Mellow Moss, Brocade Blue, So Saffron, Regal Rose, Basic Grey
Other: Vintage brads, dazzling diamonds glitter, dimensionals, sponge, mat pack for paper piercing, round tab punch, spring flower bouquet punch

Cutting Dimensions Box:

• Cut an A4 piece of card stock to 6" x 11"
• Score at 1", 5", 6" & 10" vertically and at 1" & 5" horizontally.
• Cut all the vertical scores until they meet the horizontal scores. Fold & tape tabs.

• Brocade blue 3-7/8" square
• Mellow moss 3" square
• Very vanilla 2-7/8" square

Cutting dimensions card:

• Mellow moss 7-1/2" x 3-3/4"
• Brocade blue 3" square
• Mellow moss 2-7/8" square
• Very vanilla 2-3/4" square

Thanks Trudi for the inspiration!

Demo Swap time again - "kiddies"

Well it's been a few months since our last swap & the theme was suitable for children. Rereading the forum it seemed to me that glitter was expected, well I didn't add any so was slightly concerned - but happy to report that I wasn't alone - the cards were great & so much FUN.

Stamp set/s: In the Wild, Occasional Greetings
Ink: Real Rust, Old Olive

Card stock: Soft Sky, Whisper White, Sahara Sand, Real Rust

Designer Paper: Fall Flowers

Other: Crystal effects (to make the faux-pebble embellishment, Scallop punch, 1 3/8" circle punch, 1/2" punch, Spring Flower Bouquet punch, sponge, cutting tool (for distressing)

I love the striped paper & spotted paper with the wee giraffe - so adorable (even if I say so myself).

Check out some of the other team members efforts on their blogs: Anne-Marie, Rachael, Jacque & Dianne. Here's a wee pick of most of the team out after training with Dianne from the deep south eating & drinking.

More Rose Red

My dear friend Donna & her friend Wendy had a workshop last night. It was quite a scarey thing presenting to friends - much easier with strangers!

Donna wanted to do a magnetic bookmark card using glossy white card stock & the crayon resist technique which could be used as Mother's day cards.

She loves Rose Red, so using the colour coach wheel I matched this colour up with Elegant Eggplant (& purple is Donna's favourite colour) & Always Artichoke. A white crayon, sponges, magnetic strip & we were away.

Stampsets: Artfully Asian, Occasional Greetings, Weathered background
Card stock: Glossy white, rose red, elegant eggplant, always artichoke
Ink: as above
Other: Elegant eggplant grosgrain ribbon, magnetic strip, white crayon, sponges, white Signo gel pen

Some of the ladies filled their leaves entirely in with the crayon before sponging so really white leaves, some only used the elegant eggplant & always artichoke. But some great cards made by all, thank you to all who attended :-) And yes my bookmark which was on the table as a display "fell into" the rose red inkpad on the lower RHS at the end of the night whilst cleaning up :-(