Embrace Life

As soon as I saw this card on SCS I knew I had to CASE it. I followed the link to the creators website & found out that she is an Australian demonstrator in WA - so thanks Cathy for a great card! I love that this is a matchbook fold card, which is something a little different to a normal card.

Stampsets: Embrace Life, Short & Sweet

Inks: Ruby Red, Groovy Guava, Basic Black

Cardstock: Groovy Guava, Ruby Red, Watercolour Paper, Ginger Blossom DSP

Accessories: Black Brad, Black Gingham, Scallop Edge Punch

A little blue card ......

I have been trying really hard NOT to make this card all day, but just could not get it out of my head, so in the end I gave up & made the darn thing. I should have really been prepping for a class with 20 ladies tomorrow, so thankfully since I've been thinking about it so much, it was really quick to make. I've combined Karen's Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge & Makeesha's latest Inspirtations Challenge.

Stampsets: None (I'm starting to make a habit of not using any!)

Inks: Brocade Blue

Cardstock: Night of Navy, Brocade Blue, Bashful Blue

Accessories: Bashful Blue 1" Double Stitched Ribbon, White Taffeta Ribbon, Cherished Memories Rub Ons, Cutter Kit

Punches: Scallop Circle, 1 1/4" Circle, 1" Circle

Now I'm off to try & finish my class preparations :-)

Cards for a Cause

As promised, here are the cards that were peeking out of my Card Organiser yesterday. Each month my upline Jayne designs a card & any INKling who wishes to be involved, uses the design to create some cards that are then donated to Camp Quality. This month Jayne used the Priceless stamp set, which sadly I don't own .....yet, I have just put in my order for it so Stampin' Up! will be donating $24.47 (50% of the retail value) to the Red Cross Victorian Bushfire Appeal. Anyway, since I didn't have the same stamp set I made afew slight changes & created the following female & male versions. I love how this one turned out - are you sick of Live Your Dream yet??

Stampsets: Live Your Dream, Occasional Greeting

Cardstock: Groovy Guava, Choc Chip, Whisper White, Afternoon Tea DSP

Inks: Groovy Guava, Choc Chip

Punches: 1 1/4" Circle, 1 3/8" Circle & Scallop Circle

I have only just gotten the Large & Small Star Punches & I don't know how I lived without them! They are lots of fun & make a great embellishment for male cards

Stampsets: Wanted, Expressive Flexible Phrases

Cardstock: Wild Wasabi, Soft Sky, Whisper White, Afternoon Tea DSP

Inks: Wild Wasabi, Soft Sky

Punches: Large Star & Small Star

It only took about 15 mins to whip up 7 of these cards - such a small amount of time that will hopefully put a smile on the face of some children that are faced with the challenges of living with cancer.

Card Organiser

If you live in my area, you can come along next Friday to one of my Year Of Cards Organiser class & I will show you how to make this great organiser to keep your cards in. I have used one of my favourite stamp sets from the Summer Mini called Live Your Dream, which is one of the sets that Stampin' Up! will be donating money from the sales of to the Red Cross Victorian Bushfires 2009 Appeal - you can read more about how Stampin' Up! are helping here. There is a page for each month with a pocket to keep your cards in along with a handy calendar to remind you when everyone's birthday is

Stampset: Live Your Dream

Cardstock: Groovy Guava, Soft Sky, Choc Chip, Afternoon Tea DSP

Inks: Groovy Guava, Soft Sky, Choc Chip

Accessories: Guava Double Stitched Ribbon, Bind-It-All

I will post a pic & the info on the cards that are inside my pockets tomorrow :-)

Victorian Bushfire Appeal

Stampin' Up! have just reminded my why they are such a wonderful company to be associated with. From now until 31st March they will be donating 50% of the retail value from sales of the following stamp sets to the Victorian Bushfire Appeal:

Priceless
Seeing Spots
Baroque Motifs
Live Your Dream
Looks Like Spring*
The Snowflake Spot*
Bodacious Boquet*
Polka Dots & Paisley*
G'day Mate*
Be Happy*

* sets marked with an asterix will be retired at 31st March 2009

You can click here to see the flyer .

I will also be donating my comission (20%) from all sales from now until the 28th February to the Bushfire Appeal. Remember that Sale-A-Bration is still running, so if your order reaches $100 you will not only be donating $20 (my commission) to the Bushfire Appeal, but will also receive a free SAB stamp set & if your order includes any of the above stamp sets 50% of their value will also be donated. Contact me today to place your order & help those that have lost thier homes & loved ones - alana@aussiebroadband.com.au

2 challenges - 1 card

I had so many things I should have been doing yesterday, but being the master procrastinator that I am, I made some cards instead! I had so much fun doing Makeesha's challenge last week, so thought I'd join in again this week & I incorporated it with the Mojo Monday Sketch Challenge.

Stampsets: Eastern Blooms, Circle of Friendship

Inks: Sage Shadow, Regal Rose, Rose Red

Cardstock: Sage Shadow, Regal Rose, Rose Red, Whisper White

Accessories: Pewter Jumbo Eyelets, Rhinestone Brads, Sage Shadow Grosgrain, Pretties Kit, Mat Pack & Paper Piercer

Punches: Scallop Circle, 1", 1 1/4 ", 1 3/8" Circles, Scallop Edge

Not much chit chat today - I have to catch up on all the things I didn't do yesterday :-)

Bold images on coloured cardstock ........

Bold images on coloured cardstock do not stamp properly! YOu can test it out if you like, but no matter what you do, the image will never be as clear & crisp as when you stamp on Stampin' Up! Whisper White or Very Vanilla Cardstock. Do not despair, as you can see below, there is a way to get around this problem.

Simply stamp your solid image onto Whisper White cardstock, wait a short while for the ink to completly dry & then use a brayer to dye the card whatever colour your like. You can see the difference above - the image on the right has been stamped using Basic Black ink onto Groovy Guava cardstock & is not very clear, while the image on the left has been stamped in Basic Black ink onto Whisper White cardstock & brayered over in Groovy Guava ink. I had never thought to do this - I actually saw it the other day on Georgina's blog while doing a little blog surfing.

Here is the finished project that I attached the tag to - I've been trying to use up some of my rub-ons so have removed the labels off some handwash & decorated it with Urban West rub ons.

Pictures for Mum

Wouldn't you know it - I just found my camera!!! Of course it is now too late to take any photo's of the projects I've been working on, so you will have to wait until tomorrow.

While you wait I thought I'd quickly put up these photo's of my little girl on her birthday so my Mum can have a look.

She loved her doll house (thanks Mum) & had to hold her cards while I took this photo. It was all her idea, so I guess that means she liked the card I made her, although was upset that she couldn't find the Wiggles card Mum sent (I found it under the lounge today & Josie wanted another photo in front of the doll house with it LOL)

Josie wanted a Dolly Varden Cake, which I thought would be easy enough, but nearly ended in disaster when I took it out of the oven too soon (way too soon - there was cake mix running out of the centre when I tried to turn it out of the pan!) Anyway, I'm sure I committed a cooking sin by shoving it back into the oven, but am pleased to say it still held the right shape & was even edible :-)

Cute x 3

I had plans to post a mini tutorial on my blog today, but have left my camera in town *roll eyes* Sometimes I'm sure I'd forget my head if it wasn't attached!! Anyway, I searched through the pics on my computer & found these 3 that I made for an Elite Challenges sketch challenge awhile back - as you can see I had fun paper piecing the cute little all-in-one suit.

Stampset: Big On Spring

Cardstock: Spring Fling DSP, Pretty In Pink, Whisper White

Ink: Black Staz On

Accessories: Rhinestone Brad, Wide Celery Grosgrain, Pretty In Pink Stampin' Write Marker, 2-way Glue, Dazzling Diamonds

Stampset: Big On Spring

Cardstock: Rose Red, Regal Rose, Whisper White, Bali Breeze DSP

Ink: Black Staz On

Accessories: 1" Double Stitched Rose Red Ribbon, Rhinestone Brad, Regal Rose Stampin' Write Marker

I wasn't real happy with this last one, so it didn't get a close-up!

Stampset: Big On Spring, Rough Texture Jumbo Wheel
Cardstock: Purely Pomegranite, Textured Close to Cocoa, Pretty In Pink, Whisper White, Afternoon Tea DSP
Ink: Black Staz On, Versamark
Accessories: Double Stitched Pomegranite Ribbon, Pretty In Pink Brads, White Gel Pen

A Challenging Challenge!

It is my daughter's birthday today & I realised last night that I'd been a slack mother & hadn't made her a card yet! I thought I'd use Makeesha latest Inkspirations Sketch Challenge, only problem was that I had left all my inks, punches & most of my tools at my mother's house in town - I was even hard pressed to find a pair of scissors .... eek. I couldn't not give Josie a card, so set myself the challenge of a stampless, inkless card & this is the result.Stampsets: NONE!
Inks: NONE!
Cardstock: Pretty In Pink, Purely Pomegranite, Whisper White, Berry Bliss DSP
Accessories: On Board Ginormous Pieces, Rub Ons, Rhinestone Brads, Pink Gingham & Pomegranite Satin Ribbon.