A happy colour challenge!

Hi all,

I hope you are having a wonderful weekend! I have had a quiet one, just cleaning, cooking, washing, painting... you know all that normal stuff! I have been challenging myself to attempt every challenge and project thrown at us, over at Inkspirations 4U. So far so good, but that's because we got the weekend off, so we've all had a chance to catch up!


This was the second colour challenge thrown at us! I have to admit that I haven't been too friendly with Blushing Bride as yet! I wasn't really sure what to make of this, and suddenly while I was in the shower, I came up with this idea. Do you like my lightbulb moments?

I did a little bit of masking to create the 3D illusion. Then I watercoloured them, by picking up ink from the top of my Classic Ink Pads and a blender pen. Then I mixed Dazzling Diamonds and Crystal Effects and painted the balloons to give them some zing. This takes a whole extra five seconds to do and the effect is fabulous.... well I didn't count the drying time then...lol!



Card: Blushing Bride, Real Red, Baja Breeze, Very Vanilla
Ink: Blushing Bride, Real Red, Baja Breeze, Stazon Black
Ribbon: Real Red 5/8" Polka Dot Grosgrain
Stamp Sets: Crazy for Cupcakes, Party This Way

Come back soon to see the next instalment!

Till next time, happy stamping...

This is a sweet card!

Well as I said in my previous post, I have to make a couple of sympathy cards. This is another one that I made.

I actually did this watercolouring before I left Queensland. I had just received my new order from the new Idea Book and Catalogue and was so busy packing! The only place that I could sit and not feel guilty was at the hairdressers. I like to do crafty stuff at the hairdressers, rather than read those gossip mags....


I wish I could tell you which watercolour crayons I used, however I had them all with me and didn't write it down. Sorry!

Card: Whisper White, Pretty In Pink
Ink: Stazon Black
Tools: Aqua Painter and Watercolour Crayons
Punches: Eyelet Border
Stamp Sets: Elements of Style, Great Friend

Till next time, happy stamping...

A sad time..

Well for most of us the end of 2010 and start of 2011 has been a great experience... however for some of my friends they have lost their Grandad and others have had their homes inundated with water from the Queensland floods. I am thinking of them all madly wondering what I can do to help from so far away. Of course, there is nothing like a card to just quietly let someone know that you are thinking of them.... I've got a little time up my sleeve for my wet friends, as they haven't had mail delivered for a little while and will need to let the waters recede before the postie can get through!

This card I made for my friends who lost their Grandad. I decided to use the watercolouring technique as it is this weeks challenge over at Stampin_Up_In_Oz. I used my Classic Ink pads and Blender pens here.


Card: Pear Pizzazz, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Daffodil Delight, Pumpkin Pie
DSP: Greenhouse Gala
Tools: Blender Pens
Stamp Sets: Growing Green, Curly Cute

Don't forget to get on over to the Inkspirations 4U site and register for the classes starting next week. The early bird special has been extended until today, which is really great for us Australians as our dollar means that it will be even cheaper than normal. You have to get in TODAY (2nd January 2011) to qualify for the early bird special.

Till next time, happy stamping...

Fantastic flip flop cards

Using the watercolour technique that I made my "Watering the Rose" card with, I also made some blue irises. I wasn't happy with the way that they dried, so I got my blender pens out and used some of the excess ink to darken them around the edges and to also colour the stamens in. Then I was happy with the result. I just had to find the right way to showcase them.

I found the tutorial to these fantastic flip flop cards by Kim Burmeister on Youtube. Of course hers looks very different to mine.


On Wednesday I went out to visit a friend on a property and thought I'd make her a card for having us out there. What stamp set suits better than Rustic Rooster? I manually coloured him in using just about every marker in the Earth Elements range. I then embossed over the top of him and stamped the words over the top. The embossing resists the ink, so that you don't end up having words stamped over the rooster.

Below is a picture of the card half opened out. I think these cards can be left without sentiments if you like. I wrote a long thank you in the middle of this card (after I took the photo), so I didn't want to have a stamp in the way.

I think these cards are stunning, but so simple to make. You could make them without even stamping, if that's what you wanted. Just use some of our fantastic DSP!

Blue Iris card

Card: Kiwi Kiss, Pacific Point, Baja Breeze, Whisper White
Ink: Versamark, Kiwi Kiss, Tangerine Tango, Baja Breeze, Pacific Point
DSP: So Saffron, Good Morning Sunshine
Tools: Embossing Powder, Heat Tool, Blender Pens
Stamp set: Fifth Avenue Floral

Rustic Rooster card

Card: Chocolate Chip, Tangerine Tango, Sahara Sand, Not Quite Navy
Ink: Versamark, Earth Element Markers, Not Quite Navy
DSP: Haiku
Ribbon: Natural Hemp Twine
Tools: Embossing Powder, Heat Tool
Stamp set: Rustic Rooster (Hostess set)

I'd love to promise that I'll be back soon, but I am heading back out to work for the next couple of days, so it may be a bit quiet.

Till next time, happy stamping...

Watering my rose!

Hello and suprise, I am back within a couple of days. I honestly thought that I only updated my blog yesterday, but it appears it was two days ago. Even still I am back in record time.

As promised I am show casing a card, using an apparently foolproof method of watercolouring. I am not 100% happy with the watercolour result, but it still looks good. Perhaps I am a fool!

For this card I used the Fifth Avenue Floral stamp set. Stampin Up is a wonderful company and I received this stamp set for reaching quite achievable goals in June and July. Although this set wasn't originally on my wish list, I know that I am going to make a lot of stunning cards using these stamps.


I also used our Build-A-Brads in this card, which I think adds matching style. Sometimes it is just impossible to find the right embellishment and with the Build-A-Brads, you can make your own to match your project. It certainly saves a lot of frustration!

Card: Whisper White, Very Vanilla, Almost Amethyst, Rose Red
Ink: Versamark
Reinkers: Riding Hood Red, Pink Pirrouhette, Tangerine Tango
DSP: Sweet Always
Embellishments: Build-A-Brad, Clear Stampin Emboss Powder, Heat Tool
Punches:Eyelet Border, 1/2" circle
Stamp Set: Fifth Avenue Floral

Next month we have a new special for all customers who spend over $100. Stay tuned to find out more.

Till next time, happy stamping...

Basket of Love

Well here's another beauty. I am still practising the watercolour effect and don't really seem to have it down pat on this project. I used my blender pens, rather than aqua painter.


Ink: Basic Black, Pink Pirrouhette
Card: Elegant Eggplant, Baja Breeze, Pink Pirrouhette, Bravo Burgundy, Lavender Lace
DSP: Berry Bliss (retired)
Ribbon: Non SU - not really sure of the brand sorry!

Stamp sets: Time for You (retired) and Best Yet (hostess set)

Get Whale Soon

Here we are with a very different card to ones I have made in the past. This card was whipped up very quickly, when I found out a friend had slipped off into hospital without telling anyone and was coming home that day. No pressure there.

It was a bit garish, but I was trying to use colours that I knew my friend likes, even if they aren't my favourites.

The following ingredients were used to make this card:

Card: Tangerine Tango, Ruby Red,

Ink: Staz on Black, Versamark

Watercolour crayons: Rich Regals

Ribbon: Baja Breeze 1" double stitched grosgrain, Purely Pomegranate 3/8" double stitched ribbon (retired)

Stamp sets: Pun Fun, Circle Circus

Embellishments: Tombow and Light Blue Chunky Sprinkles

Happy Bird-Day

Last week was my SIL's birthday so I whipped up this card for her. I am still fascinated with watercolouring and using the blender pens and aqua painters. They are so quick and easy to use, with fantastic results

Card: Mellow Moss, Elegant Eggplant, Riding Hood Red, watercolour paper
Paper: Urban Garden DSP
Ink: Basic Black
Watercolour crayons: Bold Brights
Ribbon: Baja Breeze 1" grosgrain
Punches: Photo corner punch
Stamp Set: Pun Fun

Out in Bloom

I have finally found the time to make another card using some of the new sets that are available. I am discovering the joy of watercolouring, using our Blender Pens and Aqua Painters.

Card: Chocolate Chip, Creamy Caramel and Old Olive

Ink: Basic Black

Watercolour crayons: Ruby Red and Old Olive

Ribbon: Double sided satin ribbon in Kiwi Kiss/Very Vanilla

Embellishments: Vintage Brads and Stampin Dimensionals

Punches: 1/2" circle

Stamp sets: Bloom Away, Window Dressing (hostess set)

I also used a cricut expression machine to cut a 1 3/4" circle, which I then cut in half.