Love in threes...

See I told you that I have been busy. Today's post shows a card that I made using an Inkspiration 4U Challenge, by Andrea Lowcock. I find these the most difficult to work with. I want them to be easily recognisable as fitting a certain challenge, but then I don't want them to be too literal.


In this challenge, I went quite literal..lol! There wasn't much more in the picture... I suppose I could have used the colour pallette, but then it would be a colour challenge... well that's my excuse anyway...lol!

Don't you just love those new Glimmer Brads.... they are to die for.


Card: Real Red, Basic Black, Whisper White
Ink: Encore Gold (retired)
Punches: 1" Square, Scallop Square, Heart to Heart
Ribbon: 1/4" Basic Black grosgrain
Embellishments: Basic Glimmer Brads
Stamp Set: Short and Sweet

Till next time, happy stamping...

A challenge completed finally!

I know that I have been MIA a bit lately, but for those who don't live in Australia, I will explain. It's school holidays! Do I need to say anymore? We have been busy seeing family down at the beach and entertaining interstate guests when we got home. The saddest part about all this, was that I was having so much fun that I was too preoccupied to craft and blog. Would you like to know the best part? Hubby is taking the kids away camping tomorrow and I get to catch up - yippee!

Okay so the title talks about me finishing a challenge. Well I've been a very quiet member of Late Night Stampers for over 12 months. I have always had good intentions of getting some of their challenges done, but it never seems to happen. Today I am rewriting the books and have officially completed Challenge 117 - Anything BABY Yay!

I have been hanging to try out this embedded embossing/quilting technique and am very happy with the result. I did have intend to have it oriented in landscape, but I kind of decided to make it look like a babies cot bed. Do you think it worked? Quilt at the bottom, ruffle where it folds over and cutesy baby sheets at the top!



And here is the inside. I just embossed to the edge of the patchwork which was quite easy to line up.



Card: Pink Pirouette, Melon Mambo, Rose Red
Ink: Pink Pirouette, Rose Red
DSP: Patterns Pack II (retired hostess set)
Ribbon: Melon Mambo Pom Pom
Tools: Big Shot, Square Lattice Embossing Folder
Stamp Sets: Short and Sweet, Occasional Quotes, Family Favourites

Don't forget to leave a comment on THIS post to WIN a free entry into the Summer session of Inkspirations 4U.

Till next time, happy stamping...

A little brag book!

I am have been holding off posting, as the formatting is driving me crazy. I think I've worked out how to fix it, but it's still frustrating.

Here is a cute little scrapbook book we made over at Inkspirations 4U.



It ended up being about 2 1/2" square, so just the right size for a brag book, if you ask me!



I made this for my sister to put pictures of her new born in. The colours haven't shown up very well in this picture, unfortunately.

Card: Perfect Plum, Certainly Celery
Ink: Certainly Celery
DSP: Always (retired)
Embellishments: Linen Thread, Button (thanks SS)
Stamp Set: Short and Sweet

Till next time, happy stamping...

Love is in the Air!

Well I'd seen this gorgeous technique around lately! I don't know what it's officially called but Embedded Embossing, sounds pretty good! Basically you dress up your cardstock however you like and add bits to it, such as the hearts in this image. You also do all your stamping first too! And then you just run it through your Big Shot with an embossing folder and suddenly the bits you added look like they are part of the original cardstock.


Card: Whisper White, Rich Razzleberry, Pretty In Pink, Bravo Burgandy, Melon Mambo
Ink: Basic Black, Rich Razzleberry
Ribbon: Black Satin
Punch: Heart to Heart
Embellishments: Pearls
Stamp Sets: Always, Short and Sweet

Till next time, happy stamping...

Don't forget to jump over to this post and leave a comment to get yourself into the draw to Win A FREE pass to Inkspirations 4U Easter and Spring Session.

Another picture challenge!

I think that Madeline over at Inkspirations 4U has found my weakness! Picture challenges!

Sorry about the size of this picture, but I wasn't able to make it any bigger without major distortion! Anyway if you squint enough you'll be able to make another lovely bed, with pillows and owls on it! Owls, I hear you say! That should be easy! Use the new owl punch.... but I don't have it! So back to the drawing board for me.

Finally I decided to look in the background, so to speak! And what should I see but patchwork! Now if you know me you'll know that I actually enjoy this craft. It's my other creative passion! So would you now beleive that I haven't ever made a patchwork card before? I hadn't and thought that it was obviously time to do something about that!


Most of the cards that I have seen using this technique butt all their squares up together, but I thought I'd leave a wee bit of a gap to give a 'sashing' effect! I also sponged around all the squares in their corresponding colour!

To finish the project off I decided it needed a ruffle around the edge. This is really easy to make. Just punch the eyelet border and then run it through your crimper a couple of times to soften it up!

Card: Wild Wasabi, Certainly Celery, So Saffron, Pink Pirouette, Bashful Blue
Ink: Rose Red, Certainly Celery, So Saffron, Pink Pirouette, Bashful Blue
Punch: Eyelet Border
Tools: Big Shot, Top Note Die, Crimper
Stamp Sets: Tiny Tags, Short and Sweet, Fun and Fast Notes

Till next time, happy stamping...

Table Decorations.....

Hello my friends,

I hope that you had a wonderful Christmas with all the special people in your life! I had a wonderful day!

Below are some little gifts that we had sitting around on our tables to nibble on.

Firstly we had some cinnamon and sugar coated almonds - talk about a cross between sweet and savioury. I had help from my two year old in making these. She added the ingredients and stirred them for me. She also helped to stamp and adhere the tags. Can you pick the one I didn't guide her with?


Then we also had some home made Ferrero Rochers.... they are almost as good as the originals... but I haven't worked out the wafer bit yet! LOL!

These looked great on the table and were a hit! These little bags are on sale with the December Frenzy... but we only have three days left, so get your order in today and be ready for next Christmas.

Also just a little reminder that you also only have three more days to get yourself in the running to win a FREE Inkspirations 4U pass.

Card: Certainly Celery, Old Olive, Read Red, Whisper White
Ink: Real Red
Punches: Large Oval, Scallop Oval
Ribbon: 1/4" Old Olive Grosgrain
Other: Small Cellophane Bags
Stamp Sets: Occasional Greetings, Short and Sweet

Till next time, happy stamping...

Inkspirations colour challenge!

Well in case you haven't noticed I am linked into the INKspirations Early Fall Edition. Gotta love those in the Northern Hemisphere who are on different seasons to us! LOL! Anyway not only do they have great tutorials, they also have challenges.

The colours to be used were Tempting Turquoise, Tangerine Tango and Real Red.

Now these aren't colours I would normally put together. Actually Tangerine Tango is a colour I rarely use. And Tangerine Tango's contribution here is minimal too! LOL!

I stamped the rose in Real Red and then using a blender pen and Classic Ink pad, I coloured in starting from the outside and working my way in. It was very therapeutic! And a good way to be quiet while I waited for the kids to fall asleep.

Card: Tempting Turquoise, Real Red, Tangerine Tango, Whisper White
Ink: Tempting Turquoise, Real Red, Tangerine Tango
Punches: Small Oval, Large Oval, Scallop Oval
Stamp sets: Fifth Avenue Floral, Short and Sweet

Till next time, happy stamping...

Featuring Julie...

This card come from Julie who is another friend from Stampin_Up_In_Oz.

Are you seeing a pattern here? If you love Stampin' Up!® perhaps you should join this group! It's full of nice ladies.
Again I can't find a blog for Julie, but if you'd like to know more about her creation email me and I'll forward it to her.

Till next time, happy stamping...

Featuring my friend Helen!

Today's installment comes from my friend Helen. She doesn't belong to any of the online groups that I do, but she is the person who persuaded me to join Stampin' Up!®. Thanks Helen! I honestly would have met so many wonderful people if Helen hadn't given me the push!

My husband said that this was the favourite crafty thing I received for my birthday - I think it was because of the chocolate!

If you want to know more about this creation of Helen's please email me and I'll forward it onto her.

Till next time, happy stamping...

Cocktails galore!

Well in case you hadn't been paying attention, I turned middle aged this week - well apparently it's middle aged. So I thought I'd throw myself a party. Check out the invitations HERE!

And since I wanted to feel old, I had to have a drink or three and I thought I'd share our selection with you. Firstly we had Margaritas - tart and tangy!

Then we had these yummy (could eat this for dessert) peach mango concoction! Not sure of the technical name!

Then somebody kindly whipped up some Banarama's (which I didn't partake in)

And well here we are near the final drink and I have absolutely no idea what it was! There were actually more drinks throughout the evening but I was too busy having fun to photograph them all!

We did finish the evening off with a liquer coffee and all went home happy little ladies!

Of course, I had to say thanks to my friends for coming to my party and what better way than a wee card! These were quick and simple to make - which was called for after a night of drinking!

Card: Whisper White, Tempting Torquoise, Pixe Pink
Ink: Tempting Torquoise, Pink Passion
Punches: Small Oval, Large Oval
Stamp Sets: Short and Sweet, Cheers Wheel

Till next time, happy stamping...

Animals on Film

This is the final card that I made to swap at convention. I decided that it was finally time I got some animal stamps to make baby cards with. I had seen this technique a few times around the traps and just love it.

These were really easy to make! Using the spiral punch on both sides of the card gave the impression of an roll of film from a camera. I was going to say an old fashioned camera, since we use digital technology so much these days, but thought it would make me sound old.... LOL!

Hopefully I will be back from convention tomorrow with lots of wonderful stories and photo's to show you!

Card: Pale Plum, Whisper White, Basic Black
Ink: Pale Plum, Sage Shadow, Apricot Appeal, Perfect Plum
Punches: Spiral, Large Oval, Scallop Oval
Stamp Sets: Fox and Friends, Short and Sweet

Till next time, happy stamping...

I finally finished the OSW!!!

If you have been following my blog you'll know that I decided to do Linda Cravens OSW. I got a bit ahead of myself and thought I could do three sheets at the same time, instead of one. Rather than make each card the same, I challenged myself to make 27 different cards.


I have recently finished the final six cards. I think my two favourites out of all the cards I have made are the Riding Hood Red and Pink Pirouette cards in the picture above. I am glad that I finished on a happy note.

Below is a picture of the whole 27 cards together. It became a bit of a jumbly mess, but my lense wasn't wide enough to capture them all if I spaced them out....lol.

Now I am only going to include the ingredients for the cards in the two top pictures. If you are curious about any of the other cards please check here, here, here or here to find out more details.

Card: Whisper White, Riding Hood Red, Pink Pirouette, Old Olive, Chocolate Chip
Ink: Kraft White, Riding Hood Red, Pink Pirouette, Old Olive, Chocolate Chip
DSP: Bella Rose
Punches: Wide Oval, Scallop Oval, Large Oval, 1 3/8" Circle, 1 1/4" Circle, 1" Circle, Scallop Edge Border, Eyelet Border, Photo Corner, Large Star, Curly Label
Embellishments: Filigree Brads, Rhinestone Brads, Fire Circle Rhinestone, Vintage Brad
Stamp Sets: Priceless, Always, Tiny Tags, Short and Sweet, Cute and Curly

Till next time, happy stamping...

Manly card

Well hello again! I have been so busy making things that I have forgotten to blog for a few days. I had heaps of posts last month and this month may appear a bit quieter. But keep coming back because I will be posting a few items over the next week or so.

Have you always wondered how people keep coming up with such grand ideas? Or how they find other blogs? Well I am now in the Top 50 Cardmaking Blogs of Australia. How exciting is that? On my side bar I have a permanent icon that you can click on to take you to this fantastic one stop blog shop.

Anyway enough idle chit chat. I decided after ESAD Cyberstamp that I would try to use up my Garden Green supplies. Apparently it's not a favoured colour among the SU community! So I decided one day to see if I could use it in a card. I must admit, I was sceptical - but I love the results.

To make the tree, I stamped the image in a light colour and then used my chalks (yep, they've been out again) and coloured little circles of different shades of green over the leaves. I also used the chalks to colour the trunk. I then inked up my oak tree stamp with a darker colour and using my Stamp-A-Ma-Jig, I stamped on top of the original image. It gives a more realistic picture I think. This tree is a bit blurry to look at 'cause it's windy! lol!

This card was probably the easiest card to come together for me. Maybe I am a closet Garden Green lover! I know that I lurv Bravo Burgundy, so it's makes sense. Anyway you probably want the ingredients!

Card: Bravo Burgundy, Whisper White, Garden Green, Brilliant Blue, Close to Cocoa
Ink: Close to Cocoa, Creamy Caramel
DSP: Pattern Pack II (hostess gift)
Punches: Scallop Oval, Large Oval, Small Oval
Ribbon: Linen Thread
Embellishments: Metallic Eyelets (non-SU)

Okay on a final note, I have been loving the comments on my blog. It inspires me to create more for you! This is my 99th post, so the next one will be the magical 100 and I may have some blog candy for you! Keep your eyes peeled!

Till next time, happy stamping...

I was Andrea Bucklands Secret Sister......

Okay well it is official now. I can tell you that I was Andrea Buckland's Secret Sister.

First things first, when I got given Andrea as my Secret Sister for this round, I looked her up on the internet to see if she had a blog. And she does. I was gobsmacked by all the beautiful work that she had on there and got very nervous about my abilities to make anything half as nice as her work. To check out Andrea's work click here.

This was the first card I sent to Andrea.



To explain the origin of this card, I had just purchased some glossy white paper and hadn't used it before. Leonie Schroder had given us some tips, so I decided to try out the Fifth Avenue Rose and a sponge dauber and ink. My first version I used black ink for the stamp, and made a lovely rose, but I wasn't happy with it. I really didn't know what to do with the work I had done. So I went to bed - the next morning was my wedding anniversary and I hadn't done anything for my husband. I woke the next morning and had the layout for my hubby's card in my head. Within five minutes of waking I had made this card.

Obviously it was a little to lovey dovey for Andrea, but I thought that I could make the same card but in softer pinks. Basically it was the same layout but in different colours and one was portrait and the other landscape. I love both of these cards.

Andreas card ingredients;

Card: Pink Pirouette, Regal Rose, Pretty In Pink, Glossy White
Ink: Pink Pirouette, Regal Rose, Stazon White (retired)
Punches: Eyelet Border, Large Oval, Scallop Oval (retired)
Ribbon: Pretty In Pink 1/4" grosgrain
Stamp Sets: Fifth Avenue, Sweet Little Sentiments

Wedding anniversary card ingredients;

Card: Basic Black, Real Red, Whisper White, Glossy White
Ink: Basic Black
Punches: Eyelet Border, Large Oval, Scallop Oval (retired)
Ribbon: Whisper White 3/8" taffeta
Stamp Sets: Fifth Avenue, Short and Sweet

Keep your eye out for more posts over the coming days and weeks as I show you more of what I sent to Andrea.

Till next time, happy stamping...

A present card, a box and a calendar!

My husband has finally decided to take the kids away for a couple of hours so I can have some me time. And the best way to spend me time, is creating. And I have had some fun!



Firstly is a box with a sweet gift inside. My girlfriend, whose birthday it is, loves Baja Breeze, so I thought that I would make her set using Baja Breeze and Basic Gray. And what DSP suits this perfectly? Urban Oasis, of course.

Still keeping with the colour scheme, I made this little desktop calendar for her. Nikki Stalker has the best video tutorial on her blog to make these. I used the Wild West Alphabet, which is currently on sale until the 24 January 2010, for $38.98.

And then finally I had to make her a card! Do you think that I'd have been able to find a card to match at the shops? Definitely not. My girlfriend is a little quirky and loves unusual things, so I thought this card would be perfect for her. I got the design from Jenn Picard during the last Ustamp session.

I am going to list all the ingredients together as they overlap a lot.

Card: Basic Gray, Baja Breeze, Soft Sky (retired)
Ink: Not Quite Navy, Baja Breeze, Going Gray
DSP: Urban Oasis, Pink Pirrouette
Punches: Large Oval, Small Oval, Round Tab, Curly Label, Scallop Oval
Ribbon: Basic Gray taffetta
Embellishments: Flower Fusion Too, Pretties Kit, Vintage Brads, Corduray Buttons (retired), 5/16" Jumbo Brads
Tools: Crimper
Stamp Sets: Short and Sweet, Cute and Curly, Wild West Alphabet, Happy Moments,

Till next time, happy stamping...

A last minute christmas card!

Well, there is always one more christmas card that you have to do! You know that feeling when you think you've finally conquered Mount Everest and posted the millions of cards out, and then suddenly you realise that you missed someone? I didn't really miss this person, I just wanted to make a special card for them.


I had previously made a gift box for someone with an apperture and had cut the apperture too small. When I re-cut the apperture to the correct size, I ended up with this nifty little border and that's how this card started.

Card: Whisper White, Night of Navy, Baja Breeze
Ink: Kraft White, Night of Navy, Real Red, Basic Black
Ribbon: Basic Grey 3/8" taffeta
Stamp Sets: Tree Trimmings (retired), Short and Sweet

Till next time, happy stamping...

ESAD Summer Mini Blog Hop

Hello and welcome to my blog.

Today you have either stumbled across or been informed about the Blog Hop that the ESAD group is having. So who is ESAD? We are a group of "Extremely Special Australian Demonstrators". We have our own yahoo group and we share ideas and provide support and friendship to other demonstrators. We have regular chats, challenges, swaps and tech talks.

If you are an Australian or NZ Stampin' Up! demonstrator you can join our group. Click here for more information. If you aren't a demonstrator and are worried about missing out, contact me and I'll can fill you in on many more benefits that you'll receive by being a Stampin' Up! demonstrator.

I am showcasing a card using the stamp set, Butterfly Prints, and co-ordinating punch from the Summer Mini. I just love that this punch also co-ordinates with Flight of the Butterfly from the Ideas Book and Catalogue.

I used the emboss resist technique to build this card. To do this, you need to emboss an image onto your cardstock using clear embossing powder. Then you go over it with ink. I used my brayer to ink this cardstock. I then used a tissue to wipe the excess ink off the embossed images. The best part is that the ink gets into the little cracks in the embossing and leaves a reverse image.



Card: Whisper White, So Saffron, Taken With Teal
Ink: Elegant Eggplant, Taken With Teal, so Saffron, Versamark, Rose Red
Ribbon: So Saffron 5/8" grosgrain (retired), Elegant Eggplant 1/4" grosgrain
Punches: Butterfly, 1/2" Circle
Tools: Embossing Buddy, Embossing Pals, Heat Tool, Clear Embossing Powder
Stamp Sets: Butterfly Prints, Short and Sweet

Be sure to remember to add a comment to every post that you visit on this blog hop as you may win some BLOG CANDY for your efforts! There are about 30 blogs in total to visit, so grab a cuppa, set the kids up something that will entertain them for a while and enjoy our blog hop. After you have visited every blog, you will end up back at the first. Once you are there and have commented on every blog, please email Leonie to be entered into the blog candy draw.

Alright the next blog to visit is the very clever Steph Pikes.

Till next time, happy stamping...

A card for my real sister!

I know that I have been chatting a lot recently about my Secret Sisters, but I actually have real ones too. And I love them dearly! It happens to be one of their birthdays today and I have whipped up this card for her.


A fabulous lady from ESAD, Cathy Clarke, has recently given us a tutorial on how to make faux paper, so I thought I'd try it out on this card. What do you think? The possibilities are endless and I think you might see a few different combinations over the next few weeks.

Also Leonie Schroder from ESAD gave us some tips and ideas on how to use glossy cardstock, so I have stamped my rose image on glossy card and coloured in using circular motions with a sponge dauber. It was so easy and the result is fantastic.

Card: Whisper White, Pixie Pink, Orchid Opulence, Glossy White
Ink: Orchid Opulence, Pixie Pink, Stazon White, Regal Rose
Punches: Small Oval, Large Oval
Stamp Sets: Fifth Avenue Floral, Short and Sweet Baroque Motifs

Till next time, happy stamping...

Bella birthday

Here's another card I made for, yep - you guessed it, my SS, Kim. It was her birthday, so I thought I'd try something a little different. Now this card looks quite plain on the front, but sometimes simple equals elegant.



On the inside of this card was a little surprise. It was a pop up card, which looked like a tower of presents. Please excuse the toe in the photo (it was very difficult to photograph without capturing shadows). I am glad my polish nearly matched the card.

So isn't this just a nifty thing, this secret sister society. It's easy to join - you just need to join the SU family and the fantastic ESAD (Extremely Special Australian Demonstrators) online group.

SU have a fantastic promotion at the moment. If you join before 31st December 2009, you will receive a Pretty in Pink Classic Stampin' Pad and package of Raspberry Tart Designer Series paper for free. And SU will donate $5 to National Breast Cancer Foundation (AUS). Email me for more information.

Card: Riding Hood Red, Very Vanilla
Ink: Riding Hood Red
DSP: Bella Rose
Ribbon: Riding Hood Red 3/8" taffeta
Punches: Large Oval, Scallop Oval
Stamp Set: Short and Sweet

Till next time, happy stamping...

Little boy wishes

Well this coming week I have two little boys birthdays. These are a little difficult for me, since I have two daughters and find myself living with precious and pink all the time. Anyway I have gone out of my comfort zone to put this card together.

I generally don't go towards the bold brights colours, but thought that they are so much nicer than the blue's and browns I normally use for males.

I enjoyed sitting down and doing a little watercolouring with my aquapainter. It's very therapeutic.

Card: Real Red, Only Orange, Glorious Green, Baja Breeze, Tangerine Tango
Ink: Handsome Hunter, Stazon Black, Tango Tangerine, Baja Breeze, Glorious Green, Black Marker pen
Watercolour Crayons: Earth Elements and Bold Brights
Punch: 1" circle punch
Cuttlebug: Diamonds in the Rough embossing folder
Stamp sets" Loads of Love, Tailgating wheel, Short and Sweet

I hope you like it.

Till next time, happy stamping...