Week 1, card 5 - Orange

I've been having issues with Blogger today - kept giving me Error 400 messages when I tried to access it.  I've fixed it by removing cookies, but, just in case it starts playing up again, I thought I'd post week 1, card 5 now.

Here it is - not my usual style.........

I tried a window card, taking inspiration from Jennifer McGuire's video on the Summer Card Camp, although the overall card style is VERY different!   :)

Week 1, card 4 - Purple!!!!!

Happy Thursday, everyone :)

After looking at my first three cards using the week one colour scheme from the Summer Card Camp, I realised that one card was mainly white, one mainly blue and one white but with a big pink block.   I decided that maybe I could use each of the colours as a background - which means I have purple and orange to go!

Here's purple:

Isn't it funny how cards evolve as you're making them? This one  started off as a very simple card, with 4 coloured blocks and 4 large buttons (from Basic Grey).  I then decided that I'd stamp the coloured squares to add a little interest.  Then I decided to add the scalloped border. Then I decided it needed a sentiment.  Then I decided to replace 2 of the buttons with flowers (I think they're from K and Company).  At the last minute, I put the blue square with orange flower at an angle.  It looks a lot more complicated now than when I began!

I always admire looking at Kristina Werner's videos - mainly because most of the time, she has a definite plan in mind (backed up by a sketch) - she sometimes veers away from the sketch, but not often!   My cards rarely begin with a plan - they're more a lesson in evolution!! Seeing as I'm a biologist, maybe that's appropriate! LOL!

Keep an eye out for card 5 - Orange!!  Card 5 is a little bit different from the cards I normally make, but I used the window technique that was in Jennifer McGuire's video on Tuesday - fun!!!

Week 1, card 3

Seeing as I didn't post a card yesterday, I decided to post 2 cards today - as my original plan was to make a card every weekday for the duration of the camp.

Here's the card:

In case you've forgotten, the colour combination for week 1 is purple, pink, blue, orange and white. 

However, with the card above, the shades I used are not quite as bright as the designated shades - oh well. Just wait until you see the cards I have for Thursday and Friday - bright bright bright!!!

The layout of this card is very similar to a card I did a few months ago (see it here).   I got the idea for the holes from a Valentine's Day card by Julie Ebersole, who got her idea from Kristina Werner :)  Gotta love sharing!!

Week 1, card 2

 As you may know from my last post, I'm participating in Kristina Werner & Jennifer McGuire's Summer Card Camp!  Yay!

The colour combo for this week is purple, pink, sky blue, orange and white.  

I wanted to try to make at least one card a day for the camp, but my plans went out the window yesterday when I had to call 000 (for the Americans out there in blogland, that's the Australian equivalent of 911) to get an ambulance to take my Dad to hospital.  Rest assured, all is well, and he's home safe and sound now, but yesterday was just one of those days you don't want to repeat, you know?

Anyway, it's my job to stay home with him today to make sure everything continues to be fine, so I've been busy this morning with the colour combo again - here's my second card:

The overall card is OK, I think, nothing extra special, but I'm quite pleased with the flower:

And for once, I managed to take a photo that shows the shimmer on the flower!!  (and to prove that, yes, there is orange on the card - just very little!!  LOL! ) 

However, it's hard to make out the background stamp on the blue card - it is a Hero Arts Clings stamp called flourish background, stamped in white.  The flower is a Stampin' Up stamp, and the ribbon, the blue cardstock and the pearl in the middle of the flower are all SU as well.  I used Tombow markers and an SU blender pen for the flower, and shimmer paint mixed with Isocol in a Mini Mister for the shimmer on the flower.

Where have all these visitors come from!!!!!

OMG!!! Literally overnight (from 8:30ish last night until 6:30 this morning), my blog has gone from 968 visitors to 1166!!  WOW!!!! Where have all these visitors come from??

I know EXACTLY where they're from - Kristina Werner's and Jennifer McGuire's Summer Card Camp!  195 of those 198 visitors came directly from there, to look specifically at my last post, a link to which I put on the first class gallery last night - and I was the FIRST person to add a card to the FIRST class gallery!!

Excited, much?!?!?!

And to think, last night I went to bed thinking - "gee, maybe tomorrow, if I'm lucky, my blog will hit the 1000 mark"!!!

(oh, dear - how many exclamation marks have I just used in this post - a sure sign of a sick mind.........)

Summer card camp has begun!!!

The online Summer card camp, run by Kristina Werner and Jennifer McGuire, has begun! Woo hoo!

The colour combo was posted at midnight Eastern Time in the States, which was 2pm here in Melbourne- when I was at a primary school teaching kids in prep, grade one and grade two about minibeasts! LOL!

Anyway, after work, I got home, had dinner, checked my email and immediately got card making!

Here's the colour combo

Purple, pink, sky blue, orange and white - OK then.......

Here's my card.

All the coloured card was from my box of offcuts, so I honestly have no idea what brand or colours they are - all I know is that they're purple, pink, sky blue, orange and white.  I made the large flower using some different sized flower punches , and a brad in the middle. I read about the flower technique on Joanne Leddy's blog - however, I used punches from EK Success (I think they're called "retro flower").  The blue has been embossed using a Stampin' up embossing folder, and the sentiment is a Penny Black stamp. 

Squares squares squares

I recently saw a card on Paper Trufflez with little coloured squares, stamped and white embossed, on a kraft background.  I took the idea and went with it - here are the results:

Clean and Simple

I quite often jot down ideas for card layouts and colour schemes from blogs that I like.  One blog that regularly has great layout ideas that suit my style is Clean and Simple Stamping.  This post caught my eye today, so I gave it a go.  Twice.

CASE from Paper Trufflez

I've already mentioned how much I love Julie Ebersole's work, and her wonderful blog, Paper Trufflez. I saw this card on her blog the other day, and decided to have a crack at it myself!

Here's my attempt........

 

International visitors update update

My previous international visitors update post was getting a bit unwieldy, what with all my comments adding countries, so I thought I would condense them :)

Here they all are, in alphabetical order :)
**I'm adding to this list as new visitors arrive - countries added after initial posting have a * :) **

Australia
Belgium*
Brazil*
Canada
Chile*
China
Croatia*
Denmark
Dominican Republic
Finland*
France
Germany
Greece*
Guam*
Hong Kong*
Iceland
India
Iran
Ireland*
Latvia
Luxembourg
Malaysia
Mexico*
Netherlands*
New Zealand* welcome, neighbour :)
Norway
Phillippines
Poland
Portugal*
Puerto Rico*
Russia
Singapore*
Slovenia*
Spain
Sweden *
Switzerland*
Saudi Arabia*
Taiwan
UAE*
UK
USA

Thanks for visiting my blog!!! :)

In separate news, I'm SO SO SO looking forward to an online class I'll be taking for a month, starting June 27th.  The "Summer Card Camp" (obviously, not Australian - it's cold here!)  is being organised and run by Kristina Werner (my favourite and my best, quoting Lola!!! ) and Jennifer McGuire, with able help from a long list of fabulous cardmakers, many of whose blogs I already visit for inspiration!  I am hoping to take part in as many of the challenges as I can, and make a bucketload of cards, most of which I will share here on my blog :)  Stay tuned!!