Blog hop for Cath

Cath Edvalson is such a lovely lady - she is the wonderful blue-boa'ed lady at Moxie Fab World, and she just sends out mojo by the bucketload. She's also so very encouraging, sending lovely comments on blog posts without fail.   She's been quite unwell with an injured shoulder, and is unable to attend a trade event (CHA) in the US, where all the papercrafts people meet to show off the latest stuff.  Lorena at Paperella Plays and her partner in crime, Virginia L at Yes, Virginia , had the quite brilliant idea for a blog hop to cheer Cath up, so I'm joining in :)  If you would like to join in too, visit Virginia's blog.

And another!

Not sure whether babies-to-be are girls or boys, so covering all bases!  Another version for the "Less is More" sketch challenge.  Almost identical to the last one :)  Also submitting this to Lilypad Cards Patterned paper challenge.  

Another attempt at the "Less is More" sketch

Going to submit this to "Less is More" - this sketch is really versatile - any paper, any stamps, any colours, happy, sad, in between - anything goes, really!  Gotta love a sketch that has endless possibilities :) 

A few friends with new babies and babies on the way, so gotta stock up!  

A card by Caitlin :)

Not to be outdone by her elder sister, Miss Caitlin (6 and a half) has produced (with the help of a sketch and some gentle nudging from Aunty Michelle) has produced this lovely card for her Gran's birthday.

A card by Lauren!

I often make cards with my eldest two nieces.  Lauren made a card today that I just had to share - she did have a *little* bit of help from Aunty Michelle, but not much!  I have an exercise book filled with sketches from various paces - some my own, but most from online challenges - so she chose one from the book, but added her own ideas, too :)

Pink birthday card - Annabelle's sketch

I've had the sketch from Annabelle stamps ABSC046 staring me in the face for a few days - finally got around to putting it to good use!  This is a birthday card for my lovely mum - her birthday is next week - and she loves pink cards - will have to get her some pink roses to go with it, I think :)

 This cardstock is slightly textured, so when I stamped and white embossed the Hero Arts background, it came out blotchy - but that's OK, I was going for that look!  - because I then went in with my coloured pencils and added tiny bits of green and pink to the leaves and flowers for a little more interest.  :D

 Also loving my new Copics - I can colour gemstones or pearls any colour I want! Yay!

Hope your day is going swimmingly :)

Some more of the Clementine scallopy goodness :)

I really like this paper from Cosmo Cricket's Clementine collage kit.  I couldn't just leave it at one card - had to do another :)

I'm submitting this one to Moxie Fab's Cutting and Trimming challenge - I just love their challenges! Also submitting to Lilypad Cards Patterned paper challenge.

Have a great day :)

Last one for today :)

Another attempt at the "Less is More" sketch - thought I'd try out a new HA background stamp :)

Less is more sketch 4

I thought I'd try a different sketch with the same paper I used in my last post - and I like the result much better :)   This sketch is from "Less is More", and is as simple as can be - just what I like!

 Thanks for visiting :)

Card Patterns sketch #150

 I really like this sketch, and I really like what the design team at Card Patterns came up with, but I'm not convinced about my card.  Might have to try this sketch again. 

A very difficult card to make

This card looks simple enough, but was so hard to make. A friend requested a sympathy card, but a baby sympathy card.  A friend of hers has given birth to premmie twins, and one has tragically passed away, whilst the other is still fighting for life.  She wanted a card acknowledging the birth, but offering sympathy for the loss of a child.

 This semtiment is from a Hero Arts clear set called "Remember".  The sentiment inside reads "our hearts and thoughts are with you" - the HA stamp reads "My heart and thoughts...", so I had to do some creative stamping, using some letters and words from other stamps in the set.

I'll be submitting this to Lilypad Cards Patterned paper challenge.

Sympathy cards

I've said it before, and I still feel this way - I hate making sympathy cards.   Today, I did what I usually do when making them - I made a pile all at once, so I don't have to make them again for a while.
I've used this design for years now, but I don't think I've blogged it, so here it is - my go-to design for a sympathy card.

 I'm running low on the gold card - my brother-in-law (a printer) got this gorgeous, shiny gold card for me years ago, but my stash is dwindling - oh no! Hoard! Hoard!

 I also made some in portrait orientation, but I prefer the landscape ones.

I hope you're having a great day :)

Blue butterflies

Sorry, I know I've been doing a whole heap of butterflies today - I got a delivery from Simon Says Stamp last week, and in it was a new set of stamps with matching dies (Antique flowers and butterflies), so I stamped a whole A4 page worth and coloured them all in and die cut them all out - and I've used most of them already!
This card was originally one that I stamped on as a single layer card - and I hated it!   But, with a panel across the middle, you'd never know it was hideous!  (except that I've just told you - whoops!)

Colour on Black

I missed a few days of the 2nd week of the Clean and Simple Cardmaking class last week, as I was singing in the choir for Opera in the Alps in Beechworth in country Victoria.  This week, I've had a few days of very busy work, and then illness.  Still not very well, but trying to make up for lost time.
This card is based on a technique by Jennifer McGuire - I just love her style! 

Thanks for visiting :)

Butterflies and CAS take 2

Not sure whether I like this card or the last one I posted better.  They're quite similar  - they both follow the Clean and Simple Stamping sketch 175 - I do like the textured card I used for this one, but I think I like the slightly larger butterflies on the previous post - what do you think?  I think I'm leaning towards the other one......

CAS 175 - butterflies!

I really like this week's Clean and Simple Stamping sketch # 175 - I think I'll try a few different versions :)

Here's #1:

Butterfly thanks

 I have a few thank you cards to make this week, but I'm not feeling 100%, so I thought I'd go with simple.  I made a card very similar to this one last year as a get well card, so I thought I'd CASE myself :)

 This is my first proper attempt at Copic colouring - I think I'm getting the hang of it, but I need a bit more practice :)  Also, there's actually some diamond stickles on the butterflies - just can't seem to make it out very well in the photo.  I have the blinds shut, as it is a stinking hot day today, and our air conditioner has gone caput, so am working with artificial light.  :(

 I thought I'd put one more little butterly on the inside of the card - just a little surprise ;)

Thanks for visiting - have a great day!

Clean and Simple Cardmaking - week 2, card 1.

    Kristina Werner's video in the CAS cardmaking class today was about making simple embellishments.  I used her ideas of punched circles folded to make a flower and a window to surround the flower.  I used some red gingham ribbon that I bought last year (1st use today - love it!) and decided to have the sentiment on the front of the card (unlike Kristina's), but floating over the window.
    Here's what I came up with:

Thanks for visiting - have a great day :)

Masculine card????

This card, I would say, definitively falls into the category of "masculine".  Want to guess who it's for?  Tell you later.........
I saw these little gems in Spotlight, and couldn't resist.  I had a few ideas for them, but then thought of my dad's shadow-board in his workshop, so I thought I'd try something similar. 
I'm submitting this to Moxie Fab's Tools from Around the House Challenge and Annabelle Stamps Anything Goes challenge.

 The tools are only attached to the card via knots in the red and white twine - so, when you move the card, all the tools swing to show the outlines in the background, just like a shadowboard! 

 Wondering who this card is for?  My sister-in-law!  Her favourite present ever would have to be a toss up between a tool set, and a Bunnings voucher!  (Bunnings is an Australian hardware mega shop!)  At Chrismas, I was excited to get a Kindle, rubber stamps and glittery paper from Santa - she was excited to get a set of wrenches!!