7 Cards in 2 Hours

No not me - Tim! What's more he has drawn all images freehand, fussy-cut holly and berries, trees, presents, bells and done all his own writing on the cards! No input from me at all (except the genes ;) ).

Here are three of his cards.

Close your eyes!

Mum asked me to make a birthday card for a 5 year old girl who is blind. She apparently loves fairies. Here is the result. By coincidence this month's Spectrum Noir Challenge is Flowers so I'll pop this onto the challenge page. (The fairy's dress is the flower).

The fairy's wings (a Nestabilities butterfly die) are embossed for texture from the front, and have Distress Stickles behind them. The dress is made from a white flower, edged with colour (Spectrum Noir pen PP3, blended). Skin, clothes, shoes and hair also coloured with Spectrum pens. The white mesh and split pins add further texture, as does the debossed butterfly on the  flap. Another texture has been added to the shoes with Glossy Accents, 'Ally' in Braille has been stitched on in beads. A strip saying Happy Birthday in Braille will be added above Ally's name. The 'Wee Stamps' stamp used came free with a magazine. The top opening is a Nestabilities Deckled Oval Large. 

Naughty?

Another quick entry for the Spectrum Noir Challenge - using a free stamp set which came with a magazine.
The piano was done using the camouflage technique outlined on the blog. My piano at home looks just like this - walnut? The timber flooring was done using TN2 then striping through with TN1. Holly leaves also coloured with Speccies. I added the timber floor and TN1 wall because the image looked too stark with a white space around it. The small size of the image makes a light touch essential. Can't wait for the brush tips to be released!!!

Anyone would think it was hot today!

My poor perennial spinach was a bit stressed by today's 34 degrees C - bit of a shock after so many weeks in the low 20's! I had NOT missed watering it - it's obviously just sulking. Hmm. The red lettuce looks a bit sad too.

 

Spectrum Noir Holiday Challenge

I've been working on a card for the Holiday Cards/Projects challenge on the Spectrum Noir blog.
The prize (drawn at random from all valid entries) will be one set of twenty-four pens (winner chooses the set – Brights, Lights, Darks, or Pastels!) and any one holiday stamp of the winner’s choice (from Crafter’s Companion UK or US).    How could I resist?!



Here's my Aussie Christmas card (better photo below, taken outside in the sunshine), with colouring information below:

The stamps are from Stamp-It and are called Gumnut Christmas and Koala Bauble.
The card base was embossed with a Spellbinders Embossabilities folder EL-014.
The images are stamped with  Memento Rich Cocoa on Bazzill Kraft card (the lighter coloured one) and coloured with my fantastic Spectrum Noir pens as follows:
   Leaves DG4 and DG2
   Small gumnuts GB5 and GB8
   Large gumnuts and branches GB8 and GB10
   Koala IG4 (shadowed by going over a second time)
   Santa hat DR3 (trim is Liquid Aplique)
The green and gold/brown ribbon strips have been coloured to match with Spectrum Noir pens (DG4 and GB10). Wish my camera would recognise that - they actually look the same colour as leaves and gumnuts in real life :(  I'll try taking another photo in daylight tomorrow...

Aaah - that's better :).

Buttons, buttons & more buttons ...

It's challenge time again. I wasn't going to enter this one - I battle with buttons. Then I  blog-hopped and inspiration hit. I've killed two birds with one stone - an entry, and one Christmas card completed! What challenge, I hear you ask? This one - Scrapbook Boutique Buttons, buttons & more buttons!

I've dipped each button into Versamark ink then into silver embossing powder and heat-embossed (yes it did take a while!). The music stamp is from a Kaisercraft Xmas set, and the tree music is Washi tape. White cardstock is Bazzill Orange Peel and I've also used silver foil board.

Shoes

A number of our our customers have commented on the gorgeous paper shoe made by Robyn, displayed in the shop. (It had chocolates in it but they are LONG gone!)
Here is the best link I have found for the shoes:
http://www.creatingkeepsakes.com/articles/free_shoe_template_download

My Desk

If you click on the My Desk tab, I have started to work through items I consider indispensable, starting with cutters. And you get to see my workspace at its best :) .

I have a BLINKIE!!

A big THANK YOU to Jennie Black, who has been assessing my work for accreditation as a Spectrum Noir Colourist. After weeks of careful colouring I opted to post my work to the US via regular mail ($8 ish) instead of registered mail ($22). Needless to say it didn't get there! Jennie has kindly been assessing images as I have re-completed them and today this arrived!

 Happy, happy, happy dance!!!

Gallirallus phillipensis

In our front garden, what's more!

I finally have photographic evidence of our buff banded visitor - I'm NOT imagining things.

All a flutter - add a butterfly!

This was the subject of the latest challenge at Scrapbook Boutique http://scrapbookboutiquenews.blogspot.com.au/2012/08/a-new-challenge-has-started.html
plus this photo:

I've used my Spectrum Noir pens (CT,1 CT2, CT3, PP3, TB2, TB3 & BT2) plus my Tonic Butterfly Strip punch, Nestabilities Circles and an adorable Penny Black stamp ('frolic') to make this:

I can't help but smile whenever I use this stamp :-D

Breakfast Coffee

As an extremely CRAFTy person (one that can't remember a flipping thing) I thought I would share my morning coffee experiences. Those people that come to my lessons at Crafty Capers know that I try to make all possible mistakes BEFORE a class. Here are my coffee mistakes ...
Before starting, make sure you own at least three coffee measuring scoops (that way you should be able to find one of them).
If you are grinding your coffee beans, make sure grind is moved from espresso machine setting to plunger setting (unless you like a fine sludge in your plunged coffee).
Fill kettle with filtered water and turn kettle on. (If you have a gas cook-top check you have turned on and lit the correct burner.)
Move filter jug away from coffee plunger (to minimise chance of pouring cold filtered water into the coffee plunger after this next step).
Measure a scoop of coffee into the plunger. It is wise NOT to measure your three tablespoons of muesli at the same time (this avoids having to get the muesli out of the coffee plunger (which IS however easier than getting ground coffee out of your muesli)). It is also wise to pour the milk for your muesli well away from the coffee plunger (you want hot water, not cold milk on the ground coffee).
Pour freshly boiled water onto the measured coffee (not onto your muesli), stir coffee and let it sit for 1-2 minutes. (Best not to start other jobs during this time or you will inevitably forget that you are making coffee.)(If you used gas to heat your kettle make sure it is now turned off.)
Pour coffee into pre-heated cup. (Don't forget to empty hot water out first to avoid diluting your coffee.)(Hopefully you have moved your bowl of muesli away from the coffee cup.)
Add milk to coffee.
Congratulate yourself if you have a hot coffee and a bowl of muesli with milk. Sit down and enjoy!

Spectrum Noir Poppy card

I recently taught a variation of this to my Tuesday craft group. I wanted to try the Spectrum Noir reds to try to get some light and shade onto the poppy petals.

Don't Laugh!

Managed to miss a way to mess up the coffee routine! Discovered it yesterday morning whilst my mind was on other things (trying to recall a macrame knot, if you must know). It is also possible to add the ground coffee to your muesli AFTER you have added to milk to it! I think now that the only combination I haven't 'tested' is pouring the hot coffee into the muesli :-P

Happy Birthday Fiona!

It's Fiona's birthday today.

This is made using Kaisercraft Tigerlily paper pack and StampIt SISET060. Hope Fiona doesn't mind the age reference ;)

Nautical, but nice?

Will be posting this to a challenge as soon as I find the address - I saved it to my netbook not my laptop - the criteria showed chocolate cupcakes with white fluffy icing and navy disks with white anchors on them. This is my response.
Found it! How could I forget? I've created my project for the Scrapbook Boutique Challenge - link here: http://scrapbookboutiquenews.blogspot.com.au/2012/07/new-challenge-has-started.html
Scrapbook Challenge Link  

Stamp used is a from a Just Rite set. Sizzix Wood-grain embossing folder for ocean and sky texture. Coloured pencils. Memento ink.

My new pens!

I have been colouring with the fabulous new Spectrum Noir pens at work for some time. I now have my own full set (thanks, Nat) so I had to have a play at home. The image was purchased from Elisabeth Bell Designs and is called A Tasty Read. I love using it on bookmarks.

Spectrum colours used are TB3, TB5 (tip to tip); DR3, DR5; FS2, FS3; TB2 (shadows on white blouse); GB8, EB5; TN2 (under TN7), TN7, TN8; DG2.

Coffee on my mind? Whatever gave you that idea?

Pam brought in a new batch of Washi tape on Monday, and the selection included a coffee tape. "What would you do with that?" asks Nat.
This!!

And this -

Tim reckons I'm addicted to coffee. I reckon I could give it up easily - just not this week!

Last minute birthday card

You have to love those papers that do all the work for you! This paper sat in the shop for months until I made a couple of variations on this theme ... then the sheets raced out the door :)
I'm one of those terrible people that leave things to the last minute. It's an awful habit and I'm not sure why I do it. I seem to need that sense of pressure to get motivated.  I have finally made a birthday card file so I can hopefully begin to overcome this problem (though I still have to print the Month/Date sheets for each page).  Given my passion for card-making there is no reason at all to procrastinate. I suspect it's innate - I was the same at school - projects, assignments, exam study ... all left to the last possible minute :(

Look - A Card!!!

Finally a chance to show one of my creations. A C&S trying out two new embossing folders.

School Holidays

As you may have deduced from the time between these posts, I need more time! I HAVE made lots of cards since my first post - you can see them on our work blog - craftycapersgreenwood.blogspot.com.au
I suspect the problem is I'd rather spend time creating than blogging ...