Playing Pirates!

G'day everyone! My card today is for this week's sketch challenge over on SCS.

I love pirate stamps and had this set from The Cat's Pajamas sitting on my desk. When I saw how they suited this sketch I just had to use them. Don't they look like a couple of kids playing dress up as pirates!!!!!

I used the distressed stripes cuttlebug embossing folder to create the background to my base card ... after embossing I sponged on some black ink to make the stripes black. The treasure map used here is a button from a pirate theme button set.

Recipe:
Stamps: Pirate Stamps - The Cat's Pajamas
Papers: White; Black; Real Red - SU
Other: Black Ink; Distressed Stripes Cuttlebug Embossing Folder; Treasure Map Button; Foam Tape; Gold Spica Pen; Copics

Maid Milly!

My card today is for this week's Spiral Whisper challenge which you can find over on the Spiral Whisper Blog. This week the challenge is a sketch challenge which as many of you already know is my favorite of all the challenges.

The image used here is called Maid Milly ... isn't she cute! I stamped her onto white card and then used my long rectangle nestabilities to create both my layers. I also embossed the white panel and then colored the image while the die was still in place.

I added tiny pink pearls to the top of Milly's hat and on her dress and medium sized pearls to each corner of my card. The pink band across the middle of the card was embossed using the With Gratitude Cuttlebug Embossing Folder.

Recipe:
Stamps: Maid Milly - Spiral Whisper; Sentiment - Lizzie Anne Designs
Paper: White; Red Riding Hood - SU; Dusty Pink; DP - DCWV
Other: Black Ink; Long Rectangle Nestabilities; Oval Punch; Label Punch; With Gratitude Cuttlebug Embossing Folder; White Gel Pen; Pink Flowers; Red Brads; Pink Pearls; Foam Tape; Copics

Woof - Merry Christmas!

How many of you have dressed your dogs up for Christmas hehe! I know I have. My dogs looked so cute in there little Santa hat and suit .... however living in Australia where Christmas Day is normally hot ... I don't let them wear it for long as they would get too hot!

This little dog reminds me of my two dogs dressing up ... and is this week's Stamp of the Week for Spiral Whisper. If you purchase this stamp this week you can buy it for 10% off the normal price. I added liquid applique to the hat the dog is wearing. The top portion of the red card is embossed using the snowflake cuttlebug embossing folder. The two lines along the bottom portion of the red card were created using a score it board. Don't forget to check out the Spiral Whisper blog to see the rest of the design teams cards using this stamp.

Recipe:
Stamps: Christmas Dog - Spiral Whisper; Sentiment - Gina K Designs
Paper: White; Black; Real Red & DP - SU
Other: Black Ink; Tag Punches; Snowflake Brad; Snowflake Cuttlebug Embossing Folder; Score It Board; Paper Piercing Mat & Tool; Foam Tape; Copics

Surf's Up Dude!

Hi! My card today uses the "Surf's Up" set from Paper Pretties. I have fallen in love with this little guy!

I created this card last week just after Julee of Poetic Artistry posted her Mojo Monday sketch challenge ... but as it was a big secret that I was on the Paper Pretties Design Team I decided to wait until this week to upload it. I just love this sketch ... I am sure I will be using it again!

I combined both sentiments that are included in the set onto my card as I had all that space I wanted to fill ... and they kind of went well together so why not! For the background I used the d'vine swirls cuttlebug embossing folder ... I thought those swirls looked a little like that surf.

Recipe:
Stamps: Surf's Up - Paper Pretties
Paper: White; Black; Cool Caribbean - SU; DP - Unknown
Other: Black Ink; Black Brads; D'vine Swirls Cuttlebug Embossing Folder; Copics

Friendly Squirrels!

Hi everyone ... it seems funny making autumn/fall themed cards when I am enjoying Spring down here in Australia hehe, but a gal's gotta do what a gal's gotta do right!

So why am I making fall cards??? Well because it is Monday and Monday means another CCEE challenge. It is also a new month .... October (you probably knew that already ;) ) ... and a new month means that we have a new host for our challenges. This month Dawn Lusk is in charge of giving us our challenges ... and we have lots of fun ones coming up!

So our first challenge for October is "Make your own pattern paper using stamps and make a Fall card. Pretty much anything goes as long as you have your homemade pattern paper"

I decided to use the Whimsical Autumn set I got from Carolyn King last month isn't that a cute squirrel!!!! I also used last week's SFYTT sketch challenge that Jen of Iheart2stamp hosts each week on her blog. I used one of the leaf stamps in that same set to create my pattern paper on the pumpkin pie panel ... the olive panel I embossed using the pumpkin harvest cuttlebug embossing folder.

Don't forget to go to the CCEE Stampers blog to see all the cards my CCEE friends created with this challenge. Of course we would love it if you could play too!

Recipe:
Stamps: Whimsical Autumn - Gina K Designs
Paper: White; Chocolate Chip, Pumpkin Pie & Old Olive
Other: Black Ink; Chocolate Chip & Pumpkin Pie SU Ink; Brown Grosgrain Ribbon; Olive Brads; Square Nestabilities; Label Nestabilities; Pumpkin Harvest Cuttlebug Embossing Folder; Foam Tape; Copics

A World Card Making Day Challenge

Well World Card Making Day is well and truly over down here in Australia ... but I had to do at least one challenge ... that challenges is the special Featured Stamper challenge that was hosted by my friend Jimmi Mayo over on SCS. The Featured Stamper was another friend of mine Sherry Campbell aka sherrylc05 over on SCS.

Sherry has a wonderful gallery of cards and after some deliberation I selected this one of hers to CASE. As per the normal rules of the Featured Stamper challenge I had to change at least 2 things, here are my changes:

• Used a different main image
• Used a sentiment rather than a smaller image
• Used a different designer paper
• Changed the theme of the card ... mine is Christmas

Recipe:
Stamps: Winter Birds - Inkadinkado; Sentiment - Gina K
Paper: White; True Thyme, Old Olive & DP - SU
Other: Old Olive SU Ink; Olive Grosgrain Ribbon; Circle Nestabilities

Teapot Tuesday

My friend Cindy aka Mothermark collects teapots and she also love doing inspiration challenges. So it wasn't a big surprise when she started blogging over on "This is My Story" that she started doing a weekly challenge called Teapot Tuesday.

Well many years ago before I got the owl bug I also collected teapots ... of course I don't have nearly as many as Cindy does ... but since I started collecting owls I have acquired a few owl teapots.

A while back I emailed Cindy the pics of my owl teapots because she wanted to see them and about two weeks ago the theme for the Teapot Tuesday was using my teapot as inspiration ... how cool is that. Anyway the card above is the card Cindy aka Mothermark created using my teapot as inspiration and when she made it she sent it to me .... yahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Here is a pic of my teapot ... don't you think Cindy nailed this one ... her card sooooo looks like my teapot.

When Cindy posts her challenge she normally takes a photo of her card and the teapot together ... well of course not owning the teapot it was a little harder for her to do ... but she did the next best thing and added the photo of my teapot with her card. Well now I have the card ... I can take the photo of them both together hehe!

Thank you Cindy for sending me the card ... it will have a special place of honor in my stamp room.

An Owly Christmas!

Here is another Christmas card I created yesterday to add to my collection ... one more to cross of my list hehe. I am loving all the Christmas themed Owls there are around lately .... just perfect for an owl lover like me ... this cute collection of Christmas owls here are from Hero Arts.

I created this card for Taylor's of Taylored Expressions Cupcake Challenge ... OK I got so excited about using my Owls ... I forgot all about looking for a cupcake themed stamp LOL ... hopefully next week ;) .

I paper pieced the hat and scarf of the two end owls as those parts are solid on the stamp.

Recipe:
Stamps: Owls - Hero Arts; Sentiment - Gina K Designs
Paper: White; Black; Real Red - SU; DP - Kaiser
Other: Black Ink; Circle Punches; Circle Nestabilities; Paper Piercing Mat & Tool

Thomas the Tank!

Happy World Card Making Day! I know that might seem a little early for those of you living in the Northern Hemisphere ... but for me it is already Saturday which means it is already World Card Making Day!

I managed to get a couple of cards made today, the Thomas the Tank card being one of them. This is for Beate's Weekend Sketch challenge. A friend of mine sent me the new Thomas the Tank stamps recently that are available from Cornish Heritage Farms ... as she knew how much I wanted/needed them LOL. So of course I had to play with them.

Recipe:
Stamps: Thomas the Tank Stamps - Cornish Heritage Farms
Paper: White; Black; Real Red, Basic Gray & Pacific Point - SU
Other: Black Ink; Black Brads; Red Brads; Foam Tape; Copics

Happiness is a New Pair of Shoes!

My card today uses the new "Window Shopping" Who's that Girl set that was released by MFT Stamps earlier in the week. What girl can resist a new pair of shoes ... right! or a shoe sale!!!

Recipe:
Stamps: Window Shopping - MFT Stamps
Paper: White; Black; Real Red - SU; DP - Unknown
Other: Black Ink; Lace Doily Punch; Black Flowers; Black Brads; Key Tag Punch; Black Grosgrain Ribbon;Rectangle Nestabilities; Foam Tape; Copics

Whiskers, Little Pumpkin & Some News!

First up I have some pretty exciting news to share with you all .... I have been asked to be a Paper Pretties Guest Designer for the next 3 months (Oct - Dec). I am sooo excited and I am looking forward to being able to create more cards using their stamps. There are three other new guest designers who are: Stephanie Hargis, Jennifer Diaz & Christi Thorsen.

The card at the top of this post was created using one of the new stamp sets that is now available from Paper Pretties. This set is called Whiskers ... just perfect for those Halloween cards and projects. I used one of the recent sketch challenges from SCS (SC195). The bat designer paper I used on that card is one that I downloaded from Hemidemisemiquaver, she has a whole bunch of papers that you can download not just halloween ones. I printed mine out on white card cause my printer didn't like my SU card and then I used my brayer and ink pad to get the color I wanted. The spider web background was created using the cuttlebug embossing folder. I also used my sewing machine to add stitching around the two bat panels.

Recipe:
Stamps: Whiskers - Paper Pretties
Paper: White; Black; Pumpkin Pie - SU
Other: Black Ink; Elegant Eggplant SU Ink; Brayer; Web Cuttlebug Embossing Folder; Black Brads; Black Grosgrain Ribbon; Paper Piercing Mat & Tool; Sewing Machine; Foam Tape; Copics


Yesterday I attended my first Paper Pretties Pajama party ... I created the little treat bag above for one of the challenges for the night. The challenge was to make a Halloween project ... it could be a card, scrapbook page or 3D item. I decided to make a triangle box that I discovered online recently on Amazing Paper Grace's blog. For my bag rather than tucking the top flaps into the bag I left them upright and then used some grosgrain ribbon to keep the bag shut.

Isn't this little guy just adorable ... this is Cooper and the set is called "Pick of the Patch" and will be available from Paper Pretties next week, 6th October.

Recipe:
Stamps: Pick of the Patch - Paper Pretties
Paper: White; Black; Pumpkin Pie; DP - Unknown
Other: Black Ink; Oval Nestabilities; Black Grosgrain Ribbon; Tag Punches; Tagger Gun; Slot Punch; Foam Tape; Copics

Did you know that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month .... well Christie is having a 40% off Pink sale in honor of this occasion. Anything that is pink over on the Paper Pretties Boutique will be 40% off for the entire month of October. It is already marked down so you won't need a coupon code.

If you purchase any of their PINK products and make a card with it for someone who has been touched by breast cancer in some way, send us a pic of your card at christie@paperpretties.net. At the end of the month we'll be drawing a name for a prize! Be sure to include your name and mailing address along with who you are sending your card to (not a name, just their association to you), as well as a list of the products from the boutique that you used.

What's Black & White & Blog Candy Winner!

and sooooooooo cute all over?? Well a penguin of course! This is another of the new sets to be released by Hanna Stamps this Thursday 2nd October. This set is called Penguin Antics.

My card also combines two challenges .. one is to use buttons on our card ... I use button brads for the penguins to juggle. The other challenge was to use 3 or more layers on our card ... I think I covered that one OK too ... don't you think!

Recipe:
Stamps: Penguin Antics - Hanna Stamps
Paper: White; Black; Ballet Blue, Pumpkin Pie & Real Red - SU; DP - Unknown
Other: Black Ink; Petite Oval Nestabilities; Tag Punches; Tagger Tool; Tiny Bubbles Cuttlebug Embossing Folder; Red Grosgrain Ribbon; Foam Tape; Copics

Thank you to everyone who commented for a chance to win a blog candy Riley .... unfortunately there can only be one winner which has now been decided. I used random.org to help select the winner.

And the winner is .......................................................................................................................................

do you really wanna know??????? .........................................................................................................

really????? ................................................................................................................................................

hehe .... ok then i will tell you!

The winner is:

tojoco said...

Wow love your card - Just beautiful.

Congratulations Tojoco ..... please contact me within 24 hours so I can get your details to give to Kristi of Hanna Stamps so she can get your stamp out to you.

If you would like to see who else won the other Design Teams blog candy ... you will be able to find it in the Hanna Stamps Member Forum of SCS.

Snowman Wishes!

This week is my turn to host the MFT sketch challenge over on the MFT member forum of SCS. Remember it you don't have any MFT stamps as yet you are still welcome to play along. One lucky person will also receive a $5 gift certificate to spend at MFT Stamps just for playing in this challenge. Cindy Haffner & I look forward to seeing your creations.

My card uses the new 'A Scarf for Three' stamp set which is one of the new sets to be released by MFT Stamps yesterday.


Recipe:
Stamps: A Scarf For Three - MFT Stamps
Paper: White; River Rock, Rose Red & Always Artichoke - SU White Glitter Card
Other: Black Ink; Snow Dots Cuttlebug Embossing Folder; Rectangle & Square Nestabilities; Tag Die; Always Artichoke Grosgrain Ribbon; Snow Die; White Brads; Foam Tape; Copics

It's A Dog's Life!

Today we have another Elzybell challenge ..... which is another sketch challenge this week ... this sketch is another created by Jeanne Streiff. Don't forget to go on over to the Elzybell blog where you will be able to see the rest of the cards created by the Elzybell Design Team. While you are there you will also get to see what the challenge will be for the next one which will be held in a fortnights time. You are also welcome to play in any of these challenges too.

I used my circle nestabilities to create my circles for my card. The designer paper is cut into two pieces and then attached to the brown card leaving a space in the middle. I decided to use red & brown ribbon to add to the top of my card.

Recipe:
Stamps: How'd You Do? & Sentiment- Elzybell Art Stamps
Paper: White; Chocolate Chip & Real Red - SU; DP - DCWV
Other: Black Ink; Circle Nestabilities; Red and Brown Grosgrain Ribbon; Double Ended Tag Die; Borwn Brads; Foam Tape; Copics

Chives Seed Box.

I have another MFTeaser to share with you today ... this is the new Annie La Point "Chives" stamp that will be released by MFT Stamps this Wednesday 1st October.

This time round I thought I would make a boxy bag to make a seed gift box ... I found the tutorial for this on Jody Morrow's "Confessions of a Ribbon Addict" blog .... you can find it here. I changed the measurements to suit the seed packets I wanted to add to my box when finished.

I used the 'With Gratitude' cuttlebug embossing folder to embossing the front & back of my box. The layers for my chives image were created using the petite ovals nestabilities.

Here is a side on photo ... you can see the seed packets sitting inside the boxy bag.

Recipe:
Stamps: Chives - MFT Stamps
Paper: White; Old Olive, Rose Red & Lavender Lace - SU
Other: Black Ink; With Gratitude Cuttlebug Embossing Folder; Petite Oval Cuttlebug Embossing Folder; Pomegranate Ribbon; Lace Doily Punch; Foam Tape; Copics

My Favorite Things is having a New Release Cocktail Party on Wednesday, October 1 from 9-11 p.m. Eastern time. This month there are SIX new sets being released, plus a new storage system for your MFT stamps that you are gonna love!

Head over to the MFT forum on SCS to find out all the details and to find out how YOU can be the next MFT Guest Designer. We hope to see you there on Wednesday night.

High Flyin' Fun!

Here is another sneak peek at the new stamps which will be released by Hanna Stamps this Thursday 2nd October. This card uses one of the stamps in the new "Vintage Toys" set. This is a fun set suitable to making card for both boys & girls and would also be suitable to create Christmas cards too.

Today's Hanna Stamps challenge over on the Hanna Stamps Member Forum is to use some sort of embossing (either hot or dry) ... I decided to go with dry and used my distressed stripes cuttlebug embossing folder to create my embossing. Once I had embossed my yellow card I then sponged over the raised areas using sun yellow ink.

Recipe:
Stamps: Vintage Toys - Hanna Stamps
Paper: White; Sun Yellow, Real Red & Ballet Blue - SU; DP - Unknown
Other: Black Ink; Sun Yellow SU Ink; Red Brads; Paper Piercing Mat & Tool; Long Rectangles Nestabilities; Distressed Stripes Cuttlebug Embossing Folder; Foam Tape; Copics

Celebrate the Season .. Owl Style

Here is a very quick card I made for today's sketch challenge over on SCS. The top left panel underneath the owl should have been a little longer so that the owl panel didn't overlap it but I miscalculated a little and I didn't want to have to waste that panel ... so here it is.

I didn't have any large olive brads so I took some white ones and colored them with my copic marker.

Recipe:
Stamps: Owl on Tree - Hero Arts; Sentiment - Printworks
Paper: White; Old Olive & Real Red - SU; DP - Kaiser
Other: Black Ink; Paper Piercing Mat & Tool; White Brads; Foam Tape; Copics

Funky Snowgirl!

Hi I am a little late posting my card for Spiral Whisper's stamp of the week ... my stamp only arrived yesterday hehe. This week the featured stamp is the cute "Funky Snowgirl" stamp, you can get this stamp all this week at a discounted price from Spiral Whisper.

If you want to see some more ideas using this stamp, you can check out what the other design team members did with it on the Spiral Whisper blog.

As I was getting ready to work on my card (I was also checking out the updated blogs on my Google Reader) the sketch for this weeks Technostampers sketch challenge came up so I took it as a sign that I was supposed to use that sketch for this card haha.

Recipe:
Stamps: Funky Snowgirl - Spiral Whisper; Sentiment - SU
Paper: White; Cranberry Crisp & Old Olive - SU; Figgy Pudding DP - Basic Grey
Other: Black Ink; Snowflake Cuttlebug Dies; Circle Nestabilities; Tag Die; Olive & Cranberry Brads; Foam Tape; Copics

Good Friends, Like Good Books!

My Favorite Things will be releasing this cute "Reading Flopsey" set this Wednesday 1st October. Doesn't Flopsey look soooo studious with all those books to read LOL!

The blue band across the card was embossed using the forest branches cuttlebug embossing folder. I also added a paper piercing corner to the top left corner of the main image.

Recipe:
Stamps: Reading Flopsey - MFT Stamps
Paper: White; Black; Pumpkin Pie & Pacific Point - SU; DP - DCWV
Other: Black Ink; Old Paper Distress Ink; Circle Nestabilities; Paper Piercing Mat & Tool; Forest Branches Cuttlebug Embossing Folder; Pumpkin Pie Grosgrain Ribbon; Orange Brads; Foam Tape; Copics

My Favorite Things is having a New Release Cocktail Party on Wednesday, October 1 from 9-11 p.m. Eastern time. This month there are SIX new sets being released, plus a new storage system for your MFT stamps that you are gonna love!

Head over to the MFT forum on SCS to find out all the details and to find out how YOU can be the next MFT Guest Designer. We hope to see you there on Wednesday night.

Ski Bunny!

Here is another Hanna Stamps sneak peek for you .... this is from the new "Ski Bunny" set that will be released this coming Thursday 2nd October.

I also combined today's Hanna Stamps challenge to celebrate our first year Hanna-versary! The challenge was to use 2 or more embellishments on your card. My embellishments were my ribbon and the snowflakes. I also used the lace doily punch to create the scallop edge along the bottom of my design paper & rose red card. I added texture to my top pink panel using the snowflake cuttlebug embossing folder.

Don't forget if you haven't done so yet ... to visit my Hanna Stamps blog candy post from yesterday and leave a comment so you have a chance of winning one of the new Riley images coming soon.

Recipe:
Stamps: Ski Bunny - Hanna Stamps
Paper: White; Pink Piroquette, Rose Red - SU; DP - Kaiser; White Glitter Card
Other: Black Ink; Pretty In Pink SU Ink; Snowflake Die; Long Rectangle & Circle Nestabilities; Lace Doiley Punch; Pink Grosgrain Ribbon; Snowflakes Cuttlebug Embossing Folder; Foam Tape; Copics