Betsy's Blossoms

Floral District DSP is so cheerful & a little retro which I really like, the colour combo's of the cards below are inspired by those in the DSP. They are quick & easy cards to make with a few different techniques. The White KIS no layer card has been wheeled with "Betsy's Blooms" wheel & the greeting is from "Curly Cute" stamp set embellished with the largest Bloom stamp that has been punched with the 2 3/8" scallop Circle punch & punched again by inserting it back into the punch (attach a strip to the back to use as a handle) to create a sunflower. I inked up the bird in baja Breeze & used a sponge Dauber with Midnight muse on the wings to make these pop. "Itty Bitty Banners" stamp set & Framelits were used on the other 2 cards, the Rich Razzleberry one also has the hearts Adorning Accents Folder embossed along the bottom & paper pierced around the top of the 2 1/2" circle & I used the Little leaves Sizzlets for the branches & Itty Bitty punch pack for the flowers with pearls in the centres. The pouch is a piece of 8" squared DSP  scored on the Diagonal plate, there are a few tutorials on you tube & in different sizes if you want to make one of these, they are super easy & no adhesive.

Tea Shoppe stamp set

A few more "Tea Shoppe" cards to share, colours used once again are from Attic Boutique DSP (my 1st pack nearly all gone), I SO love these colour combo's.

Tea Shoppe stamp set

"Tea Shoppe" Stamp set along with lots of other gorgeous new Autumn Winter mini products that co-ordinate so effortlessly. First starting with the colour combo which is the palette chosen for the beautiful Attic Boutique DSP, Poppy Parade, Pool Party, Soft Suede, Daffodil Delight, Very Vanilla & Whisper White. The Framelits Labels Collection, Edgelits Adorning Accents & Adorning Accents embossing folders are a must have & don't you just love the divine Pleated Satin Ribbon -I used the Pear Pizzaz which went best for my colour scheme here but it also comes in 3 other colours that are all as equally beautiful. A little bit of Pool Party Bakers Twine on a couple which now comes in all 5 of the 2011-2013 in colours.

Tagtastic Thanks

A super easy but wow card to share.
2 of the Decorative label punch outs creates this fabulous shaped mount for the 1 3/4" circle punch. Adding some cross stitching with linen thread is so easy to do on the Dotted Scalloped Ribbon Border punch.

Ingredients: "Tagtastic" stamp set, Timeless Portrait DSP, Cherry Cobbler & Very Vanilla CS, Island Indigo Ink, Decorative Label, 1 3/4 Circle & Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border Punch's, Linen Thread.

SAB finishes today :-( & blog awards ;

Before SAB ends I wanted to show a couple of more cards, I can't remember where I got the inspiration for the first card (stamping the owls & then popping one up) but I loved it & had to case. The gorgeous "Bliss" card was made by Tracey my downline,  an inspiration to me for scrapbooking.

My apologies for being a slack blogger since my pc crashed & I lost everything! it's been a long and slow process getting 4 yrs of work back up to date. Anyway I still have been creating madly, running classes/workshops regularly but haven't been posting all projects on my blog or even visiting all the blogs that inspire me, so lots of catching up to do!

I have received 2 blog awards this month & am very thankful for those, it's nice to know my blog is inspiring even though it's very basic, LOL. On my very long to do list I have written monetize blog! which I hope to do soon so it's much more user friendly & you can look at projects categorized.

This first award was given to me by Suzie, thank you so much Suzie for this award & your kind words, I am now a follower of your beautiful blog.
The Liebster Blog, which translate from German, into 'Dearest Blog' is designed to bring attention to new blogs, or blogs with fewer than 300 followers & I must pass this on to 3 talented Stamper blogs that I admire.

I was beaten to the post! I had all intention passing this award onto Renee for JDV House 

hmm wonder if it's ok to get an award twice in this situation?

A couple of other I'd like to pass onto are Angie & Wendy

This next award was given to me by Fiona, such a beautiful person & blog, thanks Fi, xx

And very quickly 8 things about myself are; 
I create best under pressure
I eat way to much
I love wine & dislike beer
I spend to much money on beautiful things including stamps! I still haven't mounted some!
I prefer giving rather than receiving
I'm a tad fussy
I stamp 'till 3am alot! therefore not a morning person, when I wake up I so look like a frog, LOL, I often wish I could trade places with my cat so I can laze around & cat nap without feeling guilty.
I need coffee to wake up! "no coffee no workie"

I pass this one to Claire, Teneale & Chiaki
gorgeous creations & inspirations.

Asian Artistry & Blog Award

This card took days to come together, I just couldn't get it quite how I imagined it would look.
Stamp sets; "Asian Artistry", "Baroque Motifs" & Very Vintage Wheel, colours are Rich Razzleberry, Soft Suede, Very Vanilla & a touch of Pink Pirouette.
The Bird Punch is a must have, it's so versatile, the wings can be turned into gorgeous tulips & Roses & I just want to add "Tiny Tags" sentiments punched out with the Jewellery Tag on every card I make, LOL.

How wonderful & sweet to recieve this award by 2 of my favourite stampers, Alley & Teneale thankyou & right back at you.
Now to tell you 10 things about me;
1. I was born in Croatia & it is one of my most favourite travel destinations.
2. I'm a night owl & survive on little sleep, although I find it hard to wake up in the mornings, but I have a gorgeous 8yr old who needs to get to school on time!
3. I'm addicted to Chocolate & cheese -not both at the same time, LOL, but tend to overindulge.
4. I love to sip on a glass of wine or 2 while enjoying cooking dinner.
5. I have 1 brother & 2 sisters (one lives o/s) & love them dearly, I am blessed to have such a wonderful family & extended to 14 inlaws & 20 nieces & nephews & soon expecting our 3rd great nephew or niece.
6. I'm growing old gracefully with my DH Matt, whom I love with all my heart.
7. I was a page 3 girl twice in my younger years that quoted " PRETTY Petronela thinks the Tigers are tops!" & "HAMISH the seal couldn't believe his luck when "Pretty Petronela dropped into Taronga Zoo for a friendly chat" -very embarrising & blushing!!! -thank god I stopped growing & my modelling days were over before they begun, although I do have some lovely photo's that Teya looks at now & wishes I still looked like that, LOL.
8. I have lived in 4 Australian States in the past 8 years & 1 year in total during that time was spent in hotels. Now I hate suitcases, packing & unpacking!
9. My wish is to be an amazing mum & friend to my daughter Teya, who took 10years to finally realise she wanted Matt & I as her parents!
10. I have tried my hands at all things creative; fine arts, sewing, leadlighting, pottery, painting, photography, scrapbooking & probably forgotten a few! although I enjoyed them all, my most favourite is cardmaking.

I now pass this award onto the following Beautiful blogs;

Jane
Leigh
Renee
Bev
Lesley
Tui

Manhattan Impression

Look familiar? take a look on page 11 of the autumn-winter mini, all I did was use Raspberry Tart DSP instead of textured CS.

Happy Moments

Between the renovations, the constant visitors (which I love having), a new computor (still in the progress of file saving!) & a quick flight to the Hunter Valley for a wedding last weekend - phew. I'm finally getting back into some routine & with Teya back at school, I have managed to still find time to stamp!
I like the way this Thankyou card turned out, it could have any of the 3 greetings in the SAB set "Happy Moments". I've teamed it up with "Baroque Motifs".
Colours are Elegant Eggplant & Old Olive. I just took the pic & the lighting was bad, so I grabbed a torch -well you could say it's turned out interesting & I actually quite like it. The Cupid/Angel "Gabriel" is special & ready for Valentines,  he was meant to be in the background but I couldn't crop him so he stayed in the main frame.

For Everything card

I was lucky enough to recieve "For Everything" stamp set as an incentive gift from Stampin' Up! in November & have just mounted it today! I couldn't resist but to have a little play & add some Kaleidoscope DSP. This is the card I came up with. The ruffled scalloped edge is achieved by crimping a strip of scalloped CS. Dosn't the full heart punch look cute ruffled? I should put this on a card asap or it will end up in my bitty box (a box full of stamped & cut out embellishments that never got the chance to be added onto a card!) a shame I know, but at least Teya is allowed to raid the bitty box when she makes cards so eventually they do get used.

Echoes of Kindness cards

Watercoloured with Crayons, the rubber has been spritzed with water before applying Always Artichoke & elegant Eggplant crayons direct to the rubber then with an Aquapainter blended in on Watercolour paper (the deisign for my watercolour class).
The top card has the image stamped in Stazon & the colour picked up from the Crayons with an Aquapainter. I love the creamy look of watercolouring with crayons.
Rasberry Tart DS papers, Regal & Rose Reds. You may be wondering about what punch I used that has the twine tied through? it's the Eyelet Border Punch & it can punch 2 different corner designs, so if you have one give it a try.

Great Friend & Oval All together

I loved the last card I posted mainly because of the DS paper used & just had to make another. This time I stamped the Butterfly 3 times in the co-ordinating inks Baja Breeze, So Saffron & Cameo Coral then cut them out & adhered them with Dimensionals. The thankyou from "Oval All" stamp set is punched out with the Scallop Oval Punch & adhered onto 2 off centred Baja Breeze scalloped ovals to create a larger scallop oval & I just had to add the new DS flower Brads, they're so pretty.

Fresh Cuts notes card

These Fresh cut notes & "Fresh cuts" stamp set make it so quick & easy to create beatiful cards, colours here are Kiwi Kiss & Pacific Point, I've built a Brad using Good Morning Sunshine DS paper (1/2" circle punch), we made these on my last visit to Sydney, see pic below for colour variations & centres.

Simply Said cards

I made these cards months ago, the design was cased from SC, I chose one of my favourite colour combo's Sage Shadow, Ruby Red & Chocolate Chip with Confetti White, I love the use of this set this way & below is another colour combo Perfect Plum, Bashful Blue & old Olive but a 4 x 4" card I had a few months ago as a make-n-take, this design is also in the new Idea Book & Catalogue on pg 51, so if you have this set you should give it a go.

Fresh Cuts thankyou card

Well this layout & stamp set got a workout & this time with Perfect Plum, Pale Plum, Chocolate Chip & a little Kiwi Kiss, another great colour combo.
Ingredients:
"Fresh Cuts" stamp set, colours above, 5 petal flower punch, chocolate tafetta ribbon, 1/2 pearl, paper snips, cutter kit (for roughing the edges), dimensionals, mini glue dots (for ribbon & pearl), snail & sponge daubers.

Simply Said cards

A CAS of the stamped flower edge (I think I saw on Splitcoast) -had to make one for myself -well to send to someone. I can stamp/write on the back of the heart that fits nicely into the mounted sentiment "simply said from the heart... thank you". Colours are Elegant Eggplant, River Rock on Very Vanilla.
The Regal Rose cards that Teya & I made during the school holidays were a CASE (Itty Bitty Buds)from the US catalogue.

Ocean Commotion with Lot's of Dots

"Lot's of Dots" is the new jumbo wheel from the summer mini as is "Ocean Commotion" (designed for AUS & NZ). I embossed the wheel again!

-here it is white embossed. Colours are Going Grey, Basic Grey & Pumkin Pie. I silver embossed the rim of the 1 3/8" Basic Grey circle with silver (I rolled the edge in versa & then rolled again in silver & heated), thankyou is from "Occasional Greetings" & is also silver embossed & framed with Styled Silver Hodgepodge Hardware. The "Ocean Commotion " images are stamped onto Whisper White inked with Pumkin Pie, punched out with the 1 1/4" circle punch & adhered with Dimensionals.

Artfully Asian

Last week my new stamps & wheels arrived. "Artfully Asian" is one I've liked for a long time & with this months free wheelin' offer I couldn't resist. I also got "Nursery Necessities" & "Merry Merry", I will keep you posted on those plays!

The colours I chose Kraft, Real Red & Whisper White, I wheeled "Watercolour Vine" with my Sahara Sand ink, the blossom is stamped in Real Red, this piece is also stamped with "Linen" background in Sahara Sand. I watercoloured a little with Real Red & Wild Wasabi inks with my Aquapainter & then I just highlighted some with my white gel pen. The 3 brads were silver & to get them white you just heat the brad with a heat tool held with tweezers then dip the hot brad into white embossing powder, then heat it up again until it melts on. Since I had my powder out I decided to also emboss the message, "Each day provides its own gifts"

Here's another Artfully Asian card, The ribbon is Kraft Tafetta & I used the Double Rectangle punch,- remember this card from my make-n-takes at last Summers Mini launch.

Black Magic

I don't own watercolour pencils, but my friend Suzy here on the Gold Coast lived in the US a few years ago & bought alot of SU products while she was there & happened to have a pack of pencils so I've borrowed them & have given the Black Magic technique a go, I've mounted the large flower from "Fabulous Flowers" on Wild Wasabi & then onto Not Quite Navy, thankyou is from "Short & Sweet" stamp set & is embossed in white & word window punched. It is important to ink the image well in craft white ink & let completely dry before you colour with pencils & I blended with an aquapainter, but that's not necessary. I have stamped off more images & will post another soon.

Spring Solitude

Creating your own patterned paper is easy with stamps. Basic Grey, Wild Wasabi & Whisper White, an elegant colour combo. The flower & Rhinestone are from the Pretties Kit, I love the Vintage Brads & the Word Window Punch fits nicely!

Carte Postale sahara sand

Got this idea from the simply sent "simple delights" kit. I used Sahara Sand, Bashful Blue & Chocolate Chip -now that I have the new In Colours I'll have to try River Rock & sky Blue.
Apologies in the delay in posting the box tutorial, my internet connection will hopefully be up tonight, so in the meantime let me know if you can't wait & I can email it to you.