Favourite Things

While I still have access to a computer, I'll share another card with you that I made a while ago but haven't yet posted. I am REALLY happy with how this one turned out - it was inspired by Mel's Toucan colour challenge (but I didn't get it made in time to enter); I love toucans and they can be found in many areas od my home, and Luana even has a toucan dress (incidentally, if anyone has a Just Beakause set they don't want anymore, let me know!). Also, I love black - in cards, for clothing (which my father really doesn't like), anything really, and tulips (see previous comment about the toucans in my home!!).

The colours I pulled out of the inspiration photo differed a little to Mel's - Basic Black, Whisper White, Real Red, Summer Sun and Garden Green. I have clear embossed the So Swirly jumbo whell just on one half of the card for a subtle effect and have used the retired set Terrific Tulips (SO sad it's gone) for the focal point. For the tulip I stamped off the bigger part of the tulip once, and used the first generation stamping for the detail. I lightly sponged the Whisper White with Summer Sun around the edges and added a greeting from Eastern Elements rubons.

This ended up being a belated birthday card for my friend Catherine (hi!!!) and it's going into her treasure box!

From One Sister to Another

As you may be aware from previous posts, my sister and her fiancee (sorry, my French is appalling so not sure if that's spelled correctly) announced their engagement in July, and it has taken me a long time to create the right card for them. I wanted something just 'perfect' and it took forever for me to get the colours she was thinking of out of her..... I can post this now too as I have given it to them.

Cristy has decided that she wants light/dusty pink and silver, so I thought Pretty in Pink would meet the challenge. I have used the flourish from Baroque Motifs, stamped in Pretty in Pink on Whisper White for the panels and mounted these on brushed silver. On the larger panel I embossed a swirl in silver and on the smaller embossed 'wonderful' from Wonderful Favourites. To finish it off, I silver embossed the heart from Always in the Spring Mini. I'm rather happy with the result (!) and Cristy loved it too!!

Because Cristy is my only sister, I wanted to make something a little special just for her from me at this special time, so I made a Wedding Planning album for her.

Once again I used the flourish from Baroque Motifs stamped in Pretty in Pink and silver embossed on Berry Bliss DSP. I mounted one of my favourite photos of Cristy and Brad on Whisper White and it's really hard to see, but added an Eastern Elegance rub-on (just under the photo on the left). For the spine, I repeated the flourish so it's easy for Cristy to pick out on the bookshelf!!

Inside, I kept all 8 pages the same - Whisper white, stamped with Soft Sky, Sage Shadow and Silver Encore in the bottom corner (Sky and Sage because Cristy wants a sand ceremony with Mum and Brad Mum's favourite colours - blue and green), and Pretty in Pink in the top corner. I used round tab punch for the tabs, stamped with a bit of the flourish and wrote on them with silver pen. I was really happy with the end result!

Last but not least, I made a little Love Note to go with the planner with a special message just for Cristy - same colours as the card and the same flourish, and the 'always' is from Always too.

I really am happy with how this all turned out and couldn't wait to give it to Cristy - we have a wedding to plan now in a just a few months!!!

Inkspirations (aka Makeesha) Colour Challenge #1

I'm posting my entry to Makeesha's challenge a little earlier than usual this week - I love the colours she has chosen, and have borrowed Holiday Wishes from Kylie (thanks Kyles!!!) so wanted to play ASAP! Her latest challenge was a colour one (don't you just love the butterflies?!)

And this is my entry.

A friend who stayed with me last week wants me to do a workshop for her when I'm next down in Adelaide, and she fell in love with Holiday Wishes (understandably so). I thought Makeesha's colours would work well for a not-quite-traditional Christmas card. I stamped the main tree image in Chocolate Chip ink on Certainly Celery, as well as Very Vanilla and Regal Rose. I then cut the stars out of the Vanilla and the hearts and present out of the Rose to decorate the tree. It's a bit hard to see (sorry, not good picture, was lovely and overcast today - not stinking hot like it has been lately) but I also added Dazzling Diamonds to the little circles. For the base I mounted Very Vanilla, with piercing around the edge on Chocolate Chip and added a band of Regal Rose, wheeled with Baroque Border in Regal Rose on Chocolate Chip and finished with the gorgeous Chocolate satin ribbon from the current Mini. The decorated, torn tree was mounted with dimensionals over top.

Not a bad start to the Christmas card making season I think!!

Oops!!

As I clicked the link to enter my Harry card for Mel's challenge the other day, the phrase 'current SU product only' caught my eye - oops. So I made another one to meet the requirements.


This little cutie is for the girl I job share with (Hi Catherine!!), at the moment. She has just been introduced to the wonderful hobby that is SU!, and she has also just been successful in procuring another, more senior, position (no, it wasn't job sharing with me that made her apply for another job :-) ). I'm always so happy for people when they are offered the opportunity to reach their dreams. Well Done Catherine!!!
Anyways, she has fallen in love with cute little owl stamps, and the sentiment from this little fellow in Celebrate Everyday is just perfect. I stamped the image and phrase in Chocolate Chip on Very Vanilla, and used the word window punch for the phrase. I used blender pens, Chocolate Chip and Creamy Caramel ink for the owl (and a touch of Yoyo Yellow for the beak) and after cutting him out, distressed him a little bit to make it look like he has 'feathers'. I created the tree with Close to Cocoa card which I wet and bent and scraped a bit with my nail (very technical!!) to make it look more like a tree. The leaves are from In the Spotlight - Old Olive stamped on Old Olive and Gable Green and randomly placed. All this was placed on Summer Picnic DSP, the phrase was attached with Aged Brass eyelets and all was attached to a Love Note. I'm giving this to Catherine in about 20 minutes... so we'll see what she thinks!!

Also, I have just finished something I have been working on for my sister, but am not sure if she reads this or not, so have to wait and see when I can post it......

Giraffe for Baby Harry

The owner/director of Luana's childcare centre had a baby boy yesterday morning, so I thought it was the perfect opportunity to pull out my card and stamp stash - especially since I didn't do anything last week. I also wanted to participate in Mel and Makeesha's latest challenges, and thought I could make something to fit all 3. Here 'tis



Mel's latest challenge was to use distressing and include at least 1 eyelet, and Makeesha's was this sketch challenge.

The Summer Picnic DSP provided the colour inspiration for this one; Bashful Blue, Old Olive, Pumkpin Pie and Whisper White. I originally wanted to use the elephant from Wild About You but he was facing the wrong way, so the giraffe it was! Bashful Blue of course for boys. I used the very technical technique of tracing around whatever circular object looked right for the circles, and distressed the bigger one. I wheeled Nursery Letters in Bashful Blue, distressed the edges too and mounted it on Old Olive. I attached Bashful Blue ribbon to Old Olive cardstock using Aged Brass eyelets and stamped Harry with Pure and Simple Upper Alphabet (retired) in Pumpkin Pie and ran the letters through the Xyron to help tham stick to the ribbon.

The photo I have seen of Harry looks so cute, so we're looking forward to meeting him in the flesh (as are all the other kids in the centre!!)

Another Photo Board

Just another quick one tonight. We have had a few very busy days up in Darwin with a friend who came up on the Ghan (hi Suze!!); we did a few touristy things we haven't yet like the East Point Military Museum the IndoPacific Reef display which were very interesting, as well as some old favourites. There is just SO much to see and do up here - thank goodness for visitors otherwise we'd never get around to seeing anything!

Anyway, this is the photo board I made for my desk at work (I've already ok'ed it with the girl I job share with to have photos of my beautiful girl gracing our office! I've put the same photo as Paul's on it.)

Quite straight forward this one. I used Fall Flowers DSP (love this pattern, even though I'm not a huge fan of orange/rust usually) and the coordinating card stock - Soft Sky, Old Olive and Really Rust. I cut a flower out of the DSP, and finished it with a Eastern Elegance rub-on from the Spring Mini, and a bit of white grosgrain around the clip. I really am happy with the outcome!

Also, thank you to everyone for Paul's birthday greetings. He had a good day - Daddy time with Luana in the morning, and Cutta Cutta caves and swimming at Edith Falls in the afternoon, followed by dinner out. Here he is with Luana at the falls - we're waiting for the rains to come, hence the dismal looking falls in the background... It's such a beautiful place still.