Stationary Set follow up...cardsets!

Hi again!

Here is the follow up stationary set as promised!

This is less of a stationary set than it it a 'card set'.  I made these for my sister in law and my 'aunt-in-law' (if you know what I mean!)

Same technique, stamped (Hero Arts H5428 Hello Flags) on white cardstock, coloured in with Prismacolour Pencils (is it spelling it wrong if I use the British/Australian spelling-of colour-even though it's a product name?! hmmm).
Added a sentiment, then matted on black cardstock, then added to a notecard.

 As you can see I rounded the corners with my handy dandy Corner Chomper. I chose my little-used 1/4" corner this time. I like it. I thought the edges needed rounding to bring a nice contrast to the sharp spikey edges of the banner. love that stamp.

 I used two of each colour in the pack of notecards.

 Here is the set for my aunt-in-law. She's an artist so I wanted something simpler for her. a) because I don't want her to see how bad an artist I am lol and b) I'm sure like most artists she has a lot going on in her mind (artistically I mean) so I wanted the card to be simple and not in any particular style. 

How cute is this little bicycle (H.A F5293 Bicycle) though?! I don't even ride a bike and I love it:)

It's a bit hard to see in these photos, but I coloured the flowers in the bike's basket different colours on each card. I also rounded the corners of the notecards and the black matte cardstock, but not the white cardstock with the stamped image on it. I like the contrast and unusual edge this created. I'm happy with it.

Well, that's it for me!

Hope you liked!!

Lots of love

L xx

Letter Set...

Hi!!

I've been meaning to make something like a letter set/stationary set for quite some time now.  I saw that my lovely friend Joy had done a really masculine one on her blog a few weeks back and decided it was time to get the idea in my head onto paper and card.

So, here is a letter set I made for my gorgeous mother in law Di,

 It was SUPER simple to make, just cut some white cardstock to size (4"x5") then stamped the Hero Arts K5431 Tall Flower stamp on the edge (making sure to 'run off' the edge with the stem), then I coloured in with my Prismacolour pencils! love those pencils).

  

 Here you can see the shading I did.  I made each flower (or each card) slightly different, as the real flowers would be. With all of them, I started with the lightest colour and did the entire flower, then I added in darker shading in various places. On the tips for one flower, on the base for another, streaked throughout the entire petal (as you can see on the left hand card in the above photo) etc etc.

This was very similar to using Copic Markers. Start light, then add in shading. Lastly, go back over the whole thing with the lighter colour to blend.

 Here is the purple/lavender set. I love how the shading really really worked well. I added a little yellow to the tips of the petals on the far right card.

 I could have used some Gamsol (or similar) to really blend the colours in well, but a) I don't have any yet (haha) and b) I wanted these to look hand coloured. That's kind of the point right?!

The leaves I coloured in a very basic way. Bright light green all over, then added darker almost olive green on various sides of the leaves (or in the centre 'vein').

After finishing the colouring, I added the "Just a note" sentiment from a PTI stamp set. I then mounted the white cardstock onto some black cardstock 1/8" larger than the original piece. I then trimmed 4 of the Hero Arts Notecards in half (down the seam/fold) to make 'postcard' type cards. I then mounted the pieces onto the half-notecards.

**You could very easily just use the notecards as is and it would look perfect, I just wanted these to be more like postcards than notecards.

On the back of the notecard (what would usually be the white interior), I stamped the Tall Flower again in Versamark to get a watermark image (no photo for this :)).

Here is the matching letter set.

I used the lined paper pdf provided by the amazing Shari Carroll over at Hero Arts months ago (I've been meaning to do a letter set for a while now.) HERE is the link.

All you do is print onto whatever paper you're using (I used Hero Arts Layering paper) and then trim it in half (you get two 'sets' of lines to each page).

I stamped and coloured in exactly the same way as the notecards, I just didn't add the sentiment or gemstones.
On the back I did the watermark again (sorry for the photo, it's REALLY hard to get a good clear shot of a watermark in a house as dark as this one!)

see the watermark on the bottom left of the pink??? it's there...really...no, REALLY.

 Of course, I had to do matching envelopes too.

 But I didn't colour the envelopes in, didn't need it.

 This is the whole set completed.


Anyhow, I hope you like this! I really had fun making them.

I'll be back tomorrow hopefully with the follow up project I made (I was in colouring mode by this point haha!)

Hope you're all enjoying much cooler weather than I. It was well over 40 degrees today and I was holed up inside in the air-conditioning (which I'm sorry to say, did a poor job).

I'd love to hear what you think of the letter set!

Love,

L xx

Happy Birthday my sweet sweet Charlotte

Hello...

Firstly, thank you so much for all the amazing comments about my New Years Intentions album and my Australia day themed challenge with Joy. It's incredible how much more exciting this is (and how much more creative I feel) when I get some feedback--especially the positive kind *wink*!!

Today is Charlotte's 1st birthday. My sweet, chubby, happy little baby is 1...where has the past year gone?! It was so fast!! I'm sure I was taking better care to be more involved and notice time etc and I have noticed more, I have been more aware...but jeezo louiso how time has flown!

This is my littlest love on the day she was born:

naaaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwww

 

 

Wasn't she a cutey?! All bendy legs and skinniness...

this is her now (this shot is actually from about a week ago, but it's a goody

She just melts my heart.

If I'm being totally honest, I had a hard pregnancy with Charlotte. I was NOT prepared to have another baby, I was nervous, sick, tired, in pain a lot, swollen, NERVOUS, worried, SICK...blech. The whole thing was rotten and I hated it. (I hated that it was rotten). Charlotte's birth was LOOOOOOOONG and haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaard work. By the time she'd finally arrived I was so exhausted I had no ability to (what I call) "emote" any more. I just looked at her and thought, 'oh, a baby...that's nice'.  It took me a few hours to relax, stop being in pain, stop freaking out (the birth  was pretty traumatising to tell you the truth and it took me several days to get over it emotionally and 'psychologically'). When I did finally 'come down' from the whole experience I looked at her and my heart just settled into it's proper place.

Since then, it's as though Charlotte knew every worry, every concern, every thought I had about how our lives would be changed when she came and she decided to be the TOTAL opposite of everything I feared.

I feel I should elaborate a little. Isabella was the perfect pregnancy. I had nausea but no real illness, it lasted less than 10 weeks. I had a great pregnancy the whole way through. No cravings, no sickness, no pain, no bloating etc etc. The birth was, well, birth. It's an amazing thing but it's long and painful and arduous, but worth the effort. However, Isabella was the complete opposite of her pregnancy, in reality. She didn't sleep alone until she was almost 18-20 months. Yes, she slept ON me for that time. The longest she slept alone (apart from the first few weeks where most babies just sleep constantly anyway), was maybe 2 hours. I was exhausted. I was stir-crazy and housebound and totally in love with her, so I went with it. But it was so so so hard. Even now, everything with Isabella is work, drama, effort. She requires major thought and organising and planning.

Isabella is completely and totally wonderful, but she's not easy.  She needs notice when something is going to happen, it takes her weeks to get over any change, if something scares her (no matter if it's fleeting or major), she remembers it and worries about it for MONTHS afterwards...she challenges me CONSTANTLY, is stubborn (*cough* so am i *cough*), funny (so am I haha), smart (me not so much lol) etc etc etc (you get the picture)

Charlotte?? She's quiet and easygoing and cheery and sweet and EASY. She (almost always) goes off to sleep with nary a whisper. She sleeps through the night...

She sleeps THROUGH the night...

Can I say it again? SHE SLEEPS THROUGH THE NIGHT!!!

Ok, I'll admit, she sometimes stirs at about 3 am, I feed her milk while she stays asleep, then I go back to bed. AND I SLEEP TOO!!

Charlotte really is like a little prayer that's been answered.

I love Isabella without reserve, question or limit--don't get me wrong. But like I said, she's work and challenging. (Which I love in it's own way)

But I love Charlotte for being easy too. I love her little chuckle (it's really a belly laugh), I love that she's ticklish behind her ear and she leans her head into my mouth so I'll blow raspberries on that spot. I adore that she comes up to me with her bottle hanging out her mouth and climbs up me (like I'm a mountain) and then leans her entire body on mine while she tips her bottle back and drinks her milk. I love love LOVE that she's generally quiet/silent/self-sufficient...until there is food in the vicinity, then she becomes Italian. She's verbal and loud and her hands fly about in gesture, she even does this 'one hand clapping' thing to mean 'give me that'. I love that she and Izzie hold hands when they're in a shopping trolley together. I love that Charlotte's first word was mamamama and her second (a while later) was Izzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

That sweet little miracle of  wonder was born one year ago today...and my life will never be complete without her, will never be the same and will never be anything less than amazing with her in it.

happy birthday baby.

So anyhow, today, to be honest, was a nightmare, neither of the girls slept and both were exhausted, grumpy and crotchety all day. (so was I as it was HUMID here..blech)

lol). It's all a part of the magic.

And now it's 8:20pm and they're both asleep,,,,so this little tired duck is going to go collapse in a heap :) *ha...that rhymed*

I'll be back in the next day or two with some crafty goodness for you :)

Lots of love,

The mummy who is VERY happy not to be in the day one year ago...coz that day was hard and painful (lol)...I'm Much happier to have my little love here with me rather than on the way.

Talk to you soon--thanks for stopping by

L xx

Happy Australia Day!!! (and THREE cards!)

Hello!!!

So here in the big "Down Under" (Just so you know, we Australian's never actually use that term haha!), it's Australia Day. January 26th every year is a public holiday and most people swarm towards their local city centre for the massive fireworks displays that are put on for free by the local governments.

This is a great shot of the fireworks that are held over the Swan River, which sits RIGHT in front of Perth CBD. (FYI Perth is where I live, it's the capital city of Western Australia.)

There is a lot of info surrounding the history/background of Australia day, but too much for me to write here. If you're interested, click HERE and have a read. 

A few weeks back, I asked my dear friend Joy, if she'd like to participate in a little 'Aussie fun' in the way of Australian-inspired cards and she said yes!  I'm so excited.  If you would like to check out the amazing cards she's made for this special even, click on over to her blog.

So we decided to go with the Green and Gold theme, which was REALLY hard for me, I never like this combination and to be honest, don't even like it as our National Colours, they just clash to me, but that's what our colours are, so let's go with it! I tried to make it work as best I could.

Anyhoo, here are my cards. 

This first one is a bit cheeky, it's a bit of a play on what I'm sure you poor unknowing 'foreigners' are subjected to in the media when it comes to Australians (Think Crocodile Dundee...*sigh* can anyone say Stereotype??). Anyway, I thought it would be funny to do a bit of a silly card to address the fact that very little in Australia, is like you see or hear in the media.

• Hero Arts (HA) Snow Chalk Ink stamped "Happy Birthday" (from H.A Birthday Sayings clear stamp set)repeatedly on vellum to tone down the UGLY orangey-yellow cardstock, I really love the effect. 
• HA Graph Background stamp in Tumbled Glass distress ink, stamped onto white cardstock, then edged/distressed with a little Walnut Stain DI. (Punched the edge with an EK Success Notebook edger punch). The "Just a Note" title and little paperclip are both from the Hero Arts "Just a Note" clear stamp set.
• HA Green ribbon (from their Christmas release) and some yellow eyelet-edged ribbon from my stash.
• HA Dark Green notecard from their "Foliage" set, which I swiped around the edges with the HA Snow White Chalk ink to make it a more attractive colour.

This is a TERRIBLE photo (sorry) but I was trying to show you my home-made brad using my handsome little baby Mr I-top and some cute gingham fabric.

I used Lawn Fawn's "Harold's ABC's" and H.A Happy Birthday Clear Stamps to stamp the sentiment in Memento Cantaloupe and Pear Tart inks.

Australia Day is generally one big party for most people, so the sentiment seemed appropriate (as well as making a bit more sense of the 'list' on the front of the card).

Here's card #2:

This card was kind of inspired by a card feature Nichol Magouirk did HERE.   I saw it months ago and always wanted to try to replicate it, so this is my take.

The backing card & circle frames

First I trimmed the Hero Arts Green notecard down to 4 1/4" long (it's already 4 1/4" wide, so no need to trim that too).

I used the Hero Arts CG144 "Time to Stamp" cling stamp and embossed with AC Zing Mustard Yellow embossing powder.

Next I took some matching yellow cardstock (AC textured) and cut it into a circle with my Spellbinders Nestabilities Standard Circles Large Die.  Then I cut a white circle with the smaller frame. I edged both with a touch of Peeled Paint Distress Ink and attached both to the centre of the card.

The Butterfly

Taking scraps of ribbon, I adhered them onto a small piece of plain cardstock. (any scrap cardstock will do fine)

**(I covered the cardstock with 'tape' from my Glu Glider Pro and then just lay the ribbon on top gently in case I needed to move any of them around, which I did in the end, before pressing the ribbon down firmly.)

I didn't bother to trim the ribbon ends if they were scrappy as they'd be cut off by the die anyhow.

Next, I ran my cardstock through my Big Shot machine using a Cuttlebug Butterfly die (I have no idea of the name, I got it ages ago).

Because of the thickness of the whole thing, the die didn't quite cut all the way through (I could have used an extra piece of cardstock as a 'shim', it would have helped), so I just carefully snipped any little areas that hadn't cut properly.

Then all I did was adhere it to the centre of the white circle (on an angle obviously) and added some pearls from the Prima e-line. (Remember me saying in my last post that I really need to update my prima stash?! lol)

Here is a close up of the butterfly. I love the textural look of it. In reality, it's very 'touchable'. The shiny sections of the two Hero Arts ribbons (the two green) really add something to it.

Although this card was made with the Australian colours in mind, it would work in a multitude of other colours. I'm actually thinking I'll make a sympathy card out of the exact same style, but with darker, more muted colours...I wish I could do that right now actually lol but no, I have another card for you!

OK!! Onto Card #3...(are you sick of me yet?!)

 This was actually the first card I made for this little challenge of ours, and I'm happy with it. I thought and thought and thought some more about it, did I want to add some red somewhere, should there be birds on the tree branches ...and you know what?! Yes, there could have been both of those things, but I'm going back to my trusty old 2011 Intentions album and trying to:

remember this?!

And so this card was left as it is!! And I happen to think it's pretty darn cute.

hope you like it too!

here's what I did

I stamped some white cardstock with the HA Graph Background stamp in Tim Holtz Pumice Stone DI.
Then I die cut them into clouds using Papertrey Ink (PTI) cloud dies.  I then edged the clouds with a touch of Broken China & Pumice Stone. I adhered one cloud flat to the blue notecard (also Hero Arts) and the smaller cloud on some dimensional tape, as you can see here.

I then cut a little circle from some yellow paper for the sun and attached it to the card, peeking out from behind the cloud.

Next I stamped the tree branches from the HA Kiss from the Sun Clear stamp set, using Memento Tuxedo Black ink and coloured in with Walnut Stain DI (and my Inking applicator from Ranger).

I stamped the HA Hello Flags (still one of my faves) using Memento Tuxedo Black again and then distress inked them with Mustard Seed and Peeled Paint. I then cut the flags out and laid them on the card to position them correctly before adhering them down with dimensional tape.

I added some twine from PTI to the branches (this took a LONG time to get the length right :)) and glued the twine behind the banners so it looked as though they were attached.

The "celebrate" sentiment is from HA Birthday Sayings Clear set and stamped in Mustard Seed Distress Ink.

Inside the card I've stamped "they say it's your birthday" in the same colour ink (Australia day is considered a bit of a birthday).

Uber simple and very much inspired by my lovely friend Joy's card, so I hope you like it! (But I know you'll LOVE Joy's one :))

Pop straight over to her blog HERE (right after you leave a comment :))

A big thank you to Joy for joining me on this fun challenge, I know how busy you are Joy, it means a lot to me that you found the time :)

If you have any questions about how something was done, as always, please let me know and I'll do a tutorial for you!

Thanks for looking!

Happy Australia Day friends

Linda xx

I'm back and I have a New Years Album for you!!

Hello!! 

Yes I've changed the background picture AGAIN, i know I know, I'm incorrigible, but I really love this one. I think the glittery image and the colours are truly beautiful and they're just what I'm hoping 2011 will be for me, bright, beautiful and sparkly :)

I've been reading a lot of blogs lately where the blogger just launches right into talking (or typing) about whatever they want to say, no greeting or anything and whilst I personally don't have any issue with that style, i quite like it truth be told, I just can't do it myself, so I'm going to have to start compiling a list of greetings to mix it up a bit!

A bit of a bits and pieces blog post for you today.

Firstly, thank you to all of you who have arrived here from the a2z blog and have shown me such support over the past 2 weeks. It's been really hard having the store closed down so abruptly, especially the closure of that part of my life. I truly loved doing my job 'over there' and I'm so sad that the opportunity for it to become something full time that could support my family (which is where I had hoped it would lead) has been removed from my grasp.
A lot has happened behind the scenes that I can't really talk about, but it's still difficult for me when I realise I'm no longer 'on track' to have that particular dream realised. That's ok though, difficult moments aside, I'm fine and I know it will work itself out some way or another.

I am glad however not to have to be working on my computer while the girls are awake, I really hated having to say 'no, I can't 'play/read with you/do stamping with you' etc etc now because I have to work.  So that's an upside.

Secondly, I'd like to let you know in advance, as I'm QUITE likely to forget to say anything closer to the time--Charlotte has to have another surgery on the 10th Feb, which is looming rather a lot closer than I'd like, but I'm (as with the last surgery) trying my best to stay positive and think nothing of it.  So, if you don't hear from me for a week or two around that time, it's because I'm with her in hospital or helping her recover at home. I think the recovery will be a bit more difficult this time as she's started walking a little now (and crawling SUPER fast) so I think she'll be pretty put out when she realises moving around is a bit hard and painful. Hopefully not for long though. Children seem so resilient don't they?

Ok, so if you're not a reader of Dawn McVey's blog, I suggest you pop over there to check out her latest few updates--she's just getting better and better! Some of her cards are just not my style, but they're always beautiful and classic. She's done some great creative things with die cuts this past week and they've really made my mojo wheel start turning. lol

Same with Joy Taylor. I've been a big fan of Joy's for a while now, but she just keeps blowing me away. I try to make uber-simple cards like hers and think "BLAH" but hers are so beautiful. And I'm so excited to say, we've become friends lately too :) 

So this year I'm 'doing' One Little Word with Ali Edwards over at Big Picture Scrapbooking. I've not started the actual class work yet (I've read the email though lol) but I've chosen my word.
The premise of the whole thing is that you choose a word (or 'let a word choose you') that you want to define or feature more prominently in your life for this year. I've chosen two words, as I just couldn't decide between them. My first (main) word is PEACE.  I need to find some (or a lot if possible!) Peace at the moment. In my head, in my house, in my everything. I need to let go of a lot of the 'stuff' I've been carrying around (both literally and figuratively) and just be at peace.  For various reasons the past 3 or so years has been exceedingly difficult for me in a few ways and it has eaten away at my joy and my ability to relax, not to mention my ability to enjoy my children, my husband, MY LIFE...and enough is enough. So, this year (and for all the years to come), I'm choosing to find PEACE.  If something starts to stress me out (which happens a lot as the mother of a strong minded 3 year old lol), I take a deep breath, go to my quiet, peaceful place and listen to the rustle of the trees. It's helping A LOT.

This is my quiet place

...

...

...

ok how's this for ironic. I can't find it...(well the picture anyway...SIGH). How appropriate.

Imagine a big wide field, nothing but low grass on the ground, tall TALL trees all around the perimeter of the field, rustling quietly as they sway in the breeze. that is my peaceful place. It's beautiful..honestly it is. I'll show you the photo when I find it again.

Anyhow, my other word (which is no less important to me, it just came to me later and I think could be integrated in with peace if I wanted it to), is Delight. I think most adults need to delight more. To try not to let the 'real world' and it's negativity bring us down, ruin the amazement we had as children. I'm trying to take a leaf from Isabella and Charlotte's book and find delight in everything--and even more so, I'm trying to delight in them.  I'm not one of those parent's who think "I can't wait to leave my kids with the babysitter so I can have some time to myself", I don't have anything against anyone who IS, but I'm just not. We've never left either girl with someone for more than maybe an hour. And that was to go to a chiropractor or a quick run to the shops to get some bread or medicine.  We've just never felt right about it. I'm not saying there aren't times when I would like or could use some alone time, but both Matt and I personally feel it's our responsibility to take care of them-- no one else's. And so, given that we're not into taking "time outs" or whatever you want to call them, I have to focus on finding them Delightful. I want to enjoy their company and love their BAZILLION questions and being the one to pick them up when they fall, the whole lot.

It's hard some days, but I find my peaceful place for a moment, get re-centred and re-focused and I have noticed, I'm able to find my Delight again.

So, in honour of the New Year, I made this little 'mini album' of sorts, I wanted it to be FULL of my favourite techniques with inking, embossing etc etc and it is. It's not polished, it's not overly "done" but that's part of my word Peace, I want to be able to find peace in the decision to leave things just as they are some times. To revel in the imperfection.  It's amazingly "releasing" (and yes, that's a word lol...or maybe not but who cares really? :))

I'm not big into resolutions, it seems so formal and stiff and LOCKED IN...i hate that feeling, the minute January 12th rolls around, I've usually gotten so sidetracked with life, I've forgotten to do them, then I feel like a disappointment...to who I don't know.

SO, in that mindset, I give you ... (warning:there are a LOT of photos coming.)

 The cover is a piece of acetate that I cut with a circle nestabilities die. I then stamped a little flower image from an OLD Hero Arts Stamp set using White Stayz On.

 I used letters and number stickers from my stash. The little square beige ones that spell out 'intentions' are Cosmo Cricket, the "my" is thickers, but they're a fabric covered type. love them. The flower is an older Prima one. (I really need to update my Prima stash lol)

 This page I inked up with Fired Brick, a tiny bit of Peeled Paint and Rusty Hinge Distress Inks using the 'ink on the mat then spritz then dip' technique. (lol) I then stamped the Hero Arts Musical Background in Black Soot and THEN again in 'Snow'  White Chalk ink by Hero Arts. The clock on the left is a Tim Holtz Stampers Anonymous stamp and the bookplate is a Making Memories one (I think.) Inside the bookplate I've stamped the 'sentiment' on vellum. (the word 'to' is handwritten with a white Gel Pen)

 I really love the reverse shadow effect of the black and white musical background and the bookplate is one of those things I've had in my stash forever and always meant to use. I LOVE IT.

 Next page is just simple Distress Inking, Peeled Paint, Chipped Sapphire and a touch of Shabby Shutters (my favourite new combo). The Celebrate life is stamped in black Memento ink and versamark with red embossing powder. The stamp is from Technique Tuesday (Ali Edwards).

 Maybe my favourite page. First, the La Letter Background stamp from Hero Arts stamped on beige cardstock in Walnut Stain DI. Then the Fancy Flourishes stamp with versamark and clear embossing powder (then heat set). THEN I used my fave colour combo again but just the Peeled Paint and Chipped Sapphire this time. I loooooooove how this page turned out. The thickers are AC. (the same fabric ones from the cover). I NEVER write with the word falling over onto the next line ( i usually hate it), I tried to fit this in word properly, but it just didn't look right, then I thought "how stupid, I'm worrying about how a word will look on the page...and the word is SIMPLIFY...ironic". so I lay the letters out like this and loved it. I'm so glad I did.

 this page is hard to see. I used the Village Hero Arts Stamp (woodblock) in white Stayz On on acetate, and I did the flower using Hero Arts Big Flower cling stamp with white embossing powder, then inked using Fired Brick and a touch of Worn Lipstick Distress Ink on the edges. I love using the resist technique.  The little tickets I bought off an etsy store and I used some old HA alphabet stamps to stamp 'act' and 'do'. (the whole statement for this page is 'dont plan, act and do'...hmmm I really have to work on this one.

 A better view.

 Another gorgeous colour combo that I did NOT think would work AT ALL. turns out I was wrong *gasp*. lol So this is Rusty Hinge (my newest addition to my DI collection), Tumbled Glass and a little Chipped Sapphire (I'm so in love with that colour!). Stamped the Music Background and heat embossed with white embossing powder. The big ol' scripty thickers are not only gorgeous and flouncy and pretty, but they're by American Crafts. (i *heart* you AC!!)

 This page is probably my least favourite, but again, I was simplifying and sometimes you just have to go with what happens right?! Script background in Antique Linen on the background (Ironically enough lol), then Fancy Flourishes in Walnut stain over the top. Antique linen and a TINY bit of Walnut Stain across the page to give some shading.  The washi tape is from a friend in Japan (Arigatou Mari san!!), the ticket from that etsy shop and the butterfly from a local store. TOTALLY horrible colour combination honestly, but I'm at peace with it...and that's the point right?!?!

 Final page (backwards). I stamped the Christmas wreath stamp on one side in white Stayz On ink. The other side of the acetate, I used alcohol inks...I like the mottled effect but wish I had more colours.

Some weird aqua furry thickers from AC...i like them :)

So that's it... I'll expect you all to hold me to my INTENTIONS if I falter :) 

What do you think?  Do you like? If you need a step by step on how to do any of the pages, please let me know, I'd be happy to show you.

There will be more posts in the next few days :) (I've already got the crafty items made!! *GASP*)

love, L xx

"Me this week".

I'll be totally honest with you, I'm in a foul mood today. Someone I care for greatly has been dealt a VERY low blow by someone who was supposed to care for them and it's left my friend upset, hurt and betrayed. I'm not quite sure how to deal with it. I too have been upset by this person but not to the extent of my friend. I'm trying lately to see the good in people, to be hopeful and happy...but on days like this, I find it hard to honestly. I'm not sure why people can be as cruel, thoughtless and downright abhorrent when it comes to their treatment of others, but I hope noone ever thinks of me this way. And I hope none of you lovely ladies (I'm fairly sure there aren't any men who read my blog other than my uber supportive hubby--love you!) have to go through such a day as my friend did.

Anyway, I wanted to share my first layout made with a Studio Calico kit. I've been in love with SC for quite some time (Especially Kelly Purkey) but I've never bought a kit until now. My kit arrived on Christmas Eve (hows that for a Merry Christmas huh?!) and I've just now finished a layout. It only took me about an hour total (which is like MACH 3 speed for me lol). I just saw the Sunday Sketch this week and it all fell into place (so nice when that happens isn't it?)

So here it is...

 The journalling reads 

• almost 31
• a mummy to the most beautiful girls ever.
• i love laughter
• feeling restless
• glad my hair is (finally) long
• a {lucky} wife to an awesome husband
• i wish more people were good
• trying '2B' more patient, calm, peaceful, happy...

 I made this little flower out of the wrinkly ribbon from the kit, 'fashioned' into a loop, then sewn together and fastened with a brad I made using my trusty I-top...

I love the dimension of this bit...the furry alphabet stickers from AC...love love love

Inside the envelope is (or if I'm being honest, will be as I haven't done it yet) a letter I'm writing to myself...I need to remind myself of all the good in my life right now and a good stern talking to will do the trick :) but I don't want it to be public for all to see, it's just for me to read.

Anyhoo, I hope you like.

I'll talk to you again soon. If you have a good thought or prayer or two left, please do one for my friend who needs the good in her life to outweight the difficult or bad; and of course, for the poor people in Queensland who are experiencing the toughest time in their lives.

Linda xx

Joy's blogaversary

It's been one year since the gorgeous Joy Taylor BURST onto the cardmaking scene and set up her blog www.jtcardmaking.blogspot.com--you simply MUST go check out her blog and her amazing cards!

She's also doing a fabulous giveaway you might want to enter to win *wink*

It's an amazingly warm day here in Perth today, so we're hiding inside in the airconditioning :) Unfortunately for me that means I get to listen to The Wiggles a dozen times a day--Isabella is totally, crazily, unconditionally in LOVE with the Wiggles at the moment. Oh the joys.

Ok, that's all for me today--just a quickie

Have a fabulous day friends!

Linda x

Guest Blogger Yenni!

Hello!!

Today I'm SUPER excited to show you the work of the gorgeous, Yenni!!

She has a fabulous blog http://scrapcollector.blogspot.com/  which I've personally been stalking  *cough* visiting frequently for quite a while now. *wink*

She always has such lovely creations and is just an all around lovely lady so we asked her if she would make something especially for the blog and thankfully she said Yes!

Here's some info about Yenni, written by the lady herself!

Hi my name is Yenni Natalia aka scrapcollector. My name will be pretty strange for you but it is very common in my hometown in Indonesia.
Currently I stay in Singapore with my husband and a cutie Westi named Garlic.   I started as a "fake" scrapbooker about 5 years ago. Why I called it fake? Because I hadn't even heard of the scrapbooker and didn't use the proper products (Such as those called acid free). I have just use all those 'every day' products- office (copy) paper, newspaper, kids paint/colour pencils,etc.
I was introduced to the real "scrapbook" world about 3 years ago. As a hobby, it goes on and off due to my busy schedule but that is where I start my adventure which has ended up with me as a card maker and I am hooked!!! I have been making cards from early 2010.  My card making style features more of colouring images than die cuts, however this year I would love to venture into a new style--shabby chic..I hope I will be success on it :)

And here is the GORGEOUS *sing song voice* shadow box frame she made;

 

I mean W.O.W right?!

OK so let's get right to how she put it together, Yenni was kind enough to take photos EVERY step of the way--told you she was fabulous!

Supplies needed. (a full list will be at the bottom of the post as always)

This is a frame from the $1 shop and the GORGEOUS Bo Bunny Crush Paper Pad 6"X6"

 

Remove the cardboard from inside the frame and paste your chosen Bo Bunny patterned paper. Trim off the extra using a craft knife.

Tips :Use light colour background if you wish to put more embellishment in the end of the projects.

Cut white cardstock to size (mine was 11 cm x 11.5 cm or 4 5/8" x 4 1/2")  Punch the longer edge of cardstock (width 11.5cm) using the Martha Stewart edger punch.  Cut a piece of pattern paper of your choice from the paper pack with size : 11.5cm x 10 cm (This is the brown paper you see). Affix the pattern paper on top of the cardstock as shown on the photo.

Take 3 frames from the maya road chipboard Love Notes series lay them out to check they fit properly as you can see here. 

Cover all the frames with pattern papers of your choice and trim it use craft knife follow the shape of the chipboards (shown below)

 

Once done distress the edges-use Frayed Burlap Distress Inks.

Time to fill each of the Maya Road frames :)

Glue the first small frame on the bottom right of the small pattern paper. "Fill" the frame with pink seam binding. Once done apply glue on top of the seam binding and sprinkle glitter on top of it.

Stamp a Tea Cup image onto pattern paper and colour it with copic markers to your taste. Cut out the image and affix it to the first frame. Do doodling and glitter to bring out the colour from the tea cup.
Cut about 4 cm (1 1/2")of pearl ribbon to create "steam" above the tea cup.

Stamp the sentiment "You're my cup of tea" on to scrap paper and cut as shown and distress the edges. Paste the cut sentiment next to the cup image.

 Paste the other smaller frame on the top right of the (brown) patterned paper and fill the frame with buttons. Stamp "Be Mine" sentiment from Hero Arts "So Sweet" Clear Stamp set on to scrap paper using versafine ink-sepia. Punch the sentiment using a 3/4" dimension Circle punch from EK Success. 

Distress the edges with distress ink.
Adhere the circle on to the buttons. (Glossy Accents would be perfect for this)

Trim a photo to fit the largest frame and adhere together.  Paste the frame on the top left of the brown patterned paper.

Decorate the frames with glitters and flowers. Here I used pink roses to match the theme.

Apply white acrylic paint to the small chandellier stamp. Stamp it on to the transparency and quickly pour glitter on top of it.

Once it is dry cut out the image and leave it aside.

Tip: using acrylic paint on the stamp will give a weathered look.

Create a ruffle of seam binding on the bottom part from the frame like shown on the photo.

Affix heart shape felt on top of the ruffle seam binding.

The final step is to adhere the paint-stamped Chandelier to the outside of the frame.

This is the final product;

Supplies :

Frame (from dollar shop) there are several frames to choose from in our store HERE
Bo Bunny 6x6 paper pack Crazy Love collection. (We have Bo Bunny Crush 6x6 pad in store now)Bazzill Cardstock White Canvas 12 x 12
Martha Stewart Pinking Scallop Edge Punch
Maya Road frames Love notes (a perfect substitute would be the Making Memories Pitter Patter Sophie Velvet Frames
Hero arts CL276 So Sweet
Hero arts H 5327 Small chandelier
dyed seam bindingbuttons
flowers
maya road heart trinket **Pearl ribbons
Tim Holtz Distress Ink-Frayed Burlap
Heart shape pearls (the Hero Arts Hearts Accent Pearls would be PERFECT!)Martha stewart fine glitter
white acrylic paint.Ranger Stickles- star dustcopic markers to colour the tea cup.
Transparency (Stampendous Thermo Acetate)

 I'd like to say a HUGE thank you to Yenni for making this for the blog and especially--for making it SO QUICKLY!! You're the best Yenni :)

OK, I can't type anymore, I have to head to the shop to buy what I need to recreate this :) *teehee*

Have a great day friends!

Take care

Linda x