Night Owl Designs

Bloom

2012-02-13T00:19:00.001+11:00

Here's the second card I made for the recent Crafter's Workshop showcase in Cardmaking Stamping & Papercraft magazine. As you can see, I went a different route with this card. I used the daisy stencil and drenched it (and myself... and my desk) with glimmer mist. I stenciled the largest daisy on different coloured cardstock and cut them out to form a big, bright posy on the side of the card. Lots of messy fun :-)

Stamps - alphabet of your choice
Ink - Versa Magic midnight black, Tattered Angels glimmer mist
Card - Bazzill
Embellishments - Kaisercraft pearls, button
Other - Crafter's Workshop mini daisy doodad stencil, gold glitter glue, embroidery thread

Shine

2012-02-09T23:42:00.002+11:00

Last month I took part in a product challenge for Cardmaking, Stamping & Papercraft magazine. The product I was given to play with was a set of Crafters' Workshop stencils. This is one of the cards I made for the challenge. After much experimentation with different inks and methods of application, I decided to lay the stencil over a piece of black card and ink it with Versa Mark ink. I then shook embossing powder over the wet ink and melted the powder with a heat gun. This left me with a background that became the foundation for a funky boy's card. My second card was just as fun to make but a *lot* messier :-) Enjoy your weekend.

Ink - Versa Mark
Card: Bazzill black, kraft
Embellishments: Darkroom Door photobooth gentleman, Collections word, orange tape, black brads
Other - Crafter's Workshop mini numbers collage stecil, verdisgris embossing powder, heat tool, sandpaper

Princess

2012-02-02T12:58:00.000+11:00

I have a weakness for "girlie" things and this tag captures that weakness perfectly. It's pink, it's shabby, it's vintage. My favourite thing about this tag? The hat! ARTchix make the most beautiful, funky collage sheets. I'm down to my last few hats but luckily this one suited the tag; the blue really pops against the hot pink background. Happy Thursday :-)

Stamp - Catslife Press
Ink - Brilliance pearlescent orchid
Embellishments - ARTchix Studio clip art, Design Originals clip art, button, ribbon
Other - sandpaper, hole punch

Sweets

2012-01-26T18:50:00.000+11:00

My friend Leisa sent me the most beautiful brown paper bags. They're made by Poppies for Grace, a US stationary company. Technically they're for lollies but I used one to make a gift bag for Leisa's birthday. I started by painting the foliage and birds using watercolours and just a touch of glitter glue. Next up was a
multi-layered flower and a miniature peg to close the bag. I made a tag to match and voila! I was so happy with the result and am brainstorming ideas for the rest of these sweet little bags :-)

Paper gift bag
Embellishments - miniature peg, button, mulberry paper flower, silk flower
Other - watercolour pencils, gold glitter glue, large silver rhinestone

Tag
Ink - StazOn timber brown
Paper - Wild Asparagus
Card - Canson
Embellishments - Darkroom Door photobooth lady, Prima flowers, brad
Other - sandpaper

Seth

2012-01-20T12:29:00.000+11:00

It seems all I do lately is make baby cards. I've made more baby cards in the last twelve months than I have in my entire life! The latest is this made-to-order card for my friend Leisa (hi Leisa!). The only stipulation was that the baby's name had to be on the card. And it had to have a banner. So really that's two stipulations! I couldn't resist adding a paper flower - so fun and easy to make, and I found the perfect centre for the flower - an inscribed Making Memories washer - in my collection of charms. Maybe this baby-card making business ain't so bad after all :-)

Paper - GCD Studios, assorted
Card - Bazzill
Embellishments - Making Memories charmed washer, Nostalgiques alphabet stickers, Collections gallery print, brad, buttons, silk leaves
Other - sewing needle, embroidery thread, sandpaper

Rock Chic

2012-01-13T20:24:00.001+11:00

This set of cards was published in Cardmaking, Stamping & Papercraft late last year. I'm now caught up on my magazine posts! I have to say I really like these cards. I used lots of Darkroom Door products (the stamps are especially gorgeous) and kept it all very simple. The cream and black colour scheme is a bit of a change for me but I love how it turned out. It was fun, too, scavenging through my collection of ends and ends for musical-themed embellishments. It's amazing what you find when you start looking!

Stamps - Darkroom Door
Ink - StazOn jet black
Paper - Darkroom Door
Card - Canson
Embellishments - Darkroom Door music photochips, Darkroom Door music wordstrips, Darkroon Door music filmstrips, Collections chipboard wings, Scrap FX chipboard music note, music charms, ribbon
Other - Plaid glass finish, sandpaper, jump rings

Small Beginnings

2012-01-07T23:21:00.000+11:00

This is a card from a recent issue of Cardmaking, Stamping & Papercraft. The theme here was beads and I decided to use a small amount of seed beads to fill the centre of a flower. The fun bit was using a needle to apply tiny drops of glue and individual beads to the petals :-) I wanted to keep this card clean and simple so I eschewed patterned paper (eek! I'm not very good with "blank space") and kept the colours to a minimum. The ribbon stem and leaves were fun to make too.

Stamp - Darkroom Door
Ink - Brilliance graphite black
Card - Bazzill
Embellishments - Collections butterfly prints, mulberry paper flower, large gold silk flower, seed beads, ribbon

Can You Fly In Your Dreams?

2012-01-04T13:33:00.000+11:00

My first post of 2012 and I'm back-tracking to a copy of Cardmaking, Stamping & Papercraft that was released a month or so before Christmas. I had several projects in this issue, the first being a card I made for the pink/beige/blue gallery. I had an idea for a painted background and then building the design from there, so I used an old credit card to apply the pink and blue paint to a piece of canvas. Stitching the buttons and lace to the canvas was the laborious part but I love the shabby-chic effect. Totally worth the effort. The frame was a little tricky. I realised too late that I should have sanded it before applying the paint - it didn't want to stick!

Stamp - Catslife Press (text)
Ink - Versa Magic Agean blue
Card - Bazzill
Embellishments - K&Company metal frame, lace, buttons, porcelain flower, satin wings
Other - acrylic paint, paintbrush, old credit card, sewing needle, embroidery thread

Under The Sea

2011-12-30T18:08:00.002+11:00

We're just two days out from 2012 and I'm behind on blogging my 2011 creations. Oopsie! This is one of the (many) tags I still have to share from the collection I made my friend Amy for Christmas. It's one of a handful of boy-friendly designs I came up with. Meanwhile, you may have noticed I've updated my blog with new wallpaper and graphics. I've also been replacing some of the older photographs on the site with new (better) versions. This won't be possible for every card (I've given a lot away!) but I hope to re-photograph at least 2/3 of my collection. Oh, and my New Year's resolution is to blog more often - I have so much to share! See you in 2012!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Paper - Graphic 45
Card - Bazzill
Embellishments - Kaisercraft rhinestones, ribbon
Other - hole punch

25 December

2011-12-23T15:05:00.000+11:00

My last post before Christmas! The hours are flying by and computer time is *very* limited at the moment. Thank you to everyone who has visited my blog this year and left a comment. Hope Santa brings you all something inky for Christmas.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Paper - Imaginisce
Card - Bazzill
Embellishments - Imaginisce die-cut numbers, Kaisercraft rhinestones, red velvet ribbon, found clip art
Other - gold glitter glue

A Joyous Christmas

2011-12-17T12:40:00.000+11:00

Here's another tag from my Christmas efforts this year! As you can see I've used several pieces of clip art - the wreath came from a store-bought card (it pays to check before recycling them!), the Christmas label is from an issue of Somerset Studio, and the photograph of the little girl is by Collections. Meanwhile, I've just realised I'm short a couple of cards so it's back to the studio for me. Have a lovely weekend!

Paper - Basic Grey
Embellishments - Collections antique photograph, Stampington & Comapny clip art, found clip art, ribbon
Other - gold litter glue, circle punch, hole punch, sandpaper

Santa Baby

2011-12-15T16:48:00.000+11:00

It's the week before Christmas and I've finally finished my cards. I've even had time to whip up a handful of small tags for the home-baked goodies we (my mother and I) plan to make next week - ginger snaps, chocolate brownies, white Christmas, fruitcake, etc. I'll try to remember to photograph them before they're distributed :-) Meanwhile, here's a tag I made for my cousin Angus's present. I'm thrilled with the red velvet ribbon. It was a bit of a nightmare to tie (it has a plasticised back which tears if you pull it too tightly) but it was one of my star finds at the Christmas sales last year. Love it!

Stamp - Amazing Creations (baubles), Imaginisce (Santa gnome)
Ink - Brilliance platinum planet, StazOn jet black
Paper - Basic Grey
Card - Bazzill
Embellishments - red velvet ribbon, satin ribbon
Other - gold glitter glue, watercolour pencils, hole punch

Merry and Bright

2011-12-11T12:04:00.001+11:00

I've just realised I'm running out of time to share my Christmas creations. Where has December gone? Yikes! I made this card for my friend Donna in the States. I thought the pastel colours were perfect for a Minnesota Christmas (which I believe is frigid!). The clip art is something I've been holding onto for a while and this was the perfect card to make use of it. I'm almost finished with year's Christmas cards - just a tag or two to go. I was lucky to have a couple spare from last year but next year I'll be starting from scratch. A daunting prospect! LOL

Ink - Versa Magic sea breeze
Paper - Imaginisce
Card - Bazzill
Embellishments - Stampington & Company clip art, Making Memories number stickers, brads, ribbon, timber star
Other - gold glitter glue, sandpaper

Warhol-esque

2011-12-08T21:12:00.003+11:00

Another boys tag, this one for the young at heart. I was inspired by Andy Warhol's famous pop art prints of celebrities like Marilyn Monroe. I would have liked to have had a third shade of blue ink, but, alas, I had to make do with two. I still think it looks fun though! Just imagine what you could do with a different stamp and colours of ink. I think I'll be playing with this idea more in the New Year :-)

Stamp - Stampington & Comapny
Ink - Versa Magic agean blue and sea breeze
Card - Canson
Embellishments - ribbon
Other - hole punch

Little Fish

2011-12-05T14:55:00.001+11:00

In the process of making my 51 tags I found I had an over-abundance of pink, girly designs. Cue panic! I raided my stamp collection and resurrected a few old stamps I haven't used for years. This Stampendous fish is one of my poor, neglected wood block stamps. I simply stamped and watercoloured the image, added a couple of swivels, some fibres (remember the fibre craze?!) and a liberal amount of glitter glue. *Really* happy with this one!

Stamp - Stampendous
Ink - StazOn jet black
Paper - Scrappin' Sports
Embellishments - fishing swivels, assorted fibres
Other - gold glitter glue, watercolour pencils, paintbrush, hole punch

Chic

2011-12-03T13:58:00.002+11:00

It's a beautiful day here in Newcastle! I'm just back from Christmas shopping at the Olive Tree Markets - so many inspiring things to look at. And buy :-) Meanwhile, I've finally finished my tag project! I have all 51 packaged in a pretty gift box with a gold gel pen and a big ribbon bow on top. Big sigh of relief. I still have a bunch to share with you, including this fashion inspired design. I promise to post more regularly this week to get through the rest of the tags. I have lots of Christmas stuff to share as well! Busy busy.

Stamp - Stamp-It, Inkadinkado
Ink - StazOn jet black
Card - Bazzill
Embellishments - ribbon
Other - watercolour pencils, hole punch, gold glitter glue

Life is Good

2011-11-26T12:31:00.000+11:00

I've spent much of this week making Christmas cards for my family and friends. I have a few still to go but I also managed to make a few more tags for my BFF's Christmas present. I made half-a-dozen of these layered flower tags. How could I not - especially after they were proclaimed her most favourite tags ever! My fate was kind of sealed after that :-) Lucky for me they're fun to make and take no time at all to put together. And there's no need for different sized circle punches; I just draw them free-hand and cut them out with scissors. The wobblier the better!

Stamp - Tim Holtz
Ink - Versa Mark
Paper - assorted
Card - Bazzill
Embellishments - Pebbles Inc. masking tape stickers, ribbon, punched leaves, button
Other - hole punch, sewing needle, embroidery thread

Cottage Christmas

2011-11-21T12:41:00.001+11:00

I have a quick Christmas project to share - as seen in last month's Cardmaking, Stamping and Papercraft magazine. It's a set of tags I designed around these beautiful Imaginisce die-cuts. I spied them in my LLS and knew I had to have them. I thought they'd suit a shabby chic theme - buttons, lace, rhinestones and inked timber stars. I had some bells and other odds and ends lying around so I used them too :-) Sometimes it's hard to know when to stop LOL.

Ink - Versa Magic sea breeze
Paper - Imaginisce
Card - Bazzill
Embellishments - Imaginisce die-cut numbers, Kaisercraft rhinestones, ribbon, timber stars, gold bell, buttons, silk holly leaf
Other - sewing needle, embroidery thread, hole punch

Legacy

2011-11-11T00:16:00.000+11:00

My little sister is a bridesmaid in a wedding tomorrow and she requested a card to give to the bride and groom. She also specified the colour sheme - purple, green and gold - which was a fun challenge. I decided to go for a more modern look and feel with this card. But... I couldn't help making a few concessions to my first love - vintage.

Stamp - Stamp-It
Ink - Brilliance galaxy gold
Paper - GCD Studios, Making Memories, gold shimmer
Card - Bazzill
Embellishments - Cristina Re pearl brads, Cristina Re white diamond brads, Kaisercraft rhineastones, Collections altered book word, gold satin ribbon, lace

XOX

2011-11-04T20:33:00.000+11:00

Once again I have a back log of tags to share. I guess that's to be expected when you make 50+ for a Christmas present! I'm especially happy with this design. I have a bit of a thing for bunting at the moment. Seriously, I find myself sticking triangles to every card I make. That's after I painstakingly draw and cut them out One. At. A.Time. Somebody stop me!

Paper - Kaisercraft, assorted off-cuts
Embellishments - Making Memories alphabet stickers, buttons, ribbon
Other - sewing needle, embroidery thread, hole punch

14 December

2011-10-27T20:25:00.002+11:00

I've been trying to get a move on with my Christmas cards. I have a bunch to make and *really* want to avoid a last-minute rush to get them done. I've set this one aside for my friend Amy, who doesn't read my blog so it's safe to share here :-) The Imaginisce number is my favorite part of the card. The sheet of paper it came from (numbers 1 through 25) was a lucky find at my LSS. I wish I'd bought more LOL

Paper - Basic Grey, Imaginisce, Creative Imaginations
Card - Bazzill
Embellishments - Kaisercraft rhinestones, Imaginisce die-cut numbers, daisy chain, satin ribbon

Colette

2011-10-16T19:33:00.001+11:00

I've written (read: gushed) about my love for Acey Deucy, so of course I couldn't resist making a few tags using one of my all time favourite stamps: Colette. There's so much going on in this small image - phrenology head decorated with flowers and foliage, ink spots, handwriting, postage marks, a tassel and ribbon, and a masque. So much arty goodness! I'm kind of kicking myself for not making extra at the time, to put aside for my own use. Ah well. Another rainy day project :-)

Stamp - Acey Deucy
Ink - StazOn jet black
Card - Bazzill
Embellishments - Cristina Re pearl brad, small silk flower, assorted fibres,
Other - hole punch, watercolour pencils, gold glitter glue

Happy Holidays

2011-10-07T19:17:00.001+11:00

My first Christmas post of 2011! I made this card for a time management feature in Cardmaking, Stamping & Papercraft but it didn't make it into the issue (FYI - I got a little carried away with the design and my "simple" version of this card wasn't so simple!) This is the advanced version and I wanted to share it with you for no other reason than I love and adore the candy cane on the front of the card. I'm not ashamed to say they were my star find at Kmart last year :-) LOL

Stamp - Imaginisce
Ink - StazOn jet black, Distress antique linen
Paper - Basic Grey
Card - Bazzill
Embellishments - Kaisercraft rhinestones, buttons, daisy chain lace, plastic candy cane, assorted ribbon, aida cloth
Other - gold glitter glue

Fly Me to the Moon

2011-10-03T13:48:00.003+11:00

It's absolutely bucketing down here in Newcastle.....which means it's perfect weather for makin' and creatin'. Annnnnnnnd speaking of makin', here's another tag to add to my collection of 50. I didn't have kids in mind when I made this one but I think it would be great for a little boy or girl. The eyes make it :-)

Stamps - Print Blocks (owl), Paper Artsy (text)
Ink - Versa Magic midnight black
Paper - Kaisercraft, white mulberry
Card - Bazzill
Embellishments - moon rhinestone, googly eyes, satin ribbon
Other - hole punch, gold glitter glue

Awesome

2011-09-30T22:27:00.002+10:00

I've been making great progress with my tags; I've even managed a few kids designs! I think this cute robot would be perfect for a little girl's birthday. I especially like the band of sparky pink and red rhinestones. The tape is something I forgot I had but I'm so glad I found it because I love the look of it, and it's a different way of attaching something to a card. Will definitely be on the look-out for more :-)

Paper - Darkroom Door
Card - Bazzill
Embellishments - Darkroom Door robot montage, Darkroom Door wordstrip, Kaisercraft rhinestones, grosgrain ribbon, green tape
Other - hole punch

Quinn

2011-09-22T20:10:00.001+10:00

A little while ago I mentioned I was making cards for friends who have babies due this month and next. The cards are similar so I'll only blog one of them. This is Quinn's card. Right now I have a "thing" for banners and I couldn't resist adding one across the top of the card. Also, the little hand-cut triangles are a great way of using up scraps. The baby picture came from a gift bag that I pulled apart and cut up (yay recycling!) and the trims and buttons come from my seemingly unending supply. I'm not sure what baby Quinn will make of it, but I have a feeling his mummy will love it :-)

Stamp - Stampington & Company
Ink - Brilliance graphite black
Paper - Kaisercraft, GCD Studios, assorted
Card - Bazzill
Embellishments - Nostalgiques alphabet stickers, green daisy chain, buttons, printed satin ribbon, found baby clip art
Other - sewing needle, yellow embroidery thread

Dreams Are

2011-09-15T17:49:00.000+10:00

Another tag... with stamping! I love this little tag; I think the colours are especially pretty. I'm well on my way to 50 tags - just 10 to go now. I spread them all out on my desk today and found that I have heaps of girly designs but very few that would be suitable for kids. So that's my next task: raiding my supplies and brainstorming a few kids tags :-)

Stamp - Inkadinkado
Ink - StazOn jet black
Paper - Cosmo Cricket
Card - Canson
Embellishments - Kaisercraft rhinestones

Have Fun

2011-09-11T15:55:00.009+10:00

Here's another little tag that I've made for my friend Amy. At last count I'd made 34 tags. I hope to get 50 done by Christmas. As with all the other tags in the collection, it's a simple design which makes for easy (and speedy!) replication. You'll notice this tag has some stamping: most of the tags I've created so far have no stamping whatsoever, so I'm going to make a concerted effort in the future to use more stamps (even if it is a bit messier and involves a little more work :-)

Stamp - PSX
Ink - Versamark
Paper - Graphic 45
Card - Canson
Embellishments - satin ribbon
Other - Dymo label maker, Dymo tape, hole punch

10 Quick Cards

2011-09-02T12:26:00.000+10:00

As the title says, these are cards-on-the-quick! I made this set for Cardmaking, Stamping & Papercraft's 10 Quick Cards feature, but they'd be a fun project to make at home - it's always good to have a few cards on hand for emergencies :-) They're super easy to put together and can be created with any card and paper scraps you have lying on your craft table. I used kraft cardstock because it goes with everything (and I like the look of it) but coloured card would look nice too.

Stamps - Inkadinkado
Ink - Versa Magic midnight black
Paper - Kaisercraft
Card - kraft
Embellishments - Kaisercraft die-cuts, Kaisercraft rhinestones, buttons, ribbon
Other - circle punch, sewing needle, embroidery thread, white paint pen

Double Trouble

2011-08-26T19:05:00.000+10:00

I have two more projects to share from the early August issue of Cardmaking, Stamping and Papercraft, then I'll be up to date! This card was originally made for a harlequin/diamonds challenge but the feature was scrapped and the card was moved to an all-purpose card gallery instead. I was just thankful to see it in print :-) What I like most about this card is the stamped image. Don't you love watermark ink?! I almost always use black ink but sometimes a soft, pastel look is just the ticket :-)

Stamp - The Queen's Dresser Drawers
Ink - Versamark
Paper - Foofala
Card - Bazzill
Embellishments - Making Memories stickers, button, ribbon, brad, photo turn
Other - gold glitter glue, sandpaper, sewing needle, white embroidery thread

Thinking of You

2011-08-21T16:07:00.000+10:00

I think sympathy cards are the most difficult of all cards to make - harder even than boys cards. I made this set around the time I needed a sympathy card for a family friend. I searched through my stamp collection and decided butterflies fit the theme perfectly. I wanted to use only a minimum of black, hence the watermark ink. The paper butterflies were simply made by stamping a butterfly on scrap card, cutting it out, then tracing it onto the patterned paper. You can see this set of cards in this month's Cardmaking, Stamping & Papercraft magazine :-)

Stamps - Darkroom Door (butterflies), Tuscan Rose (trellis plaque)
Ink - Versamark, Brilliance graphite black
Paper - Cristina Re
Card - Canson
Embellishments - Collections altered book words, lace
Other - Fiskars corner punch, sandpaper

A Wise Father

2011-08-15T21:57:00.000+10:00

I was very fortunate to have a few projects in this month's issue of Cardmaking, Stamping & Papercraft. I made this card for the Father's Day gallery. I was stumped at first, I didn't know what to make, but I found this Darkroom Door image in my stash and the card kind of made itself in my head, if you know what I mean LOL. I had a lovely time foraging in the garden for a good-looking stick (!) and getting messy painting acrylic leaves with a silver pen (bright green leaves just didn't look right). Stamping out the quote, letter-by-letter was a bit of a nightmare but it looks good! All-in-all, I was really happy with the finished product :-)

Stamps - Ma Vinci (alphabet)
Ink - Distress antique linen, Versa Magic midnight black
Paper - white mulberry
Card - Bazzill
Embellishments - Darkroom Door wilderness montage, acrylic leaves, button, ribbon, black mesh
Other - Krylon silver leafing pen, green wire, embroidery thread, sewing needle, small stick from the garden

Ahoy Me Hearties

2011-08-12T14:22:00.001+10:00

A while ago I posted a card I made with one of my market finds - a Lego pirate - which you can see here. It was one of two cards I made using pirates. This is the second one. It was fun coming up with the embellishments, particularly the map-in-a-bottle which I filled with sand and sealed with beeswax and the toy compass, one of my purchases from Sky Blue Pink.

Have a wonderful weekend, whatever you're up to. Me? I'll be making more tags :-)

Stamps - Ma Vinci (alphabet)
Ink - StazOn jet black
Paper - Paper Pizazz, K&Company
Card - Canson
Embellishments - Lego pirate, miniature compass, small glass bottle, mesh ribbon
Other - sandpaper, embroidery thread, beeswax, heat tool, sand

Get Well Soon

2011-08-08T14:38:00.000+10:00

I had the most awesome suprise today: a shiny new copy of Stampers' Sampler with one of my cards inside! A few months ago I submitted a card for the umbrella template challenge, and lo and behold it made it into the gallery. What a great way to start the week!

Stamp - Stamp-It
Ink - Versamark, StazOn jet black
Paper - Kaisercraft, canvas
Card - Bazzill
Embellishments - Kaisercraft rhinestones, Carolee's Creations alphabet stickers, ribbon, lace
Other - gold wire, pliers, watercolour pencils, scallop-edge scissors

Flower Power

2011-08-04T22:28:00.003+10:00

I'm still working on tags for my friend's Christmas present. Here are the results of my latest efforts. I based these on a set of cards I made for Cardmaking, Stamping and Papercraft (post coming soon!). I had leftover paper and cardstock and my desk was already a mess so I decided to make these for her collection. The paper flowers are super easy to make - cut various sized circles from patterned paper, crumple them up and stitch them together with a button in the centre. Oh, and you don't need a fancy die-cutting machine for the circles: just use a gold ol' pair of scissors!

Stamps - Inkadinkado
Ink - Brilliance graphite black
Paper - Kaisercraft
Card - kraft
Embellishments - buttons, black satin ribbon
Other - leaf punch, hole punch, pink embroidery thread

1, 2, 3

2011-07-27T23:08:00.000+10:00

I've been thinking a lot lately about kids and baby cards, probably because I have two honorary nephews with two more on the way. And they're all boys! Right now I'm working on a pair of baby cards but while searching for inspiration I found this card in the archives (ie. in one of my storage boxes) and I've put it aside for future use. It's an oldie but a goodie!

Paper - Carolee's Creations
Card - Canson
Embellishments - K&Company epoxy sticker, Prima flowers, flower sequins, pearls, gingham ribbon
Other - sewing needle, emboidery thread

The Pace of Nature

2011-07-22T21:03:00.002+10:00

Still making tags! Here's another idea for a quick, all-purpose tag. And best of all, you can use some of those scraps and off-cuts you've been saving to make it :-)

Stamp - Darkroom Door (text)
Ink - Brilliance graphite black
Paper - Basic GreyCard - Bazzill
Embellishments - Collections butterfly print, Kaisercraft pearl, Kaisercraft rhinestone, satin ribbon
Other - hole punch

Treasure

2011-07-09T17:15:00.000+10:00

I have a backlog of tags to share with you. This particular tag is from the batch I made last year but I'm working on a new lot now, a Christmas present for my friend Amy. I hope to make 50 or so by December, which sounds like a lot but making a few at a time, when you've got materials out for other projects, isn't so bad. I've made 18 and counting!

Paper - Collections, K&Company
Embellishments - Collections circle word, Collections clip art, ribbon
Other - antique brass jump ring, pliers, hole punch, sandpaper

Happy Birthday

2011-07-06T19:31:00.000+10:00

Here's a card I made for my friend's 60th birthday. I wanted to do something a bit fun so I made an owl - covered in hot pink glitter (what else?!) - the centrepiece of the card. Bawhahahahaha! I especially like how the black flourish sticker resembles a tree branch (I was too lazy to venture outside and forage for a good-looking stick). The little cluster of candy-coloured flowers with their pearl centres look fun too. Very happy with this one!

Stamp - Inkadinkado (text)
Ink - Brilliance graphite black
Paper - Daisy D's, Basic Grey
Card - Bazzill
Embellishments - Prima flowers, Kaisercraft pearls, Kaisercraft rhinestones, American Crafts ribbon, Collections chipboard owl, Sticko black flourish sticker, button
Other - embroidery thread, sewing needle, pink glitter glue

Mr. Mouse

2011-07-01T17:41:00.000+10:00

Here is the birthday card to match the one in this post. As I mentioned previously, I struggled with this second card and ended up using a similar lay-out and colour scheme; even the embellishments are similar! What can I say. Twins! I see a lot of similar card-making conundrums in my future :-)

Ink - Versa Magic agean blue
Paper - GCD Studios, assorted blue and cream off-cuts
Card - Bazzill, kraft
Embellishments - Blue Cardigan clip art, Carolee's Creations alphabet stickers, Kaisercraft rhinestones, Pebbles Inc. number sticker, green paper leaves, buttons, wood-cut heart, white twill, ribbon, lace daisy chain trim
Other - embroidery thread, sewing needle

Play

2011-06-26T14:19:00.002+10:00

Recently I've been working on birthday cards for twin boys, which given my aversion to kids/boys cards, has been quite a challenge. I decided to use only what I had in my collection - no buying stuff I didn't need! I kept the colours simple and fresh - blue, cream, white and yellow - and the design fun but uncluttered. Not too "cutesy" :-) This card is my favourite of the two, probably because I used up all my good ideas on this card and struggled to make the second! All things considered though, I'm happy.

Stamp - Amazing Creations (small star)
Ink - Versa Magic agean blue
Paper - GCD Studios, assorted blue and cream off-cuts
Card - Bazzill
Embellishments - Making Memories de-fined sticker, Kaisercraft rhinestone, Pebbles Inc. number sticker, Blue Cardigan clip art, wood-cut star, white twill, button
Other - embroidery thread, sewing needle

Take Flight

2011-06-22T13:46:00.005+10:00

Computer problems have kept me from updating my blog but (fingers crossed) it's fixed now. Soooooo, this is a card I have in the new issue of Cardmaking, Stamping & Papercraft. I created it for a doily challenge. As you can see, I used a doily stamp to create a layered flower, but other contributors experimented with fabric, rub-ons and punches. There are some beautiful cards in this issue, check it out!

Stamp - Stampabilities, Paper Artsy
Ink - Versa Magic midnight black
Paper - Basic Grey
Card - Bazzill
Embellishments - Collections chipboard bluebird, Kaisercraft rhinestones, large silk flower, ribbon, yellow button
Other - silver glitter glue, sandpaper

French Flag

2011-06-11T21:10:00.002+10:00

As promised, here is the second card I created for Cardmaking, Stamping & Papercraft's recent Stamp-It stampers' challenge. I wanted to do something bright and bold this time, and had the idea to paint the French flag. Easier said than done! Getting those lines straight - arrrgghhh! In the end I used an old credit card to apply the paint. The sparkle you can see is a light wash of twinkling H2Os over the dry surface. Nothing too complicated but a nice result, I think :-)

Stamp - Stamp-It
Ink - Brilliance graphite black
Paper - canvas sheet
Card - Bazzill
Embellishments - satin ribbon, black brads, button
Other - LuminArte twinkling H2Os, embroidery thread, watercolour acyclic paints, old credit card

Paris Journey

2011-06-03T15:24:00.001+10:00

I was so happy to participate in the Stamp-It stampers' challenge in the new issue of Cardmaking, Stamping & Papercraft. Vintage-style stamps are right up my alley and I had fun coming up with two completely different interpretations for my contribution. The first is very old world Paris. I used a few of my precious found objects - a vintage cameo in a filigree setting and an old gold cufflink. Other touches include lots of melted beeswax and copper tape. Stay tuned for my second card, which is as bright as this one is dark :-) Have a lovely weekend everyone!

Stamp - Stamp-It
Ink - StazOn timber brown
Paper - K&Company
Card - Bazzill
Embellishments - Petaloo mulberry flower, Collections vintage postcard, Darkroom Door wordstrip, ribbon, vintage cameo, vintage cufflink, buttons
Other - copper tape, sandpaper, beeswax, heat tool, embroidery thread

Dream

2011-05-28T13:14:00.002+10:00

Just a quickie post today :-) I'm still playing with the faux watercolour technique and having fun making a godalmightly mess. This a card I made for Mother's Day, very simple and but colourful and I love the little butterflies. I've made a handful of tags as well which I'll post ASAP. Hope you have a wonderfully inky weekend!

Stamps - Darkroom Door, Collections
Ink - Distress peeled paint, dusty concord, fired brick, spiced marmalade; Marvy sea foam; Brilliance graphite black
Card - Bazzill, Canson
Embellishments - Kaisercraft rhinestones, satin ribbon
Other - Plaid gold glitter glue, spray water bottle

Happy Birthday

2011-05-23T17:47:00.002+10:00

Cards for men = pain! drama! angst! Which is probably why I never have any on hand and it's always a mad scramble to make something last-minute. Exhibit A - this is a birthday card I made the night before I needed it. It went through a few incarnations before I was happy to give it away. I had this beautiful Graphic 45 paper that I picked up super cheap at one of my local scrapbooking stores. It's from the Alice in Wonderland collection and I couldn't resist the rabbit print, even if he was a nightmare to cut-out! All other trims and embellishments were straight from my box of off-cuts and odds and ends.

Stamp - Inkadinkado
Ink - Brilliance graphite black, Brilliance platinum planet
Paper - Graphic 45
Card - Bazzill
Embellishments - Kaisercraft rhinestones, Collections chipboard frame, double-sided ribbon, buttons, lace trim
Other - embriodery thread

Friendship Flowers

2011-05-16T17:32:00.004+10:00

I think I had too much fun making these cards (is that even possible?). The mess I made - OMG! There was water and ink from one end of my desk to the other. These cards are made for a special edition of Cardmaking, Stamping & Papercraft. The technique I used is faux watercolour, which involves generous amounts of dye ink and a spray water bottle. The result is an ethereal wash of colour, reminiscent of a watercolour painting. Not all stamps are suitable for this technique; bold, simple designs work best, like these Darkroom Door flowers. So....... experiment, have fun and get messy!

Stamps - Darkroom Door
Ink -Versamark, Distress peeled paint, dusty concord, aged mahogany, StazOn jet black
Card - Bazzill
Embellishments - Kaisercraft rhinestones, Petaloo mulberry flowers, aida cloth lace
Other - water mister bottle

Party Time

2011-05-10T17:25:00.001+10:00

I made this card for colour challenge in a recent issue of Cardmkaing, Stamping & Papercraft magazine. The required combination was purple, yellow and sage. I decided to make birthday card using one of the gorgeous Stampington & Company stamps designed by Sandra Evertson. I have a few of them but this is one of my favourites. I love the details on the hat - those tiny people! - and the beautiful face.

Stamp - Stampington & Campany, Amazing Creations
Ink - Brilliance graphite black, Brilliance platinum planet
Card - Bazzill
Embellishments - Pebbles Inc. alphabet stickers, sheer purple ribbon, buttons
Other - white embroidery thread, glitter glue

My Castle

2011-05-04T23:55:00.001+10:00

This card appeared in Cardmaking, Stamping & Papercraft's all-occasion gallery a few issues ago. I'm slowly getting up to date with my "in print" posts! So, as you can see, this is a housewarming card and I love it turned out, especially the chipboard houses. I experimented with different coverings - paper, glitter, paint - but the Opals worked (and looked) the best. I'm thinking about framing this one and hanging it by the door. Most of my card go into boxes and never see the light of day again. This will make a nice change!

Stamp - Paper Artsy
Ink - Brilliance graphite black
Paper/card - Basic Grey, Bazzill
Embellishments - Kaisercraft rhinestones, 7gypsies skeleton key, Collections chipboard houses, Collections rusty numer tiles, ric-rac, ribbon
Other - Plaid antiquing medium, Opals embossing enamels, heat tool

Mother

2011-04-28T14:28:00.002+10:00

Easter has come and gone and now it's almost Mother's Day (where does the time go?!) I made this card for a Mother's Day gallery in a recent issue of Cardmaking, Stamping & Papercraft. I guess you'd call it vintage/shabby chic inspired, especially with the lace and buttons. I used a Darkroom Door image too. They're so versatile; I love them!

Stamps - alphabet of your choice

Ink - Brilliance graphite black

Paper/card - Basic Grey, Bazzill

Embellishments - Darkroom Door photobooth lady, Kaisercraft rhinestones, silk flower, mulberry paper flower, buttons, lace

Other - embroidery thread, sandpaper

Chocolate

2011-04-23T23:37:00.002+10:00

I couldn't resist making this tag for my Easter gifts this year. Once I settled on a design it was ridiculously easy - dark card and pale coloured inkpads, glitter glue and ribbon. And they look great tied to cellophane bags filled with chocolates. Happy Easter!

Stamp - Inkadinkado
Ink - assorted Brilliance and Versa Magic
Card - Bazzill
Embellishments - gold ribbon, gold glitter glue
Other - hole punch

Destiny

2011-04-15T22:43:00.001+10:00

This card was part of a feature in last months Cardmaking, Stamping & Papercraft - ideas for using your off-cuts. Punch (or hand-cut) a dozen or so small hearts from your patterned paper scraps - you know all those odd little pieces you can't bear to throw away because they might come in handy one day? - well, they make great collage backgrounds. Keep the colours to the same family but go nuts with the patterns. It's fun and gratifying at the same time!

Paper/card - assorted pink and red, Bazzill

Embellishments - Darkroom Door photobooth lady and gentleman, Darkroom Door wordstrip, Making Memories blue crystal brads, Kaisercraft rhinestones, found gold escutcheon, ribbon

Other - Fiskars border punch, gold jump ring, pliers, embroidery thread, sewing needle, aida cloth

2 Minute Eggs

2011-04-10T12:42:00.003+10:00

Easter is just a few short weeks away. If you haven't started your cards, here are a few ideas for quick Easter tags, as seen in the new issue of Cardmaking, Stamping & Papercraft magazine. I gave up making large Easter cards a few years ago; now I just make these small tags to attach to gifts. It's a lot less work, especially if you're pressed for time, and the result is just as good (well I think so!). These cards make use of a set of Stampington stamps. Technically speaking they're not Easter designs, but the birds and eggs in the set were perfect for the occasion. It's always worth checking your collection and adapting what you have before spending $$$$ on stamps you don't *really* need :-)

Stamps - Stampington & Company

Ink - Brilliance graphite black

Paper/card - K&Company, Canson

Embellishments - gingham ribbon

Love

2011-04-08T21:02:00.001+10:00

I'm a little biased, I know, but I *love* this card. It was a special request engagement card and the colour scheme had to be hot pink/black/white to match the party invitation. I was a little freaked by the pink but ultimately decided to throw all caution to the wind and use the brightest shade of magenta I could find LOL. I really wanted to create a fun, whimsical feel so I made a paper flower out of torn paper and lace, and an easy vintage-style banner. This card was a joy to make and I'm so thrilled with the result :-)

Paper - Basic Grey
Card - Bazzill

Embellishments - Nostalgiques alphabet stickers, Collections chipboard heart, Darkroom Door photobooth lady and gentleman, buttons, ribbon, velvet leaves, lace

Other - embroidery thread, sewing needle, yellow glitter glue, sandpaper

Red Stem

2011-04-04T10:32:00.010+10:00

This is the last card in my gardening-with-a-twist card set. I know I've said it before, but I love these art dolls. They have the sweetest little faces! Anyway, as you can see I finished the set with a tag. I used all the leftover bits of paper and card and I'm really happy with the result. The orange ribbon is a jaunty touch, I think LOL. Sooooooo I have lots of cards to share with you this week. Think Easter, Mother's Day, housewarming, romance and birthday. See you soon!

Stamp - Tuscan Rose
Ink - StazOn jet black
Paper - Daisy D's
Card - Bazzill
Embellishments - Collections victorian trim, Kaisercraft rhinestones
Other - LuminArte twinkling H2Os, watercolour pencils, circle punch

Green Thumb

2011-03-26T11:14:00.016+11:00

Continuing the art doll theme, here's another card in the gardening set I posted below. I called this little fella "green thumb" because of his, well, green thumbs. Genius. Again, there's nothing too earth shattering technique wise - just a bit of water colouring and punching. The beautiful Tusan Rose stamp does all the work!

Stamp - Tuscan Rose

Ink - StazOn jet black

Paper - Daisy D's
Card - Bazzill

Embellishments - Collections victorian trim, Kaisercraft rhinestones

Other - LuminArte twinkling H2Os, watercolour pencils, circle punch

Garden Urn

2011-03-16T11:01:00.021+11:00

Time for an arty card, I think! This is one of four cards I made using Tuscan Rose art doll stamps. You can see another one here. I love art dolls and I love these stamps. Look at that face! Too sweet. And they're great to colour too; no solid black patches, just lightly etched designs. Fun! And I promise to share the other two cards. They're on my things-to-blog-about list :-)

Stamp - Tuscan Rose
Ink - StazOn jet black
Paper - Daisy D's
Card - Bazzill
Embellishments - Collections Victorian trim, Kaisercraft rhinestones
Other - LuminArte twinkling H2Os, watercolour pencils

Love

2011-03-03T12:24:00.023+11:00

Another birthday card crossed off the list! I cheated a little and resurrected a card from my (admittedly large) box of sad, neglected older cards. I didn't have to do too much to this one; I removed some outdated embellishments (remember the knitting fibre craze?!) and added a few others (the porcelain flowers). So I guess the moral of this story is to use what you have on hand, even if it needs a little sprucing to make it presentable. It'll save time - and keep you sane!

Stamp - Stamp-It
Ink - Brilliance graphite black
Paper - Basic Grey, Sandylion
Card - Canson
Embellishments - K&Company metal word tag, Prima flowers, ARTchix collage image, porcelain flowers, lace, braid
Other - sandpaper

Passion

2011-02-26T18:12:00.025+11:00

I have a card in the new issue of Cardmaking, Stamping & Papercraft magazine! This was a colour challenge - cornflower blue, orange and white - and I wanted to do something a little different so I chose an Oriental design. Remember when Oriental was all the rage? I hope it makes a comeback.....

P.S. I made this card when I was between cameras and had to wait for the mag to return it so I could photograph it for the blog. That's why this post is a little late :-)

Stamp - Stampington & Company
Ink - Brilliance graphite black
Paper - Japanese yuzen
Card - Bazzill
Embellishments - Darkroom Door wordstrip, lace, satin ribbon, brads
Other - blue glitter glue

Enjoy!

2011-02-24T11:33:00.015+11:00

I confess I've fallen a little behind with my birthday cards this year - and it's still only February! Uh-oh. Fortunately I had this card stashed away when I desperately needed one yesterday. It was my last suitable-for-a-man card. The hot pink ribbon made me pause for a second - hmmmmmm, could I possibly get away with this?! - but, again, it was all I had and I was DESPERATE! I quite like the pink. It's a bit of fun.

Stamps - Ma Vinci
Ink - Versa Magic midnight black
Paper - Teresa Collins
Card - Bazzill
Embellishments - ticket stub, grosgrain ribbon, button
Other - embroidery thread

Dream

2011-02-20T18:09:00.010+11:00

I felt like a bit of a change today so I made these little jewellery boxes. They're actually match boxes, which I've been saving for months after discovering they're the perfect size for small trinkets like earrings and rings. The little tags are made from Distress ink-stained card, stamped, and then sewn to the ribbon on each box. A fun little project for a stormy, humid Sunday afternoon :-)

Stamp - Collections
Ink - Distress antique linen, Brilliance graphite black
Paper - Basic Grey, Making Memories, K&Company
card - Bazzill
Embellishments - Kaiser rhinestones, ribbon, lace, mulberry paper flower, silk flower, buttons
Other - embroidery thread, sewing needle, match boxes

Oooh-La-La

2011-02-19T13:48:00.011+11:00

Here's a quick tag for a lazy Saturday afternoon :-) I've used some gorgeous clip art from an old calender I pulled apart months ago. It was fashion themed and chock-a-block with vintage style illustrations of ladies and gentlemen in their finery. I love the stamp too - oooh-la-la - a bit of cheeky fun!

Stamp - Hampton Arts
Ink - Brilliance graphite black
Paper - Chatterbox
Card - Bazzill
Embellishments - Kaiser rhinestones, lace, found clip art
Other - hole punch

Cowboy

2011-02-12T12:43:00.046+11:00

Meet The Cowboy. He's very Deadwood don't you think? There was such a look of the Wild West about this antique cabinet card I couldn't resist playing up the cowboy theme. I had such fun rummaging through my collection of found objects and embellishments for the perfect finishing touches for this piece! I especially like the little red rose on his lapel :-) The background is paint and oil pastels layered with scraps of vintage text and patterned paper and then overstamped with a leaf design.

I have a few more of these non-card projects to share over the next few weeks. You may have noticed I gave my blog a mini-makeover around New Year and added new photos down the right-side menu. I'll be working my way down the page. Stay tuned!

Stamp - Hero Arts
Ink - Versa Magic red magic, Distress vintage photo
Paper - vintage text, assorted patterned
Embellishments - Pebbles Inc. alphabet stickers, mulberry paper flower, vintage beads, horseshoe charm, miniature playing cards, vintage dice, ribbon, black mesh
Other - antique cabinet card, oil pastels, acrylic paint, black pen, beeswax, heat tool

Each Flower

2011-02-08T11:00:00.017+11:00

I was so excited to check the mailbox this morning and find a copy of the new issue of Stampers' Sampler direct from the US. I submitted this card about 6 months months ago for their spring fever challenge. I'd kinda forgotten about it until this morning! A nice surprise indeed.

Stamps - Tuscan Rose, Darkroom Door
Ink - Brilliance graphite black
Paper - Daisy D's
Card - Canson, Bazzill
Embellishments - Kaiser rhinestones, Collections Victorian trim
Other - LuminArte twinkling H2Os, watercolour pencils

Danced All Night

2011-01-31T11:21:00.013+11:00

I've been getting a head start on some birthday cards. This one's not due 'till April but, oh, it feels good to cross one off the to-do list! This is actually an 18th birthday card. I thought the sentiment - "she could have danced all night" - was appropriate LOL.

Paper - Captured Elements
Card - Canson
Embellishments - Making Memories alphabet stickers, ARTchix collage image, mulberry paper flowers, stitched black ribbon
Other - iridescent glitter glue

Love

2011-01-19T17:46:00.034+11:00

Before Christmas I was asked to make a wedding card (hi Leisa!). Cue the angst and wringing of hands. Well, not really, but I do get nervous about commissioned pieces. Though I have to say, I think this is my favourite wedding card ever! The first big decision was colour. I chose a mauve and silver combination which always looks elegant. The birds are *the* feature of the card and they had to 'pop'. Hence the glitter. I have this tiny vial of silver glitter that I bought at a newsagent about 10 years ago. It's gorgeous stuff; coarse without being chunky. I mixed it up with some clear liquid glue and painted it on the birds. While the glue was still wet I sprinkled on more glitter. Glitter, glitter everywhere! The effect was well worth the cleaning up :-)

Paper - Making Memories, K&Company
Card - Canson
Embellishments - Collections chipboard heart, Collections chipboard blue birds, Making Memories de-fined sticker, mauve lace
Other - silver jump rings, pliers, sandpaper, silver glitter, glue

Discover

2011-01-14T13:58:00.018+11:00

Just another quick tag to share with you. It occured to me as I made this tag that it was a good design for a man. Something about the door and hinges. So I kept the colours dark and resisted the urge to stick on a few rhinestones :-)

Stamps - Darkroom Door
Ink - Brilliance graphite black
Card - Canson, Bazzill
Embellishments - Collections rusty number tiles, Collections altered book word, ribbon
Other - gold gel pen, hole punch, sandpaper

60th Birthday

2011-01-09T16:26:00.022+11:00

Another birthday card, this time a 60th. This was also a commissioned piece, the only stipulations being it had to have the number 60 on it somewhere and the style needed to be country-vintage. Luckily I had a sheet of patterned paper that set just the right tone, and that made my life a heck of a lot easier :-)

Stamp - Inkadinkado
Ink - Brilliance graphite black, Brilliance platinum planet
Paper - Basic Grey
Card - Bazzill
Embellishments - Making Memories eyelet numbers, Collections chipboard bird, Kasier rhinestones, beige lace, clear glass seed bead, button, large silk flower, mulberry paper flower
Other - yellow embroidery thread, sewing needle

Cupcakes?

2011-01-06T16:48:00.014+11:00

With all the Christmas craziness I still have a backlog of tags to share from my September tag odyssey. This is one of them. And just like all the other tags in the collection, there's nothing too complicated going on here - a bit of ink, some card and ribbon. Oftentimes the hardest part of creating is coming up with an idea. Cupcake anyone?

Stamps - Inkadinkado
Ink - Brilliance graphite black, Brilliance platinum planet
Card - Bazzill
Embellishments - Kaiser pearl, black satin ribbon
Other - hole punch

Happy Birthday

2011-01-03T13:57:00.015+11:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR! Let's kick off 2011 with a birthday card. Sound good? This is a custom card for a 50th birthday. The brief was Oriental, lots of red, and it had to be suitable for a man. Easy! Hehehehehe. I admit I struggled with a plan of attack. I experimented with lots of papers and colour combinations but couldn't settle on anything I liked. I knew I wanted a rich, luxurious looking card that was relatively clutter-free. It all came together when I thought of covering some buttons with yuzen paper. I love this idea because I was able to sneak in a few other colours without impinging on the desired red scheme. The photos aren't great - I was in a hurry and it was an overcast day - but I think you'll get the idea :-)

Stamp - Inkadinkado
Ink - Brilliance graphite black
Paper - assorted yuzen
Card - Bazzill
Embellishments - Kaiser rhinestone, buttons, large gold silk flower, ribbon, small Chinese coin
Other - Fiskars punch, embroidery thread, sewing needle

A Merry Christmas

2010-12-24T13:49:00.007+11:00

Merry Christmas! Many thanks to all my readers for dropping by through the year. I hope you've found some inspiration :-) The blog will be quiet for a few days but I'll leave you with one last card (Christmas of course!) Have a wonderful day :-)

Paper - assorted red and green
Card - Bazzill
Embellishments - Stampington & Company clip art, wooden star, silk holly leaves, buttons, satin ribbon
Other - multi coloured glitter glue

Delight

2010-12-24T12:09:00.011+11:00

This is my last Christmas tag. But not my last Christmas post. I still have one more card to share :-) As you can see this little tag is very simple - a bit of paper and a sticker. The holly leaf is from one of the picks I bought on sale last Christmas. I'm actually heading out to the shops this afternoon to see what I can find before the big rush on Monday! Is that crazy?! Maybe LOL

Paper - Daisy D's

Embellishments - Making Memories de-fined sticker, silk holly leaf, button, satin ribbon

Other - embroidery thread, hole punch

O' Christmas Tree

2010-12-23T13:37:00.020+11:00

Only a couple of days to Christmas - I hope you've finished your cards! But if you still have a few to go, here's a quick idea for a tag. I like this design because I finally used up all those rhinestones I've been saving - you know how there's always a couple left of every colour and you can't bear to throw them away because they'll come in handy one day? Well, today is the day. And the more odd colours and sizes you have the better!

Stamp - Amazing Creations
Ink - Brilliance cosmic copper
Paper - Basic Grey
Embellishments - Kaiser rhinestones, Making Memories alphabet stickers, small gold bell, ribbon
Other - sandpaper, hole punch, jump ring

Noelle

2010-12-22T13:43:00.024+11:00

I had a special request this year for Christmas tags using this Gothic Stampotique stamp. I was a little unsure how to use the stamp and fussed over the best way to use it, but I'm so glad I gave it a go because I *love* how they turned out! I went with pink - how could I not?! - and kept the design very simple by stamping directly onto the tag. I thought the safety pin was a nice touch and a different way of attaching the little seal.

Stamps - Stampotique, Darkroom Door
Ink - Brilliance graphite black

Card - Canson

Embellishments - organza ribbon, safety pin, small gold star
Other - LuminArte twinkling H2Os, paintbrush, hole punch

Believe

2010-12-21T14:54:00.012+11:00

Hi all! How wonderful is this reindeer stamp from Darkroom Door?! I love it. This is one of four cards I've made using this stamp and others from the Christmas Reindeer set. The idea behind these cards was fun and whimsy with a hint of drama. I used lots of flowers and buttons, glitter, and splashes of bright red and black. The best part was cutting 'round the reindeer antlers. NOT! Hehehehehehe.

Stamps - Darkroom Door

Ink - Brilliance graphite black, Brilliance galaxy gold

Paper - Basic Grey
Card - Canson

Embellishments - Kaisercraft rhinestone, silk flowers, buttons, satin ribbon

Other - gold glitter glue, black embroidery thread

Christmas Mail

2010-12-17T14:51:00.010+11:00

I'm slowly whittling down my Christmas blog posts! This is another punched circle card. Don't look at me like that! I was desperate to get my cards finished and the gold ol' circles came in *very* handy :-)

Stamp - Darkroom Door
Ink - Brilliance graphite black
Paper - assorted
Card - kraft
Embellishments - ATC Collection clip art, chipboard tag, satin ribbon
Other - circle punch

Star of Light

2010-12-15T20:57:00.012+11:00

Last Christmas I saved some cards that came through the mail. One of them had a lovely scene of the three wise menillustrated over four panels. I cut them up and found they were the perfect size for folded gift tags. I had the cutest little star stamp in my stash which I stamped using shimmery gold ink. The 'star of light' quote is just typed and printed on the computer. There's not much else to it really: a rhinestone, some ribbon, and a punched piece of card. So before you recycle this year's Christmas cards, it's worth looking at them twice and thinking about how you could use them next year!

Stamp - Darkroom Door
Ink - Brilliance galaxy gold
Paper/card - Bazzill
Embellishments - Kaiser rhinestone, ribbon
Other - Fiskars border punch, hole punch, computer and printer

Christmas Baubles

2010-12-10T18:16:00.015+11:00

Here's another quickie tag using the punched circle "method" LOL. I made a few of these to stash in my Christmas card box. I was starting to run out of Christmas paper scaps at this stage so I improvised with regular papers. It's hard to tell the difference, huh? Still more to come!

Stamp - Darkroom Door
Ink - Brilliance graphite black
Paper - assorted
Card - Canson
Embellishments - ribbon
Other - circle punch, stapler, silver staples

25 Dec

2010-12-09T20:20:00.012+11:00

I thought I'd have a break from Christmas cards and show you a few more tags. These little guys were super easy and fun to make. A bit of paper, a sticker or two and some ribbon, and hey presto. I still have *heaps* more stuff to share before the 25th (16 days and counting!) so check back again soon :-)

Stamps - Darkroom Door
Ink - Brilliance graphite black
Paper - Basic Grey
Embellishments - Inkadinkado stickers, satin ribbon
Other - hole punch, sandpaper

Wish

2010-12-05T21:29:00.024+11:00

I intended to post this card yesterday but got sidetracked with other stuff, like painting the lounge room and walking the so-called World's Biggest Card Boot Sale at the football stadium. I don't know if was the world's biggest but it was BIG! And hot. I'm still recovering. Anyway, here's another Christmas card, as promised. I've made two of these and they're going on presents, not in the mail. The glass microscope slide makes posting them a little tricky; I've had them shatter in the past. But I think they'll look really cool tied to a gift with pretty ribbon. Here's hoping!

Stamp - Paper Artsy
Ink - StazOn jet black
Paper - Basic Grey
Card - Canson, Bazzill
Embellishments - Kaisercraft rhinestones, Nostalgiques alphabet stickers, satin ribbon, acrylic holly leaves
Other - Krylon gold leafing pen, glass microscope slide, coloured pencils

Peace Love Joy

2010-12-03T14:44:00.010+11:00

I'm gradually working my way through my Christmas posts but I still have so many cards and tags to share. I think I'll have to post daily from now on so keep an eye on my blog for more Christmas ideas. I'm happy to write that I've finished all the orders I working on as well as my own cards - one of which is pictured below. I made a few of these, all a bit different, but with the same punched circle background. I really like this look. It's bright and fun and I've used heaps of patterned paper off-cuts which have been accumulating for ages. It's a win win!

Stamp - Darkroom Door
Ink - Brilliance graphite black
Paper - assorted
Card - kraft
Embellishments - Kaiser pearls, ATC Collection clip art, ribbon, chipboard tag

Peace

2010-11-28T16:23:00.011+11:00

Here I am with another tag for your Sunday night. This is one of several Christmas tags and cards I still have to share - I hope I can fit them all in before the 25th! As with all the other tags I've made there's nothing overly complicated in the design or method. Thinking up the idea is the hardest part, LOL. I even dug out the glitter for this one; I try to use it sparingly, but can't resist at Christmas!

Stamp - Catslife Press

Ink - Brilliance midnight black

Paper - Basic Grey
Embellishments - ATC Collection pad clip art, grey satin ribbon, buttons

Other - glitter glue, embroidery thread, hole punch

Believe

2010-11-22T14:00:00.022+11:00

Just taking a short break from my tag odyssey (it feels like I've made a million!) to share a Christmas card. I've just realised I'm three cards short which is not a disaster because there's still plently of time to get them made - but I thought I was done with Christmas! This is a card I made when I was a bit more organised. I used the traditional red/green colour combination but mixed it up with vintage-style clip art and big, chunky embellishments. I really like how it tuned out :-) Okay, back to work!

Paper - Basic Grey, marbled burgundy/gold mulberry
Card - Bazzill
Embellishments - Designs Galore clip art, Pebbles Inc. masking tape sticker, Kasier rhinestones, large gold silk flower, button
Other - sewing needle, embroidery thread

Sweet Treats

2010-11-20T13:03:00.009+11:00

Here is the second project I created for Cardmaking, Stamping & Papercraft's most recent stampers' challenge. I figured that the other participating artists would play with the chocolate stamps so I decided to showcase the cupcake, ice cream cone and coffee cup. The best way to do this was with tags so I used scalloped scissors to make the circles a little more festive before watermarking each tag and stamping the "sweet treats" on different coloured cardstock. Of course I couldn't resist a few rhinestones and some pretty ribbon :-)

Stamps - Inkadinkado
Ink - Brilliance, Versamark
Card - Bazzill
Embellishments - Kasier rhinestones, Carolee's Creations alphabet stickers, ribbon
Other - decorative edge scissors, hole punch

Eat Cupcakes

2010-11-18T21:26:00.011+11:00

Omigosh, I had so much fun playing with this set of Inkadinkado stamps for Cardmaking, Stamping & Papercraft's stampers' challenge. The new issue came out this week so I can share the projects I made. First is this cupcake card. How cute are these cakes?! Love them! As you can see I kept the embellishments to a minimum and put all the effort into the stamps themselves. I think I must have coloured fifty of the damn things because my brush kept going outside the lines. It was worth it in the end, but geez, I had myself in a state over these little sweet little cupcakes, LOL.

Stamps - Inkadinkado
Ink - Brilliance
Card - Bazzill
Embellishments - Kasiercraft rhinestones
Other - Plaid glass finish, watercolour pencils, circle punch

Tiny Trees

2010-11-13T13:35:00.012+11:00

Getting back to the collection of tags I posted about here. This is one of a handful of folded tags I whipped up very quickly and simply. There's not much to it - a couple of small pieces of patterned paper, velvet ribbon, and a circle punched from a recycled store-bought Christmas card. Tags really can be *that* easy :-)

Paper - Daisy D's
Card - Bazzill, kraft
Embellishments - Kaiser rhinestone, red velvet ribbon, satin ribbon
Other - sandpaper, circle punch

Priority Mail

2010-11-06T20:07:00.025+11:00

As promised, here is the second altered matchbox I made for Christmas. The materials are virtually identical to the first box; I just mixed up the embellishments. I mentioned in my last post they're the perfect size for jewellery; both of these examples are destined to be filled with earrings :-) I hope these little boxes have given you a few ideas for Christmas! Make them as simple or as decorative as you like, personalise them, empty your scrap box, and have fun crafting your own Christmas packaging.

Stamp - Darkroom Door
Ink - Brilliance graphite black
Paper - Basic Grey
Embellishments - SEI brad, silk flower, ribbon
Other - matchbox, sandpaper

25 December

2010-11-02T12:49:00.022+11:00

Here's an idea for a small Christmas box, perfect for jewellery and other small gifts. I made this one out of a matchbox but you could adapt the concept for any size box. The trickiest part is covering and lining the box and getting the edges neat and tidy. I made two of these little boxes (stay tuned for pics of the other box!) and if you've got a perfectionist/OCD streak like me, you may find the process a little aggravating. It's a fun diversion though, and the effort is well worth it. The only problem now is deciding who to give them to :-)

Stamp - Darkroom Door

Ink - Brilliance graphite black
Paper - Basic Grey
Embellishments - snowflake button, large silver rhinestone, organza ribbon
Other - matchbox

Flying Without Wings

2010-10-27T12:16:00.016+11:00

Here's another tag I made for my friend's bon voyage gift. You can find the original post here. This is one of two matching tags - the other one says by learning you will teach. This set was ridiculously easy to make. Embarrassingly easy. All I did was sketch a couple of dozen hearts on the back of patterned paper off-cuts (a great way to use your scraps!), stick them to a piece of card and cut the edge with fancy scissors. Done!

Paper/card - assorted off-cuts, Bazzill
Other - decorative scissors

Peace and Goodwill

2010-10-24T14:00:00.012+11:00

Hi all :-) Hope you're enjoying your Sunday! It's wet, cold and miserable here in Newcastle. Not good if you had outdoor activities planned (read: we went to the Frocktober event at The Junction this morning and got DRENCHED) but great if you wanted to stay in and get crafty :-) This is the other tag I created for Cardmaking, Stamping & Papercraft's Christmas tags feature. I went with the more traditional red/green colour combination but jazzed it up with a touch of black and lots of bling. The snowflake is from a Christmas tree garland. I added the glitter and rhinestone for extra sparkle :-)

Stamp - Paper Artsy
Ink - Brilliance graphite black
Paper - Bo Bunny Press
Embellishments - ATC Collection Santa clip art, snowflake, large silver rhinestone, ribbon, fabric
Other - hole punch, sewing needle, black embroidery thread, glitter glue

Merry Little Christmas

2010-10-21T12:22:00.013+11:00

The new issue of Cardmaking, Stamping & Papercraft arrived in my mailbox this week. I have two Christmas tags in this issue - the pink number below, plus a more traditional red and green design which I'll share later. I have to say I was thrilled with how this tag turned out! I love its shabby chic-ness. I used a sheet of beautiful double-sided Basic Grey paper and some ribbon scraps from my off-cuts box. But what I really think makes the tag is the red velvet leaf, which was one of my finds at the post-Christmas sales this year. FYI - Christmas wreaths and picks are a great source of fabric flowers and leaves. They look just as great as the store bought version and if you can restrain yourself until after Christmas, you can pick them up for a song :-)

Stamp - Paper Artsy
Ink - Briiliance graphite black
Paper - Basic Grey
Embellishments - Kaisercraft rhinestones, velvet leaf, ribbon, lace, button
Other - hole punch, sewing needle, embroidery thread, sandpaper

Heartfelt Happiness

2010-10-15T17:57:00.015+11:00

A friend of mine moved overseas recently and I wanted do something special as a goodbye gift. I decided to make a collection of tags that she could give to her friends in South Africa. Over a period of two weeks I made two dozen little tags for all kinds of occasions. This is the first pair I created. The baby pictures are recycled from a printed gift bag and all the other embellishments are from my box of odds and ends. I have plenty more tags to share with you over the next couple of weeks so stay tuned for lots of ideas for using up your scraps!

Stamps - Making Memories, Darkroom Door
Ink - Brilliance
Paper - Darkroom Door
Card - Canson
Embellishments - Kaisercraft rhinestones, Prima flowers, ribbon
Other - hole punch, sandpaper, printed gift bag

New York Diva

2010-10-11T12:17:00.029+11:00

If I could go anywhere in the world it would be New York. It has been a dream of mine since I was a kid. I don't know what it is exactly about this city (okay maybe it's the shopping) but I find NY absolutely fascinating. This card captures a little of the drama and style of old-world New York. I've used the spot-light technique here because it involves little work and is so effective. I went with a microscope slide but you could go the simpler route and trim the spot-light with decorative scissors or even swipe the edges with ink.

Stamp - Hampton Arts
Ink - Brilliance graphite black
Card - Bazzill
Embellishments - Kaisercraft pearls, Collections rusty number tiles, ribbon
Other - microscope slide, copper tape, coloured pencils

Peace

2010-10-02T10:18:00.016+10:00

Cardmaking, Stamping & Papercraft released its first Christmas issue of the year last week. I was *so* excited to take part in the simple/advanced card feature! Never done one of these challenges before :-) For those unfamiliar with the concept, the idea is to create two versions of the same card: a simple one you can make 20 of a night, and an advanced 5-a-night card. This is what I came up with!

Stamp - Crafty Individuals, Catslife Press
Ink - Brilliance graphite black
Paper - Daisy D's
Card - Canson
Embellishments - Kasier rhinestones, buttons, silk flowers, gingham ribbon
Other - coloured pencils, glitter glue, embroidery thread, sewing needle, sandpaper

Glamorous Life

2010-09-26T13:32:00.022+10:00

I made this canvas over the weekend to replace a piece that had been damaged by sunlight streaming in through the front door. This little project has been on my to-do list for a while and I thought, what the heck, there's no time like the present! I started with a canvas I'd recycled from an old project. All that was left was the paint-splattered background. To that I added ink-stained lace and lots of dripped beeswax. The photograph went on next, then the flower and finally the blue bird. I do so luuuuurve crossing things off my to-do list :-)

Stamp - Stampington & Company, Stampers Anonymous

Ink - StazOn, Distress, Brilliance

Paper - K&Company
Card - Canson

Embellishments - Collections antique photograph, silk flowers, lace, vintage beaded clip-on earring (back removed)

Other - LuminArte twinkling H2Os, acrylic paints, natural beeswax, heat tool, sandpaper, paintbrush, canvas panel

Sunshine Butterfly

2010-09-21T20:07:00.016+10:00

As promised, here is the second card I made for the Stamp-It stampers' challenge in Cardmaking, Stamping & Papercraft. Because the first example was so froufrou, I wanted to show the "other side" of this stamp: the arty side. So I went with a painted background (the trusty old credit card technique) and lots of black ink. Of course I couldn't resist a bit of fussy cutting and ribbon. And rhinestones. Don't even mention the button. Did I say this card was supposed to be arty? *sigh*

Stamp - Stamp-It
Ink - Brilliance graphite black
Paper - Basic Grey
Card - Bazzill
Embellishments - Kasiercraft rhinestones, gingham ribbon, button
Other - embroidery thread, acrylic paint, old credit card, spray water bottle

Pink Butterfly

2010-09-14T22:48:00.022+10:00

A few months ago I participated in a stampers' challenge for Cardmaking, Stamping & Papercraft. The stamp? A sweet Hans Christian Anderson quote by Stamp-It. This is one of two cards I made for the challenge. As you can see it's very pink! I had fun making the flower which was constructed with several hand-drawn and cut flowers layered together and held in place with a sparkly button. Pink, of course :-)

Stamp - Stamp-It

Ink - Brilliance pearlescent orchid

Paper - Basic Grey
Card - Bazzill

Embellishments - Kasiercraft rhinestones, ribbon, button

Other - embroidery thread, sewing needle

Show Business

2010-09-10T11:41:00.023+10:00

Birthdays! For me, September is a whirlwind of birthdays, both friends and family. This card is for my friend Donna in the US. I wanted to do something fun and this sassy Inkadinkado stamp fit the bill. I kept the embellishments simple (ie. not too bulky) to keep the card light and prevent damage in the mail. I hope it survives the journey!

Stamp - Inkadinkado
Ink - StazOn jet black
Paper - Basic Grey
Card - Canson
Embellishments - Kaiser rhinestones, gingham ribbon, film strip die-cut
Other - coloured pencils

My Corner of the World

2010-08-29T19:32:00.058+10:00

I always enjoy seeing photos of other artists' studios. It's fascinating how people work with what limited space they have. Well, this is my corner of the world. My haven. The place where I create all the things you'll find on my blog. As you can see the shelves are crowded with supplies, stamps, art, trinkets, etc. I'm constantly re-arranging stuff to fit "just one more thing" in! I have lots of ideas for the walls too; I've been collecting interesting business cards and fliers and have started wallpapering sections of blank wall between the shelves. This is an on-going project :-) The most important item in the room - my desk - is from the 1930s and although it has seen better days, I've had it since high school and could never part with it! Anyway, I think the photos below serve as a better tour guide than myself, so... welcome :-)

Goddess

2010-08-24T19:21:00.033+10:00

Guess what? I'm no longer camera-less! Thank God. I was going mad. So now I can get back to blogging new stuff, starting with this card which is for a birthday next month. I think this stamp is uber cool; not only is the design fun and arty, but the "goddess" has such a beautiful face! Love it. More soon!

Stamp - Time to Stamp

Ink - StazOn jet black, Distress vintage photo

Paper - Darkroom Door
Card - Bazzill

Embellishments - Kaisercraft wood flourishes, Kaisercraft rhinestones, small confetti heart

Other - LuminArte twinkling H2Os, paintbrush, sandpaper, gold gel pen