What do Flower Power & The Pink Elephant have in common?

ARGH…. That is how I feel at the moment! I have been on the job hunt for the last few weeks and had another interview today and I must say I am NOT enjoying it!!! Although I have not had success yet, although I seem to be told that I just missed out on each of them (I am sure this is just a standard line), I am not all that bothered as we are not desperate for me to return to the workforce it is something I would like to do to help pay for my addiction! Oh yeah and to break up some of the hours why the kids are at school. I will hopefully find out about this one by the beginning on next week. Fingers crossed with this one though as it is 5 minutes from home and only 10-15 hours per week, ideal.

One of the gorgeous mums at school asked me the other day for a couple cards one for her mum and one for her niece who is turning 7. I went home and started going through my stash only to notice that although I have lots of cards for ladies I did not have much for young girls (must because the kids are always going to parties so I use them) so my challenge over the next few days is to build up some reserve of cards for younger girls.

I turned to this weeks sketch over at The Pink Elephant and also took on the challenge at Totally Gorjuss which is Flower Power.

 

 

Please excuse the photo the colours are bit darker than in life and it seems to be a bit blurly. Does not show like this on my computer so not sure what is happening.

 I know that I used this paper not long ago but I hate having half bits of paper hanging around as I feel that it will go to waste. The other good thing about wanting to use up this paper is of course that it is flower patterned. Also I thought the image of the girl, which came from All that Scraps CC Designs Spring Kit (which I have cut out and 3D onto the top of the tree trunk) reminded me of a little flower power kid with the hair in pigtails and of course with the flower on her tee-shirt suited the flower theme well.

I came across a great tutorial the other day (sorry ladies can not for the life of me, remember where it was) on how to make the perfect bow. Although it is far from perfect I have to say that I am pleasantly surprised I think the red/purple ribbon looks great over the lace.

I have used my latest favorite colouring tool, watercolour pencils for this and have also applied some faux stitching.  The cardstock is Kraft from Stampin Up.

I have to say that I am enjoying my card making again this week so hopefully I will be back soon with another card for you.

Until next time xoxo

Mojo Monday

Hi all, just a quick post today as I need to scoot off soon to pick the kids up from school.

I came home from school this morning and had the enthusiasm to make a card, YEY!!! So I went straight to Mojo Monday as they always provide a great sketch.

 

 

 This card also includes my entry into this weeks challenge over at Stamp Something, which is something spring. I think this card has a spring feel to it with the fairy sniffing the flowers, the flower on the lace and the contrast with colours of the paper, almost as the dark is going from winter to the green which is the start of spring. That’s my interpretation anyhow!

I picked up this paper a few weeks ago and it is by Graphic 45, Botanticabella Collection-Secret Garden. The stamp is fairy on tiptoes from Lili of the Valley Ltd, lace I had laying around in my stash, apron strings punch from fiskars, some faux stitching, distressing of the edges, pearls from kaisercraft and my watercolour pencils.

So there you have it. I hope you have all had a great start to the week. You never know tonight I may have some left over enthusiasm to make another card!

Until next time xoxo

A mixture of things....

Hi again. I know it has been over a week since my last post but I have had NO ENTHUSIASM to make cards this week. Not sure what it was but I would sit down with every intention to make a card and that would be as far as it would go. Admittedly I have been busy, having coffee with friends, LOL!

Friday Kirsty, Dee the boys and I went for a drive out to Paper 2 (about 1hr trip, one way) and I picked up some more papers. As I mentioned previously I love the cosmo cricket and October Afternoon papers at the moment. I think it is the patterns and colours that are appealing to me.

Yesterday I went to see Rob Thomas at Rochford Winery. He was fantastic and what a way to see him out in the open air. Now I am sure the ladies out there will agree with me when I say aaahhhh what a spunk!

So onto the card I have for you today. I ended up making this card with the paper I got on Friday and by following this weeks sketch over at Friday Sketchers and challenge at Papertake Weekly (use checks or gingham).

 

I am happy with how the card came out although I did struggle. With my enthusiasm of wanting to use the papers and Chester I forgot how hard male cards are to embellish!! I think I managed to pull it off though!  

What have I used? Paper from Cosmo Cricket, Lil’Man: Handsome Henry (both sides), Chester from Kraftin Kimmie, Copic markers, Spellbinders Nestabilities, sentiment from C.C. Designs Spring Kit purchased at All that Scraps, wire and buttons. You can see that I have also applied some faux stitching.

Well that is it for me today about to head out to my Mum and Dads for our family Sunday night dinner.

Until next time xoxo

Papertake Weekly Sketch #34

Hi all I hope you are having a great weekend.

Just a quick post today as I am about to head off with kids to see my Dads trains. My dad is part of the Gauge 0 Guild Club which meets monthly rotating between member’s homes and tomorrow is his turn. He has spent the last week setting up his track (half remains set up permanently in the garage and the other half is comes down, so they can actually park in the garage) and getting it all running in preparation for tomorrow. It is really impressive as it goes out the windows along the side of the house and then back into the garage again. He has spent many hours over the years building it and it is still a work in progress. They kids love it hence why I am taking them down to see it all running. 

So this morning after my typical raving and ranting at the kids (does anyone esle seem to do this) and getting the uniforms washed, shoes polished and house cleaned I decided to sit down and play. I have been feeling uninspired lately but when I saw this weeks sketch over at Papertake Weekly I thought to myself “that’s a nice and easy sketch not to complicated by having lots of layers” so off I went. I ended up surprising myself and thought outside the square with this card! Without further ado here is the sketch and my card:

 

 

 

 

What do you think? I am really happy with it in fact I think I can say that I am loving it!!!

So the swing, toadstools, grass, image and sentiment all came from the C.C. Designs Spring Stamp Kit Limited Edition set which was an absolute bargain. I cant wait to use more out of it. Mixture of October Afternoon and Cosmo Cricket papers have been used together with some lace I had it my stash. I have also added some faux stitching and distressed and rolled the edges of my patterned paper. Watercolour pencils have been used again.

So there you have it maybe my mojo is slowly coming back!

I hope you all enjoy the rest of your weekend and hopefully I will be back soon.

Until next time xoxo

Sketch and Stamp

I know I have said this a lot lately but where is the time going?

Robbie has enjoyed his first week of school (even if have been finishing at 1pm) and was so excited when I told him last night that he would be getting a Star of the Week award (the whole class got one but I don’t think this takes away from the excitement of it) at assembly today. I am looking forward to next week when he finishes the same time as Elizabeth as this week I feel like I have been watching the clock all the time.

On one of my blog surfs I stumbled across a challenge blog called Sketch and Stash challenge blog. They post a new sketch fortnightly which is the first part of the challenge and the second being using some new stash. Now I believe this gives me a really good reason to having to buy something new each fortnight!!!

 

I feel in love with this paper (my new stash) when I saw it a Paper Squared last week and have been itching to use it since then. It is Ever Dear from the Vintage Valentine collection by nancie rowe-janitz. I loved the simplicity of it. I have teamed it with some paper from kaisercraft, Bird Song together with some Kraft from Stampin Up. The image is from Kraftin Kimmie stamps and I have used my watercolour pencils once again. I have also added some faux stitching as well. I started this card on Wednesday night by colouring the image, did some more last night and finished it today. Taken me a while to make but was really struggling with embellishing. I am not over keen with the ribbon I have used but after trying everything that I owned as embellishment was the only thing I was happy with.

Well I better go as I will need to pick Elizabeth up from school soon. I hope you all have a great weekend and I will be back hopefully soon.

Until next time xoxo

Sketch Saturday

I hope everyone is well. It has been a few days since I last posted because I have been struggling with my colouring, does not matter what I do or what I use I am not happy with it at all. Today however, I coloured an image which I was reasonably happy with, still not brilliant, nut as I need to get a card made for my nieces birthday decided to use it.

I decided to also play along with this weeks challenge over at Sketch Saturday, which may I add ended up being really hard!!

 

 

 I love this stamp and really wanted to use it as it reminds of my niece. I am happy with how this card came out, I wanted to use these new papers that I picked up on the weekend and thought that as they were quite heavy that I did not want to over embellish. This ended up been very difficult as everything I was trying to use was too heavy. In the end I thought the buttons were my best option. This card has taken me hours to make as I think my mojo has gone for a little walk!!!!!

 I hope you all have a great week and ask that if you see my Mojo to send it back my way LOL!

Until next time xoxo

Supplies: Swiss Pixies- Heidi among the flowers, October Afternoon patterned paper, stampin up cardstock, copic makers, Nestabilities, fiskars punch – apron lace, miscellaneous buttons.

Anya Ink - Sketch

I hope all the Australian mums have settled their children into school/kinder for the year and that there was not too many tears! Robbie my youngest starts school tomorrow, he is so excited that I am not sure he will sleep tonight. I am sure in a few months the situation will be completely different!

It was nice to get Elizabeth back on Monday and getting some routine back into our lives. She has settled in nicely and loves her new teacher.

I had an empty house this afternoon, which is always the perfect opportunity to get my stuff out and play! I have been a bit slack with the Anya Ink challenges lately so this was where I challenged myself today. Luckily for me (low on mojo) they had a sketch challenge this week:

 

 

 

 

 

 I really enjoyed making this card today and as a result am pleased with how it has come out. I love the paper I picked up a few weeks ago and was happy to be able to use it. Not sure if the photo shows it well enough but I also cut the image out and mounted it on the oval.

Michael is about to head off to fire brigade so I think I will go watch some more gossip girls.

Until next time xoxo

Supplies: Stamp from The Greeting Farm, paper by Fiskars, Stampin Up cardstock, watercolour pencils, lace, flowers, hand stitching and spellbinders Nestabilities.