Christmas in July

I have to say I hate the idea of Christmas in July (not because I am nasty and don't like festivities) but because it reminds me that Christmas will be here before we know it and that I better get my butt into gear and start shopping and making my cards. Sometimes I wonder if 6 months is quite enough time to get over the fear of seeing a Christmas stamp, LOL!

Anyhow this week at Lil Lolita Boutique Kel gave us the challenge of making a Christmas card and I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed it. As the Lolita's are quirky and not Christmas stamps it was fun to use them in this manner.

I have used this weeks sketch over at Sketch Saturday:

The hat I have used on Lylah is one that I picked up last year from Heavenscent Crafts. Deb who had a huge range of stamps decided that she wanted to be able to use her favorite stamps for Christmas cards (or not have to buy Christmas stamps at all) and designed the hat and had it made up. I don't think she has any left though. It fits on so many types of stamps including Magnolias and of course as you can see the Lolita's.

Be sure to pop by the blog and check our every one's work this week you will not be disappointed and please come and join in this week and show us how you can make our Lolita's christmassie. Don't forget we are now giving away a stamp each week now to our winner so if you entered last week check to see if it was you.

Thanks for stopping by, until next time xoxo

Ingredients:

Stamps:- 1930's Lylah & hat from Heavenscent Crafts, Stampin Up-The snowflake Spot, kaisercraft (presents) Stampin Up-punches Three (sentiment)

Coloured with copics YG 63, YG 67, E00, E21, R20, C-7, C-5, C-3, Y 15, R37, R39

Paper - Websters, SU Mellow Moss & Chocolate Chip

Embellishments - Lace, ribbon

Other elements - Spellbinders Labels Four, Hand Stitching, ink smudging

A bit of this and that.....

Hi there everyone, hope this finds you all well. The morning was not too bad, thank goodness as Lizzie had netball, but the afternoon has turned quite yuck. Luckily for me that means that I had time to sit down and finish a card that I started making a couple of days ago.

I have based the card on this weeks Sketch Saturday (think will just get this in on time):

Something about the circle and clean layout appealed to me this week. I decided that I did not want to overdo my card and have held back on my embellishments and let the pretty papers and image shine.

I am also entering this card into:

• The Pink Elephant - colour challenge - Brown
• Papertake Weekly - Cutie Patootie - I think this image is pretty cute
• Stamp Something - Something Flowery

Lizzie has Kira around for a play and i can hear them giggling. They are putting makeup on each other so think it may be time to go take some photos and who knows I may just be inspired to do a scrapbook page.

Thanks for stopping by, until next time xoxo

Ingredients:

Stamp - Whiff of Joy

Colouring techniques - copic markers

Papers - October Afternoon, Thrift Shop, Kraft and Brown cardstock

Embellishments - buttons, flowers, paper piercing, hand stitching, ink smudging

Other - spellbinders nestabilities

Purple Pink & Cream is the colour challenge at LLB this week

Ok so I may have slightly cheated, well not so much cheated but took the easy option, with my card as I have added black but as purple is so not my colour (on cards as a colour I love it) I had to do something to  make it look good!

I am actually really happy with how my card came out this week but as always the photo does it no justice (almost makes it looks wider somehow) but hey what can a girl do. The card came super dooper easy to me this week for a change maybe because I knew I had limited time as I have been doing extra hours at work.

Anyhow here is my card

Please be sure to pop over to LLB and check out the rest of the wonderful DT cards and see if you were last weeks winner. Also we have some exciting news, as of this week there will be a Lil Lolita given away to our winner, what a great way to build up your collection. We are also looking for a guest DT for the month of August please read the post for further details.

Thanks for stopping by and your lovely comments they really do make my day!

Until next time xoxo

Ingredients:

Stamp - Lilith from Lil Lolita range

Colouring Tool - watercolour pencils

Paper - kaisercraft, black and cream cardstock

Embellishments - mesh ribbon, lace, flower sprays, paper flowers

Other elements - paper tearing, paper distressing, doodling

Wow Kellie really is going CRAZY!

Hi there everyone hope you are all well.

Yep as the header says Kel is going crazy. She is blaming her lack of sleep but I think it is just her generous nature really. Anyhow she now has a second candy running until her birthday. Here is a pick of what she is giving away:

So there you have some more fab candy up for grabs. Don't forget to drop by Kel's blog and leave your entry.

Until next time xoxo

Kellie's is celebrating 550 followers with some fab candy

Wow congratulations Kel on reaching 550 followers that is amazing. Your work is amazing hun and I am sure every 550 of your followers love ready your quirky posts and looking at your gorgeous work.

To celebrate Kellie has decided to give away some candy and by goodness it is HUGE. Here is a pic of what is up for grabs

Not bad hey? There are 30+ stamps in this candy (fingers crossed that I am the lucky one to win this!). For further info of the candy visit Kellie's post here and whilst you are there don't forget to enter. The candy will be open to the 16th August. I know I should be saying good luck but seeming I would like to be the lucky winner I am not going to extend any luck to you, LOL!

I am going to be really busy with work this week (working extra days and hours) so I probably will not be back till Thursday, so until next xoxo

Lil Lolita Challenge 6

Hi there everyone I hope you are staying warm on this cold day.

Just a quick post this afternoon as I have already posted today.

If you joined us last week at LLB then thank you we had so many wonderful entries and it is great to see your enthusiasm for the Lil Lolita's too. Be sure to pop by the blog to see who won.

This week is a photo inspiration challenge and this is what you have to inspire you:

These shoes are so funky I love them. I have taken from this photo the colours and the stripes and joined them with this weeks sketch from Sketch Saturday and this is what I came up with:

You have to excuse the photo but it is soooooo dark and dingy here this is the best I could get. The pink background is a lot brighter in real life.

I have kept this card very simple as I thought the layout together with the bold colours was enough of a statement without overloading it with embellishments.

Anyhow I better be off now and get these kids ready for an early night so Mick and I can enjoy a nice anniversary dinner together.

Don't forget to stop by and see the amazing work form the DT and then pop onto their blogs and leave them some loving. It is always lifting to read comments as you know that it is worth while making the time to make the cards if someone is reading.

Until next time xoxo

Ingredients:

Stamps  - Evie from Lil Lolita, sentiment from Kraftin Kimmie

Colouring tool - prismacolor water pencils

Paper - Cardstock from Stampin Up and October Afternoon Patterned Paper

Embellishments - buttons, ribbons and rhinestones

Lili of the Valley Challenge 57

**warning soppy post coming up****

10 Years today I married my hubby the person who completes me and makes me so happy. Where I am a shy quiet person Michael is an outgoing person who makes me feel comfortable in situations where I would normally not. He forces me to try things I would not normally do and most importantly he has taught me to have a voice. Over the last 10 years we have achieved so much together, 2 beautiful children, a loving home and many special memories. Sweetie I am looking forward to spending the rest of my life with you and seeing what wonderful adventures we will have together. xo

Sorry about that but I did warn you!!!! So it goes without saying that I had to make a card for our anniversary. Now I was very unprepared, which is not like me (LOL) and only had about 1 hour before he got home from work last night to make it. I headed over to Lili of the Valley because they always have a great sketch and also because I know how much he likes the image I have used (he actually told me I had to buy it). Luckily being a male card I did not have to think hard about flowers or swirls and could go a very simplistic card, phew! I finished this card as he walked through the front door and had to yell out to him to not come and give me a kiss hello!

So  is my card. You will see that I slipped the sketch ( was going to go in the same direction but I stuck down the main image bit the wrong way and did not have time to try and pull it up and not rip my paper so I just had to go with it).

I will be back later today with my card for this weeks challenge for Lil Lolita Boutique.

Thanks for stopping by and listening to me blabber on about my hubby!

Until next time xoxo

Totally Gorjuss - Water

Hi there everyone hope you are all well. If you are like me and sending the kiddies back to school today I hope you enjoy a day of peace! We had a fantastic day on Saturday by being lucky enough to win some passes for the kids to attend the MGC Rite of Passage. We spent the whole day at the G with the kids getting a football each, showbags, playing on the field before the game, meeting some footy players and a photo all followed by being able to watch the footy match for which my sister came and met us. Luckily for Lizzie and me it was a Hawthorn game (Mick and Robbie are collingwood supporters) which meant we got to see our boys play and they played so well.  Even though we did not win it was so close that you did not walk away feeling disappointed.

Yesterday afternoon I got to sit down and have a play and decided to play along with Totally Gorjuss being water. We have to show some water on our card. As we are in the middle of winter here I thought this card fitted the challenge well. I originally was following the sketch for Friday Sketches (nearly the same) but I could not make it work.

I have used the image from that was sent to me from Paola and after I had finished colouring it realised that my umbrella was not quite the right colour but as I could not just stamp off another and re-do this one will have to do.

Anyhow that is all I have for you today. Thanks for stopping by, until next time xoxo

Ingredients:

Stamp from Whiff of Joy

Paper- Thrift Shop from October Afternoon, Kraft & Black cardstock

Colouring Tool - Copic Markers

Embellishments - Ribbons, flowers, rhinestones

Other elements - hand stitching and distressing

Lil Lolita Challenge #5

Can you believe it has been a week since our last challenge already? Time really does seem to fly these days.

Thanks to everyone who joined us in the blue challenge be sure to pop over to Lil Lolita Boutique to see if you are a winner.

This week Kellie has given us the challenge of Ribbons. Now normally this is not something I would have trouble with (my cards often have ribbons on them) but today I was full steam ahead with my card and forgot all about them. I ended up incorporating some ribbon and lace but not as much as I may have liked to for such a challenge. Kel has been very generous and given us all one of the new Lolita's to play with, yes I said new Lolita's. If you have not seen them, then where have you been LOL! You can check them out at Tickled Pink Blog  and they are available for pre-order here.

I got the super cute 1930's Lylah which I was rapped with as I am loving vintage at the moment. I have based this weeks card on the sketch over at Friday Sketches.

Normally when I am looking for a sketch I check out all my fav sites but today as soon as I saw this one I knew I wanted to use it. Now as I said I went full steam ahead with this card as it was looking so fantastic in my head but when I ended up finishing it it did not live up to my expectations. Not saying that I don't like it I do but it is just not how I was seeing it as I was making it. I am sure you will understand where I am coming from.

Please be sure to pop by the DT's blogs and see what they have been up to, you will not be disappointed and make sure you join in with us this week as there is a prize for grabs.

Well I better get going with dinner duties!

Thanks for stopping by, until next time xoxo

Ingredients:

Stamps - 1930's Lylah available for pre-order at Ticked Pink Stamps

Copics - browns E18, E17, reds R37, R39, skin tones E00, E21 & R20, hair, C-7, C-5, C-3

Papers - Bloomin Beauty from Websters Pages (the hearts and circles are from this sheet of paper too), Kraft cardstock

Embellishments - lace, ribbon, staples, paper Dollie dabbed with brown ink and kaisercraft pearls

Other elements - paper tearing and distressing

I can feel my mojo slowly seeping back into my bones!

Yey, I am so excited today was the first time in weeks that I sat down and could just make a card without feeling that block. Listen to me rabbit on anyone would think I was a writer or an artist, LOL! The biggest problem I had with making this card was what sketch to use, as there are so many great ones out there this week. I ended up deciding to go with this weeks Sketch Saturday and I was glad that I did, I really like how my card came out.

I am in love with these papers from Websters and this little girl has come all the way from South Africa to me. Thank you Paola for being ever so kind with sending me these images so that I could have a play. Now that I have seen them think I will have to find a way to get these babies to Australia (the company does not ship here).

I am also entering this card in this weeks challenge at Papertake Weekly - In Stitches.

I am now off to have a look around and see what everyone has been up to.

Thanks for stopping by, until next time xoxo

Ingredients:-

Stamp - Elegant Annie from Charmed and Delectable Crafts

Colouring methods - Copic Markers (main image) water colour crayons for shadowing

Papers: Websters - Life's portrait & Grace Inspired, Black & Kraft card stock

Embellishments - kaisercraft flower & pearls, lace

Other elements - hand stitching, smudging of edges with black ink

I got the blues.....

Hi everyone, hope this finds you all well. I know I know it has been a whole week since my last post, again, but for some reason I just cant seem to get the cards made. Seem to be lacking in mojo at the moment although I think I can feel it slowly slipping back into my system. I promise to have more for your this week.

This weeks challenge over at Lil Lolita Boutique is BLUE, meaning use as little or as much blue as you like. I like much of my fellow DT members have gone for lots of blue. Please be sure to pop by to each of their blogs and leave some encouraging comments and of course look at their amazing work. 

I have also based my card on this weeks Mojo Monday Sketch and have to say after ripping it apart and starting again I am happy with how it turned out.

Once again you have to forgive the bad lighting we have had such poor weather here I have not been able to get a nice photo the colours in real life are much nicer, as always.

I have used Ivy this week as I think she suits this challenge (as she always reminds of Alice, from Alice in Wonderland) so the blue is quite fitting. I have used papers from Kaisercraft, copics for colouring, kaisercraft flowers, pearls (each painstakingly hand glued on) came from the lovely Paola who ever so kindly sent them to me together with some stamped images that we cant get shipped to Australia (she sent them in March and they just arrived this week I had nearly given up hope thinking they had gone MIA), fiskars apron strings punch, hand stitching ribbon. 

My card ended up being quite basic but I liked that as i thought the different shapes and the flourish I made was enough. 

Now more importantly tomorrow night my besties and I are off to see Eclipse and I cant wait. After I have got over my twilight fever I will be sure to get some cards made (using the images from Paola already have some coloured). 

Thank you for stopping by, until next time xoxo