Birthday cards

Hello,
Just a quick post to show some cards that I recently made with some family and friends who came over for a cardmaking night. We created 4 cards with the same layout - we just changed the embossing folders, stamps and colour scheme.

Back soon!

Supplies
Stamps: Round and Round, Birthday Basics (PTI)
Cardstock: Stampers Select White, Kraft, Lemon Zest, Aqua Mist (PTI); Certainly Celery, Pink Pirouhette (SU)
Ink: Certainly Celery, So Saffron, Baja Breeze, Melon Mambo (SU)
Accessories: Certainly Celery ribbon, Pink Pirouhette ribbon, Dazzling Diamonds glitter, dimensionals (SU); Argyle Impression Plate, Mat Stack 1 die, Hawaiian Shores ribbon, Lemon Zest ribbon (PTI); Swiss Dots embossing folder, Bloom Dots embossing folder (Cuttlebug); Elegant Bouquest embossing folder (Sizzix); 1 3/4 " circle punch (Carl); Quickie glue pen; Apron Lace border punch (Fiskars)

Totally Hues #4

Hello!
I hope you have all had a great weekend - mine was crazy again, but only three more weeks left till I get a week's break for the Easter Holidays - its been so hectic and can't wait to have a break and perhaps catch up on some much neglected Spring Cleaning!!!

I have a get well card to share that I made following Heather Pulvirenti's Totally Hues Challenge #4. Heather has a knack for picking gorgeous colour combinations and I finally had time to join in!

For this challenge, the only colour I was missing was Raspberry Fizz so I went with my next closest colour which was Stampin Up's Melon Mambo.

The white panel was run through my Cuttlebug with my Bloom Dots embossing folder, only embossing one strip down the side. I then used my Quickie glue pen to add some glitter to the panel. The flowers were stamped using the Beautiful Blooms ll set (one of my all time faves!) in Plum Pudding, Melon Mambo and Lemon Zest ink. I still don't own the matching dies so I had to hand cut them all, and then layered them with dimensionals. The leaves were die cut using my Sizzix Little Leaves die cut and New Leaf cardstock. To assemble the front, I wrapped around my white panel some Lemon Zest ribbon and added the layer to my Lemon Zest card base. The Thinking of You sentiment was stamped in Plum Pudding ink using my Up, Up and Away set. I bent the stamp to create a wave instead of stamping it straight.

The inside sentiment is from Stampin Up's Thoughts and Prayers set and stamped in Plum Pudding ink. I ran the white layer through my Cuttlebug again with my Bloom Dots die, again adding some glitter. I then cut a thin strip of New Leaft cardstock and added this along with some blooms stamped in Plum Pudding ink. Silver rhinestones were added to all of my flowers both inside and out.

I will definately be joining in more of these wonderful challenges - check it out - the colour combos are awesome!!

Have a great week,

Supplies
Stamps: Beautiful Blooms ll, Up, Up and Away (PTI); Thoughts and Prayers (SU)
Cardstock: Lemon Zest, Stampers Select White, New Leaf (PTI)
Ink: Plum Pudding, Lemon Zest (PTI); Melon Mambo (SU)
Accessories: Dazzling Diamonds glitter, Little Leaves die set, dimensionals (SU); Bloom Dots embossing folder (Cuttlebug); Lemon Zest ribbon (PTI)

CSAYL Challenge - Create Patterned Paper

Its Friday, so that means another fantastic CSAYL challenge. This week the challenge is sponsored by A Perfect Presentation:

The challenge is to create your own patterned paper with stamps to embellish your template. The winner of this challenge will be able to choose a free template of their choice and their templates are gorgeous and so easy to work with! Here is my creation - I used the Cute Carton template:

I decided to create my background paper directly on the template base and for this I used Kraft cardstock. I printed the template out and then first stamped a grid in Versmark ink using my Guidelines ll grid stamp. Once I had done this, I stamped one medallion in Crumb Cake ink and a second medallion in Cherry Cobbler ink.

To add some Christmas sparkle, I individuallly stamped the third medallion in Whisper White Craft ink, added Heat and Stick powder, set it with my heat gun, added Dazzling Diamonds glitter and heat set it again. It looked much more effective than just adding my white ink and was worth the extra time.

The label was created by punching my white cardstock with my Curly Label punch, stamping the striped background with Cherry Cobbler ink and then hand cutting a slightly larger Scarlet Jewel piece as a mat. The sentiment is from the Short and Sweet stamp set, also stamped in Cherry Cobbler ink. I added this to the carton on some white ribbon. To keep the carton closed, I punched holes and threaded through some Scarlet Jewel ribbon (which is a very close match to Cherry Cobbler).

I will be making heaps more of these cartons, not only for Christmas, but for other occasions throughout the year as the template is so user friendly. I'm now off to look at the CSAYL blog to see what all the other designers have created, so have a look too and have a go at this awesome challenge!

Have a great weekend!

Supplies
Stamps: Guidlines ll (PTI); Short and Sweet, Curly Label image (SU)
Cardstock: Kraft, Scarlet Jewel, Stampers Select White (PTI)
Ink: Versamark, Crumb Cake, Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White (SU)
Accessories: Cute Carton template (A Perfect Presentation); Dazzling Diamonds glitter, Heat and Stick powder, Curly Label Punch, dimensionals (SU); white ribbon; Scarlet Jewel ribbon (PTI); ScorPal

AnnaBelle Bling Sketch Challenge ABSC036

Okay, its time for another monthly sketch challenge over at the AnnaBelle Stamps blog:

I was totally stumped with this sketch with no idea how to tackle it, but then decided to keep my card very clean and simple:

I stamped the large flower image from AnnaBelle's Ballerina Rose set in Tuxedo Black ink. I then used my new Cosmo Cricket DeLovely paper pad to paper piece these images. After I had done this, I used a ruler and black marker to draw a border around 3 edges of the Kraft cardstock, using some Hawaiian Shores ribbon as my border on the last side. My bow acts as the element from the sketch in the top left corner.

I stamped the Happy Birthday sentiment in Tuxedo Black ink again using the Jasmine's Cupcake stamp set. Some Blossom Sprinkles were added to the flower centres and then the top layer was popped up on dimensionals before adding to the Kraft base.

How To Play Along : 

-We post our challenges every Friday at 12:00pm AEST (AEDT during Daylight Savings).

- Our Sketch Challenge Runs from the last Friday of a month through till the last Friday of the following month.

- Each Friday in between we have themed challenges. To be eligible for the monthly prize of a $20 gift voucher to spend in store at AnnaBelle Stamps you MUST take part in the sketch challenge AND one of the weekly challenges.

- Please link directly to your entry not just to your blog.

- Include a link back to the AnnaBelle Stamps Blog in your post.

- Please don't link to postings made prior to the date of our current challenge.  All projects submitted must be new.

- A maximum of 5 challenges may be combined including this one.        
-You may enter any challenge several times as long as each submission is with a new creation.

- We would love you to use AnnaBelle Stamps, but you can play along without them. For those who use AnnaBelle stamps and upload to the Gallery

HERE then you will also be in the running to be our Monthly Guest Designer!

Here is a list of the other designers' blogs for heaps of inspiration:

Bellas

Liz

Kerry

Belles

Andrea

Sue W

Kylie

Iwona

Lisa

Sue K

Stephanie

Patti

Guest Designer

Nicole Mullen

 Thanks for visiting, 

Supplies

Stamps: Ballerina Rose, Jasmine's Cupcake (AnnaBelle Stamps)

Cardstock: Kraft (PTI)

Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento)

Accessories: 6mm Blossom Sprinkles (AnnaBelle Stamps); DeLovely DP (Cosmo Cricket); Hawaiian Shores ribbon (PTI); black marker; Glossy Accents (Ranger)

Colour Create Challenge #66 - Pastels

Hello,
Today I am back with Colour Create's Challenge #66 which is to use pastels with the option of adding an Easter theme. Here is the Inspiration picture:

And the fantastic sponsor is Crafts and Me:

At first I thought - pastels - no worries! How wrong I was! It is so tempting to add a touch of bright ink or ribbon, but I had to restrain myself. Anyway here is my card:

I chose My Basket of Eggs stamp set from My Favorite Things. I used watercoloured my girl on watercolour paper and die cut two clouds. Behind these I used some pastel paper from my stash and then matted the panel on Bashful Blue cardstock. These layers were then machine stitched to add some texture. I finished this section off by adding some die cut grass and popping everything up on dimensionals.

The background was stamped with A Little Argyle stamp set in Certainly Celery ink and finished off with some pink twine and some pearls. This layer was also stitched and then all the layers were added to my white card base. I stamped the sentiment from My Basket of Eggs set in Bashful Blue ink and then cut it to form a banner.

I would also like to enter this card in Amber's Craft and Stuff Challenge - Use Die Cuts. There are some very clever entries in this challenge!

I have to apologise that I haven't finished the inside - this is something I NEVER leave unfinished, but I have been chasing my tail all week and have been trying hard to catch up and get this card finished. Anyway I hope you like it - I love the way it turned out. Be sure to pop on over to the Colour Create blog to see what everyone has designed - their cards are gorgeous!!

Back soon

Supplies
Stamps: My Basket of Eggs (MFT); A Little Argyle (PTI)
Cardstock: Certainly Celery, watercolour paper (SU); Stampers Select White (PTI)
Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento); Certainly Celery, Bashful Blue, Crumb Cake, Blushing Bride (SU)
Accessories: Cloud Die cut (PTI); grass die cut, pink bakers twine (MFT); pastel designer paper; pearl strip (Kaisercraft); Stampin Up markers, aqua painters, dimensionals (SU)

Play Date Cafe Challenge #73

You might want to grab a cuppa to read this post - there is so much to share about this card! I am having a go at The Play Date Cafe's Challenge #73 which has the yummiest colour combo:

I would never think to use these colours together but they work so well. I have a new stamp set from Papertrey Ink that I have been itching to ink up - Bitty Baby Blessings, so I decided to use these colours to make a non-traditional baby card. Can I tell you that I had just about the most fun ever making this card - I love this stamp set and that liitle baby is tooooo cute!!!!

I will show you all the images (there are a few!!) and then list the steps on how I made it. You can cllick on the images to get a closer view.

  




Instructions
1. Make a square card base from Rose Red card. Use Apron Lace border punch to create a scallop border along the front.
2. Cut a square of white cardstock and use Scallop border punch to scallop the bottom edge. Paper pierce a cross stitch pattern along each scallop and then cross stitch with Kraft thread. Adhere this to the base.
3. Cut a smaller white square and stamp the pram image in Tuxedo Black ink and then add baby head peeking out of the hood.
4. Run this layer through Cuttlebug with Linen Impression Plate and then round the top right and bottom left corners.
5. Stamp the pram image again on Rose Red patterned paper (retired) and cut out the body of the pram. Pop this up on dimensionals on top of the original stamped image. Add clear spica glitter pen to baby's curl and the pram.
6. Adhere this white layer to some More Mustard DP - this is retired, but similar cardstock could be used.
7.  Die cut two cloud images, stamping one with 'Welcome baby' in Plum ink and running the other through the Cuttlebug with the Argyle Impression Plate. Use Quickie Glue Pen to apply a thin layer of glue around edges of clouds and dip in glitter. Adhere the argyle cloud to the white layer, and then pop up the sentiment cloud on dimensionals overlapping the other.
8. Tie some ribbon around the two layers, stitching a button to the bow centre.
9. Stamp the pram again onto some scrap white cardstock, colour the wheels grey with Copics, cut just the wheels out and then adhere to pram with dimensionals so they overlap the ribbon.

Inside
10. Mat some More Mustard DP on white cardstock and adhere both layers to inside of card.
11. Cut a square white layer and stamp ;Happy New Baby' in Plum Ink. Stamp the mini pram image in black ink on either side of sentiment and colour with Rose Red marker. Add some spots with white gel pen.
12. Run this layer through Cuttlebug with Argyle Impression Plate and round top right/bottom left corners.
13.. Pierce holes under sentiment and cross stitch with Kraft thread. Adhere this layer on to More Mustard layer in card.

Phew!! Finished! But boy did I have fun making it! I had that much fun that I decided to make another more traditional baby card:

Hope you liked the cards and I will be back this week with some more DT cards.

See ya!

Supplies

Card 1

Stamps: Bitty Baby Blessings (PTI)
Cardstock: Select White (PTI); Rose Red, More Mustard DP - retired, Rose Red DP - retired (SU)
Ink: Sweet Plum, Tuxedo Black (Memento)
Accessories: Cloud Die, Argyle Impression Plate, Linen Impression Plate, Lemon Zest button (PTI), Scallop border punch, Dazzling Diamonds glitter (SU); paper piercer; Kraft thread; white gel pen (Signo); corner rounder; lavender ribbon; copic markers, Atyou Spica clear glitter pen; Apron Lace border punch (Fiskars)

Card 2
Stamps: Bitty Baby Blessings (PTI)
Cardstock: Select White, Aqua Mist, Sweet Blush, Kraft (PTI); Delovely DP (Cosmo Cricket)
Ink: Baja Breeze (SU); Vintage Sepia (Versafine)
Accessories: Cloud Die, Argyle Impression Plate, Linen Impression Plate (PTI); Scallop border punch, Dazzling Diamonds glitter; Blushing Bride ribbon (SU); paper piercer; pink thread; corner rounder; copic markers - including blender pen for inside prams; Atyou Spica glitter pen,Apron Lace border punch (Fiskars)

CSAYL - I Can See Right Through That!

Hello peeps!
I am here with this week's CSAYL challenge - I Can See Right Through That - use vellum on your card. The sponsor of this week's challenge is In Style Stamps:

 

and the winner of this week's challenge will be able to use 4 free digis of their choice! For this challenge I decided to have a go at a pop up card which is a first for me, but I will definately try this again - heaps of fun!!

The beauty of digi stamps is the ability to resize them and for this project I had to substantially reduce the size of the monkey to fit the pop up section on the inside. You can click on the image to see a closer view.

The steps for making this card are as follows:

1. Cut a Chocolate Chip rectangle of cardstock and adhere to white base measuring 6 x 4 ''.

2. Print out Kissmas Monkey image on another small  piece of white cardstock and colour with Copics. Adhere to centre of chocolate layer.

3. Cut a rectangle white piece for card front and cut out a circle with a 2 1/8" nestablility.

4. Run this layer through the Cuttlebug with Swiss Dots Embossing Folder.

4. Cut a vellum circle with a 3" nestability.

5. Cut a third circle from white cardstock 2 5/8" and then run it through Cuttlebug again with 2 1/8" circle to make a circular frame.

6. Adhere the vellum circle behind the circle opening in the embossed layer to create a window.

7. Add glitter to circular frame with heat and stick powder. Adhere around circle opening.

8. Tie ribbon around left side of embossed layer and then adhere to card front.

9. Stamp sentiment in Chocolate Chip ink, cut into a banner and adhere below circle.

10. Stamp a snowflake in Pumpkin Pie ink and adhere to bottom of ribbon with a silver rhinestone.

Inside

11. Cut a white layer slightly smaller that card base, score in the middle and also 1 inch on either side of centre line.

12. Stamp mistletoe image and adhere a smaller resized version of Kissmas Monkey to one side after colouring with Copics.

13.Fold along score lines and adhere inside card.

14. Atttach a layer of Pumpkin Pie card, matted with So Saffron card to bottom of card inside.

15. Stamp Merry Christmas sentiment in Chocolate Chip ink on white cardstock and adhere to So Saffron layer.

You have until midnight next Thursday to enter by linking your card to the CSAYL blog and while there, make sure you check out the rest of the DT's creations!


Supplies
Stamps: Kissmas Monkey digi (In Style Stamps); Wings of Joy (TE); Season of Joy (SU)
Cardstock: Stamper's Select White (PTI); Chocolate Chip, So Saffron, Pumpkin Pie (SU)
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Pumpkin Pie (SU)
Accessories: Swiss Dots Embossing Folder (Cuttlebug); Circle Nestablilities (Spellbinders); Copic markers; Silver Rhinestone (Kaisercraft); red ribbon; vellum; heat and stick powder, Dazzling Diamonds glitter (SU)

Say It With A Tag!

Photo courtesy of Linen House

Hi there!

When I am struggling to find a great colour combo, I often pull out a copy of homeware catalogues and look to them for inspiration. Well for this week's AnnaBelle Stamps Challenge - Say It With A Tag, I decided to use a sheet set that I have been looking at for a few weeks now. I really liked the colours that were in the pillow cases and sheets and boy am I happy I incorporated this into my tag! I will have to use this colour scheme again I think!

As I was contemplating how to go about my tag, I remembered that I had some Making Memories coasters that I had not worked with yet, so I decided that one of these would be perfect. I stamped the little flower image from Backgrounds By Design 1 in Versamark ink and embossed each one with white embossing powder. I then used the polka dot background from the same set and stamped this along the bottom in Baja Breeze ink. For the top half of the square I wanted to get a letterpress look, so I embossed it with the Elegant Bouquet embossing folder reversed adding some pink rhinestones in the centres. I then matted this on some Hibiscus Burst card and adhered some Hawaiian Shores ribbon across the middle. 

I stamped the Heartfelt Thanks sentiment from Jasmine's Cupcake in Melon Mambo ink and punched out a circle matting it on a larger Hibiscus Burst circle. Finally I crocheted a small white flower, sewing a button in the centre and adhering to the tag with GlossyAccents. I finished off the tag by tying some more Hawaiian Shores ribbon through the top.

This was so much fun to make and I will be making many more like this! Why not have a go at this challenge - hop on over to the AnnaBelle Stamps blog and link your creation. Be sure to check out the other tags by the rest of the design team:

Belles
Andrea
Sue W
Kylie
Chupa
Ida
Jerusha
Rene'
Lisa
Sue K


Bellas
Liz
Kerry

How To Play Along : 

- We post our challenges every Friday at 12:00pm AEST (AEDT during Daylight Savings).

- Our Sketch Challenge Runs from the last Friday of a month through till the last Friday of the following month.

- Each Friday in between we have themed challenges. To be eligible for the monthly prize of a $20 gift voucher to spend in store at AnnaBelle Stamps you MUST take part in the sketch challenge AND one of the weekly challenges.

- Please link directly to your entry not just to your blog.

- Include a link back to the AnnaBelle Stamps blog in your post.

- Please don't link to postings made prior to the date of our current challenge.  All projects submitted must be new.

- A maximum of 5 challenges may be combined including this one.        

- You may enter any challenge several times as long as each submission is with a new creation.

- We would love you to use AnnaBelle Stamps, but you can play along without them. For those who use AnnaBelle stamps and upload to the Gallery HERE

 then you will also be in the running to be our Monthly Guest Designer!


Supplies

Stamps: Jasmine's Cupcake, Backgrounds By Design 1 (AnnaBelle Stamps)

Cardstock: Aqua Mist, Hibiscus Burst, Stampers Select White (PTI)

Ink: Versamark, Baja Breeze, Melon Mambo (SU)

Accessories: Hawaiian Shores ribbon (PTI); white embossing powder, Elegant Bouquet embossing folder, 1" circle punch, 1 1/4" circle punch (SU); pink rhinestones; coaster (Making Memories)

Blog Award!

Just a quick post to add a blog award that I was recently given by my fellow AnnaBelle DT member Lisa:


Thankyou so much Lisa!!! Make sure you visit Lisa's blog as she has many awesome, inspiring creations including her two latest cards which I have to CASE!

Now onto 5 blogs that I think deserve this award:
Karen - I have followed Karen's blog since I first discovered this fantastic hobby about 2 1/2 years ago and I love her clean style and great use of colours! Karen is a fellow PTI fan like myself, so I am constantly inspired by her creations.
Teneale -  Teneale makes THE most elegant and perfectly laid out cards and I have been checking out her blog for a very long time. The detail that goes into her cards is just amazing!
Sharon - I have had the pleasure of being asked to join Sharon's Colour Create team recently and in doing so, I have discovered her fantastic blog. Sharon has the most pretty, feminine cards and her coordination of patterned papers and colours is gorgeous.
Christine - I have seen Christine's cards in some of the challenges I have been entering lately and I find her use of stamps in a clean style and pairing of colours wonderful. There are a couple of colour combos over on Christine's blog that I will have to CASE soon!
Sue - Sue is a fellow DT member for AnnaBelle stamps and has had her work published regularly in Cardmaking, Stamping and Papercraft magazine which is where I first saw her work. Sue constantly thinks outside the square when using any stamp set and I love her clean style also.

Now I have to tell you 5 things about myself:
1. I am the messiest, most untidy crafter I know! I like the idea of everything being organised, but I am too impatient and you will often find the materials for one card strewn from my craft room to the dining table to the coffee table. I need to work on this!
2. I am a qualified primary school teacher, now working as a Special Education teacher aide which I love! This is the most rewarding job I have ever had.
3. I am English by birth, living in Norwich until I turned 10 when my family moved out to Australia.
4. I spend way too many hours checking out my favourite blogs when I should be doing housework! My standards of cleaning have taken a nosedive since I discovered this hobby and this is something else I have to work on.
5. I am extremely passionate about this hobby and can't imagine not having it in my life now. I find it the best stress reliever and I love nothing more than seeing a recipient enjoying one of my handmade creations.

Here are the Rules of Award Acceptance :
-Right-click on the award and save it to your computer to add to your blog.
-Choose FIVE (5) worthy recipients and list them. Next to their blog name, give ONE reason why you think their blog is special. What catches your eye about them? What do you love?
-On your blog page, list 5 things about yourself. Include at least one thing you enjoy about your craft.

Thanks for visiting!

Etsy Shop

Hello,
Just a quick message to let you know that I have decided to open up an Etsy shop to sell my cards and embellishments. I am going to be slowly adding to it over the next few days and will be selling cards, tags and crocheted flower embellishments at this stage.  If anyone has any questions or would like anything custom made, I can do that also.
The store can be found at http://www.etsy.com/shop/stampedsimplicity. I will be back in a few days with my challenge cards for this week.

See ya!!

Wedding Card

Wow, I'm on a roll!!!
I just remembered that I haven't posted my wedding card that I made last week, so here it is:

I won't go in to too much detail as I have to go and watch 'So You Think You Can Dance', but the colours I have used are Pink Pirouhette and Crumb Cake ink, stamped using my Guidelines Two set(one of my all time favourite sets). To stamp it evenly, I used my Scor Pal to score diagonal lines, creating a grid. I also used the Papertrey Ink Anniverary Set - Round and Round for my sentiment and behind it.

Okay, off to watch Dance with my daughter!

Supplies
Stamps: Round and Round Anniversary Set, Guidelines Two (PTI)
Cardstock: Sweet Blush, Stampers Select White (PTI); Chocolate Chip, Crumb Cake (SU)
Ink: Pink Pirouhette, Crumb Cake (SU)
Accessories: Pearls (Kaisercraft); Mat Stack 1 Die (PTI); Scor Pal; Chocolate Chip Ribbon (SU); Lace Border Punch (Fiskars)