Sunday, October 31, 2010

Curtain Call Challenge #54

Happy  Sunday everyone!

I had hoped to be back here this week but unfortunately life got in the way (AGAIN!!) and my stampin' time was very limited (AGAIN!!) - don't ya hate that? lol 

Anyhow, with the limited time I had available, I had to create my very last card for my Guest Designer Postition with the Curtain Call Crew!  I've had an absolute ball making these little projects each week, and I thank Stacey for the wonderful opportunity, and also the gorgeous 'crew' who do magnificent work each and every week! 

This weeks colours made me automatically think of Autumn, and I knew immediately which stamp set would help me out with my creation!  But before I show you my card, I think it might be a good idea if I show you the colours we're working with huh! lol


And here's my card in all it's Autumn tones!


At first when I made this card, I wasn't totally inlove with it, but I think that's because it's such a simple design, that some might even class as boring!
However, after looking at it on my craft desk for a few days, I really quite like it now.  Yeah, it's simple - but simple is GOOD and simple is MY style.  I must remember that when I'm critiquing myself in future! lol

So basically, all I've done is randomly stamped the large leaves from Lovely As A Tree all over my Very Vanilla card stock in Cujan Craze, Pumpkin Pie and More Mustard Ink.  Then I've gently spritzed a little bit of Chocolate Chip Ink over it using my spritzer tool and marker.  I know Chocolate Chip isn't in the colour palette, but there are some dark shadowy bits in the inspiration pic so I added some 'dark' colour to my creation! lol

Next, I did the Faux Suede technique on a More Mustard strip of card, wrapped a length of linen thread around it and secured it with some Cujan Craze brads before sticking it down.  Then, I've used my Big Shot to cut out a label, and my large oval punch to cut out a Vanilla overlay which has been stamped with the sentiment from the Best Yet stamp set!  That's it - SO EASY!

Now, I'd love you to pop over to all the crew and leave them some comment love - they so deserve it!  You can then play along yourself by uploading your creation using Mr Linky over at Stacey's Blog!



Posted by Karen at 3:00 PM 14 Lovely Comments
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Sunday, October 24, 2010

Curtain Call Challenge #53

Hi all!

Sorry for the lack of posts this week - it's been a bit of a big one for me!  I've been at the Eisteddfod with my kids alot this week, and any free time I had was used for catching me up with housework chores that fall behind - it never ends does it? lol

Anyhooooooo, Sunday sees us with another fabo Curtain Call Challenge.  I loved the colours this week and went a bit 'halloweeny' with my card after seeing the inspiration pic for the colours!

Here's the colours!


And here's my card!


What do you think?  I was really happy with how it turned, out and I totally like these colours together!!  You can't really see by looking at the photo, but I've clear embossed the flourish from Baroque Motifs before I plonked my pumpkin on it, just to give it a bit of 'oomph'!

Other than that, it's a pretty simple and self explanatory card I think.  However, if you do have any questions, flick me an email and I'll get back to you!

Be sure to pop along and check out my fellow Design Team members to see what they've come up with and leave them some comment love too!  Then, enter your own creation by using Mr Linky over at Stacey's Stamping Stage!

Christina MacLaren at Seaglass & Sentiments

Hope you all have an awesome week and hopefully (fingers crossed) I'll be back before next Sunday with something new for you!

Posted by Karen at 3:00 PM 19 Lovely Comments
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Sunday, October 17, 2010

Curtain Call Challenge #52

Can you believe this is my 3rd week as a Guest Designer for the Curtain Call Challenge?  I can't believe how quickly the weeks have wizzed by!! 

This week Stacey gave us a very pretty colour combo, but I have to admit to being stumped for a little while with it.  I tried a few things which ended up in the bin, until I realised I still had to make a little gift for a friend, so I combined both the challenge with my card and gift packaging and then things got easier - not sure why! lol!

Ok, these are the beautiful colours for this week!


See...... they really are pretty, and I can't belive they had me tricked up!

Since we don't have the Barmuda Bay colour in Australia, I used Taken With Teal for my creations.

  First off, I made a little love note sized card.


Obviously because of their size you can't go overboard with what you put on them, so I just did a bit of layering, combining stamp sets and punches until I came up with something I was happy with!  Simple, but effective in these colours I thought!

Next you'll see how I did exactly the same layering and stamping, but this time turned it into a little tag to hang off my gift packaging!


Time to look at them both together now.


My gorgeous friend Ngaire sent me these tiny little white paperbags that she got from over in WA somewhere, and I embossed mine with the square lattice embossing folder.  Then I just tied a big choc chip ribbon around it and added my little tag!  It's a very simple little ensemble to put together, and they look really lovely IRL!  Now I just have to put it all in the post and things will be rosey! lol

The Curtain Call Crew has samples to show you today too, so make sure you stop by to see:



...then play along with us and post your Curtain Call Color Challenge creation using Mr. Linky over at Stacey's Stamping Stage.

I hope you've enjoyed my projects for this weeks challenge and will give this colour combo a try yourself.  I can't wait to see what you all come up with!

Posted by Karen at 3:00 PM 17 Lovely Comments
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Friday, October 15, 2010

Just Add Ink Card # 2

Alrighty, so I've LOVED this weeks challenge over at Just Add Ink so much, that I've made another card today which I actually love more than my first! lol 

What do you think?


I've gone for clean and simple with this little number, and if you can't tell already, I LOVE that Aviary stamp set!  I think I might have to get me this one! lol

Well that's it for me today.  Don't forget to come back on Sunday arvy around 3pm for my Curtain Call Colour challenge projects!

Enjoy!
Posted by Karen at 4:57 PM 31 Lovely Comments
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Just Add Ink #39!

Happy Friday everyone!  Don't ya just love Fridays?  I do - it's my fave day of the week because no school lunches have to be made for 2 days,  I get to spend time with my beautiful hubby and kids (had to say that cause I know he reads my blog while at work!!), Keesh puts up another Inkspirations Challenge, and the girls over at Just Add Ink put up a new challenge too!  LOVE Fridays! lol

This week over at Just Add Ink, they have a FABO challenge that I hope alot of people will take part in!  You see, this month is Anxiety and Depression Awareness Month - something that's very close to my heart and their challenge is to Just Add Blue to your creation.  Not only that, but we're encouraged to send our card on to a special someone.  It could be someone you know who is going through a rough patch, it could be someone who has done something nice for you lately, or it could even be your favourite blog star - it's totally up to you!!

I have to admit to getting rather excited when I saw this challenge this morning, so as soon as I dropped my kidlets off at school, I came home and scratched around my supplies looking for anything 'blue'.  I decided to use some Blueberry Crisp DSP which is a new one from SU and I used the colours that co-ordinated with it to come up with this little cutie!


I wanted it to be a fun card,  so I used the Aviary stamp set that Keesh so kindly popped in the post for me to borrow for a little while.  How cute is that little owl with his googly eyes? lol    You can't really tell in the pic, but the bird cage is stamped in Not Quite Navy and the owl is stamped in Pacific Point with a little Sahara Sand belly, just so it all ties in together!

It's a pretty simple little card, but I hope it will brighten the day of my chosen recipent!  Thanks Just Add Ink girls for a really great challenge!
Posted by Karen at 11:21 AM 23 Lovely Comments
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Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Christmas Card!

Hi Folks!

Well here it is Wednesday already and I finally managed to sit down and make a card!  I had great ambitions this morning of whipping up a few to get some scheduled postings done, but the card I'm about to show you took me way to long and now I have to get on with my ironing ect for the day! lol

So here's what took me most of the morning to make. 


I can just imagine many of you shaking your head and saying "why did that take her all morning?!" lol 
Well, most normal people I know could whip this up in 10 minutes flat, but I chop and change things around, redo my bow about 400 times, restamp images cause they aren't 'right', take 30 photos of the darn thing and then don't even get me started on the editing! lol

Ok, so basically it's just a Rich Razzleberry card base which I've stamped with the Sanded background in versamark ink.  Then I've taken the lovely as a tree image and randomly stamped that using Rich Razzleberry ink, stamping off as I go to get lighter shades of the tree!  I've then sponged around that whole card base in Razzleberry ink just to give it some depth.

Then I've used a piece of DSP from the Woodland Park range (which is Wild Wasabi with cream polkadots) and I've stamped a few of the pretty flourishes that are from the Vintage Vogue stamp set using Razzleberry Ink over that.  The reindeer is from the Winter Post stamp set which I've stamped in Soft Suede ink, and the sentiment is from a stamp set callled Best Yet.  I'ts also been stamped in Soft Suede Ink!

Going back to the reindeer for a sec, he isn't missing part of his nose -  I've just applied the tiniest drop of  Crystal Effects and sprinkled that with glitter.  lol!  I thought I'd better clarify that anyone was wondering! lol

I think that's it, but if you do have any questions, just flick me an email!  I'm hoping to get back here before the weekend, but if for some reason I don't, I have my next DT project for the Curtain Call Challenge ready to upload at about 3pm on Sunday!

Catch ya later gator!

Posted by Karen at 12:02 PM 8 Lovely Comments
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Sunday, October 10, 2010

Curtain Call Colour Challenge #51

WOWSERS what a big week!!  I haven't been at my stamp desk all week and I've missed it.   I thought for sure I'd get a chance to whip something new up, but it wasn't to be!

I was clever though, and did my DT card for the Curtain Call Colour Challenge last weekend when I had time.  Thank goodness I'd done that or otherwise who knows what you might have seen on my blog for this weeks challenge! lol

Speaking of this week - how's about we check out what colours we're playing with?


Aren't they just lovely?  I took alot of the inspiration for my card from that gorgeous blue bed head in the photo as you'll see! 


I tried to recreate the look of the 'bed head' by stamping the squarish image from the Baroque Motifs stamp set onto Marina Mist card stock, and then punched it out with my square punch - I did that 9 times.  Then, I arranged it in a similar pattern to the bed head .  That was a very simple way to make a fancy looking background I thought! lol! 

I know you'll want to know how I made the flower too.  I had alot of questions when I made one similar on this card.  It's honestly so simple.  You'll need the Daisy Flower # 2 die to make it, which has 3 different size flowers on it.  This die was available in the US through Stampin' Up!, but I purchased mine from here!  It's a gorgeous die - you must buy it! lol

Now, all I've done to make the flower, is run it through the big shot using Whisper White card.  Then, I've  cut each flower in half (you'll get 2 flowers made by doing this!) layered them on top of each other and secured them with a 1" circle cut out of So Saffron card! I then made the base of the flower stem by using a another 1" circle cut out of Crumb Cake card.  I've done the Faux Suede technique to that and kind of pleated it to give it some texture.  I then drew the actual stem onto some Crumb Cake Card, cut it out and did the Faux Suede technique to that too and then wrapped some linen thread around it.  Not sure why I did that but it looks cool! lol  The leaves were also drawn free hand!

Be sure to pop on over and visit all the Curtain Call Crew and check out their creations because these ladies sure know how to impress!    Just follow the links below, be blown away with their creations, and then
play along with us and post your Curtain Call Color Challenge creation using Mr. Linky over at Stacey's Stamping Stage.



Posted by Karen at 2:40 PM 24 Lovely Comments
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Thursday, October 7, 2010

Cherry On Top Blog Award!

Hi everyone!

I promised I'd be back during the week with something new to show you, but instead I've been busy cleaning my BIL's 2 rental properties.  My back is killing me, and to say every muscle in my body is aching would be an understatement SO............ I gave myself the day off today! lol
Thankfully I do have my DT card done for this weeks Curtain Call Challenge (I was smart and did that last weekend while I had time) so be sure to come back at about 3pm on Sunday for that one!

In the mean time, I've been awarded this cute little Cherry On Top Blog award 3 times in the past couple of weeks and have been a little busy to do anything about it, and then when I do remember, I get side tracked with something else and promptly forget again! lol


I'd like to thank Makeesha, Petronela and also Donna for passing it onto me.  It excites me to know that what I do is inspiring to some people, even if my blog updates aren't all that regular at the moment.

Now, aparently I have to tell you 3 things about myself, but crikey - I'm really not that much of an interesting person, so you all might be asleep by the time you read the 3rd one! lol
  • I'm very much a loner and enjoy being that way.  While I love the company of friends sometimes, it doesn't bother me in the slightest if I don't speak to anyone all day!  Weird, but true!
  • I use to religiously watch Dr Phil, but now I'm glued to Martha Stewart every single day while I do my ironing!
  • I absolutely LOVE animals and have quite the little farm going on here! lol
I know I'm suppose to pass this one on, but there are so many blogs that inspire me, that it would just be too hard to narrow it down to just a few.  Instead I'll just say Thank You, and hope that I continue to inspire those that regularly stop by and always leave me such lovely comments!

Posted by Karen at 10:46 AM 3 Lovely Comments

Sunday, October 3, 2010

My October Design Team Gig!

Happy Sunday everyone!

I'm so excited to announce that for the month of October, I'm a Guest Designer for the Curtain Call Challenges - how AWESOME is that!!  I nearly fell of my chair when Stacey asked me if I'd jump on board, but I'm certainly up for the challenge and I'd love for you to play along too! 

Alrighty, so to kick off our October challenges, let me show you the beautiful colours we have to work with this week.


How gorgeous are they??  I even got to break open my new Cujan Craze Inkpad for this challenge, and this is what I came up with!


Now, I definitely can't take credit for the layout of this card because if you flip to page 82 of the Australian SU Catalogue, you'll find the card there that inspired me!  I loved it when I saw it, so I thought I'd tweak it just a little to make it mine!

I've clear embossed the flourish from Baroque Motifs, and then cut out a few little butterflies with my sizzix embosslit which you can get from your favourite SU Demonstrator if you don't have it already!  What I also added was a mini paperclip with ribbon attached as well as a small tiny stamped tag!  I was so pleased with how it turned out - I just love those warm earthy tones!!

Now, the Curtain Call Crew has samples to show you today, too, so make sure you stop by to see:


Introducing...



Thanks for stopping by today, and I hope to be back during the week with another creation or two!

Posted by Karen at 3:01 PM 23 Lovely Comments
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