Final card for the year

Having rearranged my scrapping space (yes again) to fit my fabulous new chair that I got for Christmas (thank you my darling husband), I had to break it in. So finding a bit of time to call my own I got busy and created this one. The idea came from a cover that I have with the same yellow daisy pattern on it. Simple. Always good to have a few cards on hand should the need arise.

Colours: so saffron, white, bashful blue
Stamps: family greetings (elzybells)
Finishing touches: daisy punch, striped ribbon and linen thread (SU), button, brads, distress tool

Christmas cards

After stressing last year about getting cards made and putting together our family letter for the year I was determined that I would get ahead of myself and not be doing it at the last minute. But wouldn't you know I was actually later this year and just got them posted before Christmas. The big difference I guess has been that I didn't stress about it. I just got them done when I was able to do it. Next year however I am determined to learn my lesson. You heard it here.

I actually had a lot of fun putting together my card for this year. I wanted something different. I love looking at all the creations as I blog hop but I can't bring myself to do a winter christmas card with the snowflakes and snowmen etc. So it had to be kiwi. One of the things that sticks out for me at Christmas time is the pohutakawa as it comes in to flower in December, especially now that we have a fabulous tree in our entrance. So when I came across the pohutakawa stamp at Kiwi Impressions it got me thinking. I wanted to keep it fairly simple so carried on the pacific theme by creating a flax look background and the paua to finish it off.


Colours: crumb cake, cherry cobbler, wild wasabi
Stamps: pohutakawa (KI), wavy christmas sentiment (elzybells)
Finishing touches: texture plate basketweave (fiskars), stamps die (cuttlebug), red glitter, linedn thread (SU), paua shell (ocean shell beads)

Farewells at kindy

It is hard to believe that we will be sending another boy off to school in the new year. I like to leave a gift as we go and this time we gave the kindy a puzzle as it is one of Kyran's favourite things to do especially the hard ones. His other favourite has been creating projects at the woodwork table so I just had to use the builder images from my dress up Billy set from Pink Cat Studio. I started with the colours and had the idea for creating the background paper using the circles. As I edged it my ink smudged so never one to waste I added more distressing and managed to save it.

Colour: black, white, cherry cobbler
Stamps: dress up billy (PCS), little pieces and lots of thoughts (SU)
Finishing touches: seeing spots embossing folder (cuttlebug) spellbinder label 2, grosgrain striped ribbon riding hood red, distressing

A card I have been meaning to make

Since creating this card I also put together a pack of papers and embellishments to do another card with a different page that I found in the same mag. So I finally got it out and did something with it. Part of my goal of finishing things that I have started before doing something new. I liked how it turned out so figured I would do another while I had the bits out. Something I should do more often.

Colour: brilliant blue, neutrals
Stamps: le chateau collection and all about me (kaiser)
Finishing touches: seeing spots embossing folder (cuttlebug), round tab punch (SU), blue ribbon, brads, clear embossing powder

Time away

While I haven't had a chance to blog I haven't been idle. Before all the Christmas rush I had a chance to get away for the weekend to do some scrapping with my mum and sister. Fabulous I must say. I took the opportunity to do something off the page my ribbon storage box. I am not much of a one for off the page items but I enjoyed doing something a bit different.


I have managed to keep up with cards that I wanted to make but haven't been scrapping. I have been developing my style and got a number of pages started. These are a couple of pages that I did complete. I am looking forward to getting the others finished. Especially now I can scrap in comfort with the executive chair that I got for Christmas!

November Stamp Club

The challenge for this month is Christmas. Having thought about it for a bit I liked the idea of using silver embossing to create decorations and teamed it up with purple for something a bit different to the usual Christmas colours. I even used my sewing machine for the stitching! Have also been wanting to use the new in colour ribbon Looking forward to catching up with the girls tomorrow night and seeing what they have come up with.

Colours: elegant eggplant, silver
Stamps: snow swirled (SU)
Finishing touches: silver embossing powder and concord crush stitched ribbon (SU), peel craft borders, stitching, rhinestones.

Feeling better organised

With all my fab finds of late I have been feeling the need to do some more organising of my supplies. Being able to access what I have easily is such a benefit as I can focus on being creative rather than where I put that embellishment that I am wanting. I love checking out scrapping spaces on line and would love to have that room but there are ways around it when you have a small space.



So I started with my A4 cardstock. I am building up my stamp pads and therefore colours so I went for a sturdy file box. And I am loving it. I have sorted them into colours and each file has a bag for my scraps. The best thing is when I go out to scrap I can take the whole thing with me!


Now for my ribbons. Up till now I have been keeping my ribbons in click clack containers. As my stash has grown they started to overflow and were getting rather squished. I came across this idea in a magazine that I read to have them hanging on the wall. We were given the wall hanging and it worked really well. Now I have all my ribbons where I can see them.


And my best sort yet getting out my sewing machine on my desk. My awesome husband found this book - Sewing on Paper by Catherine Matthews-Scanlon at the library for me on stitching on your projects. If you look here you will see how much I love stitching but have been reduced to faux stitching due to the effort required to get the machine out and I just cant get the same effect with my little one. Looking forward to using it.

A card for sale

I often get asked how do I come up with the cards that I make. Usually it starts with a bit of inspiration. This one is for a lady at my husbands work who is leaving. As his social club buys them from me I like to make sure they are well thought out. It started with wanting to use my new spellbinder nestie Labels 1 and using one of the flower patterns that we made at stamp club. I came up with the idea of a quilted look with the squares and the DSP fitted well. It was then a case of fitting other colours and going through my stash to pull out stamps and embellishments to match. Voila! A bit here and a find there.

Colours: chocolate chip, very vanilla, certainly celery
Stamps: natural beauty (SU), impressions (bella!), grid (Kaiser)
Finishing touches: scallop posy flower, , pearls (kaiser), spellbinder labels 1, pear pizzazz stitched-poly ribbon and vintage brad (SU), faux stitching

Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge 89

I always love the chance to have a play with the Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge at The Sweetest Thing. This one is number 89 which you will find here. So I pulled out the gorgeous papers that I picked up at Spotlights recent 50% off sale. I love these colours and variations of the same at the moment. Patterned papers are great to put together. Because they match you get to play around with the extras a bit more as I did here using my i top tool from Imaginisce to make a matching brad to embellish.

Colours: baja breeze, very vanilla, chocolate chip
Stamps: praire lane (Kaiser), vinatge labels (SU)
Finishing touches: baja breeze striped ribbon (SU), daisy punch, prarie lane papers (kaiser), buttons (basic grey), i top brad maker (imaginisce), faux stitching

October Stamp Club

With the holidays, stamp club crept up a little too quickly. The challenge was to create a card using a stamp that you haven't inked before. I intended to go through my stampn up collection and sort it but it didn't quite happen. This is a birthday card that I made for a super stamper and awesome friend, and as it is a new stamp I guess it kinda counts. It is from the collection that I got recently from Elzybells closing down sale. And now that my second order has arrived and is sorted ready to go I now have many more new stamps to play with.

I got my inspiration from the colours in a house and garden mag that I picked up from the 24 hour booksale in New Plymouth. Great to get you started

Colours: rich razzleberry, crumb cake, whisper white, pretty in pink, almost amethyst
Stamps: stamp n scrap and sentiments (elzybells) and bud basics (SU)
Finishing touches: spellbinders labels 2, upper crest border punch (fiskars), faux stitching, rich razzleberry polka dot ribbon (SU), button, linen thread

A chance to play

While I haven't been scrapping much of late I have been finding lots of great buys that I have been playing with. These pages came together really well once I got into it. I love this paper from Cosmo Cricket. It worked really well with my new typewriter alpha die from Cuttlebug that I got for a bargain as they are retiring. I just love putting together different elements and using the tools that I have. Freestyler, thats me.

I have been checking out Cathy Zielskes work. She has such great design ideas. These layouts were inspired by a page I found in her design archives. Love her work well worth a look.

My new find

My focus of late has been on card making. Seems to be a common thing that I hear. Cards are smaller projects they just seem easier than getting out all the bits to complete pages. So wanting to get back into it I took they chance while away visiting with family to get some done thanks to my fab husband who took the kids out for the day so I could scrap with Mum and my sister. It was a chance to have a go at using the page dividers by We R Memory Keepers that I have discovered that are being used in all sorts of ways. I got mine from Scrappin Patch. When I started scrapbooking it was all about getting my photos out of their box and telling the stories that went with them. Despite all my organising my photos are still in a box on my shelf and and now with digital multiplying rapidly on my computer. So I am in the process of developing a way to remedy this in conjunction with what I have already put together. Stay tuned for more.

Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge 86

Having received my order from Elzybells I just had to ink up some and give them a go. I discovered their site while blog hopping to discover they are closing down. Never one to miss a sale I purchased a few and have sent another order since. Such a shame as they are such fab designs and fun to work with. So stamps in hand I headed to one of my favourite sketch blogs the sweetest thing for the Sweet Sunday sketch challenge. Karen has great designs and inspiration. It has been a while since I did a challenge and have just managed to sneak in for the cut off.

I knew I wanted purple as the base colour and found some papers to use. I used my spots to create the patterned paper I was after to tie the colours together. I was really pleased with the end result. It just needed the finishing touch which I found with the antique button. Looking forward to inking up some more.

Colour: lovely lilac, old olive, whisper white
Stamps: rubbadubadub and bubbles border (elzybells), lots of spots (CDS)
Finishing touches: apron lace border punch (fiskars), black embossing powder, antique button

Sympathy card

The inspiration for this card came from a bed of flowers that I often pass as I head into New Plymouth. It is a mass of white flowers with peach coloured poppy type flowers. I thought it fitted well with the muted tones while still adding a bit a colour. I also had the chance to use my spellbinder Label Two for the first time. Despite them having been around for some time spellbinder nestibilities dies have been on the one day wish list. They really are a great tool to turn a card from fair to fab

Colours: orange, very vanilla, white
Stamps: oh so lovely and inspired by nature (SU), alpha (unknown)
Finishing touches: apron lace punch, cotton twill tape, spellbinders nestibilities 2, White embossing powder.

September Stamp Club

I always look forward to our monthly get togethers at stamp club. It is just as much about the fun we have as the awesome projects that Cherie comes up with. Love it. This months challenge was to create a birthday card for a 7 year old boy. Those male cards seem to always create a mental block. I had the inspired idea from one of my sons sweatshirts and had a go at creating the look complete with zip using Stampin Ups spiral punch. This one was all complete and ready to go ahead of time when I got all inspired again the night before and had to have a go at a card using banners. They seem to be on loads of projects. They are a great embellishment as there are so many ways to do them. I made mine by cutting a triange in the different colours and stamping different background stamps on to it. I finished with a bit of faux stitching a great thing when you don't have the time for the real thing

Colours: crumb cake, night of navy, taken with teal, certainly celery, so saffron, tangerine tango, riding hood red
Stamps: in the stars, little pieces, background sampler and whimsical words (SU)
Finishing touches: round tab punch and linen thread (SU), buttons, faux stitching

Colours: brocade blue, basic grey
Stamps: background stripes and square (own design),party punch hostess (SU)
Finishing touches: spiral punch, round tabe punch, designer label punch and horizontal slit punch (SU), thread

The pages I was going to post

Despite having finished the album it has taken some time to get a chance to post the pictures that I had taken. Having hung up my scrapbooking hat for some time it took a bit to get back into the swing of things. I have been picking up different ideas during my time off and am looking forward to doing more. Several of the pages I have used sketches from Page Maps. They were a great starting point. While I kept most of the pages fairly simple I enjoyed having a go at paper piecing on the hanaumu bay double layout. I think a bit like my cardmaking I am a freestyle scrapper. When I see something I like I enjoy having a go at it.

Scrapbooking update

I have been plugging away at my scrapbooking. I have been wanting to finish an album that I started away back on our trip to Canada (2003). Kind of an incentive for getting back into my boys pages that I really want to do. A few pages later and an album that fell apart and I am done apart from the journalling. Stay tuned for some pics of my favs once I have done this.

I am also very excited about some new things that I have found that are going to help me get my photos in albums and actually get some of our baby (who is nearly two!) printed.
Despite simplifying my pages I realised that I was never going to get caught up and will be forever stuck in baby photos when I have some great shots itching to be scrapped and journalled now. Thanks to loads of surfing the net and checking out whats new I have put it together and feel good about scrapping again

Watch this space!

Fathers Day coming soon

Usually last minute my fathers day cards are all sorted thanks to a great night at stamp club (we made an awesome suit card from the new papers coming soon) and this one using inspiration from the Hostess set Occassions for all in the Stampn Up IBAC 2009-2010 p20. I don't have the set so going with my style put together a few things to create the look. It started with the ribbon. Using my colour swatch cards (see here for info) it was easy to match the colours

Colour: tangerine tango, so saffron, close to cocoa
Stamps: vintage labels, all year fun, background sampler, circle of friendship (SU), storytime alpha (CDS)
Finishing touches: ribbon(unknown), vintage brads (SU), faux stitching

Owls the new in thing

I love the look of cards and pages with owls that seem to be the new in thing. I found a couple of great ones in the mags I have been reading and decided to have a play and see what I could come up with using what I have (seems to be my style). It was lots of fun and I loved the end result. So will Riley as he loves hooting everytime he sees an owl.

Colour: kraft, various, chocolate chip
Stamps: storytime alpha (CDS)
Finishing touches: googly eyes, round tab punch, decorative scissors

Into my boys cards

Thanks to a loan of mags (thanks Shona) and a night out scrapping with a friend (thanks Jo) I have finally got on to doing my boy cards. Armed with a bit of inspiration and a few bits and pieces thrown into my crop bag I was surprised by the end result. This card is for my nephew over in Canada. It is made nice and early so hopefully I will get on to sending it in time, which seems to be my downfall at the moment.

I started with the superhero stamp from Pink Cat Studios Billy stamps. I had put in some of my boy pages and the stars one seemed to fit. I intended to have squares of the same size but cut them too big and so added the smaller blue ones to break it up. I have been wanting to get the label dies from spellbinders because I like the look but it is still on my wish list. So this label is actually stencil cut from a label that I got on some clothes I purchased recently. I love stitching but not always the time involved especially getting out my big machine for zig zag. So thanks to a tip from one of the mags I read I had a go at faux stitching zig zag. Finished it a treat!

Colour: kraft, pumpkin pie, ballet blue, going grey
Stamps: billy (PCS)
Finishing touches: faux stitching

Just for fun

Seems I find inspiration everywhere I look. This one comes from a denim skirt that I saw on a friends daughter. She was wearing it over striped orange and pink stockings Loved the colours and the design so in keeping with my style had to have a go at creating something from it. I used the same technique to create the denim look as on this card. I dug out the different flowers that I had and my mini sewing machine and I was away. In the end I couldn't help adding the stiching around the flowers. It was one of those one off cards that was just for fun as I don't have much chances to give away girls cards.

Colour: rose red, night of navy, pumpkin pie, taken with teal
Stamps, stripes (own design), sanded (SU)
Finishing touches: flower stencils, 5 petal punch (SU), daisy punch, buttons, threads