Washi organisation

Not usually one to go along with the current trends, I have fallen for washi tape.  As my collection has grown and I discover new ways of using it, my rolls have been in my colour drawers and in a basket on my desk.  I was excited when I came across this adorable stand at the second hand shop.  Perfect.  Much more inspiring when it is in view.

Thanksgiving card

While we don't celebrate Thanksgiving in New Zealand we were invited to share in the celebration with our American friends.  I had seen this card at Pickled Paper Designs and loved the look and idea so I pulled together similar supplies and this is my take.  The berries and new leaves a NZ touch.

Colours:  sahara sand, white, certainly celery, garden green, very vanilla, cherry cobbler
Stamps:  rough type alpha and simple serif (SU), leaves (megilo), craquelure (IO)
Finishing touches:  chevron ribbon and linen thread (SU), red tage sale alpha die (cuttlebug), circle punch

28 Days of Sketches - Sketches Fifteen to Nineteen

28 Days of Sketches

Remember me taking part in this class?  I have had several pages that I had started sitting about and have come back to them to finish what I started.

Sketch Fifteen

Sketch Sixteen

Sketch Seventeen

Sketch Eighteen

Sketch Nineteen

The class has been a great chance to try some new layouts and to use a lot of my stash.  It has really confirmed the style that I am coming to put together as my own.  The idea was a sketch a day but that just wasn't possible.  Good that I get anytime access to the class so I can add them at any time.  Nine to go.

You can see more of my pages using sketches here

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas - Card sneak peek

My Christmas card list seems to get bigger every year. While I plan to get onto my cards early in the year so I know they are done it hasn't happened. I had an idea started from this card by Maile Belles and I bit the bullet, put aside some other things that need doing and got into it. I was pleasantly surprised to find they didn't take that long and I enjoyed putting them together.  Now to do the year in review letter that goes with it.  I will post the final result when they have been posted out.

Colours: crumb cake, cherry cobbler, always artichoke, very vanilla, early espresso
Stamps:  vintage labels and postmarks (PTI), merry christmas (kaiser)
Finishing touches:  handmade holidays papers and tags (simple stories), rhinestones (SU)

Baby card

There have been lots of baby's born over the last few weeks so I have been getting back into baby cards. I saw this cute card on Maile Belles site (did I mention I love her clean and simple style - I always want to add more but she definitely nails the less is more idea).  I have several stamp sets with little baby icons so thought they would be perfect to put together like this.  I made one in blue and one in pink but forgot to take the photo before I gave it away.  Will have to make another.  Love the end result.

Colours:  blushing bride, brocade blue, bashful blue, certainly celery, white, black
Stamps:  bottles and blankets (fiskars), peek a boo (EB), all year fun (SU), wedding (kaiser)
Finishing touches:  ribbons (SU), stitching

A gift for a teacher

My son's student teacher was finishing in their class and he wanted to give her a gift so together we made a gift and card to give her.

I had pinned these fun bookmarks.  I already had the buttons and ribbon so just needed the hair ties (not something we have around our place). A little fiddly getting the sizing right so we made a small and large one for different size books.

In one of the latest Papertrey Ink releases there was a teacher word die.  I came across this card by Christina at My Paper Secret and we put together our own version using similar elements and making our own.

Colours:  night of navy, cherry cobbler, daffodil delight, white
Stamps:  family greetings (EB), little pieces (SU), notebook paper (verve)
Finishing touches:  school papers (KI memories), apple cork sticker (LYB), rounded rectangle die (verve), headline alpha die (PTI), circle punch, maraschino bakers twine (the twinery)

Wonderful words

I saw the water colour feature on this card by Danielle at Homespun with Heart.   I had started out wanting to try my new bike die and put the two together.  The sentiment from Wonderful Words by Papertrey Ink were perfect for the recipient of this card.

Colours:  crumb cake, cherry cobbler, rose red, pink pirouette, so saffron

Stamps:  wonderful words additions (PTI)

Finishing touches:   heart punch, (fiskars), vintage bike die (memory box), wrought iron fence die (spellbinders), water colour brush, stitching, wonderful words die (PTI)

Something girly

Another chance to use my new sandable paper from Echo Park and my embossing folders.  I haven't done any colouring for a while so it was fun to get the markers out and colour.  I love the chance to make girly cards.

Colours:  certainly celery, blushing bride, rose red, white
Stamps: dress up lily (PCS), wonderful words (PTI),hey cupcake (EB)
Finishing touches:  paper (heidi grace, MME and EP), seeing spots embossing folder (cuttlebug), button, stitching, wonderful words die (PTI), washi tape

Using Sentiment Cards

I had quite forgotten I had done this card until I went through my photos.  My starting point for this card was the sentiment embellishment.  I pulled out the colours and was away.  I picked up some of the echo park sandable paper while on my travels to Canada and was keen to give it a go.  I have tried the co-ordination range and found it too thick.  The paper works well as it is still sturdy enough to sand.  It is a great chance to use the different embossing folders that I have.  I traced a circle shape onto the cardstock and then rough stitched around a couple of times.  I liked the end result. Something different to try when stitching instead of the usual around the edges that I do.

Colours:  sahara sand, baja breeze, calypso coral
Stamps: n/a
Finishing touches:  sandable paper (echo park), stitching, buttons, die cut sentiment (K&C), bird embellishment (recollections), pins (heidi grace), ruffled ribbon, victoria crochet trim and vanilla flower trim (SU), happy days measuring tape embossing folder (x-cut)

I love Maile Belles work.  She has a beautiful simple style and she often works on different angles.  This is my take on her style using some new washi tape that I bought.  So quick and simple when all the elements are ready to go.

Colours:  white, baja breeze, night of navy

Stamps:  n/a

Finishing touches:  die cut sentiment (K&C), washi tape, buttons