Anya Ink gets spooky!

First of all I am proud, excited, thrilled and honoured to announce I was picked in the top 3 for last weeks Anya Ink Challenge. Thank you so much Marcia and Tracy, it was a wonderful end to a terrible week (i would tell you about it but even i am finding it difficult to believe one person could have so much bad luck in only a week, you guys would never believe me :))
so enough about my week, which was crap-tacular, and on to todays creation, which is spook-tacular!
Even though we don't celebrate Halloween here in Australia, i just could not resist all the Halloween challenges going on right now, and all that purple and orange is just wonderful, probably one of my fave colour combos, so festive! So in keeping with the theme I created a trick or treat bag:
Here is a shot without the flash, the colours are a bit more true to life:
This shot with the flash shows where i have used crystal effects on the lettering (cut using my sizzix machine) to make them lovely and shiny:
Here is a close up of Captain Ian (from the 'matey' stamp set) wouldn't you hand over all your candy to this little cutey if he came to your door? This is without flash and shows the colouring better (but still not as vibrant as in real life):
Here he is with flash. I have used my new cuttle bug spider web embossing folder as his background, isn't it the coolest!And lastly a gratuitous candy shot, mouthwatering!
Ok, down to business, this little project played along with a number of challenges;

• Anya Ink - Use printed paper (the awesome spider paper is from summertime designs, and the first time i have used digi papers, i realised when i started putting this together i had no Halloween papers, so much for planning ahead!)
• Simon Says Challenge - Halloween
• A Spoon Full of Sugar - Halloween
• ABC challenge - embossing

Thank you everyone for looking and HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Mmm... cupcakes

Thursday was my future mother-in-law's birthday so i thought i would whip her up some cupcakes, and because i was feeling particularly fancy i got out the piping bag and piped the frosting on rather than my usual smearing with a knife. I was so pleased with the final product i thought i would take a photo and show them off.

Ta-dah!

While i was at it i thought i would show off some other baked treats from the boys first birthday, can you guess the theme? yep, it was sesame street, mostly because i am a huge fan of anything Muppet, always have been, but the boys think they are pretty good to. They have been caught kissing Elmo on the TV more than once :)

Here are my Elmo cookies. They were originally cookie monster cookies but i wanted to do Elmo as i had other plans for cookie monster. It just meant i had to add a nose and make the "fur" red.

Here is a close up of one.

I mentioned i had other plans for cookie monster, and here it is:

Cookie Monster cupcakes surrounded by "cookie" cupcakes. Isn't he too cute :)

And now for the crowning glory, the birthday cake:

I had tried to plan this out for months but ended up winging it. I loved the cute little characters and it ended up being a mostly monster cake (i can see Ernie and Big Bird snuck in amongst the monsters)

And here are my little monsters admiring their cake, it was nearly as big as them and complete overkill but i did not care, they only get one first birthday and i wanted it to be special

75 days 'till christmas

Hehehe, check out my haul! I went to the craft expo in Melbourne yesterday and shopped until i nearly dropped! i was so excited about my new purchases after showing a very patient and loving partner, who had spent the day looking after the children (who are little angels for him, so it is not really too big a deal), all my purchases i proceeded to spread them out across the floor to take pictures for my blog. This behaviour received rolled eyes, as you can imaging, but i was very excited. My most exciting purchase were the cuttlebug embossing folders as i do not have a cuttle bug machine... but i had an idea. What i do have is one of those huge red sizzix machines with a converter, so i figured if i was gentle i could use them in there. after this pic was taken i tore open one of the packets and went to try it....SUCCESS! yippi, so stay tuned for some cuttlebug/sizzix magic :)
Anyways, enough waffling (thanks Kellie, great word) here is a little something i whipped up last week and only today got around to taking photos of (blush) this is another one of my new motivet stamps. It is fairly overcast today so they have not come out as clearly as i would have liked, but the weather has been a bit dodgy all week so i will have to make do i guess.
The colouring of the image comes out better in this shot without the flash
With this card I have played along with
Creative Inspirations - Christmas in October, and
Creative Card Crew - It's a celebration (what better reason for celebration is there than Christmas... OK i will concede new baby trumps Christmas, but only just :))

Anya Ink Challenge #1

I was so excited last week when i came across Anya Ink, it is a new challenge blog for lovers of the greeting farm, and i had only days earlier ordered some stamps from there that i had had my eye on for a while, great timing huh! So the first challenge opened on Sunday, create something with pink and brown (and cream or white), and i waited (im)patiently until my new stamps arrived on Tuesday because i desperately wanted to use my Matey set. I have had this Stampin' Up wheel, matey's map, for ages sitting unused because they discontinued the matching stamp set before i got around to buying it and when i saw these adorable little pirates i just had to have them to match my wheel :)

So on to my card, this is first mate Anya, the set also came with captain Ian, he will make an appearance very soon!

The sentiment did not come out too clearly in the photo, it says "enjoy the journey", which i thought appropriate with the pirate/boat theme. I did not have any papers that looked wood-like so i made some up with plain card stock and markers. I was quite pleased with how well it came out:

Here is a shot which shows where i used foam adhesive to raise the images for a 3d effect:

and here is a close up of our happy little pirate:

The challenge over at Anyone for Anya? is - you're Anya. The challenge is to use the Anya/TGF image which you think represents your personality, she looks fun and playful and a little bit dangerous, what do you think me heartys! shiver me timbers!!

The Magnolia Down Under Store is now OPEN!

Exciting news, Kellie Winnell has just opened up a magnolia only online store and is offering Delicious candy! Check out the store here...
She is stocking everything magnolia, stamps, papers, magazines, etc. So if you love magnolias, and who doesn't, go and check it out, you know you want to :)

Some new friends to play with!

I was so excited this morning when i opened my letter box and saw a large envelope marked rubber stamps, it was my order from Motivet, yay! these are my first Motivet stamps and when i saw this one on the website i just HAD to have her :) I had her inked up within minutes, seriously, i was that excited. Lucky for me this little darling arrived in time for me to join in with the Secret Crafters Saturday Challenge, whose theme this week is Animal Antics (how appropriate) and i used the sketch from Friday Sketchers.
In the first pic you can sort of see where i have used crystal effects (again, i know, I'm obsessed) on her eyes, buttons and the chocolate chips and candy heart on her cookie.
I prefer this photo without the flash on:
and here is a close up of my sweet little Hilda:
What a cheeky grin, my boys get the same look on their faces when they get a bickie too :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MUMMY!!!

Hi everyone, today is my mothers 60th birthday and i spent the afternoon in a panic to finish a card for her. I actually gave up on the idea of making a card for her a couple of times but i kept coming back to the idea and finally got one done i was fairly happy with. My original idea was to make one of those fancy tri fold cards i have seen around but i could not make it big enough to accommodate the chipboard "60th" and some sort of stamped image without looking cluttered. So i went back to a regular card, 6X6 and here it is:

Here you can see i have layered my dear little magnolia to give her a 3D effect:

You can't really tell from the pictures but the little hearts are actually buttons. I put my new fave product, crystal effects on the chipboard 60th for that raised glossy effect and i also added some, with glitter, to Tilda's wings.

She fits in with 5 challenges (that was a fluke, i was only thinking of MDUC when i made the card and i realized later on she fitted with the rest):

Magnolia Down Under Challenge - cute as a button

Cupcake craft Challenge - cute as a bug (butterflies)

Creative Card Crew - all that sparkles (crystals on the wings of the large butterfly and glitter on the wings of Tilda)

Flutter By Wednesdays - fairy or butterfly and flower

Creative Inspirations - letters or numbers

Phew, glad that finally done. Thank you all for dropping by and leaving you lovely comments, i enjoy reading every one.

Snuggle Bug LO

This is something i did just for fun, I saw these photos and felt i had to do something with them. So, no challenges with this little fella, but the theme at Scrap the boys this month is all about birthdays. I bought some (hopefully) appropriate papers the other day and cant wait to get started on their first birthday pictures!
This is a close up of the L detail in the corner made from co-ordinating papers (there is a pattern but you cannot see it in the pictures. I have lacquered it with crystal effects:And there is the heading up close, as usual, with and without flash so you can see details and colours better:

Magnolia Down Under Challenge #22

The theme at MDUC is anything but a card. I usually love these challenges, it's a chance to be a bit more creative, but i just could not come up with anything this time. More out of necessity than any other reason i made a book mark (i tend to just use any scrap of paper lying around, i am actually using a hair elastic in one book, hahaha) So, as she is designed to get sandwiched in a book i kept it pretty minimal, and i went with a girly girl theme and added random girl themed stamps in the background (handbags, shoes, tiara, all that good stuff) I actually had this little Tilda all coloured and cut out and i intended to use her to make a birthday card for my mother (i think this card may be the source of my creative blockage, i just cant put anything together) and as that is just not happening i stole her for this.

So here is a full view:

Close up with and without flash:

AWOL

just a note to explain my absence of late. My poor bubbies have been sickly, leaving boogie snail trails behind them all week (my poor couch will never be the same again) and requiring a little extra love and attention, so no time for crafting until they go down for the night. I do have a couple of projects to post but my computer is being a little temperamental, so hopefully i can get something up tonight after the little snot monsters go to bed :)

Kellies sketch challenge... again :)

Well, i said i was going to have another go, and here it is. Things are still not coming together the way i hope, i guess i am just having a bit of a block, probably worn out from the grumpy bubbs, they can be a hand full when they want :)

So here is my second attempt at Kellies sketch:

Kellie's sketch challenge #3

Last night after posting i saw Kellie had her third sketch challenge up. I absolutly love the sketch but it did stump me a bit. I threw together this card this afternoon but i am not completely happy with it, i plan to have another go at this sketch soon.
It is a bit interperative, i thought a circle might be fun for the main image. The background blue and the ribbon have come out a bit same colour wise in the photos and i realise looking at the pics there is a small smudge on my ribbon, Grrr!

I think this photo shows up the best

The theme over at the Stamp Something challenge is using your favorite embelishment, and mine are without a doubt the little adhesive rhinestones. i love these little babies and put them on just about everything! a project just is not complete without a little sparkle.

One more for today

Hey, I'm back again! I got way more done today than expected and managed to complete a second card. Ok, i confess, this one was practically done when i started today, still, it does give a sense of accomplishment :) So this is based on the Creative Card Crew them of "Have a Fairy nice day!" and the sketch below, using brads or eyelets, from Creative Inspirations. When I first saw this sketch i thought it was going to be challenging but i had this dear little fairy all coloured in and I just had to use her and was actually happier with the end product than I thought i would be. This is completely unlike the other sketch i followed today. When i saw that one i had a million and one brilliant ideas but nothing seemed to come together for me, it's funny the way things work out. Anyways, enough waffling (thanks Kellie, great word) here is the sketch:
and here is what i came up with:

To begin with i was not sure what possesed me to combine red and orange, but the more i look at it, the more it grows on me :) i used crystal effects on the wings but it does not show up in the pics, if anything, it makes the colours appear duller, damn! You can also see (sort of) in the first pic where i have used foam tape under the fairy and scalloped circle sentiment to give a 3-dimensional effect. So, thank you again for looking, have a lovely evening everyone!

angels and cocktails!

I have been absent from my craft desk this week, i have been putting some time into christmas stockings for my boys, i hope to have them done in time but i'm not holding my breath. In truth i started these maybe 5 years ago when i found the fabric with the intention of giving them to my future children i assumed i would end up having eventually (my mother told me when i was pregnant that she thought i would never have children, the poor old dear thought she would never have grandchildren) anyways, they are dangerously close to being done, i will post pics if it happens :)
Ok, on to card making. today i got a bit of work done while the little angels were down for a nap. i have combined Cute Card Thursday's theme of Strawberry Mint Julep (don't you just love it, it counds like a very girly cocktail, maybe next week we can have a tequila sunrise theme?) using pink and green, ABC challenge, D is for die cuts and the sketch over at Crazy 4 Challenges, phew!
So, after all that, this is what i came up with:

Thank you for taking a look and leaving your wonderful comments!

3 in 1

well this little card is a combo of 3 challenges, secret crafters saturday challenge (hearts and flowers), creative card crew (black, white and pink) and delicious diva sketch challenge #2.
this is just a quick one for me tonight, time to put the little ones to bed :) thanks for looking and leaving your lovely comments, i always look forward to them.

creatalicious challenge #1

well, tomorrow is fathers day, our second one since having children. i am the first to admit that i am not the most creative gift giver, i used to be pretty good at it but i seem to have lost the groove (or maybe it was a case of only having it for a very brief period, yeah, that sounds more likely) so i thought to make up for my lack of creativity with the gifts i would make up a nice gift bag for them. this also works in with challenge #1 over at creatalicious challenges something for dad using brown and metal. so i stamped 'daddy' on brown paper, i really should have used plain card stock as the newsprint pattern on the paper overtakes the letters but i did not have any at the time so i made do, and i have used several metal brads. the stamp is my new edwin from magnolia rubber stamps and i just adore him, the little beanie is so cute :)
here is a pic close up of the design:
this one is a bit further away:
and here is a shot of the whole bag:
it is a little bit plain but i think for guy stuff it has to be a bit simpler, i can't really go crazy with ribbons and crystals, and trust me, the urge to do so is always strong, but i am happy with how it came out in the end. anyways, thanks for stopping by and taking a look!