Lulla's Lovelies

June SAS {Stamp-A-Stack}

2011-06-27T13:56:00.009+08:00

Hello! I'm sharing the projects made at my SAS yesterday, the theme this month was 'Convention Inspiration'. This first one was inspired by a gorgeous emboss resist card on the demonstrator pin-up board in Melbourne. If anyone recognises it, feel free to let me know who the artist was. Edited to add, this is my inspration card, by the fabulous Sharlene Meyer. I loved the elegant french script background, and the damask stamp from 'Friends 24/7' embossed in clear powder, and brayered over in pear pizazz ink. I have added an eyelet border in black and a finger-bow-a-la-Teneale Williams in Mistletoe taffeta.

This little love note is a case from the last page of the mini catalogue, using the gorgeous 'Strength and Hope' stamps in support of breast cancer research. The original card was in Crumb Cake, but I have chosen Blushing Bride to represent the NBCF ribbon colour. I also added some lace instead of ribbon.

A card similar to this one also featured on the pin-up boards at Convention, well the idea of the tool belt anyway. I have added my own spin on it by sueding the pouch, and the use of silver brads and tearing. I really like this masculine card.

Now, can you tell what these two characters are? Did you guess a butterfly & a peacock? YAY! I know it's a little obscure at first, but I just love how simple they are with a bit of DSP, ribbon and a button! Both made using the large scallop circle die.

Now, the colours on this one are a bit off, the main panel is Crumb Cake although it looks more like Mellow Moss here. This was the fave of the day, and this pleased me as it wasn't a CASE :) I love the bold ribbon ruffles!

Here is me in my new Stampin' Up! tee and scarf! We had a fabulous day of stamp 'n' chatter, thank you ladies for coming along.

Lee xxx

And the winner is...

2011-06-20T12:30:00.003+08:00

And the winner is....

Fiona!! I deleted your first post to keep it fair, but thankyou for all of your lovely comments and support for my cards! And that goes for all of my readers!

Fi, stalk your postie...

Lee xx

June SAS {sneak peek}

2011-06-20T11:59:00.002+08:00

Hola! I'm having fun prepping for my June Stamp-A-Stack, and thought I'd share a little sneaky peeky of one of the cards we'll be making.

There are still a couple of empty seats, so if you'd like to come along on Sunday (Perth area), please contact me & I'll send you the deets.

Now I've just realised I've completely forgotten to draw a winner for the card in the previous post! I'm off to consult with random.org to pick the lucky winner!

Lee x

Sweet Sunday Sketch 119 {Happy BIRTHday Josiah}

2011-06-01T13:15:00.004+08:00

Happy first of Winter! Seriously, after the Summer we've just had in Perth, this lovely cool weather and RAIN is so glorious! And I'm a Summer girl..

Anyhoo, onto MUCH more exciting matters, and the arrival of my nephew {by my sister of the heart, Makeesha}. He arrived late last night, and as my friend laboured on the other side of the country, I made him a welcome card. I admit to feeling very guilty that I was having so much fun at my craft table while his mummy was hard at work *wink*.

And this weeks great sketch..

I've started on a base on Crumb Cake, and layered it with some CC DSP. I then riffled through my stash and found some Wild Asparagus DP from my scrapbooking days that went perfectly with the colours I had in mind. The reverse side of the DP was this gorgeous blue, very similar to, but darker than SU's Baja Breeze. I have mounted my main panel on this. On VV I stamped one of the greetings from PTI's Baby Button Bits set in Baja Breeze. The teddy bear is from the same set, and his button-belly is from PTI also. The ribbon is from a retired SU Ribbon Originals pack called 'Valet'. I've used my Nestabilities & BIG SHOT to create the circle & scallop. Oh. And a WHOLE LOTTA LOVE!!!

Thanks for looking,

Lulla x

Inkspirations colour challenge #70

2011-05-26T20:37:00.005+08:00

Do you notice anything different, anything LOVELY? ...
Yes! My blog has had a make-over! While the dotty blogger template did the job & all, well.. it was sadly lacking in creativity, and that's what we're all about here on a papercraft blog.
I've also changed my blog name. So if you are looking for Lulla's L-Ink, you're at the right place.
I'm joining in Makeesha's colour challenge this week, and as luck would have it, her colour palette matches my new blog. So in order to celebrate everything LOVELY, one lucky commenter on this post shall be picked by random.org to receive this card. Excited? Well you should be because it took me hours to make ;)

And here is the gorgeous colour line-up..

I've used stamps from the retired Asian Artistry set and Medallion by SU, and sentiment by PTI. The ribbon was some white satin from my stash that I've coloured with my Blushing Bride Stampin' Write marker. Clever, huh. I've stamped my main image in Early Espresso ink & coloured the dragonfly & blossoms in my Perfect Plum watercolour crayon, and spritzed a little blushing bride over the image too. The Medallion was then stamped in Versa Mark, heat embossed with clear powder, and brayered over in Sahara Sand ink.

I hope you love it, and the new blog too, I'd love to hear your feedback.

lulla x

PS. Credit, accolades & pancakes go to Sarah-Jane for installing my new blog template, isn't she clever? Couldn't have done it without you babe, MWAH xx

SSSC 118 {embossed butterflies}

2011-05-22T16:07:00.007+08:00

OMGoodness! This blog hasn't seen so much activity in ages! Nothing like an SU Convention to get the ol' Mojo going again.

I've participated in Karens Sweet Sunday Sketch # 118, which has a great big panel to let your imagination run RIOT! Nice & simple. I've seen this great embossing technique around, where punched out elements are assembled onto the card, and the whole lot run through the BIG SHOT in the Square Lattice Textured Impressions folder. This makes the image look like it's all one piece! Clever, huh?! I had lots of fun making tulips with the wing of the bird in the 2-step bird punch, and butterflies from my 'Beautiful Wings' Embosslits.

I hope you like it, this is one of my favourite colour combo's at the moment {early espresso, baja breeze, daffodil delight & crumb cake}.

Lulla x

Stampin' Up! Convention Melbourne 2011

2011-05-21T23:58:00.033+08:00

Welcome to my Convention 2011 Post! I have loads of photos, so please make yourself a cuppa and have a browse. I had an awesome time, and I'm not sure what I was most excited about... Seeing Melbourne for the first time, having a 'break' from homeduties, stampin', or just hanging out with the girls & EATING! (We did a LOT of that ;)

Ackland St Bakery mmmmmm, YUM!

Sarah-Jane Kale, Sarah Klass & I at Perth Airport, so excited that we're almost on our way!

Seat 18C!

A little last minute Tombow glue-ing..
random cake shot :)

St. Pauls Cathederal? Anyone? Please correct me if I'm wrong..

The 'upside down' Yarra river, named because all the mud appears to be on the top. We crossed this bridge a dozen times a day :)

A couple of lost tourists ;)

St. Kilda tram. Brrrrr it was COLD that day!

St Kilda markets

Max Brenners' Chocolates, mmmm!

This glass walled ensuite was the talk of the trip. Just as well SJ and are are very good friends! Lol.

Finally, inside the Convention Centre, the gorgeous SU staff, including the AMAZING Shelli Gardener wow'ed us with some fabulous presentations. Look at that stage! Giant wooden stamping blocks and a HUGE tag made the atmosphere really fun!

Practicing a bow a-la-Teneale Williams after her fabulous WOW presentation!

The lovely SJ and I on awards night

and again..
Flinders St Station

Gorgeous Bonnie Thurber with SJ and I

I just love this shot of Sarah, enjoying her french toast..

A HUGE highlight of Convention for me was meeting the gorgeous Fiona Harrison! We have been in touch for well over a year via cyberspace, but to meet this amazing lady was truly a treat. Fi is a midwife as well as a talented stamper and maker of body treats & candles... and well, I think I asked her about a gazillian questions! Thank you for your patience Fi! Love you!

More SJ & Lulla. I swear we did more than just take photos of ourselves! There were just so many lovely ones, I had to include them.

Federation Square
And another one, see, I told you!

The gorgeous Louise Layton! Another lady who made this trip fabulous! What an honour to meet the face behing Inky LouLou designs!

And finally, some random French dude..

So there you have it. This post has taken me hours, as Blogger is soooo not my friend, so please excuse the random order of photos as I would have been here into next week to pretty everything up.

We had a blast!

Thanks for looking,

Lulla xx

Roomie Gifts

2011-05-18T13:51:00.004+08:00

These gorgeous little treat bags were made for my Stampin' Up! Convention roomates, and were packed full of goodies a girl might need when stranded away from her bathroom vanity, and her craft room!

The bag template is a dimensionally modified version of this goody bag by Makeesha. I've used retired Designer Series Paper (dsp) from SU, current & retired SU ribbon, and the large scallop circle die (cut 9 times per flower) from SU. How amazing it THAT!

For product details, or to book a workshop and make your OWN, please contact me,

Lulla x

A couple of RAKs...

2011-05-17T21:28:00.005+08:00

Hello!!

Just a wee bit of eye candy to share while I edit all the fabulous photos I took at Stampin' Up!'s 2011 Convention in Melbourne!

I've used a dizzying range of products here, some SU (current & retired), some Stamping Bella, some Spellbinders, and some fabulous embellies from the lovely Chantelle @ Creative Bits.
If you'd like any details, please drop me a note :)

Lulla x

Buttons...

2011-05-02T15:23:00.009+08:00

Hello friends! I haven't blogged in waaaay too long, and I must confess it's not because I haven't made any cards, rather because the time it takes to snap it's photo, edit, watermark, upload & blog about said cards, takes such a long time that just considering it sends me to the couch with a cuppa, in exhaustion ;)

But I had a bit of a card making frenzy last week, and before they are sent to their intended recipients, I thought I'd share a bit of card candy.

These are all made using PTI's Everyday Button Bits stamps, PTI buttons, and an assortment of SU paper, ribbon & miscellaneous. So I wont recipe them, or I'll be here for hours. But if you have any questions, I'll be happy to help.

Lee xx

Off the page..

2011-01-30T23:34:00.005+08:00

Hello blog friends!

Today I have a different craft project to share, an off the page design so to speak..

Here is my lovely big girl showing off the new dress mummy made her. From the design to the fabric she had a say in all of it, and considering mum is fairly new to this form of 'art', we're both really pleased with the outcome.

It's difficult to tell in the photo, but this lovely fabric is a delicious strawberry print broderie anglaise, with a quilters' cotton contrast. Perfect for these HOT summer days we're having :)

The gorgeous strawberry hairclip my girl is wearing was made by the lovely Natalie of Petal Blossom

Thanks for looking,

Lulla x

Happy New Year to OWL of you!

2011-01-16T12:58:00.002+08:00

You can pick yourself up off the floor now, I know, it's been a looooong time between posts! I admit to losing my mojo underneath a pile of Christmas cards somewhere, but it's a new year, and time for some refreshing new ideas! I'm looking forward to joining in with some fabulous card challenges this year, and hope that you'll pop by and visit my cards occasionally :)

This card uses SU's new owl punch, and I'm in LOVE with it. Just one punch, and you have all the bits you need to make these adorable little feathery friends :) Use double sided patterened paper, and you have a complimentary outfit.

Lulla x

Inkspirations sketch challenge #39 {Sweet Treat Flower}

2010-09-16T14:16:00.004+08:00

Hello stampin' friends!

It's been aaaaaaaaaages since I've managed to submit a card for a challenge, but I just couldn't let this stunning sketch go by without having a go! After all, it's a nice simple sketch right? Then why did it take me about 4 hours to put this cheeky lil card together? Well, for some reason, whenever I'm using the sweet treat cups, I always end up working backwards... oh well, it's still fun! I've used the 2 smaller oval punches to make the petals of my flower, and the 2 leaves peeking out. I've filled the treat cup with 'Magin Fairy Dust' cupcake sprinkles by Dollarsweets. I'm thinking the rest might be self explanatory? If not, let me know what you want to know, and I'll digress...

and here's Makeesha's beautiful sketch

I hope you like it :)

Lee x

Perth Stampin' Up! regionals

2010-09-12T14:31:00.005+08:00

Yesterday saw hundreds of crafty women squeezed into the Perth Convention Centre for some training, stamping and socialising! It was a great day out, and we came home armed with lots of different stamping techniques to try, and some beautiful projects too.

I have to admit that the new stamp set, Every Moment, we received on the day didn't excite me much, but after using it, I'm in LOVE!!!!! Isn't it an amazing phenomenon that we can fall in love with a set after using it, or seeing beautiful creations made with it, even though our initial reaction was a bit 'meh'? Haha!

Here are three of the four we made yesterday. I didn't get around to making the darling little scrap page, as I was too busy chit chatting :) The daisy card uses the new Daffodil ink colour, and I ADORE it! Yellow is my favourite colour anyway, but I just love this shade. The little bird on the bullrushes is actually a little box, made with one of SU's new dies.

Can you see the darling little pearls on the flowers? Oooohhhhh! I just can't wait to put a pack of those on order!

We had an awesome day, and if you're in the Perth area, we will be making one of these cards at my next Stamp-A-Stack! I can't wait!

Lee x

August Stamp-A-Stack!

2010-09-12T13:46:00.006+08:00

Hello stampin' friends!

Now that we're well into September, I've finally found a wee hour to myself to upload our last bunch of SAS cards :) I'm realising that blogging is a bit like ironing... if you don't get on to it right away, the pile of cards, like washing, just gets too big!

First up we have a Fathers' Day card, or two versions of it, the other being great for an all purpose masculine card. I love the images form Totally Tool, they're great for any guy-related occasion! I don't know if you can tell, but the Crumb Cake c/stock is meant to be a kind of tool pin up board, storage thingy :)

Next up we have a sweet little card that uses the now retired Flower Trio punch, and the Pocket Silhouettes stamp set. A very simple, all occasion card.

The sesame street characters card was a favourite with our SAS stampers, and was made almost entirely with punches! It's amazing how realistic they are! I have CASED these little cuties from a card by the amazingly talented Karen Thomas, and you can see her version here.

Last but not least, was this pretty little 3D flower card. These flowers are deceptively simple to make, and were a real WOW at our workshop. The filigree backkground was stamped with an image from the retired Frames With a Flourish set, and the little dots have been paper pierced for a bit of extra detail. For details on any of the above cards, please give me a hoy, and I'll be glad to share :)

Thanks for looking,
Lee x

July SAS cards

2010-08-24T16:24:00.007+08:00

Hiya Stampin' friends!

Long time no blog huh! A few lovely stampers have popped by and wondered if I'd fallen off the face of the earth, but I assure you, my absence is due to nothing more than toddler-itis ;)
These following cards were featured at last months' Stamp-A-Stack. Well, there were actually six projects, but I've given two of them away meanwhile :) Note to self: take pictures of them first! Oh well.

I'm not going to write out recipes this time as I just don't have the time, and it is either something, or nothing at all! But if you have any questions at all, please don't hesitate to leave me a comment, and I'll get back to you.

I have another Stamp-A-Stack planned for this Friday night, so if you're in perth, and would like to come along, again, comment & I'll pass along the details.

Enjoy x

Inkspirations Challenge #29 {Sketch}

2010-06-25T15:35:00.005+08:00

Hello Stampin' friends!

and here is Makeeshas fabulously versatile sketch!

This is my last card as Makeeshas June Guest Designer, and I've had a great time playing! Thankyou all for your lovely visits to my blog, and for the encouraging comments you've left.

This week I was settling in, getting ready to think about what stamps and colours etc to use for this card, when I realised that my previous entry used the EXACT SAME sketch layout as this weeks'!!! Believe me, it was purely coincidental, and I DID think of entering the same card twice (no, not really), (ok, just for a minute), when it was 11:32 last night and I was scrambling to find my mojo. I do like this card, but I had grandiose plans for a show-stopping technique, and I just didn't have the headspace to plan something amazing :) Obviously I didn't spend long enough in the shower. See the previous post for an explanation on that one!

Recipe -

Stamps - Blooming button bits by PTI, Everyday button bits also by PTI.

Ink - Wild wasabi, bashful blue, real red & chocolate chip stampin' write marker.

Cardstock & Paper - Real red c/s, whisper white c/s, Summer Picnic DSP (retired)

Tools & Embellishments - Satin ribbon in New Leaf by PTI, buttons 'playground', Fiskars' Apron Lace punch, Spellbinders Nestabilities, Big Shot, Polkadot embossing folder, corner rounding punch, Spritzer tool, word window punch, dimensionals.

For some more sensational inspiration using this sketch, pop on over for a visit to the blogs of these fabulously talented ladies, and leave some comment love! And funnest of all, have a go yourself! I'd love to see what you come up with.

last weeks' challenge winner Lynn Mangan

and of course Makeesha.

All materials Stampin' Up! unless noted.

Lee x

Inkspiration 28!

2010-06-18T15:54:00.005+08:00

Hello Stampin' friends!

Welcome to Makeeshas Inkspiration Challenge #28, and this week it's a colour challenge! These ones are my favourite, as you can make whatever you please, as long as it incorporates the challenge colours. I came up with this design in the shower last night, as it's often the only place I have five minutes of head space :) I am really enjoying using Organic Outlines at the moment. You may have to just trust me when I tell you that I HAVE indeed used Elegant Eggplant, in the form of two ice rhinestone brads! The light hasn't caught the colour too well, but it's there :)

To see some wonderful creations using these colours, pop on over to visit the rest of the Design Team, and leave some comment love on their blogs :)

and of course Makeesha!

Recipe -

Stamps - Organic Outlines

Ink - Craft whisper white, pumpkin pie, chocolate chip

Cardstock & Paper - Chocolate chip, whisper white, pumpkin pie DPP (retired)

Tools & Embellishments - Satin chocolate chip ribbon (retired), ice rhinestone brads, scallop border punch, Spellbinders Nestabilities, stampin' sponges

All materials Stampin' Up! unless noted

Lee x

Inkspiration #27!

2010-06-11T15:05:00.003+08:00

Hello stampin' friends! Welcome to another fabulous sketch from Makeesha! Oh, how I love Fridays, and the wait to see what she'll come up with next, is near intoxicating! I have to admit that having the privilege of being a guest designer, I got all 4 sketches and colour combo's UP FRONT!! That's like opening Christmas pressies early :D So get your best stampin' hat on, and maybe it will be YOUR turn next week!

I have been itching to use my new Minivanabella stamp by Stampingbella for some time, and when I saw this sketch, the first thing I though of, was to put the mini van in the little oval. I had to take a little liberty with the sketch layout to make it work, but that's what it's all about right? Inspiration! I bought this stamp because it repesents my little family PERFECTLY!!! There is me, with my sleek & streaked 'do, with baby Isabella in my arms, Kade stuck to my leg, and Sarah skipping along happily alongside! (hubby is parking the SUV, lol) I just couldn't resist! Who I'd send a card like this to, I have no idea, but I love it anyways :D

I may have overdone the brightness & contrast in my edit, but I have just discovered these amazing tools, and cannot believe the difference a little tweak makes to the photo! So, I've lost a little of my shading on the colouring, but it was worth it to lose the shadows :)

I've coloured my little Bella family with Stampin' Write markers, and slathered the mini van in crystal effects to make it look like a brand new shiny Tarago!

And here is Makeeshas sketch...

Pop on over to visit the rest of the Inkspirations Designers for some fabulous ideas & eye candy!

last weeks challenge winner Kim Badelt

and of course Makeesha!

Recipe for 'Enjoy the little things' card:

Stamps - Enjoy Every Moment, Minivanabella by Stampingbella, Cheep Talk (heart).

Ink - Memento Tuxedo black, Riding hood red, Whisper white craft, Stampin' Write markers in real red, basic black, not quite navy, certainly celery, more mustard, creamy caramel, pretty in pink and chocolate chip. Copic T1 marker.

Card stock & paper - Baja breeze, whisper white, kraft, Hand Drawn DSP (hostess).

Tools & Embellishments - Spiral punch, corner rounder punch, Riding hood red taffeta ribbon, crystal effects, dimensionals.

All materials Stampin' Up! unless noted.

Lee x

Like-O-Meter for JAI & SSSC

2010-06-08T08:44:00.006+08:00

Good morning! I had a little play last night and made a card for JAI's current challenge... Just Add Stitching! Faux stitching of course as the little el-cheapo sewing machine I bought to try sewing on my cards, remains in its box, never threaded! I've used the current SSSC #72 for the sketch layout. I really loved this stamp as soon as I saw it at SU Perth Regionals last year, and wouldn't you know it, this is the first time I've used it! Of course it has long since retired :)

and the lovely sketch from Karen over at The Sweetest Thing. I've reversed it to suit the stamp :)

Recipe:

Stamps - Like-O-Meter

Cardstock & Paper - Red ridinghood red textured c/s, kiwi kiss c/s, whisper white c/s, pink pirouette DSPP, red ridinghood red DSPP

Ink - Red ridinghood red

Tools & Embellishments - Spellbinders Nestabilities, Sherbet (retired) & bouquet buttons, silver cord (retired), fine super nova glitter in pink, corner rounder punch, mat pack, white gel pen, 2 way glue pen, dimensionals

All materials Stampin' Up! unless noted

Edited to add...

Thankyou to the girls at Just Add Ink for choosing my humble card! I'm honoured and surpirised as there were some crackin' entries with REAL stitching! Head on over to JAI and check out all the talent!

Lee x

Inkspirations Challenge 26!

2010-06-04T15:41:00.001+08:00

Good afternoon stampin' friends! I have some exciting news! Makeesha has asked me to be her guest designer for the month of June over at Inkspirations! To say I am honoured is an understatement, and to say I perspired just a little when trying to make an acceptable card, is an outright lie, hehe. But we got there, and this is only my second attempt!

The colours we were challenged to use, and again 'challenged' is an understatement, are from this awesome palette. I say I was particularly challenged, as I just didn't know what to do with the basic gray! But, they do go very nicely together, and I'm somewhat pleased with the result :)

Recipe:

Stamps - Scribble This, Always, French Script (retired)

Cardstock - Kraft, whisper white, real red.

Ink - Versamark, real red, basic gray, craft whisper white.

Tools & Embellishments - scallop punch, basic gray taffeta ribbon.

All materials Stampin' Up!

For some more wonderful Inkspirations Inspiration, pop the kettle on and mosey over to check out the cards by the rest of the amazingly talented Design Team!

and of course Makeesha!

I hope you likey!

Lee x

Welcome baby Brianna!

2010-06-02T17:50:00.002+08:00

I made this little cutie for a gorgeous bubba girl who's just entered the world! She's my newest little cousin, and I just met her today :) There is NOTHING nicer than cuddles of a newborn.

Recipe:

Stamps - Fun & Fast Notes, So Many Sayings (retired hostess), Big Bold Birthday.

Cardstock & Paper - Kraft c/s, whisper white c/s, regal rose c/s & pink pirouette DP.

Ink - Craft white, regal rose & regal rose Stampin' Write marker.

Tools & Embellishments - Spellbinders Nestabilities, Big Shot, word window punch, soft subtles brad, crop-a-dile, Fiskars Apron Lace punch, Pink satin ribbon from Spotlight, linen thread, dazzling diamonds, dimensionals.

All materials Stampin' Up! unless noted.

Lee x

May SAS creations!

2010-05-31T13:04:00.010+08:00

Hello! I haven't posted for a wee while, but to make up for it, here are six new projects! I had a lovely day yesterday, stamping with friends, and this is what we made..

This lovely melon mambo easel card was made using the Big Bold Birthday stamp set.

Here's a close-up of this card, to show the crimped cupcake case.

This Vintage Vogue & razzleberrry card uses the top note die and the little leaves die. I should mention that the theme of this SAS was the BIG SHOT! So I tried to incorporate it as many ways as I could :)

and a matching bookmark using the same set & colours, also featuring some bling from the Pretties Kit.

Something for the boys :) A polkadot embossed card using Lots of Bots.

... and just in case you don't have your glasses on, a CLOSE-UP, hehe.

These two sensational seaweed-like creations are basically the same card with different orientations. I couldn't decide which I preferred, so I gave the ladies a choice! I adore Kraft cardstock, and white craft ink looks awesome on it. Oh, I'd better not call them seaweed, they're really called Organic Outlines :)

Now, this little cutie patootie was a lotta fun to make! We made the clouds by punching out a scallop circle and sponging with craft white ink around the inside. Awesome huh! Then this little birdie from Fun & Fast Notes was paper pieced with DSP, and sat atop a grassy knoll. (in my imagination he was atop a grassy knoll, anyways...)

I didn't go into a lot of detail with materials and such, but if you'd like to know how these lovelies were created, please leave a comment and I shall digress!

All materials Stampin' Up!

Lee x

Beautiful Blog Awards

2010-05-20T13:43:00.006+08:00

Hello my crafty friends! I have been gifted this great award by both Fi and Keesh over the past couple of weeks, and have seen lots of them popping up over blog-dom. The best bit about them is that the awarder(?), gifter(?), or plain person who sent it, hehe, has to share 10 things about themselves! Then in turn the awardee, or giftee, or just the person who receives it(!) can forward their award on to 10 more inspiring blogs and share 10 things about themselves! I'm soooo looking forward to hearing all about some of my blog friends :)

So, 10 things about me...

1. I am married to a handsome Canadian, and lived in beautiful Canada for 3 years.

2. We have 3 gorgeous children, DD4, DS2 & DD9months.

3. Before children I worked as a Metallurgical Lab. Technician.

4. Post children I'd like to study Midwifrey.

5. I loathe scrubbing showers :(

6. I LOVE warm sticky date pudding with butterscotch sauce and vanilla bean ice cream!

7. I observe the time to be 11:11 often.

8. I'm not a morning person, and can often be found stamping into the wee hours.

9. I'm interested in Naturopathy, homeopathy, RELAXology & chocotherapy :)

10. My favourite stamp set at the moment would have to be... Pocket Silhouettes by SU, but there are sooooo many favourites!

Ok, so there is all you might ever want to know about me, but what about YOU?

Kristin Fiddyment
Lin Mei Yap
Caroline Cassidy
Lee-Anne Barry
Richelle Fletcher
Charmaine Black
Amanda Reddicliffe
Tanya Kitto
Andrea Buckland
Sarah Klass

Lee x

Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge #68

2010-05-13T13:03:00.004+08:00

Today (well, actually last night) I mounted my new Lots Of Bots stamp set and got busy with Karens fabulous sketch! I needed to make a 3rd birthday card for a very special little boy, so what better excuse to break out the 'bots! As much as I love this layout, lining up the little rectangles and cutting the mats to fit drove me just a tad insane, and I swear I must have made the task a lot harder than it needed to be! But I like the finished product, although next time I make a similar layout, I think I'll use punches & make them all square!

I have hand stamped the background using markers & the little stamps that come with this set, and aren't the barcodes, nuts & bolts just perfect for little boys!

And another fabulous sketch from Mrs Giron:

Recipe :

Stamps - Lots of Bots, Big Deal Numbers (retired)

Cardstock - Basic gray, bashful blue, real red, whisper white

Ink - Basic gray, real red, and the following markers, real red, pumpkin pie & bashful blue

Tolls & accessories - Real red 5/8" grosgrain ribbon, spellbinders nestabilities (deckled rectangle), dimensionals

All materials Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted

Lee x

Inkspirations Sketch #22 {Tea for Two}

2010-05-09T12:11:00.004+08:00

I haven't participated in any sketches in a few weeks, and was suffering withdrawls, so with the excuse of using some new stamps, cardstock, papers, buttons AND ribbons (whew) I've just received, I got happily busy. I really liked how this card turned out, especially as it's using my FAVOURITE colour, yellow! Although it's my fave, I have to admit to not using it in my cardmaking very often. But with the DP having yellow & kraft, you can't go wrong!

Thanks Keesha for another fabulous inspiration sketch!

Here is Makeesha's Sketch:

Recipe:

Stamps - Tea for Two (PTI), Sanded

Card stock & Paper - Kraft c/s, basic black c/s, whisper white c/s, lemon tart c/s (PTI), Dotty Biscotti DP (PTI)

Ink - Basic black, Versa Mark, C1 Copic marker

Tools & Accessories - Little leaves Sizzlits Die, Big Shot, Spellbinders Nestabilities, Lemon Tart polkadot satin ribbon (PTI), Spring Vintage buttons (PTI), linen thread, oval punch, mini glue dots, dimensionals

Materials Stampin' Up! unless noted

Lee x

Seaworthy

2010-05-05T21:19:00.004+08:00

This is the last SAS project from last month's workshop. I really like this little masculine number, and my stampin' friends did too :) He was one of the fave's. I have used the 'paper piecing' technique, which involves stamping the image twice, once on whisper white, and again on patterned paper. I have then cut out a portion of the sail from the DSP, and popped it over the original image on dimensionals, to give it, um, well, dimension!

A side view to see all that billowing dimension!

Recipe:

Stamps - Seaworthy, Occasional Greetings

Cardstock & Paper - Basic gray c/s, whisper white c/s, Windsor Knot DSP

Ink - Basic gray, sage shadow

Tools & Embellishments - Dazzling diamonds glitter, 2 way glue pen, silver brads, aqua painter, dimensionals

All materials Stampin' Up!

Lee x

Happy Mum's Day!

2010-05-05T21:02:00.004+08:00

Happy Wednesday folks! No, your eyes aren't playing tricks on you, these here are two different cards, well, at least the sentiments are different. This card was another SAS project, and I made up the 'So lucky..' one with rub ons I received as part of a level 3 hostess package. I don't generally demonstrate rub ons as there are generally only one of each sentiment in a pack, making it difficult for each person to have the same card. So I jumped at the opportunity to make up an extra card from the SAS using them. I know, I know, you've seen 3 or 4 variations of this card on my blog in the last 2 weeks, but I promise this is the last one!

Rub ons above, and Happy Mothers' Day below.

I'm not going to go into the recipe for this one as it can be found a few posts previous for a very similar card, but if there are any questions, please comment & I'll get back to you.

Thanks for looking!

Lee x

Cheerfully Cheep!

2010-05-02T20:05:00.003+08:00

Hello there! I have another 5 minute window of opportunity to share a SAS card from last weekends workshop. I felt almost guilty that this cute little card was sooooo easy to make, I mean, stamp, punch & stick, and you're DONE! But he was many people's favourite :D These colours go wonderfully together, and I'm going dotty over all those gorgeous spots!

And not that this card really needs a close-up, but I can, so I will, hehe. Plus, we need to see the bling!

Recipe:

Stamps - Cheep Talk

Card stock & Paper -Kiwi kiss c/s, melon mambo c/s, whisper white c/s, Good Morning Sunshine DSP

Tools & embellishments - Melon mambo polkadot ribbon, 1 1/4 circle punch, square scallop punch, dimensionals, 2 way glue pen, dazzling diamonds glitter

All materials Stampin' Up!

Lee x

Baja Party!

2010-04-30T19:43:00.003+08:00

This is another one of the SAS projects we made last week. I wanted to show how the greeting fit perfectly into the scallop circle punch, and also how to Build-a-Brad! I have to concede that Tangerine Tango is a difficult colour for me to use, but I wanted to have a 'bright' card to break up all the natural, earthy colours I've been using a lot of lately. TT goes nicely with Baja Breeze, so I'm happy how it turned out. What frustrated me about using the Party Hearty stamp set though, is that I just couldn't use more of the stamps on the one card! They're all so fabulous, and I had a hard time choosing which stamps to use :) We'll just have to use it again at another SAS.

Recipe:

Stamps - Party Hearty

Cardstock & Paper - Tangerine Tango c/s, baja breeze c/s, whisper white c/s, baja breeze patterns DP

Ink - Baja Breeze, Tangerine Tango

Accessories & Tools -Build-a-Brad, 1/2" circle punch, scallop circle punch, baja breeze striped ribbon, dimensionals

All materials Stampin' Up!

Lee x

Big Shot Birdie!

2010-04-30T16:49:00.002+08:00

Hi folks, I'm only now getting 5 minutes to load a couple of photos of cards we made at last Sunday's SAS. I'll load the rest when I get another 5 minutes :)

This one was one of my favourites, as it was soooo quick and easy to make with the new 2 step bird punch. Just punch it on double sided DSP, and you have instant contrasting patterns for bird & wing! Too easy. I like the natural colours and textures of the linen thread and pearl.

Recipe -

Stamps: Sanded, Wonderful Favourites

Cardstock & paper: Kraft c/s, very vanilla, chocolate chip, not quite navy, Bella Bleu DSP

Ink: Close to cocoa, not quite navy

Tools & Accessories: BIG SHOT!!! Top note die, 2 step bird punch, linen thread, pearl from Pretties Kit, stampin' sponges

All materials Stampin' Up!

Lee x

Happy Birthday!

2010-04-24T18:45:00.002+08:00

Happy Birthday to my dear friend Sarah-Jane! Gosh, she's 29, AGAIN! ;D

I made this card for her, because these two JavaBellas look uncannily like us. You can pick out which one is me, right? C'mon, that teeny tiny waist is a dead give away! No? Ok, how about the brunette? Riiiiiight, now that's something familiar! Sarah on the other hand does look a lot like her Bella, waist 'n' all :)

Recipe :

Stamps - Javabellas by Stampingbella, It's Your Birthday, Vintage Vogue

Ink - Versamark, regal rose, red ridinghood red, not quite navy, kiwi kiss, creamy caramel, so saffron, close to cocoa, sahara sand

Card stock & Paper - Apricot appeal, basic black, whisper white, paper patterns II DSP (hostess)

Tools & Accessories - black embossing powder, heat tool, embossing buddy, crop-a-dile, stampin sponges, aqua painter, CM cutting system, build-a-brad, kiwi kiss satin ribbon, vanilla half pearl from Pretties Kit

Lee x

A Stamp-A-Stack sneaky peaky!

2010-04-24T09:19:00.002+08:00

Hi stampers!

I have been a busy little bee slicin' & dicin' for this Sunday's Stamp-A-Stack, and as there are still two seats available, I thought I'd post a wee sneak peek of one of the cards we'll be making. This is a masculine card, using the 'Seaworthy' stamp set, and also using the 'paper piecing' technique.

If you can't make it along on Sunday, stay tuned to my blog next week for pictures of all 6 SAS cards!

Have a safe ANZAC weekend all.

Lee x

A hamper from JAI!

2010-04-24T08:24:00.004+08:00

Good morning! I'm very excited to share this picture of the goodies I received in the mail yesterday from the lovely ladies over at Just Add Ink. I'm soooo glad I took the picture when I did though, as it's now missing a few packets *insert sheepish grin*. And how gorgeous is this card! I'm just as tickled to be the proud owner of an Amanda Reddicliffe hand stamped original, as I am of all the chocolate :) I won the hamper for submitting this card, so if you'd like to have a look at all the spectacular talent happening over on this fabulous site pop on over for a visit!

Thanks Amanda & Danielle!

Lee x

Inkspirations #20 and JAI #11 {again!}

2010-04-06T15:57:00.004+08:00

Hello! I'm on a bit of a roll with these colours & stamps, they go so nicely together :) So I'm submitting to the same challenges again (Inkspirations #20 and JAI #11).

And a close up of the fabulous flower!

Recipe :

Stamps - Medallion, Wild West Alphabet, Wonderful Favourites, Vintage Vogue

Ink - Creamy caramel, Chocolate chip, Brocade blue

Card stock & Paper - Creamy caramel c/s, chocolate chip c/s, very vanilla c/s, Paper prints hostess paper block in brocade blue

Embellies and Tools - Chocolate chip 5/8" grosgrain ribbon, scallop oval punch, CM cutting system, Build-a-brad base, cream half pearl from Pretties Kit, Crop-a-dile, distressing tool from Cutter Kit, sticky strip, dimensionals, SAMJ, stampin' sponges

All materials Stampin' Up! unless noted

Lee x

SSSC #63

2010-04-05T09:47:00.004+08:00

Happy Easter Monday :) This card has a fun story behind it. Lastnight my dear friend Kristin happened to post on facebook that she was bored. Well. So I issued her the challenge of coming up with a card, and it may as well be the current sssc, and we had one hour in order to complete them! This was a real challenge for me as usually an idea takes me aaaaages to come up with! My other challenge was issued by another dear friend, Sarah Jane, to bust open my virgin pack of crochet flowers :) So don't look too closely ok? Not everything is as straight as it could be :P But boy it was FUN! Thanks Kristin!

Recipe :

Stamps - Always

Ink - Versamark, Craft whisper white, Red ridinghood red, soft suede

Cardstock & Paper - Soft suede c/s, whisper white c/s, very vanilla c/s, Bella bleu DSP

Accessories & Tools - Fiskars apron lace punch, crochet flower, fire rhinestone brad, white embossing powder, soft suede polka dot ribbon, heat tool, powder pals, SAMJ, dimensionals, sticky strip.

All materials Stampin' Up! unless noted,

Lee x

Inkspirations Colour Challenge #20 and JAI #11

2010-04-03T17:02:00.003+08:00

Hello! Today I have made a Mothers' Day card using Makeesha's colour combo. It is also the very first time I have inked up my NEW Medallion stamp, and Vintage Vogue set. They are just delicious to work with, so many possibilities! I just love that these colours lend themselves to that vintage feel too. I have taken inspiration quite literally from makeeshas card, and reproduced her ruffled ribbon. I have been wanting to have a go at this technique for ages, as I really like mixing up textures on my cards, and this ribbon hit the spot :) I have also entered JAI's 'Anything Goes' challenge!

And a close up of the interesting bit :)

Makeeshas fabulous colours...

Recipe :

Stamps - Medallion (oooohhh), Vintage Vogue (aaaahhh), Occasional Greetings

Ink - Creamy caramel, Chocolate Chip, Brocade Blue

Cardstock & Paper - Creamy caramel c/s, Very vanilla c/s, Chocolate Chip DSP

Embellies & Toolage - Brocade blue 5/8" grosgrain ribbon, Cream half pearl from Pretties Kit, Brad from antique brass Hodgepodge Hardware (retired), distressing tool from Cutter Kit, sticky strip, dimensionals

All materials Stampin' Up!

Lee x

SSSC #62 {Be Happy}

2010-04-02T10:43:00.005+08:00

Good morning! I had a lot of fun colouring this wee Maisy Ketto last night, and am pleased that I might just make it into the challenge :) The colour for this card started with the ribbon. I went to Spotlight and bought some satin ribbons as I just couldn't wait until (or if) we get them in the IB&C in Oz. Then I chose this image because Maisy still seemed to be upright even on a tilted panel. Then the Dotted background was inspired by her dress...

Here is a close up of the colouring and Maisy's glittery wings.

And here is the fabulous sketch Karen gave up to work with.

Recipe :

Stamps -Maisy Ketto by Stamping Bella, So Many Sayings, Dotted (retired)

Ink - Basic black, Stampin' Write Markers (almost amethyst, lovely lilac, so saffron, certainly celery, cameo coral)

Cardstock - Almost amethyst, whisper white, lovely lilac

Accessories - Dazzling diamonds glitter, Almost amethyst satin ribbon from Spotlight, dimensionals, SAMJ.

All materials Stampin' Up! unless noted.

Lee x

Inkspirations Sketch Challenge #20 and JAI #10

2010-04-01T10:18:00.004+08:00

Good morning! I have done some multi tasking *waving Fi* and combined two challenges. However, it took me a bit too long to do even the ONE task, that I have missed the deadline for JAI, but might just sneak under the wire for Keesh's. These were lovely soft colours to use, and ones I don't think I would usually combine as I like to have at least one darker base or mat, but they still work together I think.

Recipe:

Stamps - Friends 24/7

Ink - Close to cocoa, blush blossom, cameo coral.

Cardstock & Papers - Bella Bleu DSP, Kraft c/s, blush blossom c/s, cameo coral c/s, close to cocoa c/s.

Accessories & Tools - square scallop punch, Kraft taffeta ribbon, paper clip from the Clips Assortment, aqua painter, stampin sponges, distressing tool from Cutter Kit, dimensionals.

All materials Stampin' Up!

Lee x

Farewell Summer Mini Stamp-A-Stack!

2010-03-28T20:22:00.005+08:00

Here are the projects I prepared for a farewell Summer Mini SAS we had this afternoon. They include a matching candle and card with my beloved Razzle Dazzle, then a cute little easter basket filled with chocolate eggs, and last but not least a gumball card made with Sweet Treat cups & filled with m&m's, yummy!

Please excuse the inky mess on the sentiment! I made the mistake of taking these photos after the event, so they are a bit 'loved' and this one ended up in the real red ink pad at one point!

I hope you like them. The recipes would take me all night, so I wont include them, but if there is anything you'd like to ask about, just leave me a comment and I'll reply to you.

Lee x

SSSC 61 {Wild About You!}

2010-03-24T09:53:00.003+08:00

Hi there, welcome to Karens Sweet Sunday Sketch # 61. I had this design in mind the minute I saw the LO, (I've got branches on the brain!) and just didn't get around to actually making the card until now as I haven't had a minute to scratch this week! I was inspired by Carol's owls on this card, and just couldn't wait to have a go myself!

I have used little half pearls for the 'lovebird's' eyes, and emboss resisted the moon on gloss c/s, then brayered the night sky over the top. The branch is from the 'On Board - So Tweet' pack, and I have sponged it with ink, and then drawn over it with my white Gel Pen. I have to confess that this card no longer exists now as master 2 loved the owls so much he had to peel them off, them pretty much scrunched the rest of it :( Thank goodness I took this photo earlier today!!!!

Recipe:

Stamps - Wild About You, big Pieces (moon)

Ink - Versa Mark, basic black, kiwi kiss, close to cocoa, pacific point, almost amethyst, lovely lilac, soft sky, sahara sand

Cardstock & Paper - Sahara sand, basic black, whisper white gloss, Good Morning Sunshine DSP

Accessories & Tools - Half pearls by Kaiser craft, On Board chipboard 'So Tweet', round tab punch, scallop oval punch, oval punch, brayer, clear embossing powder, heat tool, dimensionals

All materials Stampin' Up! unless noted

Lee x

Inspiration Challenge 19

2010-03-20T10:11:00.004+08:00

Welcome to an Inspiration Challenge from Makeesha! I have the feeling we'll be seeing a LOT of 'Echoes of Kindness' for this challenge, as it was the first stamp set I thought of, and then to see Keesh had not only used the same set, but also the same background and colours! Well, they do say that great minds think alike :)

Here is a close-up of the watercolouring. I know that the Inspiration image is more lilac in colour, but there are some razzleberry-ish blooms, and I couldn't wait to use some of my new colours from our Autumn Mini pre-order. I have picked out the black from the watering can, and used some Urban Oasis DSP, and also the metal from the can inspired the two pewter brads.

And here is our gorgeously inspiring image...

Recipe :

Stamps - Echoes of Kindness (hostess), Whimsical Words (SAB), Tres Chic

Ink - Staz On black, sahara sand, perfect plum, pale plum, rich razzleberry, old olive, almost artichoke

Cardstock & Paper - Urban Oasis DSP, sahara sand c/s, rich razzleberry, water colour paper

Accessories & Tools - Aqua painter, curly label punch, Fiskars apron lace punch, rich razzleberry polka dot ribbon, vintage brads (pewter), cutter kit (distressing tool), stampin' sponges, dimensionals, mini glue dots

All materials Stampin' Up! unless noted.

Lee x

SSSC 60 { Here for Cheep Talk}

2010-03-15T07:44:00.004+08:00

Welcome to another Sweet Sunday Sketch! I had a lot of fun with this one as I actually came up with an idea a bit different to the regular DSP and embellishments, not that there is anything wrong with that!! I have used a brayer to separate light and dark colours for the 2 panels, and used the branch and sentiment as the perpendicular panel. (wow, that was a BIG word for 7am!!) BUT, I still put the 3 flowers in to follow the sketch! There are actually 3 colours brayered into the background, to help them blend nicely. I was going for a 'breaking dawn' look. I had a really tricky time leaving this card un-embellished! I had a little silver clip with lilac ribbon on the top LHS, but it didn't look right, it looked as though i was just sticking something there to take up space, which I was! So off it came.

And a close up of this gorgeous little birdie contemplating life (and his pear :)

Recipe:

Stamps - Cheep Talk, Curvy Verses

Cardstock - Whisper White Gloss, Lovely Lilac, Basic Black

Ink - Staz-On Black, pink pirouette, almost amethyst, lovely lilac, summer sun, pumpkin pie

Accessories & Tools - Brayer, dimensionals, SAMJ

All materials Stampin' Up! unless noted

Lee x

Wild about this Sweet giraffe!

2010-03-12T15:15:00.005+08:00

Hello! Ok, I promise I only have 2 more Sweet Treat Cup ideas in my head, and then I'll call it quits :) I'm having sooo much fun with these little guys!! Here is a baby card I have made for my friend to give her friend.. who doesn't yet know the sex of the bub she's expecting, but has gestational diabetes (poor thing, been there!) and she would appreciate CHOCOLATE after she delivers!! So this is a SPECIAL requested card :) *waving Mel!*

Recipe :

Stamps - Wild About You, Curvy Verses

Cardstock & Paper - DP from Creative Memories (in stash from pre-SU! days), mellow moss c/s, whisper white c/s

Ink - Barely banana, mellow moss, close to cocoa Stampin' Write marker

Accessories & Tools - Eyelet Border punch, mellow moss taffeta ribbon, Sweet Treat Cups, 1 3/4 circle punch, stapler, dimensionals & M&M's mini's.

All materials Stampin Up! unless noted.

Lee x

Happy 2nd Birthday Kaylee!

2010-03-11T13:26:00.004+08:00

Happy Birthday to our gorgeous wee friend Kaylee :) She had a ladybug party this morning, so of course she HAD to have a ladybug card :) I'm having great fun with these Sweet Treat Cups, and of course all the left over M&M's too...

I had actually planned to have the bug sitting on the flower, but got too excited and punched the hole & stuck the cup down, before realising I couldn't now stamp around it :( But it still turned out fine, and Kaylee will be none the wiser, in fact, she may not even have noticed the ladybug or it's whereabouts as she tore into the chocolates :/

Recipe :

Stamps - Pick A Petal, Birthday Wish

Cardstock - Real Red, Basic Black, Whisper White

Ink - Basic black, real red, almost amethyst & summer sun

Accessories & Tools - Mini's M&M's, 5/8" real red grosgrain ribbon, stapler, googly eyes from the dollar store, Sweet Treat Cups, 1 3/4" circle punch, 1" circle punch, Dazzling Diamonds glitter, and the antennae were cut freehand :)

All materials Stampin' Up! unless noted.

Lee x

Sweet Sunday Sketch 59

2010-03-08T08:07:00.004+08:00

Welcome to another wonderful sketch by Karen. I'm growing quite addicted to these babies, and can't wait until 3pm on a Sunday afternoon rolls around! I've taken the colours from the ribbon, and that's what started me on a roll. I love it when that happens! Once one element is in place, the rest just follows (usually!) These colours are soooo pretty together, and I actually thought they looked very Easter-y, but since I don't tend to give Easter cards, I made it a Birthday one for my stash.

Here is a close up of the detail. I thought the image panel looked a bit stark white, so I've used my Colour Spritzer Tool with an Apricot Appeal Stampin' Write marker to give it a bit of oomf. 'Oomf' being a highly technical stamping term! Lol. On the bottom white panel (I have a problem leaving white parts!) I have inked up the background stamp in the Razzle Dazzle set with markers, again to match the ribbon.

Recipe:

Stamps - Razzle Dazzle, Happy Everything

Cardstock - Whisper White, Almost Amethyst, Apricot Appeal, Groovy Guava

Ink - Versa Mark, Groovy Guava, Lovely Lilac, and Stampin' Write markers in Apricot Appeal, Certainly Celery, Almost Amethyst and Cameo Coral

Accessories and Tools - Curly Label Punch, Colour Spritzer Tool, Ribbon from Sweet Shop Ribbon Originals (loooong retired)

All materials Stampin' up!

Lee x

SSSC 58

2010-03-02T10:00:00.005+08:00

Welcome to Karen's Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge for this week! I was so excited to see SQUARES on this sketch, as all the cards I've made for the last wee while have circles on them, and I'm looking for a change of scenery. However. I managed to make these lovely squares look more like circles anyhow :( HA!

Please, don't be scared :) I know, these flowers are BIG, BROWN and there are THREE of them!! I was actually feeling tad nauseas when I went to bed last night, and I'm sure it was all that brown and guava! So I apologise, but if you can get past the colour and size, don't you think they're kinda cool? I had fun making all sorts of ribbon flowers yesterday, as I was inspired by these beauties and had to have a go.

I started off with the little guava florets, using the 'string pulling' technique, then thought why not have a go with non-stitched ribbon, thus making my own tacking. (If you are thoroughly confused, I will be happy to post a simple tutorial - just let me know!) I was on a roll! Watch out, there will likely be big ol' ugly flowers on all my cards for then next wee while ;P

Recipe :

Stamps - Occasional Greetings

Ink - Chocolate Chip

Cardstock & Paper - Afternoon Tea DSP (retired), Groovy Guava c/s (retired - thank goodness!), Chocolate Chip c/s

Accessories & Tools - Chocolate Chip satin ribbon (retired), Groovy Guava double stitched grosgrain ribbon (retired), clear rhinestone brads from pretties kit, Latte button, Linen Thread, Fiskars Apron lace punch

All materials Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted.

Lee x

Just Add Ink #6

2010-03-02T09:18:00.005+08:00

Welcome to my 1st ever JAI challenge entry! I have wanted to join in ever since this awesome site launched 6 weeks ago, but life often gets in the way of 'craft time' :)

Ok, so having a mum and a MIL, I thought the next couple of challenges I did, would be Mothers' Day cards. See my next post for my card using the same colours, different layout.

I have taken a bit of creative licence with this sketch, flipping it over, and using only spiral punches as the 3 accents. I hope this qualifies!

Recipe :

Stamps - Baroque Motifs, Occasional Greetings

Cardstock & Paper - Afternoon Tea DSP (retired), Chocolate Chip c/s, Groovy Guava c/s (retired)

Ink - Chocolate Chip

Tools & Accessories - Choc Chip satin ribbon (retired), Groovy Guava double stitched grosgrain ribbon (retired), Clear rhinestone brads from Petties Kit, spiral punch, scalloped oval punch, large oval punch

All materials Stampin' Up! unless noted.

Lee x

Inspiration Challenge #18

2010-02-27T09:46:00.004+08:00

Isn't this little girls' room gorgeous? Thanks Makeesha for the great 'Inkspiration!' I've taken inspiration from the lovely bright colours, and chosen to colour wee Maisy Ketto to match. She has wings, right? So I thought she'd be perfect for the job!

Recipe :

Stamps - So Many Sayings, Maisy Ketto (from Stampingbella)

Cardstock & Paper - Cameo Coral c/s, Real Red c/s, Whisper White c/s, Pink Flamingo DSP

Ink - Stampin' Write markers in real red, tempting turquoise, summer sun, cameo coral, gable green (1st time I've ever touched THAT colour!), creamy caramel and basic black

Tools & accessories - tempting turquoise grosgrain ribbon, real red 'fire' rhinestone, Fiskars apron lace border punch, round tab punch (to make that clever little bracket), 1/2" circle punch (to make the scalloped border), mat pack, dazzling diamonds

All materials Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted.

Lee x

Sweet Treats

2010-02-26T10:41:00.008+08:00

I have had a couple of special occasions recently, being my Sister-in-love's 30th birthday, and another lovely friend added a beautiful baby boy to their family. I bought a pack of Sweet Treat cups from the Summer Mini, and have been looking at them longingly for quite some time. FINALLY I have pulled them out of their drawer and had great fun making these little lovelies. I have used M&M's minis to fill them, with handy little 'trapdoors' inside the card to get to the loot without destroying the card :)

Recipe:

Stamps - Something Sweet, Birthday Wish

Cardstock & Paper - Chocolate Chip c/s, Regal Rose c/s, Whisper White c/s and Sweet Always DSP.

Ink - Regal Rose, Summer Sun, Wild Wasabi (retired)

Accessories & Tools - Sweet Treat Cups, Regal Rose 5/8" grosgrain ribbon, Antique Brass Jumbo Eyelets, Round tab Punch, 1 3/4" circle punch, Crop-a-Dile,

Recipe :

Stamps - Something Sweet, Curvy Verses

Cardstock & Paper - Bashful Blue c/s, Pacific Point c/s, Whisper White c/s, Good Morning sunshine DSP

Ink - Pacific Point

Accessories & Tools - Eyelet Border Punch, 1 3/4 circle punch, 1/2" circle punch, CM cutting system for larger circle, White Taffeta ribbon, Versamark, white embossing powder

All materials Stampin' Up! unless stated

Lee x

Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge 57

2010-02-21T19:28:00.000+08:00

Welcome to another fabulous challenge by the fabulous Karen! This sketch had me scratching my head for quite a while, but once I'd had a play with it and turned it on its side, it suddenly wasn't as scary anymore! (sorry Karen!) And maybe I shouldn't point it out, in case you didn't already notice, but I have only made 4 panels on the background, not 5!!! That's what I get for not having the sketch right in front of me while slicin' & dicin'. So just imagine there's 5 panels ok?

I have to add at this point that I was also challenged by my dear friend Sarah-Jane (of http://www.sarah-janekale.blogspot.com ).. (ok, so I haven't figured out how to do that neat little linky thing yet!) well, as I was saying, Sarah was agast that my Razzle had done NO dazzling before now, and was desperately in need of some ink! So there you go, two challenges in one!

Recipe:

Stamps - Razzle Dazzle, On Your Birthday

Cardstock & Paper - river rock c/s, purely pomegranate c/s, groovy guava c/s (used for the scolloped circle, which is actually made up of 1/2" circles adhered to the back of the pp circle), Ginger Blossom DSP (retired), very vanilla c/s.

Ink - purely pomegranate (sentiment), mellow moss, groovy guava (sponging) and the following markers.. mellow moss, rose red & cameo coral (they were supposed to be river rock, pomegranate & guava, but we don't have markers for the In Colours, but I bet you couldn't tell the difference!)

Embellishments - Purely Pomegranate satin ribbon (retired), Fiskars Apron Lace punch, CM cutting system for circles.

All materials Stampin' Up! unless specified.

Happy Birthday Larissa!

Lee x

Praying for... Inkspiration! Colour Challenge 18

2010-02-18T11:13:00.000+08:00

Hello! I'm sneaking anothe challenge in at the last minute.. and almost wasn't going to submit this card as it is only a wee little love note, and it's sooo simple! I had to restrain myself from paper piercing, or adding a few more buttons! And if there'd been room, I'm sure there would have been brocade blue ribbon as well!

Here is our gorgeous colour palette from Makeesha

And here is the finished product. I had a tricky time with the lighting coming out a shade of blue, but there was no getting around that :( But hopefully the Vanilla DSP in the background helps to discern the vanilla from white.

I have cut an oval using my CM cutting system out of a piece of scrap, and laid it over my vanilla lovenote (the card is actually 3.5x3.5"). I stamped the seaweed in mellow moss, then the fish in ruby red. With the mask still in place, I have sponged around the edges in brocade blue. I've then removed the mask, leaving a frame-like edge on my ocean scene. I've stamped the fish again on vanilla c/stock, cut him out and popped him up on dimensionals, to give him depth. I've chosen ruby red to be my focus colour, so I've embellished with a ruby red button (retired) and tied a bow with linen thread. My sentiment is from So Many Sayings (retired hostess) and I have stamped it on a little pennant flag. I've finished off with a little sponging around the edges of the card, just to frame it.

All materials Stampin Up! unless otherwise stated.

Lee x

Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge 56

2010-02-14T20:15:00.000+08:00

I Love this sketch by the talented Karen Giron, and had a wonderful time layering up my card. I have to confess to loving this DSP soooooo much that I couldn't bear to slice 'n' dice it before now. I am also a bit excited how my ruffley, eyelet borderey bit came out, and it was so easy to do! As well as therapeutic with all that crumpling :)

I have a couple of special birthdays this week, so hopefully this little baby will make it's recipient just as happy as I have been making it.

Recipe:

Stamps - Best Yet (hostess)

Paper - Parisian Breeze DSP (retired *sob*), baja breeze c/stock, whisper white c/stock

Ink - baja breeze, close to cocoa

Embellishments - Chocolate Chip satin ribbon (retired), button bouquet, linen thread, eyelet border punch.

All materials Stampin' Up! unless otherwise stated.

Lee x

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-14T10:55:00.000+08:00

This little cutie is for my sweetie on Valentine's Day!

I was attempting to make the silver star brad look like a spur on the boot, and was pleased with how it came out. So this tiny embellishment and the teeny little 'you & me' greeting are my favourite details. Never mind how much fun it was to colour my new stamp! Very therapeutic 'mum' time :)

Recipe:

Stamps - cowgirl boot by Whipper Snapper Designs, sentiment from So Many Sayings (retired hostess)
Paper - real red c/s, tempting turquoise c/s, watercolour paper, pink flamingo DSP
Ink - real red, close to cocoa, tempting turquoise (choc chip, garden green, tempting turquoise, close to cocoa & sahara sand markers)
Embellishments - wide red riding hood red grosgrain ribbon (retired), silver brad from hodgepodge hardware

I used an aqua painter with ink pads and markers to colour image.

All materials Stampin' Up! unless otherwise stated.

Happy Valentine's Day,

Lee x

SSSC54 and Keesh's Inspiration Challenge #17

2010-02-01T09:36:00.000+08:00

Hello!

Wow, 4 posts in the one week! You can tell there's NO housework getting done at my house :)

I thought i'd be a bit clever and combine challenges again. I've also made a different card fold this time, called an easel. These are super easy, and super cute!

Makeeshas Inspiration picture makes me think of a formal occasion, so I thought I'd make an engagement card for some dear friends of mine who have recently announced their imminent betrothal! (about time AMY!!)

And Karen's sketch is just fabulous! This is so versatile, and one I think I'll be coming back to again, and again.

So here is what I came up with.

And a close-up of the detail..

Recipe..

Stamps: Cheers To You, Happy Everything, Baroque Motifs

Cardstock and paper: Not Quite Navy textured c/s, Kraft, Very Vanilla, Bella Bleu and Urban Garden DSP
Ink: Not Quite Navy, Sahara Sand (sponging)

Embellishments: Kraft taffeta ribbon, cream half pearl from Pretties Kit, Eyelet border punch, 1 3/8 circle punch, CM cutting system (for bigger circle), Mat pack, gold embossing glitter (Stamp It.. Thanks Kristin!)

All materials Stampin' Up! unless otherwise stated.

Lee x

Inkspirations Colour Challenge #17 AND SSSC #53

2010-01-28T22:52:00.000+08:00

A close-up just to prove I DID use Cameo Coral!

Howdy folks,

Goodness, 3 cards in one day! I'd better check my temp :) I'm combining two challenges here, and slipping in right under the wire for Makeeshas Inkspirations Colour challenge! I thought I may as well have another bash at Karens Sweet Sunday Sketch while I'm at it.

Recipe..

Stamps - Rustic Rooster, Carte Postale for the greeting (retired)

Cardstock & paper - So Saffron base, Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla, Tea Party DSP

Ink - Chocolate Chip, Cameo Coral

Accessories - Twill Tape (widest), Linen Thread, Hodgepodge Hardware (antique brass, retired), Fiskars apron lace border punch.

All materials Stampin' Up! unless otherwise stated.

Lee x

Baby Boy card!

2010-01-28T08:41:00.000+08:00

Here is the baby boy card I have made for my SIL and brother, who are heading into hospital this very morning to become parents! I have also made a PINK card, covering all the bases, you can see that in the next post.

Recipe..

On a base of Pacific Point c/stock I have stamped the Polka Dot background image in Craft Whisper White ink.

I have punched out four 1 3/8" squares in Pacific Point DSP, and mounted them on Whisper White c/stock. On top, I have placed the Little Bundle of Joy image from the hostess set Punches Three, punched out using the large oval. I have 'blinged' it up as much as I dare for a boys' card, with two little blue 'ice' rhinestone brads.

To finish it off, I've punched a border in more P/Point DSP with my NEW Fiskars apron lace punch, and outlined it with white gel pen, to make it stand out. Then I have tied it off with a bit of stripd P/Point ribbon.

All product is Stampin' Up! unless otherwise stated.

Lee x

Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge #53

2010-01-28T07:30:00.000+08:00

Hello!

For this sketch I have made a baby girl card in anticipation of my baby niece or nephew who is arriving today!!! I have made a boy card also, it just doesn't qualify for this sketch, so I will share it later.

Karen Giron's wonderful sketch..

And here is my effort..

With a close-up of the cute buttony bow :)

Recipe..

Pink Pirouette c/stock base, layered with kaleidescope DSP which I have sponged with Rose Red ink. Then more PP c/stock, sponged and stamped with the Polka Dot background stamp in Rose Red. I have used my NEW Fiskars apron lace border punch along the bottom. On top of the polka dot panel I have attatched some wide PP grosgrain ribbon, tied off with a Sherbet button and linen thread. The feature panel is stamped with the buggy image from the Fun & Fast Notes set, and punched out using the 1 3/4" circle punch, then mounted on another circle in PP cut using my CM cutting system. The scallops are Purely Pomegranate c/stock circles, punched with my 3/4" circle punch. I have coloured the buggy with Stampin' Write markers in Pretty in Pink and Rose Red, and 'blinged' up the carriage with dazzling diamonds glitter! The sentiment is from the retired hostess set So Many Sayings.

All product used is Stampin' Up! unless otherwise stated.

I hope you like it, .. now back to pacing the floor waiting for this baby!

Lee x

Inkspirations Inspiration Challenge #15

2009-11-19T21:52:00.000+08:00

Hi There, it has been a while between posts but I am pleased to sneak this challenge in under the wire ;P I have spent a bit of time (well, quite a lot actually) thinking about this challenge, and after trying the emerging colour technique on DSP with less than lovely results, I went with plan B. Another emboss resist! I'm doing a lot of this lately, and just love seeing the base colour POP! but I really should just try and stick to quick and simple. I really felt like I was performing micro surgery on this one...

Anyhoo, here is the very inspiring set of cushions Keesh had us working with

And here is my card, another Christmas design, being the season!

Please excuse the terrible lighting, it's almost midnight :)

I have used Basic Black as the base, followed by Baja Breeze as the frame, and then brayered over a second layer of Baja Breeze in Basic Black Classic ink. The Circle Circus images were stamped in Versa Mark and clear embossed, so that they resisted the black ink to reveal the Baja card colour underneath. Neat huh! I 'blinged' up my baubles with a hat pin, clear rhinestone brad and silver seed beads from the Pretties Kit. The black ribbon is from the Valet ribbon pack, and the silver cord is unfortunately retired from SU (I still use it on almost EVERYTHING!) The greeting is from the Occasional Greetings stamp set. I think that about covers it, time for bed zzzzzzzzzz

Lee x

Maddisyn's Birthday

2009-11-03T21:28:00.000+08:00

Last weekend was my friend Chrissy's daughter Maddisyn's 2nd birthday. I have VERY loosely used the previous sketch (in reverse), proving how versatile and inspiring these sketches can be! Who says they have to be exact? The point is they get you thinking outside the square. It is a simple card, with the length of Maddy's name determining the shape of the card (I stamped her name first, lol) then just built it up around that. I have used Red Riding Hood Red c/stock and ink, Candy Lane DSP, PP striped ribbon, Jumbo Outline Alphabet stamps, Short and Sweet and Big Bold Birthday for the greeting. This card would not have been possible without my Stamp-A-Ma-Jig! I just about can't complete a card without it these days!

Inkspiration Sketch Challenge #15

2009-10-31T15:46:00.000+08:00

This card is for my bestie's daughter for her birthday, and what better sketch to use than her mum's own fabulous Inkspirations! I hope you like it Tiarne :-)

Here is the sketch

And here is my effort. It is a LOT busier than I normally like, but I thought the tropical colours of the Pink Flamingo DSP and the flowers from my Pretties Kit suit Tiarne to a tee. I have coloured one layer of flowers with my pastels and blender pens, and blinged it up with a filigree brad with a yellow 'fire' rhinestone brad in the centre. I have 'finger knit' the silver cord (retired) to give it a bit more thickness, and tied off the celery ribbon to resemble leaves.

I hope she likes it!

Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge #41

2009-10-30T07:51:00.000+08:00

Here is my VERY FIRST sketch challenge card! Let me tell you what an awesome idea it is to play around with a sketch, as I've used a layout that I might not have thought of, and LIKE it! This sketch is from the very talented Karen Giron. I think I may be just a hair too late to participate in the actual challenge, but that doesn't matter :) The point is that I USED MY STAMPS, lol.

And here is my card. I have a few birthdays coming up, so used a girly, birthday theme. I've taken the colours from Candy Lane DSP, and the stamp sets used are Party Hearty and Occasional Greetings. I am happy with the result, but I confess to fiddling with it until way past my bedtime, wanting of course to make a dazzling challenge debut! I may have over-fiddled, but I did restrain myself from adding brads or paper piercing! I have used the emboss resist technique for the greeting, embossing the greeting and then inking over the VV c/stock in RRRed with a brayer.

I hope you like it :)

Christmas Stamp-A-Stack (SAS) Projects

2009-10-29T13:42:00.000+08:00

Last weekend I hosted a Christmas SAS, and with some special Stampin' Friends, we stamped up a storm! It's not only the end result (the cards) that I love about stamping workshops, it's the giggles we girlies have, and of course the copious amounts of biscuits, lollies and chocolate consumed :)

We made 12 cards, 4 each of the 3 designs shown.

Tree Trimmings and Many Merry Messages stamps, Ski Slope designer series paper (hereafter called DSP), old olive 5/8" ribbon, old olive, real red and basic black classic inks.

Snow Swirled stamps, gloss white card stock, pretty in pink, c/stock, ribbon & ink, pink passion c/stock and ink. This card uses the emboss resist technique, pretty clever huh!

Holiday Lineup and Wonderful Words stamps, real red c/stock and ribbon, wild wasabi (retired) c/stock, stamp & write markers, tag punches, white embossing powder and crystal effects for Rudolph's nose. This card uses the spotlight technique, which involves punching out only a portion of the image (which saved us colouring in ALL those cranky reindeer!)

Thanks for looking, and enjoy creating all your own Christmas cards this year!

Welcome!

2009-10-29T12:01:00.000+08:00

Welcome to my brand new blog! Now that I have created the space, I'd like to go and create some cards! I just have to encourage my three tiny tots to co-operate :)