Sophie's Birthday

My niece, Sophie, is turning 2. She is just the cutest little thing.

I re-discovered some lovely bright party pp in my very messy stash, which I thought would be just right for her card ... especially using the Paper Players sketch challenge.

A close-up showing the rolled candles and glossy accents on the flames.

Celebrate the half

The recipe for Less is More's challenge is humour! 

I have enjoyed this off the internet (don't know who the author is) ....

Do you realize that the only time in our lives when we like to get old is when we're kids? If you're less than 10 years old, you're so excited about aging that you think in fractions.

"How old are you?"  "I'm four and a half!"  You're never thirty-six and a half.  You're four and a half, going on five!  That's the key.

You get into your teens, now they can't hold you back.  You jump to the next number, or even a few ahead.

"How old are you?"  "I'm gonna be 16!"  You could be 13, but hey, you're gonna be 16! And then the greatest day of your life . . . you become 21. Even the words sound like a ceremony . . YOU BECOME 21.  YESSSS!!!

But then you turn 30.  Oooohh, what happened there?  Makes you sound like bad milk! He TURNED; we had to throw him out.  There's no fun now, you're Just a sour-dumpling.  What's wrong?  What's changed?

You BECOME 21, you TURN 30, then you're PUSHING 40.  Whoa!  Put on the brakes, it's all slipping away. Before you know it, you REACH 50 and your dreams are gone.

But wait!!!  You MAKE it to 60.  You didn't think you would!

So you BECOME 21, TURN 30, PUSH 40, REACH 50 and MAKE it to 60.

You've built up so much speed that you HIT 70! After that it's a day-by-day thing; you HIT Wednesday!

You get into your 80s and every day is a complete cycle; you HIT lunch; you TURN 4:30; you REACH bedtime.  And it doesn't end there.  Into the 90s, you start going backwards; "I Was JUST 92."

Then a strange thing happens.  If you make it over 100, you become a little kid again.  "I'm 100 and a half!"

May you all make it to a healthy 100 and a half!!

I have been wanting to use this stamp from Club Scrap and this is the perfect opportunity!

Tranquil Scene

I love Heather's scenes and this is my first attempt. Needs a little more practice, but it's a start.

Using the Annabelle Stamps sketch and my new Annabelle Stamps set.

Bananagrams

It's Ardyth's birthday .... and she's running this week's OLW. We're making cards for her birthday inspired by her cards or interests. I enjoyed finding out more about her, and we have quite a few interests in common like flowers, chocolate, numbers and mathematics (I also love suduko!), baking, cardmaking, blogging, word games and crosswords. 

One of my favorite word games is Bananagrams - sort of like a speed scrabble where everyone plays at the same time and it's a race to see who can finish their letters first. No time to get bored!

So inspired by Ardyth's card 

and Bananagrams, here's my card

I used the new Hero Arts Keyboard Alphabet stamp set. Had to draw a grid to get the spacing right.

Happy Birthday Ardyth

Darnell is throwing Ardyth a Birthday card party on her blog djkardkreations. I have loved Ardyth's wonderful CAS creations that are just brilliantly designed, so I wanted to join in the celebration.

Here's wishing you a wonderful birthday Ardyth!

I will also enter this into the Simon Says Stamp Challenge - Anything Goes.

Birthday Bouquets

Couldn't resist making another card for the Fusion Challenge. I love the colours on the vase as well as the flowers.

I only went with Lesley's challenge for this one.

Here's a close-up of the watercoloured flowers.

Furry Friend

Love this little puppy stamp .... perfect for the Furry Challenge at CASology.

Dance to your own music

Karen is hosting this week's OLW challenge : Repeat after me .... Create a repeat background using the same stamp.

I've had this Inkadinkado set for a while but never get round to using it. Used watercolours to colour the flowers.

Watercolour Flowers

I just love the colours of the watercolour flowers of Lesley's challenge at the Fusion Challenge.

I knew what I wanted to do with the fusion of both Lesley's and Jackie's Challenge... a bit of highlighting to follow the sketch challenge.

Love you with All My Heart

This is my first entry for the Hero Arts Stamp-Your-Story competition as well as my entry for the Papercrafts Idol 2013.

I cut the cellphone shape with the silhouette cameo and stamped with the Zig Zag stamp. After putting 3 tones of pink behind the heart shapes, I added glossy accents. The background is stamped using splashes from Brush Strokes, and the arrows from Sundrifter Frame and Feathers.

More new stamps

More playing with my new Annabelle Stamps. I used White embossing powder on Versamark, and different pencil crayons including white. Added glossy accents to the flower centers.

Will enter this for the Anything Goes Challenge at Annabelle Stamps, the Less is More 119 - Colour Card Challenge, the Simon Says Flower Power and the CASology 44 Challenge

and the Just Us Girls 188 Challenge which is to use White medium ... ink, crayons, pencils, etc. I used white pencils to colour the flowers.

La Fleurette

I have loved this Hero Arts stamp and what I have seen on the Hero Arts flickr group, and this is my first card with it.

Entering the Less is More 119 - Colour Card Challenge, the Simon Says Flower Power and the CASology 44 Challenge

and the Just Us Girls 188 Challenge which is to use White medium ... ink, crayons, pencils, etc. I used white pencils to colour the flowers.

New Stamps

Playing in the 10 Minute Craft Dash

Playing with my new Annabelle Stamps, a quick 5 minutes and 52 seconds ...

Will also enter this for the Anything Goes Challenge at Annabelle Stamps.

On the edge

Heather has set us a border challenge for the OLW 140 Challenge.

Pearl Embossing Powder

I have quite a few colours of pearl embossing powder that must be over 10 years old (yes - I'm a hoarder!) When you look at the pots, you cannot tell the difference, but when you use them on dark cardstock, they really shine!

I used a navy blue cardstock, stamped in stages with versamark ink and the corresponding pearl colours ... leaves = green, flowers = red (came out a bit violet with the blue background) and heart centres = blue. The sentiment was embossed in white. Added white gel lines and dots for effect, but in retrospect I think I should have left out the lines.

Here is my 3x3 card - perfect for the OLW139 3x3" card challenge and the Less is More 119 One Layer Coloured Card challenge. Also entering for Annabelle Stamps Anything Goes challenge as I used stamps from my newest set "All Squared" from Annabelle Stamps.

A cup of Tea

For Fusion 6 challenge. I love the sketch ... and who could resist those cheerful cups of tea?!

I cut the cups with my silhouette cameo. For the three stripes of the sketch, I used my 3 favourite Hero Arts ribbon stamps - oldies, but still well-loved! What better joy than sitting down for a cuppa tea!

More Hexagons

For CASology 43 again.

I played with the Hero Arts hexagon die for the silhouette.

Added some washi tape & Annabelle Stamps sprinkles. The paper was double sided, so I flipped the petals over.

Hexagons

CASology Week 43 challenge. One of my favourite shapes ... even the diamond on my wedding ring is a hexagon!

Using my new Avocado Arts stamps. The chicken wire is hexagon shape.

Create your Future

Muse Challenge 16

Going with the colours red, yellow, kraft, white (My tag is not white - sort of beige).
The theme of school (or preparing for one's future)
The measure
My star replaces the apple.

Fusion 5

Fusion 5 Challenge

I'm fusing today ... I see the blue cage, green leaves, soft peachy flowers and the 15 surrounded by laurel of Lesley's Challenge, and adding the sketch, I get ...

Sweet Sixteen

For PageMaps Birthday and Echo Park NSD Layout of Love challenge using their So Happy Together kit.

Having fun on NSD over at Big Picture Classes. Finished the first challenge of my I-list. Skipped the second. The third is to create a bucket list for summer ... the things you want to do.

Well it's autumn down here and I don't really have a bucket list for winter. But I do need a list for my everyday TO DO list. 

I remember reading a great tip for getting things done ... decide on the top 3 priorities of the day and get those done. Well I gave myself space for six - great expectations! I put in a layer of acetate on top of the graph paper so I can use a whiteboard pen and write a new list everyday. 

Made it into a folder so I can slip it in my bag if need be without the pen being wiped off ... or it makes a great stand on my desk as a reminder.

... lots of Sunshine

Marcy organised a fun, cheery SUNSHINE card scramble at the Hero Arts Flickr group.

So much happiness spread around ... I think we were all smiling by the end. I was able to make 2 cards. The first, I used a Hero Arts silhouette cut - it's actually named "flower" but I think it makes a wonderful sun. I used Heather's treatment on the clouds, added a splash of Distress Lemonade and a couple of sequins.

I love the Hero Arts Sunshine magical background paper - perfect for this scramble! Die cut their cute sun.

My dear friend

For the WPlus9 Monday Mood Board 11

Love the natural fibres, the soft rose, hearts ...

Just for you

For the The Little Blue Butterfly CAS LOTV Challenge and the CASology Challenge.

Love how the circle fits in with the die (thanks Marie-Françoise for the tip!).

Spotlighted

I've been spotlighted at Paperie Designs' Studio!