Happy Birthday Nicole

Hi Everyone. Another grotty day here, but then it is winter now I suppose, and we did get a bit spoiled until last week. We have gotten off lightly here in Upper Hutt compared to the poor people down south and even much closer to home in Porirua with bad flooding. All this rain makes for good crafting days so that is a bonus. Tomorrow is my young friend Nicole's birthday and so I made her another version of the double slider card I learnt the other day. It's fun and I hope she likes it. I'm off back to my desk to try to complete another card from my list. See ya!!

Thanks Diane

Tonight I have made these four lovely cards in no time at all. My friend Diane showed us how a few weeks ago at a craft afternoon. It was our little 'make and take' project. Very simple but just lovely. I think I only have three more cards to make now for birthdays which occur whilst I am away so my list is looking quite good at last. Thanks Diane! and thanks to you too for looking at my Blog tonight.

Pink Elephants on Parade

Hello again from a very soggy Upper Hutt this Tuesday afternoon. Still at least I don't feel guilty, crafting away, thinking I really ought to be doing the garden or something!! Today I have made these two fun slider cards for my two favourite Little People in the Whole World - alias Trent and Tayla. These are the cards I will post, for them to receive the day after we go on our holiday, to tell them how Very Special they are to Granma. My friend Diane (fresh home from SU Convention with lots of new ideas I hope) lent me the stamps. They are just so cute and I am sure T&T will love them - probably not quite as much as the $5 note I will include in each for them to spend on whatever they want - but they will love them. I'm off to make myself a nice hot drink and maybe read a few pages of my book. Thanks for visiting.

Two Slider Cards

Hi Everyone. What a grotty day it is here in Upper Hutt NZ. It has rained pretty much all day and is just one of those miserable days when it is good to stay indoors, cosy and warm with a good book. Well I did go for my water aerobics this morning but his afternoon I have been cosy and warm making slider cards. I found these two clever little cards on The 'Net (of course) and say a big thank-you to Beate Johns for her tutorials. Go take a look on SU resources (I think), print off a set of instructions and have a go. I did need to translate into my language in a couple of places but that's just the way different brains look at things isn't it? They are so clever - especially the first one. The mechanisms work so smoothly too. I am going to make one each for our two youngest Grandchildren, Trent and Tayla. I will have a think about what to put on the slide out parts that will really appeal to them. Well it's Monday Night Netball tonight so I don't expect I'll get much done craft wise. The All Whites play the Socceroos tonight too. Go The All Whites!!!!! Catch you back tomorrow probably. Thanks for visiting.

Flower Project Number 7

Good Sunday Morning Everyone. Lucky last on the flowers for a wee while I think! I put my roses on a trellis as you can see. I had had some cards with window shutters cut in them for ages and hadn't used them so when I was lying awake the other night thinking 'how can I get a trellis effect?' (as you do!) I suddenly remembered them and thought that if I cut the shutters off then I could use them as a trellis. Could I remember where the cards were? Out of bed next morning and straight to them!!! How impressive is that in ALL the stuff I've got??? Cut off the shutters, sponged them brown, joined two together and hey presto a trellis. I sat and made the roses whilst watching the netball yesterday afternoon - AND The Pulse WON!!!!! WooHoo (lots of times). Only the second game they have won in two and a half seasons!!! WELL DONE Girls. Anyway I digress (again). Then last night I put it all together with some nice SU background paper with leaves on, some leaves made from punched circles recut in the circle punch and some curliques made from thin, thin strips of card wrapped around a kebab stick. All done. I'm off to the airport with our younger daughter and her partner shortly. Enjoy what's left of your weekend. I've got a SKYPE date with a schoolfriend in the UK this evening so I'm guaranteed a few laughs there. Have a good week Everyone and thanks for visiting today.

Flower Project Number 6

Bold, bright and cheerfull is how I would describe this card. I love the little fringed centres to my flowers which remind me of anemones. Fun to make - even the rolled, fringed middles. Once you get going it's easy - as most things are with a little practise. I used a 'tent' A5 as I wanted the extra bit of length to fit in my seven flowers. Five didn't seem quite enough and you know what they say about having groups in odd numbers, so thattook me to seven. It looks just about right don't you think? I embossed the base card in my Cuttlebug and the only way I could do that, and have the design right way up, was to emboss both front and back of the card. You can see from the third photo that it looks alright and is certainly a little different. I like different!! I think I have just one more flower project to do and then I have covered all the flowers in my class. I have that one covered too, so you may see it later but it's Saturday afternoon which means a netball match on TV AND our youngest daughter and partner are coming for tea. They go away on a cruise tomorrow so food will be a scarce commodity in their house today. Mind you once they get on board it will be wall to wall food for the next ten days!! Se you later - maybe! Thanks again for looking and for the comments some of you have left.

Flower Project Number 5

Wow am I on a roll today or what??? Third post of the day and still time for more!!! I love these cute little scrunched 'rose' type flowers and I love them even more when I team them up with my lovely new scroll stamp. The stamp is by Clarity Stamp (www.claritystamp.co.uk) and I have it in two sizes which is fantastic because they join up beautifully to give a lovely continuous scroll. Love it! Thanks to Barbara Gray for her artistic talent again. I used my Divine Swirl embossing folder in my Cuttlebug for the background card as I thought it echoed the swirl stamp flower 'vine' nicely. Back to the desk. Bye.

Flower Project Number 4

Back as promised and it's only late afternoon! Who knows I could make a third appearance today. I really love this little card. The flower is white copy paper, edged with black ink and with a bit of bling as a centrepiece. The flourish and sentiment are stamped with Versamark and embossed with platinum EP. Simple, quick and easy, about half an hour all up. Very elegant I think. What about you?

Flower Project Number 3

Good Morning Everyone. How about this? - Two early posts on the trot!!! I told you I can 'do mornings'! I actually did finish this one in time to post it last night but Harold was using this desktop computer rather than his laptop so I went to bed and left my post until this morning. It is a cute slider (matchbox) box I saw on Kelly Lunceford's site Flutter By Butterfly. It is very simple to make using any of the stunning double sided Designer Papers out there, and the fanfold flower just tops it off. Great to pop a wee gift in and give to someone you care about. Well it's Friday here and that means housework day yuk, yuk, yuk , so I'd better move my bottom and get something done. Harold is starting to show signs of strain after all his early mornings for his golf tournament. I showed sympathy last night and said 'Only one more love' but her groaned and said 'No Saturday is early too as we have Inter Club, playing away'. Oh well - Life's all about choices isn't it? I hope to be back later today with project number 4. In the meantime have a good day, take care and thanks for visiting.

Flower Project Number 2

Wow! Twice in one day!!I haven't done that in a while. Panic is setting in a wee bit now with only three weeks and two days left and SOOOO many thing to get finished. Anyway I can tick another one of the list with the completion of this card. I thought it out in my mind whilst I was swimming up and down the pool this morning doing my lengths. It turned out exactly as I had it in my mind's eye (that doesn't always happen now does it? Be honest!!) and I am pleased with it. It is still early for me so I'm off back to my desk to start on project number 3. Don't think I'll get it finished tonight but I hope to be back tomorrow. 'Night 'night and sleep tight if your in the same half of the world as me. If not then have a great day and I hope you find a wee bit of time for crafting somewhere.

Flower Project Number 1

Good Morning One and All. Don't be shocked - I do 'Do Mornings' as well as 'Late Nights' just as long as it's not too early. Harold is playing in a 4 day golf tournament this week so he has had a few VERY early ones. He leaves me snuggled up - Bless him! Today he brought me my morning lemon juice in hot water before he departed. Isn't he lovely? Anyway I digress. After I posted my flowers last night I went back to my desk and created this wee box (boring!!) but prettied it up with 3 little 'daisy' flowers and a bit of delicate sponging around the edges of the cream card. I think it looks cute and I do love the 'daisies'. Have a good day. Me? I'm off for my swim and water aerobics this morning and then I'm walking with a friend this afternoon if the rain keeps away. I may see you all later with project Number 2!! Thanks again for looking.

Flowers

Hi again Everyone. Well at last I have a good assortment of flowers, both realistic and fantasy, for my class in August. It has taken me quite a wee while to get them done and be happy with them. For some I have to say thank-you to various ladies out there in Blog Land for their very good tutorials which helped me no end. I did try to take close up photos but mostly they turned out blurry so I will just upload this one. You can always click on it if you want a closer look at any of them. I will just teach the construction of the flowers in my class but I will make a number of different projects embellished with them to show what can be done with them. I will Blog those as I complete them. Busy days ahead as I only have just over three weeks to our departure date and I want them all done before we go so that I don't have that pressure as soon as we return in early August. I still have quite a few birthday cards to make for birthdays whilst we are away too!!! Soooo I'd better say bye and go and get on with something crafty!!! Thanks for taking a look.

Survival Kit Enclosed

Hello Everyone and I hope you have all had a good weekend. I certainly did. On Saturday I taught two different classes, one in the morning and one in the afternoon at the Sister Act shop on the beautiful Kapiti Coast here in NZ. Lovely ladies, as always and all produced nice cards to go home with. Sunday evening we went to our youngest daughter and her partner's place where they cooked us a beautiful roast dinner and we spent the evening just catching up and chatting. It was lovely and a real treat for me as I never get a meal cooked for me. It was wonderful not to have to think about what to have for tea and then prepare it not to mention the dishes after, although I do quite often get the dishes washed for me(no we haven't got a dishwasher!) Anyway on to a new week and a new blog. A friend is off to Oz this week to attend The Stampin' Up Convention so a couple of us put together this survival kit for her. Inside it contains - a pair of earplugs (in case your room mate snores), 2 pain killers(in case you come across a pain in the b*m)2 bandaids (so you can keep on craftin' if you cut a finger), 3 lollies(for extra energy), a pack of tissues (in case you are reduced to tears) and a travel size shower gel (for a soothing, relaxing shower after a long, hard day's crafting). I hope she gets a giggle out of it and that she has a great time at Convention. Off back to the craft table to make more flowers. Thanks for stopping by today.

Black, White and Red

Hello again and I'm nice and early tonight. I was supposed to go walking along the coast today but the weather was just too unpredictable so I stayed home, did some chores and made this little card instead. Also our Darling Granddaughter, Ashleigh, has come for a visit so that makes it a Super Special Day in my book!! I just love the easel cards (can you tell?) and suddenly my Mojo came out of hiding today and I had a mind full of ideas - this being one of them. I also love the black and white technique but this time thought adding red into the mix would be quite stunning. Love these little flowers too so it's love all around tonight because I love my little card!! I hope you do too. I'm off back down to the other room to spend more time with Ashleigh. Thanks for looking. PS I have entered this in the Sir Stampalot Challenge Butterflies and Blossoms http://sirstampalotchallenge.blogspot.com/

Vintage Folder

Hi Everyone- - I'm a bit late again but I've been watching Monday Night Netball. I love it and it was especially good tonight because the two teams I wanted to win did!!! Now there's a change. Add to that an hour long phone call from my Brother-in-Law in the UK and that's why I'm so late with this post. Anyway better late than never my Dad used to say so here it is. I made this a couple of years ago and came across it yesterday when I was looking for something else - as you do - and thought I would post it. I saw the idea in a magazine - as you do - and just loved it. I didn't have anyone to make it for so I just made it anyway - as you do!!! It was so much fun to do and I kept it in with some special things I have and haven't seen it in quite a while. It is nice seeing it again. I hope you like it. Right I'm off to bed as I'm a bit tired. We (Harold and I) got up at 1am again to watch Barbara Gray (one of my favourite stampers as if you didn't know). She was on the craft chanel in the UK and we watch it on the laptop. I can just hear you saying WHAT??? Why would you get up at that hour just for a craft program? Well I can tell you it is SOOOOOOOO worth it. Sad thing is that I can't record it to look at over and over so I have to make quick notes and sketches to remind me of the fabulous things she demos. The program is 2 hours long so we climb back into bed at just after 3am but of course my mind is racing with all the good things I have been watching. Hence I am tired tonight so 'night 'night and I'll be back soon.

Butterfly Easel Card

I hope all you Mums out there had a nice Mother's Day today and were perhaps a little bit spoiled by your families. I had a nice early morning walk with my friend Ellen and then spent the rest of the day just puddling about. I was mostly puddling with this butterfly easel card. I do love easel cards and have moved on from the basic shape to more adventurous ones like this. I also love making the flowers I used on it. They are so cool to do and easy once you have watched a tutorial (lots of them out there thank-you ). I use a little 'fat' heart shape for the small flowers and a scallap punch for the large ones. I am going to refine my butterfly shape a bit and then have a go at another one. I had phone calls from both our girls this evening to check I had had a nice day and then we had a SKYPE link up with a schoolftriend in the UK which is always a good laugh. So yes I had a nice Mother's Day thank-you. Catch you next time. Thanks for visiting.