Saturday, July 31, 2010

Parcel for Dad

At last I finished Dad's socks!
They were for Father's Day - albeit 7 weeks late!
Anyway, I knew he would appreciate the gift. I dug around for a photo to use on the card and came across a tiny black and white photo of Dad holding me. I think I was about 3 months old. Anyway, I decided to go with this photo, which I enlarged. I used paper from a pack sent to me by Cariena from the Scrapbook Studio. The colours were perfect and so nice to have co-ordinated papers ready to work with. I used the reverse nesties method with the photo, keeping the rest very simple. I popped a couple of 'gourmet finds' in for Dad to try out. Lovely to share these little things with someone special. Only a parent could appreciate the wierd combination in this parcel. He was thrilled, and that makes me very happy!

Saturday, July 24, 2010

Happy Birthday DH!

Today my DH turns 60! Where have all the years gone? The photograph I used above was taken when he was doing his national service. When he completed that, he returned home and bought his first 'Beetle' and he has had several since. I found this stamp from Great Impressions and the 60th birthday piece caught my eye a few months ago, whilst browsing in a craft shop. I kept the card very simple. I copied the photograph in black and white and used Distress Inks to age it a little. Stamped the bug with the same inks. Used a CHF background stamp with the Tea Dye ink and then used the same background and Vintage Photo and pressed the 60th 'thingy' onto the stamp. I wanted it to be a little darker than the card, so that it stood out. I wrapped the card around a brown liner - I used this method as I needed to hide the back of the photo and the nestie cut out. I then printed out this amazing sentiment onto cream paper and inserted it into the card......


Love is the warmth that fills my heart whenever I see your face –
Love is the comfort I always find in the circle of your embrace.
Love is the pride that helps me to be all the things you expect of me...
Love is the feeling of closeness that comes from the little things we share –
Love is the beauty of knowing you're near and you understand and care.
Love is the world made fresh and new.
Love is the joy I've found with you.


 This post is scheduled, so I will have to fill you in with his reaction. I'm sure he will be tickled pink! Tomorrow we will be having our mid year gathering of the Roberts clan and will celebrate his birthday with a Christmas in July theme. My gift to him is a week-end in August down in CT with the boys and girls. That was his dearest wish and I am so happy that I have been able to do this for him. He is a wonderful man, and I am so very blessed.....

Friday, July 23, 2010

A card for a friend of a friend...................

My very dear friend in Springs has a friend who has just had a double mastectomy and will be facing the whole chemo story shortly. I was in the throws of making my CANSA bookmarks for Sharon when I heard this, so I made this card for Olga and popped a bookmark into the envelope. I do hope this lifts her spirits a little and that she knows that there are lots of prayers for her and the many other sufferers out there.
The sentiment says it all..............................

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Kenny K Digitals

I just love these images!
I coloured this one with my Copics and used some freebie dp paper from a magazine. I stamped the denim pocket and used brads for the 'studs' - a couple of buttons coloured with Copics and twine and there you have it.

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Rediscovering old stamps....

Reorganising my stamps awhile ago, I came across this All Night Media Magnolia stamp, that had been parked off because it was too big! I was rather excited to find it again as flowers - big flowers, are really very popular again. I stamped it with Momento black, cut it out and coloured with my F.C Polychromos pencils and used Sansodor to blend with. I had this background embossed with the Leafy Branch folder and used an Iridescent Medium to highlight the raised embossing as well as bits of the flower.A little bit of organza ribbon tied into a bow with the Bow Easy and a little oval sentiment with a few pastel dew drops and there you have it. I just love this card and will certainly be making more of them.

Monday, July 19, 2010

Great Impressions

I ordered the Great Impressions bicycles - small and large - from Cariena at Scrapbook Studio and stamped the small one onto Opal Wove Diamond White with Versafine Onyx. I coloured bits of the bicycle with Spica's and used Flower Soft for the first time! I'm in love.... Oh so pretty and effective. Really looks like a basket full of Spring Flowers. Cut with Nesties label ten and Fancy Tags, sentiment from my favorite set from Papertrey, Paola's pearls and a bit of ribbon. I stamped off another two images using the same stamp and page map and will show them later in the week. Happy Monday everyone!

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Butterfly Digi

I was experimenting with this digi image. I printed it onto Canson watercolour paper and coloured with my Faber Castel Polychromos pencils and touched it up with my Spica's. I really enjoyed colouring this image and have several more printed out ready and waiting. I used a lovely piece of dp and softened the edges with Distress Ink Old Paper and found a delightful stamp in my stash - delight in the ordinary!
This we should do everyday and not constantly look for the spectacular!
Thanks for the visit.
Hugz

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Precious Little One

I have the privilege of working with a lovely young lady. She is everything I would love in a daughter, if I had one, and my working hours  have brightened considerably! We share lots of laughter amidst rather dismal situations, and survive to laugh some more! She has lifted my spirit and I have found fun again. We work so well together, it was almost 'meant to be'.
She became an Aunt again last week and I asked her for a photograph of the lovely little girl. I put together this card for her to give to her brother and wife today, when the baby is christened.
I so love making 'photo' cards and love the recipients reactions even more.
Welcome little baby!

Friday, July 16, 2010

Kenny K's first Challenge - Pastels

Over at Kenny K's Krafty Girls their first challenge is "Pastel" so here is my contribution. I bought the digi Uptown Angel and coloured her up with my F.C Polychromos pencils, added a little sparkle with Spica's, some lovely pastel rainbow ribbon and Paola's pearls - a pretty flower with a ribbon rose in the middle and there you have it. I really love colouring these images in and look forward to many more challenges.
Do pop over to Kenny K's and take a look at their digi's - they are super!
Happy Friday to you all and enjoy the week-end.
Hugz

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Bookmarks 3

A little bit of humour in the center of some of the bookmarks. I found this lovely set of digital images over at Bugaloo which I latched onto via Meahni's blog. They are delightful and my favorite is the third from the left - dear old Stella holding a placard saying 'Save the Hooters'. I will do a bigger card later on using this image. Just love it! The black strips are the magnets that clamp your page, so that they bookmark stays put!  




Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Bookmarks 2

The back of the bookmarks have lovely messages. I found several of the long stamps in my stash, perfect for the bookmarks. I find that you look at the front and back of the bookmarks everytime you read, so thought it a good idea to have the messages in these places. I also stamped on the inside of the bookmarks, not all, but most of them and will show you what I did in a later post. Thanks for the visit.

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Black and White......

My favorite - can you tell???
I had some pre-embossed cardstock in black so matched it up with white using the Cuttlebug Embossing folder - Distressed Stripes. Flipped the black in the opposite direction to the white. My dear friend Paola sent me the sentiment with some others, as a thank you for an order I placed with her - she spoils me rotten, but I am not complaining! They are awesome as they seem to fit into all the sizes I love to use in for my sentiments - thank you Paola!! The die I used is Nestabilities Labels Ten - the smallest die in the set. Love this set! The butterfly stamp set I found at a local craft shop. It is by Hampton Arts. A lovely set, all the same size round, which I am pleased to say, fits one of my round punches perfectly - so expect to see more as time marches on. Added a few of paola's Pearls and some dotty ribbon from my stash. Hope you like it.

Monday, July 12, 2010

Bookmarks 1

Some of the bookmarks have an inspirational message and others a reminder about how precious each one of us are.
I used a Gingham background stamp by Darkroom Door and Momento Pink Dew Drop pads from The Scrapbook Studio, punched butterflies with my favorite punch from Martha Stewart and hooked out various sentiments from my stash and stamped them with Momento Cocoa ink onto Opale Wove Natural Shimmer cardstock. Each bookmark has a silk ribbon attached to it. Do pop back for further peeks at the bookmarks.

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Quick 'n easy

Every now and then, I take some time to stamp off images and store them ready to colour. Lovely relaxing thing to do whilst keeping hubby company in front of the TV at night. This is a quick and easy card using pre-coloured flowers, that just needed to be cut out. I had bought this lovely set of sentiments on a whim, and almost fainted when I saw how big they were! If you know me, I'm really not into 'big' at all, rather the opposite. When I looked at the flowers, I remembered this set, hooked it out and WOW, am I in love..... I used my Scorepal to score lines, stamped the sentiment and placed the flowers and there we are, a really pretty card. Had to add a little Stickles glitter glue for fun! Both flowers and sentiments are by Hero Arts.

Friday, July 9, 2010

Thank You MWEB...

My goodness! I had forgotten what life was like without the internet, and hey, I don't want to be without it! I've had a lay off, for several reasons, internet connections being only one of them, but have not been inactive craft wise. I have finished my CANSA project for Sharon's Run\Walk for Breast Cancer Survivors - read all bout it on her blog here and all I have to do is post them to her. It was a very emotional but satisfying project, as I lost my Mom to breast cancer in 1999 - and whilst you move on with your life, losing a Mom is not something you get over. So, this one is for you Mom, with my love.....
I decided to make something useful, that probably would be looked at everyday and be a reminder about how far the recipient has come, so ended up making really pretty bookmarks. I will be showing you, over the next few days, some pictures of these book marks and will start off with the picture of them all in a box, just after I had finished them.  
Thanks for the visit and keep well........

Thursday, July 8, 2010

Teddy Stampers Challenge # 15

This challenge is "Love My Teddy". The bear did not have to be the main focus, but still posed a problem for me and my stamp selection. To the rescue came Paola and a lovely W.O.J. stamp, which I coloured with my Faber Castell Polychromos pencils, cut out with my Nestabilities Labels 3 dies, mounted onto cardstock which was a freebie in a crafting magazine some time ago. You will see Paola's influence quite clearly, if you know her work. I used the lovely flowers and pearls from her and I now call this creation 'My Paola Card' - I certainly cannot put them together like she can, but do love 'borrowing' some of her fabulous ideas! Thank You Paola!! Hugz,
Moz