Did ya miss me?? Last weekend was soooooo busy - sports, birthdays (not mine!), and my middle son was in the Battle of Britain parade - 69th - at the Auckland museum with his ATC squadron.
So, I actually had no time to myself to play or create.

This weekend, however, I had to make a sympathy card - and they are not much fun to make. I wanted it simple and not fussy, but not 'heavy' either IYKWIM
This is what I made, and it is a direct copy off someone else, but for the life of me I cannot remember. I was surfing blogs one day, many months ago and I saw this card. The 'creator' used the Bird Call cuttlebug embossing folder, and just a simple text up the top. I would love to post who it was, a name or a link to her blog, but I truely cannot remember.

I liked how it came out - simple, but classy, not fussy.
The card is actually made for a guy whose wife is terminal and does not have much time left. I know, that when we do hear of her passing, I will not want to make a card there and then, so I made it now. (I actually made 2 of them, just different colours)

Both cards use the cuttlebug embossing folder - Bird Call

Both cards use SU stamps, cardstock & ink - Old Olive, Not Quite Navy and Very Vanilla.

After making these, I felt the need to make something a little bit happier & cheerful, and as today was the start of daylight savings (yay!) I used for the first time - Whiff of Joy - Willow (I think.)

I coloured her in, using my usual coloured pencils, and then looked through my patterned paper stash for something to match. I probably should have looked at paper first, then coloured! I actually got this paper from a craft magazine - it was the freebie giveaway. Bit I like it! And then, ever betterer, I found a paper flower that actually matched - go figure! I used some little Kaiser bling in the middle for a bit of oomph. I like the way she turned out.

Well, thats all for tonight.

Would love to know what you think of the cards....

Jamey

I didn't get a chance to sit and play today - I did something even betterer....

Megan, at Betterscrapbooking occassionally has a See It!! Try It!! afternoon, where she has new tools that she demos and we get to play with! In the past, she has done demos on the Bind-it-all, Crop-a-dile, and the Making Memories slice machine. A great way to see things in action before outlaying the funds for the bigger, major scrapbooking necessities. And, another way to tempt me into spending my husband's hard earned money!

Today, we made these....

Little purses with folded pockets in.
Been there, done that you say.... but if you look closer.....

 you can see that we used the Making Memories Tag Maker AND the Imaginisce I-Top tool - very cool!

This is the first time I have used both tools, and, for the record, I am impressed with the I-Top. You can make your own brads, 3 different sizes - and, you don't have to use just paper, you can use felt and fabric as well! The tag maker can make differents sizes and shapes of tags - ovals, hearts, rectangles etc and the frames come in different colours and finishes - silver and glitter included.

Both of these items are available for purchase from Megan (yes, a shameless plug for her)
 I like the fact that Megan has these afternoons - she even throws in a cuppa tea AND homemade cupcakes - and you get to play with cool tools. But, that's not all Megan does - she has her scrap packs as well. A monthly kit she sends out direct to your doorstep with cardstock, paper, embellishments etc and an idea sheet. You don't even need to leave home to spend your husband's hard earned money!

So, while I made a 'purse' for me, Megan whipped up another one for my daughter. Her one (minus the tag) is currently in use by her doll Lissi, and is filled with keys and other treasures that girls and their dolls need!

Check out Megan's place, she has treasures galore - new products, papers & cardstock, embellishments, stamps, and other delights from Making Memories, Bazzill, Imaginisce, WRMK, Doodlebug etc

Well, when I was out playing, hubby was too. So, fresh fish for tea...yum! But, I have found out, that fresh fish does not cook itself......so, until next time, luv & kisses

Jamey

Last month, I caught up with one of my sister-in-laws - I have 7! She mentioned she saw one of my photos of my punch storage on a trademe thread. I asked her if she saw the other storage - she hadn't. So, this post's for you Betty....

this is my punch storage. It is on a swivel base, so I can spin it round to check out the punches on the other side. I now use all my punches - before, it was out of sight, out of mind. On top of the stand is my smaller punches, and cuttlebug folders and other dies like quickutz.

This is my stamp pad storage. Previously I had all the Stampin Up pads stacked on top of each other - meaning the one I wanted was always on the bottom, and they all toppled over. Now, I just grab the one I want easy peasy. Note all the empty shelves - working on filling it up!

Rob - a cabinet maker my hubby knows, made both of them for me at a very reasonable price.

This is my paper tower for coloured cardstock - mainly bazzil, but the prism cardstock is slowly creeping in. Both ranges of cardstock have texture - and I love it! I keep the paper by ROYGBIV - only cos I couldn't figure out any other way of doing it.

I got the stand in a kitset form from trademe - and hubby laughed when I attempted to assemble it. In the end, he did it for me....cos you know - I'm just a girl when it comes to screwdrivers and stuff.

Anyway, that's it from me.

Jamey

Well, I made a couple of cards today, although my daughter was hanging off the side of me wanting to help - 'can I stick them down', 'can I put the glue on', 'do you need that piece of paper mum?'
The first card I made was super easy - only used 2x stamps, and it came together quite quickly (gotta love it when that happens!)

I used some lovely Heidi Grace paper I found at Spotlight (the colour hasn't come out that great - in real life it is a pastel teal colour, not blue & not green)
I also used a Heidi Grace lady bird (lady bug?) stamps and pop-dotted them up for a little oomph
 The cardstock used is some stampin up and bazzill, along with some stampin up gingham ribbon.

The text stamp is from an American company - TAC (The Angel Company) "A wittle bug is thinking of you"

The other card I made took a bit longer to make:

I used a House Mouse image, and coloured it in with my good ole coloured pencils, after stamping the image on some vanilla cardstock with brown ink.
I then matted both the image and the patterned paper (don't know the brand) on black cardstock and then onto a bazzil brown for the card base.

The inside is a sticker I found, which I thought was appropiate for the image!

This is the second card I have made - both very similar, but different colours. I know, if something works, use it again. In other words, I am creatively challenged!

Anyway, I hope you like the cards - let me know what you think!


Jamey

Today, I found the time to sit down and have a play.

I felt creative after looking at all the blogs I visit (and there is ALOT!), however, when it came time to actually putting my ideas onto card - somehow they just don't turn out the same as when they are visualised.

I had coloured in these images a little while ago, and decided I better use them instead of just leaving them to just sit:

the cardstock, ink & buttons are Stampin Up

paper is DCWV

stamped text is Penny Black and image is Gruffies from Stampabilities

ribbon is some making memories I had kicking around in my ribbon jar

cardstock used is again Stampin Up - whisper white and wild wasabi, and the ink & buttons too

patterned paper is just some scraps I had (truly cannot remember from which company)

ribbon is making memores black gingham

stamped image is Penny Black

And, this is my attempt at a Clean & Simple card (no laughing please...)

Cardstock is Stampin Up - very vanilla and only orange (and the ink)

the brads are cute little fishes

stamped text is a mix of SU and All Night Media

hope you like them - as always, feel free to tell me what you think - I appreciate all comments and criticism.

Jamey

A little while ago, I made a heap of baby cards. Why? I have no idea, nobody was pregnant, and I didn't know anyone who had just had a baby, but, they are fun to make.

Here are a couple of baby cards - using the cutest little House Mouse stamps...

The baby boy card:

the cardstock is Stampin' Up's whisper white and bashful blue, also used the matching bashful blue ink for inking around the paper & cardstock, as well as the basic grey ink to stamp the image

the paper is some old Hot off the press paper I had kicking around in my scraps box

the stamp image is from House Mouse, coloured in with my Faber Castell pencils.

And, you have to do the girly version too

the cardstock used for this card is again, Stampin Up's whisper white, using Stampin Ups going grey ink for the image and text.

the paper is some Creative Memories from the disney princess pack

the text stamp is Stampin Up!

the image is House Mouse (love their stamps, they are soooooo cute!)

I coloured the image with my coloured pencils

I think the brads are from Stampin Up as well....but not 100% sure!

Anyway, I hope you like the cards - House Mouse stamps are so cute, and time consuming to colour in, but so worth it!

Jamey

So, its a pretty cold, wet, wintery day in my little corner of the world....what better thing to do than show off a couple of the cards I have made in the past.

I took some photos with the help of my daughter P, who is only 6. She is a great helper picking up the cards and trying to stand them upright - thus, some of them now have little bends in the corners....never mind.

This template was, and still is, really popular - 'onesies'

The cardstock and ink used is Stampin Up!

The circle punches, both scalloped and plain are Stampin Up!

The swiss dot stamp is also Stampin Up!

The little bee and ladybug stamps are TAC (The Angel Company)

This is a close up of the little stamps:

Anyway, there are exciting ways to spend rainy winter afternoons: SHOPPING!!! especially on the net....

I've 'met' a lovely lady on Trademe, she goes by the user name of pennyblacks. Corina is one of the most friendliest, helpful, patient traders I have come across - she has sourced some Penny Black stamps for me, advised me on some images, and gives really, really good service! What more could you want???

So, in the post last week, I received this little parcel (again, much to my hubby's dismay)

I now, unfortunately, have to wait until I have another day off work before I get to sit and play with them - but it will be worth it! Hopefully, it will be this week.......yeah right!

Well, if you have nothing better to do, check out Corina on trademe....

Jamey