Monday, August 31, 2009

Fun with Puns


Hi all! Hope you are having a great start to the week.
DD11 graciously gave her permission for me to use her set, Pun Fun, for my class next week. The images are very cute and the sayings are so corny you just have to laugh! I really like the sheep one (I know you are thinking a rude joke about sheep and NZers, LOL!!!!!) and had a lot of fun adding puff paint to give it that woolly look.

(Inspired by a card by Sarah Gough)

Loving this Kiwi Kiss/Elegant Eggplant combo at the moment!

(CASEd and adapted from Alisa Tilsner)
(CASEd and adapted from SCS stamper a pig on fire)
Materials used for all:
  • stamps - Pun Fun, Think Happy Thoughts, Sanded, Classic Stars jumbo wheel
  • card & paper - Tempting Turquoise & So Saffron (ewe); Kiwi Kiss & Elegant Eggplant (skunk); Pacific Point & Real Red (rocket); Tangerine Tango & Sahara Sand (cat); basic black, whisper white, watercolour paper
  • other - Cuttlebug and embossing folder, dimensionals, aqua painter, chipboard label holder (stash), black brads (stash), crystal effects, puff paint, silver star brad (stash), 32 mm and 35 mm circle punches, nestabilities, heat gun, scallop edge punch, Cuttlebug alphabet dies

Hope you like them! Call again later in the week as I'll have some blog candy to give away to celebrate a special occasion ...

Cheers

Kez

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Seven Year Itch

Never mind the seven year itch, what about the seven day itch? It has been a whole week since I have made a card! MAJOR WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS! I have had some card designs whirling around in my head (and there's not alot of spare space up there, ya know!!! LOL) but have been busy with other things and too dog tired at night to sit and create.

And this morning I should have been marking assessments (not to mention laundry and housework) but that itch was simply irresistable! I just had to "scratch", I couldn't help it, I tell ya, honest!!! I tried and I tried to resist (alright, you got me, I didn't try too hard!) Anyways, the marking will get done later in the day, so my halo can sit tight (choke, choke!!!)

I thought you might be getting sick of tri shutter cards by now :) so I decided to try a side-step card instead. It's a similar concept of scores and cuts, but makes for an entirely different shape. Here's my first attempt:



I've left a blank space for a message to be written.



Materials used:
  • stamps - Bloomin' with Beauty, Oval All
  • card & paper - Rose Red and Kiwi Kiss card; watercolour paper; Raspberry Tart DSP
  • other - large oval punch, scallop oval punch, dimensionals, rose red and cameo coral markers, nestabilities and Big Shot, crystal effects, Dazzling Diamonds

For my second try I thought I'd use my favourite Frenchman, otherwise known as Chef Henri the little fat chef. Just for something different. You know how it is. Don'tchya? I made the side panel a little wider to accommodate his girth (he he). Once I got going I had to decide what to put on the tray and as DH and I are having an anniversary next week, I went with that. I discovered to my horror that I don't own ANY stamps of ANY brand that say Happy Anniversary. Hmm, will have to do something about that ... so I die cut lettering instead.

Here's Henri:



Materials used:
  • stamps - Voila, Voila a la carte, Wonderful Favourites
  • card & paper - chocolate chip, baja breeze and whisper white card; Parisian Breeze SDSP
  • other - adhesive pearls (Kaisercraft), Big Shot, Cuttlebug alphabet dies, dimensionals, stamp-a-ma-jig

All right! All right! I'll go and do that marking now. Boy, you sure are a hard taskmaster!

Cheers
Kez

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Blog Awards



I have received my very first blog awards and I am so touched. They were given to me by the incredibly talented Cheryl Joshua - thank you so much for thinking of me Cheryl, I am honoured. If you aren't already a regular visitor to Cheryl's blog, check it out here, she does fabulous work and you will love seeing it.

Deciding who to pass these awards on to was a difficult one, as there are so many incredible blogs that I visit that inspire me continually. Finally I thought I'd begin with the blogs that I visit on a daily (or next to daily) basis; the ones I just can't wait to look at to see what they have come up with, and whose work I so often save to CASE at my leisure (although I don't always get round to that part!). So here goes:

Thanks for stopping by today. I should have cards to show tomorrow, if all goes according to plan!

Cheers

Kez

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Last Chance

Today is your last chance to see all the goodies at the Stitches and Craft Show at Rosehill Racecourse. And believe me, there are LOTS of goodies to see! Not the least being our stand - Stand 64 BTW - so pop in and say hello to us all today. We have heaps of cards, scrapbook layouts and beyond the page items for you to drool over and use as inspiration; a gorgeous Make and Take designed by the clever Sue and Noreen; some kits available at a special show price; a lucky door prize drawn twice a day; and of course some wonderfully nice and talented demonstrators to chat to and help you! I had a lot of fun on Thursday and am looking forward to meeting more lovely people today once I get my act together and get down there!

If you are in the area, make sure you stop by and say hello.

Cheers
Kez

Thursday, August 20, 2009

House Mouse Challenge

Although I've got a few House Mouse stamps (I'm a sucker for cute little critters, as you know!) I haven't entered any of their challenges before. But the current theme is Back to School and I immediately thought of those adorable mini backpacks, so here I am entering my very first House Mouse Challenge!

Here is little Mudpie (cute name for a mouse!) happy as a larakin to be going back to school (I guess it has been the summer holidays over at the "top half" of the globe) with his mini backpack and pile of school books and his apples for the teacher!



Materials:
  • stamps - Contented Mudpie (House Mouse by Stampabilities); books by Magnolia
  • card - real red, old olive and whisper white cardstock; Summer Picnic DSP (retired)
  • other - old olive ribbon, jumbo brads (unknown brand), Velcro dots, dimensionals, crop-o-dile, sticky strip, aqua painter, nestabilities

Don't forget to call in at our stand at the Stitches and Craft Show and say hello!

Cheers

Kez

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Love that Postie!

Our postie has just been and delivered not one, not two, but THREE parcels of goodies from SU! Not all for me, unfortunately (LOL!), but at least some of it was! I was very lucky to recently earn a free stamp set and that was one of the parcels. It was a difficult decision choosing what to get - DD11 was pressing for her favourites (Sock Monkey, That's Funny, Sip by Sip and Animal Crackers) and after doing a class with team-mate Liam, Cheep Talk was high in the running, but Bugs and Kisses, Thoughts and Prayers and Snow Swirled were all in with a chance too!

Then I was side tracked by Great Grads, a set I would not normally buy as I wouldn't get that much use out of it (I thought), but with daughters graduating from year 12 and year 6 this year, it was tempting ... Finally DD11 tipped the scales by pointing out that I could use it for my TAFE students - an idea that had entirely escaped my conscious thought but was so obvious once she'd said it! "Out of the mouths of babes..." as they say! LOL So Great Grads it was, which I can use every year for my classes - brilliant!

So here are my initial attempts; the first uses DD17's fav colours (and my fav papers!):

Materials:
  • stamps - Great Grads
  • papers - Baja Breeze, Whisper White cardstock; Parisian Breeze DSP
  • inks - Baja Breeze, Chocolate Chip
  • other - nestabilities, 32 mm circle punch, sponge daubers, chocolate chip satin ribbon, dimensionals
Eh! I thought. It's OK but I'm not in love with it. Have another go, this time using brocade blue and night of navy (which I have decided are fantastic together). Everything went smoothly until right at the very end when I stuck on the last piece and then discovered ... I had gotten a smudge of blue ink on the white. Damn! I hate it when that happens! Usually a boo boo can be covered up with a flower or something, but not this time! I put some white gel pen over it, but this card is definitely going to have to be the "before" card and not the "after"!!! With any luck you guys won't be able to see it in the photo!

Materials:

  • stamps - Great Grads
  • papers - night of navy and whisper white card; brocade blue DSP (from hostess set)
  • inks - brocade blue, night of navy
  • other - small star punch, large star punch, brads (from stash), dimensionals, stamp-a-ma-jig

Last week at our team meeting I gave a demo on brayering and this morning I finally got around to using my demo piece and turning it into a card.

Materials (completely SU):
  • stamps - Inspired by Nature, Sincere Salutations, Sanded
  • card - basic black, pumpkin pie, old olive, whisper white
  • ink - pumpkin pie, so saffron, black StazOn
  • other - large oval punch, scallop oval punch, dimensionals, brayer, old olive ribbon, sponge daubers

Well, that's todays offerings. Tomorrow I will be at the Stitches and Craft Show, so if you are in the vicinity of Rosehill Racecourse, drop in to the SU stand and say hello. We'll have Make and Takes and Lucky Door Prizes, so you won't go away empty handed!

Thanks for stopping by.

Cheers

Kez

Friday, August 14, 2009

Whimsical

It's almost time for Christmas Stamp-a-stacks again and this month we are going for c-u-t-e! Firstly an SU card using Holiday Lineup, the new scallop oval punch (with Best Yet - what a fantastic hostess set this is!) and Ski Slope DSP from the Spring mini. I used some puff paint on the pom poms which looks so gorjus!

The second card we'll be making uses SU card and ink but the rest are non-SU, so don't look if you don't want to! House Mouse stamp (love those little critters!) with cuttlebug embossing folder and nestabilities.

Are they not the cutest little things? Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!! I've used brown StazOn ink with chocolate chip, riding hood red and white card. There's one spot left for Sunday if you are in the area ....

Cheers

Kez

Monday, August 10, 2009

Another blokey tri shutter

Seriously, these things are totally addictive! Should come with a warning sticker!!! They are such fun to make ... have you made one yet? NO? Well, what the heck are you waiting for?

I had another go at a bloke one, this time a nautical theme using Uncharted Territory. My first attempt was completely dismal - no, honestly! - but today I happened upon these great new papers from Kaisercraft (the Offshore collection) which match SU colours pretty well and some perfect embellishments, and the rest, as they say, is history!

The embellishments are chipboard (I think the brand was FX) which I have coloured with black marker or white embossing powder. The freakishly giant seagull on the front is there primarily to cover up a boo-boo (shhhh! it'll be our secret!). Anyways, hope you like it.

Created by Kez. Stamped images ©1990-2009 Stampin' Up! ®

The very observant ones amongst you (you know who you are!) will notice that a mild miracle has taken place with this card. Yes, that's right, I have used not ONE but TWO - yes, TWO! - bold brights. OH. MY. GOSH!!!!! What is the world coming to?
Right, I'd better go and get ready - trivia night tonight. Taxing my poor overworked and overtired brain even more than usual! Thanks for dropping in, hope you have a good night.
Cheers
Kez

Sunday, August 9, 2009

Keeping it Simple

Burgundy and cream is one of my favourite colour combos but I seem to rarely use it on cards, so I sat down last night determined to come up with something. The resulting card is fairly simple but I am happy with how it turned out and may just have to use these colours again soon! I have layered the flowers and leaf, which may not be immediately obvious in the photo!


Materials used:
  • stamps - Echoes of Kindness, Great Friend
  • card - bravo burgundy and very vanilla
  • other - watercolour crayons, Martha Stewart lace doily punch, stamp-a-ma-jig, adhesive pearls

Cheers

Kez

Wonderful

In this week's class we are making tri shutter cards, one for a girl and one for a guy.

For the female one I've used the beautiful Tea Party papers again, this time taking Almost Amethyst as my main colour, which is teamed with Pretty in Pink, So Saffron and Certainly Celery - so pretty and so feminine! - with one of my favourite SU sets this year, A Kind Word.


Created by Kez. Stamped images ©1990-2009 Stampin' Up! ®

As Father's Day is not too far away I have used that for my theme on the "bloke" card, with basic black, basic grey and riding hood red. Unfortunately I don't have the sanded background stamp, as I think that would have been just perfect, but it is now on my list I assure you! (and I'll try to borrow it for the class) So I've used weathered instead, and the tool set comes from For Father, which is retired but I can't bear to get rid of it.


Created by Kez. Stamped images ©1990-2009 Stampin' Up! ®

Hope you like them. Thanks for calling in!

Cheers

Kez

Friday, August 7, 2009

Homework

At last month's team meeting no-one brought anything for show and tell, so Marelle gave us some "homework" to do for this month's meeting! She gave out packages that she had left over from various make-and-takes etc, which we had to use to make a card. In mine I got some Lovely Lilac, Certainly Celery and white gloss card. That's it; no embellishments or extras!

This is what I came up with. I hope I was allowed to add a little extra in, I used a bit of whisper white for matting and a smidge more lilac, plus some adhesive pearls. No nesties in this one - shock, horror! - but I have embossed with my "cute-le-bug", LOL!!

Stamp sets used were Baroque Motifs and Great Friend and of course the DIVINE new scallop oval punch.

Thanks for stopping by; have a great weekend!

Cheers

Kez

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Greatest Treasure

As soon as I saw what this week's Cinema Saturday movie challenge was, I was instantly inspired to have a go. I printed a children's treasure map colouring page off the internet and then aged and distressed the paper; Just Jawing and Scary Skulls wheel were a given; and the sentiment was inspired by the JJ stamp. Usually I cover the heart shaped eyes with stars for a male card, but the heart set me thinking about the love story sub-plot in the movie and I decided to keep it as is. Then the wording of the sentiment just popped into my head, so I printed it out on the computer. We had to use beads, so I've put some "black pearls", he he! It was a lot of FUN to put together, so many thanks ladies for the challenge!

Here's my card:


Thanks for calling in, mateys!

Cheers

Kez

Sailing the Ocean Breeze

It's DH's birthday today and as he built his own boat (in days long gone by!) I've been playing with Uncharted Territory, a new set from the Spring mini. First off I CASEd a card by Andrea Buckland:

Stamped images ©1990-2009 Stampin' Up! ®

The next card was inspired by a lovely card by Claire Daly and uses some of my new FAV papers (again from the Spring mini):

Stamped images ©1990-2009 Stampin' Up! ®

But DH believes blokes cards should be in bright, bold colours, so I turned to Pacific Point. It is not a colour I use much of, but I do like it in this combo:

Created by Kez. Stamped images ©1990-2009 Stampin' Up! ®

Hope it's bright enough for him! Thanks for stopping by.

Cheers

Kez

Sunday, August 2, 2009

Enjoy the Little Things

This card began as something completely different in my head and just kept evolving, but I am very happy with the result. It got the "ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" reaction from both my girls, so that's a good sign, LOL! I've used some of the lovely new papers from the Spring mini.
Supplies used:
  • stamps - Enjoy every moment
  • card & paper - kiwi kiss, basic grey and whisper white cardstock; Walk in the Park DSP
  • other - flowers and brad from stash, adhesive pearls from Kaiser, dimensionals, stamp-a-ma-jig

Created by Kez. Stamped images ©1990-2009 Stampin' Up! ®

We have certainly enjoyed the little things today; we had a beautiful Sunday roast with my SIL then lay on the grass enjoying each others' company, the warm sunshine, Max the dog running around and the sound of happy children next door. I hope you have had the chance to enjoy the little things too...

Thanks for stopping by. Caio!

Kez

CASEing the Spring Mini

I just adore this layout in the new Spring Mini Catalogue:

So I had to CASE it - well, with a few adjustments. My photo was large so it had to be a 12 x 12 layout, which made the embellishments a little small. Luckily my nesties Labels Four is a similar shape to the one used, so that was a good substitute. I don't have the ribbon used, so changed that to basic grey taffeta, and the rub ons used above were replaced with the leaf stamp. Here it is, hope you like it.

Stamped images ©1990-2009 Stampin' Up! ®

Hope you're having a great weekend.

Cheers

Kez

Saturday, August 1, 2009

How Do I Love Thee?


Oh Spring Mini, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love thee to the depth and breadth and height my soul can reach. I love thee for thy:
  • scallop oval punch (fan-bloomin-tastic, what can I say?)
  • corduroy buttons (I just wanna touch them!)
  • new designer papers (G-O-R-J-U-S!!! Parisian Breeze, I am in LURVE!!!)
  • wide variety of stamp sets (girlfriend, bloke, kids, Xmas, sentiment)

I love thee with the breath, smiles, tears of all my life.

(With humble apologies to Elizabeth Barrett Browning!)

Kez