My First SU Hybrid

There hasn't been much time for crafting recently, but I finally got to have a play and made my very first SU hybrid card - ie a card that incorporates digital designing (using MDS) with traditional card and ink.

Here tis:

I used MDS for the designer paper and stamps and was able to resize the sentiments and the plane to suit my needs. The rest is "real" card, embellishments etc. I added some crystal effects over the plane image to give it a bit more dimension and you can see that better in this second photo:

Materials used:

• stamps - Daring Adventure (MDS)
• card - basic black, basic grey, very vanilla, designer paper from MDS
• other - apothecary accents die, Big Shot, jumbo metal brads, crop-o-dile, crystal accents, dimensionals

So what do you think? Would love to hear from you, especially if you are in two minds about the whole digital stamping thing.

Thanks for flying by (lol).

Cheers
Kez

Happy Dance!

You can't see me but I'm jiggling a happy dance at the moment!

Well, it certainly IS NOT because my DH forgot my birthday this morning!

No, it's because Stampin' Up! have announced their colour renovation and I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the colours that are returning and the in colours we are getting to keep!

As I realise this chart is probably a bit hard to see (ya think?!) here is a summary:

In the Brights colour collection we are losing regal rose and getting a new colour called Bermuda Bay. This was an in colour in the US a few years back but we didn't get it here in Aus. It's a gorgeous colour, I love it and am lucky to have some - so stay tuned for a sample in that soon!

In the Subtles colour collection we are losing pretty in pink, bashful blue, certainly celery and Baja breeze. We get to keep calypso coral, wisteria wonder and pool party (YAY!) and see the return of blushing bride, soft sky and pear pizzazz.

In the Regals colour collection we lose riding hood red, bravo burgundy, not quite navy and more mustard. We get to keep island indigo (YAY!) and also get crushed curry - from the same past in colours in the US that Bermuda bay is from.

The Neutrals collection loses only river rock and we get a brand new colour called smoky slate, which is a lighter grey than basic grey and will go with heaps of colours.

So I am EXCITED about this colour refresh and I hope you will be too. Can't wait to play with them all! Meanwhile, any product in the retiring colours - ink pads, re-inkers, card, ribbon, embellishments etc - will disappear pretty fast, so if you are losing some favourites and would like to stock up, get in quick! Remember you can simply click my SHOP NOW button and begin ordering away!

(BTW, it's OK, DH made up for forgetting my birthday later in the day ... and some of my lovely ladies sent me BEAUTIFUL birthday cards. Thanks so much ladies!)

Back soon with some crafting projects.

Cheers

Kez 

Another MDS Cutie

After getting some assessment work done this morning (a teacher's work is never done!)  I allowed myself a brief play with My Digital Studio. This time I was playing with punches, stamps and embellishments - after all, you don't often see one of my cards without some ribbon or a bow!

Here's my layout, again using an old photo of DD21:

I used:

• stamps - Always, Friends 24/7
• papers - Springtime Vintage dsp
• card - very vanilla, pale plum, soft suede
• punches - 2 1/2" circle, fun flower 1, dotted scallop trim
• other - very vanilla grosgrain bow

She look so adorable in her bonnet don't you think? This was taken in our backyard in Christchurch and she would have been around 8 or 9 months old I think. 

OK, enough playing, I have to get back to work - more assessments to mark. 

Thanks for dropping in.

Cheers

Kez

The Fairy in My Garden

For DD's 21st birthday party yesterday we had dug out a heap of old photos so I've been having a play with some of them using MDS (My Digital Studio), just released here in Australia last week. This time I was fiddling with opacity, stamps, mats and punches - so here is the layout I ended up with.

The image might be a little small for you to see (click on it to enlarge) but I have stamped the swirl from Creative Elements in the top right and lower left corners. One of the things I love about digital crafting is you can resize your stamp and flip it horizontally or vertically to suit the area you have - so here it is shown in two different sizes and orientations. The two layers of punch behind the journalling have been made slightly opaque so you can still see the photo images behind them. Love it!

I am having a lot of fun playing with this new toy - and you can too, for FREE! There is a free 30-day trial version of MDS available for you to try - just click on my SHOP NOW button over on the right and it will take you to a link you can order from.

Thanks for stopping by. I do hope you are enjoying your Easter break.

Cheers
Kez

My Baby is 21!

My eldest baby is turning 21 next Saturday but we are celebrating today as she is only home over Easter. It's hard to believe so many years have gone by since she arrived in our lives ... sniff, sniff ... sometimes it seems like only yesterday (you mums will know what I mean).

Naturally there has to be a special card and the one that I am giving her is this gorgeous one I made a couple of years ago in a class with another demo, which I have been keeping for just such a special moment. I added the sentiment bits on to suit the occasion.

I also made her a decorated printer's tray full of family photos to put in her room in Melbourne. She can't hang things on her walls, so this will sit on an easel on her desk or bookcase. The colours were chosen to match with her duvet cover and I used flowers, lace, pearls and butterflies to decorate the various compartments.

I think she will like it; in fact, I'm pretty sure there will be tears - from me if not her!

Well, I'd better get back to organising the festivities. Thanks for dropping by.

Cheers
Kez

PS Here's a photo of the cake!

Happy Easter

Happy Easter everyone. I do hope you have a lovely break with your loved ones.

Coming tomorrow - I actually show some crafting! LOL

Online Shopping!

Stampin' Up! have introduced online shopping here in Australia so now you can place an order any time of the day or night while I'm working, shopping or catching up on beauty sleep! Simply go to my SU website HERE, click on Products and then Shop Now and you will have all our great products at your fingertips - including the newly-introduced Digital products and My Digital Studio (MDS) software.

And coming soon - my first "hybrid" card (that's a mix of digital and traditional paper-and-ink) using MDS.

Cheers
Kez

Hello Campers!

This post will stay at the top for a while, so scroll down for more recent posts.

Adorable Bunnies

One of the things I love most about the internet is being able to surf other blogs and challenge sites to get ideas and inspiration - saves a fortune on craft magazines! There is so much talent around that people are happy to share that you don't have any excuses not to learn and grow just by copying others until you find a style all your own.

Today's card is a case in point; I absolutely adore the colour combination that they came up with over at Color Throwdown this week and as the soft colours made me think of the ever-so-rapidly-approaching-that-it's-scary Easter, I decided to case a card by Ashley Newell that I saw on Pinterest.

As you know, watercolouring is one of my favourite techniques and SU's Everybunny set is one of their cutest for this. Here's my effort:

Materials used:

• stamps - Everybunny
• card - barely banana (retired), whisper white, watercolour, pool party patterns paper
• other - ovals framelits die, Big Shot, dimensionals, aqua painter, inks and markers, chevron embossing folder, pool party button (SAB), white bakers twine, stamp-a-ma-jig
• non SU - PTI berry sorbet card and ribbon

Seriously, are they adorable or what?!!

Hope you have fun finding inspiration for your own crafting. Thanks for stopping by.

Cheers

Kez

NSU - Life is Like a Teacup

OK, so I've made another tea themed card and although I don't drink tea (or coffee), the idea of warmth, comfort and friendship shared behind the whole tea/coffee thing is just what I love about the theme. I just substitute hot chocolate!

Here's my card

(just click on the photo if you want a closer look)

Materials used:

• stamps - Lili of the Valley, Stampin' Up!
• card - crumb cake, whisper white, pool party, Sweet Shop dsp (retired), other dsp from stash, watercolour
• other - whisper white striped satin ribbon, dimensionals, labels collection framelits, adorning accents embossing folder, Big Shot, sponge daubers, aquapainter, inks and markers, computer and printer, tea cup and saucer dies

Hopefully you can tell from the photo that I did two layers of the little girls and popped one up on dimensionals. It really adds something when you see it in real life. And those little mini teapots in the first photo - aren't they totally adorable? - were a Xmas gift from my SIL. Soooooooo cute!

Thanks for stopping by.

Cheers

Kez

A Couple of Cards

Well. howdy! I think it's about darn time I had some cards up here to show so I hope you like them. In great need of the solace of watercolouring, I made up this gorgeous card the other day:

Materials used:

• stamps - Itty Bitty Banners, Magnolia
• card - Baja breeze, basic black, watercolour, very vanilla, Kaiser Ladies Journal collection
• other - SU oval framelits, Big Shot, itty bitty banner die, dimensionals, sponge daubers, adorning accents die, aqua painter, inks and markers

Another card was needed as DH and I have a wedding to attend this weekend - and how lovely it will be to attend a joyous event for a change. I attended my aunt's funeral earlier in the week and although we weren't ultra close, she was the last of my dad's sisters to pass away and so that generation is gone now. That made me very sad and made me miss my parents so much all over again.

But back to the wedding. Here's the card I made for the happy couple. It was inspired by a Mindy Bingamon card.

Materials used:

• stamps - Marry Me (retired), Itty Bitty Banners
• card - basic black, whisper white, retired dsp, quilted paper from stash, vellum
• other - itty bitty banner die, Big Shot, pearls, dimensionals, sticky strip, non SU satin ribbon, dazzling diamonds, two-way glue pen

Thanks for stopping by.

Cheers
Kez

February Sweets

I have a class with my sweet Sunday ladies this week and have left my creating until the not-quite-last-minute! (It's been a busy week!) I wanted to use the gorgeous honeycomb embossing folder again as I just LOVE this thing, so first up is a touch of yellow, black and white.

Do you recognise the roses? They are the flower trim from the Seasonal catalogue which I have coloured in a solution of water and re-inker.

Materials used:

• stamps - Vintage Verses (SAB), Layered Labels, Four Frames
• card - daffodil delight, basic black, World Spectacular dsp
• other - honeycomb E/F, Big Shot, apothecary accents die, little leaves die, paper doily, dimensionals, stamp-a-ma-jig, flower trim
• non SU - white linen card, organza ribbon

Another colour that goes beautifully with black is pool party and I've used plenty of it in this next card. To give my embossed panel a slightly deeper shade, I inked up my embossing folder before running it through the Big Shot.

Materials used:

• stamps - Serene Silhouettes
• card - pool party, basic black, whisper white
• other - fancy fan E/F, Big Shot, windows framelit die, 1" circle punch, sponges, SAB ribbon, dimensionals
• non SU - post-it note

Now for something completely different - a boldly coloured masculine card using a couple of new items from the Seasonal catty. (Well, I thought it would make a good masculine card, but DD14 loves it and has claimed it for herself!)

Materials used:

• stamps - That's The Ticket, Happiest Birthday Wishes (retired hostess)
• card - cherry cobbler, summer starfruit, whisper white, World Spectacular dsp
• other - hearts a flutter framelit dies, Big Shot, ticket duo punch, modern label punch, dimensionals, adorning accents edgelit die, sponge dauber

And I am hoping we will have time for a bonus project as well - a cute little gift box inspired by Jen Takacs:

Materials used:

• stamps - Friendship Preserves
• card - First Edition dsp, very vanilla
• other - paper doily, sponge, windows framelits die, Big Shot, flower trim, SAB ribbon

Thanks for stopping by.

Cheers

Kez

NSU - Cutie Pie

I spent a very happy time last weekend getting my watercolouring "fix" LOL. I find colouring very therapeutic and relaxing but unfortunately SU just doesn't have enough cute kids for me to colour in, forcing me to commit "rubbah-dultery" as Jan Tink calls it!

This very feminine Z-fold card was a lot of fun to make and colour. I bought the papers and roses ages ago so it was great to finally get around to using them.

 Materials used:

• stamps - Penny Black
• card - marina mist, Sahara sand, watercolour, very vanilla, lucky limeade, Kaisercraft dsp
• other - nestabilities die, Big Shot, paper flowers, leaf punch, hot glue gun, aqua painter, inks and markers, dimensionals, paper doilies, sponge daubers

Then for a change of pace, a bright and cheery card with lots of polka dots - my girls' fav!

(Excuse the chicken head there in the background - Clarissa decided to get in on the photo op!)

Materials used:

• stamps - SU Circle of Friendship (retired), LOTV 
• card - basic black, watercolour, whisper white, old olive, cherry cobbler polka dot paper
• other - aqua painter, dimensionals, 1" circle punch, paper flowers, sponge dauber, inks and markers, grass punch

Hopefully that will keep me going for a while!

Thanks for dropping by.

Cheers

Kez

Happy Waitangi Day

Happy Waitangi Day to all fellow kiwis out there in Blogland.

For those of you uninitiated, Waitangi Day is New Zealand's national day, much like Australia Day or Independence Day. The Treaty of Waitangi was signed in 1840 by representatives of the British Crown and over 500 Maori chiefs and it is often considered to be New Zealand's founding document. There has been much heated debate in the last few decades about the place of the Treaty in modern day, but it is still celebrated as an important day in our national history.

With two Kiwis and two Aussies in our household, we always celebrate the national days of both countries with a family dinner and try to eat food "traditional" to that nation - not always easy as both are so similar! On Australia Day we had lamb and pavlova, so today I had to come up with something different.

In the end I did my usual cooking style and adapted a number of different recipes, taking elements of each to make my new dish. (Sounds a lot like my crafting style too, actually!)

We are having Smoked Trout and Kumara patties with a salad, followed by a dessert of Kiwifruit Trifle. Yum! If they look any good I'll take a photo for you!

Meanwhile, here's a kiwi card to get you in the mood for Waitangi Day. I made it a fair while ago but I love this little bungy jumping guy and the look of adventure on his face!

Thanks for stopping by.

Cheers
Kez

Get Well Wishes

What do you get when you cross an owl with a purse? A sure-fire way to cheer someone up is what!

I stamped my purse with the Canvas stamp using Versamark ink and clear embossed it to get that faux leather look. The medical bag could, of course, be filled with all manner of things to make you feel better, including - but not limited to - chocolate!

Now how could someone stay sick when presented with one of these? Impossible!!!

Materials used:

• stamps - Canvas (retired), Teeny Tiny Wishes
• card - basic black, marina mist, real red, white
• other - owl punch, 3/4" circle punch, horizontal slot punch (retired), silver brads, clear embossing powder, heat tool, white bakers twine, dimensionals, crop-o-dile

Hope it's made you feel better too! Thanks for stopping by.

Cheers

Kez