Who Are You?

I think that's what my craft room asked when I finally wandered in there this morning, lol!!! I am procraftinating again - there's a huge pile of marking waiting for me - but after an SU delivery I just could not resist sitting down and making a card.

I wanted to use the gorgeous spotty paper from the Fresh Prints dsp stack in the Occasions catalogue and as it has a slightly shabby look to it, I scrunched up my ribbon and chose one of my all-time fav SU watercolour pics to go with it. Loving this colour combination of coastal cabana, crumb cake and real red.

Materials used:

• stamps - Greeting Card Kids, Just Sayin'
• card - coastal cabana, crumb cake, watercolour, Fresh Prints dsp
• other - word bubbles framelits, Big Shot, aquapainter, markers, dimensionals, crumb cake seam binding

Cute! 

Hopefully I'll find some time again soon to return to my craft room, but till then 'Thanks for stopping by!'

Cheers

Kez

December Creative Crew Scrapbook and More Focus

It's hard to believe this is my last challenge for the Creative Crew design team - the past four months have just flown by and I've really enjoyed all the challenges the ladies have come up with.

For this project we were to make a calendar, to do list, booklet or journal for a friend to use in 2014. I decided to make something for DD21 to use at uni and on teaching placement - a Post-It Note Desk Box. I found a great tutorial by Jill Hilliard (click here) and just made some adjustments to the box measurements as I wanted to use a big cube of post-its - I know DD uses A LOT of them!

I couldn't go past her favourite red and white polka dots and dressed it up with some black accents and cute little bows and one of my all-time favourite stamped images, just so she doesn't forget how much I love her (as if I would let her!).

Here's my project:

Materials used:

• stamps - Greeting Card Kids
• card - basic black, real red, whisper white, retired Xmas dsp
• other - scallop envelope die, Big Shot, dimensionals, 1 3/8" circle punch, pennants die
• non SU - Bella ribbon bows

I hope you have enjoyed my creative journey being on the design team. Be sure to visit the Creative Crew Challenges Gallery over at SCS to see what my fellow team members came up with for their final challenges.

Thanks for stopping by.

Cheers

Kez

Oh What Fun!

Our September Christmas stamp-a-stack cards showcase my fav new Xmas sentiment set, Christmas Messages. And just for my dear SIL, who loves Greeting Card Kids, we will be using that for our first card which also features some of the new Winter Frost dsp from the Holiday catalogue. I'm really pleased with how this one turned out - the soft colours really appeal to me.

Materials used:

• stamps - Greeting Card Kids (retired), Christmas Messages
• card - pool party, smoky slate, whisper white, Winter Frost dsp
• inks - coastal cabana, smoky slate, blush blossom, so saffron, pear pizzazz, Bermuda bay
• other - dimensionals, blender pen, Big Shot, Sahara sand marker
• non SU - corner rounder punch, snowflake embossing folder, circle and scallop circle dies

When I first saw the papers we are using for the next card I was immediately struck by two things: (1) the holly pattern would fit perfectly with this sentiment stamp, and (2) the colours in the paper match SU colours always artichoke and bravo burgundy absolutely perfectly. Given that, I couldn't possibly resist using it, now could I? Here's our second SAS card for this month:

And as my wonderful new magnetic platform and the envelope liner dies arrived the day I was cutting up, I just HAD to make matching envelopes!

Materials used:

• stamps - Christmas Messages, Bells and Boughs
• card - always artichoke, whisper white, bravo burgundy
• other - chalk talk dies, Big Shot, dimensionals, sponge daubers, envelope liner die
• non SU - Farmhouse Paper Co dsp Norland, burgundy pearl brads, holly punch 

Thanks for dropping by.

Cheers

Kez

Sometimes It's Hard To Be A Woman

Sometimes it's hard to be a woman.

Well, not just any woman but this woman specifically. Being me, that is.

You see, it all happened like this ...

... I was trying out an embossing technique I wanted to practice for an upcoming class. Admittedly, a few hours had elapsed since the time I had watched an instructional video and the time I was trying the technique .... so it's not wholly unexpected that I should forget something.

Unfortunately, it was a very important point that I forgot ... Suffice it to say that I realised way too late that the "sandwich" I was trying to push through my Big Shot was TOO THICK.

You guessed it. My Big Shot jammed, stuck harder than Pooh Bear in Rabbit's hole.

I stayed calm. (that's pretty amazing in itself, actually)

I tried reversing. No deal.

I took out all the screws I could find in hopes of loosening the mechanism. No deal.

I tried bashing the multipurpose platform with a hammer to push it back through the way it had come. (BTW, boy! that thing can take some punishment!) No deal.

I called on DD14, who is so much better than me at problem solving and thinking outside the square that she is impressive and scary at the same time. No deal.

So I had to wait for HOURS until DH came home. (I had to watch episodes of Suits to take my mind off my poor disabled Big Shot. It was tough, I tell ya!)

He took out all the screws. Huh!

He tried bashing the MPP with a hammer to push it back through. Well, OK, his muscle power is obviously much better than mine cos that worked for him!

However, the mechanism was still jammed.

He ended up dismantling the machine (which he calls my "press" cos maybe he thinks he's the only Big Shot around here, huh?) and thank goodness the man has some engineering knowledge, cos darn it if he didn't get it working again.

HUZZAH!!!

My baby was returned to me in full working order! OMG I was sooooooooo relieved!

So folks, DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME.

No, you wouldn't be that silly, now would you?

Well, I spose if you've read down this far, you feel you deserve to see a card or something, huh? Yeah, OK, I'll give you that point. I can't show you the embossing technique one yet (can't let my class ladies peek too soon, ya know?) but here's one I made using the cute More Amore dsp and one of my favourite watercolouring sets.

Materials used:

• stamps - Greeting Card Kids
• card - primrose petals, raspberry ripple, pool party, watercolour, More Amore dsp, pool party patterned paper
• other - pool party seam binding, square punch, Big Shot, designer frames E/F, dazzling details, sponge dauber, aqua painter, markers, dimensionals, sticky strip
• non SU - rhinestone embellishment, bow tying machine

 Cased from Deb Currier.

Thanks for dropping in today.

Cheers
Kez

Big School

The challenge at Just Add Ink this week is Back to School. I used to have tons of fun making a little treat for the girls when they were starting a new year of primary school, so I thought it would be a great challenge to think of something for DD13 returning to high school.

I used the matchbox die and made a little "faux notebook" for her. Here's the outside, with the "bookmark" tucked under the image panel to keep the notebook closed.

The covers open up to a notebook looking page inside, complete with margin ruled and I even deliberately kept the SU logo print on there to look like the ones the stationery people have on theirs!

I ruled lines on the edges of the box to look like pages:

And inside the box will be some jelly beans. As a type 1 diabetic, DD has these with her at all times in case she goes into a hypo. (She rather likes that she is the only kid who is allowed to eat in class or on the bus!)

It was sooooo much fun making up this little project - thanks to the JAI team for a great challenge!

Materials used:

• stamps - Greeting Card Kids
• card - crumb cake, soft sky (retired), retired dsp (sorry, forgotten the name), watercolour
• other - matchbox die, petal cone die, dimensionals, aquapainter, nestabilities dies, Big Shot

Thanks for dropping in.

Cheers

Kez

Enchanting Valentine

I am totally loving the Everyday Enchantment papers in the SAB catty, aren't you? The muted colours and combos are just gorgeous - not to mention the beautiful matching organza ribbons - so using these on today's project was a bit of a no-brainer really.

I've made a card and gift box set for Valentines Day:

These little hearts are the bits that are cut out when you use the pinking hearts border punch. Yup, damn fiddly to glue on!

Inside the box are these gorgeous sweet treats that my DH brought back from a recent business trip to the US. They are mini pretzels covered in white chocolate and sprinkles. Delicious? You betcha! I was lucky to grab some for my project before they all disappeared!

Materials used:

• stamps - Greeting Card Kids, Well Scripted
• card - poppy parade, watercolour, lucky limeade, Everyday Enchantment dsp
• other - pinking hearts border punch, Everyday Enchantment ribbon pack, Fancy Favour die, Big Shot, dimensionals, aquapainter, ink pads, Sahara sand marker
• non SU - nestabilities oval dies

Thanks for dropping by today. Please send sunshine.

Cheers

Kez

A Little Boo

Before the Troops event at the weekend, I'd had the chance to start on my Halloween cards. The first one I made for DD19 and then I started on one for DD13, fully intending to finish it off on Sunday which was supposed to be a free day. Life, however, got in the way and my poor DD13 ended up in hospital on Saturday night and had to have a minor operation on Sunday morning, so naturally there was no card making that day! When I wasn't at the hospital I was doing laundry and catching up on some sleep - boy, I really feel old when lack of sleep knocks me around this much, lol!

Anyways, with her safely home again now I managed to find time to complete her card - so I just made it in time for Halloween. Bright green is her fav colour and she requested some images from SU's Wicked Cool.

Here are my cards:

Materials used:

• stamps - Greeting Card Kids, Wicked Cool
• card - pumpkin pie, basic black, digital Halloween papers, purple card from stash, watercolour paper
• other - black lace and Halloween ribbon from LSS, Cuttlebug Halloween dies and embossing folders, digital greeting, scallop circle punch, Hodgepodge Hardware, black brads, aquapainter, dimensionals

I didn't get all the decorations made that I wanted to, but we have got plenty of eye balls, body parts and skeleton pops to give out to Trick-or-Treaters!

Have a spooky Halloween and thanks for stopping by.

Cheers
Kez

I Know You Don't Want To Hear This, But ...

...... Christmas is coming!

Oh, yeah, you know it - once we hit July, it's a downhill run from there! LOL! And as papercrafters we know what that means ... start your Christmas cards!

This month we started our Christmas stamp-a-stack classes and here are the two cards we made:

I loved using non-traditional colours for this case from my upline Marelle.

Materials used:

• stamps - Dasher, Four the Holidays
• card - crumb cake, whisper white, perfect plum, concord crush
• other - Petals A Plenty embossing folder, scallop trim border punch, white taffeta ribbon, white gel pen, dimensionals

A simple design for this one so there was time to do the colouring in. Love this cute little image!

Materials used:

• stamps - Greeting Card Kids
• card - cherry cobbler, very vanilla, watercolour
• other - Kaiser designer paper, nestabilities die, dimensionals

And not for class but just for my own collection, I also played around with the ever popular Lovely as a Tree for this card:

Materials used:

• stamps - Lovely as a Tree, Four the Holidays
• card - always artichoke, creamy caramel, very vanilla
• other - Kaiser designer paper, nestabilities die, dimensionals, square punch

It's almost time for August's class, so I'll be back soon with more Christmas cards. You better get started on yours!

Thanks for dropping by.

Cheers
Kez

Unconvention 1 - Swaps

Some friends and I are getting together today for our own version of SU Convention, with projects and shoeboxes and yummy food - just like the real thing! Well, almost! :)

I will be posting throughout the day to show you the projects I have planned, but first up are the swaps I made.

I made a 4" square easel card using my FAVOURITE colour "Kerry Cobbler" teamed with  old olive and very vanilla - a colour combo I adore.

Materials used:

• stamps - Greeting Card Kids, Because I Care (hostess), Four Frames
• card - cherry cobbler, very vanilla, old olive, Jolly Holiday DSP
• punches - scallop trim border punch, decorative label punch
• other - satin ribbon (Birch), nestabilities die, embossing folder

I'll be back later with the first of the projects I created. See you then!

Cheers

Kez

Greeting Card Sketch

Today's card is for the Just Add Ink challenge. I was inspired by the cold snap we are having - Thursday morning was apparently the coldest early May morning in 50 years - so a winter theme seemed very appropriate!

Here's my offering:

Materials used:

• stamps - Greeting Card Kids, digital greeting (non SU)
• card - ballet blue (retired), whisper white, Sahara sand, watercolour
• other - polka dots embossing folder, winter scene embossing folder (non SU), snowflake die (non SU), dimensionals, aquapainter, KindyGlitz (non SU)

Hope it's a lot warmer where you are! Thanks for dropping in.

Cheers

Kez