WOYWW 109

So it's been a long time since you've heard of me and I haven't uploaded the promised tutorial.   But it's about time I showed you what I've been working on and what's better than the WOYWW.  I'm not showing you my desk today but here is the card I finished at 1.20 in the morning for a colleague who's retiring soon.  Not so bad for a late night card, what d'you think?

Simply Cards and Papercrafts Magazine Issue 79

A big thank you to the Simply Cards and Paper Crafts Team:

I need to have a peek at issue 79 but missed it! Is there anyone who has it and can have a peek for me? I received the gift below from the Simply Cards and Papercrafts team with a note saying "Reader's Gallery issue 79". I wonder if they published a photo of one of my cards. Tried to buy a back issue but they're all sold out! Urrgh. Anyone? Can you have a look and let me know, please?

And here is a sneak peek of the project I'll be uploading tomorrow - apologies for the terrible photo though:

Frame your thoughts

Wondered where I've been? Busy doing everything but crafty stuff. Time wasn't a friend in past few months but neither was my mojo. My mind was completely elsewhere thinking of future projects and things that need to be done now.

But I did manage to finish a few projects here and there and am trying to make the time to upload. Here is one of them which I'm posting for the Cupcake Craft challenge (Hope to be just in time! - Oops missed the up in the air bit! ):

Materials:

Pine needles - Distress crackle paint

Antique Linen, Scattered Straw, Aged Mahagony Distress Inks,

From the Garden Stamps by Fancy Pants

Whimsical Words by Stamping Up

Swirls by U-mount

Black Raffia by Papermania

Rhinestones

Paper flower from The Works

Tools:

Sizzix Die Cutting Machine

Flowers Layer #4

Sizzix Leaf #3

Nestabilities Classic Scalloped/Rectangle

Flutter Away

The holidays are over, nearly a full month has gone by and here we are counting the days for spring! Time really flutters away, doesn't it? The now is so fleeting, it leaves you wondering whether it really happened or not.

Well, enough of my philosophical rambles. Here's the list of materials:

Dusty Concord and Peeled Paint Distress Inks by Tim Holtz

Old Letter stamp by Hero Arts

Sizzix Flower LAyer #4

White embossing powder by Zing

Prima flowers

Papermania Black Raffia

WOYWW 81

It's been such a long time since I took part in a challenge. Really thankful I can at least show off my desk at WOYWW. December was really a busy month but I finally managed to finish off my sister's gift. It took me a lot of coaxing for her to give me some of her favourite photos. I hope she likes it.

You might have guessed - it's the mini album I'd started for her birthday and never finished. Oh, well, as they say - better late than never, isn't it?

I don't know about you guys but it takes me ages to finish a project. The reason is that I have to clear things away every so often or end up scrambling for whatever I need. I found a good system to keep my nesties as I go along and until I get my creative studio. Hopefully, then I'll have proper storage for them. But have a look - my lamp worked as a good hanger and there is no way I was gonna lose the things as I work. And if you're asking, yes, oh boy they were hot, but not so much that I couldn't handle. The stamps I was using found there way up there too.

WOYW 80

Forgive me if I haven't posted anything new these past few days. But I have a good reason.

My production line is finally finished. And I must thank my hubby and my dad for this. Oh, well, ok and my sis and mum who helped cut some flowers, to say the least. Have a look at the photos to get an idea of the madness that was in the craft room these last few days. Monday was a holiday here and I spent the only long weekend I had this cutting and gluing. Can you guess how many cards were made in all? Do you want to know what I worked on myself? Delegation skills, ha ha. No don't worry, I would have never got away with it. In fact, I spent half of my energy keeping my hubby glued to the chair.

So here is the first batch of coloured images ready to be assembled:

And my dad sticking ribbon to the cards. He has certainly become my craft buddy, never complaining not even when lunch was served at 4.00p.m on Sunday. We were starving by that time but work is work, isn't it?

Guess who the guy below is? Yes, that's it. My hubby. And I had strict orders not to publish his lovely face in his track suit. And can you guess where he's working? On the ironing board. Innovative, isn't it? I hope to do away with all the mess and make custom made furniture for my new Creative Studio. More about this later.

And finally the end result. Can you guess how many cards we made in total?

Check out WOYWW if you want to have a peek at other desks.

WOYW 77

Wanna know what I have on my desk? My Christmas assembly line this year and has my Big Shot come in handy! Just love it! Paper pieces, felt snowflakes and lot of colouring to do! If you want to take a peek at what the card will look like visit my previous post!

Check out Julia's blog at WOYWW. Now, I'm off to start my work. See you peeps!

Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer...

...Had a very shiny nose

Here's another Christmas Carol for you. And this is the new Christmas card I made using my, oh so wanted, ice crystal by Cuttlebug and black dymo tape. Well, I used loads of new stash that I had lying in drawers and had never used: the stamp, my snow marker - unfortunately it doesn't show so much in this photograph, black dymo tape and white felt.

Materials:

Green and white cardstock

make-believe Penny Black stamp

Wonderful Christmas Time 12 by 12 Papermania pack

Snow marker

Papermania Raffia

Ice Crsytal by Cuttlebug

Faber Castell colours

Sakura white gel pen

Tools

Big Shot Sizzix Machine

Dymo

How to:

1. Cut 4 panels of 4 cm width each.
2. Die cut a scallop and oval shape. Stamp and colour the image. Finish off by adding snow with the snow marker. Embellish the scalloped oval with white dots and punch two holes using the crocodile.
3. Die cut the ice crystal and prepare the sentiment.
4. Attach everything as shown. Use double sided tape to stick the snow flake.

I'm sharing this at Papertake Weekly for the Cut it Out Challenge and Cute Card Thursday for the Blast from the Past one. For the CCT I chose Challenge 37 Snowflakes. Pop over and join the fun, if you haven't yet.

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree ...

Thy leaves are so unchanging ...

What better line to open today's post? All these Christmas cards are making me sing carols in my head. I had to get them out and what better way than to sing it loud to you guys.

Well, back to my desk and WOYWW. Sorry peeps, but I forgot to take a picture of my work in progress this week, so instead, I'm showing you the card I managed to pull off after a lot of inking. I must say this card gave me some ribbon trouble. I had it lying there for days with ribbons next to it in all shades of blue. Bought even more in different shades today just to end up using a black one. Still not 100% sure, so please, let me know what you think.

Materials:

Broken China and Antique Linen distress ink

Gold mirri card (at least, that's what I think it's called)

White card stock

Giving Tree stamp by Hero Arts

White Embossing powder by Zing

Ribbon from Hobbycrafts

Rhinestones

Rectangle and Scalloped rectangle Nestabilities

Tools

Sizzix Big Shot machine

Sizzix Dots and Flowers embossing set

How to:

1. Die cut a white rectangle panel and a scalloped one from gold card stock.
2. Stamp and heat emboss the tree.
3. Distress the background with Broken China. I first tapped a bit of ink from my pad to the craft sheet and then diluted it with some water to obtain the light colour you see in the picture. Distress the edges of the card base as well.
4. Emboss a panel with dots. Attach a ribbon down the middle
5. Assemble everything as shown and embellish with rhinestones.

I'm entering the Crazy4Challenges and Stamp Simply for the first time with this card - hope you like it!

Christmas Clear

It took me ages to finish this card but here it is finally. A lot of thinking and inking and voila, it's done. But before I show you the final outcome have a look at the state of my desk for the past week. My thinking cap was on all the time but the bulb just wouldn't glow. So ladies at WOYWW, a late sneak peek for you here!

Until a few days later when I came up with this. The only problem? Now, I have to find envelopes in which to fit it as, silly me, I decided to go for 14.5 by 14.5cm and have none of this size at the moment. If you're interested, visit the video that inspired me on Hero Arts by Shari Caroll. Although I must say, I had to give it a little twist as I still don't have an electronic die cutting machine.

Materials:

Wassail paper pack by Basic Grey

Antique Linen, Fired Brick, Peeled Paint and Vintage Photo distress ink

Ice Crystal by Cuttlebug

XCut Corner punch

White Embossing powder by Zing

Papermania sparkling trims

Old Letter stamp by Hero Arts

Sentiment free with magazine

Tub-O-Button from Hobby Crafts

Raffia by Papermania

White printing paper

Tools:

Sizzix Big Shot die cutting machine

Nestabilities

How to:

1. Distress a piece of white card stock with fired brick, peeled paint and antique linen. Stamp the background with old letter and die cut the snowflake.
2. Die cut a circle round the snowflake, draw a circle using a nestie that's a size bigger and cut. Die cut the scalloped circle and mat them as shown, with the white paper showing through the snowflake window. Embellish with a button and a raffia.
3. Cut a 14.5 by 14.5 cm transparancy. Cut a strip 6 by 14.5 cm Spruce paper, attach a piece of ribbon and mount on card.
4. Cut a small rectangle and round the edges with the punch. Stamp the greeting.
5. Assemble as shown.

This card fits the bill for two challenges. The one at Cute Card Thursday and The ABC Challenge.