All Dressed Up

This was the birthday card that I made my girlfriend Amanda who celebrated her birthday last week. Fingers crossed she received it because she has recently moved and I don't have her new address. I hope you had a wonderful day Amanda and were deservedly spoilt! 

I've cased this from the Dolled Up Birthday Kits that were available in the last USA catalogue. Since the products are still available here (but not for long), I thought that I'd make up my own. It was quite a process deciding on what to do with the background of the mannequin. After a few attempts, I decided to adhere it directly onto the Fancy Fan embossed piece of card which had been sponged. However, it looked lost so I went around the edges with an aqua pen and some soft suede ink to make it subtly stand out. I was also unsure about the stark whiteness of the doily but on another attempt when I'd sponged it, it was too much. This is final result and I'm quite pleased with it. 

Stamp Set: Fabulous Phrases, Elements of Style
Card: Very Vanilla, Crumb Cake
Designer Paper: First Edition Speciality
Ink: Black Staz On, Soft Suede, Rose Red, Melon Mambo
Accessories: Paper Doilies, Flower Trim
Tools: Big Shot, Dress Up Framelits Die, Fancy Fan Embossing Folder, Sponge Dauber, Paper Piercing Tool, Stampin' Pierce Mat, Essentials Paper Piercing Pack

To place an order at any time for any of these products (while stocks last), please email me on debbie.l@orcon.net.nz or phone: 09 416 7476 

Thanks for visiting and enjoy the rest of your day :-)

Stampin' Up! Elements of Style

Isn't Elements of Style a great stamp set?! If it's one of your favourites, or you've had it on your wish list, then you should order it soon, before it retires on 30 June. I'm going to be sad to see it go, and it will be one of the many few that I won't be departing with.

I made this card at my upline Karen's over the weekend and love it!  Need some more inspiration? You can check out a few other cards using this stamp set by clicking HERE and HERE. 

Stamp set: Elements of Style
Card Stock: Whisper White, Basic Black
Ink: Black Staz on, Old Olive, Raspberry Ripple, Primrose Petals
Tools: 1" Circle Punch, 1 1/4" Circle Punch, 1 3/8" Circle Punch, Aqua Painter, Big Shot, Lattice Embossing Folder

I hope you like today's card. Have a wonderful day and thanks for stopping by. 

Happy Birthday to Me...

Goodness, I've had a busy time of late.  I celebrated the big 50 birthday last weekend and had friends and family visit from around the country. I still can't believe it and think that I might still be in denial. It was a great party weekend and I'm pleased to say that I was more than up for it! My mother and I were the last to go to bed on the Saturday night (or should I say Sunday morning) which was at 4.30am. An excellent effort don't you think! 

Because I haven't made anything for quite some time (am definitely having big withdrawals) and therefore don't have anything to show you, I thought that I would post some of the lovely handmade cards that I received for my birthday. This card was made by Karen Rogers and I love the vintage look about it - isn't it lovely? Once again, my photography skills don't do it justice and it looks so much better in real life. 

Stamps: Elements of Style, Whimsical Words (retired)
Ink: Basic Brown, Sahara Sand, Always Artichoke, Bravo Burgundy reinker, Champagne Mist shimmer paint
Paper: Bravo Burgundy, Pink Pirouette, Sahara Sand, Very Vanilla (butterfly), Champagne Glimmer Paper, Multipurpose Adhesive sheet
Other: Beautiful Butterflies Bigz die, Timeless Type Alphabet Junior Sizzlits (retired), gold Organza Ribbon (retired), Rich Regals and Earth Elements Watercolour Crayons, Blender pen, Stampin' Spritzer, Stampin' Distress Tool, Dimensionals, Sponge Daubers, Basic Pearls

I hope you've had a lovely weekend and I shall see you again very soon. 

Scallop Easel Card

This was the second card that we made at class last weekend, which was very popular. I've cased it but unfortunately, don't remember who from.  Don't you agree that very vanilla, cherry cobbler and basic black look quite striking together. 

Stamp Sets: Vintage Vogue, French Foliage, Elements of Style
Card Stock: Very Vanilla, Basic Black, Cherry Cobbler
Ink: Black Staz On, Crumb Cake
Accessories: Big Shot, Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folder, Scallop Circle Bigz Die, Circle Scissors Plus, Little Leaves Sizzlets Die, Boho Blossoms Punch, 5 Petal Flower Punch, Basic Pearls.

My oldest daughter Nicole, is moving into an apartment in the city today, which is all very exciting.  Well, she's excited and I've got a mixture of excitement for her and sadness for me. I know that she will love it and it's in a great location. Only a 10 minute dawdle from the University that she's attending, so it makes perfect sense that should move... so I keep telling myself. If she was to live at home, it would take her 1½ hours each way to get there (not due to the distance but because of our appalling public transport system). Now that time can be spent doing something more productive - like working to pay the rent or studying ;) I feel confident that they won't have a diet of just noodles and cereal, so long as their budget can manage. Here's hoping anyway... And, they can always come home in the weekends to get a dose of vegetables and healthy cuisine.  

A Pinch and a Punch

for the last of the month... I can't believe another month is over with and tomorrow is May already.

It was my girlfriend Robyn's birthday {waving to you Robyn} during the week and this was the card I made for her. I already know that you were very spoilt (this is my jealous face -.- ) and I hope you had a chance to play with your new toys and had a lovely day, all about you!! 

Stamp set: Elements of Style, Curly Cute
Card: Natural Ivory, Blushing Bride, Soft Suede
Ink: Soft Suede, Pink Pirouette and Pear Pizazz
Accessories: Gold Smooch Spritz,Chantilly Crochet Trim, Distressing Tool, Sponge, Top Note Bigz Die, Beautiful Wings Embosslits Dies, Metallic Brads. 

Back to school/work tomorrow {sigh}. I hope everyone is looking forward to a great term ahead.

Bleach blond

No, I haven't dyed my hair blond - can you imagine how hideous that would be! {gasp}, but I have been dying cardstock. I held a repeat Bleaching Technique class over the weekend and for one of the projects, we coloured in the flowers with bleach, on Pear Pizzazz cardstock. Here's the end result which I really like, teamed with the black. It was a card that Jacque had shown us, using Blushing Bride and Basic Grey, which was just as effective. 

A wee hint is to use fresh bleach when you do this technique. Otherwise the chemical reaction just doesn't happen - not even after four layers and drying the cardstock each time {trust me, I'm speaking from experience}. By using fresh bleach straight from the bottle, the cardstock lightens before your very eyes, and saves a whole lot of time and effort.

Stamp Set: Elements of Style
Cardstock: Pear Pizzazz, Basic Black, Very Vanilla
Designer Paper: Pear Pizzazz (Level one Hostess reward)
Ink: Versamark
Accessories: Black Embossing Powder, Basic Pearls, Aqua Pen, Pear Pizzazz Stitched Poly Ribbon, Beautiful Wings Embosslits Die, Vintage Wallpaper Embossing folder, Lattice Embossing folder, Ovals Original Die.

Hope your week is going well :)

Stylish Elements

I went through my "stash" of cards and found something that I hadn't blogged. I was excited to share this at the end of last year but somehow it just got lost. It's a Tunnel Card that I demonstrated at our WOW PaperKRafters Demonstrator Christmas play day {phew - that's a bit of a mouthful} last year. I cased the front from the wonderfully talented Claire Daly, who is from Australia. Pop over to her blog HERE to see her amazing projects.

And, this is what the inside looks like:

Stamp Set: Elements of Style $47.95 (clear mount)
Ink: Basic Grey, Blushing Bride, Regal Rose, Pretty in Pink, Sahara Sand
Cardstock: Whisper White, Blushing Bride
Designer Paper: Designer Series Paper Pack - In Colour (level 1 hostess)
Accessories: Circle Scissors, Scallop Trim Border Punch, 3/4" Circle Punch, 1" Circle Punch, Blender pens, Spritzer, Blushing Bride Stitched Poly Cotton Ribbon.

Elements of Style

Just a quick post from me today showcasing a birthday card I made for a girlfriend whose birthday was at the end of last month (January is a very busy birthday month for me). 

Stamp Set: Elements of Style, Occasional Greetings
Cardstock: Pink Pirouette, Whisper White, Basic Black
Ink: Basic Black, Pink Pirouette, Certainly Celery
Accessories: Basic Black 1 1/4" Striped Grosgrain Ribbon, Blender Pen, 1 3/8" Circle Punch, 1 1/4" Circle Punch.

I apologise if you were the person who I cased this lovely card from. I rely on the watermark people add to their photo but unfortunately, there wasn't one on this card.

Christmas Party!!

I'm back in the land of living after a fast and furious few weeks of workshops, away classes and galas. All wonderful fun, but life was crazy busy. I've got some great posts lined up for you, so be sure to pop back regularly.

First up, our WOW PaperKRafters Team had their inaugural Christmas Party play day yesterday. Thanks to our wonderful leader and upline Karen, for making it happen. It was so much fun and we came away with 6 lovely projects - which I'll be showcasing over the next week or two. We also had a yummy feast, fit for Kings... I had to go for a extra long run this morning so I didn't feel so bad after gorging myself silly.  

For my project, I demonstrated how to make a Tunnel Card.  The instructions for this can be found on Splitcoast Stampers. I cased the front of the card from Claire Daly who is one talented lady, from across the pond. Elements of Style is used throughout the card and there is lots of colouring in, which I find very therapeutic and exactly what I needed.

Here's the inside:

Stamp Set: Elements of Style
Cardstock: Blushing Bride, Whisper White, Pretty in Pink
Designer Paper: Blushing Bride In Colour DSP (level 1 hostess reward)
Ink: Blushing Bride, Basic Grey, Pink Pirouette, Sahara Sand
Accessories: 1" Circle Punch, 1 1/4" Circle Punch, Circle Scissors and Cutting Mat, Blender Pen, Sticky Strip, Blushing Bride 1/2" Stitched Poly Cotton Ribbon

Have a wonderful week everyone!

Cracked Glass Technique

This was the class that I held on Friday night at my place in West Harbour, Auckland, New Zealand. Thanks to all those who attended, especially my wonderful friend and upline Karen, who took the photo's of the projects that we made. As you know, my camera isn't the best - so thanks Karen, not only are you fabulously creative, you've also got great photography skills.

I found this design on someones blog when we first got our new cattie - and had saved it to my desktop. I'm sorry I can't give you credit because I can't remember who you are and there was no watermark on your card. Elements of Style is one of my favourite stamp sets and I couldn't wait to use it. Isn't that little Humming bird the cutest!  And, do you like the ribbon? We made the dots with the white gel pen. You have to go over them twice, but it works a treat.

Stamp set: Elements of Style
Cardstock: Marina Mist, Pacific Point, Whisper White
Ink: Marina Mist, Versamark
Accessories: Silver Hodgepodge, Marina Mist 5/8" Grosgrain, Clear Embossing Powder, Heat Tool, 1" Circle punch, Mini Glue Dots, White Gel pen.

Hope your weekend was wonderful and you remembered to put your clock forward an hour for daylight saving :)