Monday 31 October 2011

When By the Numbers meets Star Prints

Yeah, it's one of those days. Two posts in one day!

So what happens when By the Numbers die collection meet Star Prints at Euna's place? You get a card. Duh. Sorry, that was a lame joke. It's just one of those days.

I had this realisation the other day that I really don't have much masculine cards. My good friend's birthday was last week and I couldn't believe I could not find a suitable card amongst my stash to give him! Anyway, I had to cook something up that was pretty average on the spot, but he appreciated it ;)
So here I am on a mission to make cards that may be more suitable for guys. Something less pink, less pastel and less flower-power it is.


 I'm actually very happy with this. I had this piece of cardstock I had rounded the corners of, and it's just been sitting there in my pile forever. I just didn't know what to do with it, and voila! I just knew what to do with it today. Don't you just love it when that happens?


Just a close-up view to show you what an amazing job foam squares/tapes can do. They're magic! Lol. I'm waiting for my Star Punch from my last order, but it seems to be doing a world tour atm *sigh*

Btw, was anyone wondering what happened to my bed (where my cards are usually photographed)? It's still there. But I've devised a better way to take photos in the evenings when I have poor lighting. I have this big A2 sketch pad - I open it up and set it up on my desk - with one side leaning on the wall - to use as a backdrop. And my desk lamp uses fluorescent light so gives a good enough lighting for the photos. The result is what you see above. I just saved myself $45-60 for the photo tent (yay more $$$ for stamps) :D

Thanks for coming again! Now off to do some work!

SUPPLIES & TOOLS:
STAMP: [PTI] Polka Dot Basics II, Star Prints
INK: [SU!] Old Olive, Wild Wasabi; [Versamark] Watermark Stamp
PAPER: [PTI] Stamper's Select White, Simply Chartreuse, Spring Moss
OTHER: [PTI] By the Numbers die collection; foam squares & tape

Old card, different style

I had my written exam today. And it wasn't too flash. Well, more precisely, psychiatry wasn't very flash. I was probably ok for ethics and public health. Had some of the most unexpected questions (and the two I studied the least for!). But oh well, no point fretting now. It won't change my marks. Just need to keep going. I have two multi-choice exams left now. So the really nerve-racking and the really intense (3hrs of full on writing - I think I wrote close to 25 pages... D:) are out of the way. I think I can be a little more relaxed now.
 
Anyway, you're probably here to see something else. Here's an old card I made almost a year ago. It was after I had my first PTI order and really didn't have many stamp sets (and those I did order were bad choices for my style). 
 
This card is somewhat, not the sort you see me making often. I'm more of a CAS girl (btw, just for a bit of laugh, I only figured out what CAS meant last week) and I don't do very well with what you might call a 'shabby chic' style. My brain and imaginative capacity can't seem to hold all the different layers and the seam bindings etc. altogether.


Anyway, this card is half the size of your standard cards. And if I remember correctly, I think I made this card after getting my first Spellbinders Nesties set! And I didn't have any good cardstock back then either. The flowers are some I had bought from a scrapbooking shop back in my Dunedin days - they did a 50% off closing sale on EVERYTHING. It's a bit sad seeing how many scrapbooking stores have closed over the last few years, especially because I really only just started not that long ago!

Btw, I don't even know what those strips/strings/ties are called - the one I used to make the bow. I just bought them from a store a couple of years ago. I've been trying to figure it out, but if anyone knows the name of them, please let me know!

UPDATE: Thanks Leigh! I now know they're called raffia! :D

SUPPLIES & TOOLS:
STAMP: [PTI] Birthday Bash Sentiments
INK: Versamark
PAPER: [Unknown brand] Kraft, Cream, Vellum
OTHER: [Prima] Floral Embellishments, [unknown brand] Raffia, Spellbinders Nestabilities Scalloped Circles (Large & Standard), Buttons

Saturday 29 October 2011

One down, three to go!

*PHEW*

I just got released from my first exam! It was a practical/clinical exam consisting of 10 stations. I think I'll be able to grab an overall pass, though I admit that one particular station was very difficult (I probably failed that station).

Anyway, in celebration of finishing the most nerve-racking exam of the lot, here's a card, or three! to share with you all! :)

Christmas card doesn't get much simpler than this. This is the one you would want to mass-produce if you were really tight for time! And who doesn't like Tiny Treats??? And polka dots just add the extra cute-factor! Don't you think they work well as borders as well?


Here's one close-up. 


I think I definitely need to get more Pure Poppy & Rustic Cream cardstock next time. They are running out FAST!

Thanks for coming by!

SUPPLIES & TOOLS:
STAMP: [PTI] Tiny Treats: Christmas, Holiday Lights, Polka Dot Basics II
INK: [SU!] Real Red, Old Olive
PAPER: [PTI] Kraft, Pure Poppy, Rustic Cream Cardstock
OTHER: -

Thursday 27 October 2011

Spring is in the air: sunflowers card

I thought I'd give everyone a break from Christmas cards today. My exams are 2 days away and I feel far far too relaxed about it all. Perhaps the terror of all NZ medical students, the 5th year exams, isn't so bad after all.
 
Anyway, I didn't exactly plan this card. I had this sudden impulse to stamp something. Anything. It has been a sunny day after all, so I grabbed out my Simple Sunflowers set and Rustic Cream cardstock and just went stampin'. 
 
  
I did have a moment of sadness, seeing my Rustic Cream cardstock 12-pack shrunk down to half a pack :'(  If I had known I would love it this much, I would have gotten a 50-pack. I will with my next cardstock order. My Vintage Cream 50-pack is getting nowhere enough love because of this beautiful cardstock.

Anyway, I am thrilled how this card turned out. The lighting (and Photoshopping) made it a bit brighter than it actually is. The colours are a bit more washed out in real life, but I love it either way! <3

SUPPLIES & TOOLS:
STAMP: [PTI] Simple Sunflower, Half & Half
INK: [SU!] Certainly Celery, Wild Wasabi, Early Espresso, Daffodil Delight, [PTI] Vintage Touch Tea Dye Duo
PAPER: [PTI] Rustic Cream Cardstock
OTHER: Baker's Twine (Green)

Holiday Lights & Dimensional Magic

Here's a before-bed post. It's actually past midnight here D:
  
Just simple cards using the PTI Holiday Lights set. I added some Kaisercraft rhinestones for the extra bling. 
  
I tried something a little different with the sentiment. I "gradient inked" and stamped the sentiments from Think Big Favorites #8 with 3 different colours to match the lights. Then, ever so slightly offset from the coloured stamped image, I stamped it over with SU! Early Espresso ink. This adds a bit of colour to what would have otherwise been a rather bland black/brown sentiment.

  
Here's another one with Plaid Royal Coat Dimensional Magic instead of the rhinestones. They really add a bit of magic to there and look great with the Holiday Lights.
  

 A close-up on the Dimensional Magic - it's a little subtle in the photo but it looks a little better in real life. It's a lot of fun to apply - the worst thing is waiting several hours for it to dry and set!

  
Anyway, that's it for today! 
  
With Spring/Summer comes hay fever and it's been killing me all day! Sleep certainly is a fool-proof method for symptomatic relief, so off to bed for me! Hope everyone has a great day! :)

SUPPLIES & TOOLS:
STAMP: PTI Holiday Lights, Think Big Favorites #8
INK: SU! Early Espresso, Daffodil Delight, Old Olive, Calypso Coral
PAPER: PTI Rustic Cream, Kraft, Stamper's Select White cardstocks
OTHER: Kaisercraft Rhinestones, Plaid Royal Coat Dimensional Magic

Tuesday 25 October 2011

Woodgrain Christmas Tree Cards

I think it might be time for another update! And I'm learning to keep posts short... well, trying at least!
 
A couple more Christmas cards I did the other week. I am in love with my Woodgrain impression plate <3
  

I just layered a die cut frame over a base cardstock that I've stamped with Holiday Lights set ;) It's such a fun set.

Sorry, I forget bright light is not good for photos, but I get excited when we have sunshine like this lol

Thanks for coming by!

SUPPLIES & TOOLS:
{Left - Kraft card}
STAMP: PTI Holiday Lights
INK: SU! Wild Wasabi, Daffodil Delight, Calypso Coral, Early Espresso, PTI Vintage Touch Tea Dye Duo
PAPER: PTI Rustic Cream, Kraft cardstocks
OTHER: PTI button twine, 1 3/4" Limitless Layers die set, Christmas Tree die, Woodgrain impression plate

{Right - Green card}
STAMP: PTI Holiday Lights, Christmas Labels
INK: SU! Early Espresso, Calypso Coral, Daffodil Delight, Wild Wasabi, Real Red, Pool Party, PTI Vintage Touch Tea Dye Duo
PAPER: PTI Stamper's Select White, New Leaf cardstocks
OTHER: Red/white baker's twine, PTI Christmas Tree die, Christmas Labels die, Woodgrain impression plate

Monday 24 October 2011

Simple Christmas Card

Just to shout out to the whole world...
 
NEW ZEALAND ALL BLACKS WON THE RUGBY WORLD CUP 2011!!!!!
 
Unbeaten till the end to bring the Webb-Ellis Cup to where it belongs at last after 24 years! I am a proud Kiwi. Mind you, the French played surprisingly well and it was a game worthy of the RWC finals. It was the most intense game I've watched in a long time. I got together with my friends to watch it, and am I glad to have done so. Totally took my mind off exams (though... it still hasn't quite sunk in yet - and it starts this Saturday!!! Yikes!).
  
Anyway. anyone else in the Christmas cardmaking mode? I certainly am! Been trying to use up my new goodies while waiting for the recent October release from PTI to arrive (it's in transit at the moment!!!).
 
Here's a simple Christmas card with some more traditional colour schemes! I'm starting to love my Polka Dots too.
    
   
I'm not much of a bright bright colours person, but I do hope PTI comes out with some REALLY bright green colour some time later to match that vibrant green ribbon I have (it'd be great for Christmas anyway!).
 
I might make another card with buttons instead of rhinestones later and see how it looks ;)

Okie dokie, back to work! Only another week and a bit, and I can blog to my heart's content!

SUPPLIES & TOOLS:
STAMP: PTI Polka Dot Basic II, Christmas Labels
INK: SU! Wild Wasabi, Real Red
PAPER: PTI Pure Poppy, Stamper's Select White, New Leaf
OTHER: Celebrate! Satin Ribbon, PTI Holly Jolly & Christmas Labels die sets, Corner Chomper (Aqua), Kaisercraft Rhinestones (Mint Green)

Sunday 23 October 2011

Make It Monday #37

I didn't exactly make this card specifically for this week's Make It Monday, but somehow... it sort of fit into it. So I thought why not link it in?

I've enjoyed seeing some amazing work by others here and there. Mine's not so much of a fancy frame (because I just didn't get around to it), but nevertheless... it's still a frame (I guess!).


This was my attempt at using my new Polka Dot Basics II set I bought from Jada. It's a small card, and a certainly unconventional colour scheme when it comes to Christmas cards, but hey, it's cute! ;) I can't wait to see the Tremendous Treats set arrive in the next couple of weeks - then I'd be all set to mass-producing Christmas cards! Hopefully, no more getting stuck at Customs *fingers crossed*

Okay, study break over! See you all laters! ;)

SUPPLIES & TOOLS:
STAMP: PTI Polka Dot Basic II, Tiny Treats: Christmas, Christmas Labels, Tag Its #8
INK: Versamark, SU! Pool Party, Not Quite Navy, Calypso Coral, Real Red
PAPER: PTI Aqua Mist, Stamper's Select White
OTHER: PTI Limitless Layers 1 3/4" die set, Filigree Heat Embossing Powder (Clear), American Crafts Ribbon, Corner Chomper (Aqua), Faber Castell Watercolour Pencil

Saturday 22 October 2011

Snowy Christmas Card

Well, that attempt at blogging abstinence sure did not last! I'm back again! LOL

We're just having such a SUNNY day here today, that I had to do a very quick photo shoot of all the new cards that I have made recently! Hehe.

So a very very quick post (I'll try and keep it short!) for my currently fav Christmas card. I will mass-produce these soon, because I love it so much, even though Christmas is in the middle of Summer in New Zealand!!! It's amazing what tradition can do. We still sell Christmas cards with snow and snowmen and all, even though it's completely irrelevant! We do see the odd card with Santa surfing in board shorts!


I had to package this card, because I realised cards look so... professional with just a little bit of plastic around them! Also, it saved all the glitter coming off against other cards in the same box.

Totally simple card, and I couldn't wait to get my In the Meadow snowdrift dies that I had to makeshift with scissors. And glitter! And lots of it too! :D

Thanks for coming by!

SUPPLIES & TOOLS:
STAMP: PTI Think Big Favorites #8
INK: SU! Old Olive
PAPER: PTI Stamper's Select White, Simply Chartreuse
OTHER: PTI Christmas Tree Die, Woodgrain Impresssion Plate, Glitter, Zig 2-Way Glue

Friday 21 October 2011

Snowflake Christmas Tree

I finished the last class of the year today. I've passed my Paediatrics run, which I believe means I've gained "terms" to sit my final exams starting in a week! Eeeek!

I'm just lost where to even start studying. But gotta start somewhere right?

I've just done a massive overhaul of *some* of my notes. Amazing how much handouts, notes and others I have accumulated in the space of 5 years. I'm sooo going to need a bookshelf soon, not to mention a total clean up of notes after exams!

Anyway, I'm sure you didn't come here to hear me rant. I have made more cards... in fact, quite a few. But I haven't any photos of them yet, so I'll share a card I made quite a while ago which has been sitting around waiting to be blogged.


I stamped the snowflake images from SU!'s Snow Swirled set. It was meant to look like a Christmas Tree... not sure about it any more. But the gold embossing over the Scarlet Jewel cardstock certainly makes it look Christmassy!

I finished it off with some bling with rhinestones ;)

I'm dying to share my other cards, but I'm trying really hard to resist!!! I just got myself a Plaid Royal Coat Dimensional Magic today... and they look magic with the PTI Holiday Lights set!!!

Anyway, I'll be back later with lots more! Just another 10 days or so and I'll be all done! Can't wait!

SUPPLIES & TOOLS:
STAMP: SU! Snow Swirled
INK: Versamark (for embossing)
PAPER: PTI Kraft & Scarlet Jewel Cardstocks
OTHER: Filigree Gold Heat Embossing Powder, KaiserCraft Rhinestone (Champaigne)

Monday 17 October 2011

Love Autumn Acorns!

I know, I did promise that I would be good and study... however, my brain has fizzled out for the day. So what do you do? You make cards (it's called relaxation therapy!) - so here's just a quick post before I go figure out what murmurs in childhood mean...
 
I told you before that I've waited and waited for my Autumn Acorns stamp set and then ran flat on ideas. Well, not anymore! I've finally put it to some use!
 
 
I love my acorns! My parents had a massive acorn collection spree earlier in the year (when it was autumn in New Zealand). My family got to a point where we would have a fit at the sight of acorns. lol. However, I must admit, I like my acorn jelly (it's a Korean food that requires bucket loads of work to make from scratch!).
 
Anyway... I have gone off on a tangent. I just love those wee acorn stamps/dies! They are quickly becoming my favs (except I don't know how else to use them!). I went very 'earthy' with this card. Woodgrain impression plate and kraft and greens!
 
I had to make two. One's packaged up in a cellophane bag at the moment... and my, oh my, what a difference it makes. It turns a pretty handmade card into a professional looking one! Ah, the magic of plastic wrapping (lol!).
 
Thanks for coming by again! Just 2 more weeks and I'll be done with 5th year exams, then 2 week break before beginning my last year at uni!!! :D

SUPPLIES & TOOLS:
STAMP: PTI Autumn Acorns
INK: SU! Old Olive, Certainly Celery, Early Espresso
PAPER: PTI Rustic Cream, Vintage Cream, Kraft cardstocks
OTHER: PTI Jute Button Twine, Autumn Acorns Die Set, Woodgrain Impression Plate

Wednesday 12 October 2011

Simple Sunflower Card

Hello everyone! Thought I'd post my possible last post before I really try and get some work done for my exams.

Anyway, I had to make a card. I couldn't let my last PTI order sit around until I finished my exams. I just had to rip into them! Haha.

I was going to use my long-awaited Autumn Acorns set first... but ideas ran flat the moment I got them in my hands.

So something else it is. This card started off with me just testing out the Fresh Snow ink pad. Boy, are they juicy!!! Just cleaning them frosted my stamp cleaning pad white lol However, they stamp beautifully! I shall never go back to my Tsukineko Moonlight White ink pad ever again lol


I was initially tossing whether to get Edgers #3 or not as well, but after having used it once, I now officially love it! :D

Anyway, I will stop procrastinating now. Medicine is consuming my life slowly, but I shall return in 2-3 weeks. I do have a couple other cards saved up in case I feel like blogging, but in the mean time, take care and thanks for popping by!

PS - After reading Joyce's comment, I do realise that the Mat Stack #3 cut out window does look a little like a cardstock stuck on top as well. A mystery card lol The sunlight hit between the front and back giving that look. It's just a hole through the card with the die cut for clarification. Sentiment was stamped inside the card :)

SUPPLIES & TOOLS:
STAMP: PTI Simple Sunflower, Heartfelt Basics, Background Basics: Text Style
INK: PTI Fresh Snow, SU! Daffodil Delight, Wasabi Green, Early Espresso, Calypso Coral
PAPER: PTI Kraft, Rustic Cream cardstocks
OTHER: PTI Mat Stack #3 die, Simple Sunflower dies, Edgers #3 die, Celebrate! Cream Satin Ribbon

Sunday 9 October 2011

Tutorial: Mirror Image Stamping

EDIT: I just saw an even better and easier technique for mirror imaging stamps!!! Go over to Jessica Witty's blog to see how it's done.

Hi everyone!
 
I did promise a tutorial on how to stamp an image and turning it into a mirrored image (i.e. horizontally flipping your stamped images). Here is the final product which I will be showing you how to make today :)
   
   
Now, unfortunately I have no means to reliably take a video for the tutorial so I just had to make-shift with serial photos. Hopefully it will make sense. This is my first tutorial in the field of cardmaking! Exciting.
 
Ok, so let's get started.
 
(STEP 1) Get yourself any sheet of tissue paper. You should all already have some sitting around from PTI packaging or from this week's PTI Make-It-Monday! Here, I have some scrap tissue paper I've had lying around in my drawers.
  
  
(STEP 2) Find a stamp you'd like to "mirror-stamp". Here, I've got the giraffe from Stampin' Up's Fox & Friends set.
  
  
 (STEP 3) Stamp onto the tissue paper like you would for anything else (not hard now, was it?).
  
   
(STEP 4) Flip the tissue paper over. Ta-da! The ink has gone right through and now you have a mirror-image of the original stamp image! Now, wasn't that just magic? Not really. LOL.
  
 I can't say how well this will work on lighter shades, but you can always experiment with different inks before you start :) I can tell you for sure that SU! ink pads work a charm in darker shades.
    
  
(STEP 5) I need two giraffes facing each other, so I went an stamped another image on the opposite side from the first giraffe (i.e. after flipping over the tissue paper).
  
  
(STEP 6) In case you hadn't figured it out, tissue paper isn't all that sturdy. I'm sure you knew that already. So I glued the tissue paper onto a scrap white cardstock. I used a normal glue stick here. 
  
I found that having a lump of glue accidentally leads to not only lumpy tissue paper over cardstock, but also starts to separate out the colours out from the ink and smudges it. From this, I concluded that wet glues probably won't be the best thing to use (I suppose unless you are using a solvent-based ink). You can also use double-sided tape, but sometimes these have a tinge of colour (mine was a little yellowish) which will show through later.
   
But if you are using SU! ink pads, then everyday glue stick is a fairly safe bet.
    
  
(STEP 7) Here's my giraffes glued onto a cardstock. Now you just have to cut them out with your handy-dandy scissors (since SU! won't come up with dies to cut these cute images out!).
  
  
(STEP 8) Ta-da! All cut out. And now you have two giraffes - one normal stamped image and the other, a mirror image of the original ;)

  
(STEP 9) Just for completion, the rest is how I put together my card.
  
I had a fairly good idea before I started that it would be yellow over kraft cardstock. This is just me, trying to figure out what to do next. So I grabbed out Mat Stack #1 die and a heart stamp from Night Night Moon set, and laid them out. 
  
I couldn't believe I did not have ANY heart stamps!!! Only the one in Night Night Moon set. I was shocked. Haha.
  
  
(STEP 10) Now, I made the cut with the Mat Stack #1 into the Lemon Tart cardstock. I also used my Corner Chomper to round the corners. Then I got out A Little Argyle stamp set and off I went. I used SU! Daffodil Delight ink here.
  
   
(STEP 11) Then it's the dotted lines over with SU! Early Espresso ink. Looking pretty good now. I did think it sort of diverted your attention away from the giraffes a bit too much, but you have to work with the colours you have.
  
    
(STEP 12) It was looking a tad too bright, so I went and used the Vintage Touch Tea Dye Duo and distressed the edges a bit just to tone them down.
   
Then, I got my brown satin ribbon and wrapped it around the Lemon Tart cardstock. Can you tell I like having ribbons around the bottom 1/3 of the card? 
   
Initially I placed it a bit lower, but then I experimented with a sentiment (SU! A Word for You set - "Congratulations on finding each other!" stamp) just above it - it was disastrous with all the argyle images underneath. So what do you do? You hide it by pushing the bow up! I even double-side taped it so that the ribbon won't move. LOL.
  
 
    
(STEP 13) I foam mounted the Lemon Tart cardstock, as well as the giraffes and the stamped heart. Now, we're all done!
  
I did go back to the sentiment and stamped it inside instead. It was just the right sentiment to go with the heart and... kissing(?) giraffes ;) There was just a tad too much outside to have a sentiment as well.
   
      
Hope you all enjoyed the tutorial and that it made some sense. Now, it's your turn to go stamp-happy!
     
I think I need to stop procrastinating and actually do some work.. otherwise I might just fail my final exams (which would be VERY VERY bad - academically and financially!).
    
Thanks for coming by!
   
SUPPLIES & TOOLS:
STAMP: SU! Fox & Friends, PTI A Little Argyle, Night Night Moon
INK: SU! Early Espresso, Calypso Coral, Daffodil Delight, PTI Vintage Touch Tea Dye Duo
PAPER: PTI Kraft, Lemon Tart, Stamper's Select White Cardstocks
OTHER: Corner Chomper (Aqua), Celebrate! Brown Sating Ribbon, Tissue Paper, PTI Mat Stack #1 die

Friday 7 October 2011

Baby Card and a Secret Technique!

Hi everyone! Another post today! It seems that I get more efficient with cardmaking as exams get nearer! lol
 
I'm feeling pretty annoyed at the moment. I just found out my last PTI order has been held up in Customs and I just coughed up a whopping $100 to get it cleared. Totally annoyed. But hey, that's life. I've learnt a lesson today. Thank goodness I've got a personality that doesn't dwell on things for long!
  
So anyway, moving onto a happier topic, I'm thrilled to share my new card with you all today! I love the way it turned out and I've finally put my Fox & Friends set from Stampin' Up to a better use!
 
And it features a new technique I thought up the other day (I will make a tutorial on it some time in the future)!
 

This is what happens when SU! Fox & Friends monkey meets Night Night Moon set from PTI :) It's just so darn cute!
 
Now... those who have keen eyes of observation may have found what's so special about this card. Anyone noticed that the two monkeys are mirror images of each other? ;) I don't know about you, but sometimes I wished I could flip some stamps around to make them mirror images (which would can't really do).
 
So I've come up with a way to flip them over! Requires a bit of extra work and means you have to cut the images out, but hey, it works. I was initially going to make these monkeys side-by-side, so that the card was more like for twin births. Might leave it for another day.
 

Just a close-up view. I gave the monkeys a little shiny touch to their tummies!
I will make up a tutorial on how to flip images later, but here's the secret: you stamp your image on a tissue paper, and it should go right through it, giving you a mirrored image on the back! You glue it to a cardstock (don't use liquid glue!) and then cut it out :D
 
I think it will be really fun to make baby cards for twins with two monkeys holding hands or something like that.
 
 Anyhow, thanks again for popping around! I love seeing all the lovely comments on my blog every day :)
 
SUPPLIES & TOOLS:
STAMP: PTI Night Night Moon, Fillable Frames #5, SU! Fox & Friends
INK: Versamark, SU! Not Quite Navy, Baja Breeze
PAPER: PTI Spring Rain, Stamper's Select White
OTHER: PTI Fillable Frames #5 die, Celebrate! Satin Ribbon (Navy), KaiserCraft Rhinestones (Aqua)

Thursday 6 October 2011

Make It Monday #35 (Part 2)

I had such an amazing experience today.
 
I'm currently doing paediatrics run at the moment, and I've always loved children.
 
Now, we had a wee girl come in a few days back. She was looking so miserable when she did, but I went back and saw her on Monday, she seemed a tad better. I went and saw her again yesterday, and she only put on a smile for me, but wouldn't say a word. But today, my, she was so happy! She was just chatting away and gave me a big big hug! Totally made my day! I just thought I'd share that.

Anyway... so yes... back to cards. after seeing Nichole's post, I had to go out and get a wider double sided tape. And I did after 2 attempts at it!

What I didn't remember was that you can't tear off standard double sided tape as you would with Scor-Tape *sigh* So I just had to do with a pair of scissors.

Anyway, I did make another card (because I could!). 


I do think I went a bit overboard with the rhinestones on the Fillable Frames die cut. And I had such a trouble trying to ink in the edges of the die cut too! FF#5 is quite hard to distress the edges of (with non-distress inks).

My card stash is getting fuller and fuller. It's a good sign but I also don't know what to do with them all! I've started putting some up for sale on TradeMe (New Zealand auction site) but nothing yet.

Anyway, this was just a quick post for the day.

Thanks for coming!
SUPPLIES & TOOLS:
STAMP: PTI A Little Argyle, Half & Half, Fillable Frames #5
INK: SU! Pool Party, Baja Breeze, Not Quite Navy, Bashful Blue
PAPER: PTI Aqua Mist, Stamper's Select White
OTHER: Sellotape Double-Sided Tape (18mm wide), White Tissue Paper, PTI Fillable Frames #5 die, KaiserCraft Rhinestones (Island Lagoon)

Tuesday 4 October 2011

Make It Monday #35

If this wasn't a Make It Monday post... I'd have titled this post "Oops I Did It Again (procrastinate)." But, when the new Papertrey Ink MIM video tells you how to make your own washi tapes, how on earth do you resist??? Short answer is, you don't lol

I never used washi tapes before. In fact, I'd never even heard of one until about 2 months back. I have been sorely tempted to buy some, but international shipping and currency conversion is always a bit of a wallet-saver for me (doesn't stop me from buying stamping goodies in the end though - just slows me down a bit).

Anyway, I went ahead and thought I'd join the party with the washi-goodness.
 

I basically went sort of crazy with this. I used the same technique that was shown on Nichole's blog, except that I used a random double-sided tape I've had for about 15 years. If you're bored reading this, you can try and figure out all the different stamps that went into making those tapes!
  
I only made a few and sadly didn't have any wide double-sided tapes either :( I sliced a few of them down to different widths and stuck them onto the edge of the card to make it look like striped-patterened paper. Being pedantic, I really didn't like the way it was looking by this stage (my first tape was not placed straight! lol). I sort of cut them all with scissors roughly so the don't exactly have a straight edge to them haha. However, the magic worked somewhere eventually :)


I added a strip of white cardstock to hide the top edge of tapes down the middle and glittered over it for extra kicks ;)
  
And boy, am I glad to have merged three ink colours into the sentiment. I think it was the best decision I made all day! Totally goes with the washi tapes. I am so going to have to do it more often.

However, next time, I might scratch the washi tape and just use paper. I like the way this looks but I spent more time peeling off the backing of the double-sided tape lol

Anyhow, thanks for coming by again, and I'm off to write a report on my 1.5hr kindergarten visit from today! I got to play with kids! Oh, I love paediatrics <3

SUPPLIES & TOOLS:
STAMP: PTI Iconic Images, Half & Half, Beyond Basic Borders, Cupcakes Collection (sentiment)
INK: SU! Calypso Coral, Certainly Celery, Pool Party, Melon Mambo, Daffodil Delight
PAPER: PTI Stamper's Select White
OTHER: Double-sided tape, glitter, tissue paper

Sunday 2 October 2011

Happy World Card Making Day!

Hi everyone! A quick post to celebrate my first World Card Making Day!


I just made a card for mum's birthday next week. And more chipboard numbers (for PTI Make It Monday Challenge) - I sure am getting a lot out of one idea! lol
  
I would use other dies to use for chipboard, but I don't have all that many and I just can't come up with any ideas for my other dies to turn into beautiful chipboards!
 

It's another card featuring carnations. I kept it really simple, because that's what my mum likes. And it just had to be green on white. She loves them - to the point our house is pretty much white with stenciled green ivy on doors and curtains. Not to mention all the plants we have inside the house!
 

 A close-up view for the white heat embossed carnations and the chipboard. I only did 4 layers with the PTI coasters. I didn't want it out there too much.

I finished it off with some more ink "distressing" around the edges and over the flowers :)

Happy WCMD and thanks for coming by!

SUPPLIES & TOOLS:
STAMP: PTI Year of Flowers: Carnations
INK: SU! Certainly Celery, Versamark (for embossing)
PAPER: PTI Stamper's Select White, Spring Moss
OTHER: PTI By the Numbers Die Collection & Coasters, SU! White Stampin' Emboss Powder, Tim Holtz Inkssentials Blending Tool, Corner Chomper (Aqua)

Saturday 1 October 2011

Circus Consession Cards

Hi everyone! Something a little different today :)
  
For those who didn't know, I'm a GirlGuiding leader, and for our next meeting (last one for Term 3), my unit is holding a Circus night! I thought I'd be cool and make up some "concession cards" for the different stalls we'll hold on the night, so that girls don't go to same stall over and over again.
  
It was really fun and quick to make these up once I had the idea running in my head.
 

I made lots of Half & Half die cuts of my white cardstock and stamped over with the coordinating stamp set. I grabbed out the number stamps from the Banner Builder set and stamped them over in black (I never knew what to do with those, well, now I've found a use for them!). We have 8 stalls (+ 2 food stalls) and luckily 8 fit in quite nicely on the die cuts.

Then I punched a couple of small holes at the end with the smallest eyelet punch tool I had so I could tie a bow with the baker's twine. And finished it all off with stars from Star Prints!
    
 
If there is anything I'd change, I'd get the star punch lol I thought, "Oh, I could cut the stars out manually. I can save myself $15." After this, I think I want a punch in my collection lol
Thanks for coming again! :) 

SUPPLIES & TOOLS:
STAMP: PTI Half & Half, Star Prints, Banner Builder
INK: SU! Calypso Coral, Pool Party, StazOn Tuxedo Black
PAPER: PTI Stamper's Select White
OTHER: Baker's twine (yellow), PTI Half & Half die, Permanent Marker (black), Eyelet Punch