Keeping my fingers crossed!

These are four cards I have chosen from my growing "stash" to be submitted to Aussie Cards For Sale - a site run by Alicia, which promotes and sells handmade cards. Alicia's personal blog is here, and she is a super talented card maker! With these four cards, I am applying for a position as one of the "designers" on her site ... wouldn't that be just awesome!

So, here's crossing fingers she likes my cards (no subtle hint there, hey lol)

Alicia .. all my cards are plain white on the inside, all stamps are coloured with Copics. Hope you like them!

Oh so pretty!

As you have probably noticed, a few of my cards lately have featured the same CC Designs stamps - the reason for this is I got an order of stamps just prior to Christmas, and I can't help myself - I keep stamping them, and colouring them using all sorts of combinations of Copics and colours in the finished projects! I guess its the whole "new toy" thing hehe.

So, I have once again used my little fairy, this time in softer colours, so that she matches with the soft colours of the Kaisercraft "English Rose" journal tags, which I have used to create this sketch layout instead of using the papers from the range.

Copics used :

Hair - E53, E31, E33

Boots - V12, V15, V17

Dress/top - RV10, RV13, R83, RV000, RV02, RV13

Skin - E00, E51, E53

Wings - G12, G21, G24

I also used Clear Spica on dress, boots and hair, and clear Kindy Glitz on wings, the roses on the patterned paper, and the Green Tara flowers, which are centred with Kaisercraft pearls.

Challenges:

Cute Card Thursday Sketch Challenge No. 144

Mad For Markers "Anything Goes" Challenge

Copic Creations "Sparkle" Challenge No. 41

Colouring fun!

Well, having to sit around all day with a cast on my leg means a lot of colouring is getting done, to the point that I am now running out of double sided tape! (And I dread the thought of sending my un-crafty other half out to get some lol)

Anyway, I got this image at a recent Copics class, and coloured in the four smaller versions for bookmarks which probably turned out about 11cm long, but have been dying to colour in this larger version - the whole bookmark is 18cm long by 6cm wide - I love the wavy hair!

Copics used:

Hair - E53, E31, E33 (if you haven't noticed yet, I like my blondes lol)

Skirt/socks - RV10, RV13, R83

Skin - E00, E51, E53

For the books, I simply picked a colour I liked, coloured in one book at a time, then faded the colour using my Colourless Blender. I also used a clear Spica pen on the skirt and socks, and Kindy Glitz on the hair bow. I used a pink Bazzill Bling as the base, a cute pink ribbon I picked up at Spotlight, and a section of one of the new Kaisercraft "English Rose" papers, with Green Tara flowers centred with Kaisercraft pearls

Challenge : Mad For Markers "Anything Goes"

I hope you like her as much as I do!

Three challenges, one card!

This is my latest "creation" - after getting a whole bunch of new Copics for Christmas, I have been busily experimenting with new colour combinations, and have been leaning towards a lot of pink based cards (and I'm not really a pink person lol) I also managed a day out, complete with crutches, and had to visit my local scrapbook store, where I found the new range of Kaisercraft papers, "English Rose", which are so pretty!

Anyhoo, Copics used are:

Hair - E53, E31, E33

Skin - E00, E51, E53

Dress - G12, G21, G24, RV10, R83, R85

Misc - YR02, YR04, YR07, B93, B95, B97, V12, V15, V17, R32, R35, R37, G21, G24, G28

I also used a clear Spica pen to highlight the folds in the dress, and the roses on the patterned paper, Green Tara flowers to compliment, with Kaisercraft pearls.

Challenges:

Copic Oz - Challenge No. 5 : Christmas with a twist (my twist is non traditional colours)

Tickled Pick Stamps Monthly Sketch Challenge

Mad For Markers challenges "Anything Goes"

I hope you enjoy looking at these blogs - the work of the respective Design Teams is absolutely amazing! And thanks for looking at my work - hope you all have a great day!

Using my time well

Since breaking my ankle, all I have really been able to do is colour, so I have searched the Internet and found a whole bunch of challenge blogs to occupy my time!

The following card I am entering in two challenges:

Challenge 1: Mad For Markers "Anything Goes"

Challenge 2: Copic Creations "Sparkle"

I have used Bazzill Bling in a lime green for the base, added Kindy Glitz to the Green Tara flowers, added Kaisercraft pearls and diamantes and Kindy Glitz to the centre of all the flowers on the patterned paper. My C.C Designs stamp, I also attacked with Kindy Glitz (on wings and hair ties) and then I used a clear Spica pen to outline her dress and boots, and also through her hair.

Copics used : hair E53, E31, E33; skin Eoo, E51, E53; dress: YG00, YG03, YG06; boots and top: RV10, RV13, RV17; wings: RV000, RV02, RV05

Thanks for taking a look, hope you are enjoying your Christmas holidays! xoxox

I can't believe it!

I won an online challenge today! The lovely Candy Stripes at The Lollipop Ladies have fortnightly challenges with sweet candy themes as inspiration - and my "Thinking Of You" card won the Chocolate Honeycomb inspired challenge! I'm so excited! I've won a gift voucher from Annabelle Stamps ... what a cool early chrissie present!

What a week!

So much has happened in the last week!

As per usual, monday week ago, I posted my entries for any online challenge blogs I had chosen to do, then went home after spending the weekend at my partner's house, as I work tuesdays through saturdays. Coming home with me was my new foster greyhound, Muddles, a big black & white boy who is so lovely :-) Anyway, I went to work tuesday, and when I got home, decided that Mudds really needed a walk after dinner. However, Muddles is lame in one hindquarter, which is why I think he's in rescue, as he had a pretty good racing career.

Anyhoo, off we went. There was a point along the walk that I stopped - I could have either continued walking, and made it quite a long walk for Mudds, or cut down some stairs and thru a lane, cutting the length of the walk in half. I decided to cut the walk short - after all, the poor boy was lame. So down the stairs we went. First flight, all good. second flight - not so good. Mudds, I think, missed a step, freaked out a little (coz he lost his footing) tangled me up and down I went - well, most of me anyway. I landed about 3 steps further down, but my left foot stayed on the step it was last on.

Now, foot is hurting like hell - I lifted my leg and brought my foot down to where I could see it - and I didn't like what I saw : my foot was sticking out sideways.

Now, all you doggy people will understand this, but those of you who aren't doggy people will call me silly, coz all I had left home with was poo bags for the dog. No phone, no money, house keys hidden in external laundry. I thought poo bags would be all I would need. So there I was, sitting, in the dark, with a dog, and a busted ankle.

Thankfully, in that particular area, there are a lot of villas, town houses and units - so I just started to yell - "Help, at bottom of Albany street stairs, I need help" Took a few minutes, but eventually, the neighbours came out - probably thought it was some whack job :-) One gentleman bought a phone, so I called David - couldn't call an ambulance, could I, as I had a whopping big greyhound with me! Anyway, off to hospital we went.

Upshot of this all is, spent the next three nights in hospital. Had surgery to repair broken fibula on wednesday morning (also had other side of ankle stitched up as I had poked the tibia out thru the skin), another 48 hr on IV antibiotics, then home friday lunchtime. Now camped on David's lounge for 6 weeks - thank God for digital tv, laptop computers and wonderful men :-)

Two challenges, one card!

Ok, I know that some of you can manage many more than this, but at the moment, two is all I have worked out!

This week, Cute Card Thursday have a "Floral Frenzy" challenge, and The Lollipop Ladies have a "Choc Honeycomb mmmm!" inspired challenge, so I thought - I can manage both of these in one card!

Card: Bazzill cardstock, Bazzill Bling cardstock, Kaisercraft Tis The Season "Stocking" paper & Le Chateau "L'Amour" paper, Green Tara flowers, Kaisercraft pearls

Copics: G21, G24, G28, E31, E33, E35, E00, E51, E53, Atyou Spica clear, RV10, RV02, RV04

Challenges: Cute Card Thursday Challenge 142 - Floral Frenzy

The Lollipop Ladies Challenge 10 - Choc Honeycomb

Thanks for looking! Enjoy!

Christmas Cards in Non Traditional colours

I love my Kraftin' Kimmie stamps, so have entered this week's challenge - "Let It Snow!" Only problem is, of course, being in Australia, we don't have a white Christmas - in fact, at the moment, we are having days in the high 20's (degrees celcius) and storms quite frequently! Added to this, it's really hard to find papers or embellishments that have anything to do with snow! But, I did find one paper - Holly Jolly "Let It Snow" by My Little Shoe Box. This paper has a teal base colour, so I matched it with Bazzill Bling, and a lovely Christine Re paper in cream with an embossed design. To highlight the snowflakes, I added Kaisercraft pearls in snow, and then Kindy Glitzed every dot :-) I coloured my Kimmie stamp with Copics ...

Hair: E51, E31, E33
Clothes: BG01, BG05, BG09, B00, B12, B05
Misc: BV00, BV02, BV04, RV000, RV02, RV04, R32, R35, G21, G24, G28

As this card also covers the Mad For Markers Non Traditional Christmas colours challenge, I decided to enter it in that challenge as well!

Challenge: Kraftin' Kimmie's "Let It Snow!" Mad For Markers Non Traditional Christmas colours

Lollipop Ladies Challenge #9

This fortnight's challenge theme is "Chocolate Swirls", with delicious choccie cupcakes as our inspiration, with beautiful swirls! I have a lovely digi stamp, "Cupcake Cherrie" and thought she would be perfect! I used Bazzill Bling and patterned paper from my stash, Kaisercraft pearls for bling, Dawn Lewis Imagery crochet flower, and I coloured Cherrie with Copic markers.

Challenge: The Lollipop Ladies Challenge #9 Chocolate Swirls

Hair: E51, E31, E33

Skin: E00, E51, E53

Shoes: C1, C3, C5, C7

Cupcake: E71, E77, RV000, RV02, RV04, R32,R35, R37, YR02, YR07

Clothes: YR02, YR04, YR07, B12, B93, YG00, YG03, YG06

Plus blender pen on stockings, and clear Spica pen on icing, flame, hairbow

Thanks for looking!

Kraftin Kimmie Seeing Spots challenge

I love my Kraftin Kimmie stamps - my first ever stamp was "Gabrielle", and I was given her as part of a kit for my first Copic markers class. So when I found this challenge blog, I was so excited!

Anyway, I decided I had to participatein the challenge for this week - "Seeing Spots". I have used Kraftin" Kimmie "Virginia" as I'm making Christmas cards at the minute, with a Bazzill Bling card stock, Fancy Pants "Christmas Morning" spotted paper, Kaisercraft pearl bling, rubons and holly stamp.

Copics were used to colour both stamps:

Holly : G21, G24, G28, R32, R35, R37

"Virginia" : clothes - R32, R35, R37, G02, G05, G07, hair - E31, E33, E35, skin E00, E51, E53, miscellaneous - B93, B95, B97, BV00, BV02, BV04, B00, B12, B05, RV000, RV02, RV04, YG00, YG03, YG06

Challenge: Kraftin' Kimmie "Seeing Spots"

Thanks for coming to look!

Bookmarks for Christmas

Thanks to Dawn, my Copics teacher, I received the notes for a class which had to be cancelled, on colouring pleats and feathering. I haven't had to use the feathering technique here, but I hope I got the pleats right! The blue based bookmark is my first attempt, which I am using myself. The pink and purple I am adding as stocking stuffers for friends - but I coated the stamped image with dimensionalmagic, and I'm not completely taken with the result, so may have to redo them.

Jumping jellybeans with the Lollipop Ladies

Well, the bug has well and truly bitten, so here is the second card, coloured with Copics, that I am submitting in an online challenge blog ...

Challenge: Lollipop Ladies #8 Jumping Jellybeans

Copics:

Hair: E31, E33, E35

Face: E00, E51, E53

Clothes/shoes: R32, R35, R37, RV000, RV02, RV04, YR02, YR04, YR07, YG00, YG03, YG06

Balloons: Rv000, Rv02, RV04, YR02, YR04, YR07, YG00, YG03, YG06

Thanks heaps for looking!

Think blue is my fave colour ...

his is a Christmas card I have just done for my first online blog challenge! The theme of the challenge is to use non-traditional Christmas colours, so as I am limited with the number of Copics I own, I elected to use soft blues with a dash of lilac :-)

Hair: E33, E35, E37

Skin: E00, E51, E53

Dress: B93, B95, B97, BV00, BV02, BV04

Misc.: E71, E77, G02, G07, C-1

I have also used Bazzill Bling cardstock, Kaisercraft pearls, Kaisercraft paper, Christina Re paper, Green Tara flowers ( I have tipped the edges of the rose with B93 the gone over that with Kindy Glitz) and ribbon from my stash. I also edged each paper, including the Xpress It paper, with B95. The paper which seems cream in colour is the Christina Re paper, and has a shimmer with a very slightly flocked image, but I don't think the camera picked that up! (It's a miserable day here, so the pic isn't that great at all)

Challenges: Mad For Markers : Christmas card using non traditional colours

Thanks for stopping thave a look!

I know, I know, I don't post all the time!

It's late sunday night, and I have finally found time to post my usual weekly update :-)

We had Katelyn this weekend - and boy, was she in an awesome mood Friday night! So happy, helpful, doing as she was told - everyone enjoyed the night. Mind you, sort of guessed it wouldn't last, and by Saturday morning we were back into "it's all about me" mode, which is how we expect her to be.

I worked saturday, so I did manage a break for at least most of the day, but by the time I got here late saturday, Katelyn was in "full demand" mode, and basically stayed that way for the rest of the weekend. She, being her mother's only child (but one of three when here) doesn't get that she isn't any more important than anyone else ... and she isn't the centre of attention like she is with her mum. As she grows up, I know she will start to understand this, but at the moment it's extremely frustrating.

However, she does like my cards! I made one especially for her last visit, and this weekend, she asked me to make two - a get well card for a school friend who has been in hospital, and a birthday card for a school friend whose birthday she is attending on her next weekend with us.

I thought cardmaking would be the perfect chance to get her to slow down a little, and get out of full-blown "Kate" mode, and it sort of did. After, no one uses my Copics except me! So, slight change in plan - I make the card, do all the colouring, cutting etc, but she goes through my stash, and "designs" the card - that way, she has a huge input, but doesn't get her mitts on my pens :-)

So, first thing tomorrow, I will post Katelyn's "creations" - don't look at me if you don't think the colours look too flash together - remember, her choice, not mine!

Copic heaven!

Anyone out there into Copic markers - visit Mad For Markers (site, blog or Facebook page) and follow the new blog hop! Be ready to see some amazing work done by their DT ... truly inspirational stuff ... there are some amazingly talented crafters out there!

Another weekend goes by ...

Had a nice, normal, peaceful weekend this weekend ...

Saturday, of course, had to work, but it was a good day ... nothing stressful, a lot of laughs - the way work should be (and why I enjoy it so much!)

Due to the terrible weather last weekend, the Putt Putt Regatta at Davistown was postponed ... we did have a forecast for rain this sunday, but luckily, it held off until the end of the day, so we were able to have a quick visit to the Regatta . Spied some beautiful hand made wooden putt putts, canoes and kayaks ... so much talent!

Recently, we adopted a greyhound from Greyhounds 4 U here on the coast, and a lunch was organised at the Bellyfish Cafe at Terrigal ... so we spent a lovely afternoon with some fellow greyhound adoptive parents and their dogs (its a dog friendly cafe on the beach front) followed by a pleasant stroll along the esplanade and up to the Haven, to then visit the Terrigal Food and Wine Festival ... a nice normal day :-) The dogs all behaved brilliantly too, and were a credit to their breed.

At the end of the weekend ....

I am exhausted! Katelyn is always on the go, and as the weather was absolutely awful yesterday, had to be entertained inside! So, out comes the craft box, Barbies etc etc ... and we then spend half a day cleaning up today! But we do have a lot of fun :-)

I did manage to test the printer ... and woo hoo! The copics work with the ink we have ... so digi stamping here I come! I also picked up my 7 new pens (plus 2 extras lol) and have had a wonderful afternoonexperimenting with my new stamps ... just see what I have done!

Yeh, I know two of them are the same stamp *grins* but give me time! I will have more stamps soon, I promise :-)

Catch up time ...

Sorry it's been so long since I last posted ... been working the usual 10 hr days since the weather has warmed up, plus we had a grooming competition down in Sydney last weekend, which took a fair bit of preparation time, as well as long days in Sydney on Fri/Sat/Sun! I entered three dogs, all belonging to clients, and managed to come away with a 2nd place in the Other Purebreds/Scissor class ... I admit, I was disappointed that I didn't place with the other two dogs, but I gave it my best on the day, the dogs behaved brilliantly well, so I can't ask much more ... after all, it is just one judge's opinion on that particular day!

Not much else has happened in my little part of the world :-) This weekend, my partner, David has his daughter, Katelyn, till sunday evening, so whilst I am at work tomorrow, they are going to the Brisbania Public School fete (that's Katelyn's school) and then hopefully down to the beach as the weather is meant to be close to 30 degrees c. Sunday, the Putt Putt Regatta is on - plenty of future scrapbooking there!

Sometime over the weekend, I am going to test the ink in David's printer on Xpress It paper, and hopefully it will be usable with Copics - then I can go silly ordering digi stamps! In the meantime, I have my order of new Copics to pick up (which will be a surprise, as I have forgotten which ones I ordered!) plus two new stamps turning up which I ordered online!

More Copic fun

Spent today (apart from the time I spent doing housework!) making a couple of cards with stamped images coloured using my Copics. The birthday card will be for Katelyn, and the pirate card I did just because I could!

Having so much fun experimenting with these pens ... fiddling with colours and blending ... can't wait to do more classes! (and buy more colours *grins*)

A new philosophy....

I have decided, I think, that I should really try to leave what happens in the past, where it is. I don't mean everything, of course, as some actions, whether made by others or yourself, impact your life for sometime into the future, but I mean the little things - the things that don't need to influence your future .... think there is a saying "Don't sweat the little things" - I have to do that more often, or I'm just going to end up loosing sight of the big things

... to finish with a relaxing Sunday evening

Have had a busy weekend ... over to David's after work on Friday - we have Katelyn this weekend, so as usual, Friday night wasn't a relaxing affair, but the usual getting Katelyn organised and off to bed.

Saturday, was starting work early, and was determined to that Ellie over for a bath, especially after her accident on Tuesday, when she also wet herself in shock. But getting Katelyn up and dressed with hair done and shoes found isn't as easy as it sounds!

Long, busy day at work (nothing unusual for a Saturday); home a little after 4pm, and had organised for David to come over at 5.30pm. Once again, Katelyn was determined to stay up, but like most nights, she falls asleep most easily when being read to. She is also finally sleeping through the night, waking somewhere between 5.30 and 6am, which isn't too bad - she has Ellie to play with so we still get a bit of a lie in. It would be interesting to know if she is still sleeping in her mother's bed at home (probably) and whether she is still getting up twice through the night. Mind you, if she is, there is no way that information will be offered up willingly.

Slow day today ... weather on the miserable side; just when it starts to look ok, the clouds come over and it rains, so really can't plan any outdoor activities. Although, David did get the opportunity to walk Ellie tonight without getting wet!

I'm pretty sure Katelyn had a good weekend - she is starting to work out now that she can be herself here, but when she goes home to mum, I think she is not letting on that she has enjoyed herself . She can't miss the dislike that her mother must have for her father, and I don't think she wants to have her mother's disapproval.

We dropped her back to her mum at the usual 5pm, which this evening has given me the time to start on her birthday card, and a stamped Alicia the Strawberry Pirate done in black and white (will upload soon) Really enjoying my Copics, although I didn't dare get them out whilst Katelyn was here, as I know she would absolutely destroy them! She does love her colouring in, and painting, but at her age, cheap textas from Kmart are still the same as expensive Copics!

David is working tomorrow, so I will get up with him and at least organise his lunch, or he would forget it. have a bit of housework to do, but also plan to nick down to Erina Fair to get a birthday present for Katelyn (it's this coming thursday) and craft stuff to finish her card, and finish the pirate one as well.

My new obsession!

Recently, I have discovered the wonderful world of Copic markers! For those of you who don't know what these are, they are the pens that the Japanese "created" in order to colour their Anime cartoons...they are essentially texts, but with the ability to blend shades and colours like you would with paint. They are 334 colours in the total range, and the possibility to create more, as you can purchase empty pens, and ink refills, and therefore can mix inks to create colours and shades of your own choice.

I have been doing Copic classes of a thursday night at Erina Scrapbooking Shop, with the amazing Dawn Lewis as our teacher (see www.dawnlewisimagery.com.au) ... and these pens are amazing! Not cheap, they are $6.50 a pen, but what you can do with them is awesome. I have finally found away that I can create my own handcrafted cards with having a die cut machine, like everyone else seems to have *grins*

So, look out everyone ... not only is my house as messy as ever (got Copics and scrapbooking stuff everywhere now!) but if you get a card from me for any special occasion, be sure to look twice - coz I probably made it!

My first two creations, using Copics! The butterfly is actually two dimensional - there is a second one underneath, coloured in the same shades. Now I just need to get creative with filling out the rest of the card!

The week ahead ...

Well, this evening we are heading back to the coast ... back to working and slightly warmer weather, I hope!

Tonight, have to finish off the dog coats I am making for Wiz the Pug, and Thunder the British Bulldog, so I can take them to work with me tomorrow. Must remember to get the clothes washed as well, or I will have nothing to wear to work this week!

Thursday night, is my 3rd scrapbooking class using Copic markers - I'm having so much fun learning how to use them! Looks like my scrapbooking is going to expand into cardmarking and stamping - guess it just means more mess!

Gretchen visits her birth-mum ...

Still in Canberra, and brought Gretchen (Lowchen) and Meiko (Chinese Crested) with me as Cath, Gretchen's breeder, is down for the weekend visiting her sister, and competing at a set of dog shows being held down here.

So this morning wee toodled off the the showgrounds so Cath could see Gretchen for the first time since she put her on a plane 2 yrs ago!

Don't think Gretchen remembered her ... which doesn't surprise me ... she doesn't have a lot of grey matter between the ears! But Cath quite liked the way she turned out, which is good, and has told me to go ahead and breed her to Binkie (my boy at home) as he is getting older, and she has to yet find a dog suitable for Gretchen, who has good points to cover where Gretchen has bad ones.

Weekend away ....

Have ventured down to our Nation's capital this weekend, as being the long weekend, we have a little more time to spare, but also because it's nearing the end of Floriade, the big flower festival which is held each year at the Exhibition Gardens.

It was beautiful! Literally, millions of tulips (... will upload photos shortly) in every concievable colour, from white through to black, and a miriade of varigated colours as well. I tried to take a photo of every different colour, but as the weather was overcast, the pics are not as bright as I would have liked, had it been a beautifully clear sunny day - but they still portray the colours fairly well.

We also visited the Da Vinci exhibition ... a showing of 60 of his more famous "inventions" taken from his codices (books he put together over his lifetime, containing all his notes, thoughts, and inventions). An amazing collection, which really makes you sit back and realise just how much this man has given the following generations.

So, a good day. Have had a laid back afternoon - just about to settle in and watch the last of the Rugby League grand final, have dinner, the visit my brother's family ...