My Deck - Stage #1

The deck has started! WOO HOO!!!!!

Look at these amazing men hard at work!!! (dad looking his normal disheveld self!)

Next week the posts cemented in and the next weekend decking (I think...and hope!) Summer here I come!!

Just Add Ink #31 - Colour Challenge

Colour Challenge time at Just Add Ink! Now this challenge - was so difficult for me. I don't really know why, but I just couldn't get it to work but I stuck with it and I'm really happy with what I ended up with. There is something resembling a christmas card that I made for this challenge earlier butit didn't make the cut in the end - no amount of bling could save it!!!

I have used Kraft as the base and Chocolate Chip as back mounted piece to another piece of Kraft.
Stamped in Chocolate Chip are the little branches from "Embrace Life" and then I used my old forgotten chalks to colour the flower buds. I wasn't overly particular, just rubbed on some Real Red chalk and done (gotta be careful at this stage that it doesn't smudge too much).
I fiddled with the 1" Double Stitched Grosgrain Chocolate Chip ribbon in my attempt to reproduce what I call a "Danielle-Daws-Bow" - you gotta check out her ribbons and added a bit of Hemp Twine.
The sentiment has been stamped in Versamark, then in Real Red and heated Clear Embossing Powder to give it that "pop-factor"!

I have used Chocolate Chip and Kraft on the inside of the card and left it black.

Anyways...hope you like!!!

Poppy's Treat and Charlotte & Charlotte

Here's my very precious daughter, Charlotte,

with her special "Poppy-Treat" that Poppy sent in with Nanny....'NANA-WHEELS!!!!
with chocolate sprinkles AND a birthday candle!
(yes I had to sing Happy Birthday to her even though it's not her birthday!)

And here she is with her little friend (also named Charlotte!) - they were so engrossed in their TV show they didn't even know I took this pic! How cute are they???
Charlotte is a fairy and my Charlotte is a "gymastic-girl!".

Funny Talking Animals - Walk On The Wild Side Preview - BBC One

This is so cute! Do giraffes really do that??

Just Add Ink #30 - Helping Hudson

Using the "Neighbourhood" wheel, I made this one for my friend Kobi and her husband Mariusz, who have recently moved house and are also expecting their 2nd son in November. Check out the other entries at Just Add Ink and jump over to Helping Hudson as well!

Mariusz, Kobi and Tomasz (and Hamish and Roxy).
Kobi is actually a little taller than she appears here!

cardstock: kraft, night of navy, kiwi kiss, confetti white
designer paper: urban garden
ink: jet black stazon, soft suede, close to cocoa, night of navy, perfect plum, kiwi kiss, old olive, tempting turquoise, chocolate chip
stamps: sweet serendipity, neighbourhood wheel
other stuff: crytal effects, dazzling diamonds, aqua painter, stamp-a-ma-jig

This next card is made by Charlotte (4.5yrs old). I gave her some embellishments and some Melon Mambo cardstock (which she chose) and off she went. The inside says: "I love my mum. I love my dog". Very cute!

Just Sitting Here Thinking Of You

Whipped up this little number today - took me the best part of all afternoon!! It drove me crazy! I just couldn't get the layout to work, but in the end, I'm quite happy with it!

I really love the colours - purple and green - mmmmm (Perfect Plum and Certainly Celery in SU language)!

I'm so into doing at least something inside my cards now....really finishes them off.
I deserve a sit down tonight after this card! 1st Episode of Offspring and I can't wait!!!

I'm Moving House!

I'M MOVING HOUSE!!!!

Check out where I'm moving to!!! I've made the decision - I'm becoming a "McCleods Daughter"!
Stamp nights at my house ladies! Or on the flagstone verandah! Or in the gardens! Or beside the pond! Stay overnight and we'll stamp everywhere! What the heck, stay the week - the maid won't care! Can you just imagine it.... drool with me HERE.
Check out the table - there's enough there for eight - but I'm sure we could squeeze more in!

Oh how I love this kitchen!!!! Mocktails anyone? Or a Roast? Or my yummy Lasagna?

A GIRL CAN DREAM!

My 1st Ever Apple Pie!

I just HAD to share this with you!
It's my 1st attempt at an Apple Pie and I must say, "not bad!".
I might extend myself and make a chicken pie next!
PS. I want my camera lense back!!!!!! This pic was taken with my zoom lense, so I was standing on my bar stools looking down on the pie! CRAZY! The things we do!

Bow Tying 101

I haven't posted anything for a few days but I thought I'd share this really great youtube vid on how to tie a bow - she explains it very clearly and works slowly.

Friday 6th August Stamp Night at Rochelles

Last night Rochelle Wright, Bronwyn Eastley and myself held a Stamp Night at Rochelle's amazing home. Thanks Rochelle!!! And a big thank you to Rochelle's husband for entertaining my daughter along with his girls! Charlotte had a fabulous time and is so happy with her "place mat & bookmark" she stamped and had laminated!!!

First up, I shared my Twilight card and how to make the rose. Everyone made really beautiful cards even though some weren't sure of the "screwing cardstock up in a ball" bit!!!
Here's Samantha Denman and Amanda Aitken - love the tip of your finger Amanda!

Next, Rochelle shared her cute little note-pad covers! What a fanatastic idea! Rochelle used Vintage Vogue on the front but as I had made an extra rose I plonked a rose on mine.

Thank you Rochelle - these are such a fantastic gift idea and thanks for sharing the measurements:
Cut 3 1/4" and 7 3/8" of cardstock.
Score at 3 1/8", 3 1/2" and 3 7/8".

Fold in half at the middle score line and cut two slits to score lines.
Stick tape between the 3 1/2" and the 3 7/8" score lines, then fold back panel over the tape.



And last but not least, Bronwyn showed us how to make this adorable "mans-shirt" card! Isn't it cute!!! I love the ribbon tie and the little hankerchief!

*sorry its such a blurry pic! I'm still trying to master mums camera!

And one last pic, I just had to share! Here's me holding my friend Sarah's baby, Frankie. But check out Charlotte in the background!!!!! Now, she wasn't "not" happy that I was holding the baby - the camera just seemed to capture that "jealous" expression, but I think its hilarious!!
Frankie is such a cutie-pie!!!!!

Hope you enjoyed seeing my pics!!!

Just Add Ink #29 - Colour Challenge

This week at Just Add Ink, there is an.....interesting colour challenge - me and Rose Red just don't get along most of the time but I actually enjoyed making this card (using my last sheet of Rose Red!).

The petals are Rose Red with Friends 24-7 stamped in Always Artichoke. The Acetate petals have been printed with Black Stazon.
The stem and center of flower is Stampin Up Hemp Twine, which I have plaited. The center of the flower has been secured with my fav - Crystal Effects.
I had a little stash of Always Artichoke Brads that I never remember I own but I remembered this time so couldn't resist popping one on!

stamps: friends 24-7, best yet
ink: versamark, always artichoke
cardstock: confetti cream (sorry, didn't have any vanilla), always artichoke, rose red, kraft
other stuff: acetate, clear embossing powder, crystal effects, brad, sponge dauber, dimensionals

Helping Hudson Colour Challenge #1

I made this card for the colour challenge at Helping Hudson.Now I'm not really a huge fan of the old Rose Red and it seems to haunt me lately, so I have used it minimally on this card (the flowers were stamped in Rose Red and the stems Certainly Celery). I used my aqua painter and Rose Red and Pretty In Pink to colour the flowers.
I have spread a little Crystal Effects on the darker parts of the flowers and sprinkled a little Dazzling Diamonds on it and when that was dry, I coloured the centre of the flowers (over the top of the Diamonds) with Certainly Celery marker (only cos I forgot to colour the flower centres BEFORE putting on the Crystal Effects!) but I really like the effect of it. I absolutely loved this card and have been waiting for the day where I felt motivated to re-create it - and today was the day!


stamps: blooming with beauty, great friend, vintage vogue
cardstock: not quite navy, pretty in pink, whisper white
ink: not quite navy, pretty in pink, rose red
other things: certainly celery marker, always artichoke marker, aqua painter, crystal effects, dazzling diamonds, pretty in pink 1/2" striped grosgrain ribbon, sponge dauber

Helping Hudson Layout #1

OMG it's been far far too long since I have entered another challenge besides Just Add Ink, but I couldn't resist the fabulous Helping Hudson blog - what a fabulous bunch of people. Hudson is just adorable and deserves to be a happy little boy and I'm so happy to be able help even if its just in a small way of donating to enter some challenges!!!

The 1st challenge is the sketch here to the right. I so knew what I wanted to do as soon as I saw this layout - go Razzle Dazzle (soooooooo happy it's coming back!!!) Anyways....thanks for coming for a lookey! Tell me what you think


cardstock: certainly celery, whisper white, basic black
ink: basic black
stamps: razzle dazzle - agh! can't remember the sentiment set!

Annabelle and Kitty's Birthday Cards

Last night, my daughter Charlotte was invited to a very special birthday party for two little friends, Annabelle and Kitty. It was a "Princess Dinner Party" and Charlotte (and the other little girls by the looks of it) had a wonderfully special time!

Here she is all dress & ready to go! She's holding a jug that her old-poppy had just given her and it's very precious to her - so cute).

...and here she is with her "make-up" on....she looks so grown-up in this pic *sigh*.

The 1st card here was for Anna, who was turning 7...


...and this card was for Kitty, who was turning 5. I really enjoyed making these two cards - pretty cards are often more "fun"!
Thank you to Amanda Aitken for creating special memories for these beautiful little girls! I know that Charlotte will remember that night forever!