With Sympathy

Sympathy cards are always hard to make, but sometimes, the challenge blogs can help with inspiration.

One of my camera club friends, Donna, passed away unexpectedly ..... she was only 64.  I needed a card for her partner & soulmate Michael.  Donna had a wonderful laugh, always greeted everyone with a smile and will be sorely missed.

I experimented a little bit with this card.  I used a Spellbinders Die as a stencil - not the die cut, the actual metal die.  I quite like how the slight overflow on the edge of the die creates a white frame without adding extra layers.  I also kind of like that the blue looks like sky with the dandelions blowing in the breeze :)  so it fits with the Just Add Ink challenge of Day/Silhouette.

Linking with:

Addicted to CAS: #232 - Sympathy

Happy Little Stampers October Stencil Challenge

Just Add Ink #627 - pick 2 - Day/Night/Silhouette

Less is More #476 - use a stencil

Cardstock:  Leathergrain 300gsm cardstock.  

Background:  Distress Inks - Tumbled Glass, Salty Ocean, Chipped Sapphire, Wilted Violet blended with brushes.

Dies:  Spellbinders Deckled Edge  

Stamps:  Dandelion stamped in Versafine Onyx Black & heat embossed with clear embossing.  With Sympathy Ultimate Crafts Ooh La La - Happy Lives stamped with StazOn black.

Thank you for visiting my blog today - I hope you have a good day.

Remember, any day doing something you love makes it a good day ;-)

Doing what you like is freedom. Liking what you do is happiness.

Sending You Hugs

My friend is recovering from surgery, so I wanted a card that would make her laugh, or at the very least make her smile!  She is a cat lover and will see the funny side ...... I hope!

I have had this Penny Black Stamp for what seems like forever, and was quite happy finally to use it.

Penny Black 'Squeaky Clean' stamped in black and watercoloured with Distress Inks.  Dimensional Magic added to the water and gems added for bubbles.   Image die cut with a Spellbinders Circle die and layered on blue cardfront with 3d foam tape.  

'hugs' from Honey Bee Bitty Buzzword die cut & layered with black & white cardstock, mounted with 3d foam tape.  Entire cardfront trimmed down, then added to a white A5 card, with a tent fold.

I enjoyed making this card, and I am looking forward to visit my friend in a few days and give it to her in person.

Linking with:

Happy Little Stampers:  Anything Goes with Dies

Addicted to stamps & more - any occasion

Less is More:  Friendship

Penny Black Saturday Challenge - Anything Goes

Thank you for visiting my blog today - I hope you have a good day.
Remember, any day doing something you love makes it a good day ;-)

Doing what you like is freedom. Liking what you do is happiness.

With Sympathy .....

Well, life really sucks some times :(

The friend that lost her husband in January, has now lost her Mum.

So I made three cards - one each for Sue & Roger, who lost their Mum and one for Ray, who lost his sister :(

Even though it was such a sad reason to make cards, it was very nice to be creative again.  I have wanted to do something with the beautiful graphics from Creative Market for quite some time, and I always love using the Spellbinders Nestabilities dies especially the squares - so they just came together very easily.

These images are from the  Pastel Flowers collection.  Cardstock is from Blue Edge Crafts.

Sentiments die cut & layered, then heat embossed.

Linking with:
As you Like it Challenge:  Fave dies/stencils
Less is More:  take 3 (3 layers)
The Flower Challenge - Anything Goes (I missed the deadline, but will include it anyway)

Thank you for visiting my blog today - I hope you have a good day.
Remember, any day doing something you love makes it a good day ;-)

Doing what you like is freedom. Liking what you do is happiness.

CraftMad card swap

I promised myself I would make more cards this year :)

So I have started of with a few swap cards - with my CraftMad group.

January swap was to use a Tic-Tac-Toe grid

Here are the cards I made for Merry, my partner.

Middle Row: Embossing/Gems/Ribbon

Linking this card with the following challenges:

Less is More - Week 261 - Lucky Dip (Australian connection - Summer flowers, and my CraftMad group is in Australia :) )

First Column:  Stitching/Embossing/Buttons

A bit of a special mix with this one :)  Stitching is the theme of the card, with both types of embossing - heat & pressure and cute little buttons on the side of the card.

Thank you for visiting my blog today - I hope you have a good day.
Remember, any day doing something you love makes it a good day ;-)

Doing what you like is freedom. Liking what you do is happiness.

Happy Valentines Day (& Happy Anniversary)

On 13th February 1982 - we said "I Do"


just love the little heart shaped bling :)


love the big bling heart :)


Linking with:
Less is More - Week 159 - Masculine
CASology: Week 82: Bold
Creative Card Crew: #55 KISS (keep it simple & sweet)
Papertake Weekly - with a heart

Thank you for visiting my blog today - I hope you have a good day.
Remember, any day doing something you love makes it a good day ;-)

Doing what you like is freedom. Liking what you do is happiness.

Happy Birthday Kate

Thank you for visiting my blog today - I do hope you are having a good day.

I made a birthday card for a friend, Kate, who is also the owner of A Quilters Odyssey (my LQS (Local Quilt Store)), so ofcourse it had to have some sort of sewing/quilting theme to it :)

This card forms part of my PDP - Personal Development Plan for 2014 - I want to participate more regularly in various card challenges, use my never before used stamps and use up my considerable stash of DP, as well as use up my considerable stash of fabrics .......... but that is another post for my sewing blog :)

Items used: 
Blue square card, Stickers, Stamp:  HOTP Sew Sweet - from BlueEdge Crafts
Bling & DP, Spellbinders DieCuts, Heat Embossing

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:
Addicted to CAS #29 - DieCuts
Less is More - #153 - Blue
CASual Fridays - #125 - Word Inspiration - my word 'friendships'
My Time to Craft - #229 - Movie/Music theme - Needles & Pins by The Searchers
Our Creative Corner - No More Shopping Sins - I want to use new stamps much sooner
Sunday Sketch & Stamp - #188 - Sketch




Remember, any day doing something you love makes it a good day ;-)

Doing what you like is freedom. Liking what you do is happiness.

UnstampaBelles Challenge #30 - more inspiration

It is that time of the month again - halfway inspiration - OK, so I am a bit more than halfway :)

As I posted previously, this is my last post as a member of the Design Team :(

I have decided to step down and concentrate of some other things.  

There are some changes in the wind for UnstampaBelles in 2014 - our founder Merry is also stepping down, along with myself and Lauren, but do not stress, the Unstampabelles challenges will continue in the very capable hands of Susan starting January 2014 with a New Beginnings challenge. How apt is that. :-)

So, here are the details for Challenge #30 - Christmas (no stamps)

Remember, All entries are subject to the Design Teams discretion.

Prize for December Challenge includes:

Laser cut cards and card fronts - Christmas Designs

Card front designs pre-holed ready for stitching.

Card front designs with the stitching pattern printed on the card.

Christmas stickers.

3 types of star brads

Christmas foil shapes

Four pads of Sticky Notes

You can find our rules here for further information.

Please remember .............

Any form of paper creation will be accepted as long as NO STAMPS (Digital or Rubber) have been used.  Due to graphic technology any entry with a graphic image will be subject to the Design Teams' discretion and we will contact you if we feel the entry does not meet the ethos of our challenge blog.

For further information, see our rules here.

The December challenge closes Friday, 3rd January 2014 and Winners will be announced Monday, 6th January 2014 - Remember we are working on Aussie Time.

Just as a reminder, our current Design Team is as follows, please feel free to visit and say hello ;-)

Current Design Team Members - July - December 2013

Beth - Design Team Member since January 2012 and is also a member of CraftMad
Cathy(me) - Design Team Member since inception and is also a member of CraftMad
JanR - Design Team Member since January 2012
Lauren - Design Team Member since July 2012
Merry - founder of Unstampabelles and member of CraftMad
Sarah -  Design Team Member since July 2012
Susan - Design Team Member since January 2012

Now onto my halfway inspiration :)

I needed some cards for a card swap on CraftMad - our theme for this swap was White with bling :)  I love bling!

Trees cut out of pearl paper and embossed with Cuttlebug, highlighted with kindy glitz and bling! Christmas sentiment sticker.
I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:
Less is More - where you can choose any previous challenge - I pick 140 - white on white

The Lollipop Ladies - challenge #82 - photo inspiration - white icing and the big cupcake iced like a tree on the top row :)

Clean & Simple - inspired by the 3 centre elements in the sketch 

My Time to Craft - white on white

Pearl cardstock run through Cuttlebug using snowflake folder, highlighted with bling, Christmas sentiment sticker added.

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:
Less is More - where you can choose any previous challenge - I pick 140 - white on white

My Time to Craft - white on white

Thank you for visiting my blog today - I hope you have a good day.
Remember, any day doing something you love makes it a good day ;-)

Doing what you like is freedom. Liking what you do is happiness.

You Light Up My Life!

Today is my husband's birthday. 

He doesn't like celebrating his birthday, but I do ;-)

This delightful (pun intended) digital image is from Melissa of Meljen's Designs

I would like to submit this card for:

 LIM week 33 - 1000 challenge - Anything CAS Goes.

Saturday Challenge - One layer card

LIM#19 - One layer in a frame

I enjoyed the card I made for my Dad so much, I did another one, this time using a different image.

Just InkLined Albert image printed on white cardstock, hand coloured with watercolour pencils and a touch of kindyglitz added. 

I think every Dad/grand-dad I know, had those brown & orange slippers!

I would like to submit this card for:

the LIM#19 Challenge - One Layer in a frame.  (EDITED:  just a thought, image is in a frame, and he is pushing a walking frame LOL)   I am really enjoying this 'Less is more' idea - I like the simpleness of working with one layer ;-)

and the Stamptacular challenge - Dads or Grads 

This card is for sale in my ETSY store.

Don't forget to check out the new UnstampaBelles Challenge Blog - see post at top.