MerryMade Crafts etc ...

Morning everyone! I had so much fun with the challenge the other day I thought I would find another one to try. This time I ended up at Colour Create Challenge Blog and am trying Challenge #24 which is to used Pink, Orange and Green on your card. These challenge are great fun and is how I started off my blog.....so really must keep doing them as they get me thinking outside of my little square. I have used white Bazzill Bling for the base card and the embossed strip. I used the Cuttlebug Bird Call embossing folder. Added strips of green, orange and pink card and finished with a stamped 'For You' and punched swirls. This card I received from the wonderful Cathy over at Cathy's Creative Corner . I really liked the card and my Mum has just lent me that centre flower embossing folder and I thought why not have a go at a card like Cathy's. Cathy's card was accompanied with this wonderful pincushion for the July Sewing Swap over at Craftmad . Isn't it c...

The theme for Craftmad's July sewing swap was a pincushion. I have never sewn a pincushion before and was amazed how easily I was able to create one. So I decided to use up the spare circles I had cut ages ago to create yoyos and to now create more pincushions. A friend and I are having a stall at the local markets for the running of the annual 'Pyramid Race' . We plan on selling our cards but I thought a little colour wouldn't go astray. How exciting, this morning I am scrolling through my Dashboard with the little snippets from all the blogs I follow to see what you all have been creating. Next minute my reindeer card pops up and I think that's mine...then I read the heading ...saying I was the winner. Thanks so much Jamie for the challenge. As I said I have never put so much on a card and it was definitely a challenge but I enjoyed it thoroughly. Be sure to visit over at Crafty Creations Challenge and see this weeks Inspiration Challenge.

First attempt of a Crafty Creations Challenge . I needed a second card for my July Swap over at Craftmad ...the theme is Xmas in July. So saw this challenge and thought why not give it a try. Well I was truly out of my comfort zone as there were so many parts to this layout. I am happy with what I achieved and now can't wait for the challenge to see what I can create. I have used SU Glorious Green for the base card, Reindeer paper that I have had forever, cuttlebugged the green using Swiss Dots. I cut out a reindeer to put on the tag. Added the ribbon which I have used a Letraset rub on greeting "Festive Fun". A punched snowflake with Kindy Glitz and a little bling to finish everything off.

This is the card sketch challenge for July over at Craftmad . There is a mystery prize for one lucky winner who posts a photo of their card. Scrapbookers , there is also a scrapbook page sketch challenge with a mystery prize. This is my first attempt which I was loving until I decided that something was needed around the oval. For some reason I decided to go around the edge with a blue tombow . Will have to think how I can repair this. I have used a white leathercraft card for the base card, a layer of Kaisercraft Cheer, Christmas Wish paper. The blue rectangle is the reverse side of the paper. I machined stitched around all the edges. Added some punched snowflakes covered in glitter and bling . Greeting is a Letraset rub on . I like the finished results of this card much better. I used a cream felt card for the base card, a layer of Kaisercraft Fun in the Sun, Frizbee and the reverse side for the rectangle. I inked the oval here (should have done that in the firs...

Morning everyone, I decided on a Black and White theme for the Inchie Weekly Challenge over at Craftmad . The first inchie I spied the paper and ended up in the wedding section. I saw this wonderful little verse and the inchie grew from there. I found two hands and cut them out, punched out to white hearts and added dimensional magic to them. Finished the inchie off with the dots left over from a white 'Happy Birthday' sticker sheet. Next I decided to have a go at a group of four so that I can attach them to a card. I found these wonderful pictures in a Sports Picture book that I picked up a little while ago. The olden day illustrations are all in black and white. So I mounted them on the inchie and added little extras to each one. Bling , corner black sticker, paper with a velvety design. Also thought I should put a coin next to them for a little comparison. That is an Aussie 20 cent piece.

While checking out peoples blogs I have seen lots of Inchies around the place. They always look terrific and of course, thought I must try that. Well I finally did sit down and have a go......do you know how small an inch is? I now have a new admiration for the inchies I have seen as some people have so much embellishment on them. Amazing. Anyhow, I have started a weekly challenge over at Craftmad to create inchies . Well it will be weekly when my computer works weekly. :-) First theme was flowers and this is what I created. Today I have put the the theme of 'Black and White' up and now I must get creating. Happy Monday everyone.

How exciting. Two people (Cheryl Joshua and Rebecca Bodini ) I like to visit have got together to create Creatalicious Challenge . A blog with a challenge on the 15 th of each month. They are celebrating by offering this candy (closes 13 th August) and are still looking for two members for their design team. So be sure to visit.

The whole reason for our three day weekend visit to Sydney was to surprise my husband's Mum for her 70 th birthday. Do you think we succeeded? That is our daughter holding the balloons. On the Saturday after all the surprising was done we took the kids into Sydney centre. My hubby was in the Navy and spent a lot of years walking through here when along side. I worked in 'The Rocks' area for 18 months. So some wonderful memories. This is part of the Sydney skyline....taken by our daughter (13yo). First stop Darling Harbour....heaps of shops and heaps of restaurants and eateries. That is the back of my head and our sons head. :-) Next stop Maritime Museum. Hubby gave us a guided tour over both the ship and the submarine. He didn't do any time on subs though. Those men can have that ..... no windows and way too cramped for me. Hubby didn't give us the guided tour on the replica of the Endeavour as it was just a little before his time. lol . It was...

Hi everyone, I think I am back for a while this time. I am touching lots and lots of wood. :-) I have so missed just being able to jump on the net to answer any questions that pop about around the house during the day or to see everyones wonderful creations. This card I made for my Mother-In-Laws 70 th birthday. We flew to Sydney last weekend and surprised her big time. I will try and post some Sydney shots tomorrow. Back to the card, I have seen these on different blogs and been itching to have a try. I always thought they looked very difficult and was surprised to find how easy they were to create. Adding the embellishments was a little more time consuming but I think I cut that time down by using double sided paper (Kaisercraft Imagine, Ponder). That way I was sure that the papers would match. All I had to do then was add embellishments. This is probably the closest I have been to scrapbooking and it was fun. The four small panels I have used different cuttlebug embossing folde...

Hi everyone, missing you all terribly and seeing all the wonderful creations you are making. Our computer has still got a bug in it and we are working of fixing it. So I am visiting the library again when I can. I willlllllllll return soon I hope.

I finally had a chance on the weekend to have a try at creating one of these wonderful cards. I have been seeing them in blogs everywhere. My friend Ruth had created one and gave me a scrap of paper with the folds in it so I had a rough idea. These are the cards I came up with. Yes, I ended up with three as they are so much fun. This morning as I noticed a post on my dashboard from a blog I follow and this lady Joanne had a tutorial (This is Joanne's blog also....beautiful) on how to add more flowers to the pot. Just what I wanted to do but now I don't have to think how to do it. I also love how she has embossed the pot. So I will have to make a few more of these cards now. :-) This last card I brayered versa mark along the pot and used a flower punch along the edge of the top of the pot.

This was meant to be a quick card but still took me an hour to fiddle. I really like the end results though and glad I perceived . I have used black leather craft card for the base card. The background paper which I think is fantastic was a magazine giveaway. I used my scalloped nesties on black leather craft and I think bazzill , light blue with a shimmer. Now the bit that took my time. I love these butterflies but I also like to remove all the detail that is meant to be removed. This took a bit of time as the veins in the butterflies wings are so fine you have to be gentle removing them otherwise they snap. I have a plain sticker on the topper. Then another butterfly sticker (Sticker Store) I added to purple glitter paper (wonderful stuff) and layered this butterfly on top of the other. The words I cut with my craftrobo . Of course, this took me a little time to figure out that the blade I had in there was blunt and I should put the new one in. That 's why this ca...

Have to follow that saying 'you have to be in it to win it'. Be silly not to promote this wonderful giveaway. I have been a follower of The Cuttlebug Spot for a little while and they have fun posts and challenges. They are having a contest - "The Journey to 1,000"! They are trying to reach 1,000 followers by the end of July and need your help. To enter all you have to do is go to their site, sign up as follower and complete a few easy steps and you could win a $1,000 gift certificate to Custom Crops ( www.CustomCrops.com )! GO NOW and check it out at www.TheCuttlebugSpot.com

***Edit the boys are back and I have my camera. :-) A nicer photo of this card. Sorry it is not the best photo but I love the card. My husband and son are down in Townsville this weekend with every other bloke from the Cairns area for the V8 Super cars . First time they have ever been this far north. So cause for much excitement amongst the rev heads. :-) Anyways, they have taken the camera for the weekend so I had to use my mobile phone. Just not quite the same. I used SU Pink Pirouette for the base card, SU Very Vanilla for the background which I have run through the cuttlebug using the Swiss Dots folder. I added a strip of the pink card down the centre and three wonderful brads that I received from Deborah when she sent me a swap. Finished off with a cream bow and rubbed on the letters for 'girl'. This card is for my husband's friend and wife who have just had their first baby. How exciting!

Good morning everyone, it is so great to be back online and checking out what all you terrific people are creating. Not sure how long I will be here though as there are still some glitches with this computer.......so if I drop out of sight again just remember......I will return. :) Some cards I have been busy with. Amazing all the time you have when you have no computer. ;-) These toppers I received from a lovely lady HuggiesCraft over at Craftmad for the June Swap . We had to create five toppers and send them off to our partners. These are the toppers I created for my partner over at Craftmad. The card below are the cards I created with the toppers I received. All bar one. The little yellow topper with a picture of a wheelbarrow on and the ribbon tab I have kept. It is too much fun. You pull the ribbon tab and the picture changes to watering can. One day I will have a go and make my own. If anyone knows where I can find instructions could you please let me know. I used SU Going Grey...

as I have no internet. I am so glad the library offers 3 hours free internet for members...just the hassle of actually getting in the car and going there. Hope to be back soon.

Sorry I have no card for you today...the kids have been keeping me busy or sidetracked while they are on school holidays. I was doing a bit of blog hopping this morning and discovered this blog that I thought I should share. http://www.elizabethperry.com/woolgathering/ Christmas 2004 this lady was given a small notebook and started doing a sketch a day. Yes she is still going...different journal. But every day it has been something she has done or discovered around her to draw in the journal. Some days added a little bit of journalling . I think it's a wonderful idea and what wonderful memories to look back in the journal and remember those days. I also have another blog worth a look at, I discovered this through Michele at Extremely Crafty . Josefa has a lovely blog called http://misellopersonal.blogspot.com/ . Josefa hand draws all the people that she uses on her cards. The layouts are wonderful. Very clever.

Morning! I have used SU Sage Shadow for the base card, then a strip of ribbon across the centre. I added the white Happy Birthday sticker . Next I added all the different sized paper punched flowers I received in a swap from over at Craftmad . I used a fine black pen to add the stitching around the edges of all the flowers. Lastly, I took my daughters advice and added pearl bling to the centre of all my flowers. I did see this layout when I was blog hopping but once again forgot to take note of the name of the blog .... sorry! Actually, there were two blogs...one lady had done her card like this. The second lady had punched the flower shape from the front of the card, machine stitched around each shape and placed a contrasting paper in behind the punched out shape. Very effective. Something for me to try another day.

I really like this card. I had fun colouring Tilda, yet again. :-) I used my SU inkspots and an aqua pen. Discovered that SU Blossom Blush in the Soft Subtle range is perfect (well I think so) for skin colour. I machine stitched the background paper on and the topper. Added to folded loops of ribbon and an off cut of card to the sides. These little additions are me being more daring after seeing everyone's cards on other blogs. The flower was added to hide a smudge... shhhh !

Can't help but share some more lovely photos that my son (15yo) took on our walk into Behana Gorge. Weird isn't the things we get photos from. Yesterday I the photos were from my phone today these are from our video camera. Next time we will take the camera so that we can get some video...lol Yes, this is me heading off down the track.....be warned there are a few hills to climb up and down. The water pipe that supplies the Gordonvale area with drinking water. Oh and me, my daughter in pink, her friend and our dog Scruff. #No dogs are not allowed....shhhhhh! This the beautiful thinking spot I posted yesterday. Isn't nature amazing! My dog Scruff and I What more can I say that just 'beautiful'.

This view is about half way along the walking track....a beautiful spot to sit and think. If you squint your eyes you can see my daughter and her friend way over on the other side. Hey everyone, I missed posting a card yesterday. The kids are on school holidays for two weeks now so my days are out of routine. Since we had spent all day Monday at home I decided the kids needed to get out of the house. So opted for a walk up the Behana Gorge track....free! The track is 3.2 km long and takes you to the water station where we... in this area.... get all our drinking water from. These photos I took on my mobile phone so not the best of quality....but still amazes me that a phone can take photos. If you are in the area and would like to visit...highly recommended. Make sure you have a drink bottle, and swimmers. Lunch at the turn around point is really nice also. You can find Behana Gorge approx 30 minute drive south of Cairns.....turn off on the right hand side. This takes yo...