Mother's Day Card

A quick Mother's day card. I have used a gloss base card from Blue Edge Crafts and added this wonderful pink coloured paper which I have trimmed around the edge with decorative scissors. Then a layer of embossed paper. Topped with these two glittery stickers and a greeting I typed out on the computer.

I wanted to make a couple of quick Mother's day cards as I am planning on having a stall this Saturday at the local markets. I am very nervous and one moment keen and the next talking myself out of it. I plan on selling my cards and a couple other odds and ends that I need to clear out of the house. Really not much. I have done markets before but always with two other ladies and that has always been fun. Then my cards mix in with their wonderful cards. Plus it's a long weekend and still showery so I wonder how many people will turn up. See I am in the 'talking myself out of it mode at the moment'. lol. A little voice keeps saying ' You'll never no if you don't try". So that is what I am up to today...making a couple more cards and talking to myself. lol. :-)

Happy Birthday Cards

Yes, I managed a couple of cards yesterday. These two have been created easily thanks to the lovely goodies that Stacie and Angie sent me earlier this month. I have used a white gloss base card on both cards. Then a layer of wonderful embossed paper...that Paisley pattern is terrific. Next I topped with these great toppers. And finished with ribbon, pearls and strips of card.

Mother's Day Card

Sorry about the photo but it is raining again this morning so thought I would try a photo under the desk lamp. Thought it had a daylight bulb in there..... I have made this card for Mother's Day using a cream perlescant card for the base card. Then a layer of brown bazzill card. This wonderful orange paper I received in a swap ages ago, it is so rich and elegant. These wonderful poppies are a 3D paper tole from Blue Edge Crafts. My lovely mother cut these flowers out as she has a much steadier hand than me. :-) Finished the card with brown ribbon and a Mum sticker.

Time for me to make another card now. I am stuck at home for the morning as the car is in getting work done and it's raining outside. So what else can a person do but craft in these conditions. Happy Wednesday everyone.

Memory Card Game - Concentration

I have done it..... finished a project. Here are three new memory card game sets for my Etsy store. A lady Becky contacted me and said she would like to do a review on my games and asked if I would do a giveaway. I thought 'why not'. So instead of only having two sets in my store I thought I should get my act together and make a couple of more so that people have a choice of what they would like to win. (Becky will be posting the giveaway 1st May so keep an eye out). I had fun creating these sets using up some of those small but beautiful pieces of papers that I keep thinking are too good to throw away. Also loved using all these cute little stickers. All the stamped images are from my wonderful package I received from Angie early this month. Thanks again Angie...these stamps were the perfect size.

This set is my favourite. Such a great boys game I think. I thought some of the circles looked a little bare when I added the bug stickers so I went through all the little leftover bits of my gold, silver and black stickers.

I think these mushrooms are the cutest image and I will be dragging them out again real soon.

ANZAC Day here in Australia

Today is ANZAC day in Australia a day to remember our fallen soldiers. A day I always feel proud to be Aussie. Here is a link that should explain a little http://www.awm.gov.au/commemoration/anzac/anzac_tradition.asp

We are off now to watch the parade with my daughter marching as a Ranger with the Girl Guides. :-)

It's raining again.

Hi everyone, yep it's raining yet again here in Cairns. Great for the gardens but I would enjoy sunshine for a few days so that I could get out and garden or burn all the palm fronds that are piling up the back. Plus things are just damp from the moisture in the air. Paper for the cards is just not the same at the moment. Doesn't cut as nicely and is always a little limp. I have been working on some making three more Memory Card game sets (Concentration) so that I can add them to my Etsy store. So have them to show to you soon.

It's not just the weather that is taking away my mojo at the moment. Last week I heard that a friend has pancreatic cancer she is only about 3-4 years older than me with two teenage kids. She has been operated on since then and they say they have it all by removing a little of the pancreas and all of her gallbladder. Now for chemo. The lady that told me is her best friend and sadly she lost her husband (50ish) this time last year to cancer. So I am very worried about her too. There are other people that I know that have passed because of cancer in this last month. My great friends Dad and a fellow that works with my husband and we had gotten to know him and his wife. On a positive note I plan on attending and fundraising for the Cairns Relay for Life this year to help raise funds for Cancer. My daughter has done it the last two years.

What to do today. I think we might just show our visitor the local Mulgrave Museum all about the sugar history in the area and head off to the new patisserie in town. Have a great weekend everyone.

Happy Birthday Candles

I blinked yesterday and Wednesday was gone. :-) I put the car in for a service, son spent some of the day home and then it was out to the cycling track to watch hubby ride round and round in circles. He did really well as there was only himself and another guy from the lower grades racing against the 'A' graders. He definitely held his own. I think these guys are pretty gutsy as the track bikes have no gears and no brakes. :-0 They really pick up speed and at the end have to do another lap just to slow down enough to get off the bike.

Well I do have a card for you today. This is my second card for my swap partner over at Craftmad. This months theme was dry embossing. Someone (sorry can't remember who) has given me this wonderful embossing of the candles. So I added it to a gloss base card which I layered with SU Sage Shadow and Perfect Plum. I embossed this cute tag from Stacie with dots from the Cuttlebug 'With Love' border set. Thanks Denise for reminding me that I owned them.

Time to wave to all the wonderful people visiting via the Clic n Cut Blog Hop. Thanks so much for taking the time to visit. I am really enjoying seeing all these new blogs on the list. I think it is up around 170 now.

Embossed Car Card

This is one of the cards I have made for the monthly card swap over at Craftmad. The theme this month was two cards using dry embossing of some form. I have used black leather craft card for the card blanks. Added all these wonderful embossed white papers that I received in a embossing swap we did over at Craftmad last year. I so love all the textures. The inside square section of the card I placed plain white paper down the centre in case somebody wanted to write a greeting. I butted embossed paper on the edges. I wasn't too happy with the look and discovered the black border sticker in my collection and ran that down the join. I am really happy with effect it created. I was going to have butterflies on the front but decided that the card was looking very masculine so I opted for these wonderful car stickers from the Sticker Store.
The inside of the card.

Surprise!

Yes, surprise..... I have a card. lol I rediscovered my desk and that it is possible to create cards in a smaller area. I really enjoyed it once I got started. This card I have created for the Weekly Inspiration Challenge - STRIPES - I set at Craftmad last week. Better late than never hey! I have used a pre scored white card from Blue Edge Crafts. Then I used these lovely adhesive papers that my daughter gave me for my birthday. I just realised that I used double sided tape to adhere them to the card. duh! Covered the join with a piece of cross grain ribbon. Coloured this cute image (thanks Stacie) using my watercolour pencils. The cat and the little boy looked a little surprised and I was lucky enough to find this 'Surprise' word rub on in my collection. I drew a little mouse in the corner to show what their fear was.

New challenge this week at Craftmad is PC. So either a card with a computer on it or something relating or starting with the letters P and C.

Blog Collection Idea

This looked like so much fun. I saw it on my friends Stacie's and Annmaree's blogs. This originated at Clic n Cuts where Vicky is celebrating 100 blog posts.

A great idea to try and make the biggest collection of Card Making and Scrapbooking blogs!


Here is how it works:

1. Click the blue frog at the very end of this post to add your blog.

2. Copy the following script and put it on your blog post while in HTML view.


This will make the thumbnail collection appear on your post as well and be available for your readers too.

3. Provide the above code on your blog for others to grab. Just mention to paste it on HTML view when blogging.

4. Ask your readers to add their blogs on the list and also copy and paste the script on their blog as well!

Review and Giveaway Blog

Morning everyone, I am sitting here listening to the drops of rain fall from leaf to leaf in the backyard. Also the lorikeets playing in the rain.

Thought I would share this Review and Giveaway Blog with you that is run by Becky. Becky, finds great giveaways and reviews different stores that sells family orientated items. Also educational ideas for the kids. I had a great time reading through the reviews....love the latest about some cute little finger puppets.

I have a card almost finished and ready to share with you tomorrow. Yep! found my mojo, it was under the pile of papers I had piled on top of my desk. :-)

Still here just out of whack

Hi everyone, I am still here just a little out of whack. Having moved all my crafting gear to the little corner I seemed to have placed my mojo somewhere and haven't been able to find it. I will however, be have a good look around for it this weekend.

I think having Nana (japanese exchange student) here has thrown us all out of whack. I didn't realise how much of our lives are routine/habit and now we are explaining to her how we do breakfast, when we shower, what happens after school, etc.

Even the language thing.....I find I have to watch my slang although I really didn't think I used it that much. Trying to keep sentences simple. We are getting there.

Thanks to google maps last night we checked out her house and school. Exciting. Housing is so dense in comparison to our open spaces here in Cairns. Nana is not far from the Japanese Disneyland and visits regularly. This was a good talking point as my hubby visited their about 17 years ago and had photos to share.

Off to check out your blogs and be inspired. Happy Weekend everyone.

Where is my Desk Wednesday and a pile of books

A bit of a variation to the What's on your desk on Wednesday theme. Mine is Where is your desk? I have had to this tiny corner in the family room which meant I had to reduce my collection again. I had just been through my craft goodies and tossing some stuff I had held on to for way to long in preparation for this move. Oh well....it will grow again I am very sure.

The reason for the move is because as of yesterday we have a Japanese exchange student staying with us for this school term...three months. Nana is 17yo and she is now in our sons room. Our son is our computer room where my desk used to hide. So a few changes but I am sure we will survive. I am constantly thinking of things to tell Nana that we do so routinely in our house. Just hoping I am not bombarding her. She does understand English but I am just not sure how much and how polite she is being and just nodding and smiling. But we will figure this out as it only day two.

Here are a pile of little notebooks I am playing with at the moment. I made the covers last year while I was working at the bindery. Originally they were to have post-it notes in them but that just never happened. Now I have decided to use up some of the kids old exercise books that they brought home from primary school with unused pages. I have also added some of my scrap pieces of patterned papers and old envelopes. Thought they could be little notebooks to have on hand in your handbag. Ready for that occasion when you need a scrap bit of paper for a phone number or address.

Butterfly Thank You and Pressies

A nice quick card for me this morning. I have used black leather craft card for my base card. This this beautifully flourished paper from a UK magazine. Next I added a strip of black leather craft and pink bazzill bling. Added the white Thank You sticker greeting and three tiny silver hearts. The embossed butterflies I received from my friend Kerry over at Craftmad. I have decorated them with a lovely glitter butterfly and leftover parts of stickers. The photo has captured a little of the glitter but these butterflies really glitter in real life.

The lovely Stacie from over at All Things Crafty sent me these lovely embossed papers and card for my birthday. Oh and two Hershey chocolate bars...they didn't last long and were very yummy! Thanks for think of my Stacie.

This amazing collection of stamps are from Angie over at LilacAnglia. I won her very generous blog candy. Can you see the cute little pop up elephant card that came with the goodies. Thanks Angie.

Needle Case and Holiday Photos

I created this needlecase for my friend Mandy from over at Craftmad. We had a patchwork sewing swap back in January and her partner disappeared on her (disappointing). Guess what Mandy's favourite colour is . I have used my cuttlebug and spellbinder nestabilities again to create the felt flower.

Felt flower I created.

Yes, we are back from holidays and what a wonderful time we had. The four of us flew down to the Gold Coast for the week and this is the view we had from our balcony. So hard to take hey! I was just happy to see blue skies and sunshine as it had been raining constantly for approx three weeks at home. Apparently didn't stop until last Wednesday.

This is one of the views we had from the Q Deck in the Q1 Building. Apparently, structurally it is the 25th tallest building in the world. It also has one of the fastest elevators in the world and I will vouch for that. Scary as you wonder if it will actually stop at floor 77 as you watch the numbers scroll faster and faster as we approach. I have just read in the link above that it reaches floor 77 in 42.7 seconds. Not bad hey!

We did a 2 hour river cruise which took us through all the Surfers Paradise canals to see the lavish houses, boats and some helicopters. Then out to the Southport Broadwater where I have never seen so many jet skis in the one place.

Back to the apartments for a daily swim in the pool. This is our daughter doing an underwater stint. I wimped out and didn't do any ocean swimming but the rest of the family did. Hubby enjoyed being able to body surf again, I think. We don't have any surf up here in Cairns.

Just had to share this photo. We arrived on the Saturday and it took me till Wednesday which I am happy about to get back into my normal waking habit of 6am and this is the view I saw each morning after that....well much the same. Prior to Wednesday I actually slept to 7am or a little past. lol

Thanks everyone for visiting while we were away and leaving your lovely wishes. You have all certainly been busy and I think I have caught up on most of your terrific creations.

Betty's Birthday - Craftmad Monthly Sketch

Hi everyone and Happy Easter. I won't be posting anything for about a week as our kids have started a week of school holidays and I have promised them 'time'. So no computer or crafting from me. Hubby even has some time off so it will be nice to have family time. So do you think you could slow down on your crafting so I don't get to behind in your blogs. ;-)

My card this morning is for a lovely lady I work with at our local museum. I have used the April Card Sketch from over at Craftmad to get me started. The lovely papers and pre-scored gloss card are from Blue Edge Crafts. The white Happy Birthday sticker from The Sticker Store. Lastly, the flower I have created with my trusty Cuttlebug and Spellbinder Nestabilities (Circles and Scalloped Edge Circles). I so love that I have discovered it will cut through felt. The centre brad I received from the very talented Deborah March.