MerryMade Crafts etc ...

Morning all....another card to put in my card folder for my MIL. A nice simple one this time that I will be entering into the State your State Challenge over at Stamping Vacation. This challenge, Denise names a US state and then gives a suggested list of things that represent that state for you to use on your card.  I chose the butterfly. I started with a white gloss card base.  Then a strip of Stampin Up design paper which I ran my scissors along the edge of to destress it and tore in a couple of places.  Next a strip of Stampin Up Really Rust.  To this I added three lovely flower stickers and had to add bling to their centres.  This stamped image I received in a swap over at Craftmad .  I coloured it up with my watercolour pencils and then topped with Dimensional Magic.  Finished the card with the 'Thank You' sticker from Sticker Store . Remember only a couple days left to be able to go into the November Prize draw for Four (4) December Sneek Pe...

Another card for my card set to give to MIL at Christmas time. I have used a Whiff of Joy Image that someone kindly stamped up for me.....this is Willow with Champagne. I started with white gloss card for the base card then a layer of blue card which I ran through my Victoria embossing folder.  Rounded the two top corners.  Then a layer of Stampin Up design paper.  The image I coloured with my water colour pencils and aquabrush.  Out came the Kindy Glitz which I added to her dress to give that glittery effect.  I also used a gold pen on all the swirls on her dress.  Dimensional Magic was added to the glass of champagne.  I finished the image by rounding the corners and using one of my flourish stamps from my Stampin Up Priceless set I went around the edge of the image.  Finished the card with white ribbon and a bow.

Yes, Jenni over at Cardmadfairy Creations has really gone mad....  :-0 Jenni has reduced the price on all her Christmas Digital Stamp images to 0.50p each. The owl above is one of those fun images. Here is another.  Be sure to check out the Holly Tree which I haven't had a chance to play with yet but fun. Click here for Inspiration Snowbaby

Thought it was time for an update for the Stamping Vacation Challenge Blog. There are a couple of prizes up for grabs and the closing dates are fast approaching. This lovely card above is part of Denise's new game called Inspiration Tag . The plan is that I have seen this card and take two or three elements of the card and create mine.  Which I did and this is what have created. See I took the homemade flower and the animal. So TAG your it. You are now to look at my card and take two to three elements and create your card. Post about it on your blog and invite your followers to do the same with your card. But the important bit....be sure to go to Stamping Vacation Inspiration Tag and link to your creation. So that you are in the draw for a voucher $25.00 to the store of your choice. You have until the 5th of December to enter. ****A little secret.....currently the odds of you winning are very very good.  Seven entries but only three eligible. ;-) ***************************...

Morning all.....it is a rainy dismal day here.  Thinking of my son and all the other year 11's on their last day of school for the year.  They are meant to be heading south to a place called Etty Bay... click here for a picture on a sunny day.  They are a bunch of teenagers, I am sure they will have fun. Well I have moved away from the Christmas card theme at the moment although still have Christmas in mind.  I have decided to make my MIL a card folder with some cards in as part of her Christmas present this year.  So here is card number one.  I received this lovely Gladdy Image in a swap....pretty sure it was from Cathy . I started with a white gloss card....then some Stampin Up design papers I won a little while ago.  Sorry don't know the name of the set.  I coloured the image with my blender pen and Stampin Up inkspots so that I could match the colours of the paper and card.  Cut out the image with my Spellbinders and added a gold stic...

Morning everyone, well it's a soggy morning for us this morning.  I think it has been pouring down all night.  Our seasonal creek is flowing and this doesn't normally start until end of December early January.  Makes life cooler though until the sun comes out to suck all the rain back up and then life if very humid. Today, I have the remainder of my Flippin cards to share with you.  :-) Thanks for everyones lovely comments yesterday.  Also thanks to Cathy and Annmaree for your suggestions of putting the greeting on the back of the card.  Thanks too to Aussie Loz for suggesting to turn it in to a bauble.  I like these ideas and I get to use the cut outs from the acetate windows. Hope you enjoy these cards as much as I enjoyed making them. Remember you can find these die cuts over at La Pashe . I had the rub on that said 'Festive Frolics'.  Couldn't help but add it to this card with the added 'Santa's' rub-on. I thought this sentiment was a...

Hi everyone, this is what I have been busy with the last couple of days.  These are Flippin Christmas die cuts from La Pashe.   I was very lucky to win an entire set of these from the lovely Jak Heath  but they arrived too close to Christmas and I only used two of them.  I love the characters in all of them and love the fact that they are all pre-cut and you just have to push them out of the sheets.  I am not a cutting out person.  The only minus for me is that the images are bigger than what I normally work with.  However, I think they they work well on these 14cm x 14cm white gloss card.  I cut the centres out of the front with my scalloped edged Spellbinder and then added acetate which I covered on the inside with a matching colour panel.  The fronts I added extra details in stickers and bling and an appropriate rub-on sentiment.  Inside I cut the matching background panel down to size so you can see this through the acetate. ...

This morning in my inbox was a link to Stampeleinmaleins from my crafty friend Helen.  :-)  Sharing this wonderful blog full of tutorials and tips.   These lanterns are spectacular.  Be sure to scroll to the end of the tutorial to see what the DT have made .  Now I couldn't help but click to see what else was on this terrific blog and I discovered this......... How to tie a bow using a fork.   I can normally tie pretty good bows but when I require little ones for cards they tend to get a bit fiddly.  I have had a plan of buying one of those little bow tying gadgets but now I think I can save that money for other crafting items. :=) I have a fork or two in my house.  Still have to try it out though but thought you all should know.

Monday again, here is another Design Team card for  Stamping Vacations Sticky Situation Challenge . This month Denise has challenged us to use Santa Hat Stickers .  You have until the 21st December to enter....as many times as you like.   **** Please note you can enter for an entire month.  However, if your entry falls between 21st November - 30th November you will be in the November prize draw.  If you enter between 1st December - 21st December you will go into the December prize draw.**** The prize drawn at the end of November is from  MARK'S FINEST PAPERS  our sponsor. They will be giving away   4 (four) of the December Sneak Peek stamp sets in addition there will be a $25.00 gift certificate  to their store! The winner will be randomly chosen on December 1st! We will be showcasing their stamps throughout the month.   I started with a  white BE card  then a layer of green handmade paper, topped with the fun green and w...

Morning everyone, here is another Design Team card for Stamping Vacations Fountain of Youth Challenge . This months challenge is all about the Xmas Stocking .  You have until the 20th December to enter....as many times as you like.   The prize drawn at the end of November is from  MARK'S FINEST PAPERS  our sponsor. They will be giving away   4 (four) of the December Sneak Peek stamp sets in addition there will be a $25.00 gift certificate  to their store! The winner will be randomly chosen on December 1st! We will be showcasing their stamps throughout the month.   I started with a white BE card  then a layer of bright green paper.  Next this lovely glossy red patterned paper that I think has come from a crafting magazine.  Next I coloured Stamping Dragons  wonderful fireplace digi image . I used my watercolour pencils and aquabrush.  Added these wonderful holographic stocking stickers from Sticker Store .  Backed this ...

Just had to share this wonderful idea that someone told me about as he had posted a couple of photos of the Gordonvale area.   T hey have been entered into a project online run by ABC Open.  They ask you to grab a very old landscape photo and to go to that destination and match it up to the location now and take a photo.  That is a photo of your old photo framed my the area as it appears today. Check out these great photos. http://www.flickr.com/photos/g ordonvalehub/5181094582/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/g ordonvalehub/5180496317/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/g ordonvalehub/5181095222/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/g ordonvalehub/5181094916/

Hey everyone,  I made this fun card for the Weekly Inspiration Challenge over at Craftmad .  Yes, I set the theme after I learnt what Ladybug Larvae look like.... click here to see.  I also used the layout of the card that was set for last weeks Weekly Inspiration at Craftmad . Started this with a BE white gloss card .  Found some lovely glossy red paper and this wonderful ladybug paper that I have had for ages waiting for the special card.  I ran some white card through my Swiss Dots embossing folder to add as a panel on the card.  Thought this green paper looked like a lovely leaf or grassy field.  I cut the edges with my Clever Cut paper trimme r using the wavy edge blade.  The greeting I printed out on the computer which I am tending to do more and more.  Why I haven't used the computer more in my card making I don't know.  The ladybug made it's way into my collection at some tome through a friend in a swap.  Isn't it so cut...

Be sure to check out Dana's giveaway over at Aspiring Creativity ....it is just amazing. This giveaway will end November 30th at 11:59pm MDT. Comments will be closed at that time. The winner will be chosen by  random.org  and announced sometime on December 1st.

Remember this card?  This is the card I sent off for our October Card Swap at Craftmad .  This swap carried over to November.  As well as sending a card to our partner in October we had to send a matching set of bits and pieces that made up that card.  So that in November........ Our partner could return all the bits and pieces in their own card creation.   This has been so wonderful see what everyone has come up with when using the same material.  The card above is what my parnter 54Christie did with all the bits and pieces I sent her.   Isn't this just wonderful.  I love how one square is actually chipboard wrapped in the design paper which makes it sit out.  Such a wonderful layout. This is the card that 54Christie sent me in October with all the matching bits and pieces.  Isn't it a stunning card.  I so love how she does the layouts to her cards.  If you would like to see more be sure to visit 54Christie's Gallery Al...

I am a bit slow with this post.  I should have let you all know yesterday as that was the start of this game but having power off between 8.30am to 3.30pm sort of stops Internet time. The game is called Inspiration Tag and it is new to Stamping Vacation.   Denise uploaded a card at Stamping Vacation where she has tagged all her followers to play along and take that card and use two or three elements of the card as inspiration for their own card. This new creation is posted on your very own blog with a post listing the two or three elements you used....in this post let all your followers know they have been tagged and a suggested list of elements they could use from your card for their own card.   Also link your creation over at Stamping Vacation to be in the running for the terrific prize of a $25.00 gift certificate to the store of YOUR choice. A name will be randomly drawn from all the links for the I nspiration Tag Game at Stamping Vacation on the 5th December...

Tuesday morning already.  I have two card to share with you today. I have started both cards with my reliable pre-scored white cards from Blue Edge Crafts . I added to my first card a lovely embossing that a friend has sent to me.  I added bling to some of the snowflakes and used a Stampin Up greeting.  Next I decided to stamp another Stampin Up Dasher and punch him out with a circle punch so that I could create a snow globe.  I have seen a few snow globes around the place so had to have a try.  I went over Dasher with Shimmer Paint with a touch of blue ink then covered the circle with Dimensional Magic.  I cut the brown base free hand and inked the edges with versa mark.  I am really happy with finish of this card. Second card, I ran a piece of Stampin Up Old Olive through my Swiss Dots embossing folder and added to the front of the card.   Topped the card with a torn piece of Stampin Up Jolly Holiday design paper.  Stamped the greetin...

I was out gardening like I planned.  I managed to weed four of our eight gardens, so very happy.  Then yesterday arvo it started raining and is still again today.......so my plants are happy too.  I found my four watermelon plants in the weed/vegi garden.  A couple of them are flowering already.  So maybe some watermelons in the not too distant future. As I was putting the hose away from having the sprinklers on ...... yes I brought the rain on by watering my garden. lol.  Anyways, I noticed these white fuzzy bugs and thinking they just had to be bad for plant I squished a few.  Well last night I decided to google and............. Now I am a little sad as those white fuzzy things are apparently the larvae of a ladybird (ladybug, ladybeetle) .  Big time oops!!!  I have never thought before how a ladybird came to be.  I think I assumed there were eggs laid they hatched as ladybirds .  If you would like to see a few more ladybirds ...

Hi everyone....just letting you know a couple of  little details.  There is a new game heading to Stamping Vacation.   Starts on the 15th November and a random winner drawn the 5th December.  Just click here for a few more details.   Hmmm....there is a prize involved too and a terrific one it is.  Denise is offering a $25.00 gift certificate to the store of your dreams.  Yes, you get to select where you shop.  How brilliant is that!