MerryMade Crafts etc ...

Just had to share this new blog that Allison has created. It is simply called Share the MOJO and that is what you do. Allison was saying that she had lost her MOJO although you would never know from her creations. So she created this blog so that you can add a link to a fantastic creation you find while blog hopping. Hopefully inspire someone.

Just a reminder everyone that there is a new challenge blog coming to town. Yes, Cardmadfairy's Digi Days Challenge . Everything starts this Friday, 4th February and it will be a fortnightly challenge. A place to use your digi stamps on your creations. Don't tell anyone but the first challenge will be all about 'Romance'.  shhhhh!!! Don't forget this wonderful candy will be drawn on the 4th February.  To be in the draw you must be a follower of Cardmadfairy's Digi Days blog , leave a comment and share the word.   There is also a set of Jenni's newly designed 'Love' digi stamps on offer. So can't wait till we start so I can see all your terrific creations.

I made this card for my friends little boy's 3rd birthday.  I have used the wonderful robot stamp ( Robots2Build ) from Stamps for Life . I coloured him with my silver and gold metallic pens.  Teamed him up with this wonderful cog patterned paper I have in my collection.  Stamped some cogs on the white card and then overstamped with the Happy Birthday sentiment all from the same set.  I thought the card need a little dirtying up since it was going to a little boy.  So I put my finger on the ink pad and tried to leave my dirty finger prints on the card.  I think I was a little too heavy on the ink. This card is perfect for the Fountain of Youth Challenge at Stamping Vacation that asks for Robots.

Australia Day today in Oz. A day to celebrate being Aussie which I am very happy and proud to be. The anniversary of arrival of the First Fleet to Australia from Great Britain. Lots of barbies will be had, plenty of time at the beach and probably a beer or two drunk around the nation. For me, so far I have been enjoying the coolness of the morning with a cuppa and wander around blogland.  Then covered myself in mozzie repellant to prepare myself for the journey to what used to be my garden before leaving on holidays.  Problem with lots of rain is that my plants enjoy it are lush, green and huge but the weeds and vines have grown just as quick.   I have found two gardens now only a couple more to go.  Now I can sit back and relax until the washing machine is finished.   I am sure to make a couple of cards today and run the kids from A to B and probably back again. :-) Hubby is enjoying the day off too. Now on to my cards.  These are more cards for our Auss...

Thanks everyone for joining in the fun yesterday.  Thanks to the people that guessed eggs as that is what my daughter was wanting to hear.  :-)  Yes, she was trying to trick you. Cathy is our winner guessing apricots in a syrup....first up.   I will be sending some stamps off to you today or tomorrow. They were in fact apricots in a caramel syrup ready to be used in an Apricot Upside Down Cake. Recipe here by Bill Granger .  Very yum.  Although, I think the syrup on mine ended up being a little burnt.  Good reason to cook it again I think...to get it just right.  This recipe asks you to do the syrup and apricots in a frypan on the stove top and then to mix the cake mix in a bowl and put spoonfuls of the cake mixture on top of the apricots in the frypan.  Then the frypan goes into the oven.  Something I have never done before although quite often see people on cooking shows put their frypan into the oven.  I was afraid of the handl...

My daughter and I spent a little time in the kitchen yesterday and she so loved the look of this she took a photo.  Now my DD said that I should post it on my blog and get people to guess what it is. So here I am this morning with a challenge for all my followers.  Can you tell us what is in this photo? The first comment with the perfect guess or the nearest guess will win a couple of small stamps I have. Good luck. I will let you know the winner tomorrow sometime (25 January Aussie Time).  So this is just a quick quiz, a little fun. :-)

 Didn't want you to miss out on all the fun over at Cathy's Sewing Room. Cathy has put these items that she has sewn up for auction to raise funds for the Queensland Floods. So far she has raised an amazing $160.00 All money goes directly to the the Premier's Flood Relief Appeal .  So if you have been thinking of donating this is a novel way as you receive a little something back for your generosity.  Be quick though as bidding ENDs  Tuesday, 25th January 9:00 AM (Adelaide time). Click this image and you will find a list of other crafters who are doing the same thing.  Be sure to scroll down as the list is long. ******************************************** Something else thats worth a mention.   Jenni over at Cardmadfairy Creations is starting up a new challenge blog called Cardmadfairy's Digi Days .  The first challenge will be 4th February...so be sure to mark that on your calendar and be ready with all your Digital Stamp images. T...

Hi everyone.....another Design Team card for you.  This is for the Stamping Vacation - Sticky Situation Challenge .   Denise has asked us to use heart stickers.  If you are like me you must have heaps of different shaped heart stickers in your collection.  I would so love to see your creations. I started with this heart embossed card to which I added the collection of stickers I found.  The smaller stickers are from sheets from the Sticker Store .  The bigger glitter hearts from a local $2 store.  I went around the edges of the card and frame with my gold pen to give a faux stitching look.  Then stamped this cute image from Stampin Up Nice and Easy Notes.  I coloured her with my water colour pencils. Just a reminder of the prize up for grabs at Stamping Vacation this month is which is drawn 1st Feb: $25.00 gift certificate to spend at  Stamps of Life So be sure to visit  Stamping Vacation  as Denise has a different chall...

Been a while it seems since I have done a Design Team card for Stamping Vacation.  That is only because I had all my other cards done before holidays.  Nice to be back and to try out this wonderful stamp set ( Robots2Build ) from Stamps for Life . This card is for the Fountain of Youth Challenge ....where Denise has asked us to use Robots.  So I stamped this robot onto some white card that is folded in half as it is a bookmark.  I then coloured the robot with my watercolour pencils and Stampin Up pen.  I cut the arms out and attached them with 3D foam.  I then masked the robot and using Stampin Up inkspots I stamped the various nuts around the robot.  To finish the bookmark I attached two strips to of magnets to each side of the inside. The card is a BE pre-scored white card which I attached this perfect paper that I won in my first ever prize that I won in blog land.  Finished with a ribbon down the front and  a 'Party' rub-on. Just a...

Just discovered there are many more wonderful items being generously auctioned to raise money for the Queensland Floods. Click here to go to the Master List which is updated daily at 9am Aussie Time. Be sure to scroll right down the list.....I reckon there would be at least 100 sites offering an item.

Tram on the main street of Milan that we walked down from Centrale Train Station. More of the same street...full of the most beautiful shops. This is the Leonardo Da Vinci statue in La Scala Piazza. This is why we walked for half hour or so in the freezing cold.  I had seen a photo of this on the internet before we left and thought if we had time this was a must see.  Next time I will research how far away things are.   This was worth all the the cold. This is Duomo di Milano ..... Cathedral of Milan. Isn't it stunning. 1386 construction was started.   Read more here on the amazing history of it's construction.   It seems to have been continually worked on over the many years.   The last gate was inaugrated 6th January, 1965. This date seems to be the very end date for all the work on the building. This was a bonus surprise.....so stunning and huge.  Right next to the Cathedral is the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II  this was built be...

On our last day we decided to take a water bus.... vaporetto...... to Burano Island.   Above is Murano Island ... the sign shows a friends surname.  We didn't have enough time to do everything and decided that we had seen enough Murano glass in Venice that we did not need to visit there. This is a Vaporetto or water bus. Our first view of Burano.....oh so colourful.  The rumour we heard is that the wives paint their houses these bright colours so the fishing husbands can see them while they are at see. Isn't it so quaint.  There are lots more colours to follow.  I will let you look at admire. Couldn't resist .... another leaning tower. This is definitely the brightest place we did see.  Shame we didn't get a photo of the door as it had the most beautiful glass work on the door.  It was a little like stained glass but certainly had that Murano touch.  I bought some beautiful glasswork here.  I get the feeling a lot of the glass...