MerryMade Crafts etc ...

I'm enjoying catching up on these Craftmad Christmas All Year Sketch challenges at least it gives me a little head start for Christmas time. So this is what I did with the March Challenge ( find it here and join in ). I just can't go past red and green for christmas so layered so of these colours for the card.  Found the polka dot paper for the top.  Then attached the clear sticker snowflakes ( Sticker Store ) to gold paper before hand cutting them out to attach to the front of the card. Thanks for visiting, I'll be back soon.

My second pleated card for the Craftmad February Swap.  I saw this style of pleating on Pinterest so wanted to have a go.  Found some Stampin Up papers as I knew they would work together.  Pleated the paper which needed a little tweaking to make it curve, topped the pleat with a thin satin ribbon.  Finished with paper flowers and my very last flower that I crocheted a couple of years ago.  I will have to have another try at these.  The sticker sentiment from Sticker Store I coloured with my Copic pen to match it with the papers.

I had no idea what to get Mum this year  for her birthday and I think my brother was in the same boat.  Mum is always saying don't get me anything, I have all I need, you do enough etc.  So my brother and family gave her this lovely tiara and an '18' badge to wear upside-down.  I gave her an empty jar that I had decorated and labeled 'Nothing'.  Wrapped it up and told Mum that the present is something she had always asked for. Mum loved it and the jar went down to church with her  on her next visit for  show and tell. I also bought a helium ballon kit from Kmart and blew up 30 balloons (all that was in the kit)  and gave to Mum.  I think I had as much joy blowing the balloons up as Mum had receiving them. I have had a card kit from two years ago that one of the ladies for our Craftmad get together had handed out to everyone.  I finally found time to put all the pieces together and gave this all to Mum as well. Tha...

This my take on the Craftmad Christmas All Year Round April Sketch Challenge ( everyone can join in here ). As well as the sketch Kaye challenged us to create a Christmas tree to put on the card.  Challenge accepted. :-)   I found a white Bazzill christmas shape in my stash and coloured it with a variety of green ink pads and copic pens.  Whilst digging through every thing I saw the pile of bag strap chains from clutch bags and decided they would look good cut down as the trimming for the tree. The ornaments were in one of my storage containers.  The string was sitting on my desk from a parcel I received from New Zealand.  The christmas tree had a pre-cut hole at the top, I tried covering it with a star but that looked silly not sitting at the very top of the tree.  Found a green heart eyelet that fit perfectly so I painted it with nail polish so that it suited the papers a little better. Now on to the regular Craftmad monthly challenge. ...

Time to catch up on some cards before I return to work after two weeks holidays.  Our theme for the February Swap over at Craftmad was Pleated Cards.  I found this scalloped edge strip on paper in my stash that was already pre-scored so that is where my card started.  The bottom strip of paper is very old Stampin Up paper.  I attached a paper doily and this wonderful tea cup that I received from my Secret Santa last christmas and finished with a "let's celebrate" sticker from Sticker Store.   Wishing you all a beautiful day.  It is here, the birds are chirping the sky is blue and the air is cooler than  it has been. :-)

Hi everyone, currently sitting at Hobart airport waiting for our delayed flight home after a two week driving holiday of Tasmania.  My first ever visit.  Loved it and will have to visit again sometime.  Some photos for you. So hard to reduce the photos. One a day and some just had to be two for the day.  This post didn't go through at Hobart.  We are now back home in Gordonvale near Cairns.  A lot of travelling but it is always nice to be home and cuddle our dog. View from our Wrest Point motel room.  First night in Hobart,Tasmania Steps up to lookout at Bruny Island, yes we both had sore calves the next day The oldest stone span bridge in Australia - Richmond, Tas Archway on way to Port Arthur, Tas Port Arthur Forest of some Australia's tallest eucalyptus trees Some pretty scenery on walk to St Clair Lake Steam train ride through the forest at Queenstown. They are turning the engine around ready for the trip home...