Merry Christmas - Craftmad Sketch Challenge

I think this is the first time I have used my "Merry" die which I bought because of my blog name. :-)  This may be a card I make a few more of as it all came together nice and quickly.  The paper is Allison Ellis, lovely and sparkly.

Well, it's back to work for me tomorrow so today I will be making the most of my Sunday at home and the fact that my husband will be watching Bathurst car racing all day.  Yep, I'll be card making.  Hope your day goes to plan.

Christmas Bauble - Craftmad October Sketch Challenge

Friday and last weekday of my holidays - back to work Monday.  I hope I can continue my card making mojo happening.  This is my take on the October Sketch for Craftmad.  I found these lovely papers in my Christmas stash - unsure of where I got them from.  The bauble is a wood shape which I coloured with my Wink of Stella pen then decorated with various gold stickers.  Finished with the banner which I stamped Merry Christmas.  I am having a love hate relationship with this card as sometimes I look at it and think I need something more in the spotty area.  

Have a wonderful day.

Christmas Trees - Craftmad Sketch Challenge

Morning, another Christmas card for you using the September Sketch from over at Craftmad.  I have used Allison Ellis papers and gold stickers to create the card.  It's even more sparkly in real life.

Thanks for passing on by.

Blue Christmas

Hi everyone, I'm on my last week of two weeks holidays.  Found my craft room and have really enjoyed making some cards.  Thought I would share some of the Christmas cards I have made  since Christmas is approaching at a fast speed.  

My life is good, mostly all the normal stuff - work, looking after the house, visiting the kids from time to time, shopping, relaxing and enjoying life, catching up with friends, gardening, walking, touch football but won't bore you with the in between stuff. 

For my card I used the Craftmad July Sketch as a starter and papers from a Graphic 45 paper pad I have.  The Christmas bauble is a laser cut shape from Blue Edge Crafts which I add the blue little card stock behind and hand cut it to shape.  

Purple and Green Swap Card - Tear Bear

This is one of my Purple and Green March Swap cards for Craftmad.  I spied something similar on Pinterest and thought it was a great way to use some scraps as that is mostly what I have left of purple paper as I use it so much. :-) 

I cut lots of strips and attached then added sticker borders to each join, to some of these I added some bling.  Finished with a Tear Bear topper.  I used to create these tear bears years ago and a friend made them into card board toppers to sell on her store….no longer available but my claim to fame. :-)

See you on the next post.

Craft Mad Sketch March - Happy Anniversary

I'm ahead of the game with this card as now I have my anniversary card for my husband made. :-)

Kaye, added the extra challenge of the sketch that the card be a twisted easel card.

Join us over at Facebook and show us your take on this sketch.

I have had these pre coloured images from Stampin Up in my collection for ages just waiting for the right card. I teamed the image with Stampin Up papers.  Finished with three layered hearts punched from matching card stock.  I added the black glitter sticker border to the image to make it pop.

Hoping your day is going according to plan.

March Christmas All Year Round Card Sketch Challenge - Craftmad

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.

Craftmad February Swap - Theme - Pleating

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.

Mum's Birthday - Jar of Nothing :-)

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.

Thanks for visiting.

Craftmad Christmas All Year Round April Sketch Challenge

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.  See you soon.

Pleated Card - Craftmad February Swap

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. :-)

Tasmania holidays

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

A baby Echidna came to visit everyone on the platform. The staff were even excited as they hadnt seen one that close. A baby echidna is called a puggle

Me on one of the many walking tracks around and over Cradle Mountain 

We saw a few Tassie Devils in a park which gets them ready to go back into the wild. This guy yawned for us which gives a typical Tassie Devil pose. 

 More amazing scenery on our way

Cataract Gorge in Launceston 

Tree stump carvings as a wR memoial at Legerwood Tas

With this scenery how could this bull be anything other than relaxed. 

Blow hole on beach at Bicheno

One of two swing bridges at the Airwalk at Tuhane

March Rain Gordonvale

We are having a touch of rain at the moment. :-0

Actually, a lot of rain.  We have never ever had the water come this close to the house in the 20 years we have lived here.  Thankfully, it went down and still a fair way from getting in the house.  However, there is more rain to come. So fingers crossed.

Craftmad Swap using Blue Edge Craft Product

Another catch up photo.  I made this card for one of the Craftmad Card Swaps last year.  We had to use Blue Edge Crafts products on our card.  Everything on my card except the black base card and glossy accents that I used on the little red hearts are from Blue Edge Crafts.    I had fun putting all the layers together.  I think I have now caught up on my creations from last year…….I just hope I keep up my current motivation to create for the whole of 2018.  I am feeling slightly more organised than I have for the past 2 to 3 years. 

Have a great day.

Nephews Birthday Card

I made this card for my nephew who is turning 25.  I thought at this age and being male he doesn't want anything over the top.  So grabbed three washi tape rolls and weaved them together on my card. Finished with a die cut medallion someone had given me and added a star brad to the centre of it.  Then added a Happy Birthday sticker.

Thanks for visiting today.