Happy Birthday Lauren

Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Lauren, happy birthday to you! {Bet you're glad that you can't really hear me singing - think Cameron Diaz karaoke performance in 'My Best Friend's Wedding!}

In honour of the fabulous Miss Lauren's big day I am proving you with some gratuitous Daniel Craig pictures....this was very painful...trying to choose which ones to put up that is....do you know how many pics there are of him out there????? Anyway, I chose these two...the first for obvious reasons.... This second one just 'cause I think he looks sooooo hot with that gun....very suggestive!
Next we have the coolest pic of the divine Frank Sinatra....hope you like this one Lauren...
And finally, a hilariously funny Lolcat....hehehehe....
All of this is by way of an apology for not getting the fabulous birthday card I made posted in time to reach her for the big day.....I promise that it is on it's way via express international post, along with a few little goodies to make up for it! Blame the nasty flu for sapping my will to walk up the hill to the post office...I promise to show a pic once I know she has received it.

I hope to be back tomorrow with something in the creative department to show.....I went to the Australian Museum yesterday to see the fantastic dinosaur exhibit, so I haven't made anything this weekend...I'm starting to have withdrawal symptoms!!!

Hope you all have a great day....especially the birthday girl!

Kristie

Help required...

Ok ladies, this is the recalcitrant ribbon box that I just can't seem to finish off. I know that it needs something more, but without pulling everything off it and starting again I'm not really sure what to do with it! I love the Celery DSP and the flower and the cute little butterflies that I pinched from my mum's stash. The ribbon across the top is nice too....but it needs MORE.
This is just a close up of the super cute Kaiser 'Wood Flourishes' flower that I smeared all over the Celery ink pad...yes I know that flowers aren't green but I liked it anyway! The sparkly in the middle is a large green rhinestone brad with the prongs sniped off. It actually looks really cute IRL.
So....what do you think? What does it need? I don't have any buttons the right colour...wish SU had Celery buttons.... I think I'm struggling so much 'cause it's not pink or purple...I never seem to have any problems with those colours!!!
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated....and if you give me something good you might even get a really nice thank you card in the mail! Of course it would have ribbon on it...can you believe that 2 of these boxes just weren't enough....I still have a basket full of ribbon...is there a ribbon-aholic program I can join????

Thanks for your help {in anticipation that one of you is a great deal more creative than I am...and I know you're out there}.

Have a great day
Kristie

Due to popular demand....

...well Lauren asked and she's pretty popular...here's a picture of Madonna and I, taken by the supremely talented Thomas, aged 4. I'm the freckly one on the left, Mad is the gorgeous one on the right. Hard to believe we're really sisters, isn't it? There's this weird genetic glitch in our family...there are five of us and Mad, our sister Anna and our brother Scott are all very similar - dark hair, olive skin, hazel/green eyes. Mad's twin brother Shaun and I are very alike...I have had complete strangers ask me if I'm his sister...LOL. We both have fairer colouring and brown eyes...and freckles! However, I'm the only one with super fine straight hair.....so not fair God (if you're listening...or blog hopping) and as you can see in this pic, I'm badly in need of a haircut. My excuse is that I'm an "academic" and we are so busy thinking about the "important" things that we are allowed to forget about stuff like haircuts...and buying groceries....reminder to self - must go shopping tomorrow!!!!
So there you go fellow bloggers....this is what I look like...sans make-up and all (academic remember...we disdain such trivial matters LOL). It's actually a little scary putting this out there....with no picture on my profile I maintain some measure of anonymity, but now.....complete strangers might come up to me in the shops and say..."Oh you're that crazy chick I saw on the internet"...well you never know do you?

If I haven't scarred you for life, come back tomorrow and I'll get back to what this blog is really about...craft!! I still haven't finished the green ribbon box and I am going to post a pic and get some suggestions as to what it's lacking/in need of from the talented and generous people who deign to visit my humble innerwebz abode.

Have a great day,

Kristie

THINK PINK!

There's another challenge going on over at Caardvarks, and this time it's Think Pink. All you have to do to enter is create a pink card....I think this one might qualify...

As I mentioned in my post about cards for my nephew and nieces I still had to make a card for my little niece Lexi...whose proper name is actually Alexandra...hence the big A on the card. This one is a bit of a hodgepodge of elements...the chipboard A is from a Papermill alphabet I've had for ages and covered in Pink Passion CS. The base card is Pixie Pink and the side panel is Pretty in Pink with the So Swirly Wheel in the same colour ink. The glittery hearts are Pink Passion covered in Dazzling Diamonds...which is also liberally applied to the A. The ribbon is from some freebie stuff in a magazine I got back in February (Valentines Day) and the silver heart paperclip I picked up at the Scrapbook shop in Warwick when I was visiting my mum...we went halves in the packet and of course I have no idea who makes them! The flower is punched out with the five petal flower punch and the scallop punch...I even crumpled them just a little bit to give them some texture!!! The little pink button is from my mum's stash that I raided. Finally the 'Cherish' sentiment comes from Baroque Motifs and is stamped in Pink Passion.

I had heaps of fun making this one....I just hope Lexie doesn't try to eat it....she's only 17 months old and apparently the last card I sent her looked rather delicious!!!

Hope you're all having a great day,

Kristie

Kristina's Colour Inspiration #13

Wow, two posts in one day! Kristina Werner has posted a new inspiration challenge today and since I was away for the last two I was pretty anxious to play. I really love this bed linen, it's totally gorgeous!!! And the colours are delicious.
So, here's the card that I whipped up. It came together really quickly and I quite like it.
The stamp set is Bodacious Bouquet, the sentiment is from the Cherished Memories rub ons (for my bit of white) and reads 'I'm glad there is you'. The CS is, of course, Regal Rose, Purely Pomegranate, River Rock and Wild Wasabi. I also used Pomegranate, Wasabi and River Rock inks. The ribbon is the delicious Pomegranate double-stitched (a bit more white).
The layout comes from the sketch challenge at Stamp Something.

So, thanks for looking. Hope you're all having a great day.

Kristie

RAK from Tom and cards for the kids

When I was staying with Madonna last week my 4 year old nephew Tom and I had a very interesting conversation....
Tom: What's your favourite colour?
Kristie: Purple. What's your favourite colour Tom?
Tom: Blue....and red.
Kristie: Wow Tom, that's so cool. Did you know that if you mix red and blue you make purple.
At this point Tom's face totally lights up and he got really excited...
Tom: That's so cool, we're the same!

Stay with me here, there's a point to this....
Today when I went out to the mail box, there was an envelope for me and this was what was inside:

Yep, Tommy made me this very cool card....please note that the ants, worms and dragonfly are in purple...cause Auntie Kristie loves purple, he told his mother! How cool is that. He stamped it himself and even wrote his own name. He is the sweetest, most gorgeous kid and I love him to bits. I told him that I would make a special card for him when I got home and so he decided that he should make one for me too. This marvelous work of art will be getting scrapbooked tonight to be treasured forever and ever!

I did ask him if he wanted to me to make him a red and blue card...he said yes, but with purple spots! Eeeekkk....don't freak out, but this is what I came up with:Notice how great minds think alike....we both choose the 'Bugs and Kisses' set for each other....Tom knows I love bugs!!!! I used Real Red, Brilliant Blue and Elegant Eggplant. The circles were punched out with the 1 3/8" punch and (badly) outlined with a multi coloured glitter glue pen that I found at the art store. Not much else to it, but I'm pretty sure Tom will love it...he is 4!!!!

Of course I can't send Tom a card without sending one to his sisters as well. This next one is for 6 year old Katelin. She loves pink and purple, so I used Pixie Pink, Pink Passion, and Orchid Opulence. The stamp Set is the retired 'Merci'. The ribbons came from my amazing Smiggle prize (see post below), as did the little pink flower. The glittery flowers were done with purple Kindyglintz. Very girly huh?

I haven't quite finished the one for Lexi, so I'll put that up tomorrow.

Hope you have a great day,

Kristie

More from Mama

Sorry I didn't get back to post yesterday....unfortunately the flu can back to have another go at making me feel like I'd been run over by a bus! Don't know if it is the same one or whether I just picked up a new one at the concert on Saturday night...I guess with almost 13 000 people in one room in winter there's sure to be plenty of nasty bugs floating around....or it might have been the evil guy on the train who sneezed about 20 times without covering his mouth...yuck!

Anyway, as promised here are a few more of my Mama's creations. This first card uses MY 'Oh So Lovely' set....which she desperately tried to steal BTW!!! And it features some of her fabulous water colouring too. She's pretty good, huh? I think the CS is Rose Red and maybe Always Artichoke?? Bit hard to tell from the pic, but I really should have written the info down :( The sentiment is from 'Short and Sweet'.

This one is from 'Seaside' done in Close to Cocoa. The CS and BG shells are in Creamy Caramel, and the ribbon is (I think) a bit of retired taupe...but again not 100% sure.... The sentiment is from 'Touch of Nature'. I really love the way she did the ribbon on this one. I was a bit unsure at first but when it was finished I really liked it!
This last one uses 'Fishy Friends'. Not sure of the CS colours.... but the photo (which I took!) doesn't do it justice...it's so gorgeous in real life. The heart brad is a Paper Mill one I picked up at Riot. I took her a whole heap of embellishments to play with....in return I got to raid her enormous button jars...and I mean ENORMOUS!! I now have heaps of really cool buttons to play with...I'll take a pic later to show you.
BTW - I told her about the lovely compliments Nikki and Lauren left for her and she was thrilled! And a little freaked out that people on the other side of the world can see what she's been doing and that you liked it! I just have to get her to get broadband and then teach her how to do a blog of her own....there'd be no stopping her then!

Still don't have a pic of the green ribbon box...it needs some more embellishment, but my poor flu riddled brain just can't think what! So, I'll try and get it finished soon so you can see it.

That's it for now....there are still a couple of more Mama cards that I'll get posted in the next few days. I'm off to have a lie down before I go and get some acupuncture later...hopefully that might make me feel well enough to finish all the projects that are sitting on my desk half done and I can have something I made to show you tomorrow.

I might also post a picture that my 4yr old nephew Thomas took of Madonna and I together.....do you want to see what I look like?

Have a great day
Kristie

How clever is my Mama?

As I promised in the last post, I'm back to show you a couple of the cards my Mama made while I was at home. Unfortunately, I'm not entirely sure of all the details of this first card. I know she used the retired 'Merci' set and the 'Create' sentiment from the 'Tres Chic' BG stamp, but I'm not sure where the leaves in the background are from. I could probably look it up in the catty, but to be perfectly honest I'm just way too tired after my late night to be bothered :)

I showed her how to do sponging and she thought it was totally cool and the sky and grass are her first attempt at doing it on a card...pretty good job I think. I'll even agree that the Pumpkin Pie looks good on this card {gasps of shock and horror - I know!!}

I think this second card is totally awesome...not only cause it's purple! This is one of her first attempts at water colouring one of her brand new 'Summer by the Sea' stamps and she did an amazing job...it's even nicer in real life!!! I know she used Plum and Almost Amethyst for the little girl, but not sure what blue or green she used for the sky and grass. The watercolour paper is mounted onto some Elegant Eggplant and then onto an Amethyst card base. The DSP is the Amethyst from the Palette of Prints and the ribbon is Eggplant gg. The sentiment is stamped in Eggplant straight onto the DSP. Isn't this just the most beautiful card??? Maybe I'm biased but she has been doing this for even less time than I have and I'm so proud of how much she has grown and improved.

So, if you'd like to leave her a comment {complimentary only!!!} I'll make sure that she gets them. I know it would be a great encouragement to her that people have seen and liked her work and who doesn't like to make their Mum happy?

Thanks for looking. I'll be back tomorrow to show you some more of her work and maybe even the other ribbon box....it's almost finished!

Kristie

Michael Buble was.....

...completely amazing, awesome, hilarious, gorgeous, and worth every cent of the $100 ticket price! I was a bit sceptical that anyone was worth paying that much to go see...but I'd do it again in a second. My face is sore from laughing, my hands hurt from clapping so hard, and I have NO VOICE from screaming and singing! If you ever get the chance to go see him....do it!
Did I mention he is gorgeous....
If you've heard his stuff on CD or the radio you know he sounds very smooth and polished, but when he performs live he is more relaxed and improvises alot...a real old fashioned entertainer. Oh, and by the way Lauren....he did the best version of 'That's Life' that I have ever heard...it was completely mind blowing! I got a souvenir program and he says that if he had only one album to take to a desert island it would be FRANK....'Sinatra Live at the Sands'...gotta love that!

I can't wait for him to come back so I can go again! Another interesting thing was the audience...everyone from teenage girls to grandparents....he just appeals to all ages. And he is soooooo funny! He had the audience in stitches laughing. Ahhhhh, I've waited so long for this, had the ticket since February and now it's all over I'm sad... I'll just have to drive my housemates crazy playing the CD's over and over and over....

Right, enough about Michael, this is supposed to be a blog about crafty stuff....gotta go do a few chores and I'll be back later to show you some of Mama's creations.

See you then
Kristie

Did you miss me?

Hello there! I'm back from my lovely holiday. It was so nice to spend some time with my family, just chilling out and catching up with everything that's been going on for the last six months. Heard some killer gossip, spent heaps of time with my Gran (not to mention hearing many scandalous stories about the past!!! Not that I know any of the people involved, but it's nice to know that things really haven't changed that much - just that these days people are more open and up front about it!)

Unfortunately, I also go the dreaded flu!! I very rarely get the flu (the last time was 10 years ago!) and when I do I turn into the world's worst patient....kinda like a man really :) So unfortunately I didn't get as much crafting done as I would have liked. Luckily for me Mama's craft room is also the spare bedroom (or MY room as I like to call it) and I got to "supervise" while she created. Over the next few days I'll put up some of the things she made while I was home. I did get the chance to make a couple of things, including a ribbon storage box for her, which I forgot to take a picture of before I left :( It is purple too and super cute...but you'll just have to take my word on that!

Any way...below is one card which I did get made using Mama's brand new Fishy Friends set. I mean really, how cute is this jellyfish. The BG is stamped with the shells from Seaside in Versamark. The card base is Pale plum and the matting for the jellyfish is is Perfect Plum...which are the two colours I used in water colouring him...as well as some blue for the water...but I can't remember which one it was....blame the flu! The sentiment is from By the Sea, stamped on Very Vanilla and mounted on Perfect Plum.

Gran really liked this one so I gave it to her to add to her stash box. Apparently she's been USING the cards I made her for Mother's day and actually sending them to people!!!!

I did manage to do a little shopping while I was away, including raiding Mad's retired stamp sets, so I should have some new creations for you next week, by which time the flu will be gone...I'm slowing killing it with enough garlic to supply a small Italian village for a month!!

On another note...tomorrow night is the BIG night...I'm going to see Michael Buble at the Sydney Entertainment centre...not sure if I mentioned this before but I have a FRONT ROW SEAT!!!! Yes, I am excited....I love Michael...so come by on Sunday for an update on how fabulous he was and how much I drooled. A lot of people have been surprised that I am going by myself....but hey, who needs a distraction like a companion when you have Michael to feast your eyes and eyes upon??? I mean really!!!!!

OK, off to try and catch up on more of the blogs I missed while I was away.
Thanks for stopping by,

Kristie

Blog Candy

Hello from supposedly sunny Queensland! It's so lovely to be here with my family. We've been doing some creating but there's no way to load up pics with this slow old dial up!

If you are interested in the blog candy, head on over to Madonna's site (you can get there from the link on the right). We made a couple of cards on Sunday night and you have to guess which one I made and which one Mad made. If you get it right you'll go into the draw for some fabulous stuff kindly donated by Mad...after going through her stash!! I'll be looking forward to seeing who gets it right. We can only post out to Aussie residents, but I'd love to see any OS guesses...just to see if you can pick my 'style'.

Have a great day
Kristie

Off on HOLIDAYS

Good Morning! (or perhaps afternoon...or evening...or whatever time of day you're actually reading this) This morning I'm heading off to the airport to fly to Queensland and spend almost two weeks with my lovely family! I had hoped to have something cool to show you before I left, but I think I may have packed my Mojo up in my suitcase, because I sure couldn't find it yesterday!!!!

I did make a card for my best friend's son who turned 11 yesterday (Happy Birthday Jack), but I couldn't get a good pic of it before I had to stick it in an envelope to post....so nothing to show there! Last night I also made a cool luggage tag for my suitcase...I had intended to take a pic of it to show you as well, but it is gloomy and overcast and I can't get a nice picture to save my life....sorry! But I did make it with an SU chipboard tag, some Orchid Opulence CS, stamped my initials on it, prettied it up with some butterflies and flowers and some hot purple Kindyglintz. I added a heap of purple ribbon and viola...a luggage tag that no one but me would actually want and if anyone did try and run off with my luggage I'd spot em a mile away!!!

So, I probably won't get a chance to post while I'm away....Mum only has DIAL-UP!!!!! I know, I know....I am going to do my best to convince her of the joy of broadband while I'm there, but I don't know if she'll go for it. And knowing how long it takes blogger to load up pics I can only imagine that with dial-up it may just take all day!!

Anyway, have a fabulous time while I'm gone. I'll be doing lots of creating in Mum's craft room, not to mention Madonna's (which is WAAAY better than mine and has about 10 times the stuff!!!)...once I figure out where I packed that naughty Mojo that is...and hopefully will I have lots of creations to show you when I get back.....just in time to go see Michael Buble....front row seat and all!!!!!

Have a great couple of weeks and I'll see you all on the 19th,
Kristie

I WON

You know how I told you all about Aussie Scrapbooking yesterday, well.... they were having a comp where you had to write a post about them on your blog to be in the running to win this great Smiggles prize:

And guess who won.....ME!!! How totally cool is this prize? And even better, pink buttons and flowers that I could add to my beautiful pink Caddy!! I am so excited, not only is the site totally cool, but they're giving away stuff too!! And really, who better than to give pink stuff to than me, huh???

Have a fabulous day, I am

Kristie

New scrapbook site

There's a great new scrapbooking site just been launched here in Australia at http://www.aussiescrapbooking.com.au/. There's all sorts of cool stuff on there, like how to find your closest scrapbook shop (very useful!!), great competitions, and heaps of inspiration. Go on, check it out, register and enter the comps....promise you'll love it.

PS. Thanks Alisa for sending me there ;)

Whimsical Challenge

Well, its challenge time again for the Elite Stampers. There are always a few challenges each month, but with everything that's been going on around here I've only just got one finished so far.....

This is for the stamp set challenge, which this month was Garden Whimsy, my current favourite! I love using this set with the in-colours and I'm really pleased with the way this one turned out.....

I realise that I usually waffle on a bit when describing what I've done in making my cards and it's probably boring as all get out... so today I'm just going to give you a list of "ingredients" for the recipe...it's pretty basic so I think if you wanted to CASE it, it wouldn't be hard!!!!

Recipe:
Stamps- Garden Whimsy
Ink- Wild Wasabi, Purely Pomegranate, River Rock
Card stock - Very Vanilla, Wild Wasabi, Purely Pomegranate, River Rock
Punches - Corner rounder, Scallop, 1 1/4" circle, 1 3/8" circle
Other stuff - River Rock double stitched ribbon, mat pack & paper piercing tool, Dimensionals, Glue Dots.

How's that? Much more succinct than usual!!!

Only 3 more sleeps til I leave for Queensland to visit my family....YAY! I really feel like a little kid at Christmas...I'm super excited about seeing my Mama and Gran (and my darling sister Mad...and the kids). Unfortunately, I still have heaps to do before I go and probably won't have time for much fun stuff before I leave (ie. craft stuff!!!!) But don't worry, I'll make up for it while I'm away....Mama and Mad have lots of stamps sets that I don't have and Mama put in an order today for a few that I've been wanting a play with and they'll arrive while I'm there...I'll make sure they see plenty of ink before I leave!!!

Better go do some of that boring stuff so I'm not leaving it ALL til the last minute....
Have a great day,

Kristie

Two Challenges....or how to go right out of your comfort zone!

The lovely Nikki is again having a colour inspiration challenge.... number 3 to be precise. While I did participate in the first one, time and the universe conspired against me to do the second. But last night I was in need of some inspiration and so decided to do #3.....
This is the inspiration she posted....gorgeous aren't they???

Now, those that know me well know that I have a bit of an issue with orange... I know, you're wondering what orange ever did to me! Perhaps it's that I can't wear it as it makes me look like I'm about to be violently ill, or perhaps it's my hatred of Pumpkins (long story). But it's NEVER the first colour I'd go for when making a card. For that matter, neither is bright yellow (can't wear that either!). But here it is, a card that uses both.....

It's really pretty simple....Oh So Lovely poppies stamped in Stazon on watercolour paper and coloured using the Bold Brights Wonder Watercolour crayons and an aqua painter. The CS is Only Orange, Basic Black and Yoyo Yellow....first time use for the orange and yellow CS!! The ribbon is 1/4" Pumpkin Pie. It maybe that my brain has been adversely effected by the amount of painkillers I've taken over the last few days, but when it was finished I kinda liked it... mmmmmmmm! There's no sentiment...for some reason I just didn't feel like it needed one....maybe cause those bright colours say it all.

Hope you like it Nikki!!!

The second challenge is from Miss June's blog, Simply Elegant Paper Crafts to celebrate her 1 year anniversary....Happy Anniversary June!!!! She's actually giving away two sets of delicious blog candy and all you have to do is make either a card using scraps, or a gate fold card. *Gifted* as I am, I thought....why not make a gate fold card using scraps???? this way I can qualify for both comps at the same time!

So....everything on this card was a 'scrap' left over from some other project! The So Saffron card base was the other half of an A4 sheet that I'd used for something else....the Gable Green scalloped circles and Regal Rose five petal flower shapes, punched from pieces found in the scrap bag, as are the 1/2" saffron circles in the middle. The Gable Green rectangle....scrap...and stamped with the 'Thanks You' from the Friends Hostess Set in Regal Rose. The Saffron DSP you will recognise from my Kristina Werner CC two posts down! Are you proud of me June....I did not cut or punch into one single whole piece of CS or paper to make this entire card....and it's my very first gate fold card!! I'm thinking I should do this more often....the *scraps bag* is starting to get a little outa control!!!

So there you go, two challenges completed in about an hour last night! I can tell you that crafting is a great way of distracting yourself......not only does it count as *therapy* it's much more fun than going to the physio!!

Hope you're all having a fabulous day,

Kristie

How much Pink is too much?

Is it this much......




Nah....you can NEVER have too much pink (or purple!).

This is an 'Embellishment Caddy' that I got at the same time as I ordered the ribbon boxes and it's made by Kaiser. Only $12!!! I painted it on Saturday afternoon....it was meant to be a nice soft pink, like 'Pretty in Pink' but when it dried it was....brighter. I did actually tone it down a bit by sponging on some white craft ink to give it a distressed look.

An then.... well, yesterday afternoon it was rainy and miserable and I thought it is an embellishment caddy, obviously it needs to be embellished!! I love storage things and I was sick of having all my bits and pieces that didn't really fit anywhere in yucky, boring white plastic trays. Now they have somewhere pretty to live and I'll know where to find them.

There's lots of different things on here (obviously!) and so I'm not going to go into detail about how I did it, but just list the stuff I used. The white rub ons are also Kaiser. The big flowers are from the Pretties Kit, as are the half back pearls, the hat pin and it's shiny bits. I used the five petal flower and scallop punches from SU. The little hearts and butterflies are from a couple of punches I picked up at Big W. The big heart is SU chipboard, covered in Passion Pink CS, Crystal effects and these tiny little rhinestones that I found in my stash and can't remember where they came from. There's also some pink rhinestone brads in the middle of the Pretties flowers. The butterfly stickers I picked up at the $2 shop ages ago. All the ribbon is SU, every Pink ribbon that I have as well as a couple of pieces of white gg. I used Pretty in Pink, Pixie Pink and Pink Passion CS and markers (to colour the flowers).

I could probably add a few things to the sides....they're a bit bare compared to the rest of it! So I'll see what I can find in my travels....maybe some pink buttons...mmmmmm.

Anyway, I like it, as 'busy' as it is, and it's certainly a much nicer storage solution than the awful white plastic trays! I just need to finish the other ribbon box and I'll have a place for everything.

Although the cardboard shelfy things I also use for storage are this nasty, boring gray....I'm thinking that a can of spray paint would fix that! Not sure what colour though....maybe more pink??? Or purple?? Well, there are two of them so maybe one pink and one purple. Or maybe a nice patchwork of different designer papers...mmmmmm. It will brighten my room up on these dreary winter days that's for sure!

Anyway, better go now and do some translation for my very last Coptic dialects class tomorrow!!! YAY! (that it's the last class, not that I have to do translation).

Have a great day,
Kristie

Kristina Werner's CC #10

Kristina didn't have a colour challenge last week :( Can't blame her though, that is one busy, busy girl! Then yesterday I came across this...a weekend colour challenge.

I was intrigued. For some reason these colours really caught my imagination. My back was killing me and so I thought I'd just have a little lay down and rest for a bit....but the idea for this card just wouldn't let me relax! Like Mad says...sometimes you've just got to get it out before your head explodes (or something like that....right???)

So, this is the idea that wouldn't leave me alone:

Sorry about the crooked pic, but I really couldn't be bothered trying to take another one, and my photo editing skills are non-existent! But I think it's pretty clear what I was trying to do. The card base is Bashful Blue, and of course that made me think of the sky.... the fence is an Old Olive scallop made with the slit punch and the palings are drawn in with the matching marker and smeared a bit with the aquapainter for a more 'fence like' look. The flowers and butterflies come from the 'Time Well Spent' set and were stamped in Craft White and clear embossed, on So Saffron and Not Quite Navy respectively, before being cut out. A couple of the flowers are covered in Crystal Effects and popped up on dimensionals. The butterfly on the fence just had its spots coloured in with the white gel pen, but the one flying away had it's dots dabbed with CE and sprinkled with Dazzling Diamonds glitter....it's not very clear in the pic but it is all pretty and sparkly! It's 'trail' was just pierced. They were both stuck on with half a dimensional only on the body bit and the wings are kinda flapping around.

The sun is a So Saffron Scallop punched out and turned and punched again to make it more sun like....(thanks for that idea Miss Treez!) The 'Happiness' sentiment is stamped in Saffron and comes from 'Warm Words'. The clouds are sponged in White, through the left over scallopy bit....how do you explain that??? Anyway, the craft ink gives them a nice 'fluffy' texture.

Finally, the 'daisies' along the front of the fence come from a piece of Saffron DSP from the Palette of Prints.....I'm getting my money's worth from those! I think that's everything....

Right, that's enough waffling on. I just love this card....might even stick it up on the wall and just look at it for a while, cause it makes me feel summery when it's starting to get a bit chilly here in Sydney!

Have a great day,

Kristie