Blue Butterflies

 

Hello to all in 'blogland'

Recently I entered a challenge over at I Spy With My Little Eye, and was thrilled

when my card was chosen as one of the Top 2. I was even more thrilled when I

was invited to be a guest designer for their current challenge (# 12), the theme 

of which is "...Something Beginning With 'B'.

This is the card I designed using 3 B's...blue, butterflies and birthday.

I believe the design fold is called a 'box-seat' fold.

This is the back of the card showing the centre panel, where I will write

my personal message to the recipient.

A view from the top of the card, which shows fairly clearly

how the card has been constructed.

This view is of the card lying flat.

Challenges I would like to enter :-

A Place To Start - Monochrome 

Craft Rocket #111 - Birthday

Crafty Animals #80 - Anything Goes (must feature an animal) (2nd entry)

Critter Crazy #83 - Anything Goes (must feature a critter) (2nd entry)

Time Out #257 - Birthday

Triple B - Anything Goes, but must feature either Birds, Butterflies or Blooms

Dies - Cheery Lynn and Sweet Stamps (butterflies); Cuttlebug (21)

DSP - Bella 'Ever After'

Ink for sponging - Distress Ink 'Tumbled Glass'

Glitter cardstock - unnamed

Peel-off sticker is from my junk stash

Embossing Folder - Craft Concepts 'Wings'

Why not pop over to I Spy With My Little Eye and see Ellie and Pauline's gorgeous cards, and the fabulous male card by my fellow guest 'teamie', Pia, then enter your own creation.

Until next time, thank you again to Ellie and Pauline for the invitation.

Hugs,

Jennifer. x

 

First Foamiran Flowers

After seeing lots of beautiful flowers made with foamiran on the internet, 

I decided to acquire some for myself and see what I could create with it. 

This card is to congratulate a beautiful young lady (we have 

known her since she was a little girl) and her fiance, 

on the occasion of their engagement.

The 2 large roses on the left and the small apricot open one on the left are my

very first attempts using Foamiran. They are nowhere near the standard of 

ones I have seen on pinterest, youtube and many blogs, but if I practice

a lot I hope to improve. The foliage and doily are cut with my lovely

new dies, with which I treated myself just before Christmas.

I coloured the white foamiran with various distress inks.

The small rose at the top was made from some tiny scraps of foamiran.

Edit I must apologise for the hot glue strings on the rose...I did not 

see them until I was about to hit 'publish'.

I used a tiny 'Congratulations' peel-off sticker from my huge collection. Lovely

Maddy began piano lessons from John when she was a little girl, and continued

weekly lessons until John became ill in 2015. That is why I included some 

 'music' paper on the card. Maddy is now a very proficient pianist and 

has visited us since we moved from our farm.

Challenges I would like to enter

As You Like It - 'Favourite Die, & Why' I have many favourite dies, but the Spellbinder Rose Creations would have to be #1, as it is so versatile, cuts natural looking petals, and cuts cleanly.

Cardz 4 Galz #63 - 'Anything But Square'

Crafty Friends #75 - 'New Beginnings'

Daisy Chain #15 - 'Something New'

Die-Cut Divas - 'Do or Use Something New'

Fab 'n' Funky #377 - 'Girly'

Fussy and Fancy #203 - 'Distress It'

My Time To Craft #362 - 'Something New'

Paper - Bella Wedding Adore

Dies - Cuttlebug Hearts; Spellbinder Rose Creations; Sweet Stamps Daisy Centre Medallion; Elizabeth Craft Curvy Leaves; Die-Namites Budding Branch 

Flowers - White Foamiran, coloured with various distress inks; stamens, cream rose and tiny apricot rose are from my junk stash

Lace and peel-off sticker are from my junk stash

I hope you have all recovered from the festive season, and are getting back 'into the swing' of regular life. I am finding it very difficult to believe that January will soon be over.

Until next time, "happy crafting" and thank you for visiting.

Hugs,

Jennifer. x

Farewell Doctor Rosie

Good evening to all my fellow bloggers. 

You are all probably wondering about the strange title of my post...

Previously I have shown you birthday/Christmas cards that I have made for our

wonderful G.P. She is only in her early 30's, and told us to call her Rosie. However,

because we are of an older generation, and I as an ex Registered Nurse (Sister), wished 

to show her the respect of using her correct title, we came to the compromise of calling

her "Doctor Rosie", which she loved. About 6 weeks ago her secretary phoned us to 

say that she was leaving the Family Practice, and wanted to see us before she left. 

We were bereft at the prospect as she has been much more than 'just' our G.P. over

these past few difficult years. We realised that she felt likewise because she asked

her secretary to book us as her last patients and just spent some time sitting and

chatting with us. At the end of our 'appointment', she hugged us both, and she

and I shared quite a few tissues. We wish her much success...she deserves it!

This is the card I made her to say "Thank You".

A closer look at the main floral arrangement.

A closer look at the gorgeous pearl flourish, and smaller floral arrangement.

Inside my card where I wrote our heartfelt message of gratitude

and good luck.

Challenges I would like to enter

Card Mania #91 - 'April Showers Bring May Flowers'

Daisy Chain # 7 - 'Spring is in the Air'

Eclectic Ellapu - 'Shabby Chic/Vintage'

Fussy and Fancy #184 - 'Embellish It!'  TOP 5

International Art and Soul #5 -' Distressing'  DT FAVOURITE

In the Pink #116 - 'Flower Power'  PERFECT PINKIE

Making Memories Crafting #3 - 'Add Some Layers'

Through The Purple Haze #121 - 'Springtime'

Try It On Tuesday - 'Botanical'

Paper - First Edition Desert Blooms

Distress Ink - Vintage Photo
Promarker for colouring of flower stamens - Vanilla
Pearl Flourish - Bella! Bling Frame
Flowers, leaves and peel-off sticker are from my junk stash

Until next time, thank you for visiting,
Hugs,
Jennifer x

Little Blue Fairy

Towards the end of August, I posted a card that I had made for a friend

at the Fort. She loved it so much, she asked me to make one exactly the

same to give to another of her 'long-time' friends. She was disappointed

when I told her that I never make 2 cards the same, so we came up with

a compromise...I used the same image, and same design, but used blues

(instead of pinks), and a different sentiment.

I must say that by using the same design and embellishments, the card

was relatively easy and quick to create.

A closer look at the cute little fairy with her dandelion clock wand.

Inside the card matches the front.

Challenges

Crafty Calendar - 'Bingo' (sparkle, die-cuts, blue)

Cutie Pie - 'Three of Something' (2 butterflies on front, 1 inside) WINNER

Whoppsi Daisy - 'Things With Wings'

Image - Lili Of The Valley Time Flies

Colouring - Promarkers

Paper - Bella

Sentiment - Computer Generated 

Dies - Spellbinders Classic and Scalloped Circles, Decorative Labels Eight

Punch - Martha Stewart Butterfly Trio

Flower bead 'ribbon' from my junk stash

I must go and attend to some domestic tasks (boring!!!!). I was in a muddle all day yesterday, as I was so exhausted and sore from the frantically busy week and weekend at the Fort. My duty hours were much longer than usual due to some very special events, and the temps were in the unpleasant mid 30s C. We are only 5 weeks into spring here in Australia, so goodness only knows what sort of summer we are in for. Completely opposite to most arthritis sufferers, I feel much better in the cold weather, and dread the summer because my joints swell significantly, with pain levels and stiffness rising accordingly.

Thank you for visiting, and until next time I wish you "Happy Crafting".

Hugs, 

Jennifer. x

Pretty Bouquet

Wow...it's the 1st August already. Happy birthday to all the horses, and here in Australia it is National Wattle Day.

It is time for my second DT card as one of Lili's Little Fairies. Our challenge theme this time gives you heaps of opportunities to ink up so many of the gorgeous Lili Of The Valley stamps.....

'HERE COME THE GIRLS'

Our lovely sponsor this week is

I have used one of my new LOTV stamps, Pretty Bouquet. Isn't she sweet!

I have had this gorgeous paper for ages, and have procrastinated about using it (you all know I am a paper addict/hoarder don't you). However, this cute image justified me cutting into it. As soon as I saw this little cute-pie, I thought "mmmm...she's a soft pink and blue girl". I have also been hoarding that luxurious lace for what seems like forever.

She was a joy to colour, using my Promarkers as usual. I used the largest die in the Spellbinders Labels Four set to cut the pink mat under the image, and cut out the image itself by lightly tracing around the inside of the die then cutting it out by hand. This gives a very narrow mat. I then glittered everything in sight.

The pin just had a crystal head, and I added the beads myself. The little 

sentiment tags are LOTV.

A closer look at the lovely flowers which I 'smothered' with Stickles.

Inside the card.

Challenges:-

An Oldie But A Goodie - ' Best Dressed' (paper & lace=several years old)

Songbird #25 - 'Favourite Things' (flowers, die-cuts, butterflies, DP, pink)

Totally Papercrafts #177 - 'Use Real Lace, Not Punched'

Passion for Promarkers #209 - 'Summertime Blues'

Sentimental Sundays #165 - 'Anything With Wings'

Papercrafting Journey - 'Punches and/or Die Cuts

Challenges 4 Everybody #25 - 'Anything Goes'

Cute Card Thursday #280 - 'Anything Goes'

Crafts 4 Eternity #134 - 'Anything Goes'

Addicted To Stamps - 'Lots Of Layers'

Whoopsi Daisy - ' Things With Wings'

Card Mania #26 - Summer Blooms'

That Craft Place - 'It's A Girl Thing'

Stamp With Fun #217 - 'Celebrate'

Image - LOTV Pretty Bouquet

Colouring - Promarkers

Ink - Versacube Sage

Paper - Bella Crimp

Sentiments - LOTV Set 24 Sentiment Tags

Dies - Spellbinders Labels Four; Cheery Lynn Flourish Leaf Strip, Butterflies; Marianne

Punches - EK Success Scalloped Corner

Why not pop over to Lili's Little Fairies to see the beautiful cards by my teamies, and enter our 'Here Come The Girls' challenge for a chance to win a lovely prize.

Thank you for visiting, and until next time, "happy crafting".

Hugs,
Jennifer. x

Gardening Bear

Hello fellow crafters,
Greetings on a very cold Sunday night. We are never happy are we - after months of complaining about too much rain here in the Hunter Valley, we are all now complaining that we need some rain desperately.

I have spent most of the weekend catching up the washing, and making the invitations for our 40th wedding anniversary in 6 weeks.  We have invited 22 friends to dinner in a restaurant in our nearest town. My dear friend of almost 50 years, Diane (mentioned in my 1st post) is coming from Queensland. She was my Matron of Honour, as I was her chief bridesmaid. That feels like in another lifetime!

Everyone laughs at the size of the bear's feet. They certainly are large, but then he does need to have a good footing when he is walking around his garden, doesn't he. The image on my card has to be one of my all time favourites. It was given to me in a large box of stamps and assorted paper-crafting goodies, by a lovely young lady, Katie, who I have known since she was a toddler. She has moved onto other interests, including 3 beautiful children, and no longer wants to scrap, or make cards. Thank you again Katie!!!

The card is decorated on the inside to co-ordinate with the front.

Side-on view.

 The stamp is an old PSX one - I have lost count of the number of stamps I have by this now sadly non-existent company...they made such excellent quality stamps.

My new Cheery Lynn Victorian Corner Flourish, and Mini Butterfly dies were used for the first time.

I shall enter this in the following challenges...
          The Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge - In The Garden
          The ABC Challenge - 'P' for Pockets
          An Oldie But A Goodie Challenge - Things with Wings


Until next time...thank you for looking, and happy crafting!

Jennifer. x

Update on little 'Tiger' - he is now home from hospital, and I am thrilled to say that I will be minding him for a couple of hours on Tuesday morning.