Fiery Dragon/dinosaur

 

Hello to all out there in 'Blogland'.

Do you find that while some months are more relaxing as far as needing to

make birthday cards, several others have birthdays coming at an alarming 

rate? Those months for me are January, February, March and July.

This card was for a dear little boy we have known since he was born. I 

matted several images from a sheet of DSP by Art Stamps Australia. 

I die-cut the various stars from glitter foam, and the greeting is 

Stampin' Up.

A close-up look at the dragon/dinosaur. I think he is trying

to be scary, but I just think he is so cute.

Challenges I would like to enter :-

Crafty Animals #80 - Anything Goes

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

Cupcake Inspirations #588 - Dinosaurs

Do-A1(1) Creative #86 - Anything Goes + Optional Mystical or Vintage

Lets Craft and Create #204 - Anything Goes + optional Dots and/or Stripes

I must go and bring the washing off the line, so until next time thank you for visiting.

Hugs,

Jennifer. x

Berries

 

Good evening. I have another Christmas card to show you. This one features an

interesting fold. I think it may be called a faux step card.

I enjoyed making the card base, so I made a few cards using the design, but

with different DSPs. The card folds flat, and fits into a standard C6 envelope.

 

This angle shows how the card sits for display. I decorated the card inside

to match the front.

Challenges I would like to enter:-

ABC Christmas 'A' and 'B' - I chose ''B' is for Berries'

Peace On Earth Christmas #55 - Mood Board or Anything Christmas Goes

The Holly and Ivy #154 - Anything Christmas Goes (2nd entry)

Dies - Stampin' Up Christmas Cheer; Spellbinder Scalloped Square

DSP - Stampin' Up Painted Christmas

Stamps - Stampin' Up Christmas Banners

Bronze cardstock is from my junk stash

Until next time, thank you for visiting,

Hugs,

Jennifer.  x

Classic Automobiles

 

Good Evening.

Living here in our retirement village is a lovely friend who is turning 80.

He is a true gentleman, and it was a pleasure to make this card for him to

celebrate this special milestone birthday.

I sponged around the card base and snippets of cardstock for the script layer, greeting and car 

bases with distress ink. I had stamped the script with Walnut D.I., but I felt it was too dark, so

I covered it with vellum, attached with brads. The cars, gentleman and '80' were cut from 

snippets of bronze mirror card, left over from my Christmas card-making marathon.

The inside of the card continues the 'classic' theme.

Challenges I would like to enter :-

Creative Knockouts #512 - Celebrations

Cut It Up #294 - Anything Goes

Double D - Anniversary or Birthday (optional - use bronze)

Dragonfly Dreams - Planes, Trains and Automobiles

I Spy With My Little Eye #10 - Something Old and/or Something New (the 'Happy Birthday' stamp is new, the dies are very old)

Paper Funday #61 - Anything Goes (optional Celebrate)

Snippets Playground #471 - Celebration

Unicorn #94 - Birthday

 

Dies - Marianne LR 0198; Couture Creations Exquisite Gentleman; Cuttlebug Olivia

Stamps - Stampin' Up Go To Greetings, Peaceful Moments; Darkroom Door Script

Inks - Ranger Distress Ink Gathered Twig, Walnut

Brads, Vellum, Bronze mirror card - from my junk stash

Until next time, thank you for visiting,

Hugs,

Jennifer.  x

P.S. I apologise if the main paragraph is 'weird'. In my draft it appears normally formatted, but in my preview it is weird. I have tried for ages to correct it, but to no avail, so have just decided to 'publish' as is.

Gold Stars

Good evening, I hope you all had a happy festive season.

It is almost 9 months since I posted anything on my blog, because 2023 was a year like no other.

I have had multiple ambulance trips to hospital for herniated discs in my neck and lower spine; a malignant melanoma removed; plus liver, kidney and thyroid problems. Worst of all, my beloved husband of more than 51 years became so frail, requiring 24 hour care that we had no choice but to move him into a nursing home. Although extremely weak physically, he is mentally as 'sharp' as he always has been (passing all cognitive tests with 100%), so it breaks my heart that I am no longer able to physically care for him, and that we cannot spend our final years living together.

I did however manage to make all our Christmas cards, plus many birthday (and sadly) sympathy cards throughout the year. The card below uses a die I bought in a sale, and this is its first time in use.

I saved all the star centres, and used them as embellishments on other cards.

Challenges I would like to enter:-

ABC Christmas - 'Y' (your choice) or 'Z' (is for zebra)

Christmas Kickstart #82 - The Midas Touch

The Holly and the Ivy #153 - Anything (Christmas) Goes

Merry Little Christmas #54 - Anything (Christmas) Goes

Dies - Uniquely Creative Star Wreath; Stampin' Up 

DSP - First Edition Christmas Village (very old)

Gold Mirror Card - from my junk stash

Sentiment - Stampin' Up Stars Are Shining

I will try to blog more regularly, so until next time, thank you for visiting.

Hugs,

Jennifer. x

Happy Easter

Good afternoon. In my previous post I showed you one of the 5 chocolate

box/cards I made for an order. That one was in pinks, and this afternoon

I have 2 more to show you...1 is in purple tones, and the other is in green,

yellow and orange tones.

While all 5 box/cards are in various colours, the actual boxes are all

exactly the same size and design. I bought a large block of chocolate,

and experimented with scraps of cardstock until I had a perfect size

for that particular chocolate block which is probably the most common

one in Australia.

A closer look at the floral arrangement.

Inside the box/card, showing the little pocket with its tag

on which to write a personal message; and the large pocket

that holds the block of chocolate.

This is the 'green' box/card.

A close-up look at the pretty flowers and foliage.

Challenges I would like to Enter:-

Craft Rocket #102 - 'Layer It Up'

Fab 'n' Funky #570 - 'Use Die Cuts'

Make My Monday #197 - 'P' is for... (purple, pocket) (2nd entry)

My Time To Craft #505 - 'Easter or Spring Flowers'

The Paper Funday #52 - 'Anything Goes; with optional twist, Flower Power'

Through the Purple Haze #203 -'For Girls'

DSP - Stampin' up; First Edition Spring Drop

Sentiments - LOTV; Peel-off sticker

Dies - Stampin' Up; Spellbinders; Creative Expressions; Cheery Lynn; Dies R Us

Flowers, ribbons, brads, pearls are from my junk stash

Until next time, thank you for visiting,

Hugs, Jennifer. xx

P.S. If you are wondering what happened to the block of chocolate I used to create the template for my box/card.....you'll have to keep wondering, 'cause that's my secret 😁😁😄.

 

Zoooom, Zoooom!

 

Good afternoon.

In the first few months of each year I need quite a few cards

for men and boys. However, because I have been unwell,

this year I have had to make fairly simple, quick cards.

For this card I used a topper from a collection of male toppers 

I have had for ages, and had completely forgotten about. 

This is the sentiment on the insert of my card.

Challenges I would like to Enter

My Time To Craft #503 - 'Birthday'

Topper - Craft Creations Ltd

Sentiments - Stampin' Up Hello, and Happiest Birthday Wishes

Dies - Spellbinders Classic Squares; Stampin' Up Art Gallery

Until next time, thank you for visiting,

Hugs,

Jennifer.  xx

006.9

Good afternoon.

I'll bet the title of this post had you confused. I created this card greatly

influenced by a certain spy, very well known in a series of movies, but I

thought "there is really only one 00..., so 006.9 will have to suffice."😉

In my last post, I used this same new die-set, and as I mentioned I made quite

a few cards of very different styles. I have decided that for this, and my next

several posts, I will show you some of those cards to illustrate the

incredible versatility of the die-set.

I didn't put a sentiment on the card front, thinking that the 

card could be used for a number of occasions. The stamped

greeting inside the card, likewise.

Challenges I would like to enter:-

Die Cut Divas - 'Anything Goes' (2nd entry)

NBUS #31 - 'Anything Goes' (2nd entry)

The Male Room #155 - 'Black and White' (hope the off-white card stock is okay)

Die Set - Stampin' Up Suit and Tie

Sentiment - Stampin' Up Peaceful Moments cling stamp set

Colouring - Promarker Almond (for neck)

Black heat-set gems are from my junk stash

Off-white pearlised texured cardstock, and black glitter card - from my scraps/offcuts box

That all for today...I am now off to the supermarket to do our weekly shopping. Does anyone else hate this task?

I will be back in a day or two with another card, so until then thank you for visiting.

Jennifer.  xx

 

Brown Suit

 

Hello to all the bloggers out there. I hope you are still staying safe

in these uncertain times.

Earlier this year, I saw a die-set in a Stampin' Up catalogue but completely 

dismissed it with "I'd never use that set"......how wrong can one be??? 

 

When I saw some cards recently on Pinterest using the dies I purchased the set 

from a Stampin' Up demonstrator who lives in our retirement village, and 

became instantly 'hooked'.  It is such a versatile set, so I made quite a few

cards of various styles...some for men and boys, and some for ladies.

Challenges I would like to enter:-

Die Cut Divas - 'Anything Goes'

NBUS #31 - 'Anything Goes'

Pixie's Snippets Playground #414 - 'Ruby's Memory'

The Sisterhood of Crafters - 'Happy Birthday'

Die Set - Stampin' Up Suit and Tie Dies

Punches - Stampin' Up Oval Plain and Scalloped Duo; EK Success Small Circle

Colouring - Promarker Almond (for neck)

Sentiment - Stampin' Up Peaceful Moments stamp set

Cardstock, striped paper, and glitter card (tie-pin) - from my large box of snippets and off cuts

Just a quick post on this cool and overcast day.

Until next time,

Hugs,

Jennifer.  xx

 

Daisy Thanks

 

Hello fellow bloggers. After a 3 month absence I am hoping to post more

regularly. Both John and I have had health issues, but during the long break

 I have not been completely idle...I have made many of my Christmas cards

as well as creating a large mixed media art work for a wedding gift (which

sadly has had to be postponed for a second time due to this awful virus).

Several months ago I drove 7 hours north to a reunion for those of us who began

our secondary schooling in 1963😲...yes, that long ago! I had a wonderful week-

end, catching up with old friends and reliving many memories. A pleasant surprise 

was that three of our teachers attended. The reunion, almost 2 years in the planning

 was so well organised, mostly by one lady living approximately 1,500 kms (1,000 miles) 

away from the reunion. To thank Jenny for her mammoth effort, 

I gave her this card (with a box of choccies).

I thought the stamped sentiment inside the card was perfect for 

the occasion.

A closer look at my handmade daisies and the die-cut greeting.

Challenges I would like to enter:-

Ally's Angels #51 - 'Anything Goes'

Creative Fingers #217 - 'Anything Goes'

Happy Little Stampers (dies) - 'Anything Goes with Dies'

The Flower Challenge #61 - 'Use A Shape' (square) (must use handmade flowers) (5th birthday)

Dies - Spellbinders Oval; Tonic Studios Daisy Lace Square; Sue Wilson Creative Expressions Isobel; Memory Box Fauntleroy Crest

Punches - Carl Daisy; Martha Stewart Fern; Stampin' Up Scalloped Oval

Colouring - Promarkers  (Yellow and Vanilla) to colour pearls and daisy centres

Sentiment - Stampin' Up Peaceful Moments cling stamp set

Pearls and border sticker - from my junk stash

Please all stay safe in these uncertain and scary times.

Until next time (hopefully soon),

Hugs (virtual of course)

Jennifer.  xx

 

Beaded Ribbon

Hello fellow bloggers.

Today I return with my card for the mid-challenge reminder over at  

Christmas Craft Creations where I was thrilled to be invited to join 

the very talented design team as Guest Designer for January. 

The theme this month is Ribbon or Twine.

 

I have had this technique idea somewhere in the back of my mind for several

years, and the theme of ribbon or twine was the perfect opportunity to work

out how to achieve it. 

I am definitely not adept with a needle and thread, so perhaps I was a tad  

ambitious. It took me ages to 'fluff' and sew the ribbon to the die-cut, adding 

each pearl bead with the stitching. Eventually though, I was finished, and

considering my struggle, including some stabbed fingers (and some

 naughty words😮), I was fairly happy with the end result.

Back within my comfort zone, I really enjoyed colouring this

sweet image with my Promarkers.

The greeting is recycled from a store-bought card, and I

shaped the ends of the tag with a very old corner punch.

Challenges I would like to enter:-

Addicted To Stamps and More #397 - 'Christmas'

Dragonfly Dreams - 'Pearls and/or Gems'

Merry Little Christmas #29 - 'Anything Christmas Goes'

Passion For Markers #576 - 'Buttons and/or Bows'

Let's Squash It!! #4 - 'Embossing Folder and an Animal' (2nd entry) (must show logo)

Image - Magenta Holly Branch

Colouring - Promarkers

Dies - Spellbinders Floral Doily Motifs

Dry Embossing - Stampin' Up Embossing Folder  Softly Falling

Punch - EK Success Corner Punch (I think)

Ribbon and Pearls are from my junk stash

I would like to once again send a big thank you to Charlotte (aka Lady Joyful) and the rest of the Design Team at Christmas Craft Creations for inviting me to join them for the month of January. For the chance to win a lovely stamp set, why not pop over to be inspired by the team, then enter your own 'Ribbon or Twine' creation.

Until next time, thank you for visiting, and stay safe,

Sending virtual hugs,

Jennifer.   xx

Birthday Thank You

 

Good afternoon.

It was my birthday a couple of days after Christmas, and 2020 saw a

milestone...70! HOW did that happen???

There was nothing I could do about it, but I'll just pretend it didn't happen.😁

Each Boxing Day some beautiful friends always have us to their home, and we

always have a lovely time. After the beautiful meal, I received a BIG surprise.

They had made a yummy cake with candles, THEN presented me with two 

very beautiful and extravagant gifts. I shed a few tears of joy, as I have 

only ever had three birthday cakes in my 70 years.

This is the card I made to thank our friends for such a wonderful

birthday/Christmas evening. 

A close up look at the tiny hand-made flowers, and the stamped "Thank You".

Challenges I would like to enter:-

As You Like It - Favourite Colour Duo and Why. (Soft pinks and greens as they remind me of spring, which I love)

Little Red Wagon #585 - 'Die-ing To Get Crafty'

My Time To Craft #448 - 'Thank You'

Simply Create Too #166 - 'Fave Colour Combo (soft pinks and greens)

The Funkie Junkie Boutique - 'Something Delicate'

Dies - Creative Expressions Scarlet; Tim Holtz Alterations Sizzix Thinlets 661806 (mini florals); Cuttlebug Vintage Corners (negatives used in corners)

Ink for sponging - Tim Holtz Distress Inks Aged Mahogany, Scattered Straw, Peeled Paint

Paper - DCWV The Lace and Linen Stack

Sentiment - Stampin' Up Cling Set Peaceful Moments

Tiny beads are from my junk stash

It's time to bring the washing in from the clothesline, and feed our fur baby kitty (who turned 16 at Christmas), so until next time "thank you" for visiting.

(Socially distanced) Hugs

Jennifer.  x 

Green Chocolate Card/Box

Good Evening.

Recently I showed you a chocolate card/box I made using pink blue, and 

silvers. I made 6 of these in all, and while they were all made using the

same template, all are in different colours.

This one is made using a luxurious linen-like paper.

A closer look at my handmade poinsettias, and mixed foliage.

Inside my card/box with the message tag, and a yummy chocolate in situ.

Another close up look at the flowers, and the tiny die-cut sentiment.

Challenges I would like to enter:-

Allsorts #600 - Christmas Flowers, Wreaths, and Trees

Beccy's Place - Day 30 'Do what you love' (Anything Goes)

Dies - Cheery Lynn Poinsettia Strip; Tim Holtz Holiday Greens; Stampin' Up Sweetest Border; Spellbinders Holiday Sentiments, Scalloped Ovals; Creative Expessions Pine Cones and Greenery

Paper - First Edition Christmas Village

Ink for sponging - Distress ink Aged Mahogany, Peeled Paint, Iced Spruce, Forest Moss

Ribbon, 'berries', gold cord, eyelets are all from my junk stash

Goodness, we are less than an hour until December...how did that happen??????

Until next time, Thank you for visiting,

Hugs,

Jennifer.  x

Silver Trees

 

Good afternoon.

At the beginning of this year I made a promise to myself that I would

limit my urge to add lots of goodies to my junk stash. I managed to

keep my promise fairly well, but when I saw this gorgeous 3D

Embossing Folder, my resolve mega-melted!

The E.F. is large, and because it is 3D, the naturalistic layered look of the forest is

fabulous. I LOVE it! I bought that lovely snowflake ribbon about 3 years ago at

a craft show, and decided that it was time to use it.

For my greeting, I used dies from 2 different sets.

The insert of the card has snowflakes punched in each corner, and 

I used this rather large peel-off sticker I have had for 'yonks'.

As I'm sure you all know, gold and silver are really difficult to photograph (as is

glitter). I took almost 20 photos from all different positions, but none were fully

successful, so please forgive the quality of my photos.

Challenges I would like to enter:-

Allsorts #600  - Christmas Flowers, Wreaths, Trees

Beccy's Place - Day 23  'T' (Trees)

Cute Card Thursday #662 - Silver or Gold

Double D - Winter Blues   TOP 3

Fezziwigs Festive Frolics - Decorate The Tree

Embossing Folder - Stampin' Up 3D Evergreen Forest

Dies - Cottage Cutz Rustic Scene and Trees; Cheery Lynn Merry Christmas Set; Spellbinders Holiday Sentiments

Ribbon - Craft Queen

Peel-off sticker is from my junk stash

On this boiling hot, record-breaking day I will go outside, and try not to melt while I take my washing off the clothesline.

Until next time, stay safe, and thank you for visiting,

Hugs,

Jennifer.  x