Joyful Greetings

A quick and easy card using die cuts. The string of baubles is from Kaisercraft 'mint twist' collectibles. The greeting is a Paper Smooches die set 'holiday words' and cardstock is from Stampin' Up - pink pirouette, marina mist and whisper white.

Die cuts are a great way to whip up a quick set of cards. To be honest I do 'cherry pick' the set (there are about 50 in each set) as I don't find all of them suitable. But hey, what I don't use either gets Freecycled or donated to my daughter's charges so nothing is wasted! 

I tend to have a couple of sessions, leading into the holiday season, of stamping and colouring small images. I then fussy cut them and use them like die cuts - like in card 2. I find fussy cutting quite meditative. I used to get heaps done whilst waiting around at the kid's extra-curricular activities. Now I have to plan it a bit more!

On a Personal Note -

Weather has finally started to cool down!! It will soon be raking up the mountains of leaves time in my front yard. Just over my front fence is a beautiful old plane tree. It provides dappled light in summer and helps keep our place cool in the heat. In winter we get lots of lovely sunshine so al fresco meals can happen all year round. Hopefully there won't be rain on Easter Sunday so we can have our lunch in some autumn sunshine! I am going to try and rig up a tulle canopy with some bunting to make it look festive.

Here in Oz  -although it is technically Autumn - we still use the Spring imagery of bunnies, chicks and flowers for Easter decor! Think I will be busting out SU's 'everybunny' set again. It's images are adorable.

Happy Crafting!
Cheers
Susie

Builder Cupcake Birthday

I love this punch from Stampin' Up - it has a matching stamp set too! You can stamp and punch or just go crazy with DSP and create 'designer' cupcakes. Lots of fun. That's what I did with these cards.

The cardstock colours are whisper white and strawberry slush from SU and the DSP is from Basic Grey. Loving the little cherries - the punch does those too as well as a candle and flame.

This one uses Whisper white, Marina mist and old olive from SU and some scrap DSP (origins unknown). The embossing folder is 'petals a plenty' from SU and so is the sentiment. I coloured it with markers - old olive and tempting turquoise.

More Basic Grey DSP, 'itty bitty banners' stamp set from SU, coloured with markers. The cardstock is from SU too - very vanilla, lucky limeade, so saffron and wisteria wonder.

The icing part of the cupcake makes pretty cute clouds too!

Apologies for the dappled light - afternoon not good for photography! Won't make that mistake again.

On a Personal Note -

Well the anxiety monster won for the last couple of weeks but I am now creeping back into the world again.

Our cat, Panther, turned 4 yesterday so we gave him a special dinner. Schnitzel was most perplexed as to why he didn't get a special dinner too! He had his last month (he turned 8) and has been wondering ever since what he has to do to access 'happy birthday' meals!

My daughter and I have been spending time together each Thursday morning sorting through photos to scrap into a pet album. We have had many pets over the years - some for a short stay (chickens - torn up lawn anyone? and foster dogs) and others for their natural term (guinea pigs and rabbits). We have also had one who lived long beyond his natural years - Speedy the little fresh water minnowy thing. I was told 2 years max - he lived for 5! outlived the gold fish, fantails and siamese fighting fish. It was a sad day when he went belly up.

Happy Crafting!
Cheers
Susie