Male Birthdays

Male birthday cards are often difficult to design and not be boring with just a sentiment!

With these I have tried some different techniques - fussy cutting, die cutting and direct to stamp colouring. I have also tried to mix the colours up a bit from the 'traditional' blue, brown and green!

This first one uses Stampin' Up (SU) cardstock in wisteria wonder and whisper white and an SU sentiment in wisteria wonder. The fish are fussy cut from a Kaisercraft paper pad. The patterned paper is a mystery one.

Stampin' Up cardstock in crumb cake, chocolate chip, tangerine tango and very vanilla. An SU sentiment in chocolate chip and tangerine tango. American crafts patterned paper and a Tim Holtz 'tattered leaves' die cut that I crumpled.

Stampin' Up cardstock in sahara sand, bashful blue and very vanilla. An SU sentiment in chocolate chip, summer starfruit and bashful blue. The patterned paper is from my stash.

So, some 'boy' cards that don't rely on trucks!

On a Personal Note -

Another 'fine tune' of medication in progress. Let's hope it's a step forward!

This week I have been working on my Christmas stall stock and 'spring' cleaning my bedroom. I should really call it autumn cleaning! It is 7/8ths done. Just have to turn the mattress, remake the bed and buy myself a new bedspread. (I see IKEA in my future..) Also have to finish hanging some new artwork. Will be very happy once it's complete.

Next stop the Livingroom - under/behind the couches,,,ugh!

Happy Crafting!
Cheers
Susie

Add Some Sparkle and Shine

Hello, Bonjour, Gutentag - the sum total of my languages learnt at school! Since then I have picked up a smattering of Italian and Spanish, flirted with Japanese and still hope to learn Gaelic. I love language and languages.

What I also love is sparkles! My family used to call me a 'sequin junkie' because the things I gravitated to were sparkly. I still adore beading on fabric and glitter on paper. A new product I came across at Christmas was the Wink of Stella range. I have only used the clear version so far - but how wonderful it is! It comes in a pen type applicator with a soft brush tip. Very easy to use.

The following cards have all been anointed with Wink of Stella. You can add sparkle and shine also with glitter, glitter glue, glimmer paper, shimmer paint and sprays and metallic cardstock and foil. And don't forget rhinestones, pearls etc. The sky's the limit!!

This first card uses Stampin' Up (SU) cardstock in very vanilla and so saffron and champagne glimmer. The patterned paper is from Websters Pages. The glimmer snowflakes are a MFT die. The metallic gold cardstock is from my stash. I coloured the raised portions of the SU embossing folder with Wink of Stella - clear. 

Stampin' Up cardstock in very vanilla and baked brown sugar,and gold brushed metallic cardstock. The music paper is from my stash. 'Noel' is a Tim Holtz die. Again - I coloured the raised portion of a Sizzix embossing folder with Wink of Stella - clear.

Stampin' Up cardstock in whisper white, basic grey and poppy parade. SU edgelit for the pinking frame and the patterned paper is from Authentique. On the grey embossing of the Cuttlebug folder the Wink of Stella is more subtle.

Last but not least! Stampin' Up cardstock in sahara sand and lucky limeade. The pattern paper is from my stash. A Memory Box die made the pine needle border. The stamped images are from 'heirloom ornaments' and 'tree trimmings' from SU and stamped in lucky limeade. I coloured the non-inked portions of the images with Wink of Stella - clear.

On a Personal Note -

We are having lovely crisp autumn days so far this week. Sunny but brisk with the temperature taking a nose dive about 3pm. Definite sock weather - and throw rugs in use!

The cat has discovered my daughter's electric blanket and barely moves from her room. She doesn't leave it on during the day but he laps up the residual warmth from overnight and burrows under her covers to milk as much as possible!

Hope you are fairing well in your climate zone.

Happy Crafting!
Cheers
Susie

365 Christmas Update - May

Been beavering away on more Christmas cards for my Facebook project and also on some items for a stall my daughter and I are holding in December. As I don't want to be burning the midnight oil come November I have mapped out a weekly schedule for the rest of the year. 'Little and Often' is my new mantra!

Any how here are a couple of the latest Christmas cards - bit of a snowflake theme!

SU cardstock in Whisper white and Basic grey. Patterned paper is from Bo Bunny 'Candy cane lane' collection. MFT 'Jumbo snowflake' and Wplus9 'Hand lettered holiday' are the dies used.

SU cardstock in Rich razzleberry and Coastal cabana. The patterned paper is from Bo Bunny 'Altitude' collection. Dies used are Spellbinders 'Borderabilities', Wplus9 'Hand lettered holiday' and Dienamics 'Let it snowflakes'. The snowflakes are cut out of a pearlized paint chip.

SU cardstock in Whisper white and Bashful blue. The patterned paper was a freebie from a magazine. The snowflakes are cut out of whisper white and silver glimmer paper. The dies used are Dienamics 'Let it snowflakes', Cheery Lynn 'Snowflowers', Spellbinders 'Create a flake'.

On a Personal Note -

Weather has definitely turned to winter this last week. Very brisk days and chilly nights - no rain though, so very thankful.

Used my Mothers day present yesterday to make some cream of cauliflower soup - Yum! Love new kitchen toys (and craft toys!).

My daughter made a very yummy lemon cheesecake for tonight's dessert. Lucky I didn't eat lunch!! The 'Battle of the Bulge' continues unabated. I have a 'I love (me)/I will never leave you (food)' relationship with food. I enjoy food's tastes/textures immensely and it enjoys sticking stubbornly to my anatomy! The other hurdle is that I find exercise for exercise's sake just makes me feel murderous. An hour on the treadmill is an hour away from creating/seeing friends/being with my family etc. Working hard to incorporate as much incidental activity into my day as possible - this I can do and will maintain; and bonus - it's free!

Happy Crafting!
Cheers
Susie

Happy Mothers Day

Happy Mothers Day to all of you out there. It's nice to be appreciated isn't it! My two are way past the craft/gift stall at school (way past school in fact) but I still remember their delight at how 'clever' they felt when presenting their gifts in the morning. As I have been solo parenting them for most of their lives my earlier breakfasts in bed usually consisted of cornflakes and a juice but the delight and love shining in their faces was the best part of breakfast!

Now, many years later, the breakfasts are more elaborate but the love and tenderness is still there. I count them as the best thing I have done in my life. They are loving, caring and empathetic, hardworking and have a wicked sense of humour. Great fun to be around. Lucky me.

I think Mothers day is important not for the gifts (although they are nice!) but for the chance to just have a day to breathe and take stock of the amazing little people that we have created. To just bond and snuggle and remember why we all love and need each other. These things can be hard to remember in the almost never ending treadmill of daily life. The dust bunnies can definitely wait!!

Anyway - as promised - here is the card I made for my mum.

The products are SU and the colours are very vanilla, blushing bride, strawberry slush and certainly celery. Stamp sets are 'circle circus' 'kindness matters' and a general greetings set. The patterned paper is  Tea42 and the embossing sets are also from SU. The only non-SU product is Wink of Stella - clear, which I used to make the embossed areas subtly sparkly.

On a Personal Note -

I had a lovely Mothers Day yesterday. A cooked breakfast in bed and a coffee then 3 rounds of Bananagrams before we all met up with my mum and niece and nephew at a local coffee shop/bistro for a yummy lunch. We scored a table under the heater so it was nice and toasty!

When we got home my son and I started watching the football together but I promptly fell asleep. Nanna nap time for me!

They catered dinner as well and were generally solicitous throughout the day. I felt very nurtured and loved.

On Saturday I had a brunch for some girlfriends to celebrate our Mum-ness. Much laughter and reminiscing. Here are a couple of photos of the table courtesy of my daughter. She was an absolute rock helping me get ready.

Mini almond and raspberry friands

Apple rose pastries - thank you Pinterest!

The savouries - mini salmon or ham quiches and spanakopita.

Will definitely do this again as it was a lot of fun. I enjoyed getting in and doing some serious baking and then 'playing ladies' with my vintage china and napery.

I hope your Mothers day was filled with love and laughter.

Happy Crafting!
Cheers
Susie

Think Pink - more Mother's Day

Well, to be honest, two pink and one blue! They all use quite a bit of retired product but if I like something I am going to continue to use it! Lots of fussy cutting too - I really needed to meditate! (see below)

This first one uses SU colours of very vanilla, blushing bride and strawberry slush. I coloured direct to the stamp and used blushing bride, strawberry slush and certainly celery. The embossed panel is two SU edges ones joined together. 

More blushing bride and whisper white. Again, I coloured direct to stamp using certainly celery, blushing bride and strawberry slush. The embossed frame is from SU and has been fussy cut.

And now for the blue one. Colours used are SU very vanilla, bashful blue and lucky limeade. The embossed frame is from SU and has been fussy cut.

That's it for now. I will show Mum's card after she has received it.

On a Personal Note -

Negotiating housework with two young adults is driving me crazy! Now that they have left school and finished studying I have been trying to get them into a more 'shared house' routine rather than 'I am too busy working/socialising/relaxing - Mum can pick up the slack' routine that seems to have become the norm. When I loose my cool they exclaim 'No I didn't intend for you to do it instead' but it certainly begs the question - 'If you don't do it, and you don't intend for me to do it - who does it?'

Brings back not so fond memories of shared households in my 20's. It is also my own fault too, because I am not good about being assertive. I tend to ask once, then drop some hints, then loose it.
As is said - 'and how is that working for you?' If I am truthful I would have say - pretty bad.

Time to put my big girl panties on and do some win/win negotiation. Gulp!

Happy Crafting!
Cheers
Susie

Flowers and more flowers = Mothers Day!

Cliched I know - but I do find it hard to go past flowers and pastels for Mothers day cards. Probably very strongly influenced by my mother and grandmother both loving flowers and soft greens and blues in their homes.

I am a bit more multiple personality with my likes in decor - love flowers but also love geometrics! One day I want all cabbage roses and violets, then another it's french provincial, and the next day I want morrocan! I think I really just need several homes! Ha - as if that would ever be possible. Probably the only decor trends that I have a shudder response to are 70's and 80's. Avocado and salmon are for eating - not decorating in my humble opinion.


Mmm! Looks like I have used a fish eye lens on this card but - nope, just my camera. I have been borrowing my daughters camera but decided to give mine another go. I think the verdict is no, and the time has come to invest in a new one!

Colours used are SU very vanilla and sahara sand. The DSP is SU. The doilies are MFT and the sentiment is from SU 'Teeny tiny sentiments'

More SU - lucky limeade and whisper white. The rest are retired SU except for 'teeny tiny sentiments' and 'itty bitty banners'.

Some more retired SU and a nod to a more contemporary colour scheme (still flowers in there though!). Colours are sahara sand, calypso coral, very vanilla and pool party.

This one is specifically for my purple loving sister. All SU - a mix of current and retired. Colours are wisteria wonder, blushing bride, elegant eggplant and very vanilla.

SU again and a MFT doily. Colours are - very vanilla and baja breeze.

On a Personal Note -

We are sodden, soaked and drenched. My cardstock is starting to feel damp! The dog has developed cabin fever and so have I! I want to be out and about but the hassle of wet shoes and dripping umbrella are just not worth it!!

On Saturday I am having some girlfriends over for a girly morning tea to celebrate being Mums. I really, really want it to be sunny so we can go 'al fresco'. I am doing a sort of high tea with sweet and savoury munchies and I am going to use my vintage china. I might even break out the linen! I will do the majority of the cooking and tidying on Friday.  Saturday morning all I will have to do is get up early and buy some flowers and decorate. Wish me luck!

Hope you spoil your mum, and if you are a mum - hope you get spoiled!

Happy Crafting!
Cheers
Susie