With Gratitude

I was blog hopping this morning and realised I hadn't played along with Jen's SFYTT yet this month - that just wouldn't do! I needed a thank you for a special someone, so I pulled out one of my new fave paper packs, and spent some happy crafting time. 

I've used papers from the new Stella and Rose - Mabel range. These colours are just so gorgeous! My little Pure Innocence girl was a prize at one of the fab MFT launch parties - she's so cute! I've used the notebook edge die-namic, and the new pretty posies die, currently available as part of this month's VIP kit.

Inside I used the open scallop die - another one I picked up in my last order and some gorgeous Caribbean twine - ohhh I love this stuff, it's so soft and the colours are amazing!

Cardstock: Riding Hood Red, Early Espresso, Very Vanilla Stamps: Lil' Pumpkin (MFT Stamps) Paper:Stella and Rose - Mabel (MME) Dies: Pretty Posies, Notebook Edge and Open Scallop Die-namics (MFT Stamps) Other: Caribbean Twine (MFT Stamps) Riding Hood Red button (SU)

OCC - Artist Trading Cards

Hi everyone - hope your week is off to a good start! so sorry my OCC post is late, I've been a bit under the weather and everything just snowballed for a little bit!

This week Rebecca has challenged us to make Artist Trading Cards (ATCs) using a kraft + chocolate or black + white or cream + one other colour colour scheme. These little mini works of art are the perfect size to trade, 3.5" x 2.5" or pop onto a card front for a quick card. I like to display mine on a little easel on my desk - so I love to use inspiring quotes!

This came together so quickly using the amazing Die-namics from MFT stamps. I got a nice big parcel the other day, and I am in love with the new additions to my *ahem* growing collection! I just adore the rosette die layered on the dizzy doily, and look at that teeny rolled rose - so sweet!

I hope you'll play along at OCC this week - ATCs are the perfect jumpstart to your mojo!

Colour Combo: Kraft, Vanilla, Black, Marigold  Stamps: Clearly Sentimental about Harvesting (MFT Stamps) Paper: Newsprint (SU) Stella & Rose Mabel (MME) Dies: 1/4" Rosette, Mini Rolled Roses, Dizzy Doily Die-namics (MFT Stamps)  Other: Crochet Trim (SU) Rhinestones (Kaisercraft)

Adventures in Frosting

Hi everyone - I thought I'd pop in quickly and show you a couple of pics from my weekend adventures in frosting....my first 3D shaped cake! I should be writing an essay on Cleopatra, but I'm procrastinating while I wait for my coffee to kick in!

This weekend my friend Janine had a Marie Antoinette, dessert bar themed birthday party and she asked me to make her a doll cake. I hadn't made one before....but it couldn't be too hard, right?

It wasn't - it was fun! And a great excuse to tint some buttercream, the cakes I make Shanan are always chocolate on chocolate, not a lot of colour there!

Here she is all finished. I was inspired by a ruffle cake I'd seen in blogland recently. Conforming the ruffles to the skirt shape was a little tricky, but turned out oh-so-pretty.

Here she is on the desert table. After torting and filling the cake with chocolate buttercream, I crumb coated in vanilla using a thick enough layer that it could become the "petticoat" without showing the chocolate cake underneath. All the piping was done in a delicate raspberry buttercream with vanilla accents. 

I'm happy to say the cake was as yummy as it was pretty! thanks for the pic of the cut cake Bev!

I enjoyed this so much I definitely want to start decorating again, it was great to get out my kit and try some new techniques - though it doesn't really fit with the healthy eating thing we have going on here this year, so it might have to be on a for-hire basis! If you want a cake or some cupcakes and live in Wellington, give me a call! lol

Thanks for stopping by!

OCC - Reuse your Packaging!

Hi everyone - hope your weekend is going well so far! I just wanted to pop in and tell you about this week's OCC challenge. Rebecca is our hostess and her challenge is to "Reuse your Packaging! Use those boxes, cans, bags, plastic clamshells or embellishment bubbles you might usually throw out to create a fabulous project!"

Do you think I could find anything to use?! my recent purchases have all been 6x6 paper pads (yummy!) or have had little/no packaging. I guess that's a (good) sign of these reduce, reuse, recycle times!

The photo above is a decorated prima like tin, a great way to reuse gorgeous papercraft packaging - below is a photo of a tin I recycled. You can find the post for the tin here.

I hope you'll join us this week at OCC - I'll be on the lookout for something I can recycle!

Cupcake Lovin'

Happy Thursday! This week is going FAST! Thanks so much for all the comments and emails yesterday - I was so happy to share my stampy news with you all!

Today I whipped up a card for the MFT sketch challenge. The challenge happens every week - and every week someone wins a voucher to spend at My Favorite Things - up to $20 in value! The sketches are always amazing, and you could be a winner, so play along!

I made a card and matching pillow box using the gorgeous Stella & Rose Hazel papers by My Mind's Eye. LOVE this paper range!

I paper pieced my WTG girl (of course! I always love dressing these images in the cutest papers) I did have an email about my headless girl yesterday.....WTG stands for Who's That Girl? and the idea is she could be any of us! sweet huh? WTG is what first drew me to MFT Stamps - such a fresh and modern take on stamping.

I added some crystal effects to her mixing bowl and included punched shapes behind my brads, I love the layered look this gives. Are you sick of seeing the Faux Crochet Border Die-namic yet? no? good! I'm not done running this puppy through my 'bug!

I whipped up the pillow box using some of my scraps. I'm really trying hard not to store so many scraps, but hate throwing them out - so little projects are perfect. Have a great evening!

Stamps: Lovin' from the Oven, Clearly Sentimental about Food (MFT Stamps) Cardstock: Kraft, Vanilla Ink: Baja Paper: Stella and Rose - Hazel (MME) Dies: Faux Crochet Border Die-Namic (MFT Stamps) Pillow Box (Sizzix) Rectangle Nestabilities (Spellbinders) Punches: Scallop & Large Oval (SU) Other: Markers, White Gel Pen, Linen Thread (SU) Ribbon, Brads

It's Time To Fiesta!!!

...And I couldn't be more excited! I'm so happy to share that I'm this month's guest designer for My Favorite Things! You know I love their stamps and dies, and I'm so happy to design alongside THE most talented design team out there!

We're blog hopping tonight in celebration of the amazing VIP collection releasing right now (along with some other awesome new releases!) run, don't walk to get yours! More on the collection at the end of my post.

If you're following the hop, you should have reached me via the lovely and talented Eva, if you need to start at the start, head on over to Kim's blog.

My card uses the brand new Who's that Girl - Fiesta! stamp set, along with the gorgeous new Perfect Posie die and the exclusive Fiesta Sentiments mini set - yours free with your VIP purchase and never to be released outside the collection!

Can we just talk about this image for a second? A paper piecer's dream! I've pieced all those gorgeous ruffles, working from the bottom layer up to highlight the ruffle effect.

I love the new Perfect Posie die! After die cutting my flowers, I brayered the back of each one then curled the petal edges using a quilling tool (a toothpick would work too, or just your crafty fingers) before layering the flower together and adding a mini brad.

Inside my card I've used offcuts of the designer paper and stamped WTG again - using a marker to eliminate the border. I've used some of my favourite Die-namics, the Jumbo Scallop and Scalloped Scallop.

Here's what you get in this month's VIP collection:

• Who's that Girl - Fiesta! stamp set
• Fiesta Sentiments mini (VIP exclusive stamp set - will never be offered for sale or be available again $9 value, FREE)
• Pretty Posies Die-namics Die
• Basic Grey Luscious 6 X 6 Patterned Paper Pad
• Basic Grey Luscious Stitched Brads

Awesome right? Thanks for helping me celebrate my guest designer news and blog hopping with us - don't forget, the collection is available in limited quantities, go grab yours now! 

Colour Combo: Melon Mambo, Black, Lime Stamps: WTG - Fiesta! Fiesta Sentiment (MFT) Paper: Sultry (Basic Grey) Dies: Perfect Posies, Scalloped Scallop & Jumbo Scallop Die-namics. (MFT) Other:  Melon Ribbon, Markers, Crystal Effects, Sponge Daubers (SU) Brads (Basic Grey)

The Cat on the Mat

Hi, I'm Sarah, and I'm an addict. Yup, one teeny weeny, imperfect, crooked little quilt, and I already know this "womanly art" (I saw that phrase on a blog today - love it!) is my new addiction.


I've been drooling over quilts and quilting for awhile now. I've tried my hand at some small scale pieces, pincushions and make-up bags - but the new, modern take on quilts with new modern fabrics have been calling my name. It was inevitable. I love colour, I love prints, I love making things. Quilting and I were always going to fall in love.


So I jumped in. Admittedly, with some bordering on ugly fabric I picked up before I knew what I loved (hey, at least it didn't matter if I failed big time using this fabric!) - but jump I did. I followed my usual MO - no classes, teach myself by reading then learn by doing.


This is the result....

Garish? yeah - pretty much. Am I still stupidly proud of it? Yup! This is my Cat Mat. I have one of those cats that likes to sit ON things. Usually anything black she can shed white fur all over. So I made this little quilt for Luna, and she loves it....

It's great for sleeping on....

and cleaning on.....

and practicing her over-the-shoulder pose on.....

and she gets very mad should it happen to be stolen for awhile!

Here's the back....this is where you can see my not-straight-at-all stitch in the ditch quilting, and yeah, I hand finished the binding - but only because I bought single fold bias tape and thought it was double fold! Oh well, good practice.

Yeah, I could have centered it better on my pieced fabric too - but again, I love it. My first itty bitty quilt.

I already have the top of a disappearing nine patch table runner sewn and waiting to be quilted. Amy Butler fabric this time....serious fabric love there. I hope to have it finished to share soon!

Fun with Fabric

 Happy Saturday! It's time for another OCC challenge, and this week Kristin has asked us to use fabric on our creations. This was a perfect challenge for me - I've been all kinds of fabric-centric lately. For this challenge ribbon doesn't count as fabric, so I created my own calico flower.

 

My card uses the wonderful MFTWSC #10 sketch. I'm also playing along in Jessie's Forgotten Friday - I think this was one of the very first MFT sets I bought years ago!

To create my flower I simply cut circles of calico (using a punched circle as a rough template) and folded the petal shapes before sewing together quickly and adding the button. 

Head on over to OCC and link up your creation using fabric, we hope to see many of you playing along! I've been fitting lots of crafting into my busy schedule lately, so I'll be back with some varied craft posts in the coming days - including an exciting something special later on in the week! 

Colour Combo: Peach Parfait, Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla Stamps: Hot Stuff (MFT) Paper: Hippie Chic (DCWV)  Punches: Word Window, Modern Label, 1/4" and 1" Circle (SU) Other: Chocolate Ribbon, Crochet Trim, Brads, Button (SU) Embossing Folder (Provocraft) Calico Fabric.

Buttony Thanks

Hi everyone - another clean and simple design to share with you today! A couple of days ago I needed a pair of quick thank yous - and only wanted to take a short break from studying, this is what I came up with.

I used the CR84FN colours for this week - they just looked so bright and fresh.

Simple but effective! To create the background for my button die cuts I masked an area with long thin post-it notes, stamped the polka-dot background, then used a kraft marker to draw in a couple of border lines. I love the subtle tone-on-tone effect.

I used the leftover buttons to decorate little envelopes. Have a wonderful day, thanks for visiting!

Colour Combo: Daffodil Delight, Pumpkin Pie, Kraft Stamps: Sweet Little Sentiments, Polka Dot Background (SU) Dies: Buttons #5 (SU) Punches: Corner Rounder (SU) Other: Linen thread, Dimensionals, Kraft marker (SU)

You're so Tweet!

Hi everyone - I hope your week is off to a good start! I'm happy to report the sun is out here and Shan's back to work, so it's business as usual here in Wellington.

I made this card using the CTD131 colours of Pink Pirouette, Baja Breeze and Not Quite Navy. I'd just cut into a new pack of NQN, so it seemed like fate! The sketch is this weeks awesome WSC #9 - love all those layers!

I have been enamoured with all things quilting lately (new craft alert! more on that later this week) so I indulged my interest by creating a quilted circular panel. I love this effect - and it's a great way to use up old paper scraps!

My PI girl is paper pieced and coloured with SU! markers.

Inside I used more of my epic paper stash, and added some interest with the gorgeous faux crochet dienamic.

Have a wonderful day, thanks for stopping by!

Colour Combo: Pink Pirouette, Baja Breeze, Not Quite Navy Stamps: You're So Tweet (MFT) Paper: Bella Bloom, Urban Garden (SU) Dies: Circle Nestabilities (Spellbinders) Butterfly & Faux Crochet Border (MFT) Other: Markers, Ribbon, Button, Brads (SU) Pearls (Kaisercraft)

Boxed Chain Drop Earrings

Happy Monday (or Sunday!) It's a quiet day at our house on the hill, Shanan is home sick today poor thing, so I'm going to curl up in my favourite chair and study a little while keeping him company.

I thought I'd pop on and share a little project from the past week. I made these earrings and pillow box to go with my Mother-in-law's birthday present - I'm so glad she liked them!

It was so fun to pull out my jewellery making supplies - I haven't made a lot recently and it was a nice change of pace. These are simple chain drops featuring wire wrapped mauve pearls, crystal and those gorgeous silver filigree beads.
 

 

I wanted a simple and elegant gift box for the earrings, and turned to my trusty pillow box die - just the right size for jewellery! The box is cut from vellum. That's it from me, I have a card I'll share tomorrow!

Colour Combo: Basic Black, Lavender Lace Stamps: Teeny Tiny Sentiments (SU) Dies: Pillow Box (SU) Punches: Modern Label, Word Window (SU) Other:Black Satin Ribbon, Silver Cord (SU) Rhinestones (Kaisercraft)

Wanted

Happy Saturday everyone! I have a quick card and quick post for you today - it's pizza and movie night, and I'm anxious to get back to snuggling on the couch while hubby watches some basketball! It is definitely snuggling weather here in Wellington today!

This week's challenge at OCC comes from Kristin, she has a 1-2-3-4 challenge for us. Create your card using one patterned paper, two layers (the paper counts as a layer, the card base doesn't!), three stamps and four non-paper embellishments.

I had a rough idea of what I wanted to do, and I love how it turned out! My three stamps were the woodgrain background, the sentiment and the star. My four embelishments were the twill, 2 jumbo brads and the punched out star element.

I'm playing along in Jessie's Forgotten Stamp Friday challenge - it's been a good year or so since I stamped with this set - but it can't be beat for masculine cards! Somehow Jeanie's Krafty Thursday challenge has escaped me till now - but I'm joining in this week!

The inside is my favourite part of this card. I haven't pulled out this alphabet in forever, but I still love the bold graphical style!

Head on over to OCC for some awesome eye candy, and we hope you'll play along!

Colour Combo: Crumb Cake, Early Espresso, Old Olive, Very Vanilla Stamps: Wanted, Wild West Alphabet, Woodgrain Background (SU) Paper: Cottage Garden (SU) Dies: Label 4 & Oval Nestabilities (Spellbinders) Punches: Small Star, Rounded Corner (SU) Other: Twill, Jumbo Eyelets, Brad, Crop-a-dile, Piercing Tool (SU)

Thoughts of You...

This is my second post for the day - please scroll down to read about Handmade for Christchurch!

Today my Nana's undergoing surgery and will have a stay in the hospital afterwards, so I wanted to make a bright card for her room - and of course had to include a little gift.

I've used the WSC#8 sketch - and the die-mentional challenge to add dimension to your card using dies. I've also included flowers for the C4C challenge this week.

No images on this card - just the sentiments and die cut shapes.

I also made a softly quilted bag to send some moisturiser and lip balm in - this is my favourite hospital stay present, I think the little luxurys can make a big difference, especially in all that air conditioning.
I love that I can make a bag like this now - gone is my fear of zippers!

Colour Combo: Crumb Cake, Regal Rose, Bashful Blue, Whisper White Stamps:  Top Shelf Sentiments, Goodness from the Garden (MFT) Paper: Walk in the Park (SU) Bright Polka Dots (MME) Dies: Label 4 Nestabilities (Spellbinders) Scalloped Scallop, Jumbo Scallop, Butterfly, Rolled Rose and Textile Rectangle Dienamics (MFT) Punches: Scallop Oval (SU) Other: Regal Rose Ribbon, Button, Linen Thread (SU) Rhinestones (Kaisercraft)

Handmade for Christchurch

Today marks one week since the devastating earthquake in Christchurch. I just wanted to take a second to tell you about Handmade for Christchurch where you can donate handmade goods to raise money for the Salvation Army and Women's Refuge in Christchurch. 

If you would like to bid on any of the amazing items donated, the auctions are here. They are taking donations from all over the world, I'm sure they'd love to hear from you if you have something to give!

I've sent off a big box of almost every card I've made in recent years (except the ones I gave away of course!) This is the first time my work has been available, hopefully they make a couple of dollars for families in need.

Thanks again for all the messages and emails, they mean a lot.

xxx Sarah.