Annabelle Stamps - Springtime Flowers Challenge

Annabelle Stamps has another of their great monthly challenges on, and the one for October is - Springtime Flowers - there is even a $20 voucher in-store up for grabs:

You can see more details about the challenge on their Stamp Embellish Create page here.

And here is my creation...

Did you notice that I have used the gorgeous Annabelle Stamps Cuts by Design: Borders 1 as a real die this time, and not just to emboss with?! I have also used stamps from the Annabelle Stamps BBD - 6, Decorated Christmas and Fanciful Flowers stamp sets, as well as some Purple Hemp Twine for the flower petals.

This time my card colours were inspired by another recently completed pair of earrings (whose colours don't look great in these pics...might have to try again later when the light is better):

Thanks for visiting and have a lovely day :-)!

ETA: Better colours?

Blogged to: 1999 - Prince, Spectrum (Say My Name) - Florence + The Machine, How Far We've Come - Matchbox Twenty and Sweet Nothing - Calvin Harris.

Just Add Chevrons

I was very happy to see this week's challenge at Just Add Ink. The challenge was to Just Add Chevrons and, for once in a long while, I felt up to this challenge (and besides, chevrons really appeal to my sense of symmetry, or something...).

This said, there is still a very large pile of mess on my desk. From previous experience I can tell you that the size of the pile of mess on my desk is proportional to how much trouble I had making the card, i.e. small pile of mess = the card came easy, no blood was spilled......large pile of mess = I had to extract the card tooth by painful tooth. I am just not finding card-making very easy right now, and it is ticking me right off (vicious circle perhaps?).

Anyway, frivolous ramblings aside....the card has been extracted, the deed done...and here 'tis:

Painful though the process was, I am still pleased with the end result. It feels like a fun card to me. As I put the finishing touches on it I noticed that it complemented another pair of earrings I made during the week, similar to Kim's birthday earrings, just with a different Swarovski crystal above the dotty beads.

...and while I'm on the subject of earrings, thanks so much for all the lovely comments on the last pair....your feedback is very much appreciated!

Have a wonderful Saturday...I'm going to go dip my toe in the pool and see how it feels. We've been having a delicious heat wave here, and it looks like it will go on for a few more days yet....37-39 degrees C for the fifth day running and headed for 40 on Tuesday!

Project Recipe:

Cardstock: Summer Sun, Tangerine Tango, Whisper White and Kraft (SU);
Ink: Summer Sun and Tangerine Tango Classic Inks (SU) and Tuxedo Black (Memento);
Stamps: Decorated Christmas, Fanciful Flowers, BBD - 5 and Stemmed Flowers (Annabelle Stamps);
Punches: 3/4 inch circle and Five Petal Flower (SU);
Accessories: Chevron Dies (MFT), Patterned Papers (KaiserKraft), Textured Embossing Folder (SU), Paper Piercer (misc), White Gel Pen (misc) and Dimensionals (SU).

Blogged to: Bust a Move - Young MC, Psycho Killer - Talking Heads, Babooshka - Kate Bush and Eye of the Tiger - Survivor.

Crystal Clear Ocean Waves...

I made these ocean-themed earrings recently (do you think I'm missing the water much ;-) and I thought you might like to take a little peek too!

The beautiful glass focal beads are by Candice Mathewson of Beadgoodies on Etsy. The crystal tear drops are by Swarovski and the silver is all Sterling.

I am adding these earrings to my small pile of things to sell one day, maybe.

Wordy post tonight hey? I'm off to bed. Soooooo sleepy!

Thumper Discovers Nature

Christmas Bauble

I worked on a Christmas card over the weekend. I had a few comments here at home which confirmed my belief that it wasn't one of my finer achievements, but you get that! I took note, made an adjustment or two, and voila...

I love the colour combo, and enjoyed quietly tinkering with some of my new toys!

While I'm here, I thought I'd also point out that I have again used the gorgeous Annabelle Stamps: Cuts By Design - Borders 1 die to emboss rather than using it to create a die cut. I really love the intricate embossed pattern that it creates, but will endeavour to use it as a die next time I get it out :-)!

Project Recipe:

Cardstock: Elegant Eggplant, Cherry Cobbler and Brushed Gold (SU);
Ink: Elegant Eggplant and Cherry Cobbler Classic Inks (SU);
Stamps: Decorated Christmas (Annabelle Stamps) and BBD - 6 (Annabelle Stamps);
Dies: Cuts By Design - Decorated Christmas (Annabelle Stamps) and Cuts By Design - Borders 1 (Annabelle Stamps);
Accessories: Purple Hemp Twine (Annabelle Stamps), Gold Leaf Pen (misc), Washi Tapes - various (Washimatta), Gold Cord (SU) and Gold Wire (SU).

Blogged to: Around the World - Daft Punk, Beautiful Day - U2, In The Night - Pet Shop Boys and Walk This Way - Aerosmith and Run-DMC.

Beautiful goodies in the mail...

Would you like to see some beautiful goodies that came in the mail for me this week? Gorgeous crafty goods from Annabelle Stamps AND deliciously fragrant candles from Elixir Natural Candles on Etsy.

I bought peppermint tealights from Elixir because I've been thinking about Christmas, and they make the house smell and feel like Christmas! I was going to stow them safely in a cupboard ready for December, but the fragrance was so, so enticing I had to light some up straight away...and I might have used two or three already.....so I guess I'll be shopping for more peppermint tealights soon.

Then, I could hardly wait to have 30 minutes to myself today to take out my Annabelle goodies and create some gift wrapping. I thought my delicious peppermint tealights would also make someone a lovely gift. They come elegantly boxed from Elixir, but I felt like playing around with them anyway...you know, any excuse ;-). This is what I have come up with...

For the card and matching wrapping I have used Decorated Christmas to stamp the flower centre in orange ink on orange cardstock. The flower petals and centre have been created using orange and purple hemp twine, and the kraft layer has been embossed using the Borders 1 Cuts by Design die. The  Happy Birthday sentiment is from the pretty Fanciful Flowers set. I am very pleased with the end result.

If you are interested in how I made the hemp twine flower...take a quick peek at the back...

I just lay down some tape, and then looped the purple twine straight off the roll, and around the circle edge, sticking it down as I went. It really is very simple and quick, sure you use a lot of twine, but it is very reasonably priced. I then taped over the purple twine with some heavy duty, double-sided tape and repeated the process with the orange twine, making slightly larger loops this time around. Hey presto, twine flower!

I'd like to take this chance to thank Andrea (Annabelle Stamps) and Lisa (Elixir Natural Candles) for providing beautiful products for me to use, and for providing first-rate, friendly customer service. I'll be back girls :-).

To finish off....a daisy, a real one, just because!

Blogged to: Stronger - Kelly Clarkson, Cry in Shame - Diesel, Africa - Toto and Teenage Dirtbag - Wheatus.

Awesome Ormiston Gorge

I thought I'd jump on here quickly and post some pictures of the beautiful Ormiston Gorge. We ventured out there today, and despite the 35 degree temps, it was a wonderful outing and one I hope to do again some time!

Just stunning! The kids went swimming too, brave little souls that they are!

Blogged to: Bust a Move - Young MC, Telephone - Lady GaGa & Beyoncé, When We Stand Together - Nickelback and Pump Up the Volume - Colourbox.

A Colourful Thank You...

This week I have used the Annabelle Stamps - 'Say It With...Thanks' challenge to fuel my crafting imagination:

....and it worked a treat. I am happy with this bright, and slightly off-beat creation:

I have used Boys Party and BBD5 stamps, Shapes 1 and Borders 1 Cuts by Design and Light Blue Hemp Twine and Raspberry Sprinkles......all off which are by Annabelle Stamps.

Thanks for a fun challenge and all the inspiration girls!

We are having a lovely little heat-wave here today, with a deliciously dry 38 degrees celcius making the pool look very inviting indeed. Even this little backyard resident looks like he wouldn't mind taking a dip ;-).

Hope you are having a colourful weekend at your place!

Blogged to: Con Te Partirò - Andrea Bocelli, Afro Circus / I Like To Move It - Chris Rock & Danny Jacobs and Non Je Ne Regrette Rien - Frances McDormand (guess who saw Madagascar 3 this week?...it was fun!).

What flavour is your crafting cordial?

I thought it'd be longer before I could show you this project (as it only went in the mail on Tuesday), but apparently it arrived at its destination today.....so it's all good to go.

This is a very simple card, because I've been feel a bit craft-challenged of late. I think I might need to change the flavour of my cordial or something (especially given my last goofey creation ;-)...

The earrings were part of the birthday gift that accompanied the card. I made them using pretty lampwork cube beads by Blue Seraphim on Etsy. My wire wrapping could be a bit tidier. But I'm getting there!

Back to the subject of mail...I've discovered a little something about the journey mail takes in and out of Central Australia. Apparently, it comes via rail from Adelaide, and road before that.....and this is why I've been sitting around wondering what the camels have been doing with my parcels! Most of my mail from the east coast has been taking about 2 weeks to get here.....and given it's been travelling by road and rail to get here, it's no wonder! So, for this latest package I splurged the extra three dollars for express post, and hey presto! Two days in transit!!!!! Me likey :-).

Project Recipe:

Cardstock: Early Expresso, Pool Party and Whisper White (SU);
Ink: Timber Brown Stazon (Tsukineko);
Stamps: Shape It Up (Annabelle Stamps);
Punches: 1 inch Circle Punch (SU);
Accessories: White Gel Pen (misc), Paper Piercer (misc), Designer Buttons - Playground (SU), Patterned Paper (misc) and Hemp Twine - Turquoise (Annabelle Stamps).

Blogged to: All Night Long - Lionel Richie, Sweet Talkin' Woman - Electric Light Orchestra, What is Love - Howard Jones and Forever Young - Youth Group.