Simon Says Stamp Monday and Wednesday Challenge

It seems I have found my creative groove again after a long period of inactivity on the blog. Thank goodness.

This week I created a card for two challenges:
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Make a Rainbow I even used Tim Holtz products!
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: Anything Goes

Some Distress Oxides arrived by courier today (ordered after my March #nospend ended - fail?).
I just had to sit down and play with them immediately - in my pjs! The background for this card was the first item I created. I wanted to see how the distress oxide inks would show up on Kraft card. I also tried stamping on black cardstock; at first the colours were vivid but when they dried they just gave a chalky finish with just a hint of colour. To start my collection I got: Cracked Pistachio, Broken China, Worn Lipstick, Fossilized Amber. (For this card I did not use Broken China)

I actually love these ink for just plain stamping on white card! I have a few (😜) distress inks but I mainly use them for inking the edges of things as I don't like the results when you use them with clear stamps. I also stick to dye based inks because I don't like waiting for pigment ink to dry and I'm too lazy to get out my heat tool! So, these new distress oxides will be a great resource for me.

Now on to my card.

When my dad saw the background on my card he said: "It's like a rainbow!".  I knew then that it definitely fit the Make A Rainbow challenge!

For some reason the sentiment stamping went awry on this card.  I don't know if it is because it is so humid in NZ at the moment (100% humidity) or maybe I pressed the stamp too hard into the embossing ink.  Unfortunately, I had already invested my time and supplies on this card so I m keeping it as is.

Materials:
Kraft Card: Ormolu
Inks: Ranger/Tim Holtz Distress Oxides, Ranger Embossing Ink
Stamp: Hero Arts
Embossing Powder: Celebrations of Australia
Number: American Crafts
Other: Chipboard, Scrap Ribbon.

A Wee Skite

When I checked the Pink & Main challenge blog this morning I was thrilled to see that I had won the Top of the Class prize ($25)

I'd encourage you to join in their challenges. You don't have to use their products, but if you do, you will be eligible for the top prizes. It's kind of polite to use a company's products on their challenge blogs anyway.

A Wee Bit O' Green

It was Saint Patrick's day on Friday so the crafting world has been swimming in a sea of green lately. Over at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge the challenge this week is: Bit O' Green. Yesterday I created a layout of my niece's first car. Of course I used a wee bit o' green to match the challenge!

For the green requirement I matted the photo on green cardstock and stamped the word "FIRST" on a scrap of green cardstock. I also inked the edges of a couple of items in green to tone the green in with the predominantly blue layout.

I made this layout with leftovers from my kit from a class with Vicki Boutin at CAD 2015. I don't always have coordinating craft supplies so it was great to have the coordinated items on hand. When I saw the sticker - I'd go anywhere with you - I knew I wanted to use it with this photo. The adventure sticker was a last minute addition. I figured it was on the coordinating sticker sheet so it was bound to go with my layout.

A stripes pattern stamp was randomly stamped in dark blue ink around the cardstock to mimic the movement of a vehicle.  Unfortunately, it does not show up in the photo. Also, the tag pulls out with details written on the back.

Challenge details:
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: A Bit O' Green

Materials:
Papers, Stickers, Die Cuts: We Are Memory Keepers
Pocket Scrapbook 3x4 Card: Kaisercraft (used as tab at top right of layout)
Cardstock: Bazzill
Chipboard Frame: Project Life
Stamps: Ali Edwards, Stampin' Up!
Ink: Stampin' Up!, Ranger, Stazon,
Other: Seam Binding ribbon, foam tape

One Card, Three Challenges

This month, Kathy at The Daily Marker is doing a 30 Day Colouring challenge. Now, I am not a fan of colouring. I don't own proper alcohol colouring markers and I just can't seem to manage watercolouring. However, today I think I found my colouring medium: watercolour pencils. I can add water with my water brush after colouring or leave them as is. #watchthisspace #theDailyMarker30Days

This morning Kathy was on a blog hop for the new release at Simon Says Stamp and I was inspired by her background. I decided to pull out my Misti and new Misti Corners (bought them with a store voucher I won from another store) to give it a try. I wanted to try the technique as the challenge at Simon Says Stamp Monday blog is to create your own background (here) .  I found that the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge is to make a card for a special lady/girl (here) this week and the latest challenge at Pink & Main is Spring (here) .  With these three challenges decided upon, I had my technique (background), colours and St Patrick's Day theme (Spring) and recipient (For a Special lady/Girl - my friend Debbie) already decided.  I combined all three challenges on one card.

The challenge information:
Simon Says Stamp Monday: Make Your Own Background here
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday: Make a Card for a Special Lady/Girl here
Pink & Main: Spring here

I also whipped up a bonus card with the same background but in a different colour.  FYI I'm not entering this card in the challenges.

Materials:
Alcohol Markers: Kaisercraft
Ink: Ranger, Stampin Up!
Stamps: Pink & Main, Hero Arts
Other: card, chipboard, flower, foam tape

The Longest 31 Days of My Life

March is the month that I have decided to try a NO SPEND.  Specifically no buying craft supplies - this might be the longest 31 days of my life.  And I've just discovered that March is National Craft Month in USA. Definitely the longest 31 days of my life!!!

Some exceptions include social outings, groceries and a Heidi Swapp storage album for my memory planners that get too full (if I can get one on sale: purchased)

They say if you let people know your goals, it makes you more accountable.  So this is me making myself more accountable.

Day One: $0 Thinking of all the things I'm missing out on. They're only wants, not needs. #fomo
Day Two: $0 Need to get out of the habit of checking online stores' new additions and specials.
Day Three: $0 I deliberately did not go into Warehouse stationery today and was doing well until SSS sent me an email with two coupons! 😓😓😓
Day Four: $0 Maybe because I didn't turn my iPad on until now to update this post? Spotlight mailer arrived with the new Heidi Swap 25% off #lookaway #leadmenottotemptation
Day Five: $0 #needsnotwants Reading: Everything that Remains by the Minimalists 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
Day Six: $15.87 $5 for 3 erasable pens for my diary (not craft), $10.87 ingrediants to make dessert to make my #bloodymonday into #mmmmmonday
Day Seven: $0 But that's because my mum paid for my chocolate & cider when I took her grocery shopping #cheating?
Day Eight: $0 But dad did pay for my lunch at the hospital.
Day Nine: $0 New items on my Wishlist have come in stock online. And an item I was going to buy before the No Spend kicked in is now out of stock #idontneedit #lifewillgoon
Day Ten: $0 Almost a third of the way through #andididntdie
Day Eleven: $0 Found a NZ seller with distress oxides $8.50 #lookaway
Day Twelve: $10 This is for the item on my allowed list: Heidi Swapp album. The new Magnolia Jane was not unpacked yet - phew! #watchthisspace
Day Thirteen: $0 I didn't leave the house
Day Fourteen: $14.20 #sopretty #nojudgement #firstfail #butipaidcash #seeday12
Day Fifteen: $0 I did not leave the house - but I didn't online shop!
Day Sixteen: $50 went to get sweatshirt half price (an item I need) & got a merino top as well #fail
Day Seventeen: $15 dumplings for mum & a donation to Child Cancer 😪 #bettertogivethanreceive
Day Eighteen: $0
Day Nineteen: $0
Day Twenty: $0 Two thirds of the way through #nospend seeing changes
Day Twenty-one: $0 plus haircut (essential - it's been 9 weeks since my last trim) Tried on a merino long cardi in the perfect shade of deep green for me. Tried it on knowing I wouldn't buy it. #empowered
Day Twenty-two: $0 Flu jab is free for me (plus some meds - not free but essential)
Day Twenty-three: $21 took my cousin visiting from Australia out for a local micro brew or two
Day Twenty-four: $0
Day Twenty-five: $3.30 bread & muffin for concert snacks
Day Twenty-six: $20 Adele key ring
Day Twenty-seven: $0 Recovering from Adele
Day Twenty-eight: $21.50 watermelon (first one of the summer!) and craft shelves (I've been waiting for them to go on sale). Wanted to order SC stamp kit for only $8 including shipping - but I didn't.
Day Twenty-nine:$13.80 parking at hospital, car items for my dad
Day Thirty: $0 tempted by distress oxides again, my life will not improve by buying them!
Day Thirty-one: $0 but want to buy the oxide inks still! NOT letting myself give up on the last day of my #nospend

Anything Goes: Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge

It's nice to be able to enter a challenge over at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge blog after a long break.

My entry for the Anything Goes challenge is this old Kaisercraft clock I found when I was setting up my craft room again.  I was going to sell it but set it aside and set myself the challenge of finally putting it together.

The clock came with a photo frame for three photos and a stand.  I thought the wooden photo frame was too bulky so I left it off and treated the clock base like an art canvas. The stand just took up too much room so I didn't use that either.

This project is about as close to mixed media that I can get.  I adhered a very old piece of paper that had the look of a lot of texture to the clock base and blended the paper with the base using paint (two shades of green).  Once the paint dried, I added some Prima gold crackle texture paste through a chicken wire stencil in various spots. Then I added green and gold paint through the reverse chicken wire stencil. I then coloured some texture paste with blush Heidi Swapp Colour Shine to match the flowers on the paper.  I used the coloured texture paste with a butterfly stencil and added splotches of it on the edges of the clock base.  Lastly, I added drops of perfect pearls in three different colours.

Here's a close up of the top left corner where you can see the butterfly, texture paste splotches, stencil work and perfect pearls drops.

Lastly, a close up of the top right of the clock showing the clock mechanism and the gold crackle paste.

I'm entering this clock in the Anything Goes challenge over at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge.  The details are here.

Materials:
Clock: Kaisercraft
Paper (unknown - seriously old)
Paint: Kaisercraft, Making Memories, Chromacryl
Texture pastes: Jo Sonja (standard), Prima (gold crackle)
Clour Shine: Heidi Swapp
Perfect Pearls: Ranger
Stencils: Crafter's Companion, Heidi Swapp

An Update

My blog has been neglected for quite some time - two months to be exact!

My craft room, however, has not been neglected! :)

2017 is turning out to be very busy indeed.

Today's post is to show you a couple of pictures of my craft room and a project.

The first picture shows my desk and view out the front window to the street.  I can see what's happening on our street and can even catch out the kids who pick up our garden stones/pebbles and throw them at each other #truestory

The next pictures shows my new cupboard to finally store my papers out of the sun - they've only been exposed to the sun for the past 10+ years already.

Lastly, I thought I would show you a layout from CAD 2015 that I finally got around to completing this week - yes, from 2015.  This was from a class by Vicki Boutin and used We R Memory Keepers products.  Forgive the dark photo

At the moment I am concentrating on finishing up old projects and class kits.  I finally finished my Heidi Swapp Memory Planner mid February and completed 2 layouts from CAD 2015 this week. Next up is the Summer mini album from Vicki Boutin's class at CAD then finishing my 2014 trip album - yes, from 2014!