ISSC 35 - Handmade Holiday

I cant believe September is almost over!!  Where has the month gone.  One thing I have noticed is a lot more Christmas paper arriving at Scrappy Hollow where I work.  So this week I decided it was time to get a start on Christmas cards and the iSpy sketch was just perfect!

The sketch this week is inspired by Audrie Magno-Gordon (girlgeek101 @ SCS) and is based on this card.

Here is the sketch:

 

This is the card I created:

For this card I used the Simple Stories Handmade Holiday 6x6 paper pad and matching snap cards.  The snap cards are just perfect for the background and the 6x6 paper pad had the miniaturised patterned paper and mini embellishment tags which co-ordinated perfectly together. 

I added a button and some ribbon that I found at a local patchwork store and within 15minutes the card was done! With so many cards to make this will definitely be my favourite design layout for those quick and easy cards.

So why not play along with me and the other special agents at iSpy!

Here is how to play:

• Create a paper crafting project (card, scrap book page or 3D item), based on the sketch provided.Post your creation on your blog or an online gallery (using a code ISSC30), and link it here with the inlinkz widget below.
• Please provide a direct link to your post - not the generic link to your blog.
• A new challenge will be posted every Friday at 12:01 AM EST, and you have until noon on the following Friday EST to submit your entry.
• You may enter as many times as you like, but please provide a newly designed project with a new link for each additional project.
• We will choose the top 2 creations to be featured in our "Top 2 Winners" post every Sunday where we will announce who we have picked :) The winners will receive their very own iSpy Sketches blog badge!
• Don't forget that you may combine our challenges with others and use supplies from any company that you wish :)
• Have fun and we look forward to "spying" your creations!

Head over to the challenge blog here and enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by!

ISSC34

This weeks challenge at iSpy is one of my favourite so far.  When Kim set the challenge for the DT she also mentioned it would e a great one for washi tape. Mmmmmm that got me thinking and playing!  I have not used washi tape before and now that I have I am hooked!  It is so versatile, quick and easy to use and adds another dimension to your creative project.

So the sketch at iSpy this week features Joanne Basile (basilefamily @ SCS) and is based on this card

Here is the sketch:

 

 

and this is the card I created:

 

 

I decided to allow the circular doily element to overhang the side of the card a little, use some banners and try and incorporate washi tape in a few different ways.

 

The first thing I did with the washi tape was create  quick and easy panels at the top of the card and on the centre of the doily.  Then I layered up some strips of washi tape on some cream card and die cut my banners and rolled rose from them.  Then from the scraps I grabbed my favourite butterfly punch and created some two toned butterflies to layer up on the tag. Finally i grabbed a little mini peg and covered that with the tape.

 

 

 

Materials Used:

 

Paper - Echo Park Country Drive, cream cardstock

 

Dies - MFT die - namics Dainty Doily Medium, First Place Award Ribbon (fishtail banners) and Mini Rolled Rose

 

Other -  MME The Sweetest Thing Decorative Lavender "Reason's Why" washi tape, Punch Bunch medium leaf punch, MS Glasenne Butterfly punch, Birch organza ribbon, mini peg, TH Tea Dye distress ink, Kaisercraft pearls and  BBP rub on. 

 

 

So why not play along with me and the other special agents at iSpy!

Here is how to play:

• Create a paper crafting project (card, scrap book page or 3D item), based on the sketch provided.Post your creation on your blog or an online gallery (using a code ISSC30), and link it here with the inlinkz widget below.
• Please provide a direct link to your post - not the generic link to your blog.
• A new challenge will be posted every Friday at 12:01 AM EST, and you have until noon on the following Friday EST to submit your entry.
• You may enter as many times as you like, but please provide a newly designed project with a new link for each additional project.
• We will choose the top 2 creations to be featured in our "Top 2 Winners" post every Sunday where we will announce who we have picked :) The winners will receive their very own iSpy Sketches blog badge!
• Don't forget that you may combine our challenges with others and use supplies from any company that you wish :)
• Have fun and we look forward to "spying" your creations!

Head over to the challenge blog here and enjoy!

 



Cards Class at Scrappy Hollow

It's that time again where it's my card class week at Scrappy Hollow.  I had a blast teaching my Kaisercraft Mint Twist - Merry & Bright Card Class last night and Wednesday morning.  Thank you to everyone who came along.  Hope you enjoyed making the cards!  Here is what we made:

 

For those of you who are booked into next months class we are making a gift pouch, large card and three gift cards using the MME All is Bright range.  We will be playing with their co-ordinating washi tape and pegs too!  Here is a sneak peak and the sample is on display in the store. 

 

Thanks for dropping by and see you in class!

 



Published!

I have been meaning to share this with you all for some time now but just never got around to writing the post.  A few months back the staff at Scrappy Hollow were lucky enough to partner with Kaisercraft and "play" with their 2012 Christmas release of paper and embellishments.  Samples were made for the Scrappy Hollow stand at Paperific,  Kaisers stand at CHA 2012 and then some were selected to become part of the Kaisercraft Workshop magazine. 

So here are pics from CHA 2012.  It's a little hard to point out my projects by I can spy some of my cards and the cute miniature Christmas tree I made.

 

 

It was so much fun to be able to play with their new products and then I received the added honour of having some of my creations published in their Workshop magazine.

 

 

The cards/tags I made are top left and bottom right.  The other cards were by Amy who also works at Scrappy Hollow.

So thank you to Heidi from Scrappy Hollow and to the team at Kaisercraft for allowing me to be part of this fun filled creative project!

My projects can also be found over on the Kaisercraft blog here.

http://www.kaisercraft.com.au/newsite/projects.php?proj=744

http://www.kaisercraft.com.au/newsite/projects.php?proj=747

http://www.kaisercraft.com.au/newsite/projects.php?proj=762

http://www.kaisercraft.com.au/newsite/projects.php?proj=764

Thanks for stopping by!

 



 



ISSC-33 - the sweetest thing

Hi and welcome back to another fun filled sketch challenge from iSpy!  Thanks to everyone who played along last week for my first week on the design team.  I loved all your creations.

This week the sketch is based on a card designed by Cindy Elam (Cards4Ever @ SCS) and is based on this card
Here is the sketch:

 

The thing I love about sketch challenges is being able to "play" with the sketch to make it work for you and the papers you have selected.  So this week I chose to flip the sketch and to reduce the size of some of the elements to get it to work with the patterned paper I chose from MME.

 

So here is the card I created:

 

 

 

I wanted to make sure that the pretty little floral pattern at the bottom left was still visible which prompted me to flip the sketch and reduce the size of the horizontal band.  I also chose to stagger the three vertical strips as well.  I added some machine stitching to the border as well.

 

The oval embellishment was created with a series of MFT die-namics dies and I used foam tape to assemble it to add some layers and definition.

 

 

The oval decorative doily was cut to fit the bottom 1/3 of the oval.

 

I added some liquid pearls too!  I love using this product as you can spot it anywhere you like and make the pearls just the right size.  I distress inked the sticker greeting and added some twine and flowers to finish things off.

 

 

Materials List:

 

Paper - MME "the sweetest thing" lavender, Bazzil cardstock

Dies - My Favorite Things die-namics - oval decorative doily duo, mini scallop edge, fishtail banner and oval stax 2

Punch - Carl mini heart

Other - Darice hemp twine, Ranger Liquid Pearls (white opal), doodlebug sticker greeting, Green Tara mini roses and TH Tea Dye distress ink

 

So why not play along with me and the other special agents at iSpy!

Here is how to play:

• Create a paper crafting project (card, scrap book page or 3D item), based on the sketch provided.Post your creation on your blog or an online gallery (using a code ISSC30), and link it here with the inlinkz widget below.
• Please provide a direct link to your post - not the generic link to your blog.
• A new challenge will be posted every Friday at 12:01 AM EST, and you have until noon on the following Friday EST to submit your entry.
• You may enter as many times as you like, but please provide a newly designed project with a new link for each additional project.
• We will choose the top 2 creations to be featured in our "Top 2 Winners" post every Sunday where we will announce who we have picked :) The winners will receive their very own iSpy Sketches blog badge!
• Don't forget that you may combine our challenges with others and use supplies from any company that you wish :)
• Have fun and we look forward to "spying" your creations!

Head over to the challenge blog here and enjoy!

 

Thanks for stopping by!

 

 

 

 



ISSC32

Hello and welcome to my first iSpy Sketch Challenge post as one of their Design Team members!!!! 

This week the challenge is a great one for using up your scraps of paper.  You will love playing along!

ISSC32 challenge is inspired by the talented Marie-Alice (ladybug91743 @ SCS) and is based on this card

So here is the sketch:

And here is the card I created:

At first I began cutting squares from my patterned paper scraps then I grabbed out my MFT mix & match banner dies and cut 3 of then to also add in.  I mounted these with foam to give them a bit more definition.

Of course I had no hesitation in distressing and inking all my edges - my favourite shabby chic technique!  The bow was tied with hemp twine and I had a matching button to add from my collection.  The fishtail banner embellishment was made from lace and I added pearls as well.

The rolled rose was cut from the same patterned paper as the banner pieces.  I love making co-ordinating flowers!  The Verve Birthday Bash greeting was stamped with Versa Color ink and the circle was also edge distressed and inked. I added some lace at the bottom of the card to tie in with the piece used on the top right and added some pearls to it too.

To add more interest and definition to the card  I mounted the cardstock panel with foam together with the mini circle doily.

Materials Used:

Paper - My Minds Eye, The Sweetest Thing -Bluebell and Kaisercraft card CD158 Sea Foam and a scrap of bazzil green.

Dies - My Favorite Things Die-namics Mini Rolled Roses, Min & Match Banner and Mini Doily Circles

Stamps - Verve Birthday Bash set

Other - Versa Color 154 Bark ink, Stampin' Up Chantilly lace, Kaisercraft pearls, button, hemp twine, edge distressor, and Tim Holtz Tea Dye distress ink.

Thanks so much for stopping by and taking a look at my first iSpy DT card.  I had so much fun and you can too!

So why not play along with me and the other special agents at iSpy!

Here is how to play:

• Create a paper crafting project (card, scrap book page or 3D item), based on the sketch provided.Post your creation on your blog or an online gallery (using a code ISSC30), and link it here with the inlinkz widget below.
  
• Please provide a direct link to your post - not the generic link to your blog.
  
• A new challenge will be posted every Friday at 12:01 AM EST, and you have until noon on the following Friday EST to submit your entry.
  
• You may enter as many times as you like, but please provide a newly designed project with a new link for each additional project.
  
• We will choose the top 2 creations to be featured in our "Top 2 Winners" post every Sunday where we will announce who we have picked :) The winners will receive their very own iSpy Sketches blog badge!
  
• Don't forget that you may combine our challenges with others and use supplies from any company that you wish :)
  
• Have fun and we look forward to "spying" your creations!

Head over to the challenge blog here and enjoy!

iSpy a New Design Team Member!

I have been sitting on some exciting news for the past few weeks..........the fabulous iSpy Sketch Challenge blog has a new design team member - ME!!!!!!!!



 



Although it has been sad for the DT to say good bye to the talented Jenny Peterson they have made me feel so welcome.  So thanks to Kim for the HUGE honour of asking me to join the team. 

You can see the "official" announcement here.  Stay tuned for my first DT post this Friday.

ISSC 31 - Happy Birthday!

Well I have finally finished work following the Paperific Show here in Melbourne.  The store is almost back to normal and I am home for the day.  What better way to recuperate than by making a card???

For this card I have played along with the iSpy girls using their ISSC Sketch No 31:

Here's what the iSpy DT said about the inspirational designer they spied this week - "This week, you are in for a treat!!! We are featuring Karen Dunbrook ( k dunbrook @ SCS) and is based on this card. Karen is the queen of CAS!!! If you check out her blog or SCS gallery, you'll need to grab a cup of coffee and a cloth because you'll be drooling over her fantastic work!!!"

 

And here is the card I made:

 

 

 

I loved the simplicity of this weeks sketch as it meant I could play with whatever theme I wanted.  I decided to play around with some paper quilting and machine stitching for this card to add interest to the back panel.  

 

 

Once I got started I decided to make the whole cards theme with sewing in mind.

So I added a mini spool, dress making pins and a dress makers dummy to the front.

The dress makers dummy was finished off with some hand made co-ordinating flowers.  I also added a button and some vintage lace from my stash.

Materials Used:

Paper: Echo Park For the Record (6x6pad)

Dies: MFT Sew Nifty, Mini Rolled Rose, Oval Decorative Doily Duo and Oval Stax 2

Other: Scrabble lettering tiles (Collections), button (October Afternoon), twine (Taylored Expressions), pins (Birch), Swiss Dots embossing folder (Cuttlebug), kraft card base (Envelope Solutions), tea die distress ink (TH/Ranger).

 

Thanks for stopping by!

 

 



 

Thank you iSpy and Shabby Tea Room!!!!

After an exhausting weekend working at the Melbourne Paperific Show it was so nice to start the week off with some lovely accolades.

Thank you to The Shabby Tea Room for the Honourable Mention for the #129 colour inspiration.  You can see the announcement here.  This was the card I made:

 

And another thank you to the team at iSpy for the honour of becoming an iSpy winner for the third time!!!  I so love playing along with their weekly sketches.  They are so much fun!!!  Here is the announcement. This is the card I made: