Anya Ink Challenge & CIC47

I'm back.....and have finally managed to make a card worthy of participating in Anya Ink's colour challenge and, would you believe it......it worked with what I already had in mind for the current Cupcake Inspiration Challenge. Love it when that happens.

I've been making a few cards lately as I find it such good 'therapy'. Haven't had much energy or desire to get out there and face the shops or be around crowds of peeps, and its a good thing then that I love sitting at home with my great friends, Rubbah, Ink and Copic. There's a bit of a wait and see game going on with Mama in the hospital at the moment. Waiting to see what happens after surgery last week. I'm hoping things either improve slowly (or quickly, please Jesus) or don't get any worse in the least. The options available are slim and even those the surgical team can consider come with huge, huge risks.

Anyway.....I thought it was about time Flutter Anya saw some inky goodness and I just love, love, love how she's turned out. I followed this week's Saturday Sketch from Club Anya and have used the required Blue, Grey and Cream (off-white, in my case) for the Anya Ink challenge for this week.

This dear little Anya was so cute and asked me if I wouldn't mind adding a little Crystal Effects on her wings, which is a first for me. I've had it for months now and was yet to use it on any image. So, now her darling little wings are shiny, shiny, shiny and her little skirt is all sparkly, sparkly, sparkly thanks to my dear friend, Stardust Stickles. :)

And I picked up my new Cuttlebug baby yesterday and would you believe it - she's PINK!! I'm sooooooo excited. I 'broke' my green one and got a fab-o new pink baby in return!! And the "A" plate is the usual normal white plate you've all seen before. Only sad note is I had to take in all the plates from my former Cuttlebug baby......and now am missing my "C" plate as there wasn't one included with the new one. :(

Card Deets:

Image: TGF Flutter Anya

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black

Paper/Cardstock: Flourishes Classic White; SU Bella Bleu; Bazzill Card (base) & a random sparkly silver/grey piece of card that I have recycled from an invitation I received.

Others: Copics; SU Crystal Effects; Stickles Stardust; Nestabilities (Label 8), Cuttlebug; Kaiser Rhinestones, SU Basic Grey Taffeta Ribbon, WeRMemoryKeepers Corner Chomper

I think that's it for me today. Thanks for popping by. :)

Hugs, Michey xxx

Waltzing Mouse Stamps Blog Hop

Welcome to my stop along the first ever Waltzing Mouse blog hop.......if you've managed to make it this far then you have put in a super human effort and deserve a peek at my little angel. LOL :)

If you've started here because you follow my blog, etc., can I encourage you go to Claire's post at the beginning on the Waltzing Mouse blog. You won't be sorry.

I've been loving Claire's stamp designs for a wee while now and used some of her sets to make several of my Christmas cards last year. Sadly, I haven't yet uploaded any of them so don't have any other cards to show you.

For my card I've used the Earth Angel set to create my gorgeous angel. I love this set....it is so versatile - you can create angels or spring fairies or even skipping girlies using this set + the wings can then be used to create totally gorgeous butterflies!! And there are several different wing designs to choose from!! Awesome!! Such an imagination resides within Claire...I'm so glad she is sharing her creativity with us and making stamps of her darling images. I decorated the inside of my card with just such a butterfly!! And since paper piecing is my newest fad.....I just had to piece this dear little angel's dress with a co-ordinating piece of the BG Porcelain paper.

If you click on the Waltzing Mouse badge on my sidebar ------> it will take you directly to Claire's website where you can see all the stamp sets available and purchase straight away if your heart so desires. ;) Claire has even started doing templates too!! I'm gonna say it again......amazing. :)

Now, Mona's gorgeous creation is your next stop on the hop....

(Here's the web address just in case my embedded link doesn't work) http://cupcakescreations.blogspot.com/

CARD DEETS:

Image: WMS Earth Angel

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black

Paper/Cardstock: Flourishes Classic White, Basic Grey Porcelain (6x6 pad), SU Whisper White (Card base)

Others: Copics, Stickles, KaiserCraft Rhinestones, PTI Satin Ribbon "Sweet Blush", Giga Scallop Circle Punch, Fiskars Circle Template and Cutter

I also followed Karen's Sweet Sunday Sketch for the layout of my card and will also be entering this in the Flutter By Wednesday challenge, which was to include hearts with our winged creations this week.

Thanks for stopping by. Hugs, Michey xxx

FFF, MTSC61, More Paper Piecing & CIC46

I've done it!! Two cards made from scratch and posted to my blog in the same day!! Woot......and I got the house cleaned & ran a few errands this morning too. I'm spent now though and will be climbing into bed in another moment or two.

What a line up of challenges this next card represents. I got my colour inspiration from TGF's Farm Fresh Friday Feb Colour Challenge and used Mercy's sketch to plan my layout. The colours also work for the Cupcake Inspirations Challenge and I couldn't help but paper piece Stella's dress. I've been following Dawn McVey's technique for tying bows and then I had to dress it up a little (for the first time ever) with a button and some twine. The twine I recycled from an invitation to a party I recently received and the button is the "spare" that came with the shorts I'm actually wearing today!! This one's going in my stash...not sure what or who for atm, but I'm sure it will be used in the not-too-distant future. So glad I buy too much paper and had lots of options for guava from SU in my stash with matching ribbon on the side. :)

Thanks for having another peek.

Hugs, Michey xxxx

CARD DEETS:

Image: TGF WS Stella (by the uh-may-ZING Amy Young)

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black

Paper/Cardstock: Flourishes Classic White, SU Choc Chip & Kraft + DSP Afternoon Tea (retired)

Other: SU Groovy Guava Grosgrain, COPICS!!, SU Top Note Die, Cuttlebug (cut before I broke my littel green machine), Fiskars Oval Shape Template, Button & Twine from stash.

Btw, remember how I was telling you I broke my beloved Cuttlebug!! *sob* *sob*

Well its being replaced!! Yay!! And replaced with a PINK Cuttlebug!! I'm so blessed and excited. I hope to pick up my new pink baby on Monday!! My local scrapping store is the BEST, I tell ya. I had to drop the A,B,C, plates in to them today so I can get a whole new box of goodies in return and they were dumbfounded when they saw my "A" plate. Its green...okay.....but also is really rigid and firm and whilst the bottom and sides are solid plastic, the top is hollowed out in a honeycomb pattern (the up side). They showed me their "A" plate and its white and solid and has some flexibility to it. Just wondering if anyone else has had the same "A" plate as me??? They are now thinking its rigid nature may have contributed to the "breaking" of my green baby.

Anywho....that's it from me for now. See ya later. M xxx

A little Paper Piecing, A little Colour Combo and a little Sunday Sketch following.....

I'm here.....did ya miss me?? I've been around blogland, but lurking and peeking at some blogs is about all I've had time for this week. :(

I actually left the hospital a little earlier last night - I was absolutely tuckered out and needed an early night home away from anyone that needed anything of me. I know that sounds a little selfish of me....but I give 110% of myself to my job and patients and have been giving more than that to my Mama the past 2 weeks and I was just a little done in.

So I decided to come home and have an actual meal in my house and catch up with my flatmate and maybe, just maybe, get in some therapy by way of making a card or two.

I really, really wanted to participate in Pam's piecing challenge and thought this Anya would look fabo with some piecing in her uniform. Then I thought she really needed to have matching luggage & it all came together pretty well once I decided on the paper to use and incorporated another colour challenge. I also followed Karen's Sweet Sunday Sketch, but have realised I missed the boat as far as uploading in time for the challenge there.

I'm also hoping to participate in The Greeting Farm's FFF colour challenge too!! A couple of challenges using Kraft + Chocolate and another colour!! I love, love, love Kraft & Chocolate....so no biggee there!! LOL. I may just post another card today.....who knows. Housework and grocery shopping are calling my name too. Bummah!! lol

Thanks for lookin. Mwah!!

Card Deets:

Image/Stamps: TGF Travel Anya

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black

Paper/Cardstock: Flourishes Classic White; SU Kraft & Chocolate Chip; Basic Grey Indian Summer (6x6 pad + 12x12 Acorn)

Others: Copics, White Gel Pen, Making Memories Edge Distresser (first time I've used this and I don't think I'll be a fan - I ran it around the white circle edge and you can see where the edge as left an indent about 1/2" in from the edge)

Lastly, a thanks to all who've left messages with well wishes for my Mum. Thanks....it is sooo appreciated as are all your prayers. She's still in hospital and will be for a wee while yet. Unfortunately, my Mama has many difficult health issues/probs and whilst the Medical team is doing everything they can to get her well again......there's not a lot of options available for them as my Mum is not well enough or strong enough for too much surgery. And its tough for me to watch her become more and more frail too, being a nurse is sometimes absolutely DREADFUL!! You know too much and understand what is happening. My mum is only 62 (almost 63) and her time left with us in this life is short. We don't know when something will happen....it could be in 3 hours, 3 days, 3 months, etc.....

Anyway, she's holding her own for now.....and I'm doing my best too. My brother and sister aren't really the support I need them to be, for both Mum and myself.....but I'm blessed to have some super amazing friends and Pastors in my world who are keeping me going. And this lovely world of crafting/stamping to escape to when I need some major therapy. :)

Get Well Card; Mojo Monday 125; FlutterBy Wednesdays again

Hey friends.

Gosh its been a big week!! It seems like it's been weeks since I've posted, but its only been a few days!! Unfortunately, I've spent much of the past few days when I'm not working visiting my Mama in hospital. She's been a wee bit sick for the past few weeks, but things took a bit of a turn for the worse over the weekend and she's now lying in a bed in hospital. Luckily, she's here in the hospital I work in so I'm close by and go and spend and hour or two with her when I'm done for the day.

I had such plans to take new photos of my previous cards (see posts below) but got a call on Tuesday morning to say Mum had to come in to hospital and that put an end to all those plans. I have taken some new shots, just need a spare moment or two when I can handle staring at my computer again to change them over.

Anyway.....I needed some serious therapy by the time I got home last night and thought I'd better make Mama a 'get well' card. I wanted something bright and cheery and wanted to use another of Amy's darling Sweet November girls. I based my colours on this piece of BG DP (Ambrosia collection) and went from there. Then I remembered that I had printed off the Mojo sketch for this week and it all came together reasonably easily!! I had initially left off the bow as I had the card turned the other way - but it wasn't working. A quick turn to the right and a little bow and voila!! Magic. I know my Mum is going to say something about the PERFECT bow I managed to make for her card!! LOL!! I never, ever get them this good. Being tired and stressed clearly works for me, haha. :)

Now to go and get an appropriately coloured and lovely bunch of flowers to match.

Thanks for stopping by. Hugs, Michey xxx

CARD DEETS:

Image: Sweet November 'Fidget Goblinspider'

Paper/Cardstock: Basic Grey Ambrosia (6x6 pad); Flourishes Classic White Paper; Bazzill White Cardstock

Ink: Epson Printer Ink

Other: Copics, Stickles (yellow, red, orange/pink & Platinum); Ribbon (from my stash)

Flutter by Wednesday & more SNS!!

Okay.....I'm publishing this post with this super dodgy photo 'coz I'm too excited to wait another moment.....but I'll be uploading a newer, better, more accurate colour-captured shot tomorrow once I've had a chance to photograph it in daylight. (The card is actually lying on a white background - not sure if its the same on your screen but its definitely a lilac colour on mine!!)

I had so much fun colouring the gorgeous "Ginger" in!! She 'told' me before I even started that her hair was PURPLE and her dress was green so who was I to argue. It was sooooo much fun and since PURPLE is my all-time, hands down FAVOURITE colour, it was super easy too. Again, special thanks go out to the Legendary Amy!! However....at 2am when I had finished colouring both the SNS gals in I found I didn't have any suitable green paper or DP in my stash to go ahead and make Ginger's card.

And I knew which DP I wanted to use - Basic Grey Origins!! After I got through all my chores (bores) today, I headed to one of my local scrapping shops and THEY DIDN'T HAVE IT!! Hadn't ordered it and weren't going to either!! Can you believe it!! So I got on my high horse and rode along to my other 'favourite' scrapping shop (where I am known my name, ain't that nice) and purchased 100 times more than I had planned (its why I ration my excursions to said shop!!). Should've gone there in the first place, but was a wee bit concerned they may have been closed already.

(On an aside, the owner also helped soothe my ruffled and definitely upset feathers over my drama with my Cuttlebug machine......I'm gonna drop it by sometime soon and she'll have a look and see if anything can be done!! Yay, double yay!!)

Anyways, drama aside - I came home unpacked my groceries and finalised my car rego deets (which were the priorities on my to-do list for today) and then was able to put my card together. I love it, love it, love it!! And its huge too!! Well huge by my standards. 11cm x 11cm square. I also picked myself up some Tim Holtz Distress Inks finally and have applied Frayed Burlap to the edges of all cardstock.

I'm entering this into the Flutter By Wednesday Challenge....because I can. Ginger has beautifully sparkly wings and is definitely a spritely little fairy so she qualifies!!

Thanks for dropping by for a squizz. Hugs xxx

Card Deets:

Image: Sweet November Stamps "Ginger"

Ink: Epson Printer Ink

Paper/Cardstock: SU Elegant Eggplant (Card base); Basic Grey "Origins", Kaisercraft Dear Santa Collection (Purple polkadot paper); Flourishes Classic White Paper; Offwhite Cardstock (matted under Origins square)

Other: Copics, StarDust Stickles, Kaiser Clear Rhinestones (again coloured with Copic to match); Gorgeous Purple Taffeta ribbon; Fiskars Scallop Border Punch

Darby & Bumbles & Challenge card!! SSSC55

(Hey Amy!! *waving*)

I've done it.....I made my first card using a Sweet November stamp on Saturday....actually make that Sunday!! My days are getting away from me.

I made it with 5mins to spare to get a new cartridge from Officeworks on my way home from church & work on Sunday so I could print off my new digi stamps. I printed them all baby!! Every digi stamp I have on my Mac to date was printed and is ready to get stuck into.....but I chose this gorgeous little urchin to start with.

Meet the darling Darby and her dear little friend Bumbles. I love, love, love Amy's drawings/images and am having so much fun colouring them. My prob is then finding matching DP in my stash to make my card. Darby was fine - I eventually got it together....but you'll see in my next post I had to add a dash to my local Scrapping shop on my list of things to do today (my day off!!).

This is a sorry card for my sis - she's a bit cranky pants with me atm (let's put it down to pregnancy hormones & maybe, just maybe, I've been a bit naughty) and I'll pop it in the post to her once I've taken it to work with me tomorrow and had a go at a decent photo. Midnight photography is such a dreadful thing (blast these tungsten bulbs!!).

Thanks for stopping by for a peek. Hugs, Michey xxx

Card Deets:

Image: Sweet November Stamps 'Darby and Bumbles'

Ink: Epson Printer Ink

Paper/Cardstock: Flourishes Classic White Paper; SU Whisper White; SU Petals and Paisley + Bali Breeze DSP (retired)

Others: Copics (of course!!); StarDust Stickles (my new fav); Kaiser Clear Rhinestones (coloured with Copic to match); MS Doiley Border Punch; American Crafts Ribbon

Another Birthday Card

I seem to have been on a card making roll this last week or two. And its great!!

Had an old College friend visiting Australia and, specifically Sydney again, this week. She now lives in the UK (London) and I hadn't seen her in just over three years, when I was in London on hols and stayed with her. She is affectionately known to us near and dear as the "Tyrant Tour Leader" as she powers us in and around London to see the sights. Its fantastic - I don't have to stop and ask for directions and she knows all sorts of interesting tidbits, its just that sometimes in her zeal for us to see as much as possible in the day or two we usually only have - she forgets to allow us to stop and revive with food and/or beverages as well!!

Anyway, its also her 40th birthday in a couple of weeks (I can't believe most of my friends are now having 40th birthdays!!) and we all pitched in to get her a lovely Pandora bracelet and a few charms for the occasion. I felt that this needed an appropriate card too so pulled out my as-yet-uninked Flapper Anya and got to it. You can't tell, but I've coloured all the tassels and the feather in her hair with Spica Glitter pens too to add a little bling.

I also followed the instructional video from Dawn McVey for tying the ribbon. I had YouTube playing it beside me on my iPhone as I did it. Still getting the hang of it - but I think I'm doing okay. :)

Thanks for taking a peek. Hope your weekend is going great. Michey xxx

Card Deets:

Stamp/Image: TGF 'Flapper Anya'

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black

Paper/Card: SU Whisper White; Flourishes Classic White Paper (for the image); Basic Grey 'Indian Summer' collection

Others: Copics; Spica Glitter 'Red'; Brown/Orange ribbon (from Eckersley's)

MTSC59

Wow!! Just realised its after midnight over here and I need to get my tuckus into bed as I have an early start for church in the morning.

This is a card I whipped up this afternoon (make that yesterday afternoon, lol) for one of my bestie's who has a birthday today (Sunday) - though I'm not seeing her until next weekend. Its a semi-big one.....the one before 40!!

I knew which stamp set I was going to use and then looked for the right paper before colouring this delicious Anya set in.

My dear friend is a Psychologist working mostly with children, youth and families. She's especially busy (sadly) and also has some presentations to make in the next couple of months and so is in a super busy time. I wanted to wish her a year of finding time for herself as well as everyone she cares for and these little Anya's were perfect.

I've based my card layout on Mercy's Tuesday Sketch for this week and am so proud of myself for continuing to participate in challenges atm. Hoping it will continue and I will get better at it as the year progress.

I actually decorated the inside of this card too......Cut some of the DP to fit and rounded the corners and used the "after" Anya to finish it off. I hadn't planned on distressing the edges of any of the papers, but clearly I need to replace the blade on my trimmer as it 'distressed' them all for me. :)

Yellow is definitely not my favourite colour to work with.....but I think I've pulled it off. My dear friend does great things with yellow as she has beautiful dark skin and luscious dark hair.

Card Deets:

Stamps: TGF "Me Time Anya"

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black

Paper: SU So Saffron, BG Two Scoops 'Creme Brulee'; Flourishes Classic White Paper

Others: Copics, Stickles 'Cotton Candy', PTI Ribbon "Sweet Blush", White Gel Pen, WeRMemoryKeepers Corner Chomper

CIC #44

Hi there......I'm participating in my 2nd ever challenge!! Am definitely on a roll atm. :)

Firstly though, I'm apologising for the appalling photo of my card right up front!! Its definitely a shocker and I'm sorry. But the card has been given away and I can't take another photo!! It was a 3am finish and the party was that morning and my DSLR's memory card was full!! Anyways.....will be better prepared in future.

I made this card for a dear friend's birthday and since she loves cupcakes - I mean seriously loves them!! - I had to use a suitable image!! She's also a gorgeous, vibrant, often outrageous personality and so some suitable paper was necessary. Her's a glimpse into her world.....it was her 30th b'day and she decided to stage her own Sozympics with all her guests participating in various games/events in the chance of winning a gold medal!! Was a fun afternoon.

I chose a piece of BG JuneBug as my starting idea and just worked from there.

Sozzy loved it - and at the end of the day....that's all that matters.

Card Deets:

Stamps/Images: Verve 'Cupcake Affair'

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black

Paper/Cardstock: Basic Grey June Bug DP; Bazzill Card (Pink); Flourishes Classic White Paper

Others: Copics; Random Pink Ribbon x 3 from my stash; Nestabilities Die, WeRMemoryKeepers Corner Chomper