Monday Mania with TGF

I'm totally honoured to be playing hostess this week for The Greeting Farm's Monday Mania challenge.

As my country stopped to honour our brave ANZACS yesterday, I decided to set the challenge based on the colour of the Army uniform, since its something I've been surrounded by since birth. My paternal grandfather, father and brother have all served in the Australian Army, with my brother currently still serving our great country.

I had created two cards for this challenge using other images, keeping with the colour scheme I had set but I wasn't entirely happy with them. I woke Friday morning knowing that the deadline for submission of my creation was close and had a card in mind. I spent the next 24hrs planning and strategising how to make it happen. I set to it Saturday afternoon and worked on the card base for hours!! The "forest" actually comprises about 5 different stamp sets using 8 different ink colours!! Stamping and blending the forest left the Kraft base really wet so I needed to let it dry a bit before I cut out the frame. I coloured Courage Ian during this time with Copics (of course) and then smudged him with choc chip ink for effect. I paper pieced his helmet with a camouflage print design I found via Google. I changed the colours with my Copics to better fit my colour scheme and then, after carefully cutting out the "forest window", I set about putting it all together. When finished, I applied Crystal Effects to the goggles to make them shiny. Not sure if I've managed to get this in the photo.

Fussed and played until 11pm Sat night then tried - oh tried so hard - to fall asleep as I was rising at 3am to head out to a Dawn Service with my brother and the rest of the family, then back to take my Mum to hospital for an appointment and then onto church afterwards!! I was totally whacked when I got home and needed a nanna nap. Awoke refreshed and "knew" just what I needed to finish of the card. I used a mini label that I altered with an ink (who's name I can't quite recall atm, will come back to add this) to create a "dogtag" label and handwrote the inscription. The ball chain is aactually what the pricetag was attached to a couple of hairclips I recently purchased. Just shows that you should never, ever throw away anything - it was a perfect addition.

Anyway, I hope you can join me and my dear TGF friends this week in the Monday Mania challenge.

I'm also entering this card into the current Cards for Men challenge - Monochrome

Thanks for stopping by.

Michey xxx

CARD DEETS:

Image: TGF Courage Ian; Hero Arts Dandelion Frame; Verve Abundant Blessings, Forever in our Hearts, Leaves; KaiserCraft Lilac Avenue

Ink: Memento: Tuxedo Black; SU: Choc Chip, Old Olive, Wild Wasabi, River Rock; Distress Ink: Frayed Burlap, Old Paper; Versacolor: Olive, Cement,

Paper/Cardstock: SU Kraft, PTI White

Others: SU Crystal Effects, Cuttlebug Labels, Mimco Chain (used for the dogtag detail), Spica Glitter Pen - Silver,

Copics: See picture for Copics used

Inkspirations Sketch Challenge #21

In the lead up to my hosting the Monday Mania challenge over at The Greeting Farm, I had a couple of practice runs making cards for my entry. This is one that I created that I just wasn't all that happy with.

However, it did mean I managed to participate in Keesh's Inkspiration Challenge last week for my very first time!! Yay!!

Hope you like it.

Hugs, Michey xxx

CARD DEETS:

Image: TGF Cute Troop

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, PTI Fresh Snow

Paper/Cardstock: PTI White, KaiserCraft Millitary collection

Others: Copics (sorry I forgot to take a piccie), Edge distresser, PTI Twine

FFF Get Well Wishes, Anya Ink #1 & Anyone for Anya

My dear twin brother had some minor surgery on his foot on Thursday and I thought I'd better get my butt into gear and make him a little get well card. He's on bed rest for the first 7 days and will be off his foot for 3-4 weeks. He and his partner rearranged their lounge room so he can blob out on the couch playing x-box and/or watching the telly whilst looking out their big windows at the ocean, plus I'm pretty sure that PJ's will be his go-to fashion for much of these few weeks. Lucky duck!! lol ;)

Anywho, I used this weeks Farm Fresh Friday sketch to help me plan my card and pulled it together from there. I ummed and aahed over which image to use - the Nurse Anya or a My Guy Ian, or even the cute little dogs on the couch in the Home Sweet Home set.....before finally deciding this cute little Max fit the bill perfectly. I paper pieced his outfit so that it more resembled pj's and pulled out my Copics. I'm not all that pleased with my colouring on this card, but I'm not gonna redo it, so it will have to do. Dan won't be critiquing it anyway. This also fits with this week's challenges at Anya Ink at Anyone for Anya, which is anything goes.

Its Easter Sunday over here now and our daylight savings has finished overnight. I'm usually doubleminded about this end of DS - I love the extra hour of sleep, but hate that its dark so much earlier in the afternoon/evening. Definitely won't be leaving work with lingering light left in the sky most evenings now. Oh welll....

Happy Resurrection Sunday to all.

Michey xxx

CARD DEETS:

Stamps: TGF Twinkle Tots "Max", Stamping Bella Sentiments Grab Bag

Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black; SU Choc Chip

Paper/Cardstock: SU Kraft, Choc Chip, Soft Sky, Parisienne Breeze DSP, Flourishes Classic White

Copics: Skin: E00, E42, RV32; Hair: E47, E49, E74; Socks/Controller: W00, W3 W5, W7, W9; + B0000 & B91 for highlights/shading

Others: Distress Ink "Old Paper", McGill Fancy Square Punch, PTI Twine, Nestabilities Oval

Anya Ink & Club Anya WCW Challenges - Bling

This week's challenge on the Anya Ink blog was simple.....BLING!! So bling I did. :) And the colour challenge for Club Anya and Friends Wild Card Wednesday was this stunning pillow. I didn't have any paper that matched every colour so I picked out the pink and went with that.

I made this card to send to a dear family in the states that I've been praying for recently. Their gorgeous youngest daughter lost her battle with Neuroblastoma recently and I wanted to let them know they are still in my thoughts and prayers from the 'other side of the pond'. Beautiful little Layla Grace was often photographed with gorgeous little hats with huge flowers on them and so I knew this WS Dahlia would be perfect.

I hope you can tell from this smaller piccie that Miss Dahlia is absolutely blinged up. I used stickles on all the little flower blossoms and then got out a couple of my Spica Glitter pens and added some sparkle highlights in the lighter areas of her hair and around the flower in her hair. Her gorgeous skirt and stockings even have "metallic" thread in them, *thanks Spica*. :)

I also wanted to keep this card somewhat simple - not overwhelming and busy like my last card. So I simply cut out Dahlia and mounted her with some dimensionals and then wrapped some pink and silver thread around and added my sentiment on a matted punch on the bottom. (I've gone over the stamped sentiment with a Spica pen too so it has some shimmer to it.)

Anywho....that's it for this post. Mwah!! Love ya, mean it. xx

CARD DEETS:

Image/Stamps: TGF WS Dahlia, Verve Notes of Prayer (Sentiment)

Paper/Cardstock: SU Whisper White, Basic Black, Bazzill Textured Pink, Flourishes Classis White Paper (Image stamped and coloured on)

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black

Others: Copics, Spica Glitter Pens (Clear & Pink), Stickles (Cotton Candy), Pink Thread, May Arts Metallic Cord (Silver), SU Scallop Oval & Wide Oval Punches, We R Memory Keepers Corner Chomper

Mama Update:

For those who are interested. I was blessed to be able to take my Mama home from hospital on Tuesday night. She's so much better than she was and I'm absolutely thankful for all who have been praying and thinking of us during this time. Sadly, she's fading with each month, but I'm determined to keep her as strong and as well as possible for as long as is possible too. And make the most of every moment we get without pushing both of us tooooo far trying to fit a billion things in. :) It's her 63rd birthday on Saturday and its gonna be so great to be able to celebrate with her somewhere other than a visiting room at the hospital. The weather is supposed to be stunning here over the weekend so we are going to have an early dinner at one of the local beaches with all the kiddies. YAY!! But before that, I'm heading out with her tomorrow night to see a gorgeous young Aussie Italian croon us all with his magical voice. I discovered the talents of Alfio a few years ago when randomly looking through the jazz CD's in my local Sanity shop....became a fan and have seen him perform several times since. Beautiful voice and funny, funny Italiano/Aussie fella too. Should be a great night tomorrow night. I gave Mum one of his CD's for Christmas a year ago and she fell in love with his voice too - she knows we're going out, but has no idea to what or where - though I think she suspects, lol.

M xx

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

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. :)

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

TGF CHA Relay Day 3: Toby

Given the time difference and all (we're 17hrs ahead over here) ....I frantically photographed my card this morning after another 2hr marathon making my masterpiece last night and was just about to click to upload it when I discovered the rest of the relay has been shelved. So I've taken the pressure off myself to get it uploaded (I am at work after all, lol).

Part of me is sad.....I was enjoying participating in my first challenge, but part of me is relieved. I'm heading out to a concert tonight and was not looking forward to coming home late and sitting up making a card in the wee small hours so it was ready to go before the deadline. I'm excited about the prince digi though - will definitely get lots of use out of him. He looks a bit more like Robin Hood "Prince of Thieves" than a royal prince to me, lol.

Anyways, here's my Toby card!! I had a bit of bother colouring him in.....I couldn't get his fuzz right and the more I played and blended, the darker he became. Oh well - so he's a dark furred teddy. I think I'll get lots of use of this digi and one of my besties who's having a boy bubba soon will be getting this card.

I also followed Mercy's Tuesday Sketch Challenge for the layout - another FIRST for me, YAY!!

On a sad note.....while cutting out my label die last night I think I killed my cuttlebug!! Actually, was while I was trying to feed it through again to get the embossing sharp that did it. Seriously bummed!! I tried to run through a plain piece of cardstock in an embossing folder afterwards and it was definitely wonky!! Shame. I had waited and waited and saved and saved to get one in the first place and it's definitely had good use since I got it...but it was still only 4 months old!! Have to wait until the next craft show and get another at a GREAT price. Any suggestions or advice on whether to get a Cuttlebug again....or is there something better on the market??

Card Deets:

Images: TGF Toby

Ink: Versacolour Cement (around extreme edge of blue mat & white base)

Paper: Flourishes Classic White Cardstock, SU Parisian Breeze, SU Soft Sky

Others: Copics!!, Copic Multiliner 0.3mm, MS Punch Train, Nestabilities Label Die, White Gel Pen

TGF CHA Relay Challenge 2: Charlotte

Here I am again with Card No 2 for the TGF CHA Challenge.

I managed to get my printer hooked up to my iMac at home (finally!!) and printed gorgeous Charlotte onto proper cardstock. I did a test run to make sure the ink was colourfast with my darling Copics and, whoop-glory, it worked!!

I had a bit of a chat with wee Charlotte about papers and colours, etc. to find out what took her fancy. Wouldn't ya know it, she loves Pink Lemonade!! lol And I tried my hand at paper piecing for the first time.

Anyways, I need to get this loaded up into the gallery before work gets crazy busy this morning!!

Hopefully, I'll be back with a new card tomorrow (or tonight) for Relay Challenge 3!!

Card Deets:

Images/Stamps: TGF Charlotte (Digi), Verve 'Fairy Tales'

Card/Paper: Flourishes Classic White Cardstock, Basic Grey Lemonade

Ink: None (again)

Others: Copics, White Gel Marker Pen, Copic Spica Glitter Pens (Gold & Turquoise), Misc (yet beeyewdifull) Pink/Red ribbons, adhesives

Club Anya Blog Hop

Short and sweet....both in words and images:)

I know there's quite a list to get through in the hop.....so thanks for stopping for a peek anyways.

Here is a card I recently created for two gorgeous friends who recently got married (2 wks ago).

Sorry for the BAD photos....I forgot to take my DSLR away with me (I know, I know - what was I thinking) so had to use my iPhone.......and the sun was setting, romantic candlelight, etc....anyway they didn't turn out too badly. ;)

Card Deets:

Image: The Greeting Farm "Caketopper"

Cardstock: SU Kraft + Whisper White

Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black + VersaColour Cement

Others: Nestabilities Dies, Copics, Spica Glitter Pens, SU Kraft Taffeta Ribbon

I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to make anything else for the blog hop.....life is outrageously out of control at the moment. Will promise to do much better next time. :)

Enjoy the rest of your hopping.

Hugs, MicheyMoo xxx