Kaisercraft Cherry Blossom papers

I have splashed out on some pretty papers with some of the Pre Christmas sales that were on. Now that the crazy Christmas days are behind me I can sit down and play.

Kaisercraft Sandy Toes

And now for something completely different. I really loved these Kaisercraft papers. A card for my brothers birthday

Scrapbook Mixed Media Canvas Blue and Teal

I'm still relatively new to creating mixed media projects but I was very inspired to do something lovely for my beautiful mum. This photo of us was taken 4 years ago - before CRPS when life was going to begin at 40 not end at 41. Life was filled with new opportunities. I love this photo and my mum loves Blue.

It's funny what I originally imagined was mainly pale blue and white but  I mistakenly coloured the chipboard first and it was electric blue so I had to re-think the colours (and then re-colored the chipboard black as the chipboard got lost in the background  then) I am really pleased with how it looks considering I taught myself from YouTube  videos :). I used my favorite Lindys Stamp Gang Starburst mists but I did find this canvas isn't shimmering quite as much as my CRPS ribbon canvas I made with black, yellow and orange. I am in love with the combinations of blue and teal at the moment. I find it so calming.

Merry Christmas Mumma xx you are the best

Birthday Beauty

I wanted to share these 2 cards. I am playing atound with my favourite product, Lindys Stamp Gang Starburst Mists  along with Memory Box's Elliana Background Die. I thought it was a really dramatic effect.

Thaks for stopping by ☺

50th Golden Wedding Anniversary

Golden 50th Wedding Anniversary Card. Tattered Lace Bell, Tattered Lace Bow, Spellbinders Frame, Heartfelt Creations Tattered Blossoms Flowers.

Christening

I just love when a friend asks me to make something for them. This was a christening card I was recently asked to make.

 

 

 

Wedding Card

I just love making wedding cards. This one is very different to what i would normally do. I love pure white or white and silver for wedding cards. The theme colours for the wedding were yellow and black.  I used my favorite shimmer mist by Lindys Stamp Gang (Wake me up before you go Gold Starburst Spray ) Ihave used Memory Box Elliana background die as well.

CRPS - my First Canvas

 

I wanted to share my very first canvas with you.

As you may or may not have read I have a very debilitating and painful disease called Complex Regional Pain Syndrome(CRPS) formerly known as Reflex Sympathetic Distropy (RSD).  In my case this has limited the use of my left arm substantially and is now moving into my right hand and shoulder.  It is a disease largely unknown but rates the highest illness on the McGill Pain Scale above amputation and Stage 4 Terminal Cancer and it spreads to other parts of your body.  I am so very lucky that I can still make cards (not every day, depending on the pain level) to have some enjoyment in a very limited lifestyle. Monday 3rd November was our first world awareness day and this is the canvas I made.  Unfortunately the photograph has not captured the lovely sheen to the entire canvas.  I have discovered Lindys Stamp Gang Starburst mists and the colours are intense with a gorgeous sheen. At the top of my canvas the brick wall represents being very housebound. The bottom sunrise is to remind me that everyday is a new day.  The fern on the left is to represent the beauty of nature and to find joy around us. The bling in the corners represents my love of shiny jewellery that is harder to wear these days.  One of the largest symptoms in the pain we feel is a burning sensation. It's awful and it feels like someone is constantly holding that limb on the stove element. I am really pleased with how it turned out and of course it's deeply personal as well.

Thanks for stopping by.

 

 

House warming Cards

I have had a ball making these 2 Housewarming Cards for 2 of my favorite people in my life, my cousin and a beautiful school friend from way back. I was very frustrated having to re make the brown card as my cousin's card did not arrive (this is the 3rd time we have lost cards...argh you Australia Post thief hopefully you are 1 step closer from being caught this time)

Teal and Silver Christmas Card

I am really loving this colour combination and couldn't wait to use the Memory Box Hanging Ornaments. Thanks for stopping by! 

Til next time ☺

Glorious Butterflies

Loving the Dylusions ink sprays and instead of using just plain water to watch the colours blend I used Tattered Angels Glimmermist in Pearl which really was the " pop" factor! The butterflies I stamped, colored with distress ink and a water brush and fussy cut. The white swirls were heat embossed using white embossing powder.

Couture Creations papers

I couldn't wait to rip into my new paper pad by Couture Creations Vintage Rose Garden.  48 double sided pages of yumminess!

Floral card

I have finally found the marvel of a hot glue gun. It makes attaching lots of big flowers a breeze!

Poinsetta Christmas Card

I have to admit when it comes to Christmas Cards I  do tend to lean more to traditional colours but this year I   have seen a few lovely Teal and Silver combinations going around. I was keen to have a go with my new  Memory Box Poinsettia Die and fresh from a class using plain old alfoil embossed as a background.  It is a really easy technique, just gluing some alfiol to a piece of cardstock ( no need to remove all of the crinkles) just to givevit a little more stabilityand running it through an embossing folder of your choice. I think even using the less shiny side of the alfoil would take on another great look. I also stamped the darker teal with white ink and heat embossed the little snowflakes.

Now I  am keen to make anotherfew designs in teal and silver. Craft emergency, I have run out of the Coredinations Aquarium and am now housebound and unable to drive. I wonder if my mother will be good enough to pick some up for me :)

Thanks for stopping by.

Christmas wreath card

I love justa bitta glitter!

40th Birthday Cassette card

So as promised here is the card I made for my friend. I did a google search to see what compilation albums were released in 1974 just for a little more authenticity. I love the screwhead brads I always keep on hand as I find they are a really good touch for masculine cards.

Hexagons for Birthday Cards

Some days I seem to take forever to put somehing together and this hexagonal card was that day. The second I finished it I realized that the friend I had made this card for  was turning 40 and this card just wouldn't cut the mustard. Strangely the card I replaced it came together really quickly. Ha! I will be sure to put the replacement up after the Birthday Boy receives it :)

This card I used 2 new embossing folders that I purchased a few days earlier. I always want to race home and use my new finds straight away so I was even more happy when I could combine 2 new folders.

I am really fascinated with inking techniques at the moment so playing with different colours has been fun.

Christmas Present Card

Time to get a move on and get some Christmas Cards together.  I absolutely love making Christmas cards. All that glitzy sparkly stuff that I really love and I know that my friends and family love receiving them too. Thanks for stopping by.

Star Birthday Card

Just  finished this card for my nephew who is about to turn17. The blended technique with Distress inks was easy but trying to measure the gaps to fit the standard card and allowing for matting was melting my pain brain :) I have used  an embossed piece of white cardstock with the star pattern. I love the way the blended inks give such great highs and lows. Using Wild Honey, Faded Jeans and Chipped Sapphire just around the edges in Distress Inks. 

I Love Free Stuff!

Super Excited when I opened my issue of Australian Simply Cards and the free item this month was this gorgeous stamp! SCORE!

Steampunk Birthday Cards

Time to shake things up a bit. I had big ideas for an embossing folder that I hadn't used a lot.  I don't think I am the only one but I do find making mens cards challenging. I always put my cards together like a jigsaw puzzle without sticking anything down.  I find that with mens cards I always have to try and keep it relatively simple. It's very easy to add to much. I have painted black cardstock with Tim Holtz Distress Paint in Brushed Pewter but making sure that I was leaving some of the black coming through as well.

I really love trying new techniques so these cards were loads of fun.
Thanks for stopping by!

Butterfly Trifold Card

One thing I really try as a relatively new card maker is to not fall into making the same type of card but somehow the most common theme for me is pink and butterflies.  I love how pretty it looks.

This lovely Marianne Butterfly Die is attached to the belly band that keeps the card closed.

When I made this card I was only just starting to use inks a little more. I really noticed the difference adding some pink shading around the edges of the sentiment panel - it really seem to add another dimension.

Thanks for stopping by!

My First Mixed Media Project - Fayes Book

At the beginning of the year there was a really nice idea circling Facebook. It was called Random Acts of Kindness. The idea was that you would make a post stating that the first 5 people to respond would be sent something nice just one day during the year.  It could be something handmade, a movie ticket, something grown out of your garden the ideas are really endless. Something random and out of the blue to make their day. Put a smile on your dial. In turn the recipients would then continue the love to 5 of their friends and so on. For 4 of my recipients, I made a lovely handmade box with a clear lid displaying 5 cards and envelopes that I had made for them to use as gifts. As for my 4th recipient it was really difficult to find something I wanted to make for Faye as she is an incredibly talented craft teacher - you know...no pressure.  Finally I decided to try a Mixed Media Piece.  I seemed to be spending a lot of time on YouTube watching demonstrations by Gabrielle Pollacco  and this is what I came up with.

Gathering bits and pieces. I have used some lovely pieces of Maja paper, Tim Holtz Tissue tape across the middle (butterflies) and used some texture past to make the Sunray on the righthand side and the bricks on the top left. Dabbing Distress Ink Victorian Velvet through the Chicken wire and also later using this as an accent to give a deeper colour in patches combined with Prima Color Bloom Cotton Candy.

I have used Stampendous Encrusted Jewels in Pink on the white looking splatter in the corner. This was about the last thing I did and it just made the whole design come together.

I used Ripe Persimmon Distress Ink on this lovely corner chipboard. I am now understanding how great ink is to use to exactly match you elements.

The back of the book. Just with some nice flat matching elements to tie into the front design.

And of course there had to be a matching tag too!

Products used:
Distress Ink in Ripe Persimmon, Victorian Velvet and Shaded Lilac
Viva 3D Stempre Paint (On flourishes...I love the sparkle of this product)
Tattered Lace Victorian Border (top of book)
Prima Color Bloom Spray in Iris and Cotton Candy
Tattered Angels Valencia
Tim Holtz Sunray and Brick Stencils
Heartfelt Creations Sunkissed Fleur Die and Posy Patch
MFT Chicken Wire Die
Memory Box Catalina Wreath Die
Cheery Lynn Burlap Die
Tim Holtz Tissue Tape
Stampendous Encrusted Jewels in Pink
Strip of Plastic Pearls along the bottom of the book
Various plastic Pearl Centres in the flower and tiny pearlised flowers along the base of the book
Lace
Diamond Bling
Cheesecloth
Phew! I think that's it!
Thanks for stopping by!

Floral Blended Ink Birthday Card

I am really starting to enjoy blending inks with the circular sponge. My Pinterest account seems to be full of the most amazing stampscapes. This one I used Clear Embossing to stamp this Hero Arts Stamp and then used Distressed ink pads in- Worn Lipstick,  Mustard Seed, Ripe Persimmon, Shaded Lilac (I love this colour!) Peacock Feathers and Faded Jeans.

I also was excited to finally use this lovely Heartfelt Creations die I have had for a little while.

Butterfly Dylusions ink Birthday Card

I would like to thank lindekesblog.be for the inspiration to create this card. I do remember Dyan Reavely mention once in a tutorial I watched that she only choses 3 colours at a time so I must remember this in the future because they do make their own beautiful blends.

I haved used Dylusions Ink Sprays in:
London Blue
Squeezed Orange
Bubblegum Pink
Lemon Zest
Crushed Grape

I love this beautiful Memory Box Die in which I diecut the black and traced around some yellow cardstock to leave the yellow background.

Housewarming Card

One of my favorite people in my life is my beautiful cousin and her and her beau have bought a house. I am over the moon for them and decided to make this card. If you open the door I found a sticker of a puppy which she is dying to have when they eventually move.

Best wishes Dylusions Ink Spray Card

I am still finding my feet with the Dylusions Ink Sprays but the colours are just so amazing. I have really just been teaching myself via YouTube videos. I have decided that darker colours like purple should go on first. I have found that the mixing of colours can be looking fantastic and then I quickly ruin it by adding purple making batches of muddy brown. I did also start just trying to use just Bazzil cardstock and it seems to leave a mouldy spot so it looks like watercolor paper is the go.

I also understand that it is better to start with a larger piece of watercolor paper as some of this initial paper may not be the blend you are after and you may just take a smaller piece to work with.

Today the colours I used were: Calypso Teal, Sqeezed Orange and Bubblegum Pink

Playing with Mixed Media Elements

Welcome to Pretty Girly Stuff.

Here I am my first post. I was drawn to start my own card making blog because I love using Pinterest and I love that many great card posts are linked back to a clever persons blog and I loved the step by step tutorials 

After watching many many YouTube videos I decided I wanted to have a play myself with some mixed media products. I started with some beautiful Maja paper and and finished with  Stampendous Encrusted jewels kits in Pink. I absolutely loved using this product which is a pack of 5 vials with glitter chunky 2 toned embossing powder and Micas.  I used gesso on the flowers for a lovely milky look and also Victorian Velvet Distress ink to highlight the flowers and the distressed edges.

I also used some Tim Holtz 

I also used some Tim Holtz Tissue tape horizontally through the middle of the card. I must admit I found using the tissue tape quite difficult to use without tearing so I might look into the Tissue Tape Dispensers. I have had a heap of fun playing around with this card 

Pretty Bling!

Thanks for stopping by. I hope to see you again!