Homespun

Simply less is moore have their last challenge for the year and it is Homespun.

They want you to use something home made.

I do a lot of knitting and that is definitely homespun so I decided to look at that a little differently and make a card about where the wool comes from.

So here is my Sheep card.

 

 

To complete I did some faux stitching around the topper.

Supplies:
Pattern: Stitching cards sheep
Card Stock: 160gsm in white
Thread: DMC in Black
             Silver: DMC E168
Paper: Source Unknown
Flower sequins
Hybrid gel roller in green

Back up card

I will be using the sketch at Share joy challenge for my card today.
Here is the cue card

 

 

and my card

 

 

 I initially made this as an option for a challenge that I won earlier this year. I was asked to be a guest designer and I made two cards but used the other one for the challenge.

 

 

Supplies:

Pattern: Pintrest

Paper: Paper Pizzazz stripes, dots and squares in soft tints

Bought flowers

Thread: Silver: DMC E168

Clear beads

Parcels

Well now that Christmas is over I can show you what my gifts for this year looked like.

Every year I choose a colour scheme and wrapping style and try to stick to it.

This year the colour was silver and I made each person a small felt tree ornament which I used as part of the decoration. I then used a satin ribbon in a matching colour to pull the theme together.

 

Here are a couple of my gifts

 

 

and up close (be warned this is a photo heavy post)

 A Christmas pudding

 

 

Father Christmas (as we call him here in South Africa)

 

 

A selection: two hearts, an owl and a tree. Love the owl.

 

 

more hearts

 

 

and finally some cats

 

 

My youngest sister lost one of her cats earlier this year and so decided that she wanted a new kitten for Christmas (don't worry this one will be loved for life!). The problem was that she rescued him from a shelter about a month ago and so he won't be wrapped up and under the tree on Christmas morning. I wanted her to have something to open so decided to make her three ornaments, one for her boy who has passed on and the other two for her present babies. I embroidered their names on the back of the ornaments.

 

 

I have fun making all these ornaments and they were all very well received.

I got my inspiration from Pintrest.

If you would like to see what I did last year click here.



Happy Christmas

Source: Lime doodle

One word wonder

Well before I get really stuck into the food preparations for Christmas I thought I'd take time to play over at Split coast stampers Free 4 all 304 were the cue is "One word wonder".
Moving totally away from Christmas here is my card

 

 

Supplies:

Card stock: 160gsm in white

Thread: DMC Jewel effects E135

Gold peel off sentiment and border

Pattern: Pintrest

             

 

Holly, Jolly Christmas

So how are the Christmas plans coming along? I think I'm on track but tomorrow is going to be a busy day. I'm planning to do as much as I can ahead of time.

To get us into the Christmas spirit TGIF challenges have this cue

 

 

and my card

I'm also entering it over at CASology where the cue is

 

 

Supplies:

Card stock: 160gsm in white

Thread: Brand and colour code unknown

Pattern: Holly Stitching cards Meerkat Christmas

             Sentiment: Stitching Cards Free words

Star tags

Simon says stamp blog Wednesday challenge is Die Crazy

  

I made these tags. They were inspired by something seen on Pintrest

 

 

I did some faux stitching around each star to finish them off.

 

 

Supplies:

Cuttlebug

Die: Sizzix star die

        W plus 9 Timeless tags 2

Card stock: Kraft in 200gsm and scraps of cream

Flat backed pearls

Pentel fine liner in black

Paper: Free download from Activity village

Traditional Wreath

Time out challenges are using this inspirational picture this month.

 

Here is my card

 

 

I will also be entering this at Freshly made sketches where the sketch is

 

 

 

Supplies:

Pattern: Easy embroidery on paper by Erica Fortgens

Thread: Gold DMC E436

             Red and green: brands and colour codes unknown  

Reda and white stripes baker's twine

Card Stock: 160gsm in white

Flat backed gems in red

Floral heart

Splitcoast stampers Featured Stamper FS462 is sixclarks.
The idea is that we CASe one of her cards and here is mine

 

 I was inspired by this one of hers.

I will also be entering this over at CASe this sketch where the sketch is

 

 

 

Supplies:

Pattern: Pintrest

Thread: All scraps. Brand and colour codes unknown

Butterfly corner: Won from Butterfly challenge blog spot

card stock: 160gsm in white

Double sided Foam

 

Toy

Well the first week of the holidays is over and it's been a good one. I have caught up with a couple of people I didn't get to spend much time with in the last couple of months and have even started spring cleaning. You know washing wall tiles, curtains  and cleaning out cupboards. Plenty still to do but I'm pleased that I have at least started.

 

This weeks cue at Casology is

 

 

Here is my card

 

 

 

This card was made for a little girl who was turning one. I was asked to specifically make a card with a rabbit on it as her favourite toy is a rabbit.

I added a coloured sequin to the centre of each flower and then pasted a clear gem in the middle to complete.

 

 

Supplies:

Pattern: I think it is one by Eric Forgtens but I stand  to be corrected

Thread: Brands and colour codes unknown

Cards stock: White 160gsm, salmon in 200gsm

Cuttlebug

Sizzix circle die 8 pieces

Clear flat backed gems

Assorted coloured sequences

Peel off number

small wobbly eye

Stars

Clean and Simple on Sunday. have a new theme challenge and it's

 

Stars

This card was made for a male birthday

 

The sentiment is computer generated.

My inspiration was found on pintrest

 

 

Supplies:

Cuttlebug

Sizzix 5 star die

Card stock 160gsm in cream and Kraft

Page from an old dictionary

Scrap of read and white baker's twine

Double sided foam



Joy

Addicted to CAS have a new challenge and it's

 

 

Here is my card

 

 

I keep the stitches to a minimum on this card with only a few on some embroidery material. The sentiment is computer generated.

 

This is not an original layout but unfortunately I can't remember where I initially saw it. 

 

I will also be entering it over at CASe this sketch where the sketch is

 

 

 

Supplies:

Cuttlebug

Sizzix 8 circle die

Scrap of embroidery fabric

Thread: DMC in red

Red satin ribbon

Card stock: 160gsm in white

Silver snowflake

This is the new challenge at Share joy challenge.
 

 

I choose to be inspired by the silver and white colour scheme

I made a similar one here.

Supplies:

Pattern: Snowflake Stitching cards Christmas Snowflakes

             Sentiment: Stitching cards Free words

Thread: Silver: DMC 415

Cuttlebug

Sizzix 8 circle die

Card stock: 160gsm in white

                    200gsm in silver

Double sided foam

Memories of a Geisha

Splitcoast Stampers. Free 4 all F4A301 have a movie challenge. You have to make a card with a movie title as the inspiration.

I immediately thought of Memories of a Geisha.

I absolutely loved the book and the movie didn't disappoint either.

Here is my card

 

 

I made this for my second cousin when she turned 15.

 

 

Supplies:

Pattern: Bergkaarten

Thread: All brands and colour codes unknown

Card stock: 160gsm in white 200gsm in mirror red

Lace border: Paper Pizazz Laser Borders

Flat backed clear tear drop shaped gem

Fussy cut butterflies

TGIF challenges

 

 

I turned the sketch side ways

 

To do this card I reduced the butterfly pattern to 75%. I then fussy cut around the butterflies, hand drew a line from one body to the next and backed it with black paper.

 

 

Supplies:

Pattern: Stitching cards Free butterfly

Thread: All brands and colour codes unknown

Seed pearls

Pentel fine liner in black

card stock: 160 in white

Paper: 80gsm in black

Flowers: Olfa punch

Tree

First day of holidays yeah! Time to sew, read and craft. In other words some ME time.

CASology.blogspot.ca/

 

 

My cards

 

 

 

Supplies:

Pattern: Pintrest

Thread: Brand and colour codes unknown

Flat backed gems in red

Paper:

Rolfes metallic pen in gold

Nine maids a dancing

Don't you just love the new inspirational sketch for Pinterest inspired challenge? So much to choose from.

 

 

After much deliberation I decided to concentrate on the skirt itself.

I love the movement of the skirts in this pattern.

To emphasise them I stitched the skirts in nine slightly different pastel shades.

 

Supplies:

Pattern: Pinbroidery nine ladies dancing

Card stock: 160gsm in white

Thread: Colour codes and brands unknown

Rolfes metallic pen in blue

Scrap of bought embossed mauve paper

 

4 beaded flowers

Simply less is moore have a colour theme this week and it's Blue and Green

 

Here is my card

 

 

Blue and Green with a touch of gold

 

 

Supplies:

pattern: Stitching cards Free bead card

Beads: Bugle beads in green and blue

            Small beads in green, blue and gold

Card stock: 160gsm in white

Paper: Blue check : Free download from  Activity village

           Gold



12 hearts

Today is "Break up Day' the last day with the boys. It's been a tough year with a challenging class but no matter how tough or challenging I am always sad to see "My boys" moving on.

CASe this sketch

 

 

I turned the sketch sideways

 

 

 A line of faux stitching in silver gel pen finished  it off. Instead of a sentiment I did the one heart red.

 

 

Supplies:

Pattern: an adaption of  Stitching cards Christening church

Card stock: 160gsm in white

Thread: White DMC in blanche

              Red: make and code unknown

Pentel gel pen in silver

All Kinds of fairies

Last night was our Grade 7 leaver's dinner. It's a dinner hosted by the Grade 7 parents for the Grade 7 boys and the staff. It's always beautifully executed with the hall decorated and delicious food. Last night was no exception.

Butterfly spot challenge have a monthly challenge this time instead of their usual fortnightly one and it's "All kinds of fairies"

A while ago I was commissioned to make a batch of fairy cards.
Here are some of them

and

 

Supplies:

Pattern: 1st card: Stitching cards.Fairy sitting

              2nd card: Stitching cards Fairy standing

Thread: all colours codes and brands unknown

Card stock: 160gsm in white and 200gsm in silver

Scrap of ribbon

Scrap of cerise store bought embossed paper

Rolfes metallic pen in pink



 

 

 

Light house

Well it's the homeward stretch now, the last week of school for the year. The boys finish on Wednesday and teacher's on Friday. Where has the year gone?

Freshly made sketches have this sketch for their most recent challenge
 

 

I decided to turn it on it's head and made a masculine card for a lover or the sea.

 

 

As is often the case when I make a masculine card I steer clear of the embroidery. Here I used a digi stamp. I'm not very good at colouring, probably because I don't practise enough, but I had fun making it  anyway.

 

Supplies:

Digistamp: A freebie but can't remember the source sorry

Card Stock: 160gsm in  both shades of blue 

Water soluble pencil crayons

Mineral turps to blendearbud

white gel pen

scrap of white and blue wavy paper

red button from my stash

 

Holiday card

We are having some much needed, lovely soaking rain at the moment. It has more or less been raining continuously since Thursday evening. We are in the middle of a drought, some people say the worse in 100 years, so this is most welcome. Some of our farming areas have been declared disaster areas and there are also lots of areas with water restrictions. I hope this rain is not just failing on the coastal regions but also in the river catchments. Long may it last.

Simon says stamp blog work it Wednesday

 

is make a Holiday card.

I decided to make some tags

 

 

The layout was inspired by these cards by Debbie Hughes



Source: Lime Doodle



 

 Supplies:

Cuttlebug

Stickers

Card stock: 160gsm in white

Scrap of gingham paper

Pentel fine liner

Die: W Plus Timeless tags

 

CASing Susie Nelson

Splitcoast stampers.Featured Stamper FS460 is Suzie Nelson

 

Of course I had to  CASe  this one of hers as it is stitched.
I keep the idea of the circular motif in white but couldn't match the colour of the card stock exactly.
Congratulations Suzie, great work

 

I removed the shank from a button and added it to the centre.

 

Supplies:

Pattern: 101 ideas for Embroidery on Paper by Erica Fortgens

Thread: DMC blanch

Card Stock: 200gsm in linen effect aqua

Flat backed pearls

Oval white button from my stash.



 

Fruit

The challenge at Simply less is moore is Fruit. This was a difficult one for me.

My cards don't have an actual fruit on them but more like a circle which stands for a cherry.

I made these for my god child and my niece.

 

 

I bought pre cut card bases and then had some fun decorating them

 

Supplies:

Pre cut card bases

Paper: Stripes: paper Pizzazz soft tint stripes

           Star: source unknown

           Scrap of cream

Glitzing Glam Crystalina glitter

Scrap of ribbon

Card Stock: Scrap of red

Cuttlebug

Sizzix 8 circle die