A tranquil scene

I love the airy, fresh feel of this photo over at Inspired by all the little things

 

 

I tried to capture those qualities in my card

 

Supplies:

Pattern: Stitching cards free-butterfly-card-stitching-e-pattern

Card stock: 160gsm in white

Paper: Free download from Crafty ferret

White satin ribbon

Flat backed gems in yellow, pink and blue 

 

 

30June

Elephant

Lisa Somerville is this weeks Split coast stampers Featured Stamper 489

While looking at her gallery I noticed that she had a couple of cards with elephants on them so I decided to use that as my inspiration.

A couple of years ago I made this card for my husband's birthday

 

 

His company sponsored a helicopter which was to be used as part of a darting and tagging conservation exercise with some elephants. He got to watch the entire thing and even touch this beautiful mammoth while she was unconscious. All of this happened on his birthday, hence the subject matter for the card. What an experience! Needless to say the gift that I gave him that year sort of paled in comparison!

 

 

Supplies:
Pattern: Elephant: Prick 'n stitch.Big Five
             Sentiment: Stitching cards Free-words-for-card-stitching
Card stock: 160gsm in white
button from my stash
Ink: Color box in chestnut
 



Watercoloured Dragonfly

CAS(e) this sketch have a great sketch this week.

 

As I mentioned a little while ago I have been experimenting with watercolour. Here is another one.

 

 

I am really enjoying stitching this dragonfly at the moment.

I pricked the pattern first and then applied the watercolour. Lastly I did the stitching.

I will also be entering this over at Addicted to cas  were the cue is

 

My inspiration

 

Source: Joanne Allison

Supplies:

Ink: Artic in Sky Blue and Mint

Pattern: Prick 'n stitch dragonfly

Thread: Green DMC E3849

             Blue: DMC 0134

Card stock: 160gsm in white

Double sided foam squares

Enamel dots in blue





30 June

Silk ribbon wreath

Curtain call challenge have a real summer cue card this week

 

 

I decided to concentrate on the colours

 

 

 

Supplies:

Silk Ribbon in green, variegated purple and yellow

Thread: Pink for centre of flower and yellow for sentiment

Fancy scalloped scissors

Card stock: Mauve linen effect 180gsm

Pattern: Silk Embroidery on paper by Ann Cox

 

27 June

Soap wrappers

For the month of June Stamplorations. have this cue

 

 

Here is my card

 

 

The paper that I used as a background is actually something which a soap factory didn't need anymore. They have changed their packaging and so donated the papers to the work place of a friend. Once everyone had taken what they needed so brought me the left overs. They are perfect for my cards.

 

 

Supplies:

Card stock: 160gsm in white

Pattern: Ann's paper art

Champagne coloured flat backed gems

Paper: unwanted soap wrappers

Thread: Blue DMC 460

 

30 june

 

A circle of purple flowers

Stamplorations CASEplorations June

 

Here is my card

 

I made a whole range of colours using this pattern and layout. I'll share the rest with you another time.

I was lucky to get these brads at a closing down sale for a very reasonable price.

 

 

Supplies:

Card stock: 160gsm in white

Thread: House of Embroidery violet

Brad: Uspirit Scrapbooking Brads

Double sided foam



30 June

 

Butterflies

CAS on Sunday have "Butterflies" as their cue this fortnight.
I never have a problem making a butterfly card!!!

 

I'm sure that you will remember this layout from this card.

I actually made the one above first and it was on the strength of seeing this card that I was asked to make another one using school colours.

 

 Supplies: Pattern: Large Butterfly Stitching cards Free butterfly
             Small Butterflies: 101 ideas for Embroidery on paper by Erica Fortgens
Card stock: 160gsm in white
                   200gsm in silver
Pink enamel dots

Flat backed pearls
Clear glass beads.

 

24 June

Watercolour heart

Inspired by all the little things have a blue and white challenge

 

 

Here is my card.

 

 

 

I also made a pink version here.

 

Supplies:

Ink: Artic Aqua

Border punch

Flat backed gems

Card stock: 160gsm in white

Thread: DMC blanche 

 

23 June

 

Flower corner

CAS colours and sketches have these lovely colours

Here is my card 

 

 

I will also be entering this over at Share joy challenge were the cue card is

 

I think my card fits both the sketch and the CAS requirements this week.

 

Supplies:

Pattern: Stitching cards Flower-border-thinking-of-you

Card stock: 160gsm in white

Paper: 80gsm in pink and light blue



22June

Two tortoises

Simon says stamp blog Wednesday challenge is

 

'Animal Magic'

and here is my card. Made for a good friend who loves shoes (and animals too).

Growing up my Dad had a tortoise called 'Spunky'. Evidently when Spunky was still rather young, and his shell still soft, he used to escape from the garden by climbing through a hole in the fence. One day the dog spotted him doing so and hauled him back with his mouth. This left a very distinct set of teeth marks on his shell which never went away. Spunky also never stopped trying to escape and as he got bigger this became a problem. Eventually he was given to the local zoo. As a child I used to go and visit Spunky at the zoo and when I became a teacher I even took my class there and Spunky was still around. It has only been in the last couple of years that he was no longer in the tortoise enclosure so I can only assume that he has gone to the big cabbage patch in the sky. He must have been at least 70 years old by then.
 

 Supplies:

Card stock: 160gsm in white

                    180gsm in pale green

Paper: Scrap book scrap

          Pink 80gsm

Pattern: Stitching cards Turtles

 

22 June

 

A pink jersey

Freshly made sketches have this sketch

 

I used it to make a card for a new baby girl 

 

 

It's always such fun knitting these little jerseys form scraps of wool. As a teenager I knitted them in an assortment of colours and turned them into broaches.

To compete I added a pearl bead to the end of each toothpick and machine stitched around the edges.

 

 

Supplies:

Card stock: 160gsm in white

paper: Scrap of pink flower embossed

          Striped scrap book paper

2 x toothpicks

Wool: scraps of 4 ply wool in pink

pearl beads for end of 'needles'

Silver sentiment peel off



20 June

 

Gardening anyone?

Color throw down has these colours this week.

 

 and here is my card

 

 

This button is actually one I was given by a very dear friend. She bought me a card of assorted buttons at a market. A great gift for someone like me.

 

It was like unpacking a treasure trove! Isn't this a great idea for packaging an assortment of buttons.

 

Supplies:

Card stock: 200gsm in kraft

                   160gsm in white

Pattern: My studio 3D

Thread: Green DMC 703

Button: from my stash

Twine: Saved from a price tag on a shirt my husband bought



 

 

20 June

Braaing Weather

Split coast stampers Free 4 all 329 is

'Weather or not.....'
Here is South Africa we love to braai ( or BBQ as the rest of the world calls it) and we'll do it in pretty much any kind of weather. But a braai on a beautiful summers day, preferably late afternoon into the evening, is still the best for me.
So here is my 'fine weather' card.

 

 I'll also be entering this over at Time out challenges were the challenge is

'Masculine'

 

Supplies:

Pattern: Form-a-lines cookery_barbeque

Card stock: 160gsm in white

Paper: Hand made mulberry paper in wine

Rolfes metallic pen in blue

 

 

 

17 june

Baby Bear

TGIF challenges. have a sketch this week. Here it is

 

 

and here is my card

 

Supplies:
Pattern: Prick 'n stitch Teddy_owl
Card stock: 160gsm in white
Paper: Free download from Phillipmartin
Wobbly eyes
Satin ribbon for bow

17 june

 

A bowl of flowers

Inspired by all the little things have this great picture this week

 

 

Here is my card

 

Supplies:
Card stock: 160gsm in white
                   160gsm in silver
Thread: Mauve: House of Embroidery 14
             Silver: DMC 415
Pentel fine liner

 

 

 

16 June

 

Pink Parousel

CAS colours and sketches have this sketch

 

 

For my card I went back to an old favourite

 

 

The art work down the right hand side is a rub on. I made the flowers.

 

 

Supplies:

Card stock: 160gsm in white

Paper: 80gsm in pearlised pink

Pattern: Stitching cards bookmark-lady-with-umbrella

Glitter glue

Flowers: Olba Bloemenponstang punch with attachment Q006 and Q007 for flowers



Moving Truck

Simon says stamp Wednesday challenge is

'Father's day or for a guy'

 

Here is my for a guy card. It's for my nephew's 11th birthday.

 

My inspiration



Source: Sharon

I will also be entering this over at Split coast stampers featured-stamper 488. The stamper is Robin Lee and this is the card that I took my inspiration from I did you Grandson.
and at CASology were it's something

Supplies:

Truck: Scrap book embellishment Jolee's Boutique

Washi Tape

Card stock: 160gsm in white

                   200gsm in kraft

Paper: 80gsm in black

14 june

First Impressions

Freshly made sketches have what I initially thought of as a sketch which would be too 'busy' and layered for my style

 

 

but then I realized that with this pattern the sentiment could be the smallest box, the stitched border could be the second, the card stock the third and I only needed one more. Just goes to show that first impressions can often be misleading!

 

 

 

Supplies:

Pattern: Stitching cards Flower border thinking of you

            Sentiment: My own

Card stock: 160gsm in white

                    Up cycled calendar for the oatmeal

Paper: scrapbooking

Rolfes metallic pen in rose

 

Pastel hearts

Time out challenges  have this great inspiration

 

I decided to use the lineal layout of these stained glass panes and the colours for my card.

Here it is

 



Supplies:
Card stock: 160gsm in white
Pattern: Stitching cards border-1--valentine-hearts
Rolfes metallic pen in blue
15 june

 

Sunshine

Simon says stamp blog Work it Wednesday for May is

 

'Sunshine'

and there Simon says stampblog Monday Challenge is

'Summer garden'

For me very little says Sunshine better than a great big Sunflower. They always look so happy and well... sunny and summer! 

 

 

I added a bit of texture to the strips of colour that I used behind my Flowers.

 

I will also be entering it at Addicted to CAS where the cue is

 

 

 

 

  and at CASology were it's

 

 

Supplies:

pattern: Stitching cards Sunflowers

Card stock: 160gsm in white

Paper: scraps of lime green, red and blue in 80gsm

Embossing roller

Rolfes metallic pen in gold

(25 June)

Beads and threads

Inspired by all the little things have this photo inspiration

 

 

Once, a very long time ago, I was a bridesmaid who did wear navy. I thought it was a very odd colour choice when I was first told about it but it was stunning in reality. We wore pale pink and not these brightly coloured flowers. The photos were lovely too. The dark colour really made the bride stand out.

 

Here is my interpretation. I decided against incorporating the navy after all.

 

These are little cards and the thread used is embroidery thread. I used 4 threads at a time.

 

My inspiration

 

Source: Unknown

  

 

Supplies:

Card stock: 160gsm in white

Cuttlebug

Die: Sizzix Square

Double sided foam

Thread: Scraps

Brass beads

Pearl beads



10 June

 

Watercolouring

Split coast stampers Free 4 all 328 is

'Waterclouring'

 

I have been playing around with Watercolour recently so was very happy to have an excuse to do some more.

Here is my card

 

 

I will also enter this over at  Sugarpea designs where the cue is


 

 

Supplies:

Card stock: 160gsm in white

Border punch

Flat backed gems clear

Double sided foam squares

Ink: Colorbox pink
K craft Piston Fill Water Brush

Thread: DMC in blanch

\

10 june

Happy Birthday Paper Cat

Happy 2nd Birthday Paper Cat

 

Wow my blog is 2 years old today and I've had even more fun this year than last.

Thanks to all you lovely folks who take the time to stop by. I really appreciate it especially when you leave a comment.

 

To celebrate I'm going to do a round up of my favourite cards from each month.

If you click on the month above the picture it will take you to the original post.

June

The first card I ever made as a Guest Designer. A real thrill.

 

July

 

Not a great photo I'm afraid but I love the movement in the skirts of these dances.

 

August

 

I love the elongated look of the tree in this one.


September

 

 

One of my all time favourite Christmas cards from last year.

October

I enjoy the colour combination on this card.

 

November

 

Although this card didn't need much in the way of skill to stitch, I like the quirkiness of it.

 

December

 

A great way to use up scraps of coloured thread.

 

 January

 

This card won a challenge for me.

 

February

 

Making use of left overs.

 

March

 

This is a favourite pattern at the moment. I have stitched it in three different colours to date and I'm sure that I will do it again in the not so distant future.




 April

 

A save that turned out better than the original.

May

 

I seem to have had quite a thing for birds this last month. She's my favourite!

 

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for your support over the last two years.

Cheers and here's to another great year.