Top note "faux alligator" pocket purse

I have been seeing these gorgous pocket purses around lately: I think the first one I saw was on Angela's blog. Anyway, if you search for "faux alligator stamping" you will come up with some instructions on how to make them.

Is'nt it just the most gorgous little purse?
And it is just large enough to fit Business cards in. It would fit tickets in it, a gift voucher, or some jewellery, or anything really.

And it is made out of three top notes (cut out with the Big shot die cutting machine) and a small box.

 The texture is "faux alligator" wild life friendly cardstock - its done with clear embossing powder and a bone scorer.

 Look at this gorgous little strap - held in with a jumbo eyelet. Did you guess the colour yet?
Melon Mambo!

It closes with a velcro dot and the "buckle" is made from a Styled silver large flower brad.
Why is my purse so glittery? My secret is that my clear embossing powder has been fairy dusted with dazzling diamonds... that stuff gets in everywhere.

What you will need to make this project:

Cardstock: Melon Mambo

Ink: Versamark

Accessories: clear embossing powder, heat tool.

Crop-a-dile, jumbo eyelet, Melon Mambo ribbon, Styled silver large flower brad.

Big shot, Top note die cut.

Sticky strip adhesive. Velcro dot. Bone scorer.

Ribbon and Cardstock Share

Would you like to order some ribbon and cardstock from the Autumn Winter mini catalogue?
I have shares of ribbon and cardstock still available.

Ribbon:
3.4 metres each of Melon Mambo, Rich Razzleberry and Soft Suede
Buy all 3 for $14.70
or 6.8 metres of any colour for $9.75!

Cardstock:
Melon Mambo, Rich Razzleberry or soft Suede
12 sheets for $5.25
or Buy12 sheets each, of all 3 colours for $15.75
Contact me to join any or both of these shares.
by email: Nerida_carter@hotmail.com

Kissing technique cards

 I made two cards using the images I stamped with the kissing technique. For two different occasions with only a slightly different look. The first is to celebrate the birth of my cousin's baby ... a little girl.

 I have used flowers and the grass images from Inspired by Nature. All babies are inspired by nature so a good choice I thought. Both stamps have been "kissed" with the All a flutter butterfly stamp.

 I've added two of the stamped butterflies and adhered them lightly to look as if they are just settling on the page. Love these colours together too: Pale Plum and Rich Razzleberry - delicious! And the word Baby is cut out using my Timeless type die on the big shot machine.

The second card is a Happy "Bird"- day card - the sentiment is from a stampin' up hostess set (which you get for free) when you hostess a workshop or make a purchase of $300 from Stampin up.  It has other cute little sayings like "A star is born", A perfect pair, A note of appreciation ...

 The colours are strengthened with a layer of Chocolate chip textured cardstock behind the white cardstock. And a piece of Rich Razzle berry spotted ribbon tied on for added texture. My butterfly this time is rock and rolled in the pale plum ink and Razzleberry to give his wings some depth.

I think making two cards using the same stamps and colours is a pretty efficient way of creating cards for different occasions. Would you like to make these at your place? Contact me by email: nerida_carter@hotmail.com.

The kissing technique - April tutorial

This is a fun technique everyone needs in their crafting toolbox ... 
The kissing technique is the Stamping Joy technique for April.
Here's my card and the stamps I've used:

And here is what you need to practice your kissing technique:
A solid rubber stamp (I've used the daisy from Inspired by nature $41.95).
Smaller patterned stamp (I've used All a flutter $12.95 from the Autumn Winter mini)
Pale Plum Classic ink pad $11.95
Rich Razzle berry classic ink pad $11.95
Whisper white cardstock (40 sheets $13.50)

Step 1. Ink up your solid rubber stamp image with the lighter of the two stamp colours (in the sample I am using Pale Plum).

Step 2. Ink up your detail stamp in the darker of the two colours.
(The All a flutter butterfly is going to be inked in the rich razzleberry).

Step 3. Stamp the dark inked stamp onto the light inked rubber stamp.
This is the kissing bit ... you only need to lightly "kiss" the butterfly stamp onto the solid stamp.
That is: press your Rich razzleberry "butterfly" onto the rubber of your Pale Plum inked daisy.
You can see the butterfly image that I have stamped on the rubber stamp below.

Here is another photo showing how I have lightly kissed the stamp with the other stamp.

Step 4. Now, Stamp the daisy image on to your whisper white cardstock and Ta da! you have the daisy image "kissed" with the darker butterfly image on paper ready to make up your card.

I will show you some cards tomorrow that I have made with this technique. Enjoy!!!

Mothers day Flower

I can't stop using my Melon Mambo cardstock it is so gorgous especially with this Rich Razzleberry ribbon.
This card is a very quick card to make for Mother's day.
Card recipe:
Stampsets: Stem sayings, Occasional greetings.
Ink: Rich Razzleberry
Cardstock: Melon Mambo, Rich Razzleberry, Very Vanilla
Accessories: Rich Razzleberry Ribbon, Sponge, XL bird punch.
Found items: Pink and purple beads (found on floor while cleaning up after DD7 went to bed).

More hidden messages but in melon mambo for mother's day

Mother's day is approaching and if you are looking for a special card for Mothers day with something a little extra then this top note hidden message card might be what you're after.

First I have wheeled all over the front of my Melon Mambo card in Rich Razzleberry ink on the Very Vintage Wheel. Placed a strip of whisper white under the Rich razzleberry spotted ribbon and attached my favourite butterfly stamp with a Black brad and a Mini glue dot.

On the outside of the Top note(folded in half) I have stamped half my sentiment.

And when you turn the butterfly at the bottom, he swivels on the brad, the hidden message is revealed.

My second card is much the same - an outside message

this time you turn the photo corner and reveal the hidden words inside:

Card Recipe :

Cardstock: Melon Mambo, whisper white.

Ink: Rich Razzle berry, some Pink passion and Orchid opulence.

Ribbon: Rich Razzleberry

Stampset: All a flutter, Very Vintage wheel, Tiny Tags,Heard from the heart on clear stamp block.

Big Shot and top note die.

A little bird, a flower and a birthday card

This is what happens when you are supposed to be sleeping, but your not.

Your supposed to be cleaning up your craft table, but your not.

You've been punching out birds and wings, have top note negatives to spare and you start to think Pink Passion, Very vanilla and Real Red go together.

Not to mention there are little pink and purple beads all over the floor that you could be putting in the bin or through the vacuumn cleaner.

I am still loving my real red polka dot ribbon as you can see.

Guest Stamper returns ...

Jessica's teacher got married over the holidays so on the last day before school went back Jessica  made her a card.

She used scraps on the table that were'nt being used and with permission used my new punches and a spare top-note made out of velum.

She had some help deciding what ink she was allowed to use, and where to put the sentiment and taping down the ribbon, but apart from encouragement and straightening of of a few lines, she did the rest herself.

The eyes on the birds were looking a little black and menacing so we fished out some stick on pearls more befitting a bride and groom's card and I am very proud of my guest stamper's latest work.
She wrote the inside message herself so her teacher will be the judge of the spelling and writing.
I hope her teacher likes her handcrafted card not to mention the beautiful pictures drawn on the envelope.
Please feel free to give Jess your comment love by clicking on the Comments button below.

Embosslit die "Thanks" card

I am really still just experimenting but I had to show you something simple and easy today. Imagine you have a whole bunch of Thank you cards to send out and are time poor.
How about a die that both cuts (punches) out your words and dry embosses them AT THE SAME TIME!

This card was literally made with scraps of paper. The Rose red cardstock was stuck on to the mellow moss cardstock  after rolling it through the Big shot with the Embosslit "Thanks" that has simultaneously cut and embossed the image onto both pieces. Glue the Rose Red thanks on to the Mellow Moss and you have it.

Behind it I have stamped a frame from Frames with a flourish ... coloured in the leaves and flowers with my Stampin up Markers and for added decoration stamped the edging from Vintage Vogue on to the Melon Mambo cardstock. Run off 20 of those in an afternoon and you're set for any Thank you event.
Enjoy!!!

Top note secret message and a Market Day reminder.

Take an ordinary "Pretty card" with a bit of Very Vintage Wheel and an All a Flutter butterfly on it and add a Big shot - Top note (folded in half) and you can make one of these.
I took my inspiration from page 24 of the Autumn Winter Mini:
(the hidden message idea came from somewhere in cyberspace ... )

On the front of the card is your message:

Wishing you Happiness ....

Slide the photo corner away to reveal your hidden message:

Would'nt that make a special Mother's day or Birthday card?

I will be at the Markets at West Gosford

again this Sunday 18th, with a selection of Mothers day cards and Retired catalogue items for sale.

Some items over 30% off (Stamps, Ink, ribbon and cardstock for sale).

Where: 20 Tathra street, West Gosford.

Turn off Manns road into Yandira Rd and take the first Right (we are in the industrial storage bays).

Time: 9am to 2pm

Hope to see you there!

The Tea House Scrapbook page

Some of you may have seen this 6x6 scrap page that I made at a workshop recently (during Saleabration).

Now that I have my Big shot I was able to finally finish the page and create the title for the 12x12 scrap book page it was intended for.

The Page title is cut with my new Timeless type alphabet. All I needed to do was lay the pink cardstock into the Big shot die "sandwich", roll it through and voila!

...Instant letters for scrapbooking titles.

To make the "Tea" pop, I added Crystal effects to the cardstock and let it dry - isn't it a gorgous shiny effect?

Insert: WOW !!!

I added the same crystal effects to the top of my die cut Button, 

(which comes as an added extra when you buy the Timeless type alphabet)

 tied it with some black thread and...

 I couldn't help myself - I did the die-cut heart as well!

A bit of distressing around the edges of the circle makes a nice contrast to the shiny cut-out of the heart.

Another useful die cut set are the: Sizzlits 4-Pack Lots of Tags - Die.

It's actually a 5 pack as there are five different tags and labels in it. It is very good value as, if you bought these as five separate punches for $30 each, it would cost you over $150 but, you get the 5 pack for $39.95 and they are just so gorgous and easy to roll out for your cards, gift bags, labels, tags whatever you choose to put them on.

The School holiday Guest Card maker is:

A Card by Jessica, age 7!!!

Don't you love school holidays? Everytime you sit down to do something there's a little voice over your shoulder asking "Can I do some mum? Can I help? What can I do now?"

Jessica (like her mum) loves to make craft projects and she is at that age now where she can follow instructions and also add her own little elements.

We each did our own card - she is very good at the tearing paper, sticking, tying ribbons and spraying water - if a bit too much at times.

We were actually supposed to be making mothers day cards for the West Gosford Market this Sunday, but then she remembered her cousin had sent her an Easter card and we hadn't sent a thank you card.

I made one card for the market: Perhaps next time Jess can make one for me?

The technique on the flowers is direct to rubber with marker pens and just before you stamp you give the rubber a light spritz of water.  And when you stamp it looks a bit like water colouring.

What we used to make these cards:

Stampset: Upsy daisy.

Stampin Up Markers: Old olive, pumpkin pie, rose red, ballet blue.

Cardstock: Ballet blue, pumpkin pie and Apricot Appeal patterned paper.

2nd card: Melon Mambo, whisper white, pretty in pink.

Bigshot and Top note die and Timeless Type Alphabet die.

Friends Vintage Vogue Scrapbook page

No prizes for guessing where I lifted the idea for this page ....
I can hear you flipping through your Autumn Winter mini from here, where have I seen that?

I've used the same squares of Designer Series paper (almost) Four squares of Urban Oasis patterned paper along the bottom on black textured cardstock.

My colours in the photos didn't happen to match the Urban Oasis paper but that didn't phase me, no.

I have rock and rolled the Vintage Vogue flower in baja breeze and rich Razzleberry Ink.

And a second flower in Orchid Opulence to match the flowers and colours in the girl's clothing.

In the centre is a baja breeze button tied with a cardstock thread.

This gorgous "F" for friends is rock and rolled in baja breeze and black ink, then popped up with dimensionals.

Note the kiwi and baja mount to tie it back in with the  papers yet introducing the colours of the photos again. I think it works - a good layout makes up for a lot.

The Top left hand corner is made with the bird on a branch NEW Punch. (XL two-step bird).

 Repetition of shapes and colours help the page come together, as a whole.

What's a scrap page with out the date ... I've punched out this shape for the month and year then set it behind the Styled Silver metal frame.

With a final little branch appropriately called "Little Leaves" cut out with my Big Shot machine.

What you need to make this page:

Stampsets: Vintage Vogue, full Calendar.

Ink: Baja Breeze, Stazon Black, Orchid Opulence, Rich Razzle Berry

Cardstock: Whisper white, Basic Black, Kiwi kiss

Designer Series Paper: Urban Oasis

Buttons: Designer Button Bouquet

Ribbon: Kiwi Kiss

Styled Silver brads and frame.

Punches: Designer Label, XL Two step Bird

Big Shot with Stampin' Up Little Leaves Sizzlit die.