Urban Oasis in black and sahara sand

I have made these little gift and Thank you cards to go in this cute little bag. The bag is made from a single sheet of 12x12 Double sided paper. The folded bag has a pocket on both sides and is made with the bella bleu DS Paper - the colours are vanilla and kraft....

I have edged all the sides of the paper with the eyelet border punch and added a black circle scallop with a circle of paper stamped with the flowers from pocket silhouettes in neutral colours.

The three cards to go in it are very simple:

Starting with a Sahara sand card stock base. A mount of basic black cardstock and a square of DSP.

This time I have used the Urban oasis DS paper. I love the black, grey and kraft colours together in silhouettes.

Then I simply stamped the greeting: Thank you (from the fresh cuts stampset) onto some sahara sand cardstock, cut it out with the large oval punch and wrapped the black grosgrain ribbon around it before adhereing it all to the card.
These "Thank you" and "for you" cards are kind of All occasion cards - you could have a little card wallet with these in it and just give them to people who do kind things for you - child carers, teachers, volunteers ... with a chocolate for a friend.
You can make three of these cards from a single page of sahara sand cardstock and half a sheet of black and less than half a sheet of the DSP.

Enjoy!

A card in the mail...

I wanted to share a beautiful waterfall card that I received from a fellow demonstrator Felicity Hawkins. she makes the most lovely projects and doesn't have a blog of her own so with her permission I am sharing this card she sent me recently.

The flower images are from Pocket silhouettes and the background stamp is polka dots. I love the silver flower brads she has used. The sentiment is from Curvy verses stampset.

Square scallop paper punching - thanks card

When I make a card sometimes I just start with the colour that I want to feature.
This one Started with an Elegant Eggplant card base and a square of rose red ... and then I was playing with Four pieces of paper punched with the square scallop punch that I arranged on rose red cardstock and mounted it on some kiwi kiss. The design sat on my table for awhile, even went for a visit to a friends place in my bag - waiting to be assembled. Finally with a word window sentiment from the Pocket Silhouettes stampset it is done. I just want to say .... Thanks so much for subscribing to my blogspot ( two new subscribers in the last week)! I hope you enjoy my creations and get some inspiration for your own. All comments, suggested accents, technique or tutorial requests and constructive criticism welcome!!!!

Brayer cards ... the beginning

I have a brayer, but it was uninked, it was unused, untried ...

until I went to a brayering class at my wonderful upline Linda's house and we made the card above ( pink pirouette and two lovely blues ) it was late at night so I am not sure right now which ones.

Then the next day I made my own version in perfect plum and pale plum .... it is so much fun!!!

Here it is a little closer ... I have brayered pink pirouette, then pale plum and finally perfect plum in layers onto gloss white cardstock. The colours blend so beautifully and you can not determine the outcome, time and drying and chance play a great part.
My background stamp is Tres Chic, stamped in perfect plum on perfect plum cardstock.
The mount of course is basic black and the "to you from me" sentiment is from the Hostess set - Best yet stamped on textured pale plum cardstock.
The flowers are pocket silhouettes.
One of those cards that look far better in real life ... cant show you the shiny cardstock without a reflection, nor will the perfect plum purple photograph very well in this type of light. But you get the idea.
Warning: more cards to come.

Birthday cards and pencil holder in Bella Bleu paper

Happy Birthday ...

I made this card a week ago for my sister her birthday is not till next week. She loves everything white on white, well this was the closest I could get - white on vanilla, a touch of kraft patterned paper from the bella bleu designer series paper pack.

I was pressed for time (as I was meeting her for lunch) so I scrapbooked a family photo and framed it in white for her, then I made her a pencil tin to match the card and scrapbook page...

The ribbon around the tin is kraft tafetta and the flower stamp in the centre from the Pocket silhouette stampset in sahara sand. I love how everything matches.

Gorgous papers in this pack. Is this where I mention that for the month of May stampin' up have a special on papers? Normally, you get 12 pages of double sided paper for $16.95. $1.40 per sheet. Until 31 May, when you Buy three designer series paper packs you get one free. For $50 you will get 48 pages that's only $1.04 per page.... this is the time to stock up?

Materials: Fresh cut note card, bella bleu designer series (double sided) paper, metalic gold cardstrip. Stampset: short and sweet Ink: sahara sand Accessories: very Vanilla tafetta ribbon, filigree brad, eyelet border punch, five petal flower punch.

Organic Grace Sketch challenge SC20

I have just completed one of the latest Elite challenges and posted it on the site.

You can see others here: Sketch Challenge 20 Posted in SC 20 based on p11 of the 09/10 IB&C

The sketch (layout) is from the card on page 11 of the current 2009/10 Idea book and catalogue. Mine looks nothing like the original card but that is half the fun of a sketch challenge -you start out with the original sketch idea and use your own colours and a different stampset and base your ideas loosely around the starter card. Not really difficult this one I just flipped forward to page 17 and used the organic grace stampset and tried some soft light colours instead of the bright ones used.I am not sure if vanilla and white should be seen together, but I have always liked pink and cocoa together so there you go. A bit like a hot cocoa with cream and capuccino froth. (I am so glad that hardly anybody ever reads my blog).

The dragon flies and close to cocoa flower are raised up on dimensional adhesive and the frilly edge is from my new eyelet Border punch. The Pocket Silhouettes stampset provided the sentiment in regal rose ink.

Pocket Silhouettes in an urban garden!

Third in the Urban garden, pocket silhouette, bloom collection is: Thanks so much.
The six square punched pieces are from the Urban garden designer series paper pack, punched out with the smaller of the square punches. The colours are Baja breeze, Not quite Navy, going grey, and craft.
My cardstock is sahara Sand and Not quite Navy .
I have inked the Pocket silhouette flower and words in Not quite navy and stamped directly onto the sahara sand cardstock.
The bottom edge of the card was punched with the Eyelet border punch. I find this punch easier to use even than the scallop edge punch, it lines up beautifully and makes a very elegant edge.
I am enjoying the clean simple look of these cards ...
Ok, it is Easter, and I promised to play with my family during the long weekend. I am on egg duty which means each time my daughter goes outside or is well behaved for a few hours I put another small egg (0r two) into her easter egg box. She is only six and hasn't cottoned on to how the Easter bunny (or chicken) keeps putting the eggs into the box. I said I left the upstairs window open for him to get in when ever she is behaving beautifully. It is a lot more fun than giving her the whole packet of eggs in one go.
Ok, I promise to come back, with some pictures of our Idea Book and catalogue launch party, in the next few days.