The continuing adventures of Kittycat Jack...

Hello there in blogland!!

You remember my adventurous cat don't you, climbing up the window screen and curtains to sit on the curtain rods and explore the ceiling?

Well, he has found a NEW way to get up there . . when our main door is open, he gallops up the flyscreen door - and I really do mean gallop cos he's up there in seconds!! - and then sits on top of the main door! See, look at him!.......

Only problem was, he couldn't figure out how to get back down again.....

So, I was getting on a chair to get him. However, he has now figured out it is a small leap off the door, onto that shelf below and down.

Thanks for sharing this adventure with me. This will be my last post for a couple of days, as I am off to a stamping retreat YAY!! Hope my kiddies and DH give Jackie lots of love while I am away, cos I just know he is gonna miss me (well, he will miss his sleeping spot anyway - my chest!).

Have a great day/weekend and I will see you all again on sunday night (or Monday morning).

Deanne
xxx

ATC Swap - Cute as a Button

Good morning!
I am just quickly posting a pic of the ATCs I made for the Little Scrapbook Shop ATC Club


These were made using "My Favourite Teddy", which is a retired Stampin' Up! set and one of my favourites. The word came from another SU set, "Warm Words." I stamped about 6 million teddies, coloured in all the bits, then cut the arm on the right and 2 of the legs on the right for each one. I cut the same arm and both legs of 16 stamped teddies, and pieced them all together. Then I stuck a teeny tiny button on the arm and leg of each one. (the short version is, they were paper pieced!).

I forgot to mention that I coloured them in using my Watercolour Wonder crayons and a waterbrush. I LOVE my Watercolour Wonders!!!

Thanks for stopping by today. Have a great day!

Deanne
xx

I have been creating...

Hello and good afternoon/morning/evening, depending where in the world you are!

I have been busy creating for the Little Scrapbook Shop. Our head of the DT, Lisa, sets us challenges for the kits we receive. Below are the things I created with my KI Memories items.

The first challenge was to use an unmounted stamp and create a page/card element. I had a play with embossing powder for mine. I can see these on a new baby card or page.


Our next challenge was to create as many card/OTP items/layouts as we could from 2 pieces of patterned paper and one sheet of lace cardstock. This was a pretty cool challenge.

Here are the 2 sets of cards I came up with (you can click on the images for a larger view):
And last, but not least, a 12x6" scrapbook page. You can click on the image for a larger view.


These were awesome challenges, and I am really enjoying them. The next part of the challenge is to use the rest of the kit (a whole range of papers etc from one company) to make anything we like. Stay tuned for that one!!

Have a great day.

Deanne
xx

Punch storage

Good morning all,
I just wanted to show you how I put a hanging shoe holder to good use. I would really prefer to use towel racks, but as we don't own our house, this isnt really an option :( . So, this is my alternative. It is so easy to use and find my punches - eek! I didn't realise I had that many!!!!

This big one holds all my SU punches and EK Success punches.


This little one hangs behind the big one, and holds more EK success punches (decorative corners).


I love having all these punches where I can SEE them. Makes life easy for using them and putting them away again.

Thanks for stopping by!!

Have a great day,

Deanne
xxx

Playing Catch Up!!

Good afternoon bloggers!
Ok, I remembered to take my camera to Uniting In Work today yay! So that meant I could play catch up to photograph the cards from the previous 2 classes as well as today. Only a few ladies brought their cards from the last 2 weeks, so here they are holding them up:
The ladies holding up their cards are, from left to right, Pam, Barb, Pat and Heather.


We made these cards using the "Time Well Spent" Level 3 hostess set from the current catelogue. I really like that set. These cards were made by creating the stamped backgrounds on red, white and black cardstock, then stamping the flower and butterfly images and layering them together. Lots of work, but lots of fun too.

Here is a closer look at the cards they made. Pat layered her card at home onto green cardstock and put a green rhinestone in the middle. Nice huh?


These cards were made with another Stampin' Up! set, called "Natural Beauty" and the verse is from a retired set "Warmest Regards". The flowers were stamped with Archival pigment inkpad Sepia and clear embossed. The ladies then coloured them in with markers and a waterbrush.


And here we are, holding the card from today's class. It is a folded pop up card with a diamond in the centre. I saw this demo'd on YouTube HERE and thought my ladies would enjoy it (they did!). From left to right are: Pam, Audrey, Barb, Pat, (me), Joan, Tina (a new lady) and Heather.


And here are all the fab cards together. We used some retired SU 12x12 papers for these in choc-chip/very vanilla. The card also uses Choc-chip and very vanilla cardstock. Stamps we used were from the sets "Carte Postale", "Boho Backgrounds" and "Warm Words". Punches are all SU too: Scallop punch, Word Window and 1 3/4" Circle.


Thanks for stopping by!

Have a great day,

Deanne
xxx

Brayer Art inspired by Michelle Zindorf

Good morning everyone!!
Wow, I can't believe how long it's been since I last put a post up!!
I have been busy creating, but can't show you yet, because the things I have done are for LSBS and haven't been put up on the site yet.

However, I have been having a play with my new brayer. I am so totally inspired by Michelle Zindorf's art. Michelle is one of the most talented artists I have seen for a while, and I love her work.

This little card was going to be part of a swap on Stamphappy (yahoo group), but I have decided that these are not meant to be made en masse, so it is just a one-off. It is just not possible to re-create the same thing more than once (well, that's what i have found anyway).

So, thanks Michelle for the inspiration!!
(You can click on the picture for a larger view)

Here's what I used:
Stampin' Up! inkpads: Barely Banana, More Mustard, Rose Red, Night of Navy, Sky Blue, Old Olive; Versamark Watermark inkpad and Versamarker watermark pen, Brilliance Pigment ink Graphite Black; stamps: Priceless (SU!) and Grasses (Lucy's Stamps); Clear embossing powder.

Go and visit Michelle's blog for tons of inspiring tutorials!!

Have a great day!

Deanne
xx

The adventures of Kittycat Jack . . . .

Hi everyone!

Want to know what a norty little black kitten does to pass the time? He goes CLIMBING!!!!

In my craft room, there are 2 sets of large windows covered with lace curtains. Turns out these are excellent for any little cat with nice sharp claws to climb up and explore the upper regions of the walls and the tops of cupboards. He also found he could climb up the fly screen then swing onto the curtain rods that way!!

He had me laughing, but then I was worried he would fall down between the 2 cupboards in the corner (there is no way I could move those myself - would have been a call to emergency services - how embarrassing!!). So, enjoy these photos!! Try not to chuckle too hard!!

Deanne
xx

new photo to card sketch challenge

Hi everyone!
Remember that dodgy photo of my sketch card for the lsbs card sketch challenge for may 08 cybercrop?

Well, I took a much better photo, and have edited the post!!
(don't know how to link here to that post, so just scroll down the page, or click on the Little Scrapbook Shop Cybercrop label on the right hand side of the page).

Have a great day!!

Deanne
xx

Design Team Step by Step Challenge

The whole Design Team over at LSBS teamed up for this challenge for the Birthday Cybercrop. Here is my page from the challenge (you can click on the image for a larger view).


To see the rest of the pages by the other DT members, click HERE and it will take you to the challenge. They are just such a talented bunch of ladies that I work with!! Their pages are just totally awesome!! So, even if you don't want to play, you need to go and have a look at the great pages they all came up with!!

bye again for now,

Deanne
xx

Cybercrop Card Sketch Challenge

Good evening bloggers!

The Cybercrop at Little Scrapbook Shop is underway, and the challenges have started to be revealed.

Here is the card I created for the Card Sketch Challenge.
Edited post to add: Here is a much better image of the card!!!


Bazzill - purple and lime
Autumn Leaves clear stamps - A Rhona Christmas + acrylic block
Stazon inkpad - Jet Black
Kaiser bling
FTI ribbons
Bella flowers
The Crafters Workshop mini alpha template
white & black signo gel pens

Come on over to LSBS and play with us!!

Have a great night (or day depending where you are)!

Deanne
xx

Come and play Cybecrop Bingo with me!

Hello again!

Wanna come and play Cybercrop bingo with me??

If you do, pop over to the LSBS Forum for the May Birthday Cybercrop. If you click on the title of this post, it will take you straight to the Bingo. Overseas players are welcome to participate, just remember the time difference between where you are and Sydney Australia where I am.

Bye for now.

Birthday Cybercrop at Little Scrapbook Shop

Hello there bloggers!!

Come and join in the fun and festivities for our official BIRTHDAY Celebrations at our monthly Cybercrop at Little Scrapbook Shop. We have lots of giveaways and fantastic challenges to get your mojo pumping.

WHEN: Friday 16th May
WHERE: Little Scrapbook Shop Forum
TIME: Start 7.00pm for a 7.30pm kick off

Want to WIN some fabbo Birthday presents? then click HERE.
Want to WIN a gift voucher just for bring along a friend to join us? then click HERE
Want to join in the FUN? then click HERE and register

Hope to see you there!!

Cards for Mum & Dad Part ii

Good Morning!!
It is cold and foggy outside today, but I am hoping it will be a lovely day.

Slide was playing nice today, so I have created the second slider as promised the other day.

I have also changed the other slider a little to make it a bit larger.

So, without further ado, here are the cards made for my parents using Stampin' Up! stamps and products. (There is also a Penny Black image or 2 in there).

Hope you have a great day!

Happy stamping!!

Deanne
xx

Cards for Mum & Dad

Hello there!

Hoping this works. I have put together a couple of slide shows of cards I have made for my parents for their little card box that I made them for Christmas in 2007. Their box is arranged into occasions (ie male/female birthday, male/female generic, new baby, thank you, sympathy etc) and I made cards for each occasion and filled the box.

When they were here on the weekend, they brought the box with them as it needed filling with more cards. I took advantage of the box being here and took photos of all the cards that were in it (I forgot to when I made them originally), plus the cards that were being added.

The first slide show is made with non-Stampin' Up! stamps, mainly Penny Black (I am a HUGE fan of Penny Black images!!) and also stamps from Pink Cat Studios and Stamp It.

The second slider (still to come) is cards made from Stampin' Up! stamps. Slider is not playing nice, so I will pop this one up in a new post asap!!!

Mini Muffins

Happy Mother's Day!!

Hello everyone and happy mothers day to everyone celebrating that today!! As promised yesterday, here are a couple of photos from my baking yesterday.

This photo was just a bit indulgent - the patty cases looked so pretty in the copper patty-cake tins! Silly, I know lol.

I made mini muffins (cos they cook quicker and go further in this house lol). There were 2 varieties - banana and double chocolate - and this is all that is left (there were 4 dozen muffins all together!!). Mum and dad took some of the banana ones with them for their long drive back home today and the kids have been enjoying the choc ones.

Have a great day!!

Deanne
xx

Baking today

Good morning!

Today I have to deliver a Stampin' Up! workshop order, drop DH at a friend's house (he is jamming with his guitar for a couple of hours), DS is going to a friend's house too, and my DD's are going shopping with Grandma and Grandad. You know what that means, don't you???

FREE TIME!! Yay! hehehe. Not really. I am going to be baking some banana choc-chip muffins and some chocolate muffins. Yummy! These are so quick and easy to do, and taste terrific!

I will post some photos when they are done!

Later I am hoping to get some crafting done, but don't think I will. We are going to my brother's house tonight for Mother's Day dinner (mother's day is tomorrow, but mum and dad are going back home in the morning, so it has to be tonight).

Until then, have a great day!

Deanne
xx

Mothers Day Mini Pocket Book

Good afternoon!
Today I have a little treat for you to make for your mum (or special mother-figure) in your life.
I have created this cute little mini pocket book/album for my mum for Mother's Day this Sunday.

Post edited to add: Thank you to Lana Harvey who showed me the original idea for a little folded album!


You will find the instructions to make this over at Little Scrapbook Shop. Click HERE to go to my step-by-step.

Now I just need to find some nice photos of the kidlets, and I can finish it completely for mum.

Have a great day,
Deanne
xx

OOPS!

Hi everyone.
I missed posting yesterday! Oops!
I spent the day watching chick-flicks on DVD. What a relaxing day I had! I just watched dvds and put all my SU stamps together for my customers.
Here are the movies I watched yesterday:
P.S. I love you - I cried for the whole movie and laughed lots too. What a nice film!
27 Dresses - this was quite a laugh! And boy, those dresses were ugly!!
Becoming Jane - hmm, I enjoyed this movie, but it didn't really have a happy ending (I love Jane Austen's books, but knew nothing about her as a person, and all her stories have happy endings).
Because I Said So! - this was a top film. My girls watched this one and Becoming Jane with me. They enjoyed it as much as me (I nearly choked when they started talking about orgasms, but a least that went WAY over the girl's heads and they didn't ask any questions!!!!! How embarrassing!)
So, that was how I spent my day!
Today I have a DT project to finish for Little Scrapbook Shop and then I have to clean up my house a bit, as my parents are coming to stay for the weekend.
I have craft at home tonight with some of my girlfriends, so mum can play with us while my dad goes out to his lodge thing.

Hope you all have a lovely day!

Ciao for now,
Deanne
xx
p.s. I will have a pic for you of my project a bit later on. . . .

Sneak Peeks

Hi! I am back again already hehehe!
Ok, so while I didn't get the class done for last night, my samples were ready. This photo is a little sneak peek at the faux watercolour (for the markers only). I totally love this technique.
Stamp: Heartfelt Thanks - Stampin' Up! (SU)
Markers: Stampin' Write Markers - (SU)

This photo is of a card I did for a swap that didn't end up going ahead. I really liked how it turned out. My lovely Monday ladies are going to be making this next week (I really spoil them, don't I?)
Stamps: Polka Dots & Paisley, Time Well Spent (level 3 Hostess) - (SU)
Inkpads: Whisper White, Stazon Jet Black - (SU)
Markers: Stampin' Write Markers - (SU)
Cardstock: Real Red - (SU), black, white
Other: Kaiser Rhinestones, Bella flower, Prima flower

Ciao for now!
Deanne
xx

Stay Tuned

Good morning!
Another beautiful day here in Sydney today - hopefully my washing will dry today and I can bring it all in!

You may have noticed I didn't get back to my blog yesterday - sad but true! lol.

I cancelled my class last night cos one of my tiddlypeaks in unwell (she is home from school today too) and now i am sick too. bleck. I love autumn, but not the hayfever that comes with it.

So, stay tuned today . . . . I promise I will have some nice things to show you today. My lovely friend Virginia is coming over after her bible study this morning, and we are going to have a lovely afternoon playing with stamps and things.

Enjoy your day!
Deanne
xxx

Look what I have started. . . .

Hello everyone!
Last night I started moving my ribbons from boxes onto ribbon rings.
Don't they look pretty??
These are just 1/3 of one box. Now I have only got 12 boxes to go!!! That will be an ongoing task I believe and I am looking forward to all the pretty ribbons being on display so I will use them more often, instead of them just sitting in boxes on my shelves.

OOPS!! Edited the post to say - I got this idea from my friend Tracey who has a fantastic looking ribbon wall. She still hasn't taken a picture of it yet, but it is serious eye-candy!!!

Stay tuned - I will be back a bit later with the cards for my Faux Watercolour class tonight.

Have a great day!!

Deanne
xx

Scratch n Sniff!

Hello on this glorious autumn day!!

It is a beautiful day here in Sydney today! Just gorgeous!

Today's post is to show you my lovely Monday Cardmaking ladies from Uniting in Work (a charity run craft group run by the local Uniting Church). We had fun today with the Scratch’n’sniff technique. They really enjoyed it, and it’s so easy and fun!

This photo is of my class (we were missing a couple of students and had one ring in lol). From left to right are: Barb, Heather, Pam, Joan, Julie, Pat, ME!, Audrey and Lina. (they insisted I be in the photo too!)

This photo is all their projects in one spot. We played with my Priceless set from SU

Stamps: Priceless (SU), So Swirly Stampin’ Around (SU)
Inkpads: Versamark, Pumpkin Pie, Green Galore
Cardstock: white, orange
Other: embossing powder (+ jelly for the scent), heat gun

Have a great day!
Deanne
xx

Birdie Birthday Card

Hi All!!

Today I made a card for my DD's friend Georgia, who turns 8 tomorrow.
I used one of my new stamp sets, Tags & Words, by Heidi Grace - love these cute images!

(you can click on the photo for a larger image)

Here's how I made it: With Stazon Jet Black inkpad, stamped the birdie then stamped the flowers repeating across the bottom of the white cardstock. Stamped the square tag then stamped the sentiment in Tempting Turquoise (SU). Distressed the edges of the white cardstock and pick base card with Pixie Pink inkpad (SU). Coloured the images with Pixie Pink, Tempting Turquoise and Barely Banana inkpads, picking up the colour directly off the inkpads with my waterbrush. Traces around the edges of the stamped images with a light grey Tombow marker. Added Kaiser & generic rhinestones over the stamped tag and the flower centres. Painted some Glossy Accents (dimensional medium) over the birdie image then covered with ultrafine holographic glitter. Added some layered Prima flowers with a brad for the sun.

A fun, fast and cute card. Hope you enjoy!

oh, and HAPPY BIRTHDAY GEORGIA!!!

Deanne
xxx

Its a Tin Thing!

I just LOVE decorating tins!! I have a tin-thing lol!

This tin was decorated as part of a Design Team Challenge over at Little Scrapbook Shop (LSBS). The DT were challenged to create something using these papers from My Minds Eye (MME) but it had to be OPT (Off the Page). So I chose to decorate a small ProvoCraft tin for blank ATCs.

The turtle stamp is from October Afternoon. He's pretty cute huh! Other products used: MME Out & About patterned papers, ribbons are KI Memories Pop Culture Sashes (distressed with Memories Art Print Brown inkpad), American Crafts Thickers Alpha Stickers, Queen & Co felt fusion, black brads.

This tin was for a Cybercrop Challenge, also over at Little Scrapbook Shop. The tin wasn't part of the challenge, but I loved decorating it, all the same.
Products used are: MME Every Day Tango range of patterned papers, Kaiser bling, stamps from Kelly Panacci and Autumn Leaves, ribbons by Stampin' Up! and Finishing Touch Ideas, letters from MME Every Day Tango range, covered with Glossy Accents (dimensional medium).

This is an altered Maya Road Lunch Tin. This holds my mats for my Cuttlebug. Just the right height. Products used to cover the tin: Kaiser To Have & To Hold patterned papers, Kaiser and generic bling, paper frills from Doodlebug Design, American Crafts Thickers alphabet stickers (all available at LSBS)

This is a tiny Maya Road Tin that we were challenged to alter using our DT stash. Its such a cute little tin. Products are the same as the above tin, except for: Bella Flower and Queen & Co bold flower brad.

And last, but not least, my little Bandaid tin. This lives in my handbag and has come in handy on many occasions - it is really a mini first aid tin, as it contains bandaids, antiseptic cream, headache tablets and antacid chews. Cool huh? Products used: Provocraft Bandaid Tin, Prima flowers, American Crafts Mini Marks Rubons - Ned Jr, blue paint, variety of ribbons, Kaiser bling. The gorgeous patterned paper I won in a raffle for the October Girls Night In! It is from an Urban Lily 6x6 paper pad. YUMMY! (sorry for the slightly blurry pic!)

Thanks for stopping by!!

Deanne
xx

I Challenge You . . .

Good morning out there in blogland!!

Hope you are all having a good day. Yay for me, my DD is finally back to school today and her foot is looking much better today!!

I had a great workshop last night for my Stampin' Up! Sisters (ie, level 1's of my Upline Tracey). It wasn't a demo - it was a hands-on, getting-to-know-your-watercolour-pencils Colour Workshop. The ladies all seemed to enjoy the class (at least, that's what they said on their participant survery form lol). Thanks go to Sharon for graciously allowing us the use of her ginormous dining table, which comfortably sat the 7 of us. Thanks also to the following ladies for coming along and joining my class (in no particular order): Tamara, Joelene, Tracey, Lana, Nicole and Sharon. Actually, that was the order in which they sat around the table from my right hehehe.

I am having another Colour Workshop with these same lovely ladies in a fortnight, this time, they will be getting to know their Stampin' Up! Watercolour Wonder Crayons.

SO. . . . on to the title of my post . . .

How many of you out there are blog-hoppers, hopping from post to post like a frog on a hot rock and reading about the lives of those in the world around you?? C'mon, lets see a show of hands for those who enjoy this pastime. Ah, I see a sea of raised hands (well, I can't see them, but I can certainly imagine them out there lol).

Well, since everyone who blogs is an attention seeking junkie (well, I am so I am assuming everyone else is too hehehe), I challenge you to leave a comment on all the blogs you visit. When you comment, leave a link to your blog, saying you were challenged at my blog, and see if you get someone coming to visit you too.

I love seeing comments on my posts, and I am sure you do to - be sure to brighten someone's day by telling them you visited their post and enjoyed your read.

Enjoy your day - I am going to enjoy mine - child free!

Cheers for now!

Deanne
xxzxx