Happy Australia Day!

Happy Australia Day and Happy Anniversary to me as I launched my blog exactly one year ago today! I remember saying to my husband how great it will be to have a record of my cards and how I'll be able to share what I'm making with my Mum in Australia. I set myself the goal of posting every day for a year (I missed a couple)...hoping that maybe a few people might stop by and say "G'day"! Never in my wildest dreams could I have ever imagined how my first year of blogging would actually turn out. In the past year I've had over 32,000 blog hits, 79 followers, 1000's of wonderful comments and have developed friendships with people all over the world. I have learnt lots of new words like Blog Candy, Blog Hop, Blogoversary and I've discovered lots of fun challenges that have stretched me creatively. I've enjoyed visiting lots of wonderful blogs and have donated over 500 cards around the world. Who knows what this next year will bring?

Today, I have two cards to share...the first is for a "Tangled Up in Creativity" challenge hosted by Danie over at D-Dazzled Designs. In honour of Australia Day she challenged us to make a card in Aussie colours...green and gold and only use cardstock....no papers, no ribbon, no bling etc....only stamping.

I decided to make a card for Australia Day...I coloured the gumleaf stamp with SU markers before stamping the image and I stamped the gum blossoms in the background with versamark ink. I used my Justright stamps to make the Happy Australia Day stamp.

My next card is for this week's Stampin' Sisters in Christ challenge...to make a vintage style card. This was a challenge for me as I don't really make vintage style cards and I'm not sure if this one is vintage enough but I like how it turned out!


To celebrate Australia Day, my anniversary and all your wonderful comments over the last year I will select one random comment from today's post to win an Ippity stamp set of your choice! I will announce the winner tomorrow!


Thanks so much for stopping by and have a wonderful day! Aussie, Aussie, Aussie...Oi, Oi, Oi!


Supplies:-
Stamps - Print Blocks Australia, Just Right Stamper, Unity KOTM July 2010 and Delight in Life by SU
Gina K Luxury Cardstock
PTI white cardstock
SU ink
SU markers
Colour Box Chalk
SU coloured cardstock
SU circle punches
Versamark ink
Bazzil textured cardstock
Fiskar paper edgers
Lace
Ribbon
Ribbon roses
SU pearls
Foam dots

Plant a Seed of Kindness!

Today's card was made using this week's OWH Stars and Stamps sketch...

...and here's my card...

Supplies:-

Stamps - Print Blocks Australia and Unity KOTM January 2010

PTI white cardstock

Brilliance ink

Copics

SU coloured cardstock

Embroidery Thread

Foam Dots

Just a Note

April, from April's Alley is hosting a challenge for the blog group Tangled Up In Creativity. She has challenged us to make a SIMPLE project for the holidays that her BOY Scouts can make for their local nursing home. This can be anything that ISN'T a card that the boys can mass produce easily. The entire project is set to only take one meeting to accomplish.

I decided to make a little notepad holder that could be decorated a number of different ways easily using up scraps of patterned papers and paper punches...and of course it could also be made with Christmas papers for Christmas. There is even room on the inside for a little message too!


Supplies:-

Stamps - Print Blocks Australia

Colorbok DP

SU ink

SU button

Magnetic closure

Notepad

Another Baby Card!

I love making baby cards for little girls and boys but am finding it a challenge to make cards that could be for a girl or a boy! The stamp I used on this card is an old favourite of mine from Print Blocks Australia. I coloured it using SU markers and an aquapainter. I scribble a little ink on an acrylic block and then pick it up with the aquapainter...I've been using this technique a lot lately instead of digging out my watercolour paints.

Supplies:-

Stamps Print Blocks Australia and Moonbeams & Heartstrings by Ippity

PTI white cardstock

Brilliance ink

SU markers

Aquapainter

DP by Creative Memories

SU ribbon

Foam dots

Washing on the line...

I made today's card for this week's Stampin' Sisters in Christ challenge...use real or faux stitching somewhere on your card/project. I purchased this lovely stamp by Print Blocks Australia about 15 years ago but have never used it on a card...I'm not sure who I would give this to...I think it would be nice framed and given as a gift.

Growing up in Australia we always hung our clothes on the clothesline to dry but I now live in New Hampshire and I don't even own a clothesline...I guess it's not very practical for the weather here! Anyway, I thought it was the perfect image to incorporate stitching...I stamped the image twice, airbrushed one with Copics and coloured the details on the other before cutting them out and gluing them onto the airbrushed one...I would normally mask the details before airbrushing but those little chickens would have been very fiddly...I nearly lost one cutting them out!

Supplies:-

Stamp - Print Blocks Australia

PTI white cardstock

Brilliance ink

Copics