Classic Automobiles

 

Good Evening.

Living here in our retirement village is a lovely friend who is turning 80.

He is a true gentleman, and it was a pleasure to make this card for him to

celebrate this special milestone birthday.

I sponged around the card base and snippets of cardstock for the script layer, greeting and car 

bases with distress ink. I had stamped the script with Walnut D.I., but I felt it was too dark, so

I covered it with vellum, attached with brads. The cars, gentleman and '80' were cut from 

snippets of bronze mirror card, left over from my Christmas card-making marathon.

The inside of the card continues the 'classic' theme.

Challenges I would like to enter :-

Creative Knockouts #512 - Celebrations

Cut It Up #294 - Anything Goes

Double D - Anniversary or Birthday (optional - use bronze)

Dragonfly Dreams - Planes, Trains and Automobiles

I Spy With My Little Eye #10 - Something Old and/or Something New (the 'Happy Birthday' stamp is new, the dies are very old)

Paper Funday #61 - Anything Goes (optional Celebrate)

Snippets Playground #471 - Celebration

Unicorn #94 - Birthday

 

Dies - Marianne LR 0198; Couture Creations Exquisite Gentleman; Cuttlebug Olivia

Stamps - Stampin' Up Go To Greetings, Peaceful Moments; Darkroom Door Script

Inks - Ranger Distress Ink Gathered Twig, Walnut

Brads, Vellum, Bronze mirror card - from my junk stash

Until next time, thank you for visiting,

Hugs,

Jennifer.  x

P.S. I apologise if the main paragraph is 'weird'. In my draft it appears normally formatted, but in my preview it is weird. I have tried for ages to correct it, but to no avail, so have just decided to 'publish' as is.

Gold and White Folding Card

Happy Easter to all out there in 'blogland'. Hopefully the weather 

is as lovely wherever you are as it is here in this corner of 'Oz'.

No, you are not seeing things...just to confuse you I thought that as it is

Easter day I would show you a Christmas Card. I made it as part of my

DT commitment to Fat Cats Card Corner, but forgot it was in my 'drafts'.

A closer look at the flower, cut free-hand, and the pretty

die cut foliage, both of which I brushed with 'Star Dust' Stickles.

I love this die cut greeting by Sue Wilson.

Dies - Marianne Creatables Design Folding Lace Square; Creative Expressions Sue Wilson Festive Mini Expressions; Creative Expressions Sue Wilson Passion Flower (flower centre)

Gold cardstock - Couture Creations A4 Textured Mirror Board

Glitter - Ranger Stickles Star Dust

Enjoy your Easter break, and if you are travelling, please be safe. I'm off now to attack the chocolate egg that the Easter bunny left last night.

Until next time, thank you for visiting,

Hugs,

Jennifer.  xx

Love On A Log

Good evening fellow crafters. 

I usually don't do a mid-challenge post for one one of my design teams,

Words 2 Craft By, but this month is an exception. The current theme is

a lovely one about kindness, and our quote is by A.A. Milne...

"Piglet sidled up to Pooh from behind,

"Pooh" he whispered. "Yes, Piglet?"

"Nothing" said Piglet, taking Pooh's paw.

"I just wanted to be sure of you."

I thought this ever so cute image fitted our theme so perfectly, and especially for

this cat-crazy lady. Our remaining kitty is a grey, striped tabby, and our last 

darling boy was white and ginger.

Image - Penny Black Dear Friend (Cling stamp)

Colouring - Promarkers

Dies - Memory Box Madera Corner; Cheery Lynn Lace Light Deco Border

Paper - Imaginisce Fall Flower Girl

Embossing Folder - Couture Creations Tied Together

Flowers are from my junk stash

Challenges I would like to enter

To Be Updated

For a chance to win a great prize, pop over to Words 2 Craft By and enter your own interpretation of our quote for this month.

For ages we have been experiencing BIG problems with the internet, so before it drops out for what feels like the zillionth time today I will bid you all goodnight.

Until next time,

Hugs,

Jennifer.  xx

Condolences

One of the negative aspects of being in one's senior years and living in a 

retirement village is that most of our friends, and all the other residents

here are also of mature years, and therefore the 'inevitable' is a fairly

regular event.

Sadly, last week 3 residents here in our 'Village' passed away. We were 

acquainted with one of them, and this is the card I made for his wife. 

They had been married for more than 60 years. 

Inside the card where I have printed one of my favourite verses

(enlarged below). In the top corner of the right-hand page, I

have placed a die-cut dove in flight.

I have often used this beautiful verse in my sympathy cards.

I prefer to make fairly simple, yet elegant sympathy cards, and

often use this corner die...it is one of my favourite corner dies. 

Challenges I would like to enter

CAS On Friday #141 - 'Flowers'

Pause Dream Enjoy - 'Cards Only (Any Theme)'

Dies - Memory Box Wildflower Corner; Couture Creations Baby Dove

Stamp - Stamp World With Deepest Sympathy

Verse - "Do Not Stand At My Grave and Weep" by Mary Elizabeth Frye, computer generated using Viner Hand ITC

On this glorious early spring day I have to bring all my washing in off the line...don't you just love the smell of clothes that have dried in the sunshine.

Until next time, thank you for visiting,

Hugs,

Jennifer.  x

Elegant Cream and Gold

This is another of the cards I have created as a member of the

Fat Cats Card Corner design team, using the dies Kaaren sent me.

I was quite happy how this card turned out, and I think it would be

suitable for several different occasions.

I cut the flowers from Foamiran, and softly sponged them 

with Distress Inks.

Challenges I would like to enter

Crafter's Castle #8 - 'Anything Goes with Optional Elegant)

Dragonfly Dreams - 'Monochrome'

Dragonfly Journeys #124 - 'Flower Power'

The Corrosive #8 - 'Anything Goes'

Dies - Sue Wilson Creative Expressions 'Passion Flower' (flowers & leaves), 'Isobel' (sentiment); Spellbinders 'Chantilly Paper Lace' 

Gold Cardstock - Couture Creations

Ribbon, pearls and stamens are from my junk stash

Before I close I would like to send a big "hello" to Larelle, from Tenterfield. She is a friend of my dear friend of 54+ years, Diane, who introduced us during my recent visit up there. Larelle is a lovely lady, and we 'clicked' immediately. Diane showed me a birthday card Larelle had made for her, and it was BEAUTIFUL! She is a very talented lady.

I must go and start organising myself for the next few very busy days...more about that in my next post, so until then, thank you for visiting.

Hugs,

Jennifer.  xx

More Than One Fold

Hello to all. I hope you are all well and happy. I am in shock to think 

that next week we will be in the second half of the year...do you all 

feel the same way too?

While on the subject of time rushing by, we once again have a new 

challenge for you at Winter Wonderland, and our theme this week is

'MORE THAN ONE FOLD'

Offering a prize of a $12 voucher is our lovely sponsor,

I have made a centre step card for my DT creation.

The holly berries on my design paper were white, so to add a little interest,

I coloured them red with my Promarkers.

I think Snowy, by Penny Black is one of the sweetest snowman images

available. I decided to make him even more irresistible by adhering some 

tiny holly leaves and berries to his hat, as well as glossy accents to

his buttons.

A side-on view.

Inside the card, with more miniature holly leaves and berries.

Challenges I would like to enter

Crafting By Design - 'Get Ready For Christmas'

Fab 'n' Funky #265 - 'Christmas'

Fussy and Fancy #142 - 'Fancy Folds'

Image - Penny Black Snowy

Colouring - Promarkers

Paper - Cre8ive

Dies - Spellbinders Classic and Scalloped Rectangles; Memory Box Mini Holly Leaves; Couture Creations Mistletoe

Sentiment - Craftwork Cards

Stickles - Ranger Star Dust

For some inspiration by my talented teamies, pop over to Winter Wonderland and check out their lovely creations, then enter your own Christmas project. 

That's all from me, so until next time, thank you for visiting and "happy crafting".

Hugs

Jennifer. x

Experimental Rose

Good morning all, I hope you are all well and happy, and are finding time

for lots of crafty playtime. Welcome to my new followers...I hope

you enjoy your visits here.

If you have been reading my blog recently, you will know that I have

just begun experimenting with mixed media. My card today is my 

4th attempt at m.m., and 'the jury is out' as to whether I should be

showing it to you or not, as I am not sure if I like it.

Recently, while browsing on the 'net, I came across a tutorial using a 

combination of Tim Holtz's Frosted Film, and Wendy Vecchi's Clearly

For Art...now that's one heck of a duo of pure talent, isn't it!! I finally

got my little 'paws' on both products, and that's where the fun began, 

using a mixture of information from internet tutorials, instructions on 

the packaging, and my own bumbling experiments.

After attaching the 2 new (to me) products together, I die-cut them using

Spellbinders Rose Creations. On the reverse side of each petal layer, I  

sponged Lavender Brilliance Archival ink, and applied Sunshine 

Yellow Pinata alcohol ink to the centres, using cotton buds.

With a scalpel I scratched 'veins' into the leaves, then sponged them with Jade  

and Coffee Bean Brilliance Archival inks. Working fast before the petals

cooled and hardened, I heated 2 petals at a time, shaping them while still

very hot (ouch). I then used a hot glue gun to construct the flower.

The backgrounds were created using an embossing folder, pearlescent spray and

a variety of Distress Inks. Before applying the peel-off sticker greeting and

border, I coloured them with Promarkers. I sponged the die-cut flourishes, 

cut from kraft, with Distress Inks.

Challenges I would like to enter

Anything But Cute #1 - 'Vintage Garden' (The embossed panel reminds me of my Grandma's big flocked/velvet lounge suite) Exceptional New Mixed Media Artist

City Crafter #262 - 'Inky-nes'S' '

Crafting Musketeers #25 - 'Use A Die-cut'

Our Creative Corner - 'April Showers Bring May Flowers' (The top panel reminds me of stormy, rainy skies)

Stempelgarten #37 - 'Embossing' TOP 3

The Mixed Media Monthly #12 - 'May Flowers'

Dies - Spellbinders Floral Flourishes, Rose Creations; Cheery Lynn Exotic Butterfly small

Embossing - Couture Creation Endless

Inks, Spays, Stains - Brilliance Archival Pearlescent Lavender, Jade, Coffee Bean; Adirondack Denim; Daler Rowney Pearlescent Liquid Acrylic;Tim Holtz Distress Spray Stain Picket Fence; Tim Holtz Distress Inks Scattered Straw, Antique Linen, Gathered Twigs, Bundled Sage, Iced Spruce, Peeled Paint, Dusty Concord, Milled Lavender, Tumbled Glass

Frosted Film - Tim Holtz

Clearly For Art - Wendy Vecchi Clear

Glitter - Ranger Stickles Star Dust

Peel-off stickers, mini beads - from my junk stash

I am trying to ignore the noise, but can no longer...my vacumn cleaner and broom are calling me, so I fear I must obey. Urrrrgh!!!

Until next time, thank you for visiting,

Hugs

Jennifer. x

Inky Fingers

'Inky Fingers' was the only title I could use for this post, as that was well and

 truly what I had at the end of the making of this card. However, I seem to be

overcoming my aversion to having messy fingers and hands, as I loved 

getting 'down and dirty', and can't wait to repeat the fun. Before I began

'playing', every single element was stark white, including the card base.

I created puddles of various D.I.s, dragged my cardstock through them several

times, drying with a heat tool each time. Then from a height, I sprayed with

Picket Fence distress stain. When that was dry I sprayed with a little

Pearlescent Liquid Acylic diluted with water, creating a stunning 

shimmery effect, which unfortunately barely shows in the photos. 

When the base was completely dry, I softly stencilled swirls all over, using

portions of butterfly wings on a 12x12 stencil, then sponged around the

edges. 

The flowers are made using EK Success punches and D.I.s, and the

seam binding was stained with several D.I.s.

The bird in flight (as with the little birdhouse) was embossed with Chunky

Blue Frantage, and a tiny sprinkling of lavender Opals. The stamped bird

and sentiment are from a set of clear stamps I have had for about 5 or 6 

years, and never used. I found them (along with quite a few other sets, and

many other items) when I moved my craft room from the old stable to the

 house. Shame on me! The good thing is though, it's like having new stash.

At this stage I have not decorated the inside of my card, as per usual, but

if I decide to do so, I will edit this post.

Challenges I would like to enter:-

Artistic Inspirations #128 - 'Anything Goes With A Twist of Flowers'

Craft For The Craic - 'Bingo' (flowers, ribbon, die-cuts)

Creative Card Crew #84 - 'Handmade Flowers'

Frilly and Funky - 'Put A Ribbon On It'

Fussy and Fancy #135 - 'Girly'

Inspiration Journal - 'Spring Blooms'

Mixed Media World #1 - 'Anything Goes'

That Craft Place - 'Easter/Spring'

The Crafter's Cafe #109 - 'Spring Flowers'

The Shabby Tea Room #248 - 'Beautiful Blooms' (photo inspiration)

Dies - Spellbinders Grand Classical Lace Border; Memory Box Woodland Branch; Sweet Stamps Elegant Leaves; Couture Creations Baby Dove; Marianne LR025, LR0106, LR0107

Stamps - Inkadinkadoo
Punches - EK Success Retro Flowers Medium and Large
Stencil - Crafter's Workshop Butterflies 
Frantage - Stampendous Shabby Blue
Opals - Lavender
Inks and Stains - Versamark; Brilliance Archival Pearlescent Lavender, and Jade; Adirondack Denim; Daler Rowney Pearlescent Liquid Acrylic; Tim Holtz Distress Spray Stain Picket Fence; Tim Holtz Distress Inks Scattered Straw, Antique Linen, Gathered Twigs, Bundled Sage, Dusty Concord, Milled Lavender, Tumbled Glass
Seam Binding and Stamens are from my junk stash

Me thinks I had better go and attend to boring tasks like housework, so thank you for visiting. I have some very exciting news to tell you soon, but at this stage I have to 'zip my lips', so in the meantime, I wish you "Happy Crafting".

******

I would like to mention too that at Winter Wonderland we have a DT Call. We are looking for 2 new teamies who are enthusiastic about making Christmas cards. For full details, pop over to our challenge blog, and if you are interested in joining us you have until 10th April to apply.

******

Hugs
Jennifer. x

Warm Winter Wishes

It's Friday, and that means the Icicles Team at Winter Wonderland have a new 

challenge for you. Our theme this week is 'WARM WINTER WISHES'.

We want to see your characters dressed warmly, and ...

please remember, your project must be for Christmas only.

Our lovely sponsor this week is 

Several of the techniques I used to create my card are way out of my

comfort zone, but I really did enjoy the process. 

For some time now I have felt that my card making has wanted to change 

direction somewhat. I have always hated getting messy fingers, but after

making this card that is going to change. If you look below at the list of

 items I used, you will have some idea of the 'mess' on my desk and hands.

My card took many hours to create, but I hope I will become quicker and

more adventurous as I become more familiar with the products

and techniques. Of course I will still regularly revert to 

my more usual style of 'clean and neat'.

I fell in love with this lovely image the first time I saw it, and for

reasons unknown to me it is now sadly discontinued. I used

chunky white Frantage and a tiny sprinkling of blue 

Opals around the image and sentiment.

This side-on view provides a better glimpse of the snowflakes I

created with a stencil and translucent texture paste. Unfortunately

you cannot see the wonderful sparkle on the snowflakes, having 

smothered them in Rock Candy glitter while the paste was still wet.

I coloured the seam binding with several blue distress inks, and

die-cut the greenery from cardstock that I had sponged with

several green distress inks. Before attaching them to the card,

I sponged the tips with Gathered Twigs D.I. Likewise,

the twigs were sponged with several brown D.I.s.

I painted my die-cut lamp post blue, then embossed it 3 times,

using a sprinkling of blue Opals and silver embossing powder. 

Challenges I Would Like To Enter

ABC Christmas - 'F Is For 'Frosty' '

Christmas Cards #15 - 'Photo Inspiration - Blue and Silver Ornaments' (TOP 3)

Crafting For All Seasons #98 - 'Pastel Hues'

Crafty Catz #271 - 'No Design Paper'

Crimbo Crackers #76 - 'No Printed Paper'

Deep Ocean # 99 - 'Vintage'

Fan-Tastic Tuesday #77 - 'Anything Goes (with a twist) Make It Square'

Mixed Media World #1 - 'Anything Goes'

Penny's Paper Crafty #219 - 'Favourite Embellishments' (die-cuts,glitter,coloured images)

Sparkle N Sprinkle - Anything Goes with glitter/embossing powder/flocking (Honourable Mention)

Sweet Stampin' Christmas - 'Blue Christmas'

Top Tip Tuesday - 'Buttons or Bows'

Vintage Stamping #30 - 'Olde Worlde' Honourable Mention

Whimsy Stamps #81 - 'Use A Die-cut'

Image - Lili of the Valley All Wrapped Up

Colouring - Promarkers

Sentiment - Lili of the Valley Christmas Greetings-Small

Dies - Spellbinders Classic Ovals; Tim Holtz Holiday Greens; Memory Box Woodland Branch; Couture Creations Lucky Lantern 

Inks - Tim Holtz Distress Inks (Tumbled Glass, Salty Ocean, Antique Linen, Gathered Twigs, Bundled Sage, Iced Spruce); Momento London Fog

Embossing - Opals Franklin, Bluegum; Stampendous Frantage Chunky White; Art Stamps Australia Silver

Stencil - The Crafter's Workshop Mini Flurries

Texture Paste - Dreamweaver Translucent

Glitter (dry) - Tim Holtz Rock Candy

Jewelled Brad - Stampin' Up

Seam Binding is from my junk stash

My Icicle teamies at Winter Wonderland have created some stunning cards, so why not pop over there, have a look, and then enter your own creations in our 'Warm Winter Wishes' challenge.

Until next time, thank you for visiting, and happy crafting.

Hugs

Jennifer. x

Animal Antics

Good evening everyone, and welcome to my newest followers. Thank you

for visiting, and I hope you find something of interest while here.

It's Friday once again, and therefore it is time for another challenge at

Winter Wonderland, and the theme this week is 'ANIMAL ANTICS'.

During January and February your creations could be for any occasion,

but for the remainder of the year, you MUST create 

something for Christmas.

Our generous sponsor this week is 

I love creating Christmas cards, and I had great fun with this one.

This oh, so cute image is by our sponsor, and is coloured

with Promarkers. I have been trying to get my hands on Frantage

for a long time, but here in Australia, it is VERY difficult to find.

However, I remembered a store a few hours drive from here, and found 

that they actually stock it...so thank you Tracey, at Pages 2 Scrap.

Another product I purchased from Tracey was a huge jar of Tim Holtz's

Clear Rock Candy glitter. I used heaps of it on my 'snow', but sadly I

could not capture the amazing effect it creates, in my photographs. I

 created that pine branch (on the right) by using a Cheery Lynn Fringe

die, after seeing a tutorial by the incredibly talented Pamellia.

Inside my card is decorated to co-ordinate with the front.

Image - Wild Rose Studio Bluebell and Presents

Colouring - Promarkers

Paper - Wild Rose Studio Annabelle's Christmas

Dies - Spellbinders Labels Eight, Decorative Labels Eight; Impression Obsession Pine Branch; Cherry Lynn Cutie Fringe 2; Couture Creations Mistletoe

Punches - EK Success Scalloped Corner Rounder; Martha Stewart Branch, PATP Aspen Snowflake (negative)

Embossing - (Brand Unknown) Snowflakes 

Sentiment - Craftwork Cards

Frantage - Stampendous Shabby White

Glitter - Tim Holtz Clear Rock Candy

Mini 'pine cones' are from my garden

Lace and gold cord are from my junk stash

CHALLENGES

52 (Christmas) Card Throwdown - 'Markers' (HONOURABLE MENTION)

Christmas Cards #13 - 'Winter Hues' (photo inspiration) (WINNER)

Christmas Cards All Year Round - 'Cute Critters' (TOP 3)

Completely Christmas #52 - 'Anything Goes with Twist - add some texture (WINNER)

Crafty Catz #269 - 'Song Title To Match Your Image' (That's What Friends Are For) (TOP 3)

Deep Ocean #98 - 'Our Furry Friends'

Fussy and Fancy #133 - 'Tic Tac Toe (lace/ribbon/sentiment) (ribbon on deer & gifts/gold cord?)

Holly Jolly Christmas - 'Dies and Punches' (TOP 3)

Jingle Belles - 'A Very Vibrant Christmas' (photo inspiration) (I used reindeer)

Sparkle 'n' Sprinkle - 'Anything Goes with loose glitter, EP,, and/or flocking

For a chance to win a lovely prize, pop over to Winter Wonderland to see the wonderful inspiration by my very talented teamies, then enter our 'Animal Antics' challenge.

Until next time, "happy crafting",

Hugs

Jennifer. x

Vale Al

Early on Saturday morning I received the very sad news that one of my fellow guides at
the Fort where I volunteer, had passed away during the night. Al was only 67, and was
a much loved and respected member of our 'Fort family'. His lovely wife, Roz, is also
a volunteer at the Fort, in the museum. They had only just returned a few weeks
ago from a 1 month trip to Europe, where they shared some
wonderful experiences.

I always prefer my sympathy cards to be fairly simple, yet elegant, so this is  

the card I made for Roz and her family, using a new corner die.

The inside of my card has a verse that I love, and have occasionally included in

sympathy cards. A tiny die-cut dove-in-flight is in the corner of the page 

where I wrote a personal message of comfort to Roz. 

A closer view of the verse.

Challenges

Penny's Paper Crafty #190 - 'Anything Goes'

Sentimental Sundays #220 - 'Monochrome'

Dies - Memory Box Wildflower Corner, Couture Creations Baby Dove

Sentiment - Stamp World With Deepest Sympathy

Verse - Do Not Stand At My Grave And Weep by Mary Elizabeth Frye (1932) 

Font - Wendy Medium

Liquid Pearls - Perla

I shall miss Al greatly...he was a true gentleman. When I was training to be a guide at the Fort, he was always so encouraging and supportive, and had a great sense of humour. His favourite piece of music was the 'Dambusters March' (from the film), and he savoured every note when John played it for him at any Fort function. If Roz is agreeable, John would like to play it at the staff Christmas function, as a special tribute to a special man. Those of us on duty yesterday were a little subdued, and one of the guides commented ... "if someone couldn't like Big Al (he was well over 6' tall), there was something wrong with them".

Vale Al

Until next time,

Hugs, 

Jennifer. x

"Hello"

Last week, a friend who loves my cards, asked me if I would go to 

her home and show her and a couple of her friends how to make a 

simple card. None of them have ever done any papercrafting, although

they all do some form of craft, be it knitting, sewing, etc. As I basically

only have enough tools and equipment for myself, I really had to 'put my

thinking cap on' as to a design that was pretty, employed several easy

techniques for beginners, yet required a minimum of equipment. 

This is what I came up with...

I have always loved the combination of pink and green, and I knew I had

several sheets of the striped paper in my large paper stash. The pinks of

the cardstock, ribbon and topper are all a perfect match IRL, but as so

often before, they look very different in the photographs. I would love

to know why this happens????

Quite a few years ago, there was a company here in Australia that

would travel each year to many areas and hire a hall for a few days, where

they would sell a vast selection of lovely papers, cardstock, punches, and 

stamps, all designed by themselves. I particulary loved their papers, and

 this 'topper' was from a heavy-weight sheet of deeply-embossed, 

small rose images at various stages of opening (here). I cut a 

fully-opened rose for each of the ladies, using a circle die.

Inside the card is fairly simple, and these cards were a good way

to use some of the huge collection of peel-off stickers I have 

managed to accumulate over the years.

On Sunday, my friend is going overseas for a few weeks, so we will have 

our craft morning when she returns. I hope the ladies enjoy 

making this card.

Image - Paper Pleasure Plus

Paper - Grace Taylor Vintage Collection

Embossing - Couture Creations Trellis

Dies - Spellbinders Classic and Scalloped Circles, Floral Doily Motifs; Cheery Lynn Butterfly Trio; 

Punch - EK Success Scalloped Corner

Sentiment - Wild Rose Studio Cute Greetings

Stickles - Star Dust

Peel-off Stickers, Ribbon from my junk stash

Thank you for visiting, and until next time, "Happy Crafting"

Hugs, 

Jennifer. x