Ballroom Sassy

Hello fellow crafters,
Today's card is for a very special friend, Diane, and I just wanted to make this card to tell her how much I value our friendship. We have been friends for an amazing 50 years this week!!! We met during our first week in High School, and our mutual love of horses and music had us bonding immediately. Diane was my bridesmaid, and I hers. She and her husband came to our 40th Wedding Anniversary celebration last year. Geographically we have lived long distances apart since we left school, but have maintained our deep friendship through 'thick and thin'. Happy 50th Anniversary dear friend!

  Penny's Paper Crafty has a new challenge for you, and our theme this week is

'ONE FOR THE GIRLS'

This week's sponsors are

Sassy Studio Designs

and

QKR Stampede

I have used a digi stamp, Ballroom Sassy by one of our sponsors, Sassy Studio Designs.

She's quite a 'glamour-puss', isn't she.

A closer look. I was pleased at how the Platinum Stickles

shows up in her 'buckle', necklace and hairpin. I

applied it with a 'pokey tool'.

That sparkly DP is just so lucious, I kept my embellishments

to a minimum, so as to not hide it too much.

Challenges I would like to enter are:-

Crafts and Me #118 - 'Favourite Embellishments' (flowers and die-cuts)

The Perfect Sentiment #64 - 'Anything Goes with a Die-cut'

Creative Moments #9 - 'Neutral Colours/Anything Goes' (Winner)

Passion For Promarkers #183 - 'Add Sparkle'

An Oldie But a Goodie - 'Glitz and Glamour'
(dies 7mths to 7 yrs old, card candi 4yrs old)

Paper Pretties #243 - 'Square Card'

Anything Goes #85 - 'Monochrome'

The Craft Room - 'Monochrome'

Image - Sassy Studio Designs - Ballroom Sassy

Colouring - Promarkers
Paper - First Edition Blank Canvas
Dies - Spellbinders Floral Ovals, Classic and Scalloped Ovals; Cheery Lynn Flourish Leaf Strip; Cuttlebug Vintage (cut in half)
Sentiment - Kaisercraft Friendship Sentiments
Card Candi - Craft Work Cards
Ink for Stamping & sponging - Versafine Vintage Sepia
Pearls, flowers, and Platinum Stickles from my junk stash.

For a chance to win some great prizes, why don't you visit Penny's Paper Crafty and enter our challenge.

Until next time, happy crafting and thank you for looking.
Hugs,
Jennifer. x

Girly Birthday Bear

Hello fellow crafters,
Here in Australia, as in many parts of the Northern Hemisphere, we are experiencing bizarre extremes of Mother Nature. In Victoria and very southern parts of New South Wales there are still huge, out of control bushfires, while Queensland and the east coast of NSW to Sydney are experiencing a hurricane and record-breaking floods. Ten days ago, we had the highest recorded temperatures here and were semi-packed and on fire alert, but now we have had record-breaking, torrential rain for 36 hours, with flooding.

My heart goes out to those poor souls who have lost their homes, and in some cases their lives, to either fires or floods.

Onto happier subjects, this is my second post today, because I have made two cards 

for the new challenge at Penny's Paper Crafty, and this week our theme is

'ONE FOR THE GIRLS'

Our sponsors for this challenge are

QKR STAMPEDE

and

SASSY STUDIO DESIGNS

For this card, I have used this oh so cute digital stamp, Digi 9603 Birthday Bear, 

by our new sponsor, QKR Stampede.

A closer look at this adorable little girly bear.

I have decorated the inside of the card to match the front.

For a change, I decided to make a 'Tent Fold' card.

Challenges I would like to enter are:-

Crafts and Me #118 - 'Favourite Embellishments' (flowers, die-cuts, butterflies)

Inky Impressions #95 - 'Bingo' (dies/punch, sentiment, pink/red)

The Perfect Sentiment #64 - 'Anything Goes, with a Die-cut)

Passion for Promarkers #183 - 'Add Sparkle'

Paper Pretties #243 - 'Square Card'

Fussy and Fancy # 81 - 'Circles'

Whoopsi Daisy - 'For a Child'

Image - QKR Stampede digi9603 Birthday Bear
Colouring - Promarkers
Paper - First Edition Spring Drop
Dies - Spellbinders Lacey Circles; Cheery Lynn Lace Corners Deco E, Mini Dimensional Butterflies
Punch - Martha Stewart, Carl
Lace, Charm, Star Dust Stickles, tiny flower gems, all from my junk stash

Why not enter Penny's challenge for a chance to win some great prizes.

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

Hugs,

Jennifer. x

Feathers, Flowers and Frills

Hello fellow crafters,

This is my second post today, because I have made two cards for this week's 

Penny's Paper Crafty Challenge, where our theme is 

'WET OR DRY EMBOSSING'

and this week our sponsors are

http://saturated-canary.myshopify.com/

and

http://dragonslairdesigns.com/shop/

I gave this card to a close friend, Sue, on her milestone birthday. The '50' was cut

from a recycled glittery Christmas card, and I put loads of Star Dust Stickles on

her underskirt, but unfortunately it does not show. The Stickles is just visible

around the Labels die-cut on the front and inside of the card.

A close-up look at Jules and her kitty. 

A closer look at the flowers and feather. I bought a small bag of the feathers two years ago at a craft show in Farnborough, near London, and I bought that gorgeous velvet and tulle flower from Di's Scrapbook Shop, at The Entrance (about 2 hrs. drive from here).

As usual, I decorated the inside of the card. The dark layer under the embossed panel

looks black, but it is actually the same burgundy as on the front of the card.

Challenges I would like to enter are:-

A Gem of a Challenge #63 - 'Wet or Dry Embossing'

Sweet Stampin' - 'Show Us Your Frillies and Frills'

Totally Paper Crafts - 'Embossing of Any Kind'

Sparkles Monthly #40 - 'Die Cuts and Flowers'

Allsorts #190 - 'Flower Power'

Image - Saturated Canary (Digi Stamp) Jules
Colouring - Promarkers
Paper - First Edition Family Ties
Embossing Folder - (Brand unknown) Trellis
Dies - Spellbinder Label; Cheery Lyn Anastasia Border; Cuttlebug Vintage Corners, Olivia Alphabet (50)
Ink for sponging - Versacube Petal Pink
Feathers, flowers, Stickles Star Dust, and looped braid, all from my junk stash

Why not pop over to Penny's Paper Crafty and enter our challenge for a chance to win some great prizes.

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

Hugs,
Jennifer. x

Sunny's First Birthday

Hello fellow crafters,
It's time for another challenge at Penny's Paper crafty where our theme this week is

'WET OR DRY EMBOSSING'

Our sponsors this week are

Stamping Dragon Designs

http://stampingdragondesigns.blogspot.com.au/

and

Saturated Canary

http://saturated-canary.myshopify.com/

How quickly a year can fly by...a dear friend's first little granddaughter, Sunny,

will turn one in two week's time. It  feels as if it was only a few months ago

that I was making her a 'Welcome To The World' card.

A closer look at the flowers.

A close-up look at the digital image, coloured with Promarkers.

As usual, I have decorated the inside of the card.

Challenges I would like to enter are:-

A Gem of a Challenge #63 - 'Wet or Dry Embossing'
Totally Paper Crafts - 'Embossing of Any Kind'

Sparkles Monthly #40 - 'Die Cuts and Flowers'

Allsorts #190 - 'Flower Power'

Image- Stamping Dragon Designs (digi stamp) Rupert's Birthday'

Colouring - Promarkers

Paper and Cardstock - Stampin' Up
Dies - Spellbinders Classic and Scalloped Ovals; Cheery Lynn Wreath Strip

Punch- Carl Sakura
Embossing (dry) - Cuttlebug Happy Birthday

Embossing (wet) - Opals Mountain Berry

Flowers, chipboard '1', Stickles Star Dust, tiny gems and beads, all from my junk stash

For a chance to win some great prizes, why not visit Penny's Paper Crafty, and enter our challenge.

Until next, happy crafting and thank you for visiting.

Hugs,

Jennifer. x

Birthday Bear

Hello fellow crafters,

It's time for a new challenge over at Penny's Paper Crafty, and this week our theme is

'TEDDY BEARS'

Our sponsor this week is

For my card I have used one of our sponsor's digital images, Barry Birthday, plus the bonus greeting Let's Party, and the bonus Gift (coloured pink), which I digitally added behind Barry's party hat. I can't believe

I have had this fab DP in my stash for about 5 or 6 years, and never used it!! I have given this card to a 

dear little boy, Hayden, who turned 6 last Saturday.

A close-up look at Barry who I have coloured with Promarkers. 

I put Glossy Accent on his nose.

I printed a separate Gift, cut it out, and placed it as a pop-up element on the

inside of the card. The glittered hats and balloons are cut from self-adhesive

glitter fun foam, and I drew strings for those balloons with a black Promarker.

Challenges I would like to enter are:-

                                                        I Love Promarkers - 'Layer It Up'

Digi Galore - 'Teddy Bear's Picnic'

The Stamping Shack #4 - 'Child's Play'

Ready-Teddy-Go #18 - 'Something New' (2nd entry)

Use It Tuesdays #47 - 'Make It Sparkle' (old stash is DP and glitter fun foam)

Image - Stamp Fairy 'Barry Birthday', bonus 'Let's Party', bonus Gift

Colouring - Promarkers

Paper - The Paper Patch (very old)

Dies - Spellbinder Classic Oval, Label (number unknown); Cuttlebug Party (set of 4), Olivia Alphabet.

Foil stars, glitter fun foam, Stickles, all from my junk stash

Why not pop over to Penny's Paper Crafty and enter this fun challenge for a chance to win great prizes.

I would like to send a big "THANK YOU" to all of you who sent 'get-well' wishes, and to Manderly, one of my DT buddies for covering much of my commenting on entries while I was 'out for the count'.

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

Hugs,
Jennifer. x

Ouch!!!

Hello fellow crafters,
I'm so sorry that I have been very slack about blogging, not commenting on your beautiful creations, nor replying to those of you who have left comments. I have just managed to maintain my DT committments. The reason is that I have had a mild dose of blood poisoning, and finally had to have surgery yesterday. I have 7 stitches in my back.

About 10 years ago when I was weeding my garden, I got a rose thorn tip in my back. John couldn't get it out, and for all that time it has sat there, causing not a bit of trouble. However, early last November, it developed into a large abscess. Four courses of antibiotics could not slow it's growth, and I had red streaks coming from it. It has ruptured several times, but then gets even more nasty afterwards, so last week, my Dr. booked me in for an op. yesterday. These past weeks I have been feeling awful, and today I am very sore, and washed out. Hopefully, the op., and this 5th course of antibiotics will have me on top of things in a few days. Healthwise, 2012 was diabolical for John and me, so I certainly didn't want to start off 2013 like this!!!

Thank you all for sticking by me, and I will try to catch up very soon.

Hugs,
Jennifer. x

Special Delivery

Hello fellow crafters and welcome to my new followers, Mags and Melanie, who are DT mates over at Penny's Paper Crafty, where we have a new challenge. This week the theme is one that many of you love.

'ANYTHING GOES'

This week's lovely sponsors are

and

Here is my DT card for this challenge, an easel card using Stamp Art Design's 

'Special Delivery'. 

I have used 3 new dies on this card. I bought the die for the scalloped border, 

the die for the greeting, and the die for the banner at a craft show in November,

but (hanging my head) I only opened the packets a few days ago. I love them

and think I will be using them often.

A close-up look of the cute image which I have coloured with my Promarkers.

The little white hearts are negatives from the greeting die cut below, and of

 course I had to cut another 2 greeting dies in order to have enough.

The inside of my card, viewed from above.

The old items I have used are a scalloped corner punch for the message panel,

a Spellbinders Label behind the greetings die cut, and the buttons.

Challenges I would like to enter are:-

Totally Papercrafts #148 - 'Something New'

Ready-Teddy-Go #18 - 'Something New'

Whoopsi Daisy - 'Die Cuts and Punches'

Incy Wincy Designs - 'Something New'

Jellypark - 'Old and New'

Digi Stamp - Stamp Art Design Special Delivery

Greetings Stamp - Wild Rose Studio - Cute Greetings

Colouring - Promarkers

Paper - Kaisercraft 6x6 Fine and Sunny

Dies - Cheery Lynn Sentiment Frame; Poppy Stamps Banner; Spellbinders Labels; Quickcutz Scalloped Border 

Punch - EK Success 'Scalloped Corner'

Why don't you pop over to Penny's Paper Crafty Challenge, and join us in the challenge.

Until next time, thank you for visiting,

Hugs,

Jennifer. x

Out With the Old

Hello fellow crafters,
These are a few very quick cards I made in an effort to use up some of the old stash I have collected over the years. However, I don't think I made the slightest 'dent' in my supplies.

I bought quite a few of the little bows with a pearl circlet, and I must admit they look lovely on baby girl cards. The pretty border punch was from a set of punches purchased about 12 years ago from a major chain store, and the cardstock and purple paper are pearlised.

In 2004, during a trip to London to visit.....no, not the Queen...our son, I went to a craft show at Esher. Along with lots of other goodies, I bought a packet of these elegant silhouette die-cuts, and a packet of very long, narrow envelopes. When I came home, I 'squirreled' them away, and forgot about them. You may have read in a previous post that I found a large stash of forgotten goodies when I cleaned out the top of a very high craft cupboard, and these items were among them. The 3 circles were cut with a SB die, and mounted with 3D tape. 

If I live to be 150, I don't think I will decrease my supply of peel-off stickers significantly.

Several years ago, I bought quite a few assorted sheets of 12x12 scrapbooking paper from an Australian family-owned company, called Paper Pleasure Plus. They have since closed down. Their paper was of beautiful quality - heavy weight and unique. I used a SB die to cut these lovely deeply-embossed roses, and peel-off border stickers to dress the edges. 

I did not decorate the inside of this card and the one above, but just inserted a plain white insert sheet instead. 

Challenges I would like to enter are:-

Hotshot Craft #14 - 'Clean and Simple'

Corrosive #165 - 'Out With The Old'

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

Hugs,

Jennifer. x

First DT Card

Hello fellow crafters,

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and New Year, with Santa bringing you some yummy new crafting goodies to add to your stashes.

Last week, I announced that I had been invited to join the Design Team at Penny's Paper Crafty Challenge Blog, and was very excited to accept. Today we launch the first challenge of 2013, with the theme -

'Use Your Favourite Embellishments'

Our sponsors this week are POODLES DOODLES and BUGABOO.

This is my first DT card. I have used Poodles Doodles cute little 'Lucy's Flower'. My favourite embellishments are flowers, butterflies, and die cuts.

Lucy is coloured with Promarkers.

Inside my card is decorated to match the front.

Challenges I would like to enter are -

By the Cute and Girly - 'Cute and Girly'

Paper Make Up Stamps #69 - 'Digi'

ABC - 'E for Embossing'

Stamps - Poodles Doodles 'Lucy's Flower' (Digi); Wild Rose Studio 'Greetings Set'

Colouring - Promarkers

Paper - Sugar and Spice Studio 'Baby Girl'

Dies - Cuttlebug 'Heritage Corners'; Spellbinders 'Classic' and 'Scalloped Ovals'; Cheery Lynn 'Wreath Strip'

Punch - Martha Stewart 'Butterflies'

Embossing - Cuttlebug 'Swiss Dots'

Flowers, Ribbon Flowers, Stickles, Pearl Stems, from my junk stash

Why not pop over to Penny's, enter the challenge, and I can come and visit you.

Until next time, thank you for visiting me.

Hugs,

Jennifer. x

Happy New Year!!!!

Hello fellow crafters, and may I wish each and everyone of you, and your families a very

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!

Here I am again, adding to my blog at almost 2am! We have not long been home from the most wonderful party at Fort Scratchley, in Newcastle. The Fort was open only to members of the F. S. Historical Society.

We had what must have been the best vantage point in all of Newcastle. The Fort sits atop a high headland at the entrance to Newcastle Harbour, and has 360 degree views. We looked out over the top of the city, and the parks of the beautifully maintained foreshore. The fireworks were spectacular, and set off only about half a kilometre from us.

The weather could not have been more perfect, with a lovely sea breeze, and the just waning full moon above us. Because we live more than an hour inland, it was a bit of a shock when we arrived home. It is still 29C, and very humid. Apparently tomorrow we are in for 39C!!! YUK!

I promise this is my last Christmas card - I have a hide don't I, showing you a Christmas card for the first day of a New Year, but the only non-Christmas card I have is my first DT card for Penny's Paper Crafty Challenge Blog. The new challenge begins on Wednesday morning (UK time), so I can't show you 'til then.

Yes this is that bear again (Stampavie's Merry Bear). I adore him, and be honest, I did warn you 2 months ago that you would be seeing a lot of him this Christmas. The card was for my Dr's Family Practice.

A close-up of Merry Bear, coloured with my Promarkers.

This is the first time I have used the gorgeous Anastasia border die, by Cheery Lynn.

I am off to have a cold shower, and try to sleep. The tree and all the decorations come down tomorrow, and the house is l.o.n.g overdue for a good clean. All the rich party food is lovely, but I will be glad to get back to ordinary meals - I think I have gained several dress sizes in the last few weeks!

It will also be great making cards other than for Christmas.

Once again, thank you for your visits and comments - I promise I will get back to visiting you in the next few days.

Hugs,

Jennifer. x