The Artistic Adventure

I have only been here 24 hours and already I am having fun, fun and even more FUN! Before I left I spent a few days making cards for swaps, thank you gifts for my mentors and little Mickey Mouse business card holders to exchange with all my new US and Canadian friends. Here is a little peek at what I made to swap.... 65 different versions of this card using Embossing Folders, Washi Tape, Shimmer Trim, Re-Inkers, Spray Pens and a whole lot More!!

Then some Thank You gift tags for my bags of Aussie goodies - Tim Tams, Caramello Koalas and Furry Friend chocolates...tied on with Bakers Twine.

I also made a few extra Aussie inspired gift tags using the Australian Thanks stamp set and Watercolour Pencils.....I will attach these to the little packs of Tim Tams packed in my suitcase! The Mickey ears & Walt Disney quote is actually sitting in a pocket and tucked into the back is my business card....these were fun to make and I hope the recipients like them.
 

...as my schedule is very busy over the next few days and of course I have Disneyland to explore I may not get to blog again until the end of the week....but stay tuned as I will update you on this Artistic Adventure as soon as I can.

A Sketch With A Kaboom!

Time is fast running out to purchase this month's Stamp of the Month (Kaboom)...and you can add it to your collection for only $5 with a purchase of $75 or more from my Online Shop. Simply tally up your purchases in your shopping cart and you will be prompted to add it when you check out - easy peasy!!

I love using this set to make random stamping backgrounds - it certainly gives flat cardstock so much more depth and texture.

...it is a little difficult to see in this photograph but I added a small Clear Sparkle to the top of the "fire cracker" image to give it a little pizazz!  The card design was taken from one of my own favourite sketch patterns....this sketch never fails me and can take on such a different look depending on what products and theme you choose.

 

 

While time is running out to purchase the June Stamp of the Month there are also a number of other wonderful Close To My Heart products that will be retiring over the next couple of months.... going, going, gone!! You can find the full list of retiring products here ...if your favourites are on this list??.... stock-up while you can... with an order at my Online Shop ( and remember if they tally up to $75 or more you qualify to purchase this Kaboom set of stamps for only $5 )....and stay tuned for all the new and exciting craft goodies to be introduced from the 1st August....and some special fun posts and messages coming to you live over the next few days from the 2014 Close To My Heart Annual Convention......yes!! I am heading to Disneyland for an amazing Artistic Adventure - I will report back soon!!

 

 

 

Sweet and Simple

Some of my favourite card creations are often the most simple in design - limited colour choice, a single stamped image and minimal embellishment - quick, easy and just as sweet! I thought I would share a couple with you that have been a real hit at my card making classes.

Although Juniper Cardstock was my base colour  for this card, I decided to use Twilight Ink to stamp my image, being just a little more intense in tone it helped the sentiment to "pop". Twilight Ink is one of my favourite colours. However, it is currently on the Close To My Heart list of retiring ink colours. If it is one of your favourite colours too?? - you only have a couple of months left to stock up on the Cardstock and Re-inker. You can place an order, any time of day or night at my Online Shop. There are 5 different colours retiring from the Whimsy Colour Palette  - Blush, Buttercup, Twilight, Crème Brulee and Sky....and you may like to consider stocking up on Re-inkers if you have stamp pads in all or any of these colours. If you would like me to forward you a complete list of retiring products simply send me a message and I will pass it on...and come the 1st August Close To My Heart will have an amazing 250 "new" products to introduce to you - I'm very excited by that news!!

This card is also very simple in design but adding a few little feature components such as the Scallop Border, the Triangle Studs and creating striped banners with the Aussie Praises Stamp Set helps to give it that "finishing touch"....and the Clear Sparkles used in the centre of the coloured flower is the "icing on the cake"!

Card making is a whole lot of FUN! If you would like to commence a journey into this form of paper crafting? I am more than happy to provide you with pre-cut card kits (where you can produce cards such as these) or gather a group of friends together and I'll bring a card making class to you....contact me at lotfam@iinet.net.au for more information....I'd love to "show you how"!

Flower Tutorial

I did promise in a previous post that I would share some paper craft tutorials in response to a number of email requests....and here, today is the first of these tutorials. We have been making these floral creations in my card making classes recently and the participants are finding them very addictive and lots of fun. I hope you enjoy making them too!

 

...as you are creating your flower, you will notice changes in the Cardstock - once wet the paper fibres open up and the Cardstock becomes a little "fluffy" and when it dries it becomes very firm and stiff  - it's a bit like magic!

 

Don't be afraid to experiment with different Ink colours and flower shapes. The Close To My Heart Cricut Collections have some wonderful flower shapes to choose from... explore the contents of each cartridge and you will soon find yourself creating your very own garden of floral treasures.You can even make some three dimensional leaves using the same technique - first score some lines into the leaf shape using a Bone Folder then randomly add different shades of green ink with your daubers. These are a few more combinations that may inspire you....remember the more shapes you use, the fuller your flower will be....and the Base & Bling Jewels are the perfect finishing touch for the centre of your flowers.

 

 

 I'd love my monthly card kit ladies to leave a comment below and let me know how you went creating the flower for this month's friendship card.....just click on the comment link under my signature - have a great weekend building your flower gardens!



Celebrating with a "Kaboom"

Today is wet, dark and miserable -  very much what you would expect for the first day of Winter!...however, I am going to celebrate June with a bright, cheery KABOOM! and introduce you to this month's Stamp of the Month from Close To My Heart. This stamp set is jammed packed with 16 images that will add a sparkle to any project - exceptional value at only $5 when you place a $75 order with me or in my online shop.

I decided to combine these images with some of my favourite Aussie Themed stamp sets  and create cards for a variety of different celebrations. The images depicting bursts of fireworks are ideal for random stamping techniques and I love creating my own unique paper patterns this way.

I carried the random stamping technique through to the paper pieced balloons too and I like how well it all co-ordinates....and seeing I was on such a roll random stamping my cardstock, I went ahead and used it as a feature for my "job well done" card.

It was so much fun to create this card and combine some modern day slang with some good old fashioned Aussie colloquialism - such high praise for the recipient!! The jagged circle shapes were cut from the Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge layered together and added to the card with 3D Foam Tape to add some height & dimension. The sentiment arrangement was trimmed with a scallop edge using the Scallop Border Punch ...which truly is one of my all time favourite tools!

I am starting to get very excited about my trip to the USA this month, where I will be attending the Close To My Heart annual convention. I can't wait to meet all my new found crafting buddies/colleagues and celebrate everything Close To My Heart with them. I will also get to celebrate the 4th July while I am there, so it seemed appropriate to create a card for this special holiday.

I kept to the Red, White and Blue theme and added a little depth and texture to the card using the Dot Embossing Folder on the white cardstock...and as you can see, there is even more random stamping on my little pennant flags. The flags were cut and created using those awesome little micro-tip scissors.

I'd love to show you these cards and some of my other creations using this month's Stamp of the Month - please feel free to contact me and we can organise a stamping "play-date"!

I have had a number of emails requesting tutorials and " the how to" for my paper flower creations and the pocket fold gift card card  - you will be happy to know, I am working of this and hope to have the first of these tutorials posted here within the next week...thank you for your patience :)