Andrea's Stampin' Moments

Kusudama Ball finished!!

Happy New Year!!!  I hope you all had a fabulous evening!   I have to admit though that we were in bed before midnight lol!

I finally finished the Kusudama Ball and have a few photos and a video to put together a tutorial for those that would like to attempt making one!  One thing I will do if I do another is use lighter paper.  The heavier one I've used (130gsm) certainly makes for a strong ball but it made it very difficult to have nice tight flowers, and so the centre is larger than I would've liked but made it easy to thread my ribbon through :)  I have seen the centres with a pearl adhered over them so that will be a thought as well for next time!

The cream linen paper has been stamped with Distress Ink Gathered Twigs and using the musical notes background from BBD6.

Enjoy your New Years Day!!

Hugs,

AnnaBelle Stamps Blog Hop

Welcome today to our inspirational hop showcasing some handmade ornaments!  I started mine days ago but still didn't manage to finish for today!  I saw this fabulous origami fold called Kusudama and I just had to give it a try!  Each fold had to be held until it dried..until I thought of paper clips - my life saver!  So what you see below is my 'partial' ornament made with much love and the kusudama fold made into flowerettes and then in to (eventually) a ball to hang.

For my paper I used cream linen which I stamped with BBD6 and Distress Ink Gathered Twigs before cutting in to a multitude of 7cm square peices.  Out of one A4 sheet you get 8 squares.  I think because the paper is thicker than would be usually used for origami is why I had trouble keeping the petal together, but I'm on the right path now :)  I'll show you the finished ornament as soon as it's done and hope you can forgive me that I'm not quite there today :)

You'll want to head on over to Kylie (Sue W is taking a little break) to see what she's been up to in her craft room!  I wonder if it will be pink :)

Hugs for now,

Wine Bottle Topper

It's getting very exciting now...we wrapped most of our gifts today!  I'm starting to feel very organised and relaxed which is a wonderful thing I must say!  I can't remember ever feeling like this before lol!

Sue K had a fabulous spread in the Australian Cardmaking Stamping and Papercraft magazine a couple of months ago, and she did a wine bottle topper which I have never done before but I needed one, so I knew exactly where to go for the instructions!

Mine is very CAS and I seem to have moved from my earlier blue stage to green in the last couple of weeks of card making!

Thanks for visiting today :)  It's raining just a little here but it's been enough to move our local Carols indoors tonight!

Hugs,

Say It With...Christmas 3 - Cards

I feel so much more relaxed because I posted all my cards on Wednesday!  Gone, done and dusted...well so I thought!  I remembered a few more I needed to make, can you believe it!  These are to give out next week so I have a little bit of time to get them done :)

Today I followed the sketch from Clean & Simple and kept it to just the two layers.

The base card has been distressed with Shabby Shutters and the centre piece with Peeled Paint and I used a Copic to rule a border.

I coloured the seam binding using Distress Stain.

Here's the card before I put it together :)

Thanks for stopping by :)  Be sure to visit the other Belles, and if you haven't played along before you can find all the details below :

Sue W

Kylie

Sue K

Patti 

Marion

About our challenges: 

- We post our challenges every Friday at 12:00pm AEST (AEDT during Daylight Savings).

- Each challenge runs for a week, and will close on the Friday 10.00am so that we can announce and showcase our weekly winners prior to the next challenge. 

- Each weeks winner will receive our special blinkie to display on their blog and a $10.00 Gift Voucher to spend in store at AnnaBelle Stamps (or something equivalent).  

How To Play Along : 

- Copy and save our challenge banner and include it and a link back to the ABS blog in your post.

- Please link directly to your entry not just to your blog.

- Please don't link to postings made prior to the date of our current challenge.  All projects submitted must be new.

- A maximum of 7 challenges may be combined including this one.        

- You may enter any of our challenges several times as long as each submission is with a new creation.

- We would love you to use AnnaBelle Stamps and embellishments, but you can play along without using them, it’s all about sharing ideas J

Hugs,

Christmas Lights

Hi today :)  I had sponged/distressed the card base thinking of doing something completely different, but I thought "Just one more Christmas card!".  It's not as 'Christmassy' as my others because I distressed with Scattered Straw and the new Ripe Persimmon thinking I'd add some bright flowers, but I hadn't used these trees from one of last years Christmas sets and they were calling!

This first picture better shows the colour than the next...somehow I lost it...

..I think the flash causes that...  This weeks challenge at CAS-ual Fridays is "In the mist" so I misted my card with a bottle but it wasn't working quick enough for me so I sprayed my fingers and 'dropped' the water on...see my big 'splodge'!  Oh well, next time I won't be so impatient lol!

I've nearly finished writing in my cards today, Yay!!!

Thanks for stopping by in your busy lives :)

Hugs,

Say It With...Christmas 2 - Boxes

I thought to put myself a little in front I would decorate one of our Kraft boxes ready for Nathan to give his teacher!!  I don't think I've ever been this organised lol!

I've vaguely used the sketch from Clean & Simple this week and used the same theme as this card so it all tied in together :)

And I even thought to line the base of the inside of the box before placing some yummy Lindt chocolates inside :)

Here's how to play along with the challenge :

About our challenges: 

- We post our challenges every Friday at 12:00pm AEST (AEDT during Daylight Savings).

- Each challenge runs for a week, and will close on the Friday 10.00am so that we can announce and showcase our weekly winners prior to the next challenge. 

- Each weeks winner will receive our special blinkie to display on their blog and a $10.00 Gift Voucher to spend in store at AnnaBelle Stamps (or something equivalent).  

How To Play Along : 

- Copy and save our challenge banner and include it and a link back to the ABS blog in your post.

- Please link directly to your entry not just to your blog.

- Please don't link to postings made prior to the date of our current challenge.  All projects submitted must be new.

- A maximum of 7 challenges may be combined including this one.        

- You may enter any of our challenges several times as long as each submission is with a new creation.

- We would love you to use AnnaBelle Stamps and embellishments, but you can play along without using them, it’s all about sharing ideas :)

Can't wait to see what you share with us this week :)

Hugs for now,

Christmas Tag Hop

How are you all getting on with your preparations???  Cards done??  Shopping??  Baking???  So many things and once again so little time lol!  Today we thought we'd share some of our Christmas Tag ideas.  It's not a traditional hop with a prize at the end, but we hope you enjoy visiting the Belles :)

My tags, much like most of my cards are very CAS with not a lot of detail, so I hope you don't find them too boring lol!

My first one shares a card as well and a little gift wrapping!  - one down!

I made some cards at the weekend to try and finish up before sending them is too late, and did several of this one.  Using 12 x 12 Bazill rather than A4 does leave a strip over so I've turned them in to some tags.  I stamped my kraft tissue paper with the same ornament to match.  Sorry still about the lighting, but a new globe is on the way :)

My second group of tags used up some off cuts of smooth white.

I angles the top and punched a hole then sponged quickly with Antique Linen before over stamping with Forest Moss.  I've used three sections of the tree from Stamped For Christmas and turned the tree stand upside down for the trunk.  My fingers did get a little inky as I wiped away the excess ink :)

Thanks for stopping by!  Take a minute to visit Sue W next, I just know she'll have something gorgeous for you to see!!

Hugs for now,

Say It With...Christmas 1 - Handmade Gifts

This year I really wanted to do some boxes of cards to give as gifts, so this challenge has given me a bit of a kick start (something I needed!)!  

My box has 8 cards in total using the same designs shown above but in different colours.  I've used the same sketch from last Saturday as well because I simply liked it so much lol!

This stamp set will be part of our January release (just a little sneak peek!) and I've sponged the colour on to give the two tone to the flower.

I'm still without a globe for my Ottlite so working at night (which is when I usually do my stamping) and taking photos has really been stretched!

The box is our kraft C6 which fit our Australian standard cards perfectly!  They come flat which is great for stamping on (in Versamark here) and then fold together and hold without any glue!

We hope to see some great ideas shared by you for gift giving this year, so add your link on the ABS blog!  Each weeks challenge now comes with the chance to win a $10.00 Gift Voucher so be sure to play along!  Don't forget to check out the wonderful Belles and their creations this week!  They always love a visit :)

Hugs,

ABSC044

Now you'll have to forgive me for this one, I must have been in an unusual mood when I did it....but what was I thinking...I don't make round cards, and I knew I'd have to make one lol!  Well it certainly presented a challenge for me, which I guess is a good thing :)

My Ott-Lite lamp globe blew a few days ago and I thought it would be easy to grab one from the local stockist but they don't carry stock of them so I'm without my only form of lighting lol!

As you can see I've followed to sketch pretty much as is and myself a gift tag that I think could easily double as an ornament!

I had also made another card yesterday that I was going to share but I went in to town in search of the globe, so I have it here today and you'll see where the colour scheme for my tag came from...perfect pieces left over!

As you can see I am still eaning towards blue for this years cards, and thank you to those who offered their opinion on the colour schemes from last weeks cards, I am much closer to working out a final design....I had better just get a move on though lol!

Have agreat day everyone!  And if your interested on making some savings AnnaBelle Stamps has discounts offered across today and the weekend!!

Hugs everyone :)

Simply Saturday

It's been raining on and off all day today which is wonderful for the garden, and the tanks!, and perfect weather to start my Christmas shopping!  I didn't get a lot done but it made me feel a little more organised lol!

I have another CAS card to share today and yes it's Christmas!  I've used the sketch from CAS-ual Fridays :

The baubles are from the Ornamental Christmas set and I've stamped them using Distress Inks on to Linen cardstock.
Don't the Sprinkles sparkle and shine!  I love the 3mm size!

Have a wonderful Saturday afternoon!!

Hugs,

Say It With...Buttons & Bows

I have to admit that I've been dreading this challenge...I can't make a decent bow and always struggle with adding buttons so they look...just so...if you know what I mean!

I did have a few ideas however on what I wanted to do...and I did them...but you won't be seeing them here lol!!  So here's the card I have just finished...just in time!

I started with printing some of our digi Christmas paper on to a linen cardstock for my base colour scheme and worked from there.  I needed some additional inspiration today so went to yet another challenge blog and settled with CASEstudy #66 and the gorgeous work of this months muse Kryssi Ng.

We'd simply love for you to play along with us this week and show us how you use your buttons and bows!!

About our challenges: 

- We post our challenges every Friday at 12:00pm AEST (AEDT during Daylight Savings).

- Each challenge runs for a week, and will close on the Thursday 11.00pm so that we can announce and showcase our weekly winners prior to the next challenge. 

- Each weeks winner will receive our special blinkie to display on their blog and a $5.00 gift voucher.  Our last challenge for the month will be a sketch challenge which will attract our main prize of a $15.00 gift voucher for that weeks winner.

  

How To Play Along : 

- Copy and save our challenge banner and include it and a link back to the ABS blog in your post.

- Please link directly to your entry not just to your blog.

- Please don't link to postings made prior to the date of our current challenge.  All projects submitted must be new.

- A maximum of 7 challenges may be combined including this one.        

- You may enter any challenge several times as long as each submission is with a new creation.

 - We would love you to use AnnaBelle Stamps and embellishments, but you can play along without using them, it’s all about sharing ideas :)

Grab some further eye candy from the other Belles on the ABS blog and pay the girls a visit :)

Hugs,

Christmas Dilemma

Well not really a dilemma, but I'm trying to decide how my cards will look this year.  I had already decided on the set, so that was the easy part, and I knew I wanted to keep it very clean.  I started with just white linen card and then moved to coloured...so here is the same card but a few different versions lol!  Help me decide which one to go with lol!

Now this doesn't look much but the Brilliance ink Platinum Planet looks really good IRL, I just wish I could photograph it!  The cardstock is white linen which you also can't pick up in the photo.

I think I'd like to add a panel like this on the first one too but using the white linen card to match.

So like I said not very exciting, but certainly quick, I mean I have four cards just in the sampling lol!

Hope you've had a great day as well :)  Don't forget to play along with our hop to win!  You can start HERE on the ABS blog :)

Hugs,

AnnaBelle Stamps Blog Hop

Hi all and welcome to our second Blog Hop for November!  You should've made your way here via our Guest Belle's blog Sue Mc!  I've already seen Sue's card this week and it's gorgeous so you won't want to miss it!!  

This week we are playing along with the fabulous set Holly Branch :

This gorgeous fun holly was designed by Jasmine for our very first Christmas release, and it's been a favourite!  I loved the challenge that I missed while I was away - Say It With...Sentiments - and loved the background Sue Mc created using this stamp set and so did the same here :)

Be sure to play along leaving a comment as you go (if you have time) and add your name to the inlinkz on any of the Belle's blogs for your chance to win this set!!  Next stop is Sue W!

Hugs for now,

Simply Sunday?

I did so want to stamp yesterday, but duty (ironing) called and I just wanted it all caught up and finished, so Simply Saturday just didn't happen lol!  I managed a very quick Christmas card this afternoon though and it comes from a card I made ages ago using the the direct to paper technique.

Using Distress Ink pads I swiped the ink directly on to some linen cardstock then stamped the tree image from Gifted Swirls.

It is cloudy and dull today so taking a picture was a little difficult!  I must look at investing in a light box I think...How do you all take your photos?  Has onyone tried a light box?  Would love to hear from you :)

Well a very short post today, but it's on to make a slice for the school lunches....my 2 weeks off has finished lol!!

Enjoy the remainder of your Sunday :)

Hugs,

Say It In...Lime, Black and White

Hello friends, it's so good to be back crafting...but I did LOVE being on holiday lol!  We arrived home last Tuesday and I'm still catching up on things - of course!

Today is Remembrance Day here in Australia, at the 11th Hour on the 11th day of the 11th Month we pause and give thanks to the many men and women who suffered or died during times of war.  It is the anniversary of the end of WWI, but we not only think of them but all.  My Dad was in the army during the time of WWII and it was a time that he spoke very little of...

Lest We Forget

On to this weeks colour challenge and it is fabulous, and so very striking!!

Just before we left an order of ribbons arrived and one of them is a new colour to our 38mm Stripe grosgrain in green and white, so it fitted perfectly in with this weeks theme!

I've used the Ornamental Christmas set once again and coloured them quickly with Copics, not too much shading or detail so they were very quick, and quick to cut out as well!
I've used silver thread for so many yearrs now but I think it still works for Christmas, it's not out of date to me lol!  

 

Today's sketch/layout is from the Clean & Simple challenge blog this week if you like to work with a sketch (I do!).

Thanks for stopping by for a visit today, I hope you can play along!  Be sure to link your project over at the AnnaBelle blog for your chance to win!

Hugs for now,