Neon staplers. With bonus formulae!

OK this card kind of put me in a crafting block for a couple of days. I started off with the neon staplers and then got very, very stuck. So in the end I just toned it down with some Sahara Sand maths formulae & geometry figures. It's quite insane but I like it!

This is the perfect card for me to send myself. Not sure who else it would appeal to! I absolutely love Sahara Sand, and neon, and staplers, and maths formulae...

CAS Christmas

Well, last week I found out I was a CAS-ual Friday Favourite! I was very excited as it was the first time I'd ever entered that challenge. I've had another go this week, though I am not quite as pleased with my card...

The challenge was to use lime, aqua and navy. So I chose Lucky Limeade, Pool Party and Midnight Muse DSP from the In-color 2011-2013 and 2012-2014 stacks. Although these stacks are quite a big investment, I can't tell you how handy it is to be able to pick out DSP in just the colour you need.

My original idea was to tessellate vellum snowflakes to give the illusion of hexagons but it was too tricky for me this evening - I am super tired. I think the day of "crying it out" might need to be on the horizon. Poor baba Leo.

Silly Olympics

Well, my crafting & posting has taken a back seat this weekend as I've been plotting & staging a Silly Olympic surprise party for my husband Stew's 31st Birthday! It was quite tough doing it all whilst feeling blue but I can relax and get myself right again now.

Here are a few pics!

The Union Jack!

Stew blowing out his candles

Jacob and baby Leo

Stew being pushed over in the Sack Race

Ready for the Egg and Spoon race

 We also enjoyed a Lego challenge, Welly Wanging and a cookout. Yum. A brilliant time was had by all, I think! I certainly enjoyed myself.

Seriously. More Christmas cards?

It seems like in Blogland at the moment, everyone is making Christmas cards in an effort to keep cool! It's genius. Or insane. One or the other!

When I saw this palette on Apron Strings Pinterest challenge #19 -

I immediately thought of traffic lights! Not helpful. But then I thought of street signs, street furniture etc. I'm not sure this was what Lori was thinking but hey, if we all thought the same, we'd live in a very boring world!

I second-generation stamped the background with my new "Sanded" background stamp (got it from the PIF threads on Splitcoast Stampers - check them out if you haven't already) in Basic Grey on Sahara Sand to get an asphalt-y look. Then I sponged the edges to make it look a bit more distressed. Then I grabbed some bits of ribbon (didn't have grey - no probs! Used cardstock) and scraps of paper in roughly the correct colour palette and voila. The sentiment was stamped onto vellum and embossed in silver. I am so pleased with this card.

If you receive this card from me at Christmas you must be very special indeed because I'm going to have a hard time parting with it!

Black dog

Winston Churchill was prone to bouts of depression, which he called his "black dog". Well, about 6 months after having Jacob (my eldest son) I was diagnosed with post-natal depression (for some reason it's referred to as post-partum depression here). I spent a long time battling it and was off work for quite some time. So the decision to increase the size of our family wasn't taken lightly, particularly with us being so far from our families & support networks.

Well, to cut a long story short, I've been slowing feeling worse and worse for the last three or four weeks. Because I know the warning signs and I am DETERMINED not to go back into the dreadful state I got in during 2008, I called the doctor on Wednesday. She has increased my dose of meds and is seeing me very soon for a review.

Anyway - serendipitously, look what Unity's Stamp of the Week club sent me this week:

How funny! Just when I'm going to need it...

So this goes out to all the people who are helping me to keep my chin up! Anything which gets me out of dwelling on stuff is a winner. So I have been stalking lots of blogs and calling lots of friends just to hear about the minutiae of their day. Cheers me up no end!

No more moaning in my next post, I promise!

Another one layer card!

I am getting quite into One Layer Cards. It is a total change in direction for me. But something about the more streamlined look appeals to me occasionally. This one is for Cas-ual Friday CFC62 - use a black card base.

A busy day today for us today. Jacob has been coughing quite a bit in the night, a very dry cough. He is absolutely fine in himself though, I blame being out in the rain all evening on Saturday watching a horse show! I took both boys shopping this morning which tired us all out. We needed to do various other jobs too for a secret project I have on the go... more details on Sunday/Monday. It is NOT FUN lugging Leo in his car seat anymore. He is TOO BIG. :D

Forgot to mention the HUMILIATION I suffered yesterday. Mad Bexx decided that Step class was a good idea. Blinking heck, it was bad. I have no spatial awareness, no coordination, cannot process instructions aurally and occasionally have to really think about which is my left and my right. So you can imagine how well I got on at Step. I eventually decided that "Just Keep Moving" would be my motto. I didn't fall off the step which I think is the only good thing that can be said about it. Not sure I will be returning to that one. I would imagine the instructor's heart would sink if I darkened her door again!

Big News!

Well, I just reworked my Stampin' Up online shop.... I have actually put some stuff on my calendar! Wow! There MIGHT just be a super duper event coming up throughout August... but you'd have to check on the site to find out what!

Here's a project I made for my elder son yesterday...

It's SUM - Stampin' Up Mostly!

Supplies - Old Olive and Early Espresso inks, Old Olive, Whisper White and Sahara Sand cardstock, retired Old Olive stripy ribbon, retired Star brad, car is from the set "Need for Speed", other stamps are from "Extreme Elements". Oh, and the dots on the letters are done with silver Dazzling Details.

Can you guess what his favourite colour is? :D

Surprisingly good weekend!

Well, on Friday night, the weekend looked like being a bit of a disaster as Stew was due to work a mad big day on Saturday, meaning another one-day-weekend for all of us. However Saturday dawned gloomy and drizzly. Hooray! Work was cancelled and the Pyne family rejoiced...

In the afternoon we went over to Heather's house for 4 people's birthday party - Heather, Heather's Mum & Dad, and Heather's best friend Brandi. It was loads of fun and a good time was had by all.

I arrived home to a surprise - a fellow SU! demonstrator from SCS had sent me this month's special stamp set "Reason to Smile" because I had been moaning on Splitcoast that I forgot to put it on my order. She said she'd pop it in the post to me free of charge. All I have to do is pay it forward someday. So I'm looking out for good deeds to do. Such a nice surprise!

Then I caught up with my Google Reader (how awesome is Google Reader?!) and saw I'd got another honourable mention on 55CCT! Awesome! Finally, I checked on here, to find I'd had 658 (!!!!) hits... The Online Card Classes ladies Kristina Werner and Jennifer McGuire had selected this card and this card as examples to show the techniques learned in class. So flattering and exciting. There isn't a lot of instant gratification or recognition as an SAHM so it meant an awful lot.

Today we went to the Vintage Source - a monthly flea market and antiques thingy. Bought a cute little side table, allowing us to finally get rid of the oval coffee table from hell. When we first arrived in the USA we were given a budget to furnish & equip the entire house. Well, needless to say some of the decisions we made on the million trips to IKEA have been regretted, including the coffee table. It is GOOOOOOOONE now though. Phew!

Anyway! I've done another couple of challenges for Apron Strings' Pinterest challenges:

100.100 (Yep, I'm all finished! Woo hoo!)

Inspired by Pinterest Challenge #15. Spritzed this one with that glimmer mist that I keep forgetting the name of to make it look a bit more festive. So loving Raspberry Ripple!

100.101

Inspired by Pinterest Challenge #13. Another good scrappy Christmas card. Love this one, I think I may crank a few of these out!

The only Pinterest challenge I haven't done this week is the Subway Art one (#11). I may have a play this evening.

Wordy Wordy Happy Happy

Heard some TOP SECRET awesome news today. Can't share details (not that you know the people involved anyway!) but I wanted a "So Happy for You" card and I was inspired by Stretch your Stamps' Day 10 (border stamps) and another of Lori's Pinterest challenges (#12):

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Unfortunately the Sahara Sand (possibly my favourite SU! colour) came out green looking. Doubtless the green background didn't help!

Just love that zip stamp. It builds together so I can make as long zips as I like. FUN!

This was the colour inspiration pic from Lori -

I think I actually managed to follow the challenge quite closely on this one, unusually!

I have an idea/cunning plan for Apron Strings' Pinterest challenge #13 too... will have to see if I get chance to put it into action tomorrow.

100.98... so very close!

Well I've almost finished the 100 cards in 100 days challenge... over a month early by my (admittedly shoddy) reckoning. It has been AWESOME. I have gained so much inspiration, ideas, friends and just general FUN from the challenge that I have joined a blog group called "Card a Day". Could be interesting! I will post a list of participants just as soon as I learn how.

Anyway I still have to finish 100in100 and made a couple of cards to that end today:

100.98:

This one is another attempt at using my Prismacolors! Not sure I am very good at arty farty stuff.

It was inspired by Lori@Apron Strings' Pinterest challenge #14. This was the picture:

Obviously mine is a bit different - but Lori was discussing her dream kitchen, and mine is pretty much the above with pink accents! LOVE pink and green together. All my small appliances are pink (or I'm working on it!) and my wedding colours were green and pink.

Tawny Cards

Urgh...

Well it has been a tiring few days with Stew working really long hours. As a result I haven't had much energy for stamping in the evenings. I've been feeling really homesick, sometimes I just wish I had some family around so I could get a break. Anyway. Our life here is awesome but I really miss my sister, brother & parents sometimes.

However I had to get off my bottom tonight to make a gift for Mrs. Tawny, Jacob's teacher. It's her birthday tomorrow and she's bringing ice cream for all the kids. So sweet!

I tried to get Jacob to do a secret mission to find out her favourite colour but I think he was nervous. So we went with bright cheery colours!

I am going to call this 4 projects as I actually had to make them twice - had a MASKING DISASTER. Masked them all, stamped them all, then peeled off the masking paper to reveal ink had soaked through. There were some expletives muttered. Sacked off the masking and just plain stamped them in the end. The idea came from the Stretch Your Stamps class.

Jacob has also made her a bead bracelet with her name on it and drawn a big picture of an ice cream.

100.93-100.96 (Almost there!)

I also couldn't be bothered with the light box tonight. Sorry! To be honest it's a miracle they're even being blogged!

Neon Craziness!

This was actually the first card I made on Sunday night and I'd be mulling it over all day. I LOVE it. It is very zany and cheerful. Managed to use some of my stash of mystery embellishments too. Always a winner!

100.92 (Actually not, but I'll get all confused if I try to renumber the others)

Love, love, LOVE neon. Can't wait for the green, blue & purple to come out.

Apron Strings Challenges!

Another three Apron Strings challenges... Lori has some awesome challenges going at the moment and fabulous prizes.

This one was inspired by this picture and colour combination. I am absolutely not a purple person so this was really hard for me! I am pleased with the results though.

I've also used that die cut-out trick from Stretch Your Stamps too, just to give the card a little extra something. And I inked up the butterflies a new way (for me!). I squidged some Elegant Eggplant and Wisteria Wonder inks onto my Teflon craft sheet, then spritzed it with Perfect Pearls mist. Then I inked up the stamp. It was pretty watery but I kind of like the splodgy results. (So many technical terms today, I hope you're keeping up!)

100.89

OK Next up -

 Looking at the inspiration picture again, I realise I went slightly "off-topic" on this one. My computer is nowhere near my craft stuff so I do challenges from memory. And for some bizarre reason I was sure there was a cobalt blue in this one! Oooops. Anyway!

100.90

This one is also ticking the Stretch Your Stamps sentiments day box! I just LOVE that sentiment.

Last and most definitely least for the Apron Strings challenges this week (I am not a fan of this one, I think it's the green!) - but first look at the inspiration:

As Lori says, "White space is a good thing". Not green space. Oh well:

100.91

Looking at it now, perhaps my Corner Chomper would help at the top. I think it is beyond redemption but it's worth a shot!

Faffy flower...

Well the card class had an extra day today, using dies with matching stamps. Jacob watched the video with me and wanted me to try out Jennifer McGuire's card. Well... it was OK!

100.88

I coloured the flower image in with Prismacolor pencil crayons and proceeded to smudge it all over the inside of the card.  I am not sure colouring in is my favourite technique. The flower is stuck to the inside of the card and overhangs the edge. There is a matching "window" on the front which allows the card to lie flat. You trim the card to standard dimensions so that it fits in the envelope, which I would never have thought of but that Jennifer is just a genius.

As you can see, this card is written! One of my stamping friends (Carol) knows a girl in California who is battling sepsis at the minute. She (the girl, not Carol!) turns 22 next week and I've been following her story so I thought I'd send her a card. Hope she likes it. (I managed to get rid of the smudges first you'll be glad to hear!)

Have I mentioned "Don't Panic - Dinner's in the Freezer" before? Well, I recently discovered the book and have been stocking my freezer up completely every 4-6 weeks. I tried some new recipes last week, including Cannoli. I had absolutely no idea what Cannoli were but anything with sausages in gets my vote! Well, I cooked the first batch tonight and they were yummy. Sort of like an American version of the much-missed Sausage Roll. They have our vote.

Prismacolor Paper Planes

There have been a "few" investments during 100in100, one of which was a set of Prismacolors. I decided I could get many more colours and almost the same results as Copics with far less of an outlay. I also came across this Lawn Fawn paper planes set and thought it was awesome so it fell in my basket. Oooops!

100.85

I was pretty pleased with the planes, then I trimmed the card I'd done them on wrong and kind of wrecked my placement. I have tried to make it work anyway. I do like this one, a lot. Boy I miss Poppy Parade already!

This is also for Mojo Monday 249 this week. I simplified the sketch quite a bit. 

NEWSFLASH! I just got an Honourable Mention on 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown! Thanks ladies, you made my day!

Black and Blue Christmas!

Well after my success with 523 {Christmas} Card Throwdown last week (Honourable Mention! First ever challenge success! Chuffed-to-bits.com!) I thought I'd try the colour challenge for July. When I first saw the colours I was a bit dumbstruck but then I had an idea which tied in nicely with SYS day 4 - Graphic Stamps:


100.86 and 100.87 (made two of these):

I actually REALLY LIKE this card and if I was mass-producing my Christmas cards this would be a good choice. Plus, it's a one layer card!

I am debating outlining "Holidays" with Pacific Point (to match the snowflakes) but I can't quite decide... thoughts?

In other news, Leo had his first proper food today! He tried BANANA gloop. He couldn't quite work out what was going on at first but he very quickly got the hang of it and wolfed it down! It was very cute, and quite a relief, as he's been very hard to satisfy with milk the last few days. He is a giant baby.

Such a cutie! Big day for little Leo today, he also tried out the ExerSaucer my friend Lindsay (notecard lady!) was kind enough to lend us...

I think Jacob secretly wanted a turn. Jacob has really enjoyed building Lego models today, he's really good at it for a four year old! I have zero spatial awareness so I have to position the model I'm working on EXACTLY like the picture, but Jacob surprised me with his skill!

Anyway, a good day here in SoMD. Hope you enjoyed the start of the weekend as much as I did. 

Nice and Neon

I am so excited about neon colours at the moment - I think I mentioned this in an earlier post? Anyway I let myself buy Hero Arts' neon ink pads, and I am having FUN.

100.79 (skipping about a bit here, sorry)

I gave this card to the same friend who got the notecard set, I had made another card (the spreading sunshine one) but could I find it when I needed to write it? No. So I gave her this one instead. I'm not sure Lindsay is a big fan of neon, but she liked the notecards! :D

SYS Day 3 - Alphabet Stamps

I didn't have the suggested stamp set for this one, but I snapped up a similar set on Splitcoast's BST forum for $5 - Contempo Alphabet. Mega bargain! Only problem is, the clear mount would have been infinitely better for making backgrounds, especially with the Fiskars Stamp Press which is number 1 on my wish list. Anyway! For $5 you can't really complain!

100.84

Something doesn't quite work here, I think perhaps my background is a bit TOO pale. I used my favourite Sahara Sand stamped off to make it super pale but I possibly went too far! I'm not sure about the Wild Wasabi embossing either but not to worry!

This one was for Freshly Made Sketches #43:

I made it portrait instead of landscape. Not sure it was my best idea ever but not to worry! Fun sketch.

SYS Day 2 - Collage Stamps

I have to say, when I saw this stamp set, I wasn't keen at all. But... WOW. It makes some awesome cards. There are SO many great ideas in this course, I am really struggling to keep up. But, I am holding on by the skin of my teeth.

100.83

Loads of really clever techniques on this one, including water embossing, iron-off embossing, colour blocking... This is about as close a CASE of Jennifer Maguire's original as I could do with my supplies. And I changed the colours up.

PS The sentiment is straight in real life!

Christmas in July part 2

Tried a non-traditional colour scheme for my second lot of July Christmas cards. The sketch was from this challenge blog,  found via Patty Gorka (a fellow 100in100'er). Cool idea for a challenge blog, I will be taking part a lot I suspect!

100.78 & 79 (made two of these)

Not 100% keen on this one, the sketch is good (thanks to the challenge!) but I think the colour scheme is a bust. I just can't seem to get non-traditional schemes to work for Christmas cards. Oh well I shall keep trying!

Edited to add - I got an honourable mention badge for this challenge card! Wooo! Check it out!:

A little gift...

As I mentioned in a previous post, I missed a good friend's birthday recently. Well, I decided to MAKE her gift this time, as she is (hopefully) the type of person who appreciates the home-made.

100.75-78 (I counted the whole set of 6 as 3 cards as they were all similar) 

There are actually 6 of these cards in the set, but I couldn't get them all in & looking reasonable. They're all of a theme though. I just have to whip up a box, and wait for the envelopes to arrive as the cards are "4-bar" sized - 3.5" x 5".

I quite enjoyed making the set & I am inspired to perhaps make a few sets for gifts - possibly for Christmas.

Stretch Your Stamps day 1

OK my posts are going to be a little crazy for the next couple of days as I've got a couple of scheduled posts, but I also started the new "Stretch Your Stamps" course at Online Card Classes. Today was stretching your background stamps. I didn't get as much stamping done as I would have liked, and I still have a few ideas germinating in my head, but here's my first two!

100.81:

This one came together in a flash. I used the "Pot Pourri" stamp set from the supplies list for the "flowers" then kissed them with a Hero Arts background cling stamp. Then I used a Technique Tuesday sentiment. Easy! The colours are Crumb Cake/Chocolate Chip and Baja Breeze/Not Quite Navy.

100.82:

On this one, I used SU!'s Woodgrain background on Crumb Cake cardstock. I first of all stamped it in Soft Suede then shifted it over about a quarter inch and stamped it again in Early Espresso. Then I distressed it a bit because it looked a bit stark and geometric. I wanted to do the owl in neon but couldn't figure out how to make it bright enough. Perhaps I should have done that colouring in on white ink think from the other day. Anyway! I wrote my own sentiment, which wasn't very successful somehow. I just don't have nice handwriting! Then I messed up the twine/linen thread. So, from a promising start I managed to completely mess it up! Oh well. I can always try again another day, hopefully at some point I will get to catch up with myself!

In other news, I think Jacob, Leo and I will have to trek up to the doctor's tomorrow. J managed to get a tick on Friday and we had a "wait and see" on it - well, today apparently it started itching. Poor Jacob. We are not very clued up on ticks and suchlike as I'm not sure they're all that common at all in the UK, however St. Mary's County appears to be the bug capital of the world. Eugh.We were supposed to be having a fun day with Heather and her gorgeous kids, but we shall see whether I manage to get an appointment or not.

{LOVE} this set...

I bought this set for the Stretch Your Stamps class at Online Card Classes which starts TODAY 9th July. Can't wait! It is a truly lovely set by Claudine Hellmuth (?) called Neighborhood. I actually made another one, with a paper-pieced house on it (100.72) but in the same colours, however I sealed it up for sending before I took a picture. Doh!

100.73:

Christmas in July Part 1

A CAS Christmas card. I made 3 of these (well actually I made four but one went horribly wrong!) I was inspired by a colour combo I spotted on one of the teachers of Clean and Simple Cardmaking's blogs but I can't for the life of me find it now. Sorry! I used Raspberry Ripple, Regal Rose, Certainly Celery, Island Indigo and Pool Party.

100.69-71

The stamps are a variety of snowflakes from Hero Arts, and I masked the sentiment out whilst stamping the snowflakes. Finally I added just a touch of Dazzling Details to give a bit of Christmas Sparkle!

Apron Strings Challenge!

I used to subscribe to Apron Strings before I got totally out of the habit of scrapbooking. It's a really superb kit club run by the fantastic Lori. Anyway I still follow her blog and she has some fab challenges running at the moment.

100.74

This was the inspiration picture for this:

There are 4 more challenges for this week, so I'd best get cracking!

School Days

I wanted to make a card reminiscent of school days - carving your names in the desk, the greeny-blue chalkboard, writing notes...

100.64 (going back a bit because I had to post & photograph this in secret!)

This is a secret card for my hubby's birthday at the end of this month so I hope he doesn't spot it! There are a LOT of different elements here, lots of patterned papers, letters etc. I'm sure I got the sketch from somewhere too, but for the life of me, I can't remember where!

Still in the heatwave here, it is getting old now! We are currently making Moon Dough popcorn and just generally causing mess.

Took this photograph myself too. I am getting there. It's good to be able to do my own, as I'm not then waiting for my darling husband to move his bottom off the sofa!

Playmat

Mr. Leo has been trying his best to roll over, so I thought I'd make him a playmat. Jacob had one of just the same pattern (It's an Amy Butler one from Little Stitches for Little Ones) but as with everything we got for Jacob as a baby, it's stored carefully in our cellar in Lancaster!

The colours are an aqua blue, a green polka dot, some white with green and blue flowers and finally a grey. Loving grey so much at the moment. It was designed to coordinate with Leo's bedding. I can't actually believe I got it finished in one day, that's what happens when Stew is home and I can get projects FINISHED! 

I have invested in Hero Arts' Neon ink pads which I am SO excited about. I bought Jacob and Leo's summer wardrobes from Next (A British company who do FREE shipping to the USA. The clothes wash really well, even in our washing machine of doom). Anyway! I digress. The clothes, when they arrived, turned out to have little neon details on them which I just LOVE. I am a particular fan of a leaf green t-shirt of Leo's with a monkey embroidered in neon orange. It is so much fun! So I am hoping I get a bit of stamping time tomorrow to have a play with the neon. 

Ooooh just had another idea.... neon and GREY! Watch this space!

Smiley Butterflies

100.66

This is a total CASE of Julie Ebersole, and it isn't anywhere near as nice, but still, I like it! I love Island Indigo. It's just a perfect teal-y blue.

This whole posting a batch in advance and scheduling them to release on different days is all very well, but it is tricky to make your posts interesting with tidbits of RL news! Perhaps I could come back and add it later, as events transpire!

Ooooh, cool technique!

OK most techniques I don't like (or don't have the right supplies for) but this one I liked the instant I saw. I found it on the Clean and Simple cardmaking class I just took over at Online Card Classes.

So what you do is take black cardstock, stamp your image with white pigment ink then DRY IT. That's important, fellow impatient people! Then you take soft colouring pencils (I used SU's) and colour over the white areas. The best part is when you highlight certain areas with the white crayon, it really makes the whole thing POP!

Unfortunately, I must have dropped my white pencil at some point, as I had to keep sharpening mine and the "lead" kept breaking, but after sharpening half of the pencil I finally got finished. I also invested in a bigger set of crayons because I see myself using this technique A LOT and I also had a look over on Splitcoast at what people do with pencil crayons & mineral oil... WOW. 

100.65

Supplies: Whisper White, Basic Black, Sage Shadow cardstock, white gel pen, Whisper White ink, heat gun, SU! colouring pencils, Brights brads (Rich Razzleberry), Fresh Vintage and Happiest Birthday Wishes stamp set.

Ooooh, it's SUO!

Sunshine

Well I have signed up for Online Card Classes' Stretch Your Stamps class. I just finished the Clean and Simple card class (independently) with the same authors, it was awesome and I am looking forward to this one immensely. I can't wait to get involved and take part with the live stuff. I haven't bought ALL the stamps for the class as some of them I thought I probably had covered (OK, perhaps 10 times over) but I particularly liked Technique Tuesday's Bring on the Sun. I have a friend who's birthday I missed (I suck) who I thought of IMMEDIATELY when I read this quote:

100.64

 I embossed the "Sunshine" word in gold embossing powder using a Versamark pen. I love Ali Edwards' handwriting. I wish mine was nice enough to write my own sentiments but sadly not. I rounded the ends of my scrap strips by using circle punches. And - one last technique (a new one for me) - I spritzed it with Pearl Spray (or something - can't quite remember the name right now but I LOVE it) but clever old me held the card in the top corner - can you see my thumb shadow!!! Doh!