Spring is in the air

Hi all,

I hope you all had a good day. I got all my jobs done as the girls were in kindy. Martha is slowly getting used to it, which I'm pleased about.

It's Monday so it's time for another Incy Wincy challenge. This week, I was let loose on the challenge blog to post the theme. I was nervous about it, but I think everything makes sense and is working, which is a bonus. This week we are sponsored by the fabulous Stamp Fairy. Gerda's designs are all wonderful and I want them all! The lucky winner gets to choose 3 digi images from the store. I wish I was able to join in.

Our theme this week is Spring is in the air as most of you are starting to leave winter and move to spring and warmer weather (hopefully). We, on the other hand, are heading into Autumn, but the weather is still lovely. So, we want to see your spring themed projects.

I decided to make a twisted easel card as I have never made one before.

To me, green and yellow are spring colours. I used a cute fairy image from the Stamp Fairy and sat her on a large fabric flower.

Go and check out the fab makes from the rest of the DT.

I would like to enter this into Crafts4Eternity challenge - make an easel card. (Thanks Pinky for giving me the details).

There was a princess long ago

Hi all,

Just a quick one from me before we go out for the day. Yesterday Daisy went to a princess party for one of her friends and I completely forgot to make a card, so I made this castle quite quickly out of scraps of card. When we got there, we found out that the girl's mum, who is wonderful at making cakes, had made a fab castle cake in the same colours, so my card was very appropriate.

Daisy has decided she would like a cat, but we said as hubby is allergic to most things with hair that it would be difficult. She thought for a while and then said she would like a sheep as it has wool not fur. At least the garden wouldn't need mowing.

A bit of colour

Hi all,

I hope you are having a good day. Martha is still not quite herself and is a bit clingy - that's what starting at childcare does as she has picked up every bug going. Hopefully it will end soon, but we still had to do things as Daisy had her ballet class today. When we got home Martha had her nap and Daisy decided she wanted to make a city out of boxes, so out came the paints and we have box buildings drying on the dining table. We also made traffic lights and some people. We have more to do but we both thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and Daisy then had fun playing with what we had made.

At StampFairy this week there is a colour challenge. They want to see red, white and turquoise on your project. So, I delved into my paper boxes to see what I could find. It's funny how I go for certain colours as I have no red papers but managed to find some card. The image is Herb Summer and the card is a gatefold one. I don't often make these, so quite enjoyed it for a change. I kept the embellishments simple as I thought it could be used as a male card.

Use your punches or dies

Hi all,

As promised, I'm back with my Incy Wincy challenge card. I managed to get all my planning work, shopping, housework and two hours tutoring done, so I'm very proud of myself. Unfortunately, Martha still wasn't quite herself at kindy. Some of it is teething I think and some is just taking time to settle in. Luckily Daisy is also there, so she went to play with Martha for a while and cheered her up.

This week at Incy Wincy we are sponsored by

who are offering die cuts to the winner. So, our theme this week is to use punches or die cuts on your project. As I don't have a die cutting machine, my trusty flower punches came out, along with my SU punch. We were given some Peggy loves Vintage images to play with. I chose this girl as hubby's Dad is Irish and so I thought of a St Patrick's Day card. Hop over to the blog and see the wonderful creations by the rest of the DT, including our fabulous new recruits.

Did a bit of cooking!

Hi all,

It's 8.30 am here. Daisy has gone off to kindy with hubby early this morning and I will take Martha once she has had her first nap (I am always amazed how she has a nap so early when she has just slept 11 hours through the night!) So, I thought I would post this card. I felt like doing something a bit different, so I followed a recipe from Cooking it up with Katie - blue, bling and buttons. I used a fab stamp from Kraftin' Kimmie that I have had for ages but have never inked up. I'm not sure why as I love the image. I paper pieced the dress. This is something I don't do enough of. The sentiment is from Sentiments for you. I have loved the ticket sentiments for ages but have never got around to getting some, so now I have. The papers are from RAKs so I don't know who made them. I made the flower from tissue paper and a scalloped punch.

I'll be back later tonight with my Incy Wincy card. Have a lovely day (or evening, depending on where you are).

It's all white

Hi all,

Martha hasn't been too good today. She has an awful cold and hasn't been able to sleep so was tired as well. I'm not sure if it is just a cold or the start of more teeth, so she's had medicine and hopefully will get a bit of sleep tonight. Daisy went to ballet this morning and then we went to soft play. She's been so good helping me today as I've had to do most things with Martha on my hip.

I've seen quite a few wonderful white on white cards around. I've never made one myself beause I think they look hard to pull off and I do love my colourful papers. Also, if you are to use all one colour, I think some texture - embossing - is needed to break up the look and I don't have a die cutting machine, embossing folders or stencils, so I have stayed clear. Not any longer! At the Stamp Fairy challenge the theme is basically white with a touch of colour so I thought I would have a go. I was really surprised to find out I was one of the winners last week for the double easel card - thanks girls! Anyway, I used a gorgeous image called Baby Dotty and Teddy. The lace is from Wild Orchid and the ribbons are from my stash. I did find a way to emboss the top white card. I read in a magazine how to use a big bite on the eyelet setting to make dots and it really works (but I'm not sure if it shows that well on the picture)! Although I may not be making many of these, I do quite like how it has turned out.

A card for a teenager

Hi all,

Daisy was in kindy today, so Martha and I went to my fitness class this morning. We did boxing. As a sport, I don't really like it, but as exercise I really enjoy doing it and no-one gets hurt! Martha seemed to find it ultra amusing.

It's Tuesday, so we have another challenge for you at Creative Craft. We are sponsored by Dragon's Lair Designs, who are offering four images to the winner.

This fortnight we would like to see your cards for teenagers. We were lucky enough to be given some images to play with. I have used this great dragon with a mobile. I thought I would go with green and would try to keep it clean and simple and not all teenagers like flowers, etc. I'm not entirely convinced though and think there are a few too many empty spaces! Go over and check out the fab projects from the rest of the DT.

Colour me wonderful

Hi all,

Martha and Daisy were at kindy today, so I am very proud of myself. I managed to get all my tutor planning done and didn't get distracted by my craft stuff. Hopefully it means I can craft tomorrow evening instead of working. Martha didn't eat much at kindy today. I hope she isn't coming down with something. She made us a valentine's card with her hand prints on and Daisy drew her own card today, so very cute.

Well, it's Monday, so we have a new challenge for you at Incy Wincy. This week we are sponsored by Aspire to Thrive who are offering the winner $10 to spend in the store. This week we would like you to use two or more of your favourite colouring mediums on your project. For my card, I have used my whispers pens with my aquabrush and then a sakura yellow pen for the stars. The background uses twinkling H2O's. The silver stars were cut from some ribbon I have. The image is by Aspire to Thrive. Hop over to the blog to see the fab projects from the rest of the DT.

Two for the price of one!

Hi all,

I can't believe it's Wednesday already. Daisy started back at her dance lessons today. She decided to do ballet this year and was so excited as she got to wear a pink leotard, tutu and pink ballet shoes. To top it off, her Grandma sent her some 'ballerina' hair things and she just had to wear them all! After dance, we also went to the library, the hairdressers and for lunch with her in her ballet things as she didn't want to take them off!

On to my card. I have been hearing about double easel cards for a while now and when I saw one on Lorraine's fab blog I thought I would have a go too. I made it up as I went along and decided to make mine heart shaped. Purple is my favourite colour and I love it combined with green, so I went for that. The papers are by DCWV and Prima and the cute images are Herb and Clementine from the wonderful Stamp Fairy. All the images are so cute, I could spend hours choosing. The flowers and lace are Wild Orchid.

I would like to enter this into the following challenges:

Stamp Fairy - lace and hearts - no red or pink

Papertake weekly - have a heart

Crafty cardmakers - hearts

Digital Tuesday - Valentine's Day

Just a quick one

Just to say I was picked as one of the top 3 winners at the Stamp Fairy challenge for my ballet bear card. Thank you so much and I'm so pleased I get to choose some more of these fab images.
Hopefully I'll be back later with a card.

All you need is love

Hi all,

Martha had her first day at kindy today on her own. Daisy was also there but in a different room. I felt bad about it all day, but she had a whale of a time apparently and has made some new friends already. A little boy also started today and is also 7 months old so they sat next to each other giggling. The only problem was it was too exciting that she only had an hour's sleep all day so when she got home she was shattered. I had a busy day planning for all my weekly tutoring sessions and then doing some tutoring, but at least I can now have a day at home with Martha and not worry about what else needs to be done.

It's Monday so it must be Incy Wincy challenge time. No prizes for guessing the theme - love, with red or pink and white. So, dig out your valentines or love theme items. This week we are sponsored by:

who are offering 5 digis of the winner's choice. The DT got some images to play with and I chose A time to celebrate, as I thought it could be for any love/anniversary type of card. The scalloped square is from a template I have and the papers were scraps. Hop over to the challenge blog and check out the wonderful creations from the rest of the DT.

I would like to enter this into the following challenges:
Allsorts - love

Simon says stamp - love is in the air

Stampin' for the weekend - St Valentine's day

Ever seen a ballet dancing bear?

Hi all,

I hope you are having a good weekend. After a week of temperatures in the 40's most days, it's finally dropped to about 25 degrees and we are more comfortable. Daisy is now sleeping in her own room again, which is great because by the end of the week the girls were keeping each other awake (well Daisy was keeping Martha awake by making her laugh).

I love dance images as I used to do a lot of dancing when I was younger and when I saw this image I had to get it. It's by Stamp Fairy and she is called Linda . The ballet shoes in the corner are a freebie download from the site. Over at the Stamp Fairy challenge blog, they are asking for a project that includes handmade flowers. I used a scalloped circle punch to make one flower and then cut strips of net and gathered them to make the other flowers. I was hoping they would remind you of tutus.

Can you guess what it was?

Hi all,

Well, we spent our day in air conditioned buildings again. This weather is meant to stay like this until Monday now so we will be quietly melting until then.

If you have read my blog before, you may know that I like to use recycled packaging in my cards if it fits, so I used the card from a pack of Daisy's glitter glue. I also decided to use an old belt I had kept from a pair of trousers I used for decorating in and then threw out. I don't wear belts so wouldn't use it as is, but loved the material, so I cut the part with the eyelets in and used that on my card. I thought this great image from Charmed Cards went well with it and will use it for one of my cousin's son's birthdays as they all love skateboarding.

I would like to enter this into the allsorts challenge - saving nature

I'm all heart (and flowers)!

Hi all,

I know yesterday I said I would try not to talk about our weather, well today it was 42 degrees. Aaagh! Martha and I spent a lot of time in a shopping centre as it was air conditioned and we don't have it all through our house so the house was like an oven. We have a portable AC unit which is in Martha's room, so tonight we moved Daisy in there as well so at least they can be cool. There's a bushfire at our local National Park. Luckily it is under control, but we have been advised to keep doors and windows shut to avoid the smoke.

Well as it is Tuesday, we have another challenge at Creative Craft. We would love to see hearts and flowers on your cards - so valentines, anniversary, birthdays, anything goes reallyas long as it has a heart and a flower! This week we are sponsored by

who are offering the winner a £10 voucher for their store.

For my card, I found some great templates I won a while ago and used them for the card blank, which has been inked with Victorian Velvet distress inks. I decided to make an easel card and found a tutorial that included lacing your card together and thought I would have a go. The image is Milkshake by Kenny K and the paper is by Dovecraft. Check out the makes by my teamies on the blog.

I would like to enter this into the following challenges:

Charisma Cardz - valentines/love

Meljens - Out your heart on it

Creative Inspirations - Valentines/love

Creative Cowgirls - Love is in the air