BOO!!

I set myself my own challenge for my next card, anything but a Magnolia!!!!

This is definately a far cry from those cute little girls. Living on the otherside of the world, far away from all things spooky and scarey I've never made a Halloween card before. The age old tradition of Trick or Treating is slowly beginning to trickle in Down Under so I thought I'd get in the spirit of things.

There is one American tradition that I won't be trying, the trend of putting pumpkin in your coffee!!!!!

Pumpkins are for carving and baking and making into soup!!!!!

I've combined two SCS challenges to create this card - sketch 195, the same sketch I used to create my little Cherry Magnolia and a technique challege - Spiral Pop Up Card. This is such a cool technique and surprisingly easy. The stamps used are from the new SU cataloge - Autumn Harvest and House of Haunts. BOO is cut on the Cricut and the green embossed card is done on the Cuttlebug.

Sketch Challenge

The challenge for next week is set by myself, for myself - anything but a Magnolia - do I think I can do, hmmm, we'll see. While I'm thinking about what stamps I have in the cupboard let me tell you about this weeks challenge card.

My colour combination, especially the yellow, was chosen for the matching cherry ribbon I have, what ribbon??? well it didn't really go anywhere with the finished card, so the ribbon sits back on the shelf to be used another time. The Basic Grey red spotted paper sets off the cherries. My little girl is coloured with Copic markers and her "patent leather"shoes are finished off with Crystal Effects, as are the cherries. The cherries on her dress are dimensional paint. It's taking a lot of practice to get the shading to an acceptable state with the Copic's. I never thought colouring could be such a challenge.

Magnolia stamps are available from Summer at www.rosesonpaper.com

Ok, so I'm already thinking about what stamps I can use for my next card, maybe I could use one of the new halloween stamps that I just had to have (even though we don't really celebrate halloween here in Australia) - or maybe I could start on my Christmas cards - I have just the stamp - my brand new Magnolia !!!!!!!!

And Baby Makes 7

See, I do own other stamp sets. I've been really apprehensive about using this set (SU All In The Family), I thought it was going to be too complicated trying to put the bodies together, but using the SU stamp-a-majig (that's it's actual name - it's not me having a memory moment) it was surprisingly easy and fun. My girlfriend Lucy just gave birth to her 5th child, Alexis Rose, I knew straight away this set was perfect for her card.

I stamped the images on white card stock then coloured them with Derwent pencils. Using soft baby tones, pink and purple I layered up the background then finished off with SU Welcome Little One, layered on the same pink and purple using cirle and scallop punches and finished off with a little bit of bling.

Sketch Challenge

Pumpkin Spice Magnolia

I'm still trying to come to terms with the fact that some people, who shall remain nameless, drink their latte's with pumpkin spice flavouring, now to make matters worse I've found out that other people are having pumpkin flavoured chai latte's!!!! Now don't get me wrong, I love pumpkin, however I like my pumpkin with roast chicken and my coffee with cake!!!! So while I'm trying to get my head around people's taste bud habits I decided to put my little Magnolia in among the pumpkins.

This weeks sketch challenge at SCS made great use of scrap pieces of paper by layering up the background. I'd tried really hard to keep away from the H20's but to no avail. Out they came again to create some really shimmery effects, which unfortunately just aren't done any justice on the computer. My pumpkins are from the Stampin Up set, Autumn Harvest and the Magnolia stamp is once again from Summer at www.rosesonpaper.com. Maybe for next weeks challenge I might re-introduce myself to some of my neglected stamp sets - but Tilda and her friends are just so darn cute, it's hard not to ink them up!!!

Sketch Challenge

Ok, it's official, I'm addicted to Magnolia stamps. My last 6 cards have all featured this adorable little girl. This time we see the addition of her dog, Rufus. Not satisfied with waiting until next Wednesday for another sketch challenge at SCS I had to do another one. After investing in some Copic markers and throwing several colouring attempts in the bin I finally completed an image worth uploading. Tilda's face was coloured with Copics, her clothing, Rufus and the steps were all coloured with Tombow markers and not one single H20 in sight. Rufus'nose was highlighted with SU Crystal Effects and glitter used to highlight parts of Tilda and the flowers. Lets see how long I can make myself wait before I'm placing another order with Summer at www.rosesonpaper.com for some more of these stamps.

Sketch Challenge

A Daisy from Tilda

That's right, another Magnolia stamp. I think, no actually I know, of all my stamps, and yes I've managed to collect quite a few, these Magnolia's would have to be my favorite, hmmm but then there is my Faerie Poppet collection, hmmm, no definately the Magnolia's. I love Wednesday afternoon, which is Wednesday AM on Splitcoast when the weekly sketch challenge is posted.
I bought a couple of flesh coloured Copic Markers on Monday, what a disaster that turned out to be, hence the H20's being used on Tilda. I need some serious practice with the Copics, my poor little Tilda looked like she had spent waaaay to much time in a solarium !!!!!
As with all the other Magnolia images, these stamps are available from Summer at http://www.rosesonpaper.com/

Spring into Summer

With friends in America looking forward to all things Fall, like the changing leaves, Thanksgiving, Halloween and drinking pumpkin flavoured coffee (you've got to be kidding!!!!) my focus is on which of my roses will be the first to come into bloom for spring and will I fit into my bathers this summer!!!! What better inspiration than to put Tilda among the cherry blossoms or sit her in a splash of fun summer colours - orange, hot pink, lime green and yellow.

I kept my first two cards fairly simple, trying to keep the focus more on the stamps, however this time I've moved out of my comfort zone and found that lots of patters and colours go very nicely with the stamps. My new favorite online store, Roses on Paper (www.rosesonpaper.com) is going to be very hard to resist over the next few months as I try to build up my collection of Magnolia stamps. I might even have to really splurge and buy myself some Copic markers, try to wean myself off the H20's.

Tilda Sitting Pretty

I hope my friends like these Tilda Magnolia stamps as much as I do, because I think I'll be using them a lot.

Once again, coloured with H20's (I really need to try using markers or pencils).

I tried to keep the paper pattern fairly simple as the stamps are so beautiful I think they don't really need too much else with them. Just a little bit of bling on the bench seat and I'm done.

This stamp has also come from my new favourite online store www.rosesonpaper.com

Sketch Challenge

SPRING MAGNOLIA

After searching for what seems like forever for a stockist that ships to Australia, I finally have my very own Tilda Magnolia stamps, with a couple more expected any day - yippeeee. The day I came across Summer at www.rosesonpaper.com was like Christmas. Not only does Summer have a HUGE range of Tilda Magnolia stamps available, her service is outstanding. Less than a week after placing my first order I was inking my stamps in Australia. This is definately one internet based store that I'll be coming back to time and again.

This is my first card using my new stamps. What is very fast going to become my favourite set of stamps called for my favourite colouring medium - my H20's. The time consuming task of cutting out the leaves on the tree was worth the effort I think. Unfortunately the camera does not show the bench seat as being 3D. This week's sketch at SCS suited these stamps perfectly.