Melbourne here I come ...

Well at long last I'm due to leave for Melbourne next Tuesday for my PET scan on the Wednesday. My friend Anne is coming with me and we are then staying on until the Saturday so hope once the scan is over to do some well deserved retail therapy and perhaps take in a show - and maybe a short tour somewhere.

In the meantime I have made another couple of cards but think with all the other on my mind that my heart wasn't really in it. Either that, or my creative powers have been severely diminished! Anyway, this is them:

Saw a similar card somewhere - probably on SCS but not too sure about it after making four of them thinking they would be great standbys for a male card.

This was made using the Birthday Whimsy stamp set and 3 squares of SU DSP.

Had a plan in my mind for this but somehow veered off in all directions while making it. This was also intended to be a male card as there are a lot of boy birthdays coming up.

I used the large Baroque Motifs stamped in Versamark and clear embossed on River Rock, mounted on Chocolate Chip with the base card being Blue Bayou. The round stamp is from the Riveting set.

Last night we had a watercolouring lesson at the lovely Jacque's. The first card we made had a pirate theme. I will have to put this away for my youngest grandson's birthday next year - he'll love it. Haven't lined the circle stamp up on the photo very well as the card was open but when closed it fits perfectly.

Now for my favourite little girl stamp - doesn't it look gorgeous but I won't tell you about my big 'boo boo' when making it because I don't think it shows up in the photo and I was able to correct it so that you can't notice it.

I am hoping that over the weekend I will have the time to go to the Dunkley's Craft Show on the North Shore.

My friends/demonstrators from Stampin' Up have a booth there and are demonstrating hands-on projects for visitors to join in and do. If you're reading this blog and live in Auckland do go as I know you will have a ball!

Bye for now.

Some more cards ....

It's all too exciting .... I'm just like a child at Christmas. Why, you might ask. Well I have just received my first order from the new catalogue and ooooh, all those lovely goodies! I got my paper and ink pads in the new In Colors, some lovely d/s design paper, other various papers, four (yes, four!) punches - the word window, scallop circle, large 5-petal flower and spring flower bouquet punch. Also two new stampin wheels (including the baroque one) and what I think will be a very versatile background set, Sprinkles. The other thing I got I know will be indispensable because I am hopeless at accurately lining up stamps and that is my new Stamp-a-ma-jig. Now I have to make some nice new cards to justify buying all this, though I must confess that I have just placed another order already!

This is a card we made at Jacque's class. Love the colours, words and particularly love the Garden Whimsy set which is now on my "want" list.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Still not sure about the card on the right which I made for my (intellectually handicapped) brother-in-law. It sort of evolved using cardstock (not SU) that I need to use up which I firstly embossed with my Cuttlebug. Can't remember which d/s cardstock I made the trim pieces from but I used the retired Tidy Pieces for his name which I thought he would enjoy and then used the balloon out of the Birthday Whimsy set. Added a bit of glitter. He really liked it which was the main thing.

This one was for a teenage boy. I smooshed the background colours onto glossy white c/s and then overstamped using my Crab & Company stamps. I mounted this using brads on Natural Ivory c/s on which I used the Rough Texture wheel. The main card was Ballet Blue. Neat eh!!

Have made another couple of cards but the recipients won't be receiving these until next month (have six birthdays next month!!) so won't post until they have received.

Starting to get a bit nippy now. Methinks winter might be around the corner and am just off to put on some socks cos I hate having cold feet!

March Madness

Here we are into March already. It's frightening how quickly time flies. I always thought that once you were retired the days would stretch ahead of you - leisurely, long, wonderful days. Now I'm retired I am no better organised, nor do I seem to have all those lovely free hours for enjoying myself - time goes just as quickly and I often wonder how I managed to find the time to go out to work!

February/March is a hectic time here for birthdays, etc. so I have been kept busy creating cards for various people. Unfortunately, I have somehow managed to give some away without taking photos first!! How stupid of me! Anyway, here are photos I did remember to take.


The card on the left is sadly a sympathy card I made for friends. Really hard to make these cards I find as you need to find the right balance. I used the lovely Stem Silhouettes set inked using a Kaleidacolor Spectrum inkpad - Autumn Leaves on Whisper White cardstock. This gave it a multi-coloured effect and I then spritzed over this using the Old Olive and Creamy Caramel markers. Each stem effect was then layered onto Old Olive cardstock and positioned on to the Creamy Caramel cardstock card which had been overstamped using the Rough Texture wheel in the Creamy Caramel - looked good. A cream organza ribbon was added and With Sympathy stamp from the Warmest Regards set stamped and cut out with the 1-1/4" circle punch and mounted on an Old Olive cardstock 1-3/8" punch.

Second from left is a card for my 14 yr old grandson (he hasn't actually got it yet but I'm pretty sure he never reads my blog!)
Stamps: Birthday Whimsy.
Cardstock: Ballet Blue, Old Olive, Whisper White and the patterned paper is an odd piece from my scraps box.
Ink: Old Olive

Card on right was for my husband's birthday.
Stamps: Scribble This, Lots of Thoughts, Scribble Jumbo Wheel
Cardstock: Naturals Ivory, Creamy Caramel, Pumpkin Pie
Inks: Creamy Caramel
Other: Glitter, Twill Tape

Another thing that keeps me busy (and is playing havoc with my social life as I can't plan any holidays or trips, boo hoo!!) is my ongoing health issues. Went for another hospital checkup last week and my CA125 levels have elevated even more so as far as they are concerned there is no question about it - my cancer has returned. Scheduled for another CT scan end of next week then dependent on results there is still the prospect of being sent to Melbourne for a PET scan. The tests seem to go on and on but it is inevitable that at some stage they will operate and give me some more chemo. Will keep you all posted.