Birthday Gift Box

A friend's birthday is coming up soon and I thought giving a box of handmade cards will be a great gift.  Naturally, tulips come in mind as we are moving towards the spring (wink! wink! more wet snow is forecasted in the next few days)!

Using one of my favourite duo technique which is distressing and heat embossing. All the tulips come in different colours which is the closest to the Hero Arts colour challenge. I used distress colours for all the tulips and sprayed with glimmer mists and heat embossed in clear to achieve the the dew drops look.  

All the backgrounds are stamped with two different stamp sets, heat embossed in white and distressed in different colours.

As for the gift box, I made a pizza-box version and made a matching top as well.  The side is punched with MS border punch.

This project also enters into the following challenge A Blog Named Hero

Closer peep at the dew drops.  The tulips are distressed in lavender and ice-spruce.  To my surprise, I love how the mixed turned out!

The tulips are distressed in lavender and broken china

 The tulips are distressed in broken china and mustard seed

CASing Brenda

Brenda of Floral Fantasies is celebrating her 4th bloggaversary and also towards 4,000 followers!  To help her celebrate these two occasions, she has planned a little competition which is to case any of her cards style, blog header and many others.  If you like anything to do with butterflies, flowers, fairies and creating sceneries, you will get plenty of inspirations from her as I am always amazed with her work.

There are so many cards that I love and have decided to narrow down to three.  Initially, I wanted to do the yellow/ black or the pink cards because they are my style but decided against it because it's too much in my comfort zone.

 

So, I have opted something different which is the shabby shic style.

The pink base card is distressed in worn lipstick and barn door.  The manuscript background is from HA  and the sentiment is from Tim Holtz which are stamped in soft granite and smokey gray respectively.  The butterflies are all from HA Antique Engraving which are stamped in worn lipstick to keep the in line with the background colours.

As for the skirt, I used Waltzing Mouse Large Doily which is white heat embossed on vellum twice so as to make a two-layer skirt. The mannequin is lightly stamped in soft granite with the manuscript background and lightly distressed in ice spruce so that it doesn't look too "bare".  As Brenda added a pink ribbon on the waist because she has a black skirt, I decided to use a white rig rag to wrap around the waist.  The final touch for the mannequin is given a pinky necklace.

Brenda has made her own flower which I can't, so I cheated by using my indispensable cuttlebug to help me with this flower which is alternated with pink felt and white paper which give a little more texture to the whole.  The branch is from HA Floral Stamp and Die Cut.

On the whole, I am very very happy with the result and I think I should do more of this kind of style. Thank you, Brenda for the great inspirational work which you always share with us.

As always, thank you for your comments.

A quick peek on the double layer skirt

Moxie Fab World #49

Happy Friday to all!  Today's card is all about making your own background paper over at Moxie Fab World.

I came across this fun technique by using glue in the UK's version of Craft Stamper - Yes, just paper glue!  This technique is totally new to me and this card will also be submitted to this month's contest over at Hero Arts.  I was amazed with the result. 

First, you make patterns with the glue on a white cardstock - it does not matter what pattern you make but for this card, I made some circular patterns. Allow time to dry and once it's dry, use distress inks to go over the cardstock. Then apply a second layer of glue over (not entirely) the first layer and allow it to dry. Apply another layer of distress inks over it.  For this card, I used dusty concord, shabby shutter, peeled paint, spiced marmalade and mustard seed.  

The sentiment is from HA Frames and Messages and I finished it off with the paper ribbon and added a three layers of different colours of flower too.

I was very lucky that as this was my first attempt and it came out so beautifully and so I decided to try a second, third, fourth and it didn't work out anymore! Puzzled!  What did I do wrong? If you manage, please do let me know and I would love to see you masterpiece!  Good luck!

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A close-up of the glue

All the snow is gone and so is the igloo but  now we have rain and storm.  This morning I had to cycle to attend an orientation programme at the American School for another substitute work but with that storm, I felt like I was literally cycling on the stationary bike as the wind was 85km/h.  LOL!  Hope your weather is better then ours!

Have a fun and crafty day!

PB Winter Berries

This morning, I woke up and saw that our pond is lightly frozen and it's going to continue with this weather for the next couple of days.  

Another Christmas card but this time I am using my new stamp from PB Winter Berries.  The Winter Berries is stamped with Hero Arts Mid-tone Raspberry on a white panel.  Then by moving about 2mm away from the first stamping, I stamped the Winter Berries with versamark and heat embossed with white to create the snowy look.  The background is distressed with tumbled glass, broken china and faded jeans.  The sentiment is an old set from PB Joyous.

I am entering this card into the following challenge : Stamping Sensations, Timeless Twine, Penny Black and More

Card for Sebastian

Good Morning, hope everyone had a good weekend.  We had lots of snow on Friday and the sight is so beautiful.  The downside is that everything has melted and the roads are in such a mess at the moment. 

Anyway, I have a card to share with you today which is for this little boy, Sebastian who is scheduled for another surgery on December 19th.  You can read more about it here on Ginger's blog.   I heard about him through Annette, My Clever Creations.  Ginger is putting together another card drive for Sebastian.  We want to fill his hospital room with hope and joy!!!  With this card, I hope that it will bring him smiles and hope.

  

I am using the color challenge from Lawnscaping Challenge to design this card for Sebastian.  This card also enters into Timeless Twine, Stamping Sensations

Lawnscaping Challenge #43

***EDITED : I'M A HONORABLE GNOME ***

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Good Monday to all!  Hope everyone had a good weekend and had great fun with WCMD! I had a busy weekend with my DH's company's family day where we went to an amusement park in Belgium which was about 2 hours drive from home.  I only went on two rides which was nothing and I kept asking myself where have my guts went to especially when one did bunjee jumping before!  Anyway, we rounded up the evening  with a nice dinner at a french restaurant where I had a delicious beef stew pot cooked with Belgium guiness beer.

Today's card is all about texture at Lawnscaping Challenge.  I recycled my carton from a cookie box which I transformed it into a frame for this card.  The santa hats were stamped in black, heat embossed and colored with distress inks and added some glitters on the white part.  I also added a red cardstock behind the white cardstock to give a little bit more depth.  The sentiment is from HA and I added twine on the letter "O".  

Thank you for dropping by!

Lawnfawn Challenge #42

Yesterday, we had a very heavy storm and rain over here and I pity those who were on the bicycles on the road.  I heard that branches and trees were fallen over at certain places and I was worried for my children too.  My children cycle to school everyday and Claire cycles 5km (25 min) one way and Maurice 3km (20 min) one way.  At least today's weather seems to have quieten down a little but there is still strong wind.  Hope your weather is better off then here.

Enough of the weather talk.  I love to make interactive card and today's card is "Getting Texty" at Lawnscaping Challenge.  The kraft panel is machine stitched along both sides and attached to the base card.  The tree is stamped, heat embossed in black and distressed. The top part of the tree is cut off  so that I can attach another layer of cardstock for the sentiment.  I also added a hat as I needed to put an instruction as to how to pull out the top of the tree.

This card is also entering into The Young Crafters Unite

WMS #115

** REMOVED FOR PUBLICATION **

EDITED : WINNER OF A TOP MOUSE AWARD

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Good Friday to all!  Today's card is a one-layer card and is a little bit out of my comfort zone but I love the end result.  

For this card, I am using the stamp from Waltzing Mouse Large Doilies and Jars Filler which are stamped in four different colours and distressed with vintage photo.  Cut them into four panels and adhered to kraft which are again adhered to a pink panel which has been machined stitched.  The butterfly and flowers on the panels are vellum.

The cardstock is stamped with HA manuscript background and the edges are distressed with worn lipstick.  The sentiment is from PS which has been heat embossed and I finished the card with a piece of lace and a twine.

This card also enters into Simon Says Stamps Challenge.

Train Journey

Today is such a gloomy day hardly with any sunshine and so dark which it quite depressing but luckily the card making is able to keep me busy and away from the darkness which also brought me to make this colourful card for today.

Have you challenged yourself by using a holiday stamps and convert it into a non-holiday card?  If you are looking for a challenge, do pop over at Hero Arts for this month challenge.  It will make you cracked your head for a little while.

For this challenge I used christmas stamp from HA Holiday Trees and Past Times to make a one-layer card.  First I distressed the background in different colours and let it dry.  The train is first stamped and then I masked the trees and heat embossed them in black. 

This scene has brought me back to my childhood when I had to travel home between Singapore to Malaysia during school holidays.  I always looked forward to this trip although it was a long and slow journey but knowing that there is someone over at the other end to fetch me made everything worth.

Thank you for dropping by!

HA September Contest

Today's card reminded me so much of our trip to Lapland, Finland back in 2006.  We always look forward to seeing the amazing Northern Lights and of course Santa Claus as well.  Whilst we were there, we missed the Northern Lights because it appeared on the first day of our arrival which we happened to had our rest in the hotel room.  Grrrr!!! Such a pity that we missed this opportunity and everytime I see it on tv, I will look at my DH???

 

Anyway back to card business, today's card is to use a seasonal/ holiday stamp in a way other than its intended use at which is the challenge of this month at Hero Arts.  I am also entering this card into Simon Says Stamp Challenge.

 

For this card, lots of distressing colours for the background which reminded me of the Northern Lights. HA Happy Holiday Trees is masked to have more trees and heat embossed in black to create a silhouette look on the card.  As you may noticed the panel is placed off side to give a different dimension.

 

PS Challenge 1-8 July

Happy Sunday!  I'm so glad that the weather has cooled off after a tropic humid weather for the last few days although the temperature was not high at all - 25 degrees celcius.  With this tropic weather, I can just melt and gets annoyed easily but to some it is a fantastic weather. 

Today's card is Paper Smooches Sparks trend challenge from this picture and can only think of food looking at this trolley.  I am also entering this card into DYSU as RED is their colour challenge of the week.

Here is my take on the challenge.  Using the interpretation from the trolly, I made an apron gift box whereby I could put some small gifts and a little card.  Love how it turned out with gingham paper on the apron and I machine stitched along the side of the apron.  The jam pot is from the PS Wake Up serie and the fork and spoon is from HA Kiss the Cook.

All images from the card is from PS Wake Up serie.  The base panel is little smaller then the top panel which give a different look on the card.  The top panel is machined stitched and I added some extra stitches as a divider on all the images.  I remembered that the french likes to dip their croissant in their coffee and I thought it would be fun to share it here as well.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Top view of the apron box

Easel Box

*****  EDITED **** 

** WINNER AT LAWNSCAPING CHALLENGE **

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 As the school year is coming towards the end and Claire will be graduating from her primary school soon, I offered to make some thank you gifts for her teachers and classmates which I obviously enjoyed make them. I am afraid you will be seeing more gifts in the coming days.

Today is an easel box which is a combo between a card and a box. All the stamps are from Lawn Fawn which are distressed. Initially, I didn't know what to do with the log but I already have stamped it and I must use it somehow (does it also sounds familiar to you)? So I thought with the cowboy hat, I should do something of a western style and added some twine which fits into the challenge of Timeless Twine and to my interpretation, it became a kind of lasso thing!  This project also enters into Charisma Cardz challenge.

I also added a small tag whereby you could write a message on it which fit in the small little box.

Thank you for dropping by and have a nice day.

Challenge #3

A warm hello to all and sorry that I have been absent for a while as I've been busy which leads to lack of mojo as well. 

Today, I shall begin with a simple "Thank You" card to start off with.  I am combining the challenges from Young Crafters Unite (no coloring allowed) and A Blog Named Hero (use a sentiment other than a sentiment).  The butterfly die cut is stamped with HA Everyday Saying which is heat embossed in white, distressed the edge with mustard seeds and added stickles on the yellow buttons.

Thank you for dropping by and have a nice day! 

Paper Craft April Challenge

Somehow I don't have a silhoutte stamp but would still like to play for this month's challenge over at Paper Crafts.  I decided to go for a try to use the HA Antique Engraving which is stamped on a black cardstock to create this silhoutte look.  Thank you for stopping by!

Butterfly Easel Card

For this month's challenge at Hero Arts, I've chosen the shaped card combined with sunshine theme.  The background of the easel card is distressed in mustard seed, wild honey, barn door and worn lipstick which is my interpretation of sunshine. A very slim border is left un-distressed (does this word exist?) to create a white border.  For this card, I used Flower Bursts Pattern which is stamped in festive berries.  Finished the front card with some punched flowers in kraft and the matching orange and yellow buttons.

As for the inside of the card, I used the negative of the die which is also distressed with the same colours and added two yellow buttons on the side.  The sentiment is from Verve Stamp.

This card also enters into the following challenges : A Blog Named Hero