This week’s challenge

Well, we finally got some relief from this crazy heat.  An indication of how crazy it’s been is that 30 degrees seems just fine, after the 40+ degrees we’ve had the last few days.  This is coming from me, who loves cold weather…

The next Basic Grey Challenges blog challenge is up, and this is it:

Follow the Sketch
This week we have another sketch for you to follow, you can resize and even flip the sketch but please make sure that the original sketch can be recognized easily in your creations, feel free to also add any other embellishments etc to your creations and of course not forgetting to use at least one item from BasicGrey

I enjoyed working with this sketch; I made my card a rectangle instead of a square, but the sketch is still the same.

This is a birthday card for a little girl.  I’ve used Lilykate papers, and I like the little mouse.  I’ve also used my Cuttlebug to emboss the mauve cardstock, added machine stitching and some distressing.

I’m still without my sewing machine, so my pile of cards waiting to be finished is growing …:)

I will hopefully have some more to share very soon…

Anthea

I am sooooo not a hot weather person…

Summer has kicked in and I’m not happy about it.  It’s 40 degrees today!  It reaches that point where it’s just too hot to do anything.

Anyway, Wednesday morning scrapbooking classes at Chandon resumed this morning, which was a lovely way to take our minds off this weather.  This is the layout I taught, Ros designed it:

This is one of those layouts you really have to see in person to appreciate just how much detail is on this page.  There’s layers of embossing, fringing, and pleating of papers, not to mention all the detailed cutting, crumpled flowers and butterflies stamped on acetate!  It was a great way to show how paper can be used in heaps of different ways so easily.  Lots of useful techniques on this one; I think all the students enjoyed doing this layout.  Great work, Ros!

Unfortunately I haven’t got any cards to show at the moment because my sewing machine stopped, so I’ve taken it in to get fixed.  I’m just itching to have it back again! I’ve been putting cards together as much as possible, but I really like the little bit extra the machine stitching gives, so I can’t finish them yet.  By the time I get it back I’ll have a pile of cards to sew.  It’s testing for me, because I like to finish one thing completely before moving on to the next, but hopefully I’ll get it back very soon.

Stay cool,

Anthea

Have ingredients, will bake card…

It’s that time of week again; time for a new challenge on the Basic Grey Challenge blog.  Here’s the challenge:

For this weeks challenge we would like you to follow a recipe, you can of course add more embellishments etc to your creations but please make sure to use all of the ingredients in the recipe on your creations, and of course not forgetting to use at least one item from BasicGrey

Ingredients:

2 Patterned papers

1 Button

1 Ribbon and Bow

3 Brads

I’ve used the Recess line for my card:

I took the recipe ingredients as being the necessary items, and then added the others.  There’s more glitter paper on this one, and I love the little duck.

I saw previews of some of the new Basic Grey lines on their site today; they look fantastic!  I’m off to explore more ideas,

Anthea

 

Flowers for Friday

Two posts in one day!  This is unprecedented…

Here’s a couple more cards I made this afternoon, I got on a bit of a roll so I just kept going…

I like this Kaisercraft stripe paper, very bright and fun.  I went to the Kaisercraft shop yesterday and I got some good little things.  I’m really impressed with how far they have come; the posters advertising the pearls, bling, and brads were so clever.  It’s great to have such a great craft brand based in Australia, and Geelong, no less…:).

I like the stripes and checks of this one.  I got the ribbon from Lilypond, the lovely gift / homewares shop that has sold some of my cards.  I’ve had it for quite a while, but as I don’t believe in holding onto things for special, I used it here (and therefore this card is special…:).

Thanks for taking a look,

Anthea

Glitter and metal

I’m loving anything metal at the moment on my cards, as well as glitter paper.

This birthday card has glitter paper borders, and I like the large metal flower. I’ve put a Melissa Frances glitter flower on top, as well as a flower cut from old book paper and a pink paper flower.

This card has some of my favourite papers; Prima and Making Memories.  I love the aqua and pink colours together.  I painted the little chipboard flowers and added the metal buttons. Very girly stuff.

Now I’m off to make some more cards, I just thought I would post these because they’re finished.  I’m still using up scraps, etc. I wish I could go to CHA next week and see the new stuff in person!

Have a great weekend,

Anthea

CPS Card – My Choice

This week Card Positioning Systems blog are letting us choose any of the sketches to make our card.  I have chosen #45 for mine.  Here’s the sketch:

This is my card, it could be for a wedding or engagement:

I’ve used pink and green papers from Cosmo Cricket and Anna Griffin, and the little heart locket and sheet music came from an op shop.  Looking back at all the CPS sketches (nearly 100 of them!), I found a few others I think I will try, why choose one when there’s always more cards to make…?

Thanks for looking,

Anthea

I finished

my magazine article!  I’m about to post everything off now.  I love that feeling of everything being finished.

Another very hot day is in store today, so I will be inside with air conditioning.  Here’s a couple of cards I made last night:

Have a great day!

Anthea

It’s a time of rest,

but I’m still working on some things.  I’m on a break from my church commitments, but I’m still working on my cards.  At the moment I’m working on the article for Papercraft Essentials magazine, which I love to do.

The new Basic Grey Challenges Blog challenge for this week is up, and this is it:

We have a special challenge for you this week , we would like to see you use one (or all even if you want to) of these fabulous illustrations which have been designed by our own fabulously talented Kim , (Only people taking part in this challenge are allowed to use these images (for now anyway) and of course when the challenge is over you can continue to use them if you wish but please remember that these images are copyright to Kim and should only be used according to her terms of use), oh and course not forgetting to use at least one item from BasicGrey somewhere on your creation ,

How amazing are these images Kim drew?  I used the middle image for my card, here it is:

I’ve used the Bittersweet papers so much, and I’m still going! Speaking of which, I forgot to post that a couple of my earlier Bittersweet cards were accepted into the Basic Grey idea gallery, which can be found here.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Anthea

The cool change has come,

what a relief!  I’ve spent the day inside, locked away in air conditioning while I made some more cards.  I can only share one now because the other is for the Basic Grey Challenges blog.

The sentiment on this card is what I’m feeling right now, as I’ve just been asked to do another magazine article!  It’s for the Papercraft Essentials magazine, which I’ve done an article for already.  Early days yet, so I don’t know alot, but I’m already planning what I will do…

Bye for now & stay cool,

Anthea

CPS #99 Card

I’m a girly girl, as I’m sure you can tell from my cards.  I love pink, glitter, flowers, lace…you get the picture.  But today I was feeling the need for a challenge, so I decided to make some boy cards.  The CPS sketch for this week provided the perfect foundation.  Here’s the sketch, and my card:

I had fun thinking outside the square with this one; I’ve used paint and ink for distressing, and I’ve done machine stitching both with and without thread to get different looks.  I’ve also machine stitched on the chipboard buttons, to get a messy look.  I haven’t done stitching on chipboard before, but I like it.

Here’s a couple of cards I also made today:

Now, I’ve received a few blog awards over the last couple of weeks, so thankyou to all who thought of me!  I’m afraid that the people I would have given it to have probably already given them to me, but here goes:

Thanks to Ros and Debbie for this one.  You’re meant to pass it on to 6 people, thereby spreading the love around (now you’re catching on .

I’m passing this on to all my fellow Basic Grey Challenges design teamers.  They are one talented group of ladies; take some time to check out their awesome work and you will have a great time!

Chris

Jo

Kim

Kristen

Martine

Heather

Tara

Thanks to Kim for this one. 

The rules of accepting this award are:-

You have to give it to 5 others and link to those people as well as who gave it to you.
Those 5 shall also pass it on to another 5 people.
Plus you have to write down 5 things you are addicted to.

My, we are getting personal aren’t we…:).

Here’s my 5 addictions:

1.  Making cards! I know it seems a cop-out, but ever since I started seriously making cards I can’t seem to stop.  I get annoyed when I can’t make them for some reason, such as someone has taken over my work area, and the ideas are floating in my head all the time.

2.  Chocolate. Typical female, but I seriously am a sweet tooth.  I could go without all other junk stuff, but not my chocolate.

3.  Op-Shopping (or charity shop shopping, depending on your country of origin . I do this at least once a week.  I think I know every shop in my city; which are the ones worth going to, which has good bargains, which charges too much, etc.  It really pays off, though; apart from things I’ve used for craft I’ve picked up some great brand new clothes for next to nothing.  Last week I got a brand new skirt from an expensive label for $6!

4.  Diet Coke.  What more can I say? It’s my drink of choice.

5.  Throwing stuff out.  This sounds weird, I know, but I seriously have a thing about too much clutter and useless stuff lying around.  If something is past it, or not being used anymore, I’ll take it to the op shop or put it in the bin.  We don’t have a problem with clutter in our house because I don’t let it get to that point. 

Phew, I’m nearly there!  I also received this one, from Basic Grey Challenges team member Heather.

Now, this is very naughty of me, but I can’t be expected to pass all these things on individually so I’m passing both awards on to 3 ladies, who do beautiful scrapbooking layout and off-the-page projects.  I know them from Chandon Craft, check out their stuff:

Debbie

Julie

Ros

Wow, what a long post!  If you have managed to stay awake, thanks for stopping by!

Anthea