CSI - 88 - Needful Things

Ok, so one of the challenges for this week was to use a book title for inspiration.  I read this book in 1993, and one of the things I remember was what item would be my needful thing and what would I be prepared to pay for it!  Well there are many things in life that I would "Just love to have", and most of them are to fuel my crafting addiction!  Both Leanne and I are frugal shoppers and we both strive to get the best product for the best price, so going to classes and getting new product is one of our Needful Things.

The case file for this week:

Here is how I solved case 88
Scheme – the colours are all there (just a little off correct spectrum)
Evidence – Floral Pattern (paper and doodling), Notebook Paper (for journaling on), Clock (in embellishment cluster and on background), Stars (in cluster), Globe, Use pen (doodling), book page (from a book I am altering), Frame

Testimony – Book title as inspiration (Needful Things by Stephen King) and IW: create, and inspiration  “Leanne and I love to make cards and learn new techniques to help us create them.  We were lucky enough to get to a Saturday class with Jax.  She does have lovely ideas and we find inspiration to try new things.  I really enjoy spending time with Leanne and we always get to share a laugh (or two).  We also get to buy new products to add to our collection of Needful Things.”

Lili of the Valley Stamps

Last week, I got an order of LOTV stamps from the UK.  I just love the style and cuteness of these stamps, and found it really hard to limit myself to just two.  I already have another 3 on my wish list, but for now, I have 'little mermaid 2' and 'boys - computer fun'. 

The mermaid stamp is perfect to do girl birthday cards and Katie Rose has two parties coming up, so I made two cards for her. 

This was my first attempt with this stamp, and I copied the colours from the sample on the LOTV website because they were sooooo pretty! 

I coloured using Spectrum Noir pens and with a blending pen and TB5, LV2, BT2, BP2, PP1, FS2, FS3, GB8 and GB10.  I used liquid pearls (white opal) on top of the bubbles to make them stand out. 

I think I will try this with more blues next time and layer it up with blue cardstock and patterned paper. 

After doing the purples and blues, I thought I would try using pink for a little girl who still loves pink.  I know she isn't a traditional mermaid colour, but she is so pretty, I am finding it hard to contemplate giving her away!  Her hair was done with yellow in it (CT3) with GB8, and it was the first time I EVER did blonde hair!  I did the pinks using PP1 and BP2 and blender pen to soften the darker pink.

Katie Rose went to a party for her friend Adrian yesterday, and I made him this card using the computer fun stamp.  He was coloured up using my Spectrum Noirs - even the gems were coloured!

I also made two of these for kindy to put on their trade table, just for the extra practise in colouring.  I am new to colouring and still collecting my pens, so as I get more, I will be able to do more shading, blending and colour matching.

CSI - 87 - Beach Babe

The challenge for this week was so much fun!  I just loved the colours and the inspiration I got from the case file!  

This is the case file for the week:


In 2006,  when Katie Rose and Maddy were very little and we went on a holiday to Russell for a week.  We stayed with Jodi and every day we went out and did fun  stuff!  These photo's were taken when we went to the beach for the day, and there was no one else around. 

Here is how I solved case 87
Scheme - the colours are all there (just a little off correct spectrum)

Evidence – Map Print (Stamped and coloured map), Transportation Accent (Compass), Fish (Whale and starfish), Butterflies (only one), Flags, Arrows, Wave Shapes, Stitching, Mist, Word Stickers (lovely on flag)

Testimony – Make your journaling wander across the page and IW:  wander and lost:

“Madison is in her happy place, wandering along the beach, lost in thought while she looks for shells.  She loves to build sandcastles at the beach and feel the sand between her toes.”

Lots of Scarves

A friend of mine started knitting a scarf for her daughter (Julie and Jessica), and I just loved the look of it, so Julie picked me up some wool to have a go.  Maddy took a photo for me of the scarves that I had done, but can now add 3 extras!  I love they way these feel and am thinking of making another couple for gifts.

CSI - 86 - Surfers Paradise

Last week, I started doing the CSI (Colour, Stories, Inspiration) weekly challenge.  I just love the way they give you lists of what to use and a deadline of when to get the page done by.  So, my first layout was based on Case File 86:

 
I wasn't too sure about the Orange, but I loved the pastel shades.  I am still using my "scrap my stash" attitude to use up what I have, so I made the base sheet by cutting strips of grey and putting on top of white cardstock.  Then I rubbed paint all over in random "smooshings" so that it looked like wispy clouds.  I have decided that I am going to try to use as many of the "Evidence" ideas as I can!  This was my finished product:



Here is how I solved case 86 (my first ever case file!):
Scheme - the colours are all there.
Evidence - Scallops, art mediums (paint, texture paste), stripes, speech bubble, transportation accents (aeroplane) and vellum
Testimony - Journal about a city, hand write journaling.
I wrote a small sentence on the page, but have extra journaling on a pull out tab which talks about where we stayed in Surfers Paradise.

It was so much fun to join in with this challenge and I recommend any one to join up and try! http://csicolorstoriesinspiration.ning.com/

It's been a while...

Since I last logged on!  Well between the school holidays and then getting settled back to school and kindy and doing some extra jobs, it has been a lot longer than I realised since I last blogged.  I have been working on some projects, but it is more of a 'pottering around' rather than focussed craft time.  I did a hockey layout in the school holidays, and once I take a photo, I will put it on here.  Currently, I am working on a speedway page - its only been on going for 4 weeks!  Fingers  crossed, I will be able to figure out the last few embellishments to finish it off!

Christmas 2012

Every year, we take a photo of the kids under the tree on Christmas morning - this is a tradition from when I was a kid, and my cousin and I were photographed under the tree every year!  This year the kids knew the drill and sat waiting for their photo before they started touching presents from under the tree - normally I have to ask them to wait for a minute.  I had a 6x6 Kaisercraft twig and berry pad, and one of the pages was a calender page of December 2012 that just begged me to use it on this page!  So I decided that this was the only year as it was dated with the year and tailored the page around the paper (normally I do it to the photo).  I didn't get any of the embellishments that go with this set, I only got the pad.  The cardstock is Rosie's Studio and the spotty paper is MME.  The other layering pieces are from the Twig and Berry Pad.

Photo and more info coming