Autumn Winter Mini Blog Hop

Just what you need for a long weekend .... a blog hop.  You'll have arrived here from the lovely Di Dunk or perhaps you are just starting here ...Sit back and enjoy the inspirational posts in this month's hop - and then find yourself some time to create before its back to the grindstone on Wednesday :)

Mine's short and sweet this month - Easter for me is a time for Spring and daffodils, little lambs and baby chicks .... so I was inspired to make a card with blues and yellows.

Tempting Turquoise, Daffodil Delight and Wild Wasabi - such lovely spring / summer colours.

The Hello Blossoms is from the a la carte range at the back of the Mini catalogue.  These stamps are great value for money and I will be using this one often - perfect for little notelets or letters to friends.

A close up of the stamped image - it is clearer in real life - the Melbourne sunshine was very bright today - and no I am not complaining!

I've also used the new embossing folder- Framed Tulips.  I don't there there is often a card or scrapbooking page where I don't get the Big Shot out - an investment for certainly worth it.  And of course the Lattice folder has also been used - this being a carry over from the Summer Mini.

Okay time to hop along - have a wonder Easter break with the ones that you love and stay safe.  My husband is home for five days so we have heaps planned including the dawn service in Melbourne on Monday for ANZAC day and of course an Easter egg hunt, mixed in with lots of fun and lots of chocolate and plenty of time spent with very good friends .... looking forward to many photo opportunities to keep me scrapping through May :)

Have fun visiting Christine Blain and see you soon.

Nikki

x

Happy Birthday Mum

Photographed on a very dreak Melbourne morning - sorry .... the card is straight I promise!

Concord Crush, Basic Black with Whisper White - lovely crisp combination.  I was making some ATC's a few nights before I made this card and decided I would turn one of them into a card for my Mum.

Here's  a close up of some of the detail.  I've used the edging punch and emphasised the scallops with little pearls, and I just love the Tiny Tags - they make such a cute little embellishment for the ribbon.

Here's a close up of the ATC's I made (Artist Trading Cards) - I am sure there is a 'proper' name for the technique that I have used to create the little cupcakes but I am going to call it the Mashed Technique!

I've punched the cupcakes using the new punch from the Autumn Winter Mini and adhered all the little bits onto some Whisper White Cardstock.  I then ran this little piece through the Big Shot using the Lattice Embossing folder (still available from the Summer Mini).  All the little pieces became 'mashed' together!

I hope you have a super day Mum - thinking of you always.

Love Paul, Nikki Olivia, Kieran, Max and naughty Spencer

xxxx

I Wish

I've a layout up on the Stampamemory site - pop on over for a little looksee.

Happy Birthday Matt

Happy Birthday Matt!

This is one of my favourite stamps - Extreme Surfboard - I love the solid image it produces.  I've also used the Bouncing Brayer technique - this idea has been around for a long time but I've never tried it before - so quick and easy you should give it a go - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgJxKw9-IVI

Hope you have a great day Matt.

Love Paul, Nikki, Olivia and Kieran

xx

Happy Holidays

Happy Holidays to all who have now finished Term One!  Time is flying by so quickly .... too quickly. The wind has been whistling around here of late hasn't it - sorry!  I thought I'd post this lovely Poppy Parade card - another of those quickie ones.

Now I am not on holidays, but in between work and the kids I have been creating .... so watch this space ... I've nearly caught up with my commitments and then I can show you what I have been doing.

Have a fun day - and all you Melbourne people - wrap up warm :)

Nikki

x

Sunny Garden Offcuts

Would it be a crime to tell you that with only 148 days of the Ideas Book at Catalogue left (thank Tanya for that gem of information), I've never used Peach Parfait until I completed the scrapbooking page for Stampamemory at the weekend?

Well look what I made with the scraps?  Its amazing what 'squishing' some lovely DSP in a Lattice Embossing folder can produce.  I love it.

Have a trying and testing week this week - a very very very naughty puppy did something that was shocking and made my heart stop ..... he munched his way through a pile of swaps which were waiting to be sent onto other demonstrators  .... so this week I am spending countless hours recreating all the lovely cards my friends made ... one very bad puppy!  Once I have remedied the situation I'll show the damage ...

But until then happy stampin!

Nikki

x

SAM Challenge - Olivia

Its challenge time at Stampamemory - this time you are challenged to scrap a photo that is more than 10 years old - not such a problem when you are as behind with your scrapbooking as I am :)

Olivia was almost three when we had this photo taken.  A local photographer asked us if he could take Olivia's photo for a Kodak competition - it wasn't the winning pose but we did get to keep about 50 proofs and her photo hung in the shop window forever and a day.

I've used Sunny Garden DSP - such a lovely pack of paper - perfectly co-ordinated with the In-Colours - oh and the Cottage Garden stamp set.  After placing all the pieces I stamped the outlined flower and cut around - using In-Colour brads for the centres.  

Can you spot the one of the new punches from the Autumn Winter Mini?  It's brilliant - fits well with Oval punches too - I think this will be a popular punch for this mini.

There are a series of carry over products from the Summer Mini including the Lattice embossing folder - so I've cut the alphas out and then run them through the folder to create the title 2 Cute.

So now it is your turn - dig through your old photos and see what you are inspired to create - don't forget to post a link to your blog or send a photo to one of us and we will upload it for you.

Happy scrapping!

Nikki

x

Happy Mother's Day

Its Mother's Day in the UK today - and this is the card I made for my mum to celebrate the day.

I've used the new Strength and Hope set, Pale Plum, Whisper White and Basic Black and the faux silk technique.  Rather than stamping the tissue paper, to create a softer image I stamped a piece of Whisper White randomly with both the script and the butterfly, using Pale Plum and Elegant Eggplant ink - some of the images have been stamped without re-inking to create the different shades.  I then pasted the tissue paper onto the cardstock - for a much more subtle effect

The gorgeous butterfly has been stamped again in Elegant Eggplant onto vellum card stock and cut out.  I applied some two way glue and dazzling diamonds before fixing it to the main piece with an antique brad.

The ribbon has been coloured with a Pale Plum marker - always good to keep a roll of Whisper White tafetta ribbon on hand - if you have any of the Stampin' Up! markers then you are in business - you can colour the ribbon to match whatever it is that you are creating.

I just know that this set is going to be a real favourite for so many of you - and with the Stength and Hope fund raising campaign for Breast Cancer it is sure to be a much used and well loved set for many of us.

Happy Mother's day Mum - I miss and love you very much.

lots of love, hugs and kisses Mum

Nik

x

One Little Word - Blog Hop - March

Hello and welcome to this month's One on 1 blog hop - if you have arrived from Jamie's blog you'll know all about this month's task ... if not ... start here and just follow the links.

Ali Edwards writes that by the month of March one will often loose the focus of their word and I have to admit that had it not been for these monthly classes and this lovely blog hop organised by Margie ... I think I may have become a casualty. Thankfully, the class  has kept my OLW just where it needed to be - right in front of me!

This month we had to set ourselves a task.  So checking on my list of things to do for 2011 I chose to read more.  Last year I read three books ... all of them in January and I never touched another book all year.  I was even a member of a book club - still didn't make reading a regular part of my day.  With my husband now living in Sydney I thought this was one task I could complete.

Thanks to my lovely friend Tracy, here's the pile of books sitting on my bedside table - I started with Eat Pray Love and read the first ten pages before I set about trying to read The Girl with a Dragon Tattoo .... five pages in (and yes I know it is a good read but) ..... I then started on The Secret Lives of Dresses.  

I've kept the papers and journalling the same as the previous months - I really love this Love Letter paper from Stampin' Up! - so much so I've bought more to ensure I have enough to complete the whole album.

And the journalling reads:

Well its the 31st and I haven't achieved my task.  I've been going to bed later and later ... and then lying there for hours listening to the night time noises of my house.  To be fair, sleeping on my own after four years of Paul being at home is taking some getting used to, but I'll get used to it.  I did get to page 61 of Secret Lives of Dresses and I will finish it in April.

And I love the butterflies so these will also be a permanent feature too.

I'm also collecting quotes - love the one I've written on the side pocket - Change your thoughts and you'll change your world - how very true.

Now I couldn't send you on your way without reporting on in on my healthy living changes could I ... weight loss to date is now 7kgs - and I am walking walking walking ... clocking up over nearly 30kms every week.  Feeling so much better - will be time to go clothes shopping very soon :)

Thanks for visiting and I'll see you again next month I hope.  Off you hop to see what the lovely  Monica to see how she has interpreted the task this month.

Have a great month.

Nikki

x

ps - here's the list in case you get lost along the way - and thanks again Margie for being the organiser xx

 

Margie http://xnomads.typepad.com/blog Amanda http://scrappnbee.blogspot.com Donna http://donnabryantdurand.blogspot.com Joy www.undiscoveredjoy.blogspot.com Jan http://mysimplelittlelife.typepad.com Jamie http://jmpgirl.blogspot.com/ Nikki http://www.inkyart.com.au Monica B2 www.questtoperfectimperfection.blogspot.com Cindy http://seriousplay.typepad.com Stacey http://www.TheAcornGarden.com/blog Katrina http://k84mansramblings.blogspot.com/ Rebekah http://istampscrapcraft.blogspot.com/ Monica http://scraplifters.blogspot.com/ Chrissy http://getcraftywithchrissy.blogspot.com/ Jill http://jillconyers.typepad.com/ Lisa http://makeyourownescape.blogspot.com Kathryn www.katlodesigns.com Jennifer www.studiojenn.blogspot.com Jen www.byjen.com Sam http://learncreatedo.wordpress.com/ Miranda http://mirandasscrapsite.blogspot.com Lynn www.crafty-creativity.blogspot.com Cynthia http://paperpapereverywhere.blogspot.com/ Cheri A http://cheriandrews.blogspot.com Deb http://blakleyhomeplace.blogspot.com Nicky www.seejanebake.blogspot.com Karen D http://womenontractors.blogspot.com/ Tina http://ryzmomplus2.typepad.com/my_weblog/ Kimberly http://foreverdaisies.blogspot.com/ Abbey http://athomewiththerichardsfamily.blogspot.com/ Julie Ann http://julieannshahin2.blogspot.com

 

 

Autumn Winter Mini has arrived!

Click on the image to take a peep inside .... if you are a customer check your mail box in the coming days because your copy is on its way to you.  

If you'd like a copy email me or send an SMS with your postal address to 0428 254 952.

News coming in the next few days of a special catalogue launch party being held at my house - just what you need to whet your appetitie and to have a play with the new goodies.

Nikki

x