I love the land of Blog

I will admit it, it took me a long time to get started but now I have I love blogging. I didn't think it would be as easy as it is but I can't believe how much I have improved. I love how I can keep updated on my favourite blogs rather than surfing everywhere and finding that their aren't any new posts. I also love checking my stats and seeing all the amazing places people are visiting from. So to all those I know and the others I don't thank you for your comments and for looking at my blog. I don't have any finished projects at the moment to post hopefully I will have some more on Friday. I am currently working on finishing Master James' Magoo monkey. He has choosen some very bright green and red fabrics. I have also joined a swap where we make a bag and send a fat quarter of fabric in it. My swap partner is a lovely lady in Wales. I have cut the fabric ready to start this project and I also need to finish this months Block of the month. So I have plenty of projects to keep me busy.

Magnolia Down Under Challenge

For the Magnolia Down Under Challenge we have been requested to make a card using fancy folds.After spending many hours on the net I decided to make a tri fold card. I am not sure if it's technically correct but I love the results. I decided to use the magnolia stamp, 'Christmas Angel Tilda'. She is coloured in using Copics in the following combinations,
 Hair E41, E43, E53,
Skin E00, E50, R20
Dress, B00, B23, B24, C1
Shoes, C1, C5
I used Bazzil Bling 'Blind Date', October Afternoon 'Picking Pumpkins and Kaiser 'Lumiere'.
After colouring Tilda I used Glossy Accents for her wings and Stickles 'Waterfall' for the stars. I then distressed around her and the papers using Tim Holtz distress ink 'Stormy Sky'. I then used Kaszazz sticky bling florish circles and single bling. The large flourish is mounted onto accetate. I really liked making this card and I am really pleased with the results, shame about my handwriting.

The setiment on the far right panel says

"If I had a star for everytime you made me smile I would be holding the night sky in my hands." Due to  my photographic skills it was hard to get a crisp photo of the white writing. It does look fantastic up close and personal.

Bizzy Becs and Just Magnolia Challenge

I am so excited I have just finished my first challenge using a magnolia stamp I purchased. Its for both Bizzy Becs which was to create a spring card and Just Magnolias which was lace it up (the punch covered this beautifully). Her name is "Tilda with peony". I really enjoy colouring these stamps and used the left over paper from the new Kaszazz range called "Emily Rose". I have also coloured her in using my Copic textas and I will endeavour in the future to write down the combinations to share with you next time. I am working on another card at the moment and will be entering this in another online challenge so stay tuned.

I have embossed the background  with a cuttlebug folder and I was really pleased with the detail. I also used stickles in the peony the colour is called 'cotton candy' they really add a nice texture. I then used the Stampin Up border punch that matches her dress, too cute.

Kaszazz Training Day

I was lucky enough to be invited to the Kaszazz training day by my good friend Alethea. I had a ball and was so excited to see all the new products in their mini flier and also receive my package to have a play. Here are some photos of the 3 cards I completed and the double layout. Now we need to take the kids to the zoo so i can have some great photos to include. I really love the new range of paper and especially the background paper on the card which is called "Emily Rose"

Scrapbooking

Here are a couple of layouts I made a few weeks ago.

The first one is a picture I took while on holidays in Port Douglas. I used Kaiser products for the entire layout and was really impressed with the way that the colours worked with the photo. The second layout is really simple and clean. I love this photo of the boys the expression on their faces is priceless. I can also say that I have scrapped every single photo that I wanted to. I don't think I have been up to date since 2006! Lucky I have enough crafts to keep me going.

One thing about staring this blog is I am now really keen to finish off my UFO's. I bought a christmas wall hanging quilt when I was pregnant with Tom (2003). I have pieced it and now I just have to blanket stitch the raw edges. Every year I put it aside and think yes I will finish that before next Christmas and still to no avail. I even bought some holy leaf buttons last year while we where in Cairns so that I could finish it. I think that I will set the long term goal of Christmas 2011 that way if I have it finished before then I will be happy with myself. That is until something else catches my eye!



Magoo

Well here he is all finished. I think he is so cute and next time I know exactly what not to do. I think there will be quite a few Magoo softies in the future.

Magoo

In July I headed off to the Craft Fair at The Exhibition buildings in Melbourne. As soon as I saw this Melly and Me pattern I was smitten. Of course I didn't buy it there and once I got home decided that I needed to get my hands on a copy. I tried to find a kit on the internet but to no avail. I finally got the pattern from 'The Naked Sheep' and also the fabric that I am using for his shorts. I had the other material in my stash. I was a little bit daunted at first after reading through the pattern. My sewing around corners has never been very successful however this time it has worked perfectly. So I have some sneak peek photos to show you now I can't wait to get him finished. I have also included a picture of my playing efforts last night with the new arrivals. Until next time.

Creating I hope!!!

Last nights creation

They Arrived!!

How excited am I!!! The rest of my Copic markers arrived today and they are stunning. I am going to play and will post a card tomorrow.

The New Handbag

Numerical Order of course!!

Off The Page

Just a quick one today. Here is an off the page project for my dear sister who has just returned from a trip to Italy. While she was away she sent me a scarf and some beautiful earrings from her journey. While on holidays she also took many amazing holiday snaps. She included one of these on a card for me. I decided to send her a star book to show off some of her snaps. Now I just need to get to the post office!!!

Copic

I first saw these textas when I went to the Picture to Page show. At first I just thought they were like my Tombow markers. I did a free make and take and thought they were alright but wasn't very happy with my results. Late last month I received an email from a local scrapbooking shop "Create on Garden" who were running a beginners course. As soon as I had a good play I was really impressed by the amazing results I could achieve. Since then I have been a little obsessed (ok a bit more than a little). I am now looking at all my old stamps in a different way and am really enjoying my adult colouring in. I have bought some through "Simon says stamp" and I also bought a kit and bag from Paperfiffic. Here are just a few samples of my colouring.

Surfer Ian

Block 4 "A Boy's Story"

Tom has been sick so while I have been at home looking after him I have been completeing this block. I changed the comic strip so that Tom's name is on it and I will alter another so that I have James included too. When this quilt is completed I am hoping to hang it in the passage near the boys room.

The fabric

The template

Machine quilting part of the block.

The finished block

Pieced with the comic strips.

A close up of the comic strip which are hand stitched.

Monster Quilt for Tom

I bought this quilt kit a number of years ago from The Blanket Box. I thought it was perfect for Tom but when I showed him he wasn't that interested so I shelved it on the 'to do' list. At the start of June I decided to get it down and make it up. Once Tom saw it he decided that he had to have it so I began sewing. I loved this project it was really easy to sew and the colours are amazing. Now I just have to machine quilt it! I hope that he will still like it by the time I get it finished.

Adding the border.

A close up of the blocks.

Ready to be machine quilted.

A Boys Story Quilt

Boy do I  love to quilt. This year I decided to make "A Boy's Story Quilt" that was offered as a BOM project. I have really enjoyed this way to stitch and find that I am keeping up. Here are some of my past blocks in this project.

This is the 'Geronimo' Block

Here is a close up of the stitching on the block.

Welcome

Welcome to my first ever Blog. I am super excited to be able to share my crafts with you all. Stay tuned tonight I will be posting some photos of my creations.