Be Spectacular

Apologies for the lack or posts recently.  A nasty bug I caught in Sydney has laid me pretty low for about 8 weeks now and I'm still not fully recovered.  I keep losing my voice but at least the coughing has subsided.  Another problem I had was that my Mac's hard disk was wiped when I upgraded it to Sierra.  Fortunately I had my photos and documents backed up but there are several things I have had to reload (or have tried to reload), so that has also kept me busy.  

There has also been some nastiness in my family concerning my older brother following the execution of my father's Will.  It's taken a lot of my energy (and my younger brother's and sister's) to support my mother through it.  Suffice to say that my father didn't make adequate provision for her and my older brother ended up being virtually the sole beneficiary.  Before you ask, "yes she is his mother too" and "no we're not talking Downton Abbey here - just a large free standing house in a leafy inner city suburb of Sydney".  He's never really got on with my siblings and me and he's been strangely distant from my mother for about 6 years now but we never dreamed he was capable of this!!!  

I actually made this card a few months back before my trip to Australia but ran out of time to post it.  It was inspired by my choir mistress.  She was wearing a very simple grey dress one Sunday last June and donned a really chic pair of red sunglasses when she stepped outside!!!  Both pairs of spectacles were cut with the Memorybox Stunning Spectacles but the red ones were coated with glossy accents and I placed tiny black gems in the corners to give them a little more pizazz!!!  

Here's the inside, "Be Spectacular" meant to look like an eye chart.  I designed it myself using Microsoft Word and Wordart.  Trouble is I can't open the file because I no longer have Word installed on my computer.  I found the installation disk but I can't find the licence key so I'll have to buy Microsoft Office again @#^$%!!! 

Thanks for stopping by, especially if you take the time to leave a comment.  Your visits and encouragement mean a lot me,

Kate

Romantic Bouquet

When I saw the Current Inspiration from The Card Concept I just had to make another version of my previous card (Wedding Bouquet).

If I had finished it a little more promptly, I could have added it in the Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Patterned Paper.  As it is, the current at Simon Says Stamps Wednesday Challenge is Anything Goes so I can still enter there.

Thanks for stopping by, especially if you take the time to leave a comment,

Kate

Wedding Bouquet in Gold and Cream

A friend of mine asked if I could make a special wedding card for her brother's wedding.  I was inspired by the invitation (below) to go with a cream and gold theme.  The gift she has for him is square so I was keen to make the card square also.  Postage was definitely not an issue and she quite liked the idea of some dimension.  I found some white resin flowers in a local hobby shop, and covered them with various cream coloured and gold alcohol inks, and surrounded them with a few golden leaves to complete the bouquet.

This is the first time I've made a card which has so much dimension.  Even though it wasn't going to be posted, I thought it would be wise to build up a raised frame and provide a little protection for the flowers.  Happily, it still fitted into a standard (square) envelope.

Supplies : Lemonade, Butterscotch, Sandal, Gold Adirondack Alcohol Inks

Dies : Yvonne Springtastic Flowers (leaves), Spellbinder Labels 14, Spellbinders Label 4, Spellbinders Adorning Squares

Other : Gold Mirror Paper 

I'm entering my card in the following challenges

Timeout Challenge 86 - obviously I'm not twisting

Celebrations with the Optional Twist of One Layer Cards

Fusion Card Challenge -  I was inspired by the Sketch (Frame and 3 flowers though I centred my bouquet) and the foliage surrounding the flowers in the jars.

The Challenge #88 - which has a new challenge of keywords - flowers and square being among them.

Thanks for stopping by, especially if you take the time to leave a comment.  They are always appreciated and I will try and return the favour when my life gets a little more normal 😊

Kate

Last Mojo

Some sad news this week with the announcement that this is the final Mojo Monday sketch.  I never play as often as I want to but they are my go-to place for a sketch when my mojo is in need of a good prod - which it definitely has recently.

It's also a contest challenge so there's Verve Stamp Sets up for grabs - Yay!!!

I've framed my sentiment using WMS Stitched Rectangles and WMS Scalloped Rectangles so I'm entering my card in the Cuttlebug Mania Challenge Frame It

I'l also be entering in the Happy Little Stampers Anything Goes with Dies Challenge

CAS-ual Fridays have a fun challenge this week - to use those Pattern Papers.  I'm on a mission to do just that and managed to use 3 patterned papers on my design.

Thanks for stopping by, especially if you take the time to leave a comment

Kate

Café Latte

I wanted to create a café look with this card, so I used some Spellbinder border dies to create some curtains from some gingham paper which I've had in my stash for ages but I think it's My Mind's Eye!!!  I'm really making an attempt to use up papers however I usually buy them at an ever faster rate !!!

I used more of the DP for a table cloth and topped it with a doily.  I then set the table with a coffee pot, mugs and a sugar bowl stamped and cut from the WMS Coffee set.  There was a lovely milk jug in the stamp set but unfortunately it had no matching die - once you start using matching dies it's hard to go back to fussy cutting don't you think?  Still if you've ordered a Latté I guess you don't need a milk jug on the table right 😄!!!

This gingham paper was a difficult one to colour match - all the colours were either too blue or to green, but then I remembered this embossing powder - which is lucky because Make My Monday has an Embossing Challenge this week.

Both Shopping Our Stash  and Cuttlebug Mania have coffee related challenges at the moment.

I'll also be entering the Happy Little Stampers Anything Goes with Dies Challenge for April and the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge which has an Anything Goes Challenge this week.

Thanks for stopping by, your visits and comments are always a joy.  I hope you find something to inspire you here,

Kate

Bag You're It

As a gift for my dear friend's birthday, I put together a package of cards for her.  I was then faced with the dilemma of making her another card and also making a suitable receptacle in which to present them and for her to store them in.  I decided on something a bit different and made this bag/card instead.  

It was a little challenging as it's quite a large area to fill - larger than an A5 card but fortunately I had a little help.

I found this brilliant inspiration at Timeout Challenge #81, and realised a flurry of butterflies in different sizes would be perfect to fill the large area.

I then found more inspiration in this photo at The Card Concept Challenge #71 which provided me with a lovely spring palette and the idea to use doilies at the base for an even more feminine touch.

Thanks for stopping by - your visits and comments are always a pleasure,
Kate