The chocolate basket

I would like to wish all my followers (and anyone else who reads my posts) a Blessed Easter, and I am so thankful that my Lord and Saviour rose from the dead and defeated Satan in one fell swoop!

My 5 grandchildren are still young - some not even talking yet (3 months - 10 years), yet the 3 eldest (5, 7, 10) fully understand the significance of Easter and how our Lord paid a price yet came out victorious. However, they are still kids - and so many kids love eating chocolate at Easter time - often the only time they are ever allowed to gorge on the yummy stuff! I bought the 3 eldest one chocolate bunny each (I could not find decent egg shaped chocolates that weren't coated in sugar!), and put them into this little basket that I made from a folded piece of 12"x12" cardstock, and then decorated it. The bunnies are 10cm in height, and I'm amazed this little bag held all 3 without breaking!

Don't berate me for buying chocolate bunnies for the kids - as I said, my grandkids know the significance of Easter. I am a gran after all, and love spoiling them. I too was a kid many moons ago, and can remember how excited my sister and I were, that eventhough my parents were battling financially, they still treated us to some chocolate at Easter time.

New digistamps at DS4J - Ooh-la-la

Not sure what was going through my head when I drew this digi, but it probably had something to do with most of the new digistamps being released this Sunday at Digistamps4Joy, being wedding related! Either way, this is what evolved, including the spotty border! I have called this digi 'Ooh-la-la", and after I coloured in her shoes and the spotty border in a vibrant red, the rest of the card sort of just 'evolved'.

No embossing or glitter, but I did use two MS punches to create the lacy border and the lace strip. The red ribbon at the bottom of the card was in my stash - funny I never saw it before! Digistamp is coloured with SN and Copic pens.

New items used - digistamp
Old items used - paper from stash, ribbon.

Challenges entered
Hiding in my craftroom - freestyle
Sweet stampin challenge - oh so girly
Clearly inspired - anything goes

New digistamps at DS4J - Wedding Bouquet

The majority of the images for the 31st March 2013 release ended up being wedding images! This is the one I drew called 'Wedding bouquet". The digistamp was inspired by my Sister-in-law's own wedding bouquet, and my colouring is in line with the same colours of flowers she had in her bouquet.

The embossed paper behind the image is made with a new embossing folder from Couture Creations called "Washed away". I found the shiny pearls in my local craft shop, and the daisy ribbon and blue bow are both from my stash. Image is coloured with SN and Copic pens, and tiny dots of glitter added to the gyps flowers.

New items used - digistamp, embossing folder, shiny pearls
Old items used - glitter glue, ribbon, paper from stash.

Challenges entered
Di's digistamps - flowers
My Sheri Crafts - spring has sprung
Totally gorjuss - something blue

New digistamp at Digistamps4Joy - Angel Angie

I believe in angels and so this little drawing is in line with that thinking. The new image is one I drew for Digistamps4Joy and is called "Angel Angie". 

I used a LOOOOT of bling on this card! The punched border behind the image is made with a new MS punch I bought, and the diecut leaf and swirl are both from new dies. The pearl and pearly leaf are both from Blueberry Bear, and the flowers from the stash. Image is coloured with SN and Copic pens, and lots of glitter glue added.

New items used - MS punch, leaf and swirl dies, pearls and pearly leaves
Old items used - glitter glue, flowers, paper from stash.
Challenges entered
Brown sugar - anything goes
Clearly inspired - anything goes
Dilly beans - glitter
Jelly park - pretty pastels

New digistamp at Digistamps4Joy - Gretel's house

This is one of those 'nice-to-look-at-but-can't-eat' drawings! I have always loved sweets, but have recently had to cut all sugar out of my diet, so this is a bitter-sweet card LOL! The new image is one I drew for Digistamps4Joy and is called "Gretel's house", and I merged it with another DS4J image called "Let's go".

The punched border behind the image is made with a new MS punch I bought, and the red ribbon is threaded through a ribbon punched border. Not much else except for a bit of card candi and some glitter on the sweets. Images are coloured with SN and Copic pens. I hope this card is 'sweet' enough!

New items used - MS punch, digistamp
Old items used - glitter glue, ribbon, paper from stash, card candi.
Challenges entered
Creative inspirations - anything goes
Avenue 613 - anything goes
One crazy stamper - anything goes
Nana Vics 4th challenge - anything goes
Robyns fetish - food or drink

Get Together event

Digistamps4Joy and Shelly's images have been celebrating a 'shared' challenge on Paper Craft Planet. The two group owners (myself and Shelly) each provided one free image, and the requirement is that BOTH images must be used and made up on one card. This is the side-step card I made with the two images viz:
"Egg basket" from Digistamps4Joy and "Peter" from Shelly's Images.

All the images were coloured with my SN and Copic pens, edges chalked to create depth, and a white gel pen used to create highlights. The sentiment and background papers all come from a free scrapbooking kit at Scrappy Nats.
If you have not downloaded these 2 Group images yet, head on over to Paper Craft Planet to the Digistamps4Joy group and get the voucher code and instructions! All entries are to be posted in both group discussions.
New items used: free easter egg images from online colouring pages, Scrappynat kit
Old items used: digistamps from DS4J and Shelly's Images, glitter

Challenges entered with this card.
Chalk-ah-lot - easter with chalk
Creative inspirations paint - anything goes
Glitter n sparkle - animals
Kenny Ks krafty krew - anything goes
Hobby cutz - Easter

New DS4J digistamp - "3D Flower set"

I drew this 'set' of 3 flowers based on the same principle as using a nested die in the Cuttlebug or a cutting file on a cutting machine viz. 3 flowers sized from medium to small, plus a leaf and a stem. The idea is that this digistamp set can be printed directly onto patterned card, OR can be printed on white card and coloured in. I chose to the former, but added another 'twist' to the use of this digi. One of my DT members (Pam) kindly converted my digi set into a SVG cutting file for me! So I basically completed two tasks in one! I re-sized the flowers to a larger size, cut them out with MTC on my cutting machine, chalked, curved, and glittered the edges of the flowers, and glued one on top of the other to create a 3D effect.

The punched border is made with a new MS punch I bought, and the embossed background is also a new embossing plate. I very lightly chalked the embossed page with a light pink chalk. I think the flower turned out quite nicely, don't you?

New items used - embossing plate, punch, digistamp
Old items used - glitter glue, ribbon, paper from stash.
Challenges entered
Lady Annes - anything goes with a stamp
Reasonable ribbon - flowers and ribbon
Sparkle 'n sprinkle - anything goes with glitter
Tando creative - flowers
2 sisters - flowers for spring
CDAC - anything goes
One crazy stamper - anything goes
Nana Vics 4th challenge - anything goes
One stop craft challenge - anything goes

New Digistamps4Joy digistamp - "Weskus fishermans cottage"

This is one of those "out-of-the-box" cards for me. I drew the image (Weskus fisherman's cottage), then got this weird idea that perhaps I should try watercolour paints and paper. After searching and searching for my watercolour paper, and then battling to get the printer to print on it, I eventually succeeded! Now bear in mind that I have not done any watercolour painting since 2009, so am a bit rusty on the technique, and had to first practice on a scrap of paper.  

The card is VERY simply made up - just the image pasted onto one piece of dark brown cardstock to create a frame, and then this pasted onto beige cardstock. No embellishments, no sentiment, NO glitter (yep a record for me!), no ribbon, no flowers - got the drift?
New items used - new digistamp
Old items used - paper from stash.
Challenges entered
Lady Annes - anything goes with a stamp
CDAC - anything goes
One crazy stamper - anything goes
Nana Vics 4th challenge - anything goes
Simply less is more - frame it
One stop craft challenge - anything goes
So artful - shades of brown + cream

Abigail's birthday card

My eldest grandchild - Abigail (Abby) turned 10 today, and she chose the theme of Under the Sea for her party. I asked My Scrap Chick to design a set of cutting files that I could use to make decorations with, and this is what Kristi sent me .... a stunning set of cutting files AND digis AND pre-coloured images! Real value for money.

I used the pre-coloured images to create this side-stepper card for Abby - she loved it! The sentiment is a new peel-off I bought at the Hobby-X craft fair, and the tiny pearls are from Blueberry Bear. I added glitter to the mermaid's green fins and the seaweed.

I used the cutting files to make small versions of the mermaid, clam, and fish, and glued these onto toothpicks. These were then pushed into the delicious cupcakes my daughter made.

New items used - Under the Sea cutting files and pre-coloured images, peel-off
Old items used - googly eyes, glitter glue, pearls, paper from stash.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:
Robyns fetish challenge - birthday -cards
That craft place - anything goes
Challenges 4 everybody - anything goes
Eclectic Ellapu - birthdays
Hobby cutz challenges - anything goes

 

Creating a scene

When I typed the title of this post in, I had a good giggle as I suddenly realised that in the English language it could be taken up two ways - as in 'creating a public disturbance', or as in 'creating scenery!' Well I'm certainly NOT planning a public disturbance! I found this celebration challenge at Stampin' Fantasies (thanks for the invite Brenda!) where you can make a card based on anything that you like on that blog. Brenda creates the most wonderful 'scenes' (here's that wording again) with her rubber stamping, and I thought .... let me try and create a South African scene with some of the Digistamps4Joy digis! Well, I ended up using EIGHT different ones, and merged all of the .png file versions in Microsoft Word.

The "scene" was pasted onto a piece of black linen paper which I tore to created the frayed edges, then onto a printed zebra paper. The buttons are wooden buttons which I coloured with COPICS! Not much else in the line of embellishment except for the gold peel-offs.
The DS4J digis I used are:
Bluebell log
Fence
Bluegum bounty
Whirly wheat
Guineafowls
Kudu bull
Juvenile trio
Spotty Queen

Have you tried merging digistamps yet? All the Digistamps4Joy images come in 2 formats, one with a white background (.jpg), and one with a transparent background (.png) so you can merge images over one another.

New items used - printed zebra paper
Old items used - buttons, paper from stash, gold peel-offs.

I am entering this card into the following challenge:
Floral Fantasies - anything goes from the blog

 

New digistamp at Digistamps4Joy - "Bicycle"

I drew this stamp "Bicycle" for the shop, thinking what on earth am I going to make with this. Yet it was actually quite fun, and I can now see quite a few possibilities. At least 'real' bicycles now come in such a range of colours that this image could easily be adjusted for boy, girl, or vintage cards.

The bicycle was coloured in with alcohol pens and 'platinum' Stickles glitter glue added to the bicycle frame (yes, I used it again!).  The sentiment was created on the PC, and various die cuts and punches were used. Those funny little pink shapes in the corners are actually the bits that normally get thrown out when I diecut a specific shape (not used here), but I glittered them up and stuck 3 down in each corner. What do you think - does it work?
New items used - new digistamp
Old items used - gem flowers, paper from stash.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:
Allsorts - for a lady
Kraftin Kimmie stamps - springy pastel colours
Catch the bug - anything goes
Totally gorjuss - anything goes with pink
Picture and scrap - pastel colours
Lady Annes - anything goes sentiment

 

New digistamp at Digistamps4Joy - "Racing hare Harry"

This digistamp "Racing hare Harry" is one of the new ones I drew and is in my shop Digistamps4Joy.

 

Ever had those times when your mojo is just DOWN? Goodness, I just could not decide what to do with Harry after colouring him in, so instead went for an embossed background of gears on white paper, rubbed with some silver chalk. Notice - no embellishments either except a title, so hopefully the focus is on the title and Harry.

Harry was coloured in the alcohol pens and a 'platinum' Stickles glitter glue added to the bicycle frame. This particular stickles is my MOSTEST (is there such a word?) favourite glitter glue as it produces a fantastic metallic sparkle. The sentiment is one of those acrylic-coated sentiments that you buy on sticker sheets. Had this for absolutely aaaaaages, so I'm glad I could use it now.
New items used - new digistamp
Old items used - sentiment, paper from stash.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:
Emergency crafters - mad as a March hare
Sweet stampin - embossing
My time to craft - embossing

Catch the bug - anything goes

 

A new DS4J digistamp used for embossing

This digistamp "He is risen" is another new one I drew and is in my shop Digistamps4Joy.I decided to do something quite different this time. I printed out the black/white image onto plain white paper, put this on the light table with a piece of gold vellum on top of it, then traced over all the lines with a white gel pen!

Why, you ask? Well the reason is I wanted to see if I could create a pergamano image from the digistamp, and normally in the pergamano craft, you first trace all lines with white ink, then go and do the embossing and rubbing on the back of the image. Pergamano is a craft that requires a LOT of patience and good eyesight, and this card took me quite a while to rub out and prick! But it actually worked!! So, I have now used a digistamp as a pattern for Pergamano - howz that!!

 

Here's a close-up of the 'fish' shape and words.

The edge of the shape around the image was created by laying a wavy-edged oval shaped die on top, then tracing around with the white gel pen, and pricking and pricking and pricking around the edge until the outside piece of vellum could be torn off. The curvy line near the edge is embossed from the back by hand. The rest of the card is made up of a piece of white paper that I bought ages ago, with all the stitching and gold glitter on it. I punched 2 butterflies from the same gold vellum paper, added small gems, cut and folded the triangular shapes at the left, glued some glitter card inside, and finished off with a large gem.

 

New items used - new digistamp
Old items used - white embroidered paper from stash, gold vellum from stash, gems.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:
Avenue 613 - anything goes
Challenges 4 everybody - anything goes
Creative inspirations paint - anything goes
Glitter 'n sparkle - bling it on
Sweet pea stampers - use a digistamp
Lady Annes - anything goes + sentiment

 

New digistamps at Digistamps4Joy (24 Feb.2013)

This digistamp "The empty Cross" is one of the new ones I drew and is in my shop Digistamps4Joy. As a Christian and an animal lover, I combined the two into one image.

 

I thought I would give this new fold a try after seeing it in the latest local scrapbooking magazine. Unfortunately not all the measurements were provided, so I ended up having to resort to some basic mathematics and my trusty ruler (with one flop cut). It's actually a very pretty fold once completed, you just have to be careful about the top papers that you cut them smaller than the base of the card, otherwise the card will not fold up! I think I would also have preferred to make the 'spine' a little wider so that the card stands better. mmm, will have to look into those measurements again!

I diecut around the image, chalked the edges, and coloured the image with H2O pens. The bling on this card is the gold peel offs (including a ribbon peel off) and the diecut swirls out of glitter card (very difficult to get through the diecutter). I then added some pastel pink and maroon roses, and curled the stems. The embellishments were quick to add, it was all the cutting and resizing of the papers that took ages!

New items used - new digistamp, background Christian paper, and roses
Old items used - dark maroon paper from stash, peel offs.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:
All Sorts Challenge - animals
Catch the bug - color challenge
Paper Creators - all things flowery
Sparkle and glitter with Rick - all things I love
Stempel sonne - bingo (I used flowers, lace & sentiment)
Sweet pea stampers - use a digistamp
Chalk 'n stock - anything goes, just use chalk
Lady Annes - anything goes + sentiment

 

New digistamps at Digistamps4Joy

I used one of my new images in the Digistamps4Joy store called "Dropping in". 

 

I embossed the dark blue background to create a texture, diecut 2 different sizes of ovals, chalked these up, then raised some with foam tabs to create the clouds. I added the image - coloured with SN pens - a skrink plastic bird I made ages ago, a piece of washi tape, and some card candi. Note: NO BLING - a first for me LOL!

New items used - washi tape, new digistamp
Old items used - dark blue and light blue papers from stash,card candi, skrink plastic embellishment

I am entering this card into the following challenges:
Colour Me creative - colour + texture
Hiding in my craft room - scraps
Brown Sugar Challenge - anything goes
Lady Annes - anything goes + sentiment
Creative Corners - for the boys
CCEE Stampers - weather
Hanna & friends - anything goes

 

New digistamps at Distamps4Joy - Snow Angel Alfie

Phew, but this has been a hectic week! In fact, it feels as if I am still trying to catch up from the 1st January this year!!! This was one of those 'quick' cards as I really did not have time to spend a lot of time on it. I used one of my new images in the Digistamps4Joy store called "Snow Angel Alfie", and as I'm mad about teddies (collect them, make them, receive them as gifts!), I thought it was time I actually drew one!

I used some new green and brown alcohol pens I recently purchased from Blueberry Bear here in South Africa, embossed some white paper then diecut it, added a small white paper doilie and some glitter, and a string of pearls.

New items used - alcohol pens (green and brown)
Old items used - paper stash, pearls, doily

I am entering this card into the following challenge:
Avadares - St Patricks or green

New digistamp at Digistamps4Joy - Newly weds

Another one of those 'quick' cards I'm afriad - still trying to catch up. I used one of my new images in the Digistamps4Joy store called "Newly weds". I always like to do things a little 'differently' so why not a pink wedding card and birdies on it? Hopefully it will bring a smile to the new couple who receives it!

I coloured the digistamp with alcohol pens, added texture to the blue wooden boards by adding white gel and dark blue lines, added a diecut out of silver paper, some tiny - GORGEOUS - new pearls I purchased from Blueberry Bear, and a sentiment.

New items used - tiny pearls, digistamp
Old items used - paper stash

I am entering this card into the following challenges:
CMC - colour + texture
Crafty calendar - love and marriage
Di's Digi Designs - valentines and/or love
My time to craft -love is in the air
One stop craft - anything goes
2 sisters - white, red, or pink

FREE digistamps at Digistamps4Joy (February)

There are TWO super FREEBIES going up for grabs for 3 days (1-3 February) at the

Digistamps4Joy SHOP. 

Run over there and grab the freebies quickly. You will have to have an account at the shop, but this is free and easy, and no obligations for further purchases. Then click on the Freebie category on the left hand side, add to cart, check out, choose a payment method (you will not have to pay!!!), and confirm the order.

The first free image is a flat box that JenLee our main artist at DS4J put together. The second freebie is actually a set of 5 sentiments, 5 tags, and a bee - all ready for Valentine's Day - designed by yours truly! Here is my project using both the freebies. I made a pink box, then used my Pergamano tools on the top  vellum sheet, added a stand-up heart with a sentiment, a bow, a punched border with my brand mew MS punch, some flowers, and gems.

Now all I have to do is fill it with some yummy chocolates, and then find someone to give it to!

AND NOW FOR SOME FABULOUS NEWS .......

Digistamps4Joy is running a mini competition on their Facebook page...... use the freebies, enter your card/project in the draw before 14th February, and you could win FIVE digistamps!

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:
Crafty ribbons challenge38 - anything goes with ribbon
Little Miss Muffet challenge53 - hearts and flowers
Milk Coffee challenge - valentines
Moving along with the times - punch it out
Crafty Creations challenges - anything but a card
Rubys Rainbow - valentines
Stamp with Sarah Kay - liebe/love
CSAYL - anything goes

Angels are friends in High places

Shelly of Shelly's Images gave away this absolutely gorgeous image in the CDAC Progressive Freebie Challenge! The requirement is that you MUST make a card with it and enter it into the CDAC PF challenge, before March 31st. That's easy isn't it?" So here is my card made with her image.

An all-white card is what I was aiming at, but somehow the pastel pink and blue colours crept it, yet I quite like it. In had an A4 piece of white, shiny, heavily embossed paper in my stash which I covered the card with. Then I put my new X-Cut doily die through the Cuttlebug with another piece of shiny white paper. And here's a tip .... if your die has these absolutely MINUTE, TINY holes in it, put a piece of waxed paper between the top of the die and your paper that is to be cut. No more trying to pry or pierce your paper out of the die (and then it tears) - it just slips off! Because I wanted the holes in the diecut paper to be a little more obvious, I actually mounted the diecut piece onto a light, pastel blue, cardstock.  The image was coloured with  a combination of Copic and SN pens, and a pastel blue glitter added to the wings. Now the next bit was the 'fun' part! See that swirl? It looks like a piece of aluminium metal! Aha - look at the tutorial on 'faux metal' in the latest (Jan/Feb.2013) issue of Through The Craft Room Door magazine, as there is a tutorial there by Jo Ham on how to make 'faux metal embellishments' - super easy!

New items used - X-Cut doily die
Old items used - papers, flowers, card candi, angel charm

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

CMC - your favorite colour combos
TTCRD - anything goes
Fairytale challenge blog - my newest stamp (mein neuester stempel)
Crafty calendar challenge - what's new
CDAC - Progressive challenge
Outlawz challenges - paper-ala-mode - anything-goes
Lady Annes friday sentiment - anything goes

7 Kids Challenge - use something new old

New Digistamps at DIGISTAMPS4JOY (27 Jan 2013)

Sometimes I get these hair-brained schemes, and then erroneously think that this will be easy, and I'll get it done in no time at all! hhmmph! This card was one of those experiences.  Look at the card first, then read how I did it. This is one of my new images in the Digistamps4Joy store called "Voortrekker Vrou".

I decided that instead of colouring in the digistamp, I would just print it on top of a piece of card I was going to paint/stamp. Well... this "piece of card" took me nearly 45 minutes to make because I kept fiddling and adding more colours. I took a plain piece of white card, then spritzed it with 4 different browns/gold/orange colours. Not satisfied, I got out some brown/red/orange chalks and rubbed these over the page as well. Only THEN, did I actually put it through the printer and print the digistamp onto it. Still not satisfied, I then took my SN pens (dark grey and light brown) and created shadows on and outside the image. The image was then torn out to create a vintage edge. btw ... do you know that a super easy way to tear paper, is to take a fine paintbrush and paint a line with water where you want to tear? I then raised the whole image onto fold-down tags at the back. The lace is one of those self-stick laces - except this one was NOT self-sticking any more! Nothing daunted, out comes the double-sided tape. Problem is that the lace has holes in it, and the sticky part of the tape is ummm sticky and showing in the gaps! Just pour some fine glitter onto the lace and press down, then shake off the excess glitter.
New items used - digistamp, flowers punched with a new punch, lace
Old items used - button brads, papers, spritzes

I am entering this card into the following challenges:
Drunken stampers - all that glitters
CMC - your favorite colour combos
Fairytale challenge blog - my newest stamp (mein neuester stempel)
Crafty calendar challenge - what's new
CDAC - anything goes
Outlawz challenges - paper-ala-mode - anything-goes
Lady Annes friday sentiment - anythng goes
TTCRD - anything goes
7 Kids Challenge - use something new old