Male Birthdays are hard until..............

Hi Again!

So soon after the last posting? Shock Horror!

This is a card I made my BIL for his birthday. I haven't had a great deal of practice with male cards (try never...) but as soon as I saw this card on Alisa Tilsner's site, I had to try and replicate it using stamps I had in my stash - tend to look at cards on websites and tell myself 'I just need that stamp set to make that card!' Well, by using the Baroque Motifs set, I think I managed to achieve something equally similar. The one thing I did try to do is 'distress' the edges to give it a more 'grungy' look. I also love the effect of the sanded background stamp. So glad I got it :) I love the sponging that Alisa does on her cards. It just gives it more pop. Now I just have to replicate it again for another male birthday ;)

recipe: Baroque Motifs, Sanded Background (SU) and Robot Vol. 2 (Darkroom Door) Stamp Sets, River Rock, Wild Wasabi, Chocolate Chip and Certainly Celery CS, Wild Wasabi, Close to Cocoa and Chocolate Chip ink, vintage brads, scallop punch, distresser

Mother guilt and Baroque Motifs again.....

Hi All :)


Life is just too busy and tiring at the moment.

I have a 5 month old daughter who is absolutely adorable and scrummy, but who also has decided that feeding every 4 hours is necessary - no matter whether it is day or night, and no amount of coaxing will change her mind. My DH thinks that is my stubborness coming out in her - quite possibly (but it takes one to know one!). Needless to say, I have yet to get more than 3 hours sleep at a time *sigh*. Sometimes I just feel like a damn milk shop!

I watched a program about sleep deprevation on 60 minutes on Sunday. I watched as they put one of the presenters through a mini 'scientific experiment' - getting him to stay up for 40 hours straight. By the end of the test, this man couldn't even add up simple maths let alone drive a car!

Well there you go! I thought to myself. Is that the reason for my slurring of words; my forgetfullness; my wanting to reach for sugar instead of healthy foods; my inability to hold a conversation for more than a couple of minutes at a time or to remember things! Now with all of this sleep deprivation my family has gotten used to me saying "really? you told me that? when?". And this has been happening since my DS was born!

I find myself feeling guilty for not being able to give 100% to those who need me the most such as my darling DS 21 months. He loves spending time with me but unfortunately, his sister keeps getting in the way and he gets frustrated, so then I find myself trying to spend as much as my time with him when his sister goes for her nap. In the meantime, my house is a mess, we mainly eat leftovers for tea, and I feel myself nodding off at inopportune moments. Finding time for craft seems like a huge deal.

But besides all of this, I wouldn't swap it for the world. Those of you who know me, or read my blog on 'I've been tagged' a while ago would know that my two youngest are miracles as I was told (by a gynaecologist) I couldnt have any more children. (my DH just thinks that he is the hero in the story!). Both times were a complete surprise :)

Anyway, enough baby talk. The weekend was kind to me in that my dear MIL was able to take my gorgeous but extremely active and mischevious DS 21mths overnight, thus enabling me to spend Sunday with my only crafty friend Michelle making and designing cards. I was only able to make 2 standard and 2 small cards though - milk bar on call!

I must apologise for the camera shot of the first card as I just cannot get the colours right. I didn't show the other standard card but the colours are just reversed in the cardstock (ie. Purely Pomegranate as the card base and so on.....) The third picture is another one of those small cards I can never make enough of! (7 x 7.5) Recipe is:

Cardstock and Ink - Very Vanilla, Purely Pomegranate, Cameo Coral
Stamps - Baroque Motifs
Accessories - clear glitter embossing powder, stamp-a-ma-jig, vintage and earth elements brads.

The important thing I have learnt out of making these addictive cards is that from one sheet of cardstock from those three colours, I get to make two standard cards and two small cards (using the leftovers), even managing to get two scallop circle punches and the embellishments for all cards out of the same cardstock.

Sorry if it is long winded, and even sorrier if there are mistakes! My bed is calling...........no. 2 daughter asleep! my turn!.....zzzzzzz

Another really small card!

Again with the Baroque Motifs, but this time with a card that measures only 7 x 7 1/2 cm. I am finding the Vintage brads very useful for these colours. I embossed the stamped image using versamark and blue bayou even though it changed the colour somewhat. i didnt mind as it looks more vintage. Thanks for looking :)

Baroque Motifs

I have found a new favourite stamp - Baroque Motifs! It is so versatile and easy to use to whip up a quick card (well for me that is under an hour). Alisa Tilsner's Stamps By Mail has enabled me to adapt her template into lots of different ways and colour variations. For these cards, I have still stuck to Blue Bayou and Soft Sky, but have used Very Vanilla instead of the white cardstock. I find it looks more warm IRL but doesn't show up well in the picture. In one of the cards, I have reversed the order of the blues. Not sure which one I like best yet. Which one do you like?

Stamps by Mail - two cards

These are posted separately as I still dont have a handle on placing photos 'just right' on my blog.

Stamps by Mail

Hi All :)

I joined 'stamps by mail', by Alisa Tilsner (see link on left) the other week and received my first 'installment' of goodies last week. Boy was I excited! I decided to take a picture (Cass as you can see - Hot Chocolate!)

Anyway, I received the Baroque Motifs, 2 stamp pads, and the technique booklet. Alisa sent out the cardstock and embellishments for the 2 cards and 1 6 x 6 layout plus emailed us comprehensive instruction sheets (boy this sounds like an advert doesn't it?).

I got to work and made 2 cards and one layout and I was really impressed with how it all turned out. I have yet to make it in other colours, but had so much fun. I am not very good creatively so this is a chance to 'borrow' someone elses mind without all the stress.