Handmade Journals

After making the journal for the Secret Santa swap, I knew that I just wanted to do more of these. However, I have only made one more to-date, but I will be aiming to make a few more over the coming weeks. This one was for a girlfriend for Xmas 2007. As she loves her garden, I decided to do a floral theme. In addition, I added my "girlie" stuff as my little contribution when she looks at the journal. I don't know what she'll use it for, but I am really happy with how it turned out.

The ribbon on the right hand side, where the book opens, was done to cover a mistake. I was pretty happy with how I fixed up my mistake. If you're wondering, the holes that I punched that side didn't line up with the back, so I had to punch holes on the other side. I didn't have any more board cover and I didn't have any more of the same decorative paper, it was 9-10pm at night and I had to give it to her husband the next morning, so I found a way to fix my mistake. Quite happy with it in the end.

Front Cover

Inside Front Cover

The hard part will be choosing how to decorate the new ones I make, but I will try to decorate according to the tastes of the person that I am making it for. I must make one for myself too.

Cheers FiLoMa

Just Cards Magazine

I just had to post that I received my back order of the magazine "Just Cards". I already had volumes IV, V, VI and VII and decided to back order volumes I, II and III as well as subscribe to the four volumes in 2008. This means I also received volume VIII with my back order. I just love this magazine and the great work that it has. I have already seen a few cards in each of the magazine that I want to CASE. Just wanted to share my excitement in getting this magazine. It has been a happy mail day, with these magazines and my Hanna Stamps (see earlier post).

Cheers FiLoMa

Hanna Stamps arrived

On my way out for dinner tonight I noticed some mail in my letter box. I can be very slack when I'm off work in checking my mail box, especially when I'm not expecting anything. As it turns out, my Hanna Stamps arrived today. So they have been sitting in my mail box for the better part of the day while I was being lazy sitting on the couch watching TV.

Since I couldn't open my parcel before dinner, I had to wait until I got home, hours later. However, it was the first thing I opened as soon as I walked in the door. The stamps are just gorgeous, I'm already creating ideas in my head of how I want to use them. I am definitely going to use one set as part of my ACTSA Jan 08 card sketch challenge, I can see it coming together in my head already.

If you haven't yet seen Hanna Stamps, there is a link to the web site as well as a link to the blog - one under craft sites on-line the other under blogs I visit etc.

Oh, I forgot to say that I got 4 Hanna Stamps. At this point I haven't gone for the "words", but no doubt it won't be long and I want that one too. Happy crafting.

Cheers FiLoMa

Stampin' Up Demo Training Card Swap

Tomorrow is my second SU Demo Training Day and the last for 2007. I have again decided to participate in the card front swap. There are only four of us participating this month. My contribution to the swap is:

Images © 1990-2008 Stampin’ Up ®

I am really happy with this card. I wanted to use my hodgepodge, as I hadn't touched it since Roslyn gave it to me. I was also in a girly pink mood, so this is why I went with what I did. If you want the project recipe for this card, please contact me.

Cheers FiLoMa

TSS Secret Santa

I joined in "The Scrappers Stash" 2007 Secret Santa swap. The rules for this swap were:

• Handmade item,
• Gifts to the value of AUD$15, and
  
• Xmas Card

We were all then asked to fill out a questionnaire about ourselves and our craft interests. This was then mailed to the moderator who paired us up. So, taking into consideration the wants of my Secret Santa partner, I have obtained the following gift items:

Gifts to the value of AUD$15
An overall view & specific view of individual items

In addition, I was stumped as to what handmade gift I would do. I originally was going to do bonbons with chocolates inside, because everyone loves to receive chocolates, but then I thought that the gift wouldn't be good enough, as it would be such a perishable item. I put out a call for help to the group, but before I got a reply, I came up with the handmade notebook.

Handmade Item - Notebook Front Cover


Handmade Item - Notebook Back Cover


Handmade Item - Notebook Front Inside


Handmade Item - Notebook Back Inside

I then had to make a Xmas card to go with these gifts, so I decided to make a card using the serviette with Santa on it. I have already commented in an earlier post about making Santa cards for yahoo group WWRS. Well, I liked the card so much that I made a third to go to my secret santa.

My secret santa Xmas card

As you can, the Santa on this card faces differently from the Santa on the WWRS cards.

I am very please with how everything has turned out. It is my first real attempted in making a notebook using my bind-it-all machine. With practice I will improve, but I am pretty happy with my attempt and I believe my secret santa partner will be happy with her gifts, purchased and handmade. Below is a photo of all the items to go to my Secret Santa.

Overall picture of 2007 Secret Santa items

I will be posting to my Secret Santa in the next day or two. The due date is set at 20 December 2007, well in time for her to receive her gifts for Xmas day.

Cheers FiLoMa

Cards made Mon 10 Dec 07

Last night was fairly productive. I made three Santa cards, two for my swap in WWRS and the other as my Xmas card to my TSS Secret Santa partner. I am really pleased with these cards. The Santa picture is a serviette that I found at GoLo and the Merry Xmas words, the red cardstock, the Ink and brads are SU. The ribbon is one I found in the Two Dollar shop about a year ago. Below is the card made for the yahoo group WWRS.

As you can see, the card has come up well. Very pleased with my efforts on this card.

Cheers FiLoMa

Leanne Oxley Card Making Class Cards

On Saturday 08 Dec 07 I went to my second card class run by Leanne Oxley. These classes are run weekly, Thursday nights and Saturday mornings. I attend the Saturday morning classes. There is one more class for 2007, which I am looking forward to. However, I get ahead of myself, tonights post is to show the cards I made yesterday. The class was on how to make cards using acetate, minimal stamps and decorative paper. I have taken a photo of the three cards together, then of each of individually from the outside and inside. I enjoyed this class very much and it was fun to learn to make a different type of card, one you certainly couldn't go buy from news agency with a 'Hallmark' logo ROFLOL.

View 01 - All Three Cards


View 02 - Card 01 - Outside & Inside Views


View 03 - Card 02 - Outside & Inside Views


View 04 - Card 03 - Outside & Inside Views

I guess the thing to remember when doing acetate cards is that you need to use an ink like StazOz. In these cards, we used StazOn Cotton White. The flowers were cut out. This particular brand decorative paper was from s.e.i., but any decorative paper with images for cutting out would work.

This was a fun class and I will definitely be making these acetate type cards again. I'm looking forward to next weeks class as it is all about using up your scrap pieces of paper/cardstock.

Cheers FiLoMa

Cards made Fri 07 Dec 07

Tonight, well, when I got home from work, I decided to spend my time making cards, rather than watching TV. To be honest, I dragged my card making stuff out in front of the TV. Anyway, tonight (Fri 07 Dec 07), I spent my time making DAKs (Deliberate Acts of Kindness) and made a couple extra for some swaps. These cards are all the same, except for the colour scheme. I have also scanned in the background base that I made. This design is courtesy of Stampin' Up demonstrator Larisa Brown, who made a similar background for an SU swap. I liked her idea so much that I CASE'd it. Anyway, I'm really happy with how these six cards have turned out. The cards were made using Stampin' UP products, except for the brad bling. I've uploaded them all for you to see the different colours as well as the background base. Enjoy the cards.

Images © 1990-2008 Stampin’ Up ®
Background base of the cards below
Done using Stampin' Up set Polka Dots & Petals from the Spring Mini

Images © 1990-2008 Stampin’ Up ®
1-4-1 Return for Maria Mitchell

Images © 1990-2008 Stampin’ Up ®
DAK for Kathy Doornbos

Images © 1990-2008 Stampin’ Up ®
DAK for Lynn Keller

Images © 1990-2008 Stampin’ Up ®
DAK for Rose Metzker

Images © 1990-2008 Stampin’ Up ®
DAK for Sharon MacEacheron

Images © 1990-2008 Stampin’ Up ®
Cards_R_us December 2007
Card with Ribbon swap
for Pam Addicott

Cheers FiLoMa

Leanne Oxley Card Making Class Cards

Howdy. Last Saturday, 01 December 2007, I went to a card class run by Leanne Oxley. These cards were made prior to the cards I have already posted. The cards we did were of a Xmas theme and the idea was to make simple but effect cards, needing only minimal craft items to achieve the desired outcome. I am very happy with these cards and have already made a couple using the same theme. Enjoy these cards.

If you would like to attend one of Leanne's card classes, you can contact her at: leamaree18@hotmail.com. Leanne runs 2 hour classes on Thursday nights from 7pm and Saturday mornings from 10am.

Cheers FiLoMa

Cards made Sat 01 Dec 07

Last night was a very productive one for me in my card making, as I worked on fulfilling all my current out standing card swaps. The three cards for the FLOOD swap were very difficult for me creatively. The reason for this is that I had selected, months earlier some of my basic grey paper and decide that I would make a card with that. I then adhered the basic grey to my 4" x 6" card and that is how the three cards sat for the last month or so, whilst I tried to work out what to do. I pulled out my October Cards magazine and was able to get some inspiration there and then the other two just came to me. Am I happy with my work? Well, I would never send something to someone that I didn't like or wasn't happy with or wasn't my best effort. However, the card with butterfly on it has grown on me over night where I am quite please with it and I am very happy with how the butterfly turned out. It was a Penny Black stamp, that I stamped with Versa Mark and then sprinkled clear embossing powder mixed with Stampin' Up's Dazzling Diamonds. I then went around the butterfly with a white gel pen. Anyway, by the end of the night, I was very pleased with my effort. I also finally used some stamps that I had for a while but had not yet used.

FLOOD card 1

Recipe Project for FLOOD card 1:

• Stamps
• Penny Black Butterfly
• Stampin' Up Happy Harmony
  
• Cardstock
• Dark Grey - don't know/can't remember particular brand
• Stampin' Up True Thyme
• Red/Dark Red - possibly Creative Memories, but can't recall
  
• Decorative paper
• Basic Grey "Scarlet's Letter"
  
• Ink
• Stampin' Up Classic White
  
• Accessories
• White Gel Pen
• Clear Embossing powder mixed with Stampin' Up Dazzling Diamonds
• Stampin' Up Hodgepodge buckle
• Flowers
• Bling Brad
• Grey Ribbon - can't recall brand/company
  

FLOOD card 2

Recipe Project for FLOOD card 2:

• Stamps
• Unknown - borrowed from a friend, but possibly Stamp-it
• Dawn Start "Celebrate" - ACTSA 2006 Xmas gift to members
• Cardstock
• Stampin' Up True Thyme
• Decorative paper
• K&Company "Amy Butler Sola Mat Pad"
  
• Ink
• Basic Black
  
• Accessories
• Stampin' Up Pastels (Lavender Lace)
  
• Stampin' Up Light Orchid Ribbon
  
• Liquid Pearls "Pastel Raspberry"
  
• Bling Brad
• Zig Memory System - Brushables Pure Violet & Root Beer Float
  

FLOOD card 3

Recipe Project for FLOOD card 3:

• Stamps
• Hero Arts G2811 Gracious Lady
• Cardstock
• Dark Brown - don't know/can't remember particular brand
• Caramel - don't know/can't remember particular brand
• Red/Dark Red - possibly Creative Memories, but can't recall
• Decorative paper
• Basic Grey "Infuse"
  
• Ink
• Basic Black
  
• Accessories
• Stampin' Up Pastels
  
• Pearls on roll
  

1-4-1 Return card
The design for this card came from Leanne Oxley
I did a card class at Leanne's that morning & this was like one of the cards we did

Recipe Project for 1-4-1 Return card:

• Stamps
• Stampin' Up "Wonderful Words II"
• Heidi Grace "Flourish"
• Paper Pleasure Plus Small Snowflake
  
• Cardstock
• Stampin' Up Whisper White
  
• Ink
• Stampin' Up Taken With Teal
• Versa Mark
  
• Accessories
• Stampin' Up Taken With Teal Ribbon
  
• Embossing Powder
• Stampin' Up Dazzling Diamonds
• Kaiserscrapbooking Rhinestones
  

Birthday card
This wasn't for someone's birthday but the swap theme was a birthday card
After doing my card class at Leanne's, I was anxious to come home and use my Penny Black stamp that I hadn't used since getting about 6 months ago

Recipe Project for Birthday card:

• Stamps
• Penny Black "Light the night"
  
• Penny Black " Happy Birthday Balloon"
  
• Cardstock
• Stampin' Up Whisper White
• Teal - don't know purchases from K.I.S.S
• Decorative Paper
• Kaiserscrapbooking
  
• Ink
• Stampin' Up Classic Black
  
• Accessories
• H2O -Carribean Mist (Kit #1260); Hunter Grey & Baby's Breath (Kit #1262)
  
• Stickles - Turquoise
  
• Kaiserscrapbooking Rhinestones
  

I really love some of the colours that I have used in these cards, so will be looking at duplicating these cards. The 1-4-1 return is a great card for Xmas, so I will be making that one again, just varying the way I decorate it. I also like that it is not traditional Xmas colours but is still very effective as a Xmas card.

Cheers FiLoMa