One for my Mum

Hello and happy Tuesday to you. Yesterday was my Mum's Birthday (happy Birthday Mum - although she will never read this) - so I thought I would share the card that I made for her. She is so funny, she and my eldest son have these little games, telling each other how Awesome they both are. Both of their names start with the letter A and I think they think that makes them awesome hehe. They have so much fun with it - which in turn makes me get the giggles. So how could I not make a card along those lines - here it is

I hope she likes it. The flower is made with a sizzix die using tissue paper scrunched up adding some lace and a brad. Then all the rest is fairly straight forward just a chipboard letter covered and some rub ons. The inside words are computer generated, cut with my trusty spellbinders (where were we without spellbinders - i use mine nearly everyday). I can't even remeber what the papers are - sorry - they were from my stash draw.

OK the boys are due home from school shortly so better go and put the good Mummy face on.

Talk soon

x joy 

It's Monday

And oh what a quiet Monday it is hehe the kiddos are at school and Hubby is at work and I have the place all to myself YAY. I have all the housework done including cakes and muffins cooked, sewing repairs and ironing done - so now what do I do for the next 3 hours until the kids come home and Smithville returns to the normal bedlam that it is. OOOOOHHHHHH well I guess I could force myself to go in the craft room couldn't I  - OH ho hum I will if I have to, but only cause you forced me to hehehe

Just before I go I will share my Penny Black Saturday Challenge for this week. The theme is Floral Frenzy and for some reason I decided that this card had to be bright to match the theme. So here is what I came up with

And bright it is - you almost need sunglasses to look at it. hehe. I have used Penny Black Buzzin' Buddies stamp (watercoloured) along with some handmade flowers made using my retro flower punches. My Fiskars border punch, some spellbinders, Martha Stewart Butterfly punch and Stampin' Up word frame punch. Oh and the papers are Best Creations - I don't think you could get any brighter or cheerier than these papers - they are lovely. 

The inside view with just a little stamping to jazz it up a bit.

Anyway I hope you like it.

I'm sure I will have another little something to show you later - especially if I have 3 hours of quiet time to fill.

Talk soon

x joy

A spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down

La La La, guess what I have just watched for the first time ever???????

 Mary Poppins hehehe can you believe that somehow I have missed seeing it during my 44 years. I don't know why cause I loved it. (Hubby didn't cause I kept singing all the songs) - that was weird cause I knew all the songs but had never seen the movie. Anyway as my friends know I will now be singing all the songs rather loudly for the next week. Hehehe do you feel sorry for my family?

Just a quickie to share with you all today

I had this image coloured and just had to put a card together, it is a Whipper Snapper Design Stamp that (you guessed it) I love - isn't it just adorable, how could you not love it. I coloured it with my watercolour pencils as usual. Then just matted it up, added a Cherry Lynn Design Swirly Die and some retro flowers and gems. Along with a computer generated saying punched with a Stampin Up punch. Simple but affective I think. The back ground paper is really a fresh green with a paisley print from my stash but I never seem to be able to photograph pale greens very well for some reason.

This is the inside view that I have used a spellbinder die for. Nice and simple - just like me, some may say hehehe. Ok that it for now - I am working on this weeks Penny Black Saturday Challenge - Floral Frenzy, so may be back later today or tomorrow, depends on how it flows.

Talk soon

x joy

off I go, dancing and singing a song from Mary Poppins

LA LA LA 

Lili's Little Fairies Challenge

Hello - it's Saturday -Yay no lunches to pack, no kiddo's to get off to school. It's a nice and relaxed day in Smithville today again. So I have another card to share with you today, it's for Lili's Little Fairies Challenge No 4 which is Oh Boy. No beating around the bush today, I'll get straight to it

So far this is my only male Lili of the Valley Stamp, I have lots more on my wish list though!

This is another of those cards that I made the other day that I said I would have a go at again when I had the chance - well I got my chance hehe I really like them, they are easy and look good.

I even had a go at making my own buttons, cause I didn't have any that where the right colour. I had seen this done on one of my many blog surfing expeditions but I'm not sure where but I think it looks affective. Just punch out a circle and punch two small holes in it, I have mounted mine with magic mount for added height. 

Ok well I am hoping for another play again this afternoon so I might see you later.

talk soon

x joy

SSSSHHHHHH I'm supposed to be doing housework

Hehehe I have snuck away from the laundry and the kitchen and escaped to the craft room. Don't tell anyone hehehe although I think after being married to me for 16 years Hubby might know what I am up to. He knows where to find me when I am MIA. Anyway I am not actually playing I am just blogging - and I have to, cause I promised I would yesterday, so here I am.

This is a little suitcase that I made after seeing Jim over at The Gentleman Crafter making one. And as an added bonus Jim even had the pattern and instructions to follow. Whooo Hooo Thank you Jim - you saved me hours, cause usally when I see something cute like this I have to faff around and make my own pattern. Make sure you go and have a look at Jim's blog (click on his link above) - amazing to say the least! My hubby reckons that if he can't nail gun it or use a saw on it, he isn't touching it - but Jim is living proof that men do make wonderful papercrafters! 

Anyway here is my little suitcase:

 

It is the perfect size to pop gift cards into, but I won't be giving mine away. Just another little something to keep. I added corners to mine as I have an old suitcase here (a big one) and it has corners so I thought that it would add a nice touch.

Ok well I really need to go and pop a couple of paracetamol  (I have been saying that for hours but I don't like taking them) cause I have a headache - I think it must be the heat and not drinking enough water.

Ok talk soon

x joy

Happy Australia Day

Hello and Happy Australia Day to you. It has been another hot one again today with thunder and lightening rumbling and flashing around us - I keep hoping for a storm to cool things down but it doesn't happen - it just gets hotter and stickier. Anyway I am in the nice cool air conditioning so I shouldn't be grumbling.

We have spent a lovely lazy day here in Smithville today - the littler boys had their friends over and the biggest boy went to work. So I dashed around and did the housework like a crazy women and then skidded into the craft room and got cracking and here is what I made

I have seen cards like this made around the place but when I had looked for patterns I could only find ones that where 9 or 10cm square, cute but I wanted bigger ones. So I made my own pattern, so this one measures 14.5 x 14.5 cm and I am happy with the end result. I have watercoloured my newest Penny Black Stamp called Tweet Talk - isn't she cute. And I have added some flowers that I made using my Marianne Creatables Dies ( I have had these for ages and only used the swirly bits with them up till now). The leaves are a Stampin Up Sizzix Die as is the word punch - the words are computer printed. I have also used spellbinders and a Cherry Lynn Design die for the inside swirl.

I will have another play with the card design again when I have the chance. Anyway I thought I would show you my little helper today - my pussy cat Sabrina hasn't left my side all day today and she spent many hours sitting on my desk with me. I even ended up using her as a card stand at one point and she didn't mind. She was snoring so loudly that I got the giggles.

I did have another play today and made a little suitcase but I will upload it tomorrow as it is starting to storm now so better go unplug the computer and I have just remembered that I have the best homemade apple crumble ever waiting for me hehe yummo

ok talk soon

x joy

Baby Cards

Hello from a not so happy Joy, I know I know, I try to be happy all the time but I have had a little trouble with this computer today along with the laptop being down and out - to say the least I am OVER computers for today. This post has taken me nearly all afternoon to get organised GGGGGRRRRRR but here I am finally. The computer would not recognise my camera, so after uninstalling and then re-installing the program fifty million times (well it felt like fifty million times ok - don't pick on me) it finally decided that it recognised it aaaaahhhhhhh.

Anyway all my fun and relaxation that I had in the craft room this morning is long forgotten and now I have that yukky cranky blood running thru my veins. Time to shake it away and show you what I played with. I needed some baby cards for my market stall stock so decided to do a bulk load (well only 4 actually hehe ) so sit down and get ready for photo overload, as there are lots

This is how I started, colouring 4 of my adorable Penny Black Baby Hammock with watercolours in baby colours. Then I built cards around them

Ending up with 4 of the same but different cards

The green is actually a fresher green than it looks here but after all the trouble I had getting photos uploaded - I wasn't going to redo it sorry

Blue with a spot of yellow, you can't quite see it but I have layered the flowers, butterfly and bows on all four cards for added effect.

Purple - probably my favourite ( i am into purple at the moment) but also because of the handmade flowers - i think they add a nice touch

They are just made with bazzill using a retro flower punch and a brad and sprayed with water and scrunched.

And finally pretty pink.

And now Hubby is coming in asking for dinner - bite my tongue and count to 10. Dinner, DINNER who cares about dinner when I'm having troubles blogging hehe just jokin' - it's in the oven - I whipped up a Shepards Pie while the computer was in it's thinking mode.

Ok talk soon

x joy

I'm on a roll

Oh my goodness - how lucky am I - I have been crafting nearly everyday hehehe I have been having so much fun. So here is another card, this one for the latest challenge over at Penny Black Saturday Challenge - this weeks challenge is CRAFTY BARGAINS  and as all my friends know - I love a bargain! And I love Penny Black so it's a match made in heaven when I come across a great Penny Black buy. This is the stamp that I used, it's called Long Stem Cuties and I purchased it at such a good price, as you can see by the price ticket, it was $8.50 american dollars which is sooooo much cheaper than you can buy them here is Australia.

 I got it from Sue over at Heart Prints, she is just lovely and she is a very clever lady when it comes to making cards. Pop on over and have a little peak.

Anyway here is my card:

The whole card is actually a crafty bargain as it has been made with a little scrap of Bo Bunny paper I had in my stash box and everything else that I have used came free on the front of magazines, that includes the red paper, the buttons and the ribbon and if I remember rightly I even brought the spellbinders when they where on sale.

This is the inside view - just using up scraps here, but it adds a little umpf to the card. Ok its diet coke o'clock here in Smithyland so I am off

talk soon x joy

p.s. Thank you so much for all the lovely Birthday wishes you sent via comments, phone calls and emails - I had such a lovely day :)

Happy Birthday To Me La La La

Hello and happy Saturday to you and Happy Birthday to me hehehe - yes it's my birthday - I am the big 44 today - oh my goodness - am I that old, I really only feel 18 most of the time (then I guess the odd time I feel 60 as well). I have been spoilt by the boys with breakfast in bed and lots of pressies.
Anyway I have been having a bit of a play again today and here is my finished card - I have made it for the current challenge on Lili's Little Fairies  which is Lavender and Lace and as I had just used this background paper on my last card I got it out again for this card - I must say I do like this paper alot, I will have to get more of it. It is a kaiser paper along with of course a Lili of the Valley stamp which I have watercoloured, some sizzix corners and kaiser flowers.

Here is the flowers up close - they are really pretty - I must get some more of them as well (if I can remember where I got them). Anyway thats it for me today - we are currently having a bit of a storm so I must go and unplug everything so it doesn't all get zapped, I don't normally do it but I just promised my friend Kerry I would hehe. I hope the storm cools things down a little as it has been so hot again. Ok talk soon x joy

Help

I'm having the white screen problem with comments, that I have seen people mentioning but can't go look at the comments about it cause I get the white screen hehe thought I might be seeing the light for a second there but it's only the dreaded white screen. When I click on comments in mine or some other blogs the bar at the top (you know the ULR  (or is it URL) one) says blogspot rather than blogger.

Hehehe I just typed F instead of B then and it came out Flogger - yes I do feel like flogging the computer sometimes hehehe Anyway any help would be appreciated. x joy

oh I just went and changed my comment setttings to a pop up window and I can now see mine but what about everyone else's?

Whoot Whoot Another Play Day

Hello - it's Wednesday and I have been lucky enough to have another play day in my craft room - Yippeee. Well actually it hasn't all been play cause I have done the washing and tidying but in between I have been popping into the craft room and creating. Hehehe having lots of fun as I go.

I am entering a new challenge today - one I haven't entered before - I stumbled across this challenge while looking at one of the lovely blogs that I stalk daily Molecraft by Helen, she is so talented! Anyway the challenge is over at Sketch N Stash. Ohhhhh I like the sound of this one - you have to use up some of your stash yay cause I have a never ending set of draws full of stash, bits and pieces that I cut off from other creations. So here is  the sketch

And here is my card

 The lovely background paper is from Kaiser and it is brand new, one I brought while I was in Brisbane before Christmas, as is the stamp which I got from my lovely friend Kerry, who brought two of this one by mistake (oh that reminds me i had better remember to pay her for it ). But all the purple is from the deepest darkest depths of the stash pile. I know it's not Christmas time and I shouldn't be making Christmas cards but how could I just put her away and not ink her up at least once? Anyway she will go into the stash for next year. I have coloured her with watercolour pencils and added some snowflakes and a Stampin' Up Sentiment.

This is the inside view - using up more scraps as this is the bit where I cut the circle out for the front.

And finally a close up of the detail - I forgot to mention that I added flower soft and stickles to the edge of her dress and her Santa hat.

Ok well i hope you like it, but now it is time for all good housewives and Mummy's to head to the kitchen and start cooking a yummy dinner for the adoring family,  I am heading in the other direction hehehe only kidding - I had better go do my duties.

Have a happy day x joy

Back again - twice in one day WOW

Hello again, as promised here is my Penny Black Saturday Challenge for this week. The theme is anything goes, which I am pleased about as I didn't think there would be another Christmas theme again for awhile. I have been wanting to make a little book containing all my Christmas stuff in it for awhile - you know the stuff I mean, card lists, recipes, memories etc. So here it is :

It is just an ordinary  A4 note book that I have altered.

This is my inside page - just some fun stuff about all the things that I love about Christmas. Plenty more to do, so I will share it with you as I go.

Anyway I forgot to tell you in my first post of the day - that we had drama's here in the Smith house hold yesterday. My big boy Ashley (13 year old) fell off of his bike at the skate park and broke one of his wrists and sprained the other one. Ahhh the joys of children, although this is our first (and last hopefully) broken bone - which is not too bad considering he is 13 and Benji is 9. He is feeling very sorry for himself but lapping up all the attention. He has to go back in two days to have a new plaster put on once some of the swelling goes down.  

Ok well it is diet coke o'clock here in Smithyland so I am going while it is still nice and cold.

talk soon x joy

My Craft Room

Hello, welcome to Tuesday (Opps I nearly said Wednesday then - I don't know what day of the week it is hehe) anyway here I am again this time with a little look at my nice, clean and sorted craft room (I wonder how long it will stay that way). Hubby is back at work again, on his 8 day rotation so I don't do reno's when he isn't here - I catch up on the Mum jobs around the house, like cleaning and washing. Yesterday I had a huge spring clean in the craft room - which was long over due!!!!!!!! Here is the end result:

That's a sneaky peak view of this week's Penny Black Saturday Challenge you can see on my desk. All the things that I use regularly are in the little draws in front of my chair, like double sided tape and stuff.

The tall skinny draws on the floor holds most of my wood mounted stamps. Then the plastic draws on top of the book shelf hold my smaller punches and sizzix dies. The big blue plastic book holds my bigger punches with my stash box next to it. The draws on the bottom shelf holds my Christmas  wood mounted stamps. The wheely trolley just holds bits and pieces like stickers, rubons, peeloffs and gems.

My big shot and sewing machine are right in my reach. You can see my new stash of Stampin' Up stamps on my desk.

These zipped folders  on the top hold all of unmounted stamps and the boxes next to them hold cards and templates with a box full of flowers on top of them. The wire and plastic draws here hold bits and pieces.

  .

This area has all of that bits and bobs stuff, embossing powders, pins, brads, eyelets all the little stuff with ribbon and lace all in the large plastic draws on the edge. See my paper scarecrow on the top shelf  - I made him for last year's show here in town. Sorry the photo is a bit blurry. 

And then this wheely trolley holds my ink pads and paper pads and alphabets - I swing it round to the front of the desk when I am working. The draw at the edge of the photo hold all of my ribbon and lace.

Boy oh boy looking at these photo's make me realise just how much shit we crafters have - don't tell hubby I said that cause he has been trying to tell me I have too much shit for years. hehe anyway it is all useful shit and I love it all. I will be back later to show you my project for Penny Black Saturday. talk soon x joy

Oh my goodness - it's Saturday already

Hiya, I can't believe it is Saturday already - blah where have all those days gone?????? I'm sure it was only Monday yesterday!!!!!!! We have been busy - so I guess time does fly when you are having fun. We popped over to Emerald on Tuesday morning and did a spot of shopping then had a llllloooonnnngggg swim at the motel pool because it was sooooo hot then had a relaxed evening eating pizza in front of the tv. Then a spot more shopping Wednesday morning before going to see Alvin and the Chipmunks at the movie's with the boys (nice family time) then began the four hour drive back home again. But all in all a good time was had by all.

I have been trying to do a little something in the craft room each day but while Frankie is on days off we have also been back into the renovations. OOOOHHHHH my goodness - we have had so much fun NOT hehehe. We are working on Ashley's Room (13 year old son) and have given he and his younger brother the option of choosing their colour scheme (note to self - don't do that again) Ashley wanted black walls haha - like that was going to happen. So we had a long chat about decorating rules hehe and we compromised and he chose blue - ahhhhh safe colour you are thinking - NO - this is a 13 year old we are talking about. He chose the darkest of blue's and a black ceiling aaaaaahhhhhh - back to the compromising table again and we decided on a denim blue with a white ceiling - aaaaahhhhh a bit safer, but the colour ended up way darker than the colour sample so this is the result :

A bit dark for my liking but he loves it - and by the time we get all the white built in cupboards and desk put in, I'm sure it will tone it down a bit - I hope anyway. Still lots more to do - as our house is an old Queenslander it is all tongue and groove walls - so lots of gap filler happening. Frankie is currently sanding and cleaning the old windows, so they will be brilliant white as well - ooohhhh the fun of it all.  

Anyway I have had a little play in the craft room and here is what I came up with for the current challenge over at Lili's Little Fairies Challenge - it is your favourite LOTV stamp - yeah right as if I can pick my favourite - PLEASE!!!!! My favourite changes every day hehe - and I even have another wish list of my new favourites that I have to have. hehehe

I have also started a Christmas book - to keep all of my Christmas stuff in (like recipes and card lists etc) so  I will show you that in the next day or so. Ok talk soon x joy

Penny Black Saturday Challenge

Hello, and happy Monday to you. It is a Monday but for us it feels like a Friday, as hubby goes on his 6 days off today - so it feels like it's the weekend tomorrow yay!!!!!! He works eight days on (24 hours a day) and then 6 off - so he gets a good break and is refreshed for when he goes back. It is even more special today as we are heading off for a little get away tomorrow to Emerald which is about 4 hours drive to do some shopping, some eating (we don't have any of the major take aways here) and to see a movie. It is always good to get away. Although it would be nice to go somewhere cool as it is still above 40 degrees cel here. I put the thermometer out on the lawn the other day just to see what it was and it was a whopping 53 degrees c. blah

Enough of the whining though - I have a card to share with you. . . . . . .

And I'm excited cause I like it hehehe - I had so much fun with this weeks challenge over at Penny Black Saturday Challenge - they give you a card and you Case-it. This is what I came up with. I used Penny Black Stamp "Fish Dreams" and yes it is one I love cause I never own a stamp that I don't love, which is coloured with watercolours and layered, along with some snippet papers from my stash (sorry I don't remember what they are) and some star punches and a bit of bling.

The inside view.

Ok well I'm off now as I just heard one of my favourite sounds - the little noise a can of diet coke makes when you open it ssssppppiiiisssshhhhhhhhh - that means hubby has just got a nice cold one out of the fridge, so he had better of gotten me one otherwise there will be trouble hehehe

talk soon x joy

Crafting under the air conditioner

Hello, happy Friday to you and a big wave hello to my new follower Jules from Always with a Heart - I have to admit that I was very excited to see Jules follow me as she is a bit of a guru of mine - have you seen this ladies blog - OMG - it is amazing, and I stalk it every day. If you haven't already had a look go have a little peak  here - I am sure you will get some inspiration.

This is another card made with my huge new stash of Stampin' Up stuff - I should take a photo and show you how much stuff I actually brought, hehe ok I admit I gave the Credit Card a huge work out but I just had to have it all!!!! I'm sure you know what I mean!!!!! And I have another few pages of wish list wants from the current catalogue as well. Maybe I should get a job to pay for it all but then I wouldn't have time to play. Anyway on with the card - here it is

 Very different from my normal cutsie style - I know

 The inside view

I used a Stampin' Up image from the Faith in Nature collection, some lovely Bo Bunny paper, my Cherry Lynn swirl die, a bit of bazzill and ribbon from my stash. The inside swirl stamps are kaiser. Anyway I hope you like it.

And finally a little thought for my blogging friends in the UK  - while you are all battering down the hatches with wild storms and cold weather we are suffering a heat wave with 42 degrees celcius here today but nothing the airconditions can't cope with - I just hope everyone stays safe in the wild conditions over there.

Ok talk soon x joy