Tag Archives: Dazzling Diamonds

Oct 28 2010

Can’t a man just enjoy his toe-jam?!

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This is what I heard from the back of the car this afternoon just after Miss Seven had let out a long EWWWWWWWW… Master Nine had mistakenly put his warm socks on this morning to wear to school so consequently by the time I collected them  this afternoon his feet felt as if they were on fire so as soon as he was in the car his shoes were off. Oh, the joy of boys… you gotta love them!

Then we grabbed an early dinner and it was back home and into the garage. You see I’m on yet another mission… after a throw away line to a friend a couple of week’s ago that I should have had a garage sale for all my “out of sight out of mind” gear in the studio, it’s now become a reality. It’s operation GARAGE SALE with anything not tied down or has a child attached to it being sold!

I can’t believe we ever survived in our two bedroom apartment for so long when I look around this house – we seem to have stuff EVERYWHERE! Now, don’t get me wrong, I quite like my stuff (as anyone who has known me for any length of time will testify too) however there’s stuff and then there’s stuff, and it’s the latter we seem to have an abundance of. So…

If you know of anyone who’s setting up house for the first time who may need sheets, cast iron pots and pans or even a dozen black candelabras, or would love some wonderful embellishments  for  scrapping or cards from various parts of the world (I have an ENTIRE table of those bits and bobs), there’s three boxes of just CRAFT magazines – papercraft, embroidery and patchwork, plus there’s loads of DVD’s, children’s toys, clothes, etc, etc… come on over this Saturday 30th October… there’s plenty for everyone!

With my mind being on the garage sale I have to confess I haven’t had much time for playing. Now I think about it, this has probably been the longest I’ve gone for a long time without creating. I made the cutest box Tuesday morning for a friend but guess what… thinking I should take a photo doesn’t equate to to taking a photo… argh!

Anywho… I did find this little gem I made not long after my Extra-Large Flower Punch arrived. I had had the background stamped for ages as I love the Artistic Etchings Stamp Set but I wanted something other then red, black and white so messed around with some blues and pinks and came up with this.

Card Recipe:
Stamp Sets: Artistic Etchings, Perfect Punches, Delightful Decorations
Classic Inks: Bashful Blue, Pacific Point, Pink Piroutte, Melon Mambo
Cardstock: Whisper White, Pacific Point, Melon Mambo
Accessories: Corner Rounder, Scallop Oval Punch, Fancy Flower XL Punch,
Large Oval, 1″ Circle Punch, Dazzling Diamonds

Oh, and have yourself an... Inkee Fiddling Day!

Joanne x

Sep 2 2010

Spring has Sprung!

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After yesterday’s introduction into Spring I wasn’t expecting much out of today at all but wouldn’t you know it, by 10.30 this morning I had every window and door (including the bi-folds out onto the deck) open it was so warm, and the rustling in the bushes… oh my, the lizards are coming out of hibernation!

I could hear something large outside the kitchen window but each time I looked out there was nothing to be seen. Eventually the noise became much louder, as if a large dog was walking through the back neighbours ferns and dead palm fronds yet not a leaf was moving when suddenly I had a cat either side me also looking out. What do they know that we don’t as it was then a head appeared from the foliage. It was Brutus, our resident three foot river dragon emerging after many months away!

Later when I went down to the Studio, there was another river dragon sunning itself on a rock. I do so love my lizards but I’m mighty glad that none of them pop out to say hello two afternoon’s ago when Harrison and I were scrambling around the urban forest looking for his football. It was hard enough with the heels but add a lizard to the mix… yikes!

But speaking of the Studio, here are the the cards that were made for August’s Make and Take using the Always stamp set and just a smidge of some of the new DSP (the name of which escapes me just at the moment and upstairs seems so very far away right now to go and get my new catalogue to check). So here is the first card made with Mambo Melon.

The second card was in the Tangerine, using a number of different hand punches and the Top Note Die Cut and the Alphabet  for the Big Shot (ooooo, I love my Big Shot!). I was most impressed with how after stamping the heart it was possible to use the Full Heart Punch to capture the pattern.

The third card was in Bashful Blue using the DSP.

Joke of the Day:

What is wrapped in Glad Wrap and lives in a bell tower?
The lunch pack of Notre Dame…

Oh, and have yourself an... Inkee Fiddling Day!

Joanne x

Sep 1 2010

Pinch and a Punch for the First Day of the Month…

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Plus the birds are singing, the flowers are blooming… aaahhhh, the first day of Spring. That was until the clouds blew in, the breeze became gusty, and the air… generally cold. Do you ever get the feeling real life and one’s perception are two TOTALLY different things?

On saying this though that I must confess this morning was beautiful which worked brilliantly for Miss Seven’s and Master Nine’s Book Week celebrations on the oval. They had a hoot all dressed up – one as a witch, the other as the Hunchback of Notra Dame’s skeleton, and I as Big Red – Little Red Riding Hood’s big sister. See, she was the one who should have been looking after Grandma when the wolf ate her but instead had just stepped outside to “chat” to the woodsman about how big his axe was!

Another big event today was the official launch of the 2010-2011 Idea Book and Catalogue – how exciting! No more secrets, no more narrative – you can see it all for yourselves! Whilst you are waiting for your own copy of the new catalogue, click on the picture of it just to the right to scroll through the pages… as I’ve said before, it’s beautiful.

Now, don’t forget, I have the new catalogues here for $10, or if you’d like one for nothing, simply book a workshop and not only will you receive a complimentary catalogue, but you will have the opportunity to earn free stamp sets and loads of free merchandise – too easy!

One of my “new” favourite stamp sets is Artistic Etchings – besides the wonderful Eiffel Tower, there is a fabulous circle stamp that I’ve used quite a bit already for backgrounds, along with a key, crown, and others. Both the key and crown I’ve embossed in gold before cutting them out and adhering to the card. I’ve also added small adhesive pearls to  both of these.

 My dear friend ROC showed me this following  little darling a couple of weeks ago. Something so very useful with the silly season looming so quickly upon us – a Gift Card Wallet!

 

 Open it up and you have this… how clever is this, the divided sections within is simply an envelope that’s been halved!

Don’t you just love it!

Oh, and have yourself an... Inkee Fiddling Day!

Joanne x

Aug 25 2010

Two tidy rooms… too tired to think!

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It may have just been two rooms I sorted and rearranged but it feels as if I did the ENTIRE house! People think I’m just joking when I say I’m allergic to dust and mildew and the cleaning products that removes these things but I really am. So when I do do a major clean as I did just recently with the children’s bedrooms, the side effect is I feel as if I’m hung-over. Hence the reason I’m not the clean freak I used to be… and that’s my story and I’m sticking to it! 🙂

As always of course, I had one or three things on my list to do yesterday but I sat on the couch on the pretense of “sorting buttons” and that’s where I stayed until it was school run time. Even now I’m still toying with the idea of “sorting more buttons” as my head is still swimming. But enough of my pity party!

Let’s bid a Fond Farewell to Colour #23 – Barely Banana. This colour goes exquisitely well with the chocolate chip and why wouldn’t it – chocolate and banana – yum. I can still taste the banana and nutella crepes that were being sold from little crepe stalls on the side-walks of Paris. I was so looking forward to sharing this treat with my family when we holidayed there a couple of years ago but alas, I don’t know if it was because it was off-season or what, they just weren’t there…

The pattern on both the Barely Banana  and the Chocolate chip was from the Illuminated Wheel which is… retiring! I think it’s safe to say if I like it, it’s retiring. Fortunately I’m too tired to get a complex about it! In the shoe I’ve put some delicious Lindt balls, and in the hand-bag are two hot chocolate sachets. Chocolate on chocolate – you have to like that!

Oh… I’ve just realised I don’t think I’ve mentioned these two items are this month’s “Off the Page” class – named Sex in the City. I take no credit for that title, this belongs to Juliette Chapman, one of the incredibly talented ladies from the ESAD group I belong to.

Should you and a friend be interested in this class, or any class for that matter, please contact me and we’ll arrange a time suitable to us both. I understand time is precious to us all so if a class time just doesn’t work for you, simply call me and I’m sure something can be arranged!

Joke of the Day:

What do you put into a box to make it lighter?
A hole of course!

Oh, and have yourself an... Inkee Fiddling Day!

Joanne x

Aug 15 2010

Is it Spring already?

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We couldn’t believe it – in a matter of a week we’d heard of five different couples we knew of who had each been blessed with the birth of a son… and one little girl. It’s been so long since I have touched anything even resembling a baby’s card so talk about getting into a completely different mind space!

And of course, me being me, I couldn’t just go down to the Studio and whip something up… oh no… I had something very specific in mind and when it wouldn’t transpire to – well… let’s just say it slowed things up tremendously. It did however remind me that I had made a card a while back  in celebration of a friend’s first grandson that I never posted and now that I’m looking at it again I see I’ve used a retiring colour so without further ado here ’tis… a Fond Farewell to Colour #13 – Summer Sun!

 

Once again, this card is nothing what I had in mind as I wanted to peg the name onto the string and even had a little jumpsuit cut out for it (an influence from the new catalogue – not long now!)  but it just didn’t look right at all. The blue I’ve used is the Brilliant Blue which is also retiring. Everything on this card is Stampin’ Up! with the exception of the ribbon. I did try the narrow white ribbon from Stampin’ Up! but felt this one in the blue with a little yellow running through it worked much better.

The next card I did was for Harrison’s hairdresser who after four little girls now has his heir! For this card I used another retiring colour so here’s a Fond Farewell to Colour #14 – Only Orange.

I was really happy with this card as I was able to use a few things from my other stash which had me thinking out of the box. What I found amusing was that I’ve never been a great fan of orange but after making this card it really had my creative juices flowing. Consequently I now have depleted my Only Orange supplies. How funny is that?! 

Here is another card the orange inspired for a work colleague of my Darling Hubby’s who recently was blessed with his first son also. With the background on Samuel’s card I simply Versamarked it, whereas on Felix’s card on embossed it in orange.

Here are the other two cards I did – yet another boy’s card for Master Blake, then saving the prettiest for last, Miss Emily’s card. Welcome little people!

I just can’t resist the white picket fence on a baby card can I but I haven’t done it on the next one if you are a little over it! Emily’s card is VERY girlie… and NOTHING like I planned it! I know, I too wish there was a something I could take for that as it would save a LOT of pain let me tell you 😉

Oh, and have yourself an... Inkee Fiddling Day!

Joanne x

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