Baking Paper Flowers

Just a few more pics I haven't had a chance to post yet. As part of my recently acquired Stampin' Up! starter kit I bought the Bigz XL Flower Folds die, and I couldn't wait to have a play with it. I didn't want to waste cardstock while I gave it a test run though, so I used some Multix Baking Paper instead. When I was finished I assembled all my trial cuts together, and I thought that my baking paper flower looked pretty good, so I decided to use it on a card rather than just chucking it out. I gave it a good ol' scrunching up first, and here is the finished product...

I think my mum liked it :-).

Project Recipe:

Cardstock: Whisper White, Kraft and Calypso Coral (SU);
Ink: Basic Black and Calypso Coral (SU);
Stamps: Just For You (exclusive to the Pop-Up Posies Designer Kit by SU);
Accessories: Lacy Brocade Embossing Folder (SU), Kiwi Kiss Corduroy Buttons (SU), Paper Piercer (misc), Baking Paper (Multix), SNAIL Adhesive (SU) and Dimensionals (SU).

Another little MDS project...

Just a little more My Digital Studio (MDS) tinkering that I thought I'd share with you here. I thought this would be a cute idea for a boy's party invitation. You can easily whip one of these up in MDS, and then either print it at home, or perhaps even through something like Vistaprint (although I'm not sure you'd ever need 50 of these....would you??).

All of the papers and embellishments that I have used for this little project are included in the original MDS download, which costs only $24.95 and is available in Australia now (or if you are going to convention in Brissy, you get it for free....which is how I got it....:-). Alternately, you can try it for free for 30 days...Bargain!

The list of supplies is as follows:

MDS SUPPLY LIST (all by Stampin' Up!)

Background

Designer Series Paper/_Designer Kits/Day in the Life - designer series paper/Day in the Life - 6

Embellishments

Designer Kits/On the Go - embellishments/On the Go - helicopter

Designer Kits/On the Go - embellishments/On the Go - frame 1

Designer Kits/On the Go - embellishments/On the Go - best trip ever

Designer Kits/On the Go - embellishments/On the Go - traffic light

Designer Kits/On the Go - embellishments/On the Go - dump truck

Designer Kits/On the Go - embellishments/On the Go - label 4

Designer Kits/On the Go - embellishments/On the Go - arrow

Designer Kits/On the Go - embellishments/On the Go - 1...2...3

Designer Kits/On the Go - embellishments/On the Go - let's scoot

My Little Blue Beanie

I made this little blue beanie a few weeks back, but forgot to pop up any pictures in here.

I bought the yarn from my favourite online yarn store, Deramores. It is made using Sirdar Snuggly Smiley Stripes DK in Hulabaloo (50 grams, 95 m, 80% Bamboo and 20% Wool)...check it out here. I used about 1.5 balls to make this beanie. It is crocheted using the Bob Wilson half double crochet beanie pattern (available via YouTube here) and I used a 4.5 mm Clover Armour crochet hook (which you can see here).

And this is the final product...

Thanks for stopping by,

Blogged to: Miniscule - The Sled and The Ant, ABC TV.

Tinkering with MDS...

Earlier this week Stampin' Up! released MDS (My Digital Studio) in Australia, and because I am going to convention in Brisbane (hooray)...I got a free copy (double hooray)!! This afternoon I thought I'd have me a bit of a tinker with it, you know...push some random buttons and see what happened. Well, I pushed buttons for a good bit longer than I intended to, but I did have a lot of fun.

I find the program is quite intuitive, and those things that I haven't been able to fathom for myself, I got help with from my lovely (and oh-so-patient) upline Di. Thanks Di. I can see we are gonna have some fun with this :-).

Anyhoo...this is what popped out the other end of my button pushing session...

I was not going to write up a supply list, but then I remembered having seen a button labelled 'supplies' somewhere along my wanderings. I just went and checked and managed to find it again...so here it is, a list of supplies (hooray)...

MDS SUPPLY LIST (all by Stampin' Up!):

Background:

Designer Series Paper/Nursery - designer series paper/Nursery - 1

Embellishments

Staple & Stitching/Chocolate - Simple Stitches line 3

Staple & Stitching/Chocolate - Simple Stitches line 10

Taffeta Trimmings/Taffeta Trimmings - ripple regal rose

Staple & Stitching/Chocolate - Simple Stitches corner 2

Basic Pearls and Rhinestones/Basic Pearls and Rhinestones - pearl

small (re-colored = Chocolate Chip)

Stamps

Little Additions/Little Additions - bunny, Color = Chocolate Chip

Punches

Labels & Tags/Labels Collection 2, Filled with: Designer Series Paper/_Designer Kits/Special Delivery Subtle - designer series paper/Special Delivery Subtle - 5

Mats

Designer Series Paper/Cottage Wall - designer series paper/Cottage Wall - pattern 8

Designer Series Paper/Nursery - designer series paper/Nursery - 2

Designer Series Paper/Sweet Details - designer series paper/Sweet Details - 6

Card Stock/Chocolate Chip

If I don't make it back in here again before Easter, Happy Easter! I hope you have a lovely, long holiday weekend.

For all the Lego fans!

 I think we are a bit like many other households with young boys, lotsa Lego love here! I am continuously tripping over the stuff too, and getting little ouchy bits stuck on the bottom of my feet has me thinking about Lego lots, which has resulted in the following card...

The Lego pieces are far more convoluted these days. They are not designed simply to build a house or car, but rather are transformable into Pre Visla's Mandalorian Fighter or a Sith Fury-class Interceptor. You know, important stuff like that! But I am sure that any true Lego fanatic will recognise the rudimentary bits on my card regardless, and know it for what it is. This particular card is for my brother, one of the main suppliers of Lego in this house...so I thought it only fair that I return some of the Lego love ;-). Hope he likes it!

Project Recipe:

Cardstock: Real Red, Brilliant Blue and Yoyo Yellow plain and textured cardstock (SU - some retired),
Ink: Basic Black, Real Red, Brilliant Blue and Yoyo Yellow Classic Ink (SU - some retired),
Stamps: Birthday Wish (SU - Retired),
Punches: Owl Builder (SU),
Accessories: Chevron Embossing Folder (SU), Paper Piercer, Dimensionals (SU) and SNAIL Adhesive (SU).

It is fitting that I have used the owl builder punch (to make the Lego circles) as I have a little owl-themed pic to pop in here. Some of the amazing local residents, trying to go incognito...

Tawny Frogmouth Owls

Blogged to: The Paradise - Episode 8 - ABC 1.

All the world is birthday cake,...

...so take a piece, but not too much (George Harrison). Been thinking a lot about cake of late. Partly due to the fact that I am seriously cake deprived right now, and partly due to the fact that April/May is party central in this house and cake is on the menu (as always).

This year I decided I'd try and step things up some, and enrolled myself in a one-day course at Charles Darwin University to learn the art of decorating with fondant. That course was yesterday, and it was a GREAT course! The teacher, a lovely lady by the name of Hayley....is a fabulous cake-maker, and so much fun to learn from too. Check out her awesome creations on Facebook at Cake-a-Licious.

Now, in the interests of full-disclosure, my cake was supposed to have a bow on the top. But when it was all said and done my bow looked so dismal and icky I chucked it in the bin and went with a bright floral design instead. Here it is:

I can not take credit for the swoon-worthy chocolate mud cake. Hayley made those for us...and they are, well, I'm lost for words. I am not usually a mud cake fan, but this...it is scrumptious! I also believe it is completely calorie-free ;-). Hayley also made our yummy chocolate ganache. We then had to apply the ganache and make a perfectly cylindrical cake, before colouring and applying the fondant.

My mouth is watering just thinking about it! I don't think I did too bad a job for my very first try either :-).

Gotta go start dinner now (and stop thinking about the 5 kgs of iced cake sitting on my bench).

Have a good one,

Crochet Beanie Floral Edition...

After I finished my first crochet beanie, which you can see here, I found a tutorial for a pretty crochet flower which I also wanted to try. You can see the tutorial here. Clare makes it so easy to crochet something for the first time!

Here is the result...

Now, if only it were cool enough to wear a beanie here!

Have a great weekend,

Baby Happy Whales...

I got some beautiful happy mail this week...some new Stampin' Up! samples from my lovely friend Di. I tidied up my desk and spent several fun-filled hours crafting and getting inky. Thanks so much Di. You really helped kick my mojo back into gear :-).

I needed a new arrival congrats card (what a happy thing to be needing eh?)...and the Happy Whale Clearlits Die and oh-so-pretty Sunshine & Sprinkles DSP seemed like the perfect decorations for just that purpose. What do you think?

For the new arrival I coupled the pink 'girl' card above with a lovely gift from a great local store...Novita Gifts. The gift comprised a beautifully soft and colourful baby blankie, and fun painted name letters for her bedroom door.

Thanks again Di...I loved my package!

Project Recipe:

Cardstock: Melon Mambo, Pacific Point and Whisper White (Stampin' Up!),
Patterned Paper: Sunshine & Sprinkles DSP (Stampin' Up!),
Ink: Basic Black (Stampin' Up!),
Stamps: Curly Cute (Stampin' Up),
Punches: 1 1/4" Square Punch - for banner ends (Stampin' Up!), Owl Builder - for whale eyes (Stampin' Up!) and large Corner Rounder punch (misc),
Dies: Happy Whale Clearlits Die (Stampin' Up!),
Accessories: Paper Piercer, White Gel Pen, Melon Mambo 3/8" Striped Organdy Ribbon (Stampin' Up!), Dimensionals and SNAIL adhesive.

Blogged to: MasterChef - the Professionals.