hey again,

who is all up and ready for a new challenge? It has been so hot here in Australia this past week, and I know that it is rather hard to sit and stamp when you are hot and sweaty, that is unless of course you have an air conditioner blowing right in your face! Maybe we will get lots of players from the other side of the continent where it is so cold right now, that snuggling up in the craft space it nice and cozy.

Anyway no matter where you are in this wide world, we would love to you to join in and play along this week. We have a sketch for you this week, and these are usually the most popular…..is that cuz they are easier? who knows, but I do hope you like this one!

Here is the sketch for you:

The image in the centre is something you can stamp and make pop in the square

Now I have my sample all ready to go for you, but would you believe that this afternoon (when i got back from the swimming carnival, i went to take a photo of it, and what do you know?….the camera battery is dead!) so I have that charging right now, and at first light in the morning I will pop it up for you,

ETA: Hey again, here is my sample for you! I wanted to get it up first thing this morning when the battery for my camera was charged, but I have been up most the night with a nasty ear infection! So I had to head out to the doctors to get antibiotics and drops first thing. Man’0 man ear infections are painful. The doc tells me it is that time of year in the tropics and that they are really common during the wet season…..hmm now that is something i didn’t know! So whilst I would love to be stamping today, I think I will be catching up on some sleep instead.

I made this card for my new hair dresser here in Cairns. This week i actually had my hair straightened! (now that is a whole other post!) But I wanted to send her a little thank you card, because she asked me to come in a few days later to have it washed and blow dried for free……..a girl can always do with a bit of pampering and how much nicer when it is FREE too! so yeah, just a little thank you card. The image is from Stampingbella, and the greeting, that being the word Diva came with it, I hand wrote the word Hair (hope it isn’t too noticeable!) The dsp that I used is from, My mind’s eye. Good fun….

Check out the DT’s creations and be inspired!

here are the links to their creations:

Cindy

Kirsty

Renee

Chantelle

Sarah-Jane

Want to play along? - here are some guidelines.

If you would like to play along, all you need to do is follow the directions:

1. Make your creation following the challenge ie, sketch, colour, or inspiration image.

2. Load your creation up onto your blog or a public viewing forum like Splitcoast Stampers, with a direct link back to the post on this website, so that others viewing the post will know where the challenge has come from, and it is courtesy to do so.

3. Then come back to this post so that you can add your name and link in the Mr. Linky!

You have until the Thursday the 11th March midnight to get your entries linked.

I will be announcing the winner and honourable mention on Friday the 12th March in the afternoon.

I have lots more to share with you too, so hope to be back with that tomorrow, after our 3:30am trip to the airport to pick up Rod’s parents who are coming for a visit.

have a goodie!

Hey there!

Greetings from tropical Cairns…..I tell ya I am starting to love this place! The weather is beautiful, and the sights are mind blowing!

I have been enjoying a fabulous morning walk at the beach each day this week, and I tell ya, exercising has never been so easy with beautiful scenery all around. Over in the west coast we always see the sun go down over the ocean, not here, it is the complete opposite, and rises up over the ocean. After the breathtaking view one day, I just had to take the camera with me the next morning and whilst I had so many beautiful photos I narrowed it down to these couple, just to show you what I am yabbering about

Just before Sunrise

 Just peeking through…

Above the waterline…

Look at that reflection on the water!!! Just beautiful.

Now you know what I am talking about……

SO whilst i haven’t shown you creative card greatness, I hope this Creation greatness will suffice for now

But having said that, I do actually have some creative greatness to show you…..this weeks winners from teh Sketch challenge!

First up I have this wonderful creation made by Jen Timko….I love this colour combo Jen used, and her combination of stamp sets and that ribbon knot too!! Fabulous job Jen!!!

Then this weeks Honourable mention is a gorgeous creation by the very talented Susan Joyce! I always love Sue’s work and this week is no exception! Fab colour combo too Sue! I often find stamp stamps hard to create with, so you have done a great job with that Hello again stamp set Sue…. thanks for the inspiration!

Next up is a slide show of all the fabulous creations from the challenge this week! I didn’t get to give comment love this week, so please share some of that love around!!!

Thanks again to everyone who played along….YOU ROCK!!!!

HEY GANG!

WHOA, what a week it has been!!! This post is like 24 hours late, thanks to me not setting the post date correctly, and not having internet access to fix it! My sincerest apologies. I haven’t quite got to view all the challenge entries for this past week either yet, so I will do that asap, and get the challenge winners up for you!

You know I hate being unorganized, and letting people down, but with this whole move to the other side of the country, and not having my computer, stamps or anything else at my fingertips makes doing this all so hard! Anyway I am sure you can handle Keesh not putting in 100% for a couple of weeks, because I know you are all gorgeous and caring people!

So just a quick update before I give you the next challenge. We are still doing okay over here in the very beautiful Cairns. It is really warm this week, and hotter than usual here, but it isn’t bothering us too much, until you have to start doing some hard work

This week we were finally able to obtain a rental property, after much searching, an applications etc…..the only thing is that it is not available until the15th of February! ARGH, I am going to have to wait another 10 days of so till I see those rubber stamps!!! So seeing as we can’t move in just yet, we needed to find new temporary accommodation until then, as where we were staying is booked out. Thankfully we found a new house, a little more out of town, but it is a beautiful Holiday home with the works, so the kids are enjoying that.

All things are falling into place it is just taking time, and I have to say that it is testing my patience. Since selling in the middle of December everything has been all out of whack! Being a routine person, I struggle with things being all over the place. It is a good lesson in learning how to chill out, that is for sure. But having said that, I look forward to being back into it all! I am sure you are looking forward to that too, and seeing some regular inspiration!!!

The kids are doing really well, and Janaya had her first day of kindergarten this week which was exciting. I will have to share photos really soon, as they are sooooo super cute. I can hardly believe that my youngest is now in school!!! I don’t think it has really hit me yet because Rod is still not working so I have always got someone around, but once he is gone and I am out on my own, it certainly will be different!!!

Okay so onto this weeks new challenge! You may have seen all the DT inspiration already, and I don’t doubt that it is amazing….Me I haven’t quite got a sample for you this week, as I still don’t have my stamps ( which is such a shame!) SO please be sure to see the DT gals for inspiration!

Okay so this week we have a Sketch challenge for you:

 Be sure to go and check out the Design Team members creations and give them some comment love!

Dawn

Cindy

Kirsty

Renee

Chantelle

Sarah-Jane

Anthonette Chavez - Guest Designer

Want to play along? - here are some guidelines.

If you would like to play along, all you need to do is follow the directions:

1. Make your creation following the challenge ie, sketch, colour, or inspiration image.

2. Load your creation up onto your blog or a public viewing forum like Splitcoast Stampers, with a direct link back to the post on this website, so that others viewing the post will know where the challenge has come from, and it is courtesy to do so.

3. Then come back to this post so that you can add your name and link in the Mr. Linky!

You have until the Thursday the 11th February midnight to get your entries linked.

I will be announcing the winner and honourable mention on Friday the 12th February in the afternoon.

Have fun with this one!

 Happy Friday Folks!

I am totally still in shock about our property sale! Thanks so much for your Congratulations, it means so much. Reality has really hit home, and well it is now out with the lists, and to- do’s and what not, if we are to get to Cairns in time. We booked our, ONE WAY flights……that was pretty weird ordering them one way!!!  We are now scheduled to fly out of Perth on Tuesday the 19th January at 10:50pm and will arrive in the early hours of the Wednesday! Now that really does make it real, and there is so much to do yet. I feel good about what we have managed to get done so far, but I still have these mini panics, and keep asking myself, “what are we doing?” It is so foreign for us to leave the place you have always called home. We have both grown up in Perth and have our families here, so yeah it will be quite the adjustment. I will just have to take it one day at a time

So can you believe it is the end of the year? Crazy huh? Well it is also that end of the Inkspirations challenges for 2009 too. I was so pleased so many of you managed to get a gorgeous creation done considering it is that crazy time of year……so thank you!

Going through the entries and picking one, each week is really hard - you are all so good! This weeks Inkspirations winner is Genevieve, with her gorgeous owl creation! I also love how she has turned the sketch into a long card as well! Just gorgeous Genevieve!

Then this weeks honourable mention is Denise Marzec! I love how Denise has worked the sketch into a recipe card! How clever of her, and I love the DSP and stamp Denise has used too!

Again here is the slide show of all the challenge entries from this week! Be sure to check them out.

Once again I would like to say a very BIG thank you to everyone that took the time to participate in the Inkspirations Challenges this year! I have had a great time, and I hope you have too! We will be back on the 15th of January for the first challenge of the New Year!

Have a great night and thanks for stopping by!

Me again!

I so should be in bed right now, but I am all pumped for some reason…..(more on that tomorrow!) but anyway I just relized that this card I created for the lovely Dawn McAvey’s colour challenge is due um like right now! So thought I better whip up this post for ya!

The Raspberry Suite colour challenge # 20 was to use, Kraft, Rust, Chocolate, Vanilla, and a light blue…..quite a lovely masculine colour palette hey? So I wanted to make a masculine Valentines card, or you could use if for anniversary to, or if you are just feeling very amorous at the moment! LOL!

So here is the heartfelt lov-ee card I created using the new I heart, Hearts stamp set from Stampin’Up.

Okay so here I have used the Kraft cardstock for the base, and the striped Chocolate chip DSP. I cut the circles and scallops with my nestabilities. I ruffled the Chocolate grosgrain ribbon, and added a strip of Really rust cardstock. The hearts are stamped up with the I heart, Hearts stamp set, and mounted with dimensionals. Last of all I added the paper piercing and the greeting which is from the, Three little words stamp set with Chocolate ink…….

This is a card I LOVE. Occasionally you make something you are really chuffed with, and I don’t know what it is about this one, but yeah it does it for me! LOL!

Okay so the next creation is using this weeks Mojo Mondaysketch, along with Stampingbella’s challenge to use anything with Faux stitching…..

I used Old olive!!!! That is a colour I have been really really struggling with the past 6 months!!! It is just so strong, and SOOOOO green! I had to hide most of it with the DSP!

Here I have used some Basic grey DSP (the name alludes me right now!) and the stamp is from Stampingbella, which I have coloured with my Copic markers. I once again used my Nestabilities, and paper pieced the umbrella. I added the Pink taffeta ribbon, and Pretty in pink brads for embellishment. Lastly I used my Mat pack and white gel pen to create the Faux stitching around the outer perimeter of the card.

Thanks so much Dawn for the colour challenge, and Mojo Monday for the fabulous sketch challenge!

Have a great night everyone…..I am finally off to bed!