Santa's Sweet Sleigh!

 

I made this sleigh yesterday. Gathering together different sweets, I used strong glue dots to hold everything together. To begin with, I added a small piece of red cardstock and attached the two candy canes using glue dots. Then I just added small packs of various sweets. I stamped and cut out the Santa image and coloured him using some markers. I "bent" Santa a the waist(or where I assumed his waist was, hard to tell with a plump cuddly Santa!) and once again attached him to the stack of sweets. I punched  a tiny hole in his mittens and added the gold cord.  I learnt a few things along the way,  and will make more of these as gifts. This was oodles of fun to create! Instead of a stamped image of Santa, you could use a small Santa ornament. Below is a photo of the sweets all stacked up ready for Santa to be placed on top! I'm going to check the $2 Shop today, to see if I can find some small Reindeer so I can add them to the Sleigh! That's the plan anyway!

And YES! I admit it, a couple of those mini Milky Way bars were consumed by me as I was creating this! Well I had to make sure they tasted ok...! Thanks for dropping by! Have a SUNSHINE day! Remember to always be your authentic self and shine bright each and every day!

Here's Why I'm On Santa's Naughty List!

These are some of the items I purchased recently, the ones that got me on Santa's Naughty List!  

I love the style of writing on the stamps above. There are also matching dies in behind the stamps. 

Above and below are a set of banner dies. Five different sentiments. "Merry Wishes", "Let it Snow", "Happy Holidays", "Peace Love Joy," and "Merry and Bright".

The die below is called, Dashed Rhombus, and it perforates the card an cuts out the edges on all sides.

 

  The stencils I used on the card below is also new, so I am still learning how to use them!

 

Below is a new background stencil, called Snowy, I think. I also used the Dashed Rhombus stencil on the card. I popped the card (above) up on some foam tape then on to a folded white card. Below is what the Snowy stencil looks like. You can see what the Dashed Rhombus looks like, below. 

What is this, (below) you maybe asking! A good question! I also bought a Grip Mat, which is 8 1/2 by 6 1/2 inches, I think. OMG! It holds my stencils SO well while I'm using them! I really wasn't sure about it at first, but after watching a few videos on using them, I decided to get one. I chose this size because as well as the postage collage stencils, I have some bigger size ones, and  wanted to be able to use them with Grip Mat too. I love this tool! I have mine stuck to the lid of my stamping tool. The lid is detachable so it works well. I also clean the stencil I used with a damp cloth while it is still stuck to the mat. I find it easier than taking the stencil to the laundry to have to clean it. So that's what the photo below is! Hard to see it I know.

I still have a couple of things to come, but they may not arrive until net week, if I'm lucky! As far as I'm concerned, these are my Birthday gift to myself! Yes, it's my Birthday today- all day! Yesterday my beautiful boy, Romeo-Valentino, had his 15th Birthday, so we've had a 48 hour celebration!  So much fun! And on the topic of Birthdays, a big thank you to Andrea for the voucher she gave me to spend at Lavinia Stamps! (Yes, I still love Lavinia Stamps, and I love other brands of stamps too!) That was such an awesome surprise!  My laptop is doing some seriously weird annoying things as I am doing this post. I am a cat's whisker away from biffing it out the window!! I had 'issues' loading the photo's, it kept deleting them as I was loading them. On  top of that,  the space bar is a sensitive wee thing and will only put a space between words if  I press it directly in the center of the bar! And for some obscure reason sometimes it jumps up a line and before I now it I am writing in the middle of the sentence one line above! Grrr! I really don't want to have to buy anew laptop, or Santa will have me on his Naughty List for the next ten years! Ok, thanks for dropping by! Have a SUNSHNE day! Remember to always be your authentic self, and shine bright each and every day!

I'm On Sana's Naughty List!

I stamped the (new) houses on some wooden stars, and coloured them using Posca's and water colour pencils. Lot's of fun creating these! I used Texture paste for the snow, it works really well for that. Before the paste was dry I sprinkled on a tiny bit of silver glitter. 

A couple of quick postage collage cards. On the card above I used a mix of the Poinsettia set, and the Gingerbread set. The snowflake was a free die I got with the Gingerbread set. It's just the right size for these cards!

So, yesterday I discovered that several craft places were having online 75% off Christmas sales! It was too tempting to resist... so I went shopping! My poor bank balance! Now I just wait for things o arrive in the mail! Then I had to go out to buy some ew summer thongs (Jandals) as my old ones were wearing out, and had become dangerous because they were too loose. Now for 99% of people, you just walk in to a shoe store and choose a pair of shoes off the shelf.  Not so for me! I have very small feet, and have big trouble finding something I like, that actually fits. I spent about 45 minutes in the shoe shop trying on multiple pairs of shoes. Everything was too big, too loose. Luckily I did eventually find a pair that fit, were comfortable, and I liked them. And they were on a 75% off the original price sale, as the craft stuff I bought online was!! So this is why I'm sure I'm on Santa's Naughty List - spending too much money! Ok, that's it for today. Thanks for dropping by! Have a SUNSHINE day! Remember to always be your authentic self, and shine bright each and every day!

 

THANK YOU ANONYMOUS!!

 Thanks to 'Anonymous', I found the deleted post and have restored it! I will remember how to do it incase I do it again! It was an older post that I wanted to add an update, but somehow managed to delete it, oops! Sanity restored! Thank you Andrea...I think?!

Where?

Ok, so someone left me a reply on my last post. I am unable to find the edit, manage view thing on my blog. Can you be more specific please? Many thanks! you can email me here if you want to.

I Need Your Help Please!

 I have accidentally deleted a post from my blog. Does anyone know how to retrieve it? Many thanks!

Another Christmas Postage Collage Card.

 Having fun with this die and stencil combo! I made this last night, just using the block stencil and die. I used my stencil brushes to colour the blocks. At first I wasn't sure about the colours I used, but they have grown on me today! I stamps the images using a couple of the stamps from the SU Beautiful Baubles stamp set. Because I coloured the back ground, I left the stamped images bare. To finish the card I adhered the postage panel to a piece of  Fresh Freesia coloured SU cardstock. I LOVE this colour! I also added three sequins to the front of the card. I don't really (I think!) need anymore Christmas cards for this year, but when Mr. Mojo appears, you gotta seize the opportunity and make cards! Thanks for dropping in! Have a SUNSHINE day! Remember to always be your authentic self, and shine bright each and every day!

Oops! I Forgot The Snowmen Faces!

 

When I got up this morning I found another stencil which are  noses and buttons for the Snowmen! When I took the stencil out of the packet yesterday, I did not see the 2nd stencil as it is the same white colour as the packet! So I gave the Snowmen some noses and buttons! Oops. alway check the packet before you throw it away.

Busy day today, I went in to the city on the train  to see the big Christmas tree they have down town. To be honest, I was underwhelmed! I expected it to be all sparkly and glittery, and it wasn't. Maybe it looks better at night with the lights on. Anyway I'll post those photos next post. Thanks for dropping by! Have a SUNSHINE day! Remember to always be your authentic self and shine bright each and every day!

Postage Collage Card!

Ok, so heres the card I just made using my new collage stencils and die. I'm happy how it turned out! So much fun to make! I outlined the images with sparkly clear gel pen. It wasn't hard to make at all. It's a bit crooked in places, but not bad for a first time effort! Posting this on my phone so hope I've got it right! Thanks for dropping by! Have a SUNSHINE day! Remember to always be your authentic self, and shine bright each and every day!

A Tiny Christmas Card!

 

The last week or so have been very challenging. In spite of studying Psychology for five years, dealing with a close relative with mental health issue is not easy. I lost my mojo and I found it extremely hard to concentrate on any crafting. However, I have managed to make the card above! It is tiny, and measures 2 3/4 inches square.  stamped "Annie" and "Edward", 2 new Lavinia Stamps I got two days ago. (As ell as other stamps!) The star is also from LS. The wee cards are some new ones from LS. They are some of the new Scene Scapes cards from their new release. They have gorgeous backgrounds all ready printed, to stamp on. I love them! There are also some bigger sizes, as well as a new, absolutely adorable Scene Scapes pad of double sided paper. I know, I cold have taken photo's of all of those! Well, it's Friday (Fried-day!) and my brain is a bit fried today! Once I had stamped on the card, I backed it onto a piece of white SU cardstock. It reminds me of the old black and white photographs from years ago! Whoops! Showing my age here, lol! For those interested, I will be 68 in 13 days! Yippee, cake, champers and dancing for me! "Romeo-Valentino" was born the day before my birthday, so we share the celebrating! Ok, I recently bought a Postage Collage set of stencils and die from Waffle Flower. I have admired others cards made with these, (thank you Andrea!) and finally decided to get them. I think mine is the Snowman stencil. I've never used these type of things before, and I am really hoping I know what I am doing!

I have shed a lot of my recent stress, and even though my mojo still isn't quite back to normal, I am getting there. I have now sent all my Christmas cards, and just have a few left to hand deliver. I thank you for your patience while I navigate my way back to sanity! Thank you also to Andrea, who gave me some lovely positive feed back😊. Ok, that's me for today. Thanks for dropping by! Have a SUNSHINE day! Remember to always be your authentic self, and shine bright each and every day!

Feeling the Stress.

This is me being my authentic self...I have pretty much lost my Mojo. I have no interest in Christmas, or making Christmas cards. It stresses me a lot. I have sent 3 cards.  I have had a huge amount of stress, not only about Christmas and making cards, but also from someone who is experiencing mental health issues. They have dumped it all on me about two weeks ago. It was heavy stuff and I struggled to deal with it. The stress eventually put me in hospital. I don't want to know about their issues anymore and have done my best to back away.  I will let the person know I support them, but I won't listen to their issues for longer than five minutes. (We keep in touch via the telephone.) I have my own  health issues I need to focus on. I hope I have  made enough Christmas cards, because I'm not making anymore this year. I just find Christmas so stressful this year. I love Christmas but this year I'm struggling. A lot. If I don't send someone a card, am I being selfish?? And NOT sending someone card also gives me stress. What to do?? Does anyone else struggle with Christmas like this? I'd love to know! No cards to share today. Thanks for dropping by, have a SUNSHINE day! Remember to always be your authentic self, and shine bright each and every day!

Hand painted Stars.

I made another card with the LS Robins on. Same design as the other one I made in a previous post. Below are some wooden stars I stamped on, then coloured with either water colour pencils and/or Posca pens.

Below is a close up of two of the wooden stars. Sadly you cannot see the glitter and sparkly bits on it. These were a lot of fun to create, and quick and easy.

I'm not in a very creative mood lately. My mojo has slipped and I find it hard to focus. I've also had a lot of stress concerning their mental health issues. It got too much for me, and I ended up in hospital for a short time. I'm fine now and am doing my best to back away from he situation. Thanks for dropping by! Have a SUNSHINE day! Remember to always be your authentic self, and shine bright each and every day!

 

Lost Mojo, Anyone Seen It?!

 

I used all Stampin' Up! products to create the baby card above. The blue card is called Starry Night, (I think?) and the white card is Whisper White. The strip on the side is from some SU DSP. I recently became friends with a lady who was selling off a HUGE range of brand new Stampin' Up! products.  I purchased lots of packs the cardstock in various colours. Instead of paying NZ$24.25 for a pack, I only paid NZ$7.50 a pack. So it was a good deal! I also purchased a stamp and die set as well as ink pads. As time goes by I will share more. So a big THANK YOU Alix!!

I made these small- 3 1/4 square, and 4inch cards by cutting up some of the Lavinia Stamps Scene-Scapes background cards I have and backing them on to white cardstock. I will (eventually) stamp on them and make the into cards. As they are right now, they remind me of the old photographs with white edges around them! Lavinia Stamps hav just released a set of these, plus some ne stickers and also some new Acrylic boards that you use for your unmounted stamps. Yes, I have an order coming with these new products in!

I haven't done much creating lately. I find Christmas very stressful. I have sent my overseas Christmas cards, but they are not my usual standard of card. They are not what I wanted to create. But with ongoing health issues (nothing that has put me in hospital, thankfully) that kept me off my feet and in bed  for awhile, I felt so stressed and just couldn't do what I wanted to do. There's nothing wrong with the cards I made and sent, they're just not what I planned to send. Ok, I think that's all for this post! Thanks for dropping in today! Have a SUNSHINE day! Remember to always be your authentic self and shine bright each and every day!

Two Friends Chatting!

I worked on this card for two days. The background is done with Acrylic paint, and swirled around to create an oval shape. I used 3 colours, dark blue, light blue, and white. We're having some horrible rainy days with high humidity, which is why the paint took so long to dry. To help dry the paint I did use my heat tool as well. It was just kind of a waiting game. Once the paint was totally dry, I stamped (Versafine Clair Nocturne ink) the Robins, and foliage. The snowflakes were stamped in white and I used white embossing powder on them, and  have used red and white Posca pens to colour the Robins and the foliage. I needed each image to be dry before colouring the next image. Yes, it took lot's of time to create this, and I love how it has turned out! It was definitely worth the time it took! The card measures 6 by 4 1/4 inches. I love how this turned out, and will be creating some more cards like it! I used all Lavinia products. This is the first time I have created a card using an Acrylic paint background. It was so much fun seeing it all slowly come together. The jury is out on whether or not I add a touch of sparkle using some glitter. I don't want to over cook it, as it already has a lot going on. Thanks for dropping by! Have a SUNSHINE day! Remember to always be your authentic self, and shine bright each and every day!

 

LS Starlight Whispers Christmas Cards!

 

I managed to make 2 Christmas cards, using a couple of the new Lavinia Stamps from the Starlight Whispers range. Although I've had the new stamps for two weeks, this is the first time I have used them. I love these cute Robins! As well as the larger ones, there are the two smaller ones as well, as you can see on the card below. There some sparkly glitter on these cards, and some white Posca splatters.

Thanks for dropping by! Have a SUNSHINE day! Remember to always be your authentic self and shine bright each and every day!

 

I'm Still Here!!

Apologies for not posting for awhile.  I've been (and still am) in a lot of upper body muscle pain (24/7)which turns out is a side effect to one of my medications I take :-( This is the third medication I've tried (in a row), that has given me this pain. It's stopping me from doing any artwork, (or anything else) which is another 'pain'! I take half a tablet every second day, but my body is so sensitive to all kinds of drugs, as well as food.  I have new stamps! I've had them for awhile, but can't concentrate to actually make anything. I have the latest range (Starlight Whispers) of Lavinia Stamps here, just sitting on my desk waiting for me to pick them up and get creative! I have some ideas for cards, once the pain has gone, I need to get a few cards done in the next week as they are going to Australia and USA. They need to be sent before the postal cut off date. IF  I don't get them made and sent....yeah well I don't want to think about that! Thanks for dropping by! Have a SUNSHINE day! Remember to always be your authentic self, and sine bright each and ever day!

Christmas Cards

 

Two quick ad easy Christmas cards made using  stamps by Lavinia Stamps. I've had a few mild health issues to sort out lately, and haven't done much crafting. I'm also waiting on a shipment to arrive from LS. They're on their way, but it takes 'time' for them to be sorted and scanned through Customs here in NZ. I'm not good at waiting for them to arrive, lol! It would be so nice to just walk into the store and buy them myself! Oh well, they will be here when they're here! 

Thanks for dropping by! Have a SUNSHINE day! Remember to always be your authentic self, and shine bright each and every day!

Pink and Purple Pumpkins?!

 Well I said I wanted to make another pumpkin card in pink and purple...so here it is! Just finished it  this morning. 

I flipped the stencil over so the pumpkins are around the other way. I don't think there is any right or wrong way to use this stencil. I used Elements in in Violet Chalk, as well as pink and purple water colour pencils. I think these colours work ok! The witch is one of my Lavinia Stamps. 

Thanks for dropping by! Have a SUNSHINE day! 

 

Pumpkins and Witches and A Sneak Peek!

 So after Royal Mail completely stuffed up the tracking number for my stencil I had ordered from Sweet Poppy, the stencil finally arrived this morning. Five minutes before the stencil arrived, I had (once again) tried to track it, but it kept saying either the tracking needed updating, and/or it was the incorrect tracking number! Talk about frustrating. Next thing, my mail lady was at my door with a package for me. Unbelieveable. I don't know how or why Royal Mail stuffed it up so badly, but I had not been able to track the item once on it's ten day journey from the UK. According to Sweet Poppy customer service, it had landed in NZ on the 16th, but still no tracking. Ok, enough of complaining, 'tis the day to be crafting, and I have been busy! Below is the card I made,. thanks to Eileen Godwin and her fabulous video! There are a couple of whoopsie-mistakes, but overall I am very happy how it turned out! I know I will make more of these cards, I want to make one in hot pink and purple colours, lol!

The pumpkin stencil measures about 6x4 inches, and is made from Steel. The 3 Witches are from Lavinia Stamps. These Witches are the smaller ones. To find the video, go to you tube and type in Eileen Godwin. When you get there, type in Sweet Poppy Stencils - Beautiful Pumpkins! My comment is there under KiwiSunshine.

Below is a photo of the stencil.

I wish I could buy Sweet Poppy products here in NZ or even across the ditch in Australia, instead of the UK. Onto some other news! Lavinia Stamps are bringing out a new range of stamps on the 24th of this month!! (UK date)The brand new "Starlight Whispers"! If you want to see them, there is a short video on you tube called,  The brand NEW Starlight Whispers Collection. Tracey Dutton, owner and designer of Lavinia Stamps, show cases the new range. I look forward to ordering them! I already have some ideas buzzing around in my head! That's it for now. Thanks for dropping by! Have a SUNSHINE day! Remember to always be your authentic self, and shine bright each and every day!

Royal Mail Stuff Up.

Ten days ago I ordered a stencil from Sweet Poppy, in the UK. It was sent to me on the 8th of this month. It should have been here by now. Every time I try to track it, it says 'incorrect tracking number". Two days ago I sent Sweet Poppy an email with the invoice number as well as tracking number I had been sent. They said Royal Mail had given me an incorrect tracking number, and they (SP) would chase it up with Royal Mail. This is not the first time Royal Mail have given me the wrong tracking number. I am so frustrated, and just want my stencil.  It's one I saw Eileen Godwin used to create a card.  No card to post yet! Thanks for dropping by! Have a SUNSHINE day! Remember to always be your authentic self, and shine bright each and every day!

Stamp and Spin Flower Card.

I used my Stamp and Spin tool to create this card. I stamped a small snowflake (above) using Lost Shadow ink. Each time I stamped, I turned the SAS one notch to the right. You could use  any pale colour to stamp with. Once I had complete the circle, I glued some paper flowers on top of the stamped snowflakes, as well as some small padded gold padded stars.

To finish the card (Below) I added some pale pink and pale blue Nuvo Crystal drops in between the flowers and stars. I also stamped the three words (Lavinia Stamps) and stuck the image on to a piece of black card, and finally onto a folded pink card. I came up with this idea while watching a movie last night. I have no idea why the idea came to me because I wasn't thinking about cards or anything like that. I was, (I thought!) concentrating on the movie I was watching! Anyway, the idea is to stamp in a pale colour, so that whatever you place on top, it covers the stamped image. You could put stamped images you have cut out, buttons, small light embellishments...whatever you like.

Stamping the snowflake creates the wreath shape to place your embellishments on. I'm happy hw this turned out, and am sure I'll use this idea again sometime. Thanks for dropping by! Have a SUNSHINE day! Remember t o always be your authentic self, and shine bright each and every day!

 

 

Another Witch Card!

I actually made three of these Witch cards today. There is some pale blue stenciling to the right hands side of the Witch. I was inspired by a video by Eileen Godwin, and decided to have a go! This Witch is called 'Faba'. She is one of three that are this bigger size, and there are another three (the same Withces) that are smaller. Thanks for dropping by! Have a SUNSHINE day! Remember to always be your authentic self and shine bright each and every day!

 

I Made A Card and A Tip!

I used my round gel press for the background on this card. Card measures 6x6 inches. I tired to get a shot of the silver glitter on the photo below. Al Lavinia Stamps products.

Here's a tip for those who use the Stamp and Spin Tool. To keep your sticky grid paper clean, so you can easily see the measurements, after placing the card you want to stamp on, a piece of clear plastic on either side of your card, up against the sides (and bottom) of your card. This works well if you want to do repeat stamping across your card. The lid on the SAST is removeable. You can move it up or down as your stamp across your card, without needing to move the stamp.

In the photo below you can see I have moved the lid up one notch each time I have used a different colour ink. The ink is easy to clean off the clear plastic when you have finished your stamping.

A closer look at the lid. I had moved it up two notches.

Here's a photo (below) showing this excess ink on the clear plastic. Just wipe it off with a damp cloth and it's clean again.

This tip with the clear plastic also works if you use a Stamp Platform. Mine doesn't have an adjustable lid, but using the clear plastic idea still works to keep the sticky grid paper clean. Keeping it clean just ensures you can easily see where to place your card before stamping. I hope al this makes sense! Thanks for dropping by! Have a SUNSHINE day! Remember to always be your authentic self, and shine bright each and every day!

 

 

It Was Going So Well Until...

...I ruined it😖. This was the wreath card I was doing, before I became unwell on Saturday. I had stamped the pink, purples and blue colours. Then I ended up in hospital for the afternoon, and was then discharged three hours later.  (I ended up back in hospital for the next few days, so this was left on my desk.) So once I was home I decided to finish the card, and stupidly stamped the bees in black ink. Big mistake! They don't blend in with the other soft colours. Oh well, I'll flip the card over and start again on the other side, without the bee's this time! Lesson learned, don't stamp when you're not well! The card is still sitting on my desk for now. I'll get back to it when I can. The card measures 7x7 inches square. All Lavinia Stamps products.

Thanks for dropping by! Have a SUNSHINE day! Remember to always be your authentic self, and shine bright each and every day!

Home Again!

Back home again finally! Feeling very tired and weak with not much energy. My vision is blurry, also due o the drugs, but all that will clear in a week or so. I'm not able to create anything at the moment, but do have a couple of ideas for when I am feeling more like myself. I went into hospital on Saturday morning, but was miss-diagnosed and wasn't given the right medication, and was sent home late that afternoon. I 'knew' I wasn't well  enough to be sent home, but that's what happened. I was home for a couple of hours and became even more unwell and ended up back in hospital. This time I got the right Doctors who started me on the right medication and treatment. I was then admitted to a ward and had a lovely private room that had a nice view out over the garden, 2 stories down. I have deep gratitude for the nurses who cared for me, I cannot fault them. Being in isolation, I was confined to my room. Anything I needed, I had to call for a nurse. My nurse, Anna, was amazing, bringing me early morning (5 am) cups of tea, and making sure I was comfortable etc. I must tell you... this hospital has a resident cat! Her name is Daisy, and she is the sweetest girl ever! She has free range to the whole hospital, and is often seen asleep on someone's bed. She 'knows' when someone is about to give birth, and will go into their room and cuddle up to them until the baby arrives. I saw her when I was in the Emergency Department, but she was on a mission and  didn't stay with me. Patients and visitors are often surprised to see a cat roaming the hospital and in and around the wards. Everyone who works in the hospital knows Daisy. Sometime's she's found in the back of one of the Ambulances, as she knows they have treats for her! Daisy actually lives next to the hospital, but 'lives' at the hospital. Her owners know where she is and that she is very well cared for, well fed, and loved by so many people. She's at the hospital 24/7, and has people there who look out for her. She has her own face book page! Daisy The Hospital Cat! (Waitakere Hospital) She makes you feel good even when you really don't feel well, or very happy. She has that magic about her that makes you smile! Oops, I am rambling now. I just wanted to let you know I am home from hospital, I am ok, but still having some issues that will settle soon. While I was in hospital I found a video done by Eileen Godwin (yes, another one!) and I liked it so much, that I have ordered the stencil she used! I just love her art work and am so inspired by her. Ok, that's it! Thanks for dropping by! Have a SUNSHINE day! Always remember to be your authentic self, and shine bright each and every day!

A Short Note!

So here I am back in hospital again. Been here three days and am keeping my fingers crossed they discharge me later today. I'm feeling much better than when I was admitted on Saturday. Long story but here I am! Just discovered how to get into my blog via my mobile. Obviously no cards to show here, but have some creative ideas buzzing away in my head for when I'm home. Have my friends and neighbour's looking after the cats, so grateful for them. Been trying  to relax and do some Reiki on myself in hopes of speeding up my recovery! The staff here are great. Being in isolation, I'm not allowed to leave my room, so I ring the bell if I need anything. Anyway, just wanted to let you all know where I am and why there are no new creations with this post! Thanks for dropping by! Have a SUNSHINE day! Remember to always be your authentic self, and shine bright each and every day!

Sizzix Stamp and Spin Tool Test Drive!

 I've had this amazing tool for a few months, but have not really used it, until today. Lavinia Stamps now sell these. I purchased mine from Krafters Cart here in Auckland. The card I made this morning is a very basic getting-to-know the tool kind of card!  I made a couple of mistakes, which I prefer to call, lessons learnt! Firstly, don't remove your card from the tool until you have completely finished stamping. I did this and was not able to get the card back in the exact same spot. This meant the images I wanted to carry on stamping with would have stamped un-evenly around the wreath. I.E: the wreath would have been a wonky-donkey kind of wreath! Not what I wanted, lol! I removed my card before I had finished stamping because I wanted to colour the berries. As I said, big mistake/learning curve. The second whoopsie thing I did, was to not line up my card on the gird paper, with the dotted line on the Stamp and Spin. I had trouble even seeing it because the SAS is clear/see through. To remedy this, I added a small black dot on the bottom of the dotted line so it was easier to see next time I use it. I used a permanent black marker for the dot. Ok, so below is the card. I just need to stamp a Christmas sentiment to it, and then layer it.

In the photo below, I have put the  stamps I wanted to use, on to an A4 size Lavinia Stamps Acrylic board. This means I have all the stamps close at hand in advance, and I don't have to stop and look for each stamp as I need it. I find it much quicker to get cards made doing this. And I don't lose any stamps! 

Ok, thanks for dropping by! Have a SUNSHINE day! Remember to always be your authentic self, and shine bright each and every day!

Do You Have Any Idea's Please?!

 I have a question. I have a friend whom I always send a Christmas card to. Sadly, her eyesight is failing, and she can longer see very well. She loves my cards, and keeps each one. I want to make her a Christmas card, but she may not be able to see it. How can I make a card for her, that she will be able to see? Now I know that sounds silly, but I still want to make her a card, even though I know her eyesight has seriously deteriorated. (It was quite sudden and unexpected.) Originally I had planned to make her a card with lights on, but now I think I will have to change my plan. If anyone has any ideas of what I can make for her, please let me know! One way or another, I am going to make her a card.

Thanks for dropping by! (I am working on a couple of cards, which I will post here when they're done! Have a SUNSHINE day! Remember to always be your authentic self, and shine bright each  and every day!

"Luca Sitting on The Moon!"

Here is "Luca" sitting on the moon, doing some star gazing! I used a LS Sticker Stencil for the crescent moon. The tree tops are created by inking up the tips of tree's, also the sentiment is from LS, as is Luca. Quite an easy card to create. I think the hardest part was stamping the stars in the right place. I kept wiping some of the ink of them as I stamped them, so they only stamped on the inside of the crescent moon. Hope you enjoy!

Thanks for dropping by!  Remember to always be your authentic self, and shine bright each and every day!

 

Spring!

I 'swiped' various coloured inkpads down a piece of white card to create the back ground for this card. I had made the background some time ago and cannot recall which ink pads I used - sorry! Then I stamped on of the Suzanne Canon stamps I have, on to the background. I punched out some tiny flowers using some coloured paper and stuck those to the card, as well as a couple of clear glass drops. I adhered the card top to a piece of black card stock, then on to a piece of very chunky glittery card. It made a loud crunch sound as I cut it, so I hope I haven't made the blade on my cutter blunt! Lastly I adhered this to another piece of black card stock. A quick and easy card to put together. Seeing as we are into Spring here, I thought it was the right time to post this card on here! We have also just gone on to Daylight Saving, which I am enjoying! I love having that extra hour of daylight in the evening. Although I slept in this morning - I blame it on my two cats for not waking me up an hour earlier, as they usually do! Maybe they too haven't adjusted to being an hour ahead yet! Anyway, this is my card for today. Hope you enjoy it! Thanks for dropping by! Have a SUNSHINE day! Remember to always be your authentic self, and shine bright each and every day!

 

A Card, A Hospital Visit and Something Funny!

I had another hospital stay recently. I'm back home and slowly getting my life back on track. The photo above was taken when I was still in the Emergency Department. They were giving me IV fluids because I was so dehydrated, as well as some other drugs I needed. The photo below is the funny one! Some of the medications are quite strong and make me a bit doo-lally. Looking at the signs on the door to my bathroom, I couldn't figure out what the last symbol was! I could figure out the male/female sign, but the last one I thought...was it a UFO taking off or landing?!! After some time I got it...it was the sign for the shower! With all the drugs I'd been given, things were not making much sense to me! Anyhow, I thought it was funny, and once I got it, I had a bit of a giggle to myself! Luckily I was in a private room, so no-one else was there to wonder why I was giggling. Thankfully, in spite of not being well and feeling like bleh, I still had my sense of humour!

The card below was inspired by one Eileen Godwin had made. The stamp is called "The Green Man", and is from Lavinia Stamps. It's a stamp I never thought I would buy, because I didn't like it. I had seen many cards made with it, but didn't like them. I didn't like how they had been coloured in. That was, until I saw Eileen's video. I first used red and orange Elements ink over the LS Stencil (Abstract), and then stamped 'The Green Man' over the top. Lastly stamping the two Hares, also LS stamps. I also stamped the Lavinia Stamps stamp, as Eileen had done. I really like how this card turned out, and am really surprised how much I like 'The Green Man' stamp! All the cards I had seen using him, I just didn't like. They had all coloured in TGM, and it just didn't look right. (To me, anyhow.) This was a quick card to create. I think I might do some more like this, using different colours and stencils for the background.

Thanks for dropping by! Have a SUNSHINE day! Remember to always be your authentic self, and shine bright each and every day!

 

Some Information!

I bought these two stamps at a craft show last year. I had seen cards made using them, online before hand and was lucky to find them at the show. They had been die cut around the dotted shape and made into shaker cards. However, I couldn't find which die they had used to cut out the shape. The closest I could find was a set of Spellbinder ides, but they weren't quite the right shape. Feeling disappointed I couldn't make my Christmas cards with the stamps, I left the stamps sitting on my desk. Throughout the year, I kept searching for the die, an even contacted the company that sold the stamps. They were not able to help. This morning I had another go at finding the matching die. I found a different company in the UK  that sells these stamps, and sent them a message. Bingo! They replied back and gave me the name of the die! It is a Sue Wilson Die, called "Holly Lattice Frame" die, CED3125. Ok, so I now had the name of the die, but I needed to find where to buy it in NZ. I had no luck finding it here in NZ, but I did find it for sale in Australia. So I have just ordered it! Australia is just across the ditch as we say, so I should have the die in a week or so. Watch this space to see what I make! I sent a thank you note to the company in the UK who helped me. I have posted this incase there are others out there who are also looking for the matching die for these stamps. You never know! I always think I am the only

one searching for something, but there may e others looking for the same product.

I also have a new Lavinia Stamps stamp and stencil arriving soon. No cards to post today, I am feeling very low on energy today, and am having a 'quiet' day...in my pajama's! Yes! It's "International Pajama Day" today! (According to me!) Thanks for dropping by! Have a SUNSHINE day! Remember to always be your authentic self, and shine bright each and every day!

 

Shit Happens...!

This card looks way better in real life. The colours are much deeper, although still sort of pale. I used a Lavinia Stamps stencil for the background. I also used a LS heart shaped sticker stencil for the heart. I used a very small makeup rush to ink up just the inside edge of the heart. Although you can barely see it, the heart shape is colored with a soft pink Versafine Clair ink pad. The sentiment is two separate stamps from Inkylicious. For specific details of stamps, colours etc, leave me a message and I will reply. The flowers and heart have clear Wink of Stella on, so they are quite sparkly. The white card is a 5x5 inch size. This was fairly quick to create, and a kind of last minute idea. It was getting late when I decided to create this, and I am happy how it turned out! I hope you enjoy it! Ok, thanks for dropping by! Have a SUNSHINE day! Remember to always be your authentic self, and shine bright each and every day!