Sweet Sunday Sketch - #126

Heeellllooo Bloggers!! It has been quite a while since I did a post and there have been extenuating circumstances that have kept me from blogging or crafting for that matter. I won't go into it here as it is rather private and to do with my family but I have not felt much like crafting for some time. Today I had to teach a private scrapbooking class and decided to work on a couple of sketches after my student went home. I looked for a challenge or two and found Karen's Sweet Sunday challenge which I used to do on a regular basis with my friend Sherry. What better way to get back into the swing of things. I had so much fun making this card and it did take some time as I am so anal about where things go etc lol. Below is the sketch we were to follow. . . .

And here is my card following that sketch. I really love how it turned out. I used The Timsters Vintage Shabby paper pad and Basic Greys Out of Print 6x6 paper pad. I used SU cardstock, inks, and pom pom trim as well as the eyelet border punch. My flowers are from I Am Roses and I cannot do without these flowers now. The stamped image is from Kaisercraft and the sentiment is a SU one.

Okay until the morning that is all from me tonight.

In the meantime. . . .

Walk about your day with beauty.

The Gypsy

365 Cards - #212 - On The Fringes

Today over at 365 Cards the challenge is to have fringes on at least two sides of your card. The only fringing I had was this lovely wool fibre that I bought some months ago for cards and I finally had the opportunity to use it. . . .yay!!!

I love this stamp set which is a retired set from SU from about 2004-2005 and I purchased it online as a US demo was getting rid of some retired stamp sets. It is so vintage and you could use it for many different projects. Okay that is it for another day.

In the meantime. . . .

Walk about your day with beauty.

The Gypsy

Supplies: SU Rose Red, Chocolate Chip and Very Vanilla cardstock. Tim Holtz Ticket. Vintage designer paper unknown brand. Ranger distress inks in Walnut stain and Vintage Photo. Fibre I purchased from Spotlight. SU Travel set stamp set (deceased).

Paper Blooms - It's A Flower, But It's Not

The challenge this time around on Paper Blooms was to use a flower as something other than a flower and as you can see by my card I have done just that. Although it does look kinda funny lol. I used the Tim Holtz "Man With An Umbrella" stamp from one of his Idealology sets as is the sentiment from the same set. The flowers are from my stash and I have folded them in half but when I look at it the umbrella appears to have turned itself inside out in the wind lol but I did follow the contours of the umbrella itself. All cardstock is from Stampin'Up! including the white gel pen and the Chocolate Chip stamp pad. However it is Ranger Distress Ink around the edges of the card. (my husbands idea, he said it gives the image depth!)

Okay that is it for me now I have to go and make some vintage journals for the local book shop who wants to stock my products.

In the meantime. . . .

Walk about your day with beauty.

The Gypsy

365 Cards - #160 - Lovely Lace

I am playing catch up today over at 365 Cards because I have been so sick. Now you all know what my day 161 was like very plain and simple so I thought I would make up for it today and go the extra nine yards so to speak. This challenge was all about adding lace to your card and I decided to cut up one of my vintage lace doilies that I purchased from an antique shop for this very purpose. I have about 6 doilies sitting in my stash of varying sizes and types. I went for the layered look which I adore and all sorts of textures. I hope you enjoy my card today.

This is it until later on today as it is Super Sketchy Sunday on 365 Cards later on. As a matter of fact it is already on the blog but I am keeping Mum about it because I get it first over here in Australia lol. But be warned girls you are gonna love it!!! I'm just saying is all!

In the meantime. . . .

Walk about your day with beauty.

The Gypsy

Supplies: SU Chocolate Chip and Blush Blossom cardstock. DCWV Once Upon A Time paper stack and Brights paper stack. Cuttlebug Swiss Dots EF. Tim Holtz stamp set. Ribbon, vintage doily and flowers from my stash. SU Brad. Ranger Walnut Stain Distress Ink. EK Success Retro Flower punch.

365 Cards - #158 - What's Your Sign?

It is another day and another card today over at 365 Cards. Today's challenge is to put a sign on your card. You can use a stamp, patterned paper, or create a sign out of the card. I had this image in my head that I wanted to use but it not translate the way I wanted it too, to paper. I wanted it a lot murkier, darker, slimier etc. I, unfortunately could not put that on paper the way I saw it in my head. I was doing an early Halloween card even though we don't celebrate that over here in Australia I still love it. I love everything about it. Okay on with the details of my card. I masked a circle and shaded the night sky and then the rocks below in the swamp were the best colour I could get them. The water should have been a little darker too but what the heck there is always another day and another card!! Once again I used a stamp from my ancient stash from Stamp Impressions. I used The Timster's birds in flight from one of his sets. The Swamp Hollow sign I created myself and mounted it onto a toothpick which I coloured with Distress inks lightly. I almost wish I had a stamp of a zombie or some kind of monster coming out of the swamp, I guess that image will have to stay in my head for now. . .too many scary movies!!!

Well that's it for me today, I will catch you all on the roundabout tomorrow.

In the meantime. . . .

Walk about your day with beauty.

The Gypsy

Supplies: SU Basic Black, Pumpkin Pie and Very Vanilla cardstock. Tim Holtz stamp set. Ranger Distress Inks. SU Markers. Toothpick and Black roller ball pen. Stamp Impressions stamp for the swamp.

365 Cards - #156 - Ad Inspired & A RAK

Okay so today over at 365 Cards the challenge was Ad Inspired by this beautiful pic below and Gloria from the design team chose this as inspiration for our card today. I chose to use the beautiful salmon colour from the flowers and the green from the drawers, the basket below the drawers and I also chose the black handles. Those colours are what I worked with today for my card.

Here is my entry for the challenge today. I was going to use SU Cameo Coral but I had this block of Co'ordinations cardstock which has different colours as the core of the cardstock. I got this block of 6x6 cardstock with my Cuttlebug last year and have only used one piece. . .geez talk about a hoarder!!! Anyway the salmon colour was closer to the colour in the inspirational pic. Now on the flower pot I ran my piece of SU Kraft through the Cuttlebug using the Branches Embossing folder and I tried to run it each way giving it a basket weave look but you all know what happens when you run it through the Cuttlebug again don't you? Yes that's right it takes out the previous embossing. . . .DOH!!! Again I just cut a pot shaped piece of cardstock and that was my flower pot. The black handles on the drawers I chose to decorate the top of my pot.

Now these next pics are from a beautiful woman in the USA. . .Sherry from Button Junkie sent me this and I received it this afternoon. I think this is the nicest bloody thing that anyone has ever done for me and I had a little cry when I received it because things have been crappy lately and I was bemoaning this fact to Sherry a couple of weeks ago, family troubles you know what I mean? During the course of our typed conversation lol we started chatting about RAK's and I said that I would love to become involved in this sort of thing as I love doing RAK for people. I see it all the time on people's blogs as well as organised swaps usually with a theme and my daughter is involved in swaps all the time and she has sent the most beautiful handmade gifts to people, overseas and all and she has received some of the most gorgeous gifts in return from people she does not know or she has not met in person but that is this amazing internet isn't it? It brings people closer and I love that. So I am going to go through each pic and explain exactly what she sent me. . .geez I'm a sook as I am having another little weep as I type this. . .I am blaming menopause ok???? Anyone want to argue? hahahahahahaha!! Man I still got it!! I know this is a long post but I want to do this justice because I received a beautiful gift from a beautiful friend. (she has become so now, and just think it was after I received my blog candy gift that we started chatting together)

Okay in the first pic it is a close up of a inspiring and beautiful card that Sherry made herself which I love and it sits in front of my workspace now so I can smile each time I look at it.

In this pic you will see some Timster word tickets, a bag of metal embellishments with some more Timster word pins. There is also at the back some Timster Journalling tickets and then some assorted ribbons.

Now in this pic you can see not one but two stamp sets!!! One is of all different butterflies and the other. . . .wait for it. . . .YES Tim Holtz stamps!!!! OMG I nearly fell about the room in a swoon when I saw this. Then my next fav thing was some gorgeous vintage Hero Arts flowers which I will never want to use as they were so gorgeous I just want to covet them. Can you see this word coming up a lot in my posts? I am beginning to think I have a problem lol. At the front you can just see some purple Kaiser rhinestones and then right in front is a Quikcutz cookie cutter die. Now I have to add here that it was not until just before this post when I was packing everyone very gently away that I realised that there was not one but two cookie cutter dies and the other one is a small Christmas tree but sorry Sherry it must have been stuck behind the insert of the card or something.

LOL This is a close up showing you all that this is in fact a Tim Holtz stamp set lol. See. . . I'm bragging!

This is an overall shot of my RAK gift from Sherry. Now do you all agree with me that this is indeed the most precious gift? Man I still cannot get over the absolute genorosity of Sherry who herself is not working either. Man it just blows me away it really does. All I can say is thankyou from the bottom of my heart Sherry it means the world to me, receiving this gift from you. Okay if you are still with me I think I have said enough for one evening.

No it's not I wanted to say thankyou to you all for all the encouraging and beautiful comments you all left for me after my Reader of the Week guest spot. . . thankyou all so much my friends.

In the meantime. . .

Walk about your day with beauty.

The Gypsy.

Supplies: SU Mellow Moss, Very Vanilla and Kraft cardstock. Cuttlebug Swiss Dots and Branches embossing folders. Kaisercraft rhinestones. SU Embrace Life and Short and Sweet stamp sets. SU Markers and Basic Black stamp pad.

365 Cards - 154 - Trains, Planes & Automobiles

Well ladies and quite possibly gents, today is the last day of Reader Appreciation Week over at 365 Cards and guess who it is. . . Yep IT'S ME!!!! I was tickled pink when Pam asked me ages ago if I wanted to be a guest designer for the blog and did not even have to hesitate but said yes immediately. . . I Mean, come on who wouldn't jump at the chance. I am honoured that Vicky chose me to take the front and centre spot today, thankyou Vicky for your beautiful words and right back at you. I feel the same way actually. . .funny that lol!!!

My card today was a bit of a worry at the time Pam told me what it was going to be I thought hell I don't have any plane stamps or trains or cars for that matter. I went into the little town where I live and looked in the craft shop and could not find anything and I asked the lady there and she said the only thing I have is this paper set. It was a plain cream with the train in the corner and I said that is perfect is will fit with a vintage sytle card and so here it is. I cut it off the paper and popped it off the card, distressing the edges the background designer paper is from the same set and has train tracks all over it, so I had to have that one as well. The two buttons were clear so I used Glossy Accents to adhere them to the same cream paper that the train came from. The stamp in the background is and yes you guessed right again a Tim Holtz stamp (my hero) from the same set that I used on my card last night, as is the diamond stamp on the other side. The vacation sentiment and the letters with pen are stickers from that same shop. I really like how this card turned out and I hope you all like it as well.

In the meantime. . .

Walk about your day with beauty.

The Gypsy

Supplies: SU Blue Bayou cardstock. The designer papers are from Far and Away - Trains, Planes and Automobiles. The stickers are American Traditional Designs. Tim Holtz stamp set, Ranger Distress Inks, Buttons from my stash. SU Hemp twine.

365 Cards - #153 - Tag, You're It

Today over at 365 Cards for the second last day of Reader Appreciation Week the challenge was set down as Tag, You're It and you had to include a journalling ticket on your card somewhere. You could use an actual ticket, a rub-on, a stamp or a sticker. I'm sorry I didn't get my card on last night but I went to bed at 8.30pm and did not get up again until 8.30am this morning I think I had some kind of 24 hour virus, with high temp, headache etc. I got up okay this morning except for the constant headache which is still with me tonight but other than that I have no clues as to what it was. . .it is a mystery!! Now back to cards, I digressed for just a bit sorry ladies! My pic tonight is a little blurry and I don't know why. Do not adjust your screens folks we will return to normal viewing directly!

I used one of my coveted Tim Holtz Journalling Tags that I won on his blog (you all know what I am talking about lol) and I have been keeping them safe for a couple of months now but I cracked them open for this challenge. I also used a new set of Tim Holtz rubber stamps which I won on EBay a couple of weeks ago which came last Friday. They are my new favs. . .geez I am so predictable!

This second pic is of my beautiful little grandaughter Sophie eating her dinner tonight which was stir-fry oriental noodles and she loved them as you can see lol. She wants to feed herself now at 14 months but got a little carried away and tipped the bowl into her lap and then proceeded to put the bowl on her head and as you can see she is thoroughly enjoying herself lol she was having a ball, so Nan decided to get the camera! She is so beautiful.

Okay that is it for me tonight.

In the meantime. . . .

Walk about your day with beauty.

The Gypsy

Supplies: SU Very Vanilla Confetti cardstock. DCWV textured cardstock. Unknown designer paper. Tim Holtz stamp set and Journalling Tag. Ribbon from my stash. Butterfly embellishment from my stash but only two days old. SU Hemp Twine. SU Chocolate Chip stamp pad. Ranger Distress Inks. Wendy Irving rub-on sentiment.

365 Cards - #146 - Mirror Me

Today over at 365 Cards the challenge was to create a symmetrical card and the only thing that does not have to be symmetrical is the sentiment. . . .crap I only put one ribbon on my card and do you know what I am not re-doing it lol because I am tired and in pain and I love it the way it is hehehehe The stamp is from my new Tim Holtz set which I won on EBay. Isn't it beautiful?. . *deep sigh* I don't think I have said how much I love the Timster lately but I do hehehe. The papers are from Daisy Bucket and I only got them today and had to use them straight away.

Okay that is it for me tonight, I've got a nice comfy bed just callin' my name. . .it's saying "Shell come on come and lay down" God I crack me up sometimes lol.

In the meantime. . .

Walk about your day with beauty.

The Gypsy

Supplies: SU Very Vanilla Confetti cardstock. Daisy Bucket designer paper. Tim Holtz stamp set. Kaisercraft pearls. Unknown ribbon from my stash. Ranger distress inks. Sponge dauber. SU Short and Sweet stamp set. SU Chocolate Chip stamp pad. SU Eyelet Border punch and Scallop punch.

365 Cards - #120 Super Sketchy Sunday

Today Blogger was being a butt munch so I really didn't want to wait to load and re-load and re-load the sketch as well as that is what I had to do for my cards and I just got sick of waiting for it lol. Today it is Super Sketchy Sunday over at 365 Cards and you have to visualise the sketch ok!! My card is the duplicate of the sketch so you won't have to visualise too much hehehe. I am loving my damask stamp so much lately from SU Friends 24-7 stamp set. It gets more use than anything else I've got lol. My embellishment on the side of the card has one of my treasured Idealology Fragments that I won from Tim Holtz a couple of months ago, like the paper I have to let go of stuff but I'm with Gloria it is difficult to do most times. I just wanna keep all my Tim Holtz stuff I won to look at and say how pretty it is, that's all! Tomorrow I am off to look after my Mum as she is not too well at the moment and she is house sitting for a friend so she is on her own. She is a bit fragile my Mum so she needs looking after. Where she is does not have a computer *loud gasp* so Ash has let me take her laptop but I still have to get a connection so if I do I do and if not I will have to play catch up when I get home on Thursday night. Now if I don't get on don't you all play up on Pam lol I don't want to miss the fun. . . please hang out until I get back lol.

This second card was an order that my bestie wanted made for her friend Vicki and she loves Victorian era, so I think I managed something from that era lol. I love it that's all I know!! Again with the Damask.

That is it for me so until next time. . .

Walk about your day with beauty.

The Gypsy

Supplies: SU Everything except for the Daisy D Designer paper on the blue card, the lace and button on the second card and the Idealology Fragment on the first card.

365 Cards - #79 My Fav Manufacturer

It's Monday evening for me so it must be day time for those of you who reside in the Northern Hemisphere lol.  Today's challenge over on 365 Cards was to make your card using your favourite manufacturer.  So if you know me you will know that I would choose anything that The Timster (Tim Holtz) masterminds.  I think he is THE MOST outstanding creative man that our field has ever seen.  My husband thinks I am in love with him lol.  I think I am old enough to be his mother. . . no scrap that maybe his older sister hehehe.  I FINALLY got my Ranger order today after waiting for over eight weeks.  Long story.. . briefly my daughter, Ash and I went halves in getting the whole range of Distress Inks and the craft mats, the whole range of alcohol inks, applicators etc but it has taken us a while to gather the funds together hence the eight weeks.  Today they came!!!  We were too excited for sure.  So in honour of the man himself I created my card using Distress Inks and my very own (and only one) Tim Holtz stamp set which I just won on ebay.  Vintage all the way for me baby!!  That's not to say that I won't be creating other cards as well but I have been waiting soooo long for my stuff to arrive that I will be stampin', creatin' and doin' the happy dance for a long while to come.  Oh did I tell you I was excited. . . .yes I think I did but just in case you didn't read it earlier I had better say it again. . .I am sooooo excited about having my distress inks, I could die happy now lmao.

Now onto the card itself.  As I said I used Tim Holtz Lost and Found stamp set from Stampers Anonymous with some of my tea-dyed lace and just in the top right hand corner there is an acrylic overlay from a vintage set I have had for a while and now I have had the chance to use some of it as I thought it suited perfectly.  The way the image came out is the way it is supposed to come out apparently.  I took eight jolly photos tonight trying to get a good one but every image seemed to be blurry and I am too tired to go get the manual to find out why so I chose the best of a bad lot.  Anyway that's my creation for this Monday.  Looking forward to seeing what everyone else creates.

In the meantime. . .

Walk about your day with beauty.

The Gypsy

Supplies: SU Very Vanilla cardstock.  Making Memories Designer paper.  Stamper's Anonymous Lost & Found stamp set.  Ranger Antique Linen distress ink.  Unknown brand of acrylic overlay.  My own tea-dyed lace.  SU Basic Black stamp pad.

Creative Space Thursday

Ok once again it is that time of the week where I get to peek into other peoples creative spaces.  I have been so sick this past week I have done nothing but mope and sleep.  But I managed to drag my butt into my craft room and take some pics just minutes ago like I mean at 5.45pm lol.  I have thought about it all day but just did not have the energy.  Anyway without making one wait a minute longer here is my space for this week. . .

This is the new Cuttlebug folders I purchased on E Bay this week with the new Stampin' Up! Catty which has my recent order inside it.  I have a whole lot of goodness coming my way from the new catty within the next couple of days and I cannot wait!!!

This is the unmounted Flourishes stamp set I also won on E Bay this week.  I cannot express to you how much I love flourishes.  They complete me!!! hehehehe and beside it you will see just a hint of what's in the next pic and that is . . .

Yep you guessed it an old sheet music book,  three old hinges, some old lace still on the original card and look at that little antique key.  Is it not beautiful.  I made these purchases the other day when my daughter and I went down to Uralla on a road trip.   I can't wait to receive my Tim Holtz products this week or early next week so I can put these little beauties to work on a project or two.  Well that is my space this week. . . not much but is all I could muster the energy for sorry everyone.  If you would like to take a peek at other creative spaces please pop on over to Kootoyoo's  and check them all out. .

In the meantime. . .

Walk about your day with beauty.

The Gypsy

New Classes

Hi Bloggers,
In transferring all the posts over to my new blog I have misplaced one or two and one of those being my post on upcoming classes. I have new classes coming as soon as I hear back from the suppliers so please stay tuned you will not be disappointed.

The new classes will include one on using metal to enhance your project (this product is absolutely amazing people). I will also be teaching a class using Tim Holtz's range of products ie. Distress Inks, Alcohol Inks, Stickles, Perfect Pearls and his amazing range of Idealogy products (AMAZING). Another class will be utilising Suze Weinberg's UTEE products. . . wait until you see this product. As a matter of fact wait until you see all the products and what you can do with them. Bloggers it will blow you away I promise you that!! I am just waiting to hear back from the suppliers and then it will be "Thunderbirds GO"!!!
In the meantime though. . . .
Walk about your day with beauty.
The Gypsy