Ahoy!

AHOY! They're here!! My pirate stamps arrived on Friday... perfect timing seeing as I had a day off work. I got so excited when I found them in my mailbox I wore myself out and needed a nap before I could get started stamping and watercolouring! I love these stamps... the images are so fun! I have really mastered my aqua-painter this weekend too! I have always been aqua-painter challenged so I have favoured the blender pen... sky is almost impossible with a blender... they just aren't wet enough. Anyway, thanks Crissy for the sunset idea... I was wondering how I was going to go with blue sea and blue sky!

Wisssshing You A Sssspecial Day!

OK! I realise my blog seems to be looking really bare at the moment with all of the 'removed for publication' pics slapped everywhere! I will try really hard to get some more actual cards on here this week! Here is a little card I made last night using cute little Stanley Snake. Personally I am terrified of snakes and can't bear to go anywhere near them but with a smile like that, he would make any snake look adorable and cuddly..... well..... maybe not! Matt's sister, Jo, might have a different outlook on that comment but if it makes you feel any better Joanne, I didn't want Stanley DEAD the second I saw him! I see progress there!

A Little Brew to Help You

What do you think? This card took me quite a while. I spent about three hours watercolouring and then a couple more hours agonising over what to actually do with the card itself! I love the final result! I am going to miss these stamps!

The Doctor is in!

This little guy is so cute!! I decided today to make a couple more cards before I had to return the witch doctor stamps to Rachael and wanted to challenge myself to making a collection. I am not very good at making cards similar but each different so it was fun to do. I really need to get some more Scenic Route pattern paper! I love it!

You're the Pick of the Patch

I made this card yesterday... it was fun to watercolour seeing as I am not really big on watercolouring 'kid' images. I don't have kids myself so I just really prefer making cute animal cards! This stamp was a freebie in my last order and I think it is just adorable! She has Kindy Glitz on her wings, flowers and bike spokes too!

Aww... Nuts!

Australian Cardmaking, Stamping & Papercraft - Vol. 14 No. 06 on sale 26 December 2008.

I am SO sure I posted this one but as I was scrolling through my blog I couldn't find it! This is one of my favourite High Hopes cards yet! I am so happy with how it turned out and I even remembered to use my punches for it.... yeah shock, shock!!

Isn't Juliette so cute! She really knows how to keep her cool even when facing the peril of crash landing in bushes! Palm trees and bushes cant keep that girl down!

Christmas

I was trying for a bit of a different colour combo here.. I don' think I have ever used Old Olive and Sage Shadow together on a card before. I like it. What do you think?? Come on, don't be shy... I want to know I still have readers!

Stamps: Season of Joy
Cardstock: Old Olive, Sage Shadow & Whisper White
Ink: Old Olive
Accessories: Old Olive Brads

The Christmas Cards Begin.....

I whipped two Christmas cards up this afternoon... I thought I had better make a start... and also take a break from High Hopes! At least until my new stamps get here.

For this card I used my markers directly on the stamp then huffed on it to moisten the ink. It is a great stamp for that technique!

Stamps: Seasons of Joy (Spring Mini Catalgoue)
Cardstock: Real Red, Old Olive, Whisper White and 'Dashing' Designer Series Paper
Ink: Real Red & Old Olive Stampin' Write Markers
Accessories: Real Red Grosgrain Ribbon

Sorry I've Been Tied Up Lately

Australian Cardmaking, Stamping & Papercraft - Vol. 14 No. 06 on sale 26 December 2008.

This is Juliette's Leap of Faith again... isn't she so cute! I was trying to think of something a bit different for this card so I made her strung up in a palm tree. Inside I have 'Sorry I've Been Tied Up Lately'. That statement isn't far from the truth either... I have been SO tied up lately but have I mentioned lately how much I LOVE High Hopes?? I have a whole bunch of new ones coming... it has been two weeks now since I ordered so hopefully I will get them this week. Fingers crossed... then I will be making time!!

Kelly, Caitlin & Caleb

I did this layout so long ago now it is almost disgraceful! It has been rolling around my room for months now... I didn't even put it in my album! I have been meaning to take a photo of it for ages and seeing as it has been shoved everywhere for about three months it is still in great condition! Anyway, Kelly is my sister, Caitlin is my niece and Caleb is my little tasmanian devil nephew. He was blocking his ears because everyone was saying 'CHEESE' and he didn't want to listen to them.

A little brew to help you!

Oh dear... I am really going to miss this set when I have to give it back to Rachael!! This is my favourite of the weekend!! I am just totally happy with this card... there is not one thing I don't like! I am a bit over cutting out the fern leaves though!

I didn't have much room on the outside of the card to stamp the words so I put them inside instead.....

I really like the pattern paper on this one too... its Scenic Route... I only had that tiny bit left over so I might have to look into getting some more now I am out! It is a bit more of a challenge matching SU colours to non-SU paper... I have gotten really lazy in the last year or so knowing everything matches perfectly!

The doctor is in!

This witch doctor card was yesterdays effort! I actually had a really productive weekend! I borrowed this little guy from Rachael and he was a blast to watercolour. To give you some idea how long it took to watercolour, I put Harry Potter 5 on a little bit after I started this guy (to listen to in the background) and I finished it about 10 minutes after the credits rolled.... that would have to be close to a record for me! I really set aside time when I watercolour to make sure I am happy with it and I was rather tired at the end this time!

I have been reading a few blogs that are REALLY great for ideas and MAN have I been learning HEAPS! You will notice in my posts (I have more to post but I will get around to them in the next few days) I have been experimenting with a few new ideas I have been learning from these girls... now though, I need to go practice, practice, practice!!

#1artist4highhopes was the inspiration behind this card. I love how she did the background of her witch doctor card... I need to practice a bit more I think! Oh... it pains me to see how wonderful her watercolouring is....!!! It's so good it hurts!

Artfully Ila is amazing... I love how she accents the images by using dots of acrylic paint! I have been trying it out and it really puts a whole new level to the image... it makes them really cute! Not to mention her whole layout of a card.... I'm SO jealous of her tallent!!

Michelle's watercolouring is fantastic! I have A LOT to learn from her! I encourage you to scroll down until you get to her sealife cards using High Hopes stamps.... CUTE!!

Leo Lion

I made this card last week. I spent two whole hours watercolouring it and I even topped it off with a whole heap of marker work to make it look more interesting. I was so happy with it I went and took a break then when I came back it had bled everywhere! I was devistated! I did a bit of saving work and made it ok but it still looks a little 'fluffy'. I have never had any trouble with watercolour paper before this... I did learn a lesson though... ALWAYS let the paper dry completely before adding accents with the marker! Then they wont bleed!

Oh, this is my first attempt at trying to use pattern paper on my cards!