Thinking Outside the Card

It's High Hopes challenge time! I am hosting this one too! This week we are thinking outside the card so basically, anything that isn't a card! Here is what I made:

This is my stamp index... I have been using this for almost a year now to show me what stamps I have and where they are. I couldn't possibly keep up with them all so instead of rummaging through my drawers I just flip through my little notebook. Up until this week it has just been raw and uncovered but now it is finally pretty!

So, this is how I store my stamps, all in drawers and categorised. So I know where everything is I have categorised my stamp index too.

I have little front pages for each category... like this....

Then I have little thumbnail pictures of all the stamps that live in the drawer. To tell you the honest truth... without my stamp index I can never remember where anything is and I never remember what stamps I have!! Each page is printed on regular printer paper and lightly glued in. That way if the page changes with new stamps I can easily remove the page and replace it with the new one. I have purposely spaced some stamps out on some pages to leave room for more to fit in without having to pull the notebook apart and insert another page.



My animals category keeps all of the animal stamps that are not from the latest few releases or don't fit into Farmyard or Fairytale.

Everyday things is the spot where I keep trees, flowers, balloons and general bits and pieces that don't fit specifically and only in one category. This is the area I come most to... usually when I am looking for a filler for a card and can't think of something to occupy the spot!

The latest category is Garden... these new release stamps are so cute!! I also have a category for people but I haven't quite finished that one yet so it isn't in the index. I have started Christmas from the back because that is going to keep on expanding so it wont outgrow its area. When the book gets too big for the spirals (that might be soon!) I am going to take it to a binding shop and see if I can get bigger spirals for it. That way I will never have to change it! Well hopefully anyway!!

Splish Splash!

Splish Splash, Burt I was takin' a bath
Long about a Saturday night
A rub-a-dub, just relaxin' in the tub
Thinkin' everything was alright
Well, I stepped out the tub, put my feet on the floor,
I wrapped the towel around me and I
Opened the door, and then I
Splish, Splash! I jumped back in the bath.
Well how was I to know there was a party going on?

They was a-splishin' and a-splashin',
Reelin with the feelin, movin' and a-groovin',
Rockin' and a-rollin', yeah!

This card was a hoot to make and it still gives me a little chuckle when I look at it. Burt looks so happy having a bath in his bird bath doesn't he?

This month Cardmaking, Stamping & Papercraft put out a call for cards using song lyrics instead of the sentiment and this is one of the cards I came up with. I did two others but they are a secret so you wont be seeing those for a bit yet!

It's a pretty straight forward card but using rub-on's instead of stamps for the words and poking a bit of raffia out from under the flowers.

Whitby Whale is Famous...

I went to the newsagency last night with Matt. We usually go so he can look at computer magazines... occasionally I look in the craft section. This time I was so stunned to see my Whitby Whale card on the front cover!! I grabbed the mag and started jumping around calling across the room "My card's on the front, Matt" I think he tried to hide behind his mag when people started looking!

The issue is Vol 14 No 10 !

These are my posts of the cards...

Best Fishes
Relax... It's Your Day
Tons of Love

Have a GREAT Easter!!

Meet..... Gabrielle

I took up bear making for a few hours this weekend... by few I mean about 10. I got Gabrielle's bits and pieces at the Townsville Craft Fair from Brentwood Bears and started yesterday at dodgily sewing her. So, now she isn't a pile of fur and parts... she's a little bear! Surprisingly, she is actually holding together too!

I have always wanted to make a teddy bear but I am so challenged when it comes to sewing its not funny. If you had to have a license to use a sewing machine they would take me aside, sit me down and distract me while someone raids my house and smashes my machine into a million little pieces! Want an example? Last night I got my head so close to the machine the little silver bit that goes up and down near the top of the machine hit me in the forhead!

You know, from this picture she actually looks pretty good. To be honest I am rather proud... thank goodness for the fur... it was horrible to sew when you have no sewing experience but it hides all the flaws! I am so glad that no one ever needs to see what it really looks like on the inside!

Happy Easter

HAPPY EASTER! It's almost here anyway. This is my card for this weeks High Hopes Challenge. Kathrina has provided us a sketch. I am getting better at sketches now... I used to find them really hard but this one was lots of fun. I was a bit concerned as to why I chose blue for the bunny and up until I watercoloured his flowers I was still trying to work out what made me choose that colour. Even though, I am more than happy with it now.

I used all sorts of tools this week. My nesties, my brand new Martha Stewart leaf punch... (woohoo ebay!) and my two SU! circle punches. I didn't have a stamp that would fit in the circle so I hand wrote 'Happy Easter' and put a little heart in the middle.

I am going to send this card off to my friend in Townsville. I don't think she reads my blog so I don't think the surprise will be ruined.

Well, back to work in the morning... its another four day week this week with Easter at the end. Thats something to look forward to!