My house reno

This year I'd been badgering my husband to get an addition to the house so we could have a larger bedroom and a playroom. Unfortunately it would have been too expensive. Instead he agreed to a reno (considering we've been in the house for 17 years without anything done to it inside - it was well and truly due!)

Those following my blog will know that earlier this year I got my wall oven and stove-top replaced; now (at this exact moment) I'm getting the interior repainted and then on the weekend, new carpet laid - Woohoo!

Here is an action shot of Mark and Sean (from Darren Slater Painter and Decorator) painting my WIR and ensuite. It's going to be a pretty blue walls with white doors/architraves/skirting boards/ceilings) instead of the Beige I've had to put up with since we moved in. You can see hints of the blue on the wall in the ensuite.

In the dining room/loungeroom, the walls will be a mid green; and the entry/kitchen and family room will be a mixture of the green and a dark cream.

Consequently for the past two weeks (or for me 4 weeks 'cause I was packing books into boxes for a long time) we've had to pack up everything in the carpeted rooms, so they're ready for the laying of the carpet once the rooms have been painted. And if you read my previous post, all sorts of things have been packed when they shouldn't have been.

This is my crafting area at the moment. It's also our sleeping area and relaxation zone. Hahaha!. You can see my craft basket, Copic Marker satchels and laptop on our bed and our son's bed tucked in under the kitchen bench.

Luckily, once the carpeted areas have been completed, the tiled areas will be done and we don't have as much to pack up (only the stuff on top of the furniture).

I'll post more photos soon.

Bye for now.

Love,

Janelle

My second and third Christmas card for the season

Hi to all, and best wishes for the upcoming Christmas season.

Today I'm presenting my second/third card for the 2016 Christmas season. This card is for the 4th Challenge for Angie's Digital Stamps Blog. The theme for this is "Anything Goes with an optional twist of Christmas".

The reason I've called this my second/third Christmas card of the season is that I made one (that disappeared into the dark recesses of our garage overnight, after being packed up by my ever helpful, but lovely husband.) Consequently I had to repeat it so it could be posted for Angie. I've also had to photograph everything on my phone as my camera has also been packed up. The reason for all of this packing up will be explained in a later post. 

This card uses a digistamp by Angie called "Little Lila with a Candy Cane" and was coloured using Copic markers. The silver edging around the oval image is a doily die cut called Bongani Doily from the Wild & Free Collection by Couture Creations. After it was die cut from silver foiled cardstock I quartered it and then arranged it around the edges of the oval shape. (I think perhaps a black or really dark green cardstock would have been better and stand out more.)

The sentiment was die cut from red foiled cardstock using some Decorative Dies from Kaisercraft's Christmas Words pack. Some Spectrum Noir clear glitter pen and Glossy Accents completed the card.

Pop on over to Angie's Digital Stamps Blog and see what everyone has been up to. Maybe you could join in for a chance to win digital stamps from Angie herself.  :)

Bye for now.

Love,

Janelle

Celebrating Get Creative's 2nd Blogversary

Get Creative Challenges is turning 2 and we are celebrating this occasion with the 52nd challenge that has the theme of Happy Birthday. We have two sponsors for this challenge - AliciaBel and Dr Digi.

My card used a digistamp called Alice & The Cake from AliciaBel. I did, though, change it a little by adding two candles on the slice of cake.

                                  

The gorgeous pink and foiled spot background is a vellum panel from The Craft Stall, bought from my local discount shop. (Look at my previous card to also see another of the panels from the packet.) The digistamp was coloured using Copic Markers and fussy cut, then mounted on an oval of white cardstock. The sentiment is a layered die cut using pink cardstock and Tim Holtz Alterations/Sizzix Celebrate cutting die set. You may be aware already that I love this set and his other, Friendship cutting die set. I use them so much.

Anyway. To complete the look I painted some pink Wink of Stella over the die cut and some clear Wink of Stella over the girl's bow. The faux stitching was also written using the pink WOS.

I'm doing more "simple" cards these days. Maybe it's a sign my style is changing or maybe it's because they're faster to do. What do you think??? Let me know what you think about my change in direction.

I'm off now. Pop on over to Get Creative Challenges, enjoy the party celebrations over there, and maybe you can enter a birthday card or two. (You can never have too many on hand.)

Bye for now.

Love,

Janelle

Using a Digital Stamp to Make a Background

Hi to all.

I'm back again with the third challenge from Angie's Digital Stamps. This month's challenge is "Anything Goes". I used one of Angie's digistamps of a cute little cupcake and thought it would be fun to create a background paper with it instead of making it the focus of the card (like I usually do).

I don't know about you, but whenever I'm manipulating images like this, I always go to a Windows Word page and find that I can manoeuver the images however I like. Probably it's because I started doing this back in 1980 something when we first got computers in the staffrooms in QLD schools. I used to make up my own class handouts and was forever trying to make them look interesting and professional-looking. 

This technique is for those of you who do not own/have access to editing programs such as Photo Shop.

HOW TO CREATE A BACKGROUND WITH A DIGISTAMP AND WINDOWS WORD PROGRAM.

1. Start by opening your image in a photo editing program like Photo Manager; and crop it to remove any excess white space. Make sure it's saved as a jpeg file.



2. Open the Word program, create a new page document and insert a rectangle the size of your intended background panel. You can position the images where you want them to be. Insert the cropped image. Reduce the size of the image to suit the size of the intended panel. It's important to now edit the image by changing the "Wrap Text" to "Tight". Also edit the order by bringing this image forward.

3.  The image is now ready to copy and paste. 

4.  Move the images and rotate to suit your design. The little green-ended handle is used to achieved this manipulation. Make sure some of the images fade off the edge of the panel to make it more natural looking.

5. Once you've placed all of the images where you want them, save the page and then print. Leave the rectangle in place as this will show you where to cut out.

I hope you can easily understand these instructions. If there's anything you need help with, please leave a comment and I'll get back to you.

To finish my card I painted around the edges of the card blank with some gold Wink of Stella ink, coloured the image using Copic Markers and secured a foiled and printed vellum panel; before completing by adding some pink enamel dots.

Anyway, head on over to Angie's Digital Stamps; see the amzing designs on display and enter your own design for a chance to win.

Bye for now.

Love,
Janelle

Looking Forward to ...

Check out the next issue of Australian Simply Cards. It will be their 100th edition and some of my cards are featured as "Fabulous ideas for milestone birthdays".

I used a variety of techniques to make a collection of 6 cards covering birthdays from 16 to 80. That's my box card just under the word 'Simply". Unfortunately I can't show you any photos of them - you'll just have to buy a copy and see for yourself.  (cheeky smile inserted here)

Bye for now.

Love,

Janelle

A Quick Share

Today I'm sharing a card I made for one of my design teams; but I got confused (not that difficult at the moment) and I didn't get it posted in time. OOOPS! I'm grateful I was forgiven. Am trying not to have it happen again.

Anyway, this card was to use black and one other colour (which was....guess...yes it was PINK!) I used a digi image I got from the internet by Carolyn Boettner. (Click on the link to go directly to the page.)

It was interesting colouring the background black and then colouring the rest in shades of pink and grey. I think the pink really stands out. I also didn't know I had so many Copic Marker pinks (and I've only got a small number of those available.) With Copic markers I definitely do not have "full set"-itis. hahahaha!

That's it for now. Bye!

Love,
Janelle

Challenge #50 "Back and Orange"

Welcome back for Challenge #50 for Get Creative Challenges. The theme this time is "Black and Orange" with the extra option of Halloween. The sponsor for this challenge is SLS Lines and the prize is 3 digital images of the winner's choice.

I used a fun image from SLS Lines of the three pumpkins and coloured them in using my Copic markers. I masked the card for the moon and then coloured the bats with black Wink of Stella pen, followed by a coat of Glossy Accents. The background is actually much darker IRL than it appears here. It was so difficult to colour the moon, halo and sky - just getting that correct blending of colour. I also really like how I coloured the middle pumpkin. I didn't quite get it right with the other two. I think my oranges were too much the same in colour value. What do you think?

I finished off the card with an orange card blank, black mat and so gorgeous washi tape in shades of black, orange, purple and gold. The foam letters I used were so old that the adhesive on the back of them had started to flake off, but work perfectly for this design.

Anyway, pop on over to Get Creative and check out the lovely reader cards. Maybe even add one of your own.

Bye for now.

Love,

Janelle

Angie's Digital Stamps Challenge #2

I made my first Halloween card for Challenge #2 of Angie's Digital Stamps blog. 

Being in Australia, there's not a real call for exchanging of cards on this occasion as we've only just started with the Trick or Treating; and decorating of the house. (Though this year I will be decorating the entry porch for the neighbourhood kids when they come visiting on the night.)

Using a cute image from Angie called "Daisy May with a Candle", I coloured her with my Copic markers and then placed her on a printed spider's web page design (that I found on the internet) that was coloured with Distress Crayons in Seedless Preserves, Peeled Paint and Chipped Sapphire, with a little black thrown in (which in hindsight wasn't a great idea, as it made the colours too muddy and dark). To rectify this, I sprayed the colours with water and then tried to lift off some of the colour. I layered the cobweb paper on top of some frayed muslin and some pewter blue shimmer cardstock.

A circle blended over with some Ripe Persimmon and Fossilized Amber Distress Ink, sprayed with water, blotted with paper towel; and then when dry, brushed over with some clear Wink of Stella; became the halo of candle light behind the fussy cut image. To finish I heat embossed the sentiment in silver on black cardstock; and made some little bats that I coated in Wink of Stella as well.

My idea for this card was to have a little girl trying to fend off the "nasties" of the night with a candle.

Anyway, please head over to Angie's blog and share in the fun with a Halloween twist.

Bye for now.

Love,
Janelle

Get Creative Challenge #48

I'm back again with a new challenge for Get Creative Challenges blog. The challenge this time was to use embossing, either heat or dry. I went the full hog and used both. hahahaha!

  











This challenge was sponsored by Star Stampz and the Winner's Prize is 3 images of the winner's choice. 

For my card I used an embossing folder on some white cardstock, that was then inked over with some distress ink. To finish off, I went berserk with some water sprinkled very liberally over it and then mopped up. I love the way the swirls are really pronounced across the top, but gradually fade to match the background around the girl. I thought this embossing folder sort of looked like wind swirling in the sky.

The image was from Sarah at Star Stampz and is called "Autumn Fall Girl Reading". She was coloured with Copic markers and fussy cut around. The sentiment was heat embossed with white EP. To complete the card, I applied Spectrum Noir Glitter Brush over her hat, pumpkins and cat. The matt is some bronze glimmer cardstock - mmmmmm - yummy!

Anyway, head over to Get Creative and see the lovely designs posted and perhaps join in the fun.

Bye for now.

Love,

Janelle

Fall Colours for Simply Create Too Challenge #117

Welcome back. I'm here today with another challenge from Angie at Simply Create Too. We're midway through this challenge and some of the entries we've received are AMAZZZING! 

My card was based around a die cut tree I designed from an illustration I found on the net. I redrew a lot of it to add peepholes so that the background could show through. I then changed it into a cuttable file for my ScanNCut. I'm amazed by the very fine cuts it was able to achieve.

The background was made using alcohol inks and blending solution on some glossy cardstock. I used Adirondack Lettuce, Rust, Cranberry and Sandal. Once that was dry, I lightly sponged on a little Perfect Medium ink and dusted with some gold Perfect Pearls powder. That's the sheen you can see in the photo. Somehow I never seem to think about Autumn without thinking of gold.

The sentiment was die cut using Sizzix/Tim Holtz Alterations Friend die set from some gold glittered cardstock, that was then layered on matching white die cuts. To finish it, I added some small light green, red, orange and yellow rhinestones.

I saw the idea for this card on someone's blog (sorry I forget who) and then Darnell from www.djkardkreations.com did a variation of it on her blog here. 

Be back soon with some more autumnal cards.

Love,
Janelle

A Brand new Blog Challenge

I'm here today for the very first blog challenge from Angie's Digital Stamps. Angie, the proud and talented owner of Angie's Digital Stamps, has decided to start showcasing her own designs. Click on the link above to see her designs at her shop on Etsy. Each challenge will run for a month.

The theme for Challenge #1 is "Anything goes" and I chose the pretty butterfly on a toadstool digi stamp.

I coloured this using Copics markers and then die cut the image using the MFT Die-namics Inside/Out Stitched Rectangles. Nothing finishes off a card more than a touch of glitter cardstock, some Spectrum Noir Glitter brush and some Glossy Accents. I also die cut the sentiment from some matt gold cardstock using Sizzix/Tim Holtz Alterations Celebrate cutting die set. Several layers were glued together to form a stacked die cut. It didn't stand out enough though, so I applied Glossy Accents. Super cool! You should see it IRL.

Anyhow, why don't you head on over to Angie's blog and see the great Design Team creations and add a creation of your own for a chance to win digi stamps to own and colour.

Anyway, that's it for now.

Love,

Janelle

Back To School

I'm back with the latest Simply Create Too Challenge #115. Back to School was the theme and it was time for me to play around with my Brother ScanNCut. 

 (front of the card) 

  (inside of the card)

I drew the apple and pencil and then scanned them into Canvas, created files for each layer and then transferred them back to the cutter to be cut out in the various colours. Talk about fun...and I LOVE how good they look. (Doing happy dance here.} I also like that either of my designs could be used as the front of a Back To School card (except, that with the inside layout, I wouldn't hand write my message; and would move the acetate sentiment further down the notebook page.)

The background DP is from an alphabet design page I've hoarded for years (sorry don't know designer) and the notebook page came from a little School Days ADDITIONZ booklet by Junkitz that I picked up on a clearance table somewhere.

If anyone would like a copy of either of the cutting files, just let me know and I'll email them to you. I also created an outline file if you wanted to do the inlaid die cutting technique with it. What I've used on my card is just the background file with the various pieces glued in place on top (except for the sentiment - it was inlaid.)

Pop on over to Simply Create Too Challenge blog to see what others have been creating. 

Bye for now.

Love,

Janelle

Lots of blue

How slack am I?

I forgot to post this Design Team entry for Get Creative Challenges' Challenge #44 - Lots of Blue. OOHMAH!!! (Sorry Angie.) 

My card used a cutie digi from our sponsor Karleigh Sue's Digital Stamps.

                                                                       
My best friend's hubby has his birthday a week after mine, so I thought he'd appreciate this little beauty. I used Copic markers to colour it, which I thought turned out nicely. (I went heavy on her makeup to go with her occupation.  hahaha  ) I used a star background that I designed for my ScanNCut. (If you'd like a copy of the file, let me know in the comments below and I'll email it to you.) It was adhered to some double-sided sheet and then clear glitter sprinkled over the top. Nice sparkle! The main sentiment was die cut from gold foiled cardstock and layered with matching black die cuts.

Unfortunately this challenge has just closed, but you can still pop over and see what great projects everyone made. 

Bye for now.

Love,

Janelle

A card coloured with Copic Markers

I recently joined the Kit and Clowder fan-base, when I enrolled in the "Skin and Hair" colouring class. (Not that I've had time to start it yet), but I've been having lots of fun "hanging out with Alyce and the gang". I even won a game of Bingo during their last fun weekend. Yay!!! As part of the fun weekend, Alyce organised a discount on a beautiful image by Kuik Ching Chou entitled Floating Pearls. This is my take on it.

I put the red coral across the bottom of the card to tie in with her jewellery, but I'm not sure if it would have been better just to leave it off. Too late now, though!  :)

I coloured her hair in various shades of purples as well as a cream and a light brown. IRL it looks like a rich auburn (the photo doesn't do it justice). Also she looks like she has a rash on her chest, but I was trying to give her some cleavage.  hahahaha!

The background sort of turned out okay. I coloured it with shades of green and blue and then spotted the colourless blender all over it many times. I like the mottled look. I also love the pale green gauze I layered on the matt. It is such a delicate colour and looks a little like fishing net.

Anyway, that's all for now.

Love,

Janelle

Simply Create Too Challenge #113

Back again with a new challenge from Simply Create Too #113, featuring the theme of "Red, Blue or White". I don't think there's any confusion over which colour I chose, is there?

I was creating a baby card but scrapped it in favour of an old fave style of mine which is the Shabby Chic flower cluster. I haven't made a card like this in such a long time and still have many gorgeous flowers in my stash (plus it's a niece's birthday on Sunday and I can give it to her).

I started the card with a woven background made from offcut strips of cardstock. (You can't really see it in the photo though.) To make it easier to attach to the card base, I covered the card front with Elizabeth Crafts 64mm wide double-sided tape and then stuck the mat to it. I then only needed to stick down the little ends on top. (Nice and neat!) I then added some cheesecloth/gauze, before adding the pale blue lace, flowers, leaves and the die cut sentiment (which is cut from white cardstock multiple times and glued together, coloured with a Tombow marker and then coloured with a blue Wink of Stella pen. I used the two blues for greater depth of colour.)

Hope you like my card. Join us at Simply Create Too Challenge Blog and see what our other artisans have created.

Bye for now.

Love,

Janelle 

Get Creative Challenges #42

Welcome back. I'm here again with another challenge from Get Creative Challenges #42.

This challenge was challenging for me because it was "Black and White Only", but the image I had was too pretty to only colour in black and white (and besides I've never coloured skin in black and white - too much effort!) Therefore I added a little pale blue and lemon to add just a little more interest.

Our sponsor this challenge was The East Wind. Check out the lovely digistamps here.

I even had to go to Craft Giraffe to buy some extra Copics because I didn't have enough of the right markers to colour it properly. (Life's hard, isn't it, but I'm not complaining. :) ) But I am saying goodbye to the "bricks and mortar" store of Craft Giraffe (my favorite all-time craft shop). As from 1st July, 2016 they will only have an on-line presence. They have been my inspiration and enablers to my craft addiction on more occasions than I can count. It also didn't help that they were sited just a little way from my son's school and I had to pass them every afternoon for the past 18 months. I think my husband will be joyously happy! (You all know what I mean.) Anyway, thanks for the laughs, work for Alex* and many wonderful memories, Craft Giraffe. I'll see you on your Facebook page.

Anyway, that's all for now.

Love,

Janelle

* Every time I took Alex (my 13 yo son) into the store (since he was about 10), he'd always ask, "Have you got any jobs for me?" and Teena or Stevie would find a job for him to do, whether it was sorting out and tidying their trinkets, restocking their ink pads or Copic markers, etc and he LOVED it. He even wanted to do his first work experience with them when he was in Year 10 (2 years time). He will especially miss them as they made him feel grown-up and valued. Thanks so much for that.  XXX

Change of blog address

Just a quick note to let you know that my blog address has changed. It no longer contains the .au at the end of it, thus it is https://adashofflash.blogspot.com  . You will be redirected if you use the previous addresss, but the new one apparently using an encrypted network, thus more secure. To ensure you still receive my scintillating words of wisdom and world-class works of art, you should change my address in your bookmarks etc.

Thanks for following me. It means a lot to me and I appreciate your being along for our exploration of arts and crafts.

Lots of love,
Janelle

Midpost of Ch. #111- Use Buttons or Bows

Once again I'm back for Simply Create Too Challenge. Challenge #111 saw me using buttons, Color Bursts, a stencil, cutting machine and cutting dies, white Uniball pen, gold embroidery floss and Wink of Stella. Did I mention Nuvo Mother of Pearl Embellishment Mousse? I used it on the cardstock that the sentiment was cut from. Does this card qualify for the term "mixed media"? Is there enough media in it?  :)

I love the intensity of the colours obtained with the Color Bursts. I used Ultramarine Blue, Lemon Yellow and Pthalo Green. Yum!

I loved how this turned out because the card was inspired by Sarah Moerman's card (shown below). While Sarah's card used sprays over a stencil, I thought it would be just as cool to draw the circles through the stencil instead, using my white gel pen.

                                 

Join us at Simply Create Too Challenge and see what our fellow crafters have created. Bye for now.

Love,

Janelle

My very first own drawn digistamp

Hi again. I'm posting a card today that uses my very first attempt of a digistamp. 

I've been wanting, for a long time, to do something different with my crafting. When I saw 3 books in Big W last week, I knew I had found it. These are the books here. (And they were only something like $12 each. Bargain!)

They have step-by-step drawings showing how you can draw various things. I drew this budgie and liked it so much I turned it into a digistamp so I could print it out to be coloured and used on a card. (I don't know if there are actually budgies that really look like this - let's call it poetic licence!)

I think my drawing is sufficiently different to the original that I'm not infringing on copyright, so I feel free to offer my drawing to anyone who wants to use it. If you're interested, drop my an email and I'll send it on to you. (adashofflash@gmail.com)

I've always been drawing, even as a child, but felt I wasn't good enough (esp. when compared to my mum and my younger sister, who is really good.) So I've not done any for a long time. When I started drawing again last week, I felt energised, yet relaxed at the same time. Strange, huh? But I'm pleased to say, I like what I've done, and wanted to show off a little.

To make the background for the card, I glued strips of blue cardstock onto another piece of paper (these I had left over from when I was sorting and storing some of my cutting dies). I then used a Kaisercraft embossing folder on it, before inking the highlights with two types of green ink. I then used some clear Wink of Stella over the tops of the leaves. I wanted this to look like a tree canopy for the bird to hide in.

I foiled the sentiment and matting using my mini Minc machine and some teal DecoFoil.
The card was finished after I added a few clear sequins.

So this card has a purpose, I'm linking it to the Lawnscaping Challenges where the theme is "off kilter!".

Both the stripes in the background and the sentiment triangle are on an angle. It also works well with the budgie's tail.

Anyway, That's all for me now. I'm off for the weekend to Brisbane's Scrapbook and Papercraft Expo. I'm doing four classes and looking around at what's new. I'll let you know how I go. I'm also hoping to catch up with my online crafting buddies Therese Calvird and Linda Langes. Should be fun!

Bye for now.

Love,

Janelle

Get Creative Challenges #40 Bingo Challenge

Hi to all. I'm back with another challenge for Get Creative Challenges. 

Challenge #40 used a bingo table to inspire and I chose a diagonal of glitter, patterned paper and blue. I also used a pretty gypsy image from our sponsor The Fantasy Art of Nikki Burnette .

I coloured the image using Copic markers before fussy cutting it. (I can't do hair - it always looks flat.) I glued clear glitter along the ruffles and layered the image onto some flocked paper. While technically it's not printed paper, the colours matched so perfectly that I had to use it. (Plus, I've had it for so long, it was time it was used. I had to cut off the edges where it had worn and discoloured.)

                                    

When I'm colouring images for use on cards, I think it's better for the background to be simple and let the image "speak for itself". Although, when compared to some of the other designer cards at Get Creative, mine seems plain and a bit boring. Time for a rethink of my style, perhaps???

Anyway, join us at Get Creative Challenges blog and have some fun creating from a selection of 8 possibilities. Winners get free images from Nikki for hours of more fun.

See you soon.

Love,

Janelle