Crafty Kim's Creations

The Butterfly card - a long time in the making...

2011-12-03T06:20:00.000-08:00

Have you ever taken a very l o n g time to put together a card? Well this one got started in about April at a night crafting session with my dear friends, Gerry and Marie. They were both scrapping that night and completed double lay-outs while I did about four half-cards. As is often the case, I didn't have all I needed with me to complete the cards and I took them home to finish. I always have such good intentions :)

The inspiration for this card came from the famous Teneale Williams. Hard to improve on her perfection - kept the same colours (she's pretty clever making More Mustard look attractive) but adjusted to lay-out. Added the silver ribbon because I love this ribbon (in every colour)!

I think I'm happy with it - really can't stretch it out any longer. But then again, I haven't given it away yet so a modification is still possible...

Thanks for looking.

Love from Crafty Kim

The Kimmidoll Tag

2011-10-07T01:05:00.001-07:00

Has anyone heard the Kimmidoll Story? Beware parents of young girls...I recently came upon this line of Japanese dolls in my local gift store. And I was smitten. I could see myself collecting these but on this occasion, my excuse for purchase was the 10th birthday of a special girl. I didn't think to photograph the chosen doll but to give you an idea, here's what a Kimmidoll looks like:

She stands about 12cm tall, and is beautifully finished.

I made the gift tag above in colours to match the doll I chose. I'm not much of a bling-crafter but I think the gemstones finish it nicely.

I'm still loving Asian-themed cards - have a few more to share at some stage.

Thanks for looking.

Love from Crafty Kim

Always Remember

2011-10-06T02:35:00.000-07:00

Here's a sympathy card I made recently. It's a simple lay-out to suit the mood of the moment. I used a couple of techniques, one called Baby Wipe Technique which takes baby wipes and reinkers to create the coloured background (a bit simpler than brayering but a similar end result). Then I took a solid stamp and did some "silhouette" stamping.

I made a few backgrounds while I had the baby wipe all inked up so you might see another card along a similar theme some time in future.

Thanks for visiting.

Love from Crafty Kim

Party Animals

2011-09-25T03:18:00.001-07:00

A few months ago, I came across a range of paper featuring various party animals. One of the sheets had large size images perfect for card-making. I had to have those sheets. The paper range makes for quick, easy and colourful cards.

I made the card above for a friend who shares my interest in A Lion Called Christian. You might already know this true story but if not, it's worth a look, just click on the following picture:

In this same paper range, there is a tiger which suits a friend of mine who has a special connection with tigers:

Now before I sign off, I want to share a card with you using the same Party Animal range, from someone whose work I greatly admire, Kerry Bunting:

(Card and photo courtesy of Kerry Bunting)

Hasn't Kerry done a great job with the co-ordinating stamp? You can see more of this card (the inside) and its reason for being at Kerry's blog, just click on the picture above.

Thanks for visiting.

Love from Crafty Kim

Scrabble Card

2011-09-02T00:08:00.001-07:00

This is the card I made for my friend [no prizes for guessing her name ;) ] who is very keen on Scrabble. The Scrabble-themed paper pretty much does it all. And I was running late by errr, a few months, so I kept it simple but took the time to decorate the inside too:

Well this post has to be very short but sweet (I hope) as the hour is late and the work day tomorrow is rushing up at me at high speed.

Thanks for looking.

Love from Crafty Kim

Happy New Catalogue

2011-09-01T06:50:00.001-07:00

HERE it is: the NEW Stampin' Up! Catalogue for 2011-2012.

Too much goodness to describe so please go and check it out for yourself. And if you'd like a printed copy, I'm selling them for $10 (local pick-up or drop-off) or $13 including postage within Australia. Please or email me or telephone 0402 347 010 to organise it.

I'm looking forward to hearing what items are on your wish list...

Thanks for looking.

Love from Crafty Kim

More Big Shot Techniques

2011-08-26T22:36:00.000-07:00

Well, I thought I'd better pop-in to share some cards and let you know that I'm still breathing. Not crafting much due to never-ending work and there are times when I feel I should just pack away my craft stuff and give it all up. However, I recently embraced sleep deprivation and put together some cards using my Big Shot. There seems to be no limit on techniques to try with this machine.

In the card above, I've used dry embossing through the Big Shot combined with heat embossing. I also stripe-embossed the satin ribbon in the Big Shot (with thanks to Angela Sargeant for this idea). I tried the "faux suede" technique (basically de-laminating cardstock into thinner layers with a rough surface by tearing, along with some scrunching and sponge-inking) and cut out the flower petals and leaves. A die-cut "Hi" finished it off but a stamped greeting would have done the job too.

Did you know you can emboss aluminium foil? Thanks to Clare McIllhattan for this idea. Clare's foil was smoother than mine...must get a tip on "how-to smooth" from Clare. And you can cut and emboss fabric with the Big Shot. Picture me in a local needlecraft store feeling like a fish-outta-water. Imagine the look I got when I told the saleslady (aka superb needle crafter) that I was going to cut up her lovely pink fabric into scraps and die-cut it into a butterfly for a card:

I sure do admire the works of needle-crafters. I just can't do it myself. Each to their own I say.

Next is a card front that has been what I term selectively embossed. I managed to leave the centre panel of the card un-embossed ready for stamping. Quite tricky but once I got the hang of it, I was away. I finished up stamping a solid daisy in white ink and using my pencils to add colour (termed "Black Magic" colouring within some circles).

Do you like the frame around the main image? I used two nesting dies through the machine at same time and dry embossed them afterwards to get the grooves in the frame. I snuck a little green "faux bow" in there too.

Anyway, hope you found this interesting. I'm currently helping my cherub with a school project and the best thing about it is using my alphabet die-cuts to make the poster title (I know, I'm easily amused).

Thanks for looking. Please get in contact if you have any questions.

Love from Crafty Kim

Stampin' Up! Retiring Items - Update

2011-08-11T04:42:00.000-07:00

Just letting the SU! faithful what 2011 catalogue items are sold out:

Metallic Eyelets
Jumbo Eyelets (in both colours)
Sanded Background stamp
Full Calendar Stamps
Bashful Blue 12x12
Night of Navy 12 x 12
Chocolate Chip 12 x 12
Early Espresso 12x12
Spiral Punch
Small Oval punch
Photo Corner Punch
Star Punch

To view the Full Retirement List, please click HERE.

Please contact me on 0402 347 010 or email me with any questions or orders. I have copies of new catalogue for sale as well :)

Thanks for considering.

Love from Crafty Kim

Soccer Mad

2011-08-07T18:04:00.000-07:00

Got a soccer-crazed person in your world? I've got several! Recently my son went to a joint birthday party for two of his friends (great idea - why didn't I think of that?). It was hosted at an indoor soccer venue. It was the usual pre-party rush so I kept it simple. I enjoyed using my new background stamp (I'm a sucker for background stamps). It is called "envelope" or some such. I was thinking more like "criss-cross" but it is named after the blue printed lining of business envelopes. Ring a bell for you? Anyway, whatever it is called, I like it.

So, two colours for two boys, along with co-ordinating envelopes:

Thanks for looking,

Love from Crafty Kim

Stampin' Up! Out with the old (now), in with the new (soon)!

2011-07-31T17:07:00.001-07:00

Hello,

Exciting time for us Stampin' Up! addicts.

Just popping in quickly to show you the list of Retiring Products HERE. Products only available until sold out. That is: First in, first served.

Please also note that the Colour Renovation Kits will not be available after they are sold out or after 1 September 2011 (whichever comes sooner). So if you haven't updated your marker or crayon or pastel sets, now is the time to do it. Please check out the offerings HERE.

Please contact me on 0402 347 010 or email me with any questions or orders and while you're at it, you can order your copy of the new catalogue from me for delivery now (first orders from new catalogue are available from 1 September 2011).

Thanks for looking.

Love from Crafty Kim

Sending Sunshine

2011-07-30T04:46:00.000-07:00

The very wet weather Sydney experienced last week prompted me to post this card which is intended as a Get Well Card. I like the sentiment "Under the Weather? Sending you Sunshine" and set about finding images / elements for a card to match.

I love umbrella stamps, check these out at Keesh's blog HERE, HERE and HERE. The whole rain/shower/weather has lots of scope.

Here's what I came up with (above). I used a technique called Paper Piecing which is very easy and spares you a bit of colouring-in if you're short of markers or not inclined to colour. You stamp the image onto some decorative paper and then cut out a section of the image, gluing it onto the same stamped image which has been stamped on plain card stock. On my card, both the rain coat and gum boots have been coloured this way. It reminds me of paper doll dress-ups that I played with as a young girl.

I was lucky to find some weather-themed paper as a background and I have a sun-shaped die which allowed me to decorate the card inside as follows:

I sent this card off to Pat, a fellow crafter who has been diagnosed with breast cancer and has undergone two surgeries recently. It is especially hard for Pat as she and her husband are the main carers of their young grandson. We're all hoping she bounces back fast and fully as her work here is not yet done!

Thanks for visiting and I'm looking forward to sharing craft again with you soon.

Love from Crafty Kim

Pet Sympathy

2011-07-27T05:01:00.000-07:00

First a quick note to thank my loyal crafty friends for checking my blog in hope of new posts which have not been forthcoming. Without wanting to burden you with too many details, I am not getting much time to craft at the moment. My husband has been unemployed for 4 months, after his previous job was made redundant. He did receive some funds to keep us going while he finds another job but to supplement these I have been working full-time since April and this has been a huge change for me. I had worked part-time in amongst kid-wrangling since 2006 but my "reason for being" was my son's care and everything else was scheduled around parenting. It's been good for my husband and son to spend more time together but I'm missing the time with my boy as well as time for me. I "take my hat off" to full-time working mothers - I don't know how you stay sane.

Anyway, it's not forever, just "for a season"! And one plus is that I've been doing some really interesting work in a new role. Great to use my brain after so many years away from my profession of food science.

So about this quick card which I made for a friend and like me, a true animal lover, when she lost her cat after a long time of togetherness. Being more a dog owner in later years, I haven't got many cat stamps in my collection. My hugely talented friend, Cookie, used some cat-themed paper so cleverly to make a set of cards which inspired the card above. I added some embossed card (zig-zag stitch) and brads but mostly, the decorative paper did all the design work.

I thought I would take this opportunity to share the story of the Rainbow Bridge:

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge.

There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by.

The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....
(Author unknown)

Thanks again for your patience and I'll be back as soon as I can be.

Love from Crafty Kim

For the love of Pandas

2011-07-10T07:30:00.000-07:00

I've always loved Pandas:

I very much enjoyed the the movie, Kung Fu Panda, and look forward to seeing its recently released sequel:

I also love punch art so I set about trying to create a punch art panda. I noticed that Pandas are quite round and not often clean. I pulled out my collection of punches; ovals, eggs, circles, balloons and after much fussing, not to mention some hand-cutting, I had a Panda! Many thanks to my friend Fran Turner who loaned her Bamboo embossing folder to me, making my Panda happily placed in a bamboo bush. Thanks also to my friend Kathryn Keith for her little dragonfly stamp which finished the card off perfectly.

Lastly, I couldn't resist sharing this photo with those of us who are old enough to remember Kiss (with thanks to Michelle Tondi for reminding me about this picture):

Thanks for indulging my love of Pandas (I hope to visit China one day to see them in their homeland), and hope you got a smile from it.

Love from Crafty Kim

Vellum Well Wishes

2011-07-09T00:12:00.001-07:00

I designed this card at the request of my friend Dianne for some more ideas for using vellum. I do love Vellum but its transparency makes it tricky to stick down without adhesive showing so it is also a design challenge. In this card, the adhesive is hiding behind the ribbon.

The flowers are stamped and embossed in white on the vellum layer and the Always Artichoke leaves have been die-cut and stuck to the white matt.

A simple greeting and some rhinestones finishe it off. There's lots of nasty viruses going around so any number of friends qualify for this card but another friend, Carolyne, has ongoing health issues to persist with and I sent this to let her know I'm thinking of her.

Hope you're all keeping warm, it' been very frosty in Sydney-town. We have a cold house which is cool in summer but it never really warms up in winter before the day cools again.

Love from Crafty Kim

BigShot Tip with Square Lattice Embossing

2011-07-02T07:21:00.000-07:00

For my blog readers who love their BigShot (or other embossing/die-cutting machine), I thought I'd quickly share another idea via this little gift tag I made to go with a birthday gift for my friend, Gerry. Often we emboss the background or mat/layer of a card but why not the main image? It adds extra texture and interest. Of course it works best with small uniform embossing patterns such as the Stampin' Up! Square Lattice folder I've used here, a close up for you:

I like this idea so much that I decided to give Gerry the embossing folder for her birthday :)

Better get me some sleep. Thanks for visiting.

Love from Crafty Kim

Yellow Poppies for Mum

2011-06-29T02:56:00.001-07:00

Well today has been pretty grey and damp in Sydney town. Bit like the June day my mother's birthday fell on this year. My brother chose a restaurant on the ocean to celebrate the occasion with a family dinner. It would have been a lovely place to gaze at the sea had the wind not been swirling and the rain pelting against the windows and shades. Not to worry, we enjoyed the meal regardless.

Yellow is my mother's favourite colour. I bought this Poppy stamp set after being inspired by Jules' red poppy cards HERE. I'm going to try some red poppies in time for Rememberance Day in November. I've been eyeing off the large scallop border die for some time and decided it was time to give it a go.

I decided to decorate the inside and envelope as well:

I still have two more Asian cards to share when I get a chance. Blogger has been having some issues and between work and school holidays, there's not much blogging time but thanks for visiting, always appreciated.

Love from Crafty Kim

Inspired by Asia

2011-06-18T03:13:00.000-07:00

Australia has much to thank Asia for. Who doesn't enjoy their local Asian restaurant? I could eat Thai almost every night. And many of us have holidayed in parts of Asia. There's no doubt that my life is better for the influence of Asian friends.

This influence extends to paper-craft. For starters, I've never met a Japanese paper I didn't like. And I love the various Asian doll stamps. I've used both in the above card. This particular Japanese paper has been speaking to me for some time. So I finally relented and bought it. I love the colours, and I've used the same colours to colour up the doll. I've also used an embossing folder to give the dark green card a textured finish in the form of blossoms. I know it's a bit hard to see in this photo - the legacy of photos taken too late at night.

I've got a couple more Asian cards to share and as usual, loads more ideas! In the interim, I wanted to share this great tutorial for punch art Japanese dolls from Kirsteen. Here's a sample of what she has created:

Please check it out...

Love from Crafty Kim

A Pink Hippo Card

2011-06-11T19:44:00.000-07:00

Remember this card? Well I re-fashioned it to suit my niece for her 3rd birthday.

The pink, grey and green colour works well and I used a loopy edge border punch and a number embossing folder to add some fun. Had to add the die-cut "3" because like all three year olds, she is very proud to reach this milestone (she wants to catch up to my son, her 9 year old cousin).

And, her Mum, being a keen cake decorator made her this lovely purple and orange Dora cake:

Looks too good to eat!

Hope you're sneaking in some craft in this rainy weather. Hoping you don't have to go out all weekend.

Love from Crafty Kim

Forty and Fabulous

2011-06-03T06:25:00.000-07:00

Or is it "Forty and Still Naughty?". Maybe "Forty and Foxy?". What about "Forty and Sporty?" The age of 40, there's quite a few possibilities...enough philosophy I hear you say, what about the card?

I made this for my much older friend (not). Pulled out every number stamp set I own and stamped fours and zeros on some decorative paper which resembles book pages. I was going for a slightly vintage/shabby chic look on this card so didn't heat emboss - decided to go with varying ink coverage.

Then I got my dotty embossing folder out and ran the vanilla card stock through my Big Shot. Two ribbons (why stop at one?) and I settled on "Forty and Fabulous" for the sentiment. And I love the die cut doily behind the sentiment, really makes the card in my humble opinion.

Do you like the little roses?

I got these from a lovely stamping friend in the USA.

Last, I made a matching envelope:

Well, better get to bed. Tomorrow I'm off to stamp camp with my crafty friends for two days of paper-crafting. So I should have plenty to share in the next fews weeks. But first, I have to rest up from packing my supplies into my station-wagon (it's a squeeze).

Thanks for visiting,

Love from Crafty Kim

Doily Sympathy

2011-05-26T05:12:00.001-07:00

Doilies have become very popular in paper-craft recently. Not all of them appeal to my personal taste and sometimes it can be hard to find the right-sized doily for use on a card front. But then I came across a die cut to make the above doilies.

Originally I cut the doilies from vellum but then struggled to find a good way to stick the vellum down (lots of cursing here in the craft room about the ineffectiveness of vellum spray). So in the end I went back to regular cardstock in a complementary colour.

I never met a purple I didn't like (yet) and it goes very well with silver. Being a sympathy card, I wanted a subtle look which I was aiming for with the silver butterflies. The base looked quite plain until I embossed it with the "branches" embossing folder. I'm not sure if I've pushed it to far with the rhinestone brad, again not wanting anything too flashy.

Anyway, hoping you've enjoyed your visit to my end of the crafting world. I'll be back as soon as I can with more creations.

Thanks for stopping by,

Love from Crafty Kim

Stampin' Up Weekly Deal # 4

2011-05-25T05:43:00.000-07:00

This week's deals:

Item	Page	Description	Regular Price	Sale Price
113838	62	Right on Track Stampin' Around Wheel	$11.95	$8.37
115619	68	Retro Remix Stampin Around Wheel	$11.95	$8.37
119975	134	Vintage Type Rub-Ons	$15.95	$11.17
118760	134	Play Date Rub-Ons	$16.95	$11.87

If you're having trouble displaying the above table correctly, please click HERE to visit the relevant SU! web page - all details are given there.

They are available from Wednesday, 25 May 2011 until 11:45pm Tuesday 31 May 2011.

If you're interested to purchase any of these at the special prices, please email me or leave a comment or phone/SMS 0402 347 010.

Thanks for your interest. I'll be back with a card to share real soon now.

Love from Crafty Kim

Punch Art Runner Card

2011-05-24T01:50:00.000-07:00

Last year, we made an exciting discovery: my son can run long distances and quite quickly at that. Not sure where this talent originated - not with me. I've done my fair share of running for fitness in days gone by, as has Ashley's father, but neither of us are fast.

When a small boy ran towards the finish line after his first 2.5km school cross-country run, ahead of many other runners, a nearby school mother poked me and said "is that your boy?". I said that I doubted it and glanced briefly in the direction of the field. And there he was...concentrating hard, almost out of puff and plenty red in the face - check out his expressions in other race pictures below. He went on to compete at the next level of competition, against boys from other schools.

Later in the year, he had a try at shorter distances, 100m and 200m sprints, where he did similarly well. I soon found myself with other tired parents at Little Athletics on Friday nights. The friendly salesman at the local shoe store introduced me to shoes I never knew he needed!

I made the above card to encourage him and to let him know how proud I am of his efforts. I was inspired by Michelle Hoffman. I matched the colours to his school athletic uniform. I've used mostly the Stampin' Up! Word Window punch but also the Tag punch and some circles. The Sun also uses a Star punch.

Anyway, just another idea for kids' cards. When I finally get a chance (working full-time at the moment so not much crafting happening), I'm going to try making a footy player card along the same lines so please stay tuned.

Love from Crafty Kim

Star Sympathy

2011-05-20T04:54:00.000-07:00

I bought this stamp some years ago - fortunately, haven't needed to use it very often but the idea comforts me. In case you can't quite read it from the photo, here it is in text:

“Perhaps they are not stars, but rather openings in heaven where the love of our lost ones pours through and shines down upon us to let us know they are happy.”

My stamp says it is an Indian saying but other research suggests it originates with Eskimos?

I've been looking for a star embossing folder for some time and when I saw the one used above I snapped it up. I made the card shimmery by sponging silver ink lightly on the raised embossed areas.

I wanted to keep the card low-key but the star clips fitted the theme and the silver mesh ribbon helped distinguish the top layer of navy blue from the navy base.

Thanks for stopping by,

Love from Crafty Kim

Stampin' Up Weekly Deal # 3 - BLING ALERT

2011-05-19T05:11:00.000-07:00

This Week's Deals:

Item	Page	Description	Regular Price	Sale Price
119750	137	Daffodil Delight 5/8'' (1.6 cm) Satin Ribbon	$16.95	$11.87
119963	137	Certainly Celery 3/8'' (1 cm) Taffeta Ribbon	$12.95	$9.07
109112	139	Square Fire Rhinestone Brads	$19.95	$13.97
109113	139	Square Ice Rhinestone Brads	$19.95	$13.97

If you're having trouble displaying the above table correctly, please click HERE to visit the relevant SU! web page - all details are given there.

They are available from Wednesday, 18 May 2011 until 11:45pm Tuesday 24 May 2011.

If you're interested to purchase any of these at the special prices, please email me or leave a comment or phone/SMS 0402 347 010.

Thanks for your interest. I'll be back with a card to share real soon now.

Love from Crafty Kim

Autumn Birthday Card

2011-05-16T03:04:00.001-07:00

Here I am with a very speedy post :D It's not like me to be so brief but small or nothing is the order of the day.

I made this card for a dear friend of mine who hails all the way from Canada. Hence the maple leaf which was one of the first stamps I ever bought about 8 years ago.

And then this gorgeous autumn weather, with the sun shining through the deciduous trees, set the colour combination.

Lots of sponging, some more stamping, leafy paper, twine and do you like the branch border? Thought it perfect for this card.

Thanks for stopping by. Hope you're keeping warm and getting a chance to enjoy the festival of falling leaves.

Love from Crafty Kim

Blokey Cards

2011-05-12T06:49:00.000-07:00

Cards for blokes, bit tricky aren't they? Some might contend it's not worth spending much time making cards for the significant males in our life but I like to think it's worthwhile.

My first card (shown above) is inspired by a current paper-crafting trend, hot air balloons. I don't have any balloon stamps so pulled out some spotty paper and put my punches to use. I used dies to cut the clouds and sun and made my own tag with computer-generated sentiment (perfect for when you know what you want to say but don't have the stamp to match).

The second card is to appeal to the home handyman. I also love the bright colour combination. The card elements come mainly from the decorative paper along with some rub-ons but I've dry-embossed the black panel with a tool folder (in the Big Shot) and sanded the paper to make the raised images more pronounced. A home-made sign completes the card :)

This one is my attempt at vintage card, designed for the "young at heart". It's a style that doesn't come easily to me by I think I've pulled it off. I love those cogs. And twill, with metal embellishments, all great for guys. I "aged" or "distressed" my card using Glad Wrap and an ink pad (as an alternative to using a sponge). It's a good if your sponge is missing in action. The little clock face is cut-out and popped up too, although you can't really see it in the photo. I also love the colour combination (yes, another one); rustic red-brown (Cajun Craze in SU! speak) is one of my favourite colours.

Lastly something for the petrol-heads...vroooom. I tried what is termed "motion stamping" which is basically repeat stamping without re-inking in between. Or stamping in a progressively lighter-coloured inks. Each time you shift the image across and up or down (away) from the original image. See those large silver brads, I wanted to put them in the centre of the wheels, thought that would look very cool. But I was advised by the MOTH (man of the house) that it wouldn't be correct. Given he is representative of the target audience, I relented and put them on the side instead. But I wasn't alone in thinking this wheel placement of the silver brads was a good idea, my talented friend, Fiona Redknap (go check out her blog, she's been posting up a storm lately), made the same suggestion to me without any prompting. Note for the keen stampers, motion stamping works best with rubber stamps rather than acrylic - they just stamp-off so much better.

I have this long list of ideas for male cards if anyone is interested to receive it? Just leave a comment with your email address or email me and I'll email you the file.

Just looked at the time, off to bed for me. Hope you're keeping snug and warm in this chilly Sydney-town if you live in my city.

Love from Crafty Kim

Stampin' Up! Weekly Deal # 2

2011-05-11T01:40:00.001-07:00

This Week's Deals:

Item	Page	Description	Regular Price	Sale Price
120963	142	Stampin Pastels New Color Kit (19)	$28.50	$22.80
115957	151	Thanks Embosslits Die	$21.95	$17.56
114513	151	Sweetest Stem Embosslits Die	$21.95	$17.56
113483	155	Pennant Bigz XL Die	$74.95	$59.96

If you're having trouble displaying the above table correctly, please click HERE to visit the relevant SU! web page - all details are given there.

They are available from Wednesday, 11 May 2011 until 11:45pm Tuesday 17 May 2011.

If you're interested to purchase any of these at the special prices, please email me or leave a comment or phone/SMS 0402 347 010.

Thanks for your interest.

Love from Crafty Kim

Cricket-Themed Birthday Celebration

2011-05-09T19:50:00.001-07:00

Back in February we celebrated my son's birthday with a cricket-themed birthday party for 34 kids. No, it's not a typo, we hosted 34 kids on a warm, sunny Sunday morning. Mostly 9 year old boys. It was a big effort on the part of the grown-ups but the little people had a blast, especially with their water guns to keep cool with. Thanks go to the grandmothers, Sports Kickstart and other parent helpers for their assistance.

Ashley is passionate about cricket and sport in general so there really wasn't any other consideration for a birthday party theme. I made the above birthday card for him in keeping with this theme. The idea for the card came from the inspiring Jayne Mercer. I've used Just Cricket stamps on watercolour paper with markers to colour in the cricket bat. The background grass is from Inspired by Nature - this grass has so many uses, I never knew how much I needed it until I acquired it.

On the day of his birthday, Ashley opened gifts and enjoyed a home-made chocolate cake. It was a quick after-school and post-work effort so I was lucky to find these little cake decorating charms at Woolworths:

Pretty cool heh? But for his party, he wanted a cricket pitch cake. Out came the old edition of Women's Weekly Children's Birthday Cake Cookbook and I started to scope out the job. There were thoughts of coconut tinted green for grass but I was beginning to feel overwhelmed - and the birthday boy objected to coconut ("I don't like it") - so along came Veronika from Sugar Dreams Cake Design who made this beautiful cake:

If you're into cricket, you'll note the play on words with Ash's Cricket (versus Ashes Cricket).

In my next life, I'm going to take up cake decorating because it seems like a lot of fun....thanks for stopping by.

Love from Crafty Kim

Stampin' Up! Deals of the Week - May

2011-04-30T16:05:00.000-07:00

Just here to announce the following promotion for May 2011:

Dates: 1-31 May 2011

Promotion Details:

During the month of May, Stampin' Up! will offer several discounted products as 'Deals of the Week.' No limits* and no minimum purchase required.

Below is a schedule of when the weekly deals will be announced on the demonstrator and customer websites:

Weekly Deals # 1: Sunday, 1 May 2011; 12:01 AM (AET)
Weekly Deals # 2: Wednesday, 11 May 2011; 12:01 AM (AET)
Weekly Deals # 3: Wednesday, 18 May 2011; 12:01 AM (AET)
Weekly Deals # 4: Wednesday, 25 May 2011; 12:01 AM (AET)

This Week's Deals:

Item	Page	Description	Regular Price	Sale Price
121578	37	Tag Alongs Wood-Mount Set	$31.95	$19.17
120468	59	More Monkey Accessories Clear-Mount Set	$23.95	$14.37
121550	59	More Monkey Accessories Wood-Mount Set	$29.95	$17.97
120003	75	Cottage Garden Clear-Mount Set	$24.95	$14.97
119163	75	Cottage Garden Wood-Mount Set	$32.95	$19.77
121494	98	Compliments to the Chef Wood-Mount Set	$35.95	$21.57

If you're having trouble displaying the above table correctly, please click HERE to visit the relevant SU! web page - all details are given there.

I'll be back later with ideas for using these stamp sets. If you're interested to purchase any of these at the special prices, please email me or leave a comment or phone/SMS 0402 347 010.

Thanks for your interest.

Love from Crafty Kim

Well Wishes for a Brave Friend

2011-04-30T03:08:00.000-07:00

I made this card recently for a friend who faced major surgery and its associated pain / lack of mobility all while juggling her work, other health issues and care of two young kids. Not for the "faint of heart". In my estimation, she's done really well and will soon be back to a new normal.

For her card, I fancied making use of my new-ish Owl Punch. The possibilities for this punch are seemingly endless and for inspiration, I went straight to the queen of owl-punching, Kerry Bunting. What Kerry hasn't done with the owl punch probably isn't worth doing (but then again, I may have to retract that claim if she comes up with more great ideas).

I particularly like the little doctor's noteboard with its mini-clip. Another reference to the doctor's notepad is the border punch on the left. It's a bit hard to see but I've used my BigShot and an embossing folder to create a textured, cream-coloured background.

Thanks again to Kerry for her bounty of ideas and to you for stopping by.

Love from Crafty Kim

Kids' Easter Craft

2011-04-26T06:05:00.000-07:00

My son, Ashley (9 years big), and I made Easter goodie bags for some special little people this year. I decided to keep the chocolate to a minimum because most children I know end up with more chocolate than they can consume. So I filled the bags with Easter novelties from the "$2 shops" (how did we ever exist without these places?) and Peter Rabbit books by Beatrix Potter (a personal favourite - in fact, having a child now, I've got a renewed love for picture books). I also googled to find Easter colouring-in pages to print from my PC.

Being craft designed for kids to do, we used stickers and die-cuts but I couldn't resist some stamping to personalise each bag:

I stamped the above two bags but Ashley wasn't to be outdone, as shown below:

The bags and their contents went over very well. Thanks for visiting today and I hope you and your families had a great Easter break. Back to the real world of work and school tomorrow.

Love from Crafty Kim

Flowers on the Fence

2011-04-23T01:06:00.001-07:00

I'm back here briefly to show you a card I'd been wanting to make for a long time. It was heavily inspired by Karen Thomas of Luv to Stamp fame (one of my favourite card artists). When I first saw Karen's card, it brought back memories from my childhood - of neighbours' 5 foot timber fences covered with flowering vines. These days fences tend to be taller and the tops not so much in the line of a child's vision. I've pretty much CASE'd Karen's card, save a few changes due to not having the same supplies/tools.
I've used a woodgrain timber embossing folder and Tag Punch to imitate the fence. I sponged white ink over the embossed card to accentuate the texture. The butterflies, leaves and flower petals are cut from dies; in the case of the flowers, I've used multiple layers of tissue paper, all scrunched up, similar to this card. A greeting from Teeny Tiny Sentiments (so handy, if you only buy one sentiment stamp set, this is THE ONE) and the Word Window and Modern Label punches along with some Always Artichoke ribbon finishes it.

Thanks for popping by...

Love from Crafty Kim

Cupcake Card

2011-04-22T02:10:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy two weeks but I did promise to show you a card made using products from the new Stampin' Up! Autumn Mini catalogue. This card was designed by Jayne Mercer and I made it at our team training.

It uses the new stamp set, Create a Cupcake, and the co-ordinating punch, Build a Cupcake (both of these are shown on page 12). There are lots of extension ideas for this punch. It can be used to make clouds, ice creams and hot air balloon baskets among many other items. Click HERE to see what Clare Mcilhatton (Crafty Cow) has created with this punch.

The above card also uses a new BigShot border die called Tasteful Trim. I love the big scallops and the rick-rack borders.

On the subject of catalogues, you might be interested to know that there are some carry-over products from the Summer Mini which finished on the 31 March. Click HERE for more details.

If I'm not back here before Easter Sunday, wishing you all an enjoyable extended Easter break, choc-full of crafting.

Love from Crafty Kim

Birds & Swirls Sympathy

2011-04-08T18:08:00.000-07:00

Happy Saturday. I'm at my desk ready to "commit a neatness" but so far all I've done is procrastinate. Outside, the day is glorious; I love the shoulder seasons of autumn and spring. It's now school holidays in NSW and I'll be busy juggling work and kid-wrangling although with my husband currently at home full-time (he's looking for a job after his former role became redundant), it's a little easier. But I thought I would post a card while I had a chance.

The photo doesn't really do the card full justice. The colours are white and warm grey (Sahara Sand in SU! speak) and it was a dull rainy day when I took the photo. Plus I was in my usual rush. Never mind, you get the idea.

The Birds and Swirls folder is one of my original purchases going back to when I first got my embossing/die-cutting machine. I still love it. I didn't emboss the whole of the card front, instead left a blank area and scored lines with my scoring tool to neaten it up. I also used my brayer to lightly apply ink to the raised areas. White pearls were perfect to give this card some elegance.

I sent this card to friends who recently lost their adored mother. It's always too soon to lose the one you love and while we come to accept their passing, the gap they leave remains forever.

Love from Crafty Kim

A wee rabbit

2011-04-05T00:16:00.000-07:00

Here's a card I made for a Scottish friend of mine who adores her pet rabbits. Her little bunnies are very well cared for, with all that a rabbit could wish for.

On the card I've used a great set called Forest Friends. The rabbit is good for Easter and the deer useful for Christmas. Can't go past the owl and the tree either. All for $24.95 - that's my kind of stamp set.

The paper I've used here is retired but I often take colour cues from decorative paper - after all, the paper designers know about these things :) In this case, Chocolate Chip, Baja Breeze and Crumb Cake (Kraft is old-speak). I've had the corduroy buttons for a long time - enjoyed finally using them. I love corduroy - a true child of the 70's!

Thanks for stopping by and hope you're squeezing in some crafting.

Love from Crafty Kim

Butterfly Thanks

2011-04-01T05:56:00.001-07:00

Did you go and have a look at the new Stampin' Up! goodies? I know I promised a card using products from the new Autumn-Winter Mini Catalogue but that's work-in-progress :)

While you're waiting, I want to share this card I made for Ryn Gibbs, one of my SU! team members. I've seen a few variations on this butterfly theme but this one was inspired by the lovely Linda Higgins. Thank you Linda for prompting me to use one of my favourite colours, Rich Razzleberry, teamed here with Elegant Eggplant.

Again, I've used the Elements of Style stamp set and then die-cut a butterfly before water-colouring (so easy to do with this stamp set, lots of clues on where to shade heavily or lightly). The butterfly was placed on a large scallop circle (using a punch which I hope will continue to be available after it first appeared in the Summer Mini catalogue). Some subtle bling in the form of rhinestones and the sentiment from Teeny Tiny Sentiments (how did I survive before I got this set?) finishes it off nicely.

And, if you can't wait for my creativity to be displayed (and who can blame you for being impatient, we all know I'm not the speediest card-maker), please go on a blog tour showcasing creations using new SU! items. Click HERE to start the The Inklings blog hop or click on the icon above. Try to leave some comment love if you have time, I'm sure the girls will appreciate it.

Thanks for looking.

Love from Crafty Kim

Stampin' Up! Autumn/Winter Mini starts today, 1 April 2011

2011-03-31T13:51:00.000-07:00

I'll be back with a card using a new stamp set from Stampin' Up!'s new mini catalogue but for now, here's a link (or click on the picture) so you can go and see the new goodies. Hope you enjoy the eye candy and if you see anything you must have, please email me or phone 0402 347 010.

Thanks for looking.

Love from Crafty Kim

Back on the Stampin' Up! wagon

2011-03-30T18:03:00.000-07:00

Some of you will remember that I joined Stampin' Up! as a demonstrator in 2006 as a way to finance my paper-craft hobby (more likely, my addiction). It proved to be great fun and for nearly 4 years, it was my part-time job. In 2009 other employment opportunities presented and I found myself overwhelmed with work and family responsibilities.

By 2010, I had reluctantly taken a step back from running Stampin' Up! workshops, classes and events. However, I remain very involved in paper-craft as a hobbyist and thanks to my loyal friends who have supported me with their Stampin' Up! orders, I have been able to continue as an active demonstrator. While the discounted product is useful, it really isn't about the money. It's about my love of Stampin' Up! products, the Stampin' Up! friends I've made and the Stampin' Up! resources available to me.

And so to 2011 where life continues to be busy but I recently found myself in a position to run a Stampin' Up! demonstration for a paper craft friend. Nothing like jumping in the deep-end, with a party of 12 including some ladies completely new to the craft. The hostess was terrific, truly made my job easier and the guests lovely. Soon I was back on the Stampin' Up! wagon and the result was a very enjoyable session.

Above is one of the make-and-take cards from the gathering. I had in mind the upcoming Mother's Day when I planned it but it would suit most occasions. I chose a monochromatic colour scheme because I wanted to show those new to the craft that you can start on a small scale and still make a pretty card. This card uses a very popular set called Elements of Style. It really is so versatile, especially if you like to colour-in. I'd have to say it isn't my usual style of stamps but I really love it. I've also used the Square Lattice embossing folder which is in the current Summer Mini catalogue (ending today, 31 March 2011). Again, there is so much you can do with the embossing folder and your BigShot.

Thanks to those who have contacted me asking about my Stampin' Up! involvement and my future intentions. I plan to remain as a demonstrator. In amongst general paper-crafting, I will be updating this blog with Stampin' Up! creations and special offers. And I will gratefully process any orders you might consider placing with me. Of course, I understand if you already have a preferred Stampin' Up! supplier and welcome your friendship regardless :)

Before I go, I want to thank my fellow Inklings stampers, Jayne Mercer, Carolyn Gibbs and Malyn Mawby for their loan of handy items for my workshop. I really appreciate their help.

Thanks for reading and please visit again soon as the new Stampin' Up! Autumn-Winter mini catalogue goes live tomorrow (Friday 1 April). I love autumn, especially the colours of autumn and the "festival of the falling leaves".

Love from Crafty Kim

Punch Art Animal Cards

2011-03-24T05:54:00.001-07:00

I do love my animals and my punches so....punch art animal cards are a natural outcome of this. Above is my lady bug card, with thanks to my friend Frances for her gift of the black rick-rack (ribbon) - the card wasn't the same without it.

And with Easter on the horizon, I got busy and made this:

And possibly my favourite card of this batch was this one:

With thanks to another Kim (Score) for the hippo inspiration.

Thanks for dropping by, I'll be back with more soon so please visit again soon.

Love from Crafty Kim

Cricket Card Inspired by Coke Zero

2011-03-20T20:11:00.000-07:00

One Saturday morning, I found myself in a hurry to make a birthday card for one of my son's friends ahead of his party. Like Ashley, this kid is into cricket. I spied a can of Coke Zero in the kitchen as I tidied up after breakfast...and so I copied the relevant graphics from the can and came up with the above card.

Here is the inspiration:

And for the animal lovers out there, here's my furry cricket fan - don't get between her and the bat - just joking...

Thanks for visiting.

Love from Crafty Kim

CRAFT SALE

2011-03-15T23:36:00.001-07:00

UPDATED

KEEPING THIS POST AT THE TOP
PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR NEW POSTS

Well finances in our household are a bit tight at the moment with my (paid) working hours reduced indefinitely and my husband's job about to be made redundant. And I really do have too much craft stuff. So it's come to the equivalent of "selling the family silver". I'm quite sad to see some of these stamps go as most have served me very well (the exceptions being those in brand new one condition). Hopefully they'll find loving homes where they'll get used often (can you tell I saw the Toy Story 3 movie recently?)

I've still got LOTS more stuff over the next few days/weeks so please check back. There are many bargains to be had. CLICK on the stamp set name for usage ideas.

Occasions

Card made with Birthday Whimsy (Marelle Taylor)

Birthday Whimsy set of 5 but incomplete, only 3 images remaining - no words, used wood (v. good condition) $7

Party Punch set of 6 used wood (very good condition) $12

Greetings / Words

Hard to Say set of 6 brand new wood (unmounted) $15

Card made with Picture This (by Amy V)

Picture This set of 8 brand new wood (unmounted) $18

Expressive Flexible Phrases set of 56 brand new wood (unmounted) $25

Family / Love

Love Matters set of 12 brand new wood (unmounted) $25

Card made with You & Moi (by Jen Clendineng)

You & Moi set of 6 brand new wood (mounted) $15

Nature / Flowers

Simply Said set of 11 used wood (very good condition) $20

Novelty

Card made with Treat Yourself

Treat Yourself set of 13 used wood (good condition) $20

To buy or make a near offer, please email me or leave a comment. First in, first served. I will accept PayPal, bank deposit, cheque or cash. Once an item is sold, I will remove it from this web site. I will post to anywhere in the world and happy with drop-off or pick-up if you live local to me.

Thanks for looking and considering.

Love from Crafty Kim

Birthday Star

2011-03-15T22:57:00.000-07:00

Here's a card I made for my husband's recent birthday. I've had the chipboard stars for a L O N G time. Same goes for the paper. I've also got lots of coloured twine and recently bought a ticket-shaped die with co-ordinating stamp set. I liked how it all came together in the end.

Next month I'll be teaching a card class on male cards so this was a bit of a practice run. I don't find the ideas for male cards come easily but there's more boys in my family than girls so I get plenty of chances to improve.

Thanks for looking,

Love from Crafty Kim

For The Teacher

2011-03-08T18:39:00.001-08:00

My son's teacher recently celebrated his birthday and Ashley was keen for the whole class to celebrate with....cupcakes. 25 banana and chocolate iced cupcakes later I decided to answer the call to use some of this school-days-themed-paper. There really wasn't much to do - the paper did the job for me.

And I decorated the envelope with a old stamp I have which depicts the joy of children's smiles and inside, in keeping with the learning theme, I stamped with a "birthday" definition stamp:

I'm sure the kids' barely noticed the card but the teacher did write a nice note in the homework diary for me :D

Thanks for stopping by to look at my cards.

Love from Crafty Kim

Clowning Around

2011-02-28T17:35:00.000-08:00

This is the card I made for my youngest nephew's first birthday. In keeping with the circus theme for his party. And look at the wonderful cake his clever and talented Mum made:

The bar for family birthday cakes has been raised hugely....really had to get my cake-making act together for Ashley's 9th birthday.

And while on things circus, Ashley attended another circus-themed party in December. It was held at a circus school in Hornsby. Pretty impressive. I was in a mad rush to make this card and to me it needs more colouring-in but I remember that day I was packing to go away on holidays, Christmas shopping, setting up the house/pets for my Mum to mind, attending a carols-by-candelight service at St James Anglican Church in Turramurra ahead of driving 5 hours up the Coast in the evening (and of course, my husband had already gone) so this was as good as it got:

If you want to see a truly fabulous card made with this same stamp, please visit one of my favourite card-makers, Paula Tracy, with her pencils. Here's a sneaky peek but click on the picture to see the whole card and visit Paula. Be sure to leave her a comment.

Well I'm enjoying having time to post this week. But I'm due to make cards for my next class and it's only one down, two to go at this stage but better get back to it before school is out.

Thanks for dropping by,

Love from Crafty Kim

A Quick Note on Winnie Dog

2011-02-28T00:47:00.001-08:00

Yep, Winnie (shown above celebrating her third birthday) is still missing. Needless to say, her owner and other Winnie fans are heartbroken. We'll never give up looking for her...for more information, please click HERE.

Thanks so much for your interest and helping in any way you can.

A Happy Discovery

2011-02-28T00:41:00.000-08:00

I'm bursting with excitement...I've long been an admirer of Debra Clark - Punch Art Queen and author of three books on the subject. This chick was well ahead of the game when I discovered her work nearly 8 years ago.

And now I have just found her in cyber land. Happy dance here. I just have to share and encourage you punch art enthusiasts (put a punch in your hand and you'll be addicted) to go visit her for loads of inspiration and instructions.

If you visit, please show your appreciation with comment love.

And, for those animal lovers out there, Deb loves dogs too. She's a perfect paper-crafter.

Don't delay, please go visit HERE.

Love from Crafty Kim

More Big Shot / Cuttlebug Creations

2011-02-27T03:51:00.000-08:00

Thought I would share some more cards I made with my Big Shot using various dies and embossing folders. The Big Shot/Cuttlebug machines really are versatile; haven't met a person yet who regretted buying one.

First is a bright card, reminiscent of a past card I blogged (many moons ago) but I used a flower shaped die to cut FELT. I had my doubts as to whether it would work but it was no different from cardboard, no furry edges.

After all that brightness, I had to go to neutral tones:

I used my brayer to apply white ink to the raised sections of Kraft cardstock. Pretty tricky I thought.

Then I went with one of my favourite colours, purple:

I was really happy with this card, my pick of the bunch. I used a white gel pen to trace around the embossed word "thanks".

And lastly, a simple one, using the technique of sanding the embossed area, this time on decorative paper rather than ColorCore card stock:

I liked the earthy tones of this card.

Hope you enjoyed looking at these and got some ideas along the way, thanks for visiting.

Love from Crafty Kim

Still looking for Winnie Dog

2011-02-07T04:28:00.000-08:00

Sadly, dear Winnie Beagle has not been found yet. But we haven't given up the search or lost hope. Thanks for spreading the word about Winnie.

It's with a very heavy heart I write this post. Some of you will know that I am part of an animal rescue group called Beagle Rescue NSW (also on Facebook).

One of our foster carers has lost one of her own much-loved beagles. Sheryl and Bec live at Captains Flat near Canberra & in mid-December, when there were very bad storms down that way, Winnie & Buffy beagles escaped after flooding brought fencing down. Buffy came back the next morning but Winnie has not been sighted since.

They have searched wide and far on foot, motorbike and car then placed an ad in the paper & contacted the Pound & vets in the area but no joy. It is possible she has been picked up and moved out of the area hence the campaign to spread the word far and wide.

Please pass this message on to anyone you think may be able to help. Above is a photo of Winnie - everyone please pray and/or cross everything that she finds her way home.

Please email enquiries@beaglerescuensw.org.au or phone me on 0402 347 010 if you have any news.

Thanks for reading and if possible, acting to spread the word.

Love from Crafty Kim

My New Fave Embellishment - Buttons...

2011-01-19T00:45:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year! Hope you all had a lovely holiday season. I received some lovely Christmas cards - thank you to those who sent these to me. I loved them all.

Before Christmas I went on a button splurge. Lots of colours and shapes and sizes. I was like a kid in a lolly shop. Far easier on the teeth and waist line. Then I had to use them. I started with the fairly generic floral card above but I think the colours make it special.

Then I saw a birdie card by a very talented chick called Karen Thomas over at Luv to Stamp which heavily inspired the following:

And then I came up with this one:

Hope you can visit your button stash and create something with buttons too.

Thanks for looking.

Love from Crafty Kim

Please help us find Winnie Beagle Dog

2010-12-27T01:06:00.001-08:00

Hi,

It's with a very heavy heart I write this post. Some of you will know that I am part of an animal rescue group called Beagle Rescue NSW (also on Facebook).

One of our foster carers has lost one of her own much-loved beagles. Sheryl and Bec live at Captains Flat near Canberra & a week or so ago when there were very bad storms down that way, Winnie & Buffy beagles escaped. Buffy came back the next morning but Winnie has not been sighted since.

They have searched wide and far on foot, motorbike and car then placed an ad in the paper & contacted the Pound & vets in the area but no joy. It is possible she has been picked up and moved out of the area hence the campaign to spread the word far and wide.

Please pass this message on to anyone you think may be able to help. Above is a photo of Winnie - everyone please pray and/or cross everything that she finds her way home.

Please email enquiries@beaglerescuensw.org.au or phone me on 0402 347 010 if you have any news.

Thanks for reading and if possible, acting to spread the word.

Love from Crafty Kim

Christmas Ornaments

2010-11-29T04:24:00.001-08:00

Just popping in quickly to show you this cute fella with his baubles. I coloured him up to match the decorative paper and used a jumbo eyelet and ribbon to jazz-it up. Greeting and two punches later, it was done. Voila!

Hope your Christmas-card making is more advanced than mine! Instead of making cards, I've been trying to clear out some household bric-a-brac and I'm on quite a roll. But do you think I can find anyone to take a large box of quality toys? We're not talking incomplete/lost/broken here, but good stuff. These days many charities accept only new items. Our toys just want to be loved and played with. To suit toddlers, a mix of boys and girls stuff. So if you're local to me (North West Suburban Sydney) and can use them, they're all yours. Just email me or leave a comment.

Back to card-making soon; my son finishes his current school year next week and the kids exchange cards and treats so I need to magic up 20+ items real soon.

Love from Crafty Kim

Polar Bear

2010-11-26T00:19:00.001-08:00

Like the icy blue polar bear? Nothing could be further from Christmas in Australia but I still love these snow scenes and images. One day I hope I'll enjoy the novelty of a White Christmas, 'til then I'll make the cards for my Northern Hemisphere friends.

My photography isn't up to showing you but there are tiny dots of glitter at the bears' paws and on his purple-and-green scarf.

Thanks for stopping by,

Love from Crafty Kim

Gingerbread Hugs

2010-11-20T17:32:00.000-08:00

Back to Christmas cards. I love gingerbread; to stamp and colour that is, not so much to eat (I'm more of a shortbread girl). I've had this gingerbread stamp and matching sentiment for a long time so I coloured it up. I used a glossy accent on the hearts in the centre of the little men. I decided to continue the heart theme - what I really wanted was a heart embossing folder but nothing suitable in my stash so I made do with some heart punches.

I've loved the loopy border punch since I first spied it. Christmas cards need something sparkly so I added some small rhinestones to selected loops along the border. Some ribbon finished it off nicely.

Thanks for looking.

Love from Crafty Kim

Soccer Boy

2010-11-13T18:42:00.001-08:00

This was a card made in a hurry. No time for fancy stuff. But I reckon the image and background paper are big enough stars to pull it off.

I got this stamp from my friend, Julie. It really suited the occasion because Ashley's friend had a soccer-themed birthday party. Picture about 20 boys running around a soccer field. Then came a thunderstorm but the kids quickly adapted the soccer game to a water bomb site. One child proclaimed it to be the "best party ever".

Ashley is off at another party today in this Sydney heat. I left him slipping and sliding along a sheet of plastic sprinkled with water and soap. It's a pretty good life for an 8 year old boy in our end of the world. This time he made the card for the party boy so I'll be back at some stage to show you his work.

Happy Hot Sunday in Sydney and thanks for visiting.

Love from Crafty Kim

A Mini-Beastly Card

2010-11-06T02:28:00.000-07:00

My son and his class mates have been working on a Mini-Beast (whatever happened to the word Invertebrate?) project for the past month. Last Friday was the hand-in and present date which saw the teacher hosting two redback spiders, a scorpion and a jar of Mosquito wrigglers for the day. The kids were very excited...

During the preparation period, one of Ashley's school friends celebrated his birthday so I thought a Mini-Beast theme would appeal. This card was inspired by a creation from the very talented Karen Thomas. It's a very simple but cool idea to use two different circle punches to make a magnifying glass. The handle can be hand cut but I used the ever-handy Word Window punch from SU!

I always like to decorate the inside of the card if I have time which is no often as I tend to make these cards on the morning of the party :0

Did you see the button on the card? Well Buttons are my new obsession. I've just taken delivery of a whole stack of them from the US, courtesy of the mighty Australian dollar. Enjoy it while it lasts I say.

Thanks for stopping by. Hope your wet weekend includes some paper-crafting.

Love from Crafty Kim

We Stamp for Lara - Online Stamping Event

2010-10-31T03:01:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note to publicise a great opportunity to get some fabulous paper-craft tutorials while supporting a special little girl named Lara May Dunn. You can read more about Lara HERE.

You can join by making a deposit into the account below. It’s going to be awesome! And did you see?? You can win A BIGSHOT!!! Yep, you read that correctly!!

Please note, YOU CAN JOIN ANY TIME IN NOVEMBER AND RECEIVE ALL THE TUTORIALS.

Heritage Building Society
Mrs M J Dunn T/F Lara May Dunn
BSB 638010
A/C #: 12189650

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Lara's devoted Mum, Madonna. She's an awesome stamper, proud Mummy to four cherubs and a delight to know.

What are you waiting for? It starts tomorrow...the target is 200 sign-ups, please consider being one of them.

Love from Crafty Kim

Skateboard Dude

2010-10-25T03:48:00.000-07:00

Here is another boy card I made. I've used a draggin' stamp technique I learnt from the very talented Renée Van Stralen over in Canada land. Make sure you go and visit her hugely inspiring web site, she's one of my favourite stampers ever. She has posted some very helpful tutorials too.

It took a few practice draggin' runs to get the look I wanted but I was really happy with this card in the end. I wouldn't have thought to put purple and orange together with brown (I copied the colour scheme), but I think it works. I was also happy to find a home for these fancy paper clips from my stash.

Hope the coming week goes well for you. Thanks for visiting my corner of the papercraft world.

Love from Crafty Kim

Computer Guy

2010-10-22T20:34:00.000-07:00

A quick post today. Here's a card I made for one of my son's friends when Ashley attended his ninth birthday party. I've got a few boy images to colour and use for upcoming birthday parties.

It's interesting looking back at cards no longer in your possession, I often think I should have done something differently. This card is no exception; not sure about the ribbon placement over the black scallops!

Hope your weekend is going well, thanks for visiting.

Love from Crafty Kim

Christmas Cuttlebug / Big Shot Cards

2010-10-17T02:36:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been a while. Lots of reasons, mostly been busy with work and fun stuff like school holidays including a trip to Taronga Zoo where we saw new-ish baby elephants, and to Canberra for a few days visiting friends and Questacon, Black Mountain and Floriade. But feeling a bit shabby with a cold this weekend so I'll cut straight to it.

Here are the cards I've been teaching recently. This class was very popular. I wanted to show different Cuttlebug / Big Shot techniques. The first one is using sponging blocks to apply ink to the raised part of cardboard which has been embossed with embossing folders through the Cuttlebug / Big Shot machines:

The next one uses ink applied directly to the Lace Tree embossing folder. The tree is then cut out and mounted on to a matt sponged with ink in the shape of the tree:

I love the Kraft coloured card with red and chocolate.

The third card uses card stock that has a coloured core. Meaning when you emboss it and then lightly sand it with a sanding block or even sand paper, you get this look:

I dusted off my deckle-edged scissors to edge the Kraft card behind the greeting panel and decided I should use them more often. Quick and easy alternative to a border punch.

Last one was the fast bonus card. It is a clean and simple card. The wreath comes as a die and embossing folder pair. I've done it in both red and green card, then cut the ribbon only out from the red one before applying it to the green. The white gel pen just adds a bit of contrast and dimension. I used glitter glue to simulate berries but I think small red beads (glued on) may look better, albeit more fiddly.

Note the embossed border around the image and greeting? Not done with a folder, but with a scoring tool. This can really add interest to the card and it's so easy and cheap.

Well I'm off to cough and splutter elsewhere. I've made a few cards in my absence from here, just need to upload them to the PC. My card reader died so I'm back using a cable and it's soooo slow for the high quality photos.

Thanks for looking, hope your week goes well.

Love from Crafty Kim

Christmas Punch Art Cards

2010-09-25T00:20:00.000-07:00

Here are the cards that we made my Christmas Punch Art card class earlier this month. My favourite would be the polar bears, so cute! This isn't my original idea - there are some very creative punch artists out there who magically turn punchies into card features. These polar bears are popping up all over the place and I couldn't find where they were born :(

Next up is the Christmas tree:

This was made by layering pieces of paper which have been edged with a lacy border punch. These lacy border punches really are so versatile and useful (earlier this year I used one to create a flower, click HERE to look again).

Another cute card, the reindeer here from punch guru, Debra Clarke:

I have to say I'm loving the grass edge border punch; very useful.

And the last quick one at the end of the night is Santa, original punch art designed by Ros Davidson:

Thanks for visiting.

Love from Crafty Kim

Card for Grandpère

2010-09-16T20:38:00.000-07:00

Here's the card we gave my father-in-law, Lex, for Father's Day recently. The design was inspired by Kendall Joyce and it uses a technique called Faux Tiling. I've done some other "tiled" cards in the past, click here to view.

We celebrated Father's Day this year with a trip to the footy, to watch Sydney Swans play Carlton. It was good game, full of suspense, with Sydney just beating Carlton in the last few minutes.

Thanks for visiting.

Love from Crafty Kim

The Tooth Fairy's Been Visiting

2010-09-11T05:38:00.000-07:00

Ashley has been later to lose his top two teeth compared with many of his peers. The dentist says this isn't a bad thing because the older kids are when their adult teeth come through, the more likely they are to look after them well. But Ashley was very excited to finally feel his top teeth wiggling. I was less thrilled; more evidence that he's growing up and in a few blinks, he'll be an adult.

Without much fuss the teeth were soon gone leaving "the gap":

I thought I would make this card to mark and celebrate the occasion. The tooth fairy paid his visit too, although in our house, he's quite frugal ;)

It's not a great photo thanks to being taken late at night but there is glitter on the fairy's wings. I wanted to use a star embossing folder for the red panel but alas, none in stock, so I approximated it by punching stars in the same card colour and gluing them down. As with most punch art, it was fiddly and I ended up with glue in unwanted places but no matter.

I'm enjoying Ashley's toothless smile while it lasts. Thanks for visiting.

Love from Crafty Kim

Cards Inspired By Nature

2010-09-08T05:21:00.000-07:00

Here are the cards I taught last month (has a whole month passed? Surely not!). You may remember I have a real thing for trees, birds, flowers and leaves and these cards are part of this current interest of mine.

First the trees:

I thought the lattice border punch made it appear as if the viewer was standing in front of a fence looking into a field.

And here's the birthday owl:

I was pretty impressed with myself for combining two embossing folders on one sheet of cardboard (not too often I have a new idea). I took the design of the stamp (branch at bottom, dots on party hat) and chose embossing folders to suit. The join of course is hidden by the ribbon, not that I need an excuse to use ribbon.

And lastly, made especially with my friend Dianne in mind, the flower:

I used die cuts made from tissue paper to make the flower and then had an attempt at something approaching shabby chic/vintage, a style that doesn't come easily to me at all. But I was content with it for a first go. That was until Dianne did the class and made an even nicer flower on her first attempt (from the same materials as mine). Humff. I'll see if she'll share her flower with you when I get a spare minute. I also used black tea to tint my lacy ribbon from white to cream, worked out well for future reference.

Thanks for looking,

Love from Crafty Kim

Happy Birthday Andrew

2010-09-03T04:39:00.000-07:00

One month and one day after my birthday, a friend celebrated his birthday. I made the above card for him using papers in some of my favourite colours and punches. Lots of sticking-down but apart from that it was very easy and I was chuffed with the end result. Another great way to use paper scraps (click here and here for other ideas).

We had a good night out at Gourmet Pizza Kitchen followed by a memorable walk through a construction zone (don't ask). I was a bit slow to capture the moment with my camera and he wasn't keen to pose so this is the only photo I managed to get:

I've been a very good blogger lately; still more cards to share so pop back when you can. And check out my links (on the right, down) which I've updated - lots of eye candy there.

Love from Crafty Kim

Look out for Legacy Today

2010-09-02T15:50:00.000-07:00

Regardless of your stance on war, please consider supporting Legacy which cares for the families of deceased war veterans. Volunteers will be selling pins today to fundraise for the cause but if you don't happen upon one of these, Telstra is donating $1 for every "Legacy" text message sent to 0447 877 678 during legacy week (ends midnight 10 September 2010). To find out more, please click on the image above.

Thanks for reading. Have a good day.

Love from Crafty Kim

Hot Chocolate

2010-08-31T04:59:00.000-07:00

Well Spring is upon us in the southern hemisphere so I'm a bit late posting this wintery card which I made for the occasion of my friend Leanne's birthday. Leanne really feels the cold and has endured a chilly winter while her home has been renovated (meaning part of the house was open to the elements and no central heating). She also loves hot chocolate (like me, she drinks neither tea or coffee).

So this image was perfect for her card. In keeping with hot chocolate, I used cocoa and chocolate coloured paper and card. The pink was only chosen because it goes well with brown and the blue, hmmm, it must have been to go with the jeans.

Anyway, hope you have a warm and sunny day tomorrow whatever the weather is.

Love from Crafty Kim

Swimming Congratulations

2010-08-29T00:26:00.000-07:00

A small deal in the overall scheme of life but my son Ashley started at a new school this year which is fortunate to have its own aquatic centre. He'd been enjoying learn-to-swim lessons at a local swim centre but for the sake of convenience and consistency, it was decided to move his lessons to the school's facility.

His school's approach to swimming instruction differs from his past teaching so he's taken some time to progress from the class level he was originally assessed at. He's watched quite a few of his class mates get promoted while he's stayed put. There's been some comments along the lines of "they're so fussy Mum" and "it's no fun" and I've wondered whether I made the wrong choice. But to his credit, Ashley has stuck it out and after nearly three school terms, he's been promoted to the "Goldfish" class.

So I made this little card for Ashley very quickly late at night. It's super simple but I was really happy with it, especially when so little time and thought went into it. If you have any questions about the card, please email me or leave a comment.

Anyway, thanks for enduring my proud mother moment.

Love from Crafty Kim

Bon Voyage Maria

2010-08-28T01:58:00.001-07:00

A friend of mine is off to Europe for a well-deserved break and a reunion with her daughter who is currently on a working holiday. I made this card to wish her well in her travels.

I've got a thing for VW vans and the "flower-power" design also appealed. I followed a sketch design and wasn't sure about rotating the van?

If you have any questions about the card, please email me or leave a comment.

Hope you're having a groovy weekend.

Love from Crafty Kim

Helping Hudson

2010-08-13T20:13:00.000-07:00

What is Helping Hudson? It's a group of stampers who are raising funds for a little boy named Hudson. A KidWalk will help him learn to walk, and take another step toward more independence. You can read Hudson's story here.

There are some great ways to contribute. Paper-craft challenges are running; for a small entry donation, you're eligible to win some great prizes. Some very talented crafters have donated their time and creativity to make tutorials which contain great ideas and are good value. Here's a sneek peek of the punch art one:

PLEASE take a minute to visit the Helping Hudson website and help if you can.

Thanks for looking,

Love from Crafty Kim

A welcome card for Baby Jack

2010-08-08T02:42:00.000-07:00

Back in January, my family was blessed with another dear baby boy, Jack. Born to my brother and his wife, I am very lucky to be his aunt. And he is a new cousin for my Ashley. Following is a photo of the two of them. Unfortunately, I didn't get the timing right...Jack was coming up to a feed and therefore not the happiest chappy but it'll give the cousins something to talk about one day :)

I was very slow to make a welcome card for Jack but was happy with the result. The colour combo of yellow, blue and warm grey along with ribbon and scalloped border works well.

Of course Jack is a bouncing bonnie bubba now, with his newborn phase long gone. He's onto solids and I'm sure he'll soon be on the move.

Love from Crafty Kim

Game Console Boy

2010-07-22T21:06:00.000-07:00

During the very cold and wet winter school holidays, my son entertained himself with his game console. Fortunately, he also enjoyed playing tennis, basketball, AFL and other sports at various school holiday camps. But the game consoles are very popular with boys of his age.

So when Ashley was invited to a school friend's birthday celebration (which was a trip to the Power House Museum, very cool), my mind turned to the stamp shown above. In the gaming theme, I added the sentiment "It's your turn...." and inside:

Happy birthday to a special 9 year old. Time sure flies, I can hardly believe that 9 and 10 year old birthday parties are on the agenda.

Thanks for looking.

Love from Crafty Kim

Simple Felt Card

2010-07-18T03:55:00.000-07:00

Yes, the SALE is still on but it was getting a bit boring having it at the top of my blog so I'm back to regular posting. Just click HERE to see my sale items.

A couple of years back, I bought some strips of decorative felt without much thought as to how I would use them. They do look good on a scrap page but I wasn't sure what to do with them on a card. Hence they've been hanging out on my embellishment carousel ever since.

But I finally opened the pack and stuck them on a card. I'm big on Kraft-coloured card at the moment and I like the single layer aspect of this card. A bit of bling, a greeting and it was finished. Which is great for me as I tend to overthink most cards, taking way too long and getting overwhelmed with options. My only doubt about this card was the ribbon, to be or not to be?

Thanks for looking,

Love from Crafty Kim

STAMP CLEARANCE SALE CONTINUES

2010-07-15T23:26:00.000-07:00

Keeping this post at the top, please scroll down for other entries

*I've added more pictures of sets for sale*

Well I've been threatening it for a while now....I'm clearing out my stash and selling items that I'm unlikely to use before I die. It's all great stuff but with me having less crafting time than ever, I want the items to go to a good home where they'll be loved and exercised regularly.

If you click on the name of the set, you'll be taken to the Split Coast Stampers gallery for a photo of the images and many ideas for using the set. Many of the stamps will suit scrapbookers as well, so please spread the word so I can re-home these babies.

I'll be donating half of the total proceeds of sale to animal charities such as:

Stamps are available for local pickup (Hornsby area of Sydney, post code 2120) or I will post them by Australia Post, most likely in a 500g ($6) or 3kg ($10) red satchel (depending on your post code and weight of parcel).

Especially Suitable for Scrapbookers

Big Deal Alphabet set of 24 brand new wood (mounted) $25

Expressive Flexible Phrases set of 56 brand new wood (unmounted) $25

Nature / Flowers

Infinite Goodness set of 6 brand new wood (mounted) $15

Backgrounds, Frames & Other Useful Stamps

All in a Row set of 4 brand new wood (mounted) $12

Christmas & Other Occasions

Card made with All Through the Year
(Creation & Photo with thanks to Jennie)

All Through the Year set of 8; 7 brand new & 1 used in very good condition wood (mounted) $15

Card Card made with Stipple Celebrations

(Creation & Photo with thanks to Melanie Hawks)

Stipple Celebrations set of 14 used wood (excellent condition) $20

Greetings Galore set of 8 used wood (good condition) $15

Card made with Treat Yourself

Treat Yourself set of 13 used wood (good condition) $20

To buy or make a near offer, please email me or leave a comment. First in, first served. I will accept PayPal, bank deposit, cheque or cash. Credit card possible for combined purchases of more than $30. Once an item is sold, I will remove it from this web site. Unsold items are headed to eBay after this.

Thanks for looking and considering.

Love from Crafty Kim

Happy Birthday Marie

2010-07-15T23:11:00.001-07:00

Back in May I had the opportunity to go to "colouring-in school" for a day. Very indulgent. Apart from learning some useful marker techniques, I also got to stamp some images for practicing my colouring-in later. The above card is made with the first colouring-in job I was satisfied with (a few went into the bin).

I used a card sketch for the lay-out and used some co-ordinating paper (the background paper was cut with my Circle Scissor) plus felt flowers and pretty rhinestone brads to come up with a birthday card for my friend Marie. The image probably suits a little girl best but lucky Marie shares my current passion for this style of stamp so she was happy to receive it. The greeting is from a new sentiment set I got recently - I love all the swirls in the tops and tails of the letters.

Thanks for visiting.

Love from Crafty Kim.

Clear Acetate Cards

2010-07-05T21:24:00.000-07:00

The electricity supply for Sydney's north west has been out since the wee hours of this morning until now. How reliant we are on it for warmth and food supply. My son and I had a game of chess while keeping warm with blankets and eating Madeira cake for breakfast. We didn't have to rush out of the house as Ashley's swimming lesson was cancelled, again due to lack of power.

Back to the cards. Last month I challenged myself to use acetate in cards and teach a class. Above is one resulting card. There are so many techniques using acetate that I had trouble narrowing it down to three in the end.

Can you see I've used that old dinosaur, mulberry paper, in the card above? It's been so long since I got it out of my paper file. But it has lovely whispy edges. And do you like the glittery flower? I laser-printed a digital stamp from my PC onto one side of the acetate and then applied glitter to the reverse. I glued the image glitter-side-down to the backing card, containing the glitter meaning it won't fall off in its travels over time. As you can see from above, acetate embosses well in the Big Shot or Cuttlebug. It is hard to cut though, you need nice sharp dies and plenty of pressure. But here's the result:

Each petal has been cut from yellow card and then another layer of embossed acetate has been placed over the top.

Lastly, we stamped on acetate. Can be a little tricky as acetate is slippery but I find Staz-On good because it is a sticky ink and it also stays-on (most dye inks will not dry and therefore smear). Solid/silhouette style stamps work well. I've used a very old daisy stamp that I still love many years after first seeing it.

To add some texture and dimension, I layered the acetate over embossed card which had been sponged lightly. Acetate is like vellum, you can't apply adhesive without seeing through it so you need to fix it down with brads or eyelets. I've used my new "dog bone" punch for the sentiment piece.

Thanks for looking, have a good day.

Love from Crafty Kim

Happy Birthday Carolyne

2010-07-04T06:31:00.000-07:00

Continuing on with the clean-and-simple theme, here's a card I fashioned from not much more than decorative paper for the occasion of my friend Carolyne's birthday.

Paper goes a long way. Just add card and ribbon in co-ordinating colours plus sentiment. I added some paper piercing for interest and layered my sentiment on some punchies. Done :)

If you want to make a co-ordinating envelope (which, sadly, I didn't in my rush to get the card in the mail), you can use the paper to line the envelope. It's a nice touch.

Anyway, Carolyne, if you're reading this, hope you have received my card and are enjoying some time with your famous comedian son during his visit from overseas.

And, speaking of overseas, Happy 4th of July long weekend to my online friends in the USA.

Thanks for visiting.

Love from Crafty Kim

Happy Birthday Tiana

2010-06-27T02:29:00.000-07:00

Well here's a card I made for 10 year old Tiana. I choose this digital image because the child and dog look so like Tiana and her Golden Retriever, Sharnee. As with all colouring, the principles of light and shade to give the image dimension were applied. I also tried to keep the colours similar to those in the background paper and card. I was able to use the markers to colour the silk flowers and brad so they matched. The layout is from Mojo Monday 139; always helpful to follow a sketch.

I haven't been crafting much lately between work, kid-wrangling (school holidays are upon us) and having a nasty head cold. The cold and frosty weather in Sydney hasn't helped much either. Sydney-siders just aren't geared up for sub-zero temperatures, it really cramps our lifestyle.

Anyway, thanks for stopping by.

Luv from Crafty Kim

Happy Anniversary to Bob & Maureen

2010-06-25T05:09:00.000-07:00

Here's a clean-and-simple card I made for some family friends as they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. Quite an achievement is 50 years of marriage. The happy couple received letters of congratulations from the Queen and the Prime Minister amongst others so my little card was in lofty company.

My little CuttleBug worked hard at this. Of course being a Golden Wedding Anniversary, gold was mandatory. I cut the numbers with an alphabet die set, and the scalloped circle with Nestabilities, picked up some co-ordinating ribbons and it was almost there.

Wishing Bob and Maureen more happy years of togetherness.

Thanks for stopping by,

Love from Crafty Kim

Get to the Moscow Circus

2010-06-20T02:03:00.000-07:00

This afternoon I had a really good time at the Moscow Circus with family and friends. I've been to a few circuses in recent years including Cirque du Soleil and Circus Oz and I have to say I enjoyed the Moscow Circus most. It's great value, the action keeps on coming for two hours. It's currently playing in Hornsby (Rofe Park, until Sunday June 27) but moves on to other suburban locations next so it's very accessible.

We all laughed alot, especially at the clown acts and the ring master. And some of us cringed as we saw what we thought was impossible. Our kids (aged 5 onwards) were entranced. Kids of all ages are welcome, the family behind us tried in vain to get their baby to sleep - even he was paying close attention. But it's not just for kids; I reckon the acts appeal to all ages. There was some distinctly Russian acts as well as magic and puppetry not always seen at the circus. Its big claim to fame is a motorcycle act like no other (and it wasn't an assault on the ears either).

At the end of the wonderful show, the ring master asked us to spread the word if we enjoyed the show. So here I am; I can not speak highly enough of the show. More details here or at Ticketek. I hope I'll be able to see the Moscow Circus again when they tour Australia next (about two years away).

Love from Crafty Kim

Fancy Folds

2010-06-14T01:12:00.001-07:00

Hope those of you who celebrate the Queen of England's birthday have enjoyed your long weekend.

The first card shown above is what is termed an Easel card (as in the stand an artist uses). I've used punch art and decorative paper to make this tree scene. The sky background isn't printed paper, I made it with sponging. Because the card features a large and small tree, I decided it would make a good Father's Day card for Ashley to give his father. Fancy me being organised so far in advance.

The next card is called a Tri-fold card. Here the ribbon unties and the card unfolds to reveal a graphic and/or message inside. Would have been nice if I remembered to take a photo of this feature but I didn't (sorry folks).

I've also used grey in this card. It's not an obvious colour choice but sometimes it works well. And as much as it hurt to cut up my carefully stamped image, it looked good when I pieced it back together again.

Last one is a Waterfall card. I have a set of four owl stamps which were perfect for this card. As you pull on the ribbon the card flips through the owl images.

Thanks for visiting.

Love from Crafty Kim

Mum, can we make a cake?

2010-06-10T19:29:00.000-07:00

(Creation and photo courtesy of Margaret Crawford, Stamps Ahead)

Do these words sound familiar? Usually at a totally unsuitable time. But now, there's a fast and happy solution.

My friend Margaret Crawford scrapped this page above as part of a 21-day scrapbooking challenge she has undertaken to raise funds for homeless kids. I'm sponsoring her $1 a day and so far, I'm up for $10. Margaret has been such a good friend to me that I wanted to send some traffic her way. Click HERE to see her scrapbook pages, she's led a interesting life so lots of variety.

Back to the cake. Margaret's niece, Jess, shared a recipe where you put some very basic ingredients in a normal coffee mug, mix them together and microwave them for 3 minutes. Out comes a cake fit to feed two kids. Pretty good I reckon, here's the recipe that Ashley followed (originally off Facebook):

5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE

4 tablespoons self-raising flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)
A small splash of vanilla extract
1 large coffee mug

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly.

Pour in the milk and oil and mix well.

Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again.

Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts (high). The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed! Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired.

I don't have a picture of the end result. Would you believe my phone rang as the microwave beeped and by the time I got back to the action, the cake was almost gone, courtesy of Ashley and his furry friends, Holly and Toby Beagles.

Have a great L O N G weekend. I'm hoping to be back here before it's over.

Love from Crafty Kim

Rugby-Themed Birthday Card for 9 Year Old

2010-05-25T20:48:00.000-07:00

My son attended the birthday party of a new-found school friend. They have both started playing Rugby Union for school sport so when I came across some stamped football-related images from my friend Romaine (these impressions were made many moons ago), I decided to make the birthday boy's card using them. Nothing like using up your stash.

The school colours are red, grey and blue so I water-coloured the images in these colours and teamed them with matching card stock and ribbon. The background was made with a new Cuttlebug embossing folder which I think is great for male cards of any age. The number nine is a piece of chipboard inked in red and then coated with Crystal Effects.

I printed a greeting for the inside of the card using my PC and colour printer:

Thanks for looking. Hope you're having a good day.

Love from Crafty Kim

School Boy Card

2010-05-15T21:01:00.001-07:00

My son, Ashley, changed schools this year, into Year 3 at his new school. Here are a couple of happy snaps from his first day there:

Looking a bit pensive, or maybe just embarrassed by Mum taking photos

Here he's thinking "I've almost made it to the
classroom where the photos will finally end"

In his first week of new school, Ashley turned 8 years old and in keeping with his new school colours, a friend made him a birthday card in the school colours (being red, white and blue) shown at the top of this post.

Now in his second term, Ashley is really enjoying it. In fact, he's coped better with the change than I have! Thanks for stopping by and reading. I'll be making a few more posts about family and friends as I'm now using this blog as an attempt to keep in touch. But there'll still be plenty of paper-craft to be seen so please keep following.

Love from Crafty Kim

Happy Mother's Day

2010-05-08T21:56:00.000-07:00

Best wishes to all the mothers out there. Hope you're having a nice day. Here in Sydney, the weather is gorgeous, a gift in itself.

Last month I taught a "Flowers for Mum" class. Thought I'd share the cards with you. The first is shown above. I love the paper.

I think the following card was the class participants' favourite:

Lastly is the flower pot card I made for my own Mum:

My own Mother's Day began on the AFL football field to watch my 8 year old son, Ashley, play. I also received a lovely bunch of pink roses that he had organised himself through a school promotional fundraiser and a hand-made card. I'm so lucky!

Love from Crafty Kim

It's great to be eight...

2010-04-25T02:28:00.000-07:00

Back at the beginning of February, my son Ashley turned eight years old. Above is the card I made for him. It really is a great age; life is full of play, sport, school, friends and other fun.

Ashley isn't particularly into dirt biking or motorcycling but he's past the age where cutsie images appeal (kids grow up too fast). I wanted to make something a bit "cool". He liked it, that's what I was hoping.

He didn't have a big party this year but still managed a session of slot car racing, dinner at McDonalds and a sleep-over with three mates (I must be mad). Here he is with the figure eight cake I made for him:

Thanks for looking.

Love from Crafty Kim

Happy Birthday Cards

2010-04-17T05:31:00.000-07:00

Not too long ago, a friend had a birthday and I made her this card using a Stampin' Up! set from the USA that I have long admired, called Branch Out:

I love the boots and the swing. I was remembering a farm where they have a tyre hanging from one of their many trees so it seemed appropriate.

And then a little friend, formerly aged 4 and 3/4 years, turned the big 5 and I made her this card using a new Stampin' Up! set called Pony Party:

As an alternative to colouring-in the image, I've used a technique called Paper Piecing. You stamp the image onto different patterned papers and then get snipping, pasting the various components onto a base image.

Like the glittery five? I'm not much of a bling girl myself but the little Miss, she lurves sparkles. She is also a big fan of My Little Pony and horses in general. So Ashley and I gave her a craft kit to make horse pictures using mosaic tile stickers. And we couldn't resist buying her the new picture book called about the library cat called Dewey Readmore Books. It is adapted from another book of the same name, this one for grown-ups:

If you're open to a literary recommendation, this book is a heart-warming read for any animal lover.

Love from Crafty Kim

The Embossing Class Cards Revealed

2010-04-14T00:24:00.001-07:00

Just popping in quickly to show you in more detail the cards we made at my embossing class last month.

Here they are. The first one uses white embossing on vellum:

This second one uses a technique called emboss resist and also has a faux metal embellishment.

This last one (which looks better in real life - was rushing when I photographed), uses clear embossing and bleach.

Thanks to everyone who attended. I had a great night catching up with friends while we crafted. Hopefully you learnt something in the process :)

I have another class coming up at the end of this month, focusing on Flowers for Mum. But if you don't need Mother's Day cards, we will use different greetings to make birthday or get well or whatever cards take your fancy. I'll post more about it soon.

Love from Crafty Kim

A little Razzle Dazzle to start the week

2010-01-17T18:41:00.000-08:00

Hello,

Well I'm back from Bawley (Point). Ashley and I arrived home safely from a week at the beach on the south coast of NSW. I'm reluctantly returning to the real world but I made some cards while I was away....

Here's one! Using Razzle Dazzle from the current Summer Mini. Hope you like it. I made it in a different colour too but the photo doesn't do it justice so I will try again and hopefully update the post.

Love from Crafty Kim

Clearance Sale Closing Soon

2010-01-15T16:00:00.000-08:00

Hello,

Just a quick note to advise that the Inventory Clearance Sale ends in one week, on the 24 January 2010.

Lots of bargains to be had but some items are already sold out so don't delay any further if you're keen to get stamps at greatly reduced prices. Please email me ASAP or phone 0402 347 010 with your order.

After the Clearance Sale finishes, it's straight into Sale-A-Bration which gives you the opportunity to qualify for FREE stamps. Stay tuned for some sneek peeks of the SAB stamp sets. Even better, come along to our Spring Mini Catalogue Event tomorrow = Sunday 17 January 2010 at Cherrybrook (NW Sydney) - it's never too late to RSVP. You can learn all about the SAB promotion while doing make-n-takes and watching demonstrations.

Love from Crafty Kim

Party Party - You're Invited

2010-01-05T04:14:00.000-08:00

I'm thinking those of you with young children are in serious need of "me time" by now. After the end-of-year activities, the VERY early start on Christmas Day, the fatigue-induced whining at the end of Christmas and now the long stretch of school holidays, you deserve a respite, however brief.

I've got the perfect diversion. Come along to the Stampin' Up! Summer Mini Catalogue Launch Party. It's an afternoon of crafty fun. Nothing long-winded, the kids and their father will barely notice you've gone. Here are the details:

Date: Sunday 17 January 2010
Time: Open house from 2 - 5pm
Place: Cherrybrook (address available when you RSVP)
Cost: $5 for make-n-takes, snacks and a glass of bubbly (refundable if you place an order)
RSVP: Please email me.

And remember, I'll also be detailing the...(drum-roll please):

***2010 Sale-A-Bration Promotion***

which gives you an opportunity to earn FREE STAMP SETS.

Hope to see you there.

Love from Crafty Kim

Looking Back at Christmas 2009

2010-01-02T20:34:00.000-08:00

Hello. Yes, I'm still breathing. Thanks to those who have written emails to me in recent times and also to those who kindly sent me Christmas cards. I received some lovely hand-made cards, a selection is shown above. I apologise for not sending out many cards this year, hopefully I can surprise you with a card sometime this year. The last month has been very eventful and not always in a good way but most of it ended well and, hopefully the future path is less arduous. One of my New Year's resolutions is to start making my Christmas cards in January; all of my unfulfilled ideas are still fresh in my mind.

I've not been creating lately. My craft room has been in such a mess that the thought of having to tidy it first was enough to put me right off. That's another of my resolutions...to cut down on 8 years worth of clutter and not just in my office, but in the whole house. Watch out for some give-aways and 2nd-hand items for sale, most of my items are lightly or never-used and these days, I'm realistic enough to know when I'm never going to use my stash (as much as I would love to).

Anyway, I thought I would share a couple of Christmas highlights for me. The first being the humorous picture below. I love suburban Christmas light displays and my son and I spent more than a few hours trawling my local area looking at house lights.

This photo was sent to me by a friend but there was a similar situation in my very own suburb of Westleigh. When I spied it, I didn't have a suitable camera with me. I managed to snap this photo with my I-Phone (new to me, still trying to master its operation):

I went back a couple of days later but clearly the neighbours had got to the witty individual who was brave enough to twist a rope of lights into the shape of an arrow and the word "Ditto".

For the last two years my boy Ashley has been asking me to build and decorate a gingerbread house with him. I finally gave in and alot of lollies and sugar later, here it is:

This side decorated by Ashley

and this end decorated by me

I always feel a little sad when Christmas is done, the tree gone and the decorations wrapped up and stowed away. I hope you had a good celebration and are still out there enjoying our holiday period.

Love from Crafty Kim

Happy 14th Birthday Daniel

2009-12-01T03:13:00.001-08:00

I don't really do "grunge" well and clearly, not very often! But I needed to make a birthday card for a teenager and lacking any images that would do the job, I defaulted to a personalised name card. And it only took me a matter of minutes to make, which fits with the amount of time a 14 year old boy will spend looking at a greeting card (i.e. a nano-second).

I also discovered that a DL-sized/shaped card is harder to photograph and display but it was refreshing to design on a different "canvas".

Love from Crafty Kim

New Stampin' Up! Summer Mini Catalogue

2009-11-30T18:31:00.000-08:00

It's the 1 December and the new Stampin' Up! Summer Mini Catalogue is online now.

Hope you enjoy looking at the new goodies. I'll be posting cards and other projects using these in coming weeks.

I will also be hosting a Summer Mini and Sale-A-Bration party early in the New Year so look out for your invitation soon.

Love from Crafty Kim

In Sympathy

2009-11-29T23:35:00.000-08:00

The card you wish you didn't need. Part of life, yes, but such a sad chapter. And the warm memories help sustain you but you'll always miss the person's unique place in your world.

I made this card for a friend after she lost someone close to her but if this card speaks to you, please accept my sincere sympathy for your loss. I offer this poem "All is well" which brings me comfort:

Death is nothing at all,
I have only slipped into the next room
I am I and you are you
Whatever we were to each other, that we are still.
Call me by my old familiar name,
Speak to me in the easy way which you always used
Put no difference in your tone,
Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow
Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes we enjoyed together.
Play, smile, think of me, pray for me.
Let my name be ever the household world that it always was,
Let it be spoken without effect, without the trace of shadow on it.
Life means all that it ever meant.
It it the same as it ever was, there is unbroken continuity.
Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight?
I am waiting for you, for an interval, somewhere very near,
Just around the corner.
All is well.
Henry Scott Holland 1847-1918
Canon of St Paul 's Cathedral

I won't dwell on this subject further but life is fragile so please make the most of the living years.

Love from Crafty Kim

Just Beachy Birthday Card

2009-11-28T14:31:00.000-08:00

It's been a few days since I posted because my PC is located in my craft room which is without an air-conditioner (all I want for Christmas is an air-conditioner in my creating space...la la la la). With the recent HOT Sydney weather, I couldn't bring myself to spend more than a few minutes in the hot spot. But today's heat is more moderate so here I am, back blogging.

I made the above card as part of a Card-In-A-Box activity with other SU! demonstrators. The idea of this is to put everything needed to make the card you've designed into a box and then pass the box around for others to stamp and assemble. Makes lots of cards fast. This particular card-in-a-box was designed by Fiona Brown using the Just Beachy stamp set in the Spring Mini Catalogue. Trendy Trees is also used, along with some hand-drawn sheep (the white gel pen comes in handy, again). It makes a good male card.

The Just Beachy set really suits the Australian way of life. With a 4WD, surfboard, bucket, thongs, sun and fish, it has inspired some seriously cool cards such as:

(Card and photo with thanks to Andrea Karadimos)

and:

(Card and photo with thanks to Christine Okken)

For more ideas using Just Beachy, please click here.

Just Beachy is only available until the 30 November 2009 (that's tomorrow). So please contact me ASAP if you would like to order it.

Hope you're enjoying your weekend. I'm off to do housework :(

Love KimT

Reminder - SU! Spring Catalogue Finishes Soon

2009-11-24T23:07:00.000-08:00

Just a quick post to remind you that last orders for the current Stampin' Up! Spring Mini Catalogue will close on the 30 November 2009.

This Mini would have to be one of my all time favourites. There are so many great stamps, paper and accessories. I thought I would share a quick blog hop with you to showcase some of the wonderful creations arising from the Spring Mini. So here goes (just click on the links to see the full card):

1. Forest Friends from Marelle Taylor

2. Great Friend from Mary Beerman

3. Unchartered and Parisian Breeze Paper from Beth Stewart

4. Tree Trimmings and Ski Slope Paper from Kylie

(All designs and photos courtesy of the card-makers indicated above.

With thanks to Marelle, Mary, Beth and Kylie).

I hope you enjoy these creations. Sometimes it seems I like looking at cards more than making them. But then I stop procrastinating and make one of my own and know that holding your own creation in your hands is the best feeling.

If you want anything from the Mini before it disappears forever, please contact me on phone 0402 347 010 or email me by 8pm on Monday 30 November 2009.

Thanks for visiting.

Love from Crafty KimT

Hot in the City

2009-11-23T01:37:00.001-08:00

Us Sydney-siders have been enduring 4 days of hot hot hot weather. A small complaint on the world scale but it's really got me out of sorts. I tried picturing snow-themed Christmas cards to chill me out with limited success.

So, I thought I would post a "refreshing" card. It's not my usual style, or should I say colour combo. But I'm happy enough with it. It was also a challenge because I don't own full sheets of this paper, I was working with 3 x 3 inch squares. Oh the pressure!

I made it for my Fiji travel companions by way of thanks for coming along and sharing the experience. I decided to decorate the inside of the card too but it did limit the space for writing which cramped my long-winded style but some might find it an advantage.

I also wanted to show you a close up of the cocktail drink:

I used Crystal Effects to make the cocktail glass look like real glass. I also cut out parts of the image and popped it up with Stampin Dimensionals. The miniature parasol was stamped on the paper too and cut out.

The stamp set used is Cheers to You which I bought at a low price while on promotion. I didn't think I'd use it much but it's come in handy lately and I really quite like it.

Anyway, enough of my ramblings. Thanks for reading. Bring on the cool change I say.

Love from Crafty Kim

Scalloped Edge Medallion Cards

2009-11-17T14:37:00.000-08:00

Well after that flurry of recent posts, I suddenly went quiet. I thought I'd better get back to Christmas since it's not far away. This is one of the techniques I demonstrated at our Christmas Craft Day. Using a scallop border punch (which is very popular so many of you will already own one), I made the medallion-style matting for the greeting. It is VERY easy and you can learn how to do this here.

You can also rotate the square so that it is a diamond, as shown below in a card created by Kirrily Matthews:

(Card design and photography with thanks to Kirrily Matthews)

Both of these cards also use the Square Scallop Punch as well which you can currently receive FREE with qualifying orders, for more details, please click here.

Of course, you can put anything on the scalloped medallion, circles or squares with greetings or images. It's up to you now.

Love KimT

Fiji Wedding

2009-11-14T03:22:00.000-08:00

One of the reasons we travelled Fiji recently was to attend the "2nd wedding" of our friends who originally married in country NSW. Ten years later to the day, they affirmed their commitment to each other on a beach in Fiji, surrounded by their beautiful children, other family and friends.

It was a very relaxed ceremony, possibly a little less nerve-wracking than the original version. Here is a picture of the family just after the happy couple renewed their wedding vows:

Their daughters were lovely attendants. They were very excited to be part of the ceremony and were clothed in beautiful dresses.

Now I'm sure their eldest son was excited about the proceedings, he just kept his excitement on the inside, right? You can see him here with my son Ashley (they are good mates those two), playing on the beach:

It would appear that the waves, the sand and the passing snorkeller were at least momentarily more interesting than pretty dresses, bouquets, cameras and glasses of bubbly.

I made the card shown at the top of this post for the occasion. In keeping with the informal setting in Fiji, it's a casual kind of card. I added a bit of sparkle via Dazzling Diamonds to the champagne glasses:

Along with the rhinestones, this gave the card a special feel fitting to the event. And they are a "wonderful couple"; very much in love after ten years and four kids (their youngest child has just celebrated his first birthday). Of course, I only just gave them the card and gift some two weeks after the date but there wasn't any point taking it over just to bring it home again! That's my excuse ;)

It was indeed a privilege to share this time with them all, and we really appreciated being invited.

Love from Crafty Kim

Down at the Farm

2009-11-08T22:29:00.000-08:00

During the recent school holidays, my son and I were invited to stay at a hobby farm in the Southern Highlands. It grows hazelnuts for sale at local markets as well running a few head of Dorper sheep. They also keeps chooks (which produce eggs with yolks the colour of Summer Sun) and grows a wide variety of fruit and vegetables. Their jam is much sought after and was a big hit at the recent Christmas Craft Day.

I made this card as thanks for our farm stay which was full of such fun as performing sheep pedicures, spotlighting nocturnal animals, camping in a tent, riding motorbikes and swimming in the dam (that was Toby Beagle's favourite activity). I've used Thoughts and Prayers stamp set with the Faux Woodgrain Technique but this time I made the background look like floor boards. The card design is almost an exact CASE of a card made by Marelle Taylor which I loved as soon as I set eyes on it. Thanks for the idea Marelle. Notice the corners of the main image panel? I used the eyelet border punch as a corner punch - don't you love it when you get many uses from one tool?

Here are a few happy snaps from the weekend:

The Two Helmet Heads, Ashley and his friend

Ashley with Dorper Lamb

Toby Beagle enjoying a swim in and shake near the dam

It all ended well but we got a bit of a fright on Sunday morning when Toby Beagle ate some rat poison (buried deep under a stack of wood). But thanks to some quick action and a Moss Vale vet, no harm was done. Not sure how welcome Norty Dog is to visit again...

Love from Crafty Kim