Pink Flowers

There is only time for one card tonight and I'm entering in the Penny Black Saturday Challenge - Case-It Challenge.  This is Helen's lovely card - the 'case'

 Here is my take on Helen's card.

Supplies:  Green, pink and white card, Aspire Penny Black stamp, two pink and a green Tombow, pink Kaiser rhinestones, ribbon and lace

Autumn Tones and Crown

This weeks Mojo Monday 236 is this sketch









Here is my card for the challenge.  I had forgotten I had this design paper. I bought it because I liked the nice autumn colours. 

Supplies:  Brown and cream card, design paper (unknown), two ribbons, lace, Nestabilities, sentiment Penny Black, Amber Clay ColorBox chalk inkpad

I have a second card this evening and it's for the Crazy Amigo Challenge - Princess
This was a fun card to make.

Supplies:  White and pink card, Paper Kaiser Blush, Kaiser rhinestones, flowers, Nestablilities, the crown pattern and the sentiment are from the Cutting Cafe

Red Roses

The current challenge over at Clean & Simple is a sketch.  I have been scratching my head over this sketch.

This the card I finally came up with.

Supplies:  White, black and red Bazzill card, Sizzix rolled flowers, Leaves Martha Stewart punch,  Hero Arts sentiment

Three Green Stripes

Hello,

It has been a nice day today.  It wasn't too cold so I was able to do some gardening.  I was mainly taking care of maintenance because I have neglected the garden lately - about as long as I have been blogging.  It is also the time for rose and clematis catalogues to arrive.  I go through the catalogues and pick all the plants I would like and then go back over them and pick what I can afford - it's fun and no calories.

Tonights card is my second card for Less is More challenge, Three Shades of Green

Supplies:  Three green and white card, Hero Art stamps Blossom Art and Year Round Sentiment, Distress Ink Shabby Shutters, Hero Arts white embossing powder

Well all good things must end and tonight is the end of the Easter break, it's back to work tomorrow.

Must go. 

Goodnight

Plum Cake

I just had to share a recipe I found on the SBS website http://www.sbs.com.au/food/recipe/13889/Plum_cake_%28g%C3%A2teau_aux_prunes%29?cid=23221.  It is delicious!  With cream yum.

A couple of things to mention though, I did cut the amount of sugar, I wasn't able to purchase blood plums and even though I bought 640 gm I didn't use all them.   I substituted a plum with a yellow flesh.

Plum cake recipe (gâteau aux prunes)

Created by Olivia Andrews

        Cuisine: French

     Serves 8

    Ingredients

165g (¾ cup firmly packed) brown sugar  (I used 1/2 cup)
125ml (½ cup) light olive oil
140g (½ cup) Greek-style yoghurt 2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
80ml (⅓ cup) orange juice
1 orange, zested
150g (1 cup) self-raising flour, sifted
120g (1 cup) ground almonds
8 x 80g blood plums, halved, stoned
110g (⅓ cup) plum jam
Raw sugar and double thick cream, to serve

Preparation

Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease and line a 22cm springform pan. Place sugar, oil, yoghurt, eggs, vanilla, orange juice and zest in a large bowl and whisk until combined.
Place flour, ground almonds and ¼ tsp salt in a large bowl and stir to combine. Add yoghurt mixture and whisk to combine. Pour batter into prepared cake pan, then gently press plums, cut-side up, into surface. Spoon ½ tsp jam into the centre of each plum, then bake for 1¼ hours or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. You may need to cover the cake with foil to prevent over-browning.

Brush the cake with remaining plum jam, set aside to cool for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and cool completely on a wire rack.

Scatter over raw sugar and serve with cream.

Photography by Brett Stevens. Styling by David Morgan.

Pink Flower and Three Green

Hello,

I hope everyone  has had a happy Easter?  We have had a very relaxing long weekend.  The weather has turned cold, a taste of the coming winter.  This wasn't a problem, we just stayed in and enjoyed the slower pace.

I made today’s card for the latest Just Us Girls challenge

 and Retro Sketches challenge.

I turned the JUGS sketch on its side and I came up with this card.

Supplies: White card stock, Cuttlebug Scribble flower, Hero Arts Digital Patterned Paper Earthmalldots and

Year Round Sentiment stamp, Pink and white felt, Kaiser rhinestones

The night photograpy is messing with the colours again.  The rhinestones are pink.

The second card I am sharing with you is for the "Less Is More" Challenge - Three Shades of Green.  I enjoy these challenges because I always learn something new.  My biggest problem with them is to know when enough is enough or put another way, when less is more?  For the pears I used masking and double stamping.

Supplies:  Green and white card stock, Pear stamp (unknown), Hero Arts Year Round Sentiment stamp, ColorBox chalk inkpad Olive Pastel and Distress Ink Shabby Shutters

Bye for now thanks for dropping by

Liebster Award

I have received a lovely surprise, Ardyth at MASKerade has nominated my blog for a Liebster Award.

This award is given to up-and-coming bloggers who inspire you and have less than 200 followers. The Liebster award takes its name from the German word meaning "Beloved, Dearest or Favourite".

Once nominated, you then:

Acknowlege the blogger who gave you the award by linking back to them
Give the award to 5 other bloggers, who have less than 200 followers and let them know through a comment on their blog
Post the award on your blog

So here are my nominations:

Tracy at Created By Tracy
Eels at Craftee Owls

Pia at Pias Papir og Perler

Julie at Julie's stamping world

Lisa at My Paper Tales

Please take a minute to visit these ladies and leave a comment for them - we bloggers LOVE c0mments

Sweet Surprise

:

Good Morning,
This morning I have a card I made for the Moxie Fab World's Tuesday Trigger.  Here is the inspiration:

Gingham on white, so  pretty.  Here is my card:

Supplies:  White cardstock, Christina Re Baby Blue, Little Yellow Bicycle doilies, Kaiser pearls, Flowers

Black Hat and Blue & White

Hello,

My son arrived home from Uni for the mid trimester break.  He is only here for a fortnight but it's lovely to have him home even for such a short time.

City Crafters Challenge Blog has a great challenge this week (week 103).  The topic is Hats Off to You.

Supplies:  Card - Bazzill, Stamps - Flourishes, Ink - VersaColor/gold, Kaiser- pearl, brads and ribbon.

The second card for tonight is for two challenges: the sketch challenge at iSpy Sketches ISSC10 and for the colour challenge at Crazy 4 Challenges.

I liked the sketch, fairly straight forward and not too fussy and for the colours I chose blue and white with green.  I must sort out the photography because again the green is looking washed out. 

Supplies:  Card - Bazzill, Design paper - Melissa Frances, Sentiment - Hero Arts, buttons and ribbon

This week has been so busy I didn't have time to tell you about the a paper Expo I went to last Saturday.  It was the first of the Paperific Expos and was held at the Melbourne Showgrounds.  I spent an interesting afternoon checking out all the new techniques and tools.  I allowed $x and left with not even enough for coffee - so a good time was had by all.

Well that's all for now

good night

Coffee and Hearts

Hi,

A funny thing happened on the way to.....That's not quite accurate, it was funny but I wasn't on my way anywhere.  This morning I got up early to prepare hot cross buns in the new bread maker.  Followed all the instructions but when I went to take out the dough to make the buns I had a loaf of bread instead.  I had been so looking forward to hot cross buns for breakfast.

Onto the cards for today. 

I have had this stamp set for some time and have never used it   So I thought todays monochromatic card would be ideal.  A coffee coloured card using coffee themed stamps.

This was made using BasicGrey design paper, flourish stamps, Colourbox chalk inkpad and Kaiser Rhinestones.  I used the Basicgrey paper as background and for the mug as well.  I stamped the mug on brown card and on  design paper, cut out the paper mug and popped it up on the stamped image on the card.

Challenges
Crazy Amigo:  Free theme
Papercraft Star: Anything goes
Papertake Weekly - Anything goes and option monotone
Anything goes - Anything goes
Paper Pretties Wednesday: Monochromatic

The second card

The Blockheads' Magic Metal Technique  and this is triple embossing. A new technique for me to learn.

I used Stampington & Co, Lg Sheet Music; Alison Ellis Design, Just Gold Embossing Powder; Hearts were made with Cuttlebug and Martha Stewart punch.  The sentiment was computer generated.

I had promised myself I would finish before midnight but alas.

Goodnight and thank you for dropping by.

Lucky Dip and Party Dress

This weeks challenge at Less is More :- is "Lucky Dip" and here is the picture inspiration.  So pretty

I was having trouble coming up an idea and then I saw an interesting waterclour technique on Paper, Scissor and Superheroes.  Betsy Veldman said it was easy and her card using this technique was lovely.  So I thought I would give it a go.

I used Distress Ink, Spun Sugar and Shabby Shutters. the stamps were Hero Arts and Art Stamps.

I have another card and this one is for the challenge at For Your Inspiration: Photo inspiration. 

I loved the photo, the colours are so rich. But again I had trouble thinking of a card design. I kept thinking of Japanese themes. Then I thought I would concentrate on the rich colours

I used Stampit's Caterina and Inkadinkado stamps, Nestabilities ovals, ribbon and Kaiser rhinestone.

 

That's all for tonight.



How Green is Your Spring and Retro Blue

This weeks challenge at  Our Creative Corner: is How Green is Your Spring.  Green is to be the the main colour used.

Unfortunately the background paper doesn't look green in this photo.  I have used bazzill card, K & Co paper, Kaiser pearls, Sizzix rolled flower, Martha Stewart leaf punch and Hero Arts sentiment

I will also enter this card in the challenge at The Shabby Tea Room.  For this challenge you are to create a card or project using handmade flowers.

I have another card I made last night but I was too tired to post.  It is for the challenge retro sketches #5:

I used Elzybells and Darkroom Door stamps, Bazzill card, Francheville buttons and Kaiser rhinestones.

It's very late again and I will struggle to get up for work so must go.