What's Cooking!~

I can finally let the cat out of the bag.. I sort of let is slip earlier this month by posting a DT logo to my blog and then swiftly deleting it!  But I was given the opportunity to play with the DT team for Cooking it up with Katie. 

The rest of the team are as follows.
Katie
Mary
Anne
Tracy
(and ill have to link them up later, unfortuantly my linking system isnt playing!)
Now whats challenge!

Recipe
Something Old
Something New
Something Sweet

I played a little with masking as I wanted to add some flowers to the image.. i didnt get too adventurous though as you can see. My something old is my brown card stock which I got about 5years ago and then stashed it away, my something new is my beautiful shimmery orange card stock..I love it. I then put this new cardstock through my new sissix bigshot.. also love it. The card stock really took well to being embossed. Now for my something sweet.. I wonder if you can guess what it is without me telling you? I absolutely LOVE chocolate oranges.. you know those wicked, terribly fattening chocolate balls that fall apart in segments.... I could easily eat the whole thing myself.. I was thrilled with my image as he had to be orange and brown.. and my sweet treat is brown *but tastes of orange* I hope that my Sweet..fits the criteria!

I really liked playing with these colour combinations, as orange is one of my favourite colours and I think it looks heavenly with with this deep brown!

I have also managed to make the card spring themed with the masked flowers (I would love to say its easter themed due to my chocolate colourings.. but I think that may be pushing it!)

Fab and Funky - Spring is in the air
For Fun challenges - anything goes
Little red wagon - Rolling into spring
Raise the Bar - A style you dont normally use (april fool)  (MASKING)





Aifactory Challenge 29

Isn't time flying this year, I can't believe its almost easter!  Usually Easter falls near my birthday but this Easter appears to be early!  I like it. I'm hanging out for my One easter egg!

Ok, whats happening at the Aifactory Challenge blog this week?
Well the Design Team got divided up and we got allocated images of Ella the Ballerina to play with.
Isn't she the most beautiful girl!  I had inspiration from my own live in Ballerina.. my daughter.  That said.the only thing similar between my project and my daughter, is the hair colour!

So whats the challenge?
Angie set the task as follows:-
Challenge 29 ~ Create an Easel Card (Bonus Points: Use Lace)
Are you up for the challenge?
More importantly do you want to recieve Ella the Ballerina as your prize if you win the challenge this week?  
Of course you do!

I know I first thought.. Oh DEAR, an easel.  I have never attempted one before.  Thankfully there are many tutorials online which show you the way!






My lace for the project is in the form of a Martha Stewart around the page punch set, as I couldnt get lace to look nice.  The other DT members have really nailed the REAL lace on their projects though, so please go and visit them and see what they created!

We would love to see as many people participating this week, so get creative and make your easels
pop over to the challenge blog and link up your creations so we can come  and visit you.
If you would like some freebies to play with jump over to the Aifactory Vault where there is now 2 pages of free products to play with.  

Don't forget to showcase your projects so others can enjoy them, and comment
if you tag your project with AIF029, or Aifactory 29 it will make it easier for us to find your projects.

Now for my little plea for help
I have been set the task of promoting the Aifactory group over at Papercraft planet.
So lets make it fun.. and attempt to grow the group.  If everyone that is already a member asks one of their friends to join we will instantly double our members!  If that friend then ask's one friend... wallah.. watch that group grow.  I would like to introduce mini challenges to the PCP group, so we can all expand our techniques, share ideas, and LEARN from each other.  I'm sure we all have a little tidbit in our heads that would save someone else the agony of wasted card stock, inky fingers, and lets face it Mistakes! 
What do you want from the Aifactory group at PCP? Let us know and we can work on it!

Have a great week everyone, I really hope to see many little easels popping up on the Aifactory challenge blog this week.   As always the winner of the challenge will be rewarded with a prize!  Ready, Set, Go.. get creative!

Also entered in the following Challenges

Creative Card Crew - Going dotty (lots of dots in my lace edging)
 

Meljen's Designs

A lovely friend rang me today, and reminded me of Meljen's designs, I had several of her freebies but not this beautiful little image on the card below!  Its going to my sister at Easter time.
She has invited our family over for Easter dinner, and to celebrate my daughters birthday and my own birthday.  So I am going to make up a nice little easter basket for my nephews and my sister to munch on over Easter.  It wont be huge just some nice good quality chocolate!  My sister spoils my kids so its about time I spoiled her boys.. who are 15 and 18 and most likely won't expect a gift.
Anyway.. the card!

Challenges
Dare you to digistamp - no patterned paper (my third entry for this one)
Charisma Cardz - something for the kiddies (i still consider my nephews kiddies)
Totally Gorjuss - ribbon (mine is very minimal.. but its there! My bow just looked silly so i took it off)
Pile it on - Furry Friends
Magical Crafts - Easter/Spring theme
Fab and Funky - show us something new (nestabilities, image, and cuttlebug emboss plate)

I think that will do!  I hope your all having a fabulous day!  Oh a challenge for you all.  When you comment feel free to direct me to a challenge blog.. I know of several but im sure there are MANY that i dont know of.  Even a site that lists them would be handy!

Pen

Paper Craft Planet Invitation

Hi i would like to invite you to join Aifactory Group where you will find great crafting ladies , you are invited to download our Free Digital Stamps and take part in our Challenges and win some more freebies!

See you there!

AiFactory Challenge 28



This week at Aifactory we are playing with a lovely little man searching for his treasure, Ivan the Pirate!

This week we are to make a scene!  Like always I have idea's in my head that I want to put onto paper but i struggle to get the idea from my head to my project.. I went searching for my palm tree stamp to use in this project but it remains lost..


I got my distress inks out, I tore paper and I used my new cloud stamp and the great branch  image and wallah.. my little digital image man found his treasure..

 I have used lots of glitter, bling, and even flock for his hair.   

We would love to see you create a SCENE with the Aifactory challenge this week, you can head over to the vault to get some freebies to play with and check out the DT blogs for some more ideas!  Dont forget to link up your images on Papercraft planet, AIF and SCS and tag with AIF028!


Designed to Delight Week 3

I jumped into this challenge very quickly this week!  I got the image about two hours ago and thought..hmmm what to do, keeping with my NON CARD MAKING mojo I have going on, I went with a bookmark.  I got these massive paperclips from Smiggle for 50c each a few weeks back and then promptly forgot about them!
This was quick and easy and the plan is to pop it on a gift for a child with a new novel.  The image was this weeks freebie for the progressive challenge from Designed to Delight.
,
Challenges for this little gift are as follows, I hope the fact this isnt a card won't matter.
Digital Tuesdaymake a St Patricks Day card/creation OR a card with lotsand lots of green.  
Dare you to digistamp - No patterned paper
Cupcake Craft - going green

I hope this is enough green.. if not I can always swap the paperclip out for a GREEN one!

look what i just won!

Simon says stamp is on facebook and has been running little competitions all the time lately... I just got lucky and won this!


Blog Candy Winner

Many thanks to everyone who entered my blog candy, I got lots of new followers 11 of which joined in for the chance to win the candy!
I have just used a random number generator to pick the winner, I used the print screen option on the computer so you can see the date stamp at the bottom

 and drum roll please...

This means the winner is ANNE!
Anne said...

I've popped you on my sidebar, become a follower and am now leaving a comment! Thanks for the chance to take part. Hugs xx

Anne if you can contact me, we can arrange your $20 voucher to the AiFactory Vault asap!


Congratulations!!

Its Creatalicious Challenge time

I am really looking forward to seeing everyone's idea for the Creatlicious challenge this month,  
The challenge is month is
Create Something with your "Favorite Drink" in mind (hot or cold) 
I had a few ideas running through my head, one of which was a decorated box for coffee, because coffee really is my favourite drink!  I was then going to do a bottle hanger to go on a nice bottle of wine.. i even thought about getting my sewing machine out to make a fabric bottle bag!   But then I remembered the wonderful Martini card Cheryl made  in 2009 based on the tutorial on Splitcoast Stampers.  
Can you guess which drink is in my glass?  


If you picked Midori, you got it right!  Its my favourite summer time drink!.  I used all Kaszazz products with this project, except for the umbrella's and the straw!  I really do like how you can coordinate the colours of the Kaszazz DT papers so easily.  Actually all the DT papers in this project were remnants from previous projects!  

Designed to Delight

Are you looking for my Candy? Click here to enter..just a few more days to go.

I have just completed a very simple project using my image from Designed to Delight, I am a tad overrun with cards at the moment so I made a bookmark instead!  I am forever needing a bookmark.  I asked my husband to find me a quote that matched the image.  I love what he found 'YOU ALWAYS STAND TALLER WHEN ON THE SHOULDERS OF OTHERS" perfect for this image!

Ive also used the challenges for the following 
Dareu2digitstamp- No patterned paper
Digital Tuesday - Piercing
One Stop Craft - Sew simple

Aifactory Challenge 27



This week our  Aifactory challenge was sponsored by Laurie from Clearly Delightful,  the images we used are available at the vault, and are currently reduced to $5 for the whole set!  Each DT member got to play with different flowers to showcase all of the lovely images.
I was delighted to receive the Easter Lily image to play with.  I coloured this image over 4 times before I was happy.  I used copics the first two times and they were just too bright for the image.  I decided in the end to use watercolour paper and Ranger distress inks to colour the image.  I sponged the edges of the circular die cut with distress ink and used a waterbrush for the main image colouring.  My sketch is from Laurie's challenge this month at Clearly delightful.  I liked the idea of using her image in her sketch challenge!

The challenge is CLEAR and SIMPLE.  
1. Use a CLEAR object or embellishment or technique of some kind. Some examples are a clear button or other embellishment, clear gloss lacquer, clear embossing powder (cracked glass technique comes to mind!), or anything that you can see through.  Get creative!  Think of other things that are clear that you can see through that you can use in your project. (NOT a clear stamp sentiment... it has to be something that stays on your project)
2. Keep your design at least a little SIMPLE so that your floral coloring is the first thing that stands out.
Yes, you may use ribbon and other accents, and even multiple layers, but  keep your layout and general items simple and to the point.  We want to focus on the center image.

We would love to see as many creations as possible, you dont have to use an AiFactory image but we would like to see as many as possible used.  You can find Aifactory freebies to play with over at the Vault.
When uploading your creations to SNR The Card UniverseAifactory or Papercraft planet  please tag them with AIF027.

Please pop over to the other Dt members to check out their creationsAngie,Lola,Kerry,Fink,Carole,Erin,Monica,Fliss,Carlie,Laurie

Now I would like to enter this card into some more challenges.  I like the idea that I can link this card for both friendship and Mum because.. for most people out there Mum=friend.  That said
My time to craft would like - just for mum and Saturday Spotlight wants friendship, and Simon Says Stamps wanted Mothers day/Girly challenge..

Aifactory Freebie

I ussually check out the AiFactory site each day just to see whats new over there.  I was pleasantly surprised this morning to see this set of free digital papers on the site!  I am slowly increasing my collections of papers and I really like how vibrant these ones look.  I especially like the leaf pattern!    Anyway pop over to the Vault , CLICK here for the direct link to the free papers.  Also dont forget that Aifactory is offering a freebie digital image offer once they hit 50 followers over at SNR Card Universe, I just checked and its up to 41 members.  Nearly there!

Are you looking for my Candy? Click here to enter.  Candy is open until Mid March and so far there are 9 lucky people that are in the draw to get a $20 Voucher's to the AiFactory Vault.  Thats pretty good odd's!  Lets see if we can get a few more people in the draw..Before Mid March!


My Nestabilities solution!

For some time now I have been having 'issues" with how to store my nestabilities.  I started with the original packaging, then someone said magnets in cd cases..tried that and got sick of not being able to see into the CD cases without opening them (i could of made labels for them.. but only just thought of that right about now!)  I then decided on a4 folders that I was using for my stamps.. that was a pain also.  So today I thought OK... think Penny.  I went and got a clear case from the newsagency and used clear A4 transperancies and strong double sided tape (3D brand) and off I went.  This is what I have come up with.. there is a bonus of using this system and that is, everything is in the one case (easy transport) but also if the tape fails and nests fall.. the case is sealed.  I wont lose anything.  How do others store their nests?

Are you looking for my Candy? Click here to enter


Aifactory Challenge 26 - blue, ribbon and bling

How lucky are we over at the Aifactory, we were given the most beautiful image to play with this week and then we were asked to use blue ( alot of a little) ribbon and bling.
The image is available at the vault, "She is like the wind!"

Whats not to like about this week's challenge, a few of my favourite things ..blue, ribbon and bling... this equals fun!

We would love to see as many creations as possible, you dont have to use an AiFactory image but we would like to see as many as possible used.  You can find Aifactory freebies to play with over at the Vault.
When uploading your creations to SNR The Card Universe, Aifactory or Papercraft planet  please tag them with AIF026.


For my project this week I dug into my stash of
 kaiser paper and found this lovely design.  I then used my newly aquired SU sentiment (thanks Deby), my heart punch with some white stitching added with a gel marker and my nestabilities for the tag.  I felt the image needed to be highlighted a little more so I made some photo corners and added some more flowers and bling...

So who is going to play along this week?  Its always a fun challenge over at the AIFactory challenge blog, and its a bright part of the day if you get picked as the weeks winner, you could even win a prize!   With all those positives ... you just have to play along!

Come Dazzle us with your bling... im off to grab my sunglasses!

I used the sketch from Truly Scrumptious (that ended Wednesday night)  and The secret crafter, saturday challenge wants stiching.. faux or real!.

Are you looking for my Candy? Click here to enter

Finally a little bit of ME time to craft!

Designed to Delight has their freebie up on site, all people participating get next weeks image via email!
Creative card crew is celebrating their one year anniversary this week.. and would like to see any sort of celebration themed card.  While over at Cupcake Craft Challenges they want circles, i have used lots of embossed circles and the sketch has circles too..and Cooking it up with Katie wants some decoupage and a challenge from your favourite blog.  Delightful sketches provided the inspiration with the sketch.  Bee Crafty would like embossing and a digi image.


Crazy 4 Challenges would like 3 different texture mediums (ive used three embossing folders),
Dareu2digistamp would like Pearls, I must admit I was happy about this as I really don't use them often.  Inky Impressions want us to think green.. I am sure i could of added more... but there is still plenty to be found!

I believe that may be it for this little card, I am not sure who is going to get this card.. I don't really send Easter cards to people.. perhaps my children can leave it out for the Easter bunny this year!

Are you looking for my Candy? Click here to enter

Digital Stamps 101

Aifactory has recently added a forum to their site with some Digital stamping basics.  Its only new but there are already a few ideas ready to be viewed.  If you have questions that require answers pop on over and see if we can help!  Your question may help others learn as well..

Are you looking for my Candy? Click here to enter