Raspberry Colour Challenge #13

How wonderful is this little inspiration pic for Dawn's Raspberry Colour Challenge!!
She mentioned on her blog about how yummy the soap inside smelled! Well I'm sure coming in a gorgeous little pack like that, that the soap would smell Divine!!
It seems that I have the need to copy exactly what I'm seeing in these challenges and so my card kinda represents the tin with a Birthday greeting to finish it off. I had lots of fun colouring in the dots on the circle circus, though I'm not sure if I've gone a little too crazy with the flowers and bling!?? What do you think??
Thanks for popping over, oh and one more thing you must check out my up-line's NEW BLOG HERE, called Paper Dolls (yes I got the name for my stamp club from her, LOVE IT!!) she's new to all this but her cards and creations are wonderful to see!!!! YAY, for Amanda!! :0)
Smiles Sharnee
Circles and Flowers
Set: Occasional greetings, Fifth Avenue floral, Frames with a flourish & Circle circus
Ink: Real red, Certainly celery and Cameo coral
Card: Certainly celery, whisper white, Real red and Cameo coral
Acc: Wide grosgrain ribbon, pearls, brads & flowers from Pretties kit

Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge #28

What a wonderful day it has been!!
I went for my early morning walk with Amanda, had a "coffee/breakfast" meeting with my Mum and Sister, ran craft at our Play group, came home & made lunch, did schooling with the kiddies, made the card for this challenge in quite time, had reading time, hung out the washing, enjoyed a small visit with the lovely Heath, (whilst packing 2 stamping up orders,) went into town to pay a bill, came home and cooked scrummy Atlantic salmon for tea, put kids into bed, completely prepared 12 packs for my stamp-a-stack tomorrow night, talked to my wonderful friend Carli in Nowra on Skype and now I'm here chatting with you!!! WOW!! What a great and productive day!!
Just before quite time today (when my little one's have time to themselves and mummy gets some business/fun time to herself!! :0) I had an order arrive and inside was the lovely Eastern Influences stamp set, just for me!!(it's been on my wish list for AGES and so I decided to get it!) I mounted it instantly and thought I'd use it for this challenge!!
How much fun is this layout!! I'm really enjoying the circle's that Karen keeps putting into her Sweet Sunday Sketch's and though I don't have a large circle punch, it's lots of fun going into my Tupperware draw deciding which container I'll trace around! Other than the obvious with this one I did water colour in the gorgeous flower with my blender pens to create a softer look and added a cute felt flower too!
Quite time was over and so was my completed card!
Well I hope you've had a great day also and looking forward to your Wednesday!
Smiles and Hugs
Sharnee :0)
P.S My comment issue has been sorted by the super Vanessa, thanks HEAPS buddy!! So leave as many as you like!! he he!
P.P.S I now have a watermark! YAY!! Thanks to lots of time spent by my amazingly wonderful sister Sarah it finally works! (and I FINALLY know how to attach it!) Though to you sweet Sarah Klass who designed my first one, we couldn't use it.... :0( we tried so hard!! Bother! Please know once again how much that meant to me!! Thank you so much! xx

Beautiful
Set: Eastern Influences
Card: Kraft and Really rust
Ink: Basic brown, Really rust, Old olive and Pumpkin pie
Acc: Haiku dsp, circle punches, blender pens, brads, wide ribbon and felt flower

Traveler's Inspiration Challenge #4

This is the amazing photo, courtesy of Savitri,(taken whilst she was in Germany) for Tina's next Traveler's Inspiration Challenge
Let me retell some wonderful words from the delightful Tina herself...

This is the kind of place that makes me want to settle down, buy a bike with a little basket on the front, and bohemian style skirts. I would buy flowers for my window box for the Spring and display candles at Christmas. The door would be the perfect backdrop to a fresh evergreen wreath that would remind visitors with it’s glorious fragrant that this home is about life and love, timelessness and history, family and friends. Oh, yes! One can dream of having such a door as this...

WOW don't you just want to go there NOW!!! I want that skirt and bike with basket and flowers and, well simply the whole picture that was painted in my mind by Tina's amazing creative writing...Ahhhhh what a wonderful way to start my Sunday!!

It's been a long but great week and as a result I haven't had time to do my usual challenges! I've been busy preparing for a Craft fair so there's not been the time to play! BUT it was top of the Priority list for today's activities and so my card began!!
I hadn't realised when starting this card that it would be such a copy of the actual picture!! Still there are no rules so I'm sure that's fine, though I was trying to be a little more "out of the box"....maybe next time!!
The window dressing set was the pick of the day and with some brick like squares and the other windows disappearing up the wall, I think the whole look came together really well!!
How cool are these colours too! Baja Breeze is definitely a fav of mine (as it also is Amanda's!! Hello lovely!!) And it seems that the more I use Tangerine tango the more I like it!! Does that ever happen to you?? A colour that you supposedly really dislike all of a sudden takes a different light and presto... You like it!!! The sweet Brownyn was only sharing that with me last night about the colour Cameo coral! Couldn't stand the colour, saw it in a different light and now has some card stock coming her way!! (Hello to you too Bron, you did a SUPER job last night!!)
I really wanted to have the shutters more like they were kinda just swinging there so as you can see in my close up pic I double mounted them to give it some more lift!
Well that's about it! One more thing is a BIG HELLO to my wonderful friend Heath!! She's a regular visitor of mine and has missed me over the last week! Thanks for the great laughs last night dear Heath, it was such a blast!!
Until next time, when hopefully I'll have the comment issue's sorted, have a super Sunday!!
Smiles Sharnee :0)


Smile & think of Skirts, Flowers and Baskets
Set: Window dressing
Ink: Sahara sand, Pumpkin pie, Baja breeze
and Riding hood red
Card: Tangerine tango and Naturals Ivory
Acc: Clear button's, twine, aqua pen and square punch

Traveler's Inspiration Challenge #3

Tina's Traveler's Challenge is a new addition to her blog (note the number 3!) You should definitely check it out, her words, pictures and life stories are super duper and worth a sit down and a cuppa!!! So here is the pic for #3!!
AND.....YAY!! I've done it!! This challenge that it!! I was really excited when I got ready to do this card as I've been wanting to make those cool paper flowers for AGES and so now I have (along with at least a thousand or two others!! he he!!) They are so easy!! I have no idea why it's taken me so long to make them, but as you can see the card is pretty simple and the colours are totally Fabulous!! I love it!! Defiantly will be making more! All thanks to those funky shorts!! :0)

Just on a side note, I'm having some blog issues with people leaving comments!! You can't!!?? Well at least unless you have a google account it seems! So due to the fact that I have no idea how to fix this and my wonderful friend who does know is on holiday till next week, it will be out of sorts for a little longer!!!

I really do appreciate all of you wonderful, creative people who do visit me, please know how much it means to me!! It means HEAPS!! One of my best bits of the day is reading little messages that you all leave so thanks!! I love chit chatting on my little keyboard to people all over the world! Thanks again guys, please be patient until I get it fixed and have a super Tuesday!!!
Love and Hugs and Smiles
Sharnee :0)

This is just a closer view of the flowers, aren't they cool. One tutorial I've found on making these are at Dawn's HERE!!


Happy
Set: Basic Phrases & Baroque Motifs (stamped on the flower petals)
Card: Pacific Point and Tangerine tango
Ink: Pumpkin pie and Not quite navy
Acc: Button late and twine

Raspberry Colour Challenge #12

It's raining it's pouring.... how funny is that little rhyme!
This morning it most certainly is and with that going on since last night- I have the feeling that today will be one of those cozy day's inside when we craft, do Lego (love that!!) and eat yummy things to help keep warm!!
So I've managed to make a card using Dawn's latest colour's for her challenge. WOW this was really tricky, I love that plant but to make a card that worked with the same colour, yep it was tricky!!!!!
Still after much staring at my stamp sets this time seeking inspiration, I decided to use Boho backgrounds. I LOVE this set, especially those delightful little flowers and so with that I began. It's quite a simple card as you can see but the thing I like the best is that cute little frame, and the 2 different backgrounds! I also really enjoy rounding the edges of a card, something I saw Kristina do once and every now and then it fits the card I'm working on.
I hope that you're having a super weekend, I should be back hopefully today with my traveling challenge so pop back later.....
Smiles Sharnee :0)
You make me Happy
Set: Boho backgrounds & Polka dot background
Ink: Bravo Burgundy, Pixie pink & Certainly celery
Card: Very vanilla, Certainly celery & Pixie pink
Acc: Bravo Burgundy ribbon, square scallop , scallop edge, & square punches and brads

Kristina's Colour Inspiration #56

YAY!! It's time for another challenge!! I'm so excited to be doing Kristina's again, especially after being picked in her top 15 last time!! I really love this picture, how cool are those present bows
BUT...... what do I create!?!
So with much pondering and thinking in the early hours of this morn, I looked around my office trying to seek an idea when I saw this cute little note that my dear sweet down-line Carli gave me last year, it's tucked in a clear pocket in my stamping bag. I see fruit, they're red and orange and green!! That's it!! You little beauty!!! I'll use the Tart & Tangy set. I had know idea from there what I was going to do with the fruit until the then it hit me that I should make it look like those slot machines at the Casino (only seen them, never played on them!!) YAY!!! So I put it together and man am I happy with how it came out!! All because of a little day dreaming and idea searching in my office!!
(thanks Carli!!)
So with the great "lucky" greeting from Life Definitions and my winning row of juicy apples the card is complete. (the glossy glow on the cherries is by using Crystal Clear, yummy!!)
Thanks for popping in and saying Hi!!
I'll be back next week with some gorgeous elegant "Christmas in July" cards that we're doing at my stamp-a-stack on Thursday 23rd and Wednesday 29th, let me know if you'd like to join me!!
Have a super duper weekend,
Smiles Sharnee :0)
You're a Winner
Set: Tart and Tangy & Life Definitions Card: Ballet blue, So Saffron, Whisper white
Ink: Ruby red, Ballet blue, Pumpkin pie, So saffron & Certainly celery
Acc: Striped saffron ribbon, twine & 1 1/4" square punch, crystal clear & assorted markers

Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge #26

Howdie!
I've been looking at the lovely Karen's site the sweetest thing since late Sunday night wanting to jump in and do her new challenge, but as priorities do need to take a number, the number on this was at least a 10!! On a positive note that #10 is now here and I've done it... YAY!!!! :0)
So how cool is this layout?! And that tree Karen puts in the middle gets me EVERY TIME! I love that with the birds and the silhouette, it reminds me of this gorgeous tree cut out that is sold at one of my fav shops in Launceston Cocoon! Anyway we're not here to get excited about the Sweet Sunday tree!! he he :0)
Isn't it funny how when you sit down to make a card you have this picture on what you're going to do and then, something takes over and Voila, (thanks Heath for the spelling on that!!) It's completely different!! I love that actually, it's what being creative is all about!
So here is my challenge card, the end version not the one I pictured in my head! he he

I ordered these funky chipboard shapes the other month and have only just now started to use them! Now I have the feeling that I'll be ordering more as I think I'll use them at my stamp club soon! The little saying "Funky, fresh and Fun" is a rub on, a retired one but I'm really into those at the mo too!! (shhh but there is this really awesome set of new rub on's coming out in the Spring mini in Aug, so cute!! And there's birds! but you'll have to wait just a little longer...)
Well I best be off, Children to teach, washing to do, errands to run!!
Smiles Sharnee :0)

Funky Fun
Ink: Chocolate chip and Riding hood red
Card: Pacific point & Chocolate chip
Acc: Good morning Sunshine dsp, rubon's & On board So Tweet chipboard

Traveller's Inspiration Challenge #2

Hello and how are you?? Hopefully better than I, though I must say that I'm certainly on the mend now which is nice! My family have just suffered a bad chase of gastro in the last week with it being my turn from Friday on!! (I'm sure this is info you were really wanting to know...NOT!) So for the last few days I've just being trying to make it through without multiple trips to the ladies!!!! But Praise God for He is good and I'm here to share with you my latest Challenge!! Here's the pick that Tina from Travelling Mama put up.... How amazing is that SKY! WOW!!! It's from Taos Pueblo in Mexico!! It was taken by Anthonette from Chavez Designs

I must say that I was struggling a little with what to come up with but then I decided to go with a beachy theme!! I made this scrap-book page with the lovely Amanda and I love the simplicity of it!! How awesome is the Pacific Point! Not my usual pick of colours but totally works here!
( just in case your wondering why the italics is on I don't have a clue, one of those technical things that's just not turning off!! Arhh!!)
Anyhow I hope that your week turns out to be a super one, full of moments to create, much laughter and overflowing with love!!!
Smiles Sharnee :0)


Busselton Jetty
Card: Pacific point textured
Acc: Chip board letters, large eyelets, sandpaper blocks (for the edges of the pics!) and twine

I'VE BEEN PICKED!!!! I've been PICKED!!

Whoo Hoo!!!
This is a pretty fan-tabby-hoobie day!!!!!! (do you remember the Hoobes?? ABC, it's a kid's show, very cute!) anyway I popped onto Kristina's site today to see if the round up from the last colour challenge had been posted, something I must admit I've done twice a day since the challenge finished!! It's seemed to take forever, Kristina even said herself, but never the less it was THERE!!! (the round up that is)
I quickly scrolled down the page, past her very cool button card and there in the first line of 5 was a little peak at MY CARD!!!!
YAY! YAY! YAY! YAY!!!!!! (yes there will be much excitement in this, possibly lots of waffle too..)
I'm in a little shock even now actually! My card was actually picked in the top 15!!!!
Now let me put this into perspective for you, there are always heaps and HEAPS of entries in her fabulous Colour challenges. In this particular one she had 194, that's right 194 people entered!! And I was in the top 15 picked!!!! Me, from tassie with all those others!!!!
More YAY's! YAY! YAY! YAY!!!!
Even now as I type my face is beaming from side to side!! :0) So totally on a high!!!
Thank you to all the wonderful and super people who popped over and left comments and those who have also already left Congrat's comments! It means soooooooooooooo much and I appreciate it HEAPS!!! Special thanks to Heath, Amanda, Carli and Kim for their excitement over my news!!! YAY! YAY! YAY!!
Looking forward to the next one......
Hugs and smiles from the very excited and extremely happy Sharnee!! :0)

Just incase you missed it, here is my Winning card!!!! YAY!

Makeesha's Colour Challenge!!

Ok, ok don't say ANYTHING!!

BUT you probably already know that I'm getting a little hooked on these colour challenges!! he he!!
It's seemed like ages since I've done one and so last night I popped over to Keesh's blog and saw this beautiful picture! I wasn't sure what i'd do but something with water colouring seemed fitting.
How cool are those colours and the little tea party in front!! Love that, it makes me want to make a cuppa right now and sit down with one of my scrummy scones or a delicious melting moment from my favourite bakery!! Yummy!!!
Here is my entry... It's been awhile since I've done this type of water colouring before, so long in fact that I've forgotten it's technical name but what you do is, wet the paper (best with watercolour paper!) so it's quite damp and then stamp directly on! Because of this cool paper the stamped image bleeds out and creates this really soft look. Then I just kept layering with the different colours and stamps from the set! I'm so pleased with how pretty it's come out! And have you noticed I've not used one button or piece of ribbon!!?? I really wanted it to look like a work of art and I'm not sure about you but I've not noticed ribbon and button's on famous water colours lately!!!!
Hope you like it!! I've had fun, catch up again soon,
Smiles Sharnee :0)

Stems of Time
Set: Bird on a branch
Ink: Cameo coral, Close to cocoa, Riding hood red & So saffron
Card: Chocolate chip, Cameo coral, So saffron & watercolour paper
Acc: Scallop edge punch & aqua pen

The joy of a new Catty!!

The beginning of July was an exciting thing for the USA as they began their new annual Catalogue! Oh I do love the buzz of seeing a new cat for the first time, you get all excited as you turn each page and ooo and aaar at the new samples, stamps and products!!!
Oh what bliss!!!
Well I had to have a peek myself, (though I'm not sure why I put myself through such agony!!BUT...) they always have such wonderful and exciting things, I wanted to share in the thrill of it all!!
I must say that I too have had the opportunity to flip through an exciting new little catty last week, as we look forward to August when we have our first mini for the year!! The Spring mini!! Just the sound of "SPRING" makes me feel warm inside!! Yummmmm
Of course this is just a privilege for demonstrators only (maybe it's time you thought of joining!!??) so Carli and I ooo'd and aaar'd over the pages describing our likes and our LOVES!!!! So much fun!!
So with all that I decided that it was time to have my first "down-line" get together!!! YAY!!
I drew all my inspiration from the front cover of the USA cat and made this pretty invite! Of course they used their latest and most fabulous colours and stamps but with a little out of the box thinking I tweaked it to what I had!! Whaa laa!!
I'm so looking forward to a wonderful night with some beautiful and talented ladies!!
Hope your week is going super duperly!!
Smiles Sharnee :0)


For You
Set: Baroque Background, Baroque motifs & Friends 24-7
Ink: So saffron, More mustard, Riding hood red and basic black
Card: Confetti white, So saffron, Riding hood red & Close to cocoa
Acc: Scallop edge & Square scallop punch, pretties kit & sponges

p.s How do you spell ooo and aar or Whaa laa?? The dictionary had know IDEA what I was saying!! he he :0)

Beautiful slippers do inspire

In one of the challenges I entered recently a lovely lady by the name of Tina
left a comment and also personally invited me to check out her new Traveler's Inspiration Challenge #1. I of course went to her blog and checked it out. What she is doing is showing us gorgeous photo's from her travels (hence the name!) full of colour and texture and then we get to create a card from this!! Pretty cool hey! :0)
I so love these slippers, how divine are those colours too!!
So whilst my wonderful Husband was sleeping and my precious treasures watched Dora and De'ago I got busy (in the office that is, the house work can wait... he he!)

From the beginning I thought I'd use the Bird on a branch set but as it came together I changed my mind to Embrace life. I knew I wanted to include dazzling diamonds, how could you not with those beautiful sequins and I have been wanting to use the Dear friend stamp for such a long that it had to be included!
Once again drawing inspiration from the pic I sowed too! How cool did that turn out, I sowed leaves!! Me the non-sower, the one who just bought my machine only for Cards!! YAY! (Yes I'm excited, and getting some-what carried away!)
Do check out Tina's site, it's great!!
Smiles Sharnee :0)

Kind Friend
Set: Embrace life & Occassional greetings
Ink: Basic brown, Pink passion, Certainly celery & Tempting turquoise
Card: Certainly celery, Pink passion, Tempting turquoise & Confetti white
Acc: Ribbon, sponges, Haiku dsp, markers & sowing machine

p.s when will we find out about the Kristina #55 challenge..... ohh the suspense!!

Raspberry Suite Colour Challenge

YAY, there's another Dawn challenge to sink my teeth into! I know I've said this heaps but what is the deal with all these bold and bright colours!!?? I was in the deep end once again trying to come up with a fabulous design to impress and be selected for the top picks!! (after all we love getting noticed-YES??)
So with the grey, my mind went straight to Elephants....
Elephants what could I do with those??
Last year I made a wonderfully cute original art work for my sisters gallery opening (Momento, click here to see her amazing work!)
It had the theme of those cute elephants balancing on a piece of string. That's it, I'll do that! But how on earth will I incorporate the Bright Pink, Green and Red??? Ummmmmmmm
Well in the end it all came together, I added some colour by mounting the ears and then layered the whole card to bring the colours all together!! (of course there needed to be ribbon & a button!!)
YAY! What a fun card! I just need to work out who I'm going to give it to....
Hope your Friday is wonderful, we have a cold start here currently it's only 7! But the sun is shinning so that's OK!!
Smiles and hugs
Sharnee :0)
Step by Step
Set: Wild about you
Ink: Pink Passion, Basic black & Going grey
Card: Real red, Going grey, Certainly celery& Whisper white
Acc: Twine, Black marker, Red Gingham ribbon & red button (retired)

The wonderful scallop edged circle

Hello!!
As promised I said that I would show/tell you how to make the scallop edges around your circles! It's so easy when you know how, which by the end of this YOU WILL!! :0)
I mentioned that I learnt this at Convention by none other than the wonderful, beautiful, special Shelli!!! Yes Shelli!! How cool is that! (check out her blog HERE!)

Firstly you need to cut a length of designer series paper (dsp) 2cm x 12" ( I know this sounds confusing but I just cut it across a new sheet of dsp)
Then using the scallop edge punch, punch along the length of the dsp, see here...

Next you need to cut little snips up towards the scallop middle, not all the way, just a bit!! Once you have done that start bringing them in so they overlap each other! (oh does this make sense??) It will start to look like this

This is what the piece will look like once you've gone all the way around the cuts!! Hope yours does too!
It's up to you how BIG you'd like your circle, I just traced around a small Tupperware container, you can see the circle and then I've cut mine out! (we don't have the luxury of one of the fancy cutters here in Aus... yet!)
Then with your snail adhesive (this is the easiest but sticky strip will be fine also!) Run a small amount around the edge of the circle. (can you see it shinning?)

Then with your dsp, start to adhere it to the circle, I find it easiest to hold it up, and run the scallops around with it facing out, like it would be once it's completed (once again hope this makes sense?!) This is what the back looks like.

So now here you go...this is the front finished!!

This is not something I've done before though I've seen step-by-step instructions all the time at other peoples blogs! I hope my instructions have been easy to follow, and helpful for your next project!!

Now here's my finished card!!
I've made this for my brother-in-law Tim who's birthday it is tomorrow. I loved the sketch challenge I entered yesterday so I based it on that layout again!!! I've used the Big Bold Birhtday set, see how great the teeny tiny happy birthday looks as the background, just stamped in the basic grey. This set always makes for great cards especailly those hard to make male ones!!



And how cool are these button's from the button bouquet, with a piece of twine threaded through it still looks blokey!! You gotta have button's and ribbon even for the men!! (in my book anyway! he he!!)

Let me know how you go with your scallop edged circles, I'd love to hear from you!!
Smiles Sharnee :0)


Make a Wish
Set: Big bold birthday & Frames with a flourish
Ink: Basic grey, Kiwi kiss and Baja breeze
Card: Basic grey, Baja breeze and whisper white
Acc: Urban garden dsp, button bouquet, Kiwi kiss satin ribbon and twine