Inspired

I love this new blog that I found, Clips-n-cuts. I love Vicky's style of making cards..totally simple and clean. My style of making cards changes with the crafter that I'm inspired by. Right now, all the crafters that inspire me are the ones with clean cards..not too much going on...just a simple card, neat, no fuss, no ten layers on the card. Another blog, Clean and simple is also just that.

Besides that, the quilters sampler from Papertrey ink totally had me hooked since the day they were released. So this was a long time due.

Since I do not have any stamps right now(they're at my home, but you've heard that cribbing before), but I've been on such a high after buying lots of craft stuff, this card by Vicky was totally on my mind. I had papers, I had glue and I had the card-stock. Though I admit if I had the punches, the squares would be neater, but this is good too..right?

And how many times does it happen that the idea you have in mind, and the end result is exactly the same? It happened with this card...and I am soo happy..




One thing about this card, Vicky pointed out in her video, that it is better to stick the 1x1 squares on a scratch paper and then frame it up. It gives the faux quilted piece a good support. After making the card, I totally agree.

The sentiment is handwritten, with water-color pencils. And I cannot leave glitter out of the card, so I use bits of glitter paper, the pen used to make the faux stitches is also a glitter pen. the quilt is raised off the card with foam tape.

Ok, so its not a neat card, I've got glitter spread here and there but that's the part about being handmade. Its never perfect..

Card details:
PP- Hobby ideas.
Flair glitter pens
Signo white gel pen
Fabercastell watercolor pencils
Grey card stock - sent by Spardha :)

This card goes to the Crafty Creations Challenge-61-Anything goes...
And for the Just Add Ink challenge #11.
Just in time to add this card to the Meljen's Designs Weekly Thursday Challenge #1

OhHappy Days...

Reminds me of a song from Sister Act2. I just feel so happy and springy..I was just hopping around in Hobby Ideas, wanted some clear stamps and ink. They had tons of colors of ink, but no stamp..not one set. And no black ink, I know I'm not going to be using inks of other colors as much..plus these sets were dated 2007. Am I mad to pay 125 bucks for such an old set! never.

But while I was browsing the new scrapbooking section, I found these dimensional stickers. And they were so colorful, all spring themed and vibrant. I just fell in love.


These two owls are adorable, so is the frog, the peas in the pod..I can't see myself using them, I'll just keep them in the packaging and stare at them, they're so pretty!!!



Love the bee, the happy caterpillar


And this...it just says spring is here...beautiful..wouldn't you agree??

New friends

I have been MIA for too long. Just surfing through everyone's blogs and hoping for things. now I'm somehow getting my creativity back. Its limping back, in a while it should be roaring to go...

On one of my blog surfing adventures, I stumbled across an Indian card maker. From her blog, I found so many. I did not realise that there were so many Indian card makers who are as crazy about stamps, paper, inks, cuttlebug, patterned papers, ribbons and much much more. It is such a delight, and I've already found so many alternatives to the more expensive stuff. locally made patterned papers, new hobby store..the list is endless.

There is already and ATC swap for all the Indian cardmakers. Yipee, needless to say I joined in straight away.

Here are the links to the ones I know...As I get to meet others, I shall let you know..

The ATC SWAP group- Crazy about ATCs

Rachna - Rachna's Crafty Corner

Spardha- Get Addicted to Craft!

Smita - Kreativity and Me

Shalini - Craft Curry

On another note, I finally managed to find some Patterned paper from hobby ideas. With recession, their prices have literally hit the roof. or ceiling. or sky high..whatever you prefer.

A single sheet of rub-on that cost me 40bucks, in now 65. A single sheet of sticker is 95. And PP are 20 bucks. I knew this hobby is expensive but if rates keep shooting higher, I might as well give up this hobby.'

Thankfully there is an online hobby store in India (YAY). Itsy-bitsy and it has the PP for 7 bucks. maybe not as thick as the ones I get at hobby Ideas, it still works for me. Now I just hope they keep adding some new stuff.

Here's a shot of the papers I got from Hobby Ideas..






Here's hoping to see you soon with some new cards and new ramblings..

RAK

I just received this awesome RAK from Kathy. I love butterflies and when I wrote to her in one of her comments, she replied back that she would send me a card.
The butterfly is so gorgeous, everything about this card is gorgeous!
And she also sent me my first Hero Arts stamp. YAY! so much love..sigh..the day feels better already!!

Thanks Kathy.

ETA:

Just look at the card I made for my DH for Valentines. Such similarity!

My birthday

This is just a candid picture, taken on my birthday, while in Rajasthan..I was visting or rather trudging up a fort and exploring it..


This is the fort that I was exploring.. I know the photo needs editing..

I was just checking out a tweak on my blogger to make my photos bigger..it works like charm..


here's the link in case you want to do it too..


Coffeeshop PSE/PS actions..

My love for Paisley and Bling...

......overflowed into my wedding invitations. I have this fascination for bling..most of us cardmakers have it. Mine just got a bit too far..but I love it...
My wedding invitations are shiny and blinged up ... and if I had any of those paisley backgrounders..I would have ended up making my own invitations..but 400 invitations? way too much for me to handle. So I let professionals take over and I still had my paisleys and bling.
Here they are..

Thats the cover..a paisley in bling..

detailed view of the paisley on cover..

This is the actual card..I just love the golden embossed paisleys on chocolate metallic CS...and there's the bling quotient..gemstones on one detailed paisley .

Can someone count the number of times I wrote paisleys on this page? And in case there are some cards left over, I can always re-use them (evil grin :O)
I just wish I had some backgrounders..but with the economy floundering..I'll just wait till I can afford it.

I'm going dotty!!!

No no..not in that way...I just got so fascinated with Faith's ( Markie's mom) style of making cards...I had to CASE her style. And its unbelievably easy.

And now after I made this card, I'm not sure whether to call this a valentine day's card or a Christmas card...

I had this stamp from Michele (hi!!!) ..

I did not know what to make of their expressions and these two moose were they surprised to see each other, are they in love..??? If they're in love, I could make this into a Valentine's day card...oh darn, I can't figure it out...Maybe somethings are better left unsaid (LOL!!)

And one more thing..the sun wasn't there in the image..I took a penny, drew a circle and colored it right in with watercolor pencils..

Anyways, I went along with Christine's sketch, Faith's style of card making and what do I get...A
messed up card that's darn cute.

.

I did stamp on the red CS but since it was tone on tone stamping..the ink just doesn't show up..This card is my entry for Christine's RAK. I really love her style of card making...You should stop by her blog and check it out.

Thank you Faith & Christine for inspiring me..hugs to both of you across the miles..

P.s I didn't know whether the image was a moose or a reindeer..so I went to Google to find out.. Judging by its thick antlers, this one is a moose and those which branch like antlers is a reindeer..I've never seen one..how am I supposed to know.well don't duh me!!! :O)

Blogging Without Obligation

I did not know the concept of B.W.O but now that I read it, I think its good. I don't have to be sorry if I don't post in a while. This is for my peace and my outlet..so here goes..
(fancy me saying this, after uploading 3 posts in a day??)


Thank you Anna for leading me onto this!

Sketch Challenge

I made a card for Christine's Sketch challenge..
Here's Christine's sketch..

And here's my interpretation of the sketch..

Its that time of the day when no matter how many pics you take, they're bound to look dark. I had seen this wonderful technique of stamping on a dark background and filling in the stamps with Prisma pencils...I just used my watercolor pencils and its not bad..Its called Black Magic..saw it on StampOwl aka Frances Bryne's blog..

The single flower is stamped on acetate, colored with copper paint on the reverse..The sentiment, is stamped, faux stitched and the edges and the main panel distressed and raised for a faux leather look. Here's a close up...

Supplies-

Paper-DCWV classic paper pack, Stamps-Delight in life, sentiment- heart and soul rubberstamps, watercolor pencils, uni-ball signo white gel pen, acetate, Black Stazon, copper paint.

Tilda birthday card

Here's a birthday card for a 10 yr daughter of a friend. Nothing much to it.. Just simple watercoloring with Faber-Castell pencils, tons of glitter on the cake..and yes, overdone stamping at the edges...but its still cool. Getting a handmade card is a big deal and I know she'll love it.

And of course there a lot of stamps used..the Tilda is a gift from Taru, the happy birthday sentiment inside the card is from a local stamp store, Hobby Ideas.

The stamps at the back of the card are custom made stamps, one from a local stamp store (the one with 100% handmade). Sadly rubber stamps, even business stamps are made from nylon not rubber and it gives a very bad impression on the paper the other one is from Heart and Soul Rubber stamps, Waving hi to Sue.... ( you can see the difference between the nylon impression and the rubber stamp impression)

And how can I forget to show a close up of the glitter on the card..

The card might look dark, but its not..I've just run a burnt edge action on it...Just to make it look super-cool.

Supplies-

CS-Fabriano 220lbs double sided textured paper. PP-DCWV, Papermania colossal stack, Faber-Castell watercolor pencils, uni-ball glitter pen.