Pirate card

Well not really a pirate card but when i saw this chubby little pirate on a fellow blogger ( is there any other word for a fellow blogger, since most of them are women, and i don't think I'd like to use a fellow for a girl )
OK back to the chubby pirate, I had to have him...easy wouldn't you say so? nopes..This is from Magnolia stamps, which is not available here. So what did I do, drew him of course...what else is a obsessed stamper to do...
and I love the card i saw, so I had to have the sun too...and I used my scalloped scissors to cut a cloud out of an oval. DP is printed off the scrap booking kit...I find most of them at Scrapping with Ikeagoddess.



So where does this card go to...it should reach the birthday boy in around 2-3 weeks, yup its going overseas. So Ken if you're reading this..you know what to expect....I love spoiling surprises...and speaking of one, I'm getting a ton of stuff from frugalities. Man, do they charge exorbitant shipping within the USA!!! I'm paying 14$ to have it delivered to a girlfriend's place and she'll bring it with her when coming in October. Most of the stuff is so tiny, my parents are going to have a fit... and maybe snatch my CC. Ah well! I would go crazy if I ever go to US. i won't care for any historic monuments, I would be found at most of the craft stores. So its good that I'm not going in the near future. (wink)

Another challenge card

I loved doing the previous challenge on SCS so decided to make it a regular feature of my schedule to keep pushing my creativity. So here is my take on the 142 sketch challenge. What I like about this is that challenges are simple. And being simple there can be many many variations on this. Most of the other challenges I've seen have way too many elements, way too many layers.

At times, I've layered so much on the front panel, that the back panel collapses when I try to stand the card up. So I wanted to do a monochromatic color using one dash of another color, something I'd seen on Amy's post, and I loved what she did with just two striking colors. So I printed this paper off one of the scrap booking websites that offer free downloads. And in the end I like it, but still think there is something missing. No idea what though.

I still want to make the card for the Kort i fokus sketch challenge. Should be done and posted by today evening. Since I used red on the first card, I'm using the same pattern in black to do the next design. Let's see if I can raise my own standards. (hehe)



And just for the heck, this is the view from my living room. It was raining yesterday nite and I was playing with my new camera. It looks much better than it does in person.

Wait till the wedding season arrives, it will be even more lit up, as it is, it is just around the corner, end of November and December.

ETA: Just finished with my card for Kort i Fokus sketch 18 challenge. I have to learn how to draw the sketch which i'm attempting. Doing it from memory, makes you miss a layer or so. Damn. I missed out on one layer. So i'm not sure if it qualifies. But sending it anyways.
I liked how it turned out.
I'll try to post a better picture with my camera. It's 12 and i'm watching the India-Australia cricket match at the same time. And yay, India won...we're in the finals. yipeeeeeeeee!!!

My own corner book mark

It took me the better part of 3 days, but i had been dying to make this. I must have torn at least 3-4 sheets of paper to finally get it right. Still need some changes, but finally I managed to make it.
I had seen a bookmark on Amy's blog But was unable to follow the instructions.
So I made my own.Now my new problem is what kind of camera to use to get clear crisp photographs?
Please be kind enough to leave comments and suggestions. I have a Sony cybershot, but somehow i'm unable to figure out how to get photographs clear and crisp.

So how does my corner bookmark look?

ETA: I spoke with one of my friends, and he recommended some changes. I changed certain settings, and voila, here's the new and improved photo.

My first SCS challenge

I've always admired the concept of challenges in making cards. I use to admire them from a distance. Last week, I felt I was getting bored with no challenges, no birthday's this month to send cards to. So I started with the SC sketch challenge. And boy did I love it.
The card turned out great, I loved coloring it( I'm still trying to improve, i don't have prismacolors or copics) . There were so many first's for me in this challenge..



First time i used glossy paper. soaks up ink like a charm. The ink that would not dry on my regular cardstock, dried without heat.
The coloring was a first for a fall leaf. Loved how it turned out.
The fossil stone technique, i do admit, I dont' have many inkpads, (and sadly the store that used to have them, has stopped stocking them. Isn't it awful that once you get addicted to something, and you don't get it. I'm still trying to findout how to import inkpads from abroad. Most of my pals are coming in only in Jan. )

So overall, I liked playing along. I think there might be many more challenges I will attempt. since India is not a nation obsessed with stampers, I think there are only a handful who love stamping; My mom couldn't understand why I made the card if I wasn't going to give it to anyone. She asked what was the point of making it, if I was hoarding it. hmmm go figure!

Being the only one with the creative streak in the family, I doubt I could explain that challenges make you think outside the box. Make your grow.

Ah well! there's a lot they do not understand. Ranting for later on.

take care.

just a simple card

This is an idea i'd been dying to try out, but was too lazy to do so. When I had to make cards for my neighbor's pre-school going son's teacher, I thought of trying this out.

I used plain copy paper, a bit of clear ink and using my eraser of my pencil stamped dots and then dabbed them with chalks. not bad. then came my stamp, ribbon and awesome glitter stones.

Also stamped is" for you" from the wonderful studio g stamp that Maria sent me. I still have to play some more with them. The swirls are a stamp set that i'd just brought. And i like how the flower came out. I'm still learning to blend colors together.

Have fun ya all. And don't hoard stress. It's making me bald already!! AARGGGHHHHHHH!!!!

Look what I got

When i arrived home from work, guess what i found waiting for me. A mail from none other than Maria, and a beautiful RAK card.

It is beautiful and she was so kind to enclose me two sets of studio g clear stamps. She is the most incredible person I know. Thanks a lot Maria, it sure made my day.

I needed that boost. Life's a little low right now. Thanks a ton girl.
Do stop by her blog and say hi to her.

new cards.

Yeah yeah, i know lazy me. No new cards, no posts and no participation in challenges. Had lost my creative streak, took ages to find it. I am struggling to get some PP from someone in US or Aus. An aussie pal is trying to send it over. 12x12 sheets are big to send, i'm thinking of basic grey 6x6 pad. Will work fine. too much cribbing over what i want, here's what i made over the weekend.

This card was made for my best friend during college days. The cake didnt' stamp out properly so had to redo it. Looks a bit weird, need a good black inkpad. just mounted the image a lil off. thought it looked neat.This one is for my cousin, just a 15 min card. the watercolorpencils look dull. I need something better to perk up the images. Copics...not for me..way too expensive, prismacolor pencils...maybe someday...

long time no me??

Life is showing me a lot of twists and turns, there have been just tears and tears since one month. But now i'm a lot more composed. I've finally decided to stop crying, its not getting me anywhere and it certainly will not get me what I want. It's something to do with love. And I gave in to the saying "If you love someone, set them free. If he comes back he was yours. And if he doesn't he wasn't " I've left the future in God's hands, coz there isn't much I can do to change the situation. It's practically out of my hands. I'm just keeping the faith and living each day with the happy memories I have. And not lament over what I might or might not get. And at the same time, I'm trying to move ahead. Not get stuck up, not bottle up all my emotions, or feelings. Letting it out in various ways, making cards and listening to good music is another of it.

So I de-stressed by making a few cards. The Dentist my brother assists, sent me an amazing book on the way Mumbai was pre-independence. Great book. So I made him a thank you card and since his 5 yr old chatter box kid would ask why she didn't get anything, I made her a card too.
I used a roller stamp and partially inked images to separate them. It was a pink Fabriano paper. And oh yes I forgot to mention that my brother gifted me a faber-castell set of watercolor pencils. 48 of them. Gifted would be a wrong word coz I kinda bullied him into buying it for me as an advance rakhi present. Sisters can be mean sometimes, especially when Rakhi or b'day's are around.
This one was a very simple one with a handmade marbled paper I brought almost a year back. Since I basically eyeball all my layering and gluing, most of the times my cards are a little crooked. Makes it look hand-made IMHO. hehe!!

till next time

Red and black

This is the card I made for Maria's weekly challenge. I've so far not done any other challenges this week. Hers was to use scraps of ribbon. Who does not hoard ribbon. A good way to use them.
Initially I just had one red layer. It looked naked. So I layered it with black and again with red. And used my roller flourish stamp with black ink. A tiny butterfly sticker completed it.






Right now my brother is eyeing it. I know to whom it will go to. But sending my card to her!! How will that help. I never understand boys.

Wishing a Great weekend for all of you.
Love.

random cards

Looks like i'm very late in posting my cards. Life is a bit twisty right now. I am supposed to make a decision whether I can fight for what I want or take with bowed head what life wants to give me. What I want is what I love, and what I will get, I will have to learn to love. Its a tough choice, not knowing what to do, whom to love and whom to hurt. Because someone is going to get hurt no matter what decision I take. Actually the power of decision has been taken from my hands, I'm just awaiting my fate.

Sounds too cryptic, but I can't reveal more. Maybe once the decisions are made, I could elaborate. Right now, I just need strength to accept what comes my way. I need courage not to break down, and faith to help me get through this phase. And I need lots of positive energy around me. So no more grumbly me!!!


Now on to my random cards, I made this card just to channel my energy to somewhere else other than thinking. So this is what i came up with. I wanted to color the flowers around the heart, but the watercolor pencils I have were to thick to get into the tiny detail. So I left it blankThe right hand side was looking too bland, so added a few bling sequins. And with the scraps left over from this card, I made an ATC for Maria's weekly challenge. Turned out great.
The bling in this card are stones I found in an embroidery store. Tried paper piercing too. Used my pergamano piercing tool and the grid. Its tough as I have to eyeball the distance. Will have to look for a transparent template for piercing.


This next one is also an ATC, I tried out for the first time. I'd never made any ATC before, and I think they're super easy. .I tried faux stitching in this card for the first time. and its cool.