Buttons and Babies

We got a late start this week over at Aifactory.  This worked out well for me as it meant I could clean out my craft room.. (yet again).  I found some missing Soufle pens at the back of the cupboard (thank goodness).  I sorted stamps and rearranged shelves.  I should take photo's of my room!



Over at Aifactory this week its all about Buttons, we were given images from the following sets, both available at the Aifactory Vault.
And then the Design Team was assigned a set to play with.  I got the Baby Set and chose to use the images of the baby clothes hanging on the clothes line.  

The prize for the lucky winner at the Aifactory challenge this week will be your choice of one of the above sets!  How wonderful is that.  So get your creative juices flowing and start creating..
Don't forget... ADD A BUTTON! 
We would love to see your creations using Aifactory images, this isnt compulsory but its easy as you can grab any freebie you wish from the Aivault.
When tagging your photo's in gallery's please use the link of AIF034 or Aifactory 34 so we can find your projects easily.  To be in for a chance to win one of the sets above though, link your project to the 


Here is what I came up with,
I used the sketch from Sketch Saturday for my project.



Whats Cooking you ask?

Well I do love food... my good friends know this.. But today I'm not talking about food.. Im talking about the wonderful challenge over at Cooking it up with Katie blog this fortnight.

As soon as the challenge was made to the Design Team I knew what I wanted to create.  I had an image in mind of a mothers hand reaching out to a small child, or a mothers hand with a babies hand in her palm.   I spent over an hour looking for an image like this with no luck, so I posed the question on the Aifactory forums about a search engine in finding designs and within an hour, Mia had created an image for my needs!  I was thrilled and very excited at what she created 'for me', I have no idea if she had this image waiting in the wings, or if she whipped it up when i mentioned it!
Here is the image Mia created, its available at the Factory Vault.

I wanted the image to take centre stage and here is what I created.
I wanted the image to show the innocence and love of a mother and child and I really love the final project.
Often I am negative about what I create but I am really happy with this card.
 
The Recipe for the Cooking it up with Katie Challenge this fortnight is
Something for Mom or for a Special Lady
Punch It Up!
Add a brad 

I am currently part of a card swap and the theme is New Beginnings, so my recipient this month gets this card..  I do hope she likes it.

A spoon full of sugar - 3d something (foam squares under image)
Magical Craft's - Something for the Girls
Cas-tastic - Anything goes (Clear and Simple)


A little fun for the day

A little big of fun for all the bloggers out there in craft world, pop on over to Chi Chi Memories and add your name to the list of blogs, a nice way to get people to pop into your blog to say hello and maybe to get some new followers?

Keeping things simple

I am now the proud mother of a 14yr old girl... yikes!  I wanted to make her a special card, she likes the cards I colour but I only had some young images and I wanted to make her a card that was more suited to her new MATURE age!
I had lots of fun with this card, its very simple but also very pretty


I think I liked the process of making this card as I actually STAMPED, and there were no digi's in site.  I have missed it.  Saying that.. my Beautiful stamp appears to be a tad crooked! 
I have used my nestabilities for the flower, and a very large punch for the lovely green branches and a martha punch for the brown border.. add a corner rounder and a button/wire and wallah all done!

Challenges:-
and my first entry to the new challenge blog
if like me you didnt know what CAS meant.. read on.. its  CLEAN AND SIMPLE!

Industrial 12*12 Layout - Kaszazz

I have been a busy little girl lately and making up some scrap layouts.. I must admit I like scrapbooking a lot but I lack the creativity needed sometimes to pull it off.  This is why using the Kaszazz workshop guides are a wonderful tool for me!  This layout is missing some journalling blocks on page one, I will get that done eventually!  These photo's were taken on our Canadian Holiday 08/09 and its my eldest daughter who loves skiing but doesnt necessarily like slowing down!  She is a whizz on the slopes and quite the little speed freak.  I cropped some of the page out in editing just to straighten it up.. if i get time I may get some more photo's taken of it.

Blog Award

What a nice start to my day, I woke up and checked my email to find a lovely blog award sitting in my mail.  The lovely Lola presented my award... I wish she could see how lovely my hair looked as I walked up to accept my award in my very best outfit ..(picture just out of bed.. bed hair)

Now my job is to pass this award onto other bloggers!
Deby - Who didn't think she could figure out how to blog!
Kylie - who has finally taken the plunge and started a blog
Cheryl - for the constant inspiration and for having 50000hits on her blog!
Bec - wishing her some happy times!
Ginny - for talking to a complete stranger at the craft markets!



Romance Bubblegum Cards workshop

Yesterday I spent the day with some lovely Kaszazz consultants where we made up the workshop below.  We get together regularly to try out new workshops and get our samples made up.
This workshop has lots and lots of embossing in it and uses the lovely pre release swirls and romance heart!  I absolutely love the devotion messages (sentiment stamps)

Kaszazz Layout - Beautiful Princess Butterfly Workshop


I just finished this layout, its been on my wish list of things to do for a long time!
it uses Spritz techniques, the lovely butterfly punch and my favourite swirl stamp!
If your interested in making this layout up yourself, let me know!
I added some of the Beautiful Kaszazz bling to this page as i felt it was a nice compliment to the page!



The AiFactory is having a DT call.
Click HERE for more information

I have been lucky enough to be a part of the Design Team since February and during that time, I have been challenged to think beyond the square but also encouraged to stick to my own style, I have been shown new techniques and been supplied with beautiful designs.  More importantly I have been a part of a fabulous group of ladies who never cease to amaze me!


"Its your Birthday'

Have you ever just wanted to make something and it just clicks.  I wanted to make something simple, easy, and not too much fuss.  So back to basics I went.  A die cut, a digistamp that is coloured, a stamped sentiment, ribbon and simple mounted card stock with inked edges!   Oh and a tiny bit of glitter as all mermaids need to sparkle!  The design paper was pre embossed, I liked it as it looks slightly like seaweed.
Challenges:-
Cooking it up with Katie  - purple, anything in 3's and a digi (my three's are glitter colour and 3 word sentiment)

My beautiful image is from the Ella at Sea set
over at the Aifactory Vault


the design team challenge this week was to create a Birthday Card.  I have to say
I had three little girls at my house on Wednesday night and they all wanted to know who the card was for!
They loved the glittery mermaid!~

the Aifactory Challenge blog is waiting for your visit so you can participate in Challenge 32 - Birthdays
if you head on over to the vault you can pick up a load of freebies to play with too.
We look forward to seeing your creations

Its Creatalicious Challenge time - April

I had an idea for this challenge in mind as soon as the task was set, I wanted to do a Kaszazz layout.. my version has strayed from the lovely white's and blacks kaszazz suggested to this blue version, I got a tad over excited with distress inks, and we all know as soon as you start with distress or sponging you have to keep at it till it looks even.. well as much as you can manage anyway.   My base paper is actually white under all that blue!
This photo was taken prior to my eldest daughter getting her braces, so its atleast 2yrs old, my daughter will hate it but im trying to explain to her that old photos provide us with memories of that time, they are not good or bad photos just evidence of what was 'real' at that time!

Now onto the challenge at the Creatalicious blog this month!  Challenge number 9 was set by Abby.
Create Something with Flowers and Wings - both need to be on the creation 



My wings are hiding a little bit with hidden dragonflies, and a few butterflies!  Dont you just love that SWIRL flourish, its one of my favourite stamps!

Now its time to get creative and play along with the creatalicious team, visit the other DT members for inspiration, they are waiting for your visit.


I am also playing with the
Belli Challenge - Die cuts
Sisterhood of Crafters - All about Faith/Rememberance
Cupcake Craft - Childhood Memories


Cooking it up with Katie Challenge 15

Has everyone been to visit Cooking it up with Katie yet?  Whats cooking this week?
This fortnight we were luckily enough to be sponsored by Glitterbabe
and the challenge 15 Recipe is

Use a digital image

Add a little Purple (any shade from Lilac to Plum and it only has to be a little splash to count)

Use something 3 times (that could be 3 flowers, 3 different dp's, a 3 word sentiment, your choice as long as it's 3)

I wanted to challenge myself this time and I chose an image that was not in my comfort zone.  I have three daughters and rarely make things for boys.  So I thought ok here is your time to explore BOY themes!
I did forget the purple part of the recipe when I made my image choice!  (oops)

So my image of an astronaut was coloured with copics, and i kept him very simple.  I mounted my image with purple and then used the maroon to match in with the design paper that was in my stash.  I used my Stampin up circle punches and used coordinating DP papers from Kaiser to finish it all off.
Very very simple and quite quick to put together! 
I may get to like boys card yet!

So are you all ready to get cooking this week?

Im also playing in
Creative Card Crew - birthday
and Pollycraft  - Anything goes


Pen

Aifactory Challenge 31

Guess what its Thursday already and that means, its Aifactory Challenge day. 

This week the design team were given some lovely images to use, we were split into teams and given different images to use, to showcase the designs from the Aifactory Vault.  Our challenge was Mother's day.  Now those regular follower's of my blog would know I have Mother's Day covered already with a card or two, so I decided to look beyond the obvious and do a layout.

Mother's day will be a nice challenge for you all, and we would like you to paricipate in atleast one other challenge aswell with your project.
I chose to play along with the Lily Bootoo challenge this month which is spring colours - yellow, pale green and blossom. 

I had a photo in a frame shoved in a corner and thought.. ahh Perfect!  So i used my floral image and made it into a design paper and I also took my image and used it as a template for a diecut flower which i then used as an embellishment!  

The photo is of My mum and sister and myself from a very very long time ago! 
Sorry for the photo quality, my camera didnt want to focus on anything at all in the page!  I do hope you can see the die cuts clearly, I really enjoyed playing with my pazzle machine to create these.  The flower is actually 4 layers deep.  I played with smooch a little bit, I think thats a bit of a learning curve though.. as Im not that thrilled with the outcome!




Now if you are in need of some images to use to complete a Mother's day project head on over to the Vault and grab some Freebies to play with.  I check there so often, as new images are put up very regularly. 
Then head on over to the AiFactory Challenge Blog and link  up your creation.   The prize for the winner will be the image's we got to use for our projects.. and of course the "joy" of winning a challenge!  We all love that.

If you are a member of the Aif forums, Splitcoast stamper gallery, PCP or SNR please upload your photos of your creations and link them with AIF031 so other's can see your work! 

Pen

Challenge 30 - Aifactory

How is everyone today, thanks for dropping in to see what the Aifactory has been doing this week.
I hope everyone has been to visit the new look Forum's and challenge blog!
We have all noticed that the challenges are not really getting much attention so.. put your hands up and tell us what needs to be done to get people to play along!
For one thing, the Challenge blog is back on blogspot where it is simple to find and for all to participate in!

Last weeks challenge was Easel cards which I absolutely loved and as a friend noted in her comments.. yes they are certainly addictive!
This week is 
Anything goes
The challenge for this week is going to be Anything Goes ~
you can create anything your heart desire
that means absolutely NO excuse for lack of participation!

The Design Team were given some beautiful flourish's to play with, and I finally learnt one new thing about photoshop..I really need to learn that program!~  After I created my project I sat there playing with my flourish's and found out that I can colour them and rainbow them and just entertain myself for hours!   I will have to show you girls what I did after I post this card.

 
Aren't they lovely.  Now don't panic if you dont have photo editing software, these images can be printed a is or manipulated in WORD or similar programs.   
I decided to dig out my Rub on's paper and run it through the printer to create flourish rub on's which I then used on my project.



The flourishes give this particular card an asian feel, I think that happened due to the colour combination i used.  I quite like the finished product!  I used the freebie image from the Aivault (Clearly Delightful) and played a little with some techniques that are new to me.
I have always wondered how other cardmakers get the shading on their die cut backgrounds.. and I found a blog that showed how (have to find the link later) but it was simply a matter of using the nestability die as a mask.. how simple!  I sponged the yellow behind the bird and then I used my Stampin up stamp pad to colour the bird with an Aqua brush.  It literally took seconds and it was a nice change from Copics.

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 AIF030, or Aifactory 30 it will make it easier for us to find your projects.

The DT team was given a challenge of participating in as many challenge blogs as possible this week!  So here goes.  If you can think of any others that I missed, dont hesitate to let me know! 

To clarify some of these challenge entries.. I feel my bird is very "springy" as in he looks like he just hatched!  And the flowers are springy too.
 Easter is in the sentiment and the bird (ie.. little chicken that is placed on top of easter baskets)

bling, buttons and butterflies
Act 22 which has now closed :(
my butterfly is punched from an old birthday card (and i missed the cut off)
(I think my bird is spring as are the flowers everywhere)
I think your meant to use their stamps though.. :(
use something you have owned for over a year (punches)
I loved this challenge as I have a box of scraps on my table in front of where I craft.. and most of my card came from that box!
my embossed background (missed the cut off)
and ofcourse..

as you can see I missed the cut off for some of these.. I left the links up though so people can click on the blogs to see what the next challenge is!
Have fun playing everyone