Friday, January 28, 2011

Love is in the air..............


This adorable image was a freebie from Inklined
and the minute I saw it, I knew I had to make this card for my niece Keryn. She loves all things "Moo" - even her slippers are 'mooish'. I followed - very loosely - a layout I saw on my blog hopping, so sorry, I cannot credit the designer - hopping to fast. I used my Faber Castell-Polychromos pencils to colour the image, cut it out with my Nesties Lacey squares and mounted onto some lovely checked paper from the stash. I played around with my MS punch with hearts and placed on the top and bottom and then had to add ribbon and bling!





Of course, there was no way I could make a card for one niece and not for her sister!
So I thought about Tracy and decided that CAS would be the way to go!
I cut and embossed the heart with my Cuttlebug Textile Hearts and sanded over the embossing. Applied some lovely heart paper to the bottom half of the card and punched hearts either side of a red strip of card with my MS heart punch - love this punch!!
I had this very simple stamp witched suited the layout perfectly. Voila, two very happy boyfriends who have been saved the torment of choosing Valentines day cards - just for them to insert the sentiments - now that an Aunt cannot do!
Enjoy my darling girls!








Good omen????


I won. I won.......
I hope this is the start of all good things for 2011!


Wednesday, January 26, 2011

A 21st Card


My sister-in-law asked if I could make a 'special' 21st card for her only daughter. As I as given not 'brief' other than 'special' I used soft pretty olours with a striking accent - a rose!

It was a square card and the first layer of shimmery green card, I removed the inside and created a frame, which I Cuttlebuged with the Swiss Dots border folder. I placed an embossed piece of cream board in the middle. I bought (shame on me!) this, as it had the most delightful little roses on it. I then sewed either edge of the border and placed it onto the card. I did not sew it onto the card as the stitching would show at the back. Next step was the strip with the designer paper on. I first punched out the border using an EK punch. I then cut the dp to size and glued it onto this strip. The sentiment is computer generated and I tweeked the ink so that it resembled gold. I cut it out with the Labels Ten Nestie, cut a mount in the same green and attached it off centre onto the card. I cut the 21 out of old gold cs using my Cuttlebug Olivia Font dies and adhered it to the label.

Of course a card is not complete without a flourish and a flower, so out came my new TH Elegant Flourises die (love this die, now that I have learnt how to use it....lol) and distresses the flourish with Tea Rose and Victoria Velvet distress inks and placed it onto the card. The flower- hmm. I remembered how to make these lovely organza roses, so I went digging for the box that had all the organza and the patterns and had great fun setting the organza alight to get the burnt edges. The flower turned out perfectly, with a few seed beads sewn into the center. A few ribbon 'flourishes' behind the flower and all was complete. Into the centre of the card I placed the following verse:
We could not be prouder
for the entire world to see,
we’ve got the loveliest Daughter
that there could ever be.
Since the day that you were born
we’ve had this sense of pride
everyone can see it when you are by our side.
And on this special Birthday all we have to say,
is 'thank you' for all the happiness
you have sent our way.
Happy 21st Birthday

Monday, January 24, 2011

Ribbon Storage and a TIP!



I have pondered over the different types of ribbon storage for awhile now and have found a system - in fact two systems that works for me. I buy ribbon by the meter, then I roll it onto a embroidery cotton bobbin and put it into the bottle colour coded accordingly. This cubby-hole system came about through one of my DH's "purging the garage" sessions. I had been given a lot of blanks for decoupage by a friend who had emigrated - usual story, I'm a sucker for anything that I 'may' use one day. Well this day dawned. I looked at these tissue box covers and decided that they would hold bottles for my ribbon! So, paint them I did and talked my DH into gluing them together and then mounting them onto the tiniest space between a cupboard and the window in my work room. I have now run out of space and have to have a re think about this method (or stop buying ribbon ????) but for now it works for me. The second one is for rolls of ribbon and again, DH made up this system on the inside of the same cupboard's door. I also have tiger tail and gut I use for beading on the second row and cord for whatever, on the top row. Still some room for more rolls, says she......
NOW A TIP: If you have a system involving winding ribbon, don't you go wild when you need the tiniest bit of ribbon and it has crease marks ??? ... grrrrrr
WELL, go and switch the kettle on and brew a cup of what you fancy and whilst you are waiting, having taken the ribbon with you, hold it over the spout of the kettle, ribbon taught, and move it over the steam coming out of the spout. CAUTION - beware of burning yourself, like moi! Keep the ribbon taut for a few seconds away from the steam and there you have beautifully smooth ribbon, crease free! Beats having to get the iron and board sorted for a little bit of ribbon and you also have a deserved cuppa. Try it!
Hugz
Moz

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Clown Cards

I was blog browsing and came across the most amazing cards using these clowns from Bugaboo.
The cards were beautifully coloured and composed by Meahni - do pop over and take a look. This girl is a whizz with her coloured pencils!
Thanks for the inspiration Meahni.
I coloured this image with my Faber-Castell Poloychromos pencils and used a blending pencil to soften it all. Mounted onto a sheet of card stock from my stash. I thought the candles were so appropriate. I loved the fun of creating this card.

Friday, January 21, 2011

New Links

I have added two links to my blog.
They are: eClare - Chocolates by Design and Silver Symphony.
Very talented ladies, and dear friends are the creative geniuses in these ventures.
Please pop over and take a look at their wonderful creations.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Hugz
Moz

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Friends Birthday Card

A dear friend had a birthday a couple of weeks ago, and I made this card for her. In my 'half done' drawer, I found the background which was an impressibilities exercise using inks on the impress and running it through the Cuttlebug. I had done several and kept this one aside so used it here. I distressed the edges and then I cut a tag shape from some cardstock from the 'scrap bin' and placed a sentiment that had been stamped and swiped with distress pads and edge distressed onto the tag. Also 'half done' was the flower and all I needed to do was wet it, crumple, uncrumple and let it dry. Found some ribbon in my 'tassels' box that I thought looked a little like the seam tape that they are using on the web, and added a button to the bow. Mounted all this onto a chocolate brown card. It was well received.
I am now determined to try and get the Shabby Chic look perfected!

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Blog Troubles

Hi all,
I have been having issues with the blog editor. I have not been able to upload photographs as the little whizz just keeps on whizzing and that is as far as I can get.
I have in desperation changed the settings back to the 'old editor' and hopefully I can get on with my blog updates. Has anyone else had this problem? I would love to know if you have, how your resolved it.....
Hugz
Moz

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Calendar Page

Firstly, apologies for the bad picture - much better in real life!! --- camera lessons needed!!
I was invited to join a group of ladies who make a calendar every year and my page was for November.
Well, I started off with the conventional soft colours, pretty everything and somehow it was not happening for me. So I hooked out a sheet of nude metallic board and proceeded to create my own background with a lovely stamp and Dauber paints. Each step was an adventure as I had no idea what I would do next. I then decided to do the November printed sheet. I misted it with Moon Glow's Moon Shadow and used masks for interest. Cut it out with Labels Eight dies, mounted onto a metallic burgundy/chocolate backing. Using this same paper, I used the 12" Classic Lace Border die and used the lace top and bottom and then used the offcuts for the sides. Now how cleaver is that ...... lol. I cut flourishes using the Marianne Designs Creatables die from Country Crafts in Johannesburg. Also cut a Label in the dark paper and mounted a cream centre that had been swiped with Distress inks and stamped "Tea Goddess". I also had this awesome stamp of a 'tea party lady' - have not idea of the name or make (it was a buy up from a closing down sale) - which I stamped, then coloured with copics. I added micro beads for berries in the cake and then found these wings which would complicate this creation even more. Not enough to stop there, no I had to used some dried tea bags, that had been sprayed with the Moon Shadows and scratched around and find awesome fibres that I pulled through the tea bag and onto this concoction it went! This was a mammoth exercise and in hind sight, when I received the complete calendar back, I should probably played safe and stuck with the pastels ..... sorry girls!!  I probably won't get an invite to join the next calendar group!

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Meet Lolly!


LOLLY


Meet Lolly!

Please click on the Moz Bearz tab above and read all about her!

Thanks for the vist.

Hugz

Moz

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Seems like yesterday...

that my eldest son was born and here we are thirty years on celebrating his birthday!
What a joy it was finally having our baby, after eight years of marriage. He was the first grandson on my side of the family and my Mom was overjoyed!
He was induced on the 24th December 1980 and our journey began as parents.
He brought us joy and laughter from his first day and we could not be prouder on him.
I used the Cuttlebug embossing folder Clockworks and sanded the raised embossing. The layout was one I have used often before - a half split front with the greeting across the centre. I had scraps of this lovely navy and beige co-ordinating paper that pulled it all together. Added the wooden numbers and tiles for interest. It was well received by our boy. Happy birthday Neil!

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Sadess as 2010 closes it's door....

My darling sister and family has to part with their beloved Butch, just before the new year.
He was an amazing white bull terrier - a real softie and totally adorable and lovable. He was getting on in years, and had developed arthritis which was really bad, in his spine and hips, and was in so much pain. Always a difficult decision to make, but one has to think of what is best for your furbaby.
I found this dogie paper in my stash and managed to pull this 5 " square card together. I searched high and low for my paw print stamps and then remembered that they were lent out and never returned....grrrr! I really must write down who borrows what and follow up on the return of same!
Anyway, I found a paw punch and that had to do as footprints on the heart. Unfortunately I could not get the paw prints to 'walk' across as the depth of the punch was limited. Below is the message I inserted and I cry every time I read it, as we have lost a very old - 17 years - little poodle last year and our 17 1/2year old Schnauzer is on borrowed time, so it will soon me relevant for us
.
To my family

I just wanted to let you know that I made it home.
The journey wasn't an easy one, but it didn't take too long.
Everything is so pretty here, so white, so fresh and new!
Wish that you could close your eves and that you could see it too.
Please try not to be sad for me.
Try to understand God is taking care of me...
I'm in the shelter of His hands.
Here there is no sadness, no sorrow, and no pain.
Here there is no crying and I'll never hurt again.
Here it is so peaceful where all the angels sing.
I really have to go for now.....
I've just got to try out my wings.

Monday, January 3, 2011

New Year.... New Beginings....New Creations....

May I wish one and all, a blessed 2011. May all the best happenings of 2010 be the worst you will experience in 2011 and that you will fulfill all your dreams!
I did manage to finish Kogies twin cousins as the new year dawned.
Do take a look at my Moz Bears page above.
Thanks for visiting!