Cat Dancer

Hello Everybody,

Well I have jumped in boots and all, got carried away at Retreat on the Gold Coast and confused my ambition with my reality and made a scrapbook page for you and for the Kraft Plus Challenge Blog.  Can you believe I would do that????


So the Challenge was to use a base of Kraft Card and to add Zentangling.  Well not so good at scrapping, or drawing but had a go anyway.


Well here it is, with my favourite subject Miss Beth, one of the loves of my life.

 

 

Did not matter how many times I took a photograph, still kept getting the reflection of the light on the image, so blame my lousy photography skills for that mistake.  You can still the my attempt at Zentangle. :)

 

 

My flowers are 'different' and my lines are not parallel, but it does not matter, I am sure the Zentangle Police will not come visit me.



 

 

This close up shows the chipboard corner and one of the flower sprays.  The Chipboard is from A2Z Scraplets and is covered with Gesso, then Ranger Distress Paint Wild Honey, a sprinkle of glitter and when dry, it is covered with Glossy Accents.  (wish I could buy that stuff by the bucket full.

 

The bouquet is made from assorted flowers that have been edges in Colorbox Chalk Ink Creamy Brown

 

Similar but smaller bouquet made with a pair of dancing shoes.

Oh I do think she is so beautiful, so lovely.  She loves to dance and she loves cats.  I must make a page for her cats one day soon.

This page was created for the Kraft Plus Challenge and is entered in no other challenges.  Made with love of Beth.

Hope you like this page.

Hugs :)

Lauren xx

 



Cards from the Craftroom

Hello Everyone, 

We are so excited, yes we are!!!! We are on the A2Z Scraplets Blog today, yes we have a DT gig!!! Can you believe that, so pop on over and have a looksee at what we are showing you!!! And remember the have wonderful THICK chipboard in so many innovative designs!!!  And yes, we get some of those lovely chippies sent to us each month for doing this and letting you know :)

Here is a sneak peak.

 

Hope you like it!!

 

Hugs

 

Lauren

Biggest News!!

Hi Everyone!!

I have moved my blog over to Wordpress.  My new blog LAURENSCRAFT

Love to see you there!!

LoveLaurenxx

I Spy a Candle

Hey Everyone!! cooler here this morning, so good to feel cool air on my skin, I do not deal well with the heat, so I have been loving this cooler summer with only the few warmer days!! Although the lawn is still growning strong!!

I made a card!! Yes I am back to that, so Lisa hosted the I Spy Challenge on SCS and I am sure it is a candle, so here is my effort, a head start on Christmas this year.... how scary!!

 Lisa is so funny, she really takes this so seriously and does such a wonderful job, she makes things so fun!!  So Lisa said....

This week I'm spying one of my favourite things...
It starts with a C and ends with an E...

It goes well with a bath but not with a shower...
You always will need one when you're with out power...

So spark up your mojo and join in the fun...
If you play along with my challenge a prize could be won!!!

Now you know I love winning prizes, I love anything that is a freebie, even if I never use it, so I just had to be in this.

Here is a closie of the stacked embellie on my card.  The ribbon is only thin, so I made a quad-bow with it and wrapped it around my card to make more impact.  Three beautifull mulberry flower pointsettias, some bead string (fused beads) and a hat pin of course.  Very tricky, eh??

Now to post on SCS so I get my freebie....

Oh and I think you should pop on over to Lisa's Blog because she offers freebies there too.... Crafting Cottage go on you will love her cards and other things too.  Gorgeous!!!

See you soon!!

LoveLaurenxx

Welcome Tiny Precious Baby!!!

Hi Everyone, I had some very special news on Saturday, my friend had her little girl at 29 weeks, all is well, but our precious baby girl will be in special care for a while and she is tiny tiny.  Mum is doing well!!

This was very unexpected news, so I had to get crafting to make a little paper bag album in honour of this wonderful occasion.  All pink and sugary, sweet and special, with loads of ribbon, flowers, bling and precious girl sayings, soft and feminine to commemorate the biginning of her life.

Front cover gives an idea of what is to come, loads of flowers and loads of ribbon.  She is gorgeous you know, I have a pic of her, and she is more beautiful than the album.

Each page is decorated with special flowers, charms, bling and ribbon.  Each page has written words that are special to the occasion and the first few days after her birth.  And of course we need her vital statistics!! And her first photo!!

Of course we needed a special page for a photo with Mummy and another for a photo with Daddy, because I really feel she is going to be Daddy's Special Girl in time to come. Oh why wait she is now!!

And of course for a photo of her first bath.  I cannot tell you her name yet, I have not been told, but it will be as beautiful as she is.

And of course a family portrait is always needed, first of many to come I hope. I see this special bundle being loved and protected and perhaps a little spoilt?

Front Cover and back cover opened to see the whole outside at once.  The spine is held together with tied ribbon.  It really is a beautiful little keepsake.

A view from the top to see all the tags inserted in the pockets throughout the album. The tags are for her parents to write their thoughts on, and to write special messages to her. 

And a view of the album standing so you can see all the openings in the bags for her proud parents to store all those little keepsakes from her birth and first few days.  I told them to keep only everything and to photograph only everything.  You can never have too many photos or keepsakes, right?

Hope they like it..

LoveLaurenxx

Jane McGrath Pink

Hey Everyone, Second post for today, hope you don't get overloaded with too many cards!!

Yes I made this card from the inspiration gained when cricket fans decked themselves out in pink to support the McGrath Foundation day of the second Test at the SCG.

The McGrath Foundation was co-founded by Jane McGrath and her cricketing husband Glenn after Jane's diagnosis and initial recovery from breast cancer. 


So my pretty pink card is very feminine, birthday with all the usual items, like ribbon, bows, flowers pearls and flowers.  Lisa will love me.


Get inky or papery soon, you will love it!!


LoveLaurenxx

Spring Flower Birthday

Hey Everyone, just a little bit cooler here today, I love a cool Summer instead of that raging heat.  Supposed to be hot over the weekend, so I think I will be crafting a lot during the day, so much cooler in the play room.

Today I made a card, and when I was done I thought 'good one Lauren, you have just made the card that can be for Barb's PB Swap!'.  Alas it is not in pastel colours, so there went that idea!!

Oh well it is still a good card anyway, even if it is hot pink and mossy green. Nice stamped background, and gotta love love love that bling!!!

Go get inky soon, it is so much fun.

LoveLaurenxx

Inspired Backgrounds

Hey Everyone, this is the third post today, so please scroll down to see the other two.  I seem to be inspired today.

This card was based around the coloured background that I made several years ago.  I watched a Clearsnap DVD, and went crazy with Ancient Page inks, DTP and brayer application and geometric stamps.  Layering inks was so easy, and this is what I ended up with.

So I layered onto black, then lemon, then red and made a card base of oatmeal.  Embellished with a Happy Birthday down the page, some cord on both sides and some buttons.

I really think I need to watch these DVDs again. I get so inspired and get to experimenting and never know where it will take me, or what I will end up with.

LoveLaurenxx

An Outback Sunset

Hey Everyone!  Seems I am on a roll, so I kept going and made another card!!

My favourite colours and a brilliant sunset, what more would you want.  This is a Stamp It Australia stamp with sky coloured with Tombow Dual Brush Pens directly to the paper to give this rich colour.  

Cut out, matted onto Bazzil Java, mounted onto Bazzil Yam with a cardbase of Kasz Oatmeal.  Embellished with braid, button and handmade Utee dipped skeleton leaf with bead chips and microbeads.  First time dipping UTEE and it is great fun, there is much more I want to try.

Might have to keep making things while my mojo is around.

LoveLaurenxx

The Story Begins.....

Hey Everyonne!! Cooler day here in paradise, lovely breeze and clouds made for a wonderful day working and then creating!!

Ok so I made a card for the new Alphabet Challenge Round 3 on SCS.  It is hosted each week by Dellsdani and she mixes it up sometimes. This time we have to write a story and the first one is a story with lots of the letter A, next week will be continue the story with the letter B, oh boy I cannot write stories.  So.....
An Angel, attired in aquamarine, flew above the Antarctic in an aeroplane to see the abundant animals.

For a non-story teller, this seems a reasonable start, and the card fits in with the aeroplane over the Antarctic peaks (self-made digi stamp) with punched penguins frollicking about.  Ok use your imagination, maybe a boy would like this for his birthday.

Now I hope you get to make something soon.

LoveLaurenxx

Make a Wish Birthday....

Hi Everyone, it seems that Summer is here, each day is getting warmer.  Really I should be grateful that it has been cool until now and just suck it up!

Today I made a card (is this getting boring?) with no pearls or bling!!  My goodness, can it really be worth a blog post? Can it really be worth a look?  I think so, simple, slim, and some lovely stamping!!

Stamped background in Colorbox Fluid Chalk Creamy Brown with Lucy's Dotty Brushstrokes (love that stamp), then overstamped Fluid Chalk Prussian Blue with Lucy's Chalk Frangipani (love the chalk look).

Matted onto Bazzill Bahama and embellished with a stip of checked ribbon with a knot tied.  Finished with a 'Happy Birthday' in downward dotty letters.  No bulk here, just great for going through the post!!

This is very reminiscent of my stamping several years ago (hmmm maybe 4 or 5), time flies when you are having fun!!

Stamp something soon!!

LoveLaurenxx

Blue Birthday

Hello Everyone!!

Beautiful sunny Summer's day here, 28 degrees with a light breeze all day, very nice!

So I made a birthday card for BRAK assignments.  Blue and blue with some white and sheer ribbon ribbed across the bottom, some sheer bows.  Pretty and not bulky so cheaper overseas post.  Oh no, can be it I am getting thrifty as I get older??

Of course I couldn't make a card without some pearls and some butterflies!!!  And I used my newest punch, that lovely lace punch from SU.  I am sure I have no loyalty, except to liking it, needing it!!

Hope you get some inking done soon.

LoveLaurenxx

CC355 A Little Bashful Blue

Hey Everyone, The New Year is really off to a great start!!! What have you been doing??

This card was made for the SCS Colour Challenge this week, A little Bashful Blue. Colors this week are BASHFUL BLUE, NIGHT OF NAVY and WHITE. The dessert this week is glitter.

OK so this is what I came up with, Navy, Sky Blue and White with a little bit of glitter down the body of the butterflies.

Hope you like it!!

LoveLaurenxx

WT355 Bead It, Just Bead It!!!

Hey Everyone, how good is this challenge????

Still working on the Forest Swap VSN Challenge (by yours truly as hostie) with bling, beads, glitter, glimmer, shimmer or shine or any of the above.  Also the SCS Ways to Use it Challenge WT355 Just Bead It!!

This was a wonderful challenge for me, I love to use beads on my cards, although I have so much stuff that sometimes I have to overlook things or there would be no space at all left on my cards and they would weigh a ton!!  

My background was sent to me by a friend, a punch around the page.  So I made a little focal from a cardstock square covered with mulberry paper and put a little bunch of flowers made from beads and wire.  I made a little 5 spirals out of the wire by twisting the wire around a toothpick and then stretching it, threading 8/0 seed beeds each piece. Then they were tied together at the bottom, glued down and covered with a bow and a flower with micro bead centre.

I am happy with this one, and I think I got it right, seems I really did Bead It!!

Hope you like it.

LoveLaurenxx

 

Inspired by Designer Paper

Hi Everyone, just loving this New Year's Day and cardmaking and blogging to my heart's content!!

This is the third card in the Forest Swap VSN for New Year.  Sam was the hostess for this hour and she wanted us to find our all time favourite paper and make a card inspired by that paper.

This would be my all time favourite DP and it is the last of it!! So sad!!  Beautiful cream and black with a swirling vine trailing over it and the ost beautiful stylised flower on it.  I just love it.  So my card is black and cream with a TH flourish, ribbon, bow, handmade rose, stamped focal of SU Upsy Daisy and a Penny Black sentiment of Make a Wish.

I really liked this one, it has all those things that I love most on my cards.

Hope you like it!!

LoveLaurenxx

Roses, red.... and friendship....

This evening I have taken part in the Forest Swap VSN Challenge night for New Year's Eve, such fun.  This is the card I made for LJ's challenge, to use roses or red or rose bowl, you see she is a baseball fan, but I love roses.... here it is!!

Well it is red and it has roses on it.  I loved it and wrote the sentiment on it so that it would also fit in with the SCS I Spy Challenge this week hosted by my friend Lisa, so easy to know it is FRIENDSHIP.... and Lisa is giving free digis to anyone who makes a card, so go have a looksie at her blog and  then jump on over to the challenge post #4054 for this week's challenge and check out the rules in post #1 and and have a go!!! 

Hope you like it!!

LoveLaurenxx

Card Inspired by Childhood Special Person

Hi Everyone, Happy New Year to you all!!! It is a great start to 2012 for me!

Tonight I am taking part in the Forest Swap VSN to bring in the New Year.  Fantastic, crafting with friends from around the world. Darlene started us off at 8pm USA EST and asked us to make a card inspired by someone who gave us great memories from our childhood.

I made this card in memory of my Grandmother, she was someone who spent much special time with me, she taught me to knit and sew, gave me appreciation of the books and the garden.  I loved her dearly and miss her every day.



I made this card in cream, with an embossed background, a beautiful bow, lace flower, hatpins, pearls and a lovely silhouette image from SU.  My Grandma was elegant, always had lace and pearls, loved her garden  and always smelled of Gardenia or Rose.

Hope you have fond memories of your childhood.

LoveLaurenxx

Free For All Challenge - Make a Dress

Hello Everyone, Happy New Year's Eve, what are you planning on tonight??? I am going to sleep it in, it will still be New Year's Day tomorrow and I won't be so tired!!

Make a dress, well that's what the challenge said, I think anyway.  It was on SCS and I cannot get back online to make sure, but I did make a card anyway.

Ok, this is very feminine, I made a dress from the Sewing Room die, embossed it, chopped it a bit and put a lace skirt and a ribbon bow and some pearls. Ribbon and bow, butterflies, a floral decoration made from the die from MFT that Miss Lynn sent me as part of the Secret Santa (lucky me!!).

A little DTP on the flower to match ribbon and butterflies.  Used a hatpin  and it all came together well.

Miss Lisa will be so proud of me. You see it has pink √, ribbon √, flower √, butterfly √, hatpin √, Lisa will be ecstatic!!!

So there you go, hope you like it!!

LoveLaurenxx

Party Favour Box

Hi Everyone, I am on a roll today and this is my third post, so scroll down to check them all out!!!

This little favour box is a one sheet wonder and I made it with my little friend Beth in mind.  She is wild for cats, just adores them, so I thought I would make a party favour box that she would like and make them for her birthday party (I am sure her Mum will give her and her sister a party) in June.  I usually get an invite too, fun!!!

Isn't she gorgeous??? No not my idea, saw something similar a long time ago, and as usual, I did my version of it.  It was so easy to decorate with a handcut tail, half circle and a cat's face.  A little Crystal Ice Stickles to glam her up and she is done.  I make a closure with stick on velcro.

Made with just one sheet of A4 paper or cardstock, scored at 2", 5", 7" and 10", with cut at 11" along the longest side.  Score in 2" on opposite sides along the shortest side of the card/paper.

Hope you like her my Beth!!  Although I think I might have to make her in more pink to really make my little friend happy.

LoveLaurenxx

CASEing my friend Lisa!!

Hi Everyone, second post for today, so scroll down to see more after this post!!

Hi Lisa, do you recognise this??? It is a poor man's copy of your style of cards.  But you make them so so so much better than I do, even though you supplied the punched backing for this card!!! Oh well, practice it seems.

Oh Lisa and I took some hints from you about jazzing up my photos like yours, decorations are only everything eh??

This card will be entered into the Alphabet Challenge on SCS for this week, where the idea is to copy a card from the gallery.  This was so easy for me, I love Lisa's work.  Go check out her blog and I bet you will be blown away by her talent http://craftingcottage.wordpress.com/ oh and tell me if you are not impressed!!

LoveLaurenxx