ALL IN YOUR POCKET with INDIGO BLUE

Design Team Project for:

• ABC Card Challenge: I is for INDIGO BLUE
• Dutch Dare Card Challenge: ALL IN YOUR POCKET

I had so much fun working with this blue colour palette. The focus flowers were stamped with my Chiswick acrylic stamp set. I have created the flower watermark background behind the main flowers on the front of the pocket as well as on the pull out card, with the same flower stamp. The blue buckle was created with a Paper Shapers buckle punch and then punched out with a Paper Shapers circle punch. The dotty ribbon is from my stash.

Loved this watermark technique and I've got a feeling that this technique is going to solve my addiction to iris folding.

Your visit here is truly treasured and I trust that it was pleasurable for you.

WEDDING BLISS and FLEDGELINGS

At last I have completed Enrico and Angelique Nells' wedding album with this front page to the album. The sketch of the Anglican Church in Uitenhage has been downloaded from the internet, resized and printed onto white cardstock with an inkjet printer. The hearts were stamped with a Chiswick acrylic hearts stamp set. The Greatest Love circle was also stamped with acrylic stamps. The cardstock are Basic Grey (for the background) and FabScraps for the various mounting. Also used some Scrapbook King white rub-ons here and there. Now I just have to mosaic an album box with lid for the album.

I am also entering this layout for the following challenges:

• Creative Card Crew #37: Strings Attached
• Paper Cutz Challenge #17: Stamped Image {the hearts are stamped with acrylic stamps}
• Polycraft Monday Challenge #28: No Cards Allowed
• Quixotic Challenge #2: Stitching {Faux stitching around hearts and church image}

Feeling quite sad as the little wagtails have both fledged the nest on Tuesday, 10 November. These photos were taken the Monday afternoon, just before they settled in for their final night in the nest.

Now I am just praying that the next door cat won't be on the prowl whilst they build up their strength.

Thanks again for all your lovely comments and taking the time to stop by.

THOSE WERE THE DAYS ...

{Dutch Dare Card Challenge DT Project: #65 All in your Pocket}

I have also entered this card for the following challenges:

• Crafty Cardmakers: Stamp Something
• Creative Inspirations: New or Neglected {a new digi stamp}
• Pile It On: Fall Challenge - Use a leaf on your card
• Stamp Something: Sketch Something
• Quixotic Challenge: #2 Stitching
• Paper Cutz Challenge: #17 Hand Stamped or Digi Image

For our next challenge (#65: all in your pocket) over at the DDCC we have the Ai Factory as our sponsor. They gave the DT a free image to work with. Its the first time I have used a digi stamp and it worked perfectly. I printed the cute image with my Canon i475D Inkjet printer on white ColorMates Cardstock and then coloured the image with H2O's. I know I am a total novice when it comes to colouring images, so I bow my head in shame.

The black flower arrangements are Making Memories rub-ons which were sitting in my stash feeling very neglected. And of course all the yummy cardstock are from Basic Grey.

Thanks again for taking the time out of your busy life, to stop by here. It is truly appreciated.

THANKS SO MUCH ...

{Design Team Project: ABC Challenge - H is for Hidden Messages}

I am also entering this card for the following challenges:

• My Time to Craft Challenge: Tags so much
• Charisma Cardz - #44 A sketch
• Crafty Cardmakers: Stamp Something
• Creative Inspirations: #35 New or Neglected {It was the first time that I inked up my Chiswick acrylic text stamp which I used for the rectangle on the right.}

I have used one of my Making Memories flower acrylic stamp sets for the flowers and the Chiswick text stamp for the background layer on the right. The pull-out tag was created with the Creative Memories Jumbo Tag Punch. Friend was created with Basic Grey Alphabet Stickers from my stash.

Leaving you once again with another snapshot of our indigenous garden. Mr & Mrs Wagtail's two little chicks are in their nest between the leaves of the Aloe tree in the front on the right of the photo. As you can see the aloe has quite a bit of white scale on its leaves (a common occurrence on aloes). Usually spraying some water under pressure onto the leaves removes the scale, but of course, with the Wagtail family in it, we will have to wait until the chicks have fledged.

Your visit here is much appreciated.

XMAS JOY

Here's a second card I created with my yummy Monthly Card Kit Club's November Kit . Two of the trees have been created with the iris folding technique {yes, I admit, I am adicted} ... love the happy and bright colour combo of this kit ... and doesn't those stars look like they are twinkling ... definitely puts one in a festive mood. Joy was created with a stamp from one of my acrylic stamp sets.

I have also entered this card for The Pixie Cottage's Celebrate challenge. Please visit the Pixies to have a look at the DT's gorgeous creations.

I am leaving you with a quick snapshot of a section of our indigenous garden. Can't believe how much everything has grown since the landscaping was completed at the beginning of April 2008.

Wishing you all a fantastic weekend. May you all find time to unwind with some creativity on the side. Thanks again for taking time to have a peep here and for all your much appreciated kind comments.

CHRISTMAS ... The Best of Times

This creation has been entered for the following challenges:

• 2 Sketches 4 You: Laura's Sketch 38
• Papertake Weekly Challenge: Sketch 27
• Daring Cardmakers: Getting Punchy With It
• The Pixie Cottage: Celebration

I was so excited when the Postman delivered my gorgeous November Kit all the way from the Netherlands to me here in Johannesburg, South Africa. Having seen my fellow design team members' gorgeous creations over at the Monthly Card Kit Club, I was just itching to receive my design team goodies. Thank you so much Karin. So, no time was wasted creating with all the yummy goodies in this month's kit.

The only items on this creation that was not in the kit, are the 4 orange brads and the plain pink and teal cardstock forming the outside border of the card. The 'best of times' circle was stamped with an acrylic stamp from my personal stash. The circle embellishments were created with 3 circle punches and it was a joy to sand the edges of the various double sided patterned cardstock in this kit.

Once again two sketch inspirations got me started with this card i.e. Laura's Sketch #38 over at 2 Sketches 4 You and this week's sketch #27 challenge over at Papertake Weekly.

Must say, it was quite strange creating a winter themed Xmas card as we celebrate Xmas here in South Africa, right in the middle of a sizzling summer.

... And I am sure you will all be glad to hear that Mr & Mrs Wagtail are excellent parents. They have been feeding and caring for their two bambinos round the clock and the chicks' eyes has opened Sunday afternoon and today (Thursday) they are very aware of what's going on around them and moving around in the nest all the time. It is just so difficult to get decent photos of the chicks due to the nest perching up high between thorny aloe leaves. Loads of scratch marks on my hands are proof of this. Its an absolute miracle that the chicks are in such a healthy state as they have already survived numerous electric thunder storms combined with pouring rain and gusty winds. I think us humans can learn a great deal from the Wagtails when it comes to selecting the perfect location for building our homes.

I got a really nice award from the lovely Tesa!

The rules are - I need to pass this award to five people, post on their blog that I left this award, and then I need to answer a list of questions in one word. Here goes:

1. Where is your cell phone? Next to me
2. Your hair? Washed yesterday
3. Your mother? Passed away in 1999
4. Your father? Passed away in 1997
5. Your favorite food? Fillet with mushroom sauce
6. Your dream last night? DH going for a nose job
7. Your dream/goal? Becoming a sought after photographer
8. Your favorite drink? Cuppocino
9. What room are you in? My Creative Studio
10. Your hobby? Gardening
11. Your fear? Motor Car Accident
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Loving the space I am in right now
13. Where were you last night? Home
14. Something that you aren't? Fashion conscious
15. Muffins? Fat Free
16. Wish list item? 35cm Digital Photo Frame
17. Where did you grow up? On a farm in the Eastern Cape, South Africa
18. Last thing you did? Baked Fat Free Muffins
19. What are you wearing? Tracksuit
20. Your TV? Not a Plasma
21. Your Pets? My Darling Husband
22. Friends? A few for life
23. Your life? Perfect
24. Your mood? Very Positive and Optimistic
25. Missing Someone? Parents
26. Vehicle? Toyota Auris
27. Something your not wearing? High heel shoes
28. Your favorite store? Local Craft Shop
29. Your favorite color? Green
30. When was the last time you laughed? This morning
31. Last time you cried? Sunday
32. Your best friend? A few
33. One place that I go to over and over? Cathedral peak in the Drakensberg
34. Facebook? Not a huge fan

Favorite place to eat? Europa

And here are five lovely people I want to pass it on to:

1. Michelle
2. Lynette
3. Cathy
4. Helen
5. Sophia

   Thanks again for the love you are all spreading here at Doing Life. Every comment is truly appreciated.