Time has NOT Dragged On

I thought I'd post a couple of photos of  projects with a dragon theme today.  When I looked through my photos, I realized that it is already nearly nine years since I painted the key and box for my eldest son's 21st birthday - in fact he and his wife are planning his "Big 3Oh" already for Feb 2011, so as I said in the title of this post time has NOT dragged on (drag-on get it?) Oh stop groaning, you love the corny puns really ;)

The card was also for my eldest son's birthday, but this year.  I figured he used to like dragons, so......  I cut his name using my Silhouette and welded the letters together before cutting them as one word.  The paper I used is that sort of rice paper that you get, which is lovely to look at but not that easy to work with, especially in this sort of application; once you added the glue to the back it was like working with fairy floss! I learned from it though, and will use attractive sturdy paper next time!  I used the same principle for his name on the envelope, but as I had used a chunkier font didn't have the same level of difficulty working with it.  The image is a sticker, as is the sentiment.

This box is called "Dragon Ladies" and was painted from a pattern by fellow Australian Donna Gilbertson.  I have painted quite a few projects using this very talented ladies' patterns, go and have a look at her site and you'll see the appeal! I painted this box for my sister as a Christmas gift a few years ago, she loves it as it ticks all the boxes as it were: it is purple, it is cute, it has dragons on it and is whimsy!

 The last project for today is that mentioned in the intro!  I designed both these pieces myself, even cut the key out using my trusty jig saw.  I used a (tiny) picture of a blue dragon I saw years ago on the web somewhere, I think it was on a site called "Dragons Be There" or something similar, on the box and an equally tiny black and white drawing of the yin/yang dragon for the key. The back of the key was painted flat white so all the party guests could sign it as a memento, then sealed. I used the black because Matt had always wanted a black room (don't they all) and black curtains and accessories was the closest he got; I thought the red and gold gave the pieces a touch of class!

All the paints for these projects are from Jo Sonja, the sealer on Matt's gifts was Automotive Sealer, which gave a level of gloss that I liked but proves impossible to photograph without reflections causing problems. 

Thanks for looking, hope your day doesn't drag-on and that you'll be back to see some more of my scorching stuff  (Sorry, couldn't help myself)

Baby, It's a Jungle Out There

This little card was done in response to the challenge at Totally Gorjuss "Wild Thing", to have an image of an animal on your project.  There are certainly animals on this card, but just how "wild" they are.....hmm.

The giraffe is a puffy sticker that I got in a discount store, it is quite sparkly and kind of overweight for a giraffe, I thought!!  The card is white cardstock, the mat is from the DCWV Bright mat stack and the designer paper - I made myself  ta-da!!!!!

I got the images from a digikit by Bev Luedecke called Jungle Babies, they were "normal" sized so (using Microsoft Word) I resized them down to about 1.5cm and made several copies of each.  I then flipped and rotated them scattering them all over the page, finally I grouped them all together and inserted them as one image in to a new document,leaving enough room at the top for the sentiment.  It really didn't take much skill or long at all - now I'm hooked and I'll never be short of matching paper again; try it you'll be amazed how easy it is to do.

I did some faux stitching around the edges of each layer with gel pen, added some different coloured brads at the corners and rubbed on the "it's a baby boy" sentiment.  It is only a simple little card, but I did acquire a new skill making it so I am happy.

Here is a close up of the paper I "made", what are you waiting for go and 'avago (as we say in Australia) yourself

Time to say "Happy Father's Day"

Well actually the time has come and gone to say "Happy Father's Day" - it was a few weeks ago!  I have just got around to posting pictures of this card, that I did for my dad.

The image came from a sheet I bought some time ago, it doesn't have a name on it, so I have no idea who the manufacturer is, but it is a great sheet: It has several images involving time (watches, grandfather clocks etc) in this vintage style that seems so suitable for mens' cards.  The tag was from the sheet too, one of several. I found the sheet in my stash when I went to put away the NEW sheet I bought (a really great Graphic 45 sheet) to make dad's card - it was a cross between  'oh dear' and 'it feels like Christmas' finding it - I'm sure you know what I mean, lol.

The circle embellishment is  from Kaisercrafts Le Chateau 6x6 collection, as is the polka dot paper (the dots are shiny). These little collections are really good, having some plain prints (is that a contradiction in terms?)  and some "feature" sheets like embossing, flocking, glitter or foil. 

I matted the image up on some black Leathercraft card and threaded some gold ricrac cord through the tag, the letters are stickers - the coppery gold colour is a really good match for the gold cord.  Dad really liked it - I hope you do too.

It was a bit more elaborate than the one I did for my darling hubby - but he's not my dad, so technically it was a sort of "bonus" card: He loves pigs so I did this little five-minute job with some bits left over from my dad's card and some scraps (it is only about 8cm or 3" square). I embossed the gold filler board with Swiss Dots Cuttlebug folder and popped the little piggy on foam dots. Hubby got the joke.

Posting Comments

It has been brought to my attention, (thanks Risa) that there are some problems leaving comments after my posts.  I've written a post on how to easily solve this and put it in my sidebar so that the info will stay there.  Please persevere, I'd love to hear from you.  Now as I have spent HOURS fixing this up, including getting a dedicated email address to leave in my Contact Me page (how desperate am I?) I really will have to go and do some work!!  I mean genuine work, you know the type that makes you money hehe, I'll be back later to do another post as I "found" some photos of my Dad's Fathers Day card that I want to put up, "see you" then, Dee

Bird, Butterfly and Buttons

 This card was made for the Flutter By Wednesday 's Weekly Challenge, the theme this week is "use buttons", as always with Flutterby there has to be an angel, fairy or butterfly on the card.  I have used a sketch from Sketch and Stash who's theme is always to use something new from your stash on your card: In this case it is the ribbon, which I got in the Craft Show in Perth (I got loads of different ribbons, half a metre of each, it took the guy ages to measure it all up and I spent about $15 - last of the big spenders, me!) and the buttons which I bought in a big bag from Spotlight.
There are all sorts of novelty buttons in these packs and they come in different themes - these are in the Pastel Collection, this is the darkest one in the pack. They are great value (not surprising for me, is it?)  I have used the Teeny buttons from the same range before, but never these, I'm going back to get some of their Christmas themed buttons, the trouble is when I go, my bargain turns disastrous as I buy all sorts of other stuff while I'm there!





The image is from some Christina Rea paper my son got me from Starfish Lane for Mothers Day, I used a bit of it on my mums birthday card and cut (and embossed) this piece out of what was left with my Spellbinders Nestabilities Labels 4 die, I've still got some very usable bits of the paper left - not bad from one piece of A4 paper!  I used the Nestie to cut and emboss the mat as well from Die Cuts With a View self adhesive mat stack Neutral collection.  The plain blue paper is from my stash as is the pearlised cream mat that the whole thing sits on (the patterned pp, also part of my Mothers Day gift from Starfish Lane has a gold sheen to it that just doesn't show in photos)



I put three flat backed pearls on the bottom right hand side of the card to balance the three buttons down the left: I got these pearls from the same (patient) fella at the Craft Show in a sort of "pick and mix" arrangement that was really reminiscent of buying mixed lollies when I was a kid, lol.

Dragon or Dinosaur Egg??

Thought I would post a few pictures of an egg I did for my sister a few years ago - she loves all things fantastical so I get my fix of wizards and witches, dragons and fairies, butterflies and whimsy by making gifts for Fi! 
 The egg is an ostrich egg, I cut it in half horizontally in a zigzag.  I then cut the top in half in a zigzag, the pictures speak for themselves really.  I painted the outside in a teal colour and then a coat of Duncan Pearl Acrylic.  Inside is lined with a stretch metallic type fabric: my sons were in the ballroom dancing circuit at the time and I had access to scraps of all kinds of fabrics, I still use some of the bits of lace and trim I got from their partners!

Dina the dragon baby (what else do you expect to find in an egg!) was a cheap ornament I found in a discount store, I painted her up and added a  bit of bling.  How cute is she?!  






I really love her little baby bottle, she has green Swarowski crystals along her spine and two tiny red ones in her nostrils.  

I'll post some more of these mystical themed projects soon, it seems appropriate coming up to Halloween!

Hope you enjoyed meeting Dina, see you soon - until then time will just drag-on (I can hear you groan from here!) Dee