Drink In The Colours

It was baking day for me as I gave myself a breather from making cards. While I bake, I eagerly wait for my hubby to bring home some of my newly purchased digi stamps' print outs. To my dismay, the resolution I set for the images was a little too low, so they turned out slightly pixelated. 




So I will have to readjust the dpi for the images before I print them again. Meantime, I tested the my ProMarker colours on these images. (By the way, the font of this post is made bigger to imitate the big fonts in nursery books. Am feeling a tad bit like a little one everytime I get to colour. Bliss.)

Purchased these images just yesterday. 
My first batch of digi stamps.

Quiet happy colouring them (need I say more?) but again I am reminded I need certain colours to make better tones. And I definitely need a blender to make the colours look less stark or dull in one same intensity.

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Less is More

Well, I have yet found my style in making cards yet but I do love the varieties I see from other crafters online. These people (DT members and contestants) from the challenges I joined have such brilliant ideas and I d notice some of them have their personal style. Hmm, I wonder what's mine.

Anyway, here's two cards I made with a simple round shape as a focal point. It was embossed with a Damask pattern, inked with Distress ink at the edge and then the raised pattern highlighted with chalk. It's my first time using the chalk technique. 

Paper: 5"x5" Cream Card, Yellow/Green Card, Sentiment from Retro (Paper Pizazz)

Ink: Old Paper (Distress)

Accessories: 1.5cm Satin Black Ribbon, Buttons, 3mm Gemstones (Anita's)

Tools: Multi Frames MDF020 (Nellie's), Damask Embossing Folder (Craft Too), Swiss Dots Embossing Folder (Provo Craft)

Entering the version with green die cut for these challenges :

EAD Designs - Feel'n Irish

A Gem Of A Challenge - Buttons/Brads/ Beads/ Bows or ALL

Southern Girls - Brad /Gem/ Dewdrop

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Cath Kidston-like Card

This time, I made the card according to whatever I wanted to put on the card. And after it's done, I went onto my blog's dashboard and search engine to look for card challenges to enter it for. 

Cool that I didn't feel too restricted or stuck during the card designing process just because I was too kiasu (click on the word if you don't understand this term widely used by Chinese from the South East Asia) trying to hit more than two birds with one stone by making card that qualifies for several different challenges. It can be fun to combine challenges but sometimes it kills joy when I spent so long to figure out the design. 

With quite a number of paper stack I happily bought this month, I just wanted to began using designs which tickled my fancy. I have this Paperpad Country Rose by KARS which reminds me so much of Cath Kidston. So, here's first card using design from that pad...

Entry for Card Challenges

Entry for Card Challenge

Just another card I made. Feel the shocking pink is a mistake : p

Not submitting this version.

Paper: 5"x5" Cream Card, Pink Card, Paperpad Country Rose (KARS), The Spring Stack (DCWV)

Accessories: 1.5cm Rose Satin Ribbon, Papermania Red Hot Mini Buttons (DoCrafts),3mm Pink Gemstones (Anita's)

Tools: Threading Water Border Punch (Fiskars), Old Paper (Distress Ink), Sponge Dauber (Tsukineko)

The stripey paper on the scallops and the sentiment were taken from The Spring Stack. That stack has really versatile patterns. Wanted to keep the layout a little less complicated but yet with a little 3D element, so I added a pink butterfly which was embossed.

These are the challenges that suited my Cath Kidston-like Card ;)

A Gem Of A Challenge - Buttons/Brads/Beads/Bow

Ooh La La Creations - Pink, Pink & More Pink

Crafty Creations - At The Bottom Of My Garden... Lives!

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Monochrome Season?

Just realized there are several card challenges that are going by the theme, 'Monochrome' this month. Hmm, great minds think alike?

 

So I am entering this for those challenges including a few others that helped decide for me what card to make ;)

Challenge Up Your Life - Monochrome 

Phindy's Place - Monochrome 

Stampin' B's Design Team - Monochromatic

Sugar Creek Hollow - Buttons & Bows

Card Makin' Mama's Challenge Blog - Happy Birthday

Wags 'N Whiskers - Punches

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Blue But Not Emo

Aha!~ It’s time for another card entry. New day, new challenge, new card! ^_^ I took quite a long while composing the layout of my card according to this sketch...

by Friday Sketchers

Sketches that have more than 3 elements like this one seems complicated to me. But nevertheless, these complicated sketches are great designs if you know how to tweak your card to it. This is my 1st time attempting such sketch. Here’s my take…

 

Paper: 5"x5" Cream Card, Black Card, The Spring Stack (DCWV)

Accessories: 1.5cm Silver Metallic Ribbon, Blue Buttons, Glitter Glue, Blue Trimmings

Tools:Threading Water Border Punch (Fiskars), Damask Embossing Folder (Craft Too), Sanding Block

All these blue papers and elements (except for the buttons & trimmings) were taken from The Spring Stack (DCWV). Yeah, 'spring' but they have baby pink and baby blue designs in them. I even cut out the 'happy birthday' sentiment and and the flower from the same stack. 

This was the first time I embossed on a black card and I wanted the pattern to stand up a little bit more, so I used a sanding block and rubbed against the embossed sheet. First time using the sanding technique too.

This baby has just been submitted for these challenges :

Friday’s Sketchers – Sketch #142

Mark’s Finest Papers – Black, White & Any Colour

2 Sisters Challenge – Embossing

Stamping For The Weekend - Monochrome

P/S : Oh, I so need fix my DSLR camera. My compact camera hasn't been able to take photos like I intended them to be. 

The Milky Way

Woah, I am so glad that I finished my card design or rather assignment of the day before Cinderella turned into her rags. It's good not to fret over anything by midnight ;)

Today's card design requires Dots, Spring Colours, no Squares, 'Thank you' element and this sketch...

These requirements are according to the challenges I chose to enter for this wonderful Monday :
One Stitch At A Time - Anything But Square 
Sweet Sketch Wednesday - Sketch #89
Crafty Creations - Thank you
Charisma Cards - Spring Has Sprung
Do you Stack Up - Dots


Here's how the card turned out...

Stamps: 'Thank you' Sentiment (May Hughes)

Paper: Cream Card, Pink Card, 5"x7" Opalescent Pastel Green Card (Royal Langnickel),  The Spring Stack (DCWV)

Ink: Light Blue (Caroles Craft), Old Paper (Distress), Fine Line Drawing Pen (Letraset)

Accessories: 1.5cm Satin Rose Ribbon Brown, Buttons

Tools:Threading Water Border Punch (Fiskars), Multi Frames MDF020 (Nellie's), Ornamentel Bigz Die (Tim Holtz)

I wasn't too sure what colours should Spring be. I supposed it is colourful and happy? But oh well, using papers from The Spring Stack by DCWV helped me decide on that. The background even have sentiments like spring day, fly a kite, rainbow, sunny, bloom, spring has sprung and etc.


Although DCWV has this colours for Spring Stack but they do seem like sweet milky colours to me. I think this card design is also suitable with a different sentiment like 'Baby Girl' too ;)




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Craft Within One's Means

It has been an eventful week for me.

1) Made about 10 cards because it's my new habit to make at least 2 of each design every time.

2) 9 blog entries.

3) Submitted cards to 10 challenge.

4) Cleaned up the 'craft-mess' every time after I am done.

Well, perhaps cleaning up isn't a big deal. But I do my crafting on the dining table and with my husband's buddy under the same roof, I don't want him to feel the place being cluttered and untidy. London's apartments are known for compact living. Oh, how I wish to have our own place one day soon and a studio corner/room will definitely be vital. ^_^

Anyway, here's the card I made today. 

It says, "Friends are Flowers in the Garden of Life!"

Stamps: Friendship Sentiment (May Hughes)

Paper:Cream Card, Blue Card, Brown Foam Sheet, The Spring Stack (DCWV), Olivia Paper Pad (Basic Grey)

Ink: Black (Caroles Crafts)

Accessories: 3mm Baby Blue Gemstones (Anita's), Glitter Glue, Blue Button

Tools:Multi Frames MDF020 (Nellie's)

Another similar picture with flash to shoot it glitters.

Close up

This card is targeted for these challenges :

Creative Card Crew - Friendship

Southern Girls - Blue & Chocolate

And it was supposedly also meant for this sketch from Critter Sketch...

... but to my dismay, I totally missed out on one other important criteria - with the colour PINK! Sigh, wasted an opportunity. Bummer. Next round then ;)

Sweet Like You

My selected challenges for today :

By Papercraft Star

 Papercraft Star - Challenge #33

Cute Card Thursday - Shiny Happy Card 
Creative Craft World - Use A Square

This is my take :

Paper: Pink Card, Cream Card, Green Card,The Spring Stack (DCWV)

Ink: Old Paper (Distress)

Accessories: 3mm Baby Blue Gemstones (Anita's), Red Foam Button

Tools: Fine Line Drawing Pen (Letraset), Damask Embossing Folder (Craft Too), Netting Texture Plate (Fiskars), Multi Frame (Nellie's), Small Round Corner Punch(Siesta)

New To Stamping Art

Been slowly (as slowly as I can resist) collecting all the craft essentials to make any type of cards I want to as and when. Crafting is so fun but it can the tools can be pretty costly. So, sometimes it is really cool whenever I stumble upon a great deal. One of the best deals I got myself was this...

 

...rubber stamp set of 75, a mix of sentiments and images. It's classic stuff with may images for birthday, flowers, Christmas and etc. And boy, these wooden blocks are heavy! Guess how much I got this stamp set  for? £19.90. Can you believe it? So, when I saw it, I thought it would be my 1st batch for stamp collection. 

After I gotten these stamps, I thought perhaps these images would need colours to bring them to life. That's when I realized how much more I would need to invest in these stuff that works hand in hand. Did some reseach online and saw that there are two main brands that many crafters are using to colour their stamp images - Promarker & Copic.  Since I am trying my best to get budget quality stuff, I went for Promarker. And these are the colours I have at the moment.

With these new markers, I went online to check out the tutorials of how others use them. These markers are great stuff. I never did realize that other than designers (Interior, Graphic, Fashion, Architecture, Product, Animation & etc), crafters use them too. I used to have several of these markers when I was studying Interior Design. I had about 15 of those. We used them for perspective sketches and to create some effects on our presentation boards. However, the colour rendering with markers was not the kind of technique I favoured. Suffice it to say, I cannot recall the brand of the markers I had! After the completion of the ID course, my markers were hidden in some nook to collect dust and spiders. When one cousin began to pursue architecture, I gladly gave all the markers to her.

So, it's kinda quaint that I am recollecting these markers once again. But this time, they are treated as my prized possessions ;)

Other than collecting more essential colours from Promarker and maybe Copic too, I am also hoping to go into the art of heat embossing. Would love to begin making cards with nice embossed stamped images/sentiments. But oh well, I guess I will have to pace myself for these craft investment, lest I be broke.

Oh Baby Baby!~

Ooh, ideas streaming in... but somehow the execution of my card designs is limited to the few craft materials I have now. I guess I will have to make do till next month. Hobbycraft fair is just next month!

Meantime, here's yet another card:

 

Paper: Polka Dots from Retro (Paper Pizazz), Cream Card, Yellow Paper, Pink & Green Pearlescent Paper

Accessories: 1cm Yellow Flower Grosgrain Ribbon,Scrap White Cloth, Staple (pose as safety pin), Glitter Glue, 
Faber Castell Ecco Pigment Pen

Tools: Whimsy Texture Plate (Fiskars),  Multi Frame MFD020 (Nellie's)

 

Entering this for card challenges at :

Annabelle Stamps - Say It With Polka Dots

Scrapbook Sisters - Baby Baby

Scallops Or Me?

I am all excited about some new craft essentials that I finally received a few hours ago. Will blog again later about the new stuff I got.

Just completed another card with scallops element using my new toys ;)

Ink : Old Paper (Distress) 

Paper: Retro by Paper Pizazz, Pink Card, Cream Card, Pink & Brown Foam

Accessories: 1.5cm Gold Metallic Grosgrain Ribbon, 0.5cm Cream Ribbon (Sopp), Dark Green Brads

Tools: Multi Frames MFD020 (Nellie's) ,Threading Water Border Punch (Fiskars)

Entering this for 4 card challenges at

Waltzingmouse Sketch - Challenge #34

Our Creative Corner - Cut It Out

Skipping Stone Design - Sketch Challenge #64
Bunny Zoe's Crafts - Flowers Everywhere

Call Me Princess!

I know in Christianity, fellow believers are considered the sons & daughters to the King of kings. So that make me a princess... a royalty. But I never knew my family name described me as one too!

This evening, as I was collecting a parcel (my craft stuff!) from my apartment's concierge, the african staff was looking at me eye wide and asked if OYE is my name. I told him yeah and I know it's a popular name for Africans. Oye is my family name... actually a spelling mistake to Ooi. The mistake dated back to my great grandfather's time, and that variation of family name has been passed down ever since. 

To my pleasant surprise, the staff told me Oye in African means 'crown' and it symbolizes that I am a royalty or something. Woah, what a fun discovery! I went on to google to find out more. Found two interesting results :

An African gave a description to Oye as  'a title of a higher being' while in Spanish it is an interjection that means 'listen'.

Now I am wondering how exactly do they pronounce that name in African. As for me and my Chinese family, we have been keeping it to the pronunciation of Ooi whenever we introduced ourselves with the family.  

Oh by the way, Ooi/Oye is a variation for the Chinese family name, 黃, meaning 'yellow'. Some of the Chinese family names though translated differently for English, they are the same in the Chinese character. People from the different provinces of China (depending where our ancestors originated from) speak different dialects, resulting that the same family name sounding different. Therefore, those with Chinese family names like Huang, Hwang, Ong, Wong, Wang, Ung, Ooi, Wee and etc may be from once-upon-a-time the very same family tree.  Hmmm... I wonder if you understood what I meant. Here's how Wikipedia explains it :

"Transliteration of Chinese family names (see List of common Chinese surnames) into foreign languages poses a number of problems. Chinese surnames are shared by people speaking a number of dialects and languages which often have different pronunciations of their surnames. The Chinese diaspora into all parts of the world resulted in the Romanization of the surnames based on different languages. As a result, it is common for the same surname to be transliterated differently. In certain dialects, different surnames could be homonyms so it is common for family names to appear ambiguous when transliterated."

 According to Wikipedia, 黃 is currently ranked  7th among the most common Chinese family names.

Ah, we learn something new everyday. Okay, now back to my card making. I can't wait to get my hands on the craft stuff I received today. Stay tune for my next card ;) 

Turned Purple

Paper: Purple Velvet & Metallic Silver On Turquoise Damask Paper from Paperchase, Lilac Card, Cream Card.

Accessories: 1.5cm Silver Metallic Grosgrain Ribbon, Blue Brads

Tools: Swiss Dots Embossing Folder(Provo Craft)

It's purple this time. Am not too sure if I should continue making cards with no particular sentiment to it or does cards with words always sell better? Hmm.

Whenever I use purple papers, my friend, Wean will come to mind. She loves all things purple and she collects purple stationeries. She sometimes even hunt for papers of a certain purple hue. She would have loved it if she came for my wedding because purple was the theme colour. Ah memories...

Thoughts and memories stream in when I am making cards. They can either be distractions or inspirations but nevertheless these thoughts accompany me through the whole card making process.

I discovered that the current card challenge from Card Pattern is similar to this one design I just made, so I am submitting this as an entry ;)

Jocelyn Collection & Hobbycrafts Fair at Birmingham

I have been eager on checking the mail for some parcels the past week. So looking forward to the craft papers and tools I am collecting this month. Need to get some of these stuff as I have been feeling stuck with the very limited choices for making cards. 

The other day I saw this paper pack collection and instantly I fell in love with it... erm, maybe because I am also a tiny weeny bit bias. Take a look at it.

It's called Sei's Jocelyn Collection!^_^ Named after me! Ahaks! Yes, indeed it's gonna be included into MY very own crafting collection. 

Oh, by the way, I stumbled upon this craft fair coming up by end of March. Hobbycraft is organizing a craft fair at NEC, Birmingham. It got me all excited, so without much thought I got myself the fair ticket. This Hobbycrafts ticket also entitles me free entry to Sewing for Pleasure and Fashion, Embroidery & Stitch at the same venue, at the same time. I can already imagine that I would go crazy and would spend the whole day there till they kick me out! Immediately, I made plans with my mister to meet up with a friend in Redding and to spend the weekend there too. 

This Valentine's Day isn't Ours...

14th February is Valentine's Day. But ever since my hubby and I started going out, we have been celebrating our Valentines on 17th instead because 17 is our special number. 

We actually prefer celebrating it on our own Valentine's date to avoid the crowd and the overbooked venues everywhere on earth! I figured that it probably won't be such a romantic thing to have so many people out there and have every Valentine's item price marked up. On 17th, it's more quite... items are not necessarily more expensive and more venues are available for us.

By the way, today is also my hubby's stepfather's birthday ;) It's Birthday + Valentines. Last year, Chinese New Year Day was on the 14th, so it was Birthday + Valentines + CNY! It's good for people who loves crowd and parties but I think this birthday 'boy' loves a smaller group and would usually like more intimate time with several guests. 

Anyway, here's a shout out to all my friends, blog followers and crafters,

♥ Happy Valentine's Day! ♥ 

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Engineering A Hearty Piece

Yay! I made cards again today. I feel satisfied every time after I have a design executed. Having felt that for a long time.

I used to always feel this way when I was doing Interior Design assignments back in those days. The making of ID model isn't the hardest part but the preliminary stage of getting an interesting concept is! I usually would I labour more on getting the concept which encompasses many many  many factors. Though ID is gets my attention and I appreciate it, I never did land myself in an ID firm. Decided that while I have an interest on ID, I don't have the passion for it to put through the sleepless nights working in that industry.

Oh well, back to the cards I made today. Although concept still applies to cards, it's a lot less complicated than ID. It's even easier when the card challenge presents a sketch, colour scheme and requirement - 1/3 of the designing process done! 

It's Valentine's Day on Monday. Everyone and everywhere displaying lovey dovey stuff. So it's no brainer the cards made for challenges would be to that theme.

Stamps: Sentiment (May Hughes)

Paper: Retro by Paper Pizazz, Grey Pearlescent Card, Red Card, Red&Black Velvet Damask

Ink: Red (Caroles Crafts)

Accessories: 1.5cm Gold Metallic Grosgrain Ribbon, 0.5cm Navy Ribbon (Sopp), Pink Brown Felt Flower, Brown Button, Tiny Pink Brads

Tools: Filigree Texture Plate (Fiskars)

Oh, I totally dig the velvety damask design paper!

This is now an entry to these challenges :

Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenge - Challenge #46, Heart A Flutter

Daring Cardmarkers - Reeling In The Ribbon

Stamping For The Weekend - St Valentine's Day

Skipping Stones - Sketch #63

By the way, It's my mum's birthday today. Having her birthday on Valentine's eve resulted my dad giving her an easy 2-in-1 gifts for years. But of course, sometimes my mum would remind my dad that there should be two gifts ;)  It's past midnight here in London but just the perfect time to call my mum as it is about 9.30am now back home. Hope she will received my card soon.

In Mood For Pink

Trying my best to keep my card making engine going. *Choo-choo*

Just got to know another friend in London loves to make cards too. Yay. Been hoping to have friends who crafts in London. Hope to befriend some crafters on Bloggers. Just so many of you bloggers out there that are so talented with your crafting.

Background paper from the paper pad given by Gjin ;)

Stamps: May Hughes

Paper: Retro by Paper Pizazz, Pink & Grape Pearlescent Card, Cream Card

Ink: Black (Caroles Crafts), Metallic Gold Pen

Promarkers used : G258, G339, O739, M137, M727, R727, Y828

Accessories: 1.5cm Silver Ribbon, 0.5cm Maroon Ribbon (Sopp), Pink Miniature Flowers

Tools: Swiss Dots Embossing Folder(Provo Craft), Filigree Texture Plate (Fiskars),  Sizzix Big Shot Express 

I have decided that joining card challlenges will spur me on to make cards more consistently through the week. This shall be my second time entering a card for card challenges These are the ones I sent to for this round :

Sew Many Challenges - Challenge #43 Valentines 

Polka Doodle - Week 6 Challenge - 'That's Amore!'

Stamp Something - Something for your Valentine CHALLENGE

Gradually improving my card making skill... I hope!

Would love a blog candy!

Well, I am sorry if you clicked on my blog thinking I am giving away one. Not yet but I guess I will consider giving away blog candies one day. It's just so fun!

Just as I was surfing for more card challenge to join, I came across Amanda's blog, Crafty Creations and she is giving away a superb candy - the We R Memory Keepers' Sew Easy Paper piercing and stitching kit!!! This is one of the most expensive craft candy I have seen online. 

Well, don't think I have anything to lose, so I entered myself for the candy. By end of February, we will see if I will be blessed with this Sew Easy Kit this way... or to get one myself one day if I don't end up buying a small sewing machine. ;) 

I am trying my luck for other candies too. So I went on surfing for more of 'em. Seen several but only interested in some kind of candies - sweet and healthy! Hahaha!~ Ehem. 

So the second one I saw and wanted is from Bows & Berries Digital Stamp Shop. They are giving away a mixed of blings, embossing folders, clear stamps, paper pad and etc. Yummy ;)

The 3rd candy I saw is from Annie@Ambriel Blog in conjunction with her Blogger-versary. I like the ribbons and I want to have some gems to be added to my craft stash. And I discovered a delightful thing - Annie came from my hometown! What a small world. Good to know more crafters from home. 

These people inspire me to have my bloggerversary candy too. But when shall it be? I started blogging since last year but I was not so regular. Hmmm, I guess everyone will know the date of my bloggerversary when I finally have my very own 1st blog candy giveaway too.