Sketch Challenge
My card today is for the sketch challenge this week on Stamping 411. I also used the colours from the Colour Inspiration on Stamping 411.

I have a base card of Rose Red with an added layer of So Saffron which has been stamped with the En Francais Background using So Saffron ink. I also sponged the edges using the same ink. I ran a strip of Very Vanilla card through the Big Shot using the Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folder which I had brayered with So Saffron ink so that I would get a lovely soft impression. This was layered onto a piece of Wild Wasabi card which has one edge punched with the Eyelet Edge Punch. The words “very” and ‘sorry” from the Three Little Words stampset were inked using my Wild Wasabi Stampin’ Write Marker and stamped onto Very Vanilla card. I punched them out with the Medium Jewellery Tag Punch, pierced a hole through the top, threaded through some linen thread and attached it to the back of the Wild Wasabi card. I used Mini Glue Dots to position each of the tags. I ran another piece of Very Vanilla card through the Big Shot using the Elegant Lines Embossing Folder which I had brayered with So Saffron ink and layered it onto a piece of Rose Red card. This piece is added to the card using dimensionals. I added a Rose Red butterfly cut with the Beautiful Wings Embosslit.
Not really sure whether I like this one or not. What do you think?
Bye for now, Kris.
Happy Birthday Dad
And Mum. My parents both celebrate their birthdays today, however my Dad is celebrating a special one – his 80th. We are going to have a family lunch to celebrate this event later in the month, but I thought I would share with you the card that I sent to him.

I find it rather hard to make male cards, but I did want this one to be special. I started with Early Expresso card which is 22cm x 11cm scored and folded in half. I stamped the Medallion Background onto a 10cm square piece of Confetti Cream card using Early Expresso ink and then cut it into 4 5cm square pieces. I sponged each edge of the four pieces with Early Expresso ink and then attached them to the front of the card. I stamped the Medallion Background onto a 9cm square piece of Confetti Cream, again using Early Expresso ink. I sponged the edges with the same ink and then distressed the edges using the tool from the Cutter Kit. I added this to the card using dimensionals. I stamped the image from Sense of Time onto a piece of Confetti Cream using Early Expresso ink and cut it out. Again I sponged the edges with Early Expresso ink and distressed the edges. I added it to the front of the card using dimensionals. I printed the O.B.E. onto Confetti Cream card using my computer and matching the ink colour to Early Expresso. I punched this out using the 1″ circle punch and sponged and distressed the edges before adding it to the card front with dimensionals.
For those of you who may not know the O.B.E. stands for Over B…. Eighty.
I love the way this card has turned out and I hope that my Dad does too.
Bye for now, Kris.
Happy New Year
What an exciting day. The beginning of a new year with all its possibilities. I am not one for making resolutions but I am going to try and be a regular blogger this year. I love reading your comments, it really makes my day. I am also going to try and spend more time nurturing my Stampin’ Up! business. I love being a Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator. I have made so many friends since I started sharing my passion for papercrafting and today I want to say Thank You to all of you for being so supportive of my Stampin’ Up! business. I have also grown my own downline to 3, all of them lovely ladies. I love that we all share with each other and that we all bring something different to our little group. I would also like to thank each of them today for being my friends first and colleagues second. So Thanks to Sarah, Shirley and Jenny (unfortunately Jenny doesn’t have a blog, yet).
Now I do have a card to share with you today. I used a colour combination that took my eye when I was playing with my Colour Coach. So Saffron, Always Artichoke and Cajun Craze.
The So Saffron card has been run through the Big Shot using the Elegant Bouquet Embossing Folder. The Cajun Craze card has been embossed using the same folder, layered onto Always Artichoke card and added to the So Saffron card. I wrapped this whole piece with Whisper White 1cm wide Taffeta Ribbon and then attached it to the Always Artichoke cardfront. I inked the image from the Just Believe stampset using my Always Artichoke and So Saffron markers and stamped it onto Whisper White card, added an Always Artichoke layer and attached it to the cardfront using dimensionals.
I think this is the first time I have used Cajun Craze but I am sure to use it a lot more.
I am going to have a quiet day, perhaps playing with some ideas for classes for the upcoming year. My first class will be next Saturday, the 8th January, so take a look at the Classes and Workshops Page and contact me to reserve your place.
Bye for now, Kris.
Some Monkey Business
I have had the Fox and Friends stampset for a while now and I don’t think it has seen any ink. So as I need more birthday cards for some young great nieces and nephews, I thought I would have a play.

My colours come straight from the Colour Coach, on the back of the Garden Green card, its called a creative combination. The Colour Coach is a fantastic resource for those like me who are slightly colour challenged.
I started with Garden Green card as the base and stamped the Sanded Background using Garden Green ink. I also sponged the edges with the same ink (I really love sponged edges). I added a layer of Chocolate Chip card which has one edge punched with the Scallop Edge Punch. The next layer is Confetti Cream and I stamped “Birthday wishes” from the Sincere Salutations stampset using Chocolate Chip ink. Next I created a window from More Mustard card and added a piece of Confetti Cream card to the back. I only attached these two pieces together in the corners and the very centre. I stamped the little monkey from Fox and Friends four times onto Confetti Cream card using Chocolate Chip ink and cut them out. Then I slipped their tails behind the frame in various places and added a Mini Glue Dot to them to keep them in place. The window is attached to the card front using dimensionals.
I think this is a fun card and I am sure will appeal to my great nieces and nephews.
I’d love to show you how to make a card like this, contact me (k.mcintosh1@optusnet.com.au) and we can discuss how.
Bye for now, Kris.
Wheelie Fun
Today’s card is the result of finally having time to play with some of the things I bought from the Summer Mini catalogue.

I love the idea of the Builder Wheels and thought they would be fun to use. You buy a spindle which will let you have up to 3 wheels on at a time. The spindle fits the Jumbo Wheel Handle. The cartridges come uninked and are triple cell, which means you add 3 different colours to the cartridge and then you can roll, 3 wheels in 3 different colours at the same time.
This card doesn’t actually use them all together, but I had fun playing with them anyway. I inked my cartridge with Ridinghood Red, Tempting Turquoise and Daffodil Yellow.
To make this card, I used Basic Gray as my base and rolled the bottom edge of the card with the Candle Crazy Builder wheel using Basic Bray ink. I added a layer of Daffodil Delight card and then a layer of Ridinghood Red which has been rolled along the bottom edge with the Birthday Builder Wheel. I stamped the 3 images from the Choo Choo stampset onto Whisper White card using Ridinghood Red, Tempting Turquoise and Daffodil Yellow ink and cut them out. I stamped the “present” image from Loads of Love Accessories on Whisper White card using Basic Gray ink and cut them out. I coloured the presents using Tempting Turquoise, Daffodil Yellow and Ridinghood Red Stampin’ Write Markers. I also stamped the “smoke” images onto Whisper White card using Basic Gray ink and cut them out. I rolled the Right on Track Standard Wheel across the bottom of a piece of Whisper White card using Basic Gray ink and added my train carriages over the top. I then placed the “steam” so that it was puffing out of the engine.
I love these colours together – you will remember that I have used them before for a colour challenge – and I love this card. I have a great nephew with a birthday coming up and I am sure he will be delighted to receive it.
The Builder Wheels are fun to use, although there is a little learning curve, so I am going to plan my first Technique Class for the year around using these wheels and showcasing all that they can do. Keep your eye out on my Classes and Workshops page for an update. I will also be posting details of my first class in the next day or two.
Well the sun is shining finally, not sure for how long, so I am off to do some washing and housework.
Bye for now, Kris.
An Award For Me

I received an email from Donna at Butternut Sage Designs to let me know that she was giving me this Stylish Blogger Award. I can’t tell you how excited I am to receive this.
Part of accepting this award is t0 –
- Thank the person who gave you the award…. So a big Thank You Donna.
- Share 8 things about myself.
- Pass the award on to 8 bloggers
- Contact those bloggers and tell them about the award.
Sharing 8 things about myself is a little daunting but here goes –
I have been married for the past 34 years.
I have two married daughters and 6 grandchildren, 4 girls and 2 boys.
I have been a Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator for the past 3 1/2 years and love it.
My husband and I have a caravan and we love to get away as much as possible, sometimes taking one of our grandchildren along.
I love having a blog and I am trying to share my creations with you as regularly as I can.
I grew up in Sydney, move to Dubbo when I married, then Kew, Port Macquarie, Byron Bay, Pottsville (all in New South Wales) and now Brisbane, Queensland.
My only job now is Stampin’ Up! but I trained to be a Stenographer/Typist in the NSW Public Service.
I have two sisters and one sister-in-law, 4 nieces and one nephew.
Whew, that’s enough about me.
Now I am passing this award on to these bloggers –
Hope you enjoy visiting these blogs as much as I do.
Bye for now, Kris.
Thinking of You
Today I am playing along with a sketch challenge on SUDSOl. The sketch is really simple and keeping it that way can be a challenge all on its own.

I have used Perfect Plum as my base card and added a layer of Confetti White which I stamped with the “reeds” from Inspired by Nature, using Perfect Plum ink. I sponged the edges with the same ink and then embossed it with the Square Embossing Folder. I stamped “thinking of you” from Three Little Words using my Perfect Plum maker, so that I could position them correctly on the Confetti White card. I punched the words out using Large Tag Punch and then layered it onto Perfect Plum card punched out using the Extra Large Tag Punch. I punched a hole in the top using the crop-a-dile and added some Whisper White 1cm wide Tafetta Ribbon. I added a small butterfly from the Beautiful Butterflies embosslit. Really such a simple layout but I am delighted with the way it has turned out.
Let me know what you think.
Bye for now, Kris.
I’m Back
I had a fantastic Christmas with my two lovely daughters and their families. Although the weather was not perfect, we didn’t get any rain and the grandchildren managed to have a swim and use the pool toys that they got for Christmas. I feel sad for the many who have been flooded by all the rain we have been getting in Queensland and New South Wales and hope that things will soon be back to normal for them.
Today is my first day back crafting since Christmas Eve and I thought I would share my entry in the Stamping 411 Sketch Challenge for this week.

I am really starting to love square cards. I needed a birthday card for a neighbour who is celebrating her 25th birthday on New Year’s Eve and I am so happy with the way it has turned out.
I used Basic Black card 8 1/2″ x 4 1/4″, scored and folded to make a 4 1/4″ card. I added a layer of Crumb Cake card which has been embossed using the Square Lattice Embossing Folder. Another layer of Basic Black and Crumb Cake (also embossed using the same folder). I added a strip of Basic Black card with both edges punched using the Pinking Hearts Border Punch. The leaves are cut from Crumb Cake card using the Little Leaves sizzlet and the Big Shot. I stamped “celebrate” from the Fabulous Phrases stampset using Basic Black ink on Crumb Cake card and punched it out using the Word Window Punch. To make my flower I punched 3 Real Red scallop circles using the 1 3/4″ Scallop Circle Extra Large Punch. I used my bone folder to distress the card so that I could separate the layers. Then I stacked them one on top of the other and pierced a hole through the centre. I scrunched up each individual scallop and then opened them, re-stacked them and placed a Gold Brad through the centre and scrunched each layer up around the brad. Then I opened the layers back out a little and added mini glue dots to the back to attach it to my card.
I’d love to know if you like this card as much as I do.
Bye for now, Kris.
Merry Christmas
I won’t be posting tomorrow. Too many things to do before the family arrives for lunch. I want to thank all of you who visit my blog and also thanks to those of you who have become followers. I wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy New Year. I hope that I can continue to share my love of stamping and inspire you to make your own beautiful creations.

I made this card for a Sketch Challenge on SUDSOL this week. I started with a Night of Navy card base and used my Night of Navy inkpad direct to paper to give some texture . I added a piece of Crumb Cake cardstock which has been embossed using the Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder. I added a strip of Whisper White card with both edges punched using the Eyelet Edge Punch. I wrapped this with a piece of Night of Navy 5/8″ Satin Ribbon. I stamped thinking of you from the Sincere Salutations stampset onto Whisper White card using Night of Navy ink and punched it out using the Large Oval and layered it onto a Scalloped Oval punched from So Saffron card. I stamped the large flower from Vintage Vogue using So Saffron ink onto Whisper White card and cut them out. I stamped the small flower from the same set onto Whisper White card using So Saffron ink with the edges “rock and rolled” in Crumb Cake ink. I punched the leaves from Crumb Cake card using the Two Step Bird punch. I simply added the small flowers to the centre of the large flowers and added a Whisper White 5/16″ Jumbo Brad to the centre. The flowers are attached to the page using Mini Glue Dots and Dimensionals.
Unfortunately, I do need to send this card, so sad at this time of year.
Again Merry Christmas and bye for now, Kris.
Two More Sleeps
I can’t believe that Christmas is so close and I am so unorganised. I have spent today stamping the brown paper fill from my Stampin” Up! delivery boxes and wrapping my presents to go under the tree. I ironed my paper and then rolled it with the So Swirly Jumbo Wheel using Always Artichoke ink. Some curling ribbon and cute little tags and I think they look fantastic.

I also managed to get this gift card holder made. Gift cards are such an uninteresting present but by presenting it in this great little holder, Wow what a difference. I have seen quite a few of these on the net so thought I would give it a try. I cut a Top Note from Cherry Cobbler card, one from the Holly Jolly Designer Series Paper and one from Very Vanilla card. The Very Vanilla Top Note is cut in half. I attached all the layers using the Anywhere Glue Stick. Once they were all attached I ran the piece through the Big Shot using the Finial Press Embossing Folder. I stamped Dasher onto Very Vanilla card using Chocolate Chip ink and layered it onto a piece of Cherry Cobbler Card. I attached it to the Top Note using Mini Glue Dots. I stamped “very merry” from the Short and Sweet stampset onto Very Vanilla card using Cherry Cobbler ink and punched it out using the Word Window Punch. I added this to a Cherry Cobbler Modern Label and attached it to the Top Note using dimensionals.

For the inside I cut the same pieces but this time I only embossed the Very Vanilla piece. This is attached using Sticky Strip around the three edges to create a pocket for the Gift Card. I also added a small card with a few words for the recipient. I punched a hole through the top left hand corner of both Top Notes using the Crop-A-Dile and set an Antique Brass Jumbo Eyelet. I added some Old Olive 5/8″ grosgrain ribbon so that it could hang on the tree.
I am sure I will be making more Gift Card Holders in this style.
Well I’m off to finish off some hair decorations for my granddaughters.
Bye for now, Kris.





