You're never more than a THOUGHT away

I am so happy and honored my card was chosen : customer card of the day by Our Daily Bread Designs!    I am literally over the moon.

I have not made an easel card for quite a while and when Elisabeth Bell's world challenge for May is to make an easel card, I am inspired and motivated by the many beautiful easel cards to make one too.  And congratulations to Summer of BnW for the arrival of her baby girl!   Since I received the beautiful sweetart girls and new fairy friends stamps from Summer the week before, I have to use one of them to make the easel card.

Here is for easel card for the following challenges :

1.  Elisabeth Bell's World challenge
2.  BnW Challenge - Ribbon or lace or both

Materials used :
1.  BnW clear stamp : Fairy fond thoughs inked, colored with caran d'ache crayons and blended with ox gall liquid which increases the wetting and flow of water colours, and improves the acceptance of wash on paper.
2.  Patter paper : K&co specialty paper by Susan Winget, glitter paper : K&co, card stock : DCWV
3.  Magnolia doohickey romantic tag
4.  Lace : Websters page
5.  Paper flowers and pearls : Wild orchid crafts
6.  Stickles
7.  Pearl brads : American craft
8.  Heart beads : Hong Kong

Thanks for dropping by :-)

Happy Mail

I am supposed to make this gift box and send to a friend in the States weeks ago, but I was too caught up with stuff and I kept delaying it.  Another reason for the delay was I was waiting for the great Singapore sale to start as I wanted to buy some KCK die cuts for her (KCK die cuts are designed in Singapore, as I wanted to send her something uniquely Singaporean.   I am so sorry for the delay my dear friend,  and I hope you would love what I made and bought for you.  But so much for the great Singapore sale, the KCK range of products are only on 10% discount, but the USA products are 40% off!!

So, here is my gift box which I used a new stamp I just bought from Belles 'n Whistles, SweetArts Girls happy mail.   I have also used a new KCK paper, plus I am trying out a new blending technic, using ox gall liquid from Winsor & Newton to blend instead of the usual sansador.   As this is the first time I am using it, I forgot to use water color paper, plus I am new to the technic, so there is still much room for improvements, I hope to achieve a more "water color" effect next time.  And this is also the first time I used quilled butterflies as embellishments.   I also bought a book on quilling and hope to make my own quilled embellishments in time to come.

This project is for the following challenges :-

1.  Belles 'n Whistles - please include ribbon or lace or both (I have both)
2.  Stamping sisters in Christ challenge 92 Challenge: Use something new on your project - it can be a new product, technique, embellishment - even a colour combo that is new 

The inside of the box

 I used ox gall liquid (Winsor & Newton) to blend instead of the usual sansador 

Materials used : 

1.  Belles 'n Whistles SweetArt Girl happy mail stamp colored with caran d'ache color pencils and blend with ox gall liquid.

2.  Pattern paper : KCK Singapore

3.  MS punch

4.  Rhinestones lace and ribbon. organza flowers  : HK

5.  Lace : Webster's page

6.  Quilled butterflies : HK

Thanks for dropping by :-) 

Sweet Love

I have not been able to do much crafting for the past week, so I am determined to settle down and make a card after my yoga session this afternoon (with Vincent away to Bangkok and Medan, I play with my craft without feeling guilty).

Here is the card I made for the following challenges :-

1.  Belles 'n whistles - your favourite thing with heart
2.  Party Time PTT #3 - a sketch

Materials used :

1.  Belles 'n Whistles clear stamp : sweet love coloured with caran d'ache colour pencils

2.  Pattern paper : making memories, card stock : DCWV pastels

3.  MS monarch butterfly punch and EK success butterflies chain punch

4.  Prima pearls and swirls

5.  Ribbon and satin flowers : Hong Kong

6.  Distress ink : shabby shutters

7. Spellbinders nesties

Thanks for dropping by :-)

A very merry Christmas to you

I am literally over the moon!!  I won  Belles 'n Whistles special release "merry sledding" from Lynda's blog hop and then the next day, I won the Belles 'n Whistles sketch and bold winter colour challenge!!  I can't wait for the "merry sledding" and the "skiing snow baby" to arrive.

So I have to make something for the next Belles 'n Whistles current challenge which is Christmas "glitter it up" before I leave for HK/Beijing tomorrow.   Check out Belles 'n Whistles blog, there is a Advent Calendar  where there are daily prizes to be won!  And I got the tutorial for the bag I made from the blog too!   And it is really easy to make, just score a 12 x 12 cardstock and make 4 cuts, glue and viola a paper gift bag!

Here is the bag I made for the Belles 'n Whistles Christmas 'glitter it up" challenge

The handle

The sequins ribbon

The side

The other side of the bag

Materials used :

1.  Belles 'n whistles clear stamp : Star of Bethlehem coloured with copic markers

2.  Pattern paper : DCWV the Christmas stack with glitter, glitter paper KI memories,  cardstock : DCWV

3.  EK Success punch

4.  Spellbinder nestie

5.  Crystals swirls : Prima

6.  Rhinestones : Martha Stewart

7.  Snowflakes, stars, ribbons and sequins ribbon : bought from HK

Thanks for dropping by, I will be back end of next week :-) 

May your Christmas be merry and lack nothing

A big thank you to Annie, Becky and Yenni for your kind words and encouragement!   I spent last evening trying to do some crafting and enjoyed myself tremendously, and talking to Vincent from my craft table as he read the paper on the couch, occasionally getting an acknowledgement from him if he was not too engrossed in the papers.   Jer is knitting a scarf for our trip to Hk/Beijing next week,  she is finally done with her A levels.

Liz just told us that St Andrews temperature is minus 10 degree C, gosh, am I glad she and Min are coming back in 2 weeks for a dose of sunshine before heading back for their semester exams.

Here is a card if made for the Belles 'N Whistles sketch challenge + bold winter colours

Materials used :-

1.  Belles 'N Whistles clear stamp : A child's prayer coloured with copic markers and Caran D'ache colour pencils

2.  Pattern paper : DCWV the Christmas stack with glitter, cardstock : AC and DCWV glitter cardstock

3.  Sizzix frames and stamps die

4.  7 gypsies christmas tags

5.  Distress ink - worn lipstick

6.  Organza flowers and paper stars : bought from Hong Kong

Thanks for dropping by,  I hope to come up with more cards soon :-)

It's a girl box

There is a standing joke in Vincent's company that those who works in the company will have girls, we have 3 girls, Irene has Crystabel when she started working with him, Wichit has 3 girls, both Victors (one in Singapore and the other in HK) each has a daughter recently when it was Jean's turn, naturally it is another girl!  

I made this cute 3 x 3 box for Denise (Jean's baby girl) and for the following challenges :-

1.   B 'n W trick or treat me - such a cute baby image is definitely a treat to the eyes

2.   Elisabeth Bells World of Challenge blog - a 3 x 3 card box or tote

Tutorials on how to make the card box and tote is available at Elisabeth Bells world of challenge blog.

Here is my 3 x 3 box :-

1.  Belles 'n Whistles clear stamps - sweet dreams coloured with copic markers

2.  Cardstock : DCWV

3.  Pattern paper : Dovercraft 12 x 12 designer paper pack - baby 

4.  Spellbinder nestabilities

5.  It's a girl ribbon : spotlight

6.  Ranger stickles : star dust

7.  Martha stewart punch

8.  Crochet flowers : bought in HK 

Thanks for dropping by :-)

Sweet love tag

I love this sweet love Whistle 'n Belles stamp.   I have lots of fun coloring with prismacolor which I just received a couple of weeks ago.  They are a breeze to use.

Since I completed this tag, I decided to have another go at the Belles 'n whistles challenge - use fall colours - since I used mainly shades of red and brown for this tag.

Here is my tag which I will probably use in the paper bag mini album which I am planning to make  :

Materials used :

1.  Sweet love whistle 'n belles stamp colored with prismacolor pencils

2.  Cardstock : a zone paper from popular

3.  Pattern paper : from stash

4.  Ranger distress ink : fire bricks

5.  Ribbon : bought from wholesale centre in HK

Thanks for dropping by :-)

Bearly big hug criss cross card and a blog candy

I was kinda lost when I went for my step exercise, since this is my first session, I had a hard time trying to keep in pace and in steps!  I  met another lady and she told me she was equally lost even though this is her 3rd session!   It was a fun session even though I getting lost 3 quarter of the time, unfortunately I could not continue as my next art class starts next tuesday.

Today I want to show a criss cross card I made for Liz's 22nd birthday which is on Oct 20.    Time flies and she is now in her 3rd year at St Andrews, it seems like yesterday that we first sent her over and now she is into her 3rd year.  For the last two years I have arranged for a birthday cake to be sent to her on her birthday, but this year, she is watching her weight, so I am not sending her a cake, but hope my made with much love card can reach her in time.   She is always extending her arms for big hugs since she was a child so when I saw this "beary big hug" clear stamp from Belles and Whistle I simply have to get it, but it has been out of stock when I first eyed it.    I was finally able to get it a couple of weeks ago.

My criss cross card for my darling's birthday, and I am also entering for the Belles and Whistles challenge, "fall colours", and the Belles and Whistles design team has put together a completely new blog, starting for this challenge, here is the link

B'nW Challenge blog

There is also a fantastic candy up for grabs :-

So head over to new challenge blog and check it out!

Here is my criss cross card :-

I like the how this turned out, I inked the scallop blossoms with versamark, stamped it all over the paper, applied embossing powder and apply heat gun to set it, and followed by applying marigold distress ink all over the embossed images to achieve this background.    

Materials used :-

1.   Belles and Whistle clear stamp : Beary big hug inked with tuxedo black memento and coloured with prismacolor colored pencils and copic markers

2.   Hero arts stamps : Happy birthday inked with black stanzon and with distress inks applied to the background.

     Hero arts scallop blossoms inked with versamark and embossed with stampendous embossing powder and marigold distress ink applied over the embossed designs.

3.   Cardstock : DCWV, bright stack

4.   Pattern paper : sassafras mix and mend wee bundle

5.   Paper flowers : Wild Orchid Crafts

6.   Martha Stewart punch

7.   Prima fabric tag

8.   Prima pearls

9.   Ribbons : Hong Kong

Thanks for dropping by and have a nice day :-) 

   

My favourite colour - purple

Both Vincent and I fell in love with the cuckoo clock when we first saw it in Blackforest Germany in 1995.   We had difficulities bringing it back to Singapore as we were travelling with Liz  and Cassie who were 5 and 7 plus we also bought lots crystalwares and musical box in Austria and Italy (all of which needed to be handcarried) , but then again, we were young and energetic so somehow we managed.   It was a huge cuckoo but it simply refused to work despite having it repaired and serviced numerous times.   So now it is like an ornamental piece in the family area, reminding us not to buy on impulse, especially me.

This is our impulsive buy :

When I saw this Belle and Whistles stamp, Belle dusting, with the cuckoo clock, I knew I just have to buy it!  And no it was not an impulse buy.

When I saw that Belle ' Whistles challenge is for "lilac/purple", I definitely have to make a card for submission as lilac is my favourite colour!!

The card that I made with Belle dusting is for the following challenges :-

1.    Belle 'n Whistles Challenge "lilac/purple"

2.   A spoon full of sugar challenge 116 - lets get sketchy

Here is the card :

Materials used :-

1.   Belle 'n whistles clear stamp - Belle dusting coloured with copic markers

2.   Patter paper : Bo-Bunny's back to basic, cardstock : Ac cardstocks

3.   Spellbinder nestie cutouts, distress ink - mulled lavender 

4.   Stampin up sentiment - gift from my mentor Angie

5.   Ribbon from HK and flowers from Thailand

Thanks for dropping by :-)

Belles 'n Whistles Stamps challenge : so distressing

The internet has been giving me lots of problem recently, maybe because the girls are back and we are all using the internet at the same time, which slows it down tremendously.

The Belles 'n Whistles new challenge is : so distressing.   I thought a spot of distressing could de-stress me, so I started inking up my Belle and coloured with distress inks.  I did this 3 times, the first time, I made the blouse too bright with "my worn lipsticks",  not very suitable for "so distressing".  With the 2nd one, I wanted to "aged" the blouse", so I added "black soot" and made it too black, then finally I thought the 3rd piece looked pretty ok.

Here is my card for the Belles 'n Whistles challenge : So distressing

I bought these from a buttons shop in HK last year, and I love the faded look which adds dimension to the card.

Materials used :

1.  Belle 'n Whistle's clear stamp : smile coloured with distress inks
2.  Tim Holtz idea-ology paper stack, vintage shabby
3.  Martha Stewart butterfly punch
4.  Doily bought from local bakery store
5.  Distress stickles worn lipstick
6.  Sentiment stamp - Penny Black
7.  Butterfly : KnCompany

I hope you like my very first distress card, thanks for dropping by :-).

Belles 'n Whistles Stamps challenge : Glitter and Pearls

I made another criss cross cards, I fall in love with criss cross cards after learning it from a tutorial.   I bought some Belles 'n Whistles stamps after participating in their latest bloghop and I really love their stamps, especially this A Child's Prayer, so naturally this is the first stamp I play with.

I coloured with distress inks again and since this is my 2nd attempt, I can handle the blending better.   Since  this for the Belles 'n Whistles Challenge : Glitter and Pearls, challenge.  I have lots of pearls and my glitter comes in the form of the glitter cardstock and the sequins ribbons.

Here is the card :

Materials used :-

1.  Belles 'n Whistles Child's prayer inked with Archival ink and coloured with distress inks

2.  Pattern paper : basic grey lemonade 

3.  Cardstock : AC cardstocks tropical, DCWV holiday collection - the glitter matstack

4.  Spellbinder

5.  EK Success punch

6.  Flowers : Wild Orchid crafts

7.  Pearls : Prima and Kaiser 

8.  Pearls element : American crafts

9.  Sentiment stamp : Stampendous

10. Ribbons with sequins bought from HK

Thanks for dropping by :-)