I found this digi stamp at Squigglefly, it is the cutest little elephant.

I could just see this elephant all popped up so I printed off three copies and coloured different parts with copics. I cut out the parts and assembled the elephant and just love the way it turned out sitting inside his frame. I couldn’t decide on the outside area so in the end I turned it into an easel card, and gave Ella a balloon to hold.

This card was so much fun, I can see me using this technique again in the future.

Using the direct to paper technique I covered some glossy silver cardstock with Momemto Tuxedo Black and embossed it with Tim Holtz Steampunk folder. A plain silver strip was embossed with Universals Cogs. I cut the cogs out using foil from Spellbinders and movers and shapers from Tim Holta as well as a cog punch from Stampin Up(now retired).

While I was in Scottie Crafts I found some stamp sets that have lots of fun sayings, so I used one of these on the inside of this card. The envelope is there because we gave him tickets for a boat trip, so it was a good place to put them.

I have used Tim Holtz Distress Inks here in Weathered Wood, Milled Lavender and Bundled Sage. Hero Arts Dandelion Frame was stamped off and then stamped using Memento Tuxedo Black, with the image in the middle being from Stampin Ups Summer Silhouettes set. It is done using black embossing powder and heat setting. Stickles are around the top of the flower and the sentiment anchors it all together. RIP Bruce

Chocolate Chip and Daffodil Delight Ink and card stock. I used Spellbinders hexagon dies to cut out the shape the bee is on. The bee is an old stamp that I have had for many years. The stamped hexagon I think are from Rubadubadoo as well as the mesh background stamp behind it.

It crossed my mind that the debossed side looked like turtle shell and what better time to test it out than Joseph’s birthday. What else would a nine year old boy be into thatn Ninja turtles.

The image was a free colouring book image that I found online and coloured with copics. I printed the sentiment straight from the computer on Old Olive cardstock and matted with black. I coloured some Early Expresso Bakers Twine with Old Olive ink as this was the closest I had, but it seemed to work and Joseph was happy with it.

This is Spellbinders Basic Lattice cut and embossed in both pink and white cardstock. Spellbinders floral ovals are used to frame the cupcake which is punched out of Stampin Ups punch. This card was a bit tricky and I decided that the lattice need so be cut on cardstock with and adhesive backing otherwise it is too fiddly to attach as the pieces are quite thin. It hasn’t got a sentiment as I don’t know what sort of card it will be yet.

We had a wonderful day where I took her out of a day of girlie pampering. We went to brunch, had our hair done, did some shopping and even got our nails done. She came back looking and feeling fabulous

Kelley has worked really hard and has lost over 20kg in the months leading up to her birthday, and this gave me the inspiration for her card.

Of course it had to involve cake. This is a tri-fold card. The background is clear imbossed with French Filigree background stamp by Stampin Up and thin inked with Wisteria Wonder ink. To finish the background I just used the same ink and the Polka Dot background stamp.

The background and the ribbon were continued right through the whole card. The Image is a digistamp from Bugaboo stamps coloured with copics.

 She got quite a chuckle out of this card so it was a hit.

Once again I got landed with making the cake. Kelley likes things fairly plain so I decided on a present cake.

The flavour in the bottom was chocolate and the top was carrot – her favourite

One day I might have to learn how to do the cakes properly.

I have to admit that it took me about three goes to get it right, but part of the problem was that I was trying to do it on some nice blue parchment I bought. I discovered that this parchment was a bit thinner and so I had to be more careful so as not to put a hole in it. In the end I gave up and went back to the plain parchment and just put some blue cardstock behind it.

I can not remember where I got this pattern from but I bought it online as part of a set. It is a fairly easy pattern so as a beginner it was a good one to start with.

I actually coloured the butterfly and flowers with copics as I did not have anything else that I thought would work.

This year I went to the craft shop especially to get a chess pieces punch to make his card out of. When we checked the punches they were all sticking and on closer inspection the pieces were actually quite small.

I decided to get a chess stamp instead, and the lady told me that it was cheaper to buy the card kit which contained the stamp, than to just get the stamp by itself. Go figure.

A friend of mine gave some some black glittery embossing powder, which is kind of like the black version of iridescent Ice embossing powder. So I used both of these and then covered them with glossy accents to make the chess board tiles.

The two chess pieces were just embossed with plain black and white on the opposite colour paper, and the little stamped pawn is stamped with whisper white onto glossy silver card stock.

Bevan is a chess geek so I know he will be happy with this, and surprised as I haven’t yet told him I bought a chess stamp.

He also loves his burgers and fries, so I decided to make his cake as a burger and fries.

With Bevan’s favourite cake being banana, that is what the bun is made out of with chocolate cake for the patty. The lettuce and cheese is coloured moulded white chocolate, and the dressing is just butter icing.The tomato sauce was raspberry gel icing and the fries and tomatoes were butter cookies.

It looked great and everyone who saw it loved it.

I decided to use a very old stamp set, which is also the first stamp set I ever bought it is called Echos of Kindness, and keep the colours very simple.

Although there are many things I could add to this card, I feel that the occasion calls for it to be left just how it is.

Unfortunately I have also just heard that a close friends father has been given only two weeks, so I guess I will be making another one of these.

I have made several and after having put some on gifts I thought I might get a picture of some of them to show you.

They are nice and colourful and christmassy, and they make me happy. As you can see there is a good range and even though they are only little, I still have to stretch my creativity while I design them.