Michelle Lupton's Challenge me a Christmas Card

I was absolutely delighted when Michelle Lupton asked me to join her fabulous Michelle Lupton's Challenge me a Christmas Card! 

My challenge was to create a Christmas card using no green or red. My thoughts went straight to a watercolour winter scene of blue tones with deers, not the sort of Christmas' we have here in Australia but it's a style of card I've been wishing to create for years. 

I used a Christmas tree stamp with black ink, I applied the ink using various widths on the top portion of the pine tree image to create different sizes of trees. 
I die-cut Impressions Obsession deers and stag from watercolour card then coloured them using my all time favourtie colouring medium Peerless Watercolours from mybrush.com.au.

Thank you Michelle for including me in this wonderful event. My friends....you now need to head on over to Michelle's blog HERE and check out all her amazing creations, also be inspired by everyone else's challenge cards! So many talented people! 

For more of my cards please check out my Facebook page, Instragram and Pinterest pages.

Happy Stamping!
Miss Jane

Space card using Distress Oxide Ink pads

Hi everyone

I'm just loving these Distress Oxide ink pads!  I created the galaxy background by sponging Distress Oxide inks seedless preserves and peacock feathers in a few areas on black card. I watered down white paint, dabbed an old toothbrush in it and pulled back the bristles then flicked it over the card. I added a few more dots using a white gel pen and glue some silver star sprinkle on it too. 

The planets were coloured by applying yellow and orange shades of Distress Oxide inks on a non-porous surface, add water then dabbed the circles in it, drying between each application. I coloured the spaceboy with a selection of Distress Oxides ink pads using water and my favourite and the best paintbrushes from http://www.mybrush.com.au/

The stamp set is from You and Your Stamps, one of my favourites!

It's a very easy way to create a galaxy background, try it, use different colours and experiment!

Happy Stamping!

Miss Jane

Create a shadow on your die-cut sentiment

Hi everyone

Do you sometimes feel like your die-cut sentiments don't stand out enough on your cards? 

Try adding a black or darker shade of the same die-cut behind it! Glue it to the back of your sentiment by slightly offsetting it to create that shadow effect. 

I have used Stampin' Up! Bella & Friends puppy, Birthday Blooms flower, Stampendous butterfly, Heart Balloon unknown. Stampin' Up! Thinlits - Happy Birthday, assorted sequins and ink pads.

Why not try a bright colour underneath, would look great on kids birthday cards! Experiment and have fun!

Happy Stamping

Miss Jane

Exploring way to colour your images

Hi everyone,

Today I'm sharing a very different way to colour your stamped images. For this card I used the back of the actual stamp to add a block of colour over my stamped image. I have used Stampin' Up! Vintage Leaves with a selection of green Stampin' Up! ink pads.

Just remember the image is in reverse when you stamp it over the top, so they won't match perfectly but it still looks good!  I use a small amount of double-sided tape on my acrylic blocks to keep my stamp in place, if you don't like that option then just dab the back of the stamp on your ink pad, turn it over then place it on your stamped image and press. It should still give you a good application of ink to colour your image!

Have fun!

Happy Stamping

Miss Jane

Digital Image for Brain Cancer Foundation

Hi everyone,

Some of you may not know that my brother Alan was diagnosed recently with a brain tumour and has just finished his Chemo and Radiation, more tests to come. My brother is in great spirits and writes a "Tumour Humour" article on his Facebook page to keep everyone updated, this is what our family does and I love it! 

I wanted to organise a little fundraiser for the Brain Cancer Foundation, and what better way then to make a digital image of a cute little brain! I've never created a digital stamp before, but no courage no gain, I'm very slow when accomplishing new things on my computer!! 

This digital image is very special to me and I have called him Big Bro's Brain!

I am selling this digital image for $2 with ALL proceeds going to the Brain Cancer Foundation, I would love for you to buy it, create a beautiful card, show the world and share! I'm sure all of us have been affected by cancer in some way, yourself, a family member or a close friend.  Even with a small amount of $2 adds up to create bigger amounts!

I was blown away that I had reached my target of $100 in the first 24 hours!! I was thinking maybe I could sell 50 images at $2 each but everyone has been so generous and I'm so grateful for that.

If you would like to donate and receive this image then please go to the link below to my fundraising page, then message me with your email address and I'll send you Big Bro's Brain image for you to play with!

http://www.curebraincancer.org.au/my-fundraising/10485/big-bros-brain

If you don't use digital images then please contact me, I can print and send you images to play with.

I will be sharing cards along the way, giving you ideas on ways to use him.

I hope you like my image and thank you in advance 

Happy creating

Miss Jane

Quick and easy way to create a doily serving tray

Hi everyone,

I've had this idea in my head for a very long time, I LOVE doilies and wanted a serving tray as well. As soon as I saw this picture frame, my idea came together!! This frame cost $14 from a discount store and the doilies I had collected over the years, no family heirlooms in this one

because they're all packed away.

The first thing I did was to remove the backing from the frame, it had a cardboard insert included, if your frame doesn't have one, then cut one out of cardboard so it's slightly smaller than the glass in the frame, this allows the doilies to be folded over the edges, I didn't want to cut the doilies!!

I arranged my doilies over the cardboard insert, let some overlap and show a sneak peek of some others. When I was happy with the arrangement I then secured the doilies in place using double-sided tape to the backs of them, I used acid-free tape so no discolouring will happen down the track. Fold the overlapping pieces of the doilies to the back of the cardboard and secure them in place with more tape.

Place the frame with the glass in it face down on your work area, pop the doily cardboard piece on top so the folded ends are facing you. Gently turn it over, be careful it doesn't fall apart because we haven't secured the piece in place yet, you just want to check that all the doilies are flat and sitting correctly, I had to add more tape to secure some of the edges of the more detailed doilies.

Once you are happy, add a sheet of thin cardstock over the back of the work to hide all the folded doily ends, twist the tabs in place to keep everything secure. The back may bulge a bit from the doilies edges, but it will sit flat when on the table. 

I was looking ages for ornate handles, but opted for these that I found in a hardware store, they serve the purpose well and since the frame is pretty ornate the simplicity of them go well. I just screwed these in, it was very easy as the frame is plastic and they were short screws and didn't go right through the frame!

Leaving the glass in the frame also helps protect the doilies.

I hope I have inspired you to make one, it's such a lovely way to preserve your mum's or granma's precious heirlooms.

Cheers and happy creating!

Miss Jane

Depression

Hi everyone,

Today I'm sharing with you an assignment my daughter had submitted for her Uni degree, it's about her battle with depression, it's raw, confrontational and real! I too suffer from depression and it breaks my heart to think my beautiful girl has to endure it as well. I'm not anywhere near as bad as I was a few years ago, but I still have my dark days. I now manage and have mechanisms in place to get myself out of them relatively quickly, I've had tremendous help over the years and I'm also very lucky to have an understanding husband, loving family and lifelong friends who have seen me at my worst and still love me. I've learned to be kind to myself and to speak to myself as I would to a loved one. Gosh, I'm certainly no expert and unfortunately can't offer any advice, what works for me may not work for you, this I found out with my daughter. But all I can say is...just be kind to you, love you for who you are, no one is perfect, only God!

By the way, Eliza got a Distinction for her assignment. I couldn't be more proud of her and all the achievements in her life so far! I love you Eliza with all my heart <3 font="">

If you or someone you know has or who may be showing signs of depression, please see your GP for professional help.

Please read by clicking on link below, cheers.

Depression by Eliza Jane Clark

An old stamping technique but a goodie! Chalking!

Hi there,
I thought I would get my old Decorative Chalks out today and have a play with them for my Card Two of the 30 Days Colouring Challenge. I'm loving the freedom I have at the moment with not worrying about using old products, or if they are hard to get, or if they're discontinued. I know it doesn't help you or the businesses out there but I am mixing them with new products, I will enjoy getting back to exploring new products and mediums very soon. PanPastels are a great alternative product to use, these are available in most art stores and in some scrapbooking and cardmaking shops, the colours in the range are absolutely gorgeous.




I'm not particularly excited about this card, I like it but I don't love it! It's has too many bright colours for my liking, but making cards isn't about what you like sometimes, it's about what your recipient likes! Plus, I'm experimenting, hence why I'm doing this 'Colouring Challenge'.






How I created this card: First I stamped my My Favourite Things Blissful Butterflies on smooth white card with VersaMark ink, I applied the chalks over the top in a circular motion. Once I was happy with the coverage I added more detail around the body using coloured pencils to give them more shape and depth. 










For the background I used Hero Arts striped patterns stamp with VersaMark ink and a range of colourful chalks. I cut a selection of Stampin' Up! Flourish Thinlits from vellum and an Avery Elle 'Celebrate' from purple card. 

Happy Stamping

Jane

Colouring outside the lines

Hi there,

I thought I would give this 30 Day Coloring Challenge a go this year, wish me luck! If you would like more information or wish to join in then please visit this link .

Well, those who know me well would say I'm very particular about staying inside the lines while colouring, so I decided to challenge myself to colour OUTSIDE the lines!! It was a struggle but also a very liberating feeling. 

 I'm pretty happy with how it turned out, hope you like it!

Here is a quick little video.

 I dabbed the Stampin Up! ink pads - sweet sugarplum and emerald city on a non-porous surface, I picked up the ink using a wet paintbrush then coloured my image. I let the watered inks dry completely before adding more.

My preferred brushes and absolute favourites are KUM brushes from www.mybrush.com.au, these are well worth investing in, they hold quiet a lot of volume and are gorgeously smooth to paint with. A very dear friend owns this company but that hasn't swayed my opinion because they are that good!!

The stamp set I used is Stampin' Up! Birthday Blooms.

Thanks for looking and happy colouring! 

Jane

Lack of motivation, a simple card and a quick fix!

Lack of creative motivation - it happens to most of us dare I say? That feeling you get when you walk into your craft room or pull out all your craft supplies, you sit, summons the creative gods, shuffle stuff around BUT you stop, you just sit there after what feels like hours, you look at it and feel nothing! Zilch, blank, zero, nada, nothing!!

Since I resigned from my job as the Technical Editor of 'Cardmaking, Stamping & Papercraft' magazine I've felt a bit lost, creative wise that is. I've always had a Classroom, Copic Corner, Stampers Challenge or some other feature that I've had to create cards for, before that I was teaching cardmaking, all this has always kept me focused and motivated, ideas would always come to me, too many sometimes LOL. So now it's back to just playing and creating for me, I think I've forgotten how to do that! So, now I have to take my own advice on what I tell others who lose their creativeness or don't know where to start - KISS 'Keep it super simple' that's my version!! I don't like 'silly' or stupid'! That's just me :-)

Anyway, a friend's son recently got engaged, okay, so that gives me a reason to create, I need an engagement card, I can do this!! I grab a stamp set that has a small heart image and begin to stamp a simple background, one colour, red of course! This set is great because it has sentiments too, so I didn't have to hunt around again and get frustrated. So I stamp the 'Congratulations' in black, simple! Crap.... It still needs more, so I hunt through my stamps, not knowing what I'm even looking for, viola! What's cuter than a pair of love birds. Ugh..... I don't feel like colouring today, so I stamp it with black ink, cut it out and add it to the card, great! I'm happy! I'm done, so I think.... I turn it over and apply my tape then turn it back to discover ink on the front from my dirty work area, my world crashes (I know, third world problems right) after all my hard work, trying to get motivated, actually doing something that I was happy with! ARRRRR!! First thoughts: walk away, make a coffee and come back in an hour, day, month, year, oh they'll be married by then! Nope, you can do this Jane! Solution, cover it, with what?? More spots, no, that's just too much effort, an embellishment? No, it's smack bang in the middle of the card, vellum? That will hide it and would be a nice subtle touch on the card, a vellum HEART!! YES thank you Lord!! I'm back!!!  

Have you had days like this or weeks, months perhaps? It feels bad doesn't it? Knowing we have all this stuff and not wanting to play with it is devastating. Well, hopefully my little story and my 'KISS' card may help you one day. I will be sharing many more tips to overcome loss of Mojo, so stay tuned! 

Yes, there are those little red spots! Small I know, why bother, you say? To me they were huge, I just don't cope with mistakes on my cards very well, the dots were all I could SEE!!

My 'KISS' card, simple stamped background, the sentiment was cut in a banner shape and image only slightly coloured to match the stamped background, all on white card. Yes, I could see those spots and they were bugging me, I suffer from OCD! Just in cardmaking LOL

Vellum is a subtle and easy way to cover the spots and fix my card and that made me happy!

Happy!! Yes, there were a few small ones scatter on the front, I'm over it now LOL. I'm sure they'll love it!

Thanks for reading, I hope I may have helped in some way if you ever come across creative blocks or any little problems like mine.

Happy Stamping!

Jane

Goodbye and Thank you to my favourite magazine

Well many of you may already know by now, I have resigned from my dream job that I have been doing nearly 11 years! What a BIG decision, yes, it was very hard, but it had to be done. It's time to move on and pursue my other dreams, even if they takes years. I'm excited!

After the magazine changed hands in May last year I have been the Technical Editor and Editor, if you asked me if I could or would do it six months ago I would have said no way!! But I did and I'm very proud I produced six issues!! I enjoyed it and was blessed that Emily McQueen the previous editor was so amazing and had taught me so much, plus I had the support of the talented contributors who made each issue great!!

Let's go back 11 years ago: I was teaching six classes a week in my home as a business, my beautiful friend Elaine Kelly who was the Technical Editor of the mag at the time put my name forward for her job, I certainly didn’t think I was qualified for it. In the interview I was extremely nervous and excited as it was my favourite cardmaking magazine that I had purchased since its beginning, I would devour every page and article, recreating projects and discovering the many joys of cardmaking! I could not contain my excitement when I actually started working for the magazine, even today I still smile when an issue goes on sale, and feel so humbled to think I had a little part in it.  It has given me so many fantastic opportunities, teaching abroad and around Australia, meeting so many talented and wonderful contributors, advertisers, and co-workers who many are now lifelong friends, I’m truly grateful for it all. But now, I shall go back to 11 years ago where I will stalk the postie for my issue, make a coffee, sit, open it and be blown away as always with the amazing contributors and their outstanding work. 

The magazine wouldn't be what it is today without the contributors, I want to thank them for all their endless talent and enthusiasm, my job would not have been so enjoyable without their exciting emails and phone calls, they all worked so hard on the themes that I threw at them and tackled those tight deadlines with gusto. I also want to thank the wonderful stamp companies who supported the magazine by sponsoring the Stampers Challenges, my Classroom and Copic Corner features and more, it has been such a delight and honour. What a wonderful journey I have had, each and every memory will be treasured forever!

Thank you to the team at Woodlands Publishing, I wish you all the best, may you have as many wonderful memories as I.

I still want to share techniques and cards I have made, so what better way than to be more interactive on my blog!

Thank you for reading and happy stamping!

Jane