Amanda de Jonge has awarded me!

A huge thanks to Amanda for passing on this award to me... now I have to share 7 things with you about me... that you didn't know.... here goes

1.  I am a homebody... I'd rather be home playing than being out shopping,       unless its for craft toys.

2.  I hate driving, I prefer to be driven

3.  I hate people who dont buckle up their kids and have them stand on the front seat... don't they know that those little lives are irreplaceable!! You can't buy them back for the price of a car seat!!!!!!

4. I wish I had more time & space for my crafting >vbg< don't we all....

5.  Bad customer service... my pet hate... I sometimes feel I need to take up the challenge to teach some of these poor service deliverers some manners!

6.  I've been married for 24 years and still love my DH 99% of the time.. LOL.....

7.  I am fortunate enough to have both my parents still alive and kicking... and they still sometimes look after me... how lucky is that!

Now I need to pass on this award to the following: Drum roll please......

1.   Cariena Basson .... my life in stamps
2.    Susan Nel.....Sunels Crafts
3.    Paola Levi - Paola's paper haven
4.    Ronita Glanville - Simply creative
5.    Jowilna Nolte -  Imagine the possibilities
6.    Helen Duffet - Firenze Cards
7.    Debbie Harris - DKH Designs


For this award you have to do the following:


1. Place the award and a post about it on your blog.

2. Thank the person who gave you the award.

3. Tell us 7 things about yourself that we don't know.

4. Pick 7 more people that you feel deserve this award.

5. Place a link to their blogs in your post.

6. Tell these people that you have given them this award.

Granny round # 2

Wow... its been a busy few days... my daughter unexpectedly went into labour 10 days earlier than her planned C section... and on Wednesday morning at 01h25 my grandson "Aqeel" was born.  He came in at a bouncing 3.225kg's. With mummy having another 20 month old to be looked after... it was up to Granny to take the 3 trips a day to hospital for visiting hours.... just so "azrah" could see her mum and her brother.... Phew.. thank goodness the hospital trips are a thing of the past... they are both doing well and back home ..... needless to say... my crafting time has been severely limited.... not helpful when I have an up coming swap due.. LOL.... will post pictures of both the angels in my life soon.....

Have a simply marvellous day!!

hugz
shamela ;p)

I've been published!!

My friend Michelle hosted this swap and she was kind enough to provide me with a picture... yeah.. comes from doing things at the last minute... I quite forgot to scan or photograph my design... well the good news is that my card was published in our local "craftwise" magazine... I have been on a roll... been published in each publication of Craftwise for this year... LOL... my husband seems to think I have a hand in getting my designs in... he couldn't be more wrong.. I don't even submit them... i participate in our stamp group swaps and the hostess usually requests an additional copy for publication... whilst I know there is a possibility that it will be published.. the onus remains on the editor to decide which cards. ATC or Moo he is going to use...

The stamps used all come from Paper Inspirations http://www.paperinspirations.com/ its a similar idea to something I saw somewhere... except that I used my cuttle bug to emboss the gold layer.. on completion of the card I found that something was missing.. and finally made my own little wreath with pipe cleaners and a little bell. btw... the bow was a nightmare to make.. I think its the smallest bow i've ever made with my bow maker....Joys of the season was stamped onto some beige coloured vellum..and voila... all done...

It's Calendar time !

My mum asked me to make her some calendars as gifts for her clients... I am sure you all have been in a situation when people come to you and say... can you do something "quickly" thinking that it takes 5 minutes to "create".... well these literally took in that region... lets say... 7 minutes... LOL.... kaleidacolors are great... so.. this is just basic stamping and sticking... but I was happy with the outcome to say the least... as it was a "freebie" ... >vbg<; both the daisy and the circle stamp as well as the wording are all from Penny Black (http://www.pennyblackinc.com/)  I stamped the daisy and re stamped it 3 times without re inking... hence the nice softer shades below the orginal stamped image....

My Ethnic lady comes from a local company I just love her face..she is simply gorgeous.... these calendars are for overseas gifts... with a bit of self adhesive magnets... stuck on the fridge.....they are ideal as a useful all year round gift.....

Autumn colours

It's been a while... we've had bandwith issues... and virus problems... so I had very little access to my blog for a while... fortunately, I have something new to add - a  simple quick and easy card ideal for those small stamps you have stashed away in those drawers.......

I used the "Autumn leaves - kaleidacolor ink pad" for stamping - This is one of my older Hero Arts Quattro sets... I hadn't used it for a while and decided to see what I could come up with.

the "just because" stamp is locally made by Paperchain in South Africa.

Close up on heritage Page

I am hoping that the close up version will give you a better view of the page... hold thumbs.. I am working on my photgraphic as well as blogging skills.. LOL

Heritage Baby Page

This is one occassion where my photographic skills are failing me....this picture does not do my page justice....I'll try to take a better picture again....these are pictures of me at 4 months old..I am fortunate that my dad had the foresight to take these pictures..there are loads more of my baby pictures to be scrapped.

Hello everyone - Happy Monday

Hi all

Well another Monday on its way... I am soo behind with ATC swaps...waiting for the last minute and all ( serves me right.. i went to the kite festival yesterday instead of stamp...... my son in law was performing - he sings and writes music.. so you may hear him on the radio one of these days)  to top things all.... I decided to touch the hot handle of one of my pots... thought I was being smart ... getting the dinner out of the way early.. so DH can be happy for a change... we eat way to late at night... OK.. there are more important things to do than cook and clean you know.. .LOL....unfortuantely..... my right hand's fingers ... are tender and sensitive... and as per usual.. have a swap due on Wednesday... >vbg<... never mind... I guess we'll work thru the pain... and hopefully come up with something inspiring...  keep a look out...

 I still  need photos to finish the few scrapbook convention layouts... and as soon as I have found "the right pictures" I'll upload them... I am also anxiously waiting for my vintage Love Moo's to arrive... will hopefully collect them today... according to the ladies of my stamping group they are simply gorgeous... so will load as soon as I have them in hand

have a wonderful day...

from a strange... rainy, cloudy, yet still warm day in Cape Town..
shamela ;p)

Serenity

I recently made this card for one of my cardmaking friends birthday this year. I bought this stamp in the UK a few years ago... and to be honest, probably paid way too much for it... but of course... if it's a MUST HAVE the bottom line is determinedly ignored... >vbg<
I stamped one of my favourite penny black stamps as the background and embossed in gold. Stamped my image in black ( memories ink) and used radiant pearls to colour in parts of the stamp. Layered on gold, red and cream and then again red mulberry paper. The word serenity was stamped on white with black ink and overlayed with a piece of transparency which was coloured with alcohol inks. This lady's eyes just spoke of mysteries unknown...

Today I am determined to complete the Kaisercraft projects of the convention

Have a wonderful stamping day!!

Wedding page 2 close up

these pictures were taken with a slight hazy look to it... and I thought that it suited the design quite well. I look forward to your feedback .... and quite happy that I finally managed to load some of my scrapbook work

Wedding Page 1 close up

Prima double page scrapbook spread

I decided to add my wedding pictures to this spread. I thought it suited the shabby chic distressed look. The rose on the right hand side as well as the small roses below and the small roses on the top left are all handmade from the background pages... a little trick we learnt in class.

It's been a while

Hello everyone, I know its been a while... in the interim period I've celebrated my birthday.... I received an amazing number of cards from my RSA fellow rubber stampers.... they are so beautiful.....a huge thanks to all who remembered.
 I've forgotton how to add past 40.... so I have no idea how old I am... LOL...

After a long and anticipated wait, this weekend saw the International Scrapbook Convention come and go... we worked at an amazing pace, and despite the early hours and lack of sleep... it was a weekend for the girls. On Saturday we completed a class with our very own Jowilna Nolte and a class I thoroughly enjoyed with the Glitz Girls. The final day came with  classes by American Crafts, Prima from the UK and Kaizer Crafts from Australia. Look out for some updated pictures and my completed work....I have completed my Prima double page spread and really need to find an alternative to my scrap book album - the page is too gorgeous to hide away on a shelf. .... now all I need is to complete those other projects... and update....coming soon... I promise

Another orange day

I dont like making the same card twice... so this is just another version of the previous card... also.. with my twigs...>vbg<

Orange is IN

I mentioned a few days ago.. that I was in an orange mood... well it started out when I found the middle pre stamped imaage in one of my boxes. I decided to use it.. and came up with 2 similar cards... there was something missing... and whilst hangin up my washing.. i spied a small twig lying in the ground...and thought to myself..."that's gonna work perfectly with my current cards".. and with autumn colours.. the twigs just worked...

Orange Eternal Bliss card

I made this as a Birthday card for one of my stamping friends... it started out as a trial for one of my ATC swaps.. which I eventually made into a card...

Coast to Coast ATC

The light house is part of a much larger stamp - I chalked the sky background and painted in the red lines of the light house... the birds are also done free hand... at the bottom I used real minute pebbles to resemble sand.

Going Dotty

The first ATC I ever made.... I really enjoyed working only with black and white.

G is for Geisha Girl

It might not look like it, but this one had quite a bit of work to it. I stamped the Geisha Girl (www.paperinspirations.com) and masked her to stamp first the chinese writing on the one side and then the crackle design on the other.

I then foiled details in her hair and the top of her dress and chalked her eyes, cheeks and lips for colour... finally stamped and cut out the little fan. I don't particularly think this is my best work... there is definitely room for improvement....fortunately I only had to make 17 of these...LOL

F is for Fall

Now I am a sucker for punishment.... I stamped the word "fall" indivually and had to cut and mount them individually.... fortunately for me... if I remember correctly, we only had to make 17 of these...

the tree is one of hero arts (www.heroarts.com) discontinued stamps...

E is for Eternal Bliss

I just love this Paper Inspirations stamp (www.paperinspirations.com) the wording "Eternal Bliss" is a Penny Black stamp (www.pennyblackink.com) I added some Crackle Glaze to the Rose to add some interest

D is for Daisy

This daisy stamp is available from my shop at Kanje Krafts & Kreations. It is made by a local stamp manufacturer called Great Impressions. I used a Hero arts background script stamp as well as my cuttle bug script folder. This is one of my favourite ATC's

C is for Cowgirl

This image and the baby image I bought in a grab bag - it arrived just in time for me to complete my swap

B is for Baby (ATC)

I am currently participating in an ABC ATC swap - this is the B is for Baby which I submitted. We have reached H I J ( which I still have to complete) will add them as they are done.

Today's thoughts

I am frantically trying to catch up on my RSA group's birthday cards... it's been a busy year and I have neglected my stamping friends. Orange is my colour this week, and as soon as my recipients have received their cards I'll upload them for you to see. I have a strange method of creating... there never is a plan... I work with what I have at that moment in time.. and come up with an idea. I definitely don't like making loads of the same cards... that's boring, but when it comes to my ATC, MOO and other swaps, I definitely make an exception - the end result of getting back all those lovely ideas and creations from fellow stampers is worth the tedium

have a stampendous day all

hugz
shamela

watch this space

I'll be adding some of my ATC's soon... so watch this space!

Brown Guitar Congrats card

Distressing and paper tearing are some of my favourite techniques. A friend needed a card urgently.... guess they think it takes all of 2 minutes to make a card... it can happen when the creative fairy shines her little wand at you... anyway.... it had to have a guitar on the front and of course as luck would have it... i didn't have a guitar stamp. Stickers to the rescue... Anyway... the client was thrilled with the result and that's all that matters... I am stuck in a rut with colours though.... its brown again!

Cherish

I just love Penny Black stamps. This is one of their older brush stroke stamps- the background is one of my favourite watercolour backgrounds. Its really easy to do on gloss cardstock with kaleidacolor ink pads. Background stamp is a scroll stamp from Hero Arts (www.heroarts.com) as well as the word stamp on the front.

I usually make a full A4 page of the background and when in a rush all you need to do is stamp layer and embellish. Voila!... all done.

Green Lady

I think I go thru phases with colours... this time round i was obsessed with greens & browns. I think I made this for one of my card making friends Birthday earlier this year. The elegant lady stamp was borrowed so I am not sure of the manufacturer. Background flower stamp is a penny black (http://www.pennyblackinc.com/) stamp.

High heeled shoe card

The template for this card was also found in the Australian stamping and papercraft magazine. I however used my Penny Black (www.pennyblackinc.com) background stamps to stamp the black and grey image on white cardstock. I also added some ric rac to the edge and and off cut of black cotton lace to the top of the shoe. To finish off a little black and white flower, a tag and some bling!

Boot Card

I created this card for my niece's birthday.... the idea came from the Australian stamping and papercraft magazine. I was quite pleased with the result.