Monthly Archives: January 2013

Jan 31

CASE Study Challenge #126

In CASE Study, the time has unfortunately come to say farewell to our Muse, Amber. Even though we have an extra week devoted to her, I feel like I haven’t exhausted my need of CASE’ing that magnificent talent. At least we’re going off with a bang! which is this beautiful inspiration:

I’m waiting for a fabby quatrefoil backgrounder to reach me very soon I hope, sadly didn’t make it in time for this challenge but I fretted not and armed myself with another sweet newbie in my craft room - the Posh Motifs and Trim stamp set from Inkadinkado.
Oh, for the love of everything damask! It’s super gorgeous.

I stamped the pattern in Memento Cantaloupe, on PTI Lemon Tart CS and scored diagonally to create lovely texture. Then I added pearls to the nodes.

The Fancy Tags Three Shapeabilities tag, was adorned with (SQUEAL!) the sentiment from the most gorgeous set, a Simon Says Stamp exclusive called Apothecary Labels. A bit of green twill ribbon behind the panel, and I was done.

Please visit the blogs of my fellow CASE Study Designers, as well as our Muse’s and Guest Designer’s websites, to find out how they were inspired!

Amber Kemp-Gerstel - January Muse
Amy Wanford
Andrea Ewen
Christina MacLaren
Clare Buswell
Debby Hughes
Jean Martin
Jeanne Jachna
Maureen Plut
Teneale Williams
Tasnim Ahmed - December Guest Designer

The challenge details, as well as the Inlinkz list to link up your entry, can be found on the CASE Study blog.

Jan 30

Smitten… a scrapbook

How utterly frustrating…
I would have told you that plenty of times before, I just can not take a decent photo of a scrapbook page. If it wasn’t enough that as a learner (and a very self-critical one too!) I virtually never end up with something I consider good in my books. Sheesh.
I don’t claim to be a good photographer, in fact I’m acutely aware of the fact that there’s lots to learn, but in the years of photographing cards and stuff, on the almost daily basis, I was able to develop the techniques that work well on my photos. Except when it comes to scrapbooks, when to my amazement, all my skills seem to miraculously vanish.

I committed the one below two days ago, and let me tell you, it was for the first time that I was actually pretty cool with the result. Not as in “holy cow, will you look at THIS!!”, but I decided that my perseverance is indeed leading me somewhere. Yet, all of that magic disappeared the moment I took the damned photos. LOL

I’ll let you judge for yourselves 🙂

Jan 29

Mmmm… brownies!

I might have hinted on Facebook yesterday, that I’ll be sharing another recipe with you…
I made a double batch of brownie cake over the long weekend, wanting to take a portion over to mum & dad’s but that unfortunately didn’t work out, so we’re left with double the happiness right about now!
(well actually, not so much double any more, ’cause most of the first tray is gone… lol)

There are tons of brownie recipes out there, many of them equally mouth-watering and delish. As much as I like to experiment, when it comes to tried, quick and wonderfully scrummy treats, I’m signing up both hands. Such is this cake - super easy & impossible to fail with. Rich & moist, and just heavenly. A chocolate lover’s treat 🙂


Brownie cake

140g (4.9 oz) dark chocolate (70%)
250g (8.8 oz) caster sugar
140g flour, sifted
4 eggs
250g unsalted butter, at room temperature
200g (7 oz) walnuts, roughly chopped (optional)

Melt chocolate in a dish placed on top of the pan of boiling water. Set aside until it’s warm, but not hot any more. Mix butter, add chocolate, then eggs, sugar, flour. Blend until the ingredients combine. Fold in chopped walnuts with a spoon.
(note: I usually don’t add them, since I like the chocolate taste uninterrupted, but you’re most welcome to!)
Pour into the rectangle dish 25cm x 35cm (9.8″ x 13.8″) or similar. Put into the heated oven (190 C, 374 F) for 20 minutes.
Set aside to cool down for half an hour, cut into squares.

Bon appetit!

Jan 28

A card (plus some photos)

I so needed to evacuate to my craft room a ‘just because’ sitting today. I’m having the urge to play with a couple of the new goodies that I *might have* acquired recently… there’s nothing like happy mail to rejuvenate your mojo!
I pulled out some new stamps, the Birch Branch Print from Memory Box & Simply You by Technique Tuesday, and mixed them with a couple of things at hand. I also re-discovered a couple of 6×6 paper pads from Glitz Design the other day, to my utter enjoyment, because I totally stuffed them where they were doomed to be forgotten for months…
So… all of them and more, made it to another *scrappy* card of mine, that I happen to enjoy making again 🙂

I cut a window in the patterned paper and covered the base of the card, where the opening is, with burlap. I like the look of a wee piece of lace, peeking out from behind the window - the last minute touch that I added.
Surprising myself with these little things, that might have never crossed my mind at first, for me is an essence of enjoyment I take from creating. If my cards turned out exactly how I envisioned them at the beginning, they would be much less fun to make, I’m not even sure if they were better at all. Instead I like to settle for a bit of chaos and see where it takes me 🙂

Here’s a delightful inspiration photo (from The Ribbon Reel challenge #45) that lies behind this card:

I also wanted to share a couple of photos that hubby & I took yesterday, on our family trip to Melbourne ZOO. It’s a world-class facility that’s always a joy to go visit. I love love LOVE their butterfly house! If only it wasn’t steaming hot inside…

Meerkats are always a staple when we’re there. ADORE these little creatures 🙂

Then there’s the two Palamountain girls. One BIG and one small. Yes, my pregnancy shows as much on my belly as it does around it… LOL
I keep telling myself that as far as I’m a very happy momma (which is entirely true), I can handle being oversized for a few months more… Then there will be other things to worry about, ack! Or one utterly cute and much awaited reason, for that matter

See you later, crafty peeps!

Jan 27

MME January sketch

I’m thinking about the day I’ll look at the scrapbook page I made and be content with it, and if it will ever happen 🙂
For now I’m a learner, and as one I decided to tackle My Mind’s Eye January sketch. It’s super lovely, it gives a great opportunity for some misting, and it means I get to play with my favourite paper company’s products. Hence this:

For the base I used the paper from Miss Caroline, and there’s lots of stuff from the Kraft Funday collection. Misting was done with the aid of Leapfrog Glimmer Mist and The Crafter’s Workshop honeycomb template. Additional misting done with October Afternoon Sprinkler.
Added stamping with Glitz Design stamps, plus the sentiment from Technique Tuesday. Some more Glitz Design stuff here and there, mainly transparencies. Some doodling.
I ordered some lovely prints the other day, so in the meantime I’ll keep trying 🙂

Jan 26

Jay Gee’s Nook

I’m happy to share my first post on the brand new Jay Gee’s Nook blog today!
It’s a mixed-media flat canvas, adorned with Spring Birds stamp from LaBlanche and lots of goodies from My Mind’s Eye, Glitz Design and more.

For the step-by-step instructions on how to recreate this look, please stop by the JG’s Nook blog. We’d love to see you there 🙂
Cheers!

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