I painted this rose

Hello sweet bloggers,

I haven't blogged for almost a week now - life seemed to have got in the way.

I will certainly come and visit you all in a bit.

Meanwhile here is my card to show you which I have made after a break. The background stamp is from Hero Arts and I have used TH Victorian velvet while the card stock has been sponged with TH peeled paint. The rose was painted directly on to water colour paper with Aleeza's Early Learning Centre water colours during our painting hour together. I went over it with a metallic gel crayon from Paper Chase - which makes it sparkle in real life. I cut out the rose and mounted it on foam tape to give it a raised appearance. The leaves have a story to tell - I found them abandoned by the poolside in our complex and the minute I saw them my heart wanted to bring them home. I seem to like this card and other moments not so am not quite sure but Aleeza certainly does like it and that makes me happy.

I will enter this card in the following challenges:

http://www.cardsinenvy.blogspot.com/ - make your own background

http://ppp-makeitmonday.blogspot.com/ - always anything goes

Off to do my regular visits now.

Love,

Monica 

For a six year old

Hello sweet peeps,

This card was made literally in jiffy as I came to know that a sweet little girl who lives in the same block as ours had a birthday today... So I thought I would surprise her with a card and a small gift (a pack of glitter glue). I have had these foam flowers for something like 10 years and over so thought I must use them for a child's card. The leaves have been punched from a clothes tag and the border at the bottom was left over from the last card I made. The butterfly was lying around on my table and has been used to cover up a gluey error. I could have layered the butterfly but time was at a premium...

Love,

Monica 

Crazy for Challenges

Hello sweet peeps,

Here is a card I have made for the challenge at Crazy 4 Challenges which is a sketch. I had so much fun making this card as it all fell into place without much effort. The beautiful printed paper was sent to me by my dear blog buddy Sandra as was the chipboard teacup. I simply LOVE it. The green paper you see beneath the pink paper is actually a visiting card which I have recycled. The paper and chipboard image are really pretty and sparkly in real life so I thought the pale green flower would go well.

This is the sketch below...

I will also enter this card in the following challenges:
http://ppp-makeitmonday.blogspot.com/ - anything goes
http://challenges4everybody.blogspot.co.uk/ - anything goes

Wish you a pleasant week ahead.

Love,
Monica

Happy Birthday card

Hello sweet bloggers,

Thanks so much for your kind comments on my last post... Glad that you like that card :-) What would card makers do without the world of blogging. I just love sharing my little cards and getting all those delightful comments considering at home, all I have is little Aleeza to show my cards to since Zeenya is not into card making anymore and her father never was. But ofcourse I do have friends who really appreciate my cards but they are not necessarily my followers.

This was another card I made in minutes for Zeenya's friend - and thank God that I have stuck the ribbon the right way (unlike one of my previous cards which had it the other way round, lol) The cake is from my stash - cannot remember where it is from as I have thrown away the packaging. The crystals are from Prima and I have sponged the Spellbinder's nestie. The birthday sentiment is from Penny Black.

I will enter this card in the following challenges:

http://www.addictedtocas.blogspot.com.au/ - birthday

http://onestopcraftchallenge.blogspot.com/ - anything goes

http://pumpkinspiceblog.blogspot.co.uk/ - candy or anything sweet
http://crafts4eternity.blogspot.com/ - sweet tooth
http://sisteractcardchallenge.blogspot.com/ - anything goes

See you later.

Love,

Monica 

Another simple card

Hello sweet bloggers,

This was a card I made a while ago with a Kaiser Craft clear background stamp (using American Craft clay) and when I showed it to Zeenya (my older one) her comment was, "It is too dull, it won't sell". And sold it did the instant I made it to a friend who often buys my cards. Sorry for the poor picture quality... the Sakura copper pen was really shiny and even though I tried different angles, this is the best I could manage. The flower centres have been touched with liquid pearls in mushroom. You may not believe this but plain cards like this sell so quickly that it leaves me wondering what was it about the card that made it sell???

I will enter this card in:

http://casology.blogspot.ca/ - bloom

http://paulaholifieldcrafts.blogspot.co.uk/ - use kraft of some kind

http://foreverfriendschallengeblog.blogspot.co.uk/ - anything goes

http://blog.oozak.com/ - anything with earth tones

http://sparklesforumchallenges.blogspot.com/ - monochromatic

http://simplycreatetoo.blogspot.com/ - anything goes

Wish you a pleasant weekend.

Love,

Monica 

Recycled card

Hello sweet peeps,

Here I am again with a recycled card made from a very pretty invitation card for a Mother's Day event. As soon as I saw the invite, all that I could think of was how to make a card out of this. So I let it lie on the dining table for a few days and this is what I made. Stuck a few pearls and an organza ribbon - that's all and my card was ready. Even the dotted paper is part of the invitation card by the way as is the embossing on the rose.

I will enter this card in:

http://creataliciouschallenges.blogspot.com/ - for the girls

http://foreverfriendschallengeblog.blogspot.co.uk/ - anything goes

http://ourcreativecorner6.blogspot.com/ - anything goes

Thank God it's Friday once again! 

Love,

Monica 

Could not resist blogging...

Hello lovely peeps,

I know some of you have asked me to slow down with blogging in order to rest myself but it is sooo addictive you know. Lol. 

Here is a card I made a while ago but it did not post it. The flowers have been stamped directly on this textured card stock using a clear stamp (cannot remember the name) and have been coloured with a red water colour pencil. I have used two kinds of striped paper and the ribbon and hand tied bow were used to add more red as was the EK Success border punch. I tried to position the stamp in an unsymmetrical way on the card stock to make it look natural.

I will enter this card in:

http://craftycreationschallenges.blogspot.com/ - keep it simple

http://freshbreweddesigns.blogspot.co.uk/ - flowers

http://simonsaysstampschallenge.blogspot.com/ - flowers

Off to do some commenting now...

Love,

Monica 

A quickie

Hello sweet bloggers,

Thanks so much for all the congratulatory comments about my cards - I was on cloud nine yesterday.

Here is a quick and simple card I made for Aleeza's friend's birthday today... These mini card blanks were sent to me by Shirley-Anne and they seemed to be just the right size for a card needed in minutes.

Below is the gift that Aleeza and I wrapped and decorated together. She wanted a cake on it and I had this best wishes sentiment lying around with the flower and leaves so I stuck it on.

Wish you a pleasant morning, afternoon or evening.

Love,

Monica 

I sold 33 cards at the bazaar!!!

Hello lovely kind peeps,

Thank you ever so much for all the good wishes you have been sending me for the bazaar.

which was a huge success. I managed to sell 33 cards out of 54 cards today which is the best sale I have had in all these years and I will continue to support financially deprived Indonesian children with their primary education.
So my count so far is a total of 85 cards for this year and with that comes the price to pay - tired neck muscles and some other health issues. I think I may need to slow down which is heart breaking really because card making is my passion and my life. And selling cards for charity gives me a certain mission and purpose in life which is extremely fulfilling. I have been making cards on a large scale since the past 15 years and it's effects are telling on me. Or maybe I need to simplify my style even more so that it does not increase the repetitive stress. 

Sorry for that moaning and groaning and now to this aperture card which is a repeat of the earlier one I made like this a few weeks ago. I think I went a bit wild with the flowers and have almost covered the aperture instead of showing it. Some of you asked me to make more of these and you were absolutely right - both the ones I made sold.

 Down below is a picture of my table - I took the picture so it is without me.

I will enter this card in the following challenges:

http://www.abcchallenges.blogspot.com/ - wedding or anniversary

http://cardmaniachallenges.blogspot.com/ - flowers

http://craft-deebowz.blogspot.com/ - must use handmade bow

http://lovetocreatechallenge.blogspot.com/ - flowers

http://lovetoscrapchallengeblog.blogspot.co.uk/ - anything goes

http://ppp-makeitmonday.blogspot.com/ - anything goes

http://dustinpike.blogspot.ca/ - flowers
http://www.withoutwordschallenge.blogspot.com/ - flowers

Love,

Monica 

Another one for the bazaar

Hello sweet bloggers,

Yes, tomorrow is the bazaar and I am hoping I do well there. Here is another card for sale tomorrow. Very simple - made with with papers and the tiger prink is a ribbon and so is the sentiment. Buttons from my stash and it was done - no stamping, no embossing, no sponging just sticking and sticking.

Thanks for all good wishes for the bazaar and I really appreciate them.

Much love,

Monica 

Another one for the bazaar

Hello sweet bloggers,

Here is another card I have to show you to add to my collection of 54 cards for the bazaar on Tuesday, the 14th. Thank you for all the encouragement you have been giving me. 

This is a simple card with a Petaloo flower which I love and the leaves have been punched from textured paper that I created in the days that Zeenya used to craft with me. We stuck tissue paper over printer paper and sponged it with natural food colour (we mixed two food colours - cannot remember which ones as it was some years ago). I do like the way the it turned out and it just happened to match well with the flowers. I have used liquid pearls in gold for the flowers and the lace is from my stash.

I hope you are having a good weekend where ever you are. It is 730 pm here as I write this post so that means our weekend is almost over. 

Love,

Monica 

Card for a man

Hello sweet bloggers,

Here is my card to show you for today... a card for a man made with two kinds of fancy gift wrap papers and washi tape.  The paper with concentrics is actually silvery but it does not show in the picture. The yarn and natural buttons are from my stash and the sentiement is from a larger sheet. I am not sure whether I should have stuck the washi tape at all as it seems to transparent.

Hope you all are having a pleasant weekend. I am getting all set for the bazaar on the 14th. I have  made something like 50 plus cards.

Love,

Monica 

Happy Mother's Day

Hello sweet peeps,

Happy Mother's Day to all those celebrating it today. What a lovely Mother's Day I had at Aleeza's school this morning. The teacher organized a picnic with lots of fun surprises for us mums and kids. It started with a story I read about a lion who wanted to love followed by vase painting, playing snakes and ladders and twister. All of us got snacks and had lots of tasty treats at the end of it. To make it a real rosy finale, the teacher took a silk rose bud for each mum put it in the vases we painted and made the kids present them to their respective mums with a handmade card (which the kids made earlier in class). It was such a touching and affectionate affair - my best Mother's Day to date.

Now to my card... simple, embossed, sponged with TH walnut stain, butterfly stickers and punched ones as well. I coloured the punched butterflies with water colour pencils, markers, and glitter pens. Wished the glitter would show in the picture as it does in real life. I have used liquid pearls to add more dimension.

Down below is Aleeza's teacher giving a demonstration of painting on the ceramic vase with glass paints.

Wish you a happy day, afternoon, evening or a plain night night.

Love,

Monica 

For a baby girl

Hello sweet bloggers,

Here is another card that I have made for the bazaar on the 14th. I had made a similar looking one earlier and it sold so I thought I must make a repeat and here it is. The stamp is from Penny Black and the ribbons, pearls and flower is from my stash. The leaves have been embossed but I don't think that is doing much to them.

I will enter this card in the following challenges:

http://craftingforallseasons.blogspot.com/ - monochromatic

http://divasbydesignchallenge.blogspot.com/ - anything goes

http://whimsyinspires.blogspot.com/ - anything goes

http://ladybugscraftsinkchallengeblog.blogspot.com/ - baby cards

Will come and visit your blogs now.

Love,

Monica 

More gingham coming your way

Hello sweet peeps,

I had this red and white gingham lying on my table and my blog buddy Sandra sent  these cute sheep chipboard images, so I thought why not make a card combining the two. Incidentally sheep images sell very quickly for some reason. I have a confession to make though - these chipboard images were sent for little Aleeza but I just could not keep my hands off them. And Aleeza was kind enough to share so I went for it.  The sentiment is handwritten with an American Craft permanent marker. I could have come up with a witty sentiment like "Happy Baaday" but my hands had a mind of their own... 

I will enter this card in the following challenges:

http://www.craftysentiments.blogspot.com/ - use a sentiment

http://creativecraftchallenges2.blogspot.com/ - animals

http://flourishes.org/ - use black accents

http://www.craftdoormagazine.com/ - anything goes

See you later.

Love,

Monica 

My new stamps

Hello lovely bloggers,

Here is my card to show you today stamped with my new Penny Black clear stamps and coloured with Faber Castell water colour pencils. I had this doily sitting around doing nothing on my table for months now so I thought I should use it before it wears out. And this gingham paper seemed to match perfectly as did the buttons (I just find buttons hard to resist specially when they match perfectly) and the embroidery yarn. I do think my colouring is improving... lol.

I will enter this card in the following challenges:
http://cardmaniachallenges.blogspot.com/ - flowers
http://getinkychallenge.blogspot.com/ - floral fun
http://lovetoscrapchallengeblog.blogspot.co.uk/ - anything goes

Love,

Monica

I do like this colour combo

Hello sweet bloggers,

Thanks for the kind comments on my last card. I would like to welcome my newest followers - thank you so much for joining my little blog.

Here is a card I have made with an image sent by dear Shirley-Anne along with other lovely stuff. This image was already layered on to a frame so all I had to do was to stick it with foam dots on the card. the floral tape is the same one as on the previous card. The flowers have been punched on paper that was crinkled first and then painted with water colour paints. I have used liquid pearl in gold as flower centres. As usual it took me forever to arrange the flowers and the swirls and am still a bit unsure how they look. However I do like the colour combination on this card.

I will enter this card in the following challenges:

http://ppp-makeitmonday.blogspot.com/ - anything goes

http://sisteractcardchallenge.blogspot.com/ - anything goes

chttp://sisteractcardchallenge.blogspot.com/- buds, blooms and blossoms

See you later.

Love,

Monica 

An anniversary card

Hello sweet peeps,

Here is a card I made a few days ago with washi tape and some kind of floral fabric tape and cotton lace. The roses are from a longer length of lace and the flourish is from Sizzix. It is a single corner flourish and what I did was to snip it into three pieces to balance it with the roses. Even though this is a quick card, it took me a long while to get the positioning of the flourishes right. In the end, I do like the way it turned out and hope you do too.

I am going to enter this card into the following challenges:

http://catchthebugblog.blogspot.com/ - anything goes

http://mytimetocraftchallenge.blogspot.co.uk/ - sentiment as the focal point

http://cardmakinmamas.blogspot.com/ - washi tape

See you later.

Love,

Monica 

For a darling baby boy

Hello sweet bloggers,

I hope you are having a good Saturday...

Here is a quick and simple baby boy card to show you today. I have used two kinds of papers, blue ribbon and buttons from my stash. This is a card to add to my collection to sell.

I will enter this card in the following challenges:

http://asimplefive.blogspot.com/ - anything goes

http://simplycreatetoo.blogspot.com/ - all about babies

Love,

Monica 

WIne lovers always do the ripe thing

Hello sweet bloggers,

I made this card last weekend and quite like it. The printed paper is what I had won in Terry's blog candy. I have coloured the stamped image ( from Tara Reed ) with water colour pencils and have stuck pop up fabric glitter on the grapes. The butterfly, ribbon, lace and flower are from my stash. The Spellbinder nestie has been sponged with TH distress ink. I have used this stamp many a time but every time I do it creates a new magic. I just love the sentiment on it, don't you?

I will enter this card in the following:

http://abc-challenge.blogspot.com.au/ - make it sparkle

http://craftingmusketeers.blogspot.co.uk/ - anything goes
http://ourcreativecorner6.blogspot.com/ - anything goes

Thank God it's Friday once again.

Love,

Monica 

Birthday card

Hello sweet peeps,

Here is my card to show you for today. I have used two different kinds of fancy gift wrap and washi tape. I was really happy with this card and then something happened when I was sticking the embroidery yarn. I tried being extra creative with it and tried to cover it up with the red and black card stock with a sentiment (from Penny Black) on it.  I feel this card is quite non-descript considering I started out fairly well with the papers. I am also realizing that buying lots of fancy gift wrap is not so economical an option - it is like penny wise and pound foolish... lol. However I cannot deny my love affair with gift wrap - there is something so delightful about it that it becomes hard to resist. Lol.

I will enter this card in the following challenges:

http://ppp-makeitmonday.blogspot.com/ - anything goes

http://bearlymine-challenges.blogspot.com/ - anything goes

http://lejdesignschallengeblog.blogspot.co.uk/ - anything goes

http://www.craftdoormagazine.com/ - anything goes

Will come and visit your blogs now.

Love,

Monica