For CAS(E) this Sketch - partly recycled

Hello sweet bloggers,

Here is my card to show for the sketch at CAS(E) this Sketch. I have used an Oil of Olay packaging box to die cut the circles and buttons alongwith a hand written sentiment. 

Wish you a calm, healthy and relaxed weekend,

Monica

A sweet and simple card

Hello sweet bloggers,

Here is a card that I helped Aleeza to put together for her lovely teacher. She chose the checkered paper saying her teacher would like them and we chose matching heart stickers to go along and thought jute string would add character to our sweet creation. Apologies for the shadows on the picture. This paper was what I won in Terry's blog candy just when I started blogging.

Here is the message, Aleeza wrote inside the card which touched her teenage sister so much that I had to share it with you. The last line reads,"Actually you are as sweet as chocolate."

Wish you a happy Sunday,

Monica 

Gratitude towards Blogland

Hello sweet peeps,

I just feel so much gratitude towards blogland, it is like a pick-me-up pill. It makes me feel that is all is well in the world inspite of all that is happening around.

Here is another card I made a few days ago with ribbon that I purchased at Michael's last summer. The card candy and stars are from my stash while the sentiment is a Hero Arts Stamp. I have to say that I like this card much. 

Thank you to all of you for your kind words and encouragement,

Monica 

Hello after a long absence

Hello sweet .bloggers,

It seems such a long while since I blogged and trust me when I say that I have been missing it so.

Life has been rather busy of late with some great challenges which have kept me from blogging. On the good side, Aleeza's arm is healing well and my Mum is here to visit. 

Here is my card to show you - a rather humble card since the rose has been by yours truly with an ordinary paper napkin. The sentiment is hand written and and the flourishes as well as the tag has been die cut from a carton. Recycling and me often strike a happy medium.

I am yearning to come and visit your blogs and I hope I can find time to do that soon,

Monica 

Keep Calm and Drink Wine

Hello sweet bloggers,

Here is a card I made to beat the stress - just right, isn't it? Except that wine is terribly expensive here. The clear sentiment stamp was bought at The Range in the UK (cannot recall the name) while the oval frame with the vine and grapes is from Hero. I thought I must use these Keep Calm series before they become passe.

I have coloured in with my Prisma pencils and the flourishes have been sponged with Milled Lavender while the green sponge has been done with Old Paper - it kind of looks too green in the picture. The flower is handmade and the paper came from Terry a few years ago. I had to add the pearls to cover up some faux pas. I quite like this card but the pink paper??? 

I will enter this card in:
http://www.addictedtostamps-challenge.blogspot.com.au/ - anything goes

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

http://vintageudfordring.blogspot.no/ - vintage

Happy Easter to those celebrate it,

Monica 

After a long gap

Hello sweet bloggers,

I have good news to share and that is Aleeza's heavy cast is off and now she has to wear a special sleeve for another month to help her heal totally. She is back to school and my life is resuming slowly.

Here is a quick card I made two nights ago for a special person on her birthday who is going through a challenging time at work. The embossing folder came from dear Helen all the way from the States. Thank you, Helen!  By the way, Helen is a multi-talented crafter and her talent will amaze you for certain.  

As I did not possess an appropriate sentiment I wrote love, peace and happiness inside the card with a gold pen. 

Aleeza did not seem very pleased with it and suggested I put in gold on some of the leaves to break the monotony of white. I did do that but could not take a photo of the revised card. 

I have to say it did look pretty with the shimmery gold leaves. I bought the gold charms from the haberdashery store close to home. Hoarding them yet again ;-)

See you soon hopefully,

Monica 

For Less is More - a touch of turquoise

Hello kind peeps,

When I went to the super market this evening, I decided to spoil myself with some craft goodies and here is the card I made in seconds from my new Penny Black stamp. I have been eying this stamp at the bookshop for a while now and today was the day when I gave in to my temptation. The first attempt at stamping straight on to the card stock was a messy affair. But I was determined and did manage to get it right. I have outlined the bird with my Prisma turquoise pencil and have stuck turquoise rhinestones as well to add more interest. In my earlier times, I would be uncomfortable with such a simple, no frill card but now I am rather confident. That means I have come a long way with CAS and the credit goes to LIM for that. Thank you, LIM!

Here is lil' Aleeza at her second art class with her left hand.

This is her finished art work - I think she could teach me how to shade and stuff. Lol.

Since she has been home for a month now, a friend came over to play. They are doodling on her cast which is coming off tomorrow. Yaay!!!

Oh happy childhood - no inhibitions, only fun, fun and more fun.

Wish you a happy Sunday and I will come and do some visiting when I have more 'me' time,

Monica 

For Less is More again

Hello sweet bloggers,

Thank you for not giving up on me even though I have been rather slow with my visits. Aleeza sure keeps me busy and I wish I could do with adult company sometimes. Never mind, this too shall pass. And time has passed rather well, I have to say. Her hard cast comes off on April 7th and then she has a bandage to wear for another two weeks. 

Here is another card with the lovely rub-ons that Lynn sent me. Aleeza and I did them together had lots of fun. I had to add those dainty pearls to cover up some unwanted marks that appeared from almost no where. Funny how cards some times attract stains at the most prominent places. The ribbon sentiment is from Hero Arts and I have had it for two years or more. The more I see it, the more I love it. Rekindled romance for sure here. Lol.

I know it is a bit late to submit this card for the challenge at LIM this week yet I am going ahead.

It doesn't seem like a Friday for some reason - anyway TGIF!

See you later,

Monica 

For Less is More - round and round

Hello sweet bloggers,

Happy April Fool's Day! Oh what fun it was as a child to make a fool of friends and family and laugh on and on about it. 

We were away to Lombok (an island close to Bali) for a two day break and it was a welcome change indeed. It was our second time there and we loved it.

Here is my card to show you today for the challenge at LIM where the theme is round and round.

I have used a ribbon stamp for the sentiment and have die cut circles out of card stock - stuck felt hearts on them along with sequins to add a little sparkle.

Will come and do my visiting soon,

Monica 

For Less is More again

Hello sweet peeps,

Here is my second entry for Less is More this week where the challenge is to use three of something. These super soft clay flowers are made by yours truly (I have pinched the clay from Aleeza and she was rather unhappy about the fact that I did not give it back to her). I really like them because the clay is light and flexible so it does not damage the envelope.  I have embossed and the top and bottom of the card to add more interest.

I hope your weekend is going well.

Love,

Monica 

For Less is More

Hello dear bloggers,

The challenge at Less is More this week is to use three of a kind and I love these kind of cards, you know. So here is my recycled version made from a party hat that tore and nothing could be done with it except to throw it in the bin. As some of you may know, I happen to be the queen of recycling so I put on my thinking hat and this is what I came up with. All the stuff on the card is recycled except the rhinestones. The starry paper was on the base of the hat and all I did was to cut it along it's boundary and stick it on the card stock.

Wish you a super weekend,

Monica 

The earth laughs in flowers

Hello sweet bloggers,

Here is a card with a laser cut image and a rub on sentiment from the same pack that Lynn sent me. Doesn't it fit nicely with the image and isn't it simply lovely? I thought I would hoard it but my thinking brain pushed me into using it as I do know that rub-ons get damaged if they lie around for a long time.

We have another fortnight to go before Aleeza's plaster comes off and she will get a softer bandage with a splint. She has been at home but it has been quite easy which is a blessing in itself.

I will submit this card for the following challenges:

http://www.4craftychicks.blogspot.com/ - no patterned paper

http://4kraftygirlzchallenges.blogspot.co.uk/ -  anything goes

http://audsentimentschallengeblog.blogspot.com/ - anything goes with a sentiment

http://dianamlarson.blogspot.com/ - use uplifting sentiment

Thank God it is Friday again :-)

Monica 

A card with a rub on image

Hello sweet peeps,

I had these rub ons that Lynn sent me two years ago and it was Aleeza who pushed me into using them and we did it together, laughing all through and having lots of fun. I put the image through my CB, little realizing it was the reverse side. The half scalloped nestie came from Shirley-Anne and I thought it gelled really nicely. All I did was add some ribbon and bling and my card was ready. Atlast I seem to be getting comfortable with CAS cards without feeling they are empty.

I will enter my card in the following challenges:
http://craftingbydesigns.blogspot.com/ - anything goes
http://scrap-creations1.blogspot.com/ - make it pastels
http://www.ttcrd.blogspot.com/ - anything goes

Wish you a happy Wednesday,

Monica

Cute, cute chicks

Hello bloggers,

I bought this clear stamp in Hobby Craft, London last summer and loved it yet it took me all this while to get it going on a card. Isn't it a sweet, sweet stamp? I have added a large 3D heart sticker in the centre and random gold hearts to make it more interesting. The golden grass at the bottom is a reverse from another sticker. I try and recycle as much as possible, you see :-)

The same picture with the flash on - looks slightly different, doesn't it?

I will enter this card in:

http://www.aurorawingschallenge.blogspot.com/ - anything goes

http://craftybootschallenges.blogspot.com/ - feathers

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

Wish you a happy Tuesday,

Monica 

Stencilling or Masking

Hello sweet bloggers,

Am realizing how much blogging helps to keep my sanity in good shape so here I am in a matter of twenty four hours with another card. This time it is for the challenge over at LIM which is masking or stencilling. I have used a new stencil (used only a part of it)  but cannot remember the name of the product as I took it out of the plastic bag it was in. I have used TH distressed ink (peacock feathers) and have dressed up the feathers with fabric pop up glitter glue and am wondering whether I really should have. I had to add rhine stones to the feathers because peacock feathers remind me of the colours of India which maybe too much for Less is More. No sentiment here as it could be a multi purpose card. 

Down is Aleeza who did stencilling with her left hand

I have realized if I let Aleeza make a card first, my creative life becomes easier ;-) so here is a card she made for her sister, Zeenya with a sticker that Sandra sent me. She is getting along quite well with the cast even though she is home. 

Have a wonderful weekend,

Monica 

Love you this much but how much?

Hello sweet bloggers,

I am so happy to have been one of the winners for the challenge at CAS Colours and Sketches last week with my White on White vellum card. This card has been made with my new stamps - the sentiment is a clear stamp from Studio G while the background stamp is a wooden one from Recollections which I picked up last summer from Michael's.  I had to colour the background stamp in with my black Prisma to give it more intensity. The felt hearts were sent to me by Lynn two years ago - thank you, dear Lynn :-)

I am going to submit this card for the current challenge at CAS Colours and Sketches. 

Wish you a pleasant weekend.

Love,

Monica 

Thank you for your kind wishes

Hello sweet peeps,

Many thanks for your get well soon wishes for Aleeza. She is in top spirits and full of energy so much so that we have to keep reminding her to go slow. The cast makes her arm itch like crazy which really frustrates her but am sure it will get better. I am also slowly getting used to this new routine of having Aleeza home and spending time with her. I am sure there is a silver lining in it all which time may or may not show me. 

Down below is a card I have made from a cake box - both the printed papers are from the same box. The flower is home made with a Sizzix die and I have stuck a purple crystal in the centre.

Will come and do my rounds soon, time permitting of course.

Lots of love and gratitude,

Monica

After a long absence

Hello lovely peeps,

Life has been a bit of an adventure... Aleeza had a fall from the monkey bars in school and she fell on her arm and incurred two fractures on her right arm. The school called me to immediately and it took me like 40 minutes to reach instead of the regular twenty minutes on other days. Aleeza has such a fantastic teacher who stayed by her while the nurse wrapped a bandage around her heavily swollen arm. She told me later that he was so kind and even kissed her on her head and she was so touched and comforted. Funny how human touch is still the most healing inspite of all the technology we may invent. The head nurse happened to be around and she came along with me to the hospital which was another big blessing. The X-ray showed two fractures, one of them rather major but luckily no surgery was needed. It took us all of nine hours in the emergency and in the hospital to get the procedure done under general anesthesia. She is so positive and bright and says she has no pain just lots of itching. Amazing how quickly kids heal!!! 

My card above made with a bee sticker bought from the Japanese section of a book store. The ribbon is from a book store in Prague (three years ago) - it is a bit unstraight but that is the best I could do with it. I like my clouds made out of vellum and the embossed background.

Aleeza doing art  above with her left hand on an old tee shirt using her sister's Sharpies.

More art above - a blank puzzle that she is designing.

A fresh lotus bloom that I found in our jogging rack in huge pot with water. 

Happy Monday,

Monica

For CAS Colours and Sketches

Hello sweet bloggers,

Here is a quick card with vellum and crystal from Prima. The stars have been die cut from a clothing tag. I did feel it is a bit dull and could have added a sentiment. I will enter this card into CAS - Colours and Sketches.

Wish you a wonderful Sunday,

Monica 

A Male Card

Hello sweet bloggers,

Another quick card to show you made with bare minimum of embellishments made over Christmas while we were in the UK bought at The Range close to my brother-in-law's home. All made with no glue and stamps!!!

I will enter this card in:
http://craftycreationschallenges.blogspot.com/ - keep it simple

Wish you a happy, healthy and peaceful Thursday,

Monica 

A Feathery Card

Hello lovely peeps,

Here is a quick card to show you which I am going to enter for the challenge at CAS(E) this sketch and  and  Less is More which is all about metal. The challenge Let's Craft and Create is embossing (wet or dry) so here is my entry.

This metallic paper was the same that Aleeza got from school. I had finished the scrap she got for me when I made the last hearty card. This was her bit lying around and I got tempted to make this feathery card with it. I have used an embossing folder to give the feathers more dimension and do think it looks nice. The sentiment and coppery crystal finish it off nicely though I wish I had used a flowery font for the sentiment. Anyway, it still looks nice, don't you think?

Wish you a happy Wednesday full of good heath and time to craft,

Monica 

A hearty card

Hello sweet peeps,

Here is a card I made with gold paper that Aleeza got for me from school. It was a bit crumpled so I thought using my heart die cuts along with embossing would give it fresh look. I had to use it to make her little heart happy and I did.

I know Valentine's Day is over but I still fancied making a card with hearts. It could be used as a modern wedding card.

Catch you later,

Monica 

Hello there

Hello sweet bloggers,

I know it has been a long time since I visited or posted and much as try, time seems to elude me. And Aleeza has just recovered from an eye flu' which kept me busy as well.

So here is a quick post with the card I made for Aleeza's sixth birthday. The theme was Minnie Mouse so here is my Minnie Mouse card made with a sticker!!! Well, she loved it and that is all that matters. I wrote a little poem for her inside and she was rather touched with it.

Wish you a happy day,

Monica 

Happy to blog this evening

Hello sweet bloggers,

I am rather slow with blogging this year... life seems soooo hectic.

Here is a card that I made for Aleeza's lovely teacher who is a male. The coffee bean on the right moved a little but I realized that only after I took the picture. 

We celebrated Aleeza's birthday party last Sunday and both the kids and adults had lots of fun.

Aleeza with her sweet smile at the party.

Look at the joy on her face after opening all her presents.

I will enter this card in:

http://www.addictedtocas.blogspot.com.au/ - code word coffee

Wish you a happy weekend,

Monica 

Lunar year of the Horse

Hello sweet bloggers,

I seem to be going slow with blogging and to top it all, we have changed our internet service provider and that has further slowed down everything.

Aleeza's sixth birthday was on the 7th and we had a party for her today with her class mates. It was a real hit and I will try and post some pictures tomorrow.

Now to my card - it has been been made for a very special person who is in his eighties. I had these special peel offs that I had bought from a museum shop in Prague. I fell in love with the horses the moment I saw them and saved them for over three years. Remember, I spoke of my hoarding instincts earlier? Lol. The stars are from the same sheet while the little rocks are negatives from another sticker sheet. The copper boarder came from Shirley Anne. Thank you so much for all your kindness. The organza ribbon is from my stash and I thought it fits in quite well.

Down below is a card that Aleeza made for her Dad almost on her own to congratulate him on joining another company. Sweet of her, isn't it? 

Here is another card that Aleeza made for her sister.

Hope to catch you later.

Love,

Monica 

This is a glueless card ;-)

Hello sweet bloggers,

Am trying to keep on with blogging even though life seems fairly hectic. I got such a sweet card in the mail from Merry which made my heart sing and that inspired me to find time to blog. People in blogland are the kindest, yaay.

So here is my glueless card made while I was in the UK for my sister in law. All self explanatory really... She loved it and so did her son's girl friend so I made an identical one for her as well. 

I will enter this card in:

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

http://craft-deebowz.blogspot.com/ - anything goes with a bow

http://artisticinspirationschallenges.blogspot.co.uk/ - anything goes/love

http://cheerfulstamppad.blogspot.com/ - love/valentine's

http://eurekastamps.blogspot.com/ - red, white, pink

Now that was a serious bunch of challenges for me.

See you later,

Monica 

For Less Is More

Hello sweet peeps,

I was looking at my blog and saw that in January all I have is two posts!!! Aleeza was poorly after we came back as Indonesia has been having crazy rain and the temperatures have dropped significantly. Of course nothing to beat the temperatures of cold countries but low enough for us to stay away from using air conditioners or even fans. 

Here is a card I made for one of Zeenya's closest friends who helped me through a phase where we were having mother-teenage daughter issues. This is another stamp free card made with fabric and washi tape and pretty butterfly stickers. Zeenya felt I could have done better but I was quite impressed with it. I hope it meets the challenge rules at LIM this week which is all about rainbows.

I promise to be more consistent with blogging this month.

Love,

Monica 

99 percent recycled

Hello sweet peeps,

I have been so busy trying to resettle into my regular routine after our big travel however it seems to take longer than ever. Maybe it is a good idea to just be and let things flow at their own pace rather than rush them. The kids are back to school and that is what is most important I guess. My exercise and sleep routine are still all over the place and inspite of not much time difference from India to Indonesia I am all over the place.

Now to my card which I made for Aleeza's friend. Can you beat that everything on this card has been recycled from the reverse nestie to the image and the name, Alex. And let me tell you where the image came from? Okay how about a wild guess? You give up, right? Well, they came from a free origami kit that Aleeza got when we flew Singapore Airlines. I thought we were lucky to find a card that was perfect for Alex. What a coincidence that was.

 Thanks for kind comments and condolences on my mum in law's passing away. Hubby who is so strong otherwise is a changed man. Funny how older the parents, more the loss. I thought it was easier to let go when parents are old but I am noticing that even though my hubby is in his fifties and his mum was 97, he is still finding it hard. Infact out of the three siblings that they are, he seems the most affected.

Catch you later.

Love,

Monica 

Happy to be back

Hello sweet bloggers,

Happy New Year to all of you! Wish you all (and meself) a healthy,  happy and abundant 2014.

I am sorry for my sudden absence, the reason being that I lost my 97 year old mother in law so  we had to suddenly fly to the UK and spent a week with my hubby's family. It was a sad time yet it was a celebration of her life well lived. After the funeral we visited New Delhi to see my dear mum and spent a few sunny days in Goa with her. It was lovely as the pictures will tell you.

Down below is a beach in Goa - idyllic and beautiful, a quaint island state with a strong Portuguese character.

A famous church in Goa called Bom Jesus where the body of St Francis Xavier has been lying since many centuries.

Inside the church is this beautiful coffin where the saint's body is housed. Wish this was a clearer picture but if you look intently, you can see his head on the right hand side.

 I saw these lovely vases in a hotel in Goa and had to show them to you.

 This is a picture with a very dear friend in a beautiful Crafts Village in New Delhi taken with this man from Rajasthan (a colourful Indian state with beautiful palaces, jewels and fabrics) playing a flute. Can you spot how long his mustache is??? He decided to park these funny turbans on our heads when we asked him for a picture. Again I wish the picture quality was better.

 At last a card to show you which I made in the UK for my sister in law. I managed 20 quick cards and left most of them for her to use. She wanted thank you cards to give at the hospital where my mother in law was admitted. This was made with bare minimum embellies as that is all I had. I purchased everything from The Range including the card stock to make these quickies.

Will come and visit you soon after unpacking our bags.

Love,
Monica