For a 21st Birthday

Hello sweet bloggers,

I am happy to be blogging again even though I am missing the excitement of being with friends and family... Zeenya is thrilled to be back in school and Aleeza still has another week to go before her school opens. 

Here is a commissioned card I made a while ago. The crinkled blue paper has sentimental value for me because Zeenya's art teacher in her former school taught me how to make it some six years ago and both Zeenya and I had loads of fun making it. I thought it was ideal for the effect of sea. Did some sponging and stuck more papers under the image to bring in more colour. Since it was a 21 year old who likes sailing. For some reason, the card looks warped in the picture but the person who ordered it really liked it. And that made me happy :-)

This is the back of the round punched shape stuck to the image with sewing thread rolled some five times to give it thickness.  I have stamped an anchor image from the same stamp set. I have used a clear image but cannot remember the name. Punched photo corners and two blue crystals complete the look.

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

http://www.tammyscrapincorner.com/ - man's card
http://ppp-makeitmonday.blogspot.com/ - anything goes
http://www.creativecreationschallenges.blogspot.co.uk/ - anything goes

Lots of love,

Monica

Am back in action...

Hello sweet bloggers,

Wish you all a happy new year! We just got back a couple of days ago from our vacation which was lovely. It was nice to touch base with family and friends over good food and conversation. My mum was over joyed by the fact that Aleeza connected so well with her. Now that is a new happening, you know and I am happy about it, too.

Down below is a card I made this afternoon on Aleeza's behest as she wanted me to have a purse on the card. So I got out the swell papers and card board images that my dear blog friend Sandra mailed to me some time ago. The bow at the bottom and sentiment are also from her. Simple but sweet is this card, don't you think?

Down below is a Christmas decoration outside a hotel where we went for lunch.

Here are my precious gems...

I promise to start visiting you all soon... thanks for all the emails, will get back once I have the laundry sorted :-)

We are off for Christmas holidays...

Hello lovely bloggers,

We are off for our Christmas vacation so I will be missing for some two weeks and over. 

So here is wishing you all a very warm and happy Christmas and a great new year. 

Here are two cards I made last night - now these were real quick!!! Stuck fancy gift wrap on them and some embellies like flowers, glitter, liquid pearls and ribbon... that's it.

There is glitter on the doves on the card above so it looks quite nice in real life. And I love the colours on it.

Happy holidays and much love,

Monica

Another lilac card

Hello sweet bloggers,

Today was a beautiful Chrtistmas concert in Zeenya's school and every minute of it was enjoyable even though I had to leave Aleeza behind with the helper.

I made this card last night with the same Penny Black stamp that I used on a card a couple of days ago (from ruin to restoration). This time I stamped the image on black card stock and coloured the flowers and leaves with metallic Derwent pencils. And then I went over with glitter glue on the flowers. 

This card was a quickie and I had plenty of fun making it while Aleeza coloured in her images. Finished it off with ribbon and buttons from stash. You may think the pink button looks out of place but trust me that there is some pink in the flowers.

  

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

http://everybody-art-challenge.blogspot.com/ - anything goes

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

http://ladybugscraftsinkchallengeblog.blogspot.com/ - sparkilicious

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

Wish you a happy Wednesday.

Love,

Monica 

Monochromatic card

Hello sweet bloggers,

Here is a card I made a while ago - I have used a stencil and coloured it in with distress ink and water colour pencils. Zeenya said it had too much of the same colour yet it it sold pretty quickly. I have also distressed and sponged the edges. The printed paper is from stash and so is the ribbon. I thought a double ribbon would give it more interest. 

I am going to submit this card in
http://ppp-makeitmonday.blogspot.com/ - anything goes
http://artisticinspirationscrafts.blogspot.co.uk/ - anything goes
http://www.craftybloggersnetwork.blogspot.com/ - anything goes
http://houseofgilli.blogspot.com/ - anything goes
http://smudgyantics.blogspot.com/ - distress it
http://stampsfun-creativity.blogspot.com/ - no Christmas cards

Below are two ice cream cones that Aleeza (four plus) drew and coloured in her drawing book - this is to share some sunshine with you all. :-)

Thanks for visiting.
Love,

Monica

From ruin to restoration

Hello sweet bloggers,

This card was such a disaster from start to finish - this was my fifth, yes fifth attempt for Case this Sketch (having tried four cards earlier). I have used my new Penny Black stamp and thought I would use my aqua brush. All was going well until I decided to give it a black outline and what a hash that made of it all. I showed it to Zeenya who remarked, "What happened to you?" I thought using my Sakura gold gel pen would help me salvage the card (for me the answer to all ills is my Sakura gold or silver). Then came the ribbon and the sentiment also from Penny Black along with the punched butterflies sponged with old paper distress ink and then coloured them with the same gold pen.

I am going to enter this card into http://ppp-makeitmonday.blogspot.com/ - anything goes.

Down below is a quote that I love... in fact I hand wrote it as a sentiment on a card and it sold quite quick.

Wish you a happy week ahead...

Love,

Monica 

For Less is More - 2nd entry

Hello lovely people,

It is a hot and lazy Sunday afternoon here and I thought of clearing up the perennial mess on my table. It kind of breathes now. But give me a chance and it will be back to it's shabby self. ;-)

Down below is my second entry for Less is More - the challenge being rows this week. Now how simple is that???

I had these pressed leaves that I had picked up while we were in France last year. Just sponged white card stock with three different distress inks, stuck the leaves and tied two kinds of woolen yarn to give it more interest.

I will also submit this into Casual Friday - knots. How easy can it get??? Lol.

Happy weekend to one and all.

Love,

Monica