Friday Sketch Challenge #2

 I'm a little late for today's challenge, sorry about that girls! I have the kids' party planned for tomorrow and our location has a 90% chance of being rained out, so I've had to ring around and tell everyone who is coming that I've changed the venue, (oh and did I mention I'm pretty sure I've missed some people we should have invited! So if you're reading this and thinking you missed out - sorry! but I'm sure you aren't the only ones lol)
Anyway, onto today's card: I followed the gorgeous sketch over on Friday Sketch Challenge. I was inspired by a card i saw on Tracey's facebook page to use a Textured Impressions folder as a focal panel and I thought this sketch was the perfect card to try it out on. The rest is pretty straight forward, silver embossing for the other focal panel, some rhinestone brads, buttons and ribbon make up the card.

Before I go I thought I'd show you my new personalised stamp that I use for my cards now. I got a friend of mine (Mike Perry of No Dice Comics) to design up a stamp that matches my Zarna Gould Designs website & facebook page theme and then got it manufactured locally. I think Mike did a fantastic job for a very reasonable price, so if you need anything like this done up let me know and i'm happy to give you his details!

PS Never fear SU! gals, I always include appropriate SU! copyright info when packaging my cards & invitations that I sell, I just wanted to leave my options open for the odd times that I need to use another company's stamps so I can credit them the appropriate way as well, and as a result thought it was best not to include this info on the stamp design ;)

---

Stamps: Baroque Motifs
Ink: Versamark, Certainly Celery (for sponging)
Cardstock: Subtles Patterns DSP Stack (Certainly Celery), Certainly Celery, Whisper White
Accessories: Clear Rhinestones, Neutrals Buttons, Whisper White organza, Silver EDP

Big Shot: Manhattan flower Textured Impressions Folder 
Images © Stampin' Up!, Designs © Zarna Gould

Tanja & Adam

I was honoured to be able to make wedding invitations for a friend from work and her fiance, I love the design we came up with together! (Ignore the smudgey marks, I had to edit out the personal details for privacy reasons.) Simple but elegant and I think it suits what they are aiming for in their big day. The photo doesn't do justice to the shimmer white cardstock, it's beautiful and especially in case of wedding cards it justifies the little extra you pay for it.

---

Stamps: Baroque Motifs
Ink: Concord Crush
Cardstock: Shimmer White, Concord Crush, (non SU! silver paper from an invitation design store)

Images © Stampin' Up!, Designs © Zarna Gould

Just Add Colour - JAI34

...and she Stamps!!

I'm working on a catch up post to tell you what's been going on since the last time I blogged, but I got a chance to stamp today (and my mojo even made an appearance!) and since this colour challenge was still current (for once! I never make the deadlines) I thought I would post this now and enter while I could.

If you want to enter too, just head over to Just Add Ink and check out the challenge.

I've used the new Frost White Shimmer Paint to stamp the Baroque Motifs swirl, and I've also sponged it over all the butterflies (cut out with the new Beautiful Wings Embosslits - embosses & cuts 5 butterflies in 1 pass through the bigshot). To add some more shine I used Shimmer White cardstock.

Can you also spot the new adhesive backed Rhinestones & Pearls?

I wish you could see this card IRL! It is so shiny and pretty!

Stamps: Just Believe, Baroque Motifs
Ink: Certainly Celery, Frost White Shimmer Paint
Cardstock: Shimmer White, Certainly Celery, Pretty in Pink, So Saffron, Crumbcake
Accessories: Basic Rhinestones & Basic Pearls Jewel Accents
Punches: Word Window
Bigshot: Beautiful Wings Embosslits

Images © Stampin' Up!, Designs © Zarna Gould

Just My Sketches & The Blend - The More Things Change, The More They Seem To Stay The Same - 5 Yrs On

I'm so excited to be back doing DT work!!! The song that I chose from the list was "Put Your Records On" by Corinne Bailey Rae. There's a line in the song that says "The more things change, the more they seem to stay the same" and I thought I'd use that line as an excuse to scrapbook about Justin & I, and how even though we're older and we've changed we're still just as much in love as we were when we got married. 
Ok, that's getting too sappy! I won't tell you what the hidden journalling says or you'll throw up!
I'm not 100% happy with how the title turned out... I wanted something Collage-y to go with the strips of DSP but I'm not sure I got it quite right.
I stole my colour combo from this card by Sarah Gough, a demo in NZ. She isn't always a regular blogger but when she does have something to post, can you say WOW?

Advent Calender of Cards Day 13

Promised you something different!! I made the ribbon with some of the 1 3/4" Striped Grosgrain from the spring mini and then just stitched with some linen thread a running stitch along one edge, pulled the ribbon tight and knotted it so that the ribbon formed a flower. Added a star brad to the middle and then adjusted the flower so the edges of the ribbon sat neatly. The rest of the card is pretty self explanatory.
Stamps: Baroque Motifs, Season of Joy
Ink: Riding Hood Red, Old Olive
Cardstock: Kraft
Accessories: 1 3/4" Striped Grosgrain, Chocolate Chip DS Grosgrain, Star Designer Brad

Images © Stampin' Up!, Designs © Zarna Gould

Advent Calender of Cards Day 11

Another one of my favourite sets from the 35 for $35 class. Baroque Motifs is technically not a Christmas set but pair it with some Christmassy colours and it becomes a great Christmas set. It is the 1 set I think all stampers should have in their collection, it's just so versatile, I've used it on sympathy cards and wedding cards and everything in between.
Stamps: Baroque Motifs, Best Yet
Ink: Real Red, Old Olive, Chocolate Chip
Cardstock: Kraft, I Wish SS Kit
Punches: Scallop Oval, Large Oval

Images © Stampin' Up!, Designs © Zarna Gould

Advent Calender of Cards Day 8

3 more simple christmas cards from my 35 for $35 class... Tomorrow for the advent calender we will have a break from this series of cards and I'll show you a special Christmas card made by a good friend of mine.
Stamps: Season of Joy, Happy Everything, Baroque Motifs, Sincere Salutations
Ink: Old Olive, Chocolate Chip
Cardstock: I Wish SS Kit, Kraft
Accessories: Chocolate Chip 1/4" Grosgrain, Real Red 1/4" Grosgrain, Chocolate Chip 5/8" Grosgrain

Images © Stampin' Up!, Designs © Zarna Gould

Advent Calender of Cards Day 6

These 3 are probably 3 of my favourite cards from the 35 for $35 set. So simple and clean on the white background.
Hope your Christmas shopping is getting closer to finished... We have the $10 limit with Justin's family again and since I hate giving cheapie discount store crap or chocolates it means alot of handmade gifts so I'm busy trying to see what I can come up with.
Anyway have a great day!
Stamps: Baroque Motifs, Happy Everything, Sincere Salutations
Ink: Real Red, Old Olive, Chocolate Chip
Cardstock: I Wish SS Kit, Kraft
Accessories: Chocolate Chip 1/4" Grosgrain, Real Red 5/8" Grosgrain, Chocolate Chip 5/8" Grosgrain

Images © Stampin' Up!, Designs © Zarna Gould

Advent Calender of Cards Day 2

These 3 cards are cards from my 35 for $35 class I ran earlier this month, I will share the rest over the next few days. All the cards at the class were made using only 1/2 of the I Wish Simply Scrapping Kit with some Kraft for card bases and some scrap cardstock, I created my class based on Jan Farring's 80 Cards Class, however due to Australian cardstock sizing (A4 vs 8 1/2 x 11"), I could only really get 70ish cards out of a kit and then I halved the class so it wouldn't take us until Christmas to get them all made (we like to talk while we stamp, don't we girls?).
Stamps: Baroque Motifs, Best Yet, Short & Sweet
Ink: Old Olive
Cardstock: I Wish SS Kit, Kraft Cardstock
Accessories: Gold Brads, Old Olive 1/4" Grosgrain
Punches: Large Oval, Scallop Oval, Word Window

Images © Stampin' Up!, Designs © Zarna Gould

Raspberry Suite Colour Challenge #14 - Best Wishes

There's a lady at our church who is one of those lovely ladies that the whole town calls "Aunty", and anyway about 2 years ago she had a stroke and ended up in a nursing home, she doesn't have much family left in town and her son has organised her a place in a new home up in QLD closer to where he lives, so we have organised a care package to send up to her. Of course I volunteered to make the card. I originally started making a card in more traditional 'old lady' colours but it was a complete disaster (I mean a pull the brads out throw it in the bin kind of disaster) and then I was getting ready for take 2 and spotted Dawn McVey's latest Raspberry Suite Colour Challenge and decided the colours would be perfect to brighten up her new room.
I was lucky enough to be RAK'd some of the new US in colours by a friend (she doesn't have a blog but thanks Faith!) so I interpreted the colour Challenge as Melon Mambo, Very Vanilla, Lovely Lilac & Bravo Burgundy (Rose Red was too pink).
To get the scallop circle I cut a circle then used the Scallop Edge punch to punch around the edges, I'm happy with the final result but it was a little tedious, you have to punch 1 scallop at a time, I so have to get myself some Nestibilities...
Stamps: Baroque Motifs, Short & Sweet
Ink: Lovely Lilac, Versamark, Melon Mambo
Cardstock: Melon Mambo, Lovely Lilac, Very Vanilla
Accessories: Clear EDP, Crafters Tool Kit, Bravo Burgundy 5/8" Grosgrain, Large & Small Oval & Scallop Edge Punches, Button from stash, Beautiful Butterflies Bigz Die

Mojo Monday #98 - Just because I care

Have you ever made one of those cards that is perfect except for 1 thing? I stamped the sentiment slightly crookedly but only so slight so that you have to look twice to see if it was crooked or just your imagination, so I kept going with the card, attach the next layer, and because it's straight it makes the crooked piece seem even more crooked! I was so annoyed!
Anyway, as flawed as it is, it's my entry for this weeks Mojo Monday Challenge.
Have a great day!
Stamps: Best Yet, Baroque Motifs
Ink: Pink Pirouette, Close to Cocoa
Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Close to Cocoa, Candy Lane DSP
Accessories: Beautiful Butterflys Bigz die, Crafters Tool Kit, Button Bouquet, Riding Hood Red Taffeta, Riding Hood Red 1 1/4" Striped Grosgrain

Images © Stampin' Up!, Designs © Zarna Gould

Mojo Monday #94

I can't believe how long it has been since I posted! So that we can start on the next step of our renovations (10 weeks until the baby's here and we need the office wardrobe reno's finished so we can move all the boxes and crap out of Charlotte's room), I have had to pack all my stamping gear up into plastic tubs etc and move them out, and hence no time to stamp. I have 99% of the office packed up now so I have been able to set up a little makeshift studio in the kitchen (I was going to try and work completely out of tubs but when I lose half an hour of my stamping time pulling the essentials out it was not working!). Anyway, I got my new goodies from the Spring Mini (available 1 August let me know if you want a copy), and this was the first card I made, not 100% happy with it because I was feeling rusty after not stamping for a week, but I think it turned out ok. I mean how could it not with that paper!

Stamps: Baroque Motifs, Sincere Salutations
Ink: Baja Breeze, Basic Grey
Cardstock: Walk in the Park DSP (Available Aug 1st), Kraft, Baja Breeze, Cameo Coral
Accessories: Corduroy Buttons (Available Aug 1st), Summer Love Rubons (Available Aug 1st), Punches; 1 1/4" & 1 3/8" circles
Sketch: Mojo Monday #94

Images © Stampin' Up!, Designs © Zarna Gould

Candy Lane Hippo

Friends of ours had a beautiful baby girl the other week and I wanted to send them a card. This is what I came up with. I used the Mojo Monday sketch from week #88, I love using card sketches, I always like my cards so much more when I use them.
Stamps: Pun Fun, Baroque Motifs
Ink: Stazon, Pink Pirouette
Watercolouring: Aquapainter with Ink pads; Pink Pirouette and Riding Hood Red
Cardstock:Pink Pirouette, Riding Hood Red, Candy Lane DSP
Accessories: 1/2" Circle Punch, Riding Hood Red Taffeta

Images © Stampin' Up!, Designs © Zarna Gould

Trifold Invitation

Another set for my invitation portfolio. This set includes a Trifold Invitation, Place Card & Save the Date Card. This set is using the colour scheme from Justin's cousins wedding we went to earlier this year, they had gorgeous pale pink bridesmaid dresses with brown trim.
I would like to say with this set that I'm only claiming to be a cardmaker not a calligrapher, the bride & groom would either need to organise their own calligraphy or get me to print them off the computer, but I wanted to show that there is the handwritten option available.
Stamps: Together Forever, Baroque Motifs, Short Order Alphabet, Please Come
Ink: Versamark, Close to Cocoa, Pink Pirouette
Cardstock: Pink Pirouette, Close to Cocoa, Very Vanilla
Accessories: Silver EDP, Chocolate Chip Taffeta

Images © Stampin' Up!, Designs © Zarna Gould

Pocket Invitation

I was going to wait to share these until later, but since I've been spending almost every spare stamping second on these or other projects that really can't be shown until a certain date I decided it would be better to start sharing these now, rather than let my blog go neglected.
I will be an exhibitor at a bridal fair next month for my side business and I have been building up my portfolio (one of those things I've been meaning to do for months now, nothing like a deadline to get you moving, right?) so what I have done for most of them is taken the Colour Scheme's from recent friend & family weddings and designed an invitation & matching stationery set as if I were designing it for them.
This set includes a pocket invitation, RSVP postcard & reception place card.
Stamps: Baroque Motifs, Baroque Border
Ink: Elegant Eggplant, Lavender Lace
Cardstock: Elegant Eggplant, Lavender Lace, Going Grey
Accessories: Elegant Eggplant 1/4" Grosgrain, Wide Oval Punch, Silver Brads, Corner Rounder Punch

Images © Stampin' Up!, Designs © Zarna Gould

Raspberry Suite Colour Challenge #1

Here is my card for Dawn Mcvey's 1st Colour Challenge. The colours I chose were Pumpkin Pie, Pink Passion, Chocolate Chip & So Saffron with a tiny bit of Pixie Pink thrown in.
I made the background for this card then had to find something to do for the main panel, so it was a little backwards, but I'm happy with how it turned out. I didn't have quite the stamp for the main panel so I decided to use Eastern Blooms (so glad this one will be hanging around!) and made a Faux BOUF.
PS Thanks to Lisa for photographing this for me, I forgot that it was for the challenge and rushed off to pick up Charlotte from preschool finishing this off in the carpark of the post office lol
Stamps: Baroque Motifs, Eastern Blooms, Short & Sweet
Ink: Pixie Pink, Pink Passion, Pumpkin Pie, Chocolate Chip
Cardstock: Chocolate Chip, Pumpkin Pie Prints DSP, Whisper White
Accessories: Chocolate Chip 1" DS Ribbon, Fairy Tale Ribbon Originals, Fire Rhinestone brads, Flower Fusion, 5 petal punch

Images © Stampin' Up!, Designs © Zarna Gould

Playing with my new In Colours!!

This was the first card I made with the new In Colours Riding Hood Red & Pink Pirouette! They are absolutely adorable and I'm in love with them! I have more colour combos I want to play with but as soon as I saw these 2 colours IRL I had to put them together!
As alot the selection really wasn't my style I only preordered 1 stamp set (which I haven't used here, I have a specific project in mind for it later) so I was really limited in my stamp choice, but that will be rectified shortly after 1 April when I have full run of the new catalogue lol.
Stamps: Baroque Motifs, Think Happy Thoughts
Ink: Whisper White Craft Ink, Pink Pirouette, Riding Hood Red
Cardstock: Basic Black, Whisper White, Riding Hood Red, Pink Pirouette
Accessories: Crafters Tool Kit, White Gel Pen, 1/2", 1 1/4", 1 3/8" & Scallop Circle punches, Black Gingham Ribbon

Images © Stampin' Up!, Designs © Zarna Gould

Terrific Techniques Challenge Card

At my terrific techniques class every month I give the girls a little something with the challenge to make a card, layout or 3-D item with what I gave them and bring it back as "show & tell" there's no winner & no obligation to take part but if they make something they get a Freddo frog or something else small as their prize.
This was the card I made for February's challenge of Chocolate Chip Taffeta Ribbon & the ribbon buckle from Pewter Hodge Podge Hardware.
Stamps: Think Happy Thoughts, Baroque Motifs
Ink: Close to Cocoa, Chocolate Chip
Cardstock: Kraft, Spring Fling DSP
Accessories: Chocolate Chip Taffeta, Hodge Podge Hardware Pewter

Images © Stampin' Up!, Designs © Zarna Gould

Wish Big!

I had a new customer come to my Christmas Card Club on Saturday and she was telling me about a cupcake card she made and as soon as she left I had to look them up and see what she was talking about.
She was right, they were cute! So when Makeesha posted this colour challenge on the weekend I thought I had the perfect colour combo for a cupcake!
I have used Regal Rose for the Icing & Cherry, Soft Sky for the icing decoration & Sentiment, Pumpkin Pie for the Patty Pan (is that what they're called? You know what I mean right?) and I managed to sneak in Basic Grey in the Taffeta Ribbon. I have used versamark and heat & stick powder to make the dazzling diamonds stick to the detail on the icing.
The main stamp set I used, short & sweet, is available for 20% off until Friday only, so make sure you don't miss out and email me zjgould@gmail.com if you want to place an order!
Stamps: Short & Sweet, Baroque Motifs
Ink: Soft Sky, Versamark
Cardstock: Soft Sky, Regal Rose, Pumpkin Pie, Whisper White
Accessories: Heat & Stick Powder, Dazzling Diamonds, 3/4" Circle Punch, Basic Grey Taffeta Ribbon, Styled Silver HodgePodge Hardware, Crimper

Images © Stampin' Up!, Designs © Zarna Gould

Blooper Reel - You can't be perfect every time!

Day 2 of the October Layout a Day Challenge over at Paper Goddess. There was a bit of a conspiracy involving 2 flat tyres and 30-something k's out of town (can I just say I love NRMA!!)that almost stopped me scrapping, but I managed to make time tonight (when I should have been cleaning up for visitors tomorrow night, but oh well! you get that).
I've had an idea to scrap some of the weird and wonderful faces that Charlotte manages to make whenever we pull out the camera, but I didn't want to do an 'ugly' layout, I still wanted it to be nice (It's ok if that's the 'Aww mum can't you throw that one out' layout, but i wanted it to still be a pretty page if you know what i mean). I especially wanted to scrap the large photo as that is the first photo we have of her, so even though it's a horrible picture it's still beautiful to us (I don't think I'd even seen her properly it was so early, she was placed on my chest straight after). She was perfectly happy at first and didn't do more than a wimper when she was born, but as soon as I said take a picture the poor thing burst into tears! And it's a face she still makes when we're about to get some serious tears, she is a master at the dropped lip.
I've used the "Live every moment" to remind us to remember the good and bad, that it's all what makes life life and that 'you can't be perfect all the time'.

Stamps: Big Deal Alphabet, Baroque Motifs (gotta love that flourish!) Short Order Alphabet
Ink: Rose Red, Elegant Eggplant
Cardstock: Rose Red Prints DSP, Elegant Eggplant, Whisper White
Accessories: Anchored Rubons, Pretties Kit, Elegant Eggplant 1/4" Grosgrain, Fairy Tale Ribbon Originals

Images © Stampin' Up!, Designs © Zarna Gould