Happy 10th Birthday!

Welcome back :)

And thank you to all those who have left comments and/or have joined my site recently. I really appreciate it. Spread the word!

Last weekend was my nephew's 10th birthday. Goodness me, time goes fast.... Here's the card I made for him.

Card stock by American Crafts "Denim"

Papers: My Memories # 140044 & Kaisercraft P431 "Volume" from the Rewind range, "Go for Broke" P320 from the Rustic Charm range. 

Grosgrain ribbon by Kaisercraft.

I used navy and silver inks from my stash.

Twine by Hemptique.

Embossing folder "Swiss Dots" by Couture Creations. 

As I was making this card, things got a little messy. I think maybe there was a problem with the quality of the inks (those ones are a little old). As a result, I had ink all over the place - so I decided I would add some more. Boys can be messy so this became the perfect "messy boy" card. 

Lots of inky ribbon, knotted twine and bumpy bits. 

I think he liked it - he was having too much fun at his party really :) 

Don't forget, my etsy store is up and running now - The Little Purple Forest Shop. Take a peek, tell your friends :) I'm hoping to do a few more things soon to stock the shelves. Things tend to start getting busy this time of year with Christmas fast approaching! 

Thanks for stopping by :)

Abs 

The Little Purple Forest Shop!

Welcome back everybody :)

The Little Purple Forest Shop is now open! If you would like to browse, you can do so from here. I must admit, I was a little nervous upon clicking the "Open Shop" button. Eeeeeee! Then I suddenly had an urge to cut a ribbon and drink some champagne.... :)

When I was a little girl, my dad would always give me Crayola crayons for my birthday and Christmas. I loved them! There were so many different shades and I found the names of the colours really interesting - Burnt Sienna, Antique Brass, Cornflower, Melon....and I remember being amazed that there were crayons in Gold and Silver! Wow! My mum and I would colour in for hours. I think I still have my big jumbo colouring in book somewhere that we coloured our way through. I still love to colour in and really wanted to get into using markers on my cards.

So, this is my first attempt at using Copic markers. I learned quite quickly that there is a bit of an art to using these, and even an art to choosing the right colours to use together. After watching a couple of "how to" videos on You Tube and a couple of practice runs, I think I have done ok....

A little hippo!

I love twine. I find it a lot less frustrating to tie compared to ribbon :)

And something for the inside...

A little frog! Ribbit!

Card stock by Kaisercraft - Vanilla

Papers by Cartabella - "Dear Little Dots"

Also a lovely white piece of paper which I think may have been by Christina Re.

Stamp & rhinestones by Kaisercraft.

Ink by Versa Color - Sage 187 and a black from my stash.

Copic markers - E40, BV00, BV23 (frog) & R20, E40 (hippo).

Twine by Hemptique.

Embossing folder by Couture Creations "Swiss Dots".

The paper I used for these cards was more like card stock - quite heavy - which makes for a lovely sturdy end result. 

Ribbit!

These cards are available as a 2 pack at my new Etsy store - The Little Purple Forest Shop. Have a browse!

Next on my "to craft" list, a Happy Birthday card for one of my nephews. He's 10 years old already...I remember holding him as a little baby....*sigh*....

Till next time,

Abs :)

More Hippy Girl.

Hi again :)

During the last couple of days, I have been having a great time checking out lots of crafty blogs. You may notice a few new funky buttons to click on and explore. I have seen some truly inspirational creations and said "wow!" and "I have to try that" about a million times. FUN! I would like to thank and welcome all the new followers who have jumped on board my blog. It is most appreciated. It's nice to share the love of paper craft :)

So, here are a couple more cards I made using the Hippy Girl range by Kaisercraft. You can see the birthday card I made previously here. The colours and patterns in this range make it too difficult to choose what to use - they are all just too lovely -, so I have used a whole bunch of papers all together.

I love a little bit of inside detail.

Card stock by Kaisercraft, "tangerine" and "latte".

Papers by Kaisercraft, the Hippy Girl Paper Pad and the 12 x 12 papers.

Ink by Versa Color, "lilac 35" and "paprika 155".

So easy!

These cards will be available at my Etsy store as a 2 pack. Coming very soon! I promise! I know....it's a work in progress but I'm getting there. 

Thanks for dropping by :)

Abs

Happy Birthday with Hippy Girl!

Welcome back :)

I have to say thanks to my recent first time commenter's. I really appreciate your thoughts. Keep it coming :)

I just wanted to quickly show you the birthday card I put together for my sister in law recently. It's made using the bohemianish (I just made that word up) and many lovely coloured Hippy Girl range by Kaisercraft.

Take a look!

Card stock by American Crafts "Plum".

Paper by Kaisercraft - I used both the "Hippy Girl" paper pad and 12 x 12 papers.

Coloured rub-ons and journal tags by Kaisercraft - also Hippy Girl.

Ink by Versa Color "lilac 85" and a black ink from my stash.

And a Happy Birthday stamp also from my stash. 

I find this range very versatile. The patterns differ quite considerably in some cases but the tones of the colours allow them to work side by side. 

And a little something for the inside...

I enjoyed working with this range so much that I made a few more cards for my Etsy store. They'll be coming up next. Stay tuned!

Thanks for stopping by.

Abs :)

For The Newly Weds.

Hi again :)

Some lovely friends of mine recently got married. They had their ceremony on a gorgeous beach in Thailand. The bride arrived by elephant! Can you believe that?! An actual, real live elephant! I find that amazing. It even stayed for photos. I wonder if an elephant has a "good" side...

So, keeping in mind their tropical nuptials, this is the wedding card I made for them - they haven't actually seen it yet and I know they read my blog sometimes...so hey you two, have a look with your eyes closed :)

Ahhhhh....doesn't it conjure up visions of white sand, blue water and cocktails?

Card Stock by Kaisercraft "Pistachio"

Papers - possibly by Christina Re as I had a big stash of those...

Grosgrain Ribbon by Kaisercraft

Buckle by Christina Re

Rub-on by Kaisercraft Basics "Baby Boy"

Ink by Versa Color "Sage 187"

And...embossing by my new embosser! 

Isn't that embossing lovely? 

The rub-on is actually from a "baby boy" themed pack. The original rub-on I was going to use didn't apply very well so this was a second choice, but a better one in the end. The green works well. 

A cute little buckle...and more embossing...

And the inside...

Nice and simple :)

Thanks for dropping by.

Abs

Thanks and Thoughts.

Welcome back :)

I am still on my self imposed challenge of resisting the urge to buy new supplies, and use up what I already have. As all crafties understand, it is one of the easiest things in the world to see some pretty paper, embellishments, stamps or whatever the case may be, and believe 100% that they are needed and should be bought. It doesn't even matter if you know you have absolutely no time in the near future to craft, or have anything specific that you need to make - that new range of papers is coming home regardless.

I am quite proud of myself for resisting this urge for as long as I have....that's why I bought a new embossing machine the other day...:) Kind of like a little reward....tee hee....it's my first embossing machine and I love it. I might even name it. I have been wanting one for so long and was going to wait for Santa to perhaps drop one off but I found a good deal and went for it. Yippee! So stay tuned for embossing. I might even emboss the bills to make them a little more attractive....and just so I can use my machine.

Now for some craft... The papers I used for these cards were really versatile. Most of the detail was already on the paper, all I had to do was be a bit creative with what I already had in stock. See what you think.

Card stock by American Crafts "Aloe" & "Grape" (Thank You Card) & "Lilac" (Just For You Card)

Papers by K & Company "Sparkly Sweet"

Inks by Versa Color Sage 187 & Boysenberry 26

Yarn by DMC #553

Rhinestones by Kaisercraft

Stamps and flower punch - not sure of the brand, sorry! Have had them for a long time. 

I used a flower punch to create some double layered blooms, and added some yarn to the flower stem for some detail. One of the papers in the collection had some nice big patterns to cut out and use as elements - you can see this to the top left of the "thank you". 

A little something for the inside...

And some detail for the inside.

I love the colours in these cards. The combination on the papers was probably something I would not have come up with myself. It was fun working with some different shades. These cards will soon be available as a 2 pack at my Etsy store - The Little Purple Forest Shop. Stay tuned!

In one of my previous posts, I made a card for a friend who was soon to be married. She had a High Tea as part of her celebrations. You can see the card I made for her here. Coming up in the next post is the card I made for the newly weds. Think tropical.....curious? See you soon!

Thanks for visiting :)

Abs 

Funky Cards For Boys.

Welcome back :)

Wow! Little Purple Forest has had over 1000 hits! Thank you everybody :) It is much appreciated and very encouraging. Please feel free to follow too!

Just popped by to show you these two cards, some funky patterns and colours for the boys!

I hope your eyes aren't hurting...they are pretty bright! 

Card stock by American Crafts: "Grape"

Inks by Versa Color: Sage 187 & Boysenberry 26

All papers by Kaisercraft: from the "Konstrukt" paper pad

Some detail for the inside...

And again, something for the inside...

I really like the bright colours and mish mash of patterns on these cards. With such contrast, I didn't bother embellishing them any further - I think they speak for themselves really. And it's good to see that you can make something with impact by using only card, paper and ink! Easy huh! I must admit, it was fun tearing up paper rather than trying to cut to precision :) I purposely left them as generic cards so they can be used as the occasion arises. 

These cards will soon be available to purchase as a 2 pack at THE LITTLE PURPLE FOREST SHOP on etsy.com. Whoo hoo! Coming soon!

There are some pretty cards coming up next...lovely colours. Stay tuned!

Thanks for stopping by. 

Abs :)

The Mini Artist.

Hi again :)

With Spring in the air, we have had some really lovely, warm weather during the last week. It was the perfect opportunity to take my little boy outside and let him get messy with some finger paints. The last time he gave it a try, the weather was on the chilly side and he was about five months younger (he is 17 mths old now). We put him in the shower with a canvas on the floor, squirted some paint on there and let him go.  I was interested to see what he would do, and what he would create, now that he was older.

Well, he was certainly adept at putting his hands in the paint - good start - but being a few months older (and not trapped in a shower recess), he is now a lot more curious and once he'd gotten his hands all messy, he wanted to touch everything but the cardboard. So I had to assist him a little, and fast, and then he went off with painty hands and buried a crayon in the pot plant :)

In one of my previous posts, I made a birthday card for my niece's 5th birthday. You can see that birthday card here. Along with her cat obsession, she really loves her little cousin Massimo so I decided we would make his work of art into an additional birthday present.

Here is our group effort...

I have been wanting to do more with frames and fabric, especially felt and quilting material. This frame combines both of these, with my son's artwork as the centrepiece. 

Frame by Unigift 4x6"

Quilting fabric by Fabric Palette

Felt purchased at Spotlight

Card stock by Kaisercraft (ballet)

Paint by Tim and Jess
Apologies for the reflection....

Pretty colours by little fingers. 

The Mini Artist having a swing after his 30 seconds of creativity :) 

I made his little smock out of a piece of calico - just folded it in half and cut a circle for his head to pop through. Worked a treat and no sewing!

I plan on experimenting further with frames and fabric, just for something different and to stock up my Etsy store (which is not yet up and running). 

Coming up soon, some generic cards for little guys or big boys. 

Thanks for dropping by :)

Abs

Congratulations!

Welcome back everybody :)

Just a quick post before my husband hijacks the computer for a work trip....

My husband's family is Italian. Therefore we get invited to quite a few celebrations - the latest being a wedding. We won't be attending as it's interstate (and I have never actually met the couple so I feel a bit funny about going), but I have put together this little card to send on our best wishes.

I am still on my self imposed challenge to use up supplies I already have, so I tried to come up with something that tied in with the black and silver wedding invitation we received. I think I did OK. Simple and elegant.

Card stock by American Crafts (Ash)

The grey vellum and lovely embossed paper is from my scrap drawer so I am unsure as to the brands. 

"Congratulations" rub-on, pearls and grey grosgrain ribbon by Kaisercraft

Buckle by Christina Re

Silver ribbon also from my scrap drawer. 

This embossed paper is so pretty. I used it previously on some Christening invitations.

Well I am sure the bride and groom will have a lovely wedding day with jovial celebrations to follow.

I think my next project will be more Christmas cards - stay tuned. You can see the ones I made recently here.

Thanks for stopping by :)

Abs

Happy Birthday!

Hi again :)

When I was little, my mum started a bit of a tradition - without even realising it. Every year, usually the night before my birthday, either in person or over the phone (when I was older) she would say..."tomorrow you'll wake up and you'll be 10! (or whatever age I was going to be) And you'll never be 9 again!". As a child, that's kind of exciting. You always want to grow up, be older and do the things you can't or aren't allowed to do. So when I was younger, this statement was met with excitement. However, once it started including numbers in the late 20's and then a couple in the thirties, this was met with less excitement and more...I don't know what....to be honest I now have to stop and think of my age. Firstly because my mum is no longer here to tell me, and secondly because time just seems to be going at a million miles an hour. That's life huh? Literally.

Early next month my youngest niece turns five. Five years old. Her whole life is just five years old. It doesn't seem all that long, does it. I am struggling to remember my fifth birthday. I don't have any photos of it to remind me. I think it may have been the year I had a Cookie Monster cake. Not sure. I also had a Cookie Monster cake when I turned twenty-one...no joke :)

My niece loves cats. To the point where they now just relent and go all floppy when she picks them up and drags them to where-ever :) Last year I made her a card with "cat" paper and some furry embellishments. This year I made another cat card using the scraps.

And here's a picture...

Card stock by American Crafts - not sure of the colour as it was a scrap.

Paper by Pebbles Inc, "Cat's Meow" & "Cat-i-tude". 

Ink by Versa Color (Paprika) and a pretty red from my stash.

Mini stick on lettering by Kaisercraft.

Corrugated card from my scrap box.

Tapestry yarn by DMC #801.

Buttons purchased at Spotlight.

I used a piece of corrugated cardboard as a backing as it reminded me of a scratching post :)

Some cute buttons and yarn for a bit of detail - or something for my niece to pick off :)

And a little something for the inside.

I hope she likes it. I'm very much looking forward to her birthday party. It's a Gymnastics Party! I might even manage a cartwheel or two :)

Thanks for stopping by :)

Abs

Happy Birthday Pop.

Welcome back :)

So, as suspected, I was madly finishing my Dad's birthday present this morning...as he was coming over at 1pm. At least this year I had a genuine reason for cutting it fine instead of just being disorganised. Our little boy had to have minor surgery last week which was not really expected. That meant all craftiness was put on the back burner until he was feeling better. He is soooo much happier now which is a great relief.

Here's how Dad's present turned out...

Ta-Dah! Happy Birthday Pop!

Frame by Treasured Memories.

Paper, "Snips & Snails" by Doodlebug Design Inc.

Chipboard lettering and paint (navy blue & grass green) by Kaisercraft.

Buttons purchased at Spotlight.

Ribbon purchased at Paper Flourish.

A nice pile of loose buttons and snips of ribbon at the bottom of the frame...also, if any of the others happen to fall off, it won't be so obvious :)

How fun! And Dad really liked it. I'll definitely be making more shadow box frames down the track. Lots of possibilities. Next project: to finish my friend's album...at the rate I'm going, her daughter will be at school before it's finished....

Thanks for dropping by :)

Abs.