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 :)

Red Robins and Reindeer.

Hi again :)

First things first, I would like to say a big "thank you" to everybody who has been viewing my blog. It's really encouraging and the comments have been great. I am hoping to open an Etsy store some time soon with lots of crafty goodies. Stay tuned!

In my bid to be more organised this Christmas, I have made some more Christmas cards. In one of my recent posts, I came up with a really quick and simple design, (take a peek at them here), so I have carried the same design through, just used some different papers.

Card stock by American Crafts (crimson)

Papers & die cuts by Docrafts Papermania "Classic Christmas" designed by Stephanie Dymant

Other paper (very first layer) from my scrap box

Inks by Versa Color (cardinal and winter green)

I haven't seen too many red robins on Christmas paper. Good for something a bit different.

And another with some little reindeer - their antlers and legs at least :)

I also did some detailing on the inside of each card, but it didn't photograph too well. I have some really lovely wintry/traditional paper leftover from last year so might use some more of that next with a different design. Being in Australia, I am used to a roasting hot Christmas weather-wise, but the idea of a white Christmas has always appealed to me. One day :)

Thanks for visiting :)

Abs

Ho, Ho, Ho!

Welcome back! :)

Did you know it is just under 14 weeks until Christmas? Before you know it, the shops will have all their Christmassy stuff out and decorations will be hung all over the place :) I love that part -  all the way from nativity scenes and little twinkly lights right through to giant Christmas trees and dancing Santa's.

As probably expected, I love buying wrapping paper and wrapping presents. Almost as much as making Christmas cards. I thought I might get started a little early because it seems that the closer you get to Christmas, the faster time goes.

Here's something to get me started...

A very simple and quick design. The bright colours and pattern remind me of how exciting and fun, but also how busy, Christmas time can be :) For this reason, I didn't add any extra embellishments, just a bit of inking. I think it works.

Card stock by American Crafts (Moss).
Ink by Versa Color (Winter Green)
Paper by Crafter's Choice paper pad (Cute Christmas).
And some scrap Christmas paper from my stash (the red paper behind Santa).

And some detail for the inside. These cards measure 14cm x 14cm so there is still plenty of room to write your "Season's Greetings".

And another, using some slightly different paper.

And inside.

How fun! I could have made a million of these...well, maybe not a million...but you know what I mean. I have quite a varied selection of Christmas paper in my stash so I might try this design again, but with completely different paper. Will keep you posted :)

Thanks for visiting :)

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

Bathtime...Fabric as Paper.

Hi again :)

Even though I am not a seamstress, a quilter, a patchwork person or sewer of any shape or form (at this point in time - you never know), I love fabric. I love the patterns, the colours and the feel. I think it stems back to when I was a little girl and spent school holidays with my Nana. She was always sewing, knitting, spinning wool, cutting up a pattern, crocheting, quilting, bias binding this and darting that. You name it, she did it.

As her only granddaughter, she would "just rustle up" a skirt, a dress (sometimes made by cutting up another dress), a basket of scrunchies or a cute top. It was her thing. It was what she was known for her whole life and she was amazing at it. When she passed away, I was lucky enough to keep her sewing machine......yeah, I know....what am I going to do with it? Well, at the moment, it's in storage but if in the future I don't learn to sew, I'll display it. She used a beautiful black Singer 201K and it's just too lovely an antique to be kept tucked away. They are renowned for being among the best sewing machines ever made and were quite expensive. If you'd like to read more about them (I did and was quite surprised), you can do so here .

A couple of times in the past, I have bought quilting fabric just because I liked it. I liked the way quite different patterns could somehow be combined through colour. I knew I probably wouldn't use it, or if I did, it wouldn't be for a long time. But recently I thought, how can I incorporate fabric into paper craft? If I treat the fabric like paper, how hard could it be?

I came across some cute rubber duckie quilting material and thought that maybe I could use it in my friend's baby album....a bath theme...something like that...

Here's what I started with...

and after adding water and bubbles...

Paper by Sugar & Spice Studio

Card stock (rain) and foam lettering (subway, powder) by American Crafts

Material by Fat Flats (Ducky Bath Yellow)

Buttons by Basic Grey

Ink by Versa Color (Baby Blue)

I bought myself a fabric roller cutter. Those things are great! I left the little loose threads as they reminded me of a fluffy towel or bathmat.

 

Instead of using paper as a mounting platform, I just used the material instead.

 

 

The little duckie on the fabric matched the little duckie on my paper quite nicely :) Quack!

 

If you would like to see another example of fabric incorporated in paper craft, visit Deb's Craft Shed here Deb has made some gorgeous silk flowers for her latest card. Her cards are just lovely :)

 

Only two more pages to go in my friend's album. I'm looking forward to giving it to her. It's been so much fun to make.

 

Thanks for stopping by :)

 

Abs