New hairdo

Whenever I feel "blah" and think that things aren't going my way, I visit my mane man for a haircut! Somehow a new hairdo does the trick...and Lady Luck starts smiling at me again! :)

It's just weird that when you cut off 4 inches in length in hope of a fresh look, suddenly everybody on the street has longer and sexier hair ...:( *LOL*

I tried misting on a dark background (silver on black)... and opted for some drama with a minimal use of colours... aka my guest Michelle's Out of your comfort zone challenge. 

Patterned papers are from Teresa Collins. Embellishments from Gauche Alchemy. Silver mist. White pen.

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Chillax

It's Friday! Time to chillax (chill + relax)! :) Just popping in to share this week's Get Sketchy card!

This week's sponsor is Pure Innocence and the design team got to play with some cute images! :) I paper pieced mine with Echo Park Papers.

P/s: I hope to catch up with my commenting soon! Thanks for your patience! :)

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Precious new baby

Hi there! Today I'm sharing a simple card Precious new baby made from Echo Park Paper scraps, mists, buttons and some SRM stickers. I'm entering it for the challenge at Card Patterns.

I'm super behind in returning comments this week because of (unexpected) limited internet access. :( Fortunately, I've scheduled all my posts for this week. :) Catch up with you over the weekend my friends! :)

P/s: Don't forget my guest Laurel's paper piecing challenge ends tomorrow!

*Edited* This card made Super Six at Card Patterns! 

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The rowdy bunch

Hello friends! Today's layout features the rowdy bunch - my three nephews! :) I love how different their personalities are ....and how rowdy they get when they are at play! :)

 I upcycled a disposable chopstick and wound some baker's twine around it and the banner (for a little dimension). American Crafts papers. Mists. Heidi Swapp mask. Thread. Buttons. SRM sticker.

Inspired by the challenge at TAAFOMFT. 

P/s: I would really love for you to come play along with my guest Laurel's paper piecing challenge! It ends on Friday!

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Get out of your comfort zone with Michelle Bertuzzi!

Moshi moshi friends! :) Today's guest is the lovely Michelle Bertuzzi of Jiroken. If you are a cardmaker, you already know her from Card Patterns...[she's my ex-boss!] because you love her sketches! Michelle's style is a lovely mix of kawaii, classy and chic. She shares with us how she organizes her craft supplies and is also hosting a challenge with a sweet prize! Yay!:)

But first, let's have a look at some of her awesome creations!

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Hello! My name is Michelle Bertuzzi (also known as JiroKen on forums). Having a Japanese father, I was blessed to grow up with Origami, Washi papers and a lot of markers. Collecting markers & pens is a hobby I share with my dad. 

I hate crafting at night due to color indifferences. No matter how great your light is, nothing beats natural light so I squeeze it during the day when my eldest is in school or if my little one is napping. 

I don’t limit myself to any style. I like both vintage/shabby and CAS. It’s always great to stretch your boundaries. I’m an avid card maker but promised myself to do more layout pages about my kids this year. Apart from crafting, I also like to sew, draw, bake & gardening in the summer.

Must have tools: Craft knife (I’m left handed & I hate using scissors especially when I’m eyeballing something, I could never see the line where I’m supposed to cut! LOL.  I always leave my project overnight & come back the next day to see if I need to add something. It’s better to add than peeling off any unwanted embellishments.

I’m attaching a few photos of how I organize my stuff. I don’t have state of the art stuff but it works for me! Hope you can get a few ideas. 

Most of my supplies are categorized by type. Storage purchased from Michaels.

I keep my lace ribbons on wooden dowels for those delicate edges.

I have pre-cut/scored cardstock for my cards nearby my work table. Saves me time for those quick cards. 

I have my markers & pens within arm reach. I store them in a planter for easy access.

So, to challenge you ladies today, how about creating a project that is not your typical style? It’s great to expand our horizon and step out of our comfort zone for a minute.  Thanks so much for visiting today & hope that you get to play along with my little challenge. 

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So, are you game to venture out of your comfort zone? And play along with this challenge? :)

I hope so because Michelle is offering up this sweet little prize for one lucky participant! :)

Please link up your "out of your comfort zone" creations using InLinkz (located at the end of the post) by Friday March 25.

As always, please leave a little love for my guest Michelle!

Arigato! :)

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Little model

Meet the little model - my nephew J. Always camera ready. He really is sweetness personified....:)

A little fun misting and masking. Some hand-stitching. Echo Park Paper. Wrinkle ribbon. SRM stickers. Buttons. Stickles.

Inspired by Sasya's Sketches.

P/s: You have till Friday to play along with my guest Laurel's paper piecing challenge!:)

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How would you like to attend a FREE online class?

Hello friends! :) This week's sponsor at Get Sketchy is Kristin Powers Ink and the design team got to play with some fun images.

My Hello card features a little paper piecing, inspired by my guest Laurel's paper piecing challenge. Patterned papers are from My Mind's Eye. Copics. Wrinkle ribbon. E.A.D. Designs sticker sentiment.

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So I've done the blog giveaways, the guest bloggers, the (occasional) tutorials...what's next right? How about a FREE online class? With never-seen-before projects, tips and tricks and Q & A? It would be combination of layouts, cards and altered projects. Using found objects from your home [you know how much I love to upcycle]. A fun way to give new life to wasted possibilities and interact with fellow crafters.

I already have ideas brimming but it could totally be just me thinking that it is something you might enjoy. So, before I go ahead, do you think it's an awesome idea? And most importantly, would you participate?

So leave me a comment telling me "yay!" or "nay!".

Do I hear crickets chirping? *LOL*

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Read a book

I love to read. Apparently, it runs in the family...check out my littlest nephew J..."reading" his picture book. It occupied him for a whole hour. He would turn the page, flip open the window, point to it and exclaim : "Bird!" Yes, a toddler does have a limited vocabulary...*LOL*

This layout came together quite quickly [in the wee hours of the morning actually] inspired by the mood board challenge over at Scrap It Lah.

Echo Park Papers. American Crafts Puffy Stickers. Buttons. Stickles. Glimmer mists. SRM stickers. Other stickers. Baker's twine. Gold sequins. Rub-ons. Office stationery.

P/s: I would love for you to play along with my guest Laurel's paper piecing challenge! :)

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The "stationary" ride...and a challenge winner!

The new challenge at Scrapping The Music is up!  This fortnight's song is Chances are by Five for Fighting. A really lovely tune from an inspirational movie - The Blind Side. My layout features my older brother on a "stationary" ride...My parents think it's a waste of money to put money into a ride so when we were kids, we had to use our imaginations while sitting on a stationary car, horse, rooster...et cetera. *LOL*

Love this paper by Graphic 45! All I did was a bit of fussy cutting. Added some ribbon, bling and stickles and it's all done.

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A big thank you to those who played along with my guest Erika's distressed challenge! The winner is Isha with this lovely creation...

 

Congrats Isha! Please send me an email with your mailing details so that I can get your RAK out to you! :)

P/s: Don't forget to play along with my guest Laurel's paper piecing challenge! :)

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The tiger

Meet the boy pretending to be the "scary" tiger and messing up my bed. My nephew S.

I always change my bedsheets on Saturday night after my nephews have gone home. You know how kids drool when they get excited right? *LOL*

A 30-minute layout inspired by Sketchy Thursdays.

 

 Echo Park Papers. Wrinkle ribbon SRM stickers. Tiger stickers. Thickers.

P/s: Okay, I used a "c" because I ran out of "e"s. Just pretend you didn't notice..*LOL*

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Love potion

Happy Monday friends! I'm here to share a little love potion with you...[sprinkles]...do you love me yet? *LOL* Seriously though... Don't you just love this cute digi stamp? It's a freebie from Bows and Berries...:) Go snag it...Psst...they are also having a DT call...;)

A little misting. Loads of red stickles. Patterned paper is from Echo Park. Heart bling. MS edge punch.

Inspired by the challenge at Bows and Berries and the sketch at 365 cards.

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Time whizzes by "sew" fast

Time whizzes by "sew" fast....;) and it's time for this week's  Get Sketchy card! :) 

The background white cardstock was misted with 4 different mist colours in a (sort-of) grid...[I was talking to my mother when I was spritzing and it went a little haywire...still artsy perhaps?? *LOL*] The patterned papers are from My Little Shoebox. Heidi Grace pins. Baker's twine. Wrinkle ribbon. Cosmo Cricket letter stickers. 3D dots.

P/s: Hope you find time this weekend to play along with my guest Laurel's paper piecing challenge! :)

*Edited* This card was featured on the My Little Shoebox blog! :)

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Hello friends! :)

Hello friends! :) Just a clean and simple card to share today! Inspired by the challenge at Less is more.

A little misting and stamping. Stamp is from DRS Designs. Ribbon. Jenni Bowlin button (thanks Amy T!), Cosmo Cricket letter stickers.

P/s: Just one more day to enter my guest Erika's distressed challenge! I would really love for you to play along! :)

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Oh really?

So my sister is finally wearing makeup! :) She called me at least 10 times when she was at the mall..."Oh really? I need that?"  

This layout commemorates her first official "I did it myself!" face! :)

A little misting and masking on the background. Patterned papers are from Scenic Route Paper. Making Memories brads. Lace trim. Baker's twine. Buttons. Craft Affair chipboard letters. SRM stickers.

I was inspired by the sketch at Pencil Lines and the challenge at The Studio (to use frames).

P/s: I really hope you can play along with my guest Erika's distressed challenge...it ends on Friday! 

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Fussy cutting and paper piecing with Laurel Seabrook!

My guest today is multi-tasker extraordinaire Laurel Seabrook of Seabrook Designs. I swear she churns out 2 cards by the time I decide on my paper choices for my first project! ;) Yes, this woman is a force to be reckon with. She shares a gazillion gorgeous projects on her blog each day and still has time to submit to publications and leave lovely comments on blogs! Today, she shares a tutorial on fussy cutting and paper piecing. There's also a challenge with a fabulous prize courtesy of Laurel! :)

But first, let's have a look at Laurel's awesome creations!

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Hi everyone, Laurel here and I am so honoured that Yvonne has asked me to be a Guest on her blog Do More With Less!  I have been following Yvonne for a long time now and am always inspired with her talent with misting and upcycling.  She also is so good with the copic markers.  Now I like copics, but I prefer paper piecing and fussy cutting my images out to mount onto a project.  I get asked a lot how I do such ‘good fussy cutting’ so I am here to show you.

First of all stamp your image:

I then color what needs to be colored.  Stamp onto pattern paper for paper piecing.  When I cut them out I try to do the least amount of cutting and piecing so I think about how I can layer.  You can see that here by how I cut out her top.

Adhere the pieces and then cut out the image.  The tricky part is the part under her arms.  I used to use my craft knife for those areas, and did have some success.  However, I have since learned an easier way to do it.

I find a place that is a natural join and cut right through the image, making it easier to cut out the inside pieces.  When the image is adhered to the project, you will not see these cut marks.

 

Now here is the finished product, can’t tell where they have been cut and the fussy cutting is much easier to do!

Now my challenge to you is to do some paper piecing and fussy cutting on a project.

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Hmmm...paper piecing can be a great way to use up those small paper scraps I've had for the longest time...Are you ready to play along? Link up your creations using InLinkz (located at the end of this post) by Friday, March 11.

As always, please leave a little love for my guest Laurel. 

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