Hi everyone! Liz here. You don't hear much from me these days! I keep myself busy ordering product for the shop, running events, classes, kits and more - so I guess you'll excuse me. I love our Design Team though - and their work is fantastic. It's amazing that there was even a spare day on the schedule for me to sneak in a post!

Here's what we are doing for card class this morning:


To tie in with this month's Centre Stage, I've used the sketch that Teresa Collins kindly provided. We popped it on the website (Centre Stage/Challenges) and in the weekly email but apologies that we neglected to put it on the blog!). If you create anything based on this sketch during the month of May, be sure to email us a picture to entries@artfullcrafts.co.nz by 29th May and be in the draw to win great prizes from Teresa Collins.


This card has been made using Authentique's Uncommon 6x6 pad and some Pink Paislee London Market products. I really really love the soft pinks (in fact these ranges are up with my all-time favourites). I've used a Unity Company rubber stamp (the rose has now sold out but there are still plenty more fabulous designs.)


I decided that buttons would be an easier option than hexagons for class - and they do match in with the gorgeous London Market spool top! (Okay so I need to stop using my iphone to take photos in our dim lounge...)



And while I'm here, I'll show you the card that Betsy made with this range (and that I'm teaching today at card class). She loves working with pretty papers and has found this great template in the world-wide-web somewhere. But we're not exactly sure who to give credit too. Hopefully the ladies will be happy measuring to the mm this morning!




Have a great day and don't forget to send in your sketch entries (or anything created with Teresa Collins or on the theme of Travel).
:-) Liz

I rarely seem to get photos of Girlie One and Girlie Three together. Girlie Two always seems to want to be in front of the lens - and very photogenic she is too. However, I was ecstatic that I captured this magic moment amidst all the mayhem of Christmas Eve and opening their packages of Christmas PJs (love that tradition). I wish you could see their PJs as they actually have a pink tutu attached - they are from Next in the UK (free postage apparently).


Anyway, I digress. Here's a bit of a closeup. The flowers are Prima. The flags I borrowed from a Basic Grey "What's Up" stash recently acquired. And those glittery leaves? Who knows where they came from. They've been lurking on my desk for weeks just waiting to be used and I was getting sick of moving them around and wondering when I might be able to glue them onto something splendid. Now they've gone and I feel quite sad. Are you noticing my latest best-favourite Martha Stewart border punch? Think that's the Garden Rail one. Love it.

I hope you are enjoying Teresa Collins at Centre Stage - I know I am.

Thanks for looking. See you next Tuesday maybe?

Lindsey
x

Betsy here today, and believe it or not, I'm just about walking on air!! Well, not quite!!
Teresa Collins kindly featured my cards on her design team blog on Friday and she did make some lovely comments. Thank you Julie for your kind words. Such a great company to be focused on and of course working with such lovely products. Teresa Collins is the company on Centre Stage, at Artfull Crafts, for the month of May.
Now, I am going to repeat three cards that I put up on my blog last week, that I made with Teresa Collins's Every Day Moments collection. Hope you enjoy.







Don't you just love the colours in this range? Must say I had fun working with it.

All from me today, must keep up the good work. Actually, I am preparing kits, as I am tutoring classes on Saturday. Looking forward to that, as the ladies up there, in Christchurch, are lovely

Happy crafting and many blessings,

Betsy.

Hi Everyone - Lowri here.

Today I am sharing a couple of mini-album projects I recently made for Mother's Day.

"M" is for 52 Memories


I have used the Bicycle Pink Ribbon Cards as the base for this project, and 10% from the sale of each pack goes to www.bcrfcure.org


I have taken a pack of cards and distressed them using a chisel, sandpaper and white paint - in that order! I added a photograph to each page - the black and white looks great against the pink and I love black and white pictures of the kids. My daughter is 9 weeks old in this one...


Wipeout Album
This album uses one of Kaisercraft's May releases - The RockPool Collection.

I will have more details on my blog later in the week - but I have to dash as my Mother-In-law is here for Mother's Day lunch!!

WINNER - I ALMOST FORGOT!
The winner from yesterday's comment on the Teresa Collins blogpost is  RusticDiva - email me here to claim your prize!

Lowri :-)

Sandy with a couple more Teresa Collins cards created to showcase die-cuts from the Posh and Timeless collections.


One of the things I love about her design are the variety of shapes and labels. They often feature curves which create a sense of movement when placed against a square or rectangle cardbase.


My second card has a hot pink label that really pops against the the grey background. It's balanced by the strong silhouette of a victorian-style side chair whose back was embellished with a tiny cameo.  




Teresa Collins Supplies : Journal-It (Calender Time, Journal Notes), Posh Die-Cuts, Timeless Die-Cuts, World Traveller Clear Stamps. Bella Supplies : Bling Crowns, Bling Stickers
Welcome Supplies :  Teresa Collins Welcome Home chipboard & chairs paper, Teresa Collins Posh Die-Cuts, Teresa Collins Timeless Die-Cuts

Hi there - Christine here with some cards.







I got these lovely Bathing Beauties from Magic Moonlight Studio after Betsy told me about them. I felt they were very Parisian! so continuing on from my theme from last week and using the fabulous Teresa Collins - Spring Fling Collection this is what I came up with.

TFL

Happy Crafting!

Christine

Did you see the Teresa Collins' "Spring Fling" collection in the shop. As soon as I spotted it, I wanted it. The weird thing is that, despite everybody else seemingly making Spring layouts with it, I decided to do an Autumn layout.


My mother used to call me "Contrary Mary" occasionally. However, you can perfectly understand that the colours of the papers matched the photos so what's a girl to do. Happily this week I also received two new Martha Stewart border punches "Garden Rail" and "Scallop Dot" and I couldn't wait to use those either. I thought the butterflies in this collection were quite lovely and they look so cute perched on the doily. This layout was so easy and quick to piece together and was based on this Julie Bonner sketch. I did start with four photos but no matter how I jiggled things around, they just didn't fit together nicely so one had to be dispensed with.


Every Autumn I take the girls to the local park to do a photoshoot. These were taken two years ago but I absolutely love them. It was late afternoon, they were chilly and their noses were beginning to get a bit pink. They were keen to get home but I found a little wooden bridge which I knew would make a good background to the photos and I casually mentioned hot chocolate with marshmallows if they would just stop and pose for me one more time.  If they didn't pose for me, I would have had to toss them into the little river which ran under the little bridge. Threats and bribery! Usually works. Anyway, hope you like the layout and thanks for stopping by.

Lindsey
x

I'm thrilled Liz chose Teresa Collins for Centre Stage this month because this is a pretty special brand. Her signature designs have a classic appeal that allow them to work together across collections. Here are two wedding cards where I've mixed three or more collections.    
Matrimony Supplies : Teresa Collins Family Matters (Card Set, Family Moments), Teresa Collins Mr &Mrs (Labels Paper, Love Words Transparency), Teresa Collins Documented Card Set, Bella! Pearl Stickers

Hi Christine here - I made some cards with this month's Kaizercraft Rock Pool Collection - here they are...




The first card uses the stamp Sea Shell Trevor from Sugarplum Stamps - I think he is so cute in his striped Bathers! I have coloured him in with Copics.
Love the Kaizercraft Rock Pool  Collectables - they are great to use with foam tape to layer up on your cards,

I am off now into Artfull Crafts to see how everyone is getting on with the fabulous Trish and the Workshops she is taking!

TFL

Happy Crafting!

Christine

This month our challenge theme is Travel and Sandy has a layout created with Basic Grey's latest travel collection : What's Up.


The colour combination of red, teal and salmon is one that spoke to me. I knew exactly what photo I wanted to scrap with it. My photo has nothing to do with vacations but it does have a story about embarking on a journey.


The basic design is a horizontal division in a ratio of 2.5 :7: 2.5. Colourful patterns are confined to the two borders with a (relatively) white space in the middle for the 5"x7" photo of my friend.


To create flow on my layout, I used two chipboard arrows to draw the eye from the large floral border on top, through the two-part title, down to the journalling. Embellishment clusters anchor the start and the end of this visual trail with a smaller one at the beginning and a larger one at the end.


If you have a favourite travel, do email it to us at entries@artfullcrafts.co.nz for the chance to win a a Teresa Collins Spring Fling Collection Pack. More details on our May challenge can be found here.

Basic Grey Supplies : What's Up (Light as a Feather, First Flight, Friendly Skies, Chipboard Shapes and Alphas), PB&J Picnic Basket, Pyrus Writer's Block, Bling It Rhinestones Silver / Diamond
Others : G45 Staples sticker, acrylic buttons, paper clip