3 tags.

I love how this card turned out ~ especiall with its rich and vibrant summery colors !  I have almost never used tags over tags so thats a first one for me. Ofcourse I have used border punch and the butterflies are also punches used with some Tim Holtz mist sprayed to add a dimension to them. It is also from the new card kit series.

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Thank you for stopping by today ~ I hope you return soon.

Till then, good bye !

Linking this card to the following card challenges :

Plenty o hearts to go around.

Hello friends,

Trust we all have been enjoying our creative projects in our little worlds !  

This post is a continuation of my previous post where I am sharing the outcome of my new Card Kit.  I love various elements in this card, such as :- 

  • The pastel shades
  • Mixing red checks with florals.  
  • The different shapes and sizes of  diecuts for the hearts.
  • The word stickers which are just perfect for the half banner
  • EK edge shaper gave a terrific look on the red check dp.
  • Polka dots will never be out of fashion !

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Sharing this card in the following challenges :-

Thank you for visiting me today. I would love to hear what you feel about my little creative world. Please leave a comment so I could visit you too.

Kind regards,

Naush

Guest Designer & A Card Making Kit.

May is always a busy month of the year for me  ~ two birthdays, closing in of exam dates and a need for venting my creative energies ! Strangely enough, I find that I’m always super charged creatively more than ever when I am under pressure and short of time !

This month, I am also sharing some good news with you’ll.  I am so  happy to have been chosen the Guest Designer for Pretty Paper Studio.  They are a relatively new online store who specialize in Scrapbooking kits, cardmaking kits and various other products related to paper crafting. They offer monthly sketch challenges for both Layouts and Cards.

I was delighted when the kit arrived nicely packaged with everything neatly enclosed.

Most designer’s turn to inspiration from paper, dies etc however little motivation is needed, because with one of these kits,  it’s easy to create your own handmade greeting cards with a healthy mix of their beautifully coordinated papers, embellishments, rub-on sheet, stickers, twines, and rubber stamps, which are included in these creative paper craft kits. These kits called “a little something” are for AED 225 / AED 205 for subscribers.


You’ll need to have a paper craft adhesive on hand when making your cards. Typical scrapbooking adhesives work very well for card making applications. Glue dots, glue sticks, double-sided tape, and tape runners are all good options.

The June card kit called “a little something ” was a breath of fresh air and I, all but painted the town red !!! Playing with the various elements : colors, designs and embellishments was such fun.  I was so overwhelmed, feeling that I had so many possible ideas with all these gorgeous papers and I just didn’t know which idea to start with ! I am sure, you will be smitten with the contents as well !

I have posted only 5 of the cards here which I will be posting individually in 5 different blog posts, describing the elements and details, at a later stage.  

 

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Thank you for visiting my blog home today. I hope you enjoyed your stay and visit me again. Please drop me a line and share your thoughts too,  so I could visit you as well.

Best Regards

Naush

 

Easy Gift wrapping ~ part 2

Chocolate is comfort food ~ we all know how damaging it can be on our calories count but who would’nt like to receive a chocolate bar on a dull or gloomy day ?? or in maths period when the xs and ys are flying in a state of confusion ? or when trying hard to make a small but significant difference in the life of someone feeling alone and lost ??

And ofcourse, you add that punch to your lovely chocolate bar, if you dress it up just a little. Here’s how :

Just cut a piece of design paper the size of the length of the bar. Glue the ends of the paper together. A simple round/oval/square  diecut with a heartwarming message added to the bar and you are ready for making someone feel very special.

Embellishing can go on forever, hence I prefer to stick to simplicity. Afterall a caringly wrapped chocolate is the focus, isnt it ?

Voila, here is a pretty presentation :

Yes, you guessed it right ~ absolutely love Sneakers !

I’d like to link this post to the following parties :

Thursday
Friday

ffa Fridays~Sassy Sites
Friday Flair~WhipperBerry
Pity Party~30 Handmade Days
Freckled Laundry

Design-Aholic
Naptime Crafters
New Friend Friday

Easy Gift wrapping

Over the past 2 months, not only becoz two of the boys celebrated their birthdays, but also becoz it was an opportunity to give a few yummy gifts to some of their favorite friends and teachers, I managed to capture a few pictures of some of the gifts that were wrapped elegantly and quiet literally “sweetly” !

These are really all too easy ~ infact all you need are :-

  • some scraps of design paper or any gift wrapping paper to make tags from,
  • some cellophane sleeves,
  • some diecuts to shape tags 
  • some edge punches (you could also use craft shears for this ),
  •  some rubberstamps (of handwrite the tags)
  •  A few chocolates or candy. 
  • Stapler

Ofcourse you can add as many embellishments as possible ~ but  if you know me, then you know, I always prefer simplicity and elegance. 

Here are the first of them in this series :-

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Simple Ideas with crisp ribbons and cute round tags are also options which you could try out.

 

I am linking these cutiesy little gifts to the following link parties :

MONDAY
The DIY Home Sweet Home
It’s so Very Cheri 
Making the World Cuter
Craft-O-Maniac
Motivate Me Monday
Polly Want a Crafter
Making Monday Marvelous
Inspire Me Monday @ Singing Three Little Birds
Tuesday

Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays~Coastal Charm
Today’s Creative Blog
The Letter Cottage
House of Grace~ Twice Owned Tuesdays
Hope Studio
Tutorials and Tips Tuesday

Hoarding Ikea !

As an ardent crafter, one of my favorite places to shop for storage, furniture for the studio (or house) or even fabric, has always been Ikea. Everything about their concepts, design, simplicity and sophistication, fascinates me ~ as does half of Dubai !!  :)

When Bilal was just a baby, I would take him in his stroller over to Ikea, which was then, in Deira City Center. I remember spending longer time in the coffee shop in the premises than shopping !  Loved their selection of meals and their coffee too. You know, suddenly, I just realized, this sounds like a promotional script for Ikea ~ Ok I promise ~ I havent been paid by them for reminiscing my beautiful memories !

Why dont I just return to 2012 !! Well, with more work order comes more mess naturally ~  and what does Naush do ???  Storage boxes/buckets/baskets etc ofcourse !  I couldnt have picked a better time ! I just know fate was favoring me or maybe hinting at me :)    You’ll never believe what I landed up with !  A huge load of these white, black, orange and green boxes had just arrived in the “ as-is “ section.  Naturally I took a deep dive and stacked as many I could on two trolleys. Hey, lets just face it, a mom and a crafter can never have too many storage boxes, right ??

Its been 3 weeks, all the boxes have found homes on the different shelves very systematically however, surprisingly, none of them have become homes to any of my crafting goodies ! Yes, I know what your thinking :)

A hoarder ! I think, there is a genetic connection between artists and mess. No matter how hard I try, my studio can remain pretty and presentable only for like a week and then, it breaks down again. I know, alot of you face the same predicament.

Truth be said, I think, I have a super large job ahead of me in cleaning, organizing and maybe even refurbishing the studio and perhaps thats why I dont want to open the pandora’s box just as yet.  

I do hope to fill these beautiful storage boxes and maybe even alter them alittle bit but for now, they are still waiting.

Here are my precious boxes.

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Linking this post to the following site for my crafter friends to know that these boxes can be used excellently for storage and organizational purposes.

Feature Friday~Spunky Junky

Back after a break.

Hello friends. Am baaaaaaaaack !

I know I have been missing in action out here and the good news is that “its for a good reason”

The year has started off, very well but very busily for me.  I was lucky enough to have landed a large of greeting cards for  a highly reputed leisure company. Finally, not only are my cards going to adorn the display racks here in Dubai but will also be flaunted in Qatar and Kuwait. I am absolutely thrilled but as I have now realized, its really aloooooot of hardwork. Designing a card is pure a joy but replicating and multiplying  the same into 20 of them design, can really be, rather nerve recking ! This was a large order and I’m almost 90% thru with them. The experince has been nothing short of sheer exasperation. Needless to say, Sam and the boys have borne the brunt of it and they bore it,  oh so gracefully.

I have quite a few exciting news to share with you’ll but today, I’ll share a few pictures of my order.

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With all these cards, packaging, etc  ~ the studio is just going to burst from every nook and corner ! There are so many huge piles of my craft goodies scattered all over that tiny room, that one has to jump over things at some places inorder to reach somewhere  ! Yep ~ “ all “ the organization skills went straight out the window once I got started with my projects. I know I have hours and hours of organization to get back to in that room, but all in its time ~ for now, I’ve still got a last lot to complete. But I’m going to take photos of how the studio looks now and I keep some pics of how it will look, once I have cleared up some of the mess. And I’ll post that too later on. 

For those of you who had been visiting and leaving me personal messages of  concern, hopeand inspiration, thank you ever so much.  It really made me feel so loved and thought of ~ and it feels absolutely great being back !

For now, good bye and thank you for visiting me today :) and hope you have a wonderful weekend.

Naush

 

Valentine Gift 2

Hello friends and welcome back again to another idea of giving simple and easy gifts to friends and family.

There are a growing number of people who believe that its the effort and the thought behind giving a gift that counts the most. Hence people appreciate handmade or also homemade gifts more. (not that I would’nt be flying high if I received one of my favorite perfumes, or a camera or a car or a …. or a …….!!  yeah I know you get the point !! Thats little ol’greedy me :) ~ nothing wrong with a little bit of daydreaming ~ what say ??

Ok, lets come back from my dreamy world ~ truth is, I feel one large gift once a year or tiny pieces of gifts every now and then are both heart warming and thoughtful.  My previous post Valentines Gift 1 and this post are not neccessarily about valentines gifts only, they are about gifts and the charm of making a simple homemade gift.

I have used a very easy idea here. Not only is it ecofriendly but for a cat owner, its a huge relief, knowing one buy is fullfilling two purposes ! Heres what I mean : ~ yes, you got it. A can. Turn a can into a gift container.

  • Be it as an Easter basket or
  • Baby shower favors, sweet baskets or tiny socks & mittens
  • Return-gift container for birthday parties.

These are so simple to fit in anywhere for any uses.

Personally with two cats in the house, I have heaps of them and I use them alot.

  • As containers for my craft embellishments to sort out the buttons, beads, crystals, pearls etc ,
  • for my little lunch bag joke notes to the boys,
  • to keep all my design paper “tiny” cut outs for “THAT” particular square or rectangular need that often pops up,
  • to stuff the ketch up sachets that we get so often in our takeaway meals from Macdonalds and BK,

I have heaps stacked up for different uses and the above is not even scratching the surface of uses !  These here are, just to name a very few.

Ofcourse the most important thing is to wash these cans with a strong detergent to get rid of the smell ~ Since we are in the sunny Gulf, I also like to give any and all the projects, that I recycle, alot of natural sunlight. Helps.

There are a little over a thousand ways of decorating these little cans. I am sharing here a very simple one. I have used ModgePodge to cover the entire can with some design paper. Added a little lace ribbon around it to perk it up. Poked two holes with my punch and tied a paper/satin ribbon as a handle. A simple die cut tag with a message does the trick.  What you wish to fill in them is your choice ofcourse, but If I prefer to place open jelly bellies or candies, I would line the inside of the can with a pretty dolly.

Ofcourse, you can add flowers and ribbons and bows and the works to decorate these cans, but because, I have 3 boys with 25 students in each class and generally, I would make for EVERY student, (I dont like the look on a childs face when the others are getting candy gift bags and he isnt )  I keep the decoration bit simple and not too fancy.

I do hope, some of my tips have inspired you enough, to get ahold of some cans and paint the town red !

Heres what all the fuss is about :

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Here are some of the challenges and links, this can enters :

Thursday

. Tatertots & Jello
3. I {heart} Nap Time
7. Funky Junk InteriorsThe DIY Show Off
Think Pink Sundays
The House in the Roses
Boogieboard Cottage
Today’s Creative Blog
Momma Hen’s Coop

MONDAY
The DIY Home Sweet Home
It’s so Very Cheri
http://soverycreative.blogspot.com/
Inspire Me Monday @ Singing Three Little Birds

Mad Skills @ Mad in Crafts
Made with Love @ Sew Chatty
 
Am so glad you’re visiting me today ~ would be happier if you would leave some love in your comment behind for me.
 
Have an awesome weekend.
 
Naush

Valentines Gifts 1

Hello friends,

Remember, I told you’ll that the last couple of months were so full of creativity and color for me …..   well, I’ll get back to the cards in a couple of posts……. First I want to share with you something that I find immense pleasure in organizing. Actually, I think, the title gave it away, isnt it ?

Every so often I get requested for party favors/baby showers and valentines gifts for school friends, best buds, university bbfs, office collegues or kitty friends etc. Generally these are made in dozens so that maximum kids/ladies  are gifted. I have decided to share some of the designs and presentations with you’ll.  Most of the tags have digital stamps. I like to play with bright cheerful colors with less complicated to almost no embellishments for children below 7 years however for girls, (no matter what age) almost always they like the all-frilly, fussy and glamourous look. 

With a little effort and alittle creativity, you’ll be surprised how easily these can be designed. Once you give it a go, you’ll know what I’m talking about.

With valentines around the corner, maybe you’d like to take some inspiration from these little treat bags for your childrens’ friends or schoolmates.

Hope you guys like these.

 

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These gift packs are entering the following challenges and linking parties :

Crafty Creations – #153 Valentine
Creative Belli2W – #135 fancy frames
Inky Impressions2W, SIO - #40 any shape but a square
Scrapbook Sisters – #68 Sweet Valentine
Whimsical Wednesdays – anything goes
Cupcake Craftroom3E, P1 - Anything Goes
Just Tracys Crafts ChallengeM, P1, 1ELove is in the Air
Really Reasonable RibbonP1/15, Must use ribbon – Valentine’s Day
Through the Craftroom Door - P1/15 , 3EAnything but a card and make your own embellishments
Anything Goes Challenge2W- 1E – Anything Goes at Anything Goes Week2
Celebrate the Occasion1E – #46 Any Occasion (Must use Polka Dots)
Crafty Sentiments 1E, SIO – Anything Goes
Flourishes - #152 Anything But a Card To Hold Valentines Chocolate or Candy!
Paperminutes – #200 Party time- Anything Goes
Sassy Cheryl’s -3E- SIO #98 Bright & Cheery To Chase Away the Winter Grey
The Stamping Boutique 2W - #24 Die Cuts Week1
Craft Your Passion – “In the Bag/Box” (handmade only)
Gingerloft2W - (2nd week) Anything Goes (ends 21st Jan)
PanPastel UK Challenge2E - Anything Goes
Pile It On - Fuzzy Friends
Robyn`s Fetish – Animals
Sentimental Sundaysmust include a Sentiment – Ribbon
Crafty Purple Frog2W, SIO – (2nd week) Anything Goes (ends 25th Jan)
Craft Us Crazy3E, 2W – (1st week) Valentine/Love and/or Animals (ends 1st Feb)
Paper Play2E – “Ribbon Every Which Way”
Pixie Dust StudioSIO - “We’re going Dotty”
Shelly’s ImagesSIO – Anything Goes
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

MONDAY
The DIY Home Sweet Home
It’s so Very Cheri
http://soverycreative.blogspot.com/
Inspire Me Monday @ Singing Three Little Birds

Mad Skills @ Mad in Crafts
Made with Love @ Sew Chatty

 

New Year ~ New Home.

Feels so good to get all that feed back from all the lovely design team members of all the card challenges, that I join.  Thank you so much for taking the time to visit me and all your encouragement.

This next card is naturally for a new home. Very simple digital stamp sentiment. Dont you just love that window ?? I do. Those tulips are just adorable. Any color could do justice to them.  The window image is also a digital stamp. I’ve used my new diecut to set the sentiment over. The design paper is also a first time for me. Love the feel of that mustard against a green backdrop.

Here is the card :-

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This card enters the following card challenges :

I know, its whimsical thinking, but I do so hope, I have to give myself this card as, at the rate I am going with hoarding the scores and scores of craft supplies, it wont be long before which, all the rooms in the house are going to have my surplus supplies lying around ! Yeah, thats true, I’m so guilty of having so so many things piled up in the studio these days that its simply impossible to find anything :(

Thats why, It gives me a great sense of relief and pleasure, that I am not the only crafter who is struggling with excess supplies ! Its such a joy when others are also complaining helplessly about the one to many crafty must-haves they have collected.

Let me stop brooding now and let me bid farewell to you guys for today.

Thank you for visiting me today. While your here, I hope you browse thru some of my previous creative adventures. And if you like something, please leave some love behind in comments.

Rest well this weekend.

Naush

 

 

 

Friends and sunshine.

Love the rich and royal blue about this card. Its such an eye catching color. The digital stamp of the window with the gorgeous flowers is ofcours a digital stamp as is the sentiment diecut. The pink bows are the only 3dimensional element since I felt the colors reached out so I did not feel the need for more 3D elements. The sky blue fabric paper is embossed with golden dots. All in all, I love this card and truly believe in the sentiment. Friends really are the sunshine of life :)

Here is the card :

 

This card enters the following card challenges :

Thank you for visiting me today. While your here, I hope you browse thru some of my previous creative adventures. And if you like something, please leave some love behind in comments.

Have an awesome weekend !

Naush

Friends and flowers.

Dear friends,

First off, I am so so happy to be back and connect with all of you’ll.

I know, I have been neglecting this blog for a couple of months but with good reason, I promise.

Not only the scores of restoration projects in the house but also in the courtyard and garage kept my hands full ~ literally ~ of spray paint and acrylics.  And then ofcourse, November/December are my peak months for craft classes as well as fairs. I have totally enjoyed the 6 fairs I participated it back to back thru out December ~ not to mention the greeting card orders that kept coming my way, until I had to stop being polite and refuse some of the orders. Ok so noooooow, I can hear some of you asking, how did I manage to stuff so many projects at one time ! Well, there you go ! Now you understand why this lovely blog, was being so neglected. Having said that, I now have heaps of projects to share with you’ll.

Well, for one thing, my newest best-est friends are power tools ! Yes, I mean, the electric jigsaw, sander and drill machine. Since almost two months, I have been having a complete blast chopping wood, sanding the pieces and drilling holes in them. I have been making wooden plaques and I just cant begin to tell you just how much fun it has been playing with paints and patterns. I have heaps of projects to show you but thats ofcourse for a later post. Again, I hear you, asking me, how I had the time to get involved in a new hobby !! Well, what can I say ??? Thats Naush for you. When the going gets tough, I get so enthused about trying out so so many creative avenues. To be very honest, I think, its  abnormal raging hormones ! :)

This new year brings with it a promise ~ a promise of change. Whether a change is for the good or for the worse is for time to prove and our own attitudes to see the glass half empty or half full.  But I have always felt, change, especially when it is not gradual, is always for the best and its easier to adjust. I look forward to making a few crucial decisions and I look forward to a few crucial decisions made FOR me by the Almighty.  And I totally look forward to making more and more new friends.

For some of you wondering, how come, I dont reply in the comment column. ~ well, I actually do. I write back personal messages to the person concerned on their email address which is supplied while she leaves a message for me.  These comments are very close to me and are food for my creativity.  You guys who visit me so often and leave so much love behind are priceless for me. Honest.

I had to submitt around 80+ new cards for samples and I wished to share some of the surplus designs that I had made in the past 2-3 weeks.

This card here, has such gorgeous colors. Nothing like the green grass and being sourrounded by spring flowers and jewelled butterflies. The cute angel mom/lady tending to her garden is a digital stamp from my dear friend Nikki of Melonheadz. The ribbon is one of my newer additions and so is the Martha stewart border punch. Awesome heart warming sentiment which is digi stamp cut by oval diecut.  I know, this could also be an ideal valentines card, which is just around the corner.  Imagine receiving such a lovely message from a friend.

Here is the card :

                                                                          

Here are the challenges, this card enters :

 
Monday :-
Crafty Bloggers NetworkSIO – Anything BUT Square
Craft Your Passion – Mythical Creatures (Show us your mermaids, dragons, fairies, gnomes, etc)
Cupcake Craft – Something New
Heart Song Inspirations1E, SIO – Border Punches/Turn Paper
Hooked on Crafts2W, SIO – (1st week) Try Something New (ends 21st Jan)
House of Gilli2W, SIO – (2nd week) Anything Goes
Karens Doodles1E, SIO – Valentine`s/Love
Lexi’s Creations2W- (1st week) Anything Goes (ends 21st Jan)
Magical Mondays - 2W, mystical/fantasy image – (2nd week) Anything Goes (ends 15th Ja
Make it Monday – always Anything Goes
MyGrafico2W, SIO - (1st week) Love and Valentines (ends 21st Jan)
Scrappers DelightsM, 2E, SIO - (January) Anything Goes (ends 31st Jan)
Paper Creations Ink - 2W - (2nd week) Die Cuts and/or Punches (ends 15th Jan)
There’s Magic in the Air2W, SIO – (1st week) “From the Heart” (ends 23rd Jan)
Truly Madly Crafty ChallengesM, 3E – (January) Anything Goes (ends 4th Feb
Whoopsi Daisy - SIO - Colours: Pink and Green
Tuesday
Anything Goes Challenge2W- 1E- Anything Goes at Anything Goes Week 1
Bearly Mine2W, 2E, SIO – #26 Anything Goes Until 16th Jan
Paper Take Weekly – Die Cute Special (Use a Die Cut & Make it Cute)
Ladybug Crafts Ink TLT Challenge*Now 2W*, 1E, SIO - #51 Anything Goes Using Your New Stash Week 2
Top Tip Tuesday – *NOW 2WK* 3E – #67 Anything Goes Week 2
Crafty Creations – #152 something new
Flutterby Wednesdays1E, must include butterfly, fairy or angel – #185 bright colors
Freshly Brewed5E, SIO, M - #77 something new (all month)
Gingersnap CreationsM – #134 ribbon
Inky Impressions2W, SIO - #39 anything goes (2nd wk)
My Mum’s Craft shop3E - #39 girls
Simon Says Stamp – spots/stripes
Meljens DesignsSIO- Anything Goes
Moving Along With The Times3E – Spots and/or Stripes
Rainbow Lady’s2E – “The many Faces of Women
Crafty Catz1E – Something New
Fairy Tale2W, 2E – Week 2, Something New
Totally Papercrafts – Spots and Stripes
Stampin With The Dragon - 2W, SIO – Week 2, Frames
 
I hope you guys liked this card.  So I’m hoping you will leave some love here with your messages.
 
Have an awesome weekend and thank the Almighty Allah for all the blessings he has showered upon us.
 
With love
 
Naush