Happy New Year

Well, I don't know how many readers I have lost by not being here in so long :D but here's wishing those of you who drop by a very happy, memorable and prosperous new year! May Good Luck, Good Health and Good Fortune be your closest friends in 2011 and always!

I would like to thank all of you for giving me so much love and encouragement this year! Thank You from the bottom of my heart! 2011 is promising to be a very busy year for me on the personal front but I am hoping to regularize crafting too.

Another note of thanks for all the lovely wishes on my birthday through texts and cards - Emily, Rachana, Shalini, Tejal, Juhi - thank you all! I'll put up pictures of the cards very very soon.

Hugs,
Smita

See you in 2011!

Sticker frenzy...

I have been MIA a bit too often for too long now. This time it is my health and time constraints that have been keeping me away from crafting... I'm good now and hoping some of my crafty friends and their better halves are too ( I really have had you in my mind and prayers all the time, girls)! 

My card today is a kiddie card for Vineet's colleague's twin kids (a boy and a girl) who are turning 1 this week. I went overboard with stickers , but with a small logic (that might not sound too logical to you LOL!) - little toddlers can't read but they can identify pictures ;-).

I realized today that my kiddie sticker collection only had 'boy'-themed stickers... hardly any 'pink-ish' flower/butterfly ones (forget dolls :D). The letters and number are all Printasticks.The paper is from Itsy Bitsy.

Ah! well.... did  I mention that this is the same card flipped over :-). Well, I loved my concept...Don't know how to capture it in pictures but this definitely is the other side of the card :-)... Clever, huh? ;-) The paper is from Hobby Ideas!! Guess you all have seen it at Tejal's blog... she tempted me and forced me to go out and  buy {evil laughter}even though I was planning to craft very less now on :-D

And that is a pop-up inside... I've done some stamping on the corners (cake, cupcakes, party hats and so on) and the top of the pop ups (seen from above) says 'Let's have a party'.

Hope you like it!

Ciao,

Smita

Layered...

My take on this week's Card Patterns sketch (love it!) with The Play Date Cafe Colors ( difficult but interesting!) I wanted to make a masculine card (for my husband's brother who has a birthday this week) and the colors were perfect for the occasion. Just that they were really tough for me to use because I almost always use very bright colors!

I've used loads of dimensional foam tapes since I am anyway going to hand deliver this card! :-)

I am also entering this card for Julie's challenge on Yvonne's blog - something old and something new [the patterned paper is old, the buttons are new; the ribbons are old, the technique is new :-) ].

Ohh... and I just saw this lovely blog award that I got from dearest Spardha:

Thanks, girl! And things that make me different from others:

** I love to do things different from the usual... what everyone does is not something I am interested in usually!
** I love going out (for a stroll, for dinner, for movies, for brunch, for anything...) and according to my husband, it is best to take me out when I am unwell, because I am perfectly cured as soon as I step out!
** I love luxury items - jewelery, watches and perfumes are my weakness and I own loads of them all ;-)!
** I love my caffeine cups - both tea and coffee- with plenty of sugar :-) and I can have a whole pack of (sweet) biscuits with them at a time ;-)
** At the moment, I am not-so-eagerly awaiting my 30th birthday :-p {I normally start counting the days to my birthday when there are a few months to go}


I would like to pass on this award to:

Shalini
Juhi
Tejal
Savitri
Ujjwal

and to you too, Spardha!
Cheers,
Smita

Remember me??

Heya people,

I hope you haven't forgotten me! I know I have been almost absent in blogspace for a bit too long! But this time I hope I am finally back! ;-) I had to craft today, a little because I wanted to, a little because I wanted you to think of me, an a little because I was in a very good mood for no particular reason. :-)

By the way, in case you are wondering about my new header... (psst: if you are not, please do! LOL! ) let me tell you who the artist is:

AARYAN!

The painting is an evening scene with a reddish sky... the tree like structures, in his words, are mushrooms/toadstools that are stooping in the wind. Hope you like it :-)
[description of the painting: courtesy the little artist himself]

This card isn't really a favorite but I don't dislike it either. Crafting after so long can be quite challenging! The card is inspired by Laura's sketch 66 at 2Sketches4You... I flipped it. I made quite a large card with unusual dimensions because I have some huge envelopes to match ;-)

The Patterned Paper and gorgeous lace are from a kit sent by Yvonne; the leaf mask in the background is an RAK from dear Spardha; the stamp is Hobby Ideas and the beautiful white flowers are actually a Chinese Collar Button set that I picked up locally (I found them cute and very useful ;-) )... the fleur de lis punch is a not-so-recent purchase (also local).

Hope you like it!

Hugs,

Smita

Here I am!

Here I am back with a card and more after really really long. The Mojo's still not up and running as I want it to be though :-( Before getting down to my card, here's a little glimpse of 4 of the 15 cards my little Aaryan made for Diwali:

His drawing teacher taught him a fun background technique using crayons and he loved it so much that he made a card for each member of the family... he drew and colored the pictures himself :-) and he had a story attached to each picture (and a different picture for each card)! The second card from the left is what he gave me... he was trying to draw a kite.. the shape got distorted so he actually fixed it himself and told me that it was 2 kites stuck in a tree :-). I loved his explanation!!! And I loved every single card he made... He also wrote in each card himself (and he hasn't learnt the letters yet!! but he knew the basic shapes and wanted to write on his own... ) Proud of you, my darling Aaryan!

And here is my not so great card following the sketch at 2Sketches4You:

The stamp is Hobby Ideas and the PP is American Crafts. All other materials from stash...

ETA: I made it to top 5 at Get Sketchy for their Challenge #60 for this card! Thanks for letting me know, Juhi! I am soooooo happy and I didn't expect it :-)

Ciao,

Smita

Happy Diwali

Wishing all my Indian friends a very Happy Diwali and a prosperous year ahead. 

I've been quite tied up of late and am hoping to have at least one post next week; but I am not too sure. Aaryan's having vacations now and I have my hands full at the moment. I will come back soon to post some [around 12] cards that my little boy made 'on his own'. Proud of him :-)

Sorry I have not been blog hopping either... just too busy!! :-(

Ciao,

Smita

Burgundy...

Th Play Date Cafe has a color splash challenge this week.... an amazing splash I must say:

My definition of amazing of course stems from the fact that I had something in Burgundy that I absolutely love ;-) and that I'd been waiting to use well :D. 

I used Laura's sketch from 2Sketches4You:

Oh yes, I used a new ribbon ruffling technique once again!! You know I love them and I just can't have enough of these... Well, this is technique by Nami of DeNami designs and I know I am nowhere close to her; but hey, I can add my own twist to it, can't I? And what did I add? Some more colored staples :D I love them...

I made this card on order for friends... they want to send it to their daughter who lives elsewhere... and I am hoping they like it.

Till later...

Ciao,

Smita

Now I know...

...that Diwali is here! :-) The home's clean and fresh again ;-) and there was a card in my mail:

This awesome awesome card is from dearie Spardha! I always love the red and gold combination - it is truly Indian! And I love her handwriting too :-) She also sent me some lovely RAK cut with her Silhouette. I'll reveal them as and when I use them ;-)

And here are 2 cards I made for someone on order. I don't like them too much but she wanted it this way :-(

The Flower Pot card is one I have tried many times; the same SCS tutorial always :-); and the other one is a simple fancy fold one. I used ceramic beads after eons I guess. I got those long back and still have a few left.

I've been lurking in my favorite blogs for the past few days. But since I browse on my phone, and the silly thing doesn't always let me post comments, pardon my anonymous presence! :D I don't think I'll be very regular till after Diwali. Let's see...

Keep crafting... 

Ciao,
Smita

Uncomplicated...

My entry for The Play Date Cafe Challenge 52. The inspiration is gorgeous... and they are celebrating their first anniversary. So hop over and play along.

I usually like bright colors and this palette was very very pleasing to my eyes. But it took me quite a while to come up with this simple card... Nothing seemed to match :-( But I kind of like the final outcome... 

I am so happy that I figured in the 'Cream in our coffee' roll of The PDC :-) for the previous challenge.

This card will go in the mail to my best-est friend whose birthday is next week :-). 

ETA: I forgot to mention this earlier... the patterned paper and the lace are from Yvonne. I won a candy at her blog a few weeks back and she sent me a beautiful scrapbooking kit :-)

Ciao,
Smita

{SMILES}

I am honored to be the guest blogger at dear Yvonne's beautiful blog. Do check out her blog if you haven't before... you surely will fall in love with her work and her stories ;-) She creates the most amazing layouts ever and the most pleasing cards. And and and, as many of us already know, she is the sweetest person ever!

I also hope to see you join us in the challenge - use a new ribbon technique on your projects and no stamping! 

See you there,

Hugs,
Smita

Now, that was tough!

One look at the Play Date Cafe challenge # 51 colors and I knew it would be tough for me... but I wanted to try it anyway. This was what I came up with; with help from the sketch at Get Sketchy:

        

The colors are not the exact ones, I guess. But this was the best match I could find :-). I'm regretting not having ordered inks earlier... I realized today that I hardy have any :-(. But I am keeping my fingers crossed and hoping to get some colors locally soon.

The ribbon is courtesy T! :-) I tried a new ribbon ruffling technique (again!)... I really love ribbons and lace. The corrugated sheets are also a recent purchase when I went to meet T! The patterned paper is an old one from Hobby Ideas and the flowers are Itsy Bitsy. Buttons and twine are from my dear mom :-). I tried creating a matching envelope too...

Hope you liked it,

Ciao,

Smita

Father and Son

Here is something the father and son duo (ohh, I mean my hubby and my son) asked me to create for them. Well, actually, the husband asked first, and then the son had to have the same concept though slightly better :-D

Vineet's is a post-it note holder. He took away my gorgeous checkered post-it note pad and said he wouldn't "mind"if I made a case for him, so I obliged (after all, I have to keep the husband happy in the holiday season so he lets me shop ;-) )

I kept it very simple so that he could keep it at his work desk.

And my son wanted a "notebook"for drawing and writing. He has promised no to scribble :D But he was particular about the stickers and was really happy that I wrote his name on it (he can read his name):

He took the book from me as soon as I was done, clicked a photo with my phone and told me that I could use the photo... and immediately scribbled his name on the cover. I am not too sure he has written all letters... well, he can't really write "R" yet so I guess he skipped that...lol!

The PP is from Itsy Bitsy; the button from my stash; the stickers are local buys and the ribbon is from my Mom.

Met one of my blog buddies today. We had a really good time. Thanks for the time, girl :-)

Ciao,

Smita

Envelope Card: Purple again

Another purple card from me:

This was made on request for Aaryan's drawing teacher. She specifically asked for this fold (I had used it in the Girly Album that I had made for her). She wanted this card for a friend and asked me to make it girly.

The back:

I've left the ribbons loosely tied because she will be collecting it from me now.. There is a blank space inside, which she will customize, and then retie the bow... I didn't want the ribbon to  wrinkle by tying it too tight.

Ciao,
Smita

Purple again

Here is a random card.... not following any sketch. I made it just like that to get my Mojo working ;-)

Card Patterns 85 and a handmade flower

I loved the flower on this card that I made following the Card Patterns sketch:

This flower is called a 'box flower' due to the way the petals are arranged in the top most layer. I got the tutorial from here.

A close up of the gorgeous flower:

I am also submitting this for the Sherryann's challenge on Yvonnne's blog (make handmade flowers).

The background stamp is one I got from Hobby Ideas last year but was inked for the first time today :-)

Ciao,

Smita

2S4Y and something new

A card I made for this week's challenge over at 2S4Y:

This card is totally made from scraps. And mostly handmade paper (to make it suitable for the occasion)...

The colors and the theme is inspired by my own challenge at my new blog (yeah, you read that right) ;-). Anyone who wants to celebrate festivals the Indian style, hop along to my Diwali Planner ;-). I am going to try and have a lo of fun while getting my home ready for Diwali this time (instead of being a nervous wreck like always!). Join me (even if you are getting ready for Christmas or any other festival) and let's get organized.

Ciao,

Smita

Nothing extraordinary...

A simple card and drawer box:

I wasn't happy with this project from the word go... anyway...

The colors are inspired by The Play Date Cafe PDCC 50:

I am submitting this box project for the 3D project challenge by Julie Elak at Yvonne's  blog.

I've not added sentiments to either yet... I'll add it based on the occasion.

Ciao,
Smita

Color-dicted!

Happy World Card Making Day!!! ( a bit late to wish my Indian friends though... )

Okay, I am officially addicted to the beautiful colors at The Play Date Cafe this week and I ended up making not one but 3 cards :-) with these colors:

Aren't the colors just yummy? Well, I didn't think I'd like them till I started crafting...

DH loved them so I am a happy girl :-)

Originally, I made only this card... then I decided to use up the scraps for the next and then the third happened :-) I am also submitting this card for the sketch challenge at Inspired Crafters. The stamps are Hobby Ideas, the patterned paper is Itsy Bitsy, the textured handmade paper is from a local store... everything else from stash.

This one is totally scrappy ;-)

I'm almost too scared to use a totally white card base but I am in love with this one :-) The flower is handmade and then stuck on a leather flower base. The leaf stamp is Hobby Ideas and the sentiment is Stampin' Up.

Oh God, I almost sound narcissist in this post LOL! But the colors are truly inspiring and cheerful... Play along with PDCC and tell me if you don't fall in love with these :-)

Hugs,
Smita 

Some break!!

Ok, I know I said I'm going on a crafty break. But I just realized that there are some things you cannot impose on the mind. LOL. It refused to listen to me. I was trying my best to relax, watch a movie, read, cook and do something that isn't crafty; but well, as you can see, I am back. I did all of that but I also sat down to craft ;-) I'll have to postpone the break!!

Here is my take on this week's sketch at Card Patterns:

I am also submitting this for the inspiration challenge at Crafty JC taking nature as my inspiration.

Nothing much to write about actually. The flower (I love it) is made from a 1.5" wide grosgrain ribbon with a rolled up flower as the center; the charm is a local find; the paper rolls are inspired from somewhere on the internet (don't know where); the background stamp is my 'bee-hive' stamp; the ink is a very light green (sorry no fancy ink names to boast about); the sentiment is Stampin' Up!

That's a closer look at the flower.I loved the frayed edges and so did DH. :-)

And just before I leave, a look at my son's creative cupboard (I told you, he is my inspiration! :D):

He has more stickers on the inside too. Between us, we actually have all the stickers we see in our local markets :D And yeah, he sticks them all himself (he started collecting and sticking them when he was 1 year 2 months old or something.

Hugs,
Smita

Flashback Friday 3.0: First Challenge Card

Flashback Friday 3.0 is about the first challenge card you ever made! Well, I'm too embarassed to even share this :D but here is my first challenge card:

And this is what the post read like:

"My creation for Nikki's challenge.

I have used locally available material for this card. The cardstock used is light green tinted with gold. The patterned paper seen in this card is handmade dark green paper with golden block prints. I made the flowers using Carl craft floral punch and a leaf punch by Jef. The flowers were cupped using a manual embossing tool. I bought the ribbon from a local lace store. The sentiment is hand written. I painted ordinary white buttons golden to match the rest of the card."

This was July 2008. LOL!!! I got one comment for this post... and that too from a family friend :D

Ciao,

Smita

PS: I'm on a self imposed craft break for a while. I'll get back to crafting sooner than I think though, I guess!

Get Sketchy # 57

My take on this week's sketch at Get Sketchy:

This is another 75th birthday card requested by mom. The 3 double-loop layers on the edge look much prettier IRL. You'll need to take a closer look to see the floral print on the PP... it was impossible for me to photograph it.

Till later,

Smita
PS: I had to edit this card before sending it across. I added a large layered scalloped flower, leaves and some flourishes.

Where's the bling?

I love color challenges because they do the main part of thinking for me - what colors coordinate. But up till now, I couldn't participate in most, because I never had the right colors (read Patterned Papers LOL)with me. Now that I do have some options, I'm trying to combine fabulous color challenges with my favorite sketches.

When I love bright and warm colors so much, why wouldn't I play along with ColourQ :-) I was floored by their colours :-)

And I combined these gorgeous colors with this week's Card Patterns sketch:

And this is what I came up with:

This is card my mom requested for. She wanted a 50th birthday card for a relative. We decided not to have bling so I restricted my bling usage to 3 dots in Shimmer Apricot (3D outliner). I loved how it has turned out. I am not too sure if she'll like it though... she is difficult to please ;-) The stamps are Inkadinkado, papers are Pebbles Inc.

Ciao,
Smita

Beautiful...

Here is a card I loved making... and finally, Pa in law is also convinced I haven't lost my mind.. ;-)

The Patterned Paper is again a sheet from Itsy Bitsy (Pebbles Inc). I loved it so much I couldn't cut even a centimetre more ;-) 

I am submitting this card for PDCC 48:

I have been ogling at The Play Date Cafe blog for some time now, and promising myself to play every week. This time, the colors were so yummy, that I decided to play without wasting any time. Though, now that I look at it again, my colors don't seem to be perfect, but still...

Though the challenge could mean grey or silver, do you think I would not use silver?!?! I love my bling and use it wherever I can. These metallic flowers are gorgeous and I wonder why I didn't get more.

I'm also submitting this card for Cinema Saturday Creative Challenge #96 (use metal in your creations). No inspiration drawn from the movie directly though :-( The little handbag charm and the flower centers are all metal.

Hope you like it.

PS: And ohhh... did you see the stapling pins at work again? I was going to use a different color because I forgot that regular silver pins exist :-p Such is my obsession with colored staples these days!! I just can't have enough of these :-)

Hugs,

Smita