New embossing folder and a man's card

Hello everyone

Just a quick post from me today to show you the card I've made for my brother-in-law Jim who's birthday is on the 21st.

I'd seen some new (to me) embossing folders online made by We R Memory Keepers for their range Next Wave "Gemstone".  You get two different folders in the pack and they emboss and deboss in the same pass through your die cutting machine.  The results are absolutely amazing.  Have a look:

A piece of pearl cream card embossed

The stamp I've used is IndigoBlu "Fairway to Heaven" as jim's a keen golfer.  I embossed a piece of black cardstock and then rubbed over some Inka Gold platinum.  The ribbon is from my stash.

Thanks for dropping by.  Hope you all have a good weekend.

Happy crafting.

A very special birthday card........

Happy Saturday everyone.

Not sure how the weather is with you but down here in Somerset it's very cold and windy although dry.

I'm able to post this card now as my friend Anne has opened it.  It was a special birthday for her - and I won't give the game away (but I'm sure you will figure it out when you look at the card!!!).

For this I've used the following dies:

Sue Wilson Noble Double Pierced Squares

(Set A and Set B)

Die-namics Fishtail Flags

Tonic Deco Trellis Base dies

Joanna Sheen Signature Wisteria dies

The flowers were from my stash as were the Liquid Pearls.

I'm pleased to know that she liked her card.  Happy crafting.

Another mixed media project.........

Hi Everyone

Well I'm not sure what the weather's doing with you but this morning in Somerset we had gale force winds and torrential rain.........and this afternoon all is calm and the sun's been out!!! 

Here I am back with another mixed media project and I'm still on the blue and silver theme.  Now I've been racking my brains for a little while as I needed to make a birthday card for a man........who just happens to be my best friend and also my husband!  And to top it off it's his 70th birthday on Monday.........how did that happen?  I should tell you he's much older than me......lol!  I have no problem, like many of you, making special cards for ladies but when it comes to men and for such a special birthday I wanted to do something a little "off piste".  So when I saw a sweet little MDF bird house inspiration struck.  Tony loves his birds (feathered variety!!!), and we get loads of different varieties in the garden and around, which is probably because Tony feeds them every day - think he spends more on them than I do on our food!!!

I am also going to enter this in the new Happy Little Stampers Mixed Media challenge which is to use a tag........I'm hoping they will forgive me for the bird house, but there is a tag on the back of it.

Anyway, here is my bird house - I've not gone into the details of what I've used and how as I think it's pretty self explanatory.  Really just lots of stuff I had in my stash already.  If you've got any questions just drop me a line and I'll get back to you.

 

Hope you're all having a great weekend.

Happy crafting.

Mixed Media Christmas Tag Challenge

Hello Everyone

I was absolutely delighted when asked by Loll to be part of her Mixed Media Christmas Tag challenge.  I'm sure most of you know this very talented lady who is Queen of CAS but also loves getting messy!!!  Not the normal combination but she does it so well.........

So here is my tag that I'm sharing today.

 

I started off with a blank white tag.  I then cut two sides off a perspex card bag so it would flip open and added a few drops of SU reinker and then did the same with all-purpose ink Frost White.  I spritzed the inks with some water and closed the little folder and ran my finger over the colours to mix them.  I then took a piece of multi-media paper and placed it on top of the ink lightly rubbing over the back so the paper took up the colour.  When you are pleased with the result put this aside to dry naturally or dry it with a heat gun.  I found it best to put it under a weight overnight so it flattened out.

I then mixed some white acrylic paint with some glass bead gel which I then pasted through my Simon Says Stamp! Falling Snow stencil down the right hand side of the tag.  Then I put the corner of the tag into my Craft Concepts embossing folder "Christmas Vine" (see photo below) and ran it through my machine.  I stamped the sentiment (Stampin Up Beautiful Season) onto a piece of tissue paper and tore around it.  I used Mod Podge Matt medium to adhere this to the tag.  I die cut a piece of medium pewter using my X-Cut snowflake die which I then cut in half - one piece was glued to the bottom right of the tag and the remaining one to the top left of the tag.  

Close up of the embossed part of the tag

I then used some left over "smooshed" mixed media paper to die cut a Cheery Lynn Holly Flourish and another one in silver mirri card which were then attached to the tag slightly overlapping.  I did the same with the die cut sentiment Peace which is a Memory Box die.  Final additions were some matching sequins, a piece of sequin ribbon, some gems and a silver bell tied on to some ribbon.  I then found some fairly small pine cones in my stash and used a Pilot Silver broad nibbed pen over the top of the cones and glued them down the Holly Flourish.

Please pop on over to Loll's blog to check out what the other designers have come up with and please join in yourselves - we'd love to see your creations.

Happy crafting.

A bit like busses!!!!!

Hi Everyone - well after a long gap between posts I've got another one for you today.  The current challenge over at Happy Little Stampers is:

and here's what I came up with:

I've used a stamp and embossing folder set from Acid Drops & Whatnots which was a freebie with a magazine quite a while ago.  I stamped the image onto white card cut to size which was then run through my machine in the embossing folder that came with the set.  I then stamped the image onto some designer paper from my bits box (SU I think) and fussy cut the various elements which were then glued over the main image.  Colour was applied using copics.  The sentiment, again from the same set, was stamped and die cut using Lil'Inkers stitched squares.  The border and leaves were rescued from my bits box and the final addition was some Liquid Pearls.

Thanks for dropping by.

Happy crafting.

A trio of celebrations.............

Hello Everyone - hope you're all having a good weekend and enjoying what might be the last of the nice weather.  Sorry I've been missing for a while but sometimes life takes over craft!!!

Well, I have a trio of celebratory cards for you today some which I couldn't share until they had been received by the recipients.

The first card was a commission for a friend in the village whose granddaughter was getting married over in Cyprus.  Inspiration was taken from Pam's blog as I had the same two dies and also hadn't realised that the Memory Box Butterfly Exhibit fitted perfectly over the Angel Wings Butterfly die.  As my friend was flying over to Cyprus for the wedding she asked that the card not be too bulky in case of getting damaged in transit.  

 

Although it's not too clear from the photo the butterfly exhibit was cut three times in card and vellum and sponged before I layered up.  The sentiment was computer generated.  The flowers and ribbon were from my stash, as were the pearls etc.

 

I was asked to make an envelope to go inside the card to take the gift of money.

The second card was one I made for my sister Val and brother-in-law Jim whose anniversary it was a week or so ago.  Inspiration for this one was taken from the super talented Sue Wilson using her Configurations - Lattice Arched Adornment die.  I die cut 8 pieces and after putting a piece of double sided sticky onto a piece of cream card then attached the 8 die cuts as shown below, trimming off the edges.  I then used Glamour Dust over the whole piece so it stuck to the background.  Everything was matted onto card die cut using Creative Expressions double pierced rectangle dies with the addition of ribbon, some netting and CE Finishing Touches - Perfect Peony Complete and open Petals dies for the flower.

 

A close up showing the Glamour Dust in the background.  The sentiment is from a Waltzingmouse set die cut using Dienamics Stitched Banners.

This last card hasn't been given yet but as my hubby doesn't look at my blog there's no chance he will see it!  It's our 25th Wedding Anniversary on the 27th of this month and although it's quite tricky making an anniversary card for a man I thought the occasion demanded a bit of glitz and glamour!

The main card is a 7" square and I've used Creative Expressions Noble Ornate Pierced Squares to make up all the background mats and layers.  The number is a Memory Box die which was raised from the main card by a piece of acetate bowed over the top layer so it wouldn't get lost in the white and silver behind it.  The flowers are Heartfelt Creations Poinsettia stamps and dies using snow paper.  Pins, pearls, leaves etc are all from my stash.

 This shows the dimension of the card.  I've made a matching box for it as well.

Hope he likes it!

Happy crafting.

Just us Girls #311 Colour Week

Hi Everyone

A quick card here to enter into the Just us Girls Challenge #311 which is colour week:

 

Here's what I came up with:

I didn't want to go down the autumn route so decided to use these lovely tulips from Clearly Besotted Friends Forever and one of their sentiments from the same set.  I then coloured in with my Akashiya Sai Watercolour Brush Pens.  I die cut the image with my Creative Expressions Pierced Rectangles dies.  Layered up on red card and then onto the base card.  It looked a little plain so I used my stitched hillside from Lawn Fawn and then added a piece of red card at the bottom.

Thanks for dropping by.

Have a great weekend.

Happy crafting.

CAS(E) this Sketch # 141

Well, it's Saturday again - where does the time go???  Do you ever get things that "speak to you"???  Well when I saw the latest sketch challenge over at CAS(E) this Sketch I knew exactly what I wanted to do.  Here is the sketch:

And here's my card:

I started off with an image from Sylvia Zet Wee Stamps called Silver Fairy and used Lil'Inker stitched squares to die cut the image.  Matted onto some embossed card from my bits box.  I then used Tim Holtz Sizzix Scribbles & Splats and Dienamics Fishtail Flags to go behind the image.    The sentiment was cut from a piece of white card which I'd stuck a piece of adhesive glitter paper to.  Popped it up with a little Pinflair for a bit of dimension.  Final touches were some matching sequins.

Thanks for dropping by today.  Hope you're all having a great weekend.

Happy crafting.

Another card for the Pony CASE Press exchange

Hi Everyone - well it looks very much like autumn has arrived.  Very overcast and chilly here today in Somerset with the forecast looking very much foreboding with lots of rain and storms later.  Brrrrr!

It was my turn to CASE a lovely card for the Pony CASE Press exchange game - such fun.  You get a photo of a card and have to CASE it and then send it off to the person whose card you've CASE'd - which could be anywhere in the world.  It's lovely getting a surprise card through the post - a great way of making new blogging friends as well.  Pop on over to Mynn's blog On a Stampage to have a look at the rules and while you're there put your name down to play along.

Here is the card that I CASE'd (isn't that bunny just too cute for words?):

and here is my card which has now been received by Lee Anne:

I've used the fab Crazy Birds stamp set from Tim Holtz and now I've finally got my hands on the matching dies decided to use them as well.  Oh, a little tip (one that Tim gives in his YouTube video) when you get the dies separate them into their separate bird figures and put them in a separate bag - I put a stamped image in with them as well - so much easier to sort them out if you're in a hurry!

I used my Embossalicious Picnic Plaid embossing folder on the b/p and cut the edge with one of the Lawn Fawn Stitched Hillside dies.  The b/p was from my bits box.  Sentiment is Waltzingmouse Stamps die cut with my Stitched Banner dies.  The balloon sentiment was computer generated and cut using my Lawn Fawn Party Balloon dies.  A bit of bakers' twine and some gems finished it all off.

Thanks for dropping by and taking time to comment - it's very much appreciated.

Happy crafting.

CAS(E) this Sketch #138

Hi Everyone

There's a new sketch over at CAS(E) this Sketch and as soon as I saw it I knew what I wanted to do.

Here is the sketch:

And here's my card:

A little while ago I purchased a fabulous die from Clearly Besotted called Shaker Shapes Diamond Thanks die and it fits this challenge perfectly.  Such a bargain at £5!  I used some embossed gold card which was in my bits (admittedly a bit more than "bits") box!  I used the die making it a square shape rather than in the normal diamond orientation.  Everything else on this card was fished out of my bits box - very quick and simple card.

Happy crafting.

Just Us Girls Challenge #308 Wild Card - Sketch

Hello Everyone

Well it's the end of August already......where on earth does the time go?  The end of August means the end of my very enjoyable time as Guest Designer over at Just Us Girls.  This week is a Wild Card challenge:

And here is what I came up with:

I started off by stamping this lovely stamp "Falling Flowers" from Honey Doo Crafts.  I heat embossed in fine gold e/p.  I then fussy cut the flowers before putting it through my machine with a Lil Inker Stitched Rectangle die.  I then stamped and embossed the flowers twice more onto vellum, fussy cut them out, coloured the rear of the flowers with my Inktense pencils, shaped and used Pinflair to add them to the top of the original image.  Two mats were cut in pink and gold using the Lil Inker Stitched Rectangles dies and they were all layered up.  The d/p is from my bits box but think it is an old Glenda Waterworth piece.  The band is another piece of gold and pink but I put the pink piece through my machine using my Cuttlebug Paisley embossing folder (which goes pretty well with the d/p).  The sentiment was in my bits box but think it is an old Spellbinders die and the tag is from Sue Wilson's Pierced Tags.  Finishing touches were Liquid Pearls and a bow.

Thanks for stopping by.  Please pop on over to the Just Us Girls Challenge Blog to see the lovely examples the Design Team have come up with for you.

Happy crafting.

Just Us Girls #307 Inspiration Photo

Hello Everyone

Well it's time for my fourth challenge as GD at Just Us Girls.  This week they have an inspiration photo for you:

Now I had to ponder on this one for a while because it reminded me of Autumn which was the first challenge for August.  But what could I do with leaves that's a bit different?  Well, here's what I came up with - an alternative Christmas card!

I started off sprinkling some Brusho's onto watercolour card and then spritzed with water to blend it all.  I then used Sue Wilson's Holly Sprays dies to die cut four sprays from the coloured w/c card.  I thought cream card would go better for this challenge so I took a 7" square Anna-Marie card and then cut a piece of cream linen card slightly smaller.  Using my Lil Inker stitched circles dies I cut an aperture and then two frames.  On the cut out piece of the stitched circle I used Kaleidacolour Autumn Leaves to stamp my Quietfire Design "Gentle Thoughts" sentiment and then clear embossed it.  I marked where the sentiment should go on the base card so I could place it perfectly for the aperture and then added the two frames popped up with foam pads.  On top of that I used some Pinflair Glue Gel to add my four sprays of holly leaves.  The final addition was some Detail Sparkle Gold Gilt on the berries and a gold pearl in each corner.

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by.  Please pop on over to Just Us Girls to see the wonderful creations the DT have made for you.

Happy crafting.

Just Us Girls - Challenge #306 Colour

Hi Everyone

Hope you're all looking forward to a great weekend - can't believe it's the middle of August already.

Anyway, this is my third week as Guest Designer for the lovely girls over at Just Us Girls.  The challenge this week is a colour challenge:

And here is what I came up with:

For the main floral image I have sponged through my Wendy Vecchi Studio 490 "From the garden" stencil using Tim Holtz DI Hickory Smoke and Barn Door.  I hunted everywhere for some grey cardstock but didn't seem to have any so used red and black to mat onto.  I die cut two Die-namics Heart Branches and added them to the card front and then brushed on WoS in clear.  I was going to use the leaves on the actual stencil but as green wasn't an option I thought this was the best way to go.  Liquid Pearls have been added to the centre of the flowers.  The sentiment is SU Oval All and I used Die-namics Pierced Ovals to mat it up.  A very simple corner and that was it.

Please pop on over to the Just Us Girls blog to see the lovely makes the rest of the DT have come up with.

Happy crafting.

Just Us Girls #305 - TREND - Use vellum

Hi Folks

Popping by with me 2nd Guest Designer post for the lovely ladies over at Just Us Girls.  This week the challenge is to use vellum on your card/project:

And here's what I came up with:

I started off with a 7" square card and then two layers of cardstock that had been embossed with Sue Wilson's Beaded Fanfare e/f.  I then used her Noble Dies Ornate Pierced Squares set for the rest of the layers alternating purple and white card.  The sentiment is from Stampin Up Afterthoughts set.  The vellum is the showcase of the piece.  I stamped my Heartfelt Creations Sunkissed Fleur using Versamark ink onto vellum and then heat embossed using purple e/p.  I did this twice and then die cut the elements out using the matching die.  I put the flowers together after having shaped the petals and then added them to the card.  The final step was to add some Creative Expressions Dazzlers to the centres of the flowers.  Strangely although I used purple e/f it looks more blue in the photos!!!!

Thanks for visiting me today.  Don't forget to pop on over to the Just us Girls blog to see the lovely creations the design team have come up with.

Happy crafting.