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.

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.

Another new home card...........

Yet another set of friends and neighbours have moved out of the village........that's two couples in one week which is very unusual for such a small village.  However they have only downsized and moved to the next village so will still see them.  Here is the card I made for them.

I die cut two Poppystamps Grand Gothic Iron Work and two Grand Gothic Windows and attached them with acetate in the back.  I have again used my Chocolate Baroque Home Sweet Home stamp set and stamped on the waste part of the Grand Gothic window so it looks like the landscape continues through the two windows.  I masked the houses to put in the background using DI's and they were coloured using Flexmarkers.  I've used an Anna-Marie's 8x8 scalloped card and cut a piece of her pearl card a little smaller than the base card so I could put it through my eBosser using Creative Expressions Basket Weave e/f.  The sentiment is from the same stamp set punched using my SU Modern Label punch.  The ivy is Joanna Sheen's Ivy Flourish and Ivy Corner dies.  Flowers and ribbon from my stash.

Thanks for dropping in and taking the time to leave your comments.

Happy crafting.

Addicted to CAS - Challenge #11

Happy Saturday everyone - hope you're looking forward to a relaxing weekend.  Where do the weeks go?  It's time for another challenge at Addicted to CAS and this week the theme has been chosen by the lovely Caz.  Here are the details:

Our amazing sponsor this week is Bugaboo Stamps!!!! They are generously offering you a pack of 7 digi's from their store!!!

I've made two cards, both with images from Bugaboo.  The first is using their SCENEIT Ladybugs and on the second I have used their Silhouette Hummingbird Flowers digistamp.  

 

I printed out the ladybugs digi onto printer card and coloured with Flexmarkers.  I then used a Spellbinders nestie to die cut the image in the shape of a flower and before I took it out of the die I sponged DI Dried Marigold around the edges.  I added Crystal Lacquer to the flower centres, the ladybugs, butterflies and water drops on the petals and leaves.  The sentiment is from the Stampin Up Circle of Friendship set and was die cut and sponged as above.  It looked a little stark just putting it on a plain white card blank and then I remembered I had an embossing folder that had flowers of a similar shape......so off I went and it was exactly where it was supposed to be.....hehe.  It is the Creative Expressions EF-004 Floral e/f.  I placed the card blank in it so the central panel would be embossed and then I embossed a line top and bottom of the design.  Image and sentiment were popped up on d/s foam pads.

For the second card I printed off the silhouette image on my laser printer and then foiled it with a lovely blue foil.  It was then mounted on a matching piece of mirri card which I die cut using my Spellbinders Lacey Circles.  The sentiment was computer generated and foiled.  It was then die cut and matted using my Spellbinders D-Lites Ornamental Tags 2 dies.  The embossing down each side was done using my Stampin Up Simply Scored Borders Plate.  Please pop on over to the Addicted to CAS blog and see what lovely cards the DT have come up with and we look forward to seeing all your fantastic creations and visiting your blogs.

 Have a great weekend.

 

 

Addicted to Stamps - Make Your Mark Challenge #3

Welcome to our new challenge over at Addicted to Stamps.  This week's challenge is Make your Mark which gives you a free rein as long as you use your markers - Copics, Promarkers etc - to colour in your main image.

For my card I have used a digi stamp - Melissa by Sugar Nellie.  I just love these images.  She's been coloured with Flexmarkers and die cut using nesties.  I've used my Creative Expressions Floral embossing folder to partially emboss the backing which is Bazzill card.  The main card has been made up into an A5 using Anna-Marie's brushed satin card which is gorgeous.  I have made the roses using the floral e/f and the leaves are punched using Nellie Snellen two stage punch and embosser.  A dotty ribbon and some pearls finish the card off.

Please pop on over to the Addicted to Stamps challenge blog to have a look at the lovely cards made by the super talented members of the Design Team.  We look forward to seeing your entries and coming by to visit you.

Happy crafting.

Addicted to Stamps - Sketch Challenge #2

Hello Everyone

Welcome to our new challenge at Addicted to Stamps.  This week it's a sketch challenge:

For my DT card I've started off with a 6" square blank textured card.  The backing paper is from my stash and I think it is an old sheet from Graphicus (now Chocolate Baroque).  The main image is a digi stamp from Sugar Nellie called Victoria - absolutely love their digital images - and she's been coloured in using Flexmarkers.  I've added liquid pearls for the buttons/studs and some Glossy Accents to her eyes and the centres of the flowers.  She's been die cut and mounted using nesties and I veered away from using the circles as per the sketch as I thought this shape suited her better.  The sentiment is from SU Whimsical Words.  I've added a strip of pearlised card with a strip of darker card embossed with Creative Expressions Floral e/f which I've also used to make the

Close up of Victoria

flower.  The leaves are part of the SU bird on a branch punch.  I used a hand punch for the card candy in each corner and used an embossing tool and the palm of my hand to round them.  A touch of Stickles finished the card.

Please do pop over to the Addicted to Stamps blog to check out the great inspiration from the rest of the DT.  We look forward to seeing your creations and visiting your blogs.

ADDICTED TO STAMPS - CAS #2

Hello everyone - today we're up with our latest challenge over at Addicted to Stamps which, this week, is CLEAN AND SIMPLE.   I think people aren't quite as frightened by this type of challenge as they used to be so here goes with my DT entry.

I've used an embossing folder from Creative Expressions EF-004 Floral for the whole of my card.  I've embossed two panels of card in pink and purple and cut to size.  With the offcuts of the pink card I cut out four of the flowers to make up my rose and then I added some Cosmic Twinkles.  The two panels have been placed onto a square card blank and I've added the rose with Pinflair Glue Gel.  The sentiment is from SU Wonderful Words stamped in SU Perfect Plum onto a spare piece of pink card.

Please pop over to the ATS blog and have a look at all the inspirational cards made by the Design Team.  We look forward to seeing all your cards and visiting your blogs.

Addicted to Stamps - Sketch Challenge #1

Hi Everyone - hope for those in the UK you are making the most of this long awaited summer weather!!!  Well, it's that time of the week for the next challenge over at Addicted to Stamps which is a Sketch challenge.

For my take on the sketch I've made up an A5 base card from black ribbed cardstock and all the mats and layers are on the black and white card.  The main image is from a Creative Expressions stamp set and I've stamped once on the white card and once on patterned paper and then paper pieced the image.  The two smaller images are from Hampton Art called Vintage Ladies and I've used the same method to paper piece them.  I've then used my Fleximarkers to colour the skin etc.  The main image and the mat have been punched using a Martha Stewart punch.  On the centre panel I have die cut the border using my Memory Box Bubble Daisy Border ...... isn't it pretty?  I've added quite a few pearls to finish off the design.

Please pop over to the Addicted to Stamps blog to look at all the inspiration the Design Team have for you.

Thanks for joining me today.

Less is More - Week 73 - Recipe

Hello everyone - the new challenge over at Less is More is:

Our recipe this week will give you the opportunity to dig out some of those scraps of Designer paper that have been lurking around in your craft space, as our challenge is

'Paper Piecing'

I gave a quiet hip hip hooray as I love doing this with stamps and it's a great method if you're not the best at colouring in!!!  lol  The stamp I've used is from a Creative Expressions set with loads of glam ladies.  I've stamped her using Versafine black ink onto white card, light green bazzil  card and also onto two different patterned cards.  The hat, coat and shoes are from one patterned paper, the skirt and top from another patterned paper and the lining of the coat from the bazzil card.  As I had stamped her onto a fairly small piece of white card I didn't have enough room to die cut the image but what I did use was my new Stampin Up Edgelits Adorning Accents die on the left hand side of the image and then straight cut the other three sides - I then mirrored this with a piece of patterned paper and a piece of bazzil card.  I took a 6" card blank and used the same die to cut the edge and then used the matching embossing folder to emboss the edge.  The sentiment is Stampin Up Vintage Labels.

Thanks for dropping by.

Less is More - Week 60 - Take Three Challenges

Hello Everyone - hope you're all enjoying this glorious weather.  The challenge this week over at Less is More is to

Take Three Challenges

For this challenge we'd like you to choose any three of our past challenges and combine the criteria from them on your card. 

I have chosen  Week 8 - Tall Card Sketch 1, Week 9 - A Touch of Red and Week 7 - Masculine.  I've taken the sketch  and turned it on it's side and stamped the car which is from  Creative Expressions Classic Cars set using black Memento.  I then used Promarkers to colour it in.  I cut a strip of pearlised card and embossed lines on it using my Houghie Board.  The sentiment is from the same stamp set punched using Stampin Up punches and layered onto a red mat.

 Thanks for dropping by.

 

Less is More - Week 38 - Polka Dots

This week the Divas over at Less is More have asked us to create a card on the following lines (or dots!!!!!)......

This week we have a really easy recipe which is simply

POLKA DOTS

As long as your design is Clean and Simple, has some white space (or its equivalent) and polka dots in evidence somewhere, it will be perfect for this challenge.

I have used  a stamp from a Creative Expressions set and paper pieced using Stampin Up paper.  I've used Letraset Flexmarkers to colour where necessary.  The image has been cut using Labels 20 which is one of my favourites and matted onto red card which was then put through my Joy in a Swiss Dots embossing folder.  The sentiment is from the same set and stamped in red and clear embossed and again cut out using Labels 20.  It says "Fashion fades, only style remains.  Coco Chanel".  The only added embellishment is some red and white dotty ribbon.

Thanks for looking.

Sew what.................?

I've just finished my free machine embroidery classes and wanted to make a card for our tutor Lynn.  It obviously had to be something associated with sewing so I used a combination of the Sewing & Stitching stamp set from Local King Rubber Stamps in Canada and a Creative Expressions stamp set.

I started off making a square easel card using my book pages nesties.  I then made some backing paper using a variety of the rubber stamps, adhered to the top and then folded to make an easel card.  I then die cut some felt (which absolutely cuts beautifully) using a nestie and then some card using the next size down.  The main image is an old sewing machine which I stamped and clear embossed and then cut out carefully.  I stamped and cut out some bobbins which I then wound threads around.  The stopper on the inside is actually an EK Success button edger punch which was embossed in clear e/p to make the buttons shiny and then I added some more "real" buttons.  The sentiment (inserted photo top right) comes from the Creative Expressions set and just about sums up the feelings of crafters everywhere!!!  lol  I also added some safety pins, more buttons and a flower.

Thanks for visiting.

Bah Humbug Challenge 19 - Snowflakes

This week's challenge over at Humbug Hall  is Snowflakes.

I downloaded some background designs from Kim over at KL Dezigns and one of them was a lovely snowflake design so I decided to use this.  It's been printed out onto matt photo paper and backed onto an A5 card blank.  I then die cut some snowflakes out of acetate using the Whimsy Stamps Shapeology die which I then glittered and used silicone to place over some of the printed snowflakes.  I used Stickles to add some texture to the dots and added a ribbon across the top of the card.  The greeting is from a Creative Expressions sentiment stamp set and was stamped and heat embossed onto acetate.

Thanks for dropping by.

Less is More - Week 7 Challenge - Masculine

This weeks challenge over at Less is More is Masculine.

I decided to use this stamp from Lili of the Valley called zooming along and stamped onto white card with Memento ink and coloured with Promarkers.  I decided to try the "inside the box" technique that I saw Sue Wilson doing on C&C the other day.  I frequently use the "outside the box" method but hadn't thought of doing it this way round.  I took the nestie I wanted to use and positioned it on the card where I wanted the aperture.  I then lightly pencilled around the inside of the die and cut out the part of the image which was inside this mark.  I then positioned the die (cut side down) under the part of the image I had just cut out.  This gives the impression of the car being within the window.  I positioned some paper from my stash at the back of the window.  Now I know the challenge is definitely less is more but it did look pretty plain at this stage so I ran the piece of card through my die cutting machine in a Creative Expressions embossing folder and then inked lighly over the raised area.  The edge was cut using a Martha Steward punch.  Sentiment is from a Stampin Up kit and cut out using Stampin Up punches.

Thanks to all for stopping by on this beautiful sunny spring day.

Winter Wonderland

Thjis week's challenge over at Bah Humbug is "Winter Wonderland".  I immediately thought of an unmounted rubber stamp that I've had for ages (and so can't remember where it comes from.......... senior moment!!) that shows a house set in some trees with the sentiment "Winter Wonderland" underneath the image.  Unfortunately this stamp is more of a photo stamp and so doesn't lend itself to being embossed.

So in the end I hunted out my Creative Expressions build a scene Village stamp set and stamped it onto brown cardstock with Versamark and then embossed with Ranger Stream embossing powder.  I masked off the rest of my unmounted rubber stamp so I could stamp the sentiment only.  Again I used Versamark and the Stream embossing powder on brown cardstock.  Both images were matted and layered onto light and darker cardstock and the sentiment added to the top of the village scene.  I took a DL card and a piece of patterned paper from My Mind's Eye Christmas Glitter Book.  The edge of the patterned paper was punched using a MS deep edger and then stuck using d/s tape to the main card with a piece of matching cardstock underneath the punched edge.  I found a matching piece of ribbon and some gems and added Mint Ice Stickles to the main image.

Thanks for dropping by.

Bah Humbug Through the Window Challenge

The challenge this week over at Bah Humbug is "Through the Window".  Ahha I thought, now where are those die cut window sheets I bought ages ago............... hmmmmm can't find them at the moment so will have to improvise.

I have used the large stamp from the Creative Expressions Create-a-scene village set and stamped and clear embossed using black ink on white card.  I then cut this down into four equal pieces and mounted it onto black card leaving a gap inbetween each piece and so creating a "faux" window scene.  I have then mounted this onto a piece of white card which has gone through my Big Shot in a Crafts Too embossing folder to which I added a piece of ribbon.  This was mounted onto a piece of silver holographic card leaving a narrow margin and then onto a black A5 card blank.  I added some Stickles glitter glue to create a snowy scene.  The sentiment is from a Stampin Up set and was punched out using a SU square scalloped punch.

Thanks for looking.

Bah Humbug Christmas Scene Challenge

The challenge over at Bah Humbug this week is Christmas Scenes.  For this card I have used the village stamp from Creative Expressions Create-a-scene set.  I stamped onto cream pearlescent card with SU Chocolate Chip ink and then used a water brush to drag in some of the colour.  When it was dry I used a Quickie Glue pen and Glamour Dust to the roofs, trees and bridge etc but I am not sure that this photo shows the glitter up that well.  I die cut some photo corners from a Sizzix die and then matted and layered onto matching co-ordinating cardstock.  For the punched border I used a Martha Stewart snowflake embossing die.  The sentiment is from a Papermania Silent Night set stamped onto the cream pearlescent card and clear embossed and I used my SU oval and scalloped oval punches to matt and layer.

Thanks for looking.

Susie & Vikki's Sketch Plan

Well, better late than never......... it's been a really busy few days and this is the first chance I have had to join in Susie & Vikki's Sketch Plan.

I started off with an 8" square card blank and covered the front with a piece of SU purple card and then layered gold glittered card and the purple until I had four layers.  I then took a piece of Hunkydory gold foiled card in a matching shade of purple, cut it to size and then put it through the Big Shot with a Nellies die which cut the ornate centre out.  I then cut the remaining card into four equal pieces and attached them to the front of the card.
The piece that was originally cut out was then placed in the centre of the card using foam pads.  I then stamped and gold embossed the Christmas tree image (Creative Expressions set) and used the smaller Nellies die to cut it out.  This was also placed on the card using foam pads.  I then used some Stickles adding to the dots around the main image and also to create "faux" gems on each corner of the card.  I coloured some gold peel offs using ProMarkers and put the phrase "Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year" around the centre panel.  As the Hunkydory card is so ornate I thought less is more and left it as is.

Thanks for looking.

Elegant & Party Ladies

I recently bought two stamp sets by Creative Expressions called Elegant Ladies and Party Ladies from my friend Liz at Make a Lasting Impression - it was one of those moments when I just couldn't decide between them so had to have them both!!!

The image on this first card is from the Elegant Ladies set.  I began with a square card blank and used some backing paper from my stash.  I cut some mats using my Nellies dies in light green Bazzill, silver mirri and a darker green Bazzill card.  I used my Martha Stewart daisy punch for the central border.  The image has been paper pieced using paper from a Laura Ashley 6"x6" pack and I added some diamantes around her waist.  The sentiment is also from the same set and I added some green gems to finish the card off.

The second image is from the Party Ladies set.  I started off with an A5 card blank and covered the front with some pearlescent card.  I then cut out mats using Nesties labels dies in four sizes and inked the edges with chalk ink.  The sentiment is from the Elegant Ladies set and again was cut out using a Nesties labels die and inked as before.  I added a Sizzix die cut flourish and heart, a paper flower, ribbon bow and some pearls.  The actual image was coloured using ProMarkers and I used a Quickie glue pen and Glamour Dust to add some "bling".

Thanks for looking.