A commissioned card.

Eldest son's future in-laws celebrate their Ruby Wedding Anniversary at the end of October and I was asked to make a card for them but the card had to incorporate Cyprus in one way or another as it was their favourite place. Now, I don't usually take commissions. If anyone wants one of my cards they either select from those I have already made or they take what I make them but, in this instance, I thought I'd give it a go. Wish I hadn't but ... it seems the card was a success. Well, at least it was liked by son and future daughter-in-law.

I have to thank a friend, Debs, for giving me the inspiration for the design of the card as I cased the card she sent me and hubby for our Silver Wedding last weekend.

The Cypriot flag, in a heart, was found on t'internet and I printed it off onto shrink plastic, coloured the heart (which was white), punched a couple of holes for ribbon and shrank it all down. The idea was for it to 'dangle' but it wouldn't so it got stuck on instead! Perhaps one hole with jump rings and dangled from the bow might have been better but didn't think of that until it was too late (like now - *lol*). Not sure I like the ribbon across the top either but again ... too late. Have to say, I was given enough notice as I was asked back in April if I'd make a card and finally made it on Wednesday this week. It was collected today and will be wending it's way over to Cyprus, next Wednesday, where the family will be celebrating the anniversary so, once again, all left to the last minute - ooops!

Ingredients:

Linen card for card blank, matting and layering, greeting and embossing.

Red holographic card for matting and layering

Satin ribbon from stash

Cuttlebug embossing folders, Divine Swirls and Wedding

Shrink plastic (frosted, although would have been better in white I think)

Computer generated greeting

Red gems from stash

Enjoy!!

 

Birthday Card!

A birthday card and not a Kenny K image in sight *LOL!*

This was made for youngest son's birthday. He reached middle age today. He's now 35 *hehe*! I've used, for the very first time, one of my own background papers & toppers made from my own photograph .... see here. I've recently printed off a selection of my sheets and now know where I can improve them when I get round to doing more. Anyway, here's the card.

Ingredients:

Cream, hammered, deckle edge card blank

Sepia car topper and backing paper - here

Gold mirri card (screw heads made using punched circles and embossed)

Craft Too General Greeting embossing folder for greeting

I've been 'decanting' unmounted stamps into CD & multimedia cases (DVD cases without the inserts) today. Takes up so much less room but it means - shock, horror - I've had to take them out of their packets! Mostly I've managed to get 2 stamp sets into a CD case and varying amounts of unmounted, on EaziMount, in the multimedia case depending on how big they are. Magnolias generally go 8 to a case. I'm labelling them as I go as well and with the multimedia I've made a template (just adapted one of my insert templates) and I'm dragging piccies of the stamps onto it, captioning them with their individual name, putting a title on the spine, printing off and inserting it just as if it were a DVD inside. Only problem is, I'm now surrounded by the smell of acrylic stamps! Why do they have to smell so much?  I've also got sore fingers from releasing the ones that stick like stuff to a blanket to the acetate that they're mounted on in their packs!  Not finished yet as loads more to do - the odd ones that aren't in sets, or at least, not large sets.

Enjoy!!
 

And a Thank You.

Well, 2 actually. Thank yous to Lynn and Nita for organising our week in sunny Espaná. Beautiful villa in La Zenia and the weather was kind. Food great and crafting superb .... I actually surprised myself and managed to make a card for each of them before we went.  What we made while there will follow!

Ingredients:

Cream card blanks.

Gold and silver card for matting.

Personal Impressions stamps for greeting.

Gems from stash.

EK Success Edger Punch - Bumpy Road

Stampin Up scalloped oval punch.

Decoupage toppers ... can't say as can't remember.  Sheets full of bits and punches to match then just stuck over the base image with silicone glue

Enjoy!!
 

Wobbler!

You might have noticed there has been a drought in my blogging and, if you read my Ramblings blog you'll be picking up why - partly! Before I took ill I had a day with friends, Kim and Greta, and we made a couple of cards. One I've still to finish but the other is done! I made it for my Dad for Father's Day. He's always known as Jumbo and I try to theme his cards to his 'name'. He also likes novelty and yes, I know this is really a child's card but ... he'll love it and I can see it raising a grin to his face. reckon it'll be pointed out to every carer that visits him as well - *LOL*

I snagged the photo under from Greta.  It shows all the wobblers that we made that day.  Kim's is the one on the left and Greta's is the one at the back.  I've done more work on mine since this photo was taken as I've trimmed the rocker close to Ellie's legs.

The wobblers are die cut sheets from Kanban.  Things like this are not my normal choice as they really are just sticking things together and it's not what I call crafting but ... I can see young children (and old parents) loving them and they do make quick, effective cards - once you've figured out how they actually go together.  I have to say that the instructions are worse than useless! The heads are stuck onto a strip of folded acetate to make them wobble and everything else is just stuck together with DST and/or foam pads.

Enjoy!!

Hubby's 70th Birthday

Hubby celebrated his 70th birthday while I was away on my luxury holiday (fast becoming a distant memory now) but I made sure that I'd made his card before I went and left it with strict instructions not to open it until the day! Because of that I couldn't post it here in case he saw it. Not that he reads either of my blogs and not sure he even knows how to find them but Murphy's Law says that if I had posted earlier he would have found it *LOL*. I guess I could have scheduled a post but time ran away and I never got round to it but .... here it is now! I have to thank a dear friend, Kim, as she cut the letters and numbers for me on her Cricut. She found me searching for diecut numbers and letters while at the Glitterpot recently and offered to do them for me. I would have done them manually but she saved me a fair bit of time so ... Thank you, Kim

Think everything is pretty self explanatory by the pictures alone. Martha Stewart, Kanban and Nestabilities being the main ingredients along with Kim's input. (Click on any image for larger view)

As you may gather, we don't do 'lovey-dovey' *LOL*

Enjoy!!

Birthday Girls.

Things are looking up! I've had 3 birthdays this week and I've managed to make cards for 2 of them and that's a novelty *LOL*. They're nothing special and I resorted to the dreaded ready made toppers. I hate ready made toppers with a vengeance but one card had to be made quickly. I have to say that, for the size of the cards (they're only A6 - slightly larger than US A2) and the simplicity of them, they were very expensive ... because of the ready made bit! I don't feel as though I can call them handcrafted but I guess they're what card companies would call 'hand finished'. Very, very simple but I think the recipients ... my youngest grand-daughters ... liked them.

Ingredients:
Cream card blank and matching envelope from stash.
Backing paper: Craftwork Cards Yummy Scrummy Paper Pack - Milk Chocolate & Marshmallow - Gold
Plaque:  Spellbinders Nestibility - Classic Scalloped Oval
Toppers and embellies: Forever Friends Elements Stickers - Pretty Ballerina
Lace Ribbon Trim: Martha Stewart Lever Border Punch - Arch Lattice
'Have a Wonderful Day' greeting - Craftwork Cards, Oh My Word! - Birthday Messages

... and here are the birthday girls ...

Emma, now aged 8, on the left and her little sister, Amy, now aged 4

Enjoy!!

SE imag-e-nationer's Christmas meet #1

5th December, Southwater, Horsham.
Great fun had by all. A challenge with a twist, some projects and an SU make and take ... brilliant!

Challenge was set ... The card could be any subject. It had to be monochromatic (having, or appearing to have, only one colour) with a toning topper. At least 2 backing papers needed and a few embellies (for example ... flowers/snowflakes or similar but relating to topper & backing papers and following the monochromatic line). There was to be an extra, surprise, element added on the day ... so it was a Challenge with a Twist! The surprise element was a card map/sketch/layout to follow.

I'd decided to use one of the stamped images I'd coloured a while back (The Greeting Farm, Dressy Anya stamp set) and to make the card 'zingy'. It's probably more zingy than in photo but light not good for photography at the moment. DP is Doodlebug and image was cut 'out of the box' style with a circle nestie to fit the Nellie Snellen Multiframe Die used behind that. Sentiment was Craftwork Cards and flower a Floral Doodle. Green metallic card used in the matting is from the kids craft section in Tesco. I'm really pleased with the way it turned out.

The SU make and take was a gift card/money holder. I loved this and, as it was an SU make and take, all the materials, stamps and finishing touches were SU. Of course I had to purchase the stamp set - Sparkly & Bright - especially seeing card samples made with it as well. Soo cute!

UPDATE: There's a tutorial for the gift card holder on this blog here.

Enjoy!!

Colouring Workshop - again!

They say the Lord likes a trier so He must luurrve me and Greta 'cos we're very - sorry, that should be 'really' - trying ... LOLOL!! The number of times we've (oops!) I've had instruction in colouring you'd have thought we'd got it by now! I think I have got the pencil colouring, be it Prisma Colors or the UK equivilant, Coloursoft, but it didn't stop me doing another class at The Craft Barn yesterday, hoping to pick up a few more tips that I could work on. Unfortunately my watercolouring is still bad (that's probably an understatement), despite doing another class on that as well.


The morning class wasn't what we expected at all but it was thoroughly enjoyable because it was different! We learnt how to lay down a flat wash, a graduated wash and how to make a sunset background. Now, they could all be very useful but then they're more slap it on and watch it develop. We learnt how to deepen the colours with layers (not extra paint/ink added as I thought - lol!) and we had a go at colouring a traced, stamped image which was interesting although mine was a bit of a disaster however, not as much as the poppy which we won't talk about - LOL!


The afternoon was using Coloursoft pencils and Sansodor. I was hoping to pick up a few more tips on using these but the original tutor couldn't do the class so a substitute was bought in, in the shape of Stamping Caz - lol!! The first thing she did was admit that she had only used these pencils 3 times before but she gave a good demo for those that had never used them so needed to learn from scratch or have basic tips on how to proceed. I enjoyed the class, even if I didn't pick up anything extra on their use. We made a double slider card and a standard DL card using a couple of the Craft Barn's Kadoodle stamps (designed by Sandra Dry who should have been our tutor for this workshop) and a variety of DP. I finished the projects at home and went a bit overboard with my 'distressing'. It's very distressed - LOL! That's the fault of doing it under a side light instead of proper light. Mind you, I don't think it looks too bad ... ????

I did learn a couple of things from this class though. I don't like Coloursoft as much as Prisma Color. They are softer, both in the lead and in the colours and neither do I particularly like the effect of colouring round the edge and dragging the colour in - which can be done providing a very silky, smooth card is used. The slightest texture on the card and forget it! In that instance, colour the whole image lightly with a very pale colour (even if it's white) and build on top of that. I think I've got used to working on 'rough' card and colouring the whole image and now, what I was originally trying to achieve, no longer appeals. I've developed my own style and I've realised that I'm happy with it but I'm still open to trying and adapting anything else along the way. Just wish I could get a handle on watercolouring - lol!

Enjoy!!

Advent calendar and Christmas card ... with difference!

Had a brilliant day with crafting friends yesterday. Hosted by Debs, we knew we had a couple of projects to do 'cos she'd given a clue - LOL! Instructions given were -
Cutting mat
Craft knife
Scissors
Pokey tool (optional)
Strong DST (lots of it)
For the first project ... embellishments no taller than 3" or 2" in width, anything from 2-8 of them with matching coloured or patterned card, ribbon, brads (optional) or anything you can think of to decorate a large box.
The second project you will need a topper/decoupage no taller than 4" with coordinating backing papers, embellishments, ribbon, sentiments.

The first project turned out to be a labour of love and love it we did! It took nearly all day but nowhere near as long as it must have taken Debs to do all the prep! My finished Advent Box used Papermania Christmas papers for the top and bottom, silver mirri board for the drawer sides, Papermania snowflake brads for the drawer handles and a selection of snowman ready-made toppers to decorate.

As it turned out we didn't need anything for the 2nd project. Debs supplied packs with everything in (the images I was given are from Lily of the Valley - cute, eh?). We were given the measurements to make the card fold and left to decorate it with the goodies supplied and then cover with the acetate as instructed. I love this card but I couldn't get it to sit as it should with the acetate fixed where it should have been so I adapted and now it won't fit in an envelope as the acetate won't lay flat when rest of card flattened - LOL! I finished this card at home as I wanted to add stickles to the main images to give it a bit of sparkle and I think it worked!

Enjoy!!

FREEBIE - Waterlily hexagonal pyramid

Another waterlily - and it is a different photo to the last one! We've been having such lovely weather this past week (with the exception of one day but more about that on Ramblings!) that another lily appeared on the pond and reminded me that I'd made this sheet a while back but not posted it. I still have no idea how the sizes work in practise. The topper, the borders, the greetings ..... I need somebody who's used 'em ('cos I haven't, or printed them) to let me know if I need to make any adjustments .... pleeease!

Please note:
These sheets and original photograph are both copyright to me. You are free to use the sheets in any way you wish for personal use and you may sell anything you make using them but please, do not share them in any way whatsoever but link to my blog for others to download for themselves. Please do not claim them as your own or sell the sheets in any form.





Click on any image for full size version and either print or save to your PC for printing at a later date.

Enjoy!!

FREEBIE - Underhill Lane, Hoar-frost 2009

Well, it's getting to that time of year when thoughts turn to ... CHRISTMAS! (Shock, horror, where's the summer gone?) I'm very Bah-Humbug about Christmas but seem to be drawn to anything crafty relating to it. I buy a lot but never use it and, I hate to admit this ..... I generally buy my Christmas cards (sssshhhhh!!) I do try to make a few and sometimes I'm forced to (*grin*) but I mainly like to add 'stuff' to my craft collection - *LOL* Anyways, I've been playing again and I love this photo I took in February on one of my journeys to a Glitterpot workshop and I think it lends itself perfectly to a Christmas card. As ever ...

Please note:
These sheets and original photograph are both copyright to me. You are free to use the sheets in any way you wish for personal use and you may sell anything you make using them but please, do not share them in any way whatsoever but link to my blog for others to download for themselves. Please do not claim them as your own or sell the sheets in any form.








Click on any image for full size version and either print or save to your PC for printing at a later date.

Enjoy!!

FREEBIE - Pebble beach

Here's the first freebie for this month. I was browsing Nicky's photo albums on Facebook, just after she'd uploaded some of her holiday photos and fell in love with a few. She kindly gave permission for me to use what I wanted so I hope she likes what I've done. Greetings are a new thing for me and I'm not sure about them, if I'm honest. I think they may be too big and that's a problem in not printing them out myself before I post. Let me know if they are too big and I'll see about making smaller greetings on future sheets.

Please note:
These sheets are copyright to me and the original photograph to Nicky Lovett. You are free to use the sheets in any way you wish for personal use and you may sell anything you make using them but please, do not share them in any way whatsoever but link to my blog for others to download for themselves. Please do not claim them as your own or sell the sheets in any form.

Click on any image for full size version and either print or save to your PC for printing at a later date.

Enjoy!!