Hello guys!
I hope you're all well! This is a scheduled post for y'all and at this point I may not have posted for a while as I am actually in the south of France working for a month just now and with the wedding just before I went away it's not been especially conducive to blogging, or card making for that matter! It's just not on is it!?
So, before I went away I was on a card making mission to make sure that no one's birthdays were missed while I was gone - that would be a travesty!
This is one such card...
This is for my dear ex-blogging friend, Kelly! I'm still not happy that she's ceased blogging, but I will forgive her as she is now a very proud mother of beautiful baby Grace, so I guess it's allowed! ;) You may remember Kelly from Kelly's Craftin' Corner...I have actually just noticed that her final post was my birthday card from last year which is an honour!
Today is Kelly's 30th birthday! Woohoo!! Sorry Kell, but it's a big one so I had to share your age ;) This was actually the predecessor to the card I made here. After I'd made this one I thought I'd try it out in other colours and I liked it! ;)
Anyway, this is just a quick post to wish Kelly a very happy birthday - I hope you have a fabulous day darling!
Thank you all for stopping by ;)
Supplies
Card: Paper Mill Direct - White, Raspberry Pink, Pink Sorbet
Stamps: Stamping All Day - Deco Birthday
Ink: Ranger - Perfect Medium
Other: Spellbinders - Small & Large Circles; Tim Holtz - Tattered Florals; Craft Concepts - Grunge Dots
e/f; Sparkles - Glitz It
Hello and welcome!
Today this is a scheduled post as I am currently in Edinburgh waiting to go to the castle to see my DOH's brother and fiance get married! I know, how posh to get married in the chapel at the castle! I really hope the weather holds up, although I would be very surprised!!
My DOH's brother is a die-hard West Ham Utd football fan and I have been reliably informed by the bride that the team colours are an influence in the wedding decorations so I though it only fitting to make a card to reflect this...of course!! The colours though stumped me a bit...Claret and Blue. What do you do with claret and blue!!? Not being a big football fan myself, I don't know much about West Ham Utd so I thought I'd Google it and see what popped up. The fan song they're most known for singing at their games is 'I'm forever blowing bubbles' and that sparked a little idea in my mind. I hope you understand what I mean when you see the card!
Do you see??! I die cut the circles from the white layer and popped it up over some embossed circles in claret and blue. The pearls are like little tiny bubbles!
I'll be honest...I'm not sold on this card entirely, but it has grown on me a tad, I think?! Let me know what you think...I may have looked at it and stressed over it for too long now! ;)
Well, despite the card, I'm sure we're having a fantastic day!! I hope you all are too ;)
Thank you for stopping by ;)
Supplies
Card: Paper Mill Direct - White, Ruby Red, Sky Blue
Stamps: Waltzingmouse - Big Day Additions
Ink: Ranger - Perfect Medium
Other: Spellbinders - Small and Large Circles; Craft Concepts - Grunge Stripes e/f; WOW! - Metallic
Blue e/p; pearls
Hello there!
Today is SUPER busy day so I'm going to have to be quick! There are about a million things I should be doing instead of writing a blog post...he he! I'm off to the airport in two hours for a little trip to Edinburgh for my DOH's brother's wedding!
I would like to take a moment to say hi to my new followers though! I'm so glad to have you here and I hope you enjoy your stay! ;)
Now, as the title suggests I managed to hit four challenges with one card! Hopefully it counts for all of them ;)
The challenges are Catered Crop - Orange is the new black (which I did start watching on Netflix last night and looks pretty good!); CAS(E) this sketch #50 (can you believe it's been going nearly a year already?!); the Fusion card challenge which I haven't played along with for a while and last, but not least, The Paper Players - a CAS masculine birthday card.
Here's my card;
...and a wee close up of the stitching...
Yes, I'm still on a sewing roll! I know that my Father-In-Law won't realise just how long it took to draw the circles, measure the distance between the holes (I am too OCD to eyeball that sort of thing!) pierce the holes and then sew them...but that's ok, I know you guys do ;)
The layout is from the CTS sketch, the colours are from the inspiration photo over at Fusion (and kinda the layout I guess?) and the Catered Crop orange-ness. Hopefully this counts as a CAS masculine birthday card too because like I say, it's going to my Father-In-Law!! ;)
Thanks so much for stopping by, all your support really encourages my creativity ;)
Still with the grey background Blogger?!!! Really?!!
Supplies
Card: Paper Mill Direct - White, Spring Green
Stamps: Stamping All Day - Deco Birthday
Ink: Ranger - Perfect Medium
Other: WOW! - Opaque Primary Mandarin e/p; thread
Hey!
How is everyone today? I don't know about you, but I think this week has absolutely FLOWN by! I mean, it's Thursday already! How on earth did that happen?!
I made a card last night, when I was supposed to be cooking dinner, for the Muse challenge and also for the CAS-ual Fridays challenge.
This is an example of what I was talking about the other day...a card that you think is going to be awesome (or at least has the potential to be) and then when you've actually finished making it, well, not so much... This could be a grower and I don't think it's as bad as I think it is (if you know what I mean?!) but more that it didn't end up exactly the way I planned...I dunno...?
Anyway, here it is...
A bit of a fail here on the mirror card photography - apologies people! I STILL only have one light source...I am working on it! For such a 'simple' card, I can tell you that this bad boy has taken the best part of two hours. Yep, you read that right...two hours! Now you're all thinking that I am a little bit simple myself...I hear ya! So do I! Ha ha! That little star, that TINY little star is what caused the bulk of the aggravation. I can't even tell you why, but it took me an age to get it to the size I wanted and the perfect shape. It really didn't need to be so difficult, especially as I did exactly the same thing the last time as I did the first time and all the other times in between to draw the star shape?! Pleeease, how does that make any sense?! I am now on first name terms with my protractor and there are lots of pieces of paper currently residing on my desk that have a variety of sizes of stars drawn on them!
Throughout the whole ordeal, I had a song going round in my head...it was the song 'Ex-Factor' by Lauryn Hill and the opening lyrics are... "It could all be so simple, but you'd rather make it hard"!!! See?! Sorry about that little tangent there! (Showing my age now with my music taste!)
Here's the little sausage in all his glory...finally!!
What you can't really see in the photograph either is that the black panel with the star and sentiment on is popped up from the gold and black base. I thought that the 'daisy' style die cut looked kinda like little stars too, hence he got a place on this card ;)
Here is the Muse card from Marion Vagg that my card was based on...
I did try to stamp my sentiment vertically, as I have done many times before, but I just CANNOT do it! I can't...I actually start sweating! I love how Marion's card has the vertical sentiment, but I just can't do it myself - d'oh!
The little menace of a star means this is another entry for CAS-ual Fridays - whoop whoop! Yes I know, another CAS-ual Fridays entry...the inspiration really, well, inspired me this time round and who am I to ignore it! ;)
Thank you to all those who have taken the time to read this whole post...I probably should've placed a warning at the top of it! I really hold no grudges against anyone who just scrolled to the pictures, I don't blame you in the slightest! Just thank you all for stopping by ;)
Supplies
Card: Paper Mill Direct - Black; Create & Craft - Gold Mirror Card
Stamps: Verve - Glad Tidings
Ink: Ranger - Perfect Medium
Other: Spellbinders - Classic Decorative Inserts Three; WOW! - Metallic Rich Gold e/p; gold thread
Hey!
I am popping in with a quick post, you'll be pleased to know!!
I made this card for the challenge over at The Paper Players which this week is a colour challenge from Jaydee.
Now, I don't 'do' SU! colours - not because I don't like them, just because I don't have any! So, I have interpreted the colours Midnight Muse, Pool Party and Whisper White as Teal, Pale Turqoise and well, White! I am a little unsure as to whether that's right or not as 'midnight' to me implies a navy blue, but the colour swatches on my screen look more like turquoise? That's my story anyway and I'm sticking to it! ;)
Right, now that dilemma is over, on to the card!
We have, Teal, Pale Turquoise and White! Woohoo! I'm not even sure where this idea came from, it was one of those 'sat at my desk making a card and before I knew it this bad boy was born' kinda scenario, you know what I mean?! It doesn't really require a great deal of explanation either so, here it is and that is all!
Thank you for stopping by and have a lovely day ;)
Supplies
Card: Paper Mill Direct - White, Raspberry Pink, Pink Sorbet
Stamps: Stamping All Day - Deco Birthday
Ink: Ranger - Perfect Medium
Other: Spellbinders - Small & Large Circles; Tim Holtz - Tattered Florals; Craft Concepts - Grunge Dots
e/f; Sparkles - Glitz It
Hey guys!
I'm here with another Christmas card...big surprise there huh?!
I have made this card as a second entry into CAS-ual Fridays, an interpretation of the sketch at CAS(E) this sketch (you'll see what I mean hopefully!) an entry into the 'Transparent' challenge at Addicted To CAS AND, last but by no means least, the challenge over at WOW! Embossing Powder this month is 'Stars and Stripes'! Phew!
ETA: It has been pointed out to me that this card may also qualify for the criteria over at the Merry Monday challenge which is Blue, White and Silver. I am hoping my little pop of gold doesn't count me out, I'll pop it in to this challenge anyway and we'll soon find out I suppose! Thank you!
Here is my card...
and a little close up for ya...
Now...I realise that this may not be exactly what the guys over at Addicted To CAS meant when they chose 'transparent' as the cue card and I'm almost certain this is completely different to what the WOW! guys had in mind too...but bear with me a moment and I'll try to explain my logic!
I was going to make these banners using acetate - that's about as transparent as it gets, right?! But, then I thought of winter and frosty windows and so I decided on vellum to portray that...with me?! And for WOW! I was thinking that snowflakes are like winters' stars and these banners are my stripes! If these links are a little too tenuous then I do apologise, but that's where my little brain took me when I was thinking about the inspirations!
I swapped the speech bubbles in the CAS(E) this sketch sketch for the banners...I think that's quite obvious! As is the stitching for the CAS-ual Fridays challenge ;)
I really wish that I'd used gold for the central banner because there's less contrast between the white and silver snowflakes than I was anticipating, but I just didn't have the time to re-do it so it is what it is! I'm hoping it's one of those things that only pedantic arty people like us will notice and that the recipient of this card will never even consider that fact! ;)
Now that I have my needle and threads out I have an idea for another stitched card using the Muse inspiration, I just hope it turns out how I'm imagining! ;)
Challenges:
Thank you so much for dropping in ;)
Supplies
Card: Paper Mill Direct - White, Navy; Vellum
Stamps: Penny Black - Crystalline; Wild Rose Studios - Let It Snow
Ink: Ranger - Perfect Medium
Other: WOW! - Bright White Opaque, Silver Super Fine, White Twinkle, Metallic Gold Rich e/p; thread
Howdily doodily people!
I hope all is well with everyone and you're enjoying the start of the new week! I am currently having a delayed weekend as we ended up working Saturday and Sunday so we've decided that we're going to have Monday and Tuesday off. It's just as well actually because we popped out last night for a 'few drinks' to celebrate our friends' birthday and I don't know about anyone else, but it has occurred to me that I just can't do these things any more without paying for it dearly the following day! Oh well, it was a lovely evening and like I say, no work today!
So, what better way to spend my pyjama day than at my desk!? It was a no brainer really!
A few days ago I saw somewhere that it's only 70-something days until Christmas and I was like...what!?!?!?! As of today it is 71 days until the big day - I cannot believe how quickly this year has just zoomed by! I think time has crept on my darling mother too as she called me today in a panic as she realised that my birthday was coming up sooner than she thought! To be perfectly honest, I'd forgotten too! I'm half hoping that if I don't have this birthday then the biggie next year can't happen because I won't be another year older! ;)
Luckily, I'm on a kinda Christmas roll here in my little craft space (which is handy given the number of cards I need to make, not only for myself but for other people! Jack darling, your 30 cards are ready and waiting for you to collect!)
The idea for this card has been floating around my brain for a little while now, although not in a lucid form, if you know what I mean?! I had the notion of what I wanted it to look like, but the details evaded me...until I saw the challenge over at CAS-ual Fridays - In Stitches. The little light bulb in my mind 'pinged' and this card finally got it's debut!
You know how sometimes you can have a great idea for a card (well, you think it is anyway!) and then when you actually make it it's a bit of a disappointment and you look at it and think 'meh'?! Well, this card actually turned out just how I imagined it! Whoop whoop! The stitching solved a big problem for me as I was wracking my brain as to how I was going to make little silhouettes of trees without having any silhouette stamps!? I don't know why I didn't think of it before, but sometimes you just need a little nudge, right :)
Now, there's also the Festive Friday challenge going on just now which is to make a project the 'whimsical' in nature. I have no idea if this counts as even remotely whimsical, because if I'm honest I find it difficult to pin down exactly what that means when it comes to cards? (Call me dim, but we all have our flaws!) So, I'm going to enter this into the challenge and wait for the inevitable comment which says, "thanks for entering, but you just don't get it do you?!" !! I'm cool with that, just let me know ;)
I think that's just about enough jabbering for today, I'm off for another cup of peppermint tea to see if I can't fix this hangover inexplicable tiredness! ;)
Thank you so much for stopping by ;)
Supplies
Card: Paper Mill Direct - White
Stamps: Bo Bunny - Sentiment Stamps
Ink: VersaColor - Black; Distress Ink - Broken China
Other: WOW! - Clear Hologram e/p; thread; rhinestones
...I actually think this could be an interesting direction for the Runway Inspired Challenge to go in - fashion from yester-year. I can see it now (cue overly exaggerated hand-waving gesture)...shell suits, hoop skirts, ball gowns...the possibilities are endless! Maybe these guys should get together...??! ;)
Anyway, as usual, I digress!
Hello people! Carol of Just Me: C (you should all check out her blog by the way!) asked to see more cards, so here I am with a card that I made using the inspiration gleaned from the Runway Inspired Challenge (it doesn't rain for me, it pours!) and also the fabulous sketch from Retro Sketches. It culminated in this...
I love rainbow stripes, I just can't help myself!! I was SOOO tempted to pop some rhinestones under that sentiment because it kinda looks to me like it's just 'hanging' and that upsets me. However, there's always a but huh?! I wanted this to be a 'masculine' card. Not really sure I achieved that at all mind you...the DOH certainly didn't seem to think so. I had half hoped to give this card to his Dad for his birthday (that was the plan when I sat down to make it anyway!) but now I'm not so sure.....??
I'm cutting it a bit fine on both of these deadlines, you know, just for a change...so just a quick post from me today you'll be pleased to know! I hope you're all enjoying your Friday and looking forward to fun-filled or relaxing weekends :)
Oh, just an aside...if anyone knows why blogger has started making the background of my signature image grey I would really love to know!? It's becoming a smidge irritating...my OCD is having a real problem with this! Thank you! :)
Thank you so much for stopping by ;)
Supplies
Card: Paper Mill Direct - White, Black, Sky Grey, Bright Red, Bright Orange, Daffodil, Apple Green,
Ocean Blue, Lilac, Grape
Stamps: Bo Bunny - Sentiment Stamps
Ink: Ranger - Perfect Medium
Other: WOW! - Ebony e/p; Uniball fine liner
Hi guys!
How you all doing? I hope you're all well and I'm sure you're looking forward to the weekend ;)
I have made a card for CAS(E) this sketch AND Runway Inspired Challenge - I think this is only the second time I've felt brave enough to play along with RIC! The colours and the graphic look of the fabric in the inspiration meant that I couldn't pass it up this time :)
I was looking for a stamp to make a card for the CAS(E) this sketch challenge and I couldn't find anything in my collection that I considered to be suitable for this wonderful sketch or one that was suitable for the type of card I needed to make. Sooo...I decided that instead of using an image, I would go for stripes - I love stripes!
...'they' reckon you have one idea in your life and everything after that is just that same idea in another form...I have to agree!! When I was uploading this photograph, I noticed that a few of my other cards in the folder had the same feel to them. I'm sorry if it's getting a bit boring here! Let me know and I'll do my best to jump out of my comfort zone...these cards just happen though! Do you find that?!
Hopefully you can see where my inspirations came from...how cool is that dress?! And the sketch come to mention it :) I may try and make another card for CASE) this sketch as this sketch has loads of potential!
Thank you so much for stopping by ;)
Supplies
Card: Paper Mill Direct - White, Black, Grey, Bright Orange, Daffodil Yellow, Raspberry Pink, Bright
Red, Ocean Blue, Pale Turquoise
Stamps: Bo Bunny - Sentiment Stamps
Ink: Ranger - Perfect Medium
Other: WOW! - Ebony e/p; rhinestones
...I can explain!! ;)
No, I'm not writing a letter to Father Christmas...I'm back again today with a card for Retro Sketches. This sketch happens to be one of Laurie's that was used over at Muse recently, but I missed it when it was there so I'm glad for the second chance!
When I saw this sketch I immediately thought it looked like an envelope...do you see where I'm coming from?! So, that's where my idea started...an envelope addressed to Father Christmas ;) Inside the card is the rest of the sentiment "...I can explain...!" This card would be apt for pretty much everyone I know!!
Here is the sketch...
I wasn't sure whether I liked this card when I finished it, but I think it could be a grower. I saw it on my desk when I got back in from a short trip into town this morning (I made this card very early this morning!!) I liked it a little more than before?! What do you guys think?
Thank you, as always, for stopping by ;)
Supplies
Card: Paper Mill Direct - White, Bright Red
Stamps: Papermania - Let It Snow
Ink: VersaColor - White
Other: WOW! - Bright White Opaque e/p; Windsor & Newton Black Calligraphy ink; rhinestones
Hello guys and gals!
I hope you're all enjoying your weekend so far. I certainly am as I found a little time in which to craft - and I hope I made the most of it :)
I have made a card that is fit for THREE challenges! Some people are great at this and that's just normal for them - me, not so much!!
Today's card is being entered into CASology where the Cue Card is 'Autumn'; CAS-ual Fridays where the challenge is 'Fall colours and a leaf' and last but definitely not least, Addicted To CAS where the Code Word is also 'Autumn/Fall'.
There are no prizes for guessing what my card is going to look like!!
I was trying to hone my inner Ardyth on this card...I'd like to think there's one in there somewhere, but I very much doubt it!!
This card definitely evolved from the original idea...in fact it was quite a major transformation! The plan I started out with when I sat at my desk was to die cut the leaves into opposite corners and place autumnal blended colours underneath that just peeked through, finished with a nice sentiment in the middle of the space. Well, that didn't happen did it?!! Nope. I did try that but this particular die isn't 'shapely' enough if you know what I mean and just looked like I'd cut a blob out of the corner! This is a house of making the best with what you have, so as not to waste the 'failed' die cutting attempt, I used the leaf blob for the purpose it was intended! I blended the colours onto the die cut and then decided it still needed more definition, so I clear embossed the coordinating leaf stamp over the top. It still wasn't defined enough so I emboss again in copper pearl and that was just the ticket! The sentiment was embossed in that lovely Halloween glitter powder to tie in with the colours a bit :)
Anyone bored yet?!! How can a simple card become so long winded huh? ;) I kinda like this little, simple card and it will be a good one to have on standby should I need a thank you note :)
The challenges...
Thank you for stopping by and reading my rambles ;) I hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend!
Supplies
Card: Paper Mill Direct - White
Stamps: Verve - Bloom & Grow; Bo Bunny - Sentiment Stamps
Ink: Ranger - Perfect Medium; Papermania - Yellow; Distress Ink - Spiced Marmalade, Barn Door
Other: WOW! Halloween Glitter, Copper Pearl e/p; Verve A Cut Above Dies - Elegant Leaves
Morning!
I am here today with my interpretation of the GORGEOUS card over at Muse, by the lovely Karen! Her card is so beautiful...it's really feminine without a drop of pink in sight! ;)
First up, here's my card...
This card just kinda came into being! Now, I realise that sounds a little bit silly, but it's true. I knew I wanted to CASE the blue/purple panel from Karen's card, but I didn't want it to look like an exact replica which would've been an easy trap to fall into because where do you go from a card that great?! :) I had a piece of vellum floating around on my desk and I was having a bit of a tidy (situation normal! My desk should be super clean the amount of time I spend clearing it!) Anyway, I was looking at the vellum and wondering whether you'd be able to see colours through it if I blended a background? Luckily it worked and here we are! I am trying to get a wriggle on with my Christmas cards so that was the obvious direction for this card. I embossed the snowflakes in silver, white and silver pearl to emulate the colours Karen used for her Dandelions.
I also used some NBUS on this card! Yesterday I received a parcel, a very small parcel I might add, in the post. Where I live there are two art shops, that is all. They're not very big shops, more like little family run places and I love them, but they don't stock a great deal and so sometimes I have to resort to online shopping. Ok, so it's not that much of a chore (!) but I do prefer to keep the small high streets shops in business - it's my little contribution to social, local and economical sustainability :) Anyway, I had to order some double sided tape from an online shop and I noticed this cute little stamp set out of the corner of my eye. (ok, I was looking!) It's Bo Bunny's Sentiment Stamps and it's perfect! It has a sentiment for every occasion in one little set! It just jumped into my basket and ended up in my parcel! He he! :) I even waited for my delivery to arrive before I finished this card because I wanted to use this Christmas sentiment! So this NBUS is seriously new!! :)
Without further ado, here is Karen's lovely Muse card...
...see, told you it was purdy!! :)
Thank you for stopping by guys ;)
Supplies
Card: Paper Mill Direct - White; Vellum
Stamps: Wild Rose Studios - Snowflakes; Bo Bunny - Sentiment Stamps
Ink: Versamark - Champagne Dazzle
Other: WOW! - Ebony, Silver Super Fine, Bright White Opaque, Silver Pearl e/p; rhinestones
