Hey, hey!
How are we doing people!? I hope you all have some fabulous plans for the weekend, be they busy and action packed or just to chill and catch up with friends and loved ones :)
I have a card today that I have made for 'my' Granddaughter...as you know, she's not technically mine, but I am known as Nanny Sian and I love her loads! ;) It' her second birthday on Wednesday and I just cannot believe two years have passed already and I've not met her yet!!! DOH's son, wife and little Madison live in Australia...maybe one day :)
I made this card using the current (just about!) sketch from Retro Sketches...
I went with pink...as you may have noticed! But that's about as 'little girl' as this card got! She's a proper little grown up from what I know of her on Skype etc...so hopefully she'll like this :) I'm also hoping that this card arrives in a reasonable amount of time...last year I made a shaker card for her first birthday (this one here) and it never occurred to me that maybe a card going through customs that rattles might be a cause for concern...I was wrong! By the time it actually made it to its' intended destination it had been opened and had a big sticker on it from the drugs squad in Australian customs saying that it was safe!!! Doh!
The only bit I missed out was the bow. It wasn't intentional, I just forgot and then I thought it might be too busy? But then again, it may have made it more relevant for a little girls' birthday card :)
Here's the Retro Sketches sketch;
Thank you so much for stopping by, have a fabulous weekend! ;)
Supplies
Card: Paper Mill Direct - White, Black, Smooth Grey, Pastel Pink; K&Co - Best Of
Stamps: STAMPlorations - Chevrons and Arrows
Ink: Versamark
Other: WOW! - Tickled Pink embossing powder; pearls
Hello, hello!
I know it's been an absolute age since I posted anything! I have been making cards, I just haven't found the time to take photographs and post them. I've been making entries for a bunch of challenges and missed ALL the deadlines - ha ha! I've decided that I will post the cards I've made, despite not being able to enter them :)
This particular card is one of the most recent ones I made. It was for a colleague who works in a neighbouring team as she left today to start her new job - good luck Monika!
I was given a brief (as I haven't known the guys that long!) of red and owls. Hmm, red and owls...not really my go to colour or theme. Then I saw the sketch at Retro Sketches and the little lightbulb in my brain that has barely been on in ages lit up! And...I have just realised there are 8 hours left still to enter so I HAVEN'T missed the deadline! Woohoo!
Here's the card...
I made a mask and blended first Wild Honey and then Barn Door onto the card front. Then a made a little banner and heat embossed the sentiment. The owl is heat embossed in WOW! Black Glint embossing powder which has a very subtle sparkle to it - as the name suggests! I like it because it's not over the top, but it's a little bit more interesting than the plain black for such a simple card. I added some pearls and c'est voila, fini!
It actually took much longer than that to make as I couldn't quite decided how to finish it or if it even WAS finished? Do you know what I mean?! I was a bit underwhelmed with the outcome, although it has grown on me. However, when I took it to work everyone seemed to love it, Monika included so that's the main thing!
Here is the sketch I used...
I hope you've all had a good week and enjoy your weekend! I'm working tomorrow but I am hoping to post something again soon, even if it's another poor guy that missed its' deadline :)
Thanks for stopping by and sticking with me ;)
Supplies
Card: Paper Mill Direct - White, Smooth Grey, Black
Stamps: Clear Impressions - Wild & Free, Cherry Blossom
Ink: Distress Ink - Wild Honey, Barn Door; VersaColor - Silver; Versamark
Other: WOW! - Black Glint, Silver Super Fine; pearls and rhinestones
Hello!
Over at the WOW! Embossing Powder blog, the theme of 'Antique' this month - we've had some fabulous projects from the Design Team so far and there are many more inspiring projects to come, so keep your eyes peeled!
As a CAS girl, antique isn't usually the style I gravitate towards but I sure enjoyed the challenge!
I decided that to spark the creativity in Mr Mojo I would Google the word 'antique' and see what came up. I found many gorgeous images, but this is the one that really inspired me...
Here is the card I made...
I went with patterns and a neutral/sepia based colour palette to give the impression of age because that's what the word 'Antique' implies to me.
I started by heat embossing some ivory hammered card using the Vintage Wallpaper stamp and Metallic Gold Rich Pale. This colour is great because it's not quite as bright as the Metallic Gold Rich, but is still very gold and decadent. Then, I stamped the French Music background stamp on some buff card using Versamark ink and Primary Bark embossing powder. I used some Vintage Photo Distress Ink to add to the aged effect. I love these background stamps - they're so pretty and the impressions are perfect every time :)
The flower was made using the Tattered Florals die in ivory card. I inked the edges with gold ink to tie it in with the metallic gold background. Add a little banner in chocolate brown and some pearls and c'est voila - it's complete!! The banner and musical mat are popped up on foam adhesive to add a little dimension to my CAS-Antique card.
For the layout, I used this week's Retro Sketches sketch - it's super versatile and was the perfect partner to CAS-ify my antique style card :)
I hope you all get yourselves over to the WOW! blog to have a look at what the DT have come up AND there's still plenty of time to get your entries in - we'd love for you to join us! :)
Supplies
Card: Paper Mill Direct - Ivory Hammered, Mocha Brown, Buff
Stamps: WOW! - Vintage Wallpaper background stamp, French Music background stamp
Ink: Versamark; Distress Ink - Vintage Photo; VersaColor - Gold
Other: WOW! - Metallic Rich Gold Pale embossing powder, Primary Bark embossing powder; pearls
Hello, hello!!
I have made my first post over at WOW! Embossing Powder today! Woohoo! Thank you for all your lovely comments and congratulations - I love you guys :)
The theme for this month is 'Metal'. How cool is this picture!...
I'm not going to lie, I was a little stumped to begin with. I thought about using metal embellishments or making something to look like metal...but then I was cooking and the light bulb in my head pinged - tin foil! It's a slightly unusual crafting material I know, but that's just how I roll...
and here's a close up of the cool Black Puff Powder in action...
Details of how it was made are over on the WOW! blog...have a mooch and check out the other DT samples while you're there - it's definitely worth a visit :) Also, make sure you keep checking in as the DT post all month long!
I used the sketch from this week's Retro Sketches for the inspiration for my layout - love this sketch!! I think this one will be going into the archives and will almost definitely get used again!
Thanks for stopping by ;)
Supplies
Card: Paper Mill Direct - White, Black, Teal, Pale Turquoise
Stamps: WOW! - De-Vine, Express Yourself; Verve - Sunny Days
Ink: Versamark
Other: WOW! - Black Puff Powder, Primary Fuchsia Fusion e/p; thread; pearls; tin foil
Hi guys!
How are you all? I managed to post before the last minute rush on Tuesday evening - woohoo!! It's been quite an eventful week/weekend here but I've managed to find some time to sit at my desk...not without an argument I might add though! I lost out on my designated crafting day yesterday for a spur of the moment outing, so today was my turn - between washing and baking of course :)
Today's card used the layout over at Retro Sketches. It's been a while since I used one of their sketches. I love this challenge and how it uses the layouts of previously made cards :) It's a really nice one this week, you should get yourself over there and join in!
Here's my card...
I was in a 'classic' sort of mood when I made this earlier. It's for my Brother and Sister who have this week just moved out of my Dad's house and into a new flat for the first time :) I know it was a big thing for them but I know they're gonna love it!!! My Brother, like myself, particularly loves damask! I particularly love red, black and white and sparkly embossing powder too so here you have it!!
You can just about see the subtle sparkle in this damask embossing - it's so pretty! The stitching is an homage to my Brother's love of tailoring too :) I hope they both like it!! This damask pattern stamp is new to me from WOW! and I LOVE it!! I've not used any of their stamps before and they are fantastic! It gave a perfect impression on the first use - as I now you guys will know, that can't be said for all stamps!
Like I said, this is for the challenge over at Retro Sketches this week. The sketch is...
I've just noticed that I put my little pearls on the sentiment panel whereas the sketch has them just beneath it...ah well, artistic license and all that hey?!! ;)
I hope you've all had/are having a marvelous weekend and I look forward to seeing you back here soon ;)
Thanks for stopping by ;)
Supplies
Card: Paper Mill Direst - White, Black, Crimson
Stamps: WOW! - Vintage Wallpaper; Verve - Kind Words
Ink: VersaMark
Other: WOW! - Black Glint, Silver Super Fine e/p; Crafty Ribbons - Red Velvet seam binding;
thread; pearls
Hello guys!
It's Friday - yaay!! I hope you all have some lovely plans for the weekend ahead, may it be jam-packed full of things to do or a nice, peaceful rest :) I'm not sure what I'm doing with mine yet...I'm sure I'll figure it out as I go along! My DOH has the day off today (yipee!! I feel like I haven't seen him for ages as he's been working 7 days a week :( ) and the sun has actually made an appearance! It may not be warm, but at least the rain has ceased for a while which is a good thing. My thoughts are with all those who have been adversely affected by the terrible weather we've had, not only here but in the US too...I hope you're all ok :)
Before I get onto my card...welcome to my new followers! Thank you so much for joining me here - I hope you enjoy your stay! ;)
So anyway, the card...that's why we're all here!
This one is for Retro Sketches, Catered Crop AND A Blog Named Hero - whoop!
This card came to me seemingly out of nowhere! I woke up the other morning and the idea was just in my head - who knows what I must've been dreaming about?! I actually quite like how this turned out!!
There's not really a great deal to say abut this card - it's pretty obvious how it was made - no super duper techniques or skill! Just some concertina'd card made by using my little score board (I only got this a few weeks ago - can you believe how far behind I am!), an embossed sentiment and some sparkly bits...c'est voila!
Here's the view through the zig-zags...I couldn't help myself, it looked too pretty!!
So, for the challenges...
Retro Sketches, sketch obviously!...
Catered Crop - Birthday...
and last, but by no means least...A Blog Named Hero - Roy G. Biv...who doesn't love a rainbow?!!...
Thanks for stopping by, I hope you all have a fabulous weekend whatever you're doing and I may see you before it's through!! ;)
Supplies
Card: Paper Mill Direct - White, Black, Bright Red, Citrus, Daffodil, Spring green, Ocean Blue, Grape,
Lilac
Stamps: Stamping All Day - Art Deco Happy Birthday
Ink: VersaColor - Black
Other: WOW! - Ebony e/p; rhinestones
Hi guys!
How are you all? I know it seems like I haven't been around for a while, but I have. I have been trying to find time to make cards, which hasn't been too much of a problem except for Mr Mojo having gone on the missing list again; the trouble has been finding the time once my cards have been made to photograph and upload them! This is in no small part due to the fact that my mojo has taken a nose dive and therefore the time normally allotted to making, photographing, editing and posting is now being taken up by procrastinating, procrastinating, making, procrastinating some more and then finishing a card. This leaves no time for the getting my cards from my desk onto the world wide interweb to share with you lovely people! I think in some cases this has been a blessing however!! :)
One such case was this card I made for Retro Sketches 100th sketch. It was a cool sketch and I wanted to participate in the celebration of reaching 100 challenges, that's no mean feat! My card was completed well within the deadline but, alas, it did not make it into my camera and onto my computer in time :( I thought I'd share it anyway though because Darnell tells me off if I don't!! :)
and here's the sketch...
I'm not sure how I feel about this card yet...sometimes I think it looks lovely and bright and sometimes I'm sure there's something wrong with it?! There were some seriously awesome entries for this challenge so it's not like I was a contender, I just wanted to join in :) I did a bit of Distress Ink blending over the white embossed leaves - I love a bit of emboss resist :) Again, there's a bit of calligraphy here, I can feel myself getting back into it and not being so lazy with it!! I have another calligraphy based card coming tomorrow, so watch this space!! ;)
Thanks for stopping by to see my card that didn't quite make it! Love you all :)
Supplies
Card: Paper Mill Direct - White, Black
Stamps: Flourishes - Berry Sweet
Ink: Ranger - Perfect Medium; Distress Ink - Barn Door, Spiced Marmalade, Wild Honey, Broken
China, Crushed Olive, Victorian Velvet, Dusty Concord; Papermania - Yellow
Other: WOW! - Bright White Opaque e/p; twine, rhinestones
Hey guys!
How are we all? Well I hope :) It's half way through the first week back at work and I hope everyone's coping ok?! After Christmas, it's quite nice to get back into a routine I think :) I can't quite believe it's Wednesday already though, that's whoosed by!
I personally am not working this week and so today I decided to be a 'real' housewife and made lemon and poppy seed cakes-yummy! Now, that's not as much of a treat for DOH as it sounds as I'm wheat intolerant so I, obviously, HAD to wheat free cakes! He always complains when I feed him anything he knows to be wheat free, but I have noticed that if I don't mention it then he doesn't realise and it's only when he finds out that his beloved wheat is missing that he turns his nose up! I think sometimes that men are worse than children in that respect! ;) Oh well, if he does decide that he doesn't want to eat them then there will be more for me! He he! :)
I am here to share a card with you today that is for an ex-blogging friend of mine...that is she no longer blogs, not that she's an ex-friend :) It's actually for her baby daughter who will be turning one soon...did someone say broody?! Me?! Absolutely, yes! :) I cannot believe that little Grace is nearly a year old already, it seems like only yesterday Kelly informed me that she was pregnant!
My card was inspired by two things...the Retro Sketches sketch and by this gorgeous card by my sweet blogging pal at Just Me: C. She reminded me that I do actually own patterned papers and that they are there to be used, NOT just hoarded!! Who'd've thunk it?! (No, that's not a typo - I mean thunk!) She's also super lovely and writes a very amusing blog full of beautiful cards...you should check it out :)
I really enjoyed making this card despite that fact that it's very un-me! I don't do so well when it comes to pink and girly, but once I'd chosen the patterned paper it pushed me in the right direction as far as the colour scheme is concerned and I'm pretty pleased with the outcome. I just hope little Grace is too :) (Ok, so I'm more concerned that her mother likes it, being a fellow card maker :))
I couldn't help adding stitching to this card, again! I quite like my little balloons :)
Here's the wee sketch I used...
Thank you for stopping by...I'm off to make sure that the cakes aren't poisonous before I let DOH have one when he gets home! ;) He he!
Supplies
Card: Paper Mill Direct - White, Pink Sorbet, Primrose Yellow; K&Co - Best Of
Stamps: Bo Bunny - Sentiment Stamps
Ink: Ranger - Perfect Medium
Other: WOW! - Ebony e/p; Spellbinders - Circle & Scallop Circle dies; thread; pearls
...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
...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
Hi guys!
Are you all looking forward to your weekend? I am hoping to get some time at my desk to have a go at all the fabulous challenges I love, we'll see how that goes hey?! I'm sure my DOH will have many plans for us which will invariably involve hard work - he's on a plastering mission at the moment (we are STILL renovating our house!) and I have a horrible feeling I'm going to get roped in to being a joey of sorts. Part of me hopes that he'll want a rest for at least one day this weekend because he's had a particularly hard week at work this week :) That makes me sound very lazy, which I absolutely am not, it just gets a bit much sometimes :) We have a kitchen to fit next week for a client so I don't want to be pooped!
Anyway, that's not why you're here - it's a card blog!! I made this card a few days ago but haven't had a chance to post it and therefore have missed the Festive Friday deadline! Doh! (That one is the actual 'Simpson' sound, not my darling other half!) Luckily, I made this card using the sketch at Retro Sketches this week - which is particularly awesome! I will almost definitely be using this sketch over and over again - it's wonderful :)
So, here's my card...
I decided to be brave and make a card with NO SENTIMENT! There is no stamping whatsoever on this card, which feels kinda strange, but I figured it was quite obvious that it was a Christmas card...wouldn't you say?! If not, then I'm doing something very wrong! ;) The panel underneath the navy is a matt silver card which I actually LOVE! The colour doesn't show up well on my monitor, it looks fine on my camera so maybe I just have a rubbish screen! The snowflake has sparkles on, just to jazz it up a bit as it is a super CAS card, even for me!
I am cutting the Retro Sketches deadline a bit fine...what's new huh?! Here's the sketch that you have only hours left to use!!...
...and the Festive Friday inspiration that I used but failed to join in on in time!...
The new challenge at Festive Friday is to create a holiday project (that's Christmas in England!) that includes a star - I think that should be pretty do-able - I'll try and actually make the deadline this time, it would help wouldn't it!!
That's all for now! Thank you for stopping by ;)
Supplies
Card: Paper Mill Direct - White, Navy; Create & Craft Mirror Card - Matt Silver
Stamps: NONE!
Ink: NONE!
Other: Spellbinders - Create-A-Flake 3; Cuttlebug - Swiss Dots e/f; Glitz It Sparkles; pearls
Hello peeps!
How are we all? Well I hope! :)
I don't know what the weather's like where you are, but it's definitely turned to Autumn here in England! Brr! I'd forgotten what it was like to wear jumpers and a pair of slippers! There are a few good things about Autumn though, one of which is the Design Team Call going on over at the Paper Mill Direct blog.
For as long as I can remember, I have bought Paper Mill Direct card over all others. I used to love going into their shops, picking up my box to fill with as many different colours as I could lay my hands on! (and that would fit in the box!) It was like an all-you-can-eat buffet for paper addicts! Brilliant! I was so upset when they had to close down their shops, however, I could still get my fix online...and that I do!!
So, imagine how excited I was to see that they're after a new member for their Design Team!!? ;) I would love to be a part of it so I'm going to give it a go :)
The theme for the entries is 'Autumn'...see where I was going now?! I LOVE autumnal colours, they're so warm and comforting...but I'll be honest in admitting I rarely use them, they're not my 'go-to' colours so this was a great challenge for pushing me out of my comfort zone if nothing else :)
Here is my card based on the theme...
For my card I used, of course, Paper Mill Direct card! The colours I used were...Ruby Red, Bright Red, Citrus Orange, Primrose Yellow (which I haven't seen on the website for a while but I LOVE this colour!) and of course, White. The quality of this card is second to none. It's heavy enough to do the job, and the colours are so vibrant...can you tell I'm a fan?! ;)
For the leaves, I used Verve - A Cut Above Elegant Leaves die and clear embossed them. I then fanned them out so they looked like a pile (a TIDY pile!) of Autumnal leaves. Even the ribbon has an apt name - it's 'Pumpkin' seam binding from Crafty Ribbons. I scrunched it up and spritzed it with water and then dipped it in some Vintage Photo Distress Ink to break up the solid colour and add a bit of interest. It actually reminded me of the colour of leaves when they've fallen into a muddy puddle! ....Maybe my imagination is working overtime...?
I also had the opportunity to use my new embossing powder from WOW! for the sentiment which is called 'Halloween' and it is a black embossing powder with a copper/orange glitter in and looks FAB!
The sketch originally was based on this Retro Sketches layout...it ended up being a loose interpretation I have to admit but it provided a great jumping off point!
So there you go...I think I've rambled enough now, I don't want to bore you all! I'm off to link my little post up to the DT challenge on Paper Mill Direct's blog and I'm going to wait with my fingers crossed! :) If you fancy joining in too, get yourself over there!
Thank you for stopping by guys! ;)
Supplies
Card: Paper Mill Direct - White, Ruby Red, Bright Red, Citrus Orange, Primrose
Stamps: Verve - Wishful Elegance, Bloom & Grow
Ink: Ranger - Perfect Medium; Distress Ink - Vintage Photo, Antique Linen
Other: Verve - A Cut Above Die Elegant Leaves; WOW! - Halloween embossing glitter; Crafty Ribbons -
Pumpkin seam binding
