Retro rainbow...

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

Wedding stationery...finally!...

Hi ya!

WARNING!! I would like to warn you all now that this is a photo-heavy post.  If you are viewing from a mobile device that is not connected to a wi-fi network then it may take about 3 years to load all the images :)

I am here today with a post that is so overdue it's borderline embarrassing/funny!  

Allow me to explain...one of my best friends got married in September 2012 - yes, 2012, and I made her wedding stationery for her.  I had meant to post all about it following the wedding, but then life happened and the blog post never did.  It then got to that point where it was too long after the wedding...you know like when you've been speaking to someone for a while and then it's gone past the point when you can ask their name?!  It felt like that.  Then, I thought I would post it on their first wedding anniversary...nice idea...it works...but no, didn't happen.  So now I'll be honest, I'm out of ideas about when would be the 'right' time to do it so I'm just gonna do it!  Has this whole thing been over-thought...you bet it has!  :)

There's not really much else I can say except that it was a fab day, I was lucky enough to be one of the bridesmaids and the colour scheme the Bride chose was beautiful!  Oh, and I love her dearly, can't forget that part!!  ;)

Here we go...

I have to apologise for the quality of these photo's...I took them on my mobile to email to the Bride-To-Be when I was coming up with ideas for her.  As it happens, after making about a billion wedding invitations, I don't actually have a single one left to take proper photograph of so that's why you're stuck with this!  Just imagine that it's a lovely lime green, less dull than it looks in the photo!  I also ended up heat embossing the floral flourishes on the real thing which I didn't do on this prototype.

Now, the next batch of photographs are from the wedding day and were not taken by me.  I would love to give credit to the photographer, if only I knew his name!  If I manage to obtain that information then I promise to come back and edit this post to give credit where credit's due!

All of the table names were names of coffees as my friend is a MASSIVE coffee addict!!  There was also a slight Art Deco theme running throughout - the font on the invitations and the font used for the rest of the stationery...

Yes, I did HAND WRITE all of the place names!  I quite enjoyed it actually as it's rare that I get to use my calligraphy for anything these days :)  The lines were drawn freehand too to break up the perfect straight lines and to add the 'handmade' feel to them.

I like to be a little bit unconventional...instead of 'easel' style place names, they were more like little cards :)

Table layout

Table plan

Now then...this was the best part of the whole thing for me.  When my friend went to the cake decorator/baker (whatever the proper name for the amazing cake making people is...I don'y know!) she took the invitations with her and the cake was made BASED ON MY INVITATIONS!!  Yep, super humbled at this point, especially when I saw the cake!!  She even put the little blue and white rhinestones in the same place ;)

Cake!!

...more cake?!!

On the left is the post box I made for all the cards to go in

 This is probably one of my favourite photo's of the marquee - how pretty did that look!!?...

I was so proud to have been able to do this for my friend on her special day and bless the Groom, he even thanked me in his speech ;)

So there you go...I've finally done it, it's posted!!!

Thank you for reading my ramblings and checking out my proudest crafting moment to date...I'm hoping there will be many more to come!  ;)


Hope to see you soon ;)

Four challenges, one card...BOOM!

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

Addicted To CAS #7

Hey there!

I have recently found a new (to me) challenge blog - Addicted To CAS - how fantastic!!  The code word for this challenge is;

Which is just perfect timing as there are a few male birthdays coming up in the near future!  I have made this card for my Mum's boyfriend who's birthday is very soon;

This card came together super fast - which as we all knows just NEVER happens!  I have the idea in my head as soon as I saw this challenge and luckily it came out exactly as I had imagined - why can't they all be like that hey?!
It was quite difficult to stop myself from adding any rhinestones or frills, but I'm quite pleased with myself as I managed to refrain!

Thanks for stopping by ;)

Supplies
Card:      Paper Mill Direct - White, Black
Stamps: Happy Birthday (freebie and I have no idea where it came from!!)
Ink:        Distress Ink - Broken China, Crushed Olive; VersaColor - Black
Other:    Baby Blue Grosgrain ribbon

Circles!...

Hi guys!

This is my second post of the day, scroll down for my other one!!

As predicted, I'm back with another CAS-ology card :)  

This one is literally a circular card and, if I do say so myself, it is cute!  It's just so dinky!  I had to make a little envelope for it as my envelopes were all too big.

Here's my little card;

...and here he is with his little envelope;

I used Spellbinders Labels 24 dies to make the small flowers and the leaves as I don't have a flower die this small, or this shape!  I'm quite pleased with my little card  :)

Thank you for stopping by ;)

Supplies
Card:      Paper Mill Direct - White, Sky Blue, Bright Red
Stamps: Verve - Bloom & Grow
Ink:        VersaColor - Lapis Lazuli
Other:    Spellbinders - Classic Scallop Circles Large, Classic Circles Small and Large, Labels 24;
             Papermania - Clear e/p; thread, pearls

A rare event...

Hi there!

This is a very rare event indeed - I have managed to make one card for THREE challenges!  I generally tend to make one for each challenge, but I am running out of available time!!

I'm back with another entry for the Dynamic Duos!  I'm not sure that this one will count as I used a little bit of grey, but I'm hoping that that passes as a neutral ;)

I am also playing along with another new-to-me challenge at The Paper Players.  This week is a sketch by the wonderful Jaydee.  I love this sketch as you can use it as a super CAS sketch (which obviously I have!) or you could really dress it up and make it shabby chic.  I really wish I could get a grip on shabby chic and vintage, but alas, try as I might it still turns out a little too contrived :(

This also (I hope!) qualifies for the cue word over at CAS-ology this week, which is Circle;

The colours for Dynamic Duos are;

And the Paper Players sketch is;

...my card based on these is;

... and a little close up;

I chose the embossing folders for each of these circles on the fact that they are also all circular patterns :) 

I am planning on making another card for the CAS-ology challenge this week as my mind is racing with so many ideas!!!  I have until Sunday, I can see me blogging them all in the same day so I apologise in advance if I end up having a blogging binge :)

Thanks, as always, for stopping by ;)  All your comments mean so much and are really encouraging me of late ;)

Supplies
Card:      Paper Mill Direct - White, Black, Pale Turquoise, Grey, Teal
Stamps: Verve - Hope Blooms
Ink:        SU! - Classic Black
Other:    Craft Concepts e/f - Grunge Dots, Jo's Circles; Provocraft e/f - Swiss Dots; rhinestones

Retro Sketches meets Dynamic Duos...

Hey peeps!

I hope you're all well :)

I have a card today that is for two challenges that I've been meaning to get around to for a LONG time, but haven't had a chance to - until now!

These are the Dynamic Duos and Retro Sketches challenges.  The criteria for Dynamic Duos this week is Monochromatic - Teal Blues and this weeks' Retro Sketch is a 'pick your own' from all the historic sketches.  This was particularly handy as I haven't played along with any of them so I got to go back and choose my favourite one!

I chose sketch #30;

I love the simplicity of this sketch - I seem to have gone minimalist CAS lately, super simple.  It says a lot about me really doesn't it!  :)

I quite enjoyed being restricted to these two colours - it's a colour combination that I don't use enough!

I feel good now that I have managed to have a go at these two challenges, here's hoping I can have another go next week :)

Thanks for stopping by ;)

Supplies
Card:     White Hammered, Teal, Pale Turquoise
Stamps: Waltzingmouse - Big Day Essentials
Ink:        VersaColor - Black
Other:    WOW! Ebony e/p; rhinestones

Viva La Verve meets Addicted To CAS...

Hey!

Here I am with my last entry for February's Viva La Verve challenge.  I am also combining the sketch below with the code word over at Addicted To CAS (so glad I found this challenge blog - it's got Sian written all over it!) The code word is;

...this is Janelle's fab sketch;

...and here is my card;

I have a few male birthdays coming up so this will be winging it's way to one of those!  I have also made another card for this Addicted To CAS challenge...but I'll save that for another day!!

Thank you for stopping by ;)

Supplies
Card:      Paper Mill Direct - White, Black, Bright Red, Ocean Blue, Daffodil, Lime
Stamps: Papermania - Celebration
Ink:        VersaColor - Black
Other:    WOW! Ebony e/p; Spellbinders - Classic Edges One; rhinestones

CAS(E) This Sketch #16

Hello!

I know I'm cutting this seriously fine, but it's the first opportunity I've had to get this post done!!  Aaargh!

I did make this card for the CASology challenge as well at the awesome CAS(E) This Sketch sketch, however it's WAAAAY too late for the CASology deadline - whoops!  Ah well, at least I can still submit it for this one!

This is the fabulous sketch for CAS(E) this sketch;

I decided to go horizontal as this is something I never do.  The cue word over at CASology last week was 'FLAME', hence the colours I've used.  As soon as I saw the sentiment panel I thought 'bookmark' - don't know why, just did!  So that's what I made;

I made the black panel into a little pocket with flame coloured stitching down the side.  Then I just skid the bookmark into the pocket so that it can be removed to be used!  To make sure that the card wasn't too plain once the bookmark had been removed, I embossed another little sentiment underneath, like so;

And here are some more little pictures;

I loved this sketch and will absolutely be using it again!!!

Now to see if I can make the deadline for the new CASology challenge - CIRCLE!!!

Thanks for stopping by ;)

Supplies

Card:      Paper Mill Direct - White, Black

Stamps: Verve - Sunny Days, Great Friend, Hope Blooms

Ink:        VersaColor - White; Distress Ink - Antique Line, Wild Honey, Spiced Marmalade, Barn Door

Other:    WOW! Opaque White Super Fine e/p; thread; rhinestones