It's a wedding day!!...

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

feeling nautical...

Well hello there!

I have missed you all and I have missed sitting at my desk and being creative!!  But today I had the opportunity to cram some card making into my life and I feel so much better for it :)

I haven't been completely cut off from goings-ons in blogland, I still get my email updates even if I haven't had the chance to visit you all.  Through my emails I was aware that the Curtain Call Challenge is back!  Now, I never played the first time round and I'll be honest, it was on the peripheral of my blog challenge radar as I was a complete blogging novice at that point.  This time though I am going to join in!

This challenge couldn't have been more perfectly timed for me.  The inspiration is 'Feeling Nautical'.  This weekend just gone a friend of mine told me that she had passed my details on to a friend of hers who is getting married; she's planning a nautical themed wedding.  Like I said - perfect timing!  I have SO many ideas for this theme, however very few stamps etc that relate to anything remotely nautical, so for now I am working with what I have but it's a situation that will be resolved promptly!!  Any excuse to shop hey?!  ;) 

The Design Team have done a fantastic job with their samples for this theme, I am in awe :)

Ok, enough babble, card time!

...I have started with the obvious...blue, white, red, gold, stripes and a little 'star-fish' (?!)  The sentiment is embossed in gold (I don't know how well it shows in the picture?)

Like I said, I have LOADS of ideas for this and I am hoping to find the time to turn them all into reality before the deadline, but to be honest I'm pleased to have made a card and posted it!  I have made a few cards for challenges recently but ran out of time to post/enter them!  That's more frustrating than not making one in the first place don't you find?!  

Thank you, as always, for stopping by...I do appreciate your support especially given my intermittent posting of late :)  I'm really hoping I'll be here a bit more often ;)

Supplies
Card:     Paper Mill Direct - White, Navy, Bright Red
Stamps: Waltzingmouse Stamps - Big Day Essentials
Ink:       Ranger - Perfect Medium
Other:   WOW! - Metallic Gold Rich; rhinestones 

Happy news...!!!

Hello peeps!

I hope everyone is well :)  I am here today with some exciting news!  Some good friends of mine from University, Jemma and Tom, have FINALLY got engaged!!!!  Whoop whoop!  I am so pleased for them!  They have been together since our last year at Uni, which was a whopping 7 years ago now!  Yup, feeling a bit old!

I admit, I did get this news a little while ago and it has taken me an AGE to get this card made - partly due to a lack of opportunity, but partly because I wanted to make something that was just right.  It has been such a long time since I saw either of them :( I hope to catch up with them at some point soon :)

Anyway, that's enough nostalgia...here's the card...

Jemma has always been a turquoise gal so I tried to incorporate this into the card.  The colours are loosely based on a Play Date Cafe colour board from a while ago.  I didn't get to participate, but I LOVE the colour combination and wanted to use it anyway :)  

It doesn't really show well in the photograph, but the sentiment is embossed in silver and IRL it looks all shiny and special  :)  I really hope that Jemma (and Tom) like this card.  When she let me know about the engagement she said, and I quote... "I expect a place on handmade by Sian!!!"  Ha ha!  Here you go Jems!  :)  I had no idea that she followed my blog so I was doubly pleased and I am honoured to have her on here!!  :)

Miss you Jemma!  :)

Some more happy news is that I was one of the winners over at Catered Crop last week so I get the honour of being part of the Quickfire on Sunday line up - woohoo!  The challenge this week is 'So Shapely' and is all about using die cuts and punches.  This is a wonderfully ambiguous starting point and it will surely bring out something different in everyone - I can't wait to browse the entries!  So, this card is my contribution to this challenge with the border and the flowers all being die cuts :)

Thank you for stopping by today, and always ;)

Supplies
Card:      Paper Mill Direct - White, Black, Grey, Pale Turquoise, Teal, Raspberry Pink
Stamps: Waltzingmouse Stamps - Big Day Additions
Ink:        Ranger - Perfect Medium
Other:    Spellbinders - Classic Edges Two, Classic Decorative Inserts Three, Anemone Flower Topper;
             WOW! - Silver super fine e/p; pearls

Happy 30th birthday...erm, I mean 21st!!...

Hi guys!

I am here today with a birthday card for my partner's son's girlfriend!  (my would be step daughter-in-law I guess?!)  It is her 30th birthday today, but we have decided that it should actually just be another 21st because 30 sounds too old!!  :)

I made this card using the sketch from CAS(E) this sketch - I've been so busy lately...you know, in the real world (ugh...don't you just hate that it eats right into the time you could be spending doing something you actually WANT to do?!) and I was so pleased that I managed to find some time to join in with this challenge as it is fast becoming one of my favourites, which is hardly surprising as the sketches and inspiration from the DT are always so amazing...right!?  I am really pleased to hear about the alterations they are making over there as of the next challenge...the deadline is being extended from Tuesday to Thursday (which is super helpful for me, I'll have fewer excuses now!) and they are going to invite past winners to be guest designers - how exciting!  As if we all needed another incentive to play along :)

I have just noticed that it's the 30th challenge which I think is nicely coincidental with Sara's 30th birthday...it's the simple things in life...ha ha! ;)

Here's the sketch...

...and here's my card...

Hopefully you can tell that I did use the sketch, albeit as more of a jumping off point than actually following it strictly it transpires!  You should know me by now...I struggle with rules ;)  I just added a little decorative border at the bottom instead of the banners and put my banner at the top...my Mother would agree that I always have to do everything arse upwards ;)  (her terminology, not mine!)

Personally, I am not really an animal print kinda gal, I'm much more plain than that as I'm sure you've all noticed.  Sara, however, loves leopard print and so I got this paper just for her!  Yep, this is another crazy British wallpaper - I know Ardyth was astounded at the Disco Black glittery wallpaper that I used on her birthday card!  So Ardyth, here's another one for you! 

I know it's a bit difficult to see as my lighting situation has yet to improve...and my photography skills for that matter...but I have used that lovely Clear Matt Dull embossing powder from WOW! again on the background to add some subtle flourishes.

I am also entering this card into the Catered Crop Recipe Swap, which this time round is 'Mellow Yellow'.  I know there's nothing remotely mellow about this card, but it certainly has the yellow element!  

Thanks for stopping by ;)

Supplies
Card:      Paper Mill Direct - White, Black, Daffodil; A.S Creation - Leopard Print Wallpaper
Stamps: Stamping All Day - Art Deco Birthday; Waltzingmouse - Fancy Flourishes and Scallops and Dots
Ink:        Ranger - Perfect Medium
Other:    WOW! - Clear Matt Dull and Ebony e/p; Spellbinders - Classic Edges Two and Decorative Inserts
             Three; flowers; rhinestones

Fusion felicitations...

Hey peeps!

I am popping in with a little card for the Fusion challenge today...talk about last minute hey?!!  That's just how I roll ;)

Once again, I decided to go with just the sketch.  Don't get me wrong, the colours and the flowers from the inspiration image were wonderful, but there was no way I was going to be able to make them look anything other than an experiment in achieving the ugliest recycling paper!  I am aware of my limitations and sometimes it does just as well to stick within them as it to push them :)

Here is the fab Fusion sketch and image for this/last week...

...and here is my card...

This card is another one that is destined for my Mother's address.  Her friend is moving at the end of the month and she asked if I could make a card for her.  Now, I am aware that there is no mention of 'new home' or even an image of a house anywhere on this card, but I think it is a cause for felicitations.  Her friend has been trying to sell her house for over a year and it has finally happened!  Too tenuous?  I don't know - I'll send it to Mother and see what she says...I still have plenty of time to make another one when she says that this one won't do!  ;)

I had a bit of fun with this card...you see those outer rings?  They have been heat embossed with glow in the dark embossing powder!  Te he!  The inner circles have been embossed with clear gloss embossing powder.  I thought they looked like little planets and that it might be fun if a card on someone's mantel piece was to glow in the evening!  (I think this cold has gone to my head a little more than I first thought!)  I did try to take a photograph of it 'glowing' to no avail...I was not impressed.  Danielle Daws made this card and she seemed to be able to capture the 'glowing'...my photo's just came out black :(  I'd love to blame the camera, but only a bad craftsman blames his tools.  You can see in Danielle's photo what it look like in the dark though :)


ETA:  Lyndal kindly pointed out that this card would also qualify for the challenge currently on over at Catered Crop so I'm popping it in there as well!  Thanks girl!  :)

Thanks, as always, for stopping by...your time and comments mean a lot to me ;)

Supplies
Card:      Paper Mill Direct - White, Black, Bright Red
Stamps: Waltzingmouse - Big Day Additions 
Ink:        Ranger - Perfect Medium
Other:    WOW! - Glow-In-The-Dark, Clear, Metalline Red e/p; Spellbinder - Large and Small Circle Dies;
             Cuttlebug - Swiss Dots e/f; Tonic - duo corner punch

I did it...I finally bit the bullet...!

Hello!

I have followed the Runway Inspired Challenge since Jennifer first started it way back in November 2011 - I can't believe it's been so long!!  It's an absolutely brilliant idea and completely different from any other challenge out there as far as inspiration is concerned.  I love Jennifer's work, and that of the design team and to be honest, they're all so good that I have been a bit too daunted to join in for fear of not being good enough! The level that Jennifer, the design team and the participants of this challenge are at is way beyond me - however, this time around the inspiration photo was just so gorgeous that I couldn't resist making a fool of myself!  He he!  

I absolutely NEED this dress in my life!!!...

...I mean...drool!!  How stunning is that dress?!  I am going to have to find one like it as I'm pretty sure I'll never be able to afford the original, not in a month of Sundays!  Although, if my darling brother is reading this...I'd like one of these please!!  (My brother is a hobby tailor, a very good one at that!  So Jack, get on the hunt for some of this material and we'll call it a birthday and Christmas present! ;) )

Anyways; black, white and red is one of my favourite colour combinations...EVER.  You always end up with something classy...hopefully!  Here is my attempt...

I know the dress has a floral pattern, but a lot of the other entries had flowers on and I wanted to be different!  I'm pretty pleased with how this came together, especially as I made a landscape card!  I'm not sure I've made one this way round before?!  It doesn't really show in the photograph, but the sentiment is embossed so that it stands out a little from the background.  I'm also pleased with myself for biting the bullet and jumping in the deep end :)

Thanks for stopping by ;)

Supplies
Card:     Paper Mill Direct - White, Black
Stamps: Waltzingmouse - Big Day Additions, Fancy Flourishes & Scallops & Dots
Ink:        Ranger - Perfect Medium; SU! - Black
Other:    WOW! - Ebony e/p; pearls

Muse Card Club...!

Hi guys!

I have FINALLY pulled my finger out and joined in with the new(ish) Muse challenge!  I always love a new challenge, and this one is a little bit different - the participants choose the winners!  I mean, how did no one think of that before?!  You are judge by a panel of your peers - perfect!

Anyways, on to the inspiration.  This is the fabulous card by this weeks' muse Therese;

I have followed Therese's blog for a while now and she just creates show stopper after show stopper!  It's quite unfair really!  ;)  Actually, all of the muses on the panel are designer crushes of mine - this is partly why I haven't been brave enough to have a go myself until today!  

Before I get to the card, I would like to thank Therese for inspiring me to get back to 'my roots'.  When I was young (around 9/10 I think?!) I lived next door to a fabulous woman who was the most outstanding artist I've ever had the pleasure of knowing.  Since I can remember, I have always had a pencil in my hand and if I wasn't drawing then I was learning a new Calligraphy alphabet/technique...you get the picture...  One day, I was in my neighbours house and I was looking at all her artwork that she had on the walls and I realised that she had done every single painting and incorporated calligraphy into many of them.  Half jokingly, I asked her if she'd mind teaching me how to paint in watercolours, to which she said yes!  So, from then on, every Saturday afternoon from 2:30 until 5:00 I would go over to her house and we would paint!  Even when we both moved we still kept up the tradition until I left to go to University when I was nearly 19 :)  In fact, those sessions were my 'in' to card making!  I used to paint small watercolour scenes and use them for Christmas cards and special birthdays.  As life got busier, I didn't have the time to sit for hours painting, so I started making the kind of cards I make now :)  I do miss our afternoons and I really miss painting too.  

Anyway, slight tangent and random history lesson there, but seeing Therese's card made me think that I needed to grab my watercolour pencils (cheating - I know!!) and 'paint' these roses!  So that's what I did...and I LOVED every minute of it!!!!  It turned out much better than I was expecting it to if I'm honest!  I've never had much faith in watercolour pencils, I'm a bit of a traditionalist I suppose, but they worked really well :)  Needless to say, I'm looking for more things to paint now!  I may even be tempted back in drawing too - we'll see ;)

Right, enough rambling, here's my card!  That's what we're all here for after all!

So there you go, my little bit of nostalgia in a card  :)  I really enjoyed it, so for once, it doesn't matter if no one else likes it!  Ha ha!  You all know what I mean ;)

Thank you for stopping by ;)

Supplies
Card:     Paper Mill Direct - White, Grape
Stamps: Kanban - Roses; Waltzingmouse - Big Day Essentials
Ink:        SU! - Black; Ranger - Perfect Medium
Other:    Daler Rowney watercolour pencils; WOW! - Ebony e/p

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

Happy Birthday To You...

Hello there,

I was asked by a friend of mine to make a birthday card for his mother.  She loves cards apparently and he felt that she would really appreciate a hand made card that was made especially for her - I do hope she likes it!

Here is the card I made for her;

I know I don't have anything in the photograph to use as scale, which would have been a good idea in hindsight, but this card is quite large at 200mm square.  It was quite nice to have all that space to play with for a change :)

Because of the size and the raised flowers, I made a matching box for it to go in;

Thanks for stopping by :)

Supplies
Card:      Paper Mill Direct - White Linen, Primrose, Daffodil, Cerise, Pink Sorbet, Apple Green and Orange
Stamps: Verve - Sunny Days, Wishful Elegance; Waltzingmouse - Big Day Additions
Ink:        SU! - Classic Black; VersaColor - Green
Other:    Spellbinders - Anemone Flower Toppers; Verve Cut Above - Leafy Sprigs; WOW! Clear 
             embossing powder; pearls

A time for thanks

Hey guys!

How are you all doing?  As Christmas has been and gone, now is the time to say thank you to all those who kindly sent gifts.

Here are my thank you's;

For my Sister

For my Mum

For my Dad

For my In-Laws

For my Brother

For my Nan

I hope these cards have been as gratefully received as my fabulous gifts were :)

As always, thanks for stopping by :)

Supplies
If you would like to know what I used for a particular card then please feel free to email me and I will happily oblige - it would make rather a long list to name everything!  :)

Viva La Verve - Weeks 2 and 3

Hey guys!

This time I AM here with my Viva La Verve post!  This is a two-fer too :)

The sketch for Week 2;

I'll be honest - I was petrified when I first saw this sketch!  Look at it!  All layers and details and not me at all!  Well, after having a moan, I sat down to make my card and I was surprised at how easily it came together! 

Here's my card;

I know I didn't put the little ribbon trim along the bottom, but I just couldn't add anything more - it was starting to hurt!  :) 

Then there was Week 3;

I was really looking forward to this sketch, but typically, this is the one that caused me a problem!  Doh!  However, once I got into it, I felt better :)

My sister will like this card so I think it will be headed her way soon :)

Thanks for dropping by, as always it's much appreciated :)

Supplies

Card 1
Card:     Paper Mill Direct - Off White, Forest Green, Bright Red; Stampingallday digi paper
Stamps: Papermania - Let It Snow; Waltzingmouse - Flourishes-Dots and Scallops
Ink:        Ranger - Perfect Medium; Distress Ink - Antique Linen, Barn Door, Vintage Photo
Other:    Spellbinders - Classic Scallop Edgeabilities, Labels 18; Crafty Ribbons - Greenbrier seam
              binding; doily, rhinestones; WOW! Apple Red embossing powder

Card 2
Card:     Paper Mill Direct - Off White, Pale Turquoise, Dark Brown; K&Co - Best Of
Stamps: Verve - Kind Words
Ink:        Distress Ink - Vinatge Photo, Broken China
Other:    Crafty Ribbons - Cream and Lilac seam binding; pearls; thread

Crafty Ribbons - Feeling Fruity!

Hello there!

I'm here today with an entry for the challenge over at Crafty Ribbons Challenge blog.  The fabulous theme for this challenge is 'FEELING FRUITY'!

This is an extra special challenge as it includes a DT call and I am chancing my arm and putting myself forward for it!  Fingers crossed, wish me luck!  The details are here if you fancy a go too :)

Ok, on to my card;

Unfortunately I had to take this photo with my phone as my darling other half has pinched my camera for the day to do a survey!  I mean, how rude!  It does mean that it's quite difficult to see the contents of the glass :(

So anyway - fruit...Lime and Olives in a nice Martini - the best way to have fruit, surely?!  Other than a nice glass of wine, of course ;)

I was lucky enough to win a £25 voucher for Crafty Ribbons a little while ago as part of their 'Crafting For Gold' event.  My parcel of ribbon arrived the other day and it was like Christmas!  The ribbon I used for this card was their grosgrain saddle stitch ribbon.  I have it in nearly all the colours and it's great, so versatile!

I drew the Martini glass with my WOW! embossing pen and embossed in Ebony.  Then I added the Martini and the fruit.  I really like how bright and cheerful this card turned out, and I'm hoping the gals over at Crafty Ribbons agree :)

That's all for now, I will be back shortly with my other Viva La Verve challenge entries :)

Thanks for stopping by :)

Supplies
Card:     Paper Mill Direct - White, Lime, Forest Green
Stamps: Waltzingmouse - Big Day Essentials
Ink:        WOW! Embossing pen; SU! Black
Other:    Crafty Ribbons - Lime/White Saddle Stitch ribbon; WOW! Ebony embossing powder;
              toothpick

Monochrome-ish :)

Hello there!

I'm here today with a card for this months WOW! Embossing Powder Challenge - Monochromatic.

The DT are also showcasing the pearlescent embossing powders.  I chose the Violet Pearl embossing powder when I won their June challenge with this card.  I love it!  By using a different base colour, it changes the effect the pearl powder has.  For example, if you emboss with the Violet Pearl onto white, it gives a white pearl finish with a shimmer of violet.  If you use it on a black background then the effect is a deeper, shimmering purple!  It's quite interesting trying it out on different coloured backgrounds!

I have taken a slight liberty with the term 'monochrome'.  Now, my card isn't strictly monochrome, but I'm hoping the wonderful guys over at WOW! will let me off a little bit :)

See what I mean?!  I should've done the sentiment in white and used white pearls, but I really wanted to show off the effects of the Violet Pearl embossing powder :)

The stripes at the top of the card were made by drawing them on using the WOW! Clear Embossing Pen and then I embossed using Violet Pearl powder.  I know it doesn't show very well in this photo - sorry about that!  I took a whole bunch of photo's to try and capture the shimmer, but it just wasn't happening!  The sentiment was also embossed using Violet Pearl, but I used black ink.  Here's a close up...

Again, not the greatest photo, sorry!  At least David Bailey can rest knowing that his job is safe :)

I also have something else to share with you that I am excited about, not sure anyone else will be mind you!!  Recently I made 100 wedding invitations for my best friends wedding.  I had them all finished (and they looked fab if I do say so myself :)  The bride to be was pleased which is no mean feat!!) and then it came to making my mark on the back of each one.  I have a 'made by' stamp which I have always used and then just written my name beneath it in calligraphy.  It's worked for me thus far.  I hadn't really thought about it when I began making the invitations, but I was going to have to write my name out 100 times!  Luckily it's only a short name, but after about 50 I was sick of writing it! 

So, they were all hand written and sent to the bride to be.  I then decided it was time for one of these...

He he!  I was so excited when this turned up!  I had ordered some stamps previously from Stampingallday and Nicky, the proprieter was nothing short of fantastic!  Her customer service is second to none and she even had the patience to put up with a fussy customer like me!  I sent Nicky my design via email, and after a lengthy email conversation (because I'm so fussy!) the design and dimensions were finalised and my little stamp was born :) As soon as it came through the door (which was the DAY after I ordered it!) I tried it out and it's better than I could have expected - no more writing my name!

I cannot stress enough how wonderful Nicky has been.  Her website is jam packed full of original stamp designs - I suggest you take a look :)  Here's a link to her personalised stamp service - definitely worth looking into if you need one making up!

Ok, I've calmed down again now!

Thanks for dropping in :)

Supplies
Card:      Paper Mill Direct - White
Stamps: Waltzingmouse - Big Day Additions
Ink:        WOW! Clear Embossing Pen; VersaColor - Black
Other:    WOW! Violet Pearl embossing powder; Crafty Ribbons - Ivory seam binding; Spellbinders -
              Butterflies Impressibilities; Snuggly Wool; pearls