Something quick ....

.... for Christmas.  For my last craft club of the year, we had to make a Christmas decoration and card to swap between each other.  Inspired by something I saw on Pinterest, I made what turned out to be a quick, fun but really effective looking ornament.  Here's what I made, with card to match:

Those are drawing pins stuck all over a Styrofoam ball, I love the finished effect - I think it looks like an armadillo.  It's amazing how heavy it is too, and it will look fab on a tree with other gold and red decorations.  I made the card in red and gold to match too, with gold jingle bells I recycled from around the necks of Lindt chocolate rabbits or bears or something!  Here's a little side-shot:

I'm entering these into the following challenges: Crafty Cardmakers ("Christmas"), Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge and Creative Inspirations ("Anything Goes"), City Crafter ("Glittering Snowflakes"), Shopping our Stash ("Favourite Technique" - mine is distressing), Little Red Wagon ("So flaky") and Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge ("Bling it On").

Ornament Recipe:

Styrofoam ball, drawing pins, ribbon from stash

Card Recipe:

Paper: Basic Grey "Ambrosia"

Stamp: Hero Arts "Stunning Snowflakes" background

Font: "Apex Lake" - dafont.com

Other: Ribbon from stash, Lindt bells, gold e.p.

Thanks for looking!

Ruby, Ruby, Ruby ....

.... such a lovely name, had my son been a girl that would have been his name.  So one of the teachers in school has just had a baby girl and called her Ruby - I approve!!!  I made a clean and simple (for me!) card for her.  Here's what I ended up with:

I'm entering the following challenges Shopping our Stash ("Free is Good", the stars were free with a magazine years ago) and Papertake Weekly ("Anything Goes").

Here's a little side-shot of the detail of the card - the embossing paste, confetti and swinging banner with glittery gold letters:

Recipe:

Stencil: Tim Holtz Layering Stencil "Bubble"

Other: Handcut glittery letters, banners, hearts from punch, stars from stash

Thanks for looking!

Just a quick ....

.... pop by to post for once.  As I forecast back in September, I haven't had much time to myself lately.  I've made only two cards since then, one being my husband's birthday card - had to make something for him of all people!!  I was so out of practice, wasn't thrilled with what I made, but he liked it and that's the main thing - here's what I made:

I used a recent-ish sketch from Deconstructed Sketches and some old BG papers and so on.  I made

the little speech bubbles on the computer and used a very old car stamp set, dunno where it's from, stamped, coloured, cut out, glossy accented and popped up for dimension.  Here's a little side-shot:



Recipe:

Papers: Basic Grey "Wander"

Stamps: Unknown set

Colouring Medium: Prismacolor pencils

Other: ribbon and brads from stash

Thanks for looking!

It's been a while ....

.... since I've posted, and with all that's going on around here, I'd say my crafting and blogging opportunities over the next few months will be pretty limited. I haven't actually made anything over the whole month of August, and now my son, my daughter and I are all back at three different schools, with three different timetables and collection schedules so life is going to be horribly hectic for the next year.

Having said all that, I made a card for my little godson's 2nd birthday.  We spent some time on holidays with him and his family in August, and he is just the most sunny, happy little chap.  Here's what I made for him:

I used last week's sketch from Deconstructed Sketches and I'm also going to enter the following challenges: Corrosive Challenges ("Let's hear it for the boys"), Crafty Girls ("Anything Goes") and Crafty Cardmakers ("Make an Impression")

I used some very old Cosmo Cricket papers (I could probably keep making cards for the next decade and still not run out of paper!) and added buttons and a double-embossed number 2.  Here's a side-shot of the dimension on the card:

Recipe:

Papers: Cosmo Cricket ("Lil Man")

Embossing Folder: Cuttlebug "Tiny Bubbles"

Fonts: "Learning Curve" and "SimHei" - www.dafont.com

Other: Basic Grey buttons

Thanks for looking!

The countdown ....

.... is on - only two and a half weeks left until school starts again.  We're just back from our holidays in England, we spent most of our time in Kent, but spent one night in the Cotswolds and another in Telford on the way to and from the ferry.  We had a smashing time, loved Kent - the beautiful countryside, villages, architecture and, of course, the White Cliffs of Dover.  I will post some photos on my next post.

While we were away, our daughter turned 20 (that's the end of the teenage years, until next Spring, when Jed will be 13 - what were we thinking?!!!).  I made Daisy's card beforehand and brought it with us - we were camping on the morning of her birthday and gave her a surprise awakening, complete with a bunch of helium balloons outside her tent and a noisy bunch of people with party blowers!

Here's her card:

Update 23/08/14 - this card was voted Top 3 at Shopping our Stash - thank you!!

I'm entering the following challenges: Crafty Girls Challenges ("Anything Goes"),  Little Red Wagon ("Happy Birthday"), Shopping our Stash ("Back in the Day" - no fancy cutting machine for me, just scissors!) and Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge ("Scratched Up").

I was inspired by a card I saw on Pinterest, with big black thicker letters as a focal point.  I don't have any thickers like that, or a cutting machine that would do them for me, so I made my own big black chipboard letters, painted them with acrylic paint, and finished with a top coat of Mod-podge.  I also painted the button with acrylic paint and then distressed it with sandpaper.  Here's a closer look:

Recipe:

Papers: Basic Grey "Clippings", "Carte Postale" and "Basics Kraft"

Fonts: "Mom's Typewriter" and "Bambi Bold" - www.dafont.com

Punch: EK Success "Binding Edge"

Stencil: Tim Holtz "Stars"

Other: Staples, buttons from stash, hairy string

Thanks for looking!

I am so good ....

.... at holidays!  I'm definitely in my holiday stride now - like last summer, we've been having a bit of a heat-wave, but I don't do sun, so I've been thoroughly enjoying myself loitering inside with all the windows open, pottering in the shady bits of the garden, and making a fairly respectable amount of cards, for once!!

I'm heading to the afters of a wedding this evening, and here's the card I've made for the happy couple:

I'm entering this in the following challenges: ABC Challenge ("Pearls"), Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge ("Emboss It"), Crafty Girls Challenge ("Anything Goes") and Daring Cardmakers ("Kathy's Style - I've done embossing and foliage").  The said foliage comprises 56 (yes, I counted!) punched leaves, I distressed inked the sides of them all and adhered them to a skinny heart template, then added crackle accents, pearls and stuck the whole thing down on the embossed and crackle-accented background.  Here's a closer look:

Recipe:

Punch: MS "Branch"

Embossing Folder: Cuttlebug

Other: Hero Arts pearls

Thanks for looking!

This one was ....

.... not the easiest card to make.  I've never made a birthday remembrance card before, being a look-forward, not back, kind of person, but I just had to make something to send to a friend to let her know I was thinking about her and to mark the day her special little fella would have been 12 years old.  Here's what I made for her:

I used the sketch from this week's Deconstructed Sketches and I'm also entering this into the following challenges: Fab 'n' Funky ("Walk on the Wild Side"), Moving Along with the Times (Colour Challenge - blues, greens and bright yellow), My Time to Craft ("Paper Piecing") and Try it on Tuesday ("Things with Wings").

I loved the sketch I used because it had a lovely big rectangle in the middle, which really lent itself to making a little scene.  I used a scrap of some cloud patterned paper , then stamped a tree and hand-cut a grassy strip out of cardstock.  I stamped, coloured and cut out the bird, then paper pieced his wings, and coloured the flowers on the tree to match the bright yellow hearts and the bird.  Here's a closer look: 

Recipe:

Papers: Basic Grey "Dasher" and October Aftenoon "Weathervane"

Stamps: Imaginesce "Once Upon a Time - Tree" and Hero Arts "Holiday Bird"

Colouring Medium: Prismacolor Pencils

Punches: Martha Stewart "Branch" and "Valentine's Lace"

Other: Glossy Accents

Thanks for looking!

On the road ....

.... again!  Our lovely piano teacher at school has just retired, and I wanted to make a card that didn't include any of the obvious music/keyboard/piano motifs.  She and her husband head off with glee each summer holiday to travel the roads of Europe in their caravan, so I decided to base my card around that.  Here's what I made:

I used the sketch from last week's Deconstructed Sketch (flipped) and I'm also entering the following challenges: City Crafter ("Chipboard"), Creative Inspirations ("Distressing"), Fab 'n' Funky ("Feels Like Summer"), Little Red Wagon ("I need a Vacation") and Charisma Cardz ("Anything Goes").

I used some very old papers by Cosmo Cricket - my starting point was the cute car and caravan chipboard image - never thought I'd get to use it!  I highlighted the vehicles with glossy accents.  I cut the foliage from one of the patterned papers.  Here's a side-shot of the dimension on the card.

Recipe:

Papers: Cosmo Cricket "Mr. Campy"

Font: "Alexis Marie" - www.dafont.com

Die: Nestabilities "Blossom"

Other: Glossy Accents

Thanks for looking!

A production ....

.... line - a long time since I've made cards that way.

I mentioned on my last post that I had to make some thank you cards for a few kids at school who gave me gifts at the end of the school year, bless them!!

I kept them very clean and simple - here they are finished:

I used the sketch from Clean and Simple Stamping (flipped it around a bit) and I'm entering the following challenges: Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge ("Spots and Dots"), Shopping Our Stash ("Can't put it away" - mine is distress ink, had to do the edges with it!), The Kraft Journal ("Sun" - for the bright summery sunshiny colours I've used) and Craft your Passion ("Citrus/Tropical colours".

I stamped using Versamark and then heat embossed in white, then I coloured the flowers with Prismacolor pencils.  I stamped, embossed and coloured an extra flower to add a little dimension, then stamped the simple sentiment and doodled the dots around the edge of the cards.  Here's a side-shot:

Recipe:

Stamps: Stampendous "Flower Swirls"

Colouring Medium: Prismacolor Pencils

Other: White e.p.

Thanks for looking!

Quick and clean ....

.... and simple.  I've been making some relatively quick cards over the last week.  I've got thank yous to send to some of the kids at school that gave me presents at the end of term, those cards are in progress at the moment and will hopefully be ready tomorrow.

But this card is a sort of get well card.  I visited my friend's wife in hospital last week - she's been in for over 6 months and ended up having a heart transplant.  She finally got to go home on Friday, I popped in to visit on Thursday afternoon having thrown together a quick card - it ended up being a bit over-symbolic, I think, but she loved it.  Here's what I made:

I'm entering this into the following challenges: CAS-ology ("Glow") and CAS-ual Fridays ("Hearts in Summer Colours").

Thanks for looking!

Pretty birds and ....

.... flowers.

I had a sympathy card to make for a funeral this morning.  I had bits and pieces of a card that I'd started months ago but never finished and it came together nicely.  Here's how it ended up:

Update 02/07 - this card was Featured on Little Red Wagon - thank you.

I'm entering this into the following challenges: Craft Your Passion ("Ribbons"), Crafty Creations ("Things with Wings"), Little Red Wagon ("Animal Antics"), Crafts and Me ("Add Wings") and Dragonfly Dreams ("Anything with Wings").

I've used an old Hero Arts cling set to make the cherry blossom branch and the individual blossoms, which added a little something to a very plain sentiment.  Here's a close-up of the detail:

Recipe:

Papers: Basic Grey "Oxford"

Stamps: Hero Arts Sparkle Clear "From our Home"

Other: Bird cut from wrapping paper, ribbon recycled

Thanks for looking!

An interesting ....

.... angle, a graduation and a winner!

June has flown by, it was a very, very busy time in work - but as of Thursday at 12 noon - we are now on holidays!!  Yippee!!

It was my son's last year in primary school.  In September he will head off to secondary and I will be going to school "on my own" for the first time in the 14 years I've worked there.  Copying an idea of my friend, Jackie's, I took a pic of Jed on the first day of 6th Class and another on the last.  Here they are - even allowing for slightly different angles, he has grown a fair bit, I think.

 

I made this thank you card for his teacher.  I was working on the distressed and stamped panel for a good while, then I laid it squarely on the plain card base, and it was just ... boring.  What to do?  I didn't want to start from scratch, hate doing that.  So I turned it at an angle.  Better.  Then I stencilled and inked the card base.  Better still.  Finally, I added ribbon, metal findings and tag.  That'll do!!  Here's what I ended up with:

I'm entering this into the following challenges: Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge ("I ought to use this more" - the metal findings, I love them but usually just hoard them!), Shopping our Stash ("Colour My World" - I have too many favourite colours, but one of my favourite colour combinations is blue and brown), Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge and Crafty Girls("Anything Goes") and Sentimental Sundays ("Summer" - what could be more summer than a thank you teacher card?!!).  Here's a closer look at the lovely metal flowers:

Recipe:

Stamps: IndigoBlu "Grand Tour 1", Kaisercraft "Numbers",

Stencil: Tim Holtz "Bubble"

Other: Ribbon from stash, Prima Finnabair "Vintage Trinkets", brad - recycled packaging

Finally, a couple of weeks late, the winner of my giveaway is .... the only one who entered:

Grá 

Thank you for entering and congratulations, Grá - email your address to me and I'll get your prize package to you asap.

Thanks for looking!

Giveaway reminder - and a card ....

.... for a very old birthday girl!

My husband's grandmother was 94 yesterday.  She still lives by herself in her own house, about an hour's drive down the country from us, and we headed down with family on Saturday to bring her out for a birthday lunch.  I had only a little time to make a card for her (and frankly, she's always more interested in what's inside the card, she opens the envelope, takes out the card and shakes it to see what falls out!!!) - here's what I ended up with:

I used the sketch from this week's Deconstructed Sketches, although I didn't have time to incorporate all the elements, and I'm also entering this into the following challenges:  Creative Card Crew ("Shabby Chic/Vintage"), Crafty Creations ("S" - my word is Summer), Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge and Crafty Girls ("Anything Goes"), Brown Sugar ("Birthday") and The Shabby Tearoom ("Vintage Love").

As I was so short for time, rather than print or stamp and colour an image, I printed off this sweet vintage image from Pinterest on photo paper.  I love the tinting and big floppy pink bow in her hair, which I echoed by tying a crumpled seam binding bow at the bottom of the panel.  Here's a close-up of the image.

Recipe:

Papers: Crate Paper "Emma's Shoppe"

Other: Seam binding

Thanks for looking - and don't forget my giveaway - HERE is the link to the post.

Giveaway reminder - and late for ....

.... my brother's birthday again, but this time, it wasn't my fault!

He was to come to us for birthday dinner on Sunday.  I scrambled around all day - went to the supermarket in the morning, came home, baked a cake, started on his card, prepped dinner and put it in the oven, back upstairs to finish the card - then the phone rang.  He was still at home and the wipers weren't working on his car.  The weather was too changeable to risk a journey sans wipers, so he had to stay home.  So, I finished the card the next day and posted it, and ate the cake!!  Here's the card (I didn't take a picture of the cake, too busy eating it!):

I used the sketch from this week's Deconstructed Sketches and I'm also entering this into the following challenges: Created with Love and ABC Challenges ("Lots of Layers"), City Crafter ("Birthday Banners"), Simon Says Wednesday Challenge and Brown Sugar ("Anything Goes").

Here's a side-shot of all the circle layers and the strip banner on the card.

Recipe:

Papers: Basic Grey "Granola"

Other: Hairy String

Thanks for looking - and don't forget my giveaway - HERE is the link to the post.

Three ....

.... hundred posts exactly.  That took a while, didn't it?!!

Details of my giveaway are further down this post, but first I wanted to show the fruits of a recent workshop.  Mixed-media artist and Prima designer, Anna Dabrowska, who blogs under the name Finnabair, moved to Ireland last year - and she's done a few workshops here since then.  Friends of mine had gone to one and raved about it, so I eagerly booked a place at an all-day workshop a few weeks ago.  I had an absolutely fab day - Anna encourages everyone to go really freeform and get mucky and painty.  I had to shatter a few of my usual habits - like measuring and planning - and just go crazy with the paints and the mists and the embellishments.  Here is the layout I made in the morning session (it didn't photograph so well, though):

And here's the altered canvas from the afternoon:

I loved these classes - if you ever get a chance to take one of Anna's workshops - go for it!!

Now to the giveaway - I've put together a pink and girlie set of bits and pieces - paper, stamps, baker's twine, embellishments.  Here's what I'm giving away to one lucky blogger:

To enter, please follow my blog (if you're not already a follower), put the pic of the giveaway in your sidebar, link it to here, and add your name to the linky.  I'll draw a random winner this day fortnight, Tue 10th June, and will post anywhere in the world.

Good luck!

My 299th ....

.... post!  I am sure there are many bloggers who've hit the 300 within a year, but as my long-time followers will know, I am a slow, slow crafter, and that means not so many posts!!  I'm going to do a little blog candy to celebrate my 300th post, hopefully that will be within the next week or so, but it's me - you never know!!

My card today is, for a change, a clean and simple one.  One of the ladies at my monthly craft club gave us each a little wooden die-cut house, and challenged us to make a new home card.  We're going to donate all the completed cards to another crafter who raises money for breast cancer charities.  So here's what I made:

 

Update 07/05 - this card was voted in the Top 3 on Sentimental Sundays - thank you!

I'm entering this into the following challenges: Brown Sugar ("Anything Goes"), Daring Cardmakers ("3 elements" - mine are flowers, leaves and thread), Sentimental Sundays ("Clean and Simple"), Created with Love ("In the Garden"), Fab N Funky ("Paper Piecing"), CAS-ology ("Garden").

I made the simple little scene by shaping pretty floral paper and adhering to a punched circle, then I popped the house on top.  I didn't have baker's twine in the right colours, so my daughter and I twisted two enormously long strands of navy thread and one strand of grey together again and again to make this custom twine.  Here's a close-up of the detail:

Recipe:

Papers: Basic Grey "Persimmon",

Font: Cheddar Jack - www.dafont.com

Other: Wooden house, grey and navy thread

Thanks for looking - don't forget to keep an eye out for my 300th post!!