One more before ....

.... the end of the year!  Last night, Jed told me he was going to his friend's house today.  Some time later, he "happened" to mention that today is his friend's birthday.  WHAT?!! No lazy morning lie-in for me this morning so - I was up making a last-minute card for the poor birthday boy, who was this close to getting neither card nor present thanks to my ditzy son!!  Here's my rushed offering:

I'm entering the following challenges: Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge, Creative Inspirations and C.R.A.F.T. Challenge ("Anything Goes") and Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge ("Party Time").

I used a similar design and layout to a card I made a few months ago, no time for innovations today! My original intention was to print a silhouette of a cat walking along the bottom of the card (as Patrick has a lovely cat in his house), but I was told in no uncertain terms that Patrick doesn't like cats that much, he mostly just likes football!  So I printed out a football, also a bunch of road signs, including one with his age on the front.  Here's a side-shot of the layered up signs.

Recipe:

Paper: Cosmo Cricket "Get Happy"

Stamp: IndigoBlu "Ink Splats"

Stencil: Tim Holtz "Bricked"

Font: "A Dripping Marker" dafont.com

Other: staples, thread, signs printed from internet

Thanks for looking!

They're finished, and ....

.... it's only the 4th of December!!

I finished the last batch of Christmas cards last night, here's what this year's offering looks like:

I'm entering the following challenges: Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge ("O Christmas Tree"), ABC Challenge ("U for Unconventional" - Christmas card with no red or green), Crafty Creations, Moving Along with the Times, Creative Inspirations, Fab n Funky ("Christmas") and Brown Sugar ("Anything Goes").

I made a little scene with heat embossed Neat and Tangled stamps, watercoloured the background, added more heat embossed stars and did edges in gold.  I twisted thin gold thread round hairy string to give and extra little twinkle.  I made up a sentiment and printed onto the card blanks, as I didn't really like the sentiments that came with the stamp set.  Here's a side view:

And here they are all together, before I have to split them up and send them to people!!

Recipe:

Stamps: Neat and Tangled "Winter Wishes"

Font: "KG Sorry Not Sorry Chub" - dafont.com

Other: Black e.p., gold e.p., distress inks, hairy string, gold thread

Thanks for looking!

Typing an ....

.... elephant!!  I love fonts - picking the right one for a card, picking those I like even though I may never use them and every so often, finding that a font has a funny little extra when you press a certain key.  I found one a while back where, when you type the symbol | a little elephant appears! "Hmm" I thought "that might be good for a baby card".  So when one of our teachers had a new baby, I got to type an elephant and here's the card I made with him:

I based it on the sketch from this week's Mojo Monday and I'm also entering the following challenges: Inspiration Destination and Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge ("Anything Goes"), and  Cute Card Thursday ("Toys and Transport" - an elephant can be both, can't it?!)

Here's a little close up of my elephant - I printed him out onto white cardstock, slathered him with glossy accents (there are a few bubbles - oops!) and finally added a googly eye!

Recipe:

Font: KG "Piece by Piece" - dafont.com

Papers: Echo Park "Jack and Jill"

Other: Glossy accents, punched hearts, googly eye.

Thanks for looking - back to the Christmas cards - I have 25 completed and another 25 ready for construction stage!

Bracing Myself ....

.... for the annual Christmas card making marathon!!  Well, I have made a start - this evening's fun will involve twisting copious amounts of fine gold thread around skinny hairy string!!

Before all that started, though, two important things happened - my daughter passed her driving test first time (hallelujah!) and it was my husband's birthday so I made this card for him:

Update 01/12/16- this card was a challenge winner at Seize the Birthday - thank you!!

I'm entering the following challenges: Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge ("Trio-tastic" - I have 3 big stars and 3 tiny stars), ABC Challenge ("T is for Three" - same things!), Crafty Cardmakers ("Embossing" - I have heat embossing), Brown Sugar ("Anything Goes") and Seize the Birthday.

I made the letters, covered them in enamel accents and left them to dry for a few hours.  When I went back up, I couldn't find the "a" anywhere.  After some searching and cursing, I found it stuck to the sleeve of my jumper - it had been there since I put the original enamel on! I added another layer to try to cover the lumps and bumps of wool fibre, but it did still come out a little lumpy in the end.  Here's a side-shot of the card (with lumpy letter a!):

Recipe:

Fonts: "Peanut Butter Cookies" and "Bambi Bold" - dafont.com

Other: Black e.p., black enamel accents, texture paste, hand-made stars and stencil.

Thanks for looking!

One that nearly ....

.... got away! Just going through photos and I realised that I never uploaded my brother's birthday card (back in .. gulp .. May!).  Better late than never, I always say, so here it is:

Quite difficult to see all that white against the background - in retrospect, I ought to have put a contrasting something or other behind it, but never mind!

I'm entering the following challenges: Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge and Inspiration Destination ("Anything Goes"), Brown Sugar ("Birthday") and Creative Knockouts ("Something to Say"). 

I like the elements combined and layered on this card - stamping in two colours, washi tape, sentiment panel with string and homemade sort of melted hama beads!  Here's a side-shot:

Recipe:

Stamps: IndigoBlu "Ink Splats" and Hero Arts "Grid"

Font: Arial Black

Other: Washi Tape, homemade enamel dots, recycled black string.

Thanks for looking!

Blew the dust ....

.... from my craftroom yesterday!  I haven't made anything since my last post, have been knitting instead, as I'm still working through physio.  My neck is much improved, but sorting that out has uncovered middle back problems (yes, middle back - not upper or lower!) and that makes close-up cardmaking a bit painful.  Oh well, it's getting better - and I've ordered my Christmas card stuff - way to undo all the good work!

My daughter's boyfriend is 23 today, this is the same fella I deigned to make a card for last year!  He's still around! Here's what I made:

Update 25/10/16- this card was Featured at Little Red Wagon - thank you!!

I'm entering the following challenges: Little Red Wagon ("Let's Party"), Creative Knockouts ("Embossing" - I've heat embossed the letters with my new embossing pen, not wildly impressed with it though.  I've also dry embossed some vertical lines on the top right of the card - you can kind of see them!), Inspiration Destination ("Anything Goes") and Seize the Birthday ("Anything Goes").

Lar likes cycling and bikes and such, so I was chuffed that I remembered this old IndigoBlu stamp set with a racing bike.  Inked a nice urban grungy brick background stencil and stamped the bike on top.  Here's a closer look:

Recipe:

Paper: Cosmo Cricket "Get Happy"

Stamp: IndigoBlu "Grand Tour 1" set

Stencil: Tim Holtz "Bricked"

Fonts: "Alexis Marie" - dafont.com and Arial Black

Other: Red e.p., Glossy Accents, staples.

Do you like my artificial grass?  The hard landscaping of our new garden is finished - we've just got to finish putting cladding on the walls and then it will be done - possibly this weekend.

Thanks for looking!

Bit of a ....

.... mad scramble here yesterday!  I haven't been crafting much this summer - partly because we've been redesigning our back garden, much gnashing of teeth and pulling of hair as we tried to work all our "must-have" requirements into a pretty small space.  And the other thing is I've taken my stiff neck/shoulder to a physiotherapist after rather a long time (4 to 5 years!!!) of ignoring.  My entire lifestyle from working as a secretary to hobbies of reading, crafting, etc. has conspired to create a perfect little storm of seized muscles, joints and nerves!  Oh well, will all be sorted eventually.  And the garden landscaping is underway - hooray - I'll post some before and after pics when it's done.

But .... yesterday was my little godson's 4th birthday, so a card had to be made.  My son's football match went over time, my step-mother called in for coffee unexpectedly, and the traffic was appalling as I raced to buy a present (ok, I left that very late!), so the card happened in between all that.  Here's what I made:

I'm entering the following challenges: Craft Your Passion, ABC Challenge and Simon Says Stamp("Anything Goes"), City Crafter ("Birthday Wishes"), Try it on Tuesdays ("Children") and Crafty Creations ("Use a Number").

I drew a little template for the balloons and cut out four in bright colours.  I printed out the numbers and letters onto white card and cut them out.  Had I had time, I would have glossy accented either the balloons or numbers or both, but that didn't happen!!  Here's a side-shot of the balloons:

Recipe

Paper: October Afternoon "Weathervane"

Fonts: "Bringshoot" and "Impact" - dafont.com

Other: Sharpie marker

Thanks for looking!

Nothing like a family ....

.... birthday to force a clean-up in the craftroom!!

My daughter turned 22 and, although I haven't even gotten into the craftroom over the summer, I had to get in there and make something for her, of all people!  It had become a bit of a dumping ground, especially the desk, but I did a swift tidy away and then made a card.  Wow, I was out of practice!!  After a few false starts, I ended up with quite a girly card for my non-girly girl!!  Here it is:

I loosely used the sketch from this week's Mojo Monday and I'm also entering the following challenges: Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge ("Celebrate"), Craft your Passion, Lemon Shortbread and Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge ("Anything Goes") and Crafty Cardmakers ("Summer").

I made a chevron stencil for the embossing paste using a Simon Say Stamp chevron die - it had three rows and I needed lots more, so I die cut on a large piece of card and repositioned carefully to recut about 20 rows.  Very pleased with the outcome.  I heat embossed the flowers with white e.p. and coloured them, then cut them all out and layered on the card.  I put a little bee on the tag as Daisy loves bees - there's one on her most recent tattoo on her arm.  Here's a side-shot of the layers and texture.

Recipe:

Stamps: Stampendous "Flower Swirls"

Die: Simon Says Stamp "Small Chevron Stripes"

Font: "Bringshoot" dafont.com

Other: White e.p., white embossing paste, Prismacolor pencils, homemade enamel dots

Thanks for looking!

Ok, so Spring has Sprung ....

.... and spronged, and I haven't been blogging.  Again!  We've been travelling a bit over the last few months - end of April went to Italy to stay with friends.  As always, wonderful - I love Italy.  Here's a picture of me on the approach to the Umbrian hilltop town where our friends live.

Two weeks later, we went to Belgium for an International Mini Meeting - we flew into Eindhoven in the Netherlands and stayed there the first night, then on to the campsite.  Brilliant weekend, lots of fun with friendly Mini people from all over Europe and beyond. 

I've made a few cards over the past few months - will post them as challenges dictate over the next few weeks or so.  The most recent was made for my husband's grandmother - 96 years old this week!  Here's what I made:

I'm entering the following challenges: CAS-ual Fridays ("Florals"), Creative Inspirations and Lemon Shortbread ("Anything Goes"), ABC Challenge ("I is for Important" - 96 is fairly important, not to mention impressive!), Shopping our Stash ("4 elements" - mine is "earth" for flowers - and maybe "fire" too, as they are sunflowers!) and CAS-ology ("CAS").

I used an old Papertrey Ink stamp set that my friend, Anne, got for me in America a few years ago, and popped the flowers up for dimension against a sponged background.  Here's a side-shot:

Recipe:

Stamps: Papertrey Ink "Simple Sunflower"

Font: "Bringshoot" - dafont.com

Stencil: Simon Says Stamp "Falling Snow"

Other: Distress Inks, bakers' twine, white e.p.

Thanks for looking!

My boy ....

.... is now 14 - and growing like a weed, seems to be made of arms, legs and feet!!

With the trip to Edinburgh, I was almost too late to make a card for him, and it was a bit of a rush, but he really liked it (well, he made the appropriate noises anyway!).  Here it is:

I used a sort of a combination of this week's and last week's sketches from Mojo Monday and I'm also entering the following challenges: Craft your Passion, Brown Sugar, Chocolate Coffee + Cards("Anything Goes"), ABC Challenge ("B is for ... " boy and birthday and black), Fab 'n' Funky ("Male Birthday") and A Gem of a Challenge ("Boy's Birthday").

I made some acrylic paint on kraft panels, I also used some lovely new stamps - the ink splot I particularly like.  I made the 14 and the J, E and D and popped up the 14 on a spring from an old notebook - here's a side-shot:

Recipe:

Paper: October Afternoon "Seaside"

Stamps: IndigoBlu "Ink Splats" and My Favourite Things "Go with It"

Fonts: "Handwriting Draft" and "Dark Underground" dafont.com

Other: Acrylic paint, black e.p., spring from notebook

Thanks for looking!

A Scottish ....

.... Valentine's Day.  My cousin got married in Edinburgh last week, so we went over there for a few days.  The wedding was held in Mansfield Traquair - it's a deconsecrated church in the Georgian New Town section of Edinburgh and is the most magical wedding venue I've ever seen.  Here's the front door:

And here's the main interior all set up for eating and a closer shot of the altar area where the ceremony took place:

Isn't it divine?!

The wedding invitation was art deco in style, so I made a card with a nod to that era.  Here it is:

I'm entering the following challenges: Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge ("Upcycle/Recycle" - I've used a little heart charm from a Lindt rabbit), Crafty Cardmakers ("Love, love, love"), Creative Card Crew ("Love"), Lemon Shortbread and Creative Inspirations ("Anything Goes") and Moving Along with the Times ("Words Only - No Image").

I used liberal amounts of gold embossing powder, to go with the black/red/kraft colour scheme and the art deco style lettering.  I also gold-embossed some wood veneer hearts - they came out really well.  Here's a side-shot:

Recipe:

Paper: Basic Grey "Kraft Basics"

Font: "Betty Noir" dafont.com

Other: Gold e.p., ribbon from stash, Lindt bunny charm, Studio Calico wood veneer hearts

Thanks for looking!

That was ....

.... quick - I only posted my mother-in-law's 70th birthday card a few weeks ago, now she's 71!!

Here's the card I made for this birthday:

I used the sketch from this week's Mojo Monday and I'm also entering the following challenges: Craft Your Passion, Lemon Shortbread and Cards Und More ("Anything Goes"), Paper Sweeties (inspiration pic - I went with the colours) and Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge ("One Layer").

I used a technique I saw on Pinterest for the background of this card.  I dry-brushed acrylic paint on kraft and when it was dry, inked over with pumice stone distress ink.  I really like the soft, chalk-like effect.  I coloured the stamped flower with promarkers.  Here's a closer look at image and background:

Recipe:

Stamp: Hero Arts "Peeking Posies"

Font: "KG Always a Good Time" dafont.com

Other: Acrylic Paint, Hero Arts gemstones, rock candy stickles

Thanks for looking!

See ya ....

.... January.  It's February, and that means the reveal of the January Card Chain Challenge on Deborah's blog.

I made and sent a card to Christy in California, using the theme of "friendship".  Here's what I made:

I'm going to enter the following challenges: Craft your Passion and Brown Sugar ("Anything Goes"), Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge ("Ray of Sunshine"), City Crafter ("Plastic Fantastic") and Shopping our Stash ("Dreaming of Something Warm").

I made some home-made enamel dots, out of plastic hama beads, having seen them on pinterest.  I made one batch of varying colours and burnt them, then turned the oven down and left another batch in for ages and ages, they came out ok but not perfect.  Will have to fiddle with temperature and timing to get the next lot right!!  Here's a side-shot:

Recipe:

Stamp: Hero Arts "Floating Leaves" and Kaisercraft "Chevron Texture"

Font: "Joe Hand 2" dafont.com

Other: White e,p., home-made enamel dots, baker's twine

And here's the lovely card I got from Toni - all the way from the west coast of the U.S.  Thank you, Toni!

The February sign-up is open until 6th February - if you'd like to join up, head over to Deborah's blog and see all the details.

Thanks for looking!

For old ....

.... time's sake - I was very sad to read an email from Basic Grey saying that they are stopping production - they were the first paper company whose products I really coveted.  I think Scarlett's Letter was the first collection I bought - still love that line - and so many others were divine.  Lovely colours, patterns, buttons, brads - there's an awful lot of it still in my stash. 

I pulled out an old collection, Marjolaine, to make a card for my friend's daughter - here it is:

Forgive the slightly blue cast to the colours - we're having yet another dull, rainy January day.  I used the sketch from this week's Mojo Monday and I'm also entering the following challenges: Craft your Passion and Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge ("Anything Goes"), Crafty Cardmakers ("Punches or Dies"), Little Red Wagon ("They say it's your Birthday") and Moving Along with the Times ("Embossing").

As mentioned already, I used Basic Grey "Marjoleine" papers - such pretty colours.  I stamped a criss-cross background and heat embossed in white e.p. and also embossed in silver around the edge of the sentiment layer.  I hand-drew the number 14.  Here's a side-shot where you can quite clearly see the embossed criss-crosses:

Recipe:

Papers: Basic Grey "Marjoleine"

Stamp: Hero Arts "Envelope Pattern"

Die: Spellbinders "Pinking Circles"

Font: "Bakery" dafont.com

Other: Hand-drawn numbers, silver and white e.p., hand-made enamel dots

Thanks for looking!

Little House in ....

.... the Big Woods!  Friends of ours in Sweden have moved house as they're getting married this year.  She used to live in a city and he lived in a town.  They've relocated to the countryside mid-way between the two.  I looked up their new place on googleearth - it is literally in the middle of a forest, no street view - there isn't even a street!!  They've been posting pictures of the trees, lakes and snow - it's very beautiful, and very Swedish!!  I made a card to send them, inspired by red Swedish cabins and conifer trees.  Here it is:

I'm entering the following challenges: Craft your Passion, Creative Inspirations and Creative Card Crew ("Anything Goes"), Cutie Pie Challenge ("Krafty Cuties") and Shopping our Stash ("Inspired by a Book" - see the title of this post!).

I stamped the little house, cut it out and then popped up for dimension.  I hand-drew the trees, with fear and trepidation in case I messed them up, but all was well.  The stars are white glitter paper, but you can't really see in the picture.  Here's a closer look at the little scene.

Recipe:

Stamp: Basic Grey "Nordic Holiday"

Font: "Shorelines Script" dafont.com

Die: Mama Elephant "Lots of Stars"

Other: Ribbon from stash, hand-drawn trees

Thanks for looking!