A first for me ....

.... I've made a card for Daisy's boyfriend's birthday!  He's not her first boyfriend by any means, but none of the others was around long enough to get to the giving-a-birthday-card stage!!

So I faffed around with bits of cardstock and stamps and made this:

I used the sketch from this week's Mojo Monday and I'm also entering the following challenges: ABC Challenge ("T is for Two" - I've got two sprockets, and the number 22!!), Crafty Creations ("Don't be Blue"), Creative Inspirations ("Anything Goes") and Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge ("Wrap it Up").

I wanted to have some white pops on this card to lift the dark blacks and greens - so I white embossed the edges of the patterned paper and the holes that I had punched, and I attached the large sprocket to the card by sewing it on with white thread.  Here's a closer look:

Recipe:

Paper: Basic Grey "Oxford"

Stamp: Kaisercraft "chevron"

Dies: Spellbinders "Sprightly Sprockets"

Font: Arial Black

Other: White e.p., dymo label maker, white thread

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!

What an output ....

.... those of you "card-a-day" gals will be chuckling when I say that this, my seventh post this month, is my highest monthly total in about two and a half years!!!  Dang, am I on fire or what?!!!

Today's card is a commissioned card for a new baby.  Here's what I made:

I used the sketch from this week's Mojo Monday, and I'm also entering this into the following challenges: Lili's Little Fairies ("Butterflies"), Shopping our Stash ("Tag it"), Crafts and Me ("Tags or Punches") and Basic Grey Challenges and Simon Says Stamp both have "Anything Goes".

I used the ever-versatile Lili of the Valley baby stamp yet again (!), coloured with distress inks.  Here's a closer look:

And here's a side-shot of the layers and the little tag with the baby's name on it.  For any non-Irish readers, in case you were wondering how to pronounce the name on the card, it's an old Irish name(apologies in advance to any Irish Mammies of Oisins reading but it's not a name I particularly like!!).  Anyway, take the first syllable of the rapper, Usher's, name, and combine with Charlie Sheen's surname: Ush+sheen = Usheen.

Recipe:

Papers: October Afternoon "Thrift Shop" and Basic Grey "Oxford"

Stamp: Lili of the Valley "Baby Blanket"

Colouring Medium: Distress Inks

Punch: Nestabilities "Lacy Circles"

Other: Butterflies from cupcake wrapper, hairy string, needle + thread

Thanks for looking!

So that's September ....

.... done and gone!!!  Well, more or less, anyway.  September is always a mad month, given that not only are the kids back in school, but so am I!!  By this week, my office was beginning to look a bit less like an explosion in a paper factory!  And now that all is settling down, it's time for me to start work on Junior Infants for next year!! No rest for the wicked!!  The state of my house, though, is another story that will do for another time!!

All that being said, I've had neither time nor energy for crafting until another pesky deadline grabbed me by the throat this week.  A card for my friend for her husband's 50th birthday.  Here's what I made:

 

 

I used the sketch from this week's Papertake Weekly, and I'm also entering this into the following challenges: Charisma Cardz ("Something for the Guys"), Cute Card Thursday ("Letters and Numbers"), Moving along with the Times ("Seeing Red"), Crafts and Me ("Favourite Colours" - mine is that petrol-y blue) and Simon Says Stamp ("Anything Goes").

 

Excuse the light in the pics, I was in a rush to take them this morning, and now it's Autumn, we're back to bad blue natural light and cruddy yellow artificial light!!  Here's a yellow-lit side-shot of the dimension in this card:

 

Recipe:

Papers: Basic Grey "Oliver" and "Oxford" and MME "Holly Jolly"

Die-Cut: Nestabilities "Petite Ovals Large"

Other: Recycled corrugated card, star snap from stash, Rusty Pickle numbers, needle + thread

Thanks for looking!

Howzat ....

.... another card done!!

This one is for my brother - the cricket-playing one.  Here's what I made:

I used a cute Lili of the Valley cricketer image, but given that my brother ain't so cute, I tried to come up with something different to add to it, and I'm very chuffed with how it worked out.  Here's a side shot of my spring-loaded cricket ball:

I used the sketch from this week's Totally Gorjuss, and I'm also entering this into the following: Papertake Weekly and Lili of the Valley ("Anything Goes"), Kaboodle Doodles and Shopping our Stash ("Masculine") and Crafty Cardmakers ("Distress It").

Here's a closer look at the image.  Doesn't the little guy look nervous as that giant cricket ball comes hurtling towards him?!!!

Recipe:

Papers: Basic Grey "Oxford"

Image: Lili of the Valley "Cricket"

Colouring Medium: Distress Inks

Other: Spring from an old notebook, needle + thread, twine

Thanks for looking!

Only one more ....

.... man card to do now I've finished this one.  Phew!  We were out last night at a friend's surprise 40th party - I made his card in a rush in the afternoon, photographed in horrid light before tucking it in my bag, went out, had a great night, came home - and d'oh, realised the card was still in my bag!!  Oh well, at least that meant I got to re-take the pics in daylight (albeit winter daylight)!  Here's what I made:

Update 3rd Dec: This card was picked as a Top 3 on CES Challenges  - thank you!

I used the sketch from this week's Sketch Saturday, and I'm also entering this into Basic Grey Challenges ("Lost and Found" - reuse something found around the house - I've used the corrugated packaging cardboard and the burgundy string which was from a clothes label) and CES Challenges ("Special Milestone Birthdays").

As I was tight for time on this, it's a variation of the 60th card I did a few weeks back. Used the delicious BG Oxford paper again - soooo good for male cards, and yes, more rosettes - I love making them so much.  Here's a side-shot of the rosettes and dimension of the card:

Recipe:

Papers: Basic Grey "Oxford"

Sentiment: Computer generated

Other: Doodlebug brads, needle + thread, corrugated cardboard, string from stash, BG "Bittersweet" buttons

Now just have to do a belated birthday card for another nephew that has been put on the long finger again and again - those poor guys always get left 'till last, and then it's full steam ahead on the Christmas cards and whatever else Christmassy I get around to!

Thanks for looking!

Had a lovely afternoon ....

.... in my craftroom, making a commissioned card.  I really enjoyed myself - even though I'd left it until almost the last moment.  Had a moment of panic when I started questioning the age of the birthday boy - I knew it was 60, but I started arguing with myself and trying to work it out logically - so ended up having to text to check for sure!!!  And of course, it is 60!!  This card is also my DT entry for PaperPlay this week - our challenge is called "Button Up".  Here's what I made:

I used the sketch from this week's Mojo Monday.  I'm also entering this into Basic Grey Challenges ("Anything Goes") and Simon Says Stamp ("Buttons").  I made the pinwheels - fun but fiddly, especially when took on a life of their own when I was trying to fix them to the backing circles!  I made a star and the numbers and crackle accented them - here are some close-ups:

Recipe:

Papers: Basic Grey "Oxford"

Sentiment: Computer generated

Other: Doodlebug brads, BG Bittersweet buttons, handmade pinwheels, star, numbers

Thanks for looking!