Wuv, Wuv, Wuv ....

.... as my son used to say in those long-ago toddler days when he couldn't pronounce his Ls!!!  Valentine's Day has been and gone and I was only a day late making my husband's card - oops!!  Here's this year's offering:

Update 18/02 - this card was chosen as Top 3 on The Kraft Journal - many thanks!

I'm entering this in the following challenges: Less is More ("Masculine"), Totally Papercrafts, Creative Inspirations, The Kraft Journal ("Valentine/Love"), Papertake Weekly ("With a Heart"), City Crafter ("Love Bug") and Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge ("Get Krafty").

I got some new crafting goodies during the week - first time in ages and ages - and I was itching to use the embossing paste.  I've seen it all over blogland in the last while and I knew I'd like it.  The Tim Holtz hearts stencil was out of stock, as was the plain white paste, so I got the stars stencil and the pearlescent paste and I'm glad - more hearts would have been overkill and the pearlescent sheen is just lovely.  I hand-drew the red heart, slathered it in a thick layer of glossy accents, and then cut it out when it was dry.  Here's a side shot of the card:

Recipe:

Stencil: Tim Holtz "Stars" stencil

Font: joeHand 2 - www.dafont.com

Other: Pearlescent embossing paste, glossy accents

Thanks for looking!

Triple ....

.... trouble.  A colleague was having difficulty finding a card in the shops for her friend, who has just had triplets, all boys - can't imagine there's a huge mass-market for the taking there alright!!  So she came to me and this is what I made:

Update 17/02 - this card was chosen as Top 5 on Crafty Cardmakers - thank you, Carole!

I took my inspiration from the babies' biblical names - this is little Noah and his brothers safe in their cozy ark - and as they were born very prematurely, but fingers crossed are holding their own so far, I like the safe and sound on the stormy sea analogy too.  I've done a couple of similar cards before using this lovely October Afternoon wave paper - it's so good for little scenes like this.

I'm entering the following challenges with this card: Craft Your Passion ("Pick any Challenge" - I'm going with #174 "All at Sea"), Crafty Cardmakers ("This is a Man's World"), Totally Papercrafts ("Hey Cutie") and Crafty Girls Challenge ("Anything Goes").

I love the little swinging name banner on this card, here's a side-shot of a giant thumb and a close-up of the banner doing its thing!!

Recipe:

Papers: October Afternoon "Seaside" and "Weathervane"

Other: Bakers' Twine

Thanks for looking!

Back to ....

.... basics - or back in black - either phrase will do for the card I made for my friend's husband, who turned 50 recently.  I haven't made a card with no patterned paper for a long, long time - but somehow this had to be that way.  Here's what I made (excuse dark photos, pics taken at night!):

Update 08/02 - Wow - this card has been picked as overall winner for January's Our Creative Corner - thank you Claudia!

I used the sketch from this week's Deconstructing Sketches and I'm also entering the following challenges: Our Creative Corner ("No more Shopping Sins"), Totally Papercrafts ("One for the Boys"), Stampin' for the Weekend ("Happy Birthday"), Brown Sugar ("Embossing") Crafty Cardmakers ("Black and White") and Charisma Cardz ("It's a Boy Thing").

I used three background stamps on this card - the houndstooth one I've had for yonks and never used.  I did clear embossing over the sentiment with another background stamp - but you can't see it in the photo.  The embossed pattern on the black card is really back to basics, I used a marker cap to make the repeat pattern.  I dry brushed a load of housepaint on the edges of the black card and the corrugated card.  The numbers are hand-drawn, and the pointy finger is from a set of stickers I bought in IKEA (a nod to my friend, who works there - Liz, can you tell me the product name of this set?!!).

Here's a close-up of some of the detail:

Recipe:

Stamps: Hero Arts "Grid" and "Houndstooth" backgrounds

Font: 28 Days Later - dafont.com

Other: Corrugated card, IKEA sticker, paint, eyelet, clear and black embossing powder.

I've been working on something else in January, which has now been posted to a crafty friend - I will post it here once I know it's been received.

Thanks for looking!

Dusting off ....

.... my long-neglected blog, oh dear, where has the last month gone?  I haven't been crafting much, but have a few bits and bobs to post, most recently I made another sympathy card, for my step-mum's friend.  Here's what I made:

I used a Deconstructed Sketch from a few weeks back, and I'm also entering Charisma Cardz ("All Distressed").  I love the duck egg blue/brown colour combination on this card - they are the recipient's favourite colours and I hope she likes the card.  I used some very old papers and fussy cut the little medallion.  Here's a side-shot of the layers on the card:

Recipe:

Papers: Cosmo Cricket "Everafter"

Other: Hero Arts pearls, computer generated font

Next, my craft club had our final meeting before Christmas.  We always do a Secret Santa and I gussied up a plain kraft bag to wrap my gift in.  Here's how it ended up:

There are oodles of Christmas challenges out there - I'm entering ABC Challenge ("A is for Almost Christmas"), Totally Papercrafts ("Anything Christmassy but a card"), The Ribbon Girl ("Ho ho ho - Christmas challenge") and Corrosive Challenge ("Anything Goes").

I used some lovely Basic Grey papers, glammed up with some gold card, and made a matching gift tag - here's a pic of that:

 

Recipe:

Papers: Basic Grey "Little Black Dress"

Dies: Nestabilities "Pinking Circles"

Other: Pinking Shears, ribbon from stash

Thanks for looking - will hopefully post a bit more in the next few days!  Don't wait up, though!!

Not so ....

.... shabby.  I made a card without doing any ripping or distressing!  It was very difficult not to, but it wouldn't have suited it, so I held myself in check!  It's a card for my step-mother's birthday. She loves the Irish rockabilly/jazz singer, Imelda May, and we got tickets for a gig for her birthday present.  Imelda is all about quiffed hair, razor sharp red lipstick, with 50s clothes and accessories to match, so I decided to personalise the card to suit the gift.  Here's what I made:

I used the sketch from this week's Deconstructed Sketch and I'm also entering this into the following challenges: Make it Monday ("Anything Goes"), Corrosive Challenges ("Life's Special Occasions") and Totally Papercrafts ("Monochromatic" - I've got red - plus black/cream neutrals - not sure if that's OK, though?).

I found an album cover with a caricature of Imelda May, including her trademark red lipstick and black/white quiff and drew it for the image on my card.  I'm quite pleased with how it turned out, but I bet my step-mother doesn't notice it - she's famously non-visual!!  She'll open the card, the ticket will fall out, she'll read it and then she might make the connection, but I'd bet money she'll have to have it pointed out to her!!!  Here's a side-shot of the card:

Recipe:

Papers: October Afternoon "Modern Homemaker"

Image: Hand-drawn

Other: MM brads, ribbon from stash, laser-cut border sticker from stash

Thanks for looking!

From very very old ....

.... to very new indeed!

Our challenge this week on Sentimental Sundays is called "Celebrating the New" and, ironically, I ended up using some of my very oldest papers (dating from 2007!) to make my project.  We have two sponsors this week:  Milk Coffee and Whimsy Stamps



My card is for a good friend of mine who just got a new job, having had to take a few years out of the workplace due to ill health.  She's now fighting fit and raring to go, so I made this celebratory card for her:

I used the sketch from this week's Mojo Monday and I'm also entering the following challenges: Totally Papercrafts ("Make your own embellishments"), Stampin' for the Weekend ("Something Metal") and Simon Says Stamp ("Anything Goes").

The speech bubble is computer-generated.  I made the tiny staples by bending and cutting some normal ones and piercing holes through the paper to fit them (a right fiddly job that was too!), and made the banners out of scrap cardstock.  I always keep even the teeniest scraps to use for building up dimension behind things and for making little bits like this too.  I was at a scrapbooking class last weekend and got to use washi tape for the first time.  I had been a bit "yeah, another trend, whatever" about it, but have to say I'm now a convert - it's so user friendly, isn't it?!!  Bought two rolls then and there - could it be the start of another collection?!!

Here's a side-shot of the dimension on this card:

Recipe:

Papers: Hello Elsie "Zoe" and American Crafts "Bookshelf"

Stamps: Hero Arts Clear Design "Happy Hello"

Colouring Medium: Prismacolor pencils

Other: October Afternoon "Witch Hazel" washi tape, Homemade tiny staples, glossy accents, black pen

Have a load of cards to make in February, lots of family birthdays, Valentine's Day, etc.  How will I manage? Groan!!

Thanks for looking!

Are you ....

.... a resolution-maker?  I'm not, especially at New Year - I think it's unrealistic!!  So as I was making the card I'm about to show you, and thinking idly to myself "Wow, my output is increasing, wouldn't it be great to make lots of cards and do lots of blog posts this year", I quickly slapped myself (metaphorically!) on the wrist!!  Step away from the resolutions!!!  I do have some good crafting news to share shortly (not sure when it's shareable), so watch this space!

Anyway, I was at a crop yesterday, and made almost a whole card, which I then finished when I got home.  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: Totally Gorjuss ("Spotty"), Our Creative Corner ("Shabby Chic"), Totally Papercrafts ("Ribbon") and Moving along with the Times ("Floral Delights").

 

I used a Papertrey Ink stamp set that my friend, Anne, brought back from a trip to Cincinnati, layered, scrunched, inked and distressed for good measure!!  Here's a side shot, showing the layering:

 

 

Recipe:

Papers: Cosmo Cricket "Everafter"

Stamps: Papertrey Ink "Simple Sunflower"

Die: Nestabilities "Lacy Circles"

Other: Ribbon from stash, glossy accents.

 

Thanks for looking!

 

And another one....

.... finished - I am really impressed with my card output this week - will be back to school on Monday, though, so I'm sure it'll all come to a screeching halt then!

Had a baby card to make, a boy for a change - I've just looked back in my blog history and this is only the 4th baby boy card I've made in four years.  Here's what I made:

I used the sketch on this week's Sketch Saturday and I'm also entering this on the following challenges: Stampin' for the Weekend (photo inspiration and blue+cream+brown colour combo), Totally Papercrafts (ribbon/bow), Kaboodle Doodles and Creative Card Crew ("Masculine") and Creative Inspirations (also Cream/Blue/Brown).

I'm loving all those buttons - I keep meaning to use them more often and I certainly piled a fair few on this card!!  I used this sweet Lili of the Valley image again.  It's so versatile, does perfectly for boy or girl baby cards.  Here's a close-up - the light had changed completely so the colours are totally different to the first post.

Recipe:

Papers: October Afternoon "Weathervane" + BG "Kraft Basics"

Image: Lili of the Valley "Baby Blanket"

Colouring Medium: Distress Inks

Other: BG "Granola" + "Bittersweet" buttons, ribbon from stash, needle + thread

Thanks for looking - now to do my son's 10th birthday card!

Churning out ....

.... the male cards!!  November is a month for male birthdays in my family, nothing like adding that pressure to that of the upcoming Christmas season!!  My husband is first, then his nephew, then a two-week gap before some more.  Gah!!!  Anyway, here's what I made for my husband this year:

I'm entering this into the following challenges: Basic Grey Challenges ("Anything Goes" - second time this week!), CES Challenges ("Entertain Us - Song or Film" - of course, mine is "The Italian Job"!), Totally Papercrafts ("Stitch It"), The Shabby Tea Room ("Homespun Fall" - a gorgeous inspiration pic that I've taken the colours from) and Our Creative Corner ("Masculine - using non-traditional colours").

Another pinwheel (or are they called rosettes?) - anyway, I love making them.  They are the perfect way to use those strips that are cut off the edge of a piece of 6" x 6" paper to make the background layer for my cards, those strips I can never bear to throw away.  I have oodles of them and at last can put them to some use!!!

I've been teasing my husband because he's getting to that stage where he's doing that stretchy arm thing when he's reading - needs to get the eyes tested, etc., and he is in complete denial.  When he looked at this card, he said "There's only one "L" in Paul", to which I replied "There's only one "L" plus an exclamation mark on your card - you need to get your eyes tested!".  Hee hee, got 'im!!!

I had to make the Mini bit three times - I had decided to try out the cracked glass technique, used about half a pot of e.p. building up the thickness I wanted, cracked OK, then my son came to see what I was doing and asked was the Mini supposed to look like it had crashed!  Oh dear, not quite the look I was going for.  The second one I forgot to distress the edges before putting one layer of e.p. on and it looked bland.  This is the third!

Recipe:

Papers: Basic Grey "Wander"

Stamp: "Mini" by Blade Rubber Stamps

Sentiment: Computer Generated

Other: Distress Inks, ribbon from stash, Doodlebug brads, needle + thread

Now on to nephew's card - eek!  He's turning 20 so no longer a teenager, but that doesn't make it any easier!!

Thanks for looking!

Slipping already ....

.... oh dear, I didn't make anything yesterday.  Only because I got a reprieve, we were supposed to go to a friend's daughter's 2nd birthday in the afternoon (I was going to make her card in the morning), but they had to cancel it - so that one went on the long finger!!

But I can't escape my own daughter's birthday, coming up fast, so today I made her card.  Here it is:

I used the sketch from this week's Papertake Weekly and I'm also entering this into Kenny K's Krafty Girlz ("Metal Embellishment"), Totally Papercrafts ("Bling it up") and Crafts and Me ("Ribbon").

The MME papers I bought last week in Cork have the perfect colour pallette, as my daughter's current favourite colours are mustard, dark grey and wine. 

This is the first time I've used a Kenny K image, I really like this one for an older teenage girl, although I'm a bit sniffy about some of their images, too tarty for my taste, guess I'm a big old pearl-clutcher!!!  I broke out my pro-markers for the first time in absolutely ages to colour this - still haven't got the hang of doing hair, but I'm pleased with the rest of it, especially the jeans and the shoes.  Here's a close-up:

I made the numbers myself - printed out from the computer, stuck down and cut out from chipboard - and then I added a row of gems to each.  Here's a side shot of the dimension on this card:

Recipe:

Papers: MME Stella Rose "Hattie"

Image: Kenny K "Club Kid"

Colouring Medium: Pro Markers

Other: Fancy Pants "Daily Grind" chipboard cloud, Hero Arts gems on numbers, Prima swirl, Doodlebug brads, ribbon and buckle frpm stash, needle + thread

Thanks for looking!

More seasonal ....

.... stuff - I've been overloading you all with orange for the past few posts.  Well, it ain't over yet!!

This fortnight's challenge on Creative Card Crew is called "Autumn or Fall" (covering both sides of the Atlantic!!).  We are sponsored by Sassy Cheryl, and she gave us some fun images to work with.  As soon as I saw the raggedy Star Annie, she reminded me of a spooky Hallowe'en scarecrow, so I decided to make a Hallowe'en decoration thingie on a stick.  Here's the front:

For the front, I used the sketch from this week's Sketch Saturday.  I'm also entering this into Sassy Cheryl's Challenge (use a Spellbinders' Die), Totally Papercrafts ("Let's go Dotty") and Stamp Something (Spots and Stripes).

And now for the back (and the orange!).  I printed off the lettering from the computer, transferred onto chipboard, cut it out and covered with crackle accents.  I had run out of time so, for once, the stitching is faux (eek, the shame!!):

Recipe:

Image: Star Annie by Sassy Cheryl

Papers: very very old Daisy Ds

Colouring Medium: Distress Inks

Other: American Crafts velvet rick-rack ribbon, Crackle Accents, kebab skewer painted black!

Thanks for looking!

Had the best idea ....

.... but it was too late, I'd already finished the card!!  It's Tuesday again, and time for another fortnightly challenge from Creative Card Crew.  The challenge this time is called "Sparkle and Shine" and we are sponsored by The Digi Shack.  The DT were offered our choice of digi images so I very carefully chose one that I hoped would colour OK after printing from my printer. I immediately thought of a Beatles-loving friend of ours when I saw the submarine image and so I decided to make his birthday card (some months early!).  Here's my card:

I used the sketch from this week's Create 4 Fun.  I'm also entering it into Totally Papercrafts (rainbow - I think the stripy paper contains (nearly) all the colours!).

As it's a card for a man, I've used more shine than sparkle.  The shine is the windows in the sub (glossy accents) and also the metal, both real in the brads and faux in the heat embossed port-hole.  I've added sparkle to the water and the bubbles with stickles.  I changed my mind about things quite a lot - the background cardstock went from green to blue to black during the making of the card.  I coloured the water with distress inks, but chickened out and coloured the sub with prismas 'cos I was afraid that the inks would smear the image. Here's a close-up:

Recipe:

Image: The Digi Shack

Papers: Fancy Pants "About a Boy"

Colouring Media: Distress Inks and Prisma pencils

Other: Silver e.p., Eucalyptus and Stardust Stickles, Doodlebug brads, black mesh from stash, needle + thread

And what was my great idea - I was just sticking the last piece down when I realised that the sub was very "steam-punk" looking, and that it would look fab on a card made in that style.  Gaaaaah!!!

Thanks for looking!

Hang on ....

.... Snoopy!  Things went an unexpected direction this week with my DT entry for PaperPlay.  We are sponsored by Stitchy Bears Stamps and our challenge is a recipe:- 2 DPs, 3 flowers, 1 ribbon and 1 charm.

The latter presented a problem for me, I don't have any charms.  Then I remembered my daughter had a clearout some time back and I had "rescued" quite a few things from the bin, including a little Snoopy mobile phone charm.  When I first started card-making, I was ecstatic to discover that Stampabilities make Peanuts stamps, I bought quite a few at the time, and although I haven't used them much (some not at all), I will never get rid of them because I'm so happy that they exist!!  So now that I had my Snoopy charm, out came one of the stamps, I blew the dust off it, and here's my card:

I'm also entering this into Crafty Angels (Something old, something new), Simon Says Stamp (Sing it Baby - the song that is stuck in my head now "Hang on Snoopy", such a stupid song!), Cute Card Thursday ("whateva" - bless their DT, we had 444 entries for anything goes last week on PaperPlay - so much commenting!) and Totally Papercrafts (going to the movies).

Here's a little close-up of my image - I coloured with distress inks and highlighted the balloons with glossy accents:

Recipe:

Papers: Cosmo Cricket "Lil' Man"

Stamp: Stampabilities "Snoopy Happy Birthday"

Colouring Medium: Distress Inks

Other: Blue flower handmade, other flowers, gems, ribbon, BG button, charm from stash, needle + thread

Thanks for looking - and don't forget to enter my blog candy (click here) - only 4 days left!!!

Sending Donkey ....

.... smiles!  Many crafting bloggers will have heard of the accident that befell Michelle, a lovely lady who lives on a farm in Texas.  Some of her friends on A Spoon Full of Sugar decided to organise a card drive for Michelle - so she will get cards from all over the world wishing her well.  One of her great loves is her beloved donkeys, so as part of the card drive, freebie digi donkeys have been provided if people wish to use them.  Here's my card:

I used the lovely sketch from this week's Truly Scrumptious, and am also entering it into Totally Papercrafts (pearls and swirls).

I was originally going to use soft greys and pinks (donkey colours!) - but when I checked out Michelle's work, I can see she loves bright colours, flowers and pearls - so I ramped up the pink - a lot!!!

This is only the second time I've used a digi-stamp, my printer is not so good with these at all.  I dried it with a heat-gun several times and it took a few goes to colour without smudging.  All I can say is I'm glad my donkey is grey!!!  Here's a close-up of the image:

Recipe:

Papers: Basic Grey "Bittersweet"

Stamp: Digistamp by Meljens at Whimsy Stamps

Colouring Medium: Distress Inks

Other: Stickles, Maya Road Flower, Basic Grey Pearls, ribbon from stash, needle + thread

Thanks for looking, and if you haven't already and would like to make a card for Michelle, follow the links in this post to find out the details.

Your Number's ....

.... Up!!  My turn to set the challenge this week on PaperPlay - I'm asking entrants to feature a number prominently on their work.  We are sponsored this week by Simon Says Stamp, who are offering at $15 voucher for this week's winner.

I used this week's sketch on Totally Gorjuss (rotated a bit!), and the photo inspiration on this fortnight's Basic Grey Challenges - an icy fruity dessert picture that immediately brought to mind the lovely new BG Olivia papers, which have my favourite dusky pink and green colours.  I can't believe my friend's daughter, Ava, is nearly one already - it seems no time at all since I was making a card to welcome her arrival.  Here's the birthday card:

I'm also entering this into Bunny Zoe Crafts (nice and girly), Creative Card Crew (die-cuts), and Totally PaperCrafts (one for the girlies),

I coloured my Tilda with Distress Inks - I love this little one - she's called "Summer Time Tilda with Bow", only I cut the wings off her, didn't like them, and the funny lumpy bits under her skirt, I think they were the bottoms of the wings, didn't like them either!!!  I glossy accented the bottoms of her shoes and the dots on her bow and stickled the smock bit of her top.

I made the big Number 1 out of cardstock, then painted with cream acrylic paint, slathered in stickles and then when it was dry I slathered it again with Rock Candy Distress Crackle Paint.  I think they reacted a bit badly to each other, 'cos when the crackle paint dried it was trying to peel away from the stickles, but I shoved it back with my fingertips and it seems to have stabilised!  Here's a close-up of the image and number:

Recipe:

Papers: Basic Grey "Olivia" and "Perhaps"

Stamp: Magnolia "Summer Time Tilda with Bow"

Colouring Medium: Distress Inks

Other: Diamond Stickles, Glossy Accents, Rock Candy Distress Crackle Paint, Needle + Thread

Thanks for looking!