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!