Simple easle

The sentiment is the focus of this card.  But it does need something else... I'm just trying to find something appropriate to add.  The card is a basic 5 x7 card which I have folder to create and easle and then cut out and mounted a circle onto.  The flowers are punched from cardstock and I have added diamantes to the centres and punched some green flowers and cut them up to make the tiny leaves that you can barely see in the pic!

I'll add the 'something else' and update the post with the final version later...

Male for all

Another quick card this evening as I am off to my first Stampin' Up! demonstrator event.  Check out my other blog if you're interested in Stampin' Up products.

This card could be used for any man really if you're in a rush and need something quick.  The DP came free with a magazine (I forget which one) and I've cut out the aperture and put the paper and image inside the card for a change.  I figured that people don't really write very long messages for men on thie birthdays so why not fill the space and save them the trouble.

The piece of ribbon came off a box of chocolates so that the hoarder in me getting let out and therefore I have entered this card into Lollipop Crafts challenge - 'recycle it'

Birthday boy

Today I have a very quick boy birthday card to share with you.  Made from some leftover wrapping paper :).  I've cut the elephant out of the wrapping paper and mounted it with sticky pads to a red panel which I have then layers onto blue and then red card.  I heve kept the card simple by using a striped piece of DP on the left hand side with a strip of the same red card used for the panel.  The sentiments are peel offs and so is the Number.

I'm really pleased with this card... hopefully little Dylan will be too.

I've entered this into the Crazy 4 Challenges - 'male theme' and the DYSU challenge - 'boys or men'.

Handbag gift card holder

I have been asked to make some gift card holders with male and female themes.  So have been scouting the web for some suitable ideas.  I found this great tutorial to make a handbag shaped gift card holder.

Here is my version of the idea.  I have used the Melon Mambo cardstock from Stampin' Up! for the top of the bag and scalloped circle.  The DSP is from the Fizzy Moon celebrations pack.  I decided to stamp the image and sentiment from my Stampin' Up stash as well and have used the crown image from the Every Little Bit stamp set and the sentiment from the Clearly for you set.

I absolutely love this gift card idea and will be making lots more :).

Challenges entered:

Incy Wincy - 'anything but a card'

Leaving card

Today I have a male care to share with you.  The stamp was one of those picked up from a sale bin and not surprisinging it gets quite a lot of use for male cards.  You can't quite see from the picture but I have cut out the wine glass on the right hand side (after stamping the image twice) and mounted it with sticky pads to give it a 3D effect.  The rest of the image is layered onto cardstock and kept fairly simple.  The DSP is from the Stampin' Up! brights range.

Challenges entered:

Lollipop Crafts - 'make it masculine'

Pollycraft - 'autumn colours', well at least the reds and browns part :)

Orange camper

Rain yesterday but a bit brighter today... what will tomorrow bring?  Well, I am desperately in need of a holiday and everyone else seems to be away at the moment.  So I thought the theme of this card would be appropriate.  I've used another of my favourite stamps on this leaving card for a friend's colleague.  The DP works well with the silver I think and I found some ribbon in my stash that matches nicely.  I'm actually really pleased with this card - hopefully the recipient will be too.  I've entered it into the following challenges: Crafty Calendar - 'hot colours' and One Stop Craft - 'bold and bright'.

50th Wedding Anniversary

Much like yesterdays post today's card has also been inspired by Stampin' Up! as I have used my favourite, the 2 step bird punch.

Sorry about the quality of the photograph, it makes the gold panels appear almost grey, but I can assure you they are made from gold shimmer card embossed with what I think is a budding vine embossing folder.  I've used a cream/vanilla colour card for the other panels and the front piece, also embossed but with a dotty design.

Another favourite here too, a Martha Stewart punch that I have yet to find another use for other than on the easle stlyle cards... probably just because I like this layout so much!  Oh and of course the diamantes :).

Challenges:

Bearly Mine - 'bling'

Allsorts - 'you've been framed'

60th birthday

So here is the 60th birthday card I mentioned a friend had asked me to make for here mum.  Simple but elegant and inspired by an idea I saw using the Stampin' Up! ornament punch (it's actually a christmas bauble shape upside down?). 

I have been quickly getting into the Stampin' Up! products since signing up as a demonstrator just a couple of weeks ago.  Check out my other blog if you are interested in purchasing any products, holding a workshop or coming along to a class.  I'm only just starting out and only really want to meet like minded people local to me who love crafting as much as I do... the products are fabulous and have been inspiring my creativity with no end!

I've entered this card into the following challenges:

Divas by Design - 'birthdays'

Aud Sentiments - 'anything goes'

Papercrafting Journey - 'anything goes'

Cute anniversary card

Another anniversary card tonight, but not much time to post as have been rushing around organising demonstrations and I'm now cat sitting for friends.  More to follow tomorrow...

Hot air balloon

I am house sitting for friends again this week for 3 days as they are away on holiday/celebrating again.  Here is the card I made for my dear friend RJP, and it was also a practice run for a 60th birthday card that a friend has asked me to make for her mum (a much more extravagant version with a feminine theme).

It's a simple white card blank with 3 of the balloons cut out of DSP and then stuck together.  I cut the basket out of card stock and embossed with a spotty design.  The cute sun stamp is from the Stampin' Up! set Every Little Bit.  A simple card but I hope he will like it as it has a sort of holiday theme and seems appropriate for the occasion.

I've entered this into:

Stampin' for the Weekend - 'holidays'

Sew Many Cards - 'summertime'

Cards for Men - 'anything goes'

Bird punch is back

Despite being extremely busy today I couldn't leave it without posting something.  Here's a very quick card using my favourite Stampin' Up! product... the 2 step bird punch :).

I've cut a circle out of a shimmer card blank and stamped the sentiment inside the window after mounting the birdy on it's branch.  Sorry the photo isn't very good but no time to fix... must dash.

I hope you are having as good a weekend as me x

18th anniversary

You can't see from the pic but this card says Happy 18th Anniversary. 

Not much time to post tonight so here are the details:

The papers were free with a magazine and I have stamped the lettering using the Woodland Folk stamp set from Docrafts.  The edge has been punched with a fancy border and the main panel features a pre cut rose which is quite intricate when you look close up.  The hardest part was using glossy accents on the lettering to make it shine as it took ages to dry.

I've entered it into the Whoopsi Daisy challenge - 'anything goes' as there doesn't seem to be much in the way of anniversary challenges this week (or at least I haven't found any).

Notecards

Some quick and simple cards tonight as I have been busying myself with my new blog.  These note cards are made from a set of Craftworks papers and bits.

I just love the colours and it seems someone else does too, as I was asked me to make a few for her after she saw them.

I've entered these into the Paper Playtime challenge - 'anything goes'

Wedding rings

Here's a wedding card that I was asked to make, which for once doesn't have the couple stamp (that I normally use) on it.  I drew an oval on the front of the card and then marked out 2 lines where the folds would be before then cutting out the window (leaving the parts where the folds start).  Once cut, you end up with a oval which is attached to the card by the strip in the middle which is then folded into a zig zag.

The stamp has been stamped twice and then cut out and layered after colouring with shimmer pens.  A border punch for the edge and also the right hand edge (inside the card) which you can't see in the photo, some peel offs and it's done.  Although to be honest it wasn't a quick card to make.

Challenges entered:

Try it on Tuesday - 'anything goes'

Fussy and Fancy - 'celebration'

 

Girly mug

I still haven't cracked open my new glass/ceramic paints... but instead was using up some old ones I have in order to paint this coffee mug. 

I painted this mug for my boss at work... but unfortunately over cooked it when sealing the paint and it's now a little darker in the flesh :(.  I love coming up with ideas for painting glass and ceramics, only it's quite messy to get everything out so isn't something that is permanently on the craft room table...

I've entered this into the Allsorts challenge, Creative Craft and Craft Your passion challenges - 'anything but a card'.

My parents are visiting again as I had to have a 'responsible adult' escort me home after having my wisdom teeth out... and they brought me a book that mum picked up at a charity shop which is all about glass painting and even has glass paints included :).  Hopefully if the teeth are healing and I'm up to it later this week I will be getting some use out of them...

Cute get well

I'm having my wisdom teeth out today.  Apparently after being sedated I won't really know who I am and will be acting a little strange, so I've set this post up to update automatically as I will no doubt be out of action after the op.

I found these cute stickers in Paperchase and just had to have them, the flowers are colour co-ordinated and I thought that adding more to the card would spoil it... so I left it with just the stickers and a peel off sentiment.

Rose window

My last couple of posts have been focused on gift items so today I have a card to share.  This was so quick to make as I used a pre cut/layered rose for the main feature.  I cut the aperture out carefully with scissors and outlined it with a sparkly pen and added some diamantes... can't live without these :).  I've entered it into the Totally Gorguss challenge - 'round and round'

Tealight card

I followed the dimensions for making a tealight holder card whilst watching Create and Craft TV a few months ago... however having noted it down I have only just got round to giving it a try.  The tealights fit inside without moving around too much but I did find the tabs on the ends need sticking down as they don't slide inside the box to close... I used a couple fo flower punches in the same DSP as the background for this.

The Forever Friends bear is from a decoupage set which comes with the co-ordinated papers.  This is a lovely idea for a card with a difference with a gift for a birthday or special occasion...

I've entered it into the Anything Goes challenge - 'happy birthday'

Post it note holder

The instructions for this post it note holder can be found all over the web.  I used some extra thick card for the holder so it stands up to long term usage.  The post it's can easily be replaced once they run out.  The flower has been cut from a stencil and the centre is Candi by Craftworks, the rest is just cardstock and DSP scraps.

I had been looking for a mini pen to fit this for a while, and had this sitting waiting to be completed... whilst in Tesco's food shopping I stumbled across a load of 3 for 2 offers in the back to school ailse and the mini pens were in packs of 4 for 50p, so I got 12 for a quid... bargain!  Best of all I got to complete my project and now have a load of them made up ready for gifts, although I've now got to find more post it pads :(.

I thought this would be fitting for the Papertake Weekly challenge - 'grow your own'

New baby

I can't resist the cute Fizzy Moon papers.  So here's one of the little bears that I've adapted into a new baby card with pink/girly theme.  Of course I got the diamantes in... means I can enter this challenge: Sweet Stamps - 'bling it up'

Tools/materials:

- Forever Friends embossing folder;

- Peel off sentiments;

- Diamantes.

I'm off to rummage through a big bag of crafty bits that I got for my birthday from someone at work... need to make her a thank you card first :).

Dad's birthday

Here's the card I made for my dad's birthday which is tomorrow.

I used a free digi stamp from Digistamp Boutique, which they had on their site a few weeks back.

The DSP is from the Forever Friends Good Life pack - it's got newspapers all over it and my dad is constantly reading them when he's not decorating or gardening.

I'm hoping he hasn't located my craft blog yet, of if he has that he won't be reading this before he gets the card!

Challenges entered:

A Spoon Full of Sugar - 'happy birthday'
Tuesday Throwdown - 'birthday'

Slice of cake

This cake shaped box is based on an idea I saw in a shop somewhere.  It's 2 pieces of card with the opening at the back - perhaps this should be on the bottom?

I added the chocolate flower centre and sandwich filling as thought this brought it to life a little more. 

The box would be ideal for favours at a party/wedding, so I'm going to keep a template that I can use with different coloured card stock for different occasions as I'm sure it will come in handy for someone.

I've entered this into a couple of challenges:

Hooked on Craft - 'sweet treats'

Craft Your Days Away - 'birthdays'

Baby at last

My friend (Vicki) finally gave birth on Friday... and best of all it was a boy which means I win the sweepstake that we had at her baby shower!  Check out all the baby shower crafty bits here if you are interested.

So after being away all weekend I had a mad rush this evening creating baby boy cards, as we didn't know what she was having so I couldn't really make them in advance.  I'm also trying to use up some of my old stash as I've decided to become a Stampin' Up! demonstrator - check out my other blog...

For this card I cut a circle in two for the main part of the pram and used scalloped scissors to create the white trim.  I wanted to keep this similar to a previous card I made, as one of my friends had ordered it, so then used buttons and a safety pin to embellish it.

As I'm back from the Lake District, I can enter the following challenges:

Lollipop crafts - 'monochromatic'

Incy Wincy Designs - 'something old. something new'.  I've had the buttons and safety pins for years, only a few left now however.  The card blank was picked up at Hobbycraft last weekend during my little visit :).

Other girly decoupage

As promised here is the other card I made from one of the other images on the decoupage sheet that goes with Thursdays post (see here). 

I was pleasantly surprised that as soon as I put it in with my other stock it was bought by the first person who saw it... although they wanted it personalised for their cousin.  In fact they purchased a whole stack of cards to go with it so I will have to replenish my stocks when I am back next week :).

Sunday wedding

Not a wedding that I am going to but a card request from my neighbour who is attending a wedding tomorrow...

This card uses the Me to You embossing folder on the pastel purple panels.  As she wanted a purple colour theme, it was easy for me to match bits up as this is my favourite colour to work with.

Lake District

I'm off to the Lake District this afternoon, staying with my Aunt/Uncle, as Saturday is the Clio V6 annual meet.  This probably seems a bit of an odd thing to be going to see but this year they have dedicated it to my other half, Nick, who sadly died in a car accident in November last year. 

This is quite a personal thing for me to be posting on here but as he was such a big part of my life it seems only right to mention it at some point throughout my entries.

Nick, owned a Clio V6 which is a very specialist car, which has an internet forum (fan club) to which he was a member.  After his funeral a lot of the members of the club sent donations towards the National Trust, which we had chosen as an alternative to flowers.  They have also dedicated this years Lake District meet to his memory, as he loved it there, and hence the reason for me going along. 

We have had trees planted at a National Trust site in his memory following all the donations received, so I will also be visiting there again whilst I am in the Lakes.  It will be another difficult weekend, although I have begun to get used to doing things like this. 

What I should say is that my crafting hobby has helped me through some of the hardest days, and will continue to do so for many years to come no doubt.

So, let's get back to it and onto today's post :)...

One of my friends asked me to make a joint birthday card for 2 of her friends (a couple) who are 30 next month.  She wanted it to feature a skateboard (which he likes) and a piano (which they both like) but left the rest up to me.  I puzzled over this for quite a while, looking for pictures on the internet that I could incorporate into the card. 

In the end I found a piano and skateboard peel off amidst my stash and then decided on some champagne glasses too. 

I was really struggling with the colour theme as well and eventually settled with black.  If you look closely you can see the DSP feature tiny daisys, which I thought worked well to balance back the masculine feel of the card.  I then decided that I liked them so much I cut out a load and set them on one corner of the main part of the card.

It's turned out ok considering the strange request and fingers crossed she likes it.  I've entered it into the Whoopsi Daisy challenge - 'anything but square', Cupcake Craft challenge - 'how old?' and Papertake Weekly - 'anything goes'.

Girly decoupage

A quick post today as I'm in the office again (that's twice in one week!) and will be swinging by the gym on my way home before packing for my long weekend in the Lake District.

This card incorporates a pre cut decoupage sheet that I picked up at a craft fair earlier this year, there were 3 girly images on the sheet, check out my scheduled posts over the weekend which will include another card from the set.

That lovely Me to You embossing folder which featured in my post a couple of days ago (see here for details) looks even better in pink (than blue!) and I have a wedding card to show you which I have used this for - so do check back on my upcoming posts if you are interested.

Challenges:

Crafts and Me - 'anything goes'

Stamps R Us - 'happy birthday'

Note cards and box

What a lovely day we are having... I'm having a quick break from work so thought I would post early today.

I love making little gift card sets, as it allows me to make more than one card with the same papers and embellishments.  This set fits nicely into a pizza box which I learnt how to make at one of Cate's classes a couple of months ago, although I had to adapt the size a little to be able to fit envelopes in there too...

I've used two different Bo Bunny papers for the diagonal folded fronts which has then had a pre cut sentiment from the Craftworks range added to one of the flaps.  These were then mounted onto pale pink textured card stock before being attached to the mini card blanks. 

The pizza box was made from the same pink card stock and I've used the remaining scraps from the papers to match this with the cards. 

The great thing about these cards is that you can write a short message inside the diagonal flaps if you want although I would probably just write inside the card itself. 

I've entered this into the Allsorts challenge - 'free and easy', Sew Many - 'anything goes' and Stampalot - 'whatever you fancy' as these seem fitting.

More scraps

I should be back home this evening so this will be the last scrap card for a while...

I have used the top note stencil that was from yesterday's post to cut the blue card scrap, which I have then run through a Me to You embossing folder and mounted on purple card scraps.  I've added purple diamantes for the flower centres.

The Paper Pretties challenge requirement is 'no markers' this week, so instead I have cut one of the cute little birthday bears from the Fizzy Moon paper pack and raised this up with sticky pads.

The sentiment is from a peel off sheet, as I didn't bring any stamps or ink with me...

I've also entered this card into the Stamps R Us challenge - 'happy birthday' and Charisma Cardz - 'four legged animals'

Scraps

I thought it was time to use up some of my scraps whilst I am staying away although of course I still have the odd decoupage sheet and paper pack with me.

I found the perfect challenge to enter, which requests that you photograph your scraps before making the card...

However, I now can't find the challenge so have had to enter the card that I made into these challenges instead:

Creative Card Crew - 'animal antics'

Creative Card World - 'anything but bithdays'
Pile it on - 'stay cool'
Clear it Out - 'anything goes'
Paper Shelter - 'anything goes'

I used the stencil, that was left over after using the Big Shot at one of Cate's classes a couple of weeks ago, to cut the daisy DSP from Fizzy Moon and then mounted this onto the yellow scrap of card.

The sentiment is stuck to an oval which was cut from the punch scraps which I also salvaged at Cate's class.

Then finally a Tatty Teddy decoupage sheet.