Monday 25 December 2017

Merry Christmas / Happy Birthday

My message for 2017

Happy birthday to Anne.
Today is her day.
The design was based on a
card made by Shari Carroll
Unbranded die
Paper: Dear Lizzy Lovely Day

Sunday 24 December 2017

Family Christmas Cards

This card is for my sister,
Tracy & Martin.
Made & posted two weeks ago.

My sister is a fan of CAS
They are not the easiest to make.
But I stuck to a limited palette
& elegant script.
Paper: Time to Sparkle
Focal Tree/Sentiment - Inkylicious
Shapes die cut with Xcut dies
Rangers Platinum embossing powder
Inside stamping: free stamps
Creative Stamping Magazine


This card is for my Dad.
This was made last after a week
of planning & waiting for the
handmade ornament to dry!

Papers were free - Silent Night.
I adore the softness of them!
Snowflake ribbon - Sainsburys
Die cut bauble - free with a magazine
from a few years ago.
Star stamp (free - C/Stamping)
Embossed with Rangers Platinum powder.
Top die is Unbranded, purchased from
either Wish or AliExpress.
Similar to the Memory Box die.

Inside stamps free Creative Stamping
Also Platinum embossed.
While it doesn't call the powder
Detailed, I think you agree
it deals with fine images well.

Tuesday 19 December 2017

More Christmas Cards

Here are a few more I made for 
friends & family.
This one for Colette.
I inked the sky & once dry,
covered it in shimmer.

 This one for Roger & Jayne
I used to work for them for a long time.
I didn't like the sky to begin with
but once the gesso splats had dried
it suited me better.

This one is for my cousin, Paul & his family.
I wanted to capture a snowy scene
viewed from a window.

 This one is for my ex train buddy,
Claire. It is a wreath handmade using
two different dies.
The embossing is a favourite new folder.

 Claire is a huge fan of my cards 
so I try to make them really different
each year & because I love the
paper & embossed detail so much
I decided to decorate the inside
more than I usually do.

Sunday 17 December 2017

Santa Bear

I made this card for my
dear friend Kate.
I took 3 shots so you
can see him ride across
the card on his bike.


Stamps;
Bear -Good day to be happy
by Waffle Flower (Bear & Bird)
Gifts - old magazine freebie
Trees at back -set from Wish
Santa Hat - Papermania
Chalet & pine trees -
Free from Creative Stamping
Snow hills dies - Lawn Fawn
Let it Snow dies 
by Tim Holtz / Sizzix
Hidden slider card inspired by
Laura Bassen
Jennifer Maguire

Saturday 16 December 2017

Christmas Cards

Here are two designs
I made for craft friends
& ex.train buddies.
I used Stampin'Up
Merry Cafe & Merry Christmas
Stamps & dies.

 The first card also uses
Tim Holtz Garden Greens
& Winter knits dies.

The second card uses
The same Tim Holtz dies
plus Die'sire die snowflake.
I love how versatile this set is.
I used them for Autumn & now Winter.

Monday 4 December 2017

First Christmas Cards

These have reached their recipient
& so now I can share.
First up is for friends who
just want to be Home for
Christmas this year.
Easel Card using;
 Time To Sparkle paper, 
Sheena Douglass;
Acetate for the windows.
Lawn Fawn snow border
Fussy cut stamped trees (Creative Stamping)
Door step made from Tim Holtz bookplate die.
I backed the house by drawing around the die.


Next Card is for Queen Bee
My Beautician & Hairdresser
situated in Scunthorpe.
The shop Front die was from the
 
 Papers - Time To Sparkle
Gorgeous collection of glitz for
the inside of the Salon.
 And just in case you wondered
why I chose the paper I did for
the walls, see this picture
below which is one of the walls
in the hair section of the salon.
 See more photos of

30th birthday

 Created for my friend, Kate who was 30.
Lots of dies cuts, texture paste
Lindys and stacked card to 
look like chipboard.
 
Below is a close up of
the frame. It was made from 6 pieces
of white card to give depth. 
Plus all the gorgeous glimmer!
Tim Holtz Trellis
Jardene frame
Floral Scrapbook Paper
Gold paint
Lindys sprays.
Such a rush to complete, I
did not write the exact products
down and so can not gues.

Sunday 5 November 2017

October Offerings

This October, I have been busy
making all my Christmas cards.
But I also had two events to create for.
First up, my sister's Wedding Anniversary.

She likes clean & simple.
I think I achieved it!
Stamps used were all free from
various magazine covers.

 This is the inside.
I made the frame from another
magazine freebie.

 The other event to create for was a
friends birthday on 02 November.
I decided on a detailed card which 
took quite a bit of time to put together.
However, I enjoyed it & would do
someting similar again.

Here is the first view, 
the card when closed.

 This next view is when opened up.

 This final view is sideways on
so you can see the other trellis work.

Materials;
Crate Die - Stampin' Up.
Trellis, greenery & flowers on trellis
arched embossed area & image behind 
all from Special Edition of
die cutting Essentials
All other stamping (teapot/
table/chair etc) free cover magazine gifts.
I used a large die cut circle to
place on the back for my birthday message.
All floral clusters in the crate are stuck in on acetate strips.
 I am very pleased with the finished result. 

I am also very pleased with the 38 Christmas cards
I have made so far. (6 to go)
Hope to share these at the end of the 
first week in December once sent.
 

Saturday 14 October 2017

Welcome Autumn

What better way to welcome
this amazing, colourful season, than
to send cards to friends.
Below are two of the four
I made & sent along with
a sachet of Latte for
each recipient.
Except one, & she had tea.


 While the cards are the same,
each are put together differently.
Plus, they had a different 
inside design. 


Supplies;
Prima Amber Moon paper strips
Stampin' Up; Coffee Cafe,
Merry Cafe
& matching thinlits.
Word die; Latte & coffee beans,
 Sugarpea Designs
Leaves, acorn dies,
Embossed folder, leaves
free on magazine cover.
Spotty orange paper from stash.

Tuesday 5 September 2017

Gift Card

Today, I am sharing a card I
made for my sister.
It was last year and I had forgot
all about it, finding it in my 
unedited box!!
I remember making it using a technique
from a Tim Holtz class CC103.
Textured Embossing.
Using Flourish Stencil by TH.
Stamps are Papillon, by TH. 
They were heat embossed with
Cosmic Shimmer Silver Pearl Enamel.
The background was made by
dry brushing Pale Duck Egg (Matt Emulsion) onto a
panel of blue paper in various directions.
Once dry, I added light overstamping using 
the same paint.
I added Altenew inks around the edges in
the following colours to build up
a blend that darkened at the edge.
Sea Glass / Carribean Sky /
Evening Frost & Lava Rock.
 

Monday 14 August 2017

Sharing cards

First up is a card I made in June.
I was playing with D/Oxides & used
this fabulous background image
from Viva Decor for the focal point.
I coloured the image with regular distress.
This was sent recently to a lady,
who's online order arrived with mine.
I forwarded it on with this card tucked
inside to explain. It got there next day,
so she soon had her goodies to play!
 

The next card and the one after,
were both made in July.
They were just because cards as well.
But this one was intended for a recipient.
I hadn't seen a friend in a while so
I sent her a reminder, that I missed her.
Everything on the card was free,
except the stitched rectangles.
Background within frame D/Oxides.

Finally I made this card because,
I had just got the brand new released stamps
from My Favourite Things
(Thank You Seven Hills)
and i had a desperate need to create
something very bright. 
 MFT diagonal striped Background
Green card is actually Distress ink.
I did Twisted Citron, direct to paper.
Yummy, love that colour so much!!!
MFT stamps were coloured
then die cut with Co-ordinating dies.
(I blame Jennifer McGuire for my obsession)
Xcut polaroid frame was used
to support the flowers.
 
I'm thinking this would look good
in Picked Raspberry!!

Sunday 30 July 2017

With Sympathy

A short while ago, my neighbour
sadly lost her granddaughter aged 32.
She had fought cancer solidly for 3 years,
but eventually after numerous surgery,
her body could not cope with anymore.
I know the entire family so I made
this card for Rose to include them.

 I wanted a simple design,
So I made a watercolour panel slightly
smaller than the main die cut panel.
Inked with altenew Puffy Heart
& Purple Wine.
The panel was die cut with TIm Holtz
Mixed Media & A Sizzix Dandelion
 
Inside I added to border details
& some Lilies (Viva Decor)
along with a fitting Sentiment
(border & Sentiment free stamps)
Creative Stamping.

Sunday 9 July 2017

My sister's birthday.

This first card is the actual
Birthday Card.
I made a pop up element
for the inside.
Stamps are Craft Consortium
Tell the Bees.
Gorgeous illustrated range of paper 
is also available, with ribbon
& sequins.
I coloured using Inktense pencils.
 Here is the inside
Showing the pop up.
In hindsight I wish that
I had added a tiny bit more depth
to the section but it was my
first attempt!
 This next card was made
to send her gift.
Here I used distress oxide inks
over heat embossing.
Colours are
Wilted Violet & Broken China.
Stamps are cover gift from 
Creative Stamping Magazine.
The inside was stamped
using the same set. 
I stamped some images, cut them out
then stuck them overlapping
each other slightly.
The fruit are from a
French company Aladine
I cut a slit in the bowl
& tucked them in.
Her gift is a years subscription
to Jamie Oliver's magazine.
I folded the renewal email
confirmation to add inside
with her number etc.

Sunday 2 July 2017

A Joke Card & New Baby Cards

 This first card was made for a joke.
A friend & neighbour broke a toe
while rescuing a spider in the bathroom.
Photos are poor quality as it
was late by the time they were taken.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 These next two cards were made for a work colleague.
He and his partner have just had a baby girl.
This first card is for the proud parents.

 This second card for the proud big brother.
The photo on the bottom is a little blurred!!
I made both using the free stamps from
Papercraft Essentials issue 145
Safari Friends.
I used Tonic studios scalloped square die,
Spellbinders scalloped circle die,
Lawn Fawn stitched rectangle dies,
XCut mini cloud die,
Sara Davies Banner Die
Watercoloured using Inktense Pencils

Monday 26 June 2017

Dictionary Pages

I have two more of my
Dictionary art Journal pages
to share.
Spring was made some time ago,
but I thought I would share now 
I have another to show.
These both come before
Architecture in the handmade album.
~~~~~~
Spring below uses various stamps
& I painted the texture paste roses.
The background was just a wash of soft
colours.

Hares is the next page.
I have to admit to this one
being my favourite!
Background made with brushos
then bleached away so I
had a spot to stamp the Hares.
Moon is by Inkylicious.
I used gilding wax to add shimmer
& Heidi Swapp Gold Shine for dots.
I used a free stencil to add the tiny
stars  all over.

Sunday 18 June 2017

Father's Day


Happy Father's Day, to my Dad!
I created another bird themed
card for him.
This time I went for a
water scene.


I blended the background
using my favourite inks,
Chipped Sapphire, Peacock Feathers,
& Broken China distress ink.
I ended up with a background
I am very pleased with.
All dies were free with a
magazine. I cut them
all out of white cardstock
Coloured with Inktense pencils.

Saturday 10 June 2017

More to share...

I'm beginning to get the hang
of this "Updating the blog" lark!

First up, we have a CAS Thank You.
This was to thank my old landlord
for forwarding on a parcel that should
not have gone to my old address,
but technology isn't always the best!!!

I mixed Golden Light Moulding Paste
with Windsor & Newton Iridescent Medium,
with a few drops of Distress Re-inker
Salty Ocean.
The result, this very soft Eau de Nil shade.
Simple Thank You Sentiment (Freebie)
to complete the design.
Tim Holtz Swirl Stencil.


This next card uses the same stencil,
with just the iridescent medium with the 
texture paste. I love this paste, 
it is like working with air, it is so light.
I used Stripped Santoro Gorjuss paper
with a light scraping of Liqutiex Heavy Gesso.
 All stamps used are freebies from various magazine covers.
This card was for all the staff to sign for
a colleagues birthday on 01 June.

 Finally, for today, I have 
another Dictionary Journal page to share.
I have given up trying to share them in the order
they are made. Purely because some are
taking an age to dry.
 
This page is Architecture.
I am a bit of a geek. I love
Church Arch windows.
Just love the shapes, (as I do eggs!)
 Anyway, I used texture paste through
a TCW Gothic Stencil & also added
a few texture bits from Hearts Stencil. 
I coloured using Chocolate, Dark Chocolate
and Midnight Rendevous 
Lindys sprays & magicals.
The wording is computer typed and paper stained with coffee.
I finished it with an arched window stamp
from Viva Decor (Sympathy set)
I think I also rubbed dark gelatos over and
possibly some gold highlights using
Gold Brown Inka Gold.

Anyway, I couldn't achieve the depth of
colour I really wanted. I just don't have enough 
shades of brown. (YET!!!)