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

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.

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.

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

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.

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;

1 Mockingbird Lane Stamp,

Our House Die 

Sentiment - Glad Tidings

Adornments Dies

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

Die Cutting Magazine Box Kit  

 

 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

Queen Bee

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.

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.

 

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.

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.

 

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!!

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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!!!)