Birthday Goodness

I was thoroughly spoiled for my birthday and received lots of crafty goodness including these stamps, I can never get enough of sentiment stamps!

Some new (new to me) cuttlebug folders, I wasn't keen on the D'vine swirls at first but it looks great when you emboss a die cut shape.

Some cosmic shimmer powders, I really love using perfect pearls and picked up 3 more pots recently but loved the bright colours of these, so tropical!


I also picked up some Grungeboard, Metallic Alcohol Inks, single stamps and a few other bits and pieces, I just need to get my butt in gear and create something, i had a good run for a while but seem to be having trouble at the moment!

Another revisit

Another oldie today, didn't get much accomplished last night. I love this little duckie card, so easy to make and coloured with watercolour pencils with a little bit of stickles for the beak. This is a lift of a card I saw a while ago but unfortunately can't remember where!

Today's Progress

Used up some more of the kit from Crafty Templates , I've never used a card kit before but I have found that I am able to create much faster from a kit! I'm thinking of putting together my own kits from my own supplies and see if that boosts my productivity!


I did add a couple of my own things, I used a sizzix die for the birds and branches and imaginisce stamp for the sentiment.


I used my sizzix machine for the flowers and some extra aqua bazzill, perfect pears and a thanks sentiment stamp

This is my least favourite, it didn't come together as I would have liked. Paper 'buttons' from the paper included in the kit, rikrac, sequin leaves and a cuttlebug folder.

Looking back: A couple of 'lifts'

I love Melissa Phillips' cards at Lilybean Paperie, they are just beautiful and one of my favourite places to visit for inspiration, however I always come away scratching my head thinking 'huh' how do I try and incorporate that into my cards and I feel a little intimidated.




I saw this card and filed it away in my favourites to try and replicate it. I created the blue version last autumn when I first started getting back into card making and the red version was for my mum's birthday. I still love the blue one, it was my first attempt at sewing on a card and it came out pretty good by my standards!

This is my little look back at some of my older cards.


I used my favourite reversable Mambi paper, velvet paper, blooms from Tesco hand inked and a Imaginisce cordurory brad, I love those things!


Basic Grey Urban Couture paper, stamped and embossed with copper powder and perfect pearls, hand dyed bloom, sizzix flower and copper cut over funky foam with my bigshot all edged with copper krylon.

Who provides you with card inspiration?

Beaded Felt Corsage

I have a wedding to attend soon and I wanted something to 'jazz up' my outfit. I had been looking at corsages but the ones I found were either large feathered affairs or looked like a someone had popped the head off a silk flower and stuck a pin in it. I decided that I should make one myself, so I made this little baby during a 4 hour movie marathon. I didn't have a pattern, I just sat and started piecing it together from all my bits and bobs (I never knew I owned so many beads!)

I have had so many nice comments from friends and random people since I started wearing it, I have decided to make more and share the instructions on how I made it.

Beaded Felt Corsage - You will need:

Felt

Contrasting fabric

Embroidery thread

Beads

Brooch back pin

Start with a drawing a petal shape on some chipboard to use as your template. Cut out as many petals you like from your chosen felt. I cut 6, but then cut a further 6 to double the thickness.

Stitch the 2 together using co-ordinating embroidery thread. I used 3 strands.

Cut out a smaller petal from chipboard, I used the larger petal as a template and then scaled it down. Cut 6 petals from your contrasting fabric, i decided to use some 'pleather'.

I backed them onto some black felt and stitched the 2 together using contrasting thread.
Sew the petals on to a double thickness circle of felt. I then added the brooch pin to the back, I also added a little strip of felt to cover the brooch bar back.

Sew the petals on to a double thickness circle of felt. I then added the brooch pin to the back, I also added a little strip of felt to cover the brooch bar back.

I then added some loops of velvet ribbon and sewed them onto the circle of felt.

Sew the smaller petals on to the other petals in any placement that suits!

Embellish the center, i used a mixture of beads, glass in the centre for weight and then smaller seed beads to fill in the gaps.

And...Finish. Sit back and admire your handiwork, pin it on your coat, bag or cushion the choice is yours. I recently made a smaller one on a hair clip for my niece, the possibilities are endless. I was really pleased with how these came out, I am not one for sewing and get frustrated with patterns so this was very easy to follow. Have you made one? Please email me to share!

April Card Challenge

So, here are my two entries. The theme was Red, Pink or Orange. I may have taken it too literally with the first card I made.

It was originally monochromatic orange, but it felt like it it all melded in together so I added some chalked Sizzix leaves and cream to the tissue ruffle and was quite happy with the end result, but still wasn't 'feeling it' so I also made this card:

I went with Pink Collage Press paper accented with orange and went from there, I think it's my favourite but the orange was very labour intensive and so I do have a soft spot for it!

March Card Challenge Results

My card was the winning entry for the UKS March Card Challenge and my prize was the current April mini kit from Leo at Crafty Templates and it's fab.

Here are the results of my first card from the kit:

My only additions were crackle paint, alcohol inks, chalk ink and metal chain

Easter Card

Didn't have much time to put this together as I was waylaid with other card projects, but I made 2 of these. One for my parents and the other for my nanna.