Birthday Wishes

Ugh, I have a cold and feel very sorry for myself at the moment and if one more person says 'I hope it's not swine flu' I will throttle them!

Whilst I have been home sick I have been working on a birthday card for my Nanna's birthday at the end of the month, I usually end up leaving it to the last minute and I hate rushing a card as I like to put a bit of thought behind it.

This card started off in the same vein as my mother's day card, I knew the look I wanted to create and started pulling bits together. I originally started with some pretty green K&Co Madeleine paper and chipboard butterflies and a victorian cherub embellishment, but when I talked to my Mum about my original idea she wondered if I could make something in blue as it's my Nanna's favourite colour and this is what I came up with.


I started off with the padded idea, i tried it on thin chipboard and funky foam but didn't get the little indents I wanted so tried it again with felt as the padding and it worked better than I expected. I added the MM Paperie flocked paper but because of the padding it was had a large step between the two hence the frame. If I had been thinking a bit better I should have raised the flock paper to the same depth of the padding.

I haven't used Grungeboard before but it's a great medium to work with. I hand cut the butterflies from GB, embossed with cuttlebug folder, painted then decorated with glitter, distress stickles and perfect pearls. I mounted them over some tulle and added some ribbon tails. I have had the lace for almost 20 years (I almost fainted when I realised that, how can I be so old??) and handstitched some seed beads at the edges.

My only problem is how to pack it, it's definitely not going to fit in an envelope!

To love and be loved

I found this as a journalling card on some Fancy Pants papers and really liked it. I cut the card following the lines then cut some co-ordinating card and a card blank in the same shape to replicate. I then drew the border and coloured it with watercolour pencils and Marvy pens, which is something new for me. I finished it with some ribbons from my favourite Etsy store.

Aloha

I've always loved hibiscus flowers, ever since holidays to spain as a child, the vivid colours and long stamen, I liked to pick them and put them behind one ear and imagine being a flamenco dancer. Now I associate them with Hawaii, must be all those surf clothes that feature them.

I recently scored a bargain paper pack of mixed prints and there was a really pretty one with hibiscus on them that i knew I had to use but I wasn't sure on what or how.

I made these little aloha notecards with the paper, some sizzix die cuts embellished and raised on foam squares and stamped the aloha on little squares of card. I thought they were pretty cute.

I was then left with the remnant die cut pieces that I didn't use and I couldn't waste them so I decorated them and put them to one side and left them for a couple of weeks. Eventually I got sick of looking at them on my desk all lonely and unloved so I popped them together on this card. I think I like it and it's different from what I've done recently.

Supplies: White Card, Dovecraft Retro Floral Paperpack, Sizzix Thin Cuts Hibiscus die, Glitter, Chalks, Scallop punch, Fiskars Threading Water Punch, Woodware Circular Greeting from the previous post.

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.

Mother's Day Card

So I had an idea in my head that involved blue and cream toile and lots of cream organza ribbon, but I just couldn't translate the idea to the card (it would have helped if I had the toile paper I dreamed in my head) I could see it when I thought about it but it was all a little blurry so I couldn't fixate on the exact design - I get that a lot, either old age or a lack of creativity!

This is what I eventually ended up making, not quite what I had in mind but it does feature the ubiquitous swirl die!

I also embellished a little shopping list pad to go with the card.

I think tomorrow should be scrapbooking day, I've exhausted all my card making abilities for now!

More cards..

I've been on a card making jag just recently!

I love the new Imaginisce papers, they are just so pretty I bought 4 sheets!

My new swirl die is being put to good use!

These two are using the Junkitz celebration papers, I thought they would also make pretty reasonable men's cards, I always seem to have trouble with those!

March Card Challenge

Here is my entry for the March Card Challenge on UKS. The card had to include 3 or more of the following: Blooms, Buttons, Bling, Birdies, Bows and Bunnies.

Tagged and a favourite photo!

I've been tagged by my friend Jenna

***Rules***
1. Go to your Picture Folder on your computer or wherever you store your pictures.2. Go to the 6th Folder and then pick the 6th Picture.3. Post it on your bloggy and tell the story that goes with the picture.4. Tag 5 other glorious peoples to do the same thing and leave a comment on their bloggy tellin’ them ’bout it.

I couldn't believe the pic that came out. One of my most fav pics I've ever taken!

I can't wait for the cherry blossoms this spring :) They make me happy!

Snowdrops

I adore snowdrops and I have been patiently waiting for their appearance. There hadn't been any sign of them over the past few weeks, however when the big snowstorm came and I was wandering around the garden I noticed this...

Complete with bunny rabbit prints. I used to love watching the rabbits in the garden (I still love the baby bunnies, they are too cute to resist) but have seen how destructive they can be, they ate the majority of my potted herb garden and have recently taken to stripping the bark of the lower part of trees as well as eating the ivy off the wall.

One thing I have been looking forward to since getting my new camera is taking pictures of all the spring flowers, especially the snowdrops and my all time favourite, the cherry blossoms. I have been checking on the snowdrops progress every week and then today we had the most beautiful clear skies and bright sunshine and I was able to enjoy them in all their prettiness!

I looked quite a sight, hunkered down on a big square of cardboard in the damp moss and grass, butt in the air taking over 100 photos of snowdrops, even clearing some of the leaf debris in areas just to get a good shot. I loved my old point and shoot camera but I was never able to get to grips with taking good photos of snowdrops, they mostly seemed to come out as white blobs, like this one from a couple of years back, after that I pretty much gave up.

But this year I had my new spanky camera and was able to get nice and close up.

My favourite however is this one that I took in the late afternoon sun.

I forsee me taking another 100 before they start to wilt and go brown!