Second Post

What's this - two posts in one day which is quite unusual for me these days!!  This card was made in response to a request from a friend of a friend for a 90th birthday card with some quite specific guidelines which in fact I found difficult to meet but I put my brain in gear and at least made something which may or may not fit the bill.  If the person who ordered it  thinks it won't do then there is no obligation and I can keep it in my box until someone else is looking for a  for a 90th male themed card.  I was asked to post it on the blog so that she can see what she thinks because she lives at the other end of the county.

Background paper was some I came across which fitted in with the nautical theme; the image is a Stampin'Up stamp; 'ship's wheel' is a cog die from Sizzix and the wavy border was cut with an EK Success punch; the sentiment was produced on the computer and popped onto a die cut star.

Bird Amongst the Flowers

I challenged myself yesterday to use a 'chicken wire' die cut which my friend Anne kindly gave me a while ago and after some thought I came up with the idea of making it the backdrop for some flowers.  I started by cutting a frame using Stampin' Up die (Framelits Labels) which I then embossed using a folder from Couture Creations; another shape was cut and embossed for the backing before I sandwiched the 'chicken wire' between the two layers.  Backing paper was a leftover piece from a Prima pad and a border strip was punched (EK Success).  When I was at the Extravaganza Day we used the SU bird punch which made me realise I'd not used mine for such a long time, so inspired by that I've used a punched bird to sit in the flowers which were stamped with Petite Petals set which we also received on the day.  There is a punch to match these flower stamps but unfortunately I don't have it yet so they were cut out wish scissors - leaves were cut with a Tattered Lace Die.  This all took quite a time to assemble but I'm pleased to have made use of the gift die cut.  I'm wondering now if I should have used brown for the bird, but I didn't really want to introduce another colour but I think he might have shown up more if I had.

The Great Outdoors

The title of this post is taken from the challenge this time at The Male Room, where all cards made must be suitable for men (or boys).  This skateboarder image comes from a Watercolour Collection by My Craft Studio - I thought I'd have a look through for a suitable landscape image but when I spotted this I changed my mind about the card I was going to make.The textured 'wall' was made using a Tim Holtz embossing folder and I stamped a couple of tickets for sentiments, adding a scrap of tied string left from another project; the piece of kraft 'notebook' card  was punched with an EK success punch; backing paper from my stash.

House of Cards Challenge

We are into the second week of the August challenge at House of Cards, still with the sketch provided and this week it is the CLEAN AND SIMPLE style they are looking for.  Luckily I still had a few of the Heartfelt Creations daisies on my desk so I've used them with scraps of cream and green card to make this card in the CAS style. Cream lattice border was cut with an EK Success punch and the computer sentiment is poppped onto a Spellbinders fancy tag die cut.  Not much more to say about this  but do take a look at their design team inspiration by following the link and maybe have a go yourself.

House of Cards

We are into the second month with House of Cards and this time we have a sketch to follow and as this is the first week of the month we are back to CUTE AND FUN.  I've chosen an image from Polkadoodles - well two actually because I've combined the girl with the fence because I thought she needed something to be sitting on.  Backing paper is from a free pad I acquired recently and an EK Success punch was used for the border strip.  The simple addition of a couple of punched flowers with card candy centres; a computer greeting and there we have an approximation of the sketch.  Do take a look to see how their design team members have interpreted this by folllowing the link above.

Purple Haze

This is the title of the challenge from Hels on the Sunday Stamper blog and she is looking for something including purple and of course some stamping..  I've used a  delicate asters stamp and die from Heartfelt Creations as well as various Spellbinders ornate dies and an EK Success punch. Image was stamped and coloured with Copic pens with an extra flower stamped so that it could be die cut to go on top of the image. Backing paper was from a Back to Basics pad by Dovecraft.  I'm having a little debate with myself at the moment about adding some die cut corners but I think maybe not - what do you think?

Pretty Flowers

The stamp used here is one of a set of freebies given away with a recent magazine and I do try hard to resist buying these but every now and then the stamps look so useful that I succumb.This card was made up using bits and pieces of paper and card mainly from the scraps boxes; sentiment was a wood mounted stamp from ages ago and the butterflies were stamped and punched using a set from Stampin' Up which came my way at a wonderful Extravaganza day. Border strip is an EK Success punch.  These designs are so easy to colour (I used alcohol pens) so good for quick and easy cards.

I'm planning a quiet day in the craft room today - nothing too strenuous as I'm all aches and pains after having had a little mishap yesterday when I tripped on an uneven pavement and landed flat on my face - my chin seems to have come off worst.  Believe me purple Desperate Dan is not a good look and also my ribs are feeling very sore on one side - probably landed on my handbag which I carry over that shoulder!!  Fortunately there was no one around to witness my stupidity so I picked myself up and carried on.

Home to Nest

I have to confess to being tempted to buy this set of tiny birdhouse stamps from the new Papermania Home to Nest range and they really are quite tiny especially the birds which are smaller than my small fingernail so I will have to be careful that I don't drop any of them into my waste bin - don't ask.  It happens!!  The colouring was done with Promarkers and Copics; background paper was from my stash overstamped with Tall Trees from Chocolate Baroque; Cuttlebug swirls embossing folder was used (inked with Distress Ink) for one of the layers and I punched a strip of daisies and the other bits and pieces from scrap pieces of matching card.  The daisy border is a punch from EK Success.

Make My Monday Challenge

I can hardly believe just how long it has taken me this morning to make a card - the elements here (and others) have been shuffled around so many times they must be dizzy!!  The challenge at Make My Monday is to use ribbon and buttons and I decided straight away to use the Memory Box die cut tree and some tiny Papermania buttons but it was the rest of it which seemed to cause me problems.  Eventually I settled on Nestabilities and some die cut corners combined with punched ones and a piece of spotty paper from my oddments box.  All I can say is that it is a good job I'm not paid piece work - come to think of it I'm not paid full stop!! I do this for fun.

Make My Monday Week 53

As it is Fathers' Day soon that is the theme for the challenge on Make My Monday this week and fortunately they also mention a masculine card.  I am quite pleased because I am rather too old to require a card for Fathers' Day!!  This is another card using something found in my oddments boxes, namely a printed digital image from the George at Work range by Charmed Cards and Crafts which I've actually made into a birthday card.  Background paper and the various die cut or punched pieces were all found in the oddments boxes as well - odd thing is that despite using lots of scraps recently the boxes are still brimming so I reckon they are quietly breeding overnight!!

Relax

A quick card this morning - couldn't resist this cat sprawled on the bed (as they do given half a chance).  Background papers are from Papermania, sentiment produced on the computer and is on a punched oval (Stampin'up) with a Spellbinders fancy tag behind.  It is raining steadily yet again so I reckon the drought must be officially over by now.

Bah Humbug 45 Again

When I saw this  Bah Humbug challenge earlier I thought it was a shame I couldn't use the lovely gift bag we made at the Extravaganza last weekend so went ahead and made the little gift box.  However I have now made another bag following the  ideas but using different papers and stamps from my own stash.  Card and background papers are bits from my oddments and I used an EK Success punch for the decorative edge.  Stamps and punches used were from Stampin Up apart from the actual words which were stamped inside the label border with a greeting from a Polkadoodles set. I must say I had a problem finding a greeting stamp small enough to fit - I have lots of greeting sentiments but most are too large for any of my fancy punches and I usually resort to printing them on the computer.

Make My Monday challenge 12

The theme on Make My Monday is still 'things with wings' and it would appear we can use anything with wings this week as long as we use ACETATE!! I must say that this isn't one of my favourite things to work with and after rejecting several ideas I finally settled on printing this aeroplane image (from Joanna Sheen's Victorian Companion CDs) onto acetate, applying glue to the back and covering with gilding flakes. The backing paper is from Chocolate Baroque Echoes of Italy collection - I felt it suited the image - and I used a piece of Tim Holtz fabulous Kraft Resist paper, punched with an EK success punch and wrapped with raffia.  A Computer sentiment and a couple of brads and that's my acetate entry done!

Friday Again

Well where did that week go?? I'm afraid it sort of escaped me in the muggy heat we've been having - thankfully it rained quite a bit yesterday and it is a little cooler now thank goodness.  Friday is usually the day for forgotten stash and I have a card made with some two-step floral stamps from Stampin Up which have been lying idle on the shelf for a while. Background paper is from SU and I also cut a strip with a decorative punch from EK Success using the reverse of the paper.  The roses were stamped in two colours, cut out and arranged onto a die cut circle which has had matching pearls added.. A computer generated greeting, ribbon and corners complete this get well card. Apologies for my lack of blogging this week.

Boys, Boys, Boys

The challenge this month on the Get Funky blog is 'boys, boys, boys' and as usual there is a great freebie download suitable for the theme. I decided to use this robot which is on the Craft the year Away CD - after all what boy of any age doesn't like robots?  Two papers from the January Blues section of the CD were used, the robot was printed onto scaled down versions of the papers and cut out for paper piecing. Now I've seen it on the screen I think I will add a couple of buttons at the bottom right.

Forgotten Friday 19

I know I keep saying this, but I just find it hard to believe that it is Friday again already and time for Judith's Forgotten Friday challenge where we use something which has lain neglected and unused.  Well I have to confess that the stamps used on this card were bought in a fit of enthusiasm probably a couple of years ago as I thought they would be really good for men's cards but sadly although I mounted them on cling and filed them away they have never actually been used until now.  I made this card  (with the challenge in mind) on Monday when it rained steadily all day - well it was Bank Holiday!! The background is core-dinations card embossed using a mask, sanded and distressed.  The next layer is some brilliant Kraft card from Papermania which has lines printed like a ledger or notebook and I punched the edge with an EK success punch.  I stamped a few random images on this using some teeny tiny stamps which are from Chocolate Baroque and are so useful for this type of design.  the main image was made up on watercolour paper using stamps from the Vintage Games set by Creative Expressions and a couple of stamps which came as a subscription gift with Craft Stamper many moons ago (Paper Artsy).  The final addition was a dimensional sticker from a set which I bought when I started making cards and thought that everything came ready made to stick on - I've learnt that this isn't the case but I thought it went with this card quite well and I must use up some of the 'stuff' which I have hanging around.

Forgotten Friday 13

I hope you are all enjoying the wonderful weather we are having at the moment. Friday came around so quickly this week that I missed it but I have managed a card for Judith's challenge Forgotten Friday  albeit a day late. I realised I was a bit short of New Home cards so I dug out my Cottage stamps by Elusive Images (now Chocolate Baroque) which I bought when they were issued and I'm sure I've not actually used all of the lovely designs yet.  Background paper is from  the Echoes of Italy collection and has been overstamped with a Tall Trees image (also Chocolate Baroque).  The image was stamped onto watercolour paper and coloured with Polychromos pencils.  The sentiment was computer generated and popped onto a fancy tag from Spellbinders.  An EK Success punch was used on the lower layer.


                                      

A Die Cut Cat

The topper on this card was made using one of the die cutting sets from Papermania Pampered Pets range.  This one wasn't too fiddly to assemble after it was cut although I have found some of their other ones have so many little pieces that they are in danger of getting lost on my desk before I get them stuck together. Background paper is from my stash and the cat has been mounted onto a couple of Nestability shapes.  The colours are  looking a bit odd in the scan - the embossed shape is actually a sort of mid lilac and looks far too dark here.

Forgotten Friday 4

Yes, I know I put FF 1 last week but wasn't sure how many of these Judith had put up last year and anyway it was the first one this year - my excuse anyway!!  My forgotten item this week comes from a sheet of Stickeroos by Penny Black which has been lingering in a storage box for quite a time.  I've combined this with some Artylicious background paper, punched paper and card, some cream lace and a punched corner made using two punches.  The butterfly was also on the sheet of stickers and I stuck it onto black card and cut out, adding some glitter and a few matching pearls to finish this card off. Nearly forgot - the greeting was stamped with an Elusivise Images stamp.

Lovebirds

I thought this digi image of lovebirds would make a good anniversary card (sorry I can't recall where I got the image). Background paper is by Papermania and behind the image I used a Sizzix die which is actually quite long so was cut down to fit. Sentiment printed on the computer, punched out and popped onto a small Nestability shape - a couple of punched daisies and corners were added.