Boy Card

I've used another Crafter's Companion image to make this card which would be suitable for a boy.  Background paper is from my stash and the wood panel is the wood-grain stamp from Stampin' Up along with some stamped and punched bunting (also SU).  Sentiment was produced on the computer.

I've spent the morning catching up with some of the techniques which we were shown at the machine embroidery workshop - there were eight different ideas to try.  In the class I only managed seven of them, one of which was't successful anyway because the height of the table I had wasn't really conducive to working free machining - I couldn't really see what I was trying to stitch and that does help believe me! Now all that remains is to come up with ideas for using these techniques in a project or three. What I really must do today is to at least make a start on mowing the lawns before the grass gets too high and blocks the view from the windows!!  I might manage one lawn today although I'm really aiming to do both while the weather is nice.

I hope you are all having a lovely weekend

Girly Card

The image on this card is from Crafters Companion, cut out with Spellbinder dies; the lacy doily is an X-cut die; background strip embossed using a Cuttlebug folder; computer sentiment popped onto a couple of Cuttlebug die cuts with a Marianne corner die - finally a ribbon bow and some card candy.  It is a lovely sunny morning at the moment - long may it last!!

Another Bear

I've used another of the Bingham Bear images to make this card.  Background is embossed using a Sue Wilson folder, image cut out with Sizzix (for Stampin' Up) starburst framelit die and some Spellbinder circles.  The lacy border was cut with Spellbinder border dies and the little stamped flowers are Petite Petals from Stampin' Up with punched centres.  Sentiment is a clear stamp which I curved on the block so that it would fit the Bitty Banner die cut.

A Bingham Bear

This card was made mainly from bits and pieces lying around on my working space - you know how it is you try out a die on an odd piece of card, cut a piece of backing paper, print an image or two and then don't actually make them into anything.  Today I decided to gather some of the bits together, match them up and make a quick card.  The image is from Bingham Bears by Serif, backing paper is from a Debbie Moore CD, corner die is a Spellbinder one, as is the plain kraft circle.  The bear was cut out using a Sizzix thin die (Stampin' Up) and the computer sentiment popped onto a smaller zig-zag circle and a punched label (also SU).  That's a few less odd bits and pieces cluttering up my space!!  I know it is officially spring now but today seems quite chilly to my way of thinking, nothing like as nice as last Sunday.

Thank You Card

I'm filling another gap in my box of cards today with this Thank You card made using the lovely Mexican Tile die from Cheery Lynne.  This die cuts well but I must say it seems to take forever to poke out all the little dots and shapes - well worth the effort though.  As this is quite an elaborate die I've simply combined it with some toning paper and card from Stampin' Up together with a stamp from their Faith in Nature set and a simple sentiment using SU punches.

Wedding Card

Posting on my blog two days running - can't be bad eh!!  I guess the weather can be partly to blame for that because it is wet and windy again today so I decided indoors is a good place to be.  Looking through my box of cards I noticed I needed a few more cards in various categories other than birthdays so started with this one suitable for a wedding or engagement perhaps.  I used the piece of Centura pearl card embossed using a Creative Expressions folder and added die cut circles from Marianne (the large frame) and Spellbinders.  The sentiment was produced using Craft Artist and then cut out using circle dies.

Celebration

Celebration is the theme for the challenge on the Male Room blog and it can be any type of occasion as long as it is suitable for a male.  I've used a stamp from the Wetlands set by Stampin' Up and a Cuttlebug embossing folder with just a simple birthday greeting.  The frame for the image was cut using two Spellbinder dies, the framing layers are gold mirri card which looks brown on the scan.  I'm quite looking forward to the challenges starting again after the break - maybe they will give me some impetus to get into the craft room which has been neglected a little of late.  I've just noticed that the picture is a little skew-whiff - the card itself is straight!!

Very best wishes for 2014 to all my friends and followers.

Bicycle Girl

Earlier this week I met up with two of my lovely crafty friends for lunch at our local craft shop and was, of course, tempted with a little retail therapy in the form of some toppers by Hobby House.  I’ve combined one of these with die cuts – Stately Circles from Spellbinders and the larger circle was cut with two of the dies from Tonic Verso Decorative Bow Rings, all using Centura Pearl card.  The flower was made using a Marianne die and two X-cut punches, some die cut leaves were added. Background paper is a piece of pretty floral from my stash. It is nice to be working in delicate colours as a break from the Christmas cards and I don’t think I need any more of those for the moment.
                                    

I see this has come in with a wide margin which I don’t normally do – sadly I was unable to use the programme I'm really used to for getting pictures from the scanner to post on the blog which is a real pain. I’m still trying to work around my various options with programmes on the computer and obviously haven’t really got to grips with it yet – previously I could do it without thinking!!  I will persevere.

EDITED - I managed to get the picture to look as I'm used to but by a very circuitous route, just hope I remember what I did!!

House of Cards

We are into the third week at the House of Cards so the theme is CLASSIC AND ELEGANT following the sketch which we have been given as inspiration for the month. Somehow I've managed to miss the first two weeks this month - sorry!

I decided to use a Marianne  corner die cut four times with a floral stamp from Stampin' up onto some Spellbinder oval shapes and a simple computer greeting. Background paper is from my stash - a pad which lost its cover I'm afraid.

One of Those Weeks

Most of my weeks seem to go by in a flash but this last one seems to have been speedier than others - probably because I have been out most days for various reasons.  I'm just scraping in by the skin of my teeth this week for the Make My Monday challenge which has the theme of  TEXTURE.  This card has been made using various embossing folders and dies from Tonic, Creative Expressions and Spellbinders.  The sentiment is a stamp from Stampin' Up.  I've not managed to visit and comment on as many blogs as usual either so apologies to any I've missed - I'll try harder in the coming week!!

Make My Monday

The challenge this week at Make My Monday is to make a vintage style card using CREAM AND SEPIA with either BLUE OR PINK.  I decided to go for this image of Wellington as I reckon he is definitely a vintage bear and in the right colours too. The floral embossed panel was some Tim Holtz whitewash card which was put through a Sheena floral folder and sanded to bring out the blue.  A punched strip using a Tonic border punch was added along with some cream lace and the sentiment printed and popped onto a couple of toning tags.  Of course I couldn't resist using a few of the 'waste' flowers from the punched strip - never throw anything away!!

Make My Monday Challenge

The challenge at Make My Monday this week is to produce something with either FLOWERS OR TREES.  I've used another of the digital stamps which I came across while browsing through files on the computer - this time a rabbit, or is it a hare?, with a 'Get Well'  message.  Either way I'm sure this would cheer someone up if they weren't feeling too good.  The flowers were stamped onto patterned paper using Heartfelt Creations Sunkissed Fleur stamps, then die cut.  The leaves were cut with a Tattered Lace die. Take a look at what their design team have given us by way of inspiration and maybe have a go yourself.

Purrfect Day

I have gathered loads of digital 'stamps' over the years and indeed now have no idea where some of them came from which is a shame.  I was printing off something earlier this week and decided to fill a page with some others while I was at it.  I quite like this cat image but no idea of the source.  It has been layered onto some Spellbinder die cuts and I simply added a matching ribbon and a computer greeting on a Nellie die cut shape.

Gilding Flakes

Earlier this week I met up with two friends for coffee, crafty chat and a bit of 'show and tell'.  One of the cards I saw was made by Anne and I've 'cased' it but using a different image and a different die. Thanks for the idea Anne.  The stamp is from Personal Impressions and the dies from Spellbinders. Background is some textured card with a sort of sheen and has been embossed with Creative Expressions heart lattice folder.  Corner is from Whimsy and the sentiment is a computer one on Stampin' Up punched labels. My pot of gilding flakes has been around for years and is now more like crumbs than flakes but they still managed to adhere to the sticky sheet used.

Swirls and Pearls

The challenge this week for Make My Monday is SWIRLS AND PEARLS and I've used one of the lovely  images from Katy Sue Fabulous Shoes.  The swirls are within the image and pearls have been added to the ribbon.  Backing paper by Papermania has been in my stash for ages; border was cut using a Tonic punch; sentiment from the computer on a couple of Cuttlebug diecuts.  Lots of inspiration from the MMM design team as always.

HOC Classic and Elegant

It is the week for CLASSIC AND ELEGANT on the House of Cards challenge, still of course working within the colour scheme of the month.  I've taken a slight liberty in that I have used some gold card in place of the orange shade so I hope that is OK.  A Tonic Verso die has been used with some Centura Pearl card; the border strip down the side was cut in gold card using a Stampin' Up punch;  Spellbinders oval dies used for the sentiment (SU stamp); the corners were cut using a Whimsy die.

The Male Room challenge #4

The theme this time on the Male Room challenge is SPORTS OR HOBBIES and there are some interesting takes on this with the design team cards, well worth a look if you are stuck for ideas for male cards.  I decided to use a Boofle image - he is a photographer here - and I've used matching backing papers and added a few die cut buttons (Sizzix die from Stampin' Up).  The zig zag strips were cut using a Spellbinder borderability die.

Create a Scene

The challenge this week at Make My Monday is to CREATE A SCENE and for this one I first made the background by again using the masking technique spotted in the current Craft Stamper.  The mask was first swiped with blue ink and lightly spritzed with water before pressing the card onto the wet ink. The technique in the mag uses the same colour ink to sponge through the mask once the first layer is dry which works very well, but this time I tried another colour.  The scene was created using a Spellbinder die for the ornate fence; Memory box dies for the tree and birds; Sizzix dies for the leaves and acorns using a page from an old book.  There was a little stamping of feathery grasses behind the fence.  The leaves on the tree were swiped with Versamark and embossed using Distress powder to give them a crunchy autumnal appearance.  I'm undecided at the moment about adding a sentiment to this card so will leave it for the time being until I have an actual recipient in mind.

There is a challenge over at Country View Crafts running for a month and the theme is LAYERS so I'm adding my card to their blog as well.

Childhood Memories

This is the theme for the week on Make My Monday challenge and I'm reminded of many trips into town with my mother where we would visit the library or some of the many small shops in the town for supplies - no supermarkets in those days!  Each shop had a counter and one or more assistants who would serve us with items specific to their particular trade.  The buses were double deckers and of course we just had to climb the stairs to ride 'on top' and a conductor used to toil up the stairs to collect our fares. A double decker is a rare sight these days - around this neck of the woods anyway.  The stamp used is a Papermania one from the Forever Friends Nostalgia collection, coloured with Coloursoft pencils and I used papers from my stash to complete the card.

 

Challenge Card

Today's challenge card is for the House of Cards CUTE AND FUN theme and for September we have been given this colour scheme to use - they would like us to use at least three of the colours shown.

I've chosen a scarecrow image from Polkadoodles Seasons CD, coloured with Copics.  Backing paper is from an old Papermania pad and the central borders cut using Spellbinders dies.  Image was cut out using a Nellies die and I've added some flowers from my stash and a sprig of ivy cut with tattered Lace die.  A simple computer greeting was popped onto a stampin Up punched label.  Do take a look at what their design team have come up with and maybe take part yourslf.