I'm back, with a 'Hello'!

Hi everyone,

I'm back in blog-land, finally. It's almost been a whole month since my last post - life has been absolutely crazy, including colds and work, not to mention trips to the hospital to see my poor aunty...

Anyway, here is my offering for today:

So I saw that beautiful piece of cardstock and thought, "I know what colours to put with this!!!"... but once I'd sorted the colours, I just couldn't work out how to put it together!

It took 2 days just to work out what to do!!! But once I figured it out, it didn't take long to assemble. I love those little birdies at the bottom by Hero Arts - aren't they cute?!
And don't ask me what that little 'ornament' is on the left; I don't really know what I was doing there, but I think it looks okay!
Very 'autumn'-y! Yay for autumn colours!

Oh and I wanted to create a little window, which I managed. It was hard to know what to put in it, once I'd had the idea... so I stamped the sentiment and went over it with some turquoise glue-stickles.

Hope you like it!

SUPPLIES:

Cardstock: Teal cardstock from the Papermill; Generic white; Strips of Kraft; Birdies from the DCWV's 'The Green Stack'

Stamps: from 'Anyone Can Stamp' Hero Arts Birds and Branches set

Tools: Fiskars scalloped border punch; Scissors; Paper trimmer, 1" hole punch, Dimentional adhesive stickers

Extra bits: Teal ribbon; White gel pen; Ranger's turquoise Glue Stickles; a green button from my stash

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:-

1. Everything But the Kitchen Sink - Bag inspiration challenge

You're Sweet! Plus a step-by-step guide

Hi guys,

It's been another hectic week; lots and lots going on, so not much time for crafting!

Well, this is my latest card:

And a close-up of the sentiment...

I tried to take a photo to show you the number of layers, but it didn't quite work. And also, sorry for taking the photo against carpet; my lamp has come away from my desk, and the lighting is really poor so this was the brightest I could get for now...

This is such a great stamp set - I bought it months and months ago, coloured the images, and then haven't known how to use them!

Well - I finally found a layout  I liked, and I think it works quite well! Told you I would be using vellum again!

I did some embossing with the sentiment, and some faux-stitching, but other than that it was a very simple card to make.

I'm going to try something new today, and give you a step-by-step guide on how to make the card.

I really appreciated these when I was starting out making cards, and so if it will help anyone out there, then I'll be glad!

SUPPLIES:

Cardstock: Kraft; Paper from DCWV "The Green Stack" collection; Frosted vellum; White cardstock; Chocolate brown cardstock

Stamps: "Sweet Kawaii" by Holly Brooke Jones

Ink: "Chestnut Roan" Colorbox chalk ink; Versamark Ink

Pens and Pencils: Crayola colouring pencils; Signo white gel pen

Tools/misc: Scissors; Dimentional stickers; Double-sided tape; Making Memories corner-chomper; Fiskars Scalloped border punch; Embossing heat tool; White embossing powder

DIRECTIONS:

1. Stamp the images onto the white cardstock, and colour with the pencils.

2. Cut the images out, leaving an edge around the outside of the stamped lines

3. Cut a piece of kraft cardstock down to a standard A6 card (14.9cm x 10.5cm), which

    opens upwards.

4. Cut the piece of patterned paper to 14.9cm x 7.1cm

5. Cut the piece of vellum down to 10.7cm x 5.1cm

6. Adhere the images to the vellum using the dimentional stickers, and then add some faux-stitching with the 

    white gel pen, around the edge.

7. Stamp the sentiment using the Versamark ink, on the chocolate cardstock, cover with embossing powder,

    and emboss using the heat tool.

8. Punch the upper edge of the chocolate cardstock, cut down to 6cm x 1.9cm (from the peak of a scallop -

    you'll see what I mean when you come to cut it), and adhere to the bottom of the strip of patterned paper,

    using the tape runner.

9. Adhere the patterned paper to the centre of the kraft cardstock using the tape runner, and then adhere the

    vellum to the patterned paper using dimentional squares.

10. Add some faux-stitching detail to the kraft cardstock, on either side of the patterned paper.

11. Finally, round both bottom corners using the corner-chomper.

... And that's it! Hope that this could be of use to someone out there - if it was, please let me know by leaving a comment! I love the messages from everyone!

Thanks for looking! x

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:

1. Wee Memories - S.O.S

2. Creative Card Crew - Autumn or Fall

3. A Spoon Full of Sugar - Fall into Autumn

3 Little Russian Dolls

Hi everyone,

Last weekend I thought I'd use a stamp set that I've had for a few months, and really love, but haven't really worked out how to colour or use!

I got my inspiration from Craftie Charlie's blog. I wanted to use all 3 dolls, but I had pre-coloured these images, and didn't have the others in the colours to match the set. So next time...

Anyway, here it is:

This one was REALLY simple to make, and probably took about 5 minutes to assemble (I don't count colouring the dolls - they were longer!). It's the first time I've used vellum, and I absolutely love it! It has such a lovely effect - I'll probably be making much more use of it now!

Oh, and in the background on the right, you'll see my stack of new 6x6 paper, which I cut down from 12x12s - that's only half the stack! Organising the patterns comes next... that's going to take a while!

Anyway, hope you like the card! TTFN x

SUPPLIES:

Cardstock: White; K&Co stripey paper from my oversized paper stack; vellum (I'll add it here)

Stamps: Russian Dolls by Hero Arts (I have the wooden set, but you can get clear stamps too)

Accents/other: White gel pen; Dimentional stickers; Silver-grey ribbon from my stash

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:

1. Colour Throwdown: #109
2. Digital Tuesday Challenge: Dots and Stripes
3. 365 Cards: Tools & Techniques

I won, I won, I won... I WON!!!

Hey everyone,

I just thought I'd share some exciting news with you: I won at 'Donna's Den of crafts' blog!!!

It's so exciting; I've never really won anything before (cue tiny violin)!

Anyway... it was my 'Beautiful Day' card that won - I knew I loved that one for a reason :-)

I've just been to Donna's shop - http://www.donnasdenofcrafts.co.uk/ . Sadly, she is closing down on 30th September. It's very sad because she has some really pretty and useful stuff.
She is giving everyone an automatic 30% discount on their basket, so head over there and check it out - I have been and want to buy loads!

I'm inspired now - hope I'll get some time to make at least 1 card, soon! My DH is buying me a proper quality paper-trimmer tonight (isn't he lovely), so later on I'm going to be cutting a stack of my 12x12 sheets down to 6x6's.
Should be boring but I actually quite enjoy it...!

I think I'm rambling now so I'd better quit while the going's good.

The weather's quite lovely over here - blue skies peeping through thin clourds, and we have trees surrounding where we live, so it's a pretty scene (if all the cars weren't in the way!) - I think it's gone to my head!

Ministry this morning - eek I'd better go!

Take care and come back soon!!! xXx

Arigato Thank You

Hello everyone,

I'm sorry I haven't posted for a while, I've had a lot on this week... but here's my card for you:

Again, I used a sketch by Valerie Salmon on 'Got Sketch?'. It was a scrapbook-page sketch, but I thought it worked well as a card.
It's not like me to leave an area blank and undecorated on a card... so not sure if I'm liking the top right hand corner all that much... but I also didn't want it to be too cluttered!

I absolutely love this ribbon I got while I was in America - it's from 'Joanne's. I haven't used ribbon that you can shape, before! It just stays where you curl it; love it!

And I also love this digi-stamp from 'Stretch n' Bubbles' - again, the Japanese theme is one that is close to my heart (I went there for 2 months a few years ago, and seriously wanted to live there). Although next time I think I'll have to paper-piece the kimono; they're just never that plain and simple!

Hope you like it!

SUPPLIES: (A detailed one today)

Cardstock: Generic white; Kraft; Blue; K&Co patterned pale green

Stamps: 'Tooling' by Stretch n' Bubbles; frame from Basic Grey's 'Tea and Crumpets' set; Sentiment from Fiskars' 'Thank you' set

Ink: Chestnut Roan Colorbox chalk ink
Tools: Martha Stewart Circle-cutter; small circle-punch (probably 1/4 inch); Makin' Memories Corner chomper; Fiskars scalloped edge border punch; Paper trimmer; Sharp scissors!

Embellishments: Stripey ribbon; Diamonte bling; Diamond-stickles

Pens: Copics

Beautiful Day

Hi everyone,

Today's card is one of my absolute favourites! It has a lot of little elements in it, and a lot of work has gone into it, but I think the effect is just gorgous.

I got my inspiration from Kristina Werner and Kathy Martin (whose digi-stamp I used). Next time I'll probably add a bit more colour below like Kristina did, but I think it looks really nice as is, too:

And a close-up of the sentiment:

So again I have indulged my little passion for clouds.
With the sentiment, I stamped it, and then went over the 'beautiful' (as you can probably already tell!) with my white gel pen a couple of times, which gives it a nice effect.

Hope you liked it!

SUPPLIES:

Cardstock: White, blue, K&Co pieces in the bunting

Stamps: Kathy Martin's "Party Banner" (link above); Holly Brooke Jones' "Winter Love Notes" cloud.

Pen: White Signo gel pen

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:

1. Simon Says Stamp - Paper piecing

2. Aud Sentiments - Anything Goes

3. Cute Card Thursday - Dieing for a Punch!

4. Mark's Finest Papers - Friendship cards

5. Donnas Den of Crafts - Lots of Layers

6. Bee Crafty - Anything Goes

Just a little note...

Good morning and hello again!

So here is another card I made yesterday afternoon/evening, when I had my 'crafting hat' on!:

I really like the simplicity and elegance of this card - I don't make many elegant ones, I don't think!

I was inspired by a scrapbook-sketch by Valerie Salmon on "Got Sketch?" It's meant to have photos/images across the top and on the right, but I think that, for a card, this layout works pretty well. It's very uncluttered and pretty - I like it (did you get that?!).

Oh! And I thought I'd do what Dorcas does, and show you my craft-desk while my work is in progress. And this is with tidying it after each card. It's maaaaadness!!!

Yep - a real mess!

INGREDIENTS:

Cardstock: K&Co (background from massive paperstack, flutterbies from Amy Butler Lotus collection), Kraft, white

Punches: 1" Circle (generic); Martha Stewart Royal Butterfly

Label: Valerie Salmon "Got Craft?" freebie - Designer labels

Pen:  White gel pen (Signo)

Ink: Tim Holtz Tea dye distress ink (for the distressing!)

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:

1. Stamp, Scrap & Doodle Saturdays: Use the colour kraft!

2. Stamping Vacation: No! No! Challenge

3. Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenge Blog: Pink and Green

4. Scrapmaster's Paradise: Colour Combo #62 ("saffron" in the roses, "Blushing bride" in the roses/detail in butterflies, "baja breeze" in the cardstock)