Di Hickman - #4 May

I’ve not done a Di Hickman’s template for a while so thought I’d give this one a try.

My card’s not exactly the same as Di's template because I’ve offset my panels but it’s close.
No ‘real’ stitching either so I hope it’s passable!




A6 Card Blank - PDA
Papers/Card – Memory Stor (Costco Kit)
Stamps – Personal Impressions (Hearts & Flowers Kit) Lakeland Set (Happy Birthday)
Inks – Tsukineko Versa Fine) Onyx Black) Distress Ink (Peeled Paint)
Embossing Powder – Stamp’n’Stuff (Clear)
Brad – Basic Grey
Water Colour Pencils – Faber-Castell
Pen – Stabilo Fine Liner (Brown)

Other BitsRibbon
Silk Flowers

“Take Five” with the Daring Cardmakers

The Daring Cardmakers have a simple team dare for us this week and have asked us to ‘Take Five’.

Now you could interpret that as take a five minute break but I don’t think that’s the idea, it’s more to do with using five of the same sort of thing on your card.

I’ve gone with brads on my card and although there are three stars and two round ones there are still five in all!

This is the first time that I’ve used these Jolly Nation 3D images and I have to say that the kit for men that I brought was well worth it, especially as I always find men’s cards so difficult to make.

I decided that I didn’t want the image to stand out too far from the card so instead of mounting the layers on 3D foam I stuck them onto card before cutting them out and put the layers directly on top of each other so they were only raised a little bit.


A5 Card Blank and Card Stock – Craft Creations. (Cream Hammer)
Patterned & Plain Paper – Memory Stor (Costco Kit) Jolly Nation (Cards for Men Kit)
3D Image & Greeting - Jolly Nation (Cards for Men Kit)
Rubber Stamp – Whisper words (Happy Birthday)
Inks – Tsukineko VersaFine (Black) Ranger Distress Ink (Faded Jeans)
Embossing Folder – Cuttlebug (Happy Birthday)

Other BitsBrads
Ribbon

Cuttlebug Challenge – Be Inspired #34 – Monograms

I can’t say that I’m one to use monograms very often but that’s the Cuttlebug, Be Inspired challenge this week.

I’ve used the challenge to make card number three of the six I have to make for my dad, which means I’m half way there thanks to you guys ….yah!


A5 Card Blank – The Paper Mill
Patterned & Plain Paper – Basic Grey (Granola)
Dies – Spellbinder Nestabilities (Labels Two) Sizzix (Hunky Dory Alphabet)
Paper Punches – Whale of a Punch (Tag)
Rubber Stamps – Whisper Words (Happy Birthday) See D’s (Distressed Alphabet)
Inks – Ranger Distress Ink (Faded Jeans) Tsukineko StazOn (Ultramarine)
Embossing Folders – Cuttlebug (Dots & Spots)
Brads – Basic Grey

Other BitsRibbon
Fibres
Hand Cut Monogram

DCM - Wet, Wet, Wet.

Finally, just when the weather starts to brighten up and the sun shines Kathy sets all the Daring Cardmakers a very wet dare.

This week I'd like you to do a bit of "singing in the rain" and make cards on the theme

"Wet, Wet, Wet"

I'd like to see cards featuring water of any kind, and if you can actually USE water in the making of them - then you can claim an extra bonus point lol.

So if you're ready to get splashy off you go....

I’ve had another play with the Faux Batik technique and made my own patterned paper.

The first thing I did was cover a piece of thin White card with Distress Ink (Broken China).

Once it was dry I stamped the compass, globe, and some travel related words.

Would you believe there's also part of a Christmas stamp in there!

I stamped them all with VersaMark Ink and heat embossed them with clear embossing powder.
Next I added more Distress Ink (Faded Jeans & Peeled Paint) and spritzed the whole thing with WATER.

While the paper was drying I stamped the main WATERY image in StazOn (Ultra Marine) and WATER coloured it with Distress inks.

Now back to the dry Faux Batik.
I place it face down on some kitchen towel and ironed the back, causing the embossing to melt and soak into the paper towel, revealing the lighter colour underneath.

You can see how the card was assembled so all that’s left is for me to send it.

So now I’m going for as many points as I possibly can........four in fact!

1- My card has a water theme
2-I’ve used water to make the Faux Batik backing paper
3 - I've water coloured the image
4 - The recipients name is WALTER!

Oh ok, not really, but you have to agree it was worth a try Lol!

A5 Card Blank – Craft Creations. (White Hammer)
Card Stock – Bazzill (Navy) Craft Creations (Vanguard White)
Rubber Stamps – Inkadinkado (Sail Boat), Clear Choice (Compass, Globe, Travel Words) Rubber Stampede (Holiday Bough), Simply Clear (Happy Birthday)
Inks –VersaMark (Clear) StazOn (Ultramarine) Ranger Distress Ink (Broken China, Peeled Paint & Faded Jeans)
Dies – Spellbinder Nestabilities (Circles)
Paper Punch – Woodware (Small Circle –Yellow)

Other BitsSmall Brads
Ribbon
Buttons

Colour Create - Sky Blue, Tan & Ecru

Two posts in a day….what’s going on Lol!

Seeing as I haven’t joined in with Colour Create for a little while I thought I’d give this weeks challenge go.

We had to made a card using Sky Blue, Tan and Ecru.


It’s another one of the six cards I have to make for my dad for next month, so that’s two down four to go.


Card Blank – Craft Creations (Cream Embossed Linen)
Card Stock - Bazzill
Patterned Paper – Basic Grey (Sweet Pea ‘Jack’ collection)
Alpha Stickers – Basic Grey
Embossing Folder – Cuttlebug (Tiny Mosaic texture)
Rubber Stamp – Inkadinkado
Inks – Ink It Up (Pigment Ink) Ranger Distress Ink (Vintage Photo)
Embossing Powder – Fun Stamps (Clear)
Brads – Basic Grey
Metal Plaque – Making Memories (Friends for a Lifetime)

Other StuffRibbon

Cuttlebug Challenge – Be Inspired #33 – Butterflies & Hearts

I wanted to have a go at this weeks Cuttlebug, Be Inspired challenge but unfortunately I don’t have the correct die set, so I’ve had to do my own thing for this card.

My flowers are made from various sized and shaped paper punched hearts, some of which I have embossed and my butterflies are peg stamps from the Butterfly Blooms Tapestry Stamp set that I’ve used around the edge of the card.

I know I’m always banging on about how I love these stamps but they are so very versatile and I wouldn’t be without mine. In fact I’m eagerly awaiting the delivery of yet another set from Susan’s Shop in the USA. .............Can’t wait for them to arrive!

If you get a chance, pop over and check out her fabby Blog too, she has some great tutorials on how to use the stamps on there……well worth a visit in my opinion.

A5 Card Blank – Craft Creations (White Embossed Hammer & Embossed Linen)
Dies – Spellbinder Nestabilities (Labels One)
Paper Punches – Fiskars (Lace Border Punch) Woodware (Blue Heart, Green Heart & Peach Circle) Create & Craft (Medium Heart)
Rubber Stamps – Rubberstamp Tapestry (Butterfly Blooms)
Inks – Martha Stewart (Pigment Ink Stack)
Embossing Folders – Cuttlebug (Stylized Flower & Tiny Bubbles)
Glitter Glue – Stickles (Pink) Craft Planet (Iridescent Sparkle)

Other Bits
Ribbon
Computer Generated Greeting

CPS - #116

It’s fast approaching that time in the year that I hate, card making wise.

We have Father’s Dad here in the UK coming up towards the end of June and usually a week later it’s my dad’s birthday, which means that I have to make six different cards for him from myself and my two brothers.
This year things are working out a little differently because dad’s 86th birthday falls the day after Father’s Day, so no extra week for me to work on the cards.

I thought I’d better make a start on them early so I’m not in a complete panic nearer the time, which is what usually happens. So to get me going I’ve used this weeks template from CPS as my starting point.


A nice versatile template this one.

Because dad is registered blind and has very little vision I always like to try and make his cards with at least one raised element on it so he can feel it, which is way I’ve added the buttons to this one, as well as some fibres and some heat embossing which gives a nice raised image.


I’ve used my favourite Basic Grey papers and also had a go at making a sheet of my own backing paper with Distress inks, Moon Shadow Mist and some stamped images…..the only problem is you can’t see most of now because it’s been covered up by all the other layers……shame because I was really pleased with the way it came out.
I’ll have to have another go and show it to you next time!

Card – Craft Creation (Creative Hammer, Cream)
Patterned Papers – Basic Grey ( Ambrosia)
Inks – Ranger Distress Ink (Dried Marigold, Worn Lipstick, Vintage Photo & Antique Linen) Martha Stewart (Pigment Ink Stack)
Pen – Sharpie (Black)
Embossing Powder – Fun Stamps (Clear)
Rubber Stamps – Tanda (Retro Men – Set 1)
Dies – Spellbinder (Nestabilities Labels Two)
Paper Punch – Woodware (Tag)
Buttons – Basic Grey

Other Bits
Moon Shadow Mist (Buccaneer Bronze)
Fibres
Eyelets
Computer Generated Greeting

Daring Cardmakers with Music in our Ears!

Jane is back with us this week to set the dare for the Daring Cardmakers challenge and it has a musical theme to it.

The Sound Of Music

Tra-Laa!
I want you to design a card which is 'Musically inspired'.
Anything goes, whether you use musical paper, or an image of instrument - or even song lyrics.

My craft stash is a bit limited on music related things. In fact I have just two rubber stamps and if I’m honest I’m fed up with using if the truth be known.

Desperate to come up with something else I went down the ‘lyrics’ route in the end and was able to work it in with a card I had been asked to make for a Line Dancing friend of my brother.


I’ve printed the lyrics of ‘5, 6, 7, 8’, the first hit single of the group STEPS directly onto some of the patterned paper.

Hope you (and the recipient) like the results!


A5 Card Blank – Craft Creations. (Cream Hammer)
Patterned Paper – Crate Paper (Cow Girl Collection)
Rubber Stamp – Tanda (Hat and Boot) Heidi Swapp (Happy Birthday)
Inks –VersaMark (Clear) Ranger Distress Ink (Work Lipstick)
Embossing Powder – Stampendous (Detail Gold)
Dies – Spellbinder (Nestabilities)

Other BitsGold Gel Pen
Brads
Eyelet
Gold Embroidery Thread

One of those weeks......again!

It’s been very ‘bitty’ for me again this week, with more hospital appointments. Thankfully not for me this time but I’m still feeling a little frayed around the edges at the moment with all that’s been going on.

My big brother Keith had to have a rather nasty, thick cataract removed on Wednesday.
It was just a day case but we had to leave home at 10-15am to be there on time for his appointment and we didn’t get home again until around 6pm. Not a long time in the scheme of things but it seems long and tiring when your just sitting, waiting for news on how the op went.
They couldn’t tell us much after the op, just sent him home with eye drops and an appointment to return to the hospital this morning to have it checked.
They told us this morning that because it was quite a bad cataract the op took a little longer than usual and it was more difficult to remove, which explains the bad bruising he has around his eye but the good news it that they are pleased with the way it went and he can actually see a little better in that eye….not much but a bit and that will improve over time. His next appointment is in a week so fingers crossed that things carry on the way they are for him.

The other thing that happened this week is the new carpet was also finally laid in my lounge at long last on Monday, so the room is beginning to look liveable in again.
I was going to say it’s hard to believe that over two months since the boiler in the flat above me burst causing all the damage but I would be lying because it seems like I’ve been in this mess for an eternity. At least the work is nearing an end now and all I’m waiting for is the fire surround to go in and things can then get back to normal….I hope!

Now all I need to do is a bit of serious crafting to get be back on track so watch out for some more challenge card over the next couple of days!

He's Got The Key Of The Door, Never Been 21 Before.

Board Books and Cuttlebug Challenge #31

Well I eventually finished off the 21st Birthday book that I was making for my Nephew from his Granddad.

You've already seen the start of the first couple of pages because it fitted in with the DCM's ‘Toy’s for Boys’ dare a couple of weeks ago but the rest of it is finished now so I've decided to enter the whole thing in this weeks Cuttlebug chalange.

My bug came into play while cutting various die shapes and doing some embossing.

Here it is in all it’s glory.

The papers are all from the Basic Grey ‘Oh Baby’ Boy collection. The plain card stock is from the DCWV Pastels stack and there are lots of embellishments, ribbons and fibres added from my stash.

Front


I found the verse on line somewhere (sorry I can't remember where) and changed parts of it to fit the occasion.

It reads:-

How very fast the the time has gone

The years just seemed to fly

Since you were just a tiny child

A precious baby boy

There were challenges along the way

Special things to see and do

I know that I'm so lucky to have

A grandson just like you

But now you've reached a milestone in the blinking of an eye

It's your 21st birthday

And it marks another turn

Today's for celebration.........

Just watch those candles burn

So enjoy your special day Lee

Feel my love in all you do

For nobody, dear Grandson

Deserves it more than you

Back

Kathy's Waffle - Sketch #10

I’ve been playing again this morning and made a card using the latest template from Kathy’s Waffle Sketch File.
I was a worried when I first started because I had given myself the challenge of a limited colour pallet. That being two papers from the Basic Grey Perhaps collection, one of which was plain and a sheet of White Vellum.


I put the top half of the plain paper through an embossing folder to give the impression of two different papers on the finished card.

Both the flowers are stamps.
The largest one is ‘Just Plain Dotty’ from Blond Moments, which I stamped with VersaMark Ink and embossed in Gold. I then run it through an embossing folder to add some texture.
The smaller flower is from a set of Personal Impressions stamps called Hearts & Flowers.
This one I stamped directly onto the patterned paper using VersaFine ink and heat embossed with clear embossing powder.

A5 Card Blank – Craft Creations (Creative Linen, Cream)
Patterned Papers – Basic Grey, Perhaps
Large Brads – Basic Grey (Boxer)
Rubber Stamps – Blond Moments (Just Plain Dotty) Personal Impressions (Hearts & Flowers Kit) Heidi Swapp (Happy Birthday)
Inks – Ranger Distress Ink (Worn Lipstick) Tsukineko VersaMark (Clear) & Encore (Gold)
Embossing Powders – Fun Stamps (Clear) Stampendous (Detail Gold)
Embossing Folders – Cuttlebug (Swiss Dots & Textile Texture)

Other StuffRibbon

DCM - Mum's The Word

Yes it’s Friday already and that means it’s Daring Cardmakers dare day.

I’ve been missing from the team for a few weeks but I’m back now and joining in with Tanya’s dare which is................

Mum’s the Word

This week it's my first time to set the dare since being back - it's Mother's Day here in New Zealand on Sunday 10th May (not sure about other parts of the world), so this week's dare is to make a card with the word MUM on it somewhere.It could be Mother's Day, birthday etc.

Here’s my effort:-

This was quite an easy card to make with little effort and stunning (well I think so) effect.

It’s just basically stamping with a VersaMark ink pad and then giving everything a quick swoosh....love that word........ with some Perfect Pearls and Pearl Pigments.

Quick and simple….just what I like!

I’ve kept the colours lighter for the butterflies in the background and more vibrant for the ones in the foreground and then I stamped one final one onto card which was cut out and mounted onto 3D foam.


I’ve just realized that I must be going through a bit of a ‘Blue’ period in my life because the card I made yesterday was Blue and so is this one!
A5 Card Blank and Card Stock – Craft Creations. (White Hammer)
Rubber Stamp – Penny Black (Wings)
Inks –VersaMark (Clear) Martha Stewart Pigment Ink (Ocean)
Pigments – Blonde Moments (Festive Holly Lustre & Sugar Cool Lustre) Ranger Perfect Pearls (Forever Blue)

Other BitsEyelets
Ribbon
Computer Generated Greeting

Cuttlebug Challenge - Be Inspired #30 - Weddings

I have two cards to show you today and both are Wedding related and the second had a funny story attached to it.


The first card is for this weeks Cuttlebug, Be Inspired challenge and you’ve guessed it……the theme is weddings!

I’ve always been a lover of embossing on a light box with brass stencils but for this card I thought I would have a go at trying the stencil through my Cuttlebug.

I started by embossing the heart into the patterned paper and

then stamped over the top with tapestry stamps, which worked quite well I think.

A5 Card Blank – Craft Creations
Paper – DCWV (Luxury Stack)
Embossing Stencil - Lasting Impressions (Heart)
Inks – Martha Stewart (Pigment Ink Stack)
Rubber Stamps – Rubberstamp Tapestry (Floral Filigree)
Gems – Anita’s (Tiny Gem Wheel)
Embossing Folders – Cuttlebug (Textile Texture)
Paper Punch – Woodware (Blue Heart)

Other BitsRibbon
Silver cord
Tiny Silver Brads
Silver Eyelets
Computer Generated Greeting


The second card is one that my dad asked me to make for his cousin’s Diamond Wedding.
He only ask me to do it last week and he said it needed to be posted on Saturday, so it was a bit of a rush job given the mess that I’ve been in. Still, I managed to get it done in time and we also send them some flowers to mark the occasion.

Here’s the card.



The funny thing was that dad had a phone call on Wednesday thanking us for the flowers and the card and saying how unexpected it was .....because……their anniversary isn’t until August.
At least that one card I can cross off the list for later in the year. Lol!

A5 Card Blank – Craft Creations
Paper – DCWV (Wedding Stack)
Inks – Tsukineko (Encore Ultimate Metallic Silver)
Gems – Anita’s (Tiny Gem Wheel)
Embossing Folders – Cuttlebug (Swiss Dots & Textile Texture)
Paper Punch – Fiskars (Border Punch) X-Cut (Large & Small Flower) Unknown (Small Daisy)

Other BitsRibbon
Computer Generated Greeting

Papertake (May 4th) & 21st Birthday Cards

Today I’ve been working on a few more orders and I’ve incorporated the template from this weeks Papertake challenge.

I really enjoyed working from this template and it’s one that I will definitely use again.

Here’s my card:-

Lots of texture on this one with the embossing and also some doodling for good measure.

Card Blank– Craft Creations
Papers – We R memory Keepers (Precious Metal) Memory Stor (Costco Kit)
Rubber Stamp – Fun Stamps (V W Beetle) Stamps Away (Happy Birthday)
Inks – Ranger Distress Ink (Peeled Paint) Versa Fine (Black)
Embossing Folders – Cuttlebug (Spots & Dots & Tiny Bubbles)

Other Bits
Brads
Fibres


Now I’ll show you some of what I was working on over the weekend.

The first thing I did was to finish off the 21st Birthday book that I was doing for my Nephew Lee from his Granddad.
I showed you the work in progress a couple of weeks back and I can show you the finished book but I've put it in a separate post because there are quite a lot of photos.
I also had to do two other 21st cards for him too. This is the one that I made from Lee’s uncle.
The inspiration for this came from a card that Lythan made for a DCM dare. She had hidden the age under a circle that twists round to reveal it but I actually did mine the other way round, with the age on the front and message hidden underneath.



Card Blank– Craft Creations
Papers – Basic Grey (Granola)
Inks – Ranger Distress Ink (faded Jeans)
Pen – Sharpie (Black)
Embossing Folders – Cuttlebug (Spots & Dots)
Border Embossing Punch – Martha Stewart
Shape Cutter – Creative Memories (Circles)
Paper Punch – Woodware (Small Circle, Peach)
Alphabet Stickers – American Traditional Designs

Other BitsBrads
Ribbon
Photo Anchor



By the time I finally got around to making my own card for Lee I had totally run out of ideas.

I remembered this card in a copy of PaperCrafts Inspiration, designed by the extremely talented Jo Kill

Seeing as I was planning on giving Lee money for his birthday I thought Jo’s card would work well, so I’m afraid that mine is a blatant copy……….I hope you will forgive me Jo.

Card Blank– Craft Creations
Papers – Memory Stor (Costco Kit)
Inks – Ranger Distress Ink (Antique Linen)
Embroidery Thread – Anchor
Buttons – Basic Grey (Boxer)
Alpha Rub Ons – Autumn Leaves (Twenty) Hambly Screen Prints (One)
Circle Tiles – Sticko (Mosaic Stickers)
Alpha Peel Offs – Craft Creations

Other Bits£20 Notes – From my pension. Lol!

CPS114 & Kathy's Sketch File #9

I’ve been so very naughty today because I’ve been making cards when really I should have been clearing some more of my mess away and doing the dreaded ironing.

I’ve made a grand total of three cards, one using yesterdays CPS. template and the other two are using one of Kathy’s Waffle, Sketch File templates.

This is the template for CPS.

I thought I would play with a few stamps today and some masking.
Here’s my creation.

Card – Craft Creation
Patterned Papers – Costco Kit
Inks – Versa Color (Various)
Pen – Sharpie (Black)
Embossing Powder – Fun Stamps (Clear)
Rubber Stamps – Lavinia (Horse), Papermania (Happy Birthday), Unknown (Trees and Grasses)
Shape Cutter – Circle Scribe
Paper Punch – Woodware (Small Circle –Peach)
Peel Offs – Craft Creations (SON)

Other Bits
Fibres
Eyelets

The next two cards are using sketch 9

from Kathy’s Sketch File and my new set of ‘Stamping For Men’ stamps from Papermania.

I have to say I just love these stamps, the images are fab!

Card – Craft Creation
Patterned Papers – Basic Grey ( Ambrosia) Junkitz (Summer Collectionz)
Inks – Versa Fine (Black) Ranger Distress Ink (Dried Marigold & Faded Jeans)
Pencils – Prisma

Paints - Twinkling H2o's
Embossing Powder – Fun Stamps (Clear)
Rubber Stamps –Papermania (Stamping For Men & Birthday Greeting), Stamps Away (Tools)
Other BitsBlue Metallic Embroidery Thread
Small Brad
Screw Top Brads
Photo Anchor

Basic Grey - #33

Oh it’s so great to get my craft room back and be able to craft again without having to move everything around first!

As you can see it was almost a no go area while the work was going on.

The good news that that the papering in my lounge is ‘sort of’ finished and now I’m just waiting for the carpet to be laid (11th May) and the fire surround to be delivered and fitted.

Once all that is done the decorator will come back to finish off around the fire and then that’s it I'm pleased to say. At least I’ve been able to move some of my furniture back into the room and get back in here with my stash.

This is what my room looked like before the flood…….actually this was taken just after it had been decorated the last time, 18 months ago.

This is what I’ve been living with for the last month or more.


And this is how it looks at the moment………….still unfinished but it’s looking more like home again!

I did manage to get a bit of crafting done while all the work was going on but it was such a pain that I only made three essentials that were needed for my Nephews 21st birthday this weekend.
I’ll show you those in another post but for the moment I’m so happy to be back crafting full time that I decided to celebrate by join in with today’s Basic Grey challenge which is called ‘Colour Combo’ and involves making a card which is Black, Gray and one other colour.

I decided to go with Blue as my added colour and used a combination of Bazzill card stock and the wonderful Basic Grey ‘Granola papers.

Here’s my effort:-

Card – Craft Creations
Patterned Papers – Basic Grey, Granola
Ink – Ranger Distress Ink (Faded Jeans) Tsukineko Versa Fine (Black)
Shape Cutter – Creative Memories
Embossing Folders – Cuttlebug (Tiny Mosaic Texture & Swiss Dots)
Rubber Stamps – Papermania, Stamping for Him
Watercolor Pencils – Faber-Castell

Other StuffRibbon
Buttons