Card requested by a friend

A friend at work saw the card in my previous post and asked if I could make something similar for her Mum's 65th Birthday and this is what I came up with.

Again it is an A4 sized card in a lovely ivory pearl. I used Brilliance tricolour inkpad Twilight to stamp the gorgeous scroll corners and embossed them with detail clear EP. I stamped the main image onto rainbow card using Smokey Grey Versafine ink and embossed this with detail clear EP. Because the Versafine dries quite quickly the EP didn't stick to the whole of the image which gave a rather distressed look (intentional). I added touches of Sakura Stardust with my waterbrush and when it was dry I used my Versamark pen and the clear EP over certain parts of the image. I then trimmed it and edged the card with a Marvey Metallic Mauve Pen and mounted it onto a piece of Artylicious paper from my Guild pack having first created the decorative edge using another of my much neglected punches. I stamped a selection of flowers onto the remainder of the printed paper using Brilliance Pearlescent Lavender and embossed with detail clear EP, again added touches of Sakura Stardust with my waterbrush and then cut them out. I used my Harlequin CB folder again and sanded and distressed the edges of the cor'dinations card and layered it onto co-ordinating pearlescent card. Finally I made a sentiment from peeloffs coloured with a permanent marker arranged on a scrap of the rainbow card. I then assembled all the elements onto the card.

I did also decorate the inside with another stamped image from the same themeplate and decorated the envelope with the scroll corners too but as my friend came to collect the card just as I finished it, I only had time to photograph the card.

All the stamps and materials used for this card are more or less the same as the card in the previous post.

A Card for My Lovely Mum

This is the card I made for my Mum for Mother's Day. I'm afraid the colours look a little dull in the photo but that's my poor photography.

This is the first 'big' card I've made folding an A3 size base card in a soft pearlised grey into an A4 card and I blended Brilliance inks in Pearlescent Orchid, Lime, Lavender and a touch of Ice Blue and then stamped the gorgeous scroll corners. For the life of me I can't remember which inkpad I used for the corners or the main image and flowers but I did clear emboss everything but the individual flowers. I stamped the main collage image onto some rainbow card and the separate flowers onto a piece of Artylicious paper from my recently received Graphicus Guild pack and then added touches of Inktense pencils to the centres of the flowers. I embossed a piece of Cor'dinations and lightly sanded it and distressed the edges and then matted this and the main image onto some co-ordinating pearlised card. I used a Kreaxions punch to create a pretty edge down the remainder of the printed paper and layered this over a strip of pearlised card to make it more noticeable.

I did this in a bit of a hurry so I didn't have time to decorate the inside as I usually do but Mum loved it just the same. But then she would because she's MY MUM!

Materials Used

All stamps from the Elusive Images Butterfly and Daisy Collage Themeplate, Derwent Inktense Pencils and Brilliance Inkpads from Graphicus.

Cuttlebug embossing folder and Cor'dinations card from Once Upon a Stamp.

The pretty punch and pearlised card were purchased from various papercraft shows and, as usual, I haven't a clue who from.

I've got a Lovely Award

I've been having a few problems with a gremlin in my computer (not a full blown virus thank goodness) which has stopped me from carrying out certain proceedures for a while. A lovely lady called Sarah has been today and sorted it out for me so thanks Sarah.

Anyhow, now I'm firing on all pistons again I can post this lovely award which I was given by Kath (Muckypaws). Please give her blog a visit because she makes some beautiful cards and usually adds a bit of a giggle to her posts as well. The rules are to pass this on to 10 people but I don't really know that many bloggers who haven't already got this award so I am giving anyone who is kind enough to visit my little bit of web space permission to take this award for themselves as a thankyou from me for looking. I know how much I appreciate the time people take to visit and perhaps leave an encouraging comment and that's why I try to leave comments on all the lovely blogs I visit. Well done to everyone for adding something to enjoy and to smile about to our crafty world.

Thankyou Kath for passing this award on to me.

Birthday Card for my Lovely Son

This is a card I've just finished for my son's birthday which is the day after his daughter's later this month. My friend Jo loaned me the Stampotique image. I think he's great and cries out for something a bit grungey. This is something I've not done before but it's not turned out too badly.

I used Distress Inks in Worn Lipstick, Brushed Corduroy and Black Soot, blended along the left side of the card and then used a background texture stamp from Elusive Images inked up with Versafine Onyx Black over the top. I stamped the Stampotique image several times using the Versafine and coloured him in by putting the DI colours onto my craft sheet and using my waterbrush. I cut the images out and mounted them on foam pads. I then coloured the Grungeboard wings with the Brushed Corduroy (which came out very dark but I didn't mind) and the crown with Brilliance Copper. I then used ultra thick EP to emboss the wings but only put 2 coats on because I liked the dimpled surface. The crown I did with two coats of ordinary clear EP. The sentiment stamps are from a set I found in a rummage box at Hobby Horse Crafts earlier this year and to finish off, I cut another image out and inked round the edges of the rectangle for the inside of the card.

The grungeboard and the DIs came from Once Upon a Stamp.

I hope Jamie likes his card. It has an air of cultivated scruffiness which is exactly his style Lol!

I Think I'm Getting Better at This

This is my second 'cute' birthday card and I think I'm getting better at it. I'm certainly happier with this one and it's for my second gorgeous little granddaughter who will be 1 year old next month. Perhaps I shouldn't blog it yet but I don't think any of the family look at my blog unless I personally show them something so it should be ok.

I'm also pleased with the card because all the paper and card came from my 'bit' boxes as pieces left over from other projects, except for the base card. I'm sorry I can't tell you who manufactures any of the papers (I can rarely remember if they don't still have the name on) but there is a piece of card that I made using Starburst Stains and cling film and I used the same card to punch out the some of the flowers. I decided it was time I gave my punches an airing as the poor things have been hidden in a drawer and hardly used. I did get to use my new Fiskars Threading Water border punch (strange name I think) which I bought at the Sincerely Yours papercraft show at Hinckley last Sunday. I have to thank my eagle eyed friend Jo for that as she spotted it (the only one) and knew I had been wanting it for a while, so THANKYOU JO. For anyone who's thinking of buying this punch I can recommend it so far. I've tried it on several different types and thicknesses of paper and card, even hammered card, and it's worked beautifully.

The only stamping on the card is the First Birthday sentiment and the lovely little elephant. These stamps came from the Little Trumpettes themeplate by Aspects of Design, and sold by The Stampman, who also sells the Starburst Stains. I've just noticed I forgot to add a bit of sparkle to the little stars so must do that. I've used Nestability plain and scalloped ovals and a Cuttlebug Happy Birthday embossing folder which were from Once Upon a Stamp and I'm really pleased this lovely craft shop owned by Robert and Gordon, has moved from Chesterfield recently to a little place called Pleasley which is now only 10-15 minutes away from me.

I'm sorry the image looks a bit bowed. It isn't, but each photo I took looked the same so it's got to be my photography which is very hit and miss I have to admit. I've also just realised that I have to make a box for the card because all the little flower are 3 dimensional!

Golden Wedding Tags

This is a sort of addition to the 50th Wedding Anniversary card I made for my DIL for her grandparents anniversary. The whole family of children and grandchildren decided that rather than buy loads of different bouquets they would get a huge special one from all of them so Krystle (my DIL) asked if I could make something that they could all write their sentiments on individually and give with the bouquet as a lasting keepsake.

So, I decided to go with tags and these are the results. As there are three children and their families, the tags got split into three sets of a three, a four and a five.

First of all I blended a mixture of inks over the tags. Some are Brilliance, some are Cats Eye metallics or Encore metallics, then I created simple backgrounds using a mixture of sequin waste, stencils, rub ons and flourish stamps. I then used a selection of stamps all of which, with the exception of the 'Celebrate' stamp which was from a QVC HOTP kit, are from various Elusive Images themeplates and stamped with Versamark and embossed with Gold Detail EP. From some of the photos it might look as though I didn't get a pristeen image but it's because I deliberately sprinkled tiny bits of gold EP onto some of the tags before the backgrounds were completely dry.

I used my BIA to turn the set of five into a little book and fastened the two smaller sets together with ribbons.

The great day is Saturday, VALENTINE'S DAY, and I hope they have a wonderful day.

SUPER SPECIAL BLOG CANDY ALERT !!!!

Oh Wow! These stamps are spectacular. Take a look at the Elusive Images Design Team Blog and see how you can be in with a chance to win one of these fabulous stamp themeplates. They are an absolute must have for any stamper and will be demonstrated by Glenda Waterworth on Create and Craft shopping channel at 1.00 pm on Tuesday next, the 10th February, and that's not to be missed either.