It's Bert Birthday!

Well it is tomorrow....and I better get this posted or Bert will not be happy with me!I know, I know, it's either feast or famine round here, but hey that is what life is like!lol Bert is actually Roberta, and she is a wonderful friend, we don't see each other all that often but when we do we just pick up straight from where we left off.

I have the dentist this morning....to finish off a root canal...yuck...its the last tooth at the top right next to my throat....nice...who knew you could get so many medical instruments in your mouth at once!



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Recipe:-
Stamps: Forever Friends Do Craft
Ink: Momento
Cardstock: Kanban
Patterned Paper: Cherry Arte
Accessories: Prismacolor Pencils, Anita's 3 D Clear Gloss Finish, Prima Flowers, button, Dovecraft star border punch

Male Birthdays should be banned!

If they are going to be so difficult to create for then they should be banned!

So I went for the KISS approach with these two cards (Keep it simple stupid) and I like them!

These images from Inkadinkado just make me chuckle!

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Recipe:-
Stamps: Inkadinkado
Ink: Memento
Cardstock: Craftworks
Patterned Paper: Dovecraft
Accessories: Copics, Anita's 3d Clear Gloss Finish

Girlie Rocker

The good bits and bad bits of life have been getting in the way of me blogging and crafting of late, but I have a card to share with you today!

This card is my Girlie Rocker! For those of you who don't know me I am an avid fan of all things 50's , I rock 'n roll dance with my partner, we have to Wurlitzer jukeboxes in out sitting room......my nickname is Jukie.......ok you get the picture! I was at Colemans' Warehouse in Rushden Northants and Debbie Moore was there showing off some of her goodies when this set jumped out at me and popped itself into my already overflowing basket.

The design template that I have used is based on the sketches you can find over of SCS in the Verve Forum. I seem to find if I don't use a sketch it takes me hours, I need to minimse my choices so that I can create something or else I spend to long trying to make a decision.

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Recipe:-
Stamps: Debbie Moore Kerry Jo
Ink: Graphite Brilliance
Cardstock: Craftworks
Patterned Paper: K&Co
Accessories: Ric rak ribbon - papermania, copics, silver signo pen, fiskars cutting template for scalloped edge.

I am NOT Mr Grumpy!

We have a really good friend whom we love but as with all good friendships there is a bit of banter and occasional (OK maybe not so occasional!) leg pulling. Mick is not known for his great sense of style, clothes are clothes and they cause him a great deal of consternation and I think if he could get away with it he wouldn't wear any, he is also a grumpy sometimes, not in a mean spirited way he just likes an easy life and if anything presents a challenge he tends to have a moan about it....and we as all good friends do, laugh at him Mick is also one of my avid fans and when last year I didn't sign the back of his card he got upset and I had to sign it the next time I was at his house!

I had fun with my copics, nestabilites, cuttlebug and I even used some unused dp!!!!!yeah me!

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Recipe:-
Stamps: Ibrakeforstamps
Ink: London Fog Mememto
Cardstock: Kanban
Patterned Paper: Rubber Soul - Shake it up collection
Accessories: Nestabilities, Copic Markers, Silver Signo Pen, Computer for Sentiment

Munch!

August is a month for Birthdays and I am some what disorganised what with being away, family crisis, and life..

So hopefully I can put on my big pants and get over myself and get going on all those cards!


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Recipe:-
Stamp - Clear Dollar
Ink - Graphite Black Brilliance
Copics
Paper -Hotofthepress
Card -Craftwork Cards
Ribbon - yellow satin
Cuttlebug /Nestabilities

Ribbet

A really good friend of mine opened her home to me and some of our mutual friends back in July and I have not had the chance until this weekend to make a well deserved but very tardy Thank You card.

The lady in question loves Frogs, hence the theme

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Recipe:-

Stamps from Clear Dollar

Ink- Graphite Black - Brilliance

Copic Markers

Cuttlebug and Nestabilities

White Signo pen

Green Grosgrain ribbon

K&Co Berry Sweet Designer Paper

Girlie vrom vrom

I am working away this week so my postings may be few and far between for the next few days unless I get my bottom in gear and make some more cards to be able to show you!

As you will see today's card is carrying on a theme from yesterday, and its just a female version!

The DP is some I bought earlier this year, and has been stroked on occasion but never cut, but I got all brave and cut it today! Its from Center City Designs - Murray Hill is the collection and the two papers I have used in this card are called The Envoy Club and Avalon Court. The white and purple cardstock are just some I had in my stash I think probably Kanban. The Dino (Woodware Dino Friends) was stamped in Graphite Black Brilliance Ink and coloured with copics, the layout is Taylored Expressions latest cupcake challenge which you can see here and the gems and pearls are again from my stash but I believe are Papermania or Dovecraft.

Vrom...vrom

I have talked about this before, I know, I know its a sign of old age to repeat yourself but I can't help myself but I find if I am to focus and get some crafting done I have to limit my choices....and I know I am privileged that I have the option of choice...the problem is that I have toooooo much of it and I can't make a decision and I spend hours looking, stroking, wondering, deciding, putting back and not doing anything

So I went to where my lovely Dp is located in my craft room, took out some scrapbooking paper that I had acquired earlier in the year that was to nice to use, I then headed over to all my stamps and randomly picked some packs of new stamps that have never been touched with ink....and said to myself ....USE THEM

and this is the result...............


The DP is from CollagePress.com Tell Your Story and the collection is called Seeds, it is double sided cardstock and it is beautiful visually as well as to use. The base card is 5ins cream square card, I also used some forest green cardstock from Bazzill (this is lush, its textured on one side and smooth on the other). The dino and the sentiment are from Woodware - Dino Friends and are both stamped using as usual for me Graphite Black Brilliance ink. The Dino was stamped on some white cardstock, coloured using Copics, cut out and mounted onto some 3d foam. You may also be able to see that I have used one of my Cuttlebug embossing folders on the green piece that goes the width of the card to give some more dimension. The overall layout is from this weeks sketch challenge over on Splitcoastampers, you can check out the sketch and the wonderful cards here.

Over on the wonderful Arty Girlz Challenge blog this week the challenge is make a male/man card and I think my card qualifies! again another great place to check out for great cards and designs, you can find it here

Something of a departure....

from my normal 'style' (if I even have one!) today.....and I am not sure at all about it....

I used the brilliant as always Monday sketch from Poetic Artistry , I love this layout and I will have another play when I get time, as I really am not happy with the way this card came out and I don't know which element just doesn't do it for me!
There are 13 layers on this card!

• I started off with smooth cream cardstock as the base (15cms by 10.5cms) onto which I mounted some warm brown cardstock and some dp.


• Using my Cuttlebug I cut out a large scallop circle in the same brown cardstock that I had used on the base, with a slightly smaller scalloped circle I cut out some dp in a co-ordinating pattern, and then a smaller plain circle in the cream cardstock. I stamped part of the Constellation stamp using the Rust ink and left it to dry.


• Using my Cuttlebug I cut out a small scalloped circle in the same brown cardstock that I had used on the base, with a slightly smaller scalloped circle I cut out some dp in a co-ordinating pattern, and then a smaller plain circle in the cream cardstock. I stamped the Thank You sentiment with the Coffee Bean ink and left it to dry.


• I measured up some more co-ordinating dp and mounted onto the same warm brown cardstock.


• I cut out a small strip of cream cardstock which I mounted on the same warm brown cardstock, and added two flat backed warm brownie (technical term!) pink pearls.


• I then assembled the card to match the sketch.

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Recipe
Stamps - Penny Black Constellation, HOTP
Ink - Pearlescent Rust and Coffee Bean by Brilliance
Pearls - Papermania
Bazzil Cardstock
DP - Basic Grey - Mellow
Cuttlebug, Nestabilities and 3d Zots

Sympathy Card

It’s never a nice thing to have to create a sympathy card, made harder when its for a dear friends family, but unfortunately life throws these things at us sometimes and we just have to bit the bullet and get on with it.

I wanted to create something that was masculine (as Merv had been a man’s man) but yet pretty and comforting for Joan.

• The final card size is A4 (14.8cm by 21 cm) folded in half.


• Working from the base of the card, I cut some paper from the Dovecraft Masculine pack (14.5cm by 20.7cm), which I adhered to the base card with DST.


• I measured and cut (11.1 cm by 15.4cm) some coordinating paper from the same pack, mounted it onto some cream cardstock leaving approximately a 1 millimetre border around the edge.


• I stamped my image (Amy Smyth Made It – The Garden Variety – Inkadinkado) using Brilliance dewdrop ink pads, in crimson red, graphite black and pearlecent ivy green, coloured the image in using Prismacolor Pencils and Gamasol, and highlighted the flower heads with Judi Kins Diamond Glaze. The image was cut out, mounted on coordinating paper and mounted again on cream cardstock.


• Once I mounted the image onto the second piece of co-ordinating paper, I tied a piece of cream organza ribbon around this whole section, which I then mounted onto the base card.


• Finally, I stamped the sentiment (Stampendous! – Encouraging words) using Brilliance dewdrops Coffee Bean, and mounted it on some foam pads to give it some dimension.

* inside the card I have created a insert using cream parchment paper, and created a verse using the stamps from Stampendous! – Encouraging words.

Recipe

Inks- Brilliance Dew Drops – Coffee Bean, Pearlecent Ivy Green, Crimson Red & graphite black
Stamps – Amy Smyth Made it – Garden Variety –Inkadinkado, Stampendous! – Encouraging words.
Papers- Dovecraft – Masculine
Cardstock- Kanban cream
Everything else – Organza ribbon, Diamond Glaze- Judi Kins, Prismacolor Pencils, Gamasol

Accordian Card

This is my entry into this weeks challenge at Papertake Weekly. I love the design and its one I would definitely use again, although maybe instead of using heavy paper or light cardstock paper I would go for a much more lightweight option as this card is very heavy...it doesn't fall over...but would cost a fortune to post, so it's definitely in the hand deliver pile!

I used coordinating papers from the Vintage collection on each of the folds, which I matted with rose pink cardstock, I cut 1 of the roses from the paper and placed it on the rose pink cardstock, stamped the sentiment, added the ribbon and faux stitching.

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Recipe

Paper - Making Memories Vintage Collection
Stamp - Creative Expressions
Ink - Brilliance Pearlescent Ivy
Ribbon - unknown
Card - Bazzill
Template and sketch design - Papertake Weekly

Did you know its International No Diet Day today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Poetic Artistry Sketch

Today's card is for our friend Lynn, she is a lovely lady who has two dogs, Polly and Totty, Polly is a tri-colour beagle like Monty. It was Lynns birthday yesterday, which she kept quiet, but we soon realised when we called round yesterday! lucky with a bottle of wine in hand, but since Lynn is have a bit of a time of it at the moment, Polly was diagnosed with diabetes last week, I thought I would make her a card to cheer her up......

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Recipe

Sketch - Poetic Artistry

Stamps - Printworks Great Birthday, Dovecraft

Papers - Daisy Cottage - Summer Cottage - Secret Garden and Courtyard

Cardstock - Bazzill

Ink - Brilliance - Mediterranean Blue

Sorry for the absence, I seem to be doing that a lot lately! But unfortunately work gets in the way sometimes, and leaving the house at 5.55am and not returning until after 8pm does not leave me a whole lot of time to do much including unfortunately making cards.

I received a card yesterday and I was overjoyed…why you ask? Well a. because it was an invitation to my youngest niece’s First Holy Communion, b. my sister had hand made all her invitations stating that she had been inspired by me (!) and c. someone has been illegally opening my mail but they had decided to forward this card on to me. (Royal Mail are currently investigating!)

I used this weekends sketch by Beate to help me make a Thank You card. I, like many of you (yes YOU) hoard my paper, I stroke it but I never cut it………..heaven forbid! But today I reached into one of my many many OK many piles of blocks of paper and pulled out Stella Ruby by Basic Grey, I loved it the minute I saw it when I bought it ages and ages ago, but I flicked through it decided it was to nice to use and put it away………but today I CUT it…..OK I cut two whole pieces out of a pack of 36, you wouldn’t even notice they were gone but I did it!

Since the main paper that I have used has such a vibrant busy pattern to it I struggled to find a stamp that fitted, but in the end I went for an Oriental rose, that although is not the same as the flowers in the Basic Grey Papers I think still works. I stamped the image onto the plainer Basic Grey Cardstock using my favourite brown ink – Brilliance Coffee Bean. Using some H20’s I lightly coloured the rose to give it some definition. The sentiment was again stamped directly onto the plainer Basic Grey cardstock using the coffee bean ink.

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Recipe
Stamps – Exchangeable Clear Stamper, Creative Expressions
Ink- Brilliance Coffee Bean
H20 – Moss Green, Ginger Flower
Paper – Stella Ruby Basic Grey
Cardstock – Bazzill Basics