50th birthday

Well how is everybody?  I'm sorry I've neglected my blog for so long *hangs head in shame*.  I've been making cards behind the scenes but had no time to blog them.  Anyway I thought I'd pop in quickly to share a card I made for a friend's 50th birthday using this week's MFT sketch challenge #557.  Here is the sketch:

and here is my card:

I began by stamping the candles with Gina K Designs inks, masking off each candle so I could use a different colour for each.  I die cut a star from some scrap cardstock and made by own stencil which I ink blended in the top right corner.  I then die cut the 5 and 0 from white card x 4 and black glitter card x 1 and glued them all together for extra dimension.  The sentiment was stamped in Versafine onyx black ink and die cut with a banner die and the final finishing touch were some black gems.  I hope you like it.

Here's what a used:

MFT - make a wish stamp set (from Dies to Die For)

MFT - blueprints 27 die set (from Dies to Die For)

MFT - by the numbers die set (retired)

Quickutz - nesting stars (no longer available)

Little Things from Lucy's Cards - ebony mix jewels

Gina K Designs - dye inks in red velvet, sweet mango, wild dandelion, jellybean green, sea glass, plum punch and innocent pink (from Bumbleberry Crafts)

Heffy Doodle - white letter size cardstock

Black glitter cardstock from stash

Tonic - Nuvo deluxe glue

I hope you have a wonderful week and I'll see you all again soon.

Hugs and love, 

Beautiful wildflowers

Happy Saturday friends.  It's a beautiful day here is South Wales, glorious sunshine all day but very breezy (perfect for drying my washing lol!).   I hope you're having a fab day and the weather is good where you are too.  I'm sharing a slimline card I made for a friend in work who's birthday is today.  Apart from the sentiment there is no stamping on this card.  Here is my card:

close up of the card:

pretty gold embossing & splatters:

I die cut the flowers from white card and coloured them with oxide inks for a softer effect.  I die cut the butterfly from glitter card and black for the body.  I created the background by simply splattering some gold pigment paint in 2 shades of gold for a sparkly but clean and simple look.  I added the panel to a peach coloured card panel and then adhered this to my white card base.  The sentiment was embossed in gold embossing powder and I added a few pearls for a final touch.  The finished card size is 4" x 8 1/4".  I don't make slimline cards very often but I really like them so I will have make more of them soon.  

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

The Crafters Cafe challenge - flowers

Creative Knockouts challenge - wings and things

Sweet Stampin' challenge - no squares

Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge - bright, cheerful colours

Allsorts challenge - use 3 colours of the rainbow (red, orange, green)

Krafty Chicks challenge - all occasions

Simon Says Stamp IG challenge - make the cut

Enjoy the rest of the weekend and I'll catch you back here very soon.

Hugs, 

Card ingredients:

Sizzix/Tim Holtz Thinlets - wildflowers

Distress Oxide inks in abandoned coral, spiced marmalade, mustard seed, twisted citron

Memory Box - pippi butterfly

Gansai Tambi - starry colors (I used yellow gold and red gold for the background)

Ranger - letter-it birthday (for the sentiment)

pearls from Little Things from Lucy's cards (they were a free gift)

peach cardstock from stash

Heffy Doodle - white letter size cardstock

Cosmic Shimmer - bright gold detail embossing powder

Happy birthday hubby!

Hello again friends.  I hope you're all doing ok and had a great weekend.  The weather here in South Wales was lovely, glorious sunshine, although a little chilly.  It was my husband's birthday yesterday and this was the card I made for him:

I used this week's sketch from MFT as my inspiration.  This is the sketch:

Do you ever start a card with a technique in mind and then it completely changes by the end?  I began by ink blending the oval and I used a stencil to create the soft circles.  However it wasn't bold enough for me so I used a distress type stamp to go over the stencilling using oxide ink and sprayed it with water for a more messy look.  I really like the finished result even though it wasn't at all what I envisaged when I began.  I then stamped the candles and used the matching dies to cut them out.  I used the sentiment from the same set and die cut it with a banner die.  A small piece of patterned paper and my card was done.  Even though there are lots of elements it's still clean and simple which is perfect for my hubby as he doesn't like fussy cards.  

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

MFT sketch challenge - sketch #537

Krafty chicks challenge - CAS

Creative Knockouts challenge - add a sentiment

Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge - bright, cheerful colours

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge - CAS

I hope you had a great start to your week.  Have you done anything exciting since the lifting of some of the lockdown restrictions?  I'm not in that much of a rush to go shopping so I haven't done anything at all except craft (which is my favourite pastime lol).  

Have a fab week and catch up again soon.

Hugs, 

Card ingredients:

MFT - make a wish stamp & die set

MFT - distressed patterns stamp

MFT - card sized confetti set of stencils

MFT - blueprints 27 (for the banner)

Heffy Doodle - white letter size cardstock

Lili of the Valley - bonnets and bowties solids paper pack

Tonic Studios - oval layering die set

Black card from stash

Stampin Up! - various stampin' spots for the candles

Distress oxide ink in Tumbled glass

Happy birthday friend

Happy Sunday friends.  I hope you’ve had a good weekend so far; mine has been quiet but that’s the way I like it!  Are you all going to be going mad around the shops tomorrow?  I don’t like shopping at the best of times so I think I’ll leave it a little while before I venture out (although I do fancy a mooch around IKEA sometime soon lol!).  Let’s hope everyone is sensible and keeps their distance in the mad scramble in Primark. 

Today I’m sharing a card I made for a friend’s birthday.  I am using my new Colorado Craft Company stamp (which is soooo cute); when my budget allows I will definitely be getting some more of the Anita Jeram range.  Here is my card:

I also decorated the inside:

I stamped my images with Memento Tuxedo black ink and coloured them with my promarkers (I used the photo on the back of the stamp as my colouring guide as I really liked the whimsical way they were coloured).  I used a scalloped die to cut out the image panel and also to cut the patterned paper.  I die cut some clouds and added them to the panel with liquid glue and stamped my sentiment with Versafine onyx black ink.  The panels were added to my card blank and I simply added 3 adhesive pearls as a finishing touch.  I added two strips of the patterned paper to the inside of my card and stamped the larger sentiment from the stamp set.  A really cute card I think. 

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

Dragonfly Dreams challenge – feature a creature

Crafty Friends challenge – ladies/girls

Creative Craft challenge – include an animal

CCC Digi Creations challenge – include an animal

Sweet Stampers challenge – lots of layers

SSS Wednesday challenge – happy birthday

Unicorn challenge – include an animal

Creative Knockouts challenge – for the girls

There seems to be lots of animal themed challenges around this week/month.  I have lots of new cards to share with you so hopefully will be back with another card soon.  Until then, take care and continue to follow the rules for now.

Lots of love,

Card ingredients:

Colorado Craft Company - birthday wishing

Lawn Fawn - scalloped rectangle stackables

Clearly Besotted - happy birthday all (for 'friend' word)

Promarkers

Me to You - spring chic paper pad

W Plus 9 - sunshine layers (for the clouds)

Heffy Doodle - alcohol marker friendly card

Rainbow butterflies

Hello again friends.  I hope you are all doing ok and having a great week so far (at least it's a short one here in the UK yay!).  I'm back to share an anniversary card that I made for my in-laws using really pretty rainbow colours.  I hope you like it. 

I usually do hearts and flowers for anniversary cards but thought I would do something different for a change.  I found this gorgeous butterflies die that I don't think I've ever used and cut it out of white card.  I then used my distress oxide inks to ink blend on another panel and add this behind the dies cut butterflies.  It is such a soft and pretty way to show off the cut outs and super easy too.  I added the panel onto a black panel and then added this with foam tape to my card base.  I stamped the sentiments and used a banner die to cut them out.  Finally I added some embellishments in similar colours and viola my card was complete. 

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

Use your stuff challenge - mood board (I was inspired by the colours)

Less is More challenge - CAS inking

Inspired by challenge - spring into color (I was inspired by the pastel colours)

Creative Craft Cottage challenge - CAS

SSS Monday challenge - Easter or spring (spring colours)

SSS Wednesday challenge - Spring/Easter mood board (I was inspired by the colours)

SSS IG challenge - hello spring (spring colours)

Happy Little Stampers challenge - anything goes with dies

I hope you have a brilliant week and have a wonderful Easter weekend.

Stay safe and take care.

Hugs and love, 

Card ingredients:

Memory box - reverse butterfly collage die

Clearly Besotted - Mr & Mrs stamp set (for anniversary sentiment)

Clearly Besotted - happy birthday all (for mam & dad sentiment)

Distress oxide inks (kitsch flamingo, squeezed lemonade, twisted citron, tumbled glass, milled lavender)

Little Things from Lucy's Cards - crystal collection - over the rainbow

Gina K Designs - master layouts 1 (for die cutting the panels)

Gina K Designs - master layouts 2 (for the banners)

Taylored Expressions - blender brushes 

Mother's Day 2021 part 1

Hello friends.  I hope you've had a good start to the week.  I'm on leave this week so my start has been very good.  Today I'm sharing the card I made for my mother for Mother's Day (we had ours last weekend in the UK).  I've titled this post part 1 as I made cards for my boys to give their grandmas and I also made a card for my husband to give his mother but I'll share them in separate posts so not to bore you lol!).   I hope you like today's card.

Isn't that image just adorable.  I stamped the image with Memento Tuxedo black ink and coloured it with my Promarkers.  I thought the card looked too plain so I added the small heart randomly around the image and again coloured them with the same Promarkers.  So that they matched the dark lines of the stamped image I used a multi-liner pen to draw around them.  I stamped the sentiment with Versafine Onxy Black ink and added a few sparkle gumdrops to finish.  I added my panel onto a yellow card panel and then adhered this to my card base.  As my card was 7x5 in size I made a matching envelope from plain green card.  I did decorate the inside too with a few hearts but forgot to take a photo d'oh!  Of course my mother loved it lol!

There are lots of spring inspired challenges around at the moment so I would like to enter my card here:

Inkspirational challenge - fur or feathers (my little bear has fur)

Daisy Chain challenge - flowers

Alphabet challenge - Y is for yellow

Sweet Stampers challenge - Easter or spring

Allsorts challenge - spring flowers

Simon Says Stamp IG challenge - hello spring

Cute Card Thursday challenge - spring fever

Sweet Stampin' challenge - spring mood board

I hope you have a great week, whatever you are up to.  Tomorrow is going to be a tough day for us as it's the first anniversary of my father's passing.  It's been a very difficult year, especially with everything else that has been going on, but we are all supporting each other and as long as he is in our hearts he will never truly be gone.  

Stay safe lovely friends, sending lots of love. 

Card ingredients:

Tracey Hey - wreath rascals stamp set

Hero Arts - Happy stamp & cut (for the sentiment)

Promarkers

Your Next Stamp - white sugar & sparkle gumdrops (Dies to Die For)

Versafine Onyx black ink

Memento Tuxedo black ink

Yellow & green card from stash

We R Memory Keepers - envelope punch board

Happy birthday friend

Hello again, I'm back to share a card I made for this week's MFT color challenge.  I loved the colours of the challenge especially as they weren't ones I would have chosen to use together - that's the point of a challenge isn't it lol!  Here is my card:

I began by die cutting the background but I kept it all together by taping it on the back.  I then die cut the lovely tree and decided it would look fun with all the colours in-laid back in (which I instantly regretted as it was a painstaking job) but I think it looks awesome.  I die cut the friend letters 4 times and adhered them together so that they resemble a chipboard thickness and coated them with my nuvo shimmer pen.  I used foam tape to add my background piece onto the card and also some thin foam squares to add the circle onto this panel.  I stamped a sentiment and die cut it with a banner die and adhered this on top of the circle with liquid glue.  I then added the friend die cut letters at the bottom of my card.  I finished off with some nuvo glimmer glaze on the 3 largest hearts and a few enamel dots.  

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

MFT color challenge 160:

Mix it up challenge - anything goes/option in-laid die cut

Crafty friends challenge - happy birthday

Unicorn challenge - make it feminine

Allsorts challenge - anything feminine goes

I hope you're having a good week so far.  The weather here has been lovely and sunny, although chilly but it's a sure sign that spring is on the way. 

Until next time, take care and stay safe.

Hugs, 

Card ingredients:

MFT - heart tree die (Dies to Die For

MFT - chevron segments cover up (Bumbleberry Papercrafts)

MFT - words for friends die (Dies to Die For)

Nuvo - glimmer glaze

Nuvo - aqua shimmer glitter gloss pen

Crafters Companion - neenah desert storm card (Craft Stash)

Stampin' Up - tempting turquoise card

Hot pink & chocolate card from stash

MFT - beary special birthday (for sentiment) (Dies to Die For)

Gina K Designs - Master layouts 2 (for the banner) (Bumbleberry Papercrafts)

Spellbinders - standard circles large

Heffy Doodle - white card

Birthday card for Nanny

Hello again friends.  I'm back to share a card I made for my boys to give to their nanny for her recent birthday.  It's a beautiful, bright and sunny day here in South Wales and I must have been dreaming of spring when I made this card as I used bright and cheerful colours for my colouring.  Here is my card:

I began by stencilling my panel with a light grey ink trying to keep the ink darker at the top.  I then stamped my image twice and coloured them with my Promarkers after which I die cut them with the matching dies.  I stamped the sentiment onto the panel with black ink.  I decided to add the images onto a white die cut circle to make them stand out a bit from the inked panel and then the whole panel was adhered to yellow cardstock before adding to my card.  The finishing touch was some sparkling gems for a little bling.  

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

Uniko Stamps 9th birthday - make a birthday card

Creative Sketchy girls - girls only

Use your Stuff - it's my favourite (colouring and ink blending)

Cardz 4 Galz - Mother's Day or special lady 

Cute Card Thursday - feminine

SSS Wednesday challenge - anything goes 

We Love Chocolate Baroque - flowers, butterflies or birds

Allsorts - feminine

Unicorn - use flowers

I hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend.  The weather is supposed to be nice all weekend here so perfect for walking the dog.  I really brightens your mood when the sun is shining doesn't it.  

Take care and stay safe.

Hugs, 

Card ingredients:

Uniko Stamps - Originally Organic stamp & dies

Promarkers

Uniko Stamps - Quilted stencil

Gina K Designs - soft stone ink (Bumbleberry Crafts)

Yellow card & bling from my stash

Heffy Doodle - white cardstock

Heffy Doodle - alcohol marker cardstock

Versafine Onyx black ink

Memento Tuxedo black ink

CAS pastel card

Hello again friends.  I'm back again to share a card I made for my nephew's 32nd birthday yesterday.  I really wanted to try the MFT color challenge so the colours may not scream 32 year man but I really liked the end result.  Here is my card:

I used this very fun stamp set from MFT called 'party patterns' using ink pads as close to the color challenge as possible.  I die cut the stars and added them with foam pads and also used foam pads to add the layer onto a piece of silver grey cardstock which I then attached to my card base with liquid glue.  The sentiment was stamped with versafine onyx black ink and die cut with the flag die.  I didn't add any embellishments as I thought it looked fine as it was.  

I am going to enter my card into the following challenges:

MFT color challenge: #159

Sweet Stampers challenge - CAS

SSS Wednesday challenge - favourite technique (stamping & die-cutting)

Krafty Chicks challenge - CAS

I hope you're having a great week so far.  I'm happy to report that except for a sore arm and some joint pain I survived my 2nd vaccine relatively unscathed lol!

I'll be back soon (I hope)! 

Hugs, 

Card ingredients:

MFT - 'party patterns' stamp set (which I think is retired)

MFT - blueprints 18 (for the stars and flag banner) 

Clearly Besotted Stamps - friends & family 

Gina K Designs - Master Layouts 1 (Bumbleberry papercrafts)

Versafine Onyx black ink for sentiment

Various ink pads for stamping (Gina K Designs, Catherine Pooler, Ink it Up)

Heffy Doodle - white cardstock

My first slimline card!

Happy Sunday crafty friends.  I hope you've had a good weekend and hopefully did a bit of crafting.  I went for my 2nd vaccine today (I'm very lucky to work for the NHS) and don't feel too bad at the moment but a lot of my co-workers have felt more unwell after the 2nd one than the first so I'm keeping everything crossed that I don't suffer too badly with this one.  It's worth it though as hopefully this will be our way out of this pandemic/lockdown. 

I'm here to share my first ever slimline card (I know behind the times as always lol!).  I made this card recently for one of my lovely DT friends and I have to say I really loved the size and how it turned out.  I think I may make a mini slimline soon as they look a cute size too.  

When I made this card I was following an MFT sketch challenge but ran out of time to enter it - oops!

I began by stamping the 3 fun images and coloured them with my promarkers; I also added some ink blending behind the images for some contrast.  I then cut 3 circles from another piece of card and layered it over top the images with foam tape.  The sentiment was white heat embossed and cut with my trimmer.  I added some splatters and a few sequins and my card was done.  

I am entering my card into the following challenges:

Cute Card Thursday - slimline

SSS Wednesday challenge - fave technique (die cutting, colouring with alcohol markers)

Inkspirational challenge - word prompt: tower

MFT slimline challenge - birthday wishes

I hope you have a wonderful week.  Stay safe and take care.

Hugs, 

Card Ingredients:

MFT - old friends (Dies to Die For)

Promarkers

Spellbinders Nestabilities - standard circles large

SSS - white fine detail embossing powder 

Pretty Pink Posh - sparkling clear mix sequins

Distress Oxide inks

Heffy Doodle - alcohol marker cardstock

Heffy Doodle - white cardstock

CAS birthday card

Oh my goodness I cannot believe that it's been so long since I last blogged a card.  I hope there are still a few of you out there to read my ramblings!  I hope everyone is doing ok and the lockdown is not taking too much toll on you.  I have been feeling a little down but I think between lockdown and the dark and dreary days it's already been a long winter.  As I work for the NHS I've already had my first vaccine and should have my 2nd dose in a month or so.  I think everyone is pinning their hopes on the vaccine taking control of the virus and I must admit I am too.  

Anyway enough waffling, I have a very CAS card to share with you tonight.  I made it for one of my lovely DT friends:

I'm not very good taking photos at the best of times but in these long dark days my photos are even worse.  I assure you my card was much nicer in real life.  I had just received this cute MFT stamp set and had to use it but as my card was going to The Netherlands I didn't want it too bulky so that postage wasn't too expensive.  I used the background stamp to create the 'splatter' behind the animals, which I coloured with my promarkers.  I used the coordinating dies the cut out the critters and added them to the card with foam tape.  I stamped the sentiment and again added it with foam tape.  A few sequins and my card was done.  I hope you like it. 

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

Allsorts challenge - 4 legged friends

Less is more challenge - in a row

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge - anything goes

Krafty chicks challenge - any occasion

Crafty friends challenge - animals/birds

I know I promise every time I post that I will be back soon so I won't say that this time lol!  I'll just say 'see you on the flip side' 😀.

Card ingredients:

MFT Missing you every single day (stamp & dies)

MFT Distressed patterns

MFT beary special birthday (for sentiment)

Pretty Pink Posh sparkling clear mix sequins

Memento tuxedo black ink for stamping images

Versafine onyx black ink for sentiment & splatters

Promarkers to colour images