Big Birthday Wishes

... Morning! I mentioned in my last post that April was a busy month for birthdays in the family. Well, it continues into May!! Today is my brother-in-law's birthday, and this is the card I made for Tim:

Stamps: Altenew - Just a Number

Inks: Gina K - Wild Dandelion, Lucky Clover, Light Lilac, Turquoise Sea, Tangerine Tango, Red Hot, Light Orchid; Versafine Claire - Nocturne

Dies: MFT - Big Birthday Wishes

Accessories: White & Black Card; Simon Hurley Stencil - Dazzling Diamonds

I'm submitting this card to a few challenges - The Paper Players - PP#638 where there is a tic-tac-toe grid and I used the diagonal 'bright colours, die cut, birthday'; Addicted to Stamps and More - ATSM#445 where the theme is to use stencils and dies; and finally to Happy Little Stampers Birthday Challenge - HLSBC#05 where it's anything goes.

I took part in the Stencilled 2 online card class and finally got round to making some cards. For this card I used two of the layers from Dazzling Diamonds. I used the large diamond added colour, shifted positions, added more colour, and shifted again. Next I used the tiny diamond on top with darker inks and ended up with this lovely pattern. I placed the large die cut in the centre of the panel and cut out the greeting, I trimmed the piece to size and layered the panel onto black card and added it to an A2 notecard. Inside the card, I cut a piece of black card for the mat layer. I added a strip of the pattern paper to the edge of the white panel and stamped a birthday greeting.

And the fun thing about this card is that I have left-over letters with the pretty pattern on them. I'll share that card soon. That's all for now. See you soon.

For Jonathan

... Morning!! Yesterday, I shared the card I made for mum to give to Jonathan. Today, I'm sharing the card I made for Jonathan. I usually make a camera/photo themed card for him as that's his major hobby, but Jonathan loves music too and I had just the stamp in my stash to use:

Stamps: Gina K - Music to my Soul; Avery Elle - Inside Birthday Greetings

Inks: Memento - Tuxedo Black; Versafine - Onyx Black; Versafine Clair - Nocturne; Gina K - Soft Stone

Dies: Gina K - Music to my Soul

Accessories: White Card; Gina K Stencil - Brick Wall; Copic Markers; Clear Embossing Powder

I'm submitting this card to The Male Room - TMR#173 - used both dies and stencil, and to Seize the Birthday - STB#260 - the anything goes option.

I've had this stamp set and die for quite a while, but this is the first time I've used them for a card. I got them because I knew it would be brilliant for Jonathan's card. I used my MISTI to stamp the guitar image onto white card, removed it and coloured the image with Copic markers. I used teal as Jonathan's favourite colours are greens and teals. I put the coloured image back into the MISTI, stamped with Versafine ink and heat embossed with clear powder. I then astamped a small greeting on the guitar and used the co-ordinating die to cut out the image. I placed the brick wall stencil over the front of a white A2 note card and added light grey ink, using a very light hand, to create a stone wall. I used dimensional pads to adhered the image to the note card. Inside the card, I simply added a fun birthday greeting.

I'm happy to report that Jonathan loved his cards. Jonathan spent his birthday having a photoshoot here at home in his studio. Today, we are having a quiet, relaxed day. See you soon.

Family Birthday Cards

...  Good morning! April is a busy month for birthdays in our family. And today is especially busy. My husband, Jonathan, and his sister, Charlotte, both have their birthdays on 30th April - only Charlotte's 7 years younger!! So, I've been busy making cards, and using some new stash. Here's the card I made for Charlotte:

Stamps: Gina K - Sweet Sentiments; MFT - Inside & Outside Birthday Greetings

Inks: Gina K - Med Lilac, Sea Glass, Sweetcorn, Key Lime, Bubblegum Pink, Light Orchid, Jelly Bean Green; Versafine Clair - Nocturne

Dies: Gina K - Master Layout 2

Accessories: White & Black Card; Gina K Stencil - Layered Peony 

I'm submitting this card to Addicted to Stamps and More - ATSM#444 where the theme is Any Occasion, and to Never-Before-Used-Schtuff - NBUS#49 - this is the first time I've used the stencils and stamps.

I thought Charlotte's birthday card would be the perfect time to use the layered peony stencils. I love rainbows and was totally inspired by Mindy Eggen's beautiful rainbow cards. I stencilled the peony onto a piece of white card and used a stitch-edge die to cut out the panel. I added a simple greeting to one side and then layered the piece onto black card and added the whole panel to the front of a white A2 note card. Inside, I cut a piece of black card for the mat layer. On the white panel I lightly stencilled the peony again - using only layer 1 of the stencils and using a very light hand. I finished by adding a simple birthday greeting.

Hopefully, Charlotte will have received this card by now - but I'm not sure I got it in the post on time!! Heyho!! The next card is the one I made for my mum to give to Jonathan:

Stamps: Altenew - Just a Number

Inks: Gina K - Wild Dandelion, Key Lime, Turquoise Sea, Blue Raspberry, Sweet Mango, Lipstick

Dies: Gina K - Master Layout 1; Altenew - Just a Number

Accessories: White & Black Card; Gina K Stencil - Making Waves; Simon Hurley Stencil - Candles

I'm submitting this card to The Male Room - TMR#173 where the challenge is to use stencil and/or dies - done. I'm also playing along with Seize the Birthday - STB#260 - the Anything Goes part of the challenge.

I took part in Stenciled 2 - on the Online Card Classes  - recently, and this is the first time I've tried out any of the techniques. I first stencilled the candles from yellow to blue to create an ombre colour. Leaving the candle stencil in place, I added the Making Waves stencil on top and, using the same colours, I added more colour on top. I love the subtle pattern this creates in the candles. I used layer 2 of the candles stencil to add the candle flames blending orange and red ink. I die cut a section of the panel and adhered it to a black mat layer and then onto an A2 note card. On a scrap of white card, I blended the same colours and then used a 'happy birthday' die to cut out the words and layered them onto black shadow layers and glued to the card. Inside, I cut a mat layer of black card. On the white card I added a fun sentiment and a few candles that I cut out from the piece of card left over from the front.

I think the candles stencil is just super - perfect for everyone! 

That's all from me for now. It's a dull, wet day here in North Wales, so I'm planning on spending the day in my craft room making cards and listening to my Audible book. See you soon.

Birthday Card for my Aunt

.... Good afternoon! I've been busy working on my monthly dyalogs and not making any cards. However, it's my aunt's birthday on Thursday and I had to make a card for her. In August 2020 I made a number of birthday cards using the Spotlight Sentiments stamp set - a good set for basic cards. I found one of the cards in my stash and dressed it up a bit. Here's the card:

Stamps: Dylusions - Eat Me; MFT - Spotlight Sentiments; Gina K - Hexagon Fun, On the Inside

Inks: Kaleidacolor - Desert Heat; Versafine Clair - Nocturne

Accessories: White Card; Copic Markers; Nuvo - Midas Aquashimmer Brush

I'm submitting this to Addicted to Stamps and More! - ATSM#443 where the theme is birthdays, and to Happy Little Stampers Birthday Challenge - HLSBC#04 where it's anything goes.

This was so easy to make as the note card had already been stamped and I got the cupcake image from my stash of Dylusions images that I have already cut out for use. I coloured the cupcake with Copic markers to match the stamped background. I added some shimmer to the frosting with a gold tone aquashimmer brush. On the inside of the card I added a birthday greeting a row of tiny cupcakes.

That's all from me today - hopefully, I'll be posting again soon. 

April Calendar Page

... Hello! It's been a while since I posted on my blog. I've been so busy working on my monthly dyalogs that card making has slipped by the wayside!! However, I have decorated my April calendar page:

Stamps: Waltzingmouse Stamps - Lil Buddies, Nestie Eggs, Spring Basket

Inks: Gina K - Obsidian, Key Lime, Sweet Mango, Bubblegum Pink, Turquoise Sea; Kaleidacolor - Luau

Accessories: Copics; A4 Wire Bound 2023 Blank Calendar

I'm submitting this calendar page to Love to Craft Challenge Blog - LTCCB#73 where it's always, Anything Goes.

It was easy to pick the theme for the month, as Easter is next weekend. I decided I wanted Easter eggs and spring flowers and I knew just the stamps sets to use. They are all by Claire Brennan, Waltzingmouse Stamps - now, sadly, the company is closed. But I have the stamps and I love getting them out to play. I stamped the eggs in colour, added the flowers, bees and butterflies and used Copic markers to colour them in. These are my favourite type of Easter eggs - pretty and calorie free!!!

That's all from me today. See you all again soon.

Happy Birthday

... Good morning! I hope everyone is okay and coping with the wintery weather we're having. I made this card on Monday - needed to get it in the post to get to Xander on time. It's a birthday card for my nephew's son:

Stamps: Visible Image - Set the Tone, Happy Birthday, Accessorize; Carabelle Studio - Number '1'

Inks: Gina K - Soft Stone; Versafine Clair - Nocturne

Dies: Gina K - Master Layouts 2

Accessories: White & Black Card; Clear Embossing Powder; Copic Markers

I'm submitting this card to the following challenges:

AAA Birthday - AAAB#47 where they want us to have stripes and/or dots 

Inkspirational - INK#285 - where they have a word prompt to use 'Numbers'

Just Us Girls - JUGS#670 - their word prompt is 'Rainbow'

Seize the Birthday - STB#257 - the toppings option is to 'make a card for a child'

Xander is 11 - he's at the age where it's so hard to know what to make for him. As I don't know his favourite football team, I decided to concentrate on his age. I used my MISTI to stamp the number 1 twice onto white card, removed it from the MISTI and did rainbow colouring down each number. I restamped and embossed the image with clear powder. I then fussy cut each number out and edged with a black marker. I die cut a stitched-edge panel of white card and stamped the dotty/grungy background in soft grey and added a birthday greeting below. I used dimensional pads to adhere the numbers and then layered the piece onto black card and added to the front of an A2 white notecard. Inside, I cut a mat layer of black card and on the white panel I stamped a bold birthday greeting and added a sweet birthday cupcake. I coloured the cake case in rainbow order to match the numbers on the front of the card.

It was fun making this card. And the best way to spend a very wet and windy Monday morning - safe inside my craft room.

That's all for now. See you soon.

SHC - A Trio of Cards

.... Morning!! I'm here with my last post for Seven Hills Craft. It's been an honour and privilege to be part of Tara and Rick's team. I'm finishing off with a trio of cards, and the first is a bold, bright, birthday card:

Stamps: Avery Elle - Inside Birthday Greetings

Inks: Gina K - Wild Dandelion, Sweet Mango, Bubblegum Pink, Lipstick; Versafine Clair - Nocturne

Dies: Waffle Flower - Zigzag Texture Die; Gina K - Master Layouts 2

Accessories: White & Black Card; Waffle Flower - Zigzag Stencil Trio; Copic Markers; Nuvo - Clear Aqua Shimmer Brush

I'm submitting this card to AAA Birthday - AAAB#46 where the team want us to use Stencils, and also to Time Out Challenges - TOC#232 where it's Anything Birthday goes as they're celebrating their 9th birthday.

I used the Zigzag Texure die to cut out the stitched pattern and panel. To add colour, I used the matching trio of stencils. However, you may notice that there are actually four colours on my panel! I had a mishap, I put one of the stencils in the wrong place and added ink. I realised immediately that it was an 'oops', and I didn't want to waste the panel, so I simply put the stencil the right place and added the red ink. I rather like the new pattern with the sweet white diamond!! It did result in some odd marks around the edge of the panel, so I simply used another stitch-edged die to make the panel a bit smaller and layered it onto a black mat layer. I stamped a bold birthday greeting in black directly onto the panel and added the whole piece to the front of a side-opening A2 (US size) note card. I used my MISTI to stamp the floral image, removed it and coloured with Copic markers, replaced it in the MISTI and restamped with a dark black ink. I then fussy cut the flowers and used dimensional pads to add it to the card. I finished by adding some sparkle to the flowers. Inside the card, I cut a mat layer of black card. on the white panel I stamped the floral image in soft grey ink and added a fun birthday greeting. This card is for my aunt.

I made two further cards - one with the zigzag die and stencils, and one with a turnabout stamp. I wasn't expecting to have to make sympathy cards. My son, Ben, rang last weekend to let me know that his cat, Luna, had been hit by a car and was so seriously injured that she had to be put to sleep. Ben was, and is, absolutely devasted, so I made a card for him and for his housemate, Harry. This is the card I made for Ben:

Stamps: Concord & 9th - Sketched Dots Turnabout, So Happy for You; MFT - Deepest Sympathy; Waffle Flower - With Sympathy Duo

Inks: Gina K - Light Lilac, Soft Stone, Slate; Versafine Clair - Nocturne

Accessories: White & Black Card

I used the turnabout stamp to create the background directly onto the card - I only did three turns to keep it reasonably clean. I added a sentiment - which I think is so appropriate - in the corner of the card. I added some embossed leaves and a flower, from my left-over stash, to complete the front of the card. Inside, I cut a mat layer of black card and on the white panel I stamped a message and added some dots.

The next card was made for Harry, and this time I used the zigzag stencil to add colour as planned:

Stamps: MFT - Deepest Sympathy; Waffle Flower - With Sympathy Duo; Concord & 9th - So Happy for You

Inks: Gina K - Soft Stone, Stormy Sky, Slate; Versafine Clair - Nocturne

Dies: Waffle Flower - Zigzag Texture Die

Accessories: White & Black Card; Waffle Flower - Zigzag Stencil Trio

I'm submitting this card to Inkspirational Challenge - INK#283 where they want us to use a stencil.

This time I used the zigzag trio of stencils correctly to add colour to the die cut panel. I stamped a sentiment onto the panel and adhered it to the front of a black A2 note card. I used embossed leaves and flower from my stash to complete the front of the card. Inside, I cut a panel of white card and simply added a message and another flower.

I hope that Ben and Harry can take some comfort from the cards. Pets bring so much joy into our lives and they leaves such big holes when they go. 

Anyway, that's all from me today - it's been a joy to be part of Tara and Rick's team. I may be back from time to time, but that's all for now. See you soon.