Birthday blues ....

.... good afternoon all!  I do hope you're having a good day - it's been pretty good here.  I got a lot of house type stuff done this morning, and I also got some time in my craft room!  I've made a birthday card for a couple of challenges:

• Dynamic Duos - DD#52
• Less is More - LIM121 - the recipe is to make a humourous card

 

Stamps: Inkadinkado - Humourous Birthday
Inks: Stazon - Jet Black; Stampin' Up! - Midnight Muse
Accessories: SU Card & Design Paper - Midnight Muse, Bashful Blue; Copics; White Lustre card

I don't normally do "funny/humour" cards as I think my sense of humour is a tad warped for some!  However, I remembered this sweet set of stamps and decided to have a go!  I used the colours from this week's Dynamic Duos (sad that Bashful Blue is being retired).  I made the mat from Midnight Muse and stamped the image directly onto white card and again onto Bashful Blue DP.  I coloured the face and hair with Copics and paper pieced the outfit.  I finished off with a bold birthday sentiment.  As I get older, I certainly think I get more and more like my Mum, and even sound like her!!

It's crazy hot and humid here in Northville today - currently at 29°C and sadly my air con seems to have stopped working!!!  Darn!  Oh well, it looks like we're going to have a big storm soon - skies are very grey - if only it would reduce the humidity!

That's all for now - see you soon.

Happy Birthday Ardyth .....

... I do hope that this is a BIG surprise for you!  Darnell has organised a BIRTHDAY PARTY for Ardyth (MASKerade), she did suggest that we might like to CASE one of your amazing cards, but I forgot didn't think I could it justice!!  Ardyth's style is perfectly clean and simple; she loves graphic designs, bold colours and rainbows!!  I can spot an "Ardyth card" at ten paces!!

So my birthday card for Ardyth focuses on the fact that she, like me, is a Gemini and, according to the stamp on her card, she is "clever and imaginative", and Ardyth - you are certainly that!  Hope you have a simply wonderful day and you'll get this card soon!

Stamps: PTI - Stargazer; CAS-ual Fridays Stamps - Mum's the Word
Inks: Stampin' Up! - Real Red; Versamark
Dies: Die-namics - Fishtail Flags STAX #2; Spellbinders - Stars (S4-092) #1 & 2
Accessories: SU Card - Night of Navy, Real Red; White embossing powder; White Lustre card

I used a couple of challenges in the making of this card - the layout is from last week's My Favourite Things Wednesday Sketch Club - MFTWSC125 - it was just right for the card, and the colours are from this week's CAS-ual Fridays Challenge - CFC102 to use red, white and blue!

As you can tell this is the constellation Gemini and it has pride of place on the front of Ardyth's card, around the edge of the blue card are a number of the other constellations stamped in Versamark and embossed with white powder (night sky!!).  I love the bold statement for Gemini (and obviously I totally agree with it :).  I finished off the front with a die cut star.  The inside is very simple with a mat layer in blue and the sentiment stamped in red.

If you would like to join in and wish Ardyth a Happy Birthday - you can link up your card to Darnell's blog here!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

ARDYTH!!

That's all for now - see you soon.

Christmas Embellishment challenge ....

... this week at 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown - 52CCT21-13 we have an embellishment challenge for you.  We would like you to use Baker's Twine on your cards.  Now, I have to admit that I've not really got on board with Baker's Twine, so much so, that I had none!  Fortunately my local craft shop has reels of the stuff and sells it by the yard - I now own a couple of yards of lots of Baker's Twine!!  Here's my card:

Stamps: My Favourite Things - Christmas Sentiments; Stampin' Up! - More Merry Messages; Waltzingmouse - Musical Backgrounds
Inks: SU - Real Red, Garden Green
Dies: Lil' Inkers - Stitched Rectangles # 3 & 6; PTI Impression Plate - Sheet Music; Marianne - Treble Clef (LR0167)
Accessories: Baker's Twine - Green; SU Card - Real Red, Garden Green; White Lustre Card; Green Pearls

I used the sketch layout from the current Mojo Monday Challenge - MOJO294 - it's been a while since I joined in this challenge.  I used my Lil' Inkers dies to cut the stitch pattern in the card base and for the small white panel.  I decided to go for a musical theme on this card and used my PTI impression plate to emboss a panel of white card, trimmed it to size and wrapped some green and white Baker's Twine around the card.  I adhered the panel with dimensional tape.  I added a strip of red card above and stamped a somewhat distressed musical background.  On the smaller white panel I decided to use a bold sentiment in red and finished off by adding a small treble clef in green and some tiny green pearls.  I think it's pretty close to the MOJO sketch.  For the inside I kept it really simple with a red mat and white panel on which I stamped a simple sentiment in green.

Now that I've got some Baker's Twine I might have to come back and make another card with the stuff!!  Don't forget to check out the inspiration cards from the rest of the Design Team.

Monday is Memorial Day in the United States; a federal holiday that honours the men and women who have died and served in the United States Military Forces.  The whole weekend has parades and events to celebrate the day.  We're going to be in Frankenmuth - also known as Michigan's Little Bavaria!!  There's a lot going on this weekend - Balloons over Bavaria (hot air balloons), an event for dogs and several cycling races.  And there's also Bronner's "the world's biggest Christmas shop", or so they say!!  So many photo opportunities - provided, of course, that the weather is okay!

That's all for now - have a great weekend.

Birthday circles ....

... good afternoon.  I hope you're all having a super day.  It's absolutely beautiful here in Northville - bright blue skies, sunshine and quite cool temperatures.  It's warmed up from the almost freezing temp this morning to a pleasant 14°C, but the wind is really keen!  Enough of the weather - I managed to get some time in my craft room this afternoon and I've made a birthday card using a couple of challenges:

• Colour Q - cQc190
• Clean & Simple Challenge - FTL242

Stamps: Stampin' Up! - Curly Cute; CAS-ual Friday Stamps - Zigs & Zags, Exclamations, Frankly
Inks: SU - Midnight Muse, Baja Breeze, More Mustard
Dies: Die-namics - Fishtail Flags STAX #2
Accessories:  SU Design Paper - Fun Fiar, Print Poetry, Baja Breeze, Cajun Craze; SU Card - Baja Breeze, Midnight Muse, More Mustard, Cajan Craze; White Lustre Card; SU Punches - 1" and ¾" circles, 7/8" scallop circle

I wasn't sure what to do with the colours from this week's Colour Q challenge - at least I wasn't until I saw the new sketch from Clean & Simple - I thought the colour would be perfect for the circles.  I don't have any Really Rust, so I used Cajan Craze instead.  I used a variety of SU card and paper to make the circles and cut the flag from some Baja Breeze (still sad this is going).  For the inside I used a couple of big sentiments - after all a birthday is a time to celebrate.

That's all for now - Kathryn has just come in from school.  It's a long weekend because of Memorial Day.

Don't forget to come by tomorrow to see the new challenge from 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown - we have a fun one for you!  See you soon.

Christmas - Merry & Bright ....

...  Hi again - I've got five cards to share with you this afternoon.  They are all for the current Jingle Belles Challenge - JB13:10 to use bright colours on the cards.  These colours are really bright, in fact they are fluorescent!!  I recently purchased the Hero Arts neon inks and I think they're just perfect for this challenge.  I've made two mini sets - one set at 6¼" × 4½" and the other set at 5½" × 4¼".  Here they are:

The two cards above are the larger ones. 

Stamps: Waltzingmouse - Yonder Star Background, Ornate Ornaments
Inks: Hero Arts - Neons: Pink, Orange, Blue, Green; Memento - Tuxedo Black; Versamark
Dies: Spellbinders - Heirloom Ornaments 2012 (S5-116) #4, Labels 4 (S4-190) #3, Romantic Rectangles (S5-090) #3, A2 Fancy Weave (S5-136) #2
Accessories:  Black card; Black embossing powder; Copics - FRV1 (Pink), FB2 (Dull Blue), FYR1 (Orange), FYG2 (Dull Green); White Lustre Card

I love the graphic that the girls gave us for this challenge - that's why I picked Christmas ornaments.  The larger set are the result of an accident while stamping - I inadvertently stamped on both sides of the card!!  Yes, I know - how did I do it??  Not a clue.  Anyway, I simply cut the card in half and layered onto some black card and then onto white card bases. The ornaments were all stamped in Versamark and heat embossed with black powder to give a lovely glossy finish.  I then coloured each ornament with my new fluorescent Copics.  I cut a number of different backgrounds to go behind the ornaments so that they would stand out against the bright backgrounds.  And in the spirit of total openness, the reason two of the cards have different sentiments is because I stamped the original sentiment upside down!!!  Actually I rather like the bold coloured sentiment - I simply coloured them while still in the die with the chisel end of the Copic - worked a treat.  I kept the inside of all the cards really simple - a black mat with white panel on which I stamped a bold sentiment.

That's all for now - it's time for lunch.  See you tomorrow.

Paper pieced Gerbera ....

... Hello!!  I'm here with a card that I made for this week's Papertrey Make It Monday Challenge - MIM117 to create a card using paper piecing,  It's also for CAS-ual Fridays Challenge - CFC101 to stamp on design paper.  I really enjoyed the video by Melissa Phillips; her card is fabulous.  I was so inspired by the video that I rushed off to make my card:

Stamps: Uniko Studio - Gerbera, Bright Butterflies; Papertrey Ink - Stylish Sentiments Birthdays
Inks: Memento - Tuxedo Black; Stampin' Up! - Blushing Bride
Dies: Uniko Studio - Bright Butterflies
Accessories:  Kaisercraft DP - Tigerlilly; White Lustre Card; Gems

It was only when I re-read the challenge rules, that I realised I should have used a Papertrey image.  Heyho, that'll teach me to rush into things, still going to submit it though.  I CASE'd Melissa card, but changed up the background paper to this lovely black paper with butterflies; I thought the pink flower would show up beautifully against it.  I stamped the flower directly onto the paper in white ink and then stamped it again - several times - on some scraps from the paper pack.  Then I carefully cut out the petals and adhered them to the card.  I covered the mix of papers in the centre of the flower with another bit that I cut out.  I finished with a sentiment from the paper pack, and a pretty pink butterfly.

When I realised that I should have included an image from Papertrey Ink - I decorated the inside - keeping it really simple.  I cut a panel in white on which I stamped the solid Gerbera and a really super birthday sentiment, and ran a black marker around the edge to define the panel.

While the PTI image is not on the outside, I do hope the design team will allow this one!  Although, I more than understand if they don't.

That's all for now - do come back later - I've another card to share with you today!  I'm making up for lost time :)

Paper pieced flowers .....

... Hi everyone from a very sultry Northville.  It's not as hot as yesterday, but much more humid.  I managed to get a couple of hours in my craft room to play this afternoon and I've a card to share:

• The Play Date Cafe Challenge - PDCC182
• CAS-ual Fridays Challenge - CFC101

Stamps:  Hero Arts - Curly Flowers; CAS-ual Fridays Stamps - Mum's the Word
Inks: Memento - Tuxedo Black
Accessories:  Kaisercraft DP - Elegance, Remember Me; Gems; White Lustre card

I'm so pleased to use the colours from this week's Play Date challenge - they are just lovely, but it was only this afternoon that I came up with a card!!  It's loosely based on the card in the challenge graphic.  I have quite a few packs of pretty papers and I don't always like to use them, however, the CAS-ual Fridays challenge to stamp on DP means I have to!!!  I used this lovely soft green stripey paper (Elegance) to cover the base of the card.  Next I stamped the sentiment in the corner and used my stamp-a-ma-jig to stamp three flowers.  I stamped the flower head onto a couple of pieces of red paper (Remember Me) and then cut them all out.  After attaching the flowers to the card, I finished off the front by adding a few gems.  Another birthday card for my stash.  As yet, I haven't decorated the inside, but I think I'll do that when I decide who it's going to.  I might try to take another photo of the card as the green paper is looking a bit blue!  It really is a lovely soft jade colour.

That's all for now - time to pace away for a while and make a start on dinner.  Thinking of grilled pork chops and salad!!  See you soon.

Birthday flowers .....

.... Hi, I'm running very late with this card - I've a birthday card to share made with three challenges in mind:

• CASology - CAS44 cue word "Bloom"
• Colour Throwdown - CTD242 - bright, bold colours
• Freshly Made Sketches - FMS86

Stamps: Stampin' Up! - Mixed Bunch, Raining Flowers, Sassy Salutations; CAS-ual Friday Stamps - Mum's the Word
Inks: SU - Tempting Turquoise, Real Red, Daffodil Delight
Accessories: SU - Bloom Punch; SU Card - Lucky Limeade; White Lustre Card; Gems

I thought of this card while I was having my massage this afternoon, but I wasn't sure I'd get home in time to make it and upload it to the CASology challenge - I made it!!!  I love these colours, thy are so bright and bold, perfect for this bright, beautiful flowers.  I stamped two of the flowers from Mixed Bunch, one in red which I used the coordinating punch to cut out, the other in yellow which I cut by hand and then layered.  I stamped the medium size flower from Raining Flowers in yellow and red, cut out the layers and created the multi-coloured flower.  I added gems to the middle of all the flowers.  I was pretty faithfully to the sketch, but decided that it didn't need a bow!  I love the font used in the birthday sentiment.  On the inside I cut a mat layer in Lucky Limeade (don't have Kiwi Kiss) and on the white card I stamped a greeting and some graphic style flowers.  This one will go into my stash - I've lots of birthdays coming up.

Kathryn really enjoyed her first massage and is keen to repeat the experience as soon as possible!!  We both had a super time and our skins are softly scented with lavender - bliss!  We followed the massage with a nice coffee for me and vanilla skake for Kathryn.  It was a lovely way to spend the afternoon.

That really is all for today - Jonathan will be back from his photoshoot shortly and I need to make dinner - steak and salad.  Bye for now!

Birthday Dude ....

... Morning everyone - hope you're having a good day.  It's lovely here in Northville - sun shining, blue skies and birds singing - just fab.  I've been in my craft room this morning making a birthday card for a young man who will be 18 years old at the end of May - our nephew, Jacob.  I can't believe how quickly the time has gone by - he's so grown up now!  I used a few challenges to make Jacob's card:

• The Paper Players - PP146 to make a CAS masculine card
• Addicted to CAS - ATCAS13 - to make a birthday card
• Just Add Ink - JAI166 - perfect guy colours

Stamps:  CAS-ual Fridays Stamps - Exclamations, Rad; Stampin' Up! - Deligthful Dozen
Inks: SU - Midnight Muse, Crumb Cake, Lucky Limeade
Accessories: SU/Sizzix - Chevron EF; White Lustre Card; SU Markers - Lucky Limeade, Crumb Cake; SU - Dazzling Diamonds Glitter

I love these colours - they are perfect for a guy card.  I cut a mat layer in Lucky Limeade and a white panel on which I stamped a number of sentiments and some star bursts.  After stamping the panel I ran it through my bug using the chevron folder - I like the texture that it adds to the card.  I used my glue pen on the star bursts and added a touch of glitter - it is after all for an 18th birthday.  For the inside I cut another mat panel in the green and stamped a birthday sentiment on the white card.  I like the sentiment here - there are lots of little phrases which I think are just perfect.  I added some more star bursts too.

Yesterday I told you that we were going to the Motor City Comic Con - well we headed for it.  It took us over half an hour to get onto the showgrounds and once we'd parked and found the queue to get in, we realised that it would be at least two hours before getting inside!!!  We decided that it was just plan silly waiting in the hot sun, so we headed to the cinema instead.  We still had our geeky day out - we saw Star Trek - which was brilliant and then we saw Iron Man 3 - another superb movie.  And we rounded the day off by watching the finale of Dr Who on TV.  Three very happy geeks!!!

That's all for now.  I'm taking Kathryn for her first full body massage today - I'm having one too.  And while we're being pampered, Jonathan will be off at a photo shoot.  A perfect day all round.  Hope you're all enjoying your weekend.  See you soon.

Teacher Appreciation ....

....  Morning all - I was awake silly early this morning - 4.30am!!  But I didn't waste all that time, I put it to good use making a card for this month Waltzingmouse Blog Party, where the theme is Teacher Appreciation.  I've gone with a tried and trusted theme - an apple for the teacher:

Stamps: WMS - Peace & Plenty, Say It Loud, Victorian Frippery, Teeny Trees, Join Us, Free Spirit Sentiments, Say It with Style, Asian Gardens
Inks: Stazon - Jet Black; Memento - Tuxedo Black
Dies: Spellbinders - Squares Lg (S4-126) # 7
Accessories:  Silks Acrylic Paint - Olive Vine, Pretty Peridot, Key Lime, Carmen; White Lustre card

I started off by finding the centre of my card and then stamping a grid of apples in Stazon ink.  Then I painted the entire card with my new silk acrylic paints (they're fab).  It's very subtle, but I think you can just about see the ombre effect from the darkest (Olive Vine) at the bottom to the lightest (Key Lime) at the top.  The paints go in really smoothly, dry quickly and have a fabulous shimmer.  Next I painted some card red - it's such a bold colour - and over stamped with a mixture of thanks and thank you sentiments from a number of sets.  I used my die to find the best arrangement of words and then die cut the shape.  I stamped a few more apples on the left over card, cut them out, coloured the stalks and then arranged them in a pile.  Not so much an apple for the teacher, but a huge pile!!

We're off to Motor City Comic Con later this morning.  As fans of Dr Who, Star Trek (in all its forms), Star Wars, Living Dead, Warehouse 13, as well as DC and Marvel Comics etc, etc - we will be in good company.  Anyone who reads comics will know Stan Lee - he's the headline guest today!!!  There are also going to be lots of other stars attending - I might even manage to get a photo or two :)

That's all for now.  Have a super weekend and I'll be back soon.

Christmas sweets and treats ....

... Good morning everyone, I can't believe how quickly last week went by - so quickly that I barely had time to play in my craft room.  Our challenge at 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown this week is to make a card featuring Holiday sweets and/or treats.  I decided I'd be very literal with my card this week and I've made a card featuring some Christmas sweets - peppermint candy to be precise:

Stamps: Waltzingmouse - Candy Jar Christmas, Candy Jar Christmas Fillers, Oven Fresh Gingerbread Joy
Inks: Staz-on - Jet Black; Memento - Tuxedo Black; Stampin' Up! - Calypso Coral
Dies: Die-namics - Fishtail Flags Layers Stax
Accessories: White Lustre card; Promarker - Ruby; Black and clear embossing powders; SU Card and Design Paper - Calypso Coral, Certainly Celery; SU Marker - Certainly Celery; Martha Stewart - Crystal Tinsel Glitter; SU - Dazzling Diamonds; Acetate

I've used a couple of other challenges in the making of this card and they are this week's Colour Q - cQc189 challenge and Waltzingmouse Christmas Card Challenge - WMSCCC05-13.  This month the Waltzingmouse challenge is being hosted by Charmaine Stack and she wants us to use glitter on our cards.

Edited to add:  Ardyth has kindly pointed me in the direction of a new challenge - Festive Friday Challenge - FFC08 and their trigger is "Sweet" - my card fits, so I'm submitting it.

I cut a mat layer in Certainly Celery and stamped the jar label onto the coordinating design paper and embossed with black powder.  On the white card I stamped the jar filled with peppermint candy, colouring them in with a Promarker.  Next I stamped the jar lid in black onto Calypso Coral card, then I used the matching polka dot stamp to fill in the lid and embossed with clear powder.   I stamped a number of the large candy clusters onto white card, coloured them in and then covered them all with glitter - two different types - one fine glitter and one tinsel glitter.  I stamped the empty jar onto acetate and cut it out leaving some tabs on each side.  Using a scalpel I cut a small slit down each side of the jar and pushed the acetate tabs in - causing the jar to appear rounded.  I attached the jar with some dimensional gel.  I finished the front with a simple greeting.  Here is a close up of the jar.

I kept the inside very simple with a green mat layer and white panel on which I stamped a fun sentiment. 

That's all for now - don't forget to check out the inspiration card from the rest of the Design Team.  And I'm looking forward to seeing your creations for this week's challenge.  See you soon.