SHC - It's Your Day

..... Morning! It's time for my weekly Seven Hills Craft blog post. Last weekend was Mothering Sunday in the UK and I hope all you mums out there had a super time. I've already shared the cards I made for my mum and mother-in-law, and this week I'm sharing a card that I made for my aunt. She's very much like a second mum to me and I always send her flowers and make her a special card:

Stamps: Reverse Confetti - Farmhouse Wreath; The Greetery - Sentiment Suite: Birthday

Inks: Versafine Clair - Nocturne

Dies: Reverse Confetti - Farmhouse Wreath; C&9 - Stitched Vines Card Front Die; Gina K - Master Layouts 1

Accessories: White & Black Card; SU Card - Daffodil Delight; Copic Markers; Sheer Shimmer Spray - Sparkle

I'm submitting this card to Sunday Stamps Challenge - SSC#279 where they have this bold spring colour palette to play with. I'm also playing along with Cardz 4 Galz - C4Glz#169 where they want to see flowers for Mother's Day.

I used dies to cut a piece of yellow card to size and then ran it through my Big Shot with my new stitched vines die. I love this pretty pattern. I layered the panel on black card and adhered to the front of an A2 notecard (US size card). I spritzed the whole panel with gold tinted shimmer spray, sadly you can't see it in the photo above! Next, I used my MISTI to stamp the farmhouse wreath, the extra flowers and the string on white card. I removed the card and coloured the images with Copic markers and then returned them to the MISTI and stamped again with black ink for a crisp image. I used the matching dies to cut out the images and adhered them flat to the card. I finished the front by making a flag sentiment. I stamped the greeting on white card, trimmed it to size and then cut the flag end by hand. I snipped in the centre of the card and then cut diagonally from the corners to meet the top of the cut - a quick, easy way to add a flag. This card is flat and easy to mail. Inside the card, I cut a mat layer of yellow card and on the white panel added a greeting and another flower.

That's all from me today. Keep safe. See you soon.

SHC - Mother's Day Cards

..... Morning! It's time for my weekly Seven Hills Craft blog post. I've made a couple of Mother's day cards using products from lots of different companies. Here's my first card:

Stamps: Lawn Fawn - Magic Spring Messages; Reverse Confetti - Botanical Stamp; Altenew - Not for You; C&9 - Big on You

Inks: Gina K - Red Hot, Tangerine Twist, Wild Dandelion, Lucky Clover, Tranquil Teal, Wild Lilac; Versafine - Onyx Black; Versafine Clair - Nocturne

Dies: Lawn Fawn - Magic Spring Messages; Reverse Confetti - Botanical Dies

Accessories: White & Black Card; Lawn Fawn Stencils - Clover Background; Copic Markers; Clear Embossing Powder; Crystal Gems

I'm submitting this card to Never-Before-Used-Schtuff - NBUS#36 - most of the products are new stash!! I'm also submitting this to Happy Little Stampers Anything Goes with Dies - HLSAGD#03 and to Happy Little Stampers Stencil Challenge - HLSSC#03 where it's anything Goes.

I know that the background stencil is supposed to be clover, but when I saw it, I saw lots and lots of pretty hearts all forming triangles! I cut a piece of white card to 3¾" x 5", positioned the first part of the stencil with the whole clovers and lightly blended on a rainbow of inks diagonally across the card. Next, I used the second stencil with only half of each leaf and repeated the ink blending with a heavier hand. This gives a lovely blended background of pretty rainbow hearts!! I layered the finished panel onto a mat of black card measuring 3⅞" x 5⅛" and added the whole piece to the front of a side-opening A2 notecard (US size). I used my MISTI to stamp the greeting, removed the image from the MISTI and coloured it with Copic markers. I returned the image to the MISTI, stamped with Versafine ink and heat embossed with clear powder. I then used the matching die to cut out the greeting. I used the same process to stamp, colour and cut out the flowers. I finished the front of the card with some clear crystal gems from my stash. Inside the card, I cut a mat layer of black card. On the white panel I stamped 'I 💗 U' sentiment and added a sub-message, along with a vase of flowers. This is the card I made for my mum.

Next is the card I made for my wonderful mother-in-law:

Stamps: Lawn Fawn - Magic Spring Messages; The Greetery - Sentiment Suite - Birthday

Inks: Gina K - Wild Dandelion, Sea Glass; Versafine - Onyx Black; Versafine Clair - Nocturne

Dies: Lawn Fawn - Magic Spring Messages

Accessories: White & Black Card; Altenew - Dotted Tile Cover Plate; Clear Shimmer Spray; Copic Markers; Clear Embossing Powder

I'm submitting this card to Color Hues - CH#37 where they want us to use yellow and soft teal.

I started by cutting a piece of white card and black card to the same dimensions as in the card above. I placed the white card onto the Dotted Tile plate and ran it through my BigShot. This is such a pretty impression. I lightly blended yellow ink in the centre and faded towards the edge, and added a soft teal at the bottom and top of the card - it reminds me of a bright sun in clear blue sky. I adhered the panel to the front of an A2 notecard. I spritzed the front with a clear shimmer spray - you can see it above. I used the method outlined above to stamp the greeting, only this time I coloured with just yellow and teal Copic markers. Inside the card, I cut a mat layer of black card. On the white panel I stamped a greeting and added a couple of little flowers.

I took another photo of the card - holding it outside the window of my office with the sun shining on the card - you can just about see the shimmer in this photo, although I did have to darken the image a bit to see the shimmer.

I prepared this post last week as I was due to start chemotherapy on 17 March and I wasn't sure how I'd be feeling (I usually make my cards the weekend before my Wednesday post). Anyway, I went to hospital as planned but the team were unable to start a drip for me. Apparently I have rubbish veins. So this week I've had a PICC line put in place and I'll be starting my chemo tomorrow!!

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

SHC - Kids Cards

..... Morning! I'm here with my weekly post for Seven Hills Craft blog. Yesterday was my great-nephew's 10th birthday. I made a couple of cards for him - one from me and one from my mum. Here's the first card:

Stamps: Concord & 9th - Make Some Noise, Out of This World, All the Birthdays

Inks: Gina K - Electro Pop - Raging Red, Orange Glow, Blaring Blue, Screamin' Green, Hello Yellow; Versafine Clair - Nocturne; Hero Arts - Unicorn White

Dies: C&9 - Out of This World

Accessories: White & Black Card; Copic Markers; Nuvo - Clear & Midas Aqua Shimmer Brushes

I'm submitting this card to Never-Before-Used-Schtuff - NBUS#36 - two new sets from Concord & 9th, and also to Love to Craft Challenge Blog - LTCCB#67 where it's anything goes.

I stamped the two-step birthday greeting directly onto the note card using bright neon inks. It was reasonably easy to ink the letters are they are widely spaced. The focal image is CASED directly from the packing for the dies I used. I changed the starry background by stamping the stars on black card. I could have used my colour scraps, but I was lazy and just used white card which I coloured with Copic markers and then die cut. I adhered the starry background to the card and added the rocket and planet on top. I finished the front by stamping a few bright stars. Inside the card, I cut a mat layer of black card. On the white panel I stamped a bold red greeting and smaller birthday greeting in black ink, along with some more stars.

My next card uses Birthday Stacks - one of my favourite stamp and die sets:

Stamps: Concord & 9th - Birthday Stacks, All the Birthdays

Inks: Gina K - Red Hot, Wild Dandelion, Tangerine Twist, Lucky Clover, Bubblegum Pink, Blue Raspberry, Black Onyx

Dies: C&9 - Birthday Stacks

Accessories: White & Black Card; Felt Pens; Nuvo - Clear & Midas Aqua Shimmer Brushes

I'm submitting this card to Happy Little Stampers Anything Goes with Dies - HLSAGD#03.

I started by cutting three piece of white card to the following measurements: 6¾" x 4¼" for the background layer, 5⅜" x 2½" for the candle layer, and 5⅜" x 1½" for the presents layer. I also cut a black layer at 5⅜" x 3" for the celebrate layer. Concord and 9th have an excellent video on their blog to show how to attach the layers. 

I stamped the balloons directly onto the background layer and used the solid circle to quickly add colour to the balloons, and then added some strings. I stamped the candles on the next layer, added colour and used the matching die to cut out the candles. I repeated this process for the presents. For the black layer I used the 'celebrate' die and cut out the word. All the dies cut little notches either side of the main images which is where you score the card. I added ¼" sticky tape to the tabs by the score lines and trimmed off the excess card. At this point I made sure all the layers were the correct depth and trimmed away any excess card. I added some extra detail with felt pens, and some sparkle to the candle flames and all the presents. On the back of the 3D card, I added a birthday greeting. I cut another of the background layers, used the shaped die to cut the curved dotted pattern, cut off the side pieces and trimmed the panel to be slightly smaller then the actual card. I stamped a greeting and added a balloon.

I took a photo looking down on the card so that you can see the 3D effect - it's a super card as it fits inside a standard A2 (US size) envelope.

You'll be seeing more cards featuring Birthday Stacks in next week's post - I made them earlier this week as I go for my first round of chemotherapy tomorrow afternoon. I'm not too worried about the actual process, but I'm not looking forward to the after effects - I'm a rubbish patient. I decided it would be a good idea to get ahead with my cards just in case I feel awful this coming weekend!!

That's all from me today - see you soon.

SHC - Simple Floral

... Morning, I'm here with my weekly Seven Hills Craft blog post. This week's post is different to my usual. I have a simple, floral card to share inspired by #cardsforukraine. The idea is to flood social media with cards made either in the colours of the Ukraine flag or use a sunflower, or both. I have used the colours in my card:

Inks: Gina K - Wild Dandelion, Blue Raspberry

Dies: MFT - Mini Slimline Stitched Stax #5, In Focus Florals; C&9 - Stitched Stripe Card Front

Accessories: White Card

I'm submitting this to Fusion - FUSION#0522 where I've used their sketch and to Color Hues - CH#36 the Ukraine flag colours.

I made a mini slimline card from white card stock - it measures 6¼" x 3¼". I masked off the top of the card and blended bright yellow ink at the bottom, and then masked the bottom and blended blue ink. I used a die to cut a piece of white card smaller than the front of the card. I added detail to the panel with the stitched stripe card front die. I adhered the panel to the centre of the card. To finish the card I die cut a simple floral which I coloured to match and then added to the front. I haven't added any sentiment as yet. Inside is also blank for my own message.

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

SHC - Neon Bright Birthday

.... Morning! It's time for my Seven Hills craft blog post. Today I've a neon bright birthday card to share with you. It's for my cousin Neil, who is 56 years old today - and that just doesn't seem right!! Here's the card:

Stamps: Altenew - Spheres and Spirals, Just a Number; Concord & 9th - All the Birthdays

Inks: Gina K - Electro Pop - Blaring Blue, Hello Yellow, Screamin' Green; Versafine - Onyx Black; Versafine Clair - Nocturne

Dies: Gina K - Master Layouts 1; C&9 - All the Birthdays

Accessories: White & Black Card; Clear Embossing Powder

I'm submitting this card to AAA Birthday - AAAB#34 where they want us to use pattern on our cards.

I stamped the hexagon image in neon yellow, green and blue to build up a bright background pattern. I lightly blended the blue ink around the edge of the finished pattern and then adhered the panel to a black mat layer. I added the whole piece to the front of an A2 note card. To finish the front I stamped a bold birthday greeting in black ink and embossed with clear powder, I repeated the process to get an enamelled look. I used a die to cut out the greeting and added it to the card. Inside, I cut a mat layer of black card. On the white panel I stamped my favourite birthday greeting and added some confetti decoration with the neon inks. 

I think the greeting is perfect for my cousin - he's always a crazy one!! 

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