Floral Birthday

... Hello again! Just a quick post to share a card I made for Ben's grandmother - it's a clean, simple and pretty card - well, I think so!!

Stamps: Gina K - Love at all Times, Filled with Sunshine, Fancy Phrases

Inks: Versafine Clair - Nocturne; Gina K - Lovely Lavender, Passionate Pink

Dies: Gina K - Master Layout 1, Love at all Times, Fancy Phrases; Taylored Expressions - Diamond Piercing Plate

Accessories: White & Black Card; Copics; Gems

I'm just in time to play along with the current challenge at CAS Colours & Sketches - CASC&S#528 - such pretty colours. I'm also playing along with Seize the Birthday - STB#275 - my card is anything birthday goes.

Using my MISTI, I stamped the large floral image removed it from the MISTI and coloured with Copic markers. I put the image back and restamped with Versafine Clair Nocturne black ink - gives such a great black outline. I then used the floral die to cut out the top part of the floral image which I stacked onto two white floral die cuts. I stamped the birthday greeting - such an elegant font - die cut and stacked onto two other diecuts. I used the diamond plate to pierce a pattern into white card and then cut out a rectangle which I layered onto a black mat layer. I added the panel to the front of an A2 white note card. I adhered the floral image and greeting, and finished by adding a few gems.

Inside the card, I cut a mat layer of black card. On the white panel I stamped the solid floral image in soft lavender ink, added the mesh image in pink and finished by stamping a birthday greeting.

Today has turned out to be beautiful with blue skies, bright sunshine and mild temperatures. Hardly any wind at all. I mentioned earlier about a falling tile last night, well I found out where it came from. Now waiting for the insurance team to come and check things out. Hopefully, it'll be dry tonight. Bye for now. See you again soon.

Rainbow Gamer

... Morning!! I made a birthday card for our daughter's boyfriend, Kobie, yesterday. I had such a hard time coming up with an idea, then I remembered that he likes to play computer games, and it was easy:

Stamps: MFT - Level Up

Inks: Gina K - Wild Dandelion, Red Hot, Blue Raspberry; Versafine Clair - Nocturne

Dies: MFT Die-namics - Game Controller

Accessories: White & Black Card; Gina K Card - Silver Metallic; Visible Image Stencil - Breakout; Copic Markers; Glossy Accents

I'm submitting this card to Seize the Birthday - STB#275 - in the anything goes birthday section, but I think it fits the topping option of dry embossing too. I'm also playing along with AAA Birthday - AAAB#57 - rainbow colours, and Inkspirational - INK#307 - to use a stencil.

The rainbow background was made the quick way - simply using blue, red and yellow and overlapping to give orange, purple and green. I cut the panel to 5¼" square and stamped a bold birthday greeting in black in the bottom corner, added it to a black mat and then to the front of a 5¾" square white note card. I die cut the game controller from silver metallic card and two plain white pieces, which I layered together for strength and stability. I used Copics to add shading to the controller, which you can't really see in the picture above, but you can in the photo at the end of the post. I coloured the little pieces to match a real controller and adhered them to the controller. I added the controller to the front of the card and finished by adding glossy accent to all the buttons - and you can see the shine in the photo above.

I kept the inside of the card reasonably simple. I used the same stencil and simply used whatever ink was left on the brushes to get the subtle rainbow spectrum. I stamped the bold greeting, layered onto a black mat and added it to the card. Below is the photo showing the shading on the game controller.

Before I go, I do hope that everyone in the UK is okay this morning; Storm Isha was really bad last night. We had rain and high winds around here and, about 9pm last night, there was a huge crash in the back garden. We found a roof bridging tile on the floor. It's only just got light, so I've got to go out and see if I can find out where there's a gap!! Keep safe.

Dylusions Tags

... Morning! Besides making cards, I love to work in my Dylusions Dyalogs and journals. Last year a few of us started a Tag Swap using Dylusions products - they are such fun to make. I spent yesterday in my craft room making a couple of tags, and here they are:

Stamps: Dylusions - Mischievous Malcolm, Christmas Borders

Inks & Paints: Dylusions - Cut Grass, Calypso Teal, Lemon Zest

Accessories: Dylusions Stencils - Sugar Lumps Lg, Jolly Holly Lg; Dylusions Collage - Christmas #2; Dycuts - Me Peeps; Copics; Sakura Stardust Pens; Ribbon 

I'm submitting this tag to The Holly & Ivy Christmas Challenge - H&ICC#154 where it's Anything Christmas Goes, and to Merry Little Christmas Challenge Blog - MLCCB#54 - again, it's Anything Christmas Goes.

This the the second tag I made - it's for our January theme:

Inks & Paints: Dylusions -Vanilla Custard, Rose Quartz, Periwinkle Blue, Rose Quartz Shimmer

Accessories: Dylusions Stencils - Snowflakes Lg, Star Flurry Sm; Dylusions Collage - Christmas #2; Dylusions Dyamond Dust - Island Parrot, Laidback Lilac, London Blue; Back Chat; Ribbon 

I'm submitting this tag to the ABC Christmas Challenge - ABCCC#01 - where A - Anything for Christmas, and B - Berries. Obviously, I've made a tag for A - anything for Christmas.

When I ink or paint pages in my journals, I often have pages left over, which I keep in my stash. Both of these tags started off this way. I simply cut them to a large tag size 8" x 4⅛". I then decorate both sides of the tag and finish off by adding ribbons.

I thought I'd share the tags I made last year - as you can see - there's lots of variety.

I hope everyone is keeping safe and warm. The cold weather we've had last week has gone and we've been left with grey and wet, and a bit warmer. Anyhow, that's it for now. See you again soon.

Birthday Fun

.... Good afternoon! It's a beautiful day here in Northop Hall - blue skies, brilliant sunshine and absolutely freezing 😁, so I've been enjoying the weather inside my craft room. I've got a fun birthday card to share today:

Stamps: Stampin' Up! - Giggle Greetings, Endless Birthday Wishes

Inks: Gina K - Jelly Bean Green; Versafine Clair - Nocturne

Dies: MFT Die-namics - Chevrons, Stitched Tag Corner Rectangle Stax #4

Accessories: White & Green Card; Taylored Expressions Stencil - Bokeh; Copper Satin Mirri Card; Copic Markers; Gems

This card is for four challenges - Freshly Made Sketches - FMS#619, Color Hues - CH#79 - copper & green, The Male Room - TMR#182 - funny/pun, and Inkspirational - INK#307 - use a stencil.

Continuing my aim to use older stash, I found the chevron dies and cut out green and copper stripes. I found the fun image and sentiment in a (much) older SU stamp set. I stamped the image twice. I coloured the cat on one image and then fussy cut it out, and I used the fancy stitched die to cut out the other image. I adhered the cat to the panel. To get the green mat layer, I drew around the outside of the die and then cut it out - gives a lovely thin frame. I used the Bokeh stencil with a light green ink for a subtle background, added the two chevrons to the edge and finished by adding the stamped panel. I added a line of tiny copper coloured gems to the bottom of the image.

Inside the card I cut two pieces of white card. On the larger pieces, I added green ink around the edges to match the colour on the front of the card. On the white panel I adhered the two remaining chevron strips at the bottom of the panel, and then added a simple greeting.

This card is for my nephew, Gareth, who has his birthday next week. He enjoys silly cards!!

Before I go, I must say thanks to everyone for stopping by and leaving comments. It's so nice to be back making cards. That's all for now. See you soon.

Birthday Cheers

.... Hello again! Somehow, I seem to be managing to make a card a day (well, almost). Today's card is for Shane, my niece's partner, who has his birthday next Saturday:

Stamps: Taylored Expressions - Argyle Stamp; Concord & 9th - All the Birthdays; Apple Blossom - Bubbles & Fizz (free with craft magazine); Gina K - Birthday Greetings

Inks: Gina K - Kraft, Key Lime, Turquoise Sea, Blue Raspberry; Versafine Clair - Nocturne

Dies: MFT - Wonky Stitched Rectangle Stax #5; Winnie & Walter - Cheers Cutaway; Apple Blossom - Bubbles & Fizz (free with craft magazine)

Accessories: White Card; SU Card - Crumb Cake; Taylored Expressions - Argyle Layering Stencils; Copics; WF Grip Mat

I'm submitting this card to Cardz 4 Guyz - C4G#338 where they want us to use something new from our stash; Never-Before-Used-Schtuff - NBUS#58 - it's in the name, and to Inkspirational - INK#307 where they want us to use 'stencils'.

The somethings new on this card is the argyle background, made with Taylored Expressions stamp and layering stencils - which will come out again soon, and the beer mugs - which I've had for sometime (they came free with a UK crafting magazine), but they are 'new' as this is the first time they've been used. I've also gone back to some older stash - the stitched die from My Favourite Things and the Cheers word from Winnie & Walter (sadly closed). My Waffle Flower grip mat is getting a workout this week, as I used it again to hold the stencils in place while I made this lovely bright background. Once cut out I stamped a simple birthday greeting in black, added the beer mugs which I'd stamped, coloured with Copics and cut out with the matching die. I finished the front with a bold word 'cheers' in green card.

On the white panel inside the card, I simply stamped a birthday greeting in black ink, added the beer mugs in kraft ink and lightly edged the panel with lime green ink. 

I do like the argyle background, it's perfect for a guy card, but I can see it working on so many cards. Anyhow, that's all from me today. See you soon.

Embossed Elegance

.... Morning!! It's so good to be back making cards, and refilling my card boxes. I had completely run out of birthday and thank you cards. So, this morning I've a pretty, elegant and lightly embossed card to share with you:

Stamps: Gina K - Bold and Blooming, Birthday Greetings

Inks: Gina K - Bubblegum Pink, Medium Lilac, Jelly Bean Green, Sandy Beach; Versamark; Memento - Tuxedo Black

Accessories: White & Black Card; Gina K Stencil - Christmas Flowers; Gold Embossing Powder; Copic Markers; Waffle Flower Grip Mat; Versamark Pen

I'm submitting this card to Color Throwdown - CTD#775 - such lovely colours, to Time Out Challenge - TOC#254 - where the theme is new, and to Seize the Birthday - STB#275 - where you can follow the topping, dry and/or wet embossing, or simply make a birthday card. So, for TOC my new is the Gina K stencil which is very pretty, and for STB, I've added gold embossing to my card.

This was so easy to make. I used my Waffle Flower grip mat to hold a piece of white card 5½" square and created the flowers. The stencil has four layers and is very easy to line up. The note card is 5¾" square, so I cut a mat layer of black card 5½" square and trimmed the stencilled panel to 5¼" square. Before layering together I stamped a birthday greeting in Versamark ink and heat embossed with gold powder. I used my Versamark pen to add dots in the flowers and embossed them with gold too. I finished the white panel by lightly edging the square with Versamark ink and embossing a fine gold border. I then adhered all the panels to the front of the card.

I like to decorate the inside of my cards and, as I'd already put away the stencil, I decided to use one of the flower stamps from Bold and Blooming at the bottom of the white panel. I coloured the image with Copic markers. I finished by added a simple greeting. So, this card is for my stash.

I've got a very busy day today - I'm going to be in my craft room all day. I need to work in my daily Dyalog, and I want to make a few more birthday cards. That's it from me today. Keep safe, keep warm.