Birthday Balloons

... Morning! I was on a roll yesterday and made a fun and very bright birthday card:

Stamps: Uniko - Framed Balloons, Everyday Love Sentiments, Mid Century Modern Everyday Sentiments, Birthday Sentiments

Inks: Gina K - Petunia; Versafine Clair - Nocturne

Accessories: White & Black Card; Copic Markers; Clear Glitter Aquabrush; Posca -White Pen

I'm submitting this card to the following challenges:

The Paper Players - PP#773 - Balloons and birthdays

Colorful Options - CO#0226 - Pinks and Purples

Uniko Studio 14th Birthday Party - US#14BD

I got my new stash from Bev (Uniko) yesterday and had to use it immediately. I've been waiting for this stamp to come back into stock. I love it. I used my MISTI to stamp the image, removed it and coloured the balloons and confetti with Copic markers. I returned it to the MISTI and stamped the image again with Nocturne ink, and then I cut it out and layered it on black card for a mat layer. I added some sparkle to all the balloons with a glitter brush and finished by adding the greeting and some white highlights on the balloons. On the inside, I cut a mat black layer and on the white panel simply stamped a greeting and cute birthday present. 

I can see this stamp being used lots and in lots of colours too. 

That's all for now. I'm off to have my hair cut this morning - always love to be pampered!! See you again soon. And double plus good, the sun is shining!! Yea.

My Happy Place

...  I was hoping to make cards everyday, but as they say the best laid plans! Mine fell apart. I didn't even make a Valentine's card for my hubby. But this morning, I woke up and remembered a new stamp set that I got and decided to make a card for him today. Here it is:

Stamps: Gina K - String of Love

Inks: Versafine Clair -Nocturne; Gina K - Sea Glass

Dies: Gina K - String of Love

Accessories: White Card; Lawn Fawn - Cloudy Stencil; Copic Markers; Clear Wink of Stella Pen; Posca - White pen

I'm entering this card to the following challenges:

CAS Colours & Sketches - CASC&S#578 - I do love these colours

Addicted to Stamps and More! - ATSM#510 - to use stencils and/or dies

CAS on Friday - CASOF#327 - Anything Goes as long as it's CAS

The Male Room - TMR#207 - CAS

Never-Before-Used-Schtuff - NBUS#83 - The stamp and die set, and the cloud stencil 

I stencilled, very lightly - you can just about see it in the photo - a cloudy sky. I used whatever ink was left on my brushes! I used my MISTI to stamp the balloons, removed it from the MISTI and coloured with Copic markers. I put the image back into the MISTI and stamped again with Versafine Clair Nocturne ink - I think this is the best black ink. I used the matching die to cut out the image, along with two blanks which I layered together for dimension. I added some highlights to the balloons with a white pen, and some sparkle with a shimmer brush - you can't really see it in the picture, but it's so pretty in real-life. I finished the front by adding a sentiment - my hubby is my happy place!! On the inside, I cut a piece of white card slightly smaller than the A2 notecard. I stamped the balloons in a pale teal colour, added another greeting in black, edged the panel with a dark teal Copic and adhered it to the notecard.

I am so looking forward to the sun shining again soon - it's so hard to take a decent photo in all the grey.

I'm pleased how this turned out - no pink or red in sight, just shades of teal - Jonathan's favourite colour. That's it for now. I'll be back soon.

Birthday Bear

... Morning!! It's been so grey and wet here for the past couple of days, which is kind of good as I can play in my craft room with no guilt!! Today I'm sharing a birthday card:

Stamps: Waffle Flower - Postage Collage, PC-Birthday, Royal Mail, Sweet Birthday Sentiments

Inks: Gina K - Sky Blue, Wild Lilac, Sandy Beach, Warm Cocoa, Black Onyx, Wild Dandelion, Sweet Mango; Versafine Clair - Nocturne

Dies: Waffle Flower - Nesting Postage Collage Die

Accessories: White Card; SU Card - Crumb Cake; Waffle Flower Stencils - Nesting Collage Party Bear Stencil, Nesting Postage Collage Blocks

I'm playing along with the following challenges:

Cupcake Inspirations Challenge - CIC#633 - colours

Time Out Challenge -  TOC#305 - use a favourite technique - stencilling

Just Us Girls -JUGS#807 - to use a stencil

Never-Before-Used-Schtuff - NBUS#82 - Waffle Flower stash all new!

I started by cutting out the central 'postage stamp' die cut and the Party Bear stencil to create the image. I added some extra details to the image - a first class symbol, forever and some white details to the image. I stencilled an 'airmail' border directly onto an A2 white note card. I adhered the finished panel in the centre of the card and added a postage check mark. On the inside, I cut a mat layer of kraft card and on the white panel, I stamped a birthday greeting and added a little 'stamp' showing birthday candles.

This card is for our daughter's boyfriend - he said that he wanted a 'cute' card! I think this fits the brief!!

     

That's all for now - I plan on spending most of this weekend in my craft room making more cards - Christmas and birthday. See you soon.

Belated Birthday Card

... Morning!! Today's card is a fun and funky one - I made it for an old friend of mine - it was her birthday last week and I completely forgot to send a card. I thought she'd like this one:

Stamps: Funky Fossil - Utterly Potterly

Inks: Versafine - Onyx Black; Versafine Clair - Nocturne

Dies: Pinkfresh Studio - Ornate Trellis

Accessories: White Card; PF - Ornate Trellis Press Plate; Rainbow Foil; Copic Markers; LF - Clear Embossing Powder

I'm playing along with three challenges:

A Cut Above - ACA#0126 - where anything goes but must include a die cut

Neglected Stuff Challenge - NSC#0126 - to use stash that we've fogotten all about!

Love to Craft Challenge Blog - LTCCB#90 - where it is always anything goes

I used one the ornate trellis backgrounds that I made earlier - I cut out the centre of the panel and adhered it to an A2 note card. You can't see it well in the photo, but the frame has rainbow foil and it is beautiful! The focal image is my neglected stamp set. I purchased it at a craft show, put it away and forgot about it. I love the image; it's fun, quirky and pretty - kind of like my friend. I used my MISTI to stamp the image, removed it and coloured with Copic markers, I put it back into the MISTI, stamped with Versafine black ink and heat embossed with clear powder. I then carefully fussy cut it out. I cut out two other images which I used to layer and give the image dimension and strength. I finished the front with a fun sentiment. On the inside, I cut a panel of white card onto which I stamped a greeting and another of the 'potty heads'. I edged the panel with a marker and adhered it to the note card.

Now that I've rediscovered this stamp set, I must make a few more cards with it!! 

That's all for now. See you soon.

Snowman

... Hello! I hope everyone has had a good weekend.  I was busy this weekend, more of that below, and I made a card too - another for my Christmas stash:

Stamps: Funstamps - Scribble Snowman; Winnie & Walter (W&W) - Winter Wonderland, Sentimental Wishes

Inks: Gina K - Blue Sky, In the Navy; Versafine Clair - Nocturne

Accessories: White Card; Gina K Card - In the Navy; Gina K Stencil - Glacier Lace; Copics; Glitter

This was fun to make and I'm entering the following challenges:

CAS on Friday - CASOF#325 - where they want a Snowman

Time Out Challenges - TOC#304 - they want to see glitter

Colour Hues -CH#125 - blue and white

ABC Christmas Challenges - ABCXMAS#01 - (A) Anything Goes

I started by stencilling an icy background directly on the A2 note card. I stamped the snowman on white card and used Copic markers to add colour. I stamped a few extra snowmen, then fussy cut the focal image along with the spares and layered them up for dimension. I stamped the greeting directly onto the card and adhered the snowman above. I finished the front by adding some glitter to the snowman's hat. On the inside, I cut a mat layer of dark blue card. On the white panel I stamped a Christmas greeting in dark blue ink and added some soft stencilling at the corners of the panel. I took a close-up photo of the hat to show the glitter.

So, I said above that we were busy this weekend. Jonathan had a photoshoot at the house with Bobbi; she's a bundle of fun! I watched some craft videos, caught up with the European Ice Skating Championships, which came from Sheffield, and read a bit. We also went to the cinema to see 28 Years Later The Bone Temple - it was silly and lots of fun and very bloody too!

It's been a fun weekend. That's it for now. Thanks again for stopping by to see my cards and for all the lovely comments, they are much appreciated.

Christmas Hot Chocolate

.... Morning! Today my card has a Christmas theme; I really want to get ahead this year. 

Stamps: Pink & Main - Christmas Mugs

Inks: Versafine Clair - Nocturne

Dies: PF - Ornate Trellis; P&M - Christmas Mugs

Accessories: White Card; SU Card - Early Espresso; PF Press Plate - Ornate Trellis; Copic Markers

This card has the same background pattern as yesterday's card. This time I used copper foil in the Glimmer machine, and cut it out with the matching die. I made an A2 note card from brown card and adhered the foiled panel.  The focal image is a fun mug of hot chocolate. I stamped the image, coloured it with Copic markers, and used the matching die to cut it out. I layered the coloured image onto three other die cuts for added dimension and strength. I stamped the greeting in black ink, trimmed the end and glued it to the card. For the inside, I cut a piece of white card onto which I added a greeting, and I stamped the mug to one side.

I'm submitting this card to the following challenges:

Caffeinated Christmas Card Challenge - CCCC#49

A Cut Above - ACA#0126 - anything goes, but must feature a die (s)

ABC Christmas Challenge - ABCXMAS#0126 - 'B for Bright'

It's been ages since I played along with Caffeinated Christmas and ABC Christmas challenges, I'm so pleased to be back. And, A Cut Above challenge is another one that's new to me. That's all for now. Bye!

Rainbow Birthday

... Good Afternoon! I've got one card to share today. Last year I finally jumped on the press plate bandwagon. I got plates from Pinkfresh Studio, Spellbinders and Altenew. I had fun making several backgrounds and I've finally started making them into cards. This is a birthday card:

Stamps: Gina K - Blooming Sunflower; Mama Elephant - Mixed Wishes Greetings

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

Dies: Pinkfresh Studio (PF) - Ornate Trellis; Gina K - Blooming Sunflower

Accessories: White & Black card; Rainbow Foil; Copic Markers; PF Press Plate - Ornate Trellis

One of the things I discovered is that press plates work really well in a Spellbinders Glimmer machine!! I foiled the design onto black cards and used the matching die to cut it out - the shine is spectacular. I adhered the panel to an A2 note card. I used my MISTI to stamp the floral image on white card. I removed it and coloured the image with Copic markers, keeping the colours soft so as not to compete with the rainbow background. I stamped a simple birthday greeting in black ink. I used the matching dies to cut out the images as well as a number of black die cuts. I layered up the black die cuts and topped each with the focal images and adhered them to the front of the card. Inside the card, I cut a piece white card slightly smaller than A2, stamped the floral image in soft grey ink and added a simple birthday verse in black ink. I edged the panel with a black Copic and glued it into the note card.

I'm entering this card into several challenge one of which, Colorful Options, is new to me.

Colorful Options - CO#0126 - where they have either a colour theme or rainbow

Seize the Birthday - STB#318 - where it's either the topping option or birthday theme

Inkspirational - INK#358 - the word prompt is 'shine/shiny'

Never-Before-Used-Schtuff - NBUS#82 - to use new, or never-before-used, stash

I'd like to thank you for the comments on my cards and welcoming me back to the blogland!! It's so good to be back making cards. Drop by again tomorrow, where I have a Christmas card to share - using the same pretty background. See you soon.