Birthday Card for a Sewing Fan

.... Good afternoon! It's absolutely beautiful here in North Wales. The sky is blue, and the sun is shining, and, more importantly, it's lovely and warm too. And I've spent the morning making a birthday card for my friend:

Stamps: Waffle Flower - Sweet Birthday Sentiments, Postage Collage, Postage Collage Sew Fun

Inks: Versafine Clair - Nocturne; Gina K - Soft Stone, Stormy Sky, Light Orchid, Medium Orchid, Dark Orchid

Stencils: Waffle Flower - Postage Collage Sew Fun, Postage Collage Blocks Stencil, Postage Collage Coloring Stencil

Dies: Waffle Flower - Postage Collage Die, Sweet Birthday Sentiments

Accessories: White Card; SU Card - Smoky Slate; White Posca Pen

I had so much fun making this card. Heather, my friend, is a whiz with the sewing machine. She makes lots of her own clothes, so this is perfect for her. I die cut the postage stamp panel from white card, used the co-ordinating Sew Fun stencils and inks to create the little stamps, and finished by adding postage marks in black ink. I used the PC Coloring Stencil to make the airmail border on an A2 white note card. I layered the stamp panel on grey card and added the whole piece to the A2 card. I finished the front with a simple birthday greeting. On the inside, I cut a mat layer of grey card, and on the white panel stamped a birthday greeting and a couple of sewing images.

I'm submitting this card to AAA Birthday Challenge - AAAB#85 where it's their 7th birthday and the theme is Anything Birthday Goes. I'm also playing along with Color Hues - CH#133 where the colours are lime green and violet.

This card is going in the post this afternoon and should reach Heather in plenty of time. That's all for now. See you soon.

Birthday Boy

... Hello! It's been quite a while since my last post. I really thought I'd got it together, but it turned out not to be the case. However, I'm determined to get back to making cards - I've got hardly any left in my stash! So, today I'm sharing a card that I made for our son, Ben. Ben is 30 years old on Tuesday - I'm safe sharing it now, as he doesn't look at my blog!! Here's the card:

Stamps: MFT - Bitty Birthday Wishes, Sassy Pants Birthday Greetings

Inks: Gina K - Red Velvet, Stormy Sky; Versafine Clair - Nocturne

Dies: SU - Large Number Framelits

Accessories: Waffle Flower Stencil - Layered Triangles; Graphite Grey Mirri Card; Gina K Card - Red Velvet; White Card

I'm submitting this card to Color Hues - CH#124, great colours for a guy, AAA Birthday - AAAB#81, Winter birthday theme, and Inkspirational - INK#358, where they want shine.

This stencil is great for a masculine card. I did the first layer in red and the second in grey. I trimmed the panel to be slightly smaller than an A2 (US size card) card. I stamped a simple birthday greeting in grey, and finished the front with a bold, shiny number 30. I die cut two numbers from mirri card (so hard to photograph), along with several in white card which I layered up to give the number some depth. On the inside, I used what was left of the ink on the stencil to make a second generation image. On top of that I stamped a fun birthday greeting.

I've posted the card to Ben and, hopefully, he should get it by Tuesday. It's hard to believe he's 30 years old.

Before I go, I'd just like to wish everyone a Happy New Year - I'm sure this will be the latest one in the year. See you soon.

SHC - Starry Birthday ....

Morning! I'm here with my weekly Seven Hills Craft blog post. This week I've made a birthday card for an old friend of mine. It's actually her birthday tomorrow, but I'm safe to share it here as she won't see the blog.

Stamps: Stamping Bella - Oddball Frida; Avery Elle - Inside Birthday Greetings; Concord & 9th - Start Turnabout

Inks: Gina K - Sea Glass, Ocean Mist, Lovely Lavender; Versafine - Onyx Black; Versamark; Versafine Claire - Nocturne

Accessories: White Card; Copic Markers; Clear Embossing Powder; Nuvo - Clear Aqua Shimmer Brush; Sakura - Stardust Pen

I'm submitting this card to Color Hues - CH#17 where they want to see Teal and Purple, and also to AAA Birthday - AAAB#25 where the theme is Happy Birthday. The AAAB challenge is 2 years old!

I started by stamping the star background onto my notecard. I used my MISTI and the C&9 jig positioner and stamped the stars in Versamark ink on all four turns. I heat embossed the stars with clear powder. Next I used teal and purple inks to blend a soft, subtle background and reveal the shiny stars. On some scrap white card I stamp the Oddball Frida image in grey ink, removed it from the MISTI and coloured with Copic markers. I returned the image and stamped with Versafine black ink and heat embossed with clear powder. I then fussy cut the image and adhered it to the front of the card with dimensional pads. I added some sparkle to the flowers and hem of her dress with a clear aqua shimmer brush. To finish the front, I stamped a bold birthday greeting in black ink and embossed it with clear powder. On the inside, I cut a piece of white card to 5¼" x 4". I used the small section from the Star turnabout stamp to stamp some lilac stars. I edged the piece of card with soft teal ink and finished by stamping a greeting.

I am pleased to say that you can actually see the shimmer on the flowers in these photos! I'm pleased how they photos turned out as it was so grey and wet on Sunday when I took them!!

Anyway, that's all from me today. I hope you all keep safe. See you soon.

SHC - Happy Birthdays ....

.... Hello! It's time for my regular weekly post for Seven Hills Craft Blog. I have a couple of birthday cards to share today and they are quite different. I'll start with clean and elegant birthday card:

Stamps: MFT - Sassy Pants Birthday Greetings, Whimsical Greetings

Inks: Gina K - Soft Stone, Innocent Pink; Versafine Clair - Nocturne

Dies: MFT - Happy Birthday Block

Accessories: White Card; Gold Pattern Design Paper; Gina K Card - Innocent Pink; SU Card - Smoky Slate; Nuvo - Clear Aqua Shimmer Brush

I'm submitting this card to Less is More - LIM#440 where they have a colour challenge to use Pink, Grey and Gold. It's been a while since I joined in with their challenges, so I'm pleased to finally get there!

I started by cutting a piece of white card 5" square, placed the die in the centre and cut out the greeting 'Happy Birthday'. I layered the cut piece onto some gold patterned design paper that I found in my stash. I edged the whole piece with a pink marker pen and adhered it to the front of a 5¼" white square card. Next I used the die to cut out the letter from pink and grey card. I used the inlay die technique to replace some of the letter on the front of the card. I left some of the letter empty to show the gold paper. I added shimmer to the pink and grey letters with a clear aqua shimmer brush. I'm pleased to say that you can see the shimmer in the photo above - it is so pretty in real-life! On the inside, I cut a 5" square of the gold paper and adhered it inside the card. I cut a piece of white card 4½" square and stamped a fun greeting in the centre. I added some decoration around the edges in pink and grey ink. I adhered the panel inside the card. I do like the bold gold border.

Next, I have a shaped birthday card to share. I don't usually make shaped cards, but this was fun.

Stamps: MFT - Happy Birthday Background Stamp, Playful Peacock

Inks: Gina K - Soft Stone, Innocent Pink; Versafine Clair - Nocturne; Versafine - Onyx Black

Dies: MFT - Playful Peacock; We are Memory Keepers - Nesting Hexagons #13, #11, #10, #9

Accessories: White Card; SU Card - Bermuda Bay; Copic Markers; Clear Embossing Powder; Sakura Stardust Pens

I'm submitting this card to AAA Birthdays - AAAB#24 where they want to see a shaped card (not a square or rectangle), and to Time Out Challenges - TOC#185 where they have an inspiration photo. I took the colours from the photo as my inspiration.

I started by using a large hexagon die to cut a hexagon shaped card from a standard A2 card. I was careful to make sure that the top cutting edge was just off the card, so that the card could open. I then used the same die to cut a full size hexagon (marginally bigger than the shaped notecard) onto which I stamped the happy birthday text background in soft pink. I adhered the stamped piece to the notecard. On some scrap card I used my MISTI to stamp the front-facing peacock, removed it from the MISTI, coloured with Copic markers, returned it and stamped with Versafine black ink and then heat embossed with clear powder. I used the matching die to cut out the peacock. I used a couple of smaller hexagon dies to cut a mat layer in turquoise and a white layer. I positioned the peacock on the white card, stamped a pun greeting in black and then adhered the whole panel to the centre of the card. I used some Sakura stardust pens to add coloured glitter to the spots on the feathers. Inside the card, I cut a mat layer in turquoise and on the white card I stamped another of the peacocks, coloured it with Copic markers and adhered it to the mat layer. 

Both these cards are for my stash - I have a few birthdays coming up this month, so it's good to have some ready to go. That's all from me today. See you again soon.

Happy Birthday ....

.... Good afternoon. I've made a birthday card today:

Stamps: Unity Stamps - Tess Girl; Happy Little Stampers - Fun Birthday Sentiments

Inks: Versafine - Onyx Black

Accessories: White Card; Kaisercraft DP - Bombay Sunset; Clear Embossing Powder; Copic Markers

I'm submitting it to AAABirthday - AAA#23 where they want us to use patterned paper, and also to Never-Before-Used-Schtuff - NBUS#24. I have a huge stash of patterned paper and don't often use it, so thanks to the AAAB team for making me get some out! My NBUS is this lovely image from Unity Stamps and the verse inside.

I found this lovely paper in my stash cut it to fit the front of the card, edged it with a dark pink marker and glued it to the card. I stamped the girl on white card, coloured her with Copic markers, reinked with black Versafine and heat embossed with clear powder. I then fussy cut her out, edged her with a black marker and glued her to the front of the card. I finished by adding a simply birthday greeting. On the inside, I cut a piece of white card onto which I glued a strip of the same design paper to one side. I stamped the sentiment in the bottom corner of the card. It is such an encouraging sentiment - perfect for a young woman setting out on her journey in life.

Today is International Women's Day and the theme they have is Choose to Challenge. I think the sentiment goes well with the theme. I'm also submitting this to Women.Beyoutifully.you where there theme is empowerment. I think she's very confident in herself and the sentiment works perfectly.

And that's all from me today. See you soon.

Happy Birthday Friend ...

.... Good afternoon. It's a gorgeous day here in Northop Hall. Mum is in the garden putting in some new plants she bought and I've been playing in my craft room. Well, it's my happy place. Today, I've made a large birthday card for a friend of mine;

Stamps: Stampendous - Agapanthus Thanks; Woodware - Countryside Stems, Huge Friend

Inks: Versafine - Onyx Black; Gina K - Turquoise Sea

Dies: Spellbinders - 5x7 Modern Stationary (S6-013) # 6 & #7

Accessories: White Card; DP from stash; Copic Markers; Clear Embossing Powder

I'm submitting this card to AAA Birthday - AAAB#22 where they want to see a large sentiment, and to The Color Throwdown - CTD#631.

I love this big, bold friend word. I used the fancy die cut to cut a mat layer of turquoise design paper (no idea who made it) from my stash and a piece of white card. I positioned the word 'friend' in the centre of the white card and stamped it. I removed the card from my MISTI and coloured the letters with Copic markers. I returned the card to the MISTI, restamped in Versafine black ink and heat embossed with clear powder. I then stamped little message above in turquoise and stamped some agapantha flowers around the edge of the card. I adhered the finished panel to the front of a large 5" x 7" white card. On the inside, I cut a mat layer of the turquoise design using the shaped die and another piece of white card. I stamped some more agapantha flowers to the side of the panel and added a birthday greeting in black at the bottom right corner.

One of my favourite flowers are agapantha. I don't think you can get them in turquoise, but I do think these look very pretty. 

I'm going to see how mum's getting on with putting in the new coloured hellebores - to go with the white hellebores we already have in the garden. See you again soon. Keep safe.

SHC - Birthday cards ....

... Hello, I'm typing this post in advance (actually on Saturday 9th). It's a glorious day, the sun's shining, the snow's melting and I've been playing in my craft room - as I said perfect!! I'm here with my weekly post for Seven Hills Crafts. I've made a couple of much needed birthday cards for my stash. Here's my first card:

Stamps: Concord & 9th - Snail Mail, Cuddles & Hugs; Altenew - Geo Frames

Inks: Gina K - Soft Stone, Red Velvet; Versafine Clair - Nocturne

Dies: Altenew - Geo Frames

Accessories: White & Black Card; Concord & 9th - Retro Petals Turnabout Stencils Pack

I'm submitting this card to AAA Birthday - AAAB#21 where they want use to use a Stencil Background, to Just Us Girls - JUGS#566 where they want us to use a stencil, and to Color Hues - CH#09.

 

I started by making the stencil background. I used a Concord & 9th turnabout stencil, inking alternate diagonal rows in red and grey, and repeating the process to give a finished panel of diagonal red and grey stripes. I cut the panel to fit the front of an A2 card. I used a die to cut a white rectangle and added a black frame from the matching stamp set. Then I had fun playing with the super Snail Mail stamp set. I used several of the word stamps to build up the message in the rectangle and finished by adding the cute snail. I stamped the snail on white card and fussy cut it out. On the inside, I simply cut a panel of white card, stamped a birthday greeting and added another snail along with a snail trail!

I was having such fun with the Snail Mail stamp set that I decided to decorate the envelope too:

My next card uses the strip of left over stencil background.

Stamps: Concord & 9th - Cuddles & Hugs

Inks: Gina K - Soft Stone, Red Velvet; Versafine Clair - Nocturne

Accessories: White Card; Concord & 9th - Retro Petals Turnabout Stencils Pack

I'm submitting this card to Never-Before-Used-Schtuff - NBUS#22. I've had both the stencil pack and Cuddle & Hugs for a long while, but this is the first time they've been used for cards!! My bad!

I used my MISTI to stamp the big, bold word 'hugs'. I stamped it a couple of times to make sure that the image was really black and crisp. Next, I edged the left over stripe of card with a black marker pen and adhered it flat to the card. I repositioned the card in the MISTI and stamped the word 'hugs' again to make it show on the strip. On the inside, I simply stamped the rest of the greeting and added some softly stencilled petal pattern.

That's all from me today. See you again next week. Keep safe.