Belated Birthday Card

... Good morning!! It's been a while - my creative mojo has been AWOL!! However, it finally came back last weekend and I made Kat's birthday card. This card is very late - Kat was 22 years old in September, but I was away at a creative weekend at Art from the Heart in Harrogate, so I sent a - shock horror - shop bought card. It wasn't good enough and Kat insisted I make her a card - so it's taken a while, but here it it at last:

Stamps: Waffle Flower - Postage Collage, Postage Collage Fall; Mama Elephant - Inside Birthday Wishes; Avery Elle - Handwritten Notes

Inks: Gina K - Lipstick; Versafine Clair - Nocturne

Dies: Waffle Flower - Postage Collage Die

Accessories: White & Red Card; Various Images from Internet; Gina K Stencil - Fizzy

I'm submitting this card to Seize the Birthday - STB#270 where they use one die cut and use it multiple times, and to Never-Before-Used-Schtuff - NBUS#55 - the Waffle Flower postage die and associated stamps.

This is a large card - 8" square. I used the postage collage die to cut out three sets of 'stamps'. Instead of using the matching stencils (I'll be using them soon) I found images of various pop stars and groups  that Kat enjoys. I sized the images to fit the 'stamps', cut them out and adhered them to the 'stamps'. There two 'stamps' on the card that feature Kat with the group New Year's Day - one of her favourite bands. Kat is a huge Taylor Swift fan now, so most of the images on the front feature Taylor. I added some postage details with the matching stamps. I used a stencil to add some interest to the front of the card. I opted for the colour red - a title of one of Taylor's albums, and featured the number 22 - a title of one of Taylor's songs. Inside the card, I cut a mat layer of red card and on the white panel I stamped a birthday greeting, added a verse and a couple more 'stamps'.

I had so much fun making this card. I love the postage collage die and will be using it to make some Christmas and Halloween cards soon - the co-ordinating stencils are adorable. Before I go, here's a picture of our beautiful daughter - Kat:

That's all for today. See you soon. Bye for now.

Belated Birthday Wishes ....

.... Hi! Surprise! It's been a while since I just posted a card. I started today's card last year when I made a several cards using MFT's Spotlight Sentiments stamps and different inks. I finished some off at the time, but several were just left with a stamped panel. That's how this one started out, here's the end result:

Stamps: MFT - Spotlight Sentiments; Lawn Fawn - Blue Skies; Avery Elle - Handwritten Notes

Inks: Kaleidacolor - Fresh Greens; Versafine - Onyx Black; Versafine Clair - Nocturne; Gina K - Key Lime, Christmas Pine, Stormy Sky

Dies: Gina K - Master Layouts 2; Lawn Fawn - Blue Skies

Accessories: White Card; SU Card - Granny Apple Green; Copic Markers; Clear Embossing Powder; Nuvo - Clear Aqua Shimmer Brush

I'm submitting this card to Seize the Birthday - STB#219 where the toppers option is Travel, I think a hot air balloon trip counts!

I used the smaller layering panels from Master Layouts 2 to cut a mat layer of green card and a white stitched edge panel. I stamped a number of clouds on the white panel in black ink. I adhered the panel to the centre of my ready-made card. I used my MISTI to stamp the larger hot air balloon from Blue Skies onto a piece of white card, removed it and coloured with green Copic markers, returned it to the MISTI and stamped with black Versafine ink and heat embossed with clear powder. I used the matching die to cut out the balloon. I added lots of sparkle to the hot air balloon with a clear aqua shimmer brush. I added dimensional pads to the hot air balloon and adhered it, at a slight angle to suggest movement, to the panel. Inside the card, I cut a mat layer of green card. On the white panel I stamped the smaller hot air balloon in a bright green ink. I used one of my favourite sets to stamp the greeting. I stamped the main greeting in dark green and added the word 'belated' in dark green.

This card is for my nephew's birthday - and I missed the actual day, so I hope he likes this card. This is the card before adding the panel:

I've used both these cards now!! That's all from me today. See you again soon.

Happy Birthday Boy ....

... Morning! This is a very quick post to share a birthday card that I've made for my nephew - it's late! It should have reached him yesterday, but I forgot - bad aunty!! Here's the card:

Stamps: MFT - Spotlight Sentiments; My Mind's Eye - Boy Crazy; Avery Elle - Handwritten Notes

Inks: Kaleidacolor - Spectrum; Versafine - Onyx Black; Versafine Clair - Nocturne

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

I'm submitting this card to Seize the Birthday - STB#209 - I'm skipping the topping of shades of green, and just celebrating a birthday.

I made the base card last year when I made a selection of spotlight sentiment birthday cards for my Seven Hills Craft blog post. I made some that simply had the sentiment stamped across the front. Today I pulled out the rainbow greeting as I think it's perfect for a 9 year old. I stamped the robot on white card, coloured him with Copic markers, restamped in Versafine and heat embossed with clear powder. I then fussy cut him out and glued him to the front of the card. I used a clear shimmer brush to add some sparkle to the robot - and you can see this in the photo!! I added a few of the embellishments from the stamp set. On the inside, I cut a piece of white card slightly smaller than the card. I stamped a fun greeting in black and added the 'belated' part in pink. I also stamped part of the robot off to the side in the Spectrum ink.

I think this is a fun card and while it's going to be late, I do hope that my nephew likes it. That's all from me today. I'm off to get a cup of coffee and then make a start on my Zoom Welsh class - almost at the end of the entry level course and loving it. Apologies for the photos - I've got a new lightbox to take photos and I'm learning the settings!

ASM - CAS ...

... Good evening!  It's time for CAS (clean and simple) challenge at Addicted to Stamps and More!  A CAS card should have clean and crisp lines, minimal or no embellishments and lots of 'white' space.  Now the white space doesn't have to be "white", it can be any colour.  White space is a term used for the area of your card with no stamping, embellishments etc.  Here's my CAS card:

Stamps: Uniko Studio - Explosion; Avery Elle - Handwritten Notes
Inks: Versafine - Onyx Black, Majestic Blue
Dies: PTI - Tipped Tops
Accessories: White Lustre Card; Cuttlebug EF - Diamond Plate; Copics; Clear Embossing Powder

This was fun to make!  I made the ombre card using three shade of blue Copics and blending well.  Then I stamped the explosion image, heat embossed with clear powder and cut it out.  I die cut two panel out of white card and coloured the edge of the larger piece to match the explosion shape.  I embossed the top panel with the diamond plate embossing folder.  I added "OMG!" to the centre of the explosion cut out and finished the front of the card with a simple greeting.  I've left the inside blank.  I'm submitting this card to Inkspirational - INK#58, as Sandie's challenge is to make a clean and simple card!

Our sponsor this week is QKR Stampede and the challenge winner will receive 3 digi images from them; they have a great selection.  To see more CAS cards from the rest of the Design Team, click on this link - do leave a comment, we all love to get some love!!  That's all for now!  See you soon.

Birthday surprise ....

.... Hello!  I've a birthday card to share with you today for a very special lady.  Many of you know Sandie of London Days, she always leaves such lovely comments on cards.  Today is Sandie's birthday and we are surprising her with a Birthday Linky Party which is being hosted by Nonni.

Stamps: Stampin' Up! - So Very Grateful; Avery Elle - Handwritten Notes
Inks: Memento - London Fog; Versafine - Onyx Black
Accessories: White Lustre Card; SU DP - Melon Mambo; Copics; Wink of Stella; Sequins; Silver Pen

Sandie always makes the most gorgeous clean and simple cards, so I thought I'd make a CAS birthday card for her.  I used a few challenges to make the card.  The colours are from this week's Colour Throwdown - CTD#292 and the layout is from CAS(E) this Sketch - CTS#76.  I didn't get chance to make a card for Addicted to Stamps and More! - ASM#95 earlier this week, but I realise that in making this card, I've taken inspiration from the flowers and colours.  I stamped the flower spray in grey, coloured it with Copics and added some sparkle to the flowers with my new Wink of Stella pen and then I fussy cut it out.  I cut a panel of white card and drew silver borders on three sides, then adhered it directly to the card.  I stamped the birthday sentiment in black and finished the front with a few sequins.  On the inside I cut a mat layer of pink design paper and on the white panel stamped some more flowers and coloured them with Copics. 

Not quite sure when Sandie will get this card, but it is on the way!!

I've been busy this week spending time with Mum, which is why I've not been around much.  It was such a lovely Mother's Day weekend for us both.  On Sunday the weather was fabulous and we went out to a local flower and flea market - such fun, this was followed by lunch out and then a lovely drive round the area.  Monday was another day of indulgence with us both having a massage - so relaxing.  We managed to get home before all the bad weather arrived.  Monday afternoon the tornado warning sirens went off - we sheltered in the basement, but fortunately nothing happened in our area. Sadly the weather has been awful for most of the week, but I think we've gotten off lightly compared to some.

Before I go, I must share some fab news about my wonderful husband.  Last night Jonathan attended a presentation event for Canvas Pontiac.  We had all submitted photographs to the competition. and we found out last week that Jonathan had had one of his photos selected to be made into a large canvas and hung on the walls in Pontiac.  As part of our trip on Sunday we drove up to Pontiac to see the large canvas print of Jonathan's photo.  Here's a photo of Jonathan's image on the wall.

I'm so proud of Jonathan.  It's a super photo, so full of life and has a great position on the wall by Lafayette Market!

I'll be back soon - taking a bit of a break while Mum is here on holiday!  See you soon.