Hugs & Kisses .....

... Hello everyone!  I had a super time last night - got to spend the whole evening in my craft room; Jonathan was out at a photo shoot so I made a few cards and tidied my space!!

Stamps: My Favourite Things - First Class Friend; Amy Tangerine - Aspire
Inks: Stampin' Up! - Cherry Cobbler, Old Olive, Blushing Bride, Baked Brown Sugar
Accessories:  SU Card - Cherry Cobbler, Blushing Bride; Tim Holtz - Washi Tape; White Lustre Card

I've used a couple of challenges in the making of this card:

• CAS(E) this Sketch - CTS#51 - just making the deadline on this one!
• Colour Throwdown - CTD266

I really struggled to get past the challenge graphic for CTS this week - but in the end the little postmark bit led me to First Class Friends - and a card for my Mum.  I used some of my washi tape on the card, picking the bit that said "journey" - our trip to the US has been a big journey for the whole family.  And like Ben, I often send my Mum cards, just because.  I stamped the chevron image in the lightest colour to allow the words and popped up ampersand to shine.  I used Baked Brown Sugar as I don't have Close to Cocoa.  The inside has a mat in pink and a simple sentiment - Mum is always in my heart!

My Mum keeps all the cards I send her - when I was in the UK in the summer, I saw that she has them all on her cabinet.  She says that it's a way to be close to me!  I love her!  And I believe Ben keeps all my cards too - although I suspect they might be in a box!!  That's all for now.  I'm off to do some cleaning today - I've a special visitor coming tomorrow!!  Will tell you later :)

Oh yes, before I go - have a super Halloween!

For a guy ...

... Good evening!  It's rather later than I thought!  I've had a lazy day reading a book - really nice, but then I realised that I needed to make a birthday card for one of my cousins and get it in the post tomorrow.  I've used a few challenges to make this card:

• Retro Sketches - RS51
• Muse - MUSE5
• Colour Q - cQc177

Stamps: CAS-ual Friday Stamps - Rad; Amy Tangerine - Aspire
Inks: Stampin' Up! - Cherry Cobbler, Pool Party, Always Artichoke
Accessories:  SU Card - Crumb Cake, Always Artichoke, Pool Party; White Lustre from stash; Clear embossing powder

 
The inspiration card over at Muse - MUSE5 is by Marion Vagg.  The idea with MUSE is to take inspiration from Marion's card - there are so many possibilities with this card.  I saw the chevron pattern and decided to go with that as the theme.   For the layout of my card I used Kim's sketch based on this card.  I love the colours over at Colour Q - cQc177 they are perfect for a guy card.

I used Crumb Cake to make the card base and front panel.  When I went to Archivers on Saturday I got some stamps by Amy Tangerine (first time I'd seen her stamps); I liked the images in this set - the chevron banner and ampersand are from that set.  I stamped the chevron in Versamark and embossed with clear powder.  Then I cut out the banner and coloured sections of the chevron with the coordinating inks.  For the greeting I used Rad by CAS-ual Friday Stamps - stamping part of the greeting directly on the Crumb Cake panel and part on white card which I adhered over the chevron banners.  I finished the front with some home made chevron brads and a bold ampersand.  The inside is very simple - a piece of white card with a couple of chevron at the top and bottom.

Edited to add:  Just so you know the front of the card reads "Hope your birthday is awesome &".   Not, as my husband thought, "Hope your birthday is & awesome". 

That's all for now.  I'll be back again tomorrow!