TMR - Dots and/or Stripes

... Hello!! I've had a really busy month, and only manged to grab a bit of time to make my card for this month's challenge at The Male Room - TMR#214, the day before I went on hols!! This month we want you to make your masculine projects using DOTS AND/OR STRIPES. Here's my card:

Stamps: Dare 2B Artzy - Hot Air Balloon, Balloon Tangle; Waffle Flower - Your Day Sentiments

Inks: Gina K - Blue Sky, Powder Blue, Applemint, Lucky Clover, Sea Glass, Ocean Mist; Versafine Clair - Nocturne

Stencils: Waffle Flower - Wave for A2 A6 A7

Accessories: White Card; Design Paper - Kaisercraft Off The Wall; Copic Markers

I used the new Waffle Flower Wave stencil to create the background - I inked with shades of blue and green to make a sky/hill scene. I stamped a couple of cloud outlines directly on the notecard, as well as the large balloon. I also stamped the balloon on white card and dotty design paper. I fussy cut the balloon and design paper and pieced it all together, and adhered the pieces to the note card. I do like paper piecing - but I don't do it enough. I finished the front with a bold greeting, and another hot air balloon. On the inside, I cut a piece of stripey design paper for the mat layer, and on the white panel simply stamped a birthday greeting and another hot air balloon.

I'm submitting this card to Cardz 4 Guyz - C4G#389 where the theme is hot air balloons and to Never-Before-Used-Schtuff - NBUS#90 - first time of using the Waffle flower stencil and sentiments.

 

This card is for my uncle's birthday - his is the first one I have in September. 

That's all for now - do visit our blog - The Male Room - to see more design ideas from the rest of the team. See you soon.

Belated Birthday Card

... Hi! I'm running late with this card. It's my brother-in-law's birthday today, and I got so caught up with the bank holiday weekend, that I forgot to make a card for him. However, it's never too late to wish someone a happy birthday. Here's the card:

Stamps: Uniko - Bauhaus Blocks, Simply Said Birthday, Everyday Sentiments, Birthday Sentiments, Background Blocks Mid Century Modern

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

Accessories: White Card; Copic Markers; Lawn Fawn - Clear Embossing Powder

This came together very quickly. I used my MISTI to stamp the Bauhaus Blocks images, removed them and coloured with Copic Markers. I returned them to the MISTI and restamped with Versafine Clair Nocturne ink and heat embossed with clear powder. I then cut them into individual square panels. I added them to the front of an A2 white note card and finished with a suitable greeting. On the inside, I cut a white panel slightly smaller than A2 size. I stamped a fun background in light blue ink, and added a greeting in shades of dark blue. I edged the panel with a yellow marker and adhered it to the note card.

I'm submitting this card to the following challenges:

Addicted to CAS - ATCAS#307 where it make a birthday card

Color Hues - CH#132 - to use yellow and blue

Cardz 4 Guyz - C4G#385 - make a clean and simple card

 

I really like the Bauhaus blocks images - they work perfectly for masculine cards, and also for feminine cards too. It just depends what colours you pick! That's it for now. See you again soon.

Hubby's Birthday Card

.... Morning! Today is Jonathan's 62nd birthday, and this is the card I made for him:

Stamps: PaperArtsy - Kate Crane KC012; Uniko - Simply Said, Birthday Wishes

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

Dies: Waffle Flower - Nesting Postage Layers #3

Accessories: White & Black Card; Copic Markers; LF - Clear Embossing Powder

I got a new stamp set last weekend featuring some fab toadstools. I used it for this card. I stamped a number of the toadstools directly onto an A2 white note card in soft grey ink. I die cut the postage stamp backing and white topper. I used my MISTI to stamp the main image onto white card. I removed it from the MISTI, used Copics to add colour, restamped with Versafine ink and embossed the image with clear powder. Then I fussy cut it out. I added the 'postage stamp' to the card at an angle, adhered the toadstool and finished with sentiments in black ink. I added a couple of words ' to my' in black fine liner. Jonathan does enjoy a pun!!! On the inside, I cut a piece of white card slightly smaller than A2 size, edged it with a blue marker, added a birthday greeting and another toadstool.

I'm submitting this card to:

Cardz 4 Guyz - C4G#385 where they want a clean and simple card (mostly)

Addicted to Stamps and More! - ATSM#516 - to make my mark - done

Seize the Birthday - STB#325 - I've done an anything goes as long as it's birthday

That's all from me today. I'll be back soon. 

Birthday Greens

... Good afternoon! I've been playing in my craft room and made this fun masculine birthday card:

Stamps: Concord & 9th/Kristina Werner - Just Talking

Inks: Gina KCW - Just Talking

Accessories: White Card; GK Card - Applemint; C&9/KW Stencils - Layering Lattice, Just Talking

I'm submitting this card to the following challenges:

The Card Concept - CC#224 - shades of green

Stencil Fun Challenge - SFC#0226 - to use stencils and optional to make a background - done

Cardz 4 Guyz - C4G#383 - monochromatic colours

Seize the Birthday - STB#320 - I've gone for Anything Goes for a birthday

This card came together so quickly - thank you very much Kristina. I got the new Layering Lattice stencils last week and they make backgrounds so quickly. I simply picked the pattern and colours I wanted to use and inked directly onto an A2 note card. I finished the front by adding a simple message in a word bubble - I stamped the greeting on green card, die cut it and added a touch of darker ink around the edge. I layered it onto the matching shadow layer. On the inside, I cut a mat layer of pale green card and added a birthday greeting on the white panel. To add emphasis to the greeting, I inked through the matching word bubble stencil in pale green ink. 

This is a much needed card for my stash - I used up most of my cards last year! 

That's all for today. I'm off to make dinner and then settle down for some more from the Winter Olympics. See you soon.

SHC - Shimmer and Shine ....

.... Morning! I can't quite believe that it's already August - the year is flying by. However, it's Wednesday and that means it's time for my weekly Seven Hills Craft Blog post. Not a Christmas card in sight today, instead I've made a set of three cards all using products from Concord & 9th. Here's the first:

Stamps: Concord & 9th - Stripes & Sayings, Everyday Greetings

Inks: Gina K - Wild Dandelion, Passionate Pink; Versafine Clair - Nocturne

Dies: C&9 - Confetti Card Die, Butterfly Perfect Pairing

Accessories: White Card; SU Card - Melon Mambo; C&9 - Tintables Card Fronts; Silver Holographic Card; Sheer Shimmer Spray - Sparkle

I'm submitting this card to Color Hues - CH#23 where the colours are yellow and pink, and to Inkspirational - INK#244 where they want to see Dots/Spots.

I started by blending yellow and pink inks over the dotty tintable card front. I love the way the pattern is revealed as the colour is blended! I spritzed the panel with a shimmer spray and once it was dry I used a fancy edge die to cut the panel to fit on the front of an A2 (US size card) notecard. I stamped a simple greeting in bold black in the bottom corner of the card. I finished the front by adding a flutter of butterflies. I die cut a silver layer and two white layers. I adhered them together to give strength and stability to the die cut, and then I glued them to the card. Inside, I cut a mat layer of bright pink card. On the white panel I stamped a birthday greeting in bright pink and added a tiny sun stamp in yellow. I also added a silver holographic butterfly - some of the waste from the die cut!!

Next, I used word tintable card front:

Stamps: Concord & 9th - Everyday Greetings

Inks: Gina K - Lemon Drop, Key Lime, Lucky Clover

Dies: C&9 - Confetti Card Die

Accessories: White Card; SU Card - Granny Apple Green; C&9 - Tintables Card Fronts; Sheer Shimmer Spray - Frost

I'm submitting this to the current Never-Before-Used-Sctuff - NBUS#29 - first time I've used the Confetti die, despite having it for a while!!

I used acid lemon, lime green and grass green for this tintable cover sheet. In real-life the words are clearly visible, but not so much in the photo. I think perhaps, I'll use darker colours next time. As before, I used the Confetti die to cut out the panel, after first adding shimmer with a frost spray. I adhered the panel directly to an A2 notecard. Inside, I cut a mat layer of bright green card. On the white panel, I simply adding a bold greeting in green. Lots of space left for my own message.

My final card is a simple hello card:

Stamps: Concord & 9th - Shine On

Inks: Gina K - Powder Blue, Blue Denim, In the Navy, Slate

Dies: C&9 - Confetti Card Die; Everyday Sayings

Accessories: White & Black Card; C&9 - Tintables Card Fronts; Sheer Shimmer Spray - Frost; Copic Marker

I'm submitting this card to Cardz 4 Guyz - C4G#276 where they want us to use Shades of Blue - done!!

This time I used blue and grey inks to blend over the chevron tintable card front. I spritzed on some frosty shimmer and, once dry, I used the Confetti die to cut the panel to size. I adhered it to the front of an A2 card. I used a large 'hello' die to cut a black shadow and three white hellos. I layered the white words together, glued them to the black shadow and then adhered the lot to the front of the card. Inside, I cut a piece of white card slightly smaller than the note card. I edged it with a dark grey Copic marker and stamped a message and some stars. There's plenty of space for my message. I think this one will go to our son, Ben.

That's all from me today. I'm taking Mum and Kat into Chester later this morning for a bit of retail therapy. And then, in the afternoon, I'll be watching the Olympics - just love all the sports. See you soon.

Snowy Birthday ....

... Hello! I've got into a bad habit of not making enough cards and then having to rush to make them when I need one. So today, I'm sharing a snowy birthday card - I've lots of birthdays in the months from November to February - so this is perfect for my stash.

Stamps: MFT - Simply Snowflakes, Sassy Pants Birthday Greetings 2, Bitty Birthday Wishes

Inks: Stampin' Up! - Balmy Blue; Gina K - Powder Blue; Memento - Summer Sky, Paris Dusk; Hero Arts - Unicorn

Dies: MFT - Stylish Snowflakes

Accessories: White Card; SU Card - Night of Navy, Balmy Blue; Holographic Card; Gem

I'm submitting this card to Just Us Girls - JUGS#567 (use blues), Fusion - FUSION#0121 (I used the sketch), and Cardz 4 Guyz - C4G#262 (where it's Let it Snow).

I randomly stamped some snowflake images on the background using three shades of blue ink. I cut two thin strips of blue card and stamped a birthday greeting in white on the navy strip. I adhered them flat to the card. I finished the front by die-cutting a silver holographic snowflake, adhered it to the blue strips and added a simple blue gem in the centre. I used the sketch from Fusion for the card. On the inside, I cut a panel of blue card for the mat layer and on the white layer added a fun birthday greeting in dark blue, along with several more blue snowflakes.

That was fun! I think I'm going to spend a bit more time today making a few more, much needed, birthday cards for my stash. That's all for now. See you again soon.

SHC - Shiny Birthday ...

.... Morning. I'm here with my weekly Seven Hills Crafts blog post. I did some reorganising over the holiday and found some fun alphabet dies in my stash and decided to make them the focal point of a simple birthday card:

Stamps: Altenew - A Splash of Color, Across the Pond

Inks: Hero Arts - Unicorn; Delicata - Shimmery Silver; Versafine Clair - Nocturne

Dies: Concord & 9th - Double Cut Alphabet Dies

Accessories: Stampin' Up! - Black Card; Silver & Holographic card

If you're anything like me, you save all your scraps of card and paper and this card used up lots of my silver and holographic card scraps. I die cut enough letters to make the sentiment 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY' - the spare letters are in my stash for later. I used black card to make the card base and laid out the letters, but it look too simple. So I added some fake paint splashes in white to draw the eye to the centre of the card and the greeting. On the inside, I cut a mat of white card onto which I stamped more fake paint splashes, this time in silver, and added a fun greeting on top.

Here's a close-up of the letters where you can really see the different patterns on the holographic card:

I'm submitting this card to the current challenge at Cardz 4 Guyz - C4G#261 where they want us to use either Black & Silver or Black & Gold. 

That's all for today - we're getting back to a more usual routine. Jonathan's working downstairs in his office, Kat is back at her university work (albeit from home), Mum is going stir crazy in her flat, and me, I'm enjoying staying in and working in my craft room. Bye for now.