Birthday Cheers

.... Hello again! Somehow, I seem to be managing to make a card a day (well, almost). Today's card is for Shane, my niece's partner, who has his birthday next Saturday:

Stamps: Taylored Expressions - Argyle Stamp; Concord & 9th - All the Birthdays; Apple Blossom - Bubbles & Fizz (free with craft magazine); Gina K - Birthday Greetings

Inks: Gina K - Kraft, Key Lime, Turquoise Sea, Blue Raspberry; Versafine Clair - Nocturne

Dies: MFT - Wonky Stitched Rectangle Stax #5; Winnie & Walter - Cheers Cutaway; Apple Blossom - Bubbles & Fizz (free with craft magazine)

Accessories: White Card; SU Card - Crumb Cake; Taylored Expressions - Argyle Layering Stencils; Copics; WF Grip Mat

I'm submitting this card to Cardz 4 Guyz - C4G#338 where they want us to use something new from our stash; Never-Before-Used-Schtuff - NBUS#58 - it's in the name, and to Inkspirational - INK#307 where they want us to use 'stencils'.

The somethings new on this card is the argyle background, made with Taylored Expressions stamp and layering stencils - which will come out again soon, and the beer mugs - which I've had for sometime (they came free with a UK crafting magazine), but they are 'new' as this is the first time they've been used. I've also gone back to some older stash - the stitched die from My Favourite Things and the Cheers word from Winnie & Walter (sadly closed). My Waffle Flower grip mat is getting a workout this week, as I used it again to hold the stencils in place while I made this lovely bright background. Once cut out I stamped a simple birthday greeting in black, added the beer mugs which I'd stamped, coloured with Copics and cut out with the matching die. I finished the front with a bold word 'cheers' in green card.

On the white panel inside the card, I simply stamped a birthday greeting in black ink, added the beer mugs in kraft ink and lightly edged the panel with lime green ink. 

I do like the argyle background, it's perfect for a guy card, but I can see it working on so many cards. Anyhow, that's all from me today. See you soon.

Embossed Elegance

.... Morning!! It's so good to be back making cards, and refilling my card boxes. I had completely run out of birthday and thank you cards. So, this morning I've a pretty, elegant and lightly embossed card to share with you:

Stamps: Gina K - Bold and Blooming, Birthday Greetings

Inks: Gina K - Bubblegum Pink, Medium Lilac, Jelly Bean Green, Sandy Beach; Versamark; Memento - Tuxedo Black

Accessories: White & Black Card; Gina K Stencil - Christmas Flowers; Gold Embossing Powder; Copic Markers; Waffle Flower Grip Mat; Versamark Pen

I'm submitting this card to Color Throwdown - CTD#775 - such lovely colours, to Time Out Challenge - TOC#254 - where the theme is new, and to Seize the Birthday - STB#275 - where you can follow the topping, dry and/or wet embossing, or simply make a birthday card. So, for TOC my new is the Gina K stencil which is very pretty, and for STB, I've added gold embossing to my card.

This was so easy to make. I used my Waffle Flower grip mat to hold a piece of white card 5½" square and created the flowers. The stencil has four layers and is very easy to line up. The note card is 5¾" square, so I cut a mat layer of black card 5½" square and trimmed the stencilled panel to 5¼" square. Before layering together I stamped a birthday greeting in Versamark ink and heat embossed with gold powder. I used my Versamark pen to add dots in the flowers and embossed them with gold too. I finished the white panel by lightly edging the square with Versamark ink and embossing a fine gold border. I then adhered all the panels to the front of the card.

I like to decorate the inside of my cards and, as I'd already put away the stencil, I decided to use one of the flower stamps from Bold and Blooming at the bottom of the white panel. I coloured the image with Copic markers. I finished by added a simple greeting. So, this card is for my stash.

I've got a very busy day today - I'm going to be in my craft room all day. I need to work in my daily Dyalog, and I want to make a few more birthday cards. That's it from me today. Keep safe, keep warm.

Rainbow Sparkle

.... Good morning!! I'm getting on so well making birthday cards that I need. Today I'm sharing a pretty birthday card for a friend of mine. We've know each other for some years 😁 I made this card yesterday, when it was cold, dull, and very grey - I think a rainbow card is much needed at this time of year.

Stamps: Gina K - Birthday Greetings

Inks: Gina K - Red Velvet, Tangerine Twist, Wild Dandelion, Lucky Clover, Turquoise Sea, Blue Raspberry, Wild Lilac; Versafine Clair - Nocturne

Dies: Gina K - Master Layout 4

Accessories: White & Black Card; Gina K Stencil - Tranquil Lotus; Taylored Expressions Stencil - Bokeh; Sheer Shimmer Spray - Sparkle; Waffle Flower - 8½" x 8½" Grip Mat

I'm submitting this card to Freshly Made Sketches - FMS#618 - it's been a long while since I joined in here. I'm also playing with AAA Birthday - AAAB#57 - where they want rainbow colours, and with Just Us Girls - JUGS#709 - where they want sparkle. For a big change - you can actually see the sparkle on the photo above!!

Last year I treated myself to a couple of the new Waffle Flower Grip Mats. They are just brilliant. They make stencilling so, so easy. I put my card in the centre of the grip mat, placed on the first layer of the lotus flower and added ink, with a light hand, in rainbow order. I followed this with the second layer and repeated the colours using a heavier hand. Finally, I added the stems. I used a fancy die to cut out the panel, stamped a birthday greeting in black ink and layered it onto a black mat layer. I finished the front of the card by spritzing it with Sparkle shimmer spray.

Inside the card, I cut a mat layer of black card. I wanted to add some colour to the white panel, but didn't want to repeat the flower, so I used one layer of the Bokeh stencil, and then stamped a birthday greeting in black.

I posted this card today, so Annette should get it in plenty of time for her birthday next week. 

I hope everyone has a good day. I'm taking my mum into Mold today - she has a weekly appointment at Cherise Amore - our local hairdresser. It's always fun. And after that we have a quick trip to the local garden centre for coffee and cake - the best Victoria Sandwich in the area!! That's all for now. See you again soon.

Birthday Boy

.... Hello! I'm here this morning to share the card I've made for our boy, strictly that should be man, Ben. He'll be 28 years old on Saturday and I'm struggling to work out how so many years have gone by so quickly. Here's his card:

Stamps: Gina K - Birthday Greetings

Inks: Gina K - Powder Blue, In the Navy

Dies: Gina K - Master Layout 1; Altenew - Just a Number

Accessories: White & Navy Card; Waffle Flower - Layered Triangle Stencil; Pale Blue Satin Card; Gem

I'm submitting this card to two challenges. I got the colours from the current Color Hues Challenge - CH#78 - blues are perfect for a guy. I'm also playing along with Darnell's Never-Before-Used-Schtuff - NBUS#58 - I've had the stencils for a while, but this is the first time I've inked them up - so bad of me.

I used the required pale and navy blue inks on a piece of white card. Once stencilled, I used a dies to cut out the panel and a mat layer of navy card. I adhered the whole lot to the front of an A2 side-opening note card (US size). I die cut the greeting from navy card for the mat layer, pale blue satin card for the top and two white pieces to stack, and then glued them to the card. I lost the little dot for the i, so I used a tiny blue gem.

On the inside, I cut a mat layer of navy card and kept the white panel very simple. I stamped a navy blue greeting and added a verse in pale blue ink. 

It's a beautiful bright and sunny day here in Northop Hall - mind, it's blooming cold. It's perfect weather for my next job, which is a quick trip to the recycling centre to get rid of lots of old cardboard and paper. That's all for now. See you soon. BTW - I'm perfectly safe to share Ben's card here now - he neve looks at my blog!! Kids, eh!!

Two for one ....

Good morning everyone! It's the start of another week of lockdown, although here in Wales we are now allowed to go out for exercise more than once a day. And there's the possibility of some garden centres opening. Anyway, I'm here this morning to play along with Darnell's Twofer Card Challenge - TCC#27 where she wants us to use Flowers. Here are my cards:

I really enjoy this challenge, but I struggle to play along. However, this time it was easy. One of my favourite flowers is this large chrysanthemum from Uniko and I'm pleased to be able to play along this month. Full details of each card can be found below.

Stamps: Uniko - Pure Florals - Chrysanthemum; Altenew - Bad Days Happen
Inks: Gina K - Ocean Mist, Soft Stone; Delicata - Golden Glitz
Dies: Spellbinders - A2 Matting Basics A (S5-131) #1, A2 Matting Basics B (S5-132) #1
Accessories: White Card; Gina K Card - Blue Lagoon; Gold Linen Effect Foil Card

I'm submitting this card to Colour Throwdown - CTD#592 and Freshly Made Sketches - FMS#434.

I stamped the large chrysanthemum in pale aqua ink in opposite corners of the card. I cut a strip of dark turquoise card and adhered them to the card. I stamped the sentiment in soft grey on white card and used a die to cut it out, and layered it on some gold linen effect foil card which had also been die cut. On the inside, I cut a mat layer of dark aqua card and on the white panel added a greeting and a smaller, gold, chrysanthemum. I think this card is perfect for the very strange times we find ourselves in - and it's going in the post today.

My next card is very clean and simple and is a birthday card:

Stamps: Uniko - Pure Florals - Chrysanthemum; Gina K - Birthday Greetings
Inks: Gina K - Dark Chocolate; Delicata - Golden Glitz; Versamark
Dies: Uniko - Chrysanthemum
Accessories: White and Cream Card; Gold Embossing Powder

I'm submitting this card to Less is More - LIM#419 where they want us to use White and Cream, and to CAS on Friday - CASoF#179 where they want us to use our favourite flower.

I stamped the large chrysanthemum on cream card in Versamark ink and heat embossed with gold power, and die cut with the matching die. I made the card from cream stock and cut a panel of white card slightly smaller onto which I stamped a birthday greeting in dark brown and gold. I adhered the panel to the card base and used dimensional pads to attach the large flower. On the inside, I cut a panel of white card onto which I stamped a birthday verse in dark brown and added a small gold chrysanthemum.

I'm so glad that I finally got to play along with Twofer. That's all from me today. See you again soon.

Marbled Birthday ....

... Morning! I'm sharing another birthday card today - this was totally inspired by the photo and sketch on the current Fusion challenge - FUSION#0620:

Stamps: Gina K - Birthday Greetings, Peite Patisserie; Concord & 9th - Marbled Turnabout
Inks: Gina K - Sea Glass, Black Amalgam; Memento - Summer Sky; Stampin' Up! - Smoky Slate; Delicata - Golden Glitz
Dies: Lil Inkers - Long & Skinny Rectangles
Accessories: White Card; SU Card - Smoky Slate; Nuvo - Clear Aquashimmer Brush

I'm also playing along with Seize the Birthday - STB#186 where it's either Anything Goes or for the kids, I've gone for AG.

The inspiration photo shows a lovely tiered cake with pretty marbled hexagons. I decided to concentrate on the marbling and used my MISTI and the turnabout stamp to echo the colours in the picture. I die cut some strips of white card and on the longer portions stamped some gold tiered cakes - picking up on the gold in the picture. I added a simple, bold greeting. On the inside, I cut a mat layer of grey card and had fun on the white panel by adding a fun sentiment and lots of cakes. These are the best cakes for me as they are entirely visual!!

That's all from me for today. The sun has come out and I'm off for my daily walk. See you tomorrow.