Birthday Flowers

... Hello, good afternoon! I'm getting on well making cards for my birthday stash. This is the one I made today:

Stamps: Gina K - Modern Floral, Sweet Sentiments, On the Inside Birthday

Inks: Gina K - Wild Dandelion, Light Lilac, Medium Lilac, Sea Glass, Blue Lagoon, Applemint, Key Lime; Versafine Clair - Nocturne

Dies: Gina K - Master Layout 8, Modern Floral

Accessories: White & Black Card; Gems from stash; Gina K Stencil - Modern Floral

I'm submitting this card to The Flower Challenge - TFC#90 to add layers, to AAA Colourful - AAAC#03 - love this colour palette, and to Cupcake Inspirations Challenge - CIC#592 where the theme is flowers.

This is a large 5" x 7" card. I stamped the little floral cluster in yellow ink around the edge of the note card and used the matching stencil to colour the flowers. I die cut a mat layer in black card and a white panel with stitched edge. I stamped the birthday greeting on white card and cut it out with a flag die. I had the large flower die cuts on my desk, left over from yesterday's session. I stamped more yellow flowers on the white panel. I glued the greeting, the lilac and the green flowers flat to the card. I used dimensional pads to adhered the teal flower. I finished the front with a few crystal gems from my stash.

On the inside, I cut a mat of black card. On the white panel I stamped a bold birthday greeting in black ink and added more of the yellow flowers.

I do like these flowers, they are so pretty. As I type this post, the sun is shining and we have bright blue skies, but oh my, it is still so cold!! That's it for now. I'm off to make lunch for us all. See you soon.

Shaking it all about with AAA Birthday

... Good morning!! I am delighted to say that I'm Guest Designer at AAA Birthday for their April challenge. The challenge this month is 'Shaker', and I have to admit that this caused me some concern. You don't see many shaker cards on my blog - and there's a reason for that. So, I spent a few weeks watching various tutorials, and this is the card I made:

Stamps: Gina K - On the Inside, Sweet Sentiments

Inks: Versafine Claire - Nocturne; Gina K - Bubblegum Pink, Passionate Pink

Dies: MFT Die-namics - Happy Birthday Block; Lil' Inkers - Stitched Squares #7

Accessories: White Card; Acetate; Brutus Monroe DP - Galaxy; Sequins & Gems from stash

I thought this would be a breeze. It was mostly. I cut some design paper to fit on a 5¼" square white card. I die cut the Happy Birthday block in white card and adhered some acetate to the back of the die cut. I then carefully went around the edge with dimensional tape. At this point I realised I needed to add some dimensional tape to the edge of some of the letters, otherwise the whole lot would collapse. Once I completed that, I filled the inside with a mixture of sequins and gems and added the card to the shaker panel. And I'm delighted it turned out so well.

I kept the inside, quite simple. I cut another piece of the design paper to make the mat layer and on the white panel added a birthday greeting along with some pink flowers.

I do hope you get time to join in with this month's challenge. I'm very much looking forward to seeing what the design team make and to visiting you all this month. I may even have another go - it was fun. I'd like to thank the DT for inviting me to join them this month. Bye for now.

Modern Roses

.... Hello, good morning! I had fun yesterday afternoon and finished off two more cards with the new Modern Roses stamp set. Here they are:

Stamps: Gina K - Modern Roses, Sweet Sentiments

Inks: Wild Dandelion, Dusty Rose, Key Lime, Jelly Bean Green, Fresh Asparagus; Versafine Clair - Nocturne

Dies: Gina K - Modern Roses, Master Layouts 1

Accessories: White & Black Card; Gina K Embossing Folder - Swiss Dot

I'm submitting this card to Never-Before-Used-Schtuff - NBUS#60 - all of it!! I'm also playing along with Addicted to Stamps and More! - ATSM#463 the theme is 'birthdays', and to The Paper Players - PP#680 - these colours.

I stamped the roses in pink on white card, added the leaves and then die cut the panel to size. I placed the piece into the Swiss Dot EF. I realised after I'd run it through the Spellbinders that I had the EF the wrong way up - but I quite like the debossed look!! I than stamped a few roses in yellow and some leaves in a darker green; I used the matching die to cut them out. I added the roses and leaves to the stamped panel and then adhered the panel to a black mat layer and then to an A2 white note card. I finished the front with a pretty birthday greeting stamped in black and die cut. I also cut a few extra white die cuts and layered them together to give dimension to the greeting.

Inside the card, I cut a mat layer of black card. On the white panel I stamped a scripty greeting and added some roses and a leaf.

This card is for Ann - one of the ladies mum and I know from the hairdressers. I've been taking mum to see Tracey for a weekly hair wash and dry for the past two years and we've got to know all the regulars. It's a lovely salon, and last week Ann gave us the most delicious lemon drizzle cake - it didn't last long. And that's when we found out it's Ann's birthday tomorrow.

My next card is for a friend who I've not seen for some time:

Stamps: Modern Roses, Wonderfully Made

Inks: Gina K - Ocean Mist, Powder Blue, Key Lime; Versafine Clair - Nocturne

Dies: Gina K - Modern Roses, Master Layouts 2

Accessories: White & Black Card; Copic Marker

I'm submitting this one to CAS Colours & Sketches - CASC&S#532 for the colours, and Addicted to CAS - ATCAS#253 where the theme is 'friends'.

I used my MISTI to stamp the roses first in pale blue and then again in a darker blue. Then I stamped the leaves in a bright green. I used a stitched edge die to cut out the panel and layered it onto a black mat and added it to the front of an A2 white note card. I stamped the sentiment in black and cut it, and a couple of blanks, out with the matching die. I added the sentiment in the bottom right corner. I really like the way this stamp works so well in both landscape and portrait.

For the inside, I cut a piece of white card and stamped a simple greeting in the corner, leaving a nice space for my message. I finished by edging the panel with a blue marker and then adhered it into the card.

I can see that this set is going to be a favourite. I had lots of fun making these cards. That's all for now. See you soon.

Family Birthday Cards

...  Good morning! April is a busy month for birthdays in our family. And today is especially busy. My husband, Jonathan, and his sister, Charlotte, both have their birthdays on 30th April - only Charlotte's 7 years younger!! So, I've been busy making cards, and using some new stash. Here's the card I made for Charlotte:

Stamps: Gina K - Sweet Sentiments; MFT - Inside & Outside Birthday Greetings

Inks: Gina K - Med Lilac, Sea Glass, Sweetcorn, Key Lime, Bubblegum Pink, Light Orchid, Jelly Bean Green; Versafine Clair - Nocturne

Dies: Gina K - Master Layout 2

Accessories: White & Black Card; Gina K Stencil - Layered Peony 

I'm submitting this card to Addicted to Stamps and More - ATSM#444 where the theme is Any Occasion, and to Never-Before-Used-Schtuff - NBUS#49 - this is the first time I've used the stencils and stamps.

I thought Charlotte's birthday card would be the perfect time to use the layered peony stencils. I love rainbows and was totally inspired by Mindy Eggen's beautiful rainbow cards. I stencilled the peony onto a piece of white card and used a stitch-edge die to cut out the panel. I added a simple greeting to one side and then layered the piece onto black card and added the whole panel to the front of a white A2 note card. Inside, I cut a piece of black card for the mat layer. On the white panel I lightly stencilled the peony again - using only layer 1 of the stencils and using a very light hand. I finished by adding a simple birthday greeting.

Hopefully, Charlotte will have received this card by now - but I'm not sure I got it in the post on time!! Heyho!! The next card is the one I made for my mum to give to Jonathan:

Stamps: Altenew - Just a Number

Inks: Gina K - Wild Dandelion, Key Lime, Turquoise Sea, Blue Raspberry, Sweet Mango, Lipstick

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

Accessories: White & Black Card; Gina K Stencil - Making Waves; Simon Hurley Stencil - Candles

I'm submitting this card to The Male Room - TMR#173 where the challenge is to use stencil and/or dies - done. I'm also playing along with Seize the Birthday - STB#260 - the Anything Goes part of the challenge.

I took part in Stenciled 2 - on the Online Card Classes  - recently, and this is the first time I've tried out any of the techniques. I first stencilled the candles from yellow to blue to create an ombre colour. Leaving the candle stencil in place, I added the Making Waves stencil on top and, using the same colours, I added more colour on top. I love the subtle pattern this creates in the candles. I used layer 2 of the candles stencil to add the candle flames blending orange and red ink. I die cut a section of the panel and adhered it to a black mat layer and then onto an A2 note card. On a scrap of white card, I blended the same colours and then used a 'happy birthday' die to cut out the words and layered them onto black shadow layers and glued to the card. Inside, I cut a mat layer of black card. On the white card I added a fun sentiment and a few candles that I cut out from the piece of card left over from the front.

I think the candles stencil is just super - perfect for everyone! 

That's all from me for now. It's a dull, wet day here in North Wales, so I'm planning on spending the day in my craft room making cards and listening to my Audible book. See you soon.