Birthday Wishes

.... Hello!! It's been a while since I've been here. I was lucky enough to go to a Uniko/Dies to Die For workshop at the beginning of August and my creative mojo started to come back. So, here I am with a much needed birthday card for my stash:

Stamps: Uniko - Simply Said Blocks 3; Birthday Sentiments

Inks: Gina K - Applemint, Lucky Clover, Christmas Pine; Versafine Claire - Nocturne

Accessories: Uniko Stencil - Layering Bauhaus Blocks; White Card; Copic Marker

I'm submitting this card to AAA Cards - AAA#297 where it's Anything CAS Goes with the option of all green, and I love all shades of green. I'm also playing along Just Us Girls - JUGS#790 where it's Stencil week. And, as this is the first time I've used this stencil, I'm also submitting to Never-Before-Used-Schtuff - NBUS#77.

I had such a good time at the Uniko/Dies to Die For workshop, that I was inspired to get out some of my Uniko stencils. I'm embarrassed to say that I've had this stencil for ages, but not used it. The design is made of three layering stencils, and I simply used three shades of green from light to dark. I trimmed the panel to be slightly smaller than 5" square, edged it with dark green Copic and adhered it to the card base. I didn't want to hide the image, so I stamped a small birthday greeting in black ink, cut it out and added to the card. For the inside, I cut a piece of white card to 4¾" square and I added the centre strip of the stencil to the card (I turned it sideways), and added a fun greeting.

It's been fun getting back to making cards. I needs lots!!

The reason I've been absent, is that Mum's cancer came back early last year, and I spent as much time as I could with her. Sadly, mum died in January, I've been coming to terms with no having mum here. It's been a tough, but my mojo seems to be back, and mum would be so pleased to see me making cards again. I worked my way through all my stash, and I so need more cards. So, I'm back. See you again soon.

O Christmas Tree ....

.... Hello again! I've ended February with an almost full week of cards - go me!! Today I'm sharing a Christmas card. It's never to early to start on your stash for this year - it makes thing so much less frantic in November!! This card is a bit out of my comfort zone.

Stamps: Visible Image - O Christmas Tree, Sentimental Christmas

Inks: Distress - Black Soot, Chipped Sapphire, Shaded Lilac, Tumbled Glass, Shabby Shutters, Twisted Citron; Versafine - Onyx Black; Memento - Lulu Lavender

Accessories: White Card; Clear Embossing Powder; Imagine Crafts - Frost Sheer Shimmer Spritz; Tim Holtz Stencil - Stars THS115; Viva - Iridescent Glitter Paste

I'm submitting this card to Just Us Girls - JUGS#573 - that inspiration photo is just gorgeous and inspired my ink blended background. I'm also playing along with 52Christmas Card Throwdown - 52CCT08-21 where they want Mixed Media on your card - done!! Finally, I'm joining in with Merry Little Christmas Challenge Blog - MLCCB#31 where it's Anything Christmas Goes.

I used a top-folding A2 card for the base. I used several shades of Distress ink to blend the background. I used Tim's water drop method to add some subtle dot texture on the background and then I spritzed the whole thing with frost shimmer spray - it's absolutely beautiful in sunshine!! Once the background was dry, I stamped the Christmas tree in black Versafine ink and heat embossed with clear powder. To give better definition of the tree, I repeated this step (one of the great things about using a MISTI). I finished the front by applying a layer of iridescent glitter paste through a Tim Holtz star stencil. On the inside, I stamped a Christmas greeting in black and added a tiny lilac start.

I took a photo of the card in direct sunlight - you can really see all the shimmer and sparkle - so pleased with it.

Isn't it wonderful how much better everything feels when the sun shines? And getting decent photos is a real plus too! I'm very pleased how this turned out. I don't usually go full mixed media on a card, but this was fun. That's all for today. Hope to see you again soon.

Hip Hop Birthday ....

.... Good afternoon! It's a really dismal day here in Northop Hall - dull, grey, wet but mild! So I've been playing in my craft room. A friend recently asked me to make a birthday card for him, so I came up with some ideas and made the one he liked. But I had a few idea left over, so I made one of them today. Here's a birthday card for my stash:

Stamps: Visible Image - Hip Hop Girls, Tomorrow Doesn't Exist, Random Art of Kindness, Rays of Light; MFT - Bitty Birthday Wishes

Inks: Gina K - Wild Dandelion, Sweet Mango, Bubblegum Pink, Key Lime, Powder Blue; Versafine - Onyx Black

Accessories: White Card; Visible Image Stencil - Cosmic Skies; Clear Embossing Powder

I'm submitting this card to Seize the Birthday - STB#208 - I going for the Anything Goes option, to Just Us Girls - JUGS#572 where they want to see rainbow colours, and to Happy Little Stampers Stencil Challenge - HLSSC#02 Anything Goes.

This is a one layer card. I started by stamping the hip hop dancer in black ink and heat embossed with clear powder. I covered the image with a mask and then stamped the numbers to act as a ground for her and added the rays of light behind her. Again they were stamped in Versafine black ink and heat embossed. Next I stamped the birthday greeting and embossed that. I finished the front by adding rainbow colours through a stencil. It has a very grungy feel. I've left the inside blank for my own message.

That's all for today. I'm going back to messing about with paints and inks. I've been doing an online class with Dyan Reaveley - Distinctly Dylusions 12 - where we've been using her wonderful hexagon stamps and stencils. I've lots of pages prepared to colour. I'll share some in the next few weeks. 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 - Birthday cards ....

... Hello, I'm typing this post in advance (actually on Saturday 9th). It's a glorious day, the sun's shining, the snow's melting and I've been playing in my craft room - as I said perfect!! I'm here with my weekly post for Seven Hills Crafts. I've made a couple of much needed birthday cards for my stash. Here's my first card:

Stamps: Concord & 9th - Snail Mail, Cuddles & Hugs; Altenew - Geo Frames

Inks: Gina K - Soft Stone, Red Velvet; Versafine Clair - Nocturne

Dies: Altenew - Geo Frames

Accessories: White & Black Card; Concord & 9th - Retro Petals Turnabout Stencils Pack

I'm submitting this card to AAA Birthday - AAAB#21 where they want use to use a Stencil Background, to Just Us Girls - JUGS#566 where they want us to use a stencil, and to Color Hues - CH#09.

 

I started by making the stencil background. I used a Concord & 9th turnabout stencil, inking alternate diagonal rows in red and grey, and repeating the process to give a finished panel of diagonal red and grey stripes. I cut the panel to fit the front of an A2 card. I used a die to cut a white rectangle and added a black frame from the matching stamp set. Then I had fun playing with the super Snail Mail stamp set. I used several of the word stamps to build up the message in the rectangle and finished by adding the cute snail. I stamped the snail on white card and fussy cut it out. On the inside, I simply cut a panel of white card, stamped a birthday greeting and added another snail along with a snail trail!

I was having such fun with the Snail Mail stamp set that I decided to decorate the envelope too:

My next card uses the strip of left over stencil background.

Stamps: Concord & 9th - Cuddles & Hugs

Inks: Gina K - Soft Stone, Red Velvet; Versafine Clair - Nocturne

Accessories: White Card; Concord & 9th - Retro Petals Turnabout Stencils Pack

I'm submitting this card to Never-Before-Used-Schtuff - NBUS#22. I've had both the stencil pack and Cuddle & Hugs for a long while, but this is the first time they've been used for cards!! My bad!

I used my MISTI to stamp the big, bold word 'hugs'. I stamped it a couple of times to make sure that the image was really black and crisp. Next, I edged the left over stripe of card with a black marker pen and adhered it flat to the card. I repositioned the card in the MISTI and stamped the word 'hugs' again to make it show on the strip. On the inside, I simply stamped the rest of the greeting and added some softly stencilled petal pattern.

That's all from me today. See you again next week. Keep safe.

JUGS GD - Hello ...

... Good morning!! It's the end of the month and the end of my time as Guest Designer with Just Us Girls. I've had a fabulous time and it's been a joy to visit everyone to see your creations. As there are five Saturdays in May, we have a wild card week and the challenge at Just Us Girls - JUGS#538 is to use two or more different patterned papers. Here's my card:

Stamps: Altenew - Totally Tropical, Leaf Canopy
Inks: Gina K - Jet Black Amalgam, Sweet Mango, Soft Stone
Dies: Altenew - Totally Tropical, Leaf Canopy
Accessories: White Card; BoBunny DP - Garden Party; Cosmo Cricket - DeLovely

I'm submitting this card to Dare 2 Be Artzy - D2BA#05 where the theme is In the Garden.

It's not often I use design paper, although I have a huge stash, so this was a fun challenge. Used some bold patterned papers from DeLovely (which I've had for years) for the flowers. I used the matching dies to cut them out. For the leaves I used some papers from Garden Party. I got the marbled paper from Garden Party and used it to make the mat layer on the front of the card. I adhered the leaves flat to the card and used dimensional pads to attach the flowers. I finished the front with a bold hello! On the inside, I used another piece of paper from Garden Party, same design as the leaves but a different colour, for the mat layer. On the white panel I stamped a simple message, added some leaves in grey and another pretty paper flower.

I'm really looking forward to seeing what you make with all those fabulous design papers we have in our stashes. Thanks again to the amazing Design Team at Just Us Girls for having me join you this month - it's been an honour and a pleasure. Bye for now. See you soon.

JUGS GD - Sea of Life ....

.... Hello! Can you believe we're almost at the end of May - the month has simply flown by. I'm having a fabulous time as Guest Designer at Just Us Girls and I've enjoyed visiting your blogs to see what you make with the prompts. This week is Photo Week and the photo is fabulous - look deep into the picture and you'll see so much. Here's my take:

Stamps: Stampendous - Stylized Whale (P302), Ocean Wishes; MFT - Wavy Colouring Book
Inks: Gina K - Jet Black Amalgam; Versamark
Dies: Lil Inkers - Dual Dotted Rectangles #3
Accessories: White Card; SU Card - Pacific Point; Copic Markers; Clear Embossing Powder

I'm submitting this card to Uniko - USC#59 where it's Anything Goes with the option of Bright and Happy, and I think this whale is very bright and happy.

Looking at the photo I saw that there were lots of patterned fishes on the chair fabric and also displayed in the blue vase. So I took the rainbow colours and fish as my inspiration. I stamped the whale on white card, coloured it with Copic markers, restamped and heat embossed with clear powder. I then cut out the panel using a fancy edged die. I cut a piece of blue card to make a card 5½" × 4¼" with the fold at the side. I stamped the wavy pattern using Versamark ink to give the suggestion of a wavy sea. On the inside, I cut a white panel onto which I stamped a greeting and added the tail of the whale as it swims out of the picture.

I look forward to seeing what you create based on our photo at Just Us Girls - JUGS#537. That's all from me for now. See you again soon.

JUGS GD - Happy Birthday ...

.... Hi! I'm half-way through my time as Guest Designer at Just Us Girls and I'm having a great time with so many lovely cards to see. This week is colour week - JUGS#536 and we want to see bright colours - green, orange, yellow and pink. Here's my card:

Stamps: Concord & 9th - Butterfly Love Turnabout, Beautiful Butterfly; MFT - Bitty Birthday Wishes, Sassy Pants Birthday Greetings
Inks: Versafine Clair - Cheerful, Summertime, Charming Pink, Verdant; Gina K - Black Amalgam
Dies: Spellbinders - 5 x 7 Modern Stationary (S6-013) #4; Die-namics - Stitched Fishtail Flags STAX #1
Accessories: White Card; Black Card; Vellum; Copic Markers

I'm submitting this card to Fab Friday - FABF#189 where they have a lovely versatile sketch, and to AAA Birthday - AAAB#13 where they want to see things with wings.

I used my MISTI to stamp the butterfly turnabout image in bold, bright Versafine Clair inks. I stamped the large butterfly on the turnabout in black ink and coloured it with Copic markers, then fussy cut it out. I used a die to cut a panel of the butterfly image and a layer of vellum, adhered them together and put them on the front of the card. I stamped a simple birthday greeting, cut it out with a die and attached it to the card. I finished the front by adding the bold butterfly. On the inside, I cut a mat layer of black card and on the white panel stamped a sassy birthday message along with another smaller butterfly. I coloured the butterfly with softer tones on the inside of the card.

Do join in with this week's challenge at Just Us Girls - JUGS#536 - I can't wait to see your bold, bright cards! That's all from me for today - see you again soon.