Happy 80th Birthday ....

..... Good morning! I'm sharing a couple of birthday cards I've made for my father-in-law, Simon, who is 80 years old today. He's not much for celebrating birthdays, so I decided not to put a number on his cards, but you I think you can tell it's a special birthday! Here's the first card:

Stamps: Impression Obsession - Umpteenth Birthday; Concord & 9th - Yay for Birthdays; Waltzingmouse Stamps - Woodgrain

Inks: Gina K - Sandy Beach, Dark Chocolate, Soft Stone, Barely There; Versafine Clair - Nocturne; Memento - Summer Sky, New Sprout

Dies: Spellbinders - Contemporary Squares

Accessories: White Card; Scrap blue and green card

I'm submitting this card to The Male Room - TMR#149 where the theme is wood. I've used the sketch from Freshly Made Sketches - FMS#480 for the layout, and I'm also playing along with Happy Little Stampers Anything Goes with Dies - HLSAGD#04.

I thought I had some real wood card in my stash, but I couldn't find it, so I stamped a woodgrain image on white card using two shades of brown and a soft grey. I used a Spellbinder die to cut out the swoosh of contemporary squares. I adhered the outline piece to the front of an A2 card. I used some scraps of blue and green card to cut out the 'squares' and adhered them inside the outline. I finished the strip by adding the square of 'wood' card. I completed the front with a fun birthday greeting, which I'm sure Simon will like! On the inside, I cut a piece of white card slightly smaller than the base. I stamped a fun birthday cupcake in soft tones of blue and green and finished with a fun sentiment.

The card above is the one that mum sent to Simon. I also made one for Jonathan and I to send to Simon:

Stamps: Stampin' Up! - Best of Birthdays; Concord & 9th - Birthday Stacks

Inks: SU - Merry Merlot, Mossy Meadow, Daffodil Delight; Versafine - Onyx Black

Accessories: White Card; Visible Image Stencil - Two Tone; Copic Markers; Clear Embossing Powder; Nuvo - Clear Aqua Shimmer Brush

I'm submitting this card to CAS Colours & Sketches - CASC&S#414, Perfectly CAS - PCAS#13, and to Seize the Birthday - STB#211 where the toppings option is Squares.

I started by masking the card to create a central panel onto which I stencilled lots of little squares in burgundy, yellow and green. Next I stamped this cute cake topped with loads of candles and a fun sentiment. I coloured the image with Copic markers and fussy cut it out. I added lots of sparkle to the cake with a clear aqua shimmer brush. I used dimensional pads to adhere it to the front of the card. Inside, I cut another piece of white card, slightly smaller than the card. At the bottom I stamped a line of bold birthday candle which I coloured with Copic markers to match the central panel. I embossed the candles and finished with a bold, simple birthday greeting which finishes off the message.

While travel restrictions have been relaxed in the United Kingdom, it is not possible for us all to get together to celebrate. However, we will be having a Zoom get together for a quiz and to chat later this afternoon. So looking forward to when we can all meet in person!!

That's all from me today - have a good one. See you soon.

Uniko - Background Blocks Halftone ....

.... We're halfway through our introductions and I'm here today with the next one from Uniko's new release. This time it's a solid stamp called Background Blocks Halftone - it's a very on-trend stamp and can be used for all sorts. Here's my card:

Stamps: Uniko - Background Block Halftone, All Occasion Sentiments #4, Winter Foliage, Christmas Sparkle; Waltzingmouse - Woodgrain
Inks: Stampin' Up! - Crumb Cake, Real Red; Versafine - Onyx Black
Accessories: White Lustre Card; SU Card - Crumb Cake; Clear Embossing Powder

I've made a simple Christmas card. My colours are from this week's Just Us Girls - JUGS#281 challenge and I got the idea of a wood background from Addicted to CAS - ATCAS#105. I made the card from kraft card and stamped the wood grain background using the same colour ink for a soft tone-on-tone look. I used black ink to stamp the branch, thread, ribbon and sentiments directly on the card. I used a scrap of white card for the Christmas ornament. I stamped the half-tone background in bright red and then stamped the outline ornament shape. I carefully cut out the ornament, coloured in the little cap and attached it flat to the card. I finished the front by adding the ampersand in bright red. On the inside I cut a panel of white card on which I stamped a Christmas greeting and added another red half-tone ornament.

A quick reminder of the release schedule:

Introductions: 20th - 24th February - the team have some fab inspiration for you

RELEASE DAY! Saturday 25th February - lots more inspiration from the Design Team, your chance to buy the stamps from Uniko's shop and, as always, a Design Team Blog Hop and Giveaway!

That's all for now! See you tomorrow.

52CCT - Theme ....

.... Hello!! We have a lovely theme for you this week at 52 Christmas Card Throwdown - 52CCT46-16. Gill wants us to make cards for an OLD FASHIONED CHRISTMAS. Once again, I've gone slightly mad and made a total of 4 cards! Here they are:

Stamps: Uniko - Simply Said Christmas, Stunning Snowflakes; Waltzingmouse - Woodgrain
Inks: Stampin' Up! - Baked Brown Sugar; Delicata - Golden Glitz
Dies: Lil Inkers - Stitched Rectangles #4 & #5
Accessories: White Lustre Card; SU Card - Baked Brown Sugar; SU DP - Pool Party; Kaisercraft DP - 12 x 12 Frosted Collection Arctic; Burlap; Gold Satin Card; Copics; Wink of Stella - Clear

I used the colours from City Crafter Challenge Blog - CCCB#338 where they want us to make a Christmas card using beach colours. From their inspiration photo I've used a wood grain finish, some burlap, gold and shades of aqua and pale green. The main image comes from a piece of 12" x 12" vintage theme Christmas paper. I coloured selected parts with Copic markers and added some sparkle too. I layered the image on aqua design paper, some frayed burlap and then on satin gold card. I then adhered the whole panel to the front of a card which I had stamped with a wood grain finish. On the inside I cut a mat layer from aqua design paper and on the white panel added a greeting and some snowflakes.

The large sheet of design paper contained lots of smaller images and I used another on my next card:

Stamps: Uniko - Simply Said Christmas
Inks: Stampin' Up! - Old Olive, Cherry Cobbler
Accessories: Cream Lustre Card; SU DP - Season of Style; Kaisercraft DP - 12 x 12 Frosted Collection Arctic; Copics; Stick It Adhesive; Gold Satin Mirri Card

I really like the vintage Santa and the old style font for the words. I used the inspiration photo from Addicted to Stamps and More! - ATSM#220 for the use of colours. The layout of the card is based on this week's sketch from MFT Wednesday Sketch Club - MFTWSC#307. I used my Copics to add some colour to the image and then placed it on some Stick It - a double sided sheet of adhesive. I removed the top layer and poured on some extra fine crystal glitter which I buffed into the surface. I then layered the image on some gold satin card. I used the border strip to add the sentiment. On the inside I cut a mat layer from design paper and added a simple greeting to the cream panel. This card is very clean and simple.

My card is also quick and simple, but not so clean and simple!!

Stamps: Waltzingmouse - Compliments of the Season II
Inks: Delicata - Golden Glitz
Accessories: Cream Lustre Card; Anita's Classic Gold Christmas Vellum; Copics; Wink of Stella - Clear; Kaisercraft - 12 x 12 DP

I decided to frame this simple strip of vintage images with gorgeous gold vellum. I cut the vellum slightly smaller than the card and attached it with double sided tape in the centre. Then I adhered the images over the top. I added a touch of colour and sparkle to the foliage. On the inside I cut some more vellum for the mat layer and on the cream panel stamped a simple and elegant greeting.

My last card features some old fashioned Christmas advertisements:

Stamps: Uniko - Winter Foliage, Most Wonderful
Inks: SU - Old Olive, Baked Brown Sugar, Early Espresso
Accessories: Cream Lustre Card; SU Card - Old Olive; SU DP - Old Olive; Kaisercraft - 12 x 12 DP; Copics; Wink of Stella - Clear

I added a touch of colour and sparkle to the vintage images and then layered them on some green design paper and lightly inked the edges with brown ink. I stamped some pine branches and a pine cone on the card. On the inside I cut a mat layer of green card and added a greeting and more pine branches to the cream panel.

I am really pleased to have made another four cards for my stash. Here's a photo of all four together:

I still have plenty of vintage images left from the design paper and will make some more during the week!  For more inspiration with Old Fashioned Christmas cards - do visit our blog to see more from the team.  I'm off to a fun craft class at Stampeddler this morning - making more Christmas cards!!! Have a fun weekend and see you soon.

Uniko - Christmas theme ....

.... Morning! Here at Uniko we have a really lovely challenge for you this month. We want to see your Christmas creations. You don't have to use Uniko stamps to play along, but obviously we really love it if you do use Uniko products. I have a couple of cards for you this morning. Earlier this month Uniko was one of the sponsors of Tracey McNeely's 25 Days of Christmas Tags. I had lots of fun and created two trios of tags. My cards today are based, in part, on the trio of poinsettia tags that I made. Here are my cards:

Stamps: Uniko - Pure Floral Poinsettia, Most Wonderful, Simply Said Christmas; Waltzingmouse - Woodgrain
Inks: Versamark; Stampin' Up! - Real Red, Tempting Turquoise, Baked Brown Sugar; Memento - London Fog; Delicata - Golden Glitz
Dies: Die-namics - Fishtail Flags Layers Stax #1; Lil Inkers - Stitched Rectangles
Accessories: White Lustre Card; SU Card - Basic Grey, Real Red, Baked Brown Sugar, Pear Pizzazz; Tim Holtz Water colour Card; Embossing Powder - White, Gold Tinsel, Silver; Zig Pens; Wink of Stella - Clear, Gold, Silver

I really liked the poinsettia tags that I made, so it was fun to make full size cards with the whole flower. In my local Kroger you can get poinsettia in the traditional red/pink/cream, along with funky colours like blue, teal, purple, orange - they look wonderful!

I die cut some panels of water colour card, stamped the poinsettia in Versamark and heat embossed one in silver and one in gold. I used my Zig brushes to water colour the flowers. On the traditional colour poinsettia I added a greeting stamped on some red card, on the blue and green poinsettia I stamped the greeting directly on the water colour card. I made a grey base for the red flower and a brown base with wood grain stamped on for the blue flower. On both cards I adhered the panels with dimensional tape. On the inside of the red poinsettia card I cut a mat layer of red card and on the white panel stamped a simple greeting along with a grey outline poinsettia. On the blue flower the mat layer is green with a blue greeting and gold flower.

I'm submitting the red poinsettia card to this week's Merry Monday Challenge - MM#222 where they want us to use red, grey and white. The blue/green poinsettia is being submitted to City Crafter Challenge Blog - CCCB#338 where they have a beach colours for Christmas theme. I think I'm going to make some more fancy coloured poinsettia - it's a pretty card and so easy to make!

Do visit our blog to see more lovely Christmas cards from the rest of the team. This month our Guest Designer is Sue, from Sue's Card Craft. Do drop by and leave them all a comment - we all like feedback!

Halloween neutrals ...

.... Morning!  This is one of my scheduled posts - set up as our son, Ben, and his girlfriend, Sophie, are visiting for a couple of weeks.

I've a clean, simple and graphic Halloween card for you this morning:

Stamps: Waltzingmouse - Woodgrain; MFT - Primitive Pumpkins
Inks: Stampin' Up! - Smoky Slate, Craft Whisper White; Distress - Antique Linen, Old Paper, Hickory Smoke, Weathered Wood; Versafine - Onyx Black
Dies: Die-namics - Primitive Pumpkins
Accessories: White Lustre Card; SU Card - Smoky Slate

I really like the photo used at The Card Concept - CC#41 - the weathered wood chair, the cream pumpkins and dark floor - just fab.  I decided to make the woodgrain finish the main feature of the background - I stamped the woodgrain image in grey and softened it by rubbing over with a white pigment ink.  I stamped the pumpkins in Distress ink and cut them out with the matching dies.  I added a row of rustic stars to ground the pumpkins and finished by adding a sentiment.  On the inside I cut a mat layer of grey card and added a Halloween greeting to the white panel - and some more pumpkins!!

I'm also submitting this card to the current challenge at AAA Cards - AAA#50.  The graphic they have used this week has 4 pumpkins - and so do I!!   Not sure it's as clean and simple as the team would like, but it is simple!

That's all for today.