Birthday Hot Air Balloon

... Morning! I hope you've all had an enjoyable weekend. We've had fun - see below, and I've made cards. Today I'm sharing a card that I've made for my brother-in-law, Tim, who has his birthday at the beginning of May. Here's the card:

Stamps: Dare 2B Artzy - Balloon Tangle; Gina K - Birthday Sparkle, So Many Sentiments

Inks: Gina K - Sea Glass, Turquoise Sea, Tranquil Teal, Tomato Soup; Versafine Clair - Nocturne

Dies: D2BA - Hot Air Balloons; Gina K - Birthday Sparkle

Accessories: White Card; Blue Vellum; Simon Hurley Stencil - Polka Dot Assortment; Copic Markers

I'm submitting this card to Freshly Made Sketches - FMS#632, and Just Us Girls - JUGS#723 where they have a super moodboard.

I started by cutting a piece of card 5" square and stencilled a pattern using the colours from JUGS. I love this type of stencil - there are almost endless possibilities for patterns. I trimmed the panel to size and adhered it to an A2 note card. I used my MISTI to stamp the hot air balloon, removed it from the MISTI, coloured with Copic markers, replaced it and stamped the image again in Versafine Clair black ink. I used the matching die to cut out the balloon.  I stamped the birthday greeting in black ink and cut it out with the matching die. I found some vellum in my stash, cut a mat layer, adhered the stamped images and then added the whole lot to the card.

Inside, I cut the remaining vellum into a mat layer. On the white card I stamped a fun greeting and added a balloon flying off the edge of the card.

As I mentioned above, we had a good time over the weekend. We went for a drive on Saturday; we live in such a pretty area. Then in the evening Jonathan and I watched Oppenheimer - it's an excellent film. I can see why it won so many Oscars. Then on Sunday afternoon, I listened to Taylor Swift's latest album. It's good. My daughter, Kat, will be delighted that we've caught up with it!! Bye for now.

Happy Birthday

.... Morning! I'm still working on building up my birthday card stash, but this one is a special for my wonderful sister-in-law, Charlotte. She and my hubby, Jonathan, have their birthday on the same day! Only she's seven years younger than Jonathan. I got inspiration for this card from the brilliant, Gina K, it's a fun video to watch. Here's my card:

Stamps: Gina K - Birthday Sparkle, On the Inside Birthday

Inks: Gina K - Dusty Rose, Passionate Pink, Blue Raspberry, Wild Dandelion, Sweet Mango, Tangerine Twist, Ocean Mist, Blue Lagoon; Memento - Summer Sky; Versafine Clair - Nocturne

Dies: Gina K - Master Layout 8, Birthday Sparkle

Accessories: White & Black Card; Gina K Stencils - Perfect Poppies, Create Friendship, Summer Bouquet, Layered Carnation; Gina K - Masking Magic Strips

I'm submitting this card to the following challenges:

Addicted to Stamps and More - ATSM#466 - the theme is to make a mark.

Never-Before-Used-Schtuff - NBUS#61 

Seize the Birthday - STB#281 - Anything Birthday Goes

This is a large 5" x 7" note card. I used a stitched edge die to cut a panel of white card and masked the edges with ¼" wide Masking Magic. I used four different floral stencils to create the background. Once I finished inking the flowers, I lightly inked around the edge of the masking strips with whatever ink was left on the teal brush and then I removed the tape revealing a clean, crisp white border. I layered the panel onto a black mat layer. I adhered the whole piece to the front of the note card. I stamped the greeting on white card and used the matching die to cut it out, along with three white pieces. I layered them together for dimension and stability and added it to the card. To complete the front, I used on of the little sparkle stamps to add tiny black, star accents.

On the inside, I cut a mat layer of black card and on the white panel I stamped a birthday greeting in black. I used the carnation stencil to add a flower at the bottom of the panel. 

I'm enjoying making larger cards, especially with floral stencils - it's so pretty. That's all for today. I've got a card to make for Jonathan and then one for Tim, their brother who has his birthday at the beginning of May. See you soon.

You Complete Me

... Hi! I was looking at my calendar this morning and realised that it's our 23rd wedding anniversary next week. So, I've made a card for my wonderful husband, Jonathan. This is it:

Stamps: Lil' Inkers - It's Today, Right?, Pieces of Me

Inks: Gina K - Wild Dandelion, Passionate Pink, Blue Raspberry, Lucky Clover; Versafine Clair - Nocturne

Dies: Lil' Inkers - Puzzle Pieces

Accessories: White Card; Copic Markers; I-Stencil - Inverse Square

I'm submitting this card to AAA Cards - AAA#263 Anything CAS goes with the option of Wedding/Anniversary, The Paper Players - PP#685 bold, bright colours, and to Cardz 4 Guyz - C4G#345 where they want CAS.

I went through my stash and came across the fun puzzle die and matching sentiments. I used a square stencil with the wonky design and added ink - it was whatever was left on the brush. I die cut the puzzle pieces from white card and then decided to colour them with Copic markers. I layered the pieces together and adhered them to the centre of the stencilled pattern. I finished the front with the sentiment - which is perfect, as Jonathan does complete me!!

I cut a piece of white card slightly smaller than the base. I stamped the bold anniversary greeting (my all time favourite) and added a fun sentiment below. I also stamped some outline puzzle pieces to match the colours on the front of the card. I'm not sure what we're doing for our anniversary yet, but we might go out for dinner!!

That's all for today. Bye for now.

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.

Floral Birthday

.... Good afternoon! It's been a crazy day here today - we've had just about every kind of weather possible. Rain, hail, sunshine, cold wind, and more rain!! Hard to believe it's spring!! Anyway, I've made a birthday card for my stash - a pretty, clean simple card:

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

Inks: Gina K - Wild Dandelion, Sweet Corn, Innocent Pink, Applemint; Memento - Rhubarb Stalk; Versafine Clair - Nocturne

Dies: Gina K - Modern Floral

Accessories: White Card, Applemint Card; Gina K Stencil - Modern Floral

I'm submitting this card to Color Throwdown - CTD#788 - such pretty colours, to Never-Before-Used-Schtuff - NBUS#61 - first time I've used Modern Floral, and to CAS on Friday - CASOF#281 where the theme is Spring.

I used my MISTI to stamp for floral image onto white card - I did several flowers, only two were used here. I removed the images from the MISTI and used the matching stencil to add colour to the stamped images. There are two stencils for the flower and they are easy to line up. Once coloured, I put the image back in the MISTI and restamped with Nocturne ink - it gives a lovely dark black line. I then used the matching die to cut out the flowers. I stamped smaller flowers in directly onto the card using pale green ink. I finished the front with a birthday greeting in a fun font.

For the inside, I cut a mat layer of applemint card and on the white panel stamped a fun greeting and added some more of the small green flowers.

As I said above, I still have several of these flowers on my desk. You'll see more cards soon. As well as building up my stash of birthday cards, I'm making a number of cards to send to our son, Ben, so that he has cards on hand! That's all for now. See you soon.

Sympathy Card

... Good afternoon! I've had a fun day in my craft room. I need to rebuild my card stash - I didn't make many cards last year, and I've worked my way through all my stash. So, today I made a start on a sympathy card. I used lots last year and I sincerely hope that I don't need any this year, but it is always so much easier to make them when you don't actually need them. So here's my card:

Stamps: Waffle Flower - With Sympathy Duo; PTI - Random Stripe

Inks: Kaleidacolor - Cappuccino Delight

Dies: Marianne Design - Forest Branch LR0150

Accessories: White & Brown Card

I'm submitting this card to Addicted to CAS - ATCAS#256 where the keyword is 'monochrome'.

Last week I started going through my old stamps and dies. I found the PTI stripe stamp set and used it for a clean, simple birthday card. I like this set, so I used it again today. I stamped the 'barcode' style image directly onto a white A2 note card. I used shades of brown. The sentiment I picked has a clean, crisp font and works perfectly with the stripe image. I finished the front by die cutting the forest branch (a very, very old die) in brown shimmer card along with two white dies. I layered them together and then added them to the card.

Inside the card, I cut a mat layer of the shimmer brown card - it's a bit smaller than I'd normally do, but I was running out of card! On the white panel I added another sympathy sentiment. The stamp set has lots of mini sentiments which can be added when needed.

That's all from me today. See you again soon.

Drip, drip, drop little April Shower

.... Good afternoon! The title of this post is entirely appropriate for the weather we've been having. And, it works as there are lots of challenges with rain/rainbows/sun as the theme. Indeed, on Tuesday I shared a rain themed card, but you can never have too many, especially in the UK!! Here's my card:

Stamps: Stampin' Up! - Bootiful Occasions; PTI - Scattered Showers

Inks: Versafine - Onyx Black; Gina K - Wild Dandelion, Powder Blue

Dies: PTI - Scattered Showers

Accessories: White Card; Dylusions Stencil - Raindrops Sm; Copic Markers; Clear Embossing Powder

I'm submitting this card to four challenges:

Addicted to CAS - ATCAS#255 - Rain

Just Us Girls - JUGS#722 - Rain

Freshly Made Sketches - FMS#631 - Sketch

Inspired By - IB#284 - Photo

I embossed a raindrop stencil onto white card and trimmed it to slightly smaller than an A2 note card. I brushed the edges with blue ink and adhered it to the car. I used my MISTI to stamp the boot and sentiment, took the image out and coloured it with Copic markers, put it back in the MISTI and restamped with Versafine ink and heat embossed with clear powder. I carefully cut out the boot with the smallest white margin. I had some umbrella dies left over from Tuesday, so I stamped a bright yellow brolly and adhered that to the card. I used dimensional pads to adhere the boot. I finished with the sentiment. I've left the inside blank for my own message.

I took a close-up photo of the background to show the embossed raindrop detail - you can just about see it in the photo above, but it's much clearer here:

I'm hoping that tomorrow will be a brighter day as I plan on taking my Mum to the local garden centre. She wants to get a new Acer for the garden, so we're garden shopping!! That's all for now. See you soon.

Barcode Birthday

... Hello again! A quick post with another clean, simple card. This time I've made birthday card - probably for one of my nephews.

Stamps: PTI - Random Stripe, Rock On

Inks: Kaleidacolor - Caribbean Sea; Versafine Clair - Nocturne

Accessories: Black and White Card

I'm submitting this card to Time Out Challenges - TOC#260 where the theme is striped.

Going back to older stash, I found this fabulous barcode style stamp which I think works perfectly for a teenage boy. I stamped the image on a strip of white card using a multi-colour stamp pad. I trimmed to size and layered the image onto a black mat layer and adhered it to the front of an A2 white note card. I finished the front by stamping a funky birthday greeting.

Inside, I cut a mat layer of black card and on the white panel I stamped another greeting along with a cute guitar and some musical notes.

This is going into my stash until I need it. That really is all for now - I'm off to make dinner. See you soon.