You bring me sunshine .....

.... Hi again!  I'm back a bit quicker than expected - got all the washing and ironing finished quicker than expected - so free time to play!!!  And that's good because as soon as I saw the challenge at CASology - CAS48, cue word YELLOW, I knew what I'd be making.  The card also works for the current Addicted to CAS Challenge - ATCAS14, cue word CIRCLES - here there are many!!! Here's my card:

Stamps: Waltzingmouse - My Island; My Favourite Things - First Class Friend; Verve - Learning to Sail
Inks: Stampin' Up! - Daffodil Delight; Memento - London Fog
Dies: Lil' Inkers - Stitched Squares #6; Memory Box - Circle Burst Sm
Accessories:  SU DP - Daffodil Delight; White Lustre Card

This came together so quickly - I think it took 30 minutes from start to finish!!!  The cue word yellow just shouted sunshine to me.  I used the polka dot bright paper from Stampin' Up! to make the mat layer; I also stamped a little sun on this paper and cut it out.  I used the Lil' Inker squares to cut out the white layer and then used the Memory Box die to create a "sun".  I love the words on this sentiment, absolutely perfect for the card.  I finished off the inside with a mat layer in yellow card and on the white panel a heartfelt sentiment.

Kathryn has just come home from school, weighed down by the contents of her school locker.  The children had to clear everything out today.  I think the last couple of days consist of fun activities - films, parties and signing of the Year Book.  I can't believe how fast the past year has gone.  Kathryn really has enjoyed her first year at an American Middle School - junior high!!!  She's grown up such a lot too!

I think that really is all for today. The weather has turned out to be much nicer than expected and I think I need to do a bit of weeding before we fly to the UK.  See you tomorrow.

Elegant birthday wishes ....

.... Morning all!  Time is marching on soooo fast and I have lists as long as my arms - just to make sure that I don't forget anything before we fly on Thursday.  But I've made sure of some "me" time and here's a card I made for a very special lady.  My mother-in-law has her birthday when I'm in the UK, so I've gone a bit mad and made a large (8" ×8") card for her.  I used a couple of challenges to make it:

• The Play Date Cafe Challenge - PDCC85 - just adore these colours
• My Favourite Things Wednesday Sketch Club - MFTWSC127 - sketch

Stamps: Stampendous - Jumbo Dahlia; Hero Arts - Layered Flowers; Waltzingmouse - Say It Loud; PTI - Stylish Sentiments - Birthday
Inks: Stampin' Up! - Island Indigo, Raspberry Ripple
Dies: Die-namics - Fishtail Flags Layers Stax # 3; Spellbinders - Grand Big Scalloped Circles (LF-249) #3
Accessories:  Kanban DP (Grey); Martha Stewart Punch - Arches Border; SU Card - Island Indigo, Raspberry Ripple; White Lustre Card;

I had such fun making this card.  I love the colours - so rich and elegant, perfect for my mother-in-law.  I cut a mat layer in raspberry onto which I layered this lovely grey/silver paper - isn't the flourish just wonderful?  I had to trim the grey paper to fit the card, and used the scrap on the envelope.  I stamped the dahlia onto white card and cut it out, layering onto a teal scalloped circle.  I stamped the sentiment onto white card and cut it out with my Die-namics fishtail dies.  I finished the front of the card with a punched border in white and an accent flower, layered with all the colours.

For the inside I cut another mat in raspberry and on the white panel I stamped another dahlia (using second impression for a more subtle look) as well as the flourish from the same set.  I think the sentiment is just right for Madeline's card - she's always in our thoughts, but more so on her birthday.


To complete the look, I also decorated the envelope using the left over strip of grey/silver paper - I couldn't waste it - far too nice.  I punched the arch border in the grey paper and laid it over a strip of raspberry card.  They look great together.

I got lots done yesterday - washing and ironing - making sure that Kathryn and I both have clean clothes for our trip.  I laid out the suitcases in the spare room too - and am starting to pack!  I have to be careful to make sure I don't go over the baggage weight limit!

That's all for now - I hope to have a card to share with you tomorrow.  Bye for now.

Father's Day ....

.... Hi - hope you all had a good weekend - we did!  A pool party on Saturday - taking lots of photos of models at play, and then yesterday a super walk in Maybury State Park (see below).  I really enjoyed the walk, but Kathryn really wasn't happy!!  She enjoyed the breakfast after though!

My card this morning is for Father's Day, for my father-in-law from Jonathan.  Sadly my step-father died 10 years ago - and I miss him still, but I still get to make two cards each year - the one for Jonathan will be posted later!!!  I used this week's Colour Q - cQc192 challenge for the colours - I think they are just perfect for a masculine card, and I'm also submitting it for Addicted to CAS - ATCAS14, where the cue word "Circles", and I think the monocles count:

Stamps: Waltzingmouse - USA 1776, My Kind of Guy, Man of the Hour
Inks: Stampin' Up! - Island Indigo, Certainly Celery, Soft Sky, Smoky Slate (substitute for Going Grey)
Dies: Spellbinders - Large Labels (S4-168) #4, Small Labels (S4-169) #5
Accessories:  SU Card - Island Indigo; White Lustre Card

I carried the bowler hat theme on inside the card, with little bowlers in the corners and a simple, but heartfelt sentiment, in a frame.  I really like the shadow effect on these sentiments!

This card is winging its way to the UK as I type and hopefully will get to my father-in-law on time!!  As an aside, the bowler hat stamp in this set always reminds me of paintings by Rene Magritte - bowler hats feature in many of his paintings.

As we were walking around the park yesterday, we kept finding signs about the Maybury Sanitorium, so I did a bit of searching on Tinternet!  I found out that the Maybury Sanitorium, opened in 1921 and closed in August 1969, was built as a place to treat those suffering from tuberculois.  It was named after William Maybury who built the place, sadly he died of TB in November 1931.  In 1971 Michigan Natural Resource Commission purchased the land and property from the city of Detroit, and the State Park officially opened in May 1975.  It's a wonderful park with lots of routes for walkers, horse riders and bike riders, lots of trees, open land and a fishing pond.  I'll be going again!!

That's all for now - only four more days before Kathryn and I fly to the UK - so much to do!!!  But I'm still going to find time to play in my craft room for a bit ;)  See you soon.

Wheely!!!

... Good morning - a very quick post this morning to share a card that I've made for this week's CASology - CAS47 challenge.  The cue word this week is "WHEELS" and I've gone for a slightly relaxed view of wheels:

Stamps: Stampin' Up! - Summer Afternoon, Pursuit of Happiness
Inks: Memento - Tuxedo Black
Dies: Spellbinders - Eyelet Squares (S4-305) # 3, Squares Sm (S4-128) #5
Accessories:  SU Card - Pacific Point; Copics; White Lustre Card

The wheels in this image are so relaxed, they are stationary!!  I really like the image - so sweet, and I thought it went really well with the sentiment to pause and take time to "just be happy".  I stamped the image in Memento ink, coloured with Copics and cut it out with the dies.  I mounted the finished image onto a funky blue frame.  I finished off with the simple sentiment.

Yesterday afternoon I was out at a photo shoot with Jonathan - it's the first time I've gone to a proper shoot!!  We went to a pool party - nine models and a whole lot of photographers - all trying to take photos.  It was brilliant.  I learnt such a lot about taking photos and I'm sure my next shoot will be better.  I plan to go through the photos today and select a few to put up on Flickr, as well as a few here.  That's all for now.  See you soon.

Shades of Green ...

..... So, it's the second Saturday of the month and that means we have a colour challenge for you at 52 {Christmas} Card Throwdown, featuring my favourite colour GREEN.  The rules for this challenge are simple:  you may use ALL shades of green, BUT NO OTHER COLOUR.  You may use ONE neutral - white, cream, black, kraft or grey.  As for metallics - as long as they're green, they're okay!!  Here's my card:

Stamps: Just Rite - O Christmas Tree; Waltzingmouse - Compliments of the Season II
Inks: Versamark; Stampin' Up! - Wild Wasabi
Dies: Spellbinders - Nested Pennants (S5-028) # 1, 2 & 3
Accessories:  SU Card - Garden Green, Certainly Celery, Lucky Limeade, Wild Wasabi, Pistachio Pudding; Clear embossing powder; SU - Dazzling Diamonds; Promarker - Lush Green; Green Foil Card; White Lustre Card

The colour green suggested Christmas trees to me; lots of them!!  So that's what I made - a stylised Christmas tree forest.  I used several shades of green card.  On four I stamped the images in Versamark and embossed with clear embossing powder and on the tiny pale green I stamped the image in Wild Wasabi.  I used the Nested Pennants to cut out the trees.  I added some glitter to a few of the trees.  I cut a mat layer in green foil and adhered the Christmas trees directly to the white panel.  Although there are lots of layers, this is quite flat and will be easy to mail. 

For the inside I cut another green foil mat and on the white layer I stamped the sentiment in Versarmark, embossed with clear powder and then sponged over the top with Wild Wasabi to bring out the design.

Don't forget to check our the Green creations from the rest of the team - they are all just fabulous!  I look forward to seeing what you make!

That's all for today - I'm off to a photo shoot with Jonathan today.  Our local group is at a pool party with five models in swimwear - should be lots of fun.  I do hope the pool is warm though!  See you soon.

Summertime .....

.... and the living is easy!!!  Well, that's how the song goes.  Today my card is for The Paper Players Challenge - PP148 - they have a theme for us this week - summer holiday!!  And for me that's getting to be really close - Kathryn and I fly to the UK on 13th June - only 6 days to go!!!  Here's my card:

Stamps: Waltzingmouse - My Island
Inks: Memento - Tuxedo Black; Distress - Antique Linen, Ripe Persimmon
Accessories: Kaisercraft DP - Tropicana; Stampin' Up! Card - Basic Black; White Lustre Card

This card came together really quickly and easily.  There's not much stamping on the front of the card, as I felt this paper worked really well on its own.  I cut a mat layer in black and distressed the edges of the mat and design paper.  You can't really see it in the photo, but the palm has a lovely subtle shine.  I simply added a sentiment to finish the front.  Most of the work was on the inside - I cut another mat layer in black and a panel in white, distressing the edges of both.  On the white card I stamped another sentiment and a few more palm trees.  Then I got busy with my Distress inks adding colour to the edges of the card and leaving a white highlight in the centre as a suggestion of the sun! 

I'd like to think that the weather in the UK will be hot and sunny, but I think it's fair more likely to be a warm and wet!!  I'll keep my fingers crossed.

Bye for now - see you tomorrow with the new 52 {Christmas} Card Challenge - it's a good one!

Congratulations ....

... and celebrations!!  That's the way the song goes!  A very quick post this morning as I'm running a bit late with this card.  I've used a couple of challenges to make it:

• CAS-ual Fridays - CFC103 to make a CAS congrats card
• Colour Q - cQc192 - love these colours

Stamps: Waltzingmouse - USA 1776; Uniko Studio - All Occasion Sentiments #1
Inks: Stampin' Up! - Island Indigo, Soft Sky, Certainly Celery, Smokey Slate
Accessories: White Lustre Card

This is about as clean and simple as it gets!  I got my new Waltzingmouse stamps yesterday (thanks Lynn!) and as soon as I saw the firework stamps I knew just what to make for the CAS-ual Friday challenge.  I used all the firework stamps on the card and finished with the bold congrats sentiment in Island Indigo.  I don't have Going Gray, so I used the new SU soft grey - Smokey Slate - it's fab! I think this is going into my stash for when I need a congrats card.

That's all for now as I'm in a rush - off to be pampered this morning - I'm having a facial!  See you soon.

Happy Birthday ....

... Hello again!  I'm on a bit of a roll - I've managed to post everyday this week - well so far!  I've another birthday card to share with you this morning - lots of my friends and family have birthdays in June and July - I need lots!  I used a few challenges to make this one:

• Muse Challenge - MUSE20
• Additcted to CAS - ATCAS14
• Create for Fun - CR84FN58

Stamps: Stampin' Up! - Lacy & Lovely, Sassy Salutations, Delightful Dozen
Inks: SU - Daffodil Delight, Real Red
Accessories: SU Card - Real Red, SU DP - Daffodil Delight; Gems; Gingham Ribbon; White Lustre Card

Laurie's card - MUSE20 - so pretty

The Muse this week is Laurie Willison - I really like her card, so fresh and pretty.  I decided to use Laurie's layout and I changed up the colours (revisiting an old favourite from Create for Fun; red, yellow and natural) and used different stamps.  The cue word at ATCAS is circles - and I think I've a few in this card!

I made the card base from SU Real Red card and cut a mats in SU design paper Daffodil Delight and White Lustre.  I stamped this pretty lacy flower in yellow, added a bold sentiment in red and finished the front with some gems and a pretty gingham ribbon.  For the inside I cut another couple of mats and stamped a fun sentiment.

Before I go, I'd like to welcome a couple of new followers - so pleased you joined me - HELLO to Beverley and Renee!

That's all for today - hope you all have a good one.  See you soon.

Happy Birthday ....

... morning all - hope you're all well.  I had a bit of time to play yesterday and I've a birthday card to share.  I used a couple of challenges to make it:

• CAS(E) this Sketch! - CTS30
• Dynamic Duos - DD#50 - just love these colours

Stamps: Uniko Studios - Pure Florals: Chrysanthemums, Fontiments: Birthday; My Favourite Things - Birthday Sentiments
Inks: Versamark; Stampin' Up! - Raspberry Ripple
Dies: Die-namics - Fishtail Flags Layers Stax #2
Accessories: SU Design Paper - Print Poetry; Cream Lustre Card; White embossing powder, SU Card - Raspberry Ripple, Wisteria Wonder; Prismacolour pencils

I haven't played along with CAS(E) this Sketch for ages and I'm so pleased to join in this week - it's a super sketch.  And I just adore the colours from Dynamic Duos - so pretty!  I started by cutting a mat layer in Wisteria Wonder and a panel in cream.  I cut a few flags from the SU design paper, found the centre of the card and glued them in place.  The central panel is simply two pieces of cards, and I used two fonts to create the sentiment.  The flower was stamped in Versarmark onto heavy weight vellum and heat embossed with white powder.  I then coloured the reverse of the image to match the Wisteria Wonder (well as close as possible) and cut it out.  For the inside I stamped a bold sentiment in Raspberry Ripple.

That's all for now - I've got some more cards to make and get scheduled, and I can't go out today as I'm waiting for various service guys to come to the house - so I've a great excuse to sit and create!  See you soon.

Thank you ....

.... Hi, it's a lovely morning here in Northville - quite a bit cooler than last week, but much more pleasant!  I've had a fabulous weekend, but more of that later.  First, I'd like to share a card I made yesterday.  I used a couple of challenges to make it:

• Colour Q - cQc191 - so bright and vibrant
• Freshly Made Sketches - FMS88 - I can see this one being used again and again

Stamps: My Favourite Things - LJD Pretty Poppies; Stampin' Up! - Best of Flowers
Inks: SU - Daffodil Delight, Real Red; Memento - London Fog
Dies: Spellbinders - Rectangles Sm (S4-130) #4, Scalloped Rectangles Sm (S4-131) #4
Accessories:  White Lustre Card; Aqua Card - from stash

This card came together really quickly.  I used the lovely text stamp from Pretty Poppies for the thin panel in grey.  I used my Spellbinders to cut a white panel and the soft aqua mat panel (most of which is hidden) as I cut off most of the scalloped edges (being totally faithful to the sketch).  I masked off the edges of the white panel and stamped the daisies in vibrant yellow and finished off with a bold thank you in red!  This card is already in the post.

I said earlier that I'd had a super weekend - well I did.  I got the gardening done which is a huge achievement for me as I'm not a gardening fan.  I love pretty gardens, just don't like doing the work to make them that way!!! 

And yesterday was my birthday.  It was such a great day.  After my morning walk, Jonathan and Kathryn made me breakfast and then I opened all my lovely cards.  I got a huge envelope of cards from my crafting group in Wales (I miss them all so much) as well as that envelope I had lots from other family and friends.  Here are a few photos of my cards - they WILL be staying on display for at least a week!

All the cards - on top of our bookshelf.

 A close up - you might recognise a couple of them - thanks Tara and Sue - love them!

And yet more!!  The card that opens at the front with the "for you" and butterfly was made by Kathryn - so pleased with it.

Well that's all for now - I've got a lot of preparation to do - only 10 days until Kathryn and I fly back to the UK for a whole month!!!  It's going to be so, so busy and we are both really looking forward to it.  See you soon!

Home decor .....

Click here for my 52CCT card.

...  Hi - no card in this post.  I attended a craft class on Thursday night at my local craft shop, Stampeddlar.  The class was to create some wall art for your home and was run by the very talented (and fun) Valerie Brincheck.  We 3D wall art from Kaisercraft (an Australian crafting company that I just love) called Bird on a Twig.  Here's my finished project:

Products: Kaisercraft - Bird on a Twig; Elegance DP (12" × 12"); Sakura pens - Glaze and Stardust; Distress Stains - Evergreen Bough; Distress Inks - Broken China; Gems; Flowers

I picked this gorgeous paper to decorate my wall art - I just love the colours - I actually have the 6½" pad!  It was so easy to create.  The first thing we did was stain the edges of each piece with Distress Stains - in my case it was Evergreen Bough (goes perfectly with these papers) and allowed them to dry.  I picked my favourite patterns, cut four 3" strips and a smaller 2" strip (for the backing bits) and ran them through a Xyron (you can you wet glue, but it's so much quicker and easier to make the strips self-adhesive) and I cut a larger piece for the bird.  I did each panel in turn, sticking on the paper, turning the panel over and used a craft knife to remove the excess, then sanding the edges to make them smooth (and ensure they won't lift up from the panel).  The bird was a little fiddly, but it worked okay.  I decided to do the twig in a different paper to the bird, and I'm really pleased how it turned out.

Once all the panels and backing mounts were covered, and I'd decided on the order I wanted, I flipped over the panels and pencilled a line 2" from the top and 2" from the bottom - applied some super sticky glue to the outer panels and attached the top mounting strip - making sure the edges of the panel and mounting bar were level; I repeated this for the bottom mounting bar.  I allowed the glue to dry a little, carefully turned the assembly over and added the two inner panels.  I used the super sticky glue on the back of the bird and twig and attached it to the backing panels.

Once the whole assembly was dry (I took it home and completed it here) I had fun adding some embellishments.  I kept it reasonably simple.  I used some gems in the flowers and paisley designs, traced over the flowers on the grey panel with my clear Stardust pen and added some glaze detail to the flowers and paisley with the clear glaze pen.  I brushed the edges of the flowers with distress ink and then spritzed them with water - allowing the water to bleed into the flowers, giving a lovely soft effect.  Once dry, I attached them with gel glue. I finished off by cutting out some butterflies from the left over paper (panel on the left), adding some glaze to highlight the design on each butterfly, adding gems and then adhering to the panels.  Here's a close up of the completed panels:

I wish I'd taken some photos of the other panels made - they were all so pretty.  I had such fun making this wall art - I think I may make some more!

Edited to add:  If you want to see what my piece looked like before I decorated it - check out the link to Stampeddlar here.  The link also shows the boards created by the other ladies - all just lovely!

That's all for now, I've got to go out and plant some flowers that I got for the garden - I think I'm going to be working between the rain!  Still, it'll be good for the plants!  See you soon.

Monochrome Christmas .....

....  Good morning everyone - I'm finding it hard to believe that it's June already!!!  It's time for our new challenge at 52 {Christmas] Card Throwdown and as it's the first Saturday of the month that means a sketch challenge.  Jacqueline has a super sketch for us and I've gone big!!  Here's my card:

Stamps: Waltzingmouse - Dainty Doilies Large, Dainty Doilies Small; My Favourite Things - Christmas Sentiments
Inks: Memento - Tuxedo Black; Versamark
Dies: Spellbinders - Resplendent Rectangles (S5-147) #3 & 4
Accessories:  Kanban - Silver polka dot card; Silver card; Vellum; White Lustre Card; Black and Silver Card; Embossing powder - Black Sparkle, Silver Tinsel; Stampin' Up! - Brad; Martha Stewart - Ornament border punch

As I said, I've gone big - the card is A5 (8¼" × 5 7/8") in size.  I decided to make a card with the greeting as the focal point, surrounded by doilies.  I started by stamping the doilies onto vellum and heat embossing with sparkly powder and then cutting them all out.  Next I die cut some white card for the sentiment and a frame in black and silver paper.  I die cut the ornament border and then cut a strip to fit on the card. For the inside I kept it super simple, using the last piece of black/silver paper for the mat layer and white card on which I stamped a very simple sentiment.

Don't forget to go to the blog and check out the inspiration cards from the rest of the team!  That's all for now, I'm looking forward to seeing what you make with this super sketch!