365 Cards Day 87 'The Eyes have it' ~ Use It - Recipe & Stamp Something Challenge

I have wanted to use this sketch from Stamp Something for some days. When I saw the challenge from 365 cards today the two things came together. I also realised that nearly all the elements that I was using were in line with Use It's challenge this week, so I was feeling really pleased with myself.
However, when I came to write the posting, I realised that I made made a fundamental error... for Use It the card is supposed to be square! Whah, whah!
Anyway on to the card. For 365 I must have the word 'eye' on the card. No easy feat. I looked up the word 'eye' in an online dictionary to see if it would give me inspiration, and once I had thought of this lovely flower I was away.
I think that the sentiment is perfect for this card, it reads.. 'Heaven is under our feet, as well as over our heads'. Perfect except for the fact that it was wood mounted and the rubber has been stuck on cock-eyed, so that was where my DIY Lego Stampamajig came in very handy once more. Although the sentiment is cut out, I couldn't bear it if it was not straight with the grain of the card.
I'm sorry about the shape of the card for the Use It challenge, but I thought you might like to see it anyway!
Chrissie

Mojo Monday Week 88

The lawn needs mowing, but the men came the other day to treat it, and so that's my excuse for not doing it today, we have to wait a couple of days after a treatment before cutting it. What luck! Now, however it has just started to rain, so I can't do it anyway. I won't have to water the pots either... another piece of luck.
One last card for today, until now it's been rather muggy and under the light in my craft room it's been decidedly warm.
This card is very muted in colour, the paper is from Papermania Exquisite. I love this stack and
here's the little bird again.
I overprinted some of the paper a little and decided against adding a sentiment.
Short and sweet.
Chrissie

The Pink Elephant Sketch

This is the first time I have used this little bird stamp although it has sat on the shelf for quite some time. It is so small that it's difficult to know how to best use it. I thought that the patterned semi-circle could do with a little something and that little something is this little bird!
The papers are some new ones that I have just bought from Jesse Edwards. They look great although I haven't had the inspiration to use them yet.
I am feeling rather smug today as I have actually managed to empty the ironing basket COMPLETELY for the first time in months! Not my favourite occupation, you may have guessed!
Chrissie

365 Cards Day 86 Grapes

Oops! I forgot to add the required 5 circles for today's challenge! I thought I'd leave the 'before' and 'after'!
It just so happens that I only bought this Woodware set of stamps last week. I bought them thinking that they may be useful for masculine cards, which I tend to find rather troublesome.
Thinking that men probably don't appreciate all the fancy stuff I thought that I would keep this simple.
So that's what it is... grapes and purple and not much else!
Chrissie

Our Creative Corner Challenge - Sentiments

There's lots that I like in this card.
The sentiment is something that I read not long ago which really struck a chord with me. It reads 'Everyone smiles in the same language'. It's just so true and a smile costs nothing yet can mean so much.
The next thing that I love is this wonderful flocked paper from Laura Ashley. It's so lovely that I decided to cut a motif out to use as a feature on the card.
The third thing is the bow. I bought a simple bow maker on eBay which ties really even symmetrical bows, the only thing is that they are just bows, not joining any length of ribbon, however I have worked out how to add a bow to length of ribbon so that it is actually tied on. I attached the flat length of ribbon to the card and with my bow maker flat against the card, made one pass around the ribbon before tightening the bow.
When someone is around to take pictures of me doing it, I may do a tutorial on it, as I am pleased at how well it turned out and it would be good to share it with you.
The layout just kind of evolved!
Chrissie

Colour Create Lemon, Sherbet Pink & Chocolate & Card Patterns Sketch 16

Oh Dear!
This looks really rather sad.
The colours I chose for this week's Colour Create Challenge probably aren't quite what were intended and they look rather drab. I was trying to think 'Shabby Chic' (for the additional element), and I'm afraid that it has turned out more shabby than chic.
I even got out a sewing machine to do some 'real' sewing... should have stuck to the faux I think, at least I can do that in straight lines.
I paper pieced the flower and then embossed it and stamped the sentiment directly onto the card.
I'm afraid that I haven't done justice to the sketch from Card Patterns either..........
Still there's always tomorrow!
Chrissie

2 Lovely awards!

I received this Honest Scrap award from Mandy. She has a fabulous blog so do check it out.
These are the rules I must link back to the person who gave me the award and I must give 10 pieces of information about myself.

Here goes
1. I was the first Queen's Guide in my Girl Guide Company (The 13th Stoke-on-Trent)
2. I snorkeled for the first time in the Caribbean last year.
3. I colour my grey/white/mousy/salt & pepper hair with ash blonde home colouring kits.
4. I am the messiest crafter, I put down my scissors, tape, card components etc, etc., and can't see them amongst the clutter.
5. I am a member of Hampshire Cricket.(My husband and I spend many happy days watching them play)
6. I love dark oak repro furniture (sadly I can't afford the real thing)
7. I collect etchings by the Kentish artist Graham Clarke.
8. I had back surgery in the USA and my appendix removed in France.
9. I can roll my tongue, but my daughter can't.
10. My favourite tipple is Gin & Tonic.

This award was given to my by Maz. It's entitled 'The gift of love' I guess it's kind of self-explanatory.

In turn I would now like to pass these awards on to Sherry, Rose, June, Barbara and Ikki, who told me, and then had to remind me how to get multiple pictures and text in the correct place on a posting! Bless you!
Chrissie

365 Cards Day 85 Super Sketchy Sunday & Stampin' Chic Colour challenege Blue & Brown

I don't often make cards oriented and folded in this way, but with the rounded corners on the base of the sketch at 365 , I thought I'd have a go.
I thought that I would make one of the shapes an aperture. The backing paper which is inside the card is from Clare Curd's Signature range. The colour choice of blue and brown is for Stampin Chic's challenge this week.
I had several goes at getting the aperture and the embossing sorted, but got there in the end.
This is a little different for me, however it's still in the unfussy vein, which is the style I prefer. I added a plain oval inside so that the sender had somewhere to write a message.

We had a lovely family barbecue get together yesterday. It was the first time that the three youngest members of the family had met. They got on remarkably well, with no squabbling over toys. Quelle relief!

My granddaughter Daisy is on the right. The two chaps are my two nieces' offspring.
Enjoy the rest of the holiday weekend.
Chrissie

Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge - New Beginnings

Yesterday my son and his wife became homeowners!
He picked up the keys from the estate agents and now begins the task of getting all the necessary work done in the house before they can move in. New boiler, new kitchen, new bathroom, to say nothing of the decorating to be done and carpets to be laid.What fun! rather them than me!
Until last year it seemed as though he'd spent his entire life as a student. He in fact has 3 degrees and the thought of living in student accomodation for all that time isn't my idea of fun.
Anyway he's all grown up now (32) and living in the real world.
I wish them both every happiness in their new home.
This card is more the style that I prefer... minimalist, rather than all the flowery stuff, but I guess there's place for both.
Chrissie

365 Cards Day 84 Card Recipe #2

This is a quick post before dashing off for a family get together near Maidenhead... brilliant day for a barbecue!
The recipe for todays card is
1 3x3 card
1 flower
1 brad
1 piece of ribbon
1 stamped sentiment
and NO PATTERNED PAPER!
and here it is!
I don't think I cheated on the no patterned paper bit.. the paper is plain, I just made it a bit bumpy!
I used my DIY Lego Stampamajig again to position the sentiment directly on the card exactly where I wanted it. It works like a dream. DO look back at my card for Day 80, 365 Cards for the link how to do this.
Have a great day and a brilliant weekend!
Chrissie

Catch Up

I missed doing this challenge earlier this week for Day 82 of 365 cards, but I have been having computer problems which were most time consuming.
The challenge was to decorate 3 edges of the card.
I found it a little tricky, but I wanted some cards for chaps, so decided to use my new Woodare wine buff stamps. I didn't have any pens which were an appropriate colour for wine so I used Prisma pencils which I blended with Sansador. I'm not the best at this; the pencil stubs or whatever they're called are a bit clumpy making it difficult to do detail.
Since I changed to Firefox from Internet Explorer, my live signature has gone beserk. I'll have to investigate... until then I'll just print it!
Chrissie

365 Cards Day 83 Make it match

The challenge today at 365 card was to make the envelope match your card.
I've been struggling with this retirement card for a couple of days. I wanted to put an image of a lady doctor on the front, but only had a stamp of either a male doctor or a female nurse. SO I did a bit of doctoring myself. I covered up the cap and the hair bunches on the nurse before inking the stamp, and whipped off the tape before printing, then added some hair of an appropriate shade for the lady doctor concerned.
When the challenge for a matching envelope emerged this morning I decided that this would be the one that I would decorate. In the end I'm quite pleased, let's hope that the doctor will be too.
Chrissie

Triple Challenge

Yesterday my computer was a nightmare. I couldn't access my blog, my emails etc., etc.. I thought I had picked up some dreadful virus and so changed my virus protection to something a little more robust. Still I had problems, then I realised that in fact it was Internet Explorer that had crashed. I downloaded Firefox instead and now I appear to be in business again! Phew, phew!
It wasted a lot of time I can tell you.
This card is for several challenges. ABC is O for Orderly this week. This card is balanced so I hope it qualifies.
Charisma Cardz requested flowers, lace and pearls and it was the lace which was the inspiration for this card. I found it in my sewing box... something my mother had rescued from some garment or other and sent years ago. It's rather strange in colour and eveything else was a challenge to blend with it. I coloured the flowers with a swipe of Tea Dye Distress ink on a glass plate & picked up with a water brush.
The sketch is from Sketch Saturday.
The image is from Hero Arts, coloured with Whisper Pens. The border punch is from Martha Stewart.
Chrissie

Creative Card Crew - Shape it & Caardvarks Shape Up!

I saw the template for this butterfly shaped card some time ago, in one of the many publications in my craft room. Finding it was a different matter! I did enjoy looking for it mind you.
I have done lots of stamping on this one. I stamped and heat embossed the card with the manuscript, the splats and flowers prior to cutting out the shape. Then I added the other odds and ends once it was cut out.
I used my DIY Stampamajig made from Lego again for positioning the sentiment on the tag and it worked like a dream. Have a look back at the card for 365 Cards Day 80 for the Youtube link.

I don't often make shaped cards, but I like the shape of this one. I'm glad I found the template.

2 Sketches 4 You #26 & Cute Card Thursday #61 - Sporting Chance

I wanted to get away from over-cluttering my cards, as my style preference tends towards the minimal, however I think that this one looks just a little stark.

I chose already textured paper for the blues and added a little to the green with a Cuttlebug folder. The image stamp is from Paper Nation, coloured with a mixture of Marvy and Whispers pens, blended with a water brush, and popped onto dimensionals.

The sentiment is Stampin Up, bought on eBay from the States. I bought a couple of sets from this particular seller, who sent me a free stamp of a jar of flowers! I love it. Ill be posting a card with that one soon, so watch out for it! I would happily have paid at least a £2-£3 for it, so as you can imagine I was delighted. Isn't it great to know that there are still caring and generous folks in this world! Warms your heart!

365 Card Day 81 It's hip to be square!

Yesterday was not a good card-making day for me. I was trying to make a retirement card for a doctor in the practice of a friend of mine. She wanted a fairly large one so that lots of people would have room to sign and write a message in it. I'm not brilliant at huge cards!

I still haven't managed it, but I'll start afresh today. This is probably the reason why I didn't get around to doing yesterday's 365 card until this morning.

This is very simple, but it's what came into my head when I had the parameter of using 5 squares!

Apologies to orange and indigo, but I made a small reference to those colours on the little rainbow!

Cuttlebug -Challenges Hearts

This obviously isn't the Cuttlebug Cut & Emboss Heart, but it is weddingy!
It is completely die-cut and embossed.
I like to have a few cards on hand that are suitable for engagements, weddings or anniversaries. Although no sentiment has been added I think that it would do for any of these occasions.
The white centre of the silver heart is embossed with the Hearts folder from the Cuttlebug Love Language Combo set and the base is embossed with good old Swiss dots... my favourite.

Stampin' Chic Challenge Sketch #4

I haven't seemed able to get into gear today, I kept starting and stopping and not really getting anywhere; quite a few bits and bobs ended in the bin.
Anyway this card is for my first contribution to Stampin' Chic's challenge.
The flowers are cut down slightly from some that I stripped from my cheapy spray from Poundland. The largest one has had one petal cut from each rosette layer and the two smaller ones were recut from the fabric rosettes with a Sizzix die.
The buckle is from my new Spellbinder cut & emboss die. I have added the three embellishments from the sketch to this. The centre panel is embossed from a brass stencil in the Cuttlebug on a piece of Whitewash Cor'dination cardstock, then lightly sanded. To be honest I find Cor'dinations a little too thick to use with a light box, the light doesn't really get through.
The paper and sentiment are from Clare Curd's Signature range.
It's that funny shadowy time of day, I hope you can see it properly.

Lemonade Stand Award... Lucky Me!

I am delighted to receive another award from the very talented crafter June.

These are the rules for this award

Comment on this blog.-

Cut and paste the award logo and use it in your own blog.-

Nominate 5 to 10 blogs you feel show great attitude and gratitude.-

Link to your nominees within your blog post.-

Comment on their blogs to let them know they've received the award.-

Link back to the person who gave you the award to show your appreciation.

The first person I would like to nominate for this award is Jackie. She became a follower of my blog when when she first came across it a little time ago, and has since been the most devoted commenter on my cards. I always look forward to reading what she has to say about them. Thank you Jackie!

The second is Victoria, another very talented crafter and much appreciated, frequent visitor to my blog.

For my remaining three nominees I would like to choose 3 ladies whose cards I usually see on a daily basis over at 365 Cards, namely Maz, Gloria, and Diana.

Wonderful work always.

Papertake Weekly Challenge # 15

I was looking through my box of cards that I take to my choir, to see what I was short of. I thought that I could do with a birth congratulation card and hence this card for Papertake Weekly Challenge.
The image is from Stampin Up... I have bought a few sets from the USA on eBay. I think this is really cute. I like simple styles and this is certainly that.
For the tiny heart embossed panel, I decided to run it through the Cuttlebug to add the hearts then put it back into the Nestie and hand emboss the border, as the hearts would have been flattened if I had tried to put it back through the bug.
I just used half of the sentiment stamp as shape of the whole thing wouldn't have fitted so well. It actually says 'Welcome little one'.
Pure and simple!

Truly Scrumptious #7 Going Dotty

I've had this sketch pinned up on my noticeboard for a few days and each time I've started to think about it, I had to abandon it as I wasn't happy with the direction in which I was going. HOWEVER, this morning a new die from Spellbinders dropped on my doormat and Hey Ho! an idea for my card.
The antique bookplate is a lovely die and I thought it would be perfect for the centre of this sketch. This beautiful sentiment, which reads 'In a friend you find your second self', is from Penny Black. The dotty paper is from Clare Curd's Signature range. That stack is SO versatile.

Having just looked at the original drawing, I realise that I have got an element missing, but I don't mind, I hope you don't.

365 Cards Day 80 You're so plaid!

My daughter got out this piece of plaid paper, which I believe was a freebie from a magazine, to make a card for a friend of hers. She didn't get round to making it, and the scrap of paper has remained in the heap of odds and ends in the corner of my desk ever since. I really must have a tidy-up and general sort-out one of these days.

The stamp is from a new set I bought thinking that it would be good for chaps. With Father's Day around the corner, I thought I'd better start on some.

I hand stamped the fishy background with Old Paper distress ink, and generally muddied up the edges of the image too. I also line-embossed these edges on my scoring board.

The stamping on the slider particularly pleased me, as I used my DIY Stampamajig made from my Granddaughter's Lego, together with a piece of food-packaging plastic, in order to get the sentiment actually on the slider in vaguely the correct position.

I had seen something on Youtube here, so decided to have a go. The word Dad actually was from part of a larger sentiment, so I put sticky tape over the bits I didn't want to stamp before inking, and took it off before stamping, so I just got the word I wanted.

All in all I was pleased with my efforts.

365 Cards Day 79 Monday's Manufacturer

For the challenge at 365 cards today the mission is to use our favourite manufacturer for the majority of the card. The paper I have used for this card is a richly flocked one from Laura Ashley. To be honest it's really too grand to be 'backing paper' and so I have used it as a feature in its own right.

The matching plain, deep red is left over from some wedding invitations which I made just before last Christmas. Luckily it is a superb match!

I read the sentiment somewhere or other recently and thought how lovely it was, so I wrote this on my computer. It reads 'Everyone smiles in the same language' . Not wanting to spoil the effect of the paper with another image I decided that a little butterfly would fit the bill. This one, from Cuttlebug die, I cut out twice, the top layer being in vellum. I then embossed that with a Cuttlebug embossing folder and after inking the edges I added a little Glamour Dust. Good old Glamour Dust, it's fab isn't it!!

The border is punched with a Martha Stewart punch and an off cut of the main paper added under the narrow organza ribbon.

I'm pleased, I hope you like it!

PS I have had a query from Helen regarding the fonts on this card. The fancy one is Scriptina and the other is Andalus I believe. I put the separate pieces of text into text boxes with no outline and also transparent, so that I could place the words exactly where I wanted them!

The Pink Elephant Challenge #15 Monogram

I haven't done a monogram card before, I can't think why. I've done plenty of wedding and anniversary cards including the concerned parties' initials, but not a single letter.

I did this one in a hollow font on the computer in an enormous size and printed it onto card, before cutting out. I then embossed it with the Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder. The tiny daisies resting on the D are from another Cuttlebug die. The huge daisies were stripped from a spray containing loads of flowers, which cost me £1 from Poundland or some such cheapy shop... much less expensive than Prima flowers, which is what I think that the spotty ones are.

The backing paper is from K&Co and the Oak leaves are from a Woodware punch.

There are no prizes for guessing who will eventually receive this card... my gorgeous granddaughter, Daisy!

Card Patterns Sketch #15 & Dutch Dare Blue & White +1

I made this card yesterday, but by the time I was ready to take a picture, the light wasn't good enough, not that it's terribly bright this morning, so I hope this looks OK.
The stamp is from Penny Black and I think that it looks fine even when reduced in size from rectangular to square as in this case.
The sketch is from Card Patterns. If you haven't discovered this blog yet, do take a look, there are some awe inspiring creations on there. The colours I chose are in line with the Dutch Dare Challenge this week. I think that light blue and brown are a great combination.
The papers are Pink Petticoat and the embossing is Cuttlebug.

365 Card Day 78 Sketch Colour Create Sky Blue, Ecru & Tan

I really love this daisy brass stencil, so I thought I'd use it once more; again with Cor'dinations cardstock, gently sanded. The backing paper is Sweet flourishes from Pink Petticoat. There is a hint of Anita's 3D gloss on the centre of the daisy. The leaves are from a Leonie Em punch.
The 'thanks' sentiment is from a Cuttlebug cut & emboss set.
The sketch is from 365 cards with a little artistic license applied!

If you haven't looked at the post before this one (another daisy card) take a peek and see which you prefer!

PS I've since added a little Glamour Dust to the centre of the daisy and I'm much happier with it now.

Creative Inspiration - Embossing ~ Stamptacular Sunday Challenge Pink, Green & Brown & One Stop Crafts Pink & Brown

My choir concert went very well last night. I think that the Canadian choir from Niagara who joined us for this concert enjoyed singing with us and also enjoyed the party afterwards where we could chat at greater length. My husband and I acquitted ourselves well with our respective small solos and we received many commendations from fellow singers. Today however, my feet are killing me... all that standing still for the rehearsal and the performance are to blame I think. Still, you don't have to stand up to make cards do you!!
I was rather pleased how this one turned out. The corner sentiment stamps are from Heidi Swapp, inked with Stazon timber brown. The flower is embossed from a brass stencil on Cor'dination paper and gently sanded. The pink is the whitewash variety and the brown is the regular sort. The pink paper and brown card are from my local Paper Mill store.

An Award from Shari

What a wonderful surprise to receive this great award from Shari.

This award means that your blog is condsidered to be a jewel. I've always been partial to jewels and it's great to think that Shari considers my blog to be in the same category.

There are some blogs which are real treasures and I would in turn like to pass this award on to Victoria and Ikki.

Both of these ladies are superb crafters; one who also makes fabulous Wedding stationery as a business and the other who shares her expertise with the Cuttlebug with the rest of us.

Look and be inspired!

365 Cards Day 77 Make a Note of it& Unscripted Sketches #05

I'll be off to the rehearsal for tonight's concert of my choir soon, but there's just time to upload this card.

The sketch is from Unscripted sketches and is fairly simple in style. The theme of 365 Cards is to include some notepaper on the card. Not having any, I decided to make a piece with my Bind-it-all and rule some lines on it. I distresssed it with Old Paper distressing ink. The message is handwritten. The backing papers are from K&Co and the flowers are Cuttlebug. The leaves are from a Leonie Em punch.

It's pouring with rain at the moment, I hope I don't get soaked going to the church.

Penny Black recipe 3-2-1 ~ Secret Crafter - Glitter ~ Creative Inspiration - Green, Red, Blue ~ OCC Sketch

This is another quickie.

The lady who wanted the wedding card for her son (a few posts ago) is going into hospital for an operation and my friend wanted to send her a card to say that she was thinking of her and wishing her well.

This card is also for the challenges above. The image is Penny Black, the papers, Shabby Princess and the sentiment Hero Arts. The recipe for Penny Black is 3 flowers, 2 papers and one brad or charm. I may change the brad, which I heat embossed with silver pearl embossing powder, to a charm... not sure yet. I snipped off the 'legs' and stuck it on with a sticky dot, so it will be easy to change if I decide to. The colours are for Creative Inspiraton's challenge. I glittered the flowers with Glamour dust so that it is eligible for Secret Crafters Challenge too.

Done!