Where did the time go?

Omg, just over 2 months since I last blogged, I'm useless, but having said that, I haven't missed blogging either, with the summer hols and having to keep Shane amused, I didn't have much time to blog, plus I got hooked on Facebook, but I'm over it now!!! Inbetween FB and child rearing I managed to get a few cards made. I also bought a new table from Ikea, one of those ones where you pick the top and legs seperately, the legs ended up costing more than the table top :( but it's sturdier than my old table,and a mini stacker from Storage 4 Crafts. My room isn't how I want it yet, the problem is I keep chopping and changing my mind about how I want it to look, just when I think 'that's it' turns out it isn't. I'm aiming to get rid of the plastic drawers on wheels, but it's going to have to be done bit by bit....oh and I want a colour laser printer as well.

This is a variation on a card that was made at a craft workshop some time back. I think I made this for a RAK club that I'm in on FeeJ Designs

The stamp is a set by Inkadinkadoo 97622 Doodle Flowers and was coloured with Copics.

These were made for Shane's teacher and her assistant when he broke up for the holidays. It's Popcorn The Bear School Days by Crafters Companion, and again coloured with copics. The square was cut with MFD010 Nellies Square Die.



I was asked to make 2 money wallets for a friend's son and her grand-daughter, this is what I came up with, really easy peasy. The black one is Kanban card, edged with blue pearl card, though in the photo it's looks a different colour, punched with MS Embossed Zigzag, circles were done with nesties. The pink one was done using 'Parfait Pink' from Paper Adventures and pink pearl card, again nestie circles.

This easel card was an order for another friend, flowers were done using EK Success retro flower punches, the double sided paper which I really didn't want to use because it was so lush and I kept touching it :) is embossed on one side and is from the SEI Jolie Chocolat collection, this one is Chocolat Papillon, Cuttlebug Fancy Pants alphabet dies used for lettering.

Shy Bear 710M aka Tatty Ted from The Artful Stamper coloured with copics, nestie labels 4.

The kind of card I don't like to make, and thankfully I don't make many. Image is Penny Black 3636k Flying Stars, stamped onto black card and heat embossed with silver powder. Wording from Inca Stamps 5002H Thinking Of You.

Another RAK card. Card and frame from Craftwork Cards, flowers as before, gems from stash.

Another sympathy card. Image from Magenta 09156Q Roses, watercoloured with Whisper Pens and Art Kure Water Colour Sketch Brush. Wording as before.

The Forever Friend cards were really done in a hurry as I was trying to get the house and everything else sorted before we went on holiday, so I couldn't spend as much time as I wanted on them.
FFS9061105 Forever Friends Balloon Bear coloured with copics, flowers punched with Woodware Super Punch Christmas Flowers. Freebie paper.

FFS9061101 Forever Friends I’ll Drink To That, coloured with copics, paper from stash.


FFS9061104 Forever Friends My Birthday Gifts coloured with copics, paper and flowers from stash.

This was supposed to have been off Shane to his friend, but I ended up colouring it for him, with copics as usual. Image from Lili of the Valley S100 Football Crazy.

The Greeting Farm Twinkle Tots Madelynn, coloured with Promarkers.

Souffle the Duck from the Popcorn the Bear set School Days. I had to use peel offs, which I'm not very keen on using, coloured with copics and peel off marker pen. Nestie dies labels 4.

Sugar Nellies Pen Pal, coloured with copics, paper by Paper Mania Amethyst Infusion, 'hello' stamp from stash, flower punched with Woodware Super Punch, Christmas Flower.

Magnolia Pink Tilda with Rose coloured with copics, and for a change I've remembered to make a note of the colours used.
R02,R20,RV10,11,13,14, E0000,000,00,47,49,G85,99.
Glamour dust on the wings, everything else from stash.

Lili of the Valley S098 Teddy with Flower,copics used R00,20,24,27,29,
E000,00,01,02,34,47,57,95,C0,01,04,W7,YG05. Papers from stash.

I haven't finished.....

Thought I'd gotten up to date, but I forgot there's a couple of cards in the camera and on my phone, so here are the camera ones.

This was done some weeks ago at a workshop with Shirley at Craft Inspirations. I was in such a rush to finish it and get home that I got the circles the wrong way round...the bottom one should have been on the top of the scalloped circle and the greeting on that. Never mind.
The large scalloped wrap was done on the cricut, but I can't remember what cartridge she said she used. It was then stamped with inchies from Inkadinkadoo, the paper and double sided ribbon are both from Bo Bunny. The chipboard flower was stamped and coloured using colorqueue fluid chalk then double embossed using UTEE.


This was the card I sent to a CB forum member, I was late in sending it, but I'd rather do that than not send one at all. Card was from Paper Adventures 'Hammered Silver' grey floral is from Paper Mania 6x6 pad 'Ivory Black'. The image was printed from a disc by Card Creations Plus 'Art Deco'


This is a square version of an A5 card that is elsewhere on the blog. The only other difference is that I've hot foiled 'Get Well Soon' on the front.


This was the easter card I made for Shane's grandparents. Stamp is from PSX and was loaned to me by Elaine, another lady who also goes to Craft Inspirations. Paper is from Basic Grey. Ovals are from Go Kreate, a cheaper version of Nesties and just as good.


This is the RAK I sent to Lyn over on Fee's site. The paper is by SEI 'Dorada Vista' and is double sided. You can learn how to make this over on Split Coast Stampers The flowers are by Prima, letters were die cut with Ellison 'Curlie Girlie' Tags were also Ellison die cuts.

Back again

Quickie post again tonight. I've been ill since last Sunday evening and today am feeling a whole lot better apart from the cough and cold I've now got. I've got to say I've never felt so ill as what I have in the last 5-6 days. Plus Shane has also got a cold and cough.

I've got lots of cards to make for RAK clubs, birthday clubs, plus some personal ones. I was planning on starting on the ironing in the morning, but I was told by my OH today that he had a text from one of the godfather's of my son, his youngest is having a 1st birthday party tomorrow afternoon, so ironing will have to take a back seat....I can live with that :)

As I type this I can hear a house alarm going off, no idea where though, and while I hope the house is ok, it's driving me mad.

Here's some more cards from the backlog.

These were made at a workshop at Craft Inspirations with Lisa Olsen over on The Craft Bug, she's really clever when it comes to designs, as you'll see on her blog. I'm sorry to say I can't remember whose paper we used, but the smaller stamps were I think inchies from Inkadinkadoo


These were also made at one of Lisa's workshops, and was made without the aid of any punches, stamps or embellishments, just one sheet of 12x12 paper from S.E.I 'Black Orchid' I may have already mentioned that on this paper, parts of the orchid is varnished.


These two were made for my OH mum and step mum for mother's day. I saw the design at Lotus Art Studio, and while I didn't set out to copy it, it got me wondering if I could do it. I used my hot foil wizard for the wording, and instead of using envelopes I made little bags, MUM was done on the cricut.





I'm nearly falling asleep, so more tomorrow.

Nighty night
x

A few makes

It's the 11th May today, I actually started to put these on the blog in March, but saved them as I wanted to do little write ups for each card.....I then totally forgot about them, due to various things going on, so now I've finally got round to finishing it......but now I've got loads more to upload on to the laptop. One day I'll be organised and know what I'm doing, but not today :)




These black & white cards were originally designed by Shirley, one of the tutors at Craft Inspirations, Sutton Coldfield but I think they were mainly female ones, I had to make 2 male cards at short notice, and black and white were the only colours I could think of to make them look 'masculine' The numbers and tags were cut using my cricut 'base camp' and 'George'. Paper from S.E.I 'Black Orchid'. This is double sided paper, the other side is varnished black flowers, really nice and different. Thanks to Shirley, I never have to buy chipboard numbers, she told me to cut out several numbers and layer them on top of each other, the result is stiff numerals.


This one is also designed by Shirley, the only difference being I used prima flowers with silver stickles in the middle of them, instead of punched flowers. The image is from Woodware clear stamps JRCL308 'Flower Frames'


I used H20's on this Sarah Kay stamp 'Precious Moments' along with papers from Craftwork Cards 'Enchanted' range, card stock was from DCWV mat stack 'Brights' flowers from Prima.


Another Shirley design. She's really very good when it comes to designing, and I'm sure if she were to send her cards to some of the crafting mags, they'd snap her up as one of their designers. This was made in one of her workshops. Embossed border strips 'Floral Fantasy' from Craftwork Cards, the edges were done with colorbox fluid chalk. I think the tag was cut using the Cricut. The flowers were punched.



The above 2 cards were made in workshops with Shirley. The stamp is from Woodware (FRCL055) Flower Fairies, that's been coloured in using Sakura Stardust pens, Bazzill card stock matted with Colour Cordinations card that had been run through the cuttlebug and then lightly rubbed over with a sander. White flowers were then stamped using Inkadinkadoo inchies. The card with pink flowers was very different to make as we had to cover an aperture without using acetate, just different size punched flowers stuck to each other.


Sugar Nellies 'Daisy' painted using H20s scalloped circles cut from Nestabilities, flowers done with Woodware punch. Papers by Papermania 'Spring Burst'


Penny Black 'Delights' painted using H20s, as were some of the embossed flowers on the frame 'Julie's Daisy' from Craftwork Cards. Edging of frame was done with colourqueue fluid chalk.


Paper 'Enchanted' & embossed tile 'Spring Collection' from Craftwork Cards, tile painted using H20s and the border was done with colourqueue chalk.


Penny Black stamp painted with H20s, nestie circles, 'Enchanted' paper from Craftwork Cards.


Again 'Daisy' painted with whispers/marvey pens, can't remember whose paper was used, sentiment from Craftwork Cards and Prima flower. I don't think I cleaned my brush properly after using a white Art Kure brush pen as there are some white blobs here and there, even after going over them they were still visible.


Penny Black 'Uplifting Occasion', using a mixture of Whisper/Marvey and Art Kure pens, Basic Grey paper 'Meltaway' from the Bittersweet range. Craftwork Cards sentiment edged with colourbox chalk pad.


Paper and embossed tile from Craftwork Cards, tile coloured in this time with chalk.



Sugar Nellie stamp 'Reflective', Basic Grey 'Bon Bon' and 'Soar' from the Lily Kate range, flowers from Prima. I can't remember what I used to paint the stamp with, as it's on pearlescent card and the efeect is the same, whether using H20s or pens. Sentiment as usual from Craftwork Cards.

Christmas and everyday cards part 2

These were made on Wednesday at a workshop at Craft Inspirations, Sutton Coldfield, the tutor again was Shirley.




The card with the 3 tiles was done by stamping onto chipboard, then coloured in with coloursoft pencils, it was then covered over with a versamark clear pad and dipped in to UTEE (ultra thick embossing powder) and melted using a heat gun. The coloured card was Bazzill stock and edged using a Fiskars border punch called Threading Water(Fiskars haven't got it in the UK for some reason, it's sold out most places I've looked). We all found out that if you colour on the wrong (matt)side of the chipboard the colours stay true, but on the shiny side they come out paler, which is the look we were aiming for. My flowers look orange, the lady who was sitting next to me her's looked a lovely pale peach. The greeting is from Craftwork Cards.

The pink card was done by triple embossing a small circular chipboard that had been coloured using a pink colourbox chalk queue, and again covering it with a clear versamark pad, dipping into UTEE, then heat embossed, this was done 3 times (that's why it's called triple embossing...lol) stamping an acrylic stamp (or woodbacked, the choice is yours) with black staz-on ink and stamping directly onto the melted embossing powder, you have to be quick to do the stamping part, the best way to do it is have your ink already on the stamp, and leave it resting on top of the pad to keep it moist ready for stamping on to the melted powder. Wait for at least 20 seconds before removing the stamp off the circle. The next pink circle was normal card stock that had been patted all over with a colour box chalk queue and edged with a deeper colour, then stamped using staz-on with the same design, the circular tile then covers the top part of the flower. The scalloped circle was done using a Cricut cartridge (sorry, I can't remember which one Shirley told us). Backing paper is on a 6x6 pad by Craftworks. Small black flowers punched, with sticky gems in the middle. Greeting is black peel offs.



The stamps were from Woodware 'clear magic stamps' JRCL308 Flower Frames.

The next two were made last week with Shirley. The owl and branch is on the Storybook Cricut cartridge using black and dark pink Bazzill card stock, and purple brads. Backing paper again is off the 6x6 pad by Craftwork Cards as is the greeting and frame. The frame was coloured using a pink colour box chalk queue and edged with black chalk queue, this will look like dark grey when it's done.



The next one as you can see is another frame card, backing paper and greeting as above. The frame was coloured in yellow by chalking (not chalk queue) over lightly till it was completely covered, then the flowers were gone over again in the same colour to make them darker, flowers were also punched out an stuck on randomly, stickles then added to the middle of the punched flowers. The frame was edged in a darker shade of yellow using a colourbox chalk queue. Woodware punch was used for the large flower, and a small circle punch for the middle. The flower was then put through a cuttle bug using the swiss dots folder and then lightly sanded over. The card stock for this is from the coredination range. This is instead of having a white core, it has a core colour that co-ordinates with the surface colour. It's so much better than having white all the time.

It was also used on one of the christmas cards in yesterday's post. The blue 3 wise men that's also cuttlebugged.

The 2 below are what I made when Lisa was the tutor at Craft Inspirations earlier this month. She showed us how to create a background using stamps. If you take a look at her blog The Craftbugs she will tell you so much better than me how to achieve these 2 cards!




Inkadinkado '97632 Sketchy Flourishes'


These are my versions of the ones made at the work shop. I used white core for the punched flowers.


The dufex ones are quickies that still have to have bits and bobs added, don't know why I thought they'd be quick, as I sat for ages cutting them out.










I couldn't find some christmas cards that I'd made last month, especially one that I hadn't finished.....I found them last night in the drawer with cards that I'd made at craft classes. I'm still putting them on here as they'll be a reminder that I haven't sent them to anyone!

The waterfall card, again was made at Craft Inspirations with Shirley as the tutor. I can't tell you how it was done as I can't remember the measurements. If I remember, I'll ask Shirley what they were. I do know that they're slightly bigger than the templates I've seen, they all seem to be very small and fiddly to put together.


The next two were made using Kanban toppers, papers are from my stash.



I used Art Kure brush paint pens to watercolour the snowmen, Penny Black 'Snow Family' and discovered that if used on pearlescent card that the colours also have that nice pearly look as well.


Penny Black 'Snowy' again watercoloured with Art Kure brush pens on pearlescent card. The one beside it was made using Kanban toppers.