Lucky Charm

Just when you think the worst of the weather has gone, it decides to come back for more!  It's been really cold, with strong winds making it feel even colder but at least the snowfall has been light this time around.

I kind of got a little carried away this week making cards, well the weather was lousy and I wasn't going anywhere.  I had three attempts at making something for this week's  Freshly Made Sketches Challenge

 

The first two attempts were fine but just felt that they were, perhaps, just a wee bit too dark.  I had a couple of sets of stamps which I recently acquired and wanted to have a bit of a play with those, I thought that the Woodware "It's The Little Things" sentiment stamp "Nothing says Happy Birthday like a piece of folded card!" was quite amusing and decided to use that for the first one.  I had some matt copper metalic cardstock and went for a verdigris colour ing using distress inks for the front panels.

 

Still using the verdigris look, slightly darker  this time, I played about with some dies I had bought from "The Works" earlier this year, they have only started selling dies in the last 12 months, some branded names & some of their own.  The ornate & square dies in this card are from their own collection.

and for the third one I dug out an old set of matching stamps & dies.

Over the weekend it was St Patrick's Day with Ireland playing England in the Six-Nations Rugby Championship.  An Irish win on St Patrick's Day would see them with the Triple Crown and the Grand Slam. I didn't have anything with a shamrock on it but I did have the Lawn Fawn set with the lucky four-leaf clover on it so decided to use that.  I was making the card while the game was on in the background, it must have done the trick as they beat England 24-15 and won the Triple Crown (they beat Scotland, Wales & England), the Grand Slam (as the Triple Crown plus France & Italy) and ,of course, the Championship.

Cogs, Scribbles & Splats

Happy Valentine's Day!

Teenage son comes into my room to inform me that he will be heading out to meet some friends. "Who is she?" I enquired as son's face turns various shades of red, "Who says there's a girl, Mum?" so I told him his face told me all I needed to know - apart from her name but my guess as to that was, eventually, correct. I gave him the little box of heart shaped chocolates that came with the M&S "Dine in for Two" Valentine's selection his Dad & I plan to have tonight. Not to worry, there's a rather yummy pud (looks like a bar of gold bullion)  I picked up that may make up for  losing out on the chocolates.

The weather has been fickle again this time it can't make up it's mind if it wants to rain, snow or sleet but as long as it doesn't get too much colder I'll be fine. As it is this cold snap is playing havoc with my TMJ (painful jaw joint) as it sets the pain off. It doesn't help that the new Doc carrying out my last injection would appear not to have hit the right part of the muscle and I am experiencing the problems I normally get as the effects of it wear off around 12 weeks down the line only it's only been 3 weeks and my next one isn't due until the end of May. I can't have another injection so that leaves me muscle relaxants which are non selective and have been leaving me a little spaced out!

Time for this week's Freshly Made Sketches Challenge.

As it's Valentine's Day I used "love" for the sentiment but I didn't intend this as an actual Valentine's card.

Cogs

I decided to try a masculine card as I had recently bought a couple of "industrial" type embossing folders one with cogs the other with a tread plate design.  It was kind of crying out to be made using metallic cards so out came the copper, silver and gold cardstock and my Grand Calibur.

Craft Essentials Creative Embossing Folder was used to emboss the cog design on the copper & silver card while the individual cogs were cut from gold card using X-Cut Cogs Chronology dies. Crafter's Companion "Gun Metal" folder was used as a back ground. The card stock with the embossed cogs was lightly sanded and then lightly inked to give a distressed look.

What I used

Cardstock

PayPer box

Dies & Embossing

X-Cut - Cogs Chronology

Lawn Fawn - Scripty Love

Crafter's Companion - "Gun Metal"

Inks

Tim Holtz Distress Ink - Peeled Paint
Memento - Black

Scribbles & Splats

This is another card I've been playing with using some Tim Holtz Dies. I love the ornate grille design, in fact it was the reason I wanted the set. I decided to team it up with the Scribbles and Splats.

The card stock base is a 300gsm white linen and for each cut out in the white cardstock there is a shadow piece in metallic copper placed behind it. I used a leather effect paper in Navy blue as a contrast.

What I Used

Cardstock

Hobbycraft - DL White Linen Card Blank

PayPer Box - Navy & Copper Metallic

Dies

Tim Holtz - Scribbles & Splat

Tim Holtz - Mixed Media

Lawn Fawn - Scripty Love

Love and Kisses

Well August is here and still the weather is more like Autumn than Summer.  In the garden my wee James Grieve apple tree has plenty apples on it and I guess, if nothing else, this wet weather should help plump them up. I pruned it for the first time in January and was worried in case I had taken too much off but all, so far, seems well!

 

This coming week sees my son get his exam results. The exam system changed here last year and instead of "Standard" Grades they now take National 4 or 5's in S4 but still take "Higher" Grades in S5/S6.  I really must see about making him a "Well Done" card before Tuesday gets here! 

  

For this week's  Freshly Made Sketches Challenge I decided to make my own background to use for the banner part of the design.

 

 

 

On a strip of card I used two heart stamps from one of my 29p bargain stamp sets to create a confetti-like pattern with a mix of colours from my Tsukineko Royal Satin Kaleidacolor Ink Pad. The banner and matching tag were cut from the strip and some faux stitching added. The tag was stamped with kisses and the twine was coloured with Promarkers to match the die cut "Love" that finishes the card.

 

 

 

  

 

 

Cardstock:

PayPer Box Hammered Ivory

Image Supersmooth White

 

Stamps & Dies:

Royal Langnickel Mini Clear Stamps - Hugs & Kisses

Lawn Fawn - Love

 

Inks:

Tsukineko Kaleidacolor Ink Pad Royal Satin

Letraset Promarker Rose Pink

 

 

 

 

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Busy with Birthdays!

It's been a busy time Birthday-wise (not forgetting it's also Father's Day) this weekend. The next day or so will also be busy as I have a number of Sympathy cards to finish after a family bereavement as well as floral tributes to create.

As well as it being my friend Gena's Birthday it is also the 40th Birthday for  Niece, Donna, so that's three Birthday cards and two Father's Day Cards. I'm only posting the Birthday cards on my Blog today.

:: :: Good Friends:: ::

For Gena I've made two cards, one for my son, Liam, (Gena's Godson) to give her and one from Hubby & Me.

I've had these Tim Holtz stamps for a few weeks now and have been practicing my "colouring in" in preparation for finally getting around to using them properly.

I had a few false starts stamping the images as I hadn't quite got some of the positioning right. I impressed myself with my first attempt masking off and stamping a second image to look as though one was behind - only to put the word "alone" in the wrong place!  With a bit of jiggery-pockery in the guise of a die cut label stamped with a sentiment I think I may have got away with it!

As I was using the same Bird Crazy stamp on the inside as well as the outside
I coloured them both at the same time to ensure that they matched as well as I could get them to.

Outside of Card

Inside of Card

Cardstock:

Image - Supersmooth White

American Craft - "Summer" Collection Blues

Stamps:

Stampers Anonymous - Tim Holtz "Bird Crazy" & "Way With Words"
Lawn Fawn - Balloon from "Hippo Birdie" Year Four die set

Lindsay Mason Designs - "Everyday Words Happy Birthday"

Ink:
Memento - Tuxedo Black
Ranger's Tim Holtz Distress Ink - Faded Jeans

Letraset ProMarkers - Assorted Colours

 :: :: "Hippo Birdie To Ewe" :: ::

The one I made for Liam to give was a fun one based on the Karen Burniston's Katie Label Pivot Die from Elizabeth Craft and Lawn Fawn's "Hippo Birdie" stamp/die set. I thought if you have a Hippo and a Birdie you really need to have two Ewes as well so I also used Rachelle Anne Millar's "Love Ewe" stamp set from Crafter's Companion. To complete the card I used Couture Creations "Pure Pleasure" small embossing folder - oh and some Marianne Design Butterflies & Flowers coloured with Promarkers then heat embossed with glitter embossing powder!

Front

Card When Opened

I used a fine liner pen to try and create a similar grassy area under the Hippo & Birdie dies as on the "Love Ewe" Stamp

Close Up of Ewes

Cardstock:

 PayPer Box - Turquoise

Image - Supersmooth White

Dies: 

Elizabeth Craft - Karen Burniston's Katie Label Pivot Die Lawn Fawn - "Hippo Birdie" Year Four die set

Joy! Crafts - Cut & Emboss Butterflies Set, Cut & Emboss Flower Set

Stamps:
Lawn Fawn - "Hippo Birdie" Year Four stamp set

Crafter's Companion - "Love Ewe" stamp set by Rachelle Anne Millar

Ink:
Memento - Tuxedo Black

Letraset - Promarkers Assorted Colours

Embossing Folder:

Couture Creations - "Pure Pleasure"


 :: :: Donna's 40th :: ::

For Donna's Birthday I spent rather a long time working on this card only doing a little at a time and each time not being entirely happy as it wasn't quite coming out as I imagined it would!

Apart from the Karen Burniston's "Lots of Pops" Pop Up die from Elizabeth Craft the embossing folder and dies are from Spellbinders. I used a pearlised card stock but some sheets appeared to be a slightly different colour to others which I didn't really spot when working late at night under artificial light. I also put my new heat gun to use heat embossing butterflies with a glitter powder - in the photo below they appear to be quite dark but there certainly wasn't such an obvious difference in "real life".  

Inside is the Karen Burniston "Lots of Pops" Pop Up mechanism which was teamed up with the labels from the "Lucy Labels" Pop Up set, acetate strips (recycled from some packaging) and various Spellbinders' butterflies which were heat embossed with embossing powder. When Donna got married she used the same colours with a butterfly theme so made this card with that in mind. The interior card was embossed with Couture Creations "Ambrosia" Folder.

Cardstock:

PayPer Box Pearlised

Dies:

Spellbinders "Outrgeous Butterfly", Small Butterflies from "Postively Me" Jewel Flowers and Flourishes Set, D-Lites "Corners & Accents Two" 

Elizabeth Craft's Karen Burniston "Lots of Pops", "Lucy Labels"

Embossing Folders:

Spellbinders "Labels Thirty Four Medallion"

Couture Creations "Ambrosia"

  

New Toys!

The wind and rain have, at last, subsided and the sun has finally reached the Kingdom of Fife - yipee!!! I always feel better when the sun is shining - my joints certainly appreciate the warmer weather!

When I was have my clearout the other week I came across several jars of embossing powder that I've had for a few years but hardly used as my heat gun stopped working and I never got around to replacing it.  I had some Birthday money left over so decided maybe it was time to get a new one so I bought a Ranger Heat It tool along with some UTEE to try.  The UTEE is Cosmic Shimmer but for some reason this particular colour was rather cheap and classed as an "add on item" on Amazon - I wasn't too bothered about the colour, Lapis Black, I just wanted  get some to try it out.)

My order has now arrived so it was time to play. I found that perhaps why the UTEE was cheap was maybe due to the fact that the Lapis Black ain't black, it's more of a peacock blue/green. Never mind, as long as it works!

I dug out some of the die cuts I'd been making from scrap cardstock on my new Spellbinders Sapphire and set to work on them. I took a Joy! Craft butterfly applied clear embossing ink then sprinkled on the UTEE, once it was melted I sprinkled it with some gold and silver ordinary embossing powder and reheated it before decided to add a little black to it as well. Turned out rather well I thought - think it would make a nice brooch if it had been put on chipboard.

For this week's Freshly Made Sketches Challenge card, (based on sketch below) 

 

 

I decided to use a filligree style butterfly within the oval. Once cut & clear inked I  used black embossing powder, heated it to melting point then added some of the UTEE to give it a little splash of colour.

Once I had my butterfly sorted out I set about looking for what else I could use. I took my Darice Oval embossing folder and embossed some pearlised cardstock which was then trimmed around the scalloped edge to create a topper.

 

I played about with my Promarkers to create a coloured a strip to go down the left hand edge, the nearest colour in my collection which toned with the Lapis Black was "Soft Green".  Originally I thought of making diagonal black and Soft Green stripes but then settled on plain green before deciding that was too plain! To compromise I cut a narrow, tapered, strip from one of the striped pieces I'd made and stick it on a diagonal over the Soft Green one. I finished off by adding a daisy with a coloured (& glittered) centre and a colour co-ordinated "Love" sentiment. I toyed around with making my own version of baker's twine (using kitchen string and Promarkers) but wasn't sure if I liked it so took photos of the card with & without - still not sure which version I prefer!

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cardstock:

PayPer Box - Pearlised White

Image - Supersmooth White

Dies:

Spellbinders - Outrageous Butterfly

Spellbinders - Jewel Flowers & Flourishes.

Lawn Fawn - Scripty Love

 

 Inks etc:

Dovecraft - Clear Embossing Pad
Cosmic Shimmer - UTEE Lapis Black

C&C Embossing Powder - Black

Superfine Clear Glitter

Letraset Promarkers - Black & Soft Green

Love Holds The Key - FMS 185

 

It's an overcast day today with rain looking imminent but I managed to get the photographs of my card taken while the sun decided to peep out for a wee while.

 

Once I saw this week's Freshly Made Sketches challenge sketch I decided to have a rake through my dies to look for some inspiration.

 

With some of my newer die purchases I'd made samples to be kept together with them in their packaging so I could see what the actual die cut looked like. Whilst going through my box I came across the Spellbinders "Heart Locket" die. The sample I'd cut out was in matt silver metallic cardstock so thought that could be a starting point and with the latest addition to my collection being a Fawn Lawn "Scripty Love" die I decided to try them together. When I was playing about with them I picked up the love die  to change it's position and  as I lifted it up I found that it had the key hooked over the "e". I had a wee laugh to myself when I realised that love really did hold the key!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

a little clearer in close up . . .

 

 

 Cardstock

Image -  Supersmooth White

PayPer Box - Matt Silver & Red Metallic

Black Cat - Black

 

Embossing Folder

Spellbinders' M-Bossabilities - Hearts 5 x 7"

 

Dies:

Spellbinders - Labels 4

Spellbinders - Heart Locket

Cheery Lynn  Designs - Pierced Banners

 

 

 

Good Luck!

The exam season has started here in Scotland and tomorrow my teenage son sits the first of his Nationals (they replaced Standard Grades/O Grades last year). 

Whilst he doesn't really need  any luck as he's been doing lots of studying I thought I would make him a Good Luck card.

He's really into Manga and Anime art work so when I saw that Lawn Fawn's Good Luck Charm set had the Maneki Neko (Chinese Good Luck Cat/Japanese Beckoning Cat) I decided to get it. On doing some research I found that green is used with the Maneki Neko to denote education and studies so decided to use that colour as a starting point and, eventually, came up with this:

 

I used some gold pearlised cardstock as card blank then added a light green card from a Trimcraft Serenity 6x6 pad to make the card front. I used more of the gold pearlised (coloured with ProMarkers) to mat and layer in order to create embellishments with the Lawn Fawn stamps/dies. A Creative Concepts Script embossing folder was used to create a panel for one of the layers.