Where did March Go?

Hi,

I can't believe we are already in April - just where did March go? I have been working flat out with workshops and planning.

So here are a few of the cards that I have made recently:

The first 3 are cased from Ronnie, and given a watermarked background so that I could make larger cards for Mother's Day:

I really love the Stampin' Up! Doodle That set - as well as being one of the cheapest in the catalogue, it's really versatile and I love doing a watermark background using the same stamp and a versamark ink pad (you could use the same colour card stock and ink pad for the same effect.)

I also did a card class for the kids at church - with the potential of having over 40 kids, I had to come up with something quick and easy and settled for a Die Cut Monogram 'On Mother's Day' Card, giving them the option of a die cut (Sizzix Bigz Sassy Alphabet) M (mum), G (gran/grandma), N (nana) and A (aunt). The left over kits came in handy for my own DD and DS - here are their creations! (They are looking sleepy as they'd only just got up!)

I'll post more later.

BFN

Su

A Couple of Cards

It's been one hectic month with the Cheltenham show and workshops. The Create & Stitch Show at Cheltenham Racecourse earlier in the month was great. I shared a stand with a fellow demo, Ronnie from Swindon and it went really well. We had lots of interest, loads of workshop bookings and several demo leads. People were really 'wow'ed by the demos! So all in all, it was lots of fun, we met loads of great ladies and it was very worthwhile! But a lot of work and effort - as evidenced by my lack of blogging lately, sorry!

So here are a couple of recent cards for you:

- after seeing Ronnie demo the Bold Butterfly set, I just had to get it and this is my first, fast and furious card made with the set. I just used the 2-step stampin' technique with pixie pink, stampin off the bold image first to give a lighter inked image and then stamped the outline in the same ink colour.

This second card was made with a Sizzix Bigz 'J' letter die - for my nephew Joel's birthday.

I cheated with a patterned card blank, stamped a happy birthday sentiment, wrapped some ribbon around the J and stuck it on with 3D foam. Most of the Bigz letters are too big to fit on an A6 card - but the J was a perfect fit.

BFN - I will be back soon, I promise!

Su

Daisy Card

I decided to change the Daisy Thank You card I made the other day - for a card challenge. I really didn't like the ribbon bow on it - so I took it off and what a difference.

Just goes to show that too much really can be too much! LOL! My only excuse is that I was trying to follow the challenge instructions and it said buttons and bows!

What do you think - is it better without the bow?

Card Challenge

Here is my card for the UKScrappers December Card Challenge - http://www.ukscrappers.co.uk/boards/showthread.php?t=198179

UKS based the challenge on some great sketches from the Pagemaps site - http://www.pagemaps.com/ - there are absolutely loads of fantastic card, tag and scrapbook layouts to view, print and download, as well as a great archive with even more to choose from!

I made the card using some Polar Bear papers & vellums, buttons from Papermania and Sizzix daisies. Hope you like it!

I hope to have time to do more of these challenges - but first I need to concentrate on those Christmas cards!

Sizzix Snowman

I made this cute little fella for the youth group's craft activity this week! I had to go and buy the Sizzix snowman die from EBay, as he was not surprisingly sold out in most places, and I am very pleased with it. I like the effect of the white hammered card for the snowman himself and also the snowdrift behind. I found he looked a little odd without a nose, so added the orange triangle for a carrot nose. It's great for kids card making sessions and I am sure we will all get a lot of use out of it (once a year!)


Have to say the kids were a lively bunch - well several bunches really as we had them come in 3 separate groups to make the cards as there wasn't room for them all at once. What a racket - certainly not the usual calm and relaxing crafting session!

However, I think most of them enjoyed it and it's nice to see them sat together making something for their family or friends.

Last night I got my daughter making some of these for her brownie leaders as it's their last night tonight before Christmas - scary how quickly Christmas arrives!

I must start my own Christmas cards soon - still do not have a design in mind! It needs to be quick and easy with a 100 or so to make - so I won't be making this one again in a hurry!

I normally end up sending my cards out after the last day of posting. Not good I know!

Su

Cuttlebug & Sizzix

I do think that the Cuttlebug embossing folders make a perfect partner for my Sizzix diecuts - perfect for quick and easy cards - as this card shows:

I used to have a pink die cutting (similar to red sizzix) machine but could not get on with it. Then the Ellison Big Shot came along and what a breeze it is! I especially like the fact that it fits an A5 sheet of card on the cutting plate.
And then came along cuttlebug with its embossing folders - now me and my friends do think these are the next best thing to sliced bread (is that a good thing?) No brass, just a plastic folder in which you put your piece of card or die cut shape. Their range is fab and ever expanding - good job they are very reasonably priced!

Used: Ellison Thick Cuts Flower Daisy#2 (Sizzix Bigz Die - Flower, Daisy #3), checked pink ribbon, sticky crystals , Cuttlebug Happy Birthday embossing folder.

Splitcoast Stampers is the perfect place to go browsing for more cards like this - or to showcase your own. Another favourite site of mine is Heart Prints Cuttlebug Gallery at http://www.heartprints.net/gallery/cuttlebug/page/1/.

Welcome!

Welcome to my new blog! I've had to move over all my stuff to a new blog, so there will be a few posts on each day as I get it all sorted. I hope you will enjoy reading my blog and enjoy the cards I post here, hopefully along with tutorials & projects, templates, best buys and my favourite place links.

I recently made a few cards using the lovely Footprints (in the Sand) stamp, by Inkadinkado. Used a Brilliance Pearlescent Ice Blue inkpad - on dark blue grained cardstock (this colour always looks so fab inked on dark cardstock.) Then used a ruler to tear around the sides and stuck it down onto mottled white cardstock which I had first run through my Big Shot using the D'Vine Swirls cuttlebug embossing folder (if you haven't tried the cuttlebug embossing folders yet - do, they a wonderful - I will blog about them later - for card inspiration try http://sentimentsbydenise.typepad.com/!) Some silver organza ribbon highlighted each corner - then stuck whole thing onto dark blue A6 folded card using double-sided 3D foam tape. For writing on the inside, I used a silver gel pen, which worked really well.

Here is another variation on this card - without the ribbon and instead roughly tearing around the stamped image.

Tell me - which version do you prefer?

My last card here was made for my husband's Gran - she's 92, so I wanted something a little traditional (a flower!) but was also vibrant, 3D and that she would enjoy looking at. Used the huge Ellison Thick Cuts Flower Daisy#2 (which is the same as the new Sizzix Bigz Die - Flower, Daisy #3) with some fabulous bright pink grained paper (unbranded) to cut out 4 flowers - stuck down with double-sided tape and curled the ends of the petals. Several leaves cut with a Sizzix Medium Leaves die and letters from the Sizzix Sizzlits Girls Are Weird alphabet set - both in pale green cardstock. Finished off with a few pink flower brads in the middle and some thin pink organza ribbon. All mounted on a white square card, trimmed to a deckle edge using the Edgemaster/Carl Rotary Trimmer. Pink and pretty!