Silver Wedding Anniversary Card for Owen

Owen and I have been married for 25 years today! That makes me feel so old LOL! I also feel incredibly lucky that he not only puts up with my obsession with card making but that he actively encourages and supports me. We're going out later to celebrate.

I found it so difficult to come up with an idea for a card and I got really stressed about it so in the end I decided to opt for an elegant, clean and simple design. I saw this layout (FTL #54) on the Clean and Simple blog and really liked it. Click here to visit the blog post, (it will open in a new page).

The stamping is heat embossed with my favourite sparkly embossing powder, Stardust, so it really does sparkle. The card measures 5 3/4" square.




Supplies:
Stamps: Heart is from the Hugs 'n Hearts Hero Arts Clear Design set, sentiment is by Stampendous
CS: White CS
Embellishments & accessories: Stamp 'n Stuff 'Stardust' Embossing powder, clear Swarovski crystals, black permanent ink pen


Happy Anniversary {{{{hugs}}}} and kisses to my uxorious hubby Owen!

With Love Card for Mike

This was the card I made for our great friend Mike after he suffered a bereavement. I don't own any sympathy stamps and have never made a sympathy card. For some reason, I've never felt comfortable making them. In the several years I've been making cards, sympathy cards are the only ones I've continued to buy from shops.

I knew I wanted to let Mike know how sorry we were and that we were thinking of him and then I saw the 'with love' stamp in the drawer and thought that would be the ideal sentiment. The main image is recycled from some promotional literature I received from Liz Earle, it seemed appropriate somehow.



Supplies:
Stamps: Hero Arts Design Block Flourish, 'with love' from the SU! Yummy set
CS: White CS, SU! More Mustard
Ink: Encore Silver
Tools: Circle punches, corner rounder punch
Embellishments & accessories: Image recycled from promotional literature, white sheer ribbon

Cupcake It's Your Birthday for Kevin

This is the birthday card I made for our dear friend Kevin. I recently made a card for a challenge where you had to use Real Red, Bashful Blue and More Mustard and Kevin really liked it - so I thought I'd go with those colours for his card. I also got to play with my new Crazy for Cupcakes set.

The card is made with Real Red CS and measures 5 3/4" square. I cut a smidgen off the bottom of the card and glued on the Mustard strip made using the Sizzix Ribbons Decorative Strip die. The image and layer panels and sentiment circles were all cut with Nesties. I coloured the image with pencils and solvent. I stamped the icing and candle again, cut them out and have popped them both up with 3d foam pads. A touch of sparkle has been added to the candle flame with Yellow Stickles.

I added red brads to the image panel and blue Candy Dots to the Mustard strip at the bottom. The sentiment element is popped up with 3d foam pads.




This pic shows how I decorated the inside of the card and the envelope. Not sure if you can read the inside sentiment, you can click on the pic to see a larger image. The sentiment reads 'Hope your Birthday is as special as you are!'



It's Kevin's birthday today, I hope he has a fabulous day and that he likes the card!

Supplies:
Stamps: SU! Crazy for Cupcakes set, 'with love' on envelope from SU! Yummy set, outside and inside sentiments both from Hero Arts
CS: SU! Real Red, Bashful Blue and More Mustard, Elzybells Smooth White CS
Ink: Black StazOn, SU! Real Red, Marvy Le Plume II markers
Tools: Derwent Coloursoft pencils, Zest-It natural solvent, Rectangle, Long Rectangle and Circle Nestabilities dies, Sizzix 'Ribbons' Decorative Strip die, SU! Scallop Border punch, small star punch
Embellishments & accessories: Yellow Stickles, Pebbles Inc. Baby Blue Candy Dots, 3d foam tape

Off for a break

We're off today for a break for a while. We're staying at a friends gorgeous home in the Cotswolds. I'm looking forward to jacuzzis, lounging by the pool and reading good books by the pond! I've scheduled a few posts while I'm away.

Squares Pearly Thanks

This is the card I made for Joanne's July Stamper's Ten challenge. We were given CS in Pretty in Pink, Certainly Celery, Almost Amethyst and So Saffron, a piece of Tea Party DSP, some white ribbon and the pre-stamped square floral thanks panel. I didn't use the ribbon or the So Saffron CS.

I decided to make the floral panel the main focal point of the card and to make an all squares design. The card measures 4 3/4" square. I got busy with my square Nestability dies, cutting various sizes. I used a scalloped die for the largest square to tie it into the thanks panel. Then I just arranged the squares in diamond and square patterns. The floral thanks panel is popped up with 3d foam tape. To finish, I added tiny half pearls to the corners and flowers.



Supplies:
Stamps: SU! Live Your Dream set
CS: SU! Whisper White, Pretty in Pink, Certainly Celery, Almost Amethyst
Patterned Paper: SU! Tea Party DSP
Ink: SU! Amethyst and Celery markers
Tools: Square Nestability dies, SU! Scalloped Square punch
Embellishments & accessories: Tiny half pearls, 3d foam tape

CAS Masculine Thank You

Today's CAS challenge on Splitcoast Stampers was to make a masculine card - my least favourite cards to make so definitely a challenge for me!

For this card I embossed a rectangle on the front using a Nestability die - I've been meaning to try this technique for ages. I really like how it adds just a subtle little something to a card - and it can look very elegant.

I inked the tree stamp with Marvy markers, stamped the sentiment and cut out the shape with a Nestie die. The green strip has been embossed with a Cuttlebug border embossing folder and I added a thin sentiment strip above that. The embellishments are self adhesive Pebbles Inc. Candy Dots - I love them!



Supplies:
Stamps: Three Designer Leaves set, 'thanks so much' from Thank You Messages clear set and You're a Great Friend - all by Hero Arts
CS: SU! Chocolate Chip & Very Vanilla, Bazzill Saguaro
Ink: SU! Chocolate Chip and Marvy Le Plume II markers
Tools: Rectangle Nestabilities dies, dotty Cuttlebug border embossing folder from Just My Type set
Embellishments: Pebbles Inc. Chocolate Candy Dots

Six Cards for Kevin

These are cards my good friend Kevin asked me to make for him. I'll be seeing him very soon as I'll be staying at the beautiful house in the Cotswolds for almost 3 weeks. My hubby Owen is coming too although he will be there for only 12 days. Both of us can't wait!

We will be celebrating our Silver Wedding Anniversary while we're away - wow, that makes me feel old! George Michael was at Number One in the charts with Careless Whisper on 31st August 1984 - but it could have been much worse, it could have been Black Lace with Agadoo! Owen worked in a record shop and we were both young enough to care about what was in the charts. I'm not sure either of us will know what the number one single in 2009 is!

The first two cards are made using Fresh Cuts note cards from SU! and the Fresh Cuts stamp set. I cut off the front of the note cards, stamped the images in Old Olive ink, trimmed them and these are popped up with 3d foam pads over some Lasting Impressions Cotton Candy dotty paper. The brads are also Cotton Candy by Lasting Impressions. I added a pink button tied with linen thread to the centres. The cards measure 4" square.



The next two cards are based on a bright 'take care of yourself' card I sent to a friend earlier this year. I used the 'a note for you' sentiment instead on these cards. I used SU! Whisper White, Barely Banana, Rose Red, Regal Rose, Taken with Teal and Certainly Celery CS on these cards. The flowers were made with EK Success punches. The large flowers have 1/2" circles as centres and the small flowers have crystal centres. The sentiment is from the SU! Sweet Little Sentiments set and is cut out with a Spellbinder's Label Trio die, mounted on a strip of Certainly Celery twill ribbon. The large teal flowers on both cards are popped up with 3d foam pads. These cards are A6 sized.



The last 2 A6 sized cards are the same as the very first card I blogged about here (the page will open in a new window).



I do hope Kevin is pleased with them - I just can't wait for next Saturday when I can deliver them in person!

CAS Bling Flower Trio Card

Made for the CAS 'Show off your bling!' challenge on Splitcoast Stampers. I have had these teardrop shaped gems in my stash for ages and I decided to use some as leaves on flowers.

The stems are wire and they are trapped behind a piece of blue vellum that I ran through my Xyron machine before adhering it to the card. The flowers are made using the PTI Beautiful Blooms set and Cuttlebug Flowers dies. I die cut the shapes first and then stamped the flowers. All the flowers are popped up with 3d foam pads and I added more bling in the form of blue iridescent Swarovski crystals.

I was chuffed to be able to round all four corners of the card with the Crop-A-Dile Corner Chomper, it's strong enough to go through two layers of CS, yay!



Supplies:
Stamps: PTI Beautiful Blooms set, sentiment from Hero Arts
CS & paper: White CS, pale blue vellum
Ink: ColorBox Peacock & Raspberry
Tools: Cuttlebug Flowers dies, Xyron 510, Crop-A-Dile Corner Chomper
Embellishments & accessories: Wire, green teardrop shaped gems, Swarovski crystals, 3d foam tape

Pot of Flowers for Kevin & Peter

I was telling Kevin and Peter about the card classes I was going to attend at the Glitter Pot and was trying to describe a pot of flowers pocket card. In the end I said it would be easier for me to make one and send it to them! This was to say thank you for the lovely flowers they sent to me.

When I made my card at the class I forgot to emboss the pot so I made sure to do that on this card and used my new Diamond Plate Cuttlebug folder. I used the Threading Water punch to add a scalloped edge to my pot. I followed Joanne's technique of sandwiching the notecard piece between two half circles and then attaching the flowers to the front half circle. Joanne has a flower pot card tutorial on her blog so click here to view it - the page will open in a new window.

SU! Tempting Turquoise, Old Olive and Taken with Teal cardstocks and the 5 Petal Flower punch were used to make the flowers and leaves. I used a DEET tool on a moulding mat to add lines to the punched flowers and silver Dew Drops were added to the centres. All the flowers are popped up with 3d foam pads. The sentiment was cut out with a Spellbinders Label Trio die.



This pic shows the pot and insert separately.



This pic shows the half circle at the back of the card.



Supplies:
Stamps: Sentiment from the SU! Sweet Little Sentiments set
CS: SU! Tempting Turquoise, Taken with Teal, Sahara Sand & Old Olive, Bazzill Sienna
Ink: SU! Tempting Turquoise
Tools: Diamond Plate Cuttlebug embossing folder, SU! 5 Petal Flower punch, Fiskars Threading Water punch, small circle punch, Spellbinders Label Trio die, Coluzzle Companion Circle template, DEET tool
Embellishments & accessories: Silver Robin's Nest Dew Drops, turquoise ribbon, 3d foam pads

Gatefold Pop Up Butterfly

Another card made with the Pop Up Butterfly punch while I still have it in my possession LOL! This is a simple A5 gatefold card made using the M&F Board.

I love the My Mind's Eye Bloom & Grow patterned papers and I'm really chuffed with how well it goes with SU! Really Rust and Mellow Moss colours.

I punched the butterfly and then cut out the circle using a Nestie die. I cut out a same size circle in patterned paper and glued this behind the plain circle. I've then cut out a contrasting Nestie Labels Three die shape. I've stamped a sentiment and added punched flowers with gem centres.

This card will be winging its way to Canada soon. A member of the Splitcoast Stampers forums contacted me to ask for some stamped images and this card will accompany the images.



Supplies:
Stamps: Hello! from Hero Arts Hello Birdie Sparkle Clear set
CS: SU! Really Rust & Mellow Moss
Patterned paper: My Mind's Eye Bloom & Grow 6" x 6" pad
Ink: SU! Really Rust
Tools: M&F Board, X Cut Pop Up Butterfly punch, circle and Labels Three Nestability dies, X Cut small flower punch
Embellishments: Self adhesive crystals

Pop Up Butterfly Card

Oh my word, how I LOVE this pop up butterfly punch - but sadly it isn't mine. XCut released it as a limited edition and I didn't manage to get one - but my very kind friend Jan did and she has lent it to me for a while. I am going to have a hard time letting this punch go back to it's original home LOL!

I made this card for today's CAS (Clean & Simple) challenge on Splitcoast Stampers where you had to add stitching to your card. Fortunately for me, faux stitching was allowed as well as real stitching.

I punched the pop up butterfly first and then cut it out with a square Nestability die. I cut a square the same size in the polka dot patterned paper and glued the black square to the patterned paper square. I cut a larger square in plain paper and used the template from my SU! Mat Pack and Pokey Tool to pierce holes around the square and then I used a black permanent ink pen to draw in the faux stitches.

The sentiment is a Hero Arts stamp I've had for years and it is still one of my favourites. I masked off the second part of the sentiment and only stamped the first half on the card front. I added the 3 dots with the black pen.

That gorgeous bright pink ruffled ribbon is a joy to behold. It was a RAK gift from Michelle and I absolutely love it. I punched out a small six petalled flower and used the large round end of an embossing stylus in the centre so the flower cupped up. I added a white half pearl to the centre and 3 tiny ones to the butterfly body.

Inside the card I stamped the rest of the sentiment which reads "...smiles & laughter" and I've stamped a pink butterfly next to that.



Supplies:
Stamps: Smiles & Laughter from Hero Arts
CS: White CS, SU! Basic Black
Paper: Plain and polka dot papers from Lasting Impressions in Raspberry
Ink: VersaFine Onyx Black
Tools: XCut Pop Up Butterfly punch, square Nestability dies, Woodware small flower punch, SU! Mat Pack, XCut Pokey Tool, embossing stylus, black permanent ink pen
Embellishments: Pebbles Inc. ribbon, PaperMania self adhesive white pearls


Hope you're having a day of smiles and laughter!