Chick & Daffodil Happy Easter Card

A little Easter card I made a few days ago.  The card base is Barely Banana and measures a tad over 4" square.  I embossed the card front with a polka dot embossing folder and rounded the top right corner.  The sweet image is from Elzybells and I stamped it on watercolour paper.  To colour the image I dabbed various ink pads onto a ceramic tile and picked up the colours with a blender pen.  I used a silver gel pen to colour the wings on the bee.  For the grassy bit at the bottom I used a couple of stamps from the SU! Watercolor Minis set to add some detail.

I used Pear Pizzazz CS for my contrasting layer and added a punched Banana border and a narrow Bashful Blue strip.  The sentiment is a Hero Arts stamp I've borrowed from Jan.  To finish off the card I've added 3  yellow gems to the daffodil.

Supplies:
Stamps: Chick from Elzybells, sentiment Hero Arts, SU! Watercolor Minis set
CS: SU! Barely Banana, Pear Pizzazz & Bashful Blue, watercolour paper
Ink: VersaFine Onyx Black, various SU! colours, Memento Dandelion & Canteloupe
Tools: Rectangle Nestabilities die, Martha Stewart Eyelet Lace Border punch, Swiss Dots Cuttlebug folder, Crop-A-Dile Corner Chomper
Embellishments & accessories: yellow gems from Anita's gem wheel

Perfect Coffee Valentine Card For Hubby

This is the coffee themed Valentine's card I gave to Owen today.  The idea to use cups from my Elzybells Tea For Two set came from Curt's lovely, inspiring Valentine card on this blog post.  Owen and I both love our coffee, it has to be proper coffee too, no instant for us two! I made a side opening A6 landscape card from Cherry Cobbler CS.  I embossed the turquoise panel with a Texturz folder and added a white strip edged with a decorative punch.  I've sponged all the white edges with Chocolate Chip ink.

I stamped the cups on white CS and also stamped them again on a Post It Note to create masks so I could stamp the oval.  That grounded the cups and stopped them from looking as if they were floating.  I stamped the solid cup colours -  pink for my cup of course! - and added hearts which I stamped on the cherry CS and cut out.  The cups are popped up.  I added a touch of colour to the cappuccino foam with ink and a blender pen.  I punched photo corners for the image panel to which I've added tiny gold heart shaped brads.  For the sentiment, I die cut two Labels Trio shapes and offset them.  I decided on a skewhiff main image panel (or Casey Court as my friend Jan always says!) and I've popped it up.

This is the inside of the card.  I embossed the heart with the same Texturz plate I used on the card front.  I used two different sentiments, added more tiny gold heart brads and popped the oval up.

 

Then I decorated the envelope front.  I thought the swirl stamp echoed the swirls on the embossed pieces I'd used on the card.  I added punched hearts and an oval element for me to write hubby's name on.

I'm very happy to report he loved his card!

Supplies:
Stamps: Elzybells Tea For Two clear set, 'with love' by PSX, 'Happy Valentine's Day' from SU! Seasonal Wishes set, heart from Hero Arts Sending Smiles Messages clear set, A Muse Essential Ovals clear set, swirl from UM set from unknown source
CS: SU! Cherry Cobbler, Tempting Turquoise & Whisper White
Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa, Bahama Blue & Rose Bud, SU! Chocolate Chip & Cherry Cobbler, Tim Holtz Antique Linen Distress Ink
Tools: Oval & rectangle Nestabilities dies, Labels Trio die, Sizzix Ivy Flourishes Texturz plate, EK Success Dotted Wave border punch, Sizzix Sizzlits Heart Funky # 2 die, small heart punch, blender pen
Embellishments & accessories: Tiny gold heart brads, 3d foam pads

Leafy Branch Wishing You Card For Naomi

Our friends lovely daughter Naomi is bravely setting out on her new life this coming weekend, she's leaving home to go to university.  We went over last Sunday for afternoon tea and to say goodbye and wish her well for the future.  This is the card I made for her.  It is CASEd from this card that I saw and loved on Tobi Crawford's blog.

I changed the orientation, making my card a side opening landscape A6 size card.  I stamped the polka dot background and the leafy branch.  I fussy cut the branch - oh, that's a fiddly job! - and I've popped it up with 3d foam pads.  I added crystals to the leaves.  The sentiment words all come from the fabby Elzybells 'Thank you for' set.  As well as the 'Thank you for' stamp in the set, there is a 'Wishing you' stamp and then lots of words so you can build an appropriate sentiment.  I stamped the words and then cut them out in strips so I could randomly arrange them on the card.  I added three crystals to the 'Wishing you laughter' panel to finish off the card.

Supplies:
Stamps: Papertrey Ink Polka Dot Basics & Beautiful Blooms sets, Elzybells 'Thank you for' set
CS:  Bazzill Dotted Swiss 'Mermaid', SU! Kraft & Whisper White
Ink: VersaMagic Turquoise Gem chalk ink
Embellishments & accessories: Crystals, 3d foam pads
 

Owl Thank You Tent Card For Jan

Another tent card but an A6 sized oblong one this time.  This card is for my sweet friend Jan to thank her for a gift and her ongoing kindness.

The base is made with Old Olive CS and I used papers from the Sweet Pea stack.  The branch and owl are one solid image on the stamp - I stamped once in Old Olive and again in Chocolate Chip.  I cut out the Choc Chip owl and have popped him up.  As the branch is a bit spindly, I was a tad concerned about it bearing the weight of the owl.  So I stamped another branch, cut it out and attached it to the back to add some strength. Circle Nesties were used again to make the aperture and frame.  I added some photo corners, Old Olive ribbon and a gorgeous Sweet Pea felt bloom.  I used yellow gems for the owl eyes and added pink gems to the corners.

This photo shows the back of the tent card.  I used various stamps from the fabby Elzybells 'Thank You For' set for the sentiment element.  I love that there are various words in the set that you can put together to build your sentiment.  I finished off with an olive felt flower with a pink crystal brad.

Supplies:
Stamps: Hero Arts Midnight Owl cling stamp, Elzybells Thank You For clear set
CS: SU! Old Olive, Pretty in Pink, Chocolate Chip, Bashful Blue & Whisper White
Patterned paper: SU! Sweet Pea Designer Series Paper stack
Ink: SU! Old Olive & Chocolate Chip
Tools: Circle Nestabilities dies, Sizzix Photo Corners #2 die
Embellishments & accessories: SU! Old Olive grosgrain ribbon, SU! Sweet Pea felt flower, SU! Felt Fusion felt flower, pink crystal brad, Anita's gems wheel

Coffee Easel Card for Owen

A fun little easel card I made for my hubby Owen. I'm loving these smaller size easel cards at the moment, this one measures 4" square.

The stamp set is from Elzybells, it's so sad that they're closing down. I love the cups in the set and they're perfect for paper piecing. I've used olive paper from the SU! Sweet Pea stack. I also used my new Sizzix decorative strip die on this card, I love those loops! The die also has a large rick rack design on it too. I do like to use ribbon and bling on cards but I don't always use them on masculine cards - but I know Owen doesn't mind if I sneak some on a card for him!

I wrote "well, two out of three ain't bad!" on the card.



Supplies:
Stamps: Elzybells Tea For Two set
CS: SU! Taken With Teal, Chocolate Chip & Whisper White
Patterned paper: SU! Sweet Pea Designer Series Paper stack
Ink: VersaMagic Jumbo Java chalk ink
Tools: Square Nestabilities dies, Sizzix Loops & Rick Rack Decorative Strip die
Embellishments & accessories: SU! Chocolate Chip grosgrain ribbon, Kaiser teal gems

Creative Genius has been at work LOL!

It's very rare for me to make more than one design of a card, I hardly ever make multiples. This year I decided I would do it for a few of my Christmas card designs. I really liked the CAS white and silver card I made a while ago and so I made 9 for the ladies at my card group. On these cards I used wider ribbon and added a crystal to the stocking, otherwise the design is identical to my original card.

I may not always enjoy the process of making multiple cards but there is something very satisfying about stacking up a pile of completed cards! Hubby really liked this card design too so I plan on making a few more. For those cards I will use a Cuttlebug embossing folder for the embossed silver panel. I really love the design of the Spellbinders Snowflakes Impressabilities template but as it's made of thin metal it is SOOOO delicate and the silver CS I used is really thick and the template has started to come apart. I don't want to risk damaging it by using it with really thick CS any more.



I couldn't resist stamping a sentiment from a new stamp set on the back. I thought my ladies would get a chuckle out of it - and no doubt give me a good ribbing about it too! I handed out the cards yesterday and waited for the reaction. They made me wait ages, it took a while for someone to notice!



The stamp is from an Elzybells clear stamp set called Queen of Stamping. It has some fabulous sentiments in it! I loved it as soon as I saw it when it was released in the summer but I talked myself out of buying it. After all, it was a fun tongue in cheek set just for the backs of cards and I would only use it on cards for certain people like close friends and fellow crafters. As I've recently sold some crafty bits and pieces on eBay and had some funds in the PayPal account I've given in to my *need* LOL!

Supplies:
Stamps: Penny Black Winter Glitter, sentiment from SU! Seasonal Wishes set, sentiment from Elzybells Queen of Stamping clear set on back of card
CS: White and silver CS
Ink: Encore Silver pigment ink
Tools: Spellbinders Snowflake Impressabilities template, heat gun
Embellishments & accessories: Stamp 'n Stuff Stardust embossing powder, silver lurex ribbon, silver Dew Drops, 3d foam tape

Farm Animal Birthday Card for Robin

My friend Robin used to work on a farm so this Elzybells stamp was perfect to use for his birthday card! Robin is such a cheery chap, always laughing and ready with a joke or a funny story. He is so kind too, he drives us to our local craft shop, the Glitter Pot - and he always takes us the scenic countryside route and then points out all the animals in the fields as we go along!

The card is A6 sized and made with SU! Real Red CS. I stamped the image on watercolour paper and coloured using watercolour crayons and pencils. I mounted on Old Olive and Basic Black panels and added brads to the corners.

I thought it would be cute to use a speech bubble for one of the animals and I was chuffed to find that this Happy Birthday stamp fitted! The bubble is popped up.



Supplies:
Stamps: SU! Elzybells A Little Birdie Told Me clear stamp set, sentiment by Penny Black, speech bubble from Hero Arts Jolly Christmas clear stamp set
CS: Watercolour paper, SU! Real Red, Basic Black & Old Olive
Ink: VersaFine Onyx Black
Tools: SU! Watercolor Wonder Crayons & Derwent watercolour pencils
Embellishments & accessories: SU! Vintage Brads, 3d foam pads