Golden Anniversary

It's the Golden Wedding Anniversary of an Auntie and Uncle on Thursday and this is the card I've made to send them.  I've still got the little deep peach dress with it's crinkly petticoats that I wore as their flower girl.  Unfortunately the floral circlet to match and the blonde curls that were underneath it wilted a long time ago.

The card is cased from the anniversary card in the previous posting.  Rather than having a white background to the patterned papers colour 25 from the canvas backing papers on Joanna Sheen's Secret Garden CD was printed on to white pearlised cardstock first before putting it through the printer a second time to add the wording and asterisk pattern.  Other extras were a bow and gold self adhesive pearls.

     

Like the previous card there is a double insert in the inside.  The Martha Stewart punch around the page set eyelet lace was used to give the outside layer a decorative edge to match a layer on the front of the card.  The little card in this picture is a matching one for Elaine and Ian to give them.

This card uses the same cardstock but one of the layers has been pricked using an Ornare template.  I've made cards similar to this before and have made quilled flowers to add as embellishments but this time the small English Rose and leaves dies from Marianne Creatables were used.  The cream leaves were punched using the botanical beech leaf embossing punch from X-cut.  A bow, brads and self adhesive pearls were the other embellishments used.

 

To protect the flowers on this one, as it wends its way up to Orkney, I made a little box to put it in and lined it with gold tissue.  Here are the two cards together.

Thanks for reading today

Liz xx 

I'd like to enter these cards in the following challenges

Kaboodle Doodles Challenge 134 - Tribute to Someone older than Us

Love to Create Challenge 30 - Hand Made Flowers

UnstampaBelles Challenge 14 - Paper Flowers

Come and Get It Challenge - Show Us Your Flowers

Joanna Sheen Challenge - Sentiment Must Be Focal Point

PaperPlay Challenge week 34 - Sentiment as Main Focus

Crafty Catz Challenge 147 - Ribbons and Bows

Crafting For All Seasons Challenge 34 - Stitching - Real or Faux

My Mum's Craft Shop Challenge 71 - Weddings/Anniversaries

Anything goes Challenge 74 - Make Your Own Background

Emerald Faeries Challenge 30 - Punches/Dies

Make It Monday - Anything Goes

45th Anniversary

It's Andy's Mum and Dad's 45th Wedding Anniversary on Sunday and Elaine asked if I'd make a card for she and Andy to give them.  There's to be a family gathering and celebrations in Dundee to mark the occasion.

The 45th Wedding Anniversary is the Sapphire Anniversary so this decided the colour scheme for the card and hearts were used for embellishments.  The hearts were cut using nestabilities plain and scalloped hearts.  Four layers of hearts were used for the focal point with the top one having 45 stitched on it using silver metallic thread.  A metal Ornare pricking stencil was used to prick out the numbers ready for stitching but to place them where I wanted on the heart I first pricked them onto acetate and used the acetate template to prick them directly on to the heart.  Being able to see through the acetate made positioning easier. There are stitched borders on some of the layers to add extra framing.

The background papers and personalised hearts were created on the computer.  The spotted one was made using an asterisk symbol and the Happy 45th Anniversary one was created in a word document.

The Martha Stewart punch around the page eyelet lace set was used to decorate the dark blue layer.  It broke up the straight edges of the other layers and matched in with the scallops of the card base and die cut hearts.  Other embellishments used were silver brads, silver heart peel offs, silver elastic and Midnight Navy grosgrain ribbon from Stampin' up.

When the card was finished there were enough extra bits to make a matching gift tag.  The 45 on this one was cut using Sizzix dies.

On the inside there's a double layer insert and the punch around the page punches were used to decorate the edges of the dark blue layer.  The measurements didn't work out to give perfect punching all the way round but I tried to work it so that the patterns were the same along the length and the width of the paper.

Hopefully they'll have a lovely day with their family around them.

Thanks for reading today

Liz xx

I'd like to enter this card in the following challenges
Polka Doodles Challenge Week 34 - Stitching...Real or Faux
Paper Crafting Journey Challenge - Anything Goes
PaperPlay Challenges Week 34 - Sentiment as main image/focus
Sassy Studio Designs Challenge 139 - What's on the Inside
Crafting For All Seasons Challenge 34 - Stitching...Real or Faux
My Mum's Craft Shop Challenge 71 - Weddings/Anniversaries
Anything Goes Challenge 74 - Make Your Own Background
Emerald Faeries Challenge 30 - Punches and Dies 
Make It Monday - Anything Goes

New Home

This is a new home card I've made for my friend's son and his partner.  Niall and Steph have recently moved to their first home together which I'm sure has been an exciting time for them.

The patterned cardstock used for this one is from Kanban and the brown cardstock and grosgrain ribbon in Chocolate Chip is from the Stampin' up range.  Large sizzix red dies were used to cut the house and tags.

I found this little verse to put in the inside.

May your troubles be less

Your blessings be more

And may nothing but happiness

Come through your front door.

Thanks for reading

Liz xx

I'd like to enter this card in the following challenges
The Crafty Pad Challenge 184 - To Die For
Craft Your Days Away Challenge 52 - Anything Goes
Just Some Lines Challenge - Layer It Up
Poodles Parlour Challenge - Die Cuts
Delightful Challenges - Punches and Dies
Papertake Weekly Challenge - Spots 'n' Stripes
Make it Monday - Anything Goes

Whispy Notebook

It was my niece Leanne's twelfth birthday on Sunday the twelfth of August and this is a notebook I decorated to match her birthday card.  The main image is Whispy from Saturated Canary and is coloured using Promarkers.  I always think of Leanne when I see this image. 

I enjoy making matching notebooks and cards and decorating the spiral bound notebooks with ribbons is a great way of using up odd ends of ribbon or bows that went wrong.

I used the same materials on the notebook as I did on the card and details of these can be found in this posting.

 

The inside of the card is decorated using PSX pansy stamps and Encore metallic purple ink.

This is a photo of Leanne and her Mum taken at a wedding they were attending last weekend.

Thanks for reading

Liz xx

I'd like to enter this notebook in the following challenges

Dream Valley Challenges 38 - Die Cuts and Punches

No Matter Which Challenge 1 - Anything Goes

One Stitch at a Time Challenge 126 - Anything Goes

The Ribbon Girl August Challenge - Bingo  (Ribbon, Image, Pearls)

Just Us Girls Challenge 149 - Technique Challenge - Use those Ribbon Scraps

Just Some Lines Challenge - Layer It Up

Sweet Stampin' Challenge - Things With Wings

Clearly Inspired Challenge - Things With Wings

Digi Doodle Shop's Challenge 120 - Things With Wings

Crafts and Me Challenge 96 - Use a Digi

Inky Impressions Challenge - Ribbon

Scrap-Creations Challenge - "D" (Digital image, die cuts, dotty backing paper and distressed edges)

Papertake Weekly Challenge - Anything Goes

Top Tip Tuesday Challenge 82 - Focus on the Ribbon  (Tip - use up small pieces of ribbon or unwanted bows to decorate the wire spine of altered notebooks)

Rockin' Again

This is a card I made for a friend's son who celebrated his birthday last month.  Fraser turned sixteen this year and I decided to use this Rock Dude image by Kenny K to make his card as he is involved in a band with few of his friends.  The image is coloured using Promarkers and I've already coloured this image to make a card for my brother-in-law making the hair blonde and also the whole image in shades of grey for another friend's son but Fraser has red hair so that explains the colour choice here.  Fraser's hair is also curly so we'll have to pretend that he has used straighteners on it.

 

 

During the summer holidays Fraser is heading off on a school trip to South America and he and his family have been involved in various fund raising activities to finance this trip.  Hopefully all their hard work will be rewarded and Fraser will have a fantastic experience and memories and new friends to last a lifetime.

The materials used to make this card can be found in this posting. 

Thanks for reading

Liz xx

I'd like to enter this card in the following challenges
The Corrosive Challenge 155 - They say it's your Birthday
Here Come the Boys Challenge 33 - Boy's Toys
Basic Grey Challenge 74 - Bright and Bold
Challenge up Your Life Challenge 75 - Everything Goes
Just some Lines Challenge - Layer It Up
Crafty Catz Challenge 145 - Anything Goes
Wags 'n Whiskers Challenge 85 - Birthdays
Paper Crafting Journey Challenge - Anything Goes
Crafts and Me Challenge 96 - Use a Digi
Sassy Cheryl's Challenge 127 - All About the Boys
Make It Monday - Anything Goes

Make and Takes

These two cards and bookmark clip were make and takes at two of Carol's Stampin'up Workshops recently.  As well as being a Stampin' up demonstrator she is also our Crafting Bee host on a Tuesday and she has recently started holding crafting classes at the residential complex where her Mum lives.  I think she's amused at the enthusiasm that is growing with each session at the centre and the speed at which they complete their projects.

Although I hadn't been able to attend the workshop to make the card on the left Carol kindly saved me a kit and I made it during one of our Crafting Bee meets.  Attending a workshop is a great chance to try out products but unfortunately the wish list tends to grow.  Whilst making the card on the right Anne was amused to discover that I didn't own a bone folder and that in making the book pin I used silicon glue for the first time.  Even after eight years of crafting there are still some basic tools and techniques I haven't got or tried. 

I enjoy attending workshops as I really find it difficult to know when to stop adding embellishments or another layer when card making.  Having to follow the demonstrator's lead takes this pressure off and there's usually the added bonus of a nice cuppa and fine piece with the chance to meet other crafters too.

Thanks for reading

Liz xx

I'd like to enter these cards in the following challenge
Make It Monday - Anything Goes

Flower Pot Cards

This is a lovely basket of flowers I was given from one of my friends last Friday.  I'd gone to visit Lilian the day before, because she was housebound following an operation, and had brought her some flowers because I knew she liked flower arranging and thought it might be something for her to while away some time with.  It was a lovely surprise when she brought some back for me to enjoy.

The following day we were having our Saturday monthly craft group meeting and our project for this month was flower pot cards and I used Lilian's basket as inspiration.  Sandra had sent the group a link with this tutorial on how to make them and this was the end result.

This flower pot card is actually a bigger version based on the tutorial.  Having seen examples on blogs where a stand was used to allow the card to be stood up I decided to make one where Tim Holtz's alterations die small easel would fit the back of the pot.  However, after also making a flower pot following the tutorial, I've since discovered that the easel will also fit this size as the flower top hides the part of the easel which extends above the pot.

To make the flowers and foilage for the top Tim Holtz's Sizzix die Tattered Florals,  Woodware medium flower and daisy, small daisy and half inch circle punches, a Marianne Creatables leaf spray die, an X-cut embossing leaf punch and the Swiss Dots Cuttlebug embossing folder were used.  The pale pink card used was from W Enterprises and the edges of the flowers sponged with ink from the Brilliance ink pad Aurora.  The gingham paper was printed from the Nitwits download  Thimbles 'n Threads and the green pearlescent card used for the pot was from The Papeterie.  Stampin' up's Garden Green ribbon and ink, Birthday Wishes sentiment from the set Sincere Salutations and eyelet border punch were also used.  A small leaf peg stamp from the Tapestry Stamp Set Heart Deco was used to stamp the leaves on the corners of the message.  Nestabilities dies were used to cut the sentiment and backing layers.

I intend to give this card to my friend's Mum who lost her husband at the beginning of the year and used the internet to find a suitable verse to add to it.

After finishing the larger pot I decided I'd try out the smaller version to make a thank you card for Lilian and this was how it turned out.

The smaller pot was made using almost the same materials and equipment although this time the leaves were cut using a Quickutz die and the scalloped border edge was cut using a Stampin' up border punch.  The stamped message was made using a Hero Arts stamp and the Thank You sentiment stamped with a small Hobby Art stamp.  Here are some pictures of the two pots together.

I really enjoyed this project, as you can probably tell by all the photos, and the ladies in the Saturday group produced a variety of different pots from sunflowers, funky flowers, fabric flowers and in all  different colourways.  Christmas pots and poinsettias were being mentioned too.  Don't be put off by the fussy tops I've made on these cards as there are some lovely examples out there where three large blooms and some extra leaves have been used to create really pretty cards.  You can adapt it to suit yourself.  Some of the ladies at our Tuesday Crafting Bee had a go at making them this week too and Carol posted a lovely yellow version on her facebook page yesterday.

Thanks for reading today

Liz xx

I'd like to enter these cards in the following challenges
Divas by Design Challenge 47 - For a Female    
Deep Ocean Challenge31 - Anything Goes
Papertake Weekly Challenge - Anything Goes
Craft Your Passion Challenge 122 - Anything Goes
Love to Create Challenge 27 - Punches and Dies
Whoopsie Daisy Challenge - Die Cuts and/or Punches
Dream Valley Challenge 38 - Die Cuts and Punches
Joanna Sheen August Challenge - Try Something New
Paper Crafting Journey Challenge - Anything Goes
Challenge Up Your Life Challenge 75 - Everything Goes
Crafty Catz Weekly Challenge 144 - Pink
Simply Create Too Challenge 19 - Anything Goes
Make It Monday - Anything Goes

Guest Designer at the Stampalot Challenge

This is the card I've made for my Guest Designer spot at the Stampalot August Challenge.  Back in April I entered their Birthday Challenge with this card and was lucky enough to not only win a fantastic prize but I was also given the opportunity to be a guest designer for the August challenge of Take Flight.  

As butterflies are a favourite of mine to use in card making this was the theme I chose for this challenge.  The main image is from a stamp sheet called Butterfly Beauties from the Stamp Man.  There are ten stamps on this unmounted sheet, including three sentiments, and I've used only two of them.  The large and small butterfly lady images were stamped using VersaMark ink and embossed using Disco Black embossing powder from Stampendous.  I love this embossing powder and in night light it really comes to life with all the different colours sparkling through.  Grand nestabilities square dies were used to cut the frames around the main image and nestabilities circles for the mats for the smaller images.

The Happy Birthday and gingham papers were printed in greyscale from the Cuddly Buddly download a Patchwork of Papers Blue and the So Saffron card stock and grosgrain ribbon is from the Stampin' up range.

To continue the butterfly theme Martha Stewarts's butterfly punch around the page set was used to give one of the layers a butterfly border.  Small butterfly peel offs were added to the lady's hair and larger butterfly peel offs were firstly stuck to acetate, then cut out and their wings folded back before being attached to the card.  The finishing touches are a stitched border to add an extra frame, some round gold brads and the scalloped edges of the card base were sponged with ink from a mustard promarker pen. 

It was an honour to be a guest of the Stampalot team and I look forward to seeing the entries for their challenge this month.  Good luck to those who enter.

Thanks for reading
Liz xx

I'd like to enter this card in the following challenges
Make It Monday - Anything Goes 
Nutcrafters Challenge 23 - Butterflies and Bows
Penny's Paper Crafty Challenge 87 - Butterflies and/or Bows
Simply Create Too Challenge 19 - Anything Goes
2 sisters Challenge 103 - Anything Goes
That Craft Place Challenge - Things With Wings