A bright Changito Birthday!

This is a card I made for a dear friend in Scotland who not only takes care of her family but decided to take Open University and is doing great! I really don't know how she does it all she is fab!

I took my cue from her cardmaking style - she almost always has bright cheerful cards with clean lines (now watch her go and change on me!) and detail. I was going to do cupcakes - everyone loves cupcakes AND she had sent me a card for my birthday with cupcakes... but it just didn't feel right. I wanted to celebrate her strength and her getting her courses sorted. So I found my Changito, Stampendous stamps and they just made sense for this card.

This is a BIG card 8.5in x 5.5in front or A9 whatever works in your brain!!! I love Big cards for special occasions.

The card base and colorful solids are out of the DCWV brights pad. I scored it pretty successfully with my Score-Pal. I then pulled out some my patterned cardstock from DCWV Nana's Kids (I love the vibrancy but just find it difficult to use any patterned cardstock/paper!) I also needed to use ribbon on this card - lots and lots of ribbon - so I cut a band of white and covered it with the ribbon and adheared that to the card base. Changito and his books were colored to match the cardstock choices with Prismacolor pencils on GP cardstock and cut with my rectangular nestabilities.

The envelope and insert where stamped with lined paper background from Cornish Heritage Farms and Stampendous school and Changito stamps sets. I used Brilliance ink on my brand new to me Kitchen Sink Stamps greeting. *insert happy dance!*

Ingredients
Cardstock - DCWV, Georgia Pacific
Stamps - Stampendous, Cornish Heritage Farms, Kitchen Sink Stamps
Embellishments - Michael's ribbon
Color - Prismacolor pencils, white gel pen Sakura
Ink - Brilliance

4th of July Birthday!!!

I guess I really should have more subtle titles - or maybe just sub titles as I know my brain and my thoughts don't always marry up!

Well today is a very special day - it is our entire little family unit's first 4th of July together or as the DH calls it Colonial Day. Honestly how can you argue with him! lol His uncle used to tease me that England were just seeing if the US could manage on their own... that was over 15 years ago, I think he may have been on to something. HMMM

I guess I better give you the heads on the card - its for a dear friend of mine in England - I have to say I was inspired by the artwork of this blog http://zindorf.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/ (I know the work there is fabulous but keep coming here too please! I'm begging you here people! LOL)

I stamped my main image from High Hopes and colored her in using prismacolor pencils and baby oil. I then framed the images using the star border from Technique Tuesday stamped with platinum planet ink and clear embossed the stars. I decided to mask the main image and then sponged Distressed Ink in Fired Brick and then in Faded Jeans. I then stamped my denim background from Cornish Heritage Farms using my Adirondack denim pad. The stars are quickutz diecuts and then colored with the Fired brick and the platinum planet and adhered with 3D zots. The See D's greeting was stamped with the Adirondack denim pad and then highlighted with the distress pads. The card base is Archiver's own cardstock linen blue.

Hope you like and have a safe and happy 4th of July!

Ingredients:

Stamps - High Hopes, See D's, Technique Tuesday, Cornish Heritage Farms

Color - Prismacolor pencil

Ink - Adirondack, Distress ink, Brilliance

Dies - Quickutz

Bouncing Baby Boy!

Another boy card! Thankfully I just have these too cute stamps from High Hopes - it just makes it difficult to decide which one to use! There really must be something in the water with all these boys!

I AM happy with this card, I have to say. Though it is nothing like my original vision in my head! Does anyone stick to their original idea all the way through a card? I was inspired by the Heartprints Gallery - some really amazing things there! I actually started to do this as an all white front with the Kanga on a raised embossed section - although "nice" it was just too white for me! So I made my swiss dots embossing into a frame (had to send that baby through twice AND poke some of the dots back out with my embossing tool). Kanga is now cut to show the shading and raised from the base with 3-D Zots. BTW - this card is 5x7 - I just like BIG cards for BIG occasions!

I really think I need a Scor-pal. I have been trying to talk myself out of one but I just don't seem to be able to get the nice deep grooves that so many people are getting without one. The ribbon is attached with the brad alone thanks to my cropadile through three layers of ribbon and one layer of card!

Gotta love that Baby Oil technique and any residual "smell" is just oh so perfect for this occasion! LOL

Hope you like!

Recipe:

Cardstock - Georgia Pacific, DCWV pastel blue

Stamps - High Hopes

Ink - Adirondack Espresso, Brilliance Graphite

Color - Prismacolor pencils

Embossing - Cuttlebug folders - Swiss Dots and Perfectly Paisley, Fiskars trimmer

Ribbon - Michael's

Brads - Making Memories

Run for the Roses

Well this card was inspired by the Kentucky Derby (which is also called "The Run for the Roses" in case you didn't know). I enjoyed making it for my Cardi-friends but I don't think I will ever have the BRIGHT IDEA to cut out 20 roses again! LOL

I think I misplaced my mojo- I have loads of cards to do today and I just can't seem to get started... Oh well I hope I get something sorted soon! Take care and thanks for looking!

Ingredients
Stamps - Stampabilities, See D's, Technique Tuesday
Cardstock - DCWV, Bazzill, Georgia Pacific
Color - Prismacolor Pencils, Archival Ink

Bouncing baby boy!

Here are a couple of cards I have made for a friend and her family on the safe arrival of their little boy. I feel a bit giddy because I have what my husband calls a "lovejob"* order to do another similar one for another couple having a boy at the end of June. Still and order is an order and its my very first - so needless to say I am absolutely delighted!

*lovejob - you do because you love them and don't expect to get PAID!

Ingredients:
Cardstock - DCWV pastels, Georgia Pacific. Archiver's
Stamps - Main Image - High Hopes
- Alphabet - MSE, Stampendous
Color - Prismacolor pencils
Ink - Archival Jet Black, Adirondack Espresso, Tsukineko Dew Drop Summer Sky
Ribbons - Michael's
Brads - Making Memories

Thank Ewe!

Well today is Mother's Day here in the US and as I didn't finish my mother's card until very early this morning (you just can't rush the creative process ) LOL.... so I haven't taken pictures of it yet, though she said she loved it!

I have however, taken pictures of this "Thank Ewe" card set that I am sending out for some Easter gifts the children received (yes, I am that far behind!!!! I'm wondering if I will ever catch up YIKES).

Take care everyone! and remember to tell your "Mother" just how much you love her and thank her for bringing you into this world!

Ingredients:

Stamps - High Hopes

Ink - Archival Ink jet black

DCWV cards and envelopes, cardstock

Michael's dots and stripes grosgrain ribbon

Decoration - prismacolor pencils, baby oil, liquid applique

45 pints of beer on a card, 45 pints of beer, take one down....

LOL I made this as a belated birthday card for a dear friend of ours! He has a keen interest in Beer and Bourbon so I thought while he was dreaming that he might just dream of beer too! So the bloke in the hammock is meant to be him and the background is what he is dreaming of!

The inside sentiment reads - "We wanted you to know that we didn't forget to send your birthday card... we just got overwhelmed by the amount of taste testing"

I've sent it so I'm hoping to hear soon whether he likes it in real life or not however, it passed the first male test, when I ran it past DH so I'm hopeful! LOL


Ingredients:
Color - Archival Jet Black, Prismacolor pencils (oderless mineral spirits technique)
Cardstock - Georgia Pacific, Hobby Lobby
Stamps - VivaLasVegastamps, See D's Boys Toys, My Sentiments Exactly
Extras - glossy accents, brads, ATG

Asian April

I know we are in May now in fact we are in the throws of the excitement of the first Saturday of May and exactly what it means in Kentucky!

However, I digress. The topper is the same as the previous post, however I used it with focus on highlighting different colours. Its funny how just changing the colors can make things appear differently.

I have to admit, it's not my favorite card of all time however, I like it... I just don't love it!

Ingredients

Color - Prismacolor pencils, Adirondack Espresso, Archival Jet Black, Tsukineko

Cardstock - DCWV, Georgia Pacific, Tissue paper

Stamps - I Brake for Stamps, Studio G

Recipe

SCS - Faux Silk.

A little Thank you!

Well I know I have been a bit quiet on the blog front but life definitely hasn't been quiet at all! I've got a few bits and bobs to share once they get to their receipients (which would probably help if I actually posted some of them! LOL.



So here is a card I have actually posted. I used the Faux Silk technique off SCS.

Ingredients

Stamps - I Brake for Stamps, Stampendous

Color - Tsukineko Dew Drops, Prismacolor pencils

Cardstock - DCWV

Hope you like!

Finally - Happy Birthday Dear Friend...

Sometimes I love Royal Mail and USPS and sometimes I don't. These last few days have been a time that I don't... they let me down and I'm not a happy bunny! Luckily, however, the card finally got to its destination and was very well received.

The inspiration was a thread on SCS about "Martha" cards and this. Well, somehow that translated into what I made for my friend for her birthday - she has a downright addiction to the "rubbah" and we are always teasing her about it. When she decided to go unmounted, I remember her saying about actually physically aching because of how much there was to do! She also profides alot of training in her line of work so quite a bit of talking to groups etc.

Here's the card and I hope you like:




INGREDIENTS:
Cardstock: Georgia Pacific; Hobby Lobby
Ink: Big Juicy; Archival Jet Black
Stamps: Viva Las Vegastamps; My Sentiments Exactly multi alphabet.
Brad: Making Memories
Prismacolor Pencils
Oderless Minerals Spirits


RECIPE:
I used the Big Juicy inkpad on the background audience stamp from VLV. I also did a direct to cardstock technique for the envelope back and inside the card with the same ink pad. The Emma Peel stamp was stamped in Archival Jet Black and clear embossed and colored in with Prismacolor pencils and cut out. Sentiment was printed on the computer and says "Eilis captured the full attention of her male audience with the mere mention of her rubber fetish"

Personalised Pens

Just thought I would share some of the personalized pens I made to send out for Easter. I got the instructions from SCS, the pens from Wally's world and the Beads and adhesives from PennyWiseArts. Again I used paper for the stamping as I couldn't find the right sized labels and adhered with glue. The Alpha stamps are my Hero Arts set, the background stamping on the pens are from See D's - boys toys, cute and cuddly and Morsels -whimsical garden. The butterflies were colored in with prismacolor pencils and I used Archival Inks black, Versafine -red, Dew drops - galaxy gold, pixie dust, spring pansy, sea breeze and perfect plumeria.

Limited Supplies? Well not really....just to die for

Well, it wasn't really set as a limited supplies challenge with these last few posts but I think it probably looks like it - Again my lovely bunny stamp makes an appearance - this is the card I sent my Brother in law and Sister in law for Easter.

The cardstock is DCWV brights pack - its lovely mauve colour (purple-y rose) and of course it has the lovely texture that the DCWV color stacks have. I then put the card and a half size blank through my cuttlebug with two of my Quickutz cookie cutter dies to make the apeture and the backing for my stamped image. I put GP white cardstock through the cuttlebug for the stamped image and cut. I stamped the Penny Black bunbun on the cardstock and colored with Prismacolors/gamsol technique from a previous post.... I then positioned a bit of thread (long enough to go across the gaps and stay) on the back of the stamped image and glued the corresponding sized flower on the back. Then I placed the image in the middle of the aperture and put the threads across the back of the front of the card and glue the card blank to the back of the front. I then stamped the message with my Stampendous circle talk alphabet with VersaMagic Dew Drop - Perfect Plumeria.

Hope you have a wonderful and safe Easter Holiday and remember, don't eat the little brown eggs if the Easter Bunny visits your garden LOL

Slight variations of the kickstand theme - Easter

Now, say that title three times fast while standing on your head drinking water from a glass .... or don't it's your choice LOL!

They also fit in with the DCM challenge this week! WooHoo!

As I know 4/6 of these cards have gotten to their destination and the other two probably don't frequent my blog - I'm sharing the rest of my Easter Cards with you.

The single card is one I made for my neice - the previous one I shared was for my nephew (hope he doesn't notice the flower on the bunny - however he is getting to the age where he probably would have preferred a different type of female bunny - but then I wouldn't be a very good Auntie now would I?!?!?!?!)


I combined the embossing and the kickstand card template for these. For the one for my neice I went over the embossing with a Tsukineko Dew Drop Spring Pansy ink. The lettering is stamped with the same ink with Hero Arts alphabet stamps and colored over with a Sakura Souffle pink. The bunny is flocked with Stampendous Fun Flock in white after being colored with Prismacolor pencils. The cardstock is DCWV and Georgial Pacific white. The embossing is Cuttlebug embossing folder Bloom dots. The stamped bunny is bun-bun from Penny Black stamped with Archival Ink black and cut and matted with Quickutz Cookie cutter flowers.

The set I did are pretty much the same except with out the stamped message, and the inking of the embossing and with an assortment of ribbon I got from Michaels. Hope you like!

Hoppy Easter

Well, when I am on a roll I just go with it, LOL but I think it is good for people to see different cards with the same image. This card I CASEd the Kickstand technique from Confessions of a Naptime Stamper great blog if you haven't seen it!

I used Penny Black's bun-bun again --- I WILL get my money's worth out of it!!! - the cardstock is DCWV brights pad and DCWV glitter pad, the scallops are Quikutz cookie cutters flowers, some eyelets and my Hero Arts alpha stamped in Aegean Blue Dew Drop. The image is colored in with Prismacolor pencil using the artist grade mineral spirits technique and then I took it one step further and flocked the bunny with white flocking. I like how it turned out - almost like a real little bunny with a flower behind her ear sat there LOL!

Hope you like.

Kickin' Birthday!

Well this is the 3rd birthday card for the same lad - I guess I'm lucky that he has varied interests! LOL

The main image is Karate Boy stamp by Stampabilities. Its been colored in with Prismacolors pencils. It made all the difference to the image to shadow it with a medium/light blue pencil. I took the cue for the colours on the card from the Hair and Belt colors of the recipient. The mats are Bazzill and the base paper is from the DCWV glitter stack - -- WOOHOO managed to use glitter and pink (or is that just a funny shade of red?) for a boy card! The sentiment I printed out using Wordart on the computer as I definitely don't have a alpha set that is oriental (orange with a brown outline). LOL

Birthday boy said this was his favourite card and I have to agree, though quite simple in stamping, matting, layering and technique - it's probably my favourite too!

Fore!

Well it's that time of year where I rack my brains for a card for my BIL. It should be easy. He loves sport, food, beer - so it should be VERY easy! So why is it not. I think it is just that male card mind block thing.

Anyway here is what I came up with - hope you like.The linen cardstock is brayered with Kaleidoscope Autumn Leaves front and back. The Wording is printed on acetate. The stamped Images are from SeeD's boys toys colored in with Prismacolor pencils and the metal square is one out of a set I picked up shopping in Portsmouth, England, both are layered onto cardstock from the DCWV neutrals pad. The eyelets are from my Silent Setter kit but I have to admit I used my Cropadile to set them this time!

Boxing Day

I love Boxing Day - in fact I think I love it more than Christmas. Everyone seems to get so stressed and hassled before Christmas and I just think things mellow down by Boxing Day and people are enjoying themselves and being with one another.

The card I am sharing with you today I made for a special friend's birthday. You just got to love those Christmas time birthdays and the international posting system... her birthday is before Christmas and she eventually got her card - that reminds me I may just sit down and make her birthday card for next year so I can post it some time in September/October so she will get it on time! lol

Anyway here it is - and I admit is very simple which is what I like about it - I bought these DCWV letter stickers ages ago and had never used them and I this idea for a "bright contemporary" (non-Christmasy) card came to mind - I have to say this time the card pretty much turned out how I thought it would, though I am still not certain about the use of the silver thread across the middle - The stamps are Autumn Leaves Clear Stamps "Mindy's Zoo" that I picked up at Archivers (I love that shop - in fact I could live in that shop if it were a bit closer to where I actually live - shame they don't do web orders). The flowers are coloured in with Prismacolor pencils and blending pencil. Its mounted on cardstock from the DCWV brights jumbo pad and again on the printed background on the white card... are you seeing a theme developing for me this December! - I just love working out something new for me on the computer! lol