Ipod and Jeans Birthday

Well, take a great card and a great stamp that you can't find anywhere and sulk about it for six months and this is what you come up with. However I digress and should start at the beginning...

In January I found this great blog entry Just Give Me Stamps and like everyone that sees a great card I HAD to have THAT stamp... well I search and search and no luck so I decided to think outside the box. I ordered a denim backgrounder from Cornish Heritage Farms.

I started this card with 2 sheets 5.5in x 8.5 in white GP cardstock that I wiped faded denim distressed ink over. I then took my denim stamp and stamped over the cardstock to get the jeans look. Playing with the Scor-pal I made gussetted folds the pocket would hold the "Ipod". I then stamped the stitching with Graphite black ink (and yes I hold my hands up that the stitching could have been neater but heck, these are old jeans *WINK*). Then with the cropadile I punched through the layers of the pocket and once in the upper right corner of the card base and attached the brads. Then I attached the front to my card base and stamped the See D's Happy Birthday greeting on the pocket with platinum planet.

Now on to the "Ipod" - I took a sheet of pearlescent cardstock and cut it at 3 inches. Then I took the Scor-pal and scored it at 6 inches and also 1.5 inches from the ends. The screen is blue pearlescent cardstock backed with black and the circles I cut with Quickutz cookie cutters circle dies (my circle Nestabilities came the day after I finished this!). I then got my Just-rite monogram Stamper out and made the sentiment for the screen. The folds on the inside of the ipod are just the right size to hold a nice check (cheque for you Brits) as well!

So I'm hoping that this is just about the perfect card for a teenager no matter what their interests are!

SWEET!

This is a notelet sized card that I made to send to my "cardies" last month, as one of our group calls us! The stamps are from a too cute set from Technique Tuesday called "Icing on the Cake". I wanted to use this set and really started off thinking about cupcakes - I mean have you seen all the fabby cupcake cards there are around and then I thought - HMMM maybe I should just save cupcakes for birthday cards because I have so many of those to do - well for me - and can never think of an idea and who doesn't like cupcakes etc. So after I finished my internal dialogue with myself. I decided it is summer and I NEED some ice cream and even better this is the ZERO calorie kind. Now we are talking!

So this card started with cutting and embossing the white cardstock out with my new nestabilities (oh I love those things!) I stamped the icecream stamps on the cardstock using versamark for the ice cream itself and gel-a-tins chocolate embossing powder - yum! Its not an overpowering smell but it is there! I also made a scalloped frame for them, at this point I chose orange - I just think it so refreshing for summer and I had already played around and decided that I would have chocolate ice cream and then the blue base card just seemed to make it come together. Then I went looking through my designer paper that I had bought ages ago and had never used - you know when you think its too good to use! and found this K&Company Brenda Walton Neopolitan paper - now how perfect is that! (I know you probably already knew about it!). I just then had to sort out a sentiment for the front and some ribbon and Voila!

Ingredients

Stamps - Technique Tuesday, Stampendous alphabet

Ink - Adironack Caramel, Adirondack Expresso, Versamark

Embossing powder - Gel-a-tins chocolate bliss

Diecutting - Nestabilities

Designer Paper - K&Company Brenda Walton

Embellishment - ribbon from Michael's

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

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

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.

Tiger Pens

You know from an earlier blog that I made nugget boxes for my son's academic team - which all the kids seemed to like -Well, they won the right to compete at the State Governor's Cup Competition so I planned on putting together goody boxes/bags for them this time but I have had so many projects to get through that the time got away from me - Luckily I made these up as soon as I got the supplies from Pennywise Arts.

How fun are they?! I really can't believe it and my son is pretty chuffed with them.

The directions are on SCS - they are Pentel RSVP pens - I couldn't find the right sized sticky labels or even larger sheets so I used paper cut to size and stamped then glued them onto the pen. Then I used the beads and O'So from Pennywise Arts. The stamps are SeeD's, Hero Arts, Stampendous. Inks are Adirondack butterscotch and eggplant.

PS- you will be glad to know I don't think I have any more tiger theme projects on the go at the moment! LOL

Simple Thank You Notes

Another simple card - one layer wonder I think some call them.

I got the notecards at Wally's world... The ink is Adirondack eggplant and butterscotch . The tiger stripe, Monogram initials (exclusive to Archiver's), circle and text are Stampendous. I have only just realised this which is quite funny because I normally mix companies all the time.

Hope you like!

Mother's Day - Part 1

OK. I better explain the "Part 1" thing first - given that we are an International Family - our Mum's Mother's Day is in March and our Mom's Mother's Day is in May. Clear as mud for those of you that don't have to deal with it right? LOL

AND Yes this is for the same lady that the last card was for - do you see a theme? LOL

I saw the stamp by Rubber Stampede and fell in love - I really thought it would make a lovely stamp for Wedding cards.

The ink is Adirondack espresso and Archival black. The image is coloured in with my Prismacolors (delicious). The cardstock is all DCWV neutrals stack. The ribbon is from Mike's. The stamp is G studio. The Embossing folder is swirls on my Cuttlebug. Hope you like and more to the point I hope Mum likes.

PS - the one thing I would change? I think I would rub over the raised embossing with the espresso inkpad - there is always next time right? LOL

Go Tigers - nuggets and boxes

I saw this project on Splitcoaststampers and just had to try it and what better excuse than my son's Academic Team progressing from District to Regional. I am taking them tomorrow and hope that they like them. I couldn't get too girlie because of all the boys on the team and I'm sure they wouldn't be impressed with flowers, bows and anything glittery at all. Spoilsports! LOL!

The tiger stripes stamp is Stampendous, the "Go Tigers" are clear stamp alphabet from the Paper Studio. The mat is Bazzill. I used Adirondack Eggplant and Butterscotch for my ink. The nugget wraps are Avery mailing labels.

I haven't forgotten about my teaser- just waiting for Royal Mail to deliver and will post up just as soon as I know they have!

And I have gotten the most delicious package from Viva Las Vegastamps - I'm stroking my lovely stamps and plotting as I type! LOL! can't wait to introduce them to ink.

Another sneak peek! LOL

Decided to take up a bit of a challenge to use the little cuttlebug folders - I knew what I wanted to do with this one. I like the outcome but that will have to wait and see whether the recipients like it too - though I know they are too polite to say otherwise!

Here's a peek. Shhhhhhhhhhh don't tell anyone! LOL Isn't this bow just too cute!

Anyway - I have been playing with a few techniques off Splitcoaststampers (they are so fab!!!!) and playing with a few bits of my recent stash haul - that will definitely have to be it for a long while! well maybe ;-) you know how it goes.

I have a list as long as my arm of cards/project to complete -

• Valentines - at least 3
• Go Team - a not so little project! that I have CASE off SCS
• Birthday - at least 5
• March cards - 5
• Mother's day card - 1
• Wedding card needs to be more than spectacular as both the bride and groom are designers!!!!!- 1
• Confirmation card - 2
• Easter cards - ?????
• Thank you's for various things as well!

and that is just to get me through from now to March. YIKES!!! especially as I wanted to make a start on scrapbooking; the dreaded spring clean; organise my craft space; and do a bit more of house unpacking.

I did however, just want to share this VERY simple card! and I mean VERY simple! that I made quite a while ago but it quite effective and I know people get intimidated with stamping at times.The cupcakes are stickers from the Dollar Tree! The "Happy Birthday" is a See D's stamp and it was stamped on the black with White Brilliance and then highlighted with Sakura - white gel and pink, blue and yellow glitter pens. Hope you like!

A card with scraps and few bits!

I thought I would share this card I made by using scraps of paper I had about and embossing powder, a snowflake punch, some vellum, a few clear stamps and some Aluminium foil!

I punched foil and vellum snowflakes and used the negative of the vellum too. I used kaleidoscope embossing powder all over the foil snowflake square and clear embossing powder all over the message panel that I had already dotted with a silver sharpie and stamped the message with Adirondack denim. Very simple but I think it is quite effective and shows what you can do with just a few things that aren't so special in and of themselves. Hope you like!

Thanks Wendy-AnnTaurus for telling me that I managed a DCM dare! so I have linked into DCM - I have truthfully been trying to do a few challenges and dares but its not easy keeping up lol!

New Year's Day 2008

Where did that last year go! ROFL - oh I must be old if I am losing years in the blink of an eye - just nod in agreement to amuse me because you know I can see you - lol.


Well, I thought for the new year I would post up a baby card I made recently. As I really haven't had a moment to craft over the Christmas break - which may have more to do with going to all the sales and I won't even tell you how much got stuffed in my car from the New Year's 75% off sale...in my defense there were three of us shopping for three different households.

I made this card for my cousin and his wife on the arrival of their son. I thought the blue and white was quite crisp and fresh, oh and of course there was the "boy" theme. The ribbon is a satin roll I picked up somewhere and the pram was made with a Marvy circle punch, scallop scissors, organza ribbon, Adirondack denim and eggplant with irisdescent glitter over the top. The congratulations greeting is from a See D's set which I went over again with white sakura pen. I don't have a small circle punch so I just drew around a thread spool and cut. - isn't it funny with all the gadgets there are when we end up just using a scissors, paper and glue. lol.