Cards for men

I always find it challenging to design cards for men.  In principle it should be no different to designing any other card but for some reason I find it difficult.

I needed a card for my cousin.  I decided to use my new Sizzix embossing plate, Happy Birthday.  I used a bronze card blank and embossed directly onto the blank card.  I cut the happy birthday from white card (Sizzix Decorative Strip – Wingo Zingo).

Lest We Forget

New Arrival–Part 2

Now for the gift. I like to be different and I love being creative, especially with everyday items.  Put the two together and what do you get – a nappy cake!

As with the crib (see yesterday’s post), I have never made a nappy cake before and in my naivety thought “how hard can it be?” Well, let me tell you:  design – pretty straightforward; rolling the nappies – ok, once you establish a method; putting it all together  - hard.  I needed several pairs of hands just to keep things where they should be!!  On the upside, once I had established what was going where, it all became a bit easier.

New Arrival–Part 1

Today, I met my friend’s grandson for the first time.  He is absolutely adorable and I was thrilled to be able to have a cuddle.

I made the card & gift before his arrival, so I kept to neutral colours.  Today I will show you the card and tomorrow I will post pictures of the gift.

I wanted to try making a 3d crib.  I mapped it all out first and then transferred my pattern to the white card.  I drew and cut the crib by hand.  I could have used my Craft Robo but never having made anything like this before, I wanted to get a “feel” for it.

Having constructed the crib, I lined the inside with some yellow and white stripey paper, made a pillow from a small piece of white card and a blanket from yellow gingham ribbon.

 

 

I then decided to make a box.  Again, I could have used the robo to design & cut it but I decided to do it by hand.

Having cut my desired shape I then stamped the card with “precious baby”.

To protect the crib, I added acetate to the apertures.

I then made a tag so that I had somewhere to write my message.

 

A pair of knitted bootees (another of my makes!) and a yellow gingham bow either side to hold the box together and it’s done.

60th

Last week our friend celebrated his 60th birthday.  He had already had his best present – becoming a grandfather a few days before his birthday!

 

I used a white (5” x 7”) card blank.  I covered the front in bronze metallic paper.  I then embossed the front using one of my new Sizzix Texturz embossing plates (Happy Birthday Phrases).  I cut a “60” from white card using my Sizzix Decorative Strip, Frosting Numbers.  I used foam pads to mount the “60".

Now for the present.

Components:

4 wine glasses

1 terracotta wine cooler

1 nice bottle of red

gift wrap

purple foam sheets

long craft pipe cleaners

cellophane wrap

gift ribbon

4 “60”s cut from silver paper using the Sizzix Frosted Numbers die

Method

I covered the cut down wine glasses box with gift wrap.  I then stuck the wine cooler box inside the wrapped gift box.  I returned the cooler to its box and put the wine in the cooler.  I cut the foam into 4 long lengths, which I then wrapped around the wine glasses.  I used the “60”s and some double sided tape to secure the foam to the glasses.  I then (carefully) wrapped the pipe cleaners around the stems of the glasses and used them to secure the glasses to the top of the wine bottle.  The whole lot was then wrapped in cellophane and tied at the top with the gift ribbon.

Thank you’s

I needed two thank you cards – one for my MIL to thank her for having us during our recent stay and the second for a kind lady who helped make a wish come true.



This is the one I made for my MIL.  I embossed a piece of black linen card using my Cuttlebug Folder – Thanks.  To make the embossing stand out a little more, I wiped the top part of the folder with a white ink pad.  To finish off I added various coloured punched flowers with gem centres.

Now the second card has a story behind it.  As you know, DH and I are having ballroom and Latin American dance lessons and we have just started our 2nd year of lessons.  My MIL had wanted to see us dance so DH contacted a dance school close to where my in-laws live to see if it would be possible for us to join one of their classes so that his parents could see us dance.  Well, the lady said yes.  During his communications with the lady who runs the classes, DH discovered that a) she was Dutch and b) she had danced at our dance school here in NL.

We decided to take the dancing teacher back a little “taste of home” – kruidnoten, Sint & Piet speculaars, stroopwafels and a chocolate letter A.  All meaningless items to the average Brit!!  I also made her a Dutch themed thank you card (bedankt meaning thank you).


Once again I used my Cuttlebug Folders – this time D’vine swirls, the letters were cut using the Night & Day alphabet and the pictures are from some Dutch gift wrap, mounted on blue circles of card.

paul said...

We love what you have achived with the ink and embossing folder Lesley, stunning effect.

7 November 2010 19:22

Grandparents

Earlier this year, our friends announced that they were going to be grandparents.  Well, now they are grandparents and have a beautiful grandson!

Now you all know me, I can’t miss out on making a card for something as special as this.