Season’s Greetings

Wishing all our readers a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year

Christmas is almost here . . .

Christmas preparations are well under way (just as they should be).  This year we have been lucky enough to have two babies who are celebrating their first Christmas – how exciting!

I took a “1st Christmas Bauble” and personalised it with baby’s name and the year.

Of course, Baby’s 1st Christmas cards had to be made.  Whilst both cards look the same, they are both different, making each unique – perfect.

         

So nice to do . . . .

so I did it again.

I so enjoyed making the Art Nouveau style card for my friend, that I decided to make it again for my cousin.   Same techniques, just a different letter.

 

Lest We Forget

Thinking of you

I wanted to let friends know that I was thinking of them.  I wanted a cheerful (in an understated way) card.  I chose my colours carefully and was pleased with the result.

Fabulous Four!

I needed to make a card for a fabulous 4 year old, who is a huge football fan.

I hand cut the 4 from a white card blank and from red metallic paper.  The stamp is one of my old favourites, stamped onto white card and coloured with promarkers.

Flower Birthday

I love making flowers from parchment paper.  This design was from an old copy of Pergamano magazine.

Wedding time

A simple but effective card for our friend’s son that recently married.

Friends

My friend (a colleague of DH), has got a new job.  We’re so pleased for her and of course I wanted to make her a card.
I went with an unusual design for a new job card but nonetheless, I think it works quite well.
It’s based on Art Nouveau, with a parchment letter, mounted on a Swiss dot embossed card blank and some wonderful black loopy adhesive tape, to complete the design.

Birthday Poppies

I love poppies, have a garden full of them and even have a cat named Poppy!

I needed to make a card for my favourite aunty for her birthday and was delighted to see in the October issue of Parchment craft, a card with a poppy design.

I really enjoyed making this card and thought the little 3d butterfly was soo cute.  I added the happy birthday ribbon, I don’t usually use black for this, but I thought it would bring out the middles of the poppies.

Birthday time

Time for DH to celebrate his birthday.

As a budding sax player, his first card was was easy.  A clip art sax image, coloured with Promarkers

Another Zentangle, this time using the word “Dad”

Silver Card

My card for DH – another pop-up box, but this time for our silver anniversary.

21

DS was 21 recently.  Mind you, I don’t feel old enough to be the mum of a 21 year old!!

The first card was a “pop-up”box card.  Three of the flaps were decorated with pics of DS at various ages,  and the front flap was covered in sheet music washi tape with a nice big 21.  Using a 2 and a 1 paper clip for the greeting part, 2 keys and a stamped quote, the card soon came together.  Please note: the personal greeting has been erased using paint shop as I forgot to photograph it before I wrote on it (duh!)

The second card is simply the outline for a number 21 printed on card, then using my Rotring pens, zentangled.  I had great fun doing the zentangles and was pleased with the result.  Mounted onto a gold card (embossed with my gear embossing folder & swiped with a gold ink pad) – a simple but effective result.

48 cupcakes

I needed to make a celebration cake for the anniversary party but I wanted something a bit different.  With a bit of planning, 2 silver trays (from the charity shop) and 48 cupcakes, I ended up with something different!

Silver Roses

This year, I decided to teach my self to crochet.  It was something that I had been unable to master, despite my Mum trying to teach me, yet, she did teach me how to knit.
With much perseverance,  a bit of cussing and a lot of time on the web, I finally managed to make a shawl.  I was so proud of myself.  Two more shawls later, I decide to have a go at crocheting roses – silver roses to be precise.
 


Not bad for a beginner.

A silver bride & groom

A bride and groom figurine, glued to a small cake stand

Silver beads glued around the base (what a job!)

“25” added using paperclips

Based “blinged up”  using small & large gem stones and my gem heat applicator

Project 25

We decided to have a party for our silver anniversary.  Of course, I made the invites.

The 25 was cut using a Sizzix Christmas die (Sizzlits Decorative Strip – stacked words Christmas 658257).  I embossed a white postcard (Textured Impressions Embossing & Stamp Set – Flourish 658280) and I used a silver ink pad to highlight the embossing.  I edged a plain white card with silver dotty washi tape, added some ribbon and hearts with our names – I was pleased with the final result.

Couldn't resist . . . . . .

I’m not usually interested in the latest craze or fad and am not one for jumping on the band wagon.  However, this time, I simply couldn’t help myself, I had to have a go at Loom Banding.  Having seen articles on the web, features on the good old Beeb and lots and lots of loom band stuff in the shops, it was easy to pick up a loom and some bands to have a go.
After a few false starts, replacing the stupid plastic hook that was included, with a metal crochet hook, I soon began to understand why loom banding was such a big thing.  Oh and did I mention it is VERY addictive

Parchment anniversary

Friends of mine celebrated their anniversary, the day before they came to NL to celebrate our anniversary.  I wanted to make another parchment card (I did tell you that I like working with parchment).  I found the basis for the design in one of my craft magazines, changed it to what I wanted and this is what the finished card looked like.

The addition of the washi tape along the top completed the card.

Butterfly birthday

My friend loves butterflies, so I made her a butterfly card.

I love working with parchment, but it is always a worry towards the end of the design – one mistake and the card needs a clever cover-up or it’s a scrapper.  I’m pleased to say, that this one was fine and my friend loved it.  The happy birthday is the same as the previous post (Sizzlits Die Set 3PK - Card Phrases Set #3  - 657524)

Still Summer

Well, everyone is back to their respective day jobs, but the sun is out, so I guess it’s still summer – how lovely.

It’s been a busy time here of late, loads of birthdays, a new baby and DH & I celebrating our silver wedding anniversary.  We had a party, which was fantastic  and a great opportunity for lots of crafty makes & bakes.  So, now to begin the show & tell from the summer . . . . . . . .

A dear friend of ours turned 65 this summer, so what better than a card made using the Sizzix vintage buttons embossing folder (657672) and the Happy Birthday Die (657524 -Sizzlits Die Set 3PK - Card Phrases Set #3)

Birthday Aunty

Still using the postage stamp set (see previous post for details), this time I actually used the rubber stamp that was in the set.  The butterfly, background and stamp frame were coloured using Copics and again the card blank was embossed with the flourish embossing folder 658280 and again, swiped with a sepia ink pad

Anniversary

Friends of ours recently celebrated their 7th wedding anniversary.  Having fallen in love with my new Sizzix goodies, I wanted to use the postage stamp set again.  I took a wedding photo of theirs, recoloured it in sepia, resized to suit and then printed this onto card.  I embossed a pearly gold card blank using the Sizziz Textured Impressions  flourish & postcard set 657666.  I swiped a sepia inkpad over the embossing to make it stand out a little more.  The postage stamp was cut using the Sizzix Framelits with stamps set, postage stamps 658295 and a gold peel-off number 7 was added in the corner. 

Thank you’s

At the end of the dance year, I always make thank you cards for our dance teacher and the lovely lady that helps him.

I always try and fit a Union Jack in the design somewhere, as we are his only English students, and this has become a bit of a standing joke.

Both cards had a “gold” theme, as it had been our gold star exam year.

Dies & embossing folders used:

Sizzix Bigz Union Jack - 658296  Sizzix Framelits Frames, Decorative #3  - 657939    Sizzix Framelits Hearts #2 – 657574 Cuttlebug A2 embossing folder Thanks – 37-1134.  The stamp is a Dutch one – Dirk & Dientje (coloured with Copics)

Father’s Day

I have been waiting to try my new stamp and embossing folders.  For a first attempt, I was pleased with the result.  The folder used was Sizzix Textured Impressions Embossing & Stamp Set, Postage & Frame 657857

I also wanted to play with my new die set.  The card was embossed using my Sizzix Textured Impressions embossing (& stamp) set Flourish 658280 but instead of using the stamp, I swiped the embossing with a sepia stamp pad.   The postage stamp was cut using my Sizzix Framelits with stamp set – Postage stamp 658295, but instead of using the stamp I generated the paw prints on the computer and coloured the background with Copics.

Dancing stars 2

Just over two weeks ago, DH and I took our gold star dancing exam.  Having had the pleasure of watching our son dance, we put our best foot forward and did our very best.

Well, we passed, with good marks and to top it all, we were the best 5th years overall in ballroom and Latin.  We were so pleased.

I had made a card for DH, to thank him for another wonderful year of dancing.

The dance season has finished for the year but we have a whole summer of dance cafés to look forward to – how lovely!

Dancing Stars

Last weekend my DS and his dance partner took their Bronze Dancing Exam.  It was very exciting for DH and me to go and watch (and offer support).  It really was a wonderful evening and they both passed with fantastic marks.  To put the icing on the cake, they were also the best 1st years overall in ballroom and Latin.

I used as much bronze as I could, cardstock & backing paper.  The backing paper was cut using my Sizzix frames die #3 (657939) and embossed with my Crafts Too Hearts Embossing Folder.  The stamp is from the Dirk & Dientje range and was coloured with Copics.

I hope some of their success is passed on to us:  DH and I have our Gold Star Dance exam next weekend – fingers crossed.

Fit for a Queen

A dear friend of mine was awarded a B.E.M in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours List.  Such a magnificent achievement deserved a card “fit for a Queen”.

The starting point: – what do you need when you meet the Queen?  A new outfit!

The card was based on the idea of a new outfit.  The hat was hand drawn and cut from blue card and then trimmed with white.  The dress, shoes and handbag were cut from blue card using Sizzix originals dress & accessories (38-1198/65462).  The stand was cut (using the same die) from Sizzix self adhesive card stock.   Once all the pieces were cut, I added some shading with my lovely Copics.  The greeting was computer generated.  I also embossed a piece of white card (cut to size) using the Sizzix Textured Impressions Embossing & Stamp set – flourish (658280).  I swiped the embossing with a gold ink pad.

 

The recipient loved it (thank goodness).

Two birthdays

Two friends, two birthdays, 2 days apart = one basic design and 2 different cards.

                       

Both cards were based on the Sizzix textured impressions bird cage embossing folder (657661), “Happy Birthday”  Sizzix Sizzlits Card Phrases #3 (657524).

For the card on the left  I used a pearly pink card blank and for the card on the right a pearly gold card blank.  Both cards had embossed bird cages, burnished with gold & sepia ink and a happy birthday cut from Sizzix self adhesive card stock.