Season’s Greetings

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Christmas words

Back again to the half cut (told you it was my favourite).  Made in much the same way as the others but using a different die.

Christmas Pudding

Everybody loves a bit of Christmas pud, don't they?

This was quite an easy one to make but a lot of fun

Dies used:  Sizzix Framelits circles #657551, Sizzix Scalloped circles #657552, Christmas Tree leaves – brand unknown, Berries from Sizzix Holly & Berry set #657941.

Corners rounded with my favourite corner punch.

Embossing Folder: Cuttlebug A2 embossing folder D’Vine Swirl #37-1142

The greeting was made using a Dymo tape machine and clear Dymo tape.

Welcome Christmas

I enjoyed making this card – a bit fiddly but the result was worth it.

I embossed a card blank using my bricks embossing folder.  I embossed the door using Sizzix Textured Impressions Door #658430, on another piece of card and trimmed it to size.  The wreath was made from the small Christmas tree die.  Gold brads and a little red ribbon completed the card.

Christmas for dancers

As my regular readers know, I am a keen amateur ballroom and Latin dancer. As a result of my hobby , I have a lot of “dancey” friends, so it only seems right to have a dance themed Christmas card.

I used a number of dies from different sets to create this card:

Dancers: Xcut Build a Scene Ballroom #XCU503125; Shape cut into card blank: Sizzix thinlits plus, Card, Diorama Gatefold #660845; Leaves:  Christmas tree set, brand unknown.

That time of year again!

I have already made a fair number of Christmas cards – I like to be ahead of the game if I can!  Over the next few posts I shall share my makes.

This card was again made with the half cut.  I like the way the Christmas tree looks with this technique. 

The tree was decorated with self adhesive pearls and the corners rounded with my “favourite” corner punch.

Guitar time

I made this for a guitar mad friend.

I am a big fan of the half cut (see here for a little tutorial).  It gives added dimension and is a much under rated technique.

The guitars were cut from patterned paper using Yvonne Creations Guitar die #CDD10023.  The front was embossed with a circle embossing folder.

Lest We Forget

Cats (again)

I loved making this card (see here), that I just had to make it again (sorry).

Football fan

I made this for a friend’s son, who loves football.

The card blank is embossed with a happy birthday embossing folder.

Cats

As my regular readers know, my cats feature on my blog from time to time.  I like cats and I like making cat cards!

Both cards are made in the same style but the top one has a frame.  They are made using the paper piecing technique.  The squares are hand coloured using Promarkers and Copics.  The greeting computer generated and printed on white card.

Little girl birthday

A birthday card for a little girl.  I used my lacy square dies for the background.  The stamp was coloured with Copics.

Vintage style

A dear friend of mine loves vintage style.  I wanted to make a vintage styled card and came up with the idea of a vintage style dress.
I cut the dress form (mannequin) from burlap paper to give it some texture.  The dress form was trimmed top and bottom, just to leave the body.  I cut a second complete one from white card.  Die used:  Sizzix Bigz Sewing Room #657186.  I coloured the base with Copics.
I then made myself a dress pattern to fit the dress form, which I found quite fiddly, but I got there in the end.  The necklace is made from self adhesive pearls.
The card blank was embossed using my big dots embossing folder from craft Sensations.

Birthday Panda

Made in exactly the same way as the get well pandas (see previous post), with the addition of an embossed “Happy Birthday” square.

Get well Pandas

Cheeky pandas to cheer up a dear friend of mine.

 

I used a 15cm square Kraft card blank and put metallic pink tape around all four sides.  Using more Kraft card, I cut a lacy square (sorry can’t remember the die set).  I then used a stitched circle die to cut 3 apertures.  The greeting was computer generated and then cut using the same circle die.  Once the pandas were cut and assembled they were glued to the lacy square.  I used Copics to colour the bamboo.

Sax man

My card for Dh for his birthday.

Although the photo doesn’t really show it, the sax is “free standing”.   I part cut the die on the card blank, so that when the front was folded, it would release the sax.  I then cut the sax man again from white card and carefully glued it in place.

New Grandparents

Dear friends of ours became grandparents for the first time.  Such moments in life need celebrating, so I decided to make two rocking chairs for the new grandparents.

My apologies in advance as this is a long post, with lots of photos.

The die used:  Sizzix ScoreBoards XL Die - Chair, 3-D #658985

All the pieces cut, ready for assembly

The seat piece, with double sided tape

Folded along the score lines

The seat ready to be glued to the chair back

I made a book and some glasses for grandad’s chair and some knitting for grandma’s.

All done!!  Ready to be given in their handmade acetate boxes.

NB:  Opa = Grandad  Oma= Grandma/Nan

An on trend anniversary

DH and I recently celebrated our wedding anniversary.  I wanted to make him a flamingo card or a panda card (to remind him of our trip to the zoo).  Surprisingly (no, not really!!)  I chose the flamingo.

I cut two flamingos from glitter card (remembering to turn the paper over for the second, so that it would face the opposite way).  The beaks and legs were coloured with Copics. 

Man style

A birthday card for a dear friend.  As my regular readers know,  I have a “thing” about cards for men . . . . so much so that I end up with creative block, panic and a conviction that I cannot come up with an idea!

I used my new die to shape the front of the card and again for the white card.  This was embossed with my big dots embossing folder by Craft Sensations.  The hat, glasses and moustache are from a men's collection but I’m not sure of the brand.

Birthday time

For an adorable 3 year old.

The card blank was embossed with my big dots embossing folder from Craft Sensations.  I coloured the elephant and ‘3’ with Copics

Keeping on trend

I am in love with my flamingo die.  I’ve used it for a birthday card and now for get well cards.

                               
They were made in much the same way as the flamingo birthday card.

On trend

Flamingos are so on trend this year and I’ve been waiting for the chance to use my new flamingo die (I think I will be using it as much as possible from now on!!)  I needed a card for my dear friend for his birthday (oh dear -  a card for a man again!).

As usual, the greeting was computer generated an printed on white card.  The card blank was embossed using Sizzix Textured Impressions Hearts #4 – #656797.  I used metallic tape across the middle of the card blank to give extra interest.  The oval was cut using Sizzix Framelits oval #657563.  The flamingo legs and beak were coloured using Copics and a black self adhesive pearl was used for the eye.  The wing was mounted with foam pads.

Butterfly birthday

A birthday card for a dear friend who loves butterflies.

The butterflies were cut using Sizzix Thinlits dies - butterflies, Intricate #659971

The front edge was cut using a wave border die (sorry, brand unknown).

Graduation #2

I loved making this one!  It was one of those cards when everything came together.  The greeting was computer generated and printed on white card.  I used the Sizzix Framelits Circles #657551 to cut out the greeting and the red scalloped circle using Sizzix Framelits Circles, scallop #657552.  The hat (as before) was cut using Sizzix Originals Medium Doll Graduation #654605.   The front of the card was embossed using Sizzix Textured Impressions A2 Chevron Texture #660506.

Graduation time

A nice, easy design -  just as well as I needed it on the quick!!

The card blank was embossed using the Cuttlebug A2 embossing folder Swiss Dots – #37-1604.  The greeting was computer generated and printed onto white card.  The graduation hat was cut using the Sizzix Originals Medium Doll Graduation #654605

Get well – part 2

This is the second get well card – a shaker card.

I used a dark cream pearly card blank and cut the aperture in a matching, smaller piece of card using Sizzix Framelits with stamps, Jar #658699.  I then embossed the card using Sizzix Textured Impressions Hearts #4 – #656797.   The corners on the card blank and the smaller piece were shaped using a punch.

Using the stamp from the set, I stamped the jar on a white piece of card.  I place a piece of acetate behind the aperture on the smaller piece of card.  Foam blocks were used to ‘seal’ around the jar to stop the punched hearts falling out.  The greeting was computer generated and printed on white card, then cut using Sizzix Framelits, Banners, Fancy #658601

Get well–part one

We all need a get well card (unfortunately) from time to time.  I needed to make 2!!

I used a cheery lime green card blank and embossed the front with Sizzix Textured Impressions Arrow #2 – A6 Large #659771.  The hat, glasses and moustache are from a men's collection but I’m not sure of the brand.  These were all put on white card and mounted on the card blank with foam pads.  The greeting was computer generated.

For a fellow dancer

Making cards for our dance friends is always a bit challenging.  If possible, I keep to some sort of dance theme.

This one was made using Sizzix card, diorama, gatefold set #660845
I cut an aperture in the card and used tissue paper over the top.  The lady was a Joanna Sheen signature die - Latin Dancers #SD271

Father’s Day

I hope all you amazing Dads had an amazing Father’s Day!

This card was made for DH from DS.

The card blank was embossed with Sizzix Textured Impressions A6 embossing folder – Arrows #2 – #659771

The hat, glasses & moustache are from an unbranded die set.

60 years on earth

This card is pretty much self explanatory  . . . . .

The card blank was embossed with the Cuttlebug A2 embossing folder Swiss dots #37-1604

The ‘60’ was cut from white card using the Joy! Crafts alphabet & Numbers #6002/0139

I can’t remember the make of the world die (sorry x ) but this was cut from a blue pearly card and mounted on a white circle

Happy birthday

I always find coming up with ideas for cards for men difficult. 

A dark cream piece of card was embossed using Sizzix Texturz Happy Birthday phrases from set #20 - #656372

The cupcake was cut using Sizzix thinlits Lanterns #660692 and was coloured with Copics.

1st birthday

1st birthdays are oh so special.  I enjoyed making this card as I got to play with some new dies.

Dies used:

Sizzix thinlits Doily, Love Silhouette #658912

Marianne Design Creatables Baby Shoes #LR0303

Joy! Crafts alphabet & numbers #6002/0139 (letters for name)

Sizzix Thinlits alphabet – Just A Note #660111 (for the number 1)

Thank you just isn’t enough

DH and I recently took our last dance exam (ever!)  Dear friends and fellow dancers have been part of our support team for most of our exams, which we are so grateful for.  There is nothing better than being told that you did great as you leave the dance floor.

So, of course, a handmade card was needed, a special card for a two special people.

The greeting on the card blank was computer generated and the lady was cut using my lovely die from Joanna Sheen Signature dies Latin Dancers #SD271

End of the Season

Before we knew it, it was the end of the dance season – wow that year went by fast!

Our dance teacher puts up with a lot from DH and me through out the dance season, so it seems only right that he gets a handmade card.

All the bits & pieces were cut using the Build a scene London dies from XCut (XCU503158).

The aperture was cut in white card with the Sizzix Framelits Circles (#657551)

The background was coloured using Promarkers

It looks much better, as you can see in the finished card, when it is dry.

The cut pieces, aligned, ready to be assembled

35 years!

Friends of ours recently celebrated their 35th wedding anniversary.  35 years is a coral anniversary, or these days it is jade.  I decided to stick with coral.

The info for making this card can be found here.
In addition, I cut a small heart from white card and the 35 from the same card as the filigree heart.

Something a little different

I needed a birthday card for a spring birthday, so I thought I would try to do something with flowers.

I drew a shoe on a piece of white card and cut this out.  I then added the white flowers (using one of my many flowers punches).  I used 3d pearl paint for the centres.

50

Earlier this year I turned 50.  I had a fantastic birthday and my amazing DH  organised a party for me.  I say he organised a party for me, he got so far in the planning, decided he needed my help, so I really should say WE organised a party!
I had a great time planning and making, as I am sure you can imagine.

Here are a few photo's to give you an idea of the fun that I had . . . .

The theme was black, gold and bright pink

 Cupcake wrappers - Sizzix thinlits die #660893

Table decorations - black plastic wine glasses, filled with gold deco stones . . .

 . . . .  gold angel hair

 

 

I bought the heart shaped led light kits but added the 50 in black, white and pink crystals

 

My party invitation