Christmas Cards - variations of a theme part 1

 All the cards shown are a variation of a theme:  All the baubles were cut using Sizzix triplits  - ornaments #659929

2016

Firstly, Happy New Year to all our readers.  We hope 2016 will be a good year for you all.
Now to share our Christmas makes:
The first card is one that was requested for a couple celebrating their first Christmas together.

The chair was cut and embossed using the Sizzix die Fancy Chair (with embossing folder) #658964.  The chair was coloured with Copics and then I passed a gold stamp pad over it to highlight the embossing.

The second card was for a family member.

I printed the greeting on a 15cm x 15 cm square of white card.  Using the Sizzix Circles #657551, the second from largest, I cut a circle in the white card and the card blank, making sure that it all matched up.  I cut a circle from gold card, using the largest circle die.  I then used the Sizzix Lace pattern card front #659132 to cut the design on the gold circle.  The gold circle was sandwiched between the white card front and the card blank.  A little Christmas ribbon and the card was complete.

Season's Greetings

Wishing our readers a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

I did it again - twice

I enjoyed making the guitar card so much (see previous post), that I decided to make it again – twice:  one for another guitar loving friend and one for a bass man.

Guitar time

I needed a guitar themed card for my guitar loving friend.

Based on an image I had seen on the web,  using fineliners, I drew the basics of a guitar outline on a piece of parchment.  I then just had fun, adding swirls where I fancied.  I trimmed the parchment to size, allowing enough space to complete the lace border.  On another piece of parchment, I made two more lace borders (using the semi-square tool and then snipped with parchment scissors).  I layered the borders and secured the corners with brads.  A little “Happy Birthday” ribbon completed the design.  This was then mounted onto a 15cm square card blank, which I had part embossed with the Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder – #37-1604.

Another shawl

I crocheted a similar shawl for a friend’s 60th this summer.  I enjoyed making it so much that I decided to make another for my cousin’s 60th – different wool + a different edging = another unique gift

Baby shawl

There is nothing nicer than picking up my knitting to create something special to welcome a new little one to the world.  I have knitted this shawl a few times but by magic it always ends up as a unique piece.

Project Hat

I am the sort of person that doesn’t suit a hat.  Simply put, if forced to wear a hat, I look like one of the donkeys on the beach (lol).

I needed a hat for the black & white ball and dreaded the thought of having buy & wear something unsuitable.  So I decided to make one.

I decided to base my hat on a record (and a hairband)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I added white & black gems to define the edge of the record.

White tulle

black & white tulle

I didn’t have any white tulle, so I coloured 3 pieces black with Promarkers.  I threaded craft wire around the edges (so that I could shape it) and covered the wire with ribbon.

I poked the tulle layers through the centre of the record and secured it all with hot glue.

Flowers ready to be added

Ribbon, coated in Mod Podge (so it would hold it’s shape) then stapled.

nearly done

My finished hat!!

It managed to stay on my head for the entire night and guess what?  I only won a prize for the best hat!

Fabulous Five

A friend’s little boy recently turned five (where does the time go?)  He is a huge superhero fan, so my Edwin stamp was the one to use.  The five was hand cut and the stamped image was coloured with Promarkers.

Lest we forget

Another girl!

Another new little girl to welcome to the world :-)  and another chance to work with pink!

The banner was cut using the Sizzix framelits “Banner, Pennant Scallop - #657571 (the smallest one).   The letters were cut using a Joy! Crafts die – alphabet & numbers 6002/0139.  I used pink embroidery thread to link the banner.  The crib was cut using Sizzix die, cradle, 3D - #658986 and coloured with Promarkers, which I then trimmed to suit.  The cute giraffe was from the thinlits & stamp set “Baby Boy” – 659088, coloured with Promarkers (of course!)

An old favourite

Once again, I used the dress form die - Sizzix Bigz Sewing Room die (#657186) and the card blank was embossed using the Cuttlebug Swiss dots embossing folder .  This time I cut the dress form from patterned cork and also plain card, so that I could colour the stand to match (using Promarkers).  I added a lace trim, and a flower.

London

The prefect birthday card for a London Lady.  This card was made using the xcut build a scene die set.  It was an enjoyable card to make, playing with all the layers.

Thank you

It’s always nice to say thank you and nicer to say it with a card.

I carefully measured my card blank and then cut 5 pieces of heavy metallic paper, which I them mounted onto thin card (just to keep the strips together).  I then embossed it using the Cuttlebug folder thanks (#37-1134) and added a computer generated greeting.

Music Lover

A birthday card for a music lover.

Once again,  I used the Sizzix thinlits juke box & music set (#659502) and the rock ‘n’ roll came from the Sizzix thinlits rock ‘n’ roll sundae set (#659505)

1st Birthday

A simple but effective 1st birthday card.

The frame was cut using the Sizzix thinlits butterfly card set (#659972) and the letters were cut using the Sizzix thinlits just a note alphabet (#660111)

Two birthdays, two boots

Two birthday cards for two guys who love their DM’s.  The boots were coloured using Promarkers and the pair of boots had a layer of glitter painted on, once the Promarkers had dried.  The records and stave were cut using Sizzix Thinlits juke box & music (#659502).

Anniversary time again

Once again, it was time to celebrate our wedding anniversary (where did that year go?)

I embossed a pearly gold card blank with the embossing folder from the Sizzix Happy Hearts set (#658537) ; the figures were cut from self-adhesive paper, using the Sizzix thinlits You & Me set (#659780); the words were stickers from my stash and the big heart frame was cut from red card using Sizzix framelits Hearts (#657561).

Parchment Cat

The “purr-fect” card for a cat lover,  Based on a design from Parchment Craft magazine.  It made a nice change to be working with parchment again (I’d forgotten how much I enjoyed “parching”) and I was extremely pleased with the results. 

Route 66

An “age” card for a friend who is 66 years young!

This card was made using the Sizzix thinlits “Vintage Car & Radio” die set (#659506)  My friend loved his card, especially as he didn’t expect a card with his age on.

New Arrival

Finally a little girl to welcome to the world :-)  It made a nice change to work with pink.

The banner was cut using the Sizzix framelits “Banner, Pennant Scallop - #657571 (the smallest one).   The letters were cut using a Joy! Crafts die – alphabet & numbers 6002/0139.  I used pink embroidery thread to link the banner.  The crib was cut using Sizzix die, cradle, 3D - #658986, which I then trimmed to suit.  The cute giraffe was from the thinlits & stamp set “Baby Boy” – 659088, coloured with Promarkers (of course!)

Get well wishes

I needed a quick get well card for a friend.  I embossed a pearly card blank with the embossing folder from the Sizzix Happy Hearts set (#658537)  The butterflies were cut from tissue paper and black card, using the Sizzix  Thinlits Butterflies, Intricate dies (#659971).  Bright pink flower stamens completed the butterflies.

Records II

A gift for a musically minded friend:  Take one record and a clock mechanism and you have the perfect present

Records

Another birthday card for another dear friend (July is always a busy month!)

Made using Sizzix dies:

Thinlits – Juke Box & Music #659502 ; Thinlits – Butterfly cards #659972 (I just used the larger frames to cut the music and border)

60 years young

A friend of ours has just turned 60!  She is a lovely lady and we have been friends for a long time.  I wanted to make a special card and gift to celebrate the occasion. 

The flowers are made using a Sizzix sizzlits die, flower, bloom with leaves (#658501),the basket was a Sizzix Bigz die, egg & wire basket (#658960)  and the tag from the Sizzix sizzlits tag set small, crescent tag (#654487).  The number was a silver peel-off.

I decided to make our friend a wrap, similar to one that I had made for myself last year  (which was much admired by my friend).  I changed the pattern around a bit and made the edging different, so that it was completely unique.

A card for a knitter

A dear friend of mine recently celebrated her birthday.  As she is a dab hand with a crochet hook, can knit and sew,  so I wanted to make her a card involving yarn.

The stamp is by Marianne Design (Snoesjes HM9449), the embossing folder is by Craft Unlimited (hearts 4954012) and the dies used were the largest two from the Sizzix Framelits circles, Scallop (#657552).    The image and background were coloured with Promarkers.  The balls of yarn were made from embroidery thread and the knitting was originally done using stitch keepers (see below).  I transferred the knitting onto two hair pins (the sort used to keep rollers in place!)

  The knitting was difficult to do as it was so tiny and the springs from the stitch keepers kept getting in the way.  Again, I used embroidery thread to do the knitting.

Thankfully, my friend loved her card.  :-)

Father’s Day

I hope all the wonderful Dad’s had a memorable Father’s day.

As usual, DS asked me to make a card for his Dad – who am I to refuse (lol)

 

The camper van die is by Craft Unlimited, the tag is a Sizzix die (sorry, can’t remember the number) and the “Dad” was cut using a Joy! Crafts die – alphabet & numbers 6002/0139.  The grass was made using herb scissors (multi bladed scissors meant to easily chop herbs but never worked for me).

A big, big project

As my regular readers know, I am quite new to crochet.  A dear friend of mine has been very encouraging, and as often as we can manage,we have an afternoon of knitting and crochet.  For my birthday earlier this year my friend and her husband bought me lots of crochet goodies including a wonderful book – 100 granny squares.  I couldn’t wait to start with the book and this is the result.

It was an enjoyable project but it was a mammoth task to sew in all the ends!!

Exam time

Back in May, DH and I took our ballroom & Latin dance exam – top class 1.
It was an amazing evening, our mark’s were high and we were  2nd in our year group.
I arranged a trophy for DH, to remind him of the exam but I needed a box for it:
I also made him a card . . . .