Pub Games

I admit I was tempted to just buy the Hunkydory Pub Games kit card, but as the commission's focus was more on Darts and Dominoes, I thought I better make something from scratch.

I was super impressed to find in Paperchase a scrapbooking Cards and Dominoes kit! Perfect for embellishing this card. I can't find a link to it anywhere but it was in the reduced section so is probably now old stock.

Front.

This is a stepper blank from Everycraftsapound, and I matted and layered domino paper and red paper onto it. I printed out a dartboard and added the 60th greeting, then used pieces from the kit to embellish the card. I also had a very old gambling scrapbook kit from QVC that I raided for some chipboard stickers. I added bling and stickles to it at the end.

Back.

Silver Wedding Anniversary Commission Part 1.

I've recently had a commission for three silver wedding anniversary cards, so I am scheduling this post to go up a week after their anniversary.

This is the first card I made, using the Creative Expression "Delicate Garden Frame" die by Sue Wilson. It cuts excellently and I am very impressed.  Individual flower and butterfly come with the set.

Had a rethink afterwards and decided to colour the number to be silver too, and far prefered it. I just used silver acrylic paint in the end, and on the thickers stickers, it looked like it had some nice texture.

Background paper was actually recycled packaging from some cosmetics that I liked and saved. Numbers were thicker stickers. Gems and ribbon from stash.

Sophie's Christening Card.

Don't often get to make a christening card, so it was especially nice to make this one for little Sophie.

This is a bit of a homage to Hero Arts. I've used two of their stamps here, the "Large Solid Flower" (CG248) again, (it's proving very useful), and a stamp set called "Playful Animals" (CL155), just the elephant and giraffe.

I created a batik effect for the background, heat embossing the flower stamp in white and then spraying the card with water and dropping brusho powders onto it.

The sentiment is printed on vellum and wrapped around. The font is East Coast Stationery.

I used the same batik effect for the animals, and added a tiny bit of black fineliner to make them more defined. Purple enamel dots added to the corners after.

Knitty Kitty Digis out in the wild.

I just wanted to make a quick post featuring some of the gorgeous work my unofficial design team have made using Knitty Kitty Digi stamps :) I am super impressed with the projects they have made and couldn't be more pleased to have them unofficially helping me out. Thank you guys!

Cards made by  Helen Haines.

   

Cards made by Christine Ingram

Cards made by KT Fit Kitty

 

     

And an honorary mention to Sue EisenHauer who has made these great cards/pages too.

New Home!

Card I made for my friend Norms, for her new home :D

So a little bit inspired by "Up" but using a balloon die by Joy and a silhouette house cut out by me! Background is distress reinkers on glossy card stock. Clouds by Joy too.

Think I can confirm I am a fan of Joy dies, they cut out brilliantly.  Because the die is meant to show the embossing, which on the black was a bit indistinct, I actually cut out around the balloons a little.

Condolences.

Sad news meant making a sympathy card for a friend.

Background made with distress reinkers on glossy card. Silhouette images stamped in Staz-on. Stamps by Sheena Douglass -  A Little Bit Sketchy, Sihouette Wildflowers. Added stickles in purple and used my white posca pen for the spots.

New Home Card

Commissioned New Home card! A very specific order, with lots of details, so I drew and coloured an image to fit all the different things to be included.

I then added a sentiment and a thought bubble (as requested) to the dog. I went with a very simple layout as I thought it looked busy enough! I do hope they liked it :)

Crafty Addicts Blog April Challenge (Two of Two!)

Time for the second challenge in April over on The Crafty Addicts Challenge Blog. This time the theme is Anything Goes/Use a Ribbon.

The two super sponsors this challenge are Whoopsi Daisy (offering two sheets of images, with 2 to 4 images per sheet) and Scrappers Delight (offering 3 free digis).

I chose to use an image from a sheet provided by Whoopsi Daisy for my challenge inspiration card.  I used polychromo pencils on kraft card and added some bling and blue ribbon to make sure I was properly themed!

Sponsor Badges

Craft Addicts Blog April Challenge! (First of Two)

So we are back at The Crafty Addicts Challenge Blog with a new challenge!

This time the theme is Anything Goes/Girly and we are pleased to have two excellent sponsors - All Dressed up (Offering 2 digis to winner) and Starstampz (Offering 3 digis to winner) so two chances to win!

I have chosen an image by Starstampz called "Spring Rain" - she looks so soggy and grumpy :)

Image coloured with polychromo pencils on kraft card. Added sequins and bling to fit the "Girly" theme.

Sponsor Badges

New Challenge on the Crafty Addicts Facebook Page!

Just a quick post to let you know there is a new challenge on the Crafty Addicts Facebook Page for April. The theme is Anything Goes/Shabby Chic!

Great prizes this challenge, from Oddball Art (3 free digis) and Spellbinding Stamps (3 free digis) - so double the chance of winning! Pop by the facebook group and put your image in the challenge folder to enter!

I chose this image from Oddball Art - she is called "Clara in love". I combined her with some corrugated cardboard distressed with paint and inks to fit the "Shabby Chic" theme.

Sponsor Links

Using the adult colouring craze for cards!

I've already posted how I'm keen to make use of the "adult colouring" pictures for cards and other projects. This time I am using one of the postcards from "Pretty Animal Postcards" by Buster Books. (Designs by Felicity French, Cindy Wilde, Hannah Davies and Hannah Wood).

I lightly sketched a circle onto the design and just coloured, with polychromo pencils, inside the circle. I added a greeting, some bling, and foampadded it onto a card blank. This was for personal use, not for sale, I gave it to my Mother-in-law :)

Red Red Wine.

Commission card featuring a red wine element and a chance to use a set of stamps by Sheena Douglass, A Little Bit Scenic Collection - Provence!

I really like this set, but haven't had the chance to use it much before now. I stamped the images and then coloured them with copics. I glossy accented the grapes. I mounted them onto the background image with 3D foam. The wooden texture paper is a set from Joy! Used Seedless Preserves Distress Ink to colour the cardstock around the edge.

Christmas Card Workshop, back in November!

This might seem like a very late post, but honestly there is a reason. Although I would love to show you what we made that day, on the day - I can't if the cards might be received by people that might see them in advance. Now we are safely past Christmas, I can assume most have been seen and I am free to post!

We actually made 12 cards on the day, so here are a few of them. Most of them had room to add extra personalisation after, so these are the cards as I used them, rather than made them originally.

Distress Inks masked background with flicked water to make snow effect. Die cut sleigh and trees. Stamped fairy lights with added bling. 3D foam mounted greeting.

Cuttlebug embossing folder snowflake background. Die cut snowmen. Spotty ribbon and tiny bling.

Artemio Type F Pinguins with Sledge Wooden Stamp. (not sure if that's just a typo, or really Pinguins with an I?) Coloured with Polychromo pencils. HA greeting stamp. Stamped snowflakes in white. Mounted on Kraft Card.

Die cut sleigh, icicles and birch trees. Distress ink sky background with water flicked on to make snow. Joy wood paper as background.

Die cut snowflake frame and landscape scene. Sky using a white correcter pen on blue paper. Embossed background with added bling. 3D foam mounted greeting.

Snowflakes die cut from top layer. 3D foam mounted onto white card blank. Same die cut snowflakes from red card set inside the snowflake shaped gaps. Add bling and stamped sentiment.

Norton Manx Card

Happy New Year! I know, seems ages ago now, but I'm back to regular card making after the Christmas mentalism and I need to get blogging again, before I forget how! :)

This is a commissioned card for an 80th birthday. The gent in question is a vintage motorbike fan. I chose a Norton Manx as it was one of my Dad's favourites, he also liked bikes :)

Images sourced from Pinterest. Cut out and added free hand to make a grid pattern. You can neaten up the grid pattern using a black pen and ruler if something is a little on the squiffy side. :)

I'm loving these gold chevrons, they are self-adhesive and mirrored and allowed me to use some major bling that was still appropriate for a man's card. They are part of the Papermania Capsule Collection.

Rugby 80th

Went for a clean, modern look for this "man's card." I still find cards for men some of the hardest to make.

Pitch background and rugby balls all created on the computer and printed out. 

Lady and the tramp

Combo'd two ideas for this card, using the "tying the knot" idea (heavily represented on Pinterest as a wedding invite/card idea) and the spaghetti kissing moment from Lady and The Tramp.

Have to stress that this is a disney image so is not for sale and is just for personal use. 

Autumn Leaves

Card I made for one of my customers using the falling leaf stamp set from Hobby Art. Really pleased with my investment in this stamp set, I can see a lot of ways to use it and they are nicely made stamps. These were stamped directly onto a piece of paper pre-printed with my wording. I then used distress inks to colour them and some separate ones to use 3D decoupaged on top. I did a but of ink flicking too, always scary when you are working directly onto the card front!

Pugmageddon!

More pugs! Is there a blog theme occurring? :) There just isn't enough ready made pug themed craft stuff out there for me. This time I began by making myself some pug papers, using distress inks, stamps and a few altered art techniques.

I used the dogs and words from the set called "We Love Dogs" by Craft Stash Limited. Once dried out I used them to decorate another box blank, then stamped a whole load more pugs to colour and use for the top!

Am hoping a Pug mad 24 year old will love it :)

French Pug.

A commissioned card featuring a stylish french lady and her pug. I was so pleased to find this pug stamp at the NEC. It's by Craft Stash Limited and a set called "We Love Dogs." There is also a very nice dachshund, a frenchie and a shaggy looking terrier! Super useful!

Flowery bags

Another commision, this time for handbags! It's been a long time since I have tried to make this kind of card and I'm not sure years of experience made too much of a difference ; ) They do at least now stand up, unlike my very first attempt when I started out! Went for two colour themes and used flowers from the stash to complete them. Loving enamel bling right now ( Can you tell? ) and using some of the same trusty diecuts.  All the papers are magazine freebies.

Flowers from Wild Orchid and Hobbycraft.