Black letters...

Suzanne at http://suzannelily.wordpress.com/2008/11/26/weekly-challenge-make-a-card-using-letters/ has just started a weekly challenge and this week the instructions were:

'make a card using letters as the main feature
can be the whole card or letters on the base of a standard card - you chose '.

I decided to go with this unmounted NOEL stamp. I love the way this stamp has silhouettes of the Christmas story behind the letters.

I stamped the image twice so that as well as the central square of letters I could also cut each letter out and layer these on top using foam pads to give a more 3D effect.









As the card is mainly black it is also ideal for the challenge at http://stampchallenges.blogspot.com/ who are celebrating 'Black Friday', which sounds like a frenzied day to be shopping in the US, by challenging everyone to use black on their projects.


Materials used:

• black and white card
• acetate
• black corner and border peel offs
• gems from stash
• unmounted stamp from 'My heart stamps for you'

Change of blog name...

Some of you may have noticed that I've ditched the great long silly name I had for my blog. I never really liked the other name. It was thought up when I was in a great rush to start blogging and everyone seemed to have all the really good names.

I don't think this name is perfect - but I daren't have 'addicted to rubber' as it might tempt a few very unwelcome visiters!!

and my new title does celebrate the fact that very soon I will have a CRAFTROOM!!!

So excited about this - I just can't wait!!!

Quotations...

'God has given us Memories that we might have Roses in December'

I love this quote by JM Barrie and was really pleased to find a PSX stamp on ebay that had it on. I didn't actually set out to make a sympathy card - I just wanted to find a beautiful rose picture that would work with the stamp, but as I made the card I realised that the quote was perfect to send to someone who had lost a loved one.

I stamped the quote onto cream card and then overlayed this with vellum - the quote is far easier to read in real life than in the photo - honest! I love the way vellum softens the effect of both coloured and patterned paper.

My card is just right for the challenge at http://lotstodocallenges.blogspot.com/ where this week they are thinking about 'quotations'.

Materials used:

• soft gold card
• cream card
• PSX quotation stamp
• vellum
• rose painting image
• cream organza ribbon
• gold mock brads

Pawprint free acetate....

I seem to be getting a lot of people asking me how I manage to do acetate cards and keep them finger print free. Well, I don't think any of my cards would stand up to examination by the teams at CSI, but I do give them a little polish with a soft cloth carefully after completing and if any major disasters have occured 'Sticky Stuff Remover' used wisely brings them up a treat.

I don't know whether anyone else has done this but if you put a peel off on acetate and then decide it's not quite right it does leave a quite nasty mark, but this can be removed quite easily with the wonderful 'Sticky Stuff' remover. Actually, not that I would do this of course, but if you attach something in the wrong place with DST and have to pull it off the acetate can still be rescued with this marvellous product.

Thanks...

Happy Thanksgiving Day to everyone.

The challenge at http://stampchallenges.blogspot.com/ is on a Thanksgiving theme, but as here in England we don't celebrate Thanksgiving we could also make a card or gift to say 'thanks' to anyone.

I decided to finish this acetate card that has been half done in my box of projects for quite a while. I'm still not happy with it, which is probably why it didn't get completed in the first place, but my daughter saw it and said she liked it and I should finish it. So here it is!

The stamp is by Inkadinkado and the stamped image has been coloured with Sakura stardust pens.

Another cup of coffee...

This is another card made using the HOTP book 'Shaped Cards'. I made it yesterday, at the same time as my other card, but I wasn't totally happy with it.

Today, I've added a black peel off to the top of the cuttlebug embossing and roses to the corners which has improved the look of it, but I still don't like it as much as the pretty gentle pink card.

One thing I am really pleased about it the way I managed to get a really wide piece of cuttlebug embossing to give the impression of a table cover at the bottom of the card. No way would the piece fit in my machine, but using a rolling pin on the folder worked great. I would definitely recommend that for anyone wanting a wider than normal piece of embossing.

Coffee invite...

The images I've used for this card are from a HOTP book called 'Shaped Cards'. This was a present from one of my friends (thank you Max) quite a while ago and to be truthful it's one of those things that you don't like to cut into.

However, my new aim is not leave things in cupboards gathering dust but to use them and enjoy myself. Now in the book the cup is called a coffee cup and is therefore ideal for the challenge at http://www.daringcardmakers.blogspot.com/ which has the theme of coffee this week.

Personally, I think it's more like a teacup but there isn't a 'tea' challenge so I've decided to believe the publishers at HOTP and go with them. I haven't made the card like the one in the book though - well the card was supposed to be a shaped card with the fold at the bottom of the saucer. Surely that would look strange if you tried to stand the card up and the coffee would fall out!!!

Here is a picture of the secret message under the coffee flap. I used a clear sticker from my stash to add this to the card.

I added a lace border to give a sort of table look to the card and a tag attached with an organza bow. This card is one for my 'card box'. I think it will be just great for inviting one of my friends round or out for coffee.

A very special award...

I was really pleased today to find that two of my blogging friends considered me worthy of this great award. Thank you to Heather and Wendy - much appreciated. The award has an amazing sentiment and is one to forward to bloggers who aim to share ideas and make friends with other crafters around the world.

This is the sentiment that is attached to the award:

"This blog invests and believes the PROXIMITY - nearness in space, time and relationships!These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind blogger's aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers! "

Anyone receiving this award must choose 8 bloggers who they believe fulfill the sentiment. The sentiment must be passed forward with the award as it is a fundamentle part of the award.

Now as I have received the award I must pass it on to 8 people which is quite difficult as there are so many who I would like to give it to.

Anyway, this is the 8 I have chosen:

Max at http://maxscraftcreations.blogspot.com/
Irene at http://alloccasionscards.blogspot.com/
Beryl at http://bikshome.blogspot.com/
Anne at http://cardmakingtranquility.blogspot.com/
Beryl at http://wlpandivascraft.blogspot.com/
Wendy at http://craftblog.craftybutterfly.co.uk/
Denise at http://lavenderosecraft.blogspot.com/
Shirley at http://baileysbeads.blogspot.com/

I hope that the award is a new one for them but if not it means they must be extra special to be awarded it more than once.

Funky Christmas...

Two cards for the challenge at http://pennybfriendssaturdaychallenge.blogspot.com/ where the theme is 'funky Christmas' and there has to be at least one Penny Black stamp in the project. I was intending to do a folded funky card with trees on, but as I searched for the paper these two papers, that were freebies in a recent 'Craft Beautiful' magazine, jumped out at me. This led to a change of plan.

I used the 'T for transparent' set of stamps and in the card above (which is my favourite of the two) I just used the sentiment and the hanging stars.

In the card below I used the different sizes of snowflake stamps on coloured paper and added them to the design. I added gems from Making Memories to both cards. I love these gems as they actually peel of the backing with the glue still intact, which not all gems do.