Shelley's Birthday...

Yesterday was my daughter Shelley's birthday and when did I make her cards - yep you guessed it - yesterday morning!  I've just got to get myself more organised.  I actually bought myself a new stamp set to create something special for her, but because I was in such a rush I had to keep the card fairly simple.

The beautiful fairy is from a stamp set by Sweet Pea Stamps.  I coloured her using Promarkers and then using the Nellie Snellen circle die created a frame and acetate overlay.  The frame is attached over the image with foam pads.  I did consider putting glitter in as in a shaker card, but decided against as I didn't want to hide the image in any way.

The heart corners were punched using my new Woodware punch (another Mother's Day present - my daughters are well trained) and the patterned paper was part of a fantastic blog candy prize sent to me by Vicki at Blue Jelly Too. I seem to be having a really lucky time at the moment - I must buy a lottery ticket today!

Shelley loved her card and the one I made for Gran to send her - also made in the mad panic yesterday morning. 

My card is also for the challenges at...

• Rainbow Lady - Acetate overlay (without the Christmas option)
• Die Cut Dreams - Two punches - (heart corner and small tag are both punched)
• Magical Crafts - Things with Wings

Bah! Humbug! Vintage Theme...

This week the theme at Bah! Humbug! was chosen by Irene, who is a great fan of the vintage look on cards and projects.  I must admit than when I first thought about this I wanted to go wild with pearls and lace and flowers, etc, but that 'going to work' element came into it and I only had time to do a fairly simple card.

I did get chance to use my Nellie Snellen die though and infact this is the shape I cut out the other day when I used the left over bit to make a frame for the stamped tree.  I really do like these dies as there is so much you can do with them. 

The paper is from one of Joanna Sheen's backing paper pads and is one of the sheets a friend gave me.  Thank you Irene.  I used part of the backing paper to created the central image.

Additional Challenges...

• Winter Wonderland - Victorian Christmas

Have a fantastic weekend everyone and see you on Monday for The Pink Elephant challenge.

Ann xxx

More Kanban stamping...

Another couple of cards using those fabulous Kanban stamp sets.  On my first card I've used the owl and the really useful swirl from the autumn collection. Max what have you done - I am obsessed with these.  I just look at them and get all sorts of ideas clattering around in my head.  Unfortunately I have to go to work today - that really gets in the way of quality crafting time doesn't it?

I'm actually running a little short of acetate so decided to do half an acetate card for a change.  After practicing on some spare bits I bravely stamped the swirl directly on to the acetate using Stazon.  Wow, you should have heard the shout of joy when it didn't slip, slide or smudge!
Then I stamped the owl on card, coloured with Promarkers, cut out and attached to the acetate above the swirl.  I also stamped and cut out an orange owl to attach to the back to give a neat finish.

The leaf border was punched using a Fiskars border punch that I've had for ages.  Organza ribbon, pearls and gold peel offs complete the card.

Challenges...

• C.R.A.F.T. Challenge - Citrus
• Totally Papercrafts - Things with Wings
• Magical Crafts - Things with Wings

This is my second card using a stamp from the Kanban Autumn set.  Just a small anytime card to send to a friend - a good friend - check out how many pearls there are on it!

The tree was stamped using a Brilliance ink pad and when dry the leaves were touched up with a Sakura Stardust pen for a little more oomph.  The gold frame is something I'm particularly smug about because it is actually made from the bit that's left when you cut a scalloped circle using a Nellie Snellen die.  I'm ashamed to say that I normally throw the bits left from cutting out with Nesties, but I just thought this was too pretty to throw away.  The Nellie Snellen die was one of my many Mother's Day treats.  I am so lucky.

Oh no - disaster I don't think this card goes with a single challenge - good job I had fun making it!!

Anyway must dash as today I start work at 10.00 am and don't finish until tomorrow morning.  Oh poor me!  However, hopefully there will be lots of lovely comments to read when I get home. Have a good couple of days everyone and see you on Friday for the new challenge at Bah! Humbug!  This week Irene chose the theme - hmmmmmm that's quite a big clue as to what it will be.  I wonder if anyone will guess!

Ann xxx

Max's stamps...

My cards for today were made on my recent craft break, with Irene and Max in York.  I used Max's fabulous Kanban stamp set called Spring Garden.  I've always had a thing for 'tree' stamps and this set is particularly gorgeous.  So gorgeous that I've now bought my own set and thrown the  'Autumn Garden' in my basket as well for good measure! 

When I was making the card I hadn't realised the set was entitled 'Spring' and I went for autumnal colours from the HOTP paper pack that Max had brought along with her.  I suppose you could do either spring or autumn and to be truthful I think the images on the tree are almost snowflake like so it could probably be used at Christmas time too.

The tree and sentiment were stamped using a Brilliance ink pad and then decorated with gem stones.  The sentiment was also from one of Max's fabulous sets and I'm not sure whether it was the Hero Arts set or the Waltzing Mouse one.  Love it whichever it was.

This is my other tree card made in York using the same stamp.  In the set this tree comes in two sizes.  I used the large one for both cards, but the small version would be fabulous for using on the inner.  On my black card the tree was stamped in Brilliance silver and then when dry I added extra sparkle with a Sakura Stardust pen and gems.  You can never have too much bling!  The Swiss Dots background adds a bit of texture and the black card also has a slightly ribbed texture.

My cards are suitable for the following challenges...

• Pollycraft - Sparkly Things
• Crazy4Challenges - Men (I think both these cards would be lovely for men)
• Secret Crafter - Anything Goes
• Cards for Men - Birthday

Thank you for looking and for the lovely comments I receive and a huge thank you to Max for taking the most scrummy craft goodies ever to York.  If you're reading this Max you are a real star.

Pink Elephant Day...

This week at The Pink Elephant our theme is Spring and we are featuring one of my very favourite stamp companies C.C. Designs at All That Scraps.  Each month brings a new collection of stamps in both digi and rubber format which to me is just fantastic as you can choose which you like best.  The digi stamp I was given to use is Bride Emma from the Sugarplum Spring Kids set and isn't she just so gorgeous?

I must admit I went all round the houses and back again when making this card and did a lot of playing with different effects on her dress - stamped with Versamark and brushed with Perfect Pearls glitter white looked stunning.  

In the end I went for a plain look with just a touch of clear Sakura Stardust, because I wanted to use this fabby spring floral paper by Kanban.

Then of course one thing led to another and the pattern on the paper made me think of little girls being bridesmaids in super pretty dresses so I decided to make a thank you card for a bride to send her bridesmaid.  I don't know anyone who is getting married - Laura has just split up with her long term boyfriend so there is no chance of the card being used by her, but I so enjoyed making it so who cares!

Materials used...

• C.C. Designs Stamp Bride Emma from Sugarplum Spring Kids collection
• Kanban DT paper
• blue/lilac pearlescent card and silver mirri board
• Cuttlebug embossing folder Swiss Dots and scalloped border
• CircleNesties
• Silver peel offs and heart shaped gem from stash
• Promarkers

Additional Challenges...

• The Sweet Stop Sketch Challenge - great sketch - thank you
• My Time to Craft - a card for a kid
• Tanda Teaser - Simply Spring
• Pile it on - Pastel Colours

Have a great day all and do check out The Pink Elephant to see the fab cards created by my team mates.

Happy Mother's Day to all...

Had a lovely meal at Shelley's yesterday and really looking forward to spending the day with Laura today.  I strongly suspect that a package that arrived the other day with her name on had stamps in it.  Wonder if it was and what they are!!!  oh so exciting!

Today's cards are the last of my Mother's day ones.  The shoe card is the one I've made Laura to give her Gran.  Laura loves shoes and Gran loves flowers so it seemed like a great combination on a card.  The image is a free one available at Ooh-la-la Creations and is a sample from the CD 'Shoes in Bloom'.  There were two images on the free sheet and unfortunately I worked with the one with the sentiment on it and it was only when I'd completed the card that I noticed the spelling error, but not to worry Gran won't notice.  The side panel with the smaller shoes was made in my Serif Home Office programme.  

Challenges...

• Sweet Sketch Wednesday - love their sketches - this weeks was tweaked a little, but I think the basic layout is still there.
• Cupcake Craft Challenge - Flower Power
• Alphabet Challenge - tag (mine may be small but it's an important one with 'Gran' on it)
• Secret Crafter - Anything Goes

My last Mother's Day card is mine to my Mum.  It's a style of card I've done before for someone's birthday, but as I already had the vellum fan blades in my box already cut out (and I was running really short of time - what's new?) I decided to put the card together to give mum.

The fan blades were stamped using the large fan blade stamp by Dimension Fourth.  Love that stamp - turned upside down it makes a fabulous dress skirt too.  Must give that a go next week - maybe for Shelley's birthday card.

Challenges...

• Rainbow Lady - Mother's Day

Both cards are for the challenges at ...

• Creative Card Crew - Celebrate
• Cute Card Thursday - Celebrations

Have a lovely Mother's Day everyone and see you tomorrow for the new challenge at The Pink Elephant. 

Update on the package - it was a House Mouse stamp - yeah - loads of very fat mice who have been over indulging on water melon.  Really cute.  How lucky am I?