Oh my goodness..,

A whole week has flown by in whirl of work, work and more work and now when I can finally relax I've been struck down by the 'plague'.  Well okay it might only be a nasty sore throat and cold, but I'm not a happy bunny about it and that's for sure.

It's also my excuse for my super fast to make contribution to this week's challenge at Bah! Humbug! where the Humbuggers want everyone to dig out their vellum and get creative.  I was going to make a card, but my project kept shrinking and finally became a bookmark to use during the festive season.
I must admit I do like the effect you can achieve using peel offs on vellum and then cutting them out before mounting onto card.  On my book mark I've got a double layer of the image where the dove and the poinsettas are.  Thought this gave a nice effect as where there is only one layer you can see the gold mirri shining through, but where the image is double the vellum shows up pure white, which is perfect for the dove.

If I didn't feel so awful I would have liked to experiment with colouring the back of the vellum with Promarkers as I think that could work well.  Another time maybe?

Meanwhile do pop over to Bah! Humbug! and take a look at the stunning card by our Guest Designer Jenny and the work of my teamies Irene and Max.

Ann xxx

Vellum roses...

This is a card I've done for an elderly lady who has just come out of hospital.  She loves pink and vellum so I decided to stamp on to some pink shaded vellum from my stash and then emboss the image using fine white embossing powder.  The image,which is one by Elusive Images,  was stamped several times so that I could cut out sections and decoupage it.

I've also used the pink shaded vellum laid over the top of white card to create the background and done the same thing using the scalloped nestie.

The sketch is from Truly Scrumptious and unfortunately I'm rather late at entering as I believe the challenge ends today, but not to worry it's a great sketch and certainly one I will use again.

My card is also for the challenges at...

• Alphabet Challenge - Pink
• Pile it On - Flowers
• Creative Card Crew - Get Well Soon

Last day at work today and the thought of that might just mean catching the bus at 5.30 this morning a little more bearable.  Then I'm off on holiday for a whole week - SQUEAL - not that I'm excited or anything.  SQUEAL!!! 
The first aid course yesterday was brilliant.  I must admit that I was dreading it as the ones I've been on before have been so boring, but the tutor for this one was really down to earth and 'real' about things.  
I feel like I could cope with most things that could happen now although I am a little worried about Carol, who I was on the course with.  She said she had enjoyed it so much that she almost felt like pushing someone under a bus on the way home so that she could try out her new skills.  I work with some strange people and I'm not talking about the ones I support either. 
Irene and Max don't worry you'll be safe in York I'm not that enthusiastic.  If you do have an accident though I know exactly what to do.  Shout for John.  He was the really clever guy in the DVD who could cope with anything.  Tee hee!
Have a great day everyone and if you do have an accident of any kind don't forget shout for John - he's brilliant.

Pink Elephant Part Two...

This is my other contribution for our challenge at the Pink Elephant. This week we have a double theme and everyone can choose whether to make a card for Mum or do some recycling.

This is my card for the Mum theme - a vellum fan attached to a pale blue mat and embellished with gemstones. The stamp is the large fan blade by Dimension Fourth and was stamped on to vellum and embossed in silver 6 times before being cut out and fastened together using a jewelled brad.

After I had made the card a friend called round, saw the card and asked if I could do one for her to give an elderly relative, which led to me doing the pink version below.

I think I prefer the pink one and that's unusual for me - maybe Laura is having a bad influence on me!

Both cards include two of my favourite things - rubber stamping and vellum. I love stamping on vellum and embossing it - it's a beautiful effect. Favourite things is the theme at Dutch Dare this week so my two cards are both suitable for their challenge.

Easter Violas...

I think this maybe my very last Easter card. It's one I've made for a very special Auntie and one who reached her 90th birthday last summer. Cutie cards are not really her thing so for her card I chose an image and matching backing paper from the CD The Cardmaker's Year by Joanna Sheen.

I like to soften the backing papers from these CDs by overlaying them with vellum attached with brads. Making the piece of vellum smaller than the backing paper allows just a small part of the bright pattern to show in full while the rest is subdued by the vellum.

The tiny flower on the tag is made by using a heart punch and folding the hearts slightly to give them depth. I saw this done on some beautiful wedding cards in the Crafts Beautiful magazine this month and had to try it out.

My card is also for the challenges at...

Tanda Teasers where the challenge is to use vellum and the ABC challenge which this week is focussing on the letter H for Hearts.

All that glitters...

may not be real gold, but it could well be gold glitter card! It's week 2 at the Pink Elephant Challenge and this week Tina has set us the challenge of using glitter and bling in our work. Oh what a hardship ? LOL!!!

I decided to use glitter card in Cuttlebug folders and had a wonderful time experimenting and checking out the different effects. If you haven't used glitter card in the Cuttlebug yet do try it out - great fun and stunning effects.


After a lot of playing I decided to use quite a subtle gold pearlescent glitter card in conjunction with one of the folders from the Cuttlebug Frills border set. It's one of my favourites from that collection.

Unfortunately it doesn't show up quite as well as it could do in the photo, but in reality it has a very softly sparkly look. Quite regal.

The stamp I used for the central image is a huge stamp called 'How do I love thee' by Stamps Happen Inc. I stamped the whole image on to cream card, overlayed this with vellum attached by brads and embellished with cream organza ribbon.

Then I stamped another layer of the rose on to cream card finally topping this with yet another layer of vellum with the rose stamped and embossed in gold.

Not the easiest card I've ever made !!!

I'd like to take this chance to say thank you to everyone who joined in last week's challenge at The Pink Elephant. We were overwhelmed by the number of people who entered and the amazing cards. There is such an enormous amount of talent out there - it never fails to amaze me.

Hope you will have chance to join in this week - do pop over here and have a look at the gorgeous samples by the rest of the design team. It would also be great if you came back to check out my other experiments with glitter card too. They will be appearing each day this week. Watch this space!!

Great Shapes...

Two challenges this week are aimed at making us think about using shapes in our designs. At http://artygirlzchallengeblog.blogspot.com/ the instructions are 'to add any shapes to your creation' and at http://tandastamps.blogspot.com/ the emphasis is on 'Great Shapes'.

Materials list:

* Clear quotation stamp from a collection by Cloud 9 Design. The quote is 'Laughter is the brush that sweeps away the cobwebs of the heart'.

* Stazon

* Gold mirror card

* Paisley patterned vellum

* Cream pearlescent card

* Gold brads

* Cream organza ribbon

Sorry that the photo is not as good as it should be - taking a photo of mirror card is a nightmare.

Christmas at My time to craft...

Lots of challenge blogs are encouraging us to start early on our Christmas cards and I just think this is such a good idea. Like many other crafters, last year I got myself into a real panic trying to make my own cards and special commissioned ones for other people.

Thanks to various challenges Christmas this year will be a doddle (famous last words!). My card for the challenge at http://www.mytimetocraftchallenge.blogspot.com/ has a tartan theme. The image is one from the Passion for Fashion CD by Ooh-la-la-Creations and the tartan backing paper and tag are by Kanban. The red vellum is also by Kanban - I love the effect of vellum over a pattern so that you can see the pattern but it's not as 'in your face'.

90th birthday...

Not a challenge this time but a card for my Auntie who will be 90 tomorrow!! Why do I always leave things till the last minute? Anyway as I needed a card quickly I decided to do a card similar (almost the same really) to a christmas card I did a while ago.

I printed an image from the CD 'Silhouette Magic' by Ooh-la-la-creations on to ink jet acetate and then matted this on to gold card using black brads. This was then matted on to black to make the image stand out more.

The base card has a vellum wrap around it to soften the look. Gold peel offs and tag help to pull the design together.

Powder Blues...

The image and backing papers I used for this card are called Powder Blues and although I made this card a few weeks ago it seemed perfect for the challenge at http://artygirlzchallengeblog.blogspot.com/ where the challenge is to have the colour BLUE as a main feature.

I love the soft tones of blue in the image of these ladies in their blue dresses and wanted to keep that softness in the make up of the card. I used vellum to soften the edges and pearls as accents that may possibly echo the kind of jewellry they would add to complete their outfits.

The image and backing papers are from the 'Passion for Fashion' CD from Ooh-la-la-Creations.

'All creatures great and small'

Our challenge at http://ooh-la-la-creationschallenges.blogspot.com/ this week is 'all creatures great and small'. That phrase takes me straight back to my primary school days at a Church of England school where we sang our hearts out on that phrase at least once a week.

My card focusses on small creatures and is an image taken from the Floral Extravaganza CD by Ooh-la-la-creations - a lovely dreamy image. I don't really think I've done the image justice as I'm so busy unpacking, rushing to the toilet (yes tummy is still not good) and generally trying to catch up with stuff, but am showing it anyway.

Dutch Dare - stamp something...

The challenge this week on the new challenge site at http://www.dutchdare-cardchallenges.blogspot.com/ is to stamp something and it has to be the main image on your card.

On my card the main image is the vintage car which was stamped on to vellum using a mixed colour Brilliance ink pad and then attached with brads to gold card and matted and layed on to the main background paper. This is a vintage paper that came in a set from QVC a little while back. I've added a tag and a 'Happy Birthday' peel off to finish the card.

My card also fits our challenge at Ooh-la-la-Creations which is 'Remember when...' - do join in with this if you have chance. We would love to see your creations.

A Man Card

This week's challenge at http://artygirlzchallengeblog.blogspot.com/ is 'open theme' so I'm taking the opportunity to show this card I made a little while ago. I have been crafting today, but can't show the results as it is for someone's birthday next week and has to be kept hush hush till then. It's took me about 6 hours already so I do hope both I and my friend like the finished card. At the moment it needs a little 'something'!

Anyway back to today's card...

I stamped the image which is from a set of stamps from the Stamp Man on to vellum using a variated Brilliance inkpad. Think the pad was called Tiramasu. This was then mounted on gold using two brads. The paper down one side is one from my paper stash.

A Christening Card

This is the first time I have been asked to do a Christening card and it gave me the perfect excuse to treat myself to the set of Christening stamps by Joanna Sheen. I've had my eye on them for quite a while. I think the dress is beautiful and there is also a line drawing type image of a church which I love too.

I stamped the dress on to white vellum in silver and embossed it with fine detail silver embossing powder. The image was then matt and layered on to pink and silver card and finally matted on to another layer on vellum on a silver card.

The challenge over at http://www.mytimetocraftchallenge.blogspot.com/ is babies so I think my Christening dress will count!

Acetate Challenge

I just had to join in with this challenge for so many reasons. For one thing it's being set by one of the crafters who inspired me both to join in challenges and start my own blog and for another thing it involves acetate. I love acetate nearly as much as rubber stamps!!!

This the first challenge on Rainbow Lady's Challenge Blog - and the theme is to use acetate in your work.

My image is taken from a silhouette I found on the internet and printed on to acetate. This was then attached with brads on to shaded glitter card. I wanted a soft effect so mounted the whole lot on to a vellum overlay on a gold card.

My first Christmas card - oh I am going to be so organised this year!!!