Two Cards, One Theme

I shall be busy this weekend with family visitng, so I know that means that I shan't be doing any crafting. However, I had a few hours all to myself this afternoon and managed to make not one, but two cards, both with the same theme love/wedding/anniversary...that kind-of theme!

For my first card I have used a stamp that I have had for a while, but just haven't got round to using (sound familiar!?) from Whipper Snapper, I also used small wedding theme embossing plates from cuttlebug, sentiment is from Particraft.

For my second card I have used a vintage image from my Tuscan Rose cd collection and the heart and sentiment are clear stamps from Crafty Secrets and the frame stamp is Fancy Pants clear stamps.

Mothers Day & Hatpins!

I had started out with the intention of making another Valentine theme card, however, as it started coming together, I wasn't getting that 'Valentine' feel and, as you can see, by the end it became a Mothers Day card (which isn't that far off either!). I also felt that by the rose and ribbon something was missing?! I have seen on a few cards, some kindof hatpins and I have made it a point in the past to look around for some, only to find that they are often too expensive (as a card embellishment goes) or too big! I really thought that the hatpin was the missing element here and so set about making it myself and after a trip down to my local bead shop I am now making my own hatpins - this is my first! - but watch this space...

Here is a close up of the pin, which I found very easy to make and a really effective finishing touch for a card.

For this card I have used Particraft stamp, dp are from Raspberry Road Designs, distress ink pad - vintage photo.

February Blog Candy!

And here is it....February's blog candy. This month up for grabs is an assortment of things; there are 20 sheets of dp from Sweet Shoppe Designs - I've been using these so much lately that I thougt it only fair to share, so you can see for yourself how great they are! - there is some fibres and ribbons, some glitter, some flower and button embelishments and the 'Pièce de résistance' is two gorgeous ladies (as you will have seen in my past project) from Particraft - unmounted stamps.

All you need to do for your chance to win is leave me a comment in this post by Friday 21st February 11pm (GMT) link me to your blog mentioning my blog candy (that gets you double entry in the draw!) and that's it.

I will announce the winner here on my blog on the Monday following. Good Luck!

Happy Crafting!

For the Boys!

One of my favourite era's is the 50's/Vintage, so when I came across these stamps from Bombshell Stamps - they were a must (I've had them about 6 months now, but we wont dwell on that!!).

I was going to make this card to enter a challenge (Sketch & Stash) due to the never before used 6 month stamp, and I did start out using their sketch, but I played around with the sketch to the point that it no longer looked like the original sketch, so I wont be submitting it - I'll try next time!

It fits the up and coming Valentine theme, and I thought it appropriate for a male card. I also added to the back a "handstamped by..." which perhaps I should do more often, but often don't bother!

For this card I have used Bombshell stamps and the flourishes are Basic Gray clear stamps, papers - you guessed it - are from Sweet Shoppe Designs - I'm really loving these papers and they are so easy to download and print (as many times as I need - at no extra cost!) - distressing with Ranger distress ink pads - black soot.

I thought I'd also post a card I made ages ago (probably 18 months ago?!) which is from the 50's era and an image (which is from a craft vintage image cd which I bought on ebay about 18 months ago - and that had loads - 1000's - of similar and other vintage images) which I love!

Don't forget to check back tomorrow for February Blog Candy!!!

Missing You!

This is my card for today, I had set out to make some cards to enter some of the challenges, but this is an image which I had stamped and coloured awhile ago and not done anything with, so when I was tidying my desk (a bit) today, I came across her and had to finish her. I do love the Elisabeth Bell stamps and I was hoping to order the surprise kit over at Whiff of Joy, but with money being tight at the moment, I really do have to cut back and unfortunately, haven't ordered (no doubt I will regret it, but c'est la vie!!).

My stamp here is from Whiff of Joy, my dp papers are digital downloads from Sweet Shoppe Designs which I thought so appropriate for this image - if you click on the picture and have a closer look, you'll see why.

On a separate note, I have been visiting both Suzy and Suzanne's blogs seeing their updates on CHA - and in a word 'Wow' they must be having an absolute "fandabydosy" time. I am soooo jealous - I would love to go to CHA!! - Maybe - one day - a girl can dream!!!

And the Winner is.........

Hope you all had a good weekend, our weekend was quietish!!

Anyway, I have now drawn the winner for my January blog candy and can now announce the winner to be..........................

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Heike - Congratulations!

Send me your address to my email here and I will send your goodies out to you asap!

Once again, I would like to thank everyone who took the time to stop by my blog and took part, your comments are always great motivation and it's a great inspiration visiting your blogs in turn. Thank You!

February blog candy will be posted this Wednesday (28th) so don't forget to check back, I have posted a tiny sneak peak for you!....

and these cards here are a big clue!!

School Book Makeover!

My project for today, has been to convert a plain, school exercise book into a note book for Emma for her skating. She has up until now been using a large A4 folder which is not practical and not necessary - its just to make notes on moves, remember what needs to be practised any coment from or to the coaches and somewhere to keep her cd with the music to her routine - so from this..............................

To this.............................................

And this.........................

Some detail........................................

To this inside................................

And finally, the back.....................

I have a large quantity of these exercise books which I bought a while ago at Dunelm for £1 for a packet of 20 (I bought 5 packets!?). I was quite pleased with the outcome of this and even more so that I have now actually come up with a use for the exercise books!

It was also really easy to 'makeover' - the trickiest was actually cutting the book down to size, I started using my craft knife which was perfect if I had made sure that my blade was 'sharp' - I had to change it as I was cutting the bottom which meant it didn't turn out as smoothly as it could have, but all in all its not really noticeable.

Ingredients: stamp from Toodles and Binks and DP are from Sweet Shoppe Design

Lots of 'Love' and not a stamp in sight!!

I only had a very short time (really short!!) today to do any crafting, so I knew I wouldn't have time to stamp and colour any image and put the whole thing together - so instead I made this really quick card that just involved some matting and layering, a die cut, some glue and some glitter!

All papers and sentiment from Pink Petticoat.

Notelet Gift Set!

I made this notelet gift set, which is based on the same template pattern as the ladies set one that I did here, although the ladies one was a DL size this one fits A6 cards. I've kept this one really simple and simply used some leftover pattern paper from my stash some black card some white card some ribbon, nestability die and the stamp is from Stamptivity

Don't forget tomorrow is the last day to enter my January blog candy here!

Peacemakers!

Today, I met with the church group ladies, I had a really great chat with them where we talked just about everything - they are amazing ladies and the work that they do is phenominal! But I'm also glad to say that they were impressed enough by a few of the cards that I had made for them, that we shall now be meeting every three weeks to do some crafting, which they were really keen to get started on - so I will be looking forward to that and I will keep you all posted.

The card I made here for them uses a ODBD stamp and papers are download from Raspberry Road Designs.

So Sweet!

I'm still waiting to receive my DT stamps from Toodles & Binks (post huhh!!!) but in the meantime a fellow crafter (unfortunately, not a blogger!) has sent me some stamped images from Toodles & Binks - here, so what a great opportunity to great cracking with a DT project!
Ingredients: Stamp from Toodles & Binks, papers from Sweet Shoppe Designs, I made the lollipop from fimo, sentiment has been printed from pc and the imade has been coloured with my prismas.

An Award from "Ribenaruby"

I was truly honoured to have received this award from Ribenaruby - a lady whose blog is equally as inspiring as the ladies to which she has passed them onto! - Thank you. There are, I'm sure bloggers who receive awards left, right and center, so much so that it's probably no longer a big deal to them - but I can honestly say, that to me receiving a blog award is a real boost and so incredibly motivating! - I will go away and think about who to pass this onto and come back soon! - Thanks again!

Tooth Fairy - aka 'Celeste'

I came across a tutorial for this box at splitcoasts, I've tried a few boxes that I have come across, but in all honesty found most of them to be too small, however, this one was just the right size and I was actually surprised with its final size which is quite big for a box made of one sheet of 12x12 paper - anyway I made a 'Tooth Fairy' box for my Emma (who just lost another baby tooth!) using a Toodles & Binks stamp - 'Celeste' - the perfect stamp for this project!

Here is a close up of the saying inside the box.

Just a Quickie!

Just a quick post today, as our weekend has been a bit busy - but here is another card that I have made for the church group ladies.

The Lords Prayer!

I have been asked by a group of church ladies that are interested in starting some crafting, if I would put together and show them how to make some cards, but that would really only focus on a religious theme - as they are finding it hard to find such cards. I hunted around for some religious stamps without much success and it was only through talking to a very good friend just before Christmas, in the US (that is also quite religious) who said leave it to her, as she new just the thing and would send me some stamps asap and that they would be a gift - this alone was a beautiful gesture! - Not knowing what I was going to be receiving a few weeks ago the new stamps arrived in the post - and they are perfect! - all religious based images and words - I am meeting with the church ladies on Monday and so have been putting some cards together for them - here is my first one.

Completed!

Front & Back

You've seen the cards with the matching envelopes and now here is the project completed. It is a set of six cards with matching envelopes (here) which I wanted to make into a really special gift, so I played around with an old writing set which I had, took it apart, made a new template with the new measurements to fit the cards which I made (DL size) and voila!

I will be making this card gift box set at my various workshops (here). Although it has taken me a few days to work out and put together, now that I do have the measurements etc it is a really easy project to put together and one that can be made to match whichever card size you decide to use, be it DL, A6, A5, square etc and I will be showing how to do that in the workshops.

For my project here I have used six lovely lady stamps from Rubbernecker/Creative Expressions - some can be bought here, and the papers are from Pink Petticoat, the heart pendant on the spine I made from Fimo. I also used nestability die shapes and my cuttlebug embossing folders.

Here are some more pictures.

Front view open

Front views closed

Inside views

I have also made another project using this template, but again changing the size and a slight variation on the use. I shall post that later when its complete.