Farm-themed Wedding Card!!!

Good morning!!  Am back today with the first of three wedding cards that I made for a family to give to their daughter/granddaughter/sister. The wedding was at the weekend - so I hope it all went well for them. 

The brief was very detailed, so I had a lot to work with. Firstly, the colours were taken from a picture of the bridesmaid's dress. I was really fortunate in that Valeriane on Etsy had a set of digital papers called Coral Damask that worked perfectly. I did a little colour picking on the computer to make the single colour papers for matting and layering, and for the tractor, fence and animal silhouettes.

As you can tell, the theme was farming, so I used my Craft Robo and the cutting files from Bird's Cards for her Tractor card. I didn't need the base - just the tractor itself. The picket fence is from another cutting file set - this one is really old - from CraftRobo Megastore - which sadly no longer exists. I found the silhouettes for the horse, pony, dog, pig and sheep at Silhouettes Free.

The base card and matching box are made from Centura Pearl Fresh White - which has a slightly more ivory tone than the Snow White. I also used it for matting and layering, and for the embossed 'field' (for which I used Crafter's Companion Vintage Floral A4 Hessian Folder). 

The circles are cut with Spellbinders Grand Circles, Decorative Grand Circles and Scalloped Circles. The decorative centre is Die-D-Lites Medallion One. The cream resin flower embellishments are from Do Crafts. The sentiment for the card was printed on the computer and cut with Spellbinders Ovals and Scalloped Ovals.

The inside of the lid and base of the box have collages of photos of the the bride and groom from when they were little - and also of their animals. And as ever, the finishing touches are ribbon and pearls!!!

This card really challenged me as I wanted to produce something elegant enough for a wedding, whilst including all the elements that I was asked to include. I think I have achieved it - and I know the customer was very pleased with the result.

I would like to enter this into:

Make My Monday - Die Cuts and/or Punches

Dragonfly Dreams - Let's Celebrate with Jewels or Pearls

Back tomorrow with the second one!!
Cxxx

CCM&M #124 - Triple B Challenge

Good afternoon!! It's challenge time over at CCM&M - and this fortnight new team mate Pamelia is hosting. She would like you to pick three different items from the following options to put on your project: butterflies, blue, birthday, banners or buttons. So that's three different items - not eg 3 butterflies. 

My card is a birthday card (that's the first of my B's). I've also used blue - and some buttons. This card was for my friend's son this past weekend.

The image is from Crafter's Companion's Angelica and Adam CD - one of the Create Companions. The papers are also from the CD. I love the combination of blue and green - but I know some people think they don't go together! I used Crafter's Companion 1" Alphabet and Number dies to cut the name and age, using the same dark and light card used for matting and layering. 

A bit of ribbon and a couple of buttons from my stash finished the whole thing off.

Make sure you pop over to the CCM&M blog to check out the work from the rest of the team - and get more inspiration. Then start work on your project. Don't forget - it's Triple B - so three DIFFERENT items from the list. We look forward to seeing your projects.

I would like to enter this into:

CD Sunday - Birthday Card for a Male

Will hopefully be back soon.

Cxxx

Seeing double!!

Well - almost!! Last week saw the 3rd birthday of my friend's twins. This year I used Crafter's Companion Bebunni Birthday to make their cards.

Both card are A5 tent fold, and the layout is pretty much the same for each - just mirrored.  I love the patchwork paper from the CD - so used it in the co-ordinating colours for each.

I used the Die'sire 1" Alphabet and Number dies on both cards. On Harley's the number is on the smaller Die'sire Elegance Frame, and on Layla's it's on the smaller Chantilly Lace Frame.

Buttons and ribbons from my stash completed both cards!!

I would like to enter this into:
My Sheri Crafts - #142 Birthday Celebrations
Fab 'n' Funky Challenges - #229 Show us a number

Back soon.

Cxxx

One for the boys!!!

Hello there!! Lots to do today so thought I would get my post out early!! Have been back at the day job this week - and been getting to know my new little lovelies!! But today I am off to run a few errands in town, and then into the garden for more tidying up!! 

So - this card is for a friend's son - can't believe he's 11 this year!! My OH and I got married 10 years ago next month - and he was a little toddler at the time!! 

Anyway - here's what I made. He loves his football - so this Create Companion from Crafter's Companion's Camden Town CD was perfect!! I used two co-ordinating papers from the CD for matting and layering.

I made a blue A5 base card, and more of the same for matting and layering. The large mat is embossed with Embossalicious 8x8 Beautiful Bunting folder.

The letters and numbers were cut with Die'sire 1" Alphabet and Numbers die sets - a total essential in my opinion!!

A little piece of ribbon tied in a knot finishes it all off!!

I would like to enter this into:
Hobby Cutz Challenge - For the Boys
Corrosive Challenges - Let's Hear it For the Boys

Back soon,
Cxxxx

Diamonds are forever!!!

Good morning!! Looks like it's going to be another fine day!! Today's card is a commission for a Diamond Wedding Anniversary. All I was asked for was the names on the front and the rest was up to me!! I have to say it is lovely to make these type of cards - 60 years together - how wonderful!! 

I decided to stick with white and very pale grey, as I wanted a very clean feeling card!! I have a bit of a thing at the moment for papers from a great little site on Etsy called Valeriane. I've had a lot of wedding cards to make - and her papers are just perfect. The gorgeous silvery one I have used as the background on this one is from a set called Wedding Bliss!! I used Spellbinders Classic Ric Rac Edgeability to create the zig-zag edge at the bottom, and one of the inserts to create the detail. 

The base card is made from Centura Pearl Snow White, and  I used this and the paper to create the diamond shape. The layers were created with Spellbinders Square and Scallop Square dies. The decorative piece on which the flowers sit was cut with the smallest die of the Lace Doily Motif set. 

The flowers were made using the Bitty Blossom dies - and the flourishes are Floral Flourish!! I cut the letters with XCut Rome Alphabet Die set, layering the printed paper over the Centura Pearl. The sentiment is printed from the computer.

A layer of white organza ribbon over white satin ribbon, along with lashings of clear gems finished the whole thing off. Of course, as ever, the top of the box was made to match - minus the names. And the inside was decorated too!!

I would like to enter this into:

Lexi's Creations - Sparkle and Shine

Take care,

Cxxx

Autumn is on its way!!

Good morning!! Yes indeed - Autumn is on its way! Not that you would know from the glorious weather we are having right now!! But we can't deny that it is coming!! And I have to admit that I absolutely love this season!! The colours are so rich and there's a real feeling of everything preparing for the cold weather ahead!!

And Autumn is the theme for September's Challenge over at Crafter's Companion. I just couldn't resist a little bit of Paint Fusion to make my card this month. 

I started with a piece of CC watercolour card for the large background, and a piece of mountboard for the smaller one. Using a cotton wool ball, I applied Pebeo Burnt Umber (Foliage) and Antique White (Neutrals) to both, to create a background. 

I then took a selection of leaves from Sheena's Poinsettia Pain Fusion stamp set, and stamped them using Timber Brown Stazon. Then, working from the smaller leaves up to the bigger leaves at the top, I used Red (Set 3)/Tangerine (Set 3) and Garnet Red (Set 2)/Naples Yellow (Set 3) to paint the leaves.

I made a square card from a piece of A4, and embossed the front with CC's Embossalicious 6x6 Rococo Frame. After wrapping ribbon around the top, the larger leaf painting was mounted onto the base. The smaller one was placed near the bottom. 

The sentiment is from Die'sire Sentimentals - Nature - and I think is just perfect for this seasonal card. I finished off with ribbon and buttons.

The design team have interpreted this theme in a whole host of different ways - so keep an eye on Crafter's Companion's FB page for more inspiration. Then get busy and post your creation on the Challenge Page for a chance to win a £30 voucher.

Back soon,

Cxxx

The Mirror Crack'd - Mixed Media Challenge Blog - Challenge 1 - Anything Goes!!

Today sees the launch of a brand new challenge blog called The Mirror Crack'd. It's specifically for Mixed Media - so no cards or projects created completely digitally. It's all about getting messy - think decorating and altering canvases, mdf and papier mache items  - art journalling, altered books - upcycling and recycling!! Use ink, paint, chalks, texture paste, gilding wax, gilding flakes, embossing powders - the list is endless. And then add charms, old keys, buttons, gems etc etc. 

Our first challenge to get you all started is 'Anything Goes' - so let your imagination run wild!! Before I start, I must say that I am no expert at Mixed Media. But when I'm not card making, I like decorating boxes and canvases and have come to 'Mixed Media' by that route. There are lots of extremely talented and experienced artists on the team - and I feel very lucky to be asked to be part of it. Hopefully I will help those of you that are new to this - and inspire some of you to have a go! My philosophy is that there is no right or wrong - and you can always paint over something you don't like (and I frequently do)

My piece started life as a black mirror bought from that well-known Swedish shop. Ages ago I painted it with Magnolia Emulsion - but never got any further. So, thought it was about time I did something with it!!

I had a rummage through my (extensive) paper stash before I started to try to decide what colour scheme I wanted to go with. Once I that was done I could work out what paints to use. I discovered DoCrafts Artiste Acrylic Paints on a workshop with Hels Sheridan - and loved them so much that I am beginning to add them to my paint collection. Using a dry brush, I painted the frame with Sea Spray.

Next, I cut out frames from the two sheets of paper. They both from DoCrafts - The pale one is Boofle - and the dark one I think is a Papermania Capsule Collection. 

 The edges were distressed with a pair of scissors.

 And then I had a play with my new Stampendous Frantage - this one is Shabby White. Really love this stuff now!! 

 I then stuck the paper frames onto the wooden one using Mod Podge. Then, a little of the Sea Spray paint watered down, was put over the whole lot to make it all blend together better.

I didn't really put enough sticky stuff underneath the papers - so I had a few wrinkles when I went over the top with the Mod Podge. So I decided to get a wet sponge and go over the top to try to smooth it out. It didn't seem to want to work so I walked away from - but once it dried it looked fine - so no problems!! 

The next stage was to add some texture paste - this is cheap stuff that I got in a set from Lidl. I used the Creative Expressions Doodle Daisies Stencil, and started with a Crystal Paste (which dries almost transparent) - then offset it slightly and used the Structure Paste which dries white.

 I added silver flat-backed pearls to the middles of the daisies, and made an arrangement of buttons on either side.

 To make the leaves and flowers, I painted more of the diluted Sea Foam over scraps of the paper - the one in the middle is just the reverse side of the Boofle Paper. 

The leaves are cut with Spellbinders Foliage dies, and the swirls are Floral Flourish! All of these were given a waft of Crafter's Companion Pearl Diamond Spray.

 Out of the plain paper, I cut flowers with the largest of the Carnation Creations dies. I stamped them with one of the Boofle Urban Textured Background stamps using Perfect Medium and Whispers Sea Foam Embossing Powder.

I then got out my trusty Melt Pot, and threw in some Clear, Pure White and Lapis Green UTEE - and swirled in some Creative Expressions Silver Mica Powder for good measure. This was poured into a silcone mould to produce the three different size flowers for the bottom corner. I used some CE Pearl hat pins and a little ribbon to finish off. 

In the top corner I used a different mould to create three roses - all the same size this time. The butterfly is actually a magnet!!  

So there you have it!! 

And now it's over to you!! Remember - no cards or completely digitally produced items (by all means use elements created on the computer and printed out). For more inspiration pop over to The Mirror Crack'd to see all the incredible inspiration from the team!! And then get messy - we're really looking forward to all your creations!! The challenge runs for a month - so you have plenty of time!!

I would like to enter this into:

Crafty Girls Challenges - Anything Goes
Through the Craftroom Door - Anything Goes

Cxxx

Time for some wine!!

Good afternoon!! Time for some wine? If only.... Am feeling slightly better on the neck front today - so hopefully the new pillow is working!! And I slept an hour longer too which was a bonus!!! But since I got up I seem to be chasing my tail!! Am working on two projects at the same time today as one is messy and needs different bits to dry - so I'm working on the other one in between. And then I get sidetracked sorting stuff out for a craft fair later this month!! It doesn't feel like I'm getting on with any of it particularly well, so have taken a break to pop in here and blog!!

While we were away it was my brother-in-law's birthday!! He likes making wine - and this year is trying to make some from the many damsons that grow in their back garden. So, I thought that this topper from Crafter's Companion Camden Town Male CD would be perfect.

I used the Create Companion in this instance, along with a couple of co-ordinating papers from the CD. I used Papermill Maroon card for the A5 base, and some of their Buff card for matting and layering!

Another piece of the maroon was embossed with CC Embossalicious A4 Argylle folder! I cut the letters with CC Die'sire 1" Alphabet dies. I find these invaluable for personalising cards.

The finishing touches are a piece of ribbon, and Glossy Accents on the bottle and card.

I would like to enter this into:
Cards Galore Challenges - Make a Card

Back soon!!

Cxxxx

I can colour in!!!

Good afternoon!! Hope you are well!! I have been getting back into the swing of things after my holiday - unfortunately my sore neck has returned with a vengeance. So I've been and bought a new Memory Foam pillow this morning - hope it will be the solution!!

You may (or may not) have noticed the title of today's blog post - 'I can colour in!' Yes - I hear you say - you should have been able to do that since you were a toddler!! And you're right of course. But this is not just any colouring in - this is Spectrum Noir colouring in!! I submitted all my stuff to become an accredited Spectrum Noir Colourist before I went on holiday - and I've had the email to say I have passed!! So I now have a new badge over there on the right hand side!!!

So - today's card has no colouring in!! Ah well - never mind!! This was for my step-daughter for her 21st! My OH was really helpful in deciding what kind of theme - "Just put a big 21 on it!" - as I said - really helpful. But, I took him at his word and came up with this!!

I started with paper from Craftwork Cards Cottage Garden Pad, and distressed the edges with a pair of scissors. I then sprinkled some Stampendous Shabby Pink Frantage on the top and heated from below. This was then machine sewn to a piece of pink Bazzill cardstock. I used a large template for the 21, cut the numbers out and repeated the process. 

The swirls were cut with Spellbinders Floral Flourish dies, and I added more Frantage to some paper flowers. I used some white lace that I bought LAST summer, and has been sitting in the jar for so long because I've never really had the right project for it. I wrapped this and some pink ribbon across the card, then threaded more - with some taupe thrown in too - through the key (Creative Expressions) and attached to the card.

And there you have it!! I would like to enter this into: 
Oldie but Goodie - Stitching (old item = lace)

Cxxx

It's been a while!!!

Well - good afternoon to you all!! As the title says - it's been a while!! And that's because I've been away on holiday!! We went on a fabulous cruise round the Norwegian Ffjords - and had a great time!! The weather was pretty good - only rained on one day - and the others were beautifully sunny and warm!! Have to say that I have never seen so much food - but exploring the gorgeous landscape on foot and by bicycle helped to minimise the damage on the waistline!

Am now back in full crafting mode as have lots to catch up on!! Today sees a new challenge over at Crafty Cardmakers and More, and the theme is Make and Impression!! This means we would like to see DRY embossing on your projects. 

I decided that I would use an embossing folder to create the focal point of the card, and used Crafter's Companion 6x6 Decorative Heart folder with Centura Pearl Snow White Hint of Silver. 

On a white 8x8 base card, I layered Crafter's Companion Kraft card, with a piece of Centura Pearl on top, embossed with CC Vintage Floral 8x8 Decadent Rose folder. On top of this I put another layer of Kraft and Pearl, then mounted the heart onto more Kraft for the final layer. 

The leaves are cut with CC Die'sire Leaf 2 die, and from the fabulous new Essentials range I used Flowers for all Occasions, and Beautiful Butterflies. I ran the pearl flowers through the Embossalicious Floral Frenzy folder and added a few pearls for the final embellishment!! 

Make sure you pop on over to the Crafty Cardmakers and More blog to check out all the DT inspiration - and then get busy!! Looking forward to seeing what you create!!

Before I go, I just want to let you know that a new Mixed Media Challenge blog will be launching on 5th September. It's called 'The Mirror Crack'd' and will be a monthly challenge launching on the 5th of each month. Pop on over to the blog for a more detailed explanation of what we will be looking for!! 

I would like to enter this into the following:

A Creative Romance - A Touch of Kraft

Cxxx