Post-It Note Holder

The challenge on Cardz 4 Guys this week is 'Anything BUT a card'.  I came up with a Post-It Note holder, using a free-standing, clear, acrylic photo frame.  The sticky Post-It notes stick to the frame and when you run out, you just replace with a new pad of Post-It notes. Simple!

The difficult part was trying to take a photo without the reflection showing!!

 I would also like to enter the following challenge:
Tuesday Throwdown #206 ~ Other than a card or tag

Cooler day today.......!

Well, the sun's disappeared today and it looks like we might even get a spot of rain.  I must say, it's quite pleasant sat here by the window with a lovely cool breeze for a change!

I meant to post these earlier, but totally forgot!  At a recent BBQ for about 30 or so people, I made a selection of salads.  Knowing there were several people with nut or garlic allergies, as well as at least one vegetarian, I made these using my Sizzix Rosette die, attaching them to kebab sticks. 

I attached them to the outside of the bowls with Blu-Tack, so that they wouldn't fall over in the salads! They all survived, so I'll be able to use them again. It's a good way of using up those leftover bits of card!

Today's card is for a very young at heart 70 year old!  Cards with a male theme I still find more challenging, but this Papermania stamp so suits him.  

A Joy Fold card this time, kept closed with screw brads.  The tool embossing folder is so handy, especially when trying to get away from a sports theme. 

This photo shows how the card opens.

I would like enter this card for the following challenge:

Pixie's Crafty Workshop ~ Use Your Snippets - Week 135

We Do Doobadoo Craft Challenge ~ Celebrations

Suzy Bee's Bloomin' Challenge # 39  ~ Anything Goes

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge ~ Anything Goes

90th Birthday

Phew!  It's been really warm again today, but I needed to make a card for a 90 year old.  I really like stepper cards - and they are so easy to make using a Hougie Board.  Perhaps it was the weather, but I changed my mind about the colour scheme so many times with this card.  At least I have a few cards half done in various colours which I can make into other cards!  I settled on white and shades of purple and I managed to use up some more of my snippets to make the decorations.

Instructions for my card:

 Start with a 21cm x 28cm piece of white card.

Draw a pencil line down the centre, lengthwise.

Score at 3cm, 6cm, 10cm, 14cm and 21cm to the pencil line - scoring across right across the card at 14cm.

Using a craft knife, cut along the pencil line between the 3cm and 21cm points.

Fold as shown.

I would like to enter my card for the following challenge:
Pixie's Crafty Workshop ~ Use Your Snippets - Week 135
Suzy Bee's Bloomin' Challenge # 39 ~ Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge ~ Anything Goes

Reach for the Moon!

Like most crafters, I hate throwing away even little snippets of leftover card.  As my pile grew, I decided to store them by colour like this....... 

.....in the hope that it would be easier to find the colour I need and I'd actually use them!  

I set myself the challenge today of only using off-cuts (except for the base card) to make my card. This is my absolute favourite sentiment stamp to use for Good Luck cards. 

The embossing folder is Embossalicious 'Clouds'. The stars were punched out of holographic silver card.

I would like to enter my card for the following challenge:

Crafter's Companion Monthly Challenge ~ Show Off Your Sentiments

Pixie's Crafty Workshop ~ Use Your Snippets Week 135

Summertime

It seems ages since I made a stepper card, so I thought I'd use this fold for the lovely Little Claire 'Meadow Girl' silhouette stamp.  Although I can buy stepper card blanks, I much prefer to make my own, so I can make the section for the main image exactly the size I want it.  I used My Mind's Eye patterned paper and made little punched flowers, decorated with tiny pearls. 

I would like to enter my card for the following challenges:

Little Claire's Monthly Challenge ~ Summertime
Penny Black and More Challenge ~ Die and Punches
The Sisterhood of Crafters ~ Die Cuts and/or Punches

Dies and punches

Two more cards made for special occasions, with a similar design, but for different celebrations.  Not a stamp in sight this time, but using several punches and dies. The butterfly has been punched out twice, in lilac and purple, then layered to make it 3D.

I would like to enter the butterfly card for the following challenges:

We Do Doobadoo Craft Challenge ~ Celebrations

The Sisterhood of Crafters ~ Die Cuts and/or Punches

Monochrome Card

A beautiful set of Indigo Blu stamps came with a recent issue of 'Simply Cards and Papercraft'.  I really liked this silhouette stamp and thought it would really stand out using just black and white on the card.  Rummaging through my box of bought flowers, I discovered that black ones were the only colour I didn't have, so I got out my well used flower punches and made one, finishing it off with black Card Candi.

I would like to enter my card for the following challenges:

Lisa B. Designs ~ Indigo Blu or Jane Gill Stylised Flowers 
Penny Black and More Challenge ~ Dies and Punches
Simon Says Stamp - Wednesday Challenge ~ Emboss It
The Sisterhood of Crafters ~ Die Cuts and/or Punches

Thank You Craftasmic!

I was lucky enough to win a giveaway on Craftasmic's Facebook page - five embossing folders and a die!!  I called into their lovely shop in Taunton on the way to Devon last week to pick up my prize.  I've made them a thank you card using one of the embossing folders I won and an owl die I couldn't resist buying while I was there!

I would like to enter my card for the following challenge:

Simon Says Stamp - Wednesday Challenge ~ Emboss It

Gilby's Card

I've just returned from a glorious few days in North Devon.  Despite taking my craft box with me, the weather was so perfect I didn't get a chance to do any card making.  However, my daughter showed me the most amazing card she was given for her birthday this month, made by my great nephew, Gilby.  Gilby is only four years old - what a fantastic design! The water, fish and rocks are made from foam and I love the plant life made from natural materials.

Summer Flowers

The sun's shining again outside, so I decided to make a bright, summery card using a Woodware set of stamps called 'Mini' Flowers.  The background was made using Adirondack inks and a Mica Mask, shading the colours like a rainbow.  I can't believe I've never used this kind of mask with inks before, as they are so easy to use... I'll need to put a few more masks on my wish list!

I'd like to enter my card for the following challenges:

Lisa B.Designs Challenge ~ Indigo Blu & Jane Gill Stylised Flowers
Stamping Sensations ~ Summer Blooms
Suzy Bee's Bloomin Challenge ~ Anything Goes
We Do Doobadoo challenge ~ Spotty and Dotty

Put your feet up......

Yesterday my copy of 'Quick Cards Made Easy' arrived.  I knew that one of my cards was going to be used in the 'Designer for a Day' feature, but the bonus was that they printed a photo of another of my cards in the letters section!  It really made my day!

Onto today's card..... a card for a man.  I made a gatefold card and embossed the front panels using a 'tool' embossing folder and embellished them with little tool brads. I just love these cute brads!

When the card is opened up, it reveals a stamped image from the Little Claire's 'Oh Man!' set, which I coloured in with Promarkers.  

I would like to enter my card for the following challenges:

Suzy Bee's Blooming Challenge ~ Anything Goes

Cardz 4 Guyz ~ D.I.Y.

Beautiful Butterflies

Little Claire's Blog has a monthly challenge, this month to follow a sketch with the theme of 'Bright and Beautiful'. I love their Butterfly Tree set of stamps, so decided to use one of the butterfly stamps for the challenge.  I picked out the colours in the patterned paper and used these to colour in the image, using Promarkers.

The prize for the challenge includes a chance to be a guest designer for August and September.  What a thrill that will be for the winner!!

I would like to enter my card for the following challenges:

Little Claire's Blog ~ 'Bright & Beautiful' Theme & Sketch 
My Mum's Craft Shop ~ Summer or Bright Colours

Zen Butterfly

One of my local craft shops has just started selling Lavinia Stamps, so I just had to have a look!  Somehow I couldn't resist temptation and ended up buying the fabulous Zen butterfly stamp.  My daughter's birthday is coming up this month, so I justified my purchase by telling myself it would be just perfect for her birthday card! The butterfly was coloured in with Promarkers and then I completely covered the butterfly with a clear Wink of Stella glitter brush to make it sparkle. The embossing folder I used for the background is Spellbinders 'Dainty Dots'. 

I would like to enter this card for the following challenges:
Lavinia Stamps Challenge Blog ~ Summer Colours
Stamplorations Blog ~ Stamps and Glitter
Bizzy Bec's Store Blog's Challenge ~ Anything Goes
My Mum's Craft Shop ~ Summer or Bright Colours
Penny Black and More Challenge - Dies and Punches

Footie Fan

A young man I tutor will be 9 years old tomorrow and this is the card I made for him.  I've had the stamp for a long time, but I always enjoy looking through my old stamps and discovering some I'd forgotten about!  The Crafters Companion embossing folder I've used is  ~ 'Football Crazy'.

I would like to enter this card for the following challenge:

My Mum's Craft Shop ~ Summer or Bright Colours

Shades of Turquoise

I was thrilled to win the Alura Lavinia stamp in the Lisa B. Designs giveaway and couldn't wait to use it on a card. It's a beautiful, very detailed stamp so I decided to colour it in using five shades of the same colour.  I used foam pads to attach the matted image to make it stand out.

 Promarkers used: 

Cool Aqua, Duck Egg, Turquoise, Marine, Petrol Blue, Satin and Blush.

I finished off the card using a Martha Stewart Optic Dot border punch and turquoise pearls.  

I would like to enter this card for the following challenges:
Lisa.B.Designs ~ Use Lavinia Stamps
Bizzy Becs Store Blog ~ Anything Goes

Keeping it 'clean and simple'

I've had a busy week or so teaching most days, but I found time to make a few more cards for my stall at a school craft fair in a couple of weeks.  Simple cards this week, using two of my Lavinia stamps.  These stamps are so versatile, sometimes matting the stamped images on an embossed background is all they need. I know the backgrounds are a bit bright, but from experience of selling cards at school craft fairs, young girls tend to choose these colours!