50th Wedding Anniversary

A week or so ago good friends of ours celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary and the card I made for them is posted on my blog HERE.  Yesterday we celebrated with them and a group of friends at an anniversary lunch and cream tea.  To enable the happy couple to choose something for their garden as a gift from us all, I made a gift card to give them the money we collected so they could choose their own gift. 

I used the same gold, pearlised card as I used in the other card I gave them.  The decorative square dies I used were from the Xcut 'Heart Frames' set of dies and the little heart is one of the Sue Wilson 'Mr & Mrs' dies.

This is the inside of the card, using the other dies from the Xcut 'Heart Frames' set.  I made a pocket from a piece of white card and added a strip of the gold, pearlised card across the top. (I changed all the money into £10 notes so they all fitted in neatly. 😉) The right hand side was left blank for all our friends to write their own personal messages.  All the gold die cuts were snippets left over from the previous card I made, so I'll be sharing my card over in the Playground.

I am joining in the following challenges:

Moving Along With The Times Challenge #107 ~ Wedding or Anniversary

Pixie's Snippets Playground - Challenge #362 ~ Use Snippets

Watercooler Wednesday Challenge #240 ~ All About Occasions

70th Birthday

A 70th birthday card to share today.

The wreath was made with a Poppystamps 'Stitch Wreath' die in white card and die cut around the edge with a Memory Box 'Stitched Circle Layers' die.  I backed the wreath with a circle of green card.  I framed the wreath with a blue Memory Box 'Stitched Scalloped Circle' die cut.  The little flowers were made with punches.  I used a Spellbinders 'Dainty Dots' embossing folder for the background.

I am joining in the following challenges with this card:

Poppystamps Challenge #60 ~ Anything Goes!

Memory Box Challenge #53 ~ Framed!

Shopping Our Stash Challenge #405 ~ Dream the Embossible Dream

I was pleased with how this card turned out, so I made a second card, reversing the blue and pink. 

Golden Wedding Anniversary

I can post this Golden Wedding card on my blog now that the happy couple are home from holiday and the card has been opened.

I made the base card using a Spellbinders 'Happy Days' step die.  The embossing is an Xcut 'Small Polka Hearts' e/f using gold pearlised card.  It really is a lovely, delicate shade of gold.   For the flower and leaves, I used Sue Wilson 'Petite Forget Me Nots' and 'Windswept Grasses' dies.  The computer generated sentiments were layered on stitched label die cuts and raised up on foam tape.

This photo shows the card from a different angle, although the card doesn't look so yellowy IRL.  The hearts are from the Sue Wilson 'Mr and Mrs' set of dies. 

I am joining in the following challenges:

1. MAWTT Challenge #107 ~ Wedding or Anniversary

2. Watercooler Wednesday Challenge #240 ~ All About Occasions
3. Shopping Our Stash #405 ~ Dream the Embossible Dream
4. Do-Al (l) Creative Challenge #33 ~ Cut Cards / Shaped Cards
5. HLS September Anything Goes with Dies Challenge
6. Craft Rocket Challenge #63 ~ Monochrome
7. Simon Says Wednesday Challenge ~Anything Goes

Christmas Tree

What a wet couple of days!   A perfect day today for staying in and crafting.  As it will be Christmas Day in three months time, (where have the last nine months gone!?), I decided to batch make a few more Christmas cards and made 10 of this CAS design. 

The image and sentiment were from a pre-loved set of Stampin' Up stamps, 'Snow is Glistening', which I bought recently.  They were stamped using a Stampin' Up 'Night of Navy' ink pad on a cream rectangle, layered on a navy blue mat and attached to a cream 6" x 4" card blank.

 I am joining in the following challenges:

September Rudolph Days Challenge

Allsorts Challenge Week 538 ~ Trees and Leaves

Cardz 4 Guyz Challenge #229 ~Trees or Leaves or Both

Craft Rocket September Challenge #63 ~ Monochrome

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge #456 

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge ~ Anything Goes

Last Sunday I went to a Stampin' Up Crafternoon and I made these four cards and four tags.

We all came away with the Stampin' Up '#Elfie' set of stamps, so I'll be making a few more Elf Christmas cards and tags over the next few weeks. 

Twofer - Critters

The theme of the Twofer Challenge this month is 'Critters'.  Two cards using the prompt word, making two different designs for two different occasions, using the same stamp, die or stencil.

I used a Hobby Art 'Medium Daisy Cat' rubber stamp on both my cards.  I've no idea how long I've had it, but it's my favourite cat stamp and I know I bought it well over 10 years ago.

 I am joining in the Twofer Challenge #20 with this pair of cards.

My first card is for my great niece, who will soon be celebrating her 11th birthday.  The card blank was cut with a Press Cut 'Step Card' die.  The image was stamped with Memento 'Tuxedo Black' and coloured with Promarkers, before die cutting with a Memory Box 'Stitched Rectangle Layers' die.  The sentiment is computer generated and printed in grey and the tiny hearts are the waste from a Memory Box 'Heart of Hearts' die.  The side panels are punched with a paw print border punch.  Six tiny pearls finished off my card.  All the card, except for the card base, was snippets so I'll be off to share my card in the Playground. 

I am joining in the following challenges with this card:

Through the Purple Haze Challenge #159 ~ Fur-tastic

I Love Promarkers Challenge #393 ~ Anything Goes + Optional Theme - Cats

2 Crafty Critter Crazies Challenge #30 ~ Include a Critter

HLS September Anything Goes with Dies Challenge

SheepSki Designs Challenge #30 ~ Die Cuts and/or Punches 

Tales From the Craft Room Challenge #8 ~ For The Kids

Penny Black and More September Challenge ~ Animals

Pixie's Snippets Playground - Challenge #361 ~ Use Snippets

My second card uses the same cat stamp, again coloured with Promarkers.  The image and mat were die cut with Memory Box 'Stitched Oval Layers' dies and raised up on foam tape.  I attached a strip of white card to the back of the ribbon to keep it looking white, then layered over a slightly wider strip of coloured card.  I'm not quite sure what colour to call the card.....it's not really orange and not really brown.  I guess it's sort of 'ginger'.   As the paw prints on the ribbon are brown, I stamped the sentiment from the Happy Little Stampers 'Doodled Flowers' set of stamps with Versafine 'Vintage Sepia'. 

I am joining in the following challenges with this card:

CAS on Friday Challenge #164 ~ Animals

Addicted to Stamps and More! Challenge #359 ~ CAS

Anniversary Card

In my last post I shared an anniversary card I made for my hubby.  Good friends of our were married on exactly the same day as us, although we didn't know them then.  We were married 2 hours before them. 😉  This is the card I made for our friends.

I used an MDF 'Cross Stitch Tag' die and the cross stitching was done with crochet cotton with a little piece of twine attached to the top of the tag.  For the embossed background I used a Creative Expressions 'Heart Lattice' e/f.  

I am joining in the following challenges:
Allsorts Challenge Week 537 ~ Anything Goes
TTCRD Anything Goes Challenge
Creations in Pink Challenge #14 ~ Anything Goes in Mainly Pink

Our Anniversary

Today my hubby and I are celebrating our 45th Wedding Anniversary.  Where does the time go!!?? This is the card I made for him.

The blue card is pearlised and as the 45th Anniversary is Sapphire is was the perfect colour to use.  I made a frame using Sue Wilson 'Double Pierced Squares' dies.  The embossing was done with an Xcut 'Small Polka Hearts' e/f.  The decorative die cut in the middle is a die from the Xcut 'Heart Frames' set of dies.  The sentiment is computer generated.

I am joining in the following challenges:

Alphabet Challenge ~ M is for Masculine

Allsorts Challenge Week 537 ~ Anything Goes without the twist

WWC238 - All About Occasions Challenge

HLS September Anything Goes with Dies Challenge

As promised in my last post, a few photos taken in beautiful Florence this week.

 Michelangelo's 'David'.

Woof! Woof!

I've been AWOL for the last few days as my hubby planned a surprise trip to Florence for an early celebration of our 45th Wedding Anniversary, which is tomorrow.  I'll post a few photos taken in Florence in a day or two.  It really is my favourite city in the world!

I made this card for a special blogging friend and now I know it's been received, I can post it on my blog.  When I saw this cross stitch pattern, I knew to would be perfect for a card for Di, who has the most adorable little dog.  If you pop over to Di's blog HERE you'll see just how adorable Dudley is.

The cross stitch die is by Marianne Designs and I've used crochet cotton for the cross stitching.  The completed cross stitch patterned was die cut with a Memory Box 'Stitched Square' die. The paw print border is a punch.

I am joining in the following challenges:

Through the Purple Haze Challenge #159 ~ Fur-tastic

Dragonfly Dreams Challenge ~ Happy Birthday

 2 Crafty Critter Crazies Challenge #30 ~ Include a Critter

HLS September Anything Goes with Dies Challenge
Let's Craft and Create Challenge #151 ~ Anything Goes + Put some extra layers on

Fold and Twist

I made this card for a card swap, which I can post on my blog now that I know it's been received.  I haven't tried this fold before, but it was one on my list of 'folds to try'.  I found several templates online which all started with a 8" x 8" piece of card.  I had a few false starts as I couldn't get the folds to go quite right, despite using a scoreboard.  So it was onto Plan B to change the dimensions.  I increased the piece of card to 10" x 10" and worked out where I would need to make the scorelines.  I was really pleased that it turned out much better and the folded card was square, although it doesn't look it in the photo because of all the layers!

All the patterned paper I used were snippets from my snippets drawers, in fact everything was snippets, apart from the 10" x 10" piece of card.  I punched 1" circles and the flowers were made with punches too.   

This photo shows the card open, revealing the space to write my message.  So that's another 'fold to try' I can cross off my list!

I am joining in the following challenges:

Pixie's Snippets Playground - Challenge #360 ~ Use Snippets

Through the Craft Room Door Challenge ~ Anything Goes

Make My Monday Challenge #104 ~ Use Shapes on Your Card

Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper September Challenge

Silly Seahorse

The September Crafty Calendar Challenge begins today with the theme 'Add Lots of Layers'.  Our sponsor this month is 'Oddball Art' who kindly supplied the DT with digi images to work with.

I chose to use the cute Sid the Silly Seahorse digi stamp.  I coloured him with Promarkers and added Glossy Accents to his glasses.  I die cut the image with a Memory Box 'Stitched Circle' die.  For the background I used a Marianne embossing folder 'Ocean View' with white card.  I used a brayer to roller 'Peacock Feathers' Distress Ink over the raised part of the embossing and put the image in the middle.  The large mat is a Sue Wilson 'Double Pierced Square' die cut.  I used Memory Box 'Stitched Circle' and 'Pinpoint Scalloped Circle' dies for the sentiment, which is raised up on foam pads. 

The challenge ends on 28th September, so plenty of time to join in.  Please pop over the Crafty Calendar Challenge to see all the beautiful creations the DT have made. 

I am joining in the following challenges:

Addicted to Stamps and More! Challenge #357 ~ Make Your Mark

Crafty Gals Corner Challenge # 198 ~ Emboss It!

Craft Rocket September Challenge #63 ~ Monochrome
Country View September Challenge ~ Under The Sea
Simon Says Monday Challenge ~ Something Clear (Glossy Accents)
Crafty Catz Challenge #473 ~ Anything Goes 

Musical Happy Birthday

My apologies for lack of commenting lately.  As I was suffering from severe headaches for almost two weeks, I've tried to use the computer as little as possible, so I didn't make the headaches any worse.

A birthday card to share today, sent to a friend who lives half way round the world.  She sings in a choir and music plays a big part in her life, so I wanted her card to have a musical theme.

The image and sentiment are both old wood mounted Butterfly Kisses stamps, which are well over ten years old.  I coloured the image with Promarkers - the faces in the flowers are clearer IRL.   I used Memory Box 'Stitched Circles' dies and a 'Stitched Country Border' die for the image, mat and border.  The background was embossed with a musical embossing folder to keep the music theme.

I am joining in the following challenges:

Stamping Sensations September Challenge - Anything Goes with Flowers

Addicted to Stamp and More! Challenge #357 ~ Make Your Mark

Dragonfly Dreams Challenge ~ Happy Birthday!

Crafty Gals Corner Challenge # 198 ~ Emboss It!

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge ~ Stamp It

The Flower Challenge #36 ~ Anything Goes

Mermaid

I was delighted to be invited to be a Guest Designer for the September Country View Challenge.   The theme for September is 'Under the Sea' and this is my card, which will appear on the challenge blog later in the month. 

The beautiful image is a Lavinia stamp, 'Guinevere', stamped in Versafine 'Onyx Black'.  I coloured in the rocks with a grey Promarker.  The image and mat were die cut with Sue Wilson 'Double Pierced Ovals'.  The background was stencilled with three colours of Distress Ink.  Although it's difficult to see, the mermaid is holding a cream pearl.  I'm looking forward to seeing all your Under the Sea creations over in the Country View Challenge.

I am joining in the following challenges:

Lavinia World Challenges #8 ~ Anything Goes

Allsorts Challenge -Week 534/5 ~ Feminine
Crafty Friends Challenge #117 ~ Add Embellishments (Pearl in mermaid's hand)
Pattie's Creations Challenge #161 ~ Beach/Under The Sea
The Crafter's Cafe Challenge #226 ~ Fairies/Mythical Creatures