Best Wishes

Hi everyone

back again with another card.  I have been bitten by the 'new technique' bug and have been concentrating on using my stamps & dies that I have recently purchased .... and not packing them away so that they become NBUS (never before used schtuff) :)  

I have been watching a few videos on YouTube ...... and I came across one from Natasha Foote on embossing vellum, so I thought I would give it a try.  In Natasha's video, this technique is used for a feature flower, but I have used it for just a one layer background.

First up, I ran vellum through the Cuttlebug using the Stylised flowers embossing folder, and swiped all the raised bits with VersaMark Embossing Ink, then heat embossed with Gold embossing powder.   To attach the vellum without any noticeable 'sticky tape', I used some 'jac paper' (double sided sticky) to mount the vellum to the cardbase.

I stamped 'best wishes' from 'Miss You Big Time' and diecut 3 layers, added a 'bling' flower centre to one flower, then gave the topper a thin black edge.   I didn't like the thin black line, so I made it wider and took it all the way to the edge.

There was a little bit of gold embossing overflow/smudges, but I am reasonably happy with the card, so I think I will have another try at this technique ........... stay tuned for 'take II'

Cheers for now!

Linking this card with:

Happy Little Stampers - Anything goes with dies

Love You ..... Big Time

Hi everyone

You may remember back in January, one of my cards made the 'top 3' for the Cut It Up Challenge #243 and they asked if I would like to be a guest designer for one of their future challenges!  Yes, me!  WOW!  You could have knocked me over with a feather ......... ofcourse, I said 'Yes'

So here we go, my first ever 'Guest Designer Spot' 

The challenge is '#245 - Love/Valentines Day', and ofcourse, you must use a die!  

It will be our 40th Wedding Anniversary on 13th February, and ofcourse Valentines Day is on the 14th.  

So, this is what I came up with.

Handmade background using Stampin Up inks - Close to Cocoa, Chocolate Chip; Delicata inks Golden Glitz & Champagne.

Honey Bee Sentiments stamped with StazOn Ganache, 'love you' die cut 3 times, layered and mounted with 3D foam squares.

Topper mounted onto Dark brown cardstock.

Gold Hearts embellishments, Heart shaped punch with '40' gold stickers added with 3D foam squares.

I do struggle a little bit when making cards for Mr Fixit - I try to make them masculine and not have too much bling .... he is not a blingy guy LOL and he HATES glitter (mainly because it escapes the craft room and gets EVERYWHERE!) 

A nice simple card, with not too much fuss and just the right amount of bling!  Who says a CAS card has to be white?  ;)

The As You Like It Challenge asks 'True Love or Fabulous Friendships' ..... well it may depend on the time of year the question is asked, but I really do love it when I get to make a card for 'my man/my true love' and feel confident that he will love it too!

Linking with:

As you Like It Challenge:  True Love/Fab Friendships

Double D Challenges - Hearts Challenge

CAS on Friday Challenge #224 - Male

Sorry for your loss

Hello everyone, back again ....... I am on a roll!

Sympathy cards are usually hard for me to make, and I usually put it off until I actually need one, but I have been quite inspired with this new (to me) method of making my own backgrounds - it is quite liberating!  I was so pleased with my first attempts with my previous two cards, that I spent the afternoon just playing with inks & the water spray bottle!  some didn't work out as expected, but I was happy with most of them.  The bonus is that now I have a little stash I can work with for the future.

So here is one that was almost a 'dud', but a happy accident of smudging some silver ink on it made a real difference.

The background was made with Stampin Up inks - Old Olive, Garden Green & Summer Sun - sponged randomly onto a sheet of acetate, sprayed lightly with water.  

I was originally intending to use it as a full background, like my previous cards, but I felt that for this card, just a narrow strip of colour would be better and a Spellbinders long rectangle die was the perfect size.  A white embossed background was added - Embossing folder is Cuttlebug Tiny Bubbles.

I mentioned a 'happy accident' earlier ...... while I was sponging the Delicata Silvery Shimmer ink on the edges of the embossed background, I dropped the ink pad onto my handmade background, which made a mark and when I tried to wipe it off, I noticed that there was a slight texture on the cardstock, so I smudged some more! I think it added just the extra 'something' I was looking for!  I sponged the outer edges as well to help define the strip more and I really like the way it turned out!

Sentiments stamped with black Staz On, 'sorry' die cut 3 times & layered then mounted with 3D foam squares.

The topper was placed on a silver cardbase which has been in my stash 'forever'.  All cardstock used in this project has been purchased from Blue Edge Crafts, here in South Australia ...... support local where you can!

Linking the above card with:

Cut It Up Challenge #244 - Hard to say

Happy Little Stampers February CAS Challenge "Inky"

Happy Birthday x 2

Two more cards for you today :)

Our oldest, dearest and closest friends celebrate birthdays close together, just like my hubby and myself!

Chris' birthday was on 26th January and his wife, Cathy (yes same as me) her birthday is on 4th February.  Our birthdays are September & October, and we have similar food tastes!

We had a lovely catchup last Friday, wherein we sat around the table eating, drinking (only a little) and solving the problems with the world ...... as you do!

Anyway, here are the cards I made for them.  I'll start with the birthday card for Chris.

For a change, I went with a DL size card, in portrait mode.  I have been having a lot of fun with a new way of making my own backgrounds lately, so I used this lovely green & gold combination.  Inks 'smooshed' onto a surface, spayed with water, then place the cardstock over the inks.  The edges were inked with Dark Green to define the outer edge.  'happy birthday' sentiment stamped in Black Staz On and die cut layered with 3 layers to give it substance.  Balloon die cut from a scrap piece of Holographic foil cardstock, all mounted on a DL size card.  Die Cuts layered with 3D foam.  The string on the balloon was hand drawn with black fineliner.

Over all, I was quite pleased with the card and Chris loved it!

Now, onto the card for the Birthday Girl (which was the main reason for our get together).  Cathy is celebrating a 'big one' ....... 60!

I stuck with the DL size card in portrait mode, and used another handmade background.  For the balloons I created some text in Word, prnted on purple cardstock (Cathy's favourite colour) and foiled with gold, then die cut the balloons and actually tied up the balloons with black cotton.  Balloons placed in staggered layers, then Penny Black Hedgehog from 'Party Time' stamped and hand coloured in with Copics, cut out and positioned with 3D foam.  Little butterfly with a present stamped directly onto the front, hand coloured with Copics & Kindy Glitz added.  A final bit of bling added with some sequins.

I am quite pleased with the foiling and the bonus is that Cathy loved the card!

I am linking the above cards with the following Challenges:

Happy Little Stampers: Anything Goes (backgrounds were made with inks & water)

Penny Black Saturday Challenge:  Anything goes/Something New  (new technique)

Seize the Birthday: Anything goes as long as it is birthday (oops, too late for linky)

Happy Birthday

Time for another card inspired by a few challenges!

 

Inspired by Freshly Made Sketches #518 and Colour Hues #33 - Silver & White

I embossed a white A6 cardfront with happy birthday folder using the Cuttlebug, then lightly inked all the raised bit with silver ink.  I then stamped & heat embossed a birthday cake (Snag 'em Stamps) in silver, cut out with Spellbinders circle die and raised on foam dots.

Cardfront was then mounted onto silver cardstock, and final touches of bling added!  It wouldn't be a 'Cathy' card if it didn't have bling!

Also linking with NBUS - I have had the above stamp for so long, I can't remember when I got it .......... it must be at least 10 years and by the way it was so difficult to come off the plastic, I don't think I have ever used it before!  (the linky link up does not seem to be working, so I will try again later - updated: working now :) )

Cheers for now!