Happy Birthday

This s my first time playing with new stamps purchased from Auzz Trinklets Crafts - Altenew BAF Coneflower (Stamps & matching dies).

 

 

I wasn't actually intending to make up a card .... I just wanted to have a play so I used the first inks I could put my hands on. 

 

I even forgot about 'conditioning' the stamps first, so the stamping is a bit 'iffy', but I think it actually works on this card.  Flowers were stamped with Versafine Black Onyx & clear heat embossed.  Then the various layers were completed using different shades of orange/brown and then die cut.  In the end I chose to layer 3 flowers at different levels using 3D foam dots.

 

The background was 'handmade' by 'smooching' black/silver/gold inks to bring out the texture of the white cardstock.  The background was trimmed & layered onto a black card, then placed onto white cardbase (300gsm).

 

The step-by-step instructions that came with the stamp set were great.  I made a slight mis-alignment on some of the petals, but for a first attempt, I am happy.  I just love the way the leaf at the bottom of the flower turned out. 

The foiled birthday sentiment has been in my stash for quite a while - it was one of those pre-cut A4 sheets which I think I got at one of the craft shows many years ago.  See, I never throw anything away!

I am really looking forward to having another play with this stamp set - I have been searching the internet for 'colours of echinacea flowers' for inspiration!  There are pinks, purples and yellows and there is even a white one!

--oo0oo--

Fitting with the Seize the Birthday Challenge, I made this a birthday card, and it will most probably go to the Sister-in-Law :)

The As You Like it Challenge asks us to nominate which card we like to send and why.  For me, it would be Birthday Cards, as I usually make them with a specific person in mind so that each card is unique.

This is my 2nd card linking with AAA Birthday Game #45 - Anything Goes

Linking With the following challenges:

Seize the Birthday #253 - Anything Goes

As You Like it Challenge - Fave reason to send a card

AAA Birthday #45 - Anything Birthday Goes

ITEMS USED

Stamps/Dies:  Altenew BAF Coneflower

Inks: Versafine Onyx, Ranger Distress Inks, SU inks

Tools: Cuttlebug

Thank you for visiting my blog today - I hope you have a good day.

Remember, any day doing something you love makes it a good day ;-)

Doing what you like is freedom. Liking what you do is happiness.

Thanks .... So Much

Am loving the hot weather ....... NOT    LOL 🤣🤣

We have solar panels and while the sun is shining, at least it is covering the electricity bill so we can freely use the air conditioning, and over the last few days, we needed it!

So while it was too hot outside to do anything, I was supposed to be tidying up my craft room, but I got distracted and made up a card!

 

 

I came across some very old handmade papers that I have had since I first started cardmaking in 2003 and as I 💖 Purple, I just HAD to have a play!

 

The card came together in a matter of minutes ..... don't you just love it when that happens!

 

I had a stamped element left over from a previous play date - a flower from the SU Hand Penned Petals which had been heat embossed using white ink AND white embossing powder - and was coloured in using Distress Inks & blending brushes.

The flower element was mounted onto a gorgeous die-cut that I received in a Swap (my 'something new' for the Creative Inspiration Challenge), then that was mounted onto the purple handmade paper (my 'something old'), which had been mounted onto the white cardbase.

 

 

Sentiments 'thanks' (from Honey Bee Stamps Bitty Buzzwords) was die cut from scraps in black & white, layered & mounted with 3d foam dots to background.  'so much' (from Honey Bee Stamps Miss You Big time) was stamped in StazOn black onto white cardstock scrap pieces, then mounted onto front of card.  It pays to keep all those smaller scrap pieces!

 

I am really pleased with how quickly this card came together. 

 

This one will go in my stash for future use :)

I am linking with a few newly discovered challenges for this card, as well as one of my Fave Challenge blogs, Cut It Up :)

Birthstone Challenges BSC#1 - Anything Goes (Amethyst)

Creative Knockouts #485 Anything Goes 

Cut It Up Challenge #269 - Anything Goes (with a die cut)

Creative Inspirations - January - Something Old, Something New

Items Used

Cardstock:  White 250gsm, purple handmade paper

Inks:  Distress Inks, Memento White Versamagic, White Embossing powder, StazOn

Stamps/Dies:  SU Hand Penned Petals, HBS Miss You Big Time, HBS Bitty Buzzwords

Tools: Cuttlebug

Thank you for visiting my blog today - I hope you have a good day.

Remember, any day doing something you love makes it a good day ;-)

Doing what you like is freedom. Liking what you do is happiness.

Happy Purrthday!

A fun birthday card for my BFF today

 

 

Purrfect (stamps & dies) from Uniquely Creative Stamps were the purrfect choice for this card! and the colours from Color Throwdown were the purrfect colour inspiration!

 

Color Throwdown #724 

 

Stamped & die cut a selection of cats, then shaded very softly with grey copics.  Using the circle from Lawn Fawn Magic Holiday set, two circles were cut away from Card topper, and two circles were cut from silver foil card and placed underneath.  Cats were strategically positioned with 3d foam.... you have no idea how many combinations I tried! 

 

 

 

AAA Birthday Challenge #45

 

 

The sentiment was stamped and diecut twice, then layered, with some bling added as a final touch.

 

 

The Critter Crazy Challenge #70 is 'Anything goes' with a featured critter - I think this counts! :)

 

 

Items Used

Cardstock:  Black 300gsm, burgundy 300gsm, white 210gsm

Inks:  Versafine Clair, Copics

Stamps/Dies:  Uniquely Creative Stamps & Dies "Purrfect", Lawn Fawn Magic Holday Circle Die

Tools:  Cuttlebug

Thank you for visiting my blog today - I hope you have a good day.

Remember, any day doing something you love makes it a good day ;-)

Doing what you like is freedom. Liking what you do is happiness.

Happy New Year!

It's really hot here in Adelaide today, so I am inside playing in the Craft Room.

 

I made a Happy New Year card ........  something fun and light-hearted to lift the spirits!

 

I started with a freebie digital image from Gerda Steiner and played around with colouring it, then I added some Dimensional Magic to the stars, some Kindy Glitz to the hats & scarves.  I printed 'Happy New Year' with the laser printer, then foiled it in Gold (it doesn't show up very well in this photo, but it is really shiny!)

Cardfront was then mounted onto black 250gsm card .... simples!  No layers, no flowers, clean lines.

 

Inspired By challenge is 'happy new year' and it has gold bits in the photo

 

Also, sharing my card with the artist, Gerda Steiner :)  This image was great to work with, I will have to have another look at what else is available :)

 

This card is also a card for Creative Crafters Challenge on Facebook :)

 

Linking With the following challenges:

Allsorts Challenge Blog - Week 708/9 - CAS

Inspired By Challenge  - photo

Items Used

Cardstock:  white & black cardstock

Stamps:  Digital Stamp Gerda Steiner Designs

Tools:

Thank you for visiting my blog today - I hope you have a good day.

Remember, any day doing something you love makes it a good day ;-)

Doing what you like is freedom. Liking what you do is happiness.

Good Bye & Good Riddance 2022!

2022 has ended with a thud with the news of another very dear friend passing away.

 

My friend Gary, who I have known since 1975 passed away on 16th December 2022, he was 62 years old. Far too young!

 

I really struggled to make a card for Janine (his wife and also my friend), as I wanted it to be perfect!  I also wanted to write a letter and include it in the card ..... that took a moment or two to collate my thoughts.

 

 

 

I had made up some backgrounds and hand stamped elements earlier in the year using the SU Hand Penned Petals stamps.  So I just had a play around with combining different elements and settled on this final layout.  

 

Background was made by stamping multiple times in the pink, the border section on the left was stamped multiple times using the two-step feature of the stamps. The feature element was die cut and mounted on 3D foam dots, with some gold twine circled underneath, then highlighted with Kindy Glitz.

 

 

Linking with:

Cardz for Galz #189 - choose your fave challenge from 2022.

My fave challenge from 2022 was the June 2022 - die cuts

the card I submitted for that particular challenge is HERE (the flower in the top right hand corner is the element I used for this new card)

 

Items Used

Cardstock:  White 250gsm, purple scraps

Inks:  Distress Inks, Kindy Glitz

Stamps:  SU Hand Penned

Tools: Cuttlebug, dies

 

 --00Ooo--

 

Sadly, I couldn't physically attend the Memorial Service as it was too far away, but I was so very thankful for modern technology which meant that the service could be viewed via Zoom.  It was such a lovely service too, so 'Gary' like ..... the music selection was very moving and my heart nearly burst when one of my old photos came up on the screen

there we were, back in about 1976... I can still hear us all laughing and giggling... there are so many good memories of our teenage years.  We often chatted via Messenger and I am so thankful to have been able to catch up with them in 2017 and make a few new memories.  I will treasure each and every one of them.  

 

--ooOoo--

 

Thank you for visiting my blog today - I hope you have a good day.

Remember, any day doing something you love makes it a good day ;-)

Doing what you like is freedom. Liking what you do is happiness.