Always my winner Grandad

My dad has a birthday soon and my son asked me to make him a card for his Grand-dad. Now normally I manage male cards quite easily but my dad is always hard as apart from watching TV and family he has not a lot more than a passing interest in anything else. I asked my son to come up with an idea of what he would like on the card and he came up with the idea I used.

When mum and dad come over for Sunday lunch , after lunch we usually play a game , either a board game (there are many more very good fun board games other than monopoly and cluedo) but usually we end up playing spades. We usually play this as mum and dad have got the rules so they find it easier than learning something new.

The 5 cards displayed on the card would win 5 tricks, I would have put a full hand on that would have won every trick which would be my dad's dream hand but he would also be very happy with these 5 cards in his hand and 10 cards although not full sized were just too much on the card.

I used a kraft base card and a piece of basic grey paper that has a distressed look and I took it one step further and distressed the edges . I stuck the cards in the center and added peel offs finishing the sentiment with some hand written words in a similar style to the peel-off words. 

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:-

crafting when we can -celebrating any occasion

crafty sentiments - anything goes

creative card crew - anything goes

Lemon Shortbread - anything goes

MFP -anything goes

For a purrfect couple

Mum and dad had an anniversary last week and I thought this image would be perfect for them. Its a Robyn's fetish image I was lucky enough to win and yet another I have never used.

I coloured the image with promarkers and decided to keep the rest of the card quite simple. 

The sentiment is from a years old scrap booking set and although its not 'Purrfect' I think its still perfect.

The paper I used for backing is I think a dovecraft but as I lost the front sheet of the pad am not sure so apologies just in case.I decided to cover the base card completely with a mat would be a bit too much but just over half I feel worked well.

Who knew 3 items could work so well to make a complete card.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:-

crafting from the heart - anything goes

craft your passion - anything goes

make my monday - newest or most favourite stamp

Eureka - love is in the air/valentines

Simon says -create with critters(wednesday challenge)

dragonfly journeys -soft kitty,warm kitty

Pennys - cats/children

show us your pussies - furrythings goes

Simon says (monday challenge) - love is in the air

Dad LOTV inspired

My dad has a birthday and I struggle with cards for him as its hard to do something different when he has limited interests, he likes watching TV and horse racing though just for entertainment value no longer because he likes a flutter. Presents are even harder but he does like his tea and biscuits and I found a fab gift of a mug with matching saucer/plate just the perfect size for biscuits.The mug set is brown and has white spots so I used that as my inspiration for colour scheme. The style I decided after seeing some sneak peeks of the new LOTV trios I thought I would follow that as an inspirational design theme.

I cut 3 and embossed 3 circles and hand drew the letters in black fine tip pen. I added some spots to the letters and coloured them in with promarker. I added some faux stitching around the disk edges.

I used a square white base card and added some LOTV paper from a Christmas pad it mimics kraft with white dots, not just for the jolly season. I decided to make a concerted effort and use some of the many peel-offs I have and framed the paper with a gold border and added a happy birthday peel-off sentiment too.

The 3 disks I stuck diagonally across the card and its done, Quick and easy and quite clean and simple too and I also think masculine too.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:-

daring card makers -fools gold

come and get it - round things

The stamping boutique - dies and punches

creative inspirations - anything goes optional sketch

scrapbook stamping society -3 of something/anything goes

artistic inspirations - anything goes/twist thank you

seize the birthday -birthday/CAS

Acceptance card

My niece who got engaged in the grand canyon is having a bit of a do to celebrate and although on the invitation it asked for RSVP by phone or text she has a memory box so I thought it would be nice for her to have something to go in it. I have a box that has all my engagement cards,wedding acceptance and wedding cards, along with my sons birth and christening cards.

Acceptance cards seem to be quite simple by nature so that's what I went for. I used one of my new stamps from LOTV that I bought in a sale last year and haven't inked up yet, along with several others I treated myself to so more new toys still to play with yet.

These sunflowers have a lovely spring summer feel to them just what we need to brighten things up even though mother nature does seem to be a little confused with bulbs poking their heads up and trees budding and we even have house sparrows starting to nest build in the eaves.

The card base is white and the image is coloured with promarkers. The image is layered on green card and the sentiment is hand written in sakura gel pan.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:-

crafty gals - new for you

simply create too - new for you

passion for promarkers-floral

crafty friends -anything goes

a bit more time to craft- anything goes

Ttcrd - anything goes

fantastic tuesday -anything goes/make it girly

613 Ave create - anything goes

creative fingers -anything goes

artbymiram - anything goes

Live long and prosper

My sons god mother has a birthday soon and she is also a trekkie ,something dear to my son's heart too though they each prefer a different generation.

My son asked for a card for her and I found this fab digi image I had printed out some time ago from mayzycrafts, it just seemed perfect. My son asked for te uniform to be coloured for a science officer which he told me was teal blue, though I have a suspicion that in some of the very early episodes the science officers wore gold but I may well be wrong.

I mounted the image on some blue metallic card which I embossed with chevrons, which I rounded the corners on. 

I used a white base card and matted with freebie paper from bird house printed grey chevrons. I added the mounted image to the right of the card and added silver ribbon to the left of the card and added a hand tied bow and two hand cut tags with hand written sentiments.

sorry about the pictures quality I really hate artificial light

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges;-

the craft barn - alpha dictionary challenge-B for bow

As you like it - show us your style simple but a bit more than clean and simple I like the occassional embellishment

Dream valley challenges - something new(the digi)

crafting from the heart -anything goes

The ribbon girl use an image

stamp +fun=creativity -anything goes

that craft place - anything goes

come and get it - embossing

hiding in my craft room - embossing

Is it Spring yet

I made this card for a family friend who has a birthday this month, last summer he enhanced his garden with a potting shed /summer house which he and his wife spend hours in watching the world go by. I decided to use this as a starting point for inspiration for his birthday card.

The stamps are from a set by the stampman and though it took me a while to get my head around the order in which I had to stamp things to actually make the scene I don't think I got too many bits in the wrong places.

I coloured the scene with promarkers and simply added a happy birthday sentiment all on one layer card done.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges;-

wags and whiskers- anything goes

stempelmagic - everything goes

stempelsonne - anything goes

Jades sparkling butterflies - anything goes/all things bright and beautiful

craft rocket - happy anything

crafting with an attitude - anything goes

fantasy stampers - all about the boys

addicted to stamps - masculine

crafty girls creations - anything goes

craft your passion - anything goes

A little bit of frozen

My son's godfather has a birthday this week and we met up for dinner so i decided it was only right that he had a birthday cake. 

Now it may sound funny but his birthday cake was decorated as a tribute to 'Frozen@ the disney film , I know it sounds odd especially when my sons godfather is celebrating his 66th birthday but there was method in my madness and it really was a very appropriate design.

The last time we met for dinner he was telling us how when he takes his granddaughters out in the car or they visit he sits and watches 'Frozen ' with them and they have a sing along cd in the car and consequently he now knows the film word for word and can sing along to every song, hence how a 'frozen' cake is perfectly appropriate. Well he liked it anyway.

The cake base though can't be seen is chocolate and covered with marzipan and then white sugar paste I coloured blue. 

The snowflakes are sugar paper snowflakes from Lakeland I bought last year and never got around to using them.The finishing touch was a dusting of sugar sparkle dust from Asda, all topped with a single silver candle made for smiles all round.

I would like to enter this crafty cake into the following challenges;-

Not just cards -anything goes

Clear it out - winter and add a snowflake

the paper shelter - shades of blue

cards und scrap - white and blue

Art impressions - winter wonderland

Julia Spiri - monotone

left of centerl- winter wonderland

Fore!

My son's godfather has a birthday this month and so my son asked for a birthday card for him. He plays golf so all I had to do was find an appropriate image. The image I found was a kennyK and I coloured him with promarkers.

 The layout I wanted to keep simple so decided on a sketch from stamps + fun =creativity. The base card I used was white and the papers and layering card were from my green scraps folder. I semi fussy cut the image as I liked the idea of giving the image perspective and dimension without actually adding dimension.

The sentiment is a peel-off and the 'fore' embellishment is from a set I bought many years ago at a hotel and craft centre we stayed at in Devon.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges;-

stamps+fun = creativity - sketch layout

The Male room - anything goes

crafting for all seasons - monochrome

cardz 4 guys -happy birthday

tuesday throwdown - add dimension

613 Ave create - birthday

inky chicks - anything goes

addicted to stamps and more - anything goes

ccee stampers - add a hat

crafting from the heart- anything goes

Steampunk birthday fairy

My little sister has a birthday this month so it was time to make her card, and I wanted to do something different for a change. She loves her antique jewelry so I figured steam-punk might go down ok.

The image is from aurora wings and its my first time using this image. I coloured her with promarkers and I tried to stay with antiquey tones. I coloured her with promarkers and then fussy cut the image out.

The background on the base card is done with chalks which I splodged over a couple of die cut cogs again using ochre and light brown to form a subtle base. I then added a piece of card embossed with pocket watches and again rubbed over with the same chalks to age the card and keep to the colour theme.

The embellishments are die cut cogs and the sentiment is also die cut both in gold mirri card. The card was finished by adding the fairy , I used sticky pads under the tips of her wings to add a little dimension but not too much as she has to go through the post as don't think little sis would appreciate a visit during the day when she is working nights this week.

I just have one more thing to sort and that is what to buy for her gift she is so hard to buy for as she is the kind of person that if she wants something just goes and gets it and very fussy taste wise so I never know what to get especially so soon after Christmas and gift vouchers or money are so boring. Oh well thinking cap on.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges;-

lets craft and create -layer it up

passion for promarkers-fantasy

Unicorn challenges - get your glad rags on

quirky challenges- let's celebrate

OLLCB - girlie

eureka - something new (image and embossing folder)

inky impressions - all things new new

creative moments - anything goes

shopping our weekly stash- something new

get creative - something new

I love promarkers - something new

scrap creations - new


deep ocean - something new

best fishes retirement

One of my hubby's colleagues has recently retired and so a card was required. He loves fishing and in the past has had an ornamental fish pond so I thought these fab aurora wings digital fishes would be perfect.                                                                                                                                                    Now I don't normally dream about cards but I knew exactly what I wanted to do when I dreamt about this one though it wasn't quite like this.                                                                                                  The fish were the same and so was the background it was the circles that were slightly different.

I fell in love with this bubble border die but for some strange reason in my dream when I used it to cut my base card it looked like this but in reality it cut out the shape and left the hole in the card. All worked out in the end though as a bit of sticky and sparkly blue mirri-card and the look I dreamt of was achieved.

 The background is moonglow inks that have a wonderful sheen and sparkle to them simply blobbed onto the base card with a stipple brush.                                                                                                                                                                The fish I coloured with promarkers and fussy cut them out before sticking to the card and all finished with a gold peel-off sentiment.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:-

 we love 2 create -anything goes/mixed media

crafting musketeers - new beginnings

stempelsome - anything goes

crafty boots - something old(moonglow inks) 
                                   something new(bubble die and stamps)

craft your passion - anything goes

crafting from the heart -anything goes

fairytale challenge -everything goes

city crafter- say hello,wave goodbye

crafty sentiments- anything goes

through the craft room door - anything goes

The snowman that I forgot

This is the only Christmas card I actually took a photo of but alas never got around to posting and although I made all my other cards never actually got as far as pictures or posting but never mind there is always next year and looking after my son with his two broken feet ,one intentional from surgery the other from an unintentional fall and conspiring events but things happen for reasons even when we can't work out why.

This card I made using some kanban pre-cut die-cuts and cards. I decided this year I would try and use some of the bits I had left over from different Christmas sets and other bits and pieces like we probably all have . I amalgamated all the bits and came up with enough cards for all our friends and family, not many by some standards as hubby and sons workplace don't send cards to each other but this year 50 cards to make was quite enough. I didn't manage to use up all my Christmas stash bits but used enough to justify a spending spree on Christmas goodies this year when the time comes.

The base card and the snowman were both from kanban ages old and I decided on a shaker card for my sister and brother in law. I used acetate to form the window and as well as the snowman added some snowflake confetti and some ice rocks which fell off some festive twigs I had a couple of years ago, well waste not and recycle lol.

The ribbon I bought on sale last Christmas from Asda, I think its great when they reduce their wrapping paper and ribbon ties after the festive season you can really pick up some bargains and unless you want to be trendy and have the same gift wrap as everyone else then why not stock up when you can have a bargain that no-one really takes notice of when all they do is rip it off to see what Santa has brought.

The sentiment tags are from Lily of the valley and are so useful as a quick way of semi personalising a card.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:-

Dream valley challenges-Christmas

craftin desert divas - let it snow

Bunny zoes -sparkle

curtain call -frozen

stempelgarten -winter wonderland

fan-tastic tuesday - baby its cold outside/anything goes

Engaged!

My niece has got engaged so this card is to help the happy couple know that we are happy for them. I love white on white cards as I love how they can have an innocence when used for a baby card , or crisp elegance for other occasions.

I decided to use the inspiration of a piece of work I did when at school for my art o level Victorian love cards. These were often ornate and embroidered piece of work sent as valentines and I thought these spellbinders dies offered that feel.                                                                                                I added lacy butterflies and little die cut hearts on bows and the multiple layers just added the ornate feel to the card.

The roses are magnolia and were a stamped image I received many moons ago in a stamped image swap. I simply coloured with promarkers and fussy cut them before sticking to the card.

I added further dimension to the layers by sticking them with sticky pads and finished with a pink peel-off sentiment.

My niece and her now fiance went to Las Vegas for their dream holiday and after taking her on a helicopter ride across and into the grand canyon he proposed, a secret only she had no idea about and apparently even the helicopter pilot was in tears.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:-

papercreators-anything goes

craftsgalore encore-anything goes

the ABC challenge- Y is for your choice

Noor designs Uk -anything goes

cupcake inspirations- photo inspiration

eclecticellapu(purple team)-to die for

stamping sensations- anything with a die

quirky crafts - let's celebrate