Dreaming of Summer ...

My new Papermania Pads and Card have arrived! A lot of my stuff has been stuck in the post due to backlog, so I was very excited when this arrived on time. I bought Papermania Capsule Collection "Verde Paper Pack" and "Red Hot Paper Pack" both by Tina Higgins available from Crafty Devils Paper Craft. Very pretty paper and all co-ordinated!

The Truly Scrumptious - Challenge 48 - "Dreaming of Summer" inspired me to make this card. I found this really cute free digital image "Sleepy Bee" on Digi Stamp Boutique and it seemed just perfect! I used the "Verde Paper Pack" - gorgeous shades of green!  The stripey paper I wanted to look like awning - don't know why but it reminds me of summer, and also because I had turned the sketch round, I thought it might look quite good.

"Truly Scrumptious" Sketch - Challenge 48 - Dreaming of Summer

The Wavy edge was cut with Scalloped Scissors. The green ribbon that I had didn't look right so I decided to use the strips of card but made a bow out of the green organza ribbon. I wanted to put the words in clouds and that caused me no end of trouble, getting them right size and shape. I used a font called 'Bubblegum' and went around the edges of clouds with silver glitter pen.  I'm still not sure they look right? Can you tell that they are clouds! LOL.

"Sleepy Bee" detail

Colouring:

Leaves: Pear Green Promarker and Copic G85

Bee: Promarkers Black and Canary

Wings of the Bee: Sakura Glitter Pen - Clear Star

Flower: petals and centre cut from Papermania papers

Green square gems and felt flower and gem from stash

As well as the Truly Scrumptious Challenge, I hope that the card is also okay for the Cute Card Thursday Challenge which is "Monochrome", as it is mainly all one colour, just different shades. I think that it will also count as Oldie But A Goodie's "Bright and Cheerful" Challenge - looking forward to summer!

Challenges entered:
Truly Scrumptious - Challenge No. 48 - Dreaming of Summer
Cute Card Thursday - Challenge No. 147 - Monochrome
Oldie But A Goodie - Challenge No. 10 - Bright and Cheerful

One thing I love about this card is that by using the words, "Dreaming of Summer" it is quite an open sentiment and so thinking about it, it could be used for all sorts of occasions - Birthday, Get Well, Cheer Up!

Tea Party

New year, and I seem to have completely lost my mojo!  This was supposed to be a subtle girlie card and it has turned out to be a striking, almost Japanese-style card. Oh well, I suppose they do have tea ceremonies in Japan! 

I have used Lili of The Valley's - Sketch by Lena - Challenge No. 79 (see below for sketch). The gorgeous stamp "Tea Party" is from Lili of The Valley and is new to my stash, hence my entering the "New and Blue" Challenge with Stampin' For the Weekend and "Something New" Challenges from Creative Cottage and Cupcake Craft. Also, as it is a Birthday Card, I am entering it into Charisma Cardz - Birthday Challenge. 


Papers are from Kate Knight pad that I got free with magazine last year. (I love her designs!)  Flowers are from various places; roses from Wild Orchid Crafts, Purple Flower from Handy Hippo as is baby blue glitter card and black ribbon. The tiny flowers are from long, long ago can't remember where .... leaves are done with Beech Leaf X-Cut punch, available from Crafty Devil's Papercraft using some pink backing paper scraps that I had over.

"Tea Party" detail

Colouring:

Promarkers

Face, Skin: Vanilla with Copic R20 (blush) on cheeks

Dress, hat and shoes: Blossom, Cocktail Pink

Flowers on Hat: Pastel Blue, Pastel Pink, Cocktail Pink

Hair: Canary

Table legs: Tan, Shale

Tea Set: Pastel Blue

Spots on Tea Set and Flowers: Sakura glitter pen, clear star

Lili of The Valley - Challenge No. 79 - Sketch by Lena

Challenges entered:

Lili of The Valley - Challenge No. 79 - Sketch by Lena

Stampin' For The Weekend - Challenge No. 1 for 2011 - New and Blue (new stamp)

Creative Cottage - Challenge No. 30 - Something New (new stamp)

Cupcake Craft - Challenge No. 124 - Something New (new stamp)

Charisma Cardz - Challenge No. 1 - Birthdays and Celebrations

Is it just me?

As often happens, this card did not come out as I planned it! 

I had in mind peachy/cream colours and wanted to use a lovely peach backing paper that I  bought last year. It seemed like a good idea but when I tried colouring the stamp's tea-set, dark peach with white dots, it was a dis-aster! (said in Craig Revel-Horwood voice). I started again, and somehow the tea-set got coloured pastel blue. Sometimes I do wonder whether I have any control at all over these things! LOL. 

So then somehow, to stay with pastel theme, the clothes, hat and shoes became pink. Needless to say, it didn't go with my peachy paper. So I went through my stash of backing paper and found this Kate Knight paper that I really love and thought it looked quite good as background. 

As it had black on the pattern, I thought highlights of black card might be nice for mounts, etc, and while searching for my black card, I came across the baby blue glitter paper - and hey, that matches the hat, dress shoes! And so it began …. and that's the, hopefully not too boring, tale of how my card morphed from a subtle peaches and cream girlie card into the one above.  Ah (sighs) my peachy paper will have to wait until another day …..  

Hope 2011 is a good year for you!

Bling it On!

I was pleased to see that  By The Cute and Girly  have got a Bling It On Challenge, a good excuse to show off the earrings that I made myself for Christmas!  I wanted some earrings that were very dressy and different, and also a bit exotic looking. I buy all my jewellery findings from Palmer Metals and noticed whilst browsing, some beautiful filigree silver beads which I just had to have and so built the design around them.

I began with a Sterling Silver Eye Pin 38mm long and added beads as follows:

4mm Swarovski  Round Crystal Bead

12mm Sterling Silver Round Bead with Filagree Pattern 

8mm Swarovski Crystal White Pearl

5mm Flower Bali Spacer Bead from stash     

4mm Sterling Silver Mirror Bead (glitters like a mini disco mirror ball)

Then using round nosed pliers form a loop at the top. Open the loop slightly to attach ear wire:

Sterling Silver plain Safety Wire Ear Fittings

All the stuff was bought from Palmer Metals apart from the spacer bead which was bought a few years ago from a website called Julesgems that unfortunately ceased trading. I was so sad when they closed down as I bought all my tools and stuff from them when I first started out doing jewellery. 


Challenges entered:
By The Cute and Girly - Bling It On - January Challenge

Anyway, I hope you like my earrings. Not sure when I would ever wear them! Maybe one day I shall go to the Ball !!! LOL .....

Happy New Year 2011!

Hi, I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! I have only been away from my blog and the cardmaking for just over a week and already I have got itchy fingers and want to get back to it!  So I was glad when my daughter asked me to make a quick Art Deco Card, classy but with sparkle and bling!

I hope this fits the bill then! She chose the image "Le Messager" from the Art Deco Set on Printable Heaven. I mounted the image on gold card. Outlined certain lines with glitter pen and added small gems along bridge and dress. A line of larger amber gems down side of card, and finally the peel off "Happy Birthday" mounted on black and gold card. It really was a quick card as it needs to go in the post tomorrow!


Im entering it for the following Challenge:
By The Cute and Girly - Bling It On Challenge - January 2011


Santa brought me a Sizzix Big Shot for Christmas - as it is my first ever die cutting machine - I am so excited!!  I haven't tried it out yet, but have sent for some dies. As they are expensive I am trying to start off with basic "nestabilities" shapes which I think I will use a lot. I have to try to curb my spending a little this year !!!  


I can't believe I only started my blog in September - it feels like I have been doing it a lot longer. One thing that I can say for certain is that both the blog and the cardmaking are addictive!

Happy Christmas!

Christmas is almost here now!  Just time to post a last minute card.  I wanted to use the sheet music for "In The Bleak Midwinter" as the card is for someone who loves this particular Carol.  However, I did find it difficult to design around it and I'm still not sure if it really works?  

I tried adding a sentiment but it seemed to ruin the whole balance and so I've kept it simple with just the main pyramage image "Girl with Muff" and the flowers. Oh and some diamond stickle to add a bit of pizzazz.

Pyramage image "Girl with Muff" and music sheet background both from Printable Heaven. Flowers from Wild Orchid Crafts.

I'm entering this for the following Challenges:

Creative Stamp Friends - Challenge 14 - Traditional Christmas Colors

Stampin' For the Weekend - Challenge 53 - Christmas

A Spoon Full of Sugar - Challenge 133 - Christmas Card

Oh well, off to get plenty of sleep and my antibiotics.  Hope to bring in the new year healthy!!!

Happy Christmas to you all!!!  

Wishing you and your families good health and a very happy and peaceful holiday!

All the best

Hugs

Sue xxxx

Travel the World - India

Hi,

I have been making so many Christmas Cards, it was nice to take a break for the Sir Stampalot - December Challenge - Travel The World.  One of the many places I have always wanted to visit is India, especially the Palaces of Rajasthan. At the moment it seems a very distant dream .... but I thought I would make an exotic looking card, something which I have wanted to do for a while, since I got my Moroccan XCut Punch! The stamp is Clear Magic: "Indian Dreams" which you can buy at Handy Hippo Website. You also get the Wishes stamp along with other images and borders etc.

The gems were 2mm and 3mm (quite tiny). They are Anita's Gemstone Wheels from Crafty Devils Papercraft. I used Gem Tac glue from Crystal-Beads and also from Crystal-Beads, a Rhinestone Picker or Jewel Setter, which is a pack with two sticky ended sticks for placing gems. You can use the plain end of the other one to nudge gem or bead into place. I have to say this has been a really useful tool and I use it a lot for adding beads and stones. The Gem Tac glue is also really good for adding glitter as it is quite runny but very tacky. It was quite tricky getting the punching centred. All I can say is practice on rough paper and do corners first, then centre.

Colouring for Stamp: 

Promarkers 

Elephant: Cool Grey 3 and Cool Grey 4

Elephant's Coat & Decorations: Magenta, Yellow, Grass

Ingredients:
Black 5" card blank from Handy Hippo
Hot Pink paper from Milton Christmas Paper Stack from Handy Hippo
Moroccan XCut Punch from Crafty Devil's Papercraft
"Indian Dreams" Clear Magic stamp from Handy Hippo
Jewels: Anita's Gemstone Wheel 2mm and 3mm gems - yellow from Crafty Devil's Papercraft
Gem Positioner from Crystal-Beads
Beacon Gem Tac Glue from Crystal-Beads

Challenges entered: Sir Stampalot December Challenge - Travel the World

Afterthought

Finally, I can't resist incorporating a little of my love of genealogy into my website:

Below is a wonderful photograph of my gt gt grandparents! The reverse side has a Christmas message, and is dated Christmas 1907 - so it was obviously a photograph used for Christmas, a bit like the Royals do nowadays LOL. The photo may be a little creased and stained but I really treasure it as an insight into my ancestors. Isn't it lovely to be able to see what they looked like and how they dressed?!!!