52 card challenge

Behind again!!!! gah, will I ever keep up - doubt it! These are from Week 7's prompt  pastel colours.

I wasn't sure of these to start with and had little bits of each one done at different stages but once I finished them all I love them! These are cute little cards that will come in handy when you just need a card!

I started with a 12 x 12 in blue and decided to use it all up and made 3 cards. I'm stash busting this year and they are all inkeeping with this - the acetate is one I've had stamped for a few months in my handmade box, the flower is some circles I cut from scraps a while back as a way of using them onlyIi never have! the ribbon is what dh cut from the bandage he wrapped round my thumb on Saturday after I sliced it with my craft knife. oh and the butterfly decal is from a set of laptop stickers I thought might be useful one day. the stamps are mainly from a large set I got a while back which included a box full of die cut matts and I used one of these on the birdie one. Most of the stamps are Kanban.

Oh, can I also point out, Mrs Thrift here salvaged the bandage from the bin, they were about to be thrown as they don't comply with health and safety as they are past the use by date - bonkers!!!!

This is just too cute!!!!!!

I was taking Adam to my local craft group and needed something for him to be entertained with and found this fab Captain Jack image by Octopode and since he is Adams current hero it was perfect. Adam loved being allowed to colour his copy with free range of the ProMarkers! He also managed to help me choose new ones to add to the collection :o

This is for a friend who loves films, hence the film strip. The wax seal was once a crayola crayon gathering dust in Adams play room. I loved making the backing for this - lots of Dylusions (really hoping the old collection of colours gets transferred to Ranger asap as I just couldn't stretch to them before they disappeared.

This is also the first real image I have coloured in and I'm quite proud of it!

Oh, I almost forgot the thrifty bits. The craft card is a left over from another project i.e. the Black Pearl ship card, the script matt is one I played at a long while back and was lonely in my box of handmade paper/card and the coin and chain were donated to me from a friend who no longer wanted her necklace - lucky me!

Love is in the air!!!!

This is my Week 5 card for UKScrappers 52 card challenge. The prompt was simply 'aperture'! I was playing making an acetate backing paper with alcohol inks and pearl glue. I hand drew the hearts in the glue then added the inks - I can't remember the ink names but there is a pale pink (maybe pink sherbet), cranberry (I think) and green lettuce (again I think). Then I panicked a bit when I realised next Tuesday was valentines and I ought to make something for Mark. Looked at the cards I needed to make for the challenge, I'm still behind, and chose wk 5. I hand drew the heart and cut it out (rather smug and a little more than pleased with it!) then panicked again with where this was going. Looked at stamping and settled on masking. I had cut out flowers with the remaining acetate but a: the punch DID not like that, I had to put it between post its, b: looked yuk when I put them on. So I quickly tore a spiral rose and inked it to match the inks on and around the card and found the die cut leaf in my now nicely sorted die cuts!

Dapper - what!

This was inspired by a sample card in my local craft shop. I love these new papers from Docrafts/Papermania. I had to make a card for a friends son that I would be putting money in and thought I could adapt this card to include the money (top pocket)!

Sooo pretty!

I found a few makes from January on an SD card I had to recover recently! Forgot I'd made these. This is one made from an inking session! I love this blue, Dylusions inks then I used the bleaching effect and added some black stamped butterflies. The 'just a note' was in the £1 bin at Hobby craft - I love it!!!!

Again the same stamp as above but a different technique! I masked the sentiment before stamping the image. Sadly this card was a 'need' rather than a play! I find it quite calming to look at.

Now I love this!!!!!! This is my take on the massive craze in Typography! Don't ask the languages, I've no idea! Very coffee inspired. It took an age to make this in Serif but I had to export it since for some reason I can't get Serif to print!

My Own Challenge(s)

I set this challenge for my crafty friends. The prompts were 1) Use something you have had in your stash for a long time and never used, 2) bunting 3) circles. This paper is off, I think, Scrapbook Factory's disc and I printed it off a lifetime ago to use and never did, when I've been sorting my scrap paper out recently I found it and still find it so beautiful. Along with the idea of trying oh so hard to use up stash I've had for an age, I'm also trying to make cards that have a purpose - I have such a collection sitting sad and lonely that I don't want to add to it, so this will find it's way to my friends on their Anniversary! I have to say, after last nights update and this one, I'm surprised to find just how much crafting I have achieved this year given I didn't think I'd done very much at all!

Savvy!

This is my darling at the moment! The one you just can't stop looking at - you all know what I mean! To some it may not look much, to some you may wonder what I see in it but to me it is my baby! It was initially an idea I had for the 52 card challenge on UKS where the promp was bunting/pennants/flags and I drew a sketch of a boat. Adam got the Pirates of the Caribbean 'Black Pearl' for Christmas and I thought it would be cool to be different - no tea party bunting here, no sir!!!! Then I kind of got carried away and set to making it as close to the Black Pearl as I could with my limited or should I say, complete lack of artistic talent! Oh, don't get me wrong, I can glue and stick and sometimes make pretty papers with ink, but art, nope! I can't draw, paint or colour in. But I did manage to draw this boat, cut it out, work out just how the sails needed to be drawn and cut out and although the Jolly Roger isn't perfect, I think I did a fairly good job for an amateur! Adam is as blown away with it as I am - only problem is a: his birthday isn't until August, b: he's seen it!

This is also a 2012 thrift item as all card stock was from my scrap (even the 8 x8 was the other half to one chopped up for tags), the cannons are very old peel-offs and the sentiment I don't even remember getting but they have been in a folder for a very long time!

Inky Fingers

Not quite sure what made me rush home from work, feed my child and get out the newspaper and ink and set to crafting but I 'had' to make this card! I bought the stamp in a small art shop in town where they were selling off pre-loved stamps. Because of this I have no idea who's it is.

Ooooooh, pretty!!!!!!

I have to thank Jo Channon for this technique, and the crackle one she helped me perfect a while back. I saw her do this recently and needed to try it.

I recently bought some button blanks which I got to play with too. I've used a scrap of the matt ivory to cover it here. Again I used the Xyron Design Runner for the sentiment. The stamp is Kanban. I need to add acetate to my shopping list - think I'm going to be making a few of these!

You can't see this very clearly but it is very sparkly with micas and glitter. I used Cosmic Shimmer to spritz the card before adding the elements. I love this card and keep peeking at it.

I'm also entering it into the Sir Stampalot blog challenge. I'm very new to entering blog challenges but the lovely reception I got from the ladies here has encouraged me to return.

Messy me time!

Well, Adam turned 8 whilst we were away on holiday - where does the time go? Mark has been wanting to take him to the Space Centre in Leicester for a long time but it is a loooong way from here. When I googled it I spied that it was a Lego weekend there this weekend just gone and Prof. Heinz Wolf was there too - Mark seemed to know who he was lol! (I do remember his face from Young Scientist of the Year but certainly not the name). Sadly, as it is so far and we have a dog, it wasn't possible for us all to go - shame.....Mummy had to stay and babysit the pampered pooch. So, like a whirlwind I chored up on Friday night and Saturday morning to free up some much needed 'me' time to play with my stash. I've been wanting to try this technique for a very very long time but rarely get time to just play. I bought a Xyron design runner a while back but have never - I know how bad am I? - ever used it! I love this phrase and will be putting it to use alot more often now, may even invest in more cards. I love the colours, Dylusion inks which I really do love, even more that Cosmic Shimmers. In a class with Dyan I learnt how to remove ink through a mask with water and kitchen towel so I had a play doing that here and it really does show up well.

Making carnations

I saw these being made and decided to have a go myself - note to anyone wanting to have a go, ensure you know how you will package the card afterwards!!!! Lesson learnt.

My first box card!

This was for a friend who's boys are so adorable that I had to 'steal' her photo - don't panic, she forgave me :o)

Another holiday 'must make'

We went up Mount Snowdon when we were away and when we returned and I went through the photos I came across on that took my breath away. I'd like to take credit for the photography as an art but it was most definitely luck!

Making something from something

Adam was invited to the cinema for a friends birthday party. Obviously it was to see Pirates of the Caribbean, to which I insisted Mummy needed to be there for guidance lol! The invite was 'themed' and as I struggle to make cards for boys and men I thought I'd adapt the invite into a card. I made no money for these so hope they are legal! The first card was a square flat card but when I needed a card for a friends boy I thought I'd try and make it a little more 'special' and made it into an easel card. Sadly Adam had to loose 2 crayons in the making of these cards - shush though, he doesn't know yet :o

Special occasion

calls for special crafting.

It was my 25th wedding anniversary and I was at a loss as to what to make for Mark. I thought of a book with 25 photos in a timeline of memorable moments in our marriage so far - they include the place we met, the church we married and had Adam christened in, all 3 canine babies and of course Adam. I have to say I was impressed Mark got every one of the photo meanings!

Made a series...

of cards!!!!! Get me! I love this simple but stunning design. The papers do all the work really, Dovecrafts Eastern Promise and Laura Ashley. They are simply gorgeous. The different toppers work so well with them too. The blue one was for the 52 card challenge and I really love the little tea bag stamp, it's the 'tag' element of the 3 prompts - clever hey? These will be for sale on my stall at the school Xmas fare.

I'm going to enter this one (my fav one)  into the Sir Stampalot monthly competition, the brief is 'anything goes'.

May Many Many cards!!!!

I'm not going to do a post for each of them - there are far too many!!! I've been taking part in the UKScrappers challenge with the intention of making better cards to sell on a stall at Christmas. It's helped me so much and the kind words from my fellow card makers have given me so much confidence that my cards can hold their own. These are the ones I've not uploaded yet. The flourish 'thank you' and the blue 'teacup' are my favs of these. I love the challenge, love the idea of having 3 prompts and going from there. Sometimes it helps, sometimes it hinders lol!

A few cards

This is a little card I made using a stamp I HAD to have after reading Craft Stamper magazine! I love it. Here I only used part of the stamp and was surprised how easy this stamp was to only ink part of. The background was made with a brayer and my Juicy pad. With a little organza ribbon and a few pearls I love it!!!


Inspired by the first card I went on the make this one. I made the background lighter which meant I could add more of the stamp. I added a small greeting with white ink too. I love this little pair.


This next one was meant for the 52 card challenge. But I messed up big time. One of the prompts was for it to be unisex and although some men are in touch with their feminine side I think this would be pushing it. All the same though, I think this is a lovely simple card for ds to give to a school friend at a party. Some times I think giving handmade cards on this occasion is a little over the top if they are too detailed so this simple idea fits the bill imo!


This card was also for the challenge. I love this card and love the sentiment. Sadly it is now in my card box unsold as I left it a little late. The prompts for this were red/folded/journalling.


Ah, now this is my little baby! I struggle - like most - with mens cards and I had to make Dad's for him to take home. I bought these lovely stamps at the GNPE and basically had a night of pure fun!!!! Inks galore here. I used a linen cardstock for the map and spritzed with dylusions mica spray. Added distress/versafine inks - about 3 in total. When you touch this card you get a wow!!!!


This one is also a male triumph for me! I love the personal touch to this! Sometimes I am unsure of a reaction to my cards but I know Dad will love this one - the other isn't his bag but I hope he appreciates the techniques, but this one he will love!

That is me uptodate on the card side - sadly I am about 4 weeks behind on the 52 card week challenge but I hope to catch up this week.
tfl!

52 Week Card Challenge catch up!

Ekkkk, I am behind on here! I am loving taking part in this challenge though and each card is different which I'm really enjoying! To see the brains behind the challenges click here

Wk 10 - Vintage/layers/decorative pins



Wk 9 Lime/grey/handmade embellishment



Wk 8 Raspberry/plastic/just because (my just because was 'just because these stamps won't beat me after I made a seriously pants card with them!!!



Wk 7 Purple/monochrome/thanks