Sarah's Card

This 6" square card and the Funky Hand digital paper I used have been distressed around the edges (obvs), and faux stitched with a bit of doodling. The scallops on the oval were achieved with fancy-edged scissors and topped with an oval embossed with the Cuttlebug Swiss Dots folder. The strip across the middle and the large flower were also made with Funky Hand paper. Sarah's name is made using the Quickutz 'Eliza' alphabet, and the sentiment was computer-generated using the Cezanne font. Other embellishments include a paper rose, and leaves, Prima flower, rosebuds, waxed cord, crocheted lace, faux gems and a Martha Stewart punched butterfly with tiny faux pearls.

Santa's Face

This is an A6 (4" x 6") card. I used the same spruce branch stamp I used in other recent Christmas card posts, such as Blue Spruce and White Spruce. Stamped with a Versamark inkpad, it shows as a watermark on the green card. The text stamp in the background is an old PSX Christmas Script stamp, heat embossed in black and edged with black ink. I've wrapped some red vellum around one side, so the text shows through. The sentiment is stamped in Elzybells 'Sugar Candy' white pigment ink. A glittery silver thread wrap, a snowflake charm, rosebud and three faux gems complete the design.

Sweet Slumber

This card uses the free papers that came with the Simply Cards & Papercraft magazine #46. Yes, AGES ago! The current issue is #189! These papers were printed on the diagonal, but I wanted them straight. I have also used a Cuttlebug 'Happy Birthday' embossing folder and a Penny Black stamped image from an old forum swap. It had 'Sweet Slumber' written on the back. A few Prima flowers, some brads, sequins, ric-rac and some doodling completed the design.

Holly Gold

So simple.. computer-generated sentiment, embossed gold card square with beaded gold wire wrap and three holly leaf embellishments.

Friendship Pinks

I used Hero Arts 'Friendship Writing' stamp, ref: K5058, in brown ink on kraft card for the background, also inked around the edges in brown. A brown waxed cord tied around the card, a floral image raised on low profile 3D pads for a little dimension and gold square brads from Making Memories. With the first line of the stamp showing.. "The beauty of friendship...", I don't think a sentiment is necessary, but I have also stamped the script style word 'friendship' on the right of the focal image.

Tartan Snowflake

The square around the tartan was dry-embossed. Memory tells me it too some doing to get it precise and properly positioned, but whatever I did, it worked! I'm sure it must be possible to find embossing folders nowadays that would take the faff out of it! This is an A6 (4" x 6") card, by the way.

The tartain panel was created by wrapping some tartan ribbon around a piece of card and securing it with DST, to avoid any cut edges that might fray. It also gives just a touch of dimension to the card.

The snowflake is made from gold mirri card using a Kaleidopunch. TIP: To smooth down the edges, I ran a small-ish embossing tool around them, which gives it the kind of finish that you get with a die.

Some people seem to be unhappy to have a card without a sentiment, so at least there is plenty of room on here for one.. if you insist!

Spotty Scallops

Made a while ago for a challenge, using a variety of papers. I think they were a mix of Basic Grey and Funky Hand, and the border panel was created with a Cuttlebug Dotty Circles folder. The outside of the border was made with scalloped edge scissors, and the base layer of the focal panel was created with a Spellbinders nesting die. The edges of the papers were distressed and inked. Ribbons, brads and paper roses complete the design.

Fairy Lights

A very simple card, with half of a Sizzix (yellow) pine tree, cut out of gold mirror leather-effect cardstock, gold sticker greeting and miniature fairy lights strung on gold thread. I like the way the light coming through the bulbs reflects on the card.

Friendship Flowers

The floral image is cut with a Spellbinders nesting labels die, decorated with a metal 'Friendship' word embellishment and organza ribbon on the spine. I have used Hero Arts 'Friendship Writing' stamp, ref: K5058, and the edge of Stempelglede's grunge border stamp from their Grunge Collection set.

Elzybells Kraft Christmas

A series of three cards made with kraft paper and Sugar Candy white pigment ink from Elzybells, which no longer exists, sadly. The spruce branch stamp is the same used in my recent posts, Blue Spruce and White Spruce, heat embossed with a touch of sparkle, which - as per usual - doesn't show up well in the photos. The white panel above is leather effect card.

I'm calling this a baby polar bear! ;-) Crumpled paper swiped around the edges with Sugar Candy ink. There's that spruce branch stamp again, and a glittery plastic snowflake embellishment.

Below, I stamped snowflakes onto acetate with white Staz-on, secured the panel with mini brads, Sugar Candied the edges, and added a clear plastic snowflake embellishment next to the sentiment.

Iris Minnie's Naming Day card

Not my favourite card, although the little person it was made for is totally scrumptious! My friend Prue's baby, Iris Minnie. She is a rainbow baby, as her mum had several miscarriages before she was born.. hence the rainbow panel at the back, which is hand-painted and glittered. The name panel was computer-generated using Wordart, cut out and glittered. I used a Bee Crafty stamp for the background panel, using Peeled Paint Distress Ink. The stick-on giraffe is from an old K&Company set of papers and stickers, and he's sitting on top of an Iris die-cut. Please don't ask what happened with the colouring! lol.. I threw a few sequins on to distract from it!! #hangingheadinshame

Congratulations card

Made for a FB group challenge last autumn. It's a watercolour background with splashy bits, the text block (sideways on the card) is computer-generated and stamped over with a Bee Crafty grunge border in Versafine Onyx Black. The silver cord wrapping helps to conceal some stamping 'errors'! The scribbled circle dies are Tim Holtz/Sizzix Thinlits. On a couple of them, I have trimmed off the outer ring, and the eye is extracted from a photo I took, photoshopped and doodled to within an inch of its life! The card above is a version I made yesterday. I decided the original (pic below) needed something in the bottom right corner, and I needed a third circle (ref. the Rule of Three, which is usually about writing but works with artworks, too).

Seahorses

I adore seahorses.. who wouldn't! They're so cute. Here is a small collection of cards I made about 15 years ago, focused on a die from Sizzix from back in the day when they had three thick die sizes, but these were small (green), medium (yellow) and large (red.. the equivalent of today's Bigz dies). The seahorse die I used is a yellow die.

In all of these cards, I've used a large ball embossing tool to sculpt the die-cuts and give the seahorses some 'body'. I've used vellum, reflective mirror card and glittery papers in sea colours, wire, beads and netting to complement the theme. I think what I've done is fairly obvious, but love to get questions, so feel free to ask away if something is not clear.

Christmas Scraplet

This is what's called a scraplet. It's the trimming when you convert an A5 (5" x 7") card into a square card by cutting off the end. It makes a usable narrow tent-style card. With a couple of punched snowflakes (Kaleidopunch), a metal word embellishment, a glittery silver thread wrap, some crocheted lace, a snowman charm and one of those punched snowflakes with a faux gem, it makes a neat Christmas card.

Inspire Create Shells

An A6 (4" x 6") card.. navy blue panel, some glitter paper and shells stamped with Kaleidocolor for the blue ombré effect. The white panel is raised on low profile 3D foam pads. The dotty circles are Fontwerks stamps, inked and embossed in silver, and the metal word embellishments were from Making Memories.

Suitable for those mysterious creatures otherwise known as men, yes?

White Spruce

 

Using the same spruce branch stamp as yesterday's Blue Spruce post on this 6" square card. Same baubles, too, but stamped onto card this time, not acetate, and less sparkle. The spruce branch was stamped in green and embossed with sparkly clear embossing powder, then coloured in between with an orangy-brown (could use watercolour or ink, applied with a paintbrush). Cut out and applied to the card on 3D foam pads for some lift. As with yesterday's card, this one has the baubles suspended on sparkly silver thread and stuck onto the card under the branch. You could leave them loose for some movement, or put some 3D pads underneath. You could also add a sentiment, if you wish.

Dangling Heart

This is an A5 (5" x 7") card. The background was made with a harlequin stamp in pale green, and I used Stempelglede's grunge border stamp down the edge. A piece of torn burgundy colour Bazzill cardstock was secured to the card with DST and mini gold-coloured brads. 'Bloom with abandon' was stamped onto a floral image, inked around the edges and stuck to the card. The metal heart charm was tied on with the gold sparkly thread, which is also wrapped around the card. The foliage die-cuts are Sizzix Garden Greens, and some paper roses complete the design.

Blue Spruce

Lots of sparkle on the baubles, but you can hardly see it in the photo. (It shows better if you click on it for a larger image.) The background paper has been torn and curled a little, adhered to the cardstock with DST and mini brads, and a wrap of sparkly silver thread. The spruce branch was stamped in blue then heat embossed with some sparkly clear powder, then cut out with a slight margin, as you see, and stuck down on 3D pads to lift it from the surface. The baubles were stamped onto acetate, coloured and glittered and cut out. I punched holes in the top and suspended them on the sparkly thread to the branches, and secured them underneath with foam pads. The Merry Christmas was stamped on the side.

Summer Beach

This was made last year for a summer-themed challenge, just before the heat arrived in full force. Think of a hot, sizzling day, and what song comes to mind? Hot enough to melt roads..!! Of course, you have to be knocking on a bit to remember this one. When I think of a hot summer, it calls to mind the song by Bobby Goldsboro, "Summer, The First Time", which was forever on the airwaves when I was about 18 during the hot summer of 1976. The lyric 'it was a hot afternoon' was the first line.

I used watercolour panels for the background (slightly splattered and doodled stones on the 'sand', and with some random glitter on the 'sea').. Impression Obsession beach chair die, Memory Box flying gulls die, Sizzix Tim Holtz thinlits die for the sun (trimmed off the outer ring), alphabet dies, also Sizzix Tim Holtz thinlits, some tiny snippets of white card for sails and a computer-generated banner.

Blue Snowflake

The first Christmas card I'm sharing this year.. I think.. but - again - it's an old card. Can you believe that Christmas was three months ago already? Astonishing.

Anywayyy, this one is a 6"x6" square card. I cut a circle from some pretty blue snowflake paper, covered the surface with Versamark and used clear embossing powder to heat emboss, to give it some shine and a bit more 'body', and inked around the edge. I punched a hole in the top, and suspended it and a snowflake bead charm from the glittery silver thread, so it has movement. The Merry Christmas sentiment is an old wood-mounted stamp, but I'm afraid I can't tell you where from at this moment in time. If (when) I find it again, I'll let you know. I am sorting out my spare room with the intention of making it my craft room, and finding all kinds of things, including a ring that has great sentimental value that I had lost 40 years ago! The whole exercise will have been worth it, just for that! :-)

Jazz Paisley

I made this up as a wedding invitation. Obvs. But you could change the sentiment and use it for virtually anything. The white paisley decorations are rub-ons.

Shiny New Home

A6 (4" x 6") card, pearlised oyster shade, with punched houses cut from glitter paper and stuck down on white, then layered onto embossed silver card, then again onto another white panel, which is 3D'd with low profile foam pads to give just a little lift. The key is a silvered plastic embellishment.

Sharron's 40th Birthday

Landscape A5 (5" x 7") card made for my old friend some years ago, using Funky Hand digital papers, including the flower, the numbers, the brackets and the circle sentiment. The only bits that aren't Funky Hand are the strip across the middle (Basic Grey), the little flowers, the brads, the Elegant Flourish stamps from Rhonna Farrer, the scalloped fancy-edge scissors, the faux stitching (stamped) and my little doodled flourishes on the brackets. And a partridge in a pear tree!

Christian Fishy

Another very early card for me.. early noughties. The shape of this metal fishy reminded me of the shape of the Christian fish symbol. It's layered onto blue pearl cardstock and then onto silver mirror card, then blue again... like water.. ya know. I used one of those tracing wheels they use in haberdashery for the pin prick lines, and an eyelet for holding the beaded threads.

Do you know why Christians use a fish symbol? Here's the story as I understand it... Back in the early days AD, when the Christians were being persecuted (as many still are), they would use the fish symbol as a secret sign to each other, like 'Christians R Here'. Apparently, and I don't know much of the Greek language, so I don't know if this is true, but I'm told that the Greek letters that make up 'Ichthys' form an acronym: Jesus Christ, God's Son, Saviour. See? Now you don't have to Google it. If you were going to.

Glitter Beaded Acetate Swirl Wiry Thing

This was my first attempt at an acetate 'card' about 15 years ago, using some sparkly cobwebby stuff and a random silver wire scroll shape I made and threw some beads on, secured to the acetate with wire pins and Didi glue dots under some of the beads. Organza ribbon, pearl spray and beaded threads tied on to the spine add to the romance. I think. Not sure now. If making it now, I don't think I'd decorate the spine. I've learned more since then about when to stop!

Little Butterfly

This is an A6 (4" x 6") card. I have recycled a piece of scrap.. the grungy text piece behind the focal image, which has some sparkly micro beads in the centre of one of the flowers. The butterfly is from a Martha Stewart punch, and has a couple of tiny pearls on its back. You could add a sentiment if you wish to, or use this as a notelet, or an any purpose female card.

TIP: When using a thread wrap, I make holes just behind the spine to poke the thread through. Using a needle-threader makes that easier! I also make tiny nicks in the sides which help to hold the thread in place where you want it.

Birthday Butterfly

Such a simple card, made for my daughter about four years ago. It's a 5½" square card, and the sentiment is computer-generated. I used the Memory Box Darla Butterfly die, Ref: 98264 to cut one in white, and one out of pretty paper. The white one is mounted on low profile 3D foam pads, the colour butterfly is inked around the edges using dark brown Chalk Eyes ink, decorated with tiny faux gems and tiny clear bead spray antennae, then glued to the centre of the white butterfly, to cast shadows and make it look as though it is about to fly away.

Glittery Gerbera

Isn't it irritating that photos rarely capture sparkle to full effect? Anyway, this was the only card I've ever published that drew an outrageously rude comment on my blog! Anonymous, of course, and clearly a troll as the card is obviously beautiful! lol ;-) Ah well.. we can't all have good taste, eh?

Actually, upon reflection, they were probably right! It's pretty ugly, isn't it?!

Basic Grey papers and button, handmade daisy.

Funky Daisies

This was made when I was on the Funky Hand design team, before their sad demise, and I used one of their gorgeous digital papers here. I inked the edges of the panel and mounted it on glitter card. I fussy-cut some printed daisy die-cuts, glued gold micro beads in the centres, attached some stems 'borrowed' from some paper roses and mounted the daisies on 3D foam pads. The 'daisies' word was created with alphabet stamps in green to match the glitter card, deliberately wonky, and then stickled for sparkle.

Silver Wedding Cards

Two commissioned silver wedding cards from a few years ago. Simple designs, so I won't go into detail, as their construction is pretty obvious. If you have any questions, I would love to hear from you. x

Snowflake Dove

This was originally intended to be an invitation design for a winter wedding, but could work even better as a Christmas card... if you change the wording, of course! I've torn strips of frosty style paper, and some vellum with handwritten wording. (This was made before the advent of white gel pens and white embossing powder.) The dove is a Sizzix die.. the old-fashioned Bigz-type dies that came in green, yellow or red. This was a green one = small. Cut out of glitter card, I cut off the rear wing and stuck it back in for more realism! Ha! Looks very real, don't you think? lol The snowflakes are Kaleidopunches.

Bloom With Abandon

Pretty floral image mounted onto pink Bazzill cardstock, edges inked, then dressed up with a Prima flower + faux gem centre and Ash Branch foliage punch, and waxed cord wrap and bow. Sentiment is stamped.. Stamoin' Up, I think. The butterfly is a Martha Stewart punch, with Stickles and a couple of tiny sparkly stickers.

Thank You card

Lovely paper on brown Bazzill cardstock, inked edges, faux stitching, stamped flourishes (Rhonna Farrer's Elegant Flourishes), stamped foliage, gold ribbon and crochet lace across the card, brown and gold layers, stamped dandelion heads (or aliums, possibly?) in blue with Stickles dabbed on to give a subtle sparkle, that of course you can't see in this pic! The card around the flowers has been chalked in brown to knock back the starkness of the white and bring it more in keeping with the rest of the card. Part of a large fabric flower is tucked behind the focal image, and brown maple leaf brads and photo turns complete the design.

Group Captain

The background card should have been blue, but I didn't have any at the time, and I wanted to make it quickly. It was for my dad after he had a major stroke and was in hospital. He never came home. That was 14 years ago, so I'm not sad any more. Feel free to ask if you have any questions about the card. I'm always happy to hear from people.

Sporty Cards

Well... kinda sporty! Lol.. I almost called this post Boys Toys, but that wouldn't be gender-neutral, would it? (yawn)

So.. both cards are A6 and made quite some time ago. The one above used peel-offs for the ball, the boot and the greeting, feathered mulberry paper behind the layered focal panel, handpainted 'grounding' for the ball, pens coloured the boot which was mounted on a separate piece of card and fussy-cut out then mounted on 3D foam pads.

This is hammered cardstock with a patch of feathered mulberry paper, and a fishing rod made with black craft wire, with loops and a handle made with masking tape coloured with brown ink. The line is glittery silver thread, fed through the loops, and tied to a silver metal fish charm. Peel-off alphabet letters were used for the sentiment.