Lynn's Ellie

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This is for my sister's birthday next week. (It's OK.. I don't think she even knows I have a blog!) Pretty simple design, but the back story is that we both love elephants and support The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, which is close to our hearts as we had the privilege to visit the animal orphanage when we were children, in the sixties. Amazing memory.

... And the other part of the story is just that I love this cute little ellie digistamp from Lili Of The Valley, called 'Scruffy Edward'. He has had gender reassignment for this card, though, and now goes by the name 'Edwina'.

He is coloured with Koh-I-Noor Aquarelle watercolour pencils, and the balloon is enhanced with Glossy Accents. I found some little red flowers, which now have glittery Stickles yellow centres, there are some 'gold' bradlets in the corners of the panel, which is raised on recycled cardboard (my thing instead of environmentally unfriendly foam pads). There are a couple of silver bows, the background paper is from a Basic Grey 6" x 6" paper pad.. 'Cupcake', I think, and the sentiment is a Sara Signature die from Crafters Companion, cut twice and layered for a drop shadow effect.

 

Naked Cogsworth

Naked. No covering whatsoever. (The waistcoat doesn't count.) If you saw yesterday's post, you'll know the focal image is Sir Theodore Cogsworth from Doodlin's by Donna. Uncoloured, but slightly raised on recycled cardboard (which I use instead of foam pads in a small bid for more environmentally-friendly crafting!)

The 'floor' is my old Elzybells stamp that I mentioned before, stamped with Iced Spruce Distress Oxide ink. The background is an AALL & Create stencil - 'Steam Cogs' #71, using Hickory Smoke Distress Oxide ink and Phat Foam from IndigoBlu. Cogs from Sizzix in silver mirri card. Sentiment computer-generated and also raised on cardboard.

Watercolour Birthday

Pretty sure that this is at least one of the simplest cards I've ever made. I was inspired by a similar design I saw online somewhere, but I don't remember who made it. I like to give credit where credit is due, so if you recognise the style, please let me know and I will make sure that happens.

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Any road up, this is perfect for batch makes.. just create a few splashy backgrounds with watercolour or ink (Distress Oxides would be best, in my opinion), trim them down to fit your card. This one is an A6 card (6" x 4"). I used recycled cardboard packaging to give it dimension, and used a computer-generated sentiment, also slightly raised.

This is perfect for just about anyone.. male, female, young or old. You could always add stamped images, flourishes or flowers, or a die-cut or two, but I think it works as it is.

Crabby Birthday

I've had to wait to post this until it was received by the receivee! It's her birthday today. Many happies, Lisa! So that means her birthday falls under Cancer, the Crab, astrologically-speaking. Obvs. Personally, I'm not into star signs and other mystical things, but I do find that the supposed characteristics of people born under certain 'signs' seem to be spookily accurate. Any road up, back to the craft stuff...

The background was made using a 'smoosh with acetate' technique that I saw on Hochanda a few weeks ago by Julie Hickey of Craftwork Cards. (TIP: Cut your smooshing acetate into a random shape, so that you don't get straight edges on your splodges. Unless you want them, of course.) 

I used Distress Oxide inks - Salty Ocean and Fossilised Amber.

The word panel is just a mocked-up dictionary definition, slightly raised on recycled cardboard (instead of foam pads). The sentiment was computer-generated, as well. Bit of gold thread wrapped around the front, and a shell from a boxful I bought some years ago. (I know better now.)

The beautiful crab image is one from a collection of images Lisa sent me for my birthday, and this one is by Art by Marlene. I coloured it with Koh-I-Noor pencils and used Zest-It oil and paper stumps to blend. I used a little bit of Stickles to add a tiny bit o' bling, and dots of white gel pen on the eyes, then fussy-cut it out. It is also raised on recycled cardboard. (It's my thing, now.)

Free Spirit card

This is a card I made for a dear friend's birthday across the water.. and then some! She lives in Washington state and is also a very keen crafter, from the quirkier side, but I love her work because of that. She's very different.. definitely a 'Boho Soul'.

I love AALL & Create stamps with a passion, and this (#7) is one of my favourites, by Bipasha BK. It was made initially as an ATC, hence being cropped a little on one side, but I think it still works. The background is a rough watercolour rainbow panel, with pencil lines for extra definition, and a stamped 'With love' at the bottom. The focal image is stamped in Onyx Black Versafine and heat-embossed in clear. For once, it is just straight cut for a clean look, and raised up slightly for extra dimension and a little shadow.

Stone Love

Fresh from my craft desk today! So fresh, it's still steaming. :-) This A5 size (5" x 7") card is for my Uncle's birthday next week. My mother's side of the family are 'Stone', so when I found a Kaisercraft embossing folder (Cobblestone, Ref: EF299), I thought it was perfect.

I embossed it in white card, and using Inkylicious Ink Dusters (double-ended brushes), I built up some colour with Distress Oxide ink in Pumice Stone. To deepen the colour and give the stones an edge, I repeated the swirling with Memento Grey Flannel. It achieved pretty much what I envisaged, and I'm pleased with the effect.

The embossed piece is layered onto black card, then silver. I ran an embossing ball tool around the edge, to smooth the edges down. (Mirror card can look a bit 'raw' on the edges, so it helps to neaten them up a bit.)

The card is wrapped in silver thread.. no bows, of course.. it's for a manly man. I mocked up a dictionary definition for 'Stone', including some personal family references, printed it and mounted that on low profile 3D pads. The 'Happy Birthday' is also computer-generated.

Laura's Birthday 2009

From the archives, 2009, for my niece, Laura, who has Downs Syndrome. She loved it!

This is a 6" square card, using Basic Grey papers, a journaling spot stamp from somewhere or other, satin ribbon, glittered heart and numbers, and I think I received the girl as part of a RAK or a blog candy win. I don't remember colouring her.

Nautical Birthday

From the archives, c: 2009. A5 size (5" x 7"). I used a large Irish Blessings script stamp from Stampin' Up (now retired, but have seen several listed on Ebay US), on cream paper in grey ink for a bit of an aged look. (I'd make a better job of it if I were making it again now!) I used handmade turquoise paper, with a layer of torn light blue vellum under the edge.. you can just see it. I think the yacht stamp is a PSX one, and I've stamped it onto acetate in black Staz-On and secured the acetate onto the card with silver bradlets. The lovely metal dolphin embellishment also helped to provide some useful 'glue-hiding' space! ;-) The spiral clip and the metal 'happy birthday' complete the design.

Rosebud Birthday II

This was made for my aunt's birthday last summer. I created a grungy watercoloured background in pale pink, complete with splatters, then used a mini distressed harlequin background stamp from Bee Crafty (second generation for a faded look), and one of their grungy border stamps, too. Then I cut the Sizzix Bigz/Tim Holtz frame, embossed it with a Cuttlebug folder, but I'm having a senior moment and can't remember the name... inked around the edges with a dark brown Chalk Eyes inkpad, raised it on some 3D pads, and draped some rosebuds over it, of the stamped and fussy-cut variety. The sentiment is my favourite kind of computer-generated strip kind of thing.

P.S. Getting worried now.. definitely having a senior moment night.. Just realised that I only posted this card three months ago!! D'uhh!

Mechanical Fantasy Elephant

Fresh today! Made for my brother-in-law's birthday next week. He's a big elephant lover (like me), so when I saw this from Stamperia, I knew what I'd do with it! It is from their Mechanical Fantasy paper pad (steam punk animals), but there is a stamp to match! I decided against using the stamp as well, because of time issues (and accessibility to craft stash.. the builders are here, and drilling up a storm!)  I edged the image with Dark Brown Chalkeyes ink, raised it on 3D pads on top of one of my Scrapman dies from Russia (Geometry-1, ref: DR-256), cut out of kraft card. Scroll down for more..

I drew, cut and coloured a daisy by hand, glittered the petals with Yellow Stickles, curled a large gold jump ring with wire tools, stuck it to the centre of the daisy with a Didi glue dot, raied the daisy on a mini 3D pad and stuck it over the eye of the elephant. The sentiment is computer-generated.

Butterfly Birthday

This is a 6" square card and co-ordinating box.

The card: I used a stripey border stamp by Elzybells, stamped in dark brown Chalkeyes ink, with panels of dotty and tiny hearts decorative paper, layered onto olive green Bazzill cardstock. I stamped the 'Friendship' word onto the bottom mat, and found a lovely sentiment to go on the corrugated card panel on top, and decorated with faux gems. The butterfly is a gorgeous die-cut, and I've used my signature rosebud for its body. Can't remember how I made the antennae, but they have tiny faux gems on the ends.

The box: I used a pre-cut and scored flat-packed box from Craft Creations (just recently closed down, sadly), folded and secured into shape. So simple. Same mats and layers as with the card, some faux gems, and I picked up the corrugated card as well, to go under the pretty punched butterfly. I've used two rosebuds and a punched sprig of leaves.

When my building work is finished and I have restored my craft room and found these materials again, I'll let you know who the stamps, dies and punches are from!

Shadow Stamp Rosebuds

Two ridiculously simple A6 size (4" x 6") cards here.. both using a Hero Arts shadow stamp and Picked Raspberry Distress Oxide ink. The leaf is a Crealies die-cut from an inky green background scrap and smeared with a touch of Craft Planet glitter glue. Oh, and there's a white rosebud.

Same shadow stamp, same die (has several leaves on it), same glitter and a freebie sentiment stamp from last month's Simply Cards & Papercraft magazine, #189, stamped in Black Onyx Versafine.

Spiral Daisies

Another very early card for me, made for my mum's birthday. I wouldn't make a card like this any more.. far too labour intensive! Pretty, though, I think. I can't remember how I made the daisies with blue centres. I may have bought them that way! Mounted over a panel layered onto embossed silver card, and wrapped some glittery silver thread around the card and placed sparkly faux gems inside the spiral.

Baseball Kitty

This was commissioned by my daughter some years ago for her then boyfriend. They were going (or had been.. can't remember) to New York, including going to a baseball game at Shea Stadium (NY Mets former baseball park, up to 2008). I'm a big fan of baseball, personally, and love Penny Black's kitty stamps. I had to colour him Mets, and fussy-cut him out and raised him up slightly. The stars are silver brads, by the way.. not black as they look on here! 

Birthday Bee-ing

This was a cheapie foam-backed stamp, but I love it! I stamped it (first and second generation) in gold Encore metallic ink to create the background, then in black as the main image. The sentiment is computer-generated. You can barely see it, which is a shame, but there is a fine border of gold card as the base layer, and of course, the finishing touch is the black organza ribbon. If I were making this one now, I would show more gold, and would deliberately fray the ends of the ribbon.

Penny Black Birthday

Quite a lot to talk about on this one... I've used decorative papers as the base, purple Bazzill cardstock at the top and a strip across the lower part, and a purple organza ribbon. The stamps I've used are from Penny Black, with some (deliberately) fairly rough colouring for texture, including a purply watercolour background and grounding. There are a couple of mauve rosebuds in there, too, which have been painted with diluted glitter glue for a subtle sparkle. The K&Company dragonfly and butterfly are also slightly sparkled, and I've added some curly wire antennae. The 'Celebrate' word is a plastic embellishment, 'Happy' is a peel-off and 'Birthday' is rub-on lettering. Finally, quite a lot of black and white doodling and some green brads complete the picture.

Green Golf Birthday

This is one of my earliest cards, made around 17 years ago, and can't you tell?! I stopped using peel-offs many years ago. Mainly because I prefer using rub-ons, or stamps or creating my own on the computer, using text boxes or Wordart. Although I prefer other methods, I still think that - used well - peel-offs or stickers can look very effective. The other tell-tale sign, I think, is that I hadn't learned at this point about smoothing down the raw edges of cut mirror card. Making cards with mirror card now, I place the cut card onto a surface like a glass mat, or my Rotatrim which has a metal surface, and then run an embossing tool around the edges. This smooths down the roughness of the raw edges, which makes a difference, in my opinion.

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.

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!

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.