Nature Stag

This one was inspired by a glimpse of some restaurant décor on a recent TV programme. The restaurant is 'The Kitchin' in Edinburgh (owned by top chef, Tom Kitchin).

The card is 6" x 6", and uses paper from an 8" x 8" pad - Yuletide Memories - from The Paper Tree. The stag die is from the Creatables range by Marianne Design. Don't know where the stamp is from, as it's unmounted and has been separated from its packaging over the years. The button is from Basic Grey. Other than that, I've used some silver thread and a few sequins. I've used recycled cardboard instead of foam pads for dimension.

Birthday Card - St Pat's theme

Another one from a while ago for my sister-in-law. She did her doctorate at Dublin University. Hence, the shamrock/clover theme.

Kraft notebook page set askew, rub-on 'Happy' with a dimensional sticker 'H' and stamped 'Birthday'. Stamped flourishes, green stamped shamrocks/clover leaves.. 1st, 2nd and 3rd generation, a shot of green satin ribbon on the diagonal through the middle, decorated with a paper flower and button (both subtly glittered), green rosebud, silver thread bows folded and tucked in on either side of the button. The metal embellishment in the corner completes the design. Wish I had bought more of those; they don't seem to be available any more.

Spotty Birthday

This was made some years ago, when I was on the Funky Hand design team, using their digital paper.. a lovely distressed dotty design, in this case. I love the raspberry and vanilla colouring. Makes me crave ice cream!

I doodled some faux stitching around the edges, used a Martha Stewart border punch on both sides of the panel, and mounted it on pink Bazzill cardstock. A bit of ric-rac, a rosebud, a button and a rub-on greeting completes the design.

Brother-In-Law's birthday card

This card was made for my brother-in-law (you may have guessed that) about 10 years ago. I've used and distressed Basic Grey papers, and used a Cuttlebug script embossing folder on the green. I found the brown button in my mum's old button tin, and sanded it. The letters for the greeting are computer-generated in upper and lower case and cut out separately to ink the edges and set them in that up and down style.The letters for his name are chipboard. I covered them in paper, inked the edges and used clear heat embossing to make them shine.

Kitty Friendship

Can't remember what I made this card for, specifically, but it was part of my (ongoing) recycling campaign. The grungy frame and cute kitty picture were cannibalised from a card I received.

This card also uses a script stamp, my beloved harlequin stamp and a Stampin' Up 'Friendship' stamp. The background CS is coloured with Chalk Eyes peach, bisque and dark brown inks. The leaf sprays are a Sizzlits die, button, pearls spray and rosebuds speak for themselves.

A simple card and ATC for a special girl..

My lovely niece has Downs Syndrome. Some years ago, after graduating from her Mencap college in Northumberland, she was given a flat in a supported living complex just half an hour's drive from her parents' home. 

Moving her in was an emotional time, as it was a major milestone in her shift to independent life. As independent as she will ever be. It brought back memories for me of when my daughter left home... so very excited and happy for Laura, but there was that kind of catching in the throat about it, too. There were a few happy/sad tears when the move was complete.

Anyway, a perfect occasion for a card!

And a wee ATC to go with it, which just happens to have a magnet on the back.

For the card and ATC/fridge magnet, I used Pink Petticoat (now The Lovely Studio) Garden Critters download. The 'Bee Happy' sentiment is computer-generated.

Stampin' Up for a friend

This card was for a friend who was just starting up as a Stampin' Up! demonstrator, after being made redundant from her job. I attended her first workshop, and to wish her well in her new venture, I made her a card. As you would.

It uses BG Euphoria DP, Cuttlebugged with the Diamonds embossing folder and sanded, with stripey BG Euphoria paper on the panel, stamped with an Inkadinkado flourish in Dark Brown Chalk Eyes ink. Used a Fiskars Threading Water border punch for the scalloped holey bit, some cream crocheted lace, chipboard letters and computer-generated letters and sentiment, with a metal embellishment 'Go for it!'.. Prima flower, glittered handmade arrow, BG button, cotton twine + rosebuds and gems.

Basic Grey ATC

This ATC was made for the second Basic Grey challenge (now defunct, very sadly).

What is an ATC?

ATC stands for Artist's Trading Card. Originally, these were used by fine artists to produce miniature versions of their paintings to promote their work. This still happens, but their use has been expanded to cardcraft. Cardmakers use them as another avenue for their creativity, and ~ rather than selling them ~ the idea is to swap them with other enthusiasts to build a library of ATCs displaying different techniques.

Most people who produced (still produce?) ATCs swapped them through clubs, at craft events and internet forums. Personally, I found it hard to part with them. My focus has always been on card-making, but I did enjoy the few ATCs I made. They all ended up as card toppers or fridge magnets, though!

The size of an ATC is 2½ x 3½ ins (or a standard playing card size). You can purchase blanks, or make your own. (Make up a template, and use it as the ‘master’ to save you measuring out every time.)

On the back, put your name, address and/or email address, and the title of your miniature piece of art, or a reference code. If you are going to use your ATCs for swapping, it might be helpful to keep notes on how you made each one, so that if anyone contacts you for details, you will have them handy.

Any kind of artwork goes.. have fun and be expressive!

Here is my ATC for that challenge...

I used beautiful blue paper from the Basic Grey Cupcake 6"x6" pad. The main image is a cropped section of a stamped image I received in a swap. To echo the butterfly in the image, I stamped another one separately, and mounted it on the ATC, wings akimbo. The button is also BG. from the Archaic range. The 'Hope' sentiment is actually a metal embellishment for extra dimension, although that's not clear in the photo. The scroll stamp used in the corner is by Rhonna Farrer from her 'Elegant Flourishes' set in the Autumn Leaves collection.

Tea Frogs

This one is another old one being trotted out again for another airing. Personally, I don't see anything wrong with that; I hope you agree. It was originally made for a challenge by 2sketchesfor you, and was inspired by the beautiful teapot image I received from a crafter from downunder (Laura) in an image swap, so I'm afraid I don't have the stamp details. I love it, though, and I wanted to use it for an official invitation for a Facebook Group friend, Cleo Scharf, to come to tea, so I hope you're seeing this, Cleo!

This is the sketch I based the layout on, which was by Ingrid, an artist for the 2sketchesforyou challenge team. I just flipped the orientation.

Upcycled Skaters

Upcycled image from an old card, mounted on black cardstock, then on card blank, and embellished with glittery gold cord, red button, recycled greeting and punched and inked music paper holly leaves.

Christmas Tree, Darkly

The tree is cut from an old card I received, the card blank distressed with brown ink and embellished with holly leaves punched out of music paper, and inked, some glittery gold cord and a snowflake charm. I just love upcycling images from old cards!

More Upcycled Christmas..

The main image is recycled from an old card I received, mounted on to craft card, edged with a lovely opaque white ink ('Sugar Candy' from Elzybells… anyone remember that company? I was so sad when they closed), and embellished with a snowflake die, Kaleidopunch snowflakes, some gems, some mini-brads, Basic Grey button and red cord.

Two posts in two days!! Can you believe it? ;-)

Catching up with cards made but not blogged in the past couple of years. Here are a couple of Mother's Day cards. (The one above has a matching box.)

Still crafting..

This one is recycling the cute image from my Christmas card from Lean showing kittens playing. I adore tabbies.. This pic takes me back to when Tigger and his brother were babies. Sadly, his brother was run over and had to be put down at six months old, but Tigger is still going strong at sixteen and is curled up at my feet as I write.

Not sure what to do with the fluffy bit, yet, Lean, but I'm working on it! lol ;o)

This card also uses a script stamp, my harlequin stamp and an SU 'Friendship' stamp. The CS is coloured with Chalk Eyes peach, bisque and dark brown inks. The leaf sprays are a Sizzlits die.

The next card uses my own dear Gilbert the Ghost image, but recycled from the Christmas card I received from Allison. I have always loved this DP which is taken from a pad of similarly lovely paper, but don't ask me who it's from! Sorry. But anyway, it reminds me of tapestry, and I thought it would make a suitable backdrop for a ghost.. floating down the corridor of an old mansion, perhaps! lol ;o)

Hugs,

Chris xx

ALMOST new card!

This one almost doesn't have any recycling on it at all.. Almost. You know how when you're stamping you have some old piece of scrap for taking off excess ink, trying out images together, etc? Yes? Well, I quite liked the collagey look of one area on my piece of scrap, so I cut it out and used it! lol ;o) I think that's allowed. It's the grungy bit in the middle...

My fave harlequin stamp again, plus the Hero Arts friendship text (repeat stamped), and Judikins (I think) 'Field of Sky' used randomly around the edges for the dots.. gives a nice, vintage-looking finish. Sizzlits die-cut leaves and a BG button.

More Recycled Christmas cards!!

Stop yawning in the ranks!! lol ~ Yes, I know, I know.. Surely I must have enough Christmas cards done by now, but you'll just have to get over it, because there are plenty more to come! Hehe!! ;o)

This one is recycling the negative piece of Bazzill cardstock left after punching some fern shapes. I thought they looked vaguely like Christmas trees, so decided to recycle it as a crimbo card! Uses some Paper Pizazz paper by HOTP in the background, and some other piece of something or other with lines on top. Doodled the holly leaves and the edges. Kaleidopunch snowflake and Basic Grey button.

Ahhh, bless!! This one and the next are from the same 'previously used' card. The 'peace' word is a silver metal word embellishment by Making Memories, I think. It has been in my stash for yonks, sans packaging, so I'm guessing. What do you think of super-imposing it over the script underneath? I'm not sure whether it works or not. Decidedly undecided on that one.

Wasn't sure where I was going with this when I started, but quite happy with the outcome. You like?

... Aaaand another recycled card...

The image was salvaged from an old card. It had one of the flower heads decoupaged, so have left that on, just inking around the edges and glittering the centre. Had to alter it some more, though, so stamped the harlequins on, using Versafine Onyx Black, but the third stamping. Then stamped the SU stamps 'bloom' and the 'blossom' definition over the top. The butterfly was stamped quite a while ago, and the ink has worn off in the middle, but I quite like the ethereal quality it has now as a result. The pearl sprays are deliberately left like that. I like the way they resemble the catkins (I think that's what they're called).. the little furry buds.. on a pussy willow... if you squint a bit..

Birthday Stripes..

A new one!! Woohoo! Well, OK, the tags and the centre circle are recycled, but - hey - that's not bad, considering how obsessed I have become with reviving old cards that were destined for the local recycling plant.

The swirl die-cut in the middle is a border die.. Sizzix, I think.. and have used SU punches. I think the DP is Basic Grey.. not sure. It has become detached from its pad.

Christmas window shopping..

Classic Christmas image here, receycled and given a new lease of life..

Another recycled Christmas card.....

OK, being serious now.. Thought I would make all my cards for this year using recycled cards from previous years, and more or less similar takes on the same basic design elements, to save time.
The image and the sentiment are from a bag of Christmas cards my sister passed on to me a few days ago, and the holly leaves are punched from some old sheet music that Lean sent me as part of a blog candy prize.

Right.. back to work tomorrow, and I will try and catch up with you all over the next week or so. I owe so many of you a visit! Thank you for all your kind messages in the past few days.