Dragonfly Wings

Click on photos for larger image.

There are a couple of tales to tell about this one. Firstly, the dragonfly and the 'On dragonfly wings' sentiment are from Tracy Evans' stamp set #230 by AALL & Create. It is one of their range of wonderful designs from their brand new, hot off the press Autumn release. I love so many of those stamps!

I was chatting online with my bestest crafting buddy, Lisa Vipas, and we were singing the praises of our favourites from the new release, but I was boasting about how disciplined I was being, as I have other (boring but necessary) things to pay for right now. All of a sudden, out of the blue, she says, "I have just bought the dragonfly stamps for you." You could have knocked me down with a feather! What a generous friend! Everybody should have a stamp fairy like Lisa. So this one is for her.

The next storylet is that I downloaded that beautiful font onto my PC about 11 years ago. It's called The King & Queen font. I used it a couple of times back then, but then forgot about it, and it's been gathering dust in the files of an old laptop ever since. Until I saw it on Tracy's stamp set, and I'm so pleased to be reminded of it. So I used it to create the (almost) matching sentiment 'Sending Thanks'.

The Workings

The card base is 6" x 6".

The background was from a Gelli plate play session, practicing techniques inspired by Tracy Evans' first One Day Special on Hochanda, back in August. I added some glitter paste through another AALL & Create stencil, but it got messy and you wouldn't recognise it if I told you! I edged the panel with Cracked Pistachio Distress Oxide.

The dragonfly is stamped onto dark brown card and cut out. Glued onto the card and the antennae are drawn with black fineliner, copying the stamp.

I stamped the wings onto another old piece of random background that also had traces of glitter paste on. Smart alec me forgot to dry the ink, though (Onyx Black Versafine), and it got horribly smudged while I was cutting out the wings. So I went over the design again with black fineliner, and tell myself it adds to the grungy style!

I wanted a pop of red, and I found some gems in my stash that would fit the bill, and added them to the thorax. 

The first part of the sentiment is computer-generated, and the second part is stamped. I tore the panels, and edged them with Peeled Paint Distress ink. They are applied to the card on recycled cardboard to raise them up a tiny bit.

It was too plain, I thought, so I added the rosebuds and pine needles die-cuts, with a couple of silver bows, folded in half and tucked underneath.

I wasn't sure about it (my composition) last night, but it's growing on me. I hope Lisa likes it. As soon as I can get to a Post Office, it will be on its way!

Thank you, again, my friend. xx 

Wedding Card

From the archives, c. 2009: A commissioned card. A5 size (5" x 7"). The back layer is some pretty floral paper, torn and inked around the edges. The 'Love' word and the rose on the panel are stamped; the names are computer-generated using my favourite Cezanne font. The hearts are punched from gold mirror card. I have also used a pine branch punch and Sizzix Garden Greens die. Lots of paper roses and rosebuds, some plastic leaf embellishments, a clear pearl spray and a waxed cord bow complete the bouquet, and there is an echo of the waxed cord on the spine, with a bow.

By the way, the edging on the focal panel is not black, as it looks in the photo.. it is layered onto gold mirror card.

I don't recall who the 'Love' stamp is by (when I find it, I'll tell you), but I think the rose stamp is by DeNami.

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!

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.

Blue Brocade Rosebud

This is one I made a couple of days ago. It is A5 size (5" x 7"), and I've used a sheet from the Crafty Individuals Background Papers series, Book 8: 'A Weekend in Seville'. I don't know the origin of the beautiful gold brocade design card I used for the focal panel, as it was given to me in a little RAK package from a friend in the States. (Thank you, Cleo!) It is only a single small piece of card, that I have been hoarding and stroking lovingly since it arrived, and this is just a piece of it. What, you thought I'd let you have it all at once? Pah! Not a chance! So with a white rosebud and some mini gold brads, I'm done.

Music Rosebud

 

This one is new! Made yesterday. A6 size (4" x 6"). The background stamp is Reverse Sheet Music from Impression Obsession, ref: E4110, stamped in Momento London Fog ink and the Treble Clef is a Marianne Designs Creatables die, ref: LR0167. (There are two in the pack.. one large, one small.. this is the larger die.) I added a trimmed red rosebud for colour, tied with glittery silver thread.

Mother's Day 2008

Lots going on with this one! 'Mum' is computer-generated, using Wordart. The light green in the layers is vellum, and the silver is my all-time favourite embossed cardstock. There is a dark green satin ribbon down the centre of the panel and border punched vellum at top and bottom. The panel is raised slightly from the background on low profile foam pads. The background is a decorative paper, with a little stamping; the 'Love' word is stamped, for example. I have cut flowers and foliage from more paper and stuck it randomly to the panel and painted it with slightly diluted Craft Planet glitter glue. The green organza ribbon has a sparkly quality, too, and there's a touch of sparkle on the rosebuds. There is also a little metal dragonfly on the tail of the bow.

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.

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.

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.

Friendship Rosebud

Simple. Speaks for itself. Metal plaque says 'Friendship'.

Silver Wedding Anniversary

My dad was awarded an OBE for services to the RAF, and one of the privileges is that your children can be married in St Paul's Cathedral. He received his award after I was already married, but my sister had that chance and was married there. Unfortunately, the photos are taken to the side of the Cathedral, so you can't tell that's where you are! Ah, well. Great memories, nonetheless.

So.. this is 25 years on (36 this year), but using my favourite photo from the day, printed in greyscale. I've used a digital paper from Funky Hand, printed the text, and layered onto silver mirri card. I've used a vellum and silver thread wrap, silver metal filigree corner embellishments and rosebuds, also wrapped in fine silver wire with silver leaves. punched silver hearts complete the design.

I also made the one below, but decided it wasn't special enough.

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.

Claire Rosebud

This one was a commission from a customer for her daughter, after she saw the one I made with my daughter (two versions below). If you have a suitable photo of your daughter (or whoever), and can photoshop it to your satisfaction, and/or change its colour hue, you could produce something similar. If you do, I'd love to see it. Feel free to copy, but please let me know, and don't use it for competitions/challenges. It would be nice to get a credit if you publish it (because that would be polite), but I'm not that worried.

The name is traced from a pretty script font through the vellum with an embossing tool, and then gone over with a white gel pen. The rest is pretty self-explanatory.

Love Is A Fruit In Season

A monochrome card in greyscale. Torn rose paper, overstamped (lots of times!) with the Thank You text in silver Encore metallic ink. The 'Love is a fruit in season' quote is stamped in grey, and the white rosebud with silver bow completes a very simple design.

Annett's Roses

This was a Valentine's Day commission from a colleague for his wife, Annett. (I didn't forget the 'e'! That's how she spells her name.) I think the elements of the card are pretty self-explanatory, but that may be because I made it! lol.. If anything's not clear, and you have any questions, I'd always be pleased to hear from you. x

Wedding Card

Made a while ago, as you see! Brief was Scottish, yellow roses.. so I used tartan ribbon with a glittery silver stripe, yellow beaded rosebuds tied with a glittery silver thread bow, two Sizzix hearts (the centres of), and a scattering of tiny sequin hearts, and finally, stamped corners.

Rosy Bookmark

My mum was an avid reader, and I made this for her. The embossed rosebud panel can be slid out from its glittery silver binding to use as a bookmark.

This was made with a metal embossing plate, before the days of embossing folders, using an embossing tool and a lightbox, and then coloured using chalk, and decorated with sequin hearts. The background is a glittered piece of printed vellum by K&Co.