Safe Harbour

Again, one from the archives.. around 2009. This card served two purposes... an old friend, a lady pastor who leads a small Christian fellowship, told me she will be having a stall at our local Summer Fair, and asked me to make some Christian-themed cards with scripture to sell on the stall. This is the first... made to a Trimcraft Sketch Challenge layout. (NB: This link will now take you to the Trimcraft forum where they have Challenges, but the forum has been updated since 2009, so that sketch is no longer available.)

On the inside of the boat panel, I have used the following scripture from Psalm 18:2:

"The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. "

Stamps: The yacht is an old PSX stamp, and the swirls are from the 'Elegant Flourishes' set by Rhonna Farrer. (Yacht image coloured with watercolour pencils, and decorated with silver glitter glue for the bow wave, and Glossy Accents to highlight the boat and sails.)
Paper: Basic Grey Blitzen Collection, BLI-348 Polar Blue (but heavily sponged with shades of ink from a Kaleidocolor pad, Blue Breeze, which is also used for the flourish on the inside of the card)
Rub-ons: Making Memories 'Heidi' alphabet
Gems, navy & embossed silver cardstock and brads from stash.

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.

Bluewater Sailing

With apologies, the stamps I used are buried in a box somewhere, so I am unable to tell you at the moment what they were, other than a map and a boat! What I can say is that it's not difficult to find rubber stamps with maps and yachts on them, so you would be able to produce something inspired by this, if you are moved to do so! I think I produced the 'rope' by twisting together some string, and tying it together. I secured it to the dark blue card with wire. The yacht was stamped onto blue vellum and heat embossed with silver. Not sure I like it any more, but I've made worse! A reasonable card for a man, possibly. Or Tracey Edwards. Or me, even! I loved sailing when I was younger.

Down By The Sea

The main components in this one are a Sizzix seahorse (a medium Bigz-type die, although they didn't call them Bigz back then, and they came in three sizes, small (green), medium (yellow) and large (red)), and one of my favourite stamps from Stampland Chicago.

This is the stamp. I prefer to think of her as a mermaid than a naked lady! I did try to cover her modesty in the card above, but here she is in all her splendour here...

Stampland Chicago, 'Swept Away'. Ref: swept-away-41-42-39

Down By The Sea..

This was inspired by a DCM (Daring Card Makers) Challenge, but - as is often the case with only having limited time outside of work hours - I rarely get chance to complete a challenge on time! lol ~ Oh well. Still waiting to come up on the lottery! ;o)

I love all things nautical, so couldn't let this one slip by, and this is one of my favourite stamps, too, but rarely have the opportunity to use it.


Stamp by Stampland Chicago (great site.. loads of fantastic stamps! Go HERE to see for yourself).. plus Doodlebug rub-on lettering, Sizzix seahorse and part of a Sizzix scrolly border-type thing! And various embellishments and glamour dust.

This was one of those cards I started and hated for most of the time I was making it and almost scrapped it, but kept adding bits, and now I love it! I think the white dotty doodling was a mistake, though. Anyway, my lovelies.. hope you like it, too.

Getting funky... in the nick of time!

Hi, all.. *Phew!* Managed to get this one in under the wire! This is for the Get Funky challenge, which is due to end tomorrow! There will be a new challenge posted on Thursday. Well worth entering, as the prize is a £20 voucher to spend on Funky Hand goodies (which are very cool).

This month's challenge was set by very talented Funky Hand DT member, Ruth (Tip Top Toppers), and as both her sons had birthdays this month, the challenge is to make a card (or something) for a boy, using paper or an element from Funky Hand...

I have used pretty paper from The Funky One, Funky Hand's first CD release (and one of my favourites).

Other items used: Bazzill cardstock, Woodware stamp, Doodlebug rub-on letters, Decoart Glamour Dust and various bradlets.

The tide recedes..

Sadly, I have had occasion to make a sympathy card for someone I work with who lost their mum last week. I would be in bits, I know, so my heart breaks for her.

I love this poem, and it lends itself so beautifully to this purpose. The first two lines are printed on the front, and the rest of the poem on the inside front of the insert. It's a very quick and simple design, with the shells stamped on a piece of the same crisp, white card (from http://www.madaboutcards.com/), using graduated blues from a Kaleidocolor inkpad and then painted with iridescent Craft Planet glitter glue. The panel is then simply mounted on foam pads.

The tide recedes, but leaves behind

bright seashells on the sand.

The sun goes down, but gentle warmth

still lingers on the land.

The music stops, and yet it echoes on

in sweet refrains...

For every joy that passes,

something beautiful remains.

~ Author unknown ~

Hugs,

Funky Daze #2.. Happy Birthday, Enfys!

Card number two using papers from FUNKY DAZE, and it was for my Funky Hand DT mate, Enfys (or En, as we call her), who spends half her year in Florida, lucky thing!

Samples for Craft 4 Charity CD

Some time ago, the Funky Hand DT were asked to produce some samples from papers that Anice was asked to produce for the Craft 4 Charity CD. (For info, go HERE.)


Anice produced a mini range called 'Girls & Boys', and here are the samples I made with them. (Apologies if I have blogged these before, but I don't think I have.)

To see the fab cards the rest of the DT made, you can visit their blogs by clicking on the links in my sidebar. You may have to search around for them on their blogs, but that's no hardship, as they all have some stunning things to look at! :o)

Time to Rock The Vote!!

Time has come on the Y.OU K.NOW Y.OU R.OCK challenge blog to vote for your favourite card of the month for August. This is mine, and if you fancy it, please take a couple of seconds to visit the blog and click on my name! It is that simple! :o) All votes would be much appreciated! :o)

The theme for August was 'Heavy Metal', and you had to use some kind of metal embellishment on your design.

Heavy Metal.. Y.OU K.NOW Y.OU R.OCK...

Prompted by Julie for her blog candy draw (see candy left), I have finally succumbed to my longing to join in with the wonderful Y.OU K.NOW Y.OU R.OCK challenge blog, and offer this quick card for this month's task to make a card with metal embellishments to go with the 'Heavy Metal' theme.


The awesome talent over there is somewhat scary, so I submit this one humbly and without expectation of any kind. I just want the two bonus entries in Julie's fab candy draw (HERE)!! lol ;o)

Three Birds with Half A Stone...

Bit of a family joke.. My mother's maiden name was Stone... which makes me - yep - half a stone!! lol ;o) I know.. I can hear you groaning from here!! My clever sister came out with one heaps better than that once, but.... y'had to be there, really... ;o)

Anyway, to the crafty business in hand... Two cards today, for the 2 Sketches For You blog, but going back in time as I have some catching up to do! These were for Kazan and Laura's first sketch challenge on their blog. I have another two to catch up with!! But - rather sneakily - one of them is a Christmas theme, which fits in nicely with this week's Daring cardmakers Challenge, AND both cards use Funky Hand papers, thus fulfilling my duties as a Funky Hand DT member!! Well, don't know about you, but I'm impressed!! Didn't I do well??? lol ;o)

Card No.1 is using Kazan's Sketch #1

Papers: From the 'Yule Be Funky' CD-rom by Funky Hand
Snowflakes: Kaleidopunch and another small one from stash
Sentiment: Computer-generated in Cezanne font
Gems, charm and vellum from stash
Card No. 2 is using Laura's Sketch #1

Am regretting the handwritten 'birthday' on here, but the rest works alright, I think.


Papers: From the 'It's Funky Too' CD-Rom from Funky Hand
Boat is an original drawing by me
'BUOY' lettering is from a Cuttlekids Alphabet
Brads from stash

Attack of the Blues...

The first card is for my aunt's birthday. Guess what? She has a gorgeous Westie, called Gemma.


Stamp: 'Bonnie Westies' from Little Claire. (Have only used four of the squares.)
Colouring medium: Prismacolor pencils + Zest-It blending solution + blending stumps
Sentiment: Computer-generated, glazed with Glossy Accents and raised on foam pads.
Ric-rac, spiral clip & mini brads from stash.
....................................................................................

SAFE HARBOUR
This next card serves two purposes... I bumped into an old friend of mine on Saturday, a lady pastor who leads a small Christian fellowship near Ramsey in Cambridgeshire. She told me she will be having a stall for an eight week period in Ramsey's Summer Fair, and asked me to make some Christian-themed cards with scripture to sell on the stall. We agreed what prices she'd like to sell for, and this is the first... Made to a Trimcraft Sketch Challenge layout.

On the inside of the boat panel, I have used the following scripture from Psalm 18:2:

"The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. "
Stamps: The yacht is an old PSX stamp, and the swirls are from the 'Elegant Flourishes' set by Rhonna Farrer. (Yacht image coloured with watercolour pencils, and decorated with silver glitter glue for the bow wave, and Glossy Accents to highlight the boat.)
Paper: Basic Grey Blitzen Collection, BLI-348 Polar Blue (but heavily sponged with shades of ink from a Kaleidocolor pad, Blue Breeze, which is also used for the flourish on the inside of the card)
Rub-ons: Making memories 'Heidi' alphabet

Gems, navy & embossed silver cardstock and brads from stash

Siren

This was made for the second official Trimcraft challenge... stamping. It uses four different stamps, plus resist technique, triple-embossing, watercolouring, doodling, glittering, thread-wrapping, acetate, you name it! Oh, and the white flourish at the bottom was hand-drawn & cut.

Mermaid ATC

For another challenge on the Trimcraft site calling for ATCs using eyelets.


The stamped image used in the background is a cropped section from one of my favourites, but I rarely get to use it... It's from Stampland Chicago. Anyone into stamping would do well to invest some time in browsing their catalogue of amazing stamps! Follow the link HERE.

The stamp is called 'Swept Away' 4142-39 and can currently be found on P.41 of their catalogue, HERE.

Today's creations..

... And no paper in sight!! lol ;o)

The top one is a present for my niece, Laura, who will be 21 in May. She wanted a marine theme. The second bracelet (which is awfully blurry and I must photograph again) is a present for me!! lol ;o) Mostly using Swarovski crystals.

Cards I have had published...

These are two to three years old now, and my style has developed since. A little, anyway! ;o)