Lots of Flowers!

I had two new things last month - a new stamp set from Papertrey Ink and a set of scalloped nestabilities from Spellbinders so I had to try them both out on this birthday card for Penny.

Blue and Tan

This was made for Nellie for her birthday using stamps from Fancy Pants (Pollen Dust) and Stampin Up (True Friend). I don't think I've put tan and blue together before but I like the combination.

I pierced the holes and stitched the zig zags with embroidery floss and used a bit of matching hodgepodge hardware.

True Friend

I haven't got much done so far this month as I started a new job two weeks ago and it's been really hard to find time and space to create. This little card was made for a sketch challenge and swap recently. The set is called true Friend by Stampin Up and I got to use my cuttlebug again after I blew the dust off it! Lots of layers and cutting out here but it was a fun one to make. I think pink and black is one of my favourite combinations.

For Norman

It was Norman - my mil's partners birthday last week and so this was made for him using another new (to me!) Stampin Up set called Lovely as a Tree - one I think you'll be seeing a lot more of from me. I think they'll be great for men's cards - ones I always struggle with. The oak is coloured with pencils I've had since I was my DD's age and the sentiment is from Papertrey Ink.

How do you like my kitchen tiles and coffee jars?:)

Halloween

I really should have shown this little number at the end of last month! This is my first attempt at using a Magnolia image - friend Anne sent me two great pages of stamped images to play with :)

Think Pink Tag

I've had a crazy month this October - but I wanted to have a chance to do this pink tag as part of the October tag swap. I was trying to get a collage effect but I don't do college very well - I need to 'free' up a bit;) I did manage to use lots of stamps though - the Harlequin from Stamp Camp, Script from Stamping up, beauty from Fancy Pants and the main image from Innovative Stamp Creations. I embossed the lady with my lovely ep from Bmuse on the linen side of the bazzil for a change. The big ring came from a tag on a jumper I bought recently - a good bit of recycling:)

Autumn Birthday

I love working with Autumn colours and I was inspired to make this by all the leaves making a mess on my lawn! The set is by Papertrey Ink - still one of my favourite sets from them - and for Carrie's birthday.

Fancy Pants

I splashed out recently and bought the Fancy Pants set of Pollen Dust stamps - I'd better get busy and get my money's worth. I made these two cards at my first attempt with them.

Little Birds

I first saw these little Hero Arts birds at my friend Penny's, loved what she had made with them and had to go buy them. They have been sitting on my desk waiting for a chance to play and I made this for my friend Lela as a thank you for all the beautiful Angel cards she has sent me.

Beautiful Blooms

I got a new PapertreyInk set last week and was desperate to have a play but just couldn't get the iris stamp to line up properly. So I got out my ruler and pencil and stamped a 11"x8" sheet and had a good practice - like a masterboard or one sheet wonder! I used two different colours and made these for two friends.

Ruffles

My new Stampendous stamp arrived while I was on holiday and so I had to give it a try as soon as I got back. I'm also on a mission to use more of my stash of basic grey papers and so I made this for Sharon as a little rak. The back strip is a piece of beautiful handmade paper - I'm not sure where it came from but the colours were just right for this. I really need a new sewing machine as the tension is all out on my 25 year old machine - maybe I can start dropping pre Christmas hints :)

Double Trouble

My friend Sam and her husband Phil have birthdays a day apart and so I made this pair for them.

I veered a little away from Sam's favourite blue by trying out turquoise and black. The idea for this card was inspired by a lovely lady called Onita from Split Coast Stampers and thanks to her I'm showing it here.

This for Phil was made using an image I stamped while we were all staying with Lorry on the Isle of Skye. The main image is by Paper Bag Studios and the background stamp is by Stamp Camp.

Spooky!

This card was made for Anne for her birthday in August. I thought I would upload it to my SCS album before I went on holiday as it fitted with a couple of challenges. Anne told me that she was cruising the SCS galleries and saw my card which she said just popped out at her. A few days later the card arrived for her and she was a bit shocked - spooky :) Anyway - glad you like it Anne.

Flowers stamped with Doodle This from Stamping Up and the cuttlebug used again with Basic Grey papers. I like how this turned out!

Birthdays Galore

August and early September was a busy birthday time for me - and they all happened whilst we were on our holiday.

This was made for Sheenagh using Blossoms Abound from Stampin Up and my new cuttlebug machine. The flower is by Maya Road which I coloured and clear embossed.

Tasha also had a birthday on the same day and this card was made using Basic Grey papers and Doodle This from Stampin Up.

Doodled Thanks

I don't have a lot to show this month as all the cards I have made recently are for the 6 friends whose birthdays are up while we are away on our holidays next week. This though, is a thank-you for friend Jo for sending me a beautiful crane stamp as a swap.


The paper is Basic Grey - a gift from Kaz, and overstamped with a set called Doodle This from Stampin Up. The edges are all distressed but I don't think it's too obvious from the shot.

Make and Take

I popped in to my local craft shop at the weekend to pick up a cuttlebug and they were having a make and take day - make a card using the stamps etc and throw 50p into the jar. I thought I'd have a try at this stamping on stickers and re-arranging them milarky, as I've never done it before - boy was it hard to stick the diamonds on straight afterwards but I like the results. Background stamps by Hero Arts and main image by Penny Black, which I coloured with markers and did a bit of huffing :) I sent this to Pam for her birthday.

Sunflower

It was forum friend Angie's birthday this week and I decided to go bold and bright for her birthday card. I used another stamp from the Papertrey boxed text set and used a baby wipe (as it was to hand!) to tone down the ink on the background paper, then roughed up the edges a bit with a Tim Holtz paper edging tool.

More Papertry Ink

It was my oldest friend Cathy's birthday this weekend so I had fun using my new stamps to make this for her. Thanks for the awsome bbq Cathy:). I think I maybe went a bit ott on the flowers and they were very fiddly to cut out. I raided my DD's nail art kit for the bling!

Basic Grey & Primas

Some time back I split a few boxes of large prima flowers with forum friend Louise and eventually stopped looking at them and used one. The Basic Grey paper had also been stroked many times before being cut up too- I must stop hoarding papers! A card for friend Sarah.

Crafting on the Isle of Skye

Can you imagine waking up to this view from your bedroom window every day? I have just spent a long weekend on Skye with my friend Lorry and her husband Richard who have the most beautiful house and B&B http://rosebank-skye.co.uk/ on the edge of the Loch in Straun. Crafting with Lorry and friends Sam and Al was such fun, and raiding Lorry's most incredible stash of goodies nearly sent me to heaven.

Here is just one of the cards I made whilst there for forum friend Gillian's birthday, using alcohol inks for the first time. More creative work to follow as everythng I made has someones name on it!

Divine Secret Sister

In May I joined the Divine Secret Siblings on Split Coast Stampers. We each have a big and a little sister. We receive from the big sis and send to the little sis each month! At the end of the 3 month period we send eachother a gift and reveal who we are. Here is the card I received from my Big Sister this week. All I know about her is that she lives in Canada (Ontario I think). I have never seen a "Bella" in the flesh so it was great to get this along with a lot of stamped Bellas for me to play with.

June Challenge Card

I found some lovely papers at my favourite stamp store The Stamp Attic, by Daisy Bucket designs and thought they went really well with the Butterfly Kisses stamps from Papertrey Ink. This was a card for Kaz!

Wedding Page

This is a page I made for a wedding book for friend Louise and Mike, her husband to be. It was co-ordinated and beautifully bound by Jo in colours to match Louise's wedding dress. There are about 16 pages and look just great all togther.

Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to my Dad, Brian. We all had a lovely pub lunch today in Hurley, near Henley on Thames, followed by a long walk along the riverside with Daisy our Westie. Dad said he loved the card and the big box of chocolate brazils that accompanied it!

Green Thumb

My friend Penny's partner's boss (are you still with me?) came over from the US and bought us lots of goodies, amongst them this great PapertreyInk set called Green Thumb to add to my collection. I made this as a RAK for my friend Sam who loves blue.

Lana'a Card

I enjoyed playing with this layout for Lana's birthday card. Lots of opportunity to use my current favourite stamp set, cutting out, hardware, ribbon and Stickles glitter glue.

Stamp Camp

The stamps used here in my birthday card for friend Jo, are from Stamp Camp and they are just beautiful to use - the background stamps especially are so detailed. A first attempt at paper pricking - not something I have done before.

Butterfly kisses

Butterfly kisses is a great set from PapertreyInk and these are my first two efforts at using them - more to follow!

Mother's Day

Coming up with ideas for two Mother's Day cards each year and doing something different for birthdays and thank-you's too is quite a challenge. The first card for my Mum is decoupaged Anna Griffin die cuts and paper and the second for MIL uses another favourite Stampin Up set called Wild Roses, with a linen background stamp.

A very "Des Res"

We lost our beautiful old plum tree in the storms this January, where we had 2 broods of Great Tit chicks last year. I thought I would make them a new home and Paul put it up near where the old nest was but nobody came to stay:(
Paul did salvage the part of the tree that had the original nest in and popped it on top of our shed. Look who did come to stay! The chicks flew the nest on Sunday 10th June - aren't they cute?

Triange Folds

Split Coast Stampers has a technique section and these little 3"x 3" triangle fold cards are perfect for a card with a difference.

This is the first one I made as a rak for a friend and uses a Stampin Up set called Delight in Life, and papers from SU's Simply Scrappin paper pack, and the second has Anna Griffin stamps and paper.

A

ATC's

I haven't done many atc's as mine always feel like a mini card but I quite like how these turned out. The Friends stamp is by Queen's Dresser Draws and the one used on serenity is by Stamp Camp.

Tapestry Rubber Stamps

I adore these tiny flower stamps and have become quite addited to them. They are a fun way to make a card and the same set never comes out the same way twice.