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.