Tuesday 28 July 2009

Waste not!

Like all crafters there is a tendency to save all leftover paper /card - just in case, but then when you need a piece the one in your stash isn't the right colour, or size, or shape. What do we do? - cut into another 12x12 and so the scrap stash continues to grow until we've no idea what it holds. I've set myself a challenge to try to make as much use of the 'scrap stash' as I possibly can. I have punched out endless circles, ovals, flowers etc but all I've done with these is store them for later.

Here is one idea for a card using leftovers....

The card base is navy blue with a white paper insert that reads ....
'are missing you'.

It was being sent by a class of children to a child who had moved away.
The characters were die cut with Quickutz and this allowed for even some
very small pieces to be used.



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Monday 27 July 2009

Green Pastures

Last week I came upon a challenge on StampTV and thought I would like to give it a try.
They offer various challenges - this card was for Monday's colour challenge. The colours given were green, brown and white/vanilla.
I picked my green and brown and in my head knew which stamps I wanted to use - a CHF set I had bought months ago and never got out of the packet. All that was left was for me to decide on the layout.
HA! Nothing ! Back to the drawing board.
With just over a day left I decided on something completely different.
I have been gathering up a collection of Hobby Art stamps called Scene It. You use them in the same way as Art Impressions stamps-building up a scene. I've had these now for over a year and they had never seen ink. Time to play.


As for my original ideas, the only thing that stayed the same was the brown.

STAMPS: Hobby Art - Cottages, Grazing Sheep, Country Lane
Art Impressions - Itty Bitty Grass, Tiny Pebbles, Tiny Flower Heads
CHF - Thomas Kinkade -Psalm 23
NESTABILITIES: - Curved Rectangles


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Thursday 23 July 2009

Pocket Cards

Today's tutorial on Splitcoaststampers is for a
'Flower Pot Pocket Card'.
I had already used this design for a birthday card a few
months back so I thought I would share it with you.
Initially I followed the tutorial exactly but as it started to
take shape the card seemed to be on the small side.
Now I am not a lover of big cards but I did want it a bit bigger.
I resized to suit me - can't remember the measurements-
but it wasn't difficult to do.
Anyhow I was happy with the result and so was the recipient.






This next pocket card was a tutorial on Jan Tink's blog called Carousel Notes. It was made using the Stampin'up product of the same name. As I didn't have access to Carousel notes I used square envelopes available and cut matching scalloped circles using my Cricut Expression and Accent Essentials cartridge. The paper is Cosmo Cricket 'Girl Friday' which I love.
the closed version


the open version


up close with the notes peeking out the pocket.

I was in a rush to get this card in the mail so the photographs are not quite what I hoped.
Once again the one on the receiving end was pleased.

STAMPS: Lizzie Anne Designs
PAPER: Cosmo Cricket 'Girl Friday'

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Wednesday 22 July 2009

Bouncing Boy card

I decided that a good way for me to increase my 'finished card'
stock would be to try some of the weekly challenges.
This card is for the stampTV Potluck Friday (stvpf22) challenge.

Any design, any colour except pink - a card for a young boy.
I think this fits the bill.

The folding of the card makes it bounce up when opened.


This rear view shows where you can sign or add a greeting.


These are quick to make, fun cards - always a hit with kids.

STAMPS: CHF For The Men, STAMPIN' UP Kids At Play

PAPER: K&Co Hopscotch


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Monday 20 July 2009

Sympathy Card

I chose not to use a 'With Sympathy' greeting because sometimes time elapses before we have a chance to respond to sad news but still want to let others know that we are thinking of them in their bereavement.

the front view
the inside view

the back view
The patterned paper is carried to the back of the card and the edge finished off with a 'peel-off' border.
The 'Toadily Handmade' stamp was a present from DH for me to use as my signature on my cards.


STAMPS: CHF_Thomas Kinkade Psalm 23, STAMPABILITIES - Toadily Handmade, HERO ARTS-Memories
PAPER/CARDSTOCK: HOTP
NESTABILITIES: Classic Oval Large, Classic Scalloped Oval Large


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Wednesday 15 July 2009

Wedding gift card.

Just a quick and simple wedding gift card. Black and white always seems a good choice unless you know more of the finer details of the wedding.








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Tuesday 14 July 2009

Making it Personal

Because I was a scrapbooker first I still lean towards the personal. Any card I have made has been with a particular person in mind and this determined the colour or style.

For example, here is a card for a very special young man's 1st birthday.

a daughter's 21st



And no, I didn't realise whenever I set about doing this card that you can actually buy candle-shaped blanks. Even if they only do stretch to 4 candles wide it would have helped.

Now I've decided to experiment more. Today I was playing with my nestabilities and trying to make a card that would suit more than one occasion.


I decided to have my frames interlocking from either side of this gate fold card and nestabilities made it easy to do this.














I also like to add something to the inside as well. This stamp is suitable for birthday, graduation, wedding or new job.


Playtime over for today although I think I would like to try this in black and white.


Monday 13 July 2009

Unchartered waters

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Having a blog is a whole new territory for me - the difficulties of learning how to set it up, how to customise and then how to operate it. Everytime I think I'm getting somewhere I do something
I shouldn't and have to start again.

So for this post I may as well introduce something else that is outside my comfort zone - the colours green and pink. Personally I love autumnal colours or anything blue but I decided it was time to try something different. It was also my first Magnolia stamp.

Sunday 12 July 2009