Lego birthday

I have managed to rustle up a picture of my Brothers birthday card.

Not very high tech but as soon as I saw this image I had to use it.

It is a download from Craftsuprint.  I've just mounted the image with it's funky backing to a piece of card before mounting on an A5 card.  It's then got a couple of decoupage layers and I just had to cut out the lego brick with sentiment already printed on it!

As I was away for his birthday he did also get a talking tag from Stampin' Up in the card which did make him laugh.

Happy Easter

Just found this little card whilst sorting out some cards today - just in time to post and wish everyone a Happy Easter.

Don't eat too much chocolate and stay warm!

Jill

Pampered Dachshund

Just a little post in passing - several commissions completed this week and I'm off for an earlier night tonight!

I did a Pampered Pets card before Christmas for someone (not sure if I posted it) with this dachshund in shades of blue which I was able to sort with the DoCrafts Digital Designer.

This week I was asked for another (in different colours).

I've just printed out the decoupage images from the Designer, cut out and layered on kraft with a touch of sparkle in the corners.

Paper from a random passing paper pad with added stickles to brighten it up.

Stamped sentiment in the lovely WOW pepper embossing powder and card done!

Just Believe

This card came about from Jo's facebook challenge this week which was to make a one layer card.

I was a bit too busy but thought I'd have a quick play and wasn't entirely convinced with this - but it is a one layer card!

I've had a play with some of the new SU pricking templates.

In the large shape I stamped the image from the 'Just Believe' set with versamark ink and dusted over it with brown chalks.

I've then used another image in 3 of the corners and sentiment from the set of the same name 'Because I Care' in the corner.

Verdicts still out I think but not too bad an attempt in between a few other things I was finishing.
Jill

Sewing

What an amazingly cold today but we must be thankful we haven't got the snow as well that some areas have.  A good day to stay in crafting but we had nominated today as a day out and after a lovely breakfast out we ended up in Weymouth - needless to say after a stroll round Radipole and a visit to the seafront we were very refreshed!

On to todays card though:

I had grander plans for this in my head but am still fairly pleased with it.
The stamps were free on a magazine a while back, not something I would get a lot of use out of but ideal for this card.

I've used the needle/thread and button stamp over the base cream card, I've then added a gold layer and a black layer on top which has the same stamped images on but embossed in gold.

Happy Birthday from the SU 'Made for you' set punched out with SU punches.

All the other images are from the free stamp set and I've used a combination of black and gold ink on cream or black card to get different effects.  I added some gold thread to the cotton bobbin too.

Just looking out extra layers for tomorrows walk to work!

Kumihimo

And for the last of this months workshop weekends I made another bracelet!

For today's venture I went to the Half Moon Bead Shop in Poundbury - I can find the bead shop without satnav which is a bonus, if you know Poundbury it's something of a maze.

Val at Aquarius blog did some lovely work with this braiding at a demo day last year and it was flying off the shelves.

I decided to have a go after seeing this bracelet in the shop - I loved the sample one so much that I used the same colours.

It's very therapeutic - we did wonder what we were letting ourselves in for as it takes longer to thread all the beads at the beginning but true to her word Louise taught us well and we did indeed finish a full bracelet in the time.  I have added a magnetic clasp to this too which is rather nice.

The next thing is I want more colours now and they also look effective just with the size 8 seeds beads and no magatamas like I used in this one. hmmmm.

Oops!

Requests are coming in thick and fast this week!

I'd taken in a few images for a 'discussion' with someone and got an emergency call from someone else to say they had forgotten a birthday.

It turned out he really liked this Warren rabbit image which is a stamp from Craftwork Cards.

I've coloured him in copics and layered him on a scallop circle punch and a couple of card layers to show him off.

I was asked to add an 'oops' sentiment (layered on 2 SU punches) which fits rather well with Warren's expression.

I had planned for the sentiment to be put on straight but the main image went on at an even jauntier image than I was planning.

Finished with some card candi's and he was really pleased.

Golfing

I was going to post my brothers birthday card on here today but it appears I passed it on without scanning it which was rather inept of me - I will get a pic sometime to share it.

Instead, this is another commission for a birthday card.

Nothing fancy just a die-cut Smirk golfer, layered on card and the base card has some matching Smirk paper.

Stamped sentiment from PSX also layered.  A busy card week but getting there - need to start some quilling at the weekend!

Jill

Football

Straight back to it and on with another request.

I was asked to make a football card for a Yeovil Town supporter so I made a couple of options.  The first is using a Papermania 'It's a mans world' stamp which I've coloured in copics and 3D'd the football.  Sentiment is also from the same set.

The second is a visible image stamp, also coloured with copics but the stripes (for some stupid reason) were cut from a piece of card.

SU sentiment and 3D footballs from the same  stamp set.

Yeovil Town colours are white and green just in case there was any doubt!

Both cards are layered up on green and black card and some lovely footy paper I got from Anna Marie which I thought might be handy.

Snow!

Well, what an unexpected start to today!

When I peeked out of the window this morning the rain had a touch of sleet to it.  Half an hour later it was very much heavy snow and we were all sat in the lovely Milton Hill House Hotel near Abingdon pondering journeys home later in the day.

I have to say the grounds did look lovely and eventually it did stop snowing, this picture was taken only after an hour though.
I had to clear a couple of inches of snow off the car before departing and the fields nearby looked lovely but literally 10 miles down the road the fields were green again.
Stonehenge had a light dusting on the way back down the A303 but we seemed to be right on the edge of this mornings downpour.

Met some lovely ladies at the Copicific retreat and learnt some new techniques to add to the ever-growing list of things I need to try.

I do have a day off tomorrow for a kind of rest but got a list of cards to make - still beats working for one more day.
Jill

Blog catch up

No pictures for 2 or 3 days whilst I am having another learning experience!

I will get chance to catch up with everyone else's blogs though as the last couple of days have been a bit hectic and I'm not up to date.

En-route today I popped in to 'The Stamp Attic' in Wantage - such a shame there aren't more shops nearer home with such a lovely range of goodies, although better on the pocket. If you're ever in the vicinity it is definitely worth a look to drool over a room full of papers or browse the large range of stamps and all the other goodies they have.

Obviously I had a little treat but I bought a set of stamps I was tempted with recently and wish I'd bought so its all ok now!  I'll test them soon.
Jill

Stampin' Up Extravaganza

A quick snap of my projects from yesterdays Stampin' Up Extravaganza with Jenny (apols the pic isn't brilliant).

It was another great day and Jenny bought a large selection of her projects for us to look at for inspiration which was much appreciated, as was the immense amount of work she puts in to the prep for the day.

Our free stamp set was Papillon Potpourri which was on my wish list so I had the matching punches ready in preparation for the stamps homecoming!

We made a fabulous noticeboard which has a laminated centre for wipe-off notes, pegs and a magnetic section - what a brilliant idea.

We then made a set of 3 cards (left of picture) and finished with another fab folded card and decorated tin.

I've never been lucky in the raffle but was lucky enough to win a table prize this time (as did Mum who always wins!) and got another lovely punch too.

Many more great ideas now and a couple more purchases on the way - oops!

Typically yesterday was also mainly bright and sunny whilst we were inside and today I went to the first bike race of the year and was so cold I can't begin to tell you and we had snow again - should of stayed in crafted.
Thanks for popping by.
Jill

Clarissa bubble blooms

And finally I made a Mothers Day card for my own Mum!

This uses the Woodware stamp Bubbles Bloom - Clarissa.  I have very much taken the colour inspiration from one of Jane Gill's examples I saw this week as I thought it was lovely.

I've stamped the image in versamagic turquoise and paper pieced the leaves with some sparkly paper from my stash.

I have then used cinnamon stickles on the stem, leaves and twirls.
The bubbles are filled with a combination of different card candi's and stickles.

Trusty sentiment wheeled out for one last time for now, all layered on some dark brown card and base card is sparkly brown from my paper mill stash.

Backing paper also from a random passing pad and a bit of ribbon to finish off.

Another fab Stampin' Up day today - Karen will be pleased to know that both myself and Mum won a table prize - no luck in the raffle though!

Dandelions

And for the penultimate Mothers Day card in this weeks extravaganza (the last one is currently undergoing a drying phase!).

This card uses a set of stamps from Sugar & Spice Crafts - I've used the little & large dandelion together and heat embossed them with super fine white WOW powder on kraft card.

Added a couple of layers - trying to use different colour combos and not always make purple cards - and added to a kraft base layer.

Trusty sentiment used again and also heat embossed.

Little butterflies punched from an SU punch which I am sure you will be seeing lots more of after what will no doubt be another fab Stampin' Up Extravaganza with Jenny tomorrow.

Penny Black card

Today my friend Lucy has a 'special' birthday.

She is a big fan of Penny Blacks so I made this 8x8" card for her.
Stamps are from the transparent sets Paint the Town & Hello Friend.

I've stamped the little hedgehog 4 times and double stamped the balloon so I could 3D the top layer, the same with the middle balloon the cat is holding.

Coloured in copics and the sky is daubed with chalk.

Trusty SU sentiment again layered on card to pick up the gold peel offs I added and ribbon to finish.

Mum

Yet another Mothers Day card - hopefully I can make time to make my own Mum one before the weekend!

A fairly straightforward one today using a swiss dots cuttlebug embossed background with some ribbon wrapped round it and a small collection of SU punches.

Oval & scallop oval with a stamped sentiment in, leaves from the bird punch and the lovely Mixed Blossoms stamp set & punches.

I made this in a couple of colourways whilst I was playing!

Another grand day out!

So, for yesterdays road trip I pottered off to Exmouth to some workshops organised by Janet who owns Japonica in the town.

It was a great crafty day out and I learnt lots.  We had three 2-hour workshops through the day, needless to say I haven't quite finished a couple of bits from 2 of these (opportunity for more blog features) but I did finish the cards on the last one which was taught by Francoise Read.

Francoise is a very talented lady who designs for Woodware and makes the most lovely cards.

Funnily enough the cards used the latest spring release stamps!
The backgrounds of the main panels were covered in paper then stamped on with flowers from a couple of different flower sets.  The words were then a further stamp on top - you will notice I wasn't quite persuasive enough on the 'smile' stamp and could of done with my stamp-a-ma-jig - but you get the idea.

We also heated up the ribbon lightly with a heat gun, something I had never done before and I thought this was a great effect.  The tip (I think) was that the ribbon has to have a high polyester content, think that is the right way round - always worth testing a little bit to see if it melts first!!

Some card candi turned up again too - that does seem to be embellishment of the moment I fancy.
In between the Mothers Day cards I shall try & finish my other projects to share.  

Bubble Blooms

I have just packaged up a bundle of Mothers Day cards for requests at work - this is one of the latest.

This is a lovely new stamp from Woodware called - Bubble Blooms 'Felicity', these stamps also appeal to me to use quilled coils in the holes but for today I have used a selection of candi, gems, stickles and liquid pearls!

The stamp was designed by the lovely Jane Gill who I met today - more on that to follow.

I have stamped the leaves separately and 3D'd them and used my Inca sentiment (again) and mounted both of these on silver card (hence the effect from being scanned).

Corners also finished with more candi.

Mothers Day Flowers

Just a quick post today as running behind today.

This is the first card off the blocks today and suitable for Jo's facebook challenge which is flowers this week.

This design is very much cased from the internet.  It uses SU Vintage Vogue stamp set and an Inca sentiment stamp.

Elderberry & Lavender Memento inks used for the flowers which I cut out and added a brad to, background stamped and layered on green to pick up the central stamped image.

Off for another grand day out tomorrow!

A Grand Day Out!

Well, I am exhausted but what a lovely day.  Sometimes if you keep visiting craft supplies and see the same stands in the same places it gets tiring but 'Make-it' at Farnborough is always such a good day out.

The venue has so much space to get around, even when busy and even though it's a bit further away you get to see exhibitors that don't make it down to the deep south west!

We had a lovely chat with Julie Hickey who was demo-ing on Craftwork Cards and took advantage of our early bird voucher to stock up on some scrummy new card candi and a goody bag.
Anna Marie Designs had 2 stands, one of lovely embellishments with printed papers and Tim had a stand with all their fab card on which I topped up on although after my recent card audit I was fairly well behaved!

Jo was demo-ing some fab flowers from border punches for Wendy on Stamps & Memories.

I got some bargains on reduced papers and a few stickles and wow powders I fancied for my collection.  A couple more memento inks which I seem to be using more of.

A peek at Natalie O' Shea's Stampin' Up samples was lovely - really looking forward to our extravaganza next week.
I even nearly spent nothing on 'every crafts a pound' but the very last items on the stand were images I have used lots of before and were, obviously, a complete bargain but I only bought 4 - yes really!

Was a tad bad and bought a pack of shaped cards which I wasn't going to - but they were lovely!!
No major purchases but I did treat myself to an ink rack - still on the square of trying to sort stuff so it is to hand and doesn't take me a week to find all the bits for a card.

I left plenty there for all my blogging friends as instructed so look forward to shopping reports from Stamps & Paper and Serendipity Dragonfly at the weekend.

Lots on the order books this weekend so need to knuckle down before more workshops on Monday (purely so I have something to blog about you understand!).
Jill