Charlie dog

Well, I must apologise as every night this week I'd planned to add a post but it's been a bit hectic again. 

This card I started making at Crafty Bunch last time when we did the box cards (I've nearly got to the end of posting the latest creations now!).

The outside of the this card is made with some lovely pearly card, a couple of layers added and topped with some paw print card from my stash.

Topped with SU sentiment, punched out and layered on SU label.

Some 'matching' ribbon also added from my stash.

And for the inside - I used my EK success paw border punch which is very handy for dog and cat lovers.

All the sides of the box were scored, folded and stuck together.

This card was for our friend Anna who is a new owner to Charlie. This was the best picture I could get the other day when we were all together, every time I got close she wanted to jump up at me.

I imported the picture to DOCrafts Digital Designer and made a pyramage picture with it which you can just see the layers of.

These cards are ideal for 3D work and the box frame sits nicely over the picture.

With a box to match in the cream pearly card we were given at club it looked very smart indeed!

Wedding Wishes

In between the box card extravaganza last week I made a couple of wedding cards, one for some friends and another for a commission (sorry the pic is slightly off centre!).

This stamp is 'Huge Mr & Mrs' from Woodware and I have very much taken my inspiration from Francoise Read's example in the current catalogue.

I've stamped the words on white card, then on 2 different papers so I could paper piece.

The dark paper is actually from a Christmas pack but only has gold swirls and hearts on.  The lighter paper is from a paper mania pack.

Where the letters overlap I have coloured with copics.

There are several smaller sayings in the set - 'You've tied the knot' I have stamped underneath and 'Wedding Wishes' on a separate little tag that is added with a bow.

Main image added to a couple of matching layers, which are also reflected on the base card (A5 size).

A few gems and punched hearts to finish.

Fathers Day Card

Not such a demand for mens cards at work, and therefore Fathers Day, as I mainly sell cards to men for wife's birthdays & wedding anniversaries - not a bad thing though as got far too much to do at the moment!

I made a card for my father in law though and you may not be surprised to know - I made a box card!!

The cover is made with some lovely pearlescent black card from Craftwork Cards.

I have kept the front simple.  The square layers have been edged with SU scallop trim border and corner punch (I've just noticed you can't get the corner punch any more - that is criminal!).

Simple oval scallop punch on top with 'Dad' added in peel offs and mounted with 3D pads.

Instead of ribbon on this I've used some of the fab, but now discontinued, elastic silver cord from SU (of course).

Scallop border punch also used for the box element inside.

The image is DOCrafts Wellington Bear from the ultimate die cut pack - the picture doesn't really do the layers justice.

Layered on a bit of black for a highlight.

Sentiment from old American set 'And Many Mower' (watch out for more of this set soon), punched out with SU word window and layered on modern label.

The recipient was thrilled and really interested in how long it took and how it was made - all secret of course!

Box Cards Pt3

These are the final 2 box cards I made for Crafty Bunch.

Todays examples are 6x6" samples.

The front of this one has some lilac/purple layers.

Sentiment from SU perfect punches, also layered on SU punch.

The edge of the top white layer was an idea JuliesJapes showcased recently.  The stamp-a-ma-jig was used to position butterflies down the edge, then I have cut round the outside of them.
Separately stamped ones are then double layered on top  for dimension and gems have been added to them all.

For the box on this one I've used a fiskars border punch that I have had for years.

The background is some lovely lilac textured card and I have used a couple of stamps from the SU Summer Silhouette set - again with punched butterflies on top.

This card was really popular and I think I might keep it for a birthday later in the year!

Another SU sentiment, punched out and layered with SU punches.  In fact this is another SU extravaganza card!

All the punches are SU on the front.

The poppies are punched from the large SU stamp featured inside and coloured in copics.

A little gem that I have coloured in black copic is added to the middle of the teeny punched flower on the front too.

This is actually a Papermania border punch inside.

SU poppies all coloured in copics, the open flower heads have been stamped twice and 3D'd for effect.

So, this is the last of my sample ones but I seem to have started something with these so there may some more to profile soon.

Box Cards pt2

What a lovely (if exhausting!) weekend.

A visit to the gorgeous garden of Sue from Crafty Bunch yesterday which was open as part of the national gardens scheme where we met a few people we knew and had to partake in tea and cake obviously.  Then an evening do for some friends that recently got married in Scotland.

A rather late night followed by far too early a morning to head to the Sincerely Yours show in Taunton where we had another lovely day catching up with crafty friends and stallholders I've got to know over the years.  Saw many local friends and was great to bump into Shirley from Nannieflash blog again and be able to introduce her 'in person' to Anne from Stamps and Paper who has been following her blog for a very long time.

Anyway, a penultimate box card post (I'm off for an early night).

I thought I'd make a male version of the box card.  Typically this turned out differently to what was in my head when I started, partially because of papers etc I found whilst trying to find other things!

Under the Happy Birthday on the front I've added a little card hinge attached with velcro for a more manly element than ribbon.

The paper on the front is from an Anna Marie pack and I have 3D'd quite a few of the footballs.
The inside has some paper from a Papermania pack and the decoupage footballer is from the same range.

Sentiment is SU from the punch bunch set and punched out with a scallop square.

SU punches also used for the borders on the box inside the card.

The other card I made in this size (nearly A5) is rather more girly. 

Card from my stash, the flower/sentiment stamp is from SU punch bunch again and the flowers are from the Mixed Bunch set.  I've punched out the flowers with a plain one for backing and a green version cut up is used for the leaves.

Same flowers in different colour combos inside and a punch around the page border punch used for the box.

Back for a final post on these samples tomorrow!

Box Card No.1!

Earlier in the year I went to a workshop at Japonica in Exmouth and made a box card with Jane Gill -I'm afraid I only finished sticking the flowers on this week as they have been awaiting some stickles!

I took the card to Crafty Bunch as a suggestion for the ladies to make but, of course, Karen and Anne were many steps ahead of me & already had them on the agenda - but it did mean I volunteered to make some samples.  They have both added their lovely samples to their blogs today so do pop past to admire them.

This is the front of the card I made in Exmouth.

Some backing paper is placed on the front of the cover (remembering to add ribbon first!) and a distressed doily is topped by 3 lovely stamped flowers from a Jane Gill Woodware set onto patterned paper.  These were cut out, lightly shaped and eventually stickles and a pearl were added.

Sentiment was supplied at the workshop.

The inside is really easy to make (after the first one), I'll add a shot another day from the side for anyone that isn't familiar with this style of card.

The 'box' element is four scored and folded pieces of card that are interlinked and glued together.

This frame is backed by a piece of card, in this instance overstamped with another Woodware stamp called 'Vive La Plume'.

More stamped flowers and leaves and the sentiment was printed on to shrink plastic, something I hadn't used for a very long time.

I shall add pics of my other samples tomorrow.

Celebrate

Hooray - 5 completed box cards - not quite sure how I've managed that but I shall take some piccies tomorrow.

This card is for my Uncle's birthday - he does happen to be a bit of a 'plane' fan but I thought this Molly Blooms is rather nice as a man card in general.

I've stamped it, coloured in copics and punched out, distressing the edge to tone in with the layers of card.

Not got too snazzy due to lack of time.
The base card is 5" and I've also distressed the edges to make the white less stark, string wrapped around the yellow layer and some gems for a bit of bling.

The celebrate is a separate stamp but is designed to fit on the banner that is attached to the plane - I've coloured and attached with sticky fixers.

Arrivederci Italy

A final quick Rome (and beyond!) round up.

We even had a day in Pompeii - somewhere else I have always wanted to go and as we were 'nearer' than we will be for some time we mounted a day trip!  We got a 'rapido' train from Rome to Naples which travels at speeds up to 340 kmh.  This got us to Naples in 1 hr 10 mins which was pretty impressive, then a half hour commuter train to Pompeii which was fascinating.

This was a view across the site.




After a shocking queue to get in to St Peters earlier in the week

we mounted a trip on our last day which was definitely worth doing for two reasons - it was very impressive and as we left the amount of people turning up again was immense.

On top of the 'large dome' there are some columns surrounding a smaller dome - the second picture is taken from there.  A lift and a few hundred interesting and rather hot stairs later - but so worth it.

 Finally today, a little preview that shows interested parties that with the wind in the right direction I should have a few samples for Crafty Bunch on Wednesday!

               

Rome hot spots

As we were in Rome we obviously had to tick off all the tourist spots.

We went past the Spanish Steps on Republic Day, although I know it is always busy, picking a national day of celebration for going past the top spots did seem a bit bonkers.
This picture is a not very complicated version of 'Where's Wally'!

Then on to the Trevi fountain which we seriously couldn't get near.  We went past it on another day on our trip when we actually managed to get to the water and throw a coin in.

And the Pantheon - another amazing structure.

Will get back to sharing some more crafting shortly!  Had bigger plans today but after visiting a fair this morning we have just been to Weymouth with some friends for fish, chips and sea air so another day bites the dust - seemed a shame not to make the most of the weather though.

A visit to Rome!

I had planned to have a few more scheduled posts in the last week while I disappeared, but sure enough I ran out of time for that as well!

I have just had a lovely week in Rome.  Somewhere I had always wanted to go but still didn't realise the scale of some of the things to see there to be honest.

We booked a Colosseum tour (you should book a ticket if you are going - gets you right past all the queues) that got us access to areas you aren't allowed to go to on a general admission ticket.

Our tour took us on to the partially re-constructed floor of the colosseum, then underground to the tunnels where the animals etc were brought in before being hoisted to the arena.  So interesting.
Then for the finale we went to the top floor (what is left of it) where you get spectacular views inside and outside the structure, well worth the tour through which we learnt much more than just wandering too.

The pictures don't really do the scale of it justice, it is so amazing there.

Boofle '50'

A birthday card for my aunt today.

I've used DoCrafts Digital Designer and printed out the 'Birthday' word which has Boofle sat on it.

The card is 5x7".  All the letters were cut out a second time for dimension and Boofle himself has several layers.

I also printed out the 50th and added them with 3D pads to the card which I added a layer of yellow paper from the stash too.

Simply finished with a few peel offs.