A special card for a special lady ...

So who is the special lady ... my mum!  It's her birthday on Tuesday (it's safe to show this card here as she doesn't 'do' the internet) and this is the card I made:

My mum is a wonderful lady and my best friend ... for me, she is the best mum in the world!  She is also a card maker but our styles are very different although she always wants to learn how I make my cards.  I do share my design secrets with her as she did teach me to knit and sew!

I stamped and heat embossed the peony before water colouring the image.  I added the sentiment with foam adhesive for added dimension and a few enamel dots for added interest (and because my mum would have added them!!).

I used:
UNIKO - Pure Florals:Peony
Distress Ink - Picked Raspberry
Versafine - Onyx Black ink
WOW Clear embossing powder

I'm entering the following challenges:

UNIKO Challenge  - my card was made with love but I'm not sure it fits the optional twist!


Addicted to Stamps and More #324


Enjoy!

More Christmas ...

Good afternoon ... more progress this afternoon with the Christmas card production!!

A design I liked enough to make three cards:

I stamped and heat embossed a poinsettia background stamp and the water coloured the flowers using distress inks.  I then cut the panel into three and layered the image with a narrow gold card layer.  Gold heat embossed the sentiment and layered the whole panel with gold card.

I'm entering the following challenge:

UNIKO #50


Addicted to Stamps and More #319
 

Enjoy!

Wreath twofer ...

Good evening!! I hope you are well and keeping warm ... it has been bitterly cold in Oxfordshire today a sure sign that winter is on the way.  I've popped by to share a couple of cards that have taken me ages to make - you'll wonder why when you see them!! Unfortunately procrastination seems to be my enemy at the moment!! 

I stamped and heat embossed a panel with a background poinsettia stamp which I then water coloured using zig real brush markers.  The panel looked lovely as it was but I was determined to try and "think outside of the box" to create a design that looked a little different so I took the wreath die and cut up the panel!! The above is the result ... not quite a traditional wreath but it pleases me!

For my second card I used the same wreath die set, a butterfly die and a scrap of gelli printed card.  I think it's clear how it came together to create a minimalist, clean and simple design.

I'm entering the following challenges:

Twofer Card Challenge #11 - both cards


UNIKO Challenge #50 - the Christmas card


Enjoy!

Family birthday ...

My daughter is celebrating her 30th birthday today ... this makes me feel very old but then I am twice as old as her!!!

I thought I would pop by this evening and share the card I made for her:

I am entering the following challenges:

"Less is More" #379


Stamping Sensations September Challenge - "I spy with my little eye something beginning with B"

Enjoy!

Christmas in August ...

Good evening ... it seems ages since I had time to create anything to share on my blog ... I've been busy over the last weeks paying two visits to my parents in Lincolnshire and my son in Edinburgh ... I'm jetting off again tomorrow (i use the term 'jetting off' very loosely!).  The destination this time is Liverpool with my lovely daughter to meet up with my son for my final birthday treat for this year - a three day break full of exhibitions and sightseeing as well as lots of good food (hopefully!).

We are half way through the school summer break and finding time to be creative has been difficult ... in between time away from home I've been trying to catch up on the annual cleaning, tidying and sorting the house ... not my favourite activity but a necessity.  I decided to take today off and get creating!!  I have a card to share with you:

I used:

UNIKO - Poinsettia
Wow Gold Embossing Powder
Zig Real Brush Clean Color Markers

I'm entering the following challenge:

"Less is More" #378



Enjoy!

AAA Cards Geometrics ...

Well it's been an exciting two weeks celebrating AAA Cards 4th Birthday Bash ... I hope you joined in and had fun ... all the winners will be announced next weekend.  While you wait why not join in with the new challenge that starts today!  This time the theme is:

This is one of my favourites ... I hope it is one of yours too!!  I combined my love of geometrics with rainbow colours!

I used:

UNIKO - Background Builders: Triangulate

            - Simply Said Blocks

Distress Inks - Festive Berries, Spiced Marmalade, Mustard Seed, Twisted Citron, Mermaid Lagoon, Chipped Sapphire and Wilted Violet

Versafine Onyx Black

As always, check out the blog for more inspiring projects from the design team.  I look forward to seeing your creations.

Enjoy!

Purple and Gold ...

At last we have had a whole day of blue sky and sunshine, long may it continue ... it brings out the smiles!   This morning I was up and on the go quite early (well, early for a weekend!) washing done and out on the line, dinner planned and still time to create before meeting my friend for lunch and a chat!!

This is the first card I finished:

I promise you that the colour is purple ...

I've been struggling with many things recently and designing cards has not been easy ... mainly indecision about what to do!  This morning I decided that if I began with one of my all time favourite stamps maybe, just maybe inspiration would pay a visit ... I think it did ... this is the first of three cards I created.

I used:
UNIKO -  Pure Florals: Gerbera and Simply Said Stamp sets
Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers - Violet and Light Violet
WOW Metallic Gold Rich Pale Embossing Powder
Versamark Ink
Die-namics Stitched Square Dies

I'm entering the following challenge:

Inkspirational Challenge


Enjoy!

Always believe ...

I'm just popping by to share a card created for the Calling all Sistahs challenge:

I used a stencil and acrylic paint to create the chrysanthemum and when the paint was dry I added a sketchy outline to the petals using a black fine liner.  I then sliced and diced the image (the first cut is the scariest!) and then adhered them to a square card base.  I had intended adding a sentiment on top of the image but it just did not work so I added it to the inside.

Details of the challenge:

Enjoy!

Daffodil Delight .

A quick post to share a card:

I stamped and heat embossed the daffodils before water colouring the images.  The sentiment is heat embossed onto a piece of vellum before wrapping around the stamped panel.  The panel was adhered to the card base using foam adhesive to add a little extra dimension.

I used:

UNIKO - Spring Botanicals: Daffodils

Winsor and Newton Water Colour Paints

Versamark Ink

WOW White Embossing Powder

I'm entering the following challenges:

TIME OUT #105

Happy Little Stampers

UNIKO

Craft Stamper Magazine Blog - March "Anything Goes"

Enjoy!

One Layer Stencil ...

Good Evening ... popping in to share this:

A simple design - a stencilled image and a stamped sentiment!  This is a new technique for me ... I used alcohol inks and a stencil on my gelli printing plate.  I brayered two shades of pink alcohol ink onto the plate and then added the stencil.  I removed some of the ink from the open sections of the stencil and then added some yellow Memento ink, removed the stencil and allowed this to dry.  As it was drying I masked off a rectangle on my card base.  Once dry I added a thin layer of Buff Titanium acrylic paint, placed the card base over the top and rubbed the back to transfer the image.  I un-crossed my fingers and removed the card ... and what you see is the end result.  I added a simple sentiment and that was that!!
A one layer card created with a stencil!!!

I used:
Adirondack Alcohol Inks - Cranberry and Raspberry
Memento - Dandelion Ink
Buff Titanium Acrylic Paint
UNIKO - Chrysanthemum Stencil and Simple Said Stamp Set

I will be entering the following challenges:
"Less is More" # 367


Also, TIME OUT Challenge #105 - Happy Birthday and Congratulations!!


Enjoy!!

Twofer Love ...

Good evening from a wet and windy Oxfordshire ... I hope somebody out there is enjoying blue skies and sunshine!

Today I was inspired to create a couple of cards ... same supplies, different designs for different (although similar) events.

A Valentine card on the left and a wedding card on the right - both created using scraps of prints made using a gelli plate.

The Valentine card:

I began by stamping and heat embossing a piece of card with a small heart background stamp.  I die cut two hearts from a gelli plate print and then stitched them to the base before adding a heat embossed sentiment and adhering the panel to the card base.

The Wedding card:

For this card I used the same heart die set but this time used a smaller die as well to create two open hearts that I could intertwine. 

I used:
Sizzix Nesting Heart Dies #2
UNIKO  - Simply Said and Scattered Polka Heart Background Stamp
Wow White Embossing Powder and Gold

I'm entering the following challenges:

Twofer Card Challenge #2

TIME OUT Challenge #102 - inspired by the heart in the photograph.

Uniko Challenge

Enjoy!

Red rose ...

Do you like technology?  I have a love hate relationship with it at the moment ... largely because my laptop has developed a mind of its own ... it works for a short time and then freezes and refuses to do anything!!!!  If I manage to complete this post I will be amazed ... so I'd better get on with it!

I'd like to share another card that I made at the weekend:-

I made this using the fabulous Uniko, Pure Florals: Rose stamp set ... I stamped and heat embossed the image before colouring with Zig markers.

I'm entering this into this month's challenge at UNIKO

Enjoy!