Congratulations!

I had to make a card for a couple who have just become engaged, and this colour scheme seemed to be right for the couple.

I cut all layers out using Spellbinders Nestablilities, except for the sentiment.

I ran the top layer through the Cuttlebug with the Swiss Dots folder and added a ribbon to the top 2 layers.

I stamped the sentiment onto the same card as the base card and layered it onto the brown.
A simple, but quite effective layout.
Entering this in the Craft Room Challenge this week, as the theme is Clean and Simple!

Another Challenge

The email with the latest Card Patterns sketch arrived today and it was quite lovely. Since I had just downloaded the latest freebie from SVG Cuts as well, I thought that this was an opportunity!

I used one of the scalloped shapes from SVG Cuts Scalloped Circles to make a base card. I welded two circles together and cut them to make a folded base then cut another slightly bigger scalloped circle for the top layer. A red circle completed the cutting!

I used the dune stamp designed by Sue Law to stamp around the edge of both layers, then stamped a heart using the freebie from the Craft Stamper magazine this month. I cut this one out and covered it with 3 layers of UTEE, with a sprinkle of gold on the top layer.

I added ribbon and lace to the centre of the circle then attached the ribbon roses and leaves.

The sentiment is from a Hero Arts words collection that I use a lot. I attached the heart with foam dots to make it stand out a little from the rest of the card.

Mixed Media

I have long been amazed at some of the very creative people around in blogland and have been promising myself to get into a wider range of crafting activities.
I have also signed up to Nathalie Kalbach's Creative Jump Start this month and it has been really good  seeing all the interesting creative things that the team demonstrated. 
   So recently, I sat down at my desk and was determined to get to work with a book that I made last year - started painting the pages but did not get any further.

First page (left hand side)

I made the book from A3 sized sheets that I tore, rather than cut down to size. For this 2 1/2 page spread, I painted the background blue, then added a paua coloured paper napkin to part of the first page. I used Mod Podge to apply this, then added the netting. I stamped around the edge of the pages with a free stamp from CS Magazine.

I added bits of torn paper from an encyclopaedia page with a shell theme, used various shell stamps and cut little fish shapes from orange and silver tissue, which I applied with Mod Podge.

I also used acrylic paints to provide a bit of additional colour around the page. I edged the fish with white paint, then went around the outside of that with a black marker to make the fish stand out a little more.

Second page (middle)

The seaweed is strips of paua coloured tissue and I stamped over that with silver paint, using a tree stamp from a Claudine Helmuth set. I attached the little sea shells on the netting.  The words were stamped then cut out and attached to the pages.

 This is the half page on the right hand side of the spread.

Overall, I was quite pleased with the outcome - I did get the ideas from one of the Creative Jump Start team, but you do have to start somewhere!!

Card Patterns Sketch 148 Challenge

I loved the look of this sketch at the Card Patterns blog when I saw it, so thought I would have a go with the challenge - along with lots of others!!

I wanted to make a card that had a sewing theme and had some lovely vintage type papers as well as a neat set of Toodle Binks sewing themed stamps that I received as a free gift for subscribing to Craft Stamper recently.

I cut the strips from the vintage themed card and stitched them to a backing layer, which I had cut along one side of with pinking shears to provide a zig zag edge. I used a zig zag stitch around the strips to complement this.

I stamped a rectangular card using vintage sepia Versafine ink and stitched the buttons to it. The lace was applied across the centre of the card before attaching the button card. Finished it off with the sentiment stamped with vintage sepia and a button attached with embroidery floss.

New Year 2012

Already it is three days into the New Year of 2012 and I have started my card making with a real bang! On Boxing Day - I made 17 Christmas Cards!!

SVG Cuts came out with a lovely new set recently - Everyday Cards. I loved it and have made four of the cards from the set.

Happy Birthday with 3D letters.

3 D letters add some dimension

Mary has designed the cards to fit together really well and the frills and scallops are well structured so they do not grab and rip the paper - this is a bit of a problem sometimes with the Black Cat as the blade does not swivel quickly when it is cutting scalloped shapes.

 I also found recently, some lovely cardstock sets from First Edition Papers. They are great for cutting with the Black Cat and with the Cricut.


The base cards are also cut from the files and they are all a little bit different.

The Hello You card is a nice one. The centre part is actually cut out and has a layer underneath, instead of on top! The shape of the front is also cut as part of the base card file.

Love the layered frilly look!

The flower centres are cut through all layers.