Goal!

I just thought that I would show you a man card....never an easy card to make! This is the card I made for my husband's birthday....He is a football (soccer if your're American) referee in his spare time so Football is always a good place to start..only problem is that he has probably had at least two cards from each football themed stamp that I have already. So I had to find a new image. I found this Momanning image and downloaded it from her site. Hubby's fav team is the Blues or for the uninitiated...Birmingham City. So my footballer is coloured in blue. The papers were all from the Treasury in Kidderminster...(About a Boy series I think), the rosette was made using a Tim Holtz die and the tab was a Stamp'in Up punch. The image was coloured with Copic markers and distressed with Distress inks.

I would like to enter this into several challenges as follows,

"Birthday Sundaes - Must have Birthday Sentiment", some of the paper had got a bit neglected at the bottom of a pile of offcuts.

"Here come the boys - Cards only, must be masculine for the man in your life"

"Marks finest papers - Make it masculine"

"Alphabet Challenge - V is for Vibrant"

" Delicious Doodles - Hairy Legs"

Pretty in Pink!

Hi There. I 've just got back from a lovely break at one of the best Spa Hotels in the UK, now another 3 days behind, but it was a nice break all the same!

Before I left I made this Pretty pink key ring as my next Creative Expressions design piece. I didn't quite have this in mind when I started...I was thinking of making a pendent using the Eiffel Tower image from the Just Rite Cling stamps that we are demonstrating this month, but when I went through my stash my ideas changed and this where I ended up. My girls are now fighting over it so I guess it's a hit.

The fob is made from Stampboard. This particular piece was already coloured and ready to go....an aborted previous project...well you know what they say about crafters! I do remember that it was coloured using Color Box chalk inks as these stay where you put them when you heat emboss over the top. I stamped the postage stamp and the corner flourish in Jet Black Archival ink (again this will stay in place when embossed). Using a cropadile, I punched a hole in the top corner and inserted an eyelet before Triple embossing with clear embossing powder. To get a really smooth finish I like to use the normal powder rather than the coarser powders more usually used for this technique.


I have attached a small loop of distressed silver chain and then attached pearls and crystal beads to add a bit of sparkle.

I would like to enter this into several challenges as follows.....

"Fussy and Fancy - Make a gift not a card"

"Samuel Taylor's - December Challenge, anything goes"

"Creative Inspirations Paint - Anything but a card"

Just For You!

This month it's a bit different for the Creative Expressions Design team, this time we've been given the "Bon Voyage set from JustRite Stamps". These stamps are designed to work in conjunction with Spellbinders dies. I haven't got the perfect die for this set, but the lacy oval die seems to work reasonably well.

For a change I thought I would make something other than a card...hence...a pillow box..loads going on here...The box was made using card that I'd stamped and distressed using, stormy skies, black soot and weathered wood. I used a strip of designer paper that I stamped and distressed as per the main box. The label was stamped with Chipped Sapphire Distress ink (For You was from the rambling rose u mount set). The flower and leaves were die cut using Spellbinders Rose Creations and Foliage dies. A silver brad, a bit of silver krylon pen and some glossy accents finish the project off.

Oh almost forgot...fusible fibres and gunmetal stickles also got a little bit involved too..

I would like to enter this into several challenges as follows:

"One Stop Craft - Colour Challenge Blue"

"Rogue Redhead Designs - Dress Down, one designer paper"..you can't see it very well, it's the band wrapped around the pillow box, but I promise it is there!

"Squiggles and giggles - anything but a card"

"Fussy and Fancy - Make a gift anything but a card"

"Pile it On - Anything with a P...P for Pillow box and Paris"

"Hooked on Crafts - Punches and or die cuts"

"Lexi's Creations - No straight edges"

"My Craft Spot - Hand made flower power"

Keeping it Simple!

Seriously, I need to keep things simple....Christmas is galloping towards us and I still need to make loads of Christmas cards! So I decided that one layer might be the answer....sounds easy but I have to say that it took a few experiments to get it right, but once you get the correct colour balance etc....you're off....serious batch process to create something that still looks pretty good. I still need to make the inserts but I am feeling pretty smug as I almost have enough Christmas cards done...a bit of natural wastage in the last year or so, so the address list has got smaller.

For both cards I stamped the holly stamps in Versafine Olympia Green, the berries and other red stuff is stamped using festive berries (one of the limited edition Distress inks).

On the Merry and Bright card I've dusted the berries with glitter to add a bit of frosty sparkle. Serious glitter attack...I'm covered in it....the kitchen counter is covered with it and now I think it just might be an added ingredient to this weeks bread batch...so we will all be sparkly on the inside! LOL!

I'm entering this card into several challenges

"Make My Monday - Christmas with flowers/foliage or snowflakes"

"PanPastels UK Challenge - Frosty and Bright"

"Quirky Crafts - Clean and Simple"

"2 Sisters- Let it Sparkle"

"Allsorts - One Layer Card"

"Phindy's Place - Christmas Cards"

"Wags and Whiskers - Christmas theme"

Oh and I should have said that these cards are for the current Tanda Teaser over at "Tanda Stamps Blog"

More Gilding!

Since discovering Indigoblu's Flitterglu I just can't seem to leave it alone! This time I used their gilding flakes too....how yummy does their Yorkshire Dales look on green pearlised card. For this card I have used stamps from Sam Poole's Stylish Christmas stamps, available from "Creative Expressions".

I've gone a bit to town with the old Spellbinders dies and distress inks too!

I would like to enter this card into a few challenges....

"Our Daily Bread designs - Baubles, bells or anything hanging"

"Fabulous Friday - Die cuts"

"Floweret - Christmas"

"Phindy's Place - Christmas cards"

"Wags and Whiskers - Christmas"

and last but not least here one for Zoe, Neet and Von over on "Just for Fun" where the challenge is to use you fav technique.

Not Just for Christmas!

These stylish "Creative Expressions" Christmas stamps by Sam Poole are certainly not just for Christmas! Having been on a whistle stop tour over the last couple of weeks, I totally forgot to make my brother's anniversary card....realised that I was a week overdue! Plus he lives in America so that's probably another week overdue by the time his card arrives! Feeling very guilty!

This card started as a Coke can...I annealed it in the flame on my gas hob to get the pattena and then embossed and pierced it. The beads are coke can too..just cut into strips and rolled up.

I finished the card off by stamping the swirly flourish around the edge.

I'm entering this into 4 challenges:

"House of Gilli - Monochrome"

"Crafty Cardmakers - Recycle"

"Critter Sketch Challenge - Monochrome"

"My Partner in Crime - Use any Freebie"

For this last one...my stamp was "free" as I am on the design team for Creative Expressions and of course the coke can was recycled.

Two's Company

Hi there I just thought I would share this anniversary card with you. I made it for my mum and dad's 50th Wedding anniversary hence the golden, champagne colours. The image was stamped in black soot distress ink and coloured with copics. The flowers and leaves are Tim Holtz dies and the lacy borders were punched with a Martha Stewart punch.

I'm entering this into the following challenges:

"Cupcake Crafts - Two's Company"

"Penny Black - all creatures great and small"

"Stamptacular Sunday - Punch it"

"Lili of the Valley - Creature Comforts"

"Cuddly Buddly - feature two little characters"

Oh a little tip...you know one of those well I tried it and it failed...you see the numerals...well they were cut using Tim Holtz Vintage Market....I then coloured them with gold Krylon pen....then coated with glossy accents...guess what they turned green...great if you want a verdigis effect but I wanted gold...so the numerals you see here were coloured using gold eco green pure gold acrylic paint...Glossy accents don't turn this green!

Rustic Charm

For my next card using Sam Poole's Stylish Christmas stamp set, from Creative Expressions, I have gone for a rustic theme.

The traditional reds and greens of Christmas lend themselves to a rustic treatment and what could be more complimentary than brown paper and natural raffia. Ok the brown paper is really card that looks like brown parcel wrapping. I shall send this card to one of our North American friends or relations because they know what a Cardinal is. We don't have cardinals over here, but I remember seeing them when we lived in the suburbs of Philadelphia and I have to say they are quite stunning.

I have used Gilding flakes again as per my last card, but have left off the glitter. The Poinsettia spellbinders die and the raffia have added a really rustic feel to the card that I am quite pleased with....and guess what...there is no restriction on the thickness of a card when you send it abroad...unlike sending internally! Not yet anyway!!! so result!

I an entering this card into three challenges...

"Samuel Taylors Challenge - Christmas Cards"

"Gingersnaps Challenge - Raffia"

and

"CCEE Stampers - Three different shapes on your card"

A Little bit of sparkle!

As I type this I am sitting in the reception of a hotel in Madrid....The travel bug really seems to have bitten lately, only problem is that nothing is getting done at home and blog posts have been few and far between....I'm having to schedule this one so that I can add the photos later....They are on my laptop at home...so with any luck this should appear some time on Friday afternoon with pictures! If not the pictures should come soon! I just spent an hour or so working on the toppers for our family Christmas card for this year and I have discovered that Ranger Stickes do not travel by plane well.......I had my own glitter fountain! I guess for some reason the pressure had built up inside the tube on the flight and then hadn't equalised itself since. A bit hairy when you are sitting in the reception of a posh hotel and crafting on antique inlaid table!

Well enough of that and onto my next card using Sam Poole's wonderful Stylish Christmas stamp set. I was really happy to receive these stamps from Creative Expressions, they are so versatile, as you will see if you visit any of the other design team blogs. I have a bit of catching up to do!

For my card I used the Robin, the flourish (how fab is this stamp....certainly not just for Christmas! ) and the Noel stamp. I also used a brand new product, Flitterglu from IndigoBlu. I'd had these guilding flakes for absolutely ages and ages, but I didn't really like any of the products that you used with them, consequently they tended to just sit in the drawer, as these things do. Until now that is!

You will be seeing quite a lot of gilding flakes from now on. What's even better is that the technique works really well with these Creative Expressions stamps.

For my card I used Fliterglu directly on the robin stamp and stamped this onto red card. The gilding flakes are then patted over the stamped image before being rubbed off and buffed. I used the Fliterglu on the flourish stamp but instead of flakes I used fine bronze glitter to make a background. Noel was stamped in Aged Mahogany Distress ink and distressed around the edges a bit. The robin and the layer under it was cut out using a Spellbinders die.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:

"Chrimbo Crackers - Must be Christmas Make it Sparkle"

"Dutch Dare Card Challenge - Punches and dies"

"Forever Friends - Must include an animal, something old, something new"

"Inky Impressions - Glitter"

And last but no means least,

"Ruby's Rainbow - Something with wings"

I'm starting to panic now.....it's been several hours since I applied the Stickels and they are no where near dry...I'm supposed to be getting a taxi in an hour's time! EeeK!

Traditional Red and Green for Christmas

Just a quick post....by the end of this week I will be another 5 days behind, perhaps things might get a bit more sane next week! Fingers crossed!

Card was made using Tanda stamps, Copic Markers and Distress Inks.

Serious Catching Up To Do....

Sorry been awol....go away for one week...and so I am now soooo behind.....

Just spent a week in the Canaries. Sunrise on the way out was better than the picture...The weather was fab and the pool was great but trust me it really took your breath away when you got in.....hence I left it till about 4pm before getting in....got to swim almost everyday though...so pretty chuffed with myself.

So on Monday when I got back I was really looking forward to the package from Creative Expressions containing the latest set of stamps....then I got a call....come to the Treasury on Wednesday night....new product.....strictly need to know only....going live at the NEC today....how could I resist?....see if you can find it at the show...2 mins if that into the demo...I'm like....I've got to have it NOW! It works perfectly with these latest stamps....but you will have to wait till later....I haven't finished my card yet using this product....so instead I'm showing you the card that I had planned in my head all the time I was away.....


I used Weathered wood and Broken China Distress Inks and turquoise stickles to make this card.

I'm entering this card into three challenges....

firstly

"Shelly's Images - Monochromatic plus ribbon"

secondly

"Crimbo Crackers - Must Be Christmas"

and thirdly

"Stamp Insantity - Chilled out blues"