Stampin Up High Tide

_MG_4639 (Medium)The first male themed card in my very short mens card series is this one, made using the Stampin Up Stamp set called High Tide. There are a lot of stamps in this set, and you can mix and match to make sceneries such as the one I did here. I stamped the sand first, then the lighthouse ( a darker shade of ink pad for the lighthouse), then the sea,( two shades of ink pad here too), the wisps of grass, wading birds,and gulls to finish. The cardstock was the same stampin up shades as the various inks. I look forward to making more scenes with this stamp set. Yesterday was card order day, and I had a lot of floral cards to make so I got out my scrap cardstock, and various flower and foliage dies and spent a couple of hours just die cutting. Once that was done the cards came together very quickly and I have a lot of die cut flowers left,so this week in between work I will make up some more to have ready for the next order!Til tomorrow….

Bo Bunny Prairie Chic number 1

IMG_2100 (Medium)I have had this paper since before christmas, but have only just found time to use it. For this card I used stampin Up Marina mist cardstock, the Bo Bunny Prairie Chic papers ( 12 x 12) and just some string and a flower.Some work needs to be done in the craft room this weekend as I can barely get in the door.Things have not found their way to their allocated space, and it is all a bit of a disaster in there! So not so much cardmaking as spring cleaning happening over the next day or two… Til tomorrow…

graphic 45 french country number 3

IMG_8905 (Medium)A good luck card for a bit of a change- The paper collection is Graphic 45 french Country and a piece of the matching chipboard. I added a four leaf clover charm and tied it on to the card with a mix of linen thread and bakers twine.The card base is stampin up early espresso cardstock. I am looking forward to spending a couple of hours this evening in the craft room creating with my new papers1 til tomorrow…..

toatally clean and simple.

IMG_8825 (Medium)I made this card to prove to myself that I could do a one layer card! Although I have to admit I am still fighting the urge to add some ribbon and bling… I stamped a variety of butterfly stamps – (I have a lot so it could have been any brand) and stamped them in different coloured inks – these were – Stampin Up Certainly Celery,bashful blue,so saffron, and Pink Piroutte, and then fussy cut around the outside edge. The sentiment stamp ( from stampin Up) was stamped in black to stand out.Interesting exercise, but I won’t be packing away my bling any time soon! Til tomorrow…..

Graphic 45 A place in time number 4

IMG_7234 (Medium)Sorry I missed yesterdays post, but our new air conditioning system was installed and it was a little busy around here – just in the nick of time too, as I sit here it’s 43C and is going to stay that way for quite a few days. Today is number 4 in my Graphic 45 A place in time series, still using my original 2 sheets of March cut outs. The cardstock is Stampin up Garden Green, and a lovely piece of bazil. I stamped a four leaf clover from my oxford impressions Farm stamp set and gold embossed it. The addition of a kaisercraft brad, and there it is – a good luck card ! I have a couple of orders to do, but far too hot today, the glue will dry before I get it near the cardstock, so the craft room will have to wait. Til tomorrow….

A found stamp…

While I was looking for something else entirely I found a stamp I had purchased at the same time I bought the matching papers ( kaisercraft English Rose) and filed away and then promptly forgot about, so I thought  it was about time it was inked up, and I made this series of cards, same design, just changing the colourways.I used my new Cheery Lyn Polynesian sails Oval die, and coloured the stamped images with Tim Holtz distress inks and an aquabrush.I have found the perfect paper for male themed cards, ( Simple stories Awesome) and today I have been on a creative roll making lots of boys and mens cards.Til tomorrow….

Elegant Bird number 2

This is the other card I made with my new Stampin Up Elegant Bird die. I cut this one out of an old cornflakes box, as I wanted a strong base for the crackle paint which I painted over the whole of the bird and wing and left over night to dry. It doesn’t show too well in the photo, but as the paint dries you get a lovely crackled effect.The background paper is from Stampin Up Twitterpated range, and I ran some pink Bazzil through the cuttlebug with my Craft Conceptes cottage floral embossing folder. I just had to add some lace, ribbon, Magnolia chandelier garland, and a strip of kaisercraft pearls.Had a lovely morning with my ladies,then this afternoon a short time in the craft room where I have been working with Kaisercrafts new release, but I am afraid my mind rebelled, and I found myself packing away the muted tones and digging out my brightest ribbons and buttons and papers to come up with some very bright and sunny cards, which we will photo  next week when I am on Holiday ( Yay…)  Til tomorrow….

Elegant Bird

I fell in love with this Stampin Up Elegant Bird die, although i didn’t realise it would cut such a large bird – all the same he’s a beauty! On this card I used Stampin Up Twitterpated designer paper, bazzil and stampin up cardstock – basic Grey, a My Minds eye brad, button and  ribbon. I ran the body of the bird through the cuttlebug with my trusty swiss dots folder – the first embossing folder I ever bought and still the one I reach for most.No Cards tonight as it’s shopping night and I have to get my gear together for my Paper Flourish class tomorrow – I am looking forward to seeing all my ladies. Til tomorrow….

Apothecary Art stamp set

Stampin Up have a great new little catalogue out, and I have bought quite a lot from it as I love the papers and stamps they have come up with so over the next few days you will be seeing what I have made with my new purchases!   Todays card are made using the Apothecary Art stamps, and the Labels Collection die , which fit exactly to the stamps – no fussy cutting involved! I have coloured the images with my ink pads and a blender pen,and haven’t been too fussy – just quickly colouring over more to tint , and matted all on a piece of Soft suede cardstock, cut using the next size up in the labels dies.The background paper is Stampin Up Attic Boutique designer papers. the other side of this paper had gorgeous big roses on it, so it was a hard decision to use this side! A bit of punched greenery( martha Stewart punch) , flower and lace on one card and just the lace on the other.This stamp set has great potential, and I am looking forward to finding some more time in the craft room to create more with it1 Very early post today as I am teaching over at the retirement village this evening and I still have to get all my gear together! Til tomorrow…P.S. if you are interested in one of the Stampin Up mini catalogues, contact Kay – there is a link to her blog on the right hand side of my blog.

Sketch series for using scraps number 8

We are nearly at the end of this sketch series – one more to go after this . Toadys card uses my spellbinders nested lacey pennants, some stampin Up ribbon and sentiment, and of course the paper is Everyday enchantment by Stampin Up. The second card which closely mirrors the first uses American crafts Neapolitan paper, stampin Up daffodil delight trim, ribbon and flowers instead of the lace bow and the cardstock is Stampin Up calypso coral. My back is still sore, so nothing but a seat in front of the t.v. with a hot water bottle for me tonight!Til tomorrow….