90th Birthday card

My friend asked if I could make her a card for her Aunt's 90th Birthday so this is the card that I made.

I have made this style of card before that my friend has chosen and I have die cut the front of the 7 x 7-inch card using a frame die from one of Tattered Lace's Petals of Lace collection.

I have also used the matching charisma papers (which I believe you still can download some free samples from their website for your dies)  to die cut the roses for my decoupaged topper, which isn't too fiddly to do, compared to some.

I stamped and heat embossed both sentiments for the aperture centre but had to rely on die cuts for the rest.

I also used backing papers from the collection that I had and mounted the topper on foam pads so that it would stand proud. I used my sakura gelly roll pen in stardust to highlight areas of the paper to give it a little shimmer.  I can't recommend these pens enough. I'm not a huge fan of using loose glitter, I love my Stickles glitter glue but the pens I use all the time as they give you a little shimmer here and there where sometimes sparkle can be a little too much. Unfortunately, it doesn't always show up in my photos to show you.

As this style of card doesn't really have a place to write your message unless you don't mind it showing through the design, so I made a panel on the back which I think looks a lot neater.

Of course, the card needed a box, so I used some more of the design paper on the front of the box and lined the inside with some plain pink paper, overlayed with an embossed topper using one of the Dreamees embossing folders. I also highlighted areas of the printed paper on the front of the box with my gel pen, which just shows up in the picture above.

What a special birthday to reach and I hope that my friend's Aunt receives lots of cards to mark her memorable day.

I have another project to finish off from last year so hopefully, that will be my next post.

What's on your crafting table today? 

 Have a good day whatever you have planned for yourself.

Happy crafting

Challenges:-

Let's Craft and Create - add a sentiment

Love to craft  - ATG 

Love to Scrap - ATG

Mix it Up - ATG

Allsorts - ATG

Crafts Galore -ATG

Crafty Catz - Female Birthday

Everybody Art - ATG

Arty Divas - ATG

Classic Designs  -ATG

Just Us Girls - Pink

Monochrome mens Card

I've been getting myself a bit more organised this year and trying to be more consistent with blogging.  I have recently finished a birthday card for a friend to share.

I have a few men's cards to make quite close together each year and sometimes it's a challenge to think of something different, which is why I tend to fall back on my stamping for these, but I did really like this design when I saw it.

This design is one of the men's cards from Opulence by Design Crafts and also happens to be a free download too. I used a 6 x6 inch card blank and layered it with some dark mirror card and grey cardstock from my stash.  I also used the mirror card to die cut the cogs to embellish my card.

For a bit more texture I added some distress Stickles glitter glue in pewter which added a more gritty shimmer than sparkle. I did print off an extra piece of this great backing paper for the inside of the card, so that I could overlay an insert that I also printed off.

My card will still be able to fit into its envelope too which is also a good thing for posting.

I do love a monochrome card especially when you have such a lovely topper like this. If it were a feminine card you could add any burst of colour, such as flowers as an accent.

What's on your crafting table today?  Have a good day whatever you have planned for yourself.

Happy crafting

Challenges:-

Let's Craft and Create - Black & White

Daisy Chains - Birthday 

Creative Fingers - ATG

Little Red Wagon - Birthday 

AAABirthday - Birthday

As You Like It - one colour

Krafty Chicks - Birthday 

Creatalicious - ATG

Love to Craft - ATG

Love to Scrap - ATG

Mix It Up - ATG (no stamping)

Allsorts - boys/Men

Enchanted Birthday card

 I have a birthday card for a friend to share today using a mix of digital downloads.

My DL birthday card was made using part of the Enchanted Seasons Treasure Hunt download by Debbi Moore designs with the beautiful Christmas Hellibore Roses and rose petal leaves by Opulence by Design Crafts.   

I've used just part of the Enchanted Seasons download to create my card. I really liked the papers and topper on this particular set and I think they go really well with the flowers for my card too.

As you probably know by now, one of my favourite things to make is flowers and I've chosen these hellebores because I really like their hues of green and the rose petals are so natural looking too. I printed these out onto 120gsm Navigator paper for colour documents. I have also reduced the original size of these flowers so that I could use them for smaller projects too.

The centres of these flowers are so detailed that I just added glossy accents to the middle of them and stardust Stickles glitter glue around the edges of the stamens. I also added a few little sprigs of die cut ferns.

I've loved crafting with Debbi Moore designs products for many years now and it's always one that I return to. Debbi offers a free monthly download on her website along with weekly treasure hunts on her Facebook live shows. Great Inspiration.

Have a great day, whatever you have planned for yourself.

Happy crafting

Challenges:-

Daisy Chains - ATG

Love to Craft - ATG

Love to Scrap - ATG

The Sisterhood of Crafters - ATG

A Place to Start - ATG

Creative Fingers -ATG

Breathe Collection Birthday card

I have made a start on my birthday cards that I need to make this year and was really spoilt for choice, as I have quite a few favourites when it comes to these beautiful digital download collections by Opulence by Design Crafts.

One of my favourite things to make has always been flowers and when saw this digital download collection from Amanda Aitken, I fell in love with it straight away. Amanda is a very talented crafter/designer and so much more. She's worked very hard to create a website with all her own designs and collections.

The Breathe collection comprises of 5 x  A4  PDF sheets - a mix of backing papers, embellishment/collage sheets, and of course the beautiful Dahlia flowers which are so very detailed and easy to cut out, which is important if you have dexterity issues.

I used kraft card for my base and layered it with rose gold textured mirror card. I quite often carry paper through to the back of the card too. I used one of my Tattered Lace dies for my flowers to sit on.

Between the flowers and the square topper, I inserted a blue heart embellishment from the collection which was heat embossed with clear embossing powder to add some texture.

I also added some variegated green ivy leaves also from Amanda's website, in between the flowers. I just added some glossy accents and some copper nail head embellishments to finish off my card.

I will probably make an envelobox for this card, leaving enough space for the flowers, and that way I can be sure it doesn't get crushed before to need to send it on its way either.

Have a great day, whatever you have planned for yourself.

Happy crafting

   Challenge: Daisy Chains  - ATG

                      Love to scrap - ATG

                      Love to craft  - ATG

                      Crafts Galore - ATG

                      Beautiful Blossoms - Flowers

October Flip Flap book pages

 Autumn is definitely my favourite season, although it does feel a little short this year with all the crazy temperatures that we have been having.

I'm sharing my last flip flap book pages for the time being from our Dreamees group swap, although I have really enjoyed doing these ones as I have Autumn themed them, well I had to really.....

For page one I created a kitchen inspired chalkboard followed by an Autumnal tag on page two and its accompanying Autumnal verse.

I decided to recreate a similar version of something that I had made before but much smaller to fit onto a 6 x 6 inch page. I gessoed a piece of card (leftover card packaging from soup) to create a base for the chalkboard paint. I didn't want it to be too heavy for the page either and had to be very patient to let it dry completely before checking that it had worked.  I then embellished the page with some die cuts for a bit of a country kitchen look.

My second page I based around the Autumnal tag with this cute little digi owl from one of Hayleys CDs, this was also a stamp and the papers/embellishments are from the Woodland Wonders collection. This Totally Timber paper pad has some lovely grainy timber paper for projects and I've added an Autumnal verse  to mark the season.

On the flip side more Autumnal vibes with pumpkins on my third page and an Autumnal wreath for my final page.

I used my Dreamees Autumn Days stamp on this page and decoupaged the pumpkins to add dimension, I also did this for the barrel which I stamped out twice and inked the panels to make them look aged.

My smallest Dreamees dies came in very handy to fill the background with an array of mini blooms and of course some Stickles glitter glue to add a little sparkle.

On my final page, I decided on an Autumnal wreath using the fretwork star die which has been heat embossed with vintage photo distress ink and clear embossing powder onto kraft card.

I then built the wreath up with a mix of all my foliage die cuts and I even found a few stamped leaves from my fall & foliage set. I added the tiny inked rolled roses last and finished off with some Stickles glitter glue/pearl drops.

A few nature pics to finish on...

The last of my sunflowers in the garden. These smaller headed lemon valentine varieties are really pretty and the blue tits perch on their gangly stems as they are next to the bird feeder.

I have a few of these flower feeders dotted around my garden as the small birds seem to prefer them and to bath in them too.

I tidied up my garden a bit, not too much as it's always been more wildlife friendly and always under the supervision of my feathered friends who are keen to see if I unearth a worm or too.

I have watched this one grow from a fledgling, a very mottled chestnut with just her head to go and one of the culprits for demolishing the bug homes that are dotted around the garden also.  I go gathering pinecones for my garden and what doesn't get gnawed by the squirrels or the mouse, will get tossed around the garden in a game of ping pong by the birds. Well, at least it keeps someone entertained.

Have a great week whatever you have planned for yourself and I hope your day is a good one too.

Happy crafting

Hello Autumn

 As Autumn breezes in, I've decided it's time to put my flip flops away for another year but I don't mind as although I'm not a fan of the colder days, Autumn is my favourite season.

Perfectly timed, I have just finished my Autumnal tag, which will become part of a monthly project that I am working on.

On the tag I have used a mix of wood grain paper and this great Autumnal leaf paper from one of the Dreamees CDs in my stash. This cute little owl is also a digi image, which is ideal as my colouring isn't very good.

There is something very satisfying about stripping the inside of a padded envelope and knowing how useful that will become one day......something only a crafter will understand ha ha !!    That envelope padding provided a vital piece of texture for my owl to nestle on.

I then added some pre-stamped and cut maple leaves along with a few die cut foliage and some digi foliage from one of Hayley Bignall's older CDs.

I've added a little Autumnal verse and a few more leaves to the 6 x6 inch wood grain page that has now also been finished to accompany my tag and some velco corners to attach it to the page.

I love the changing colour of the leaves on the trees..........and as I'm drinking my coffee and looking into my garden, that familiar tufty tail of the squirrel, digging up my garden and leaving by bulbs for me to pop back in the soil......

Have a fab day whatever you have planned for yourself.

Happy crafting

Challenges:  fabnfunky - Autumn 

August Memory Book Pages

I have August's memory book pages to share from last month and these have already been sent to my swap partner as part of our Dreamees group swap.  

I started with a bunch of lavender using the Dreamees lavender dies from the Nature's Garden Collection and their recipe of happiness sentiment. 

I thought this trellis die looked a little like one that you could get in a garden and with some green sisal behind, it gave a softer illusion to the background. 

On the adjacent side, I created a little folder using a piece of music paper that I found in my stash.  When I was cleaning my stencil after making a project, I  didn't want to waste the texture paste that was left over, so I made some prints on pieces of card which came in very handy as I used one of these brick stencils behind my hyacinth stamp. To add a little more dimension to it I added some tiny blue die cut flowers and some moss to the pot.

I also added a little tag using one of the Dreamees digi stamps from the CD Roms that they used to make and my usual ATC card that I normally include with my swaps.

On the flip side, I chose the peach kisses paper pad. A gatefold page with a pop-up behind the doors and on the adjacent page an open envelope of tags.

I stamped one of the little fairy mushroom houses and added it to the centre of my page.

I managed to get two larger tags (just) in the envelope. I sometimes get carried away decorating and forget about the space I have to fit things into. I used little stamps and dies on the coordinating papers from this pad.

On this tag, I used one of the very early Dreamees stamp sets,  the Elegant Dress, simply because when I was looking through my tray of stamps, it was right at the bottom looking all forgotten. The top layer of the mannequin dress has been stamped and heat embossed onto a small piece of vellum. These projects are ideal for using up all these small pieces in your craft box that you don't want to throw away.

Throughout my project, I've added Stickles glitter glue to highlight, and the addiction grows!! There always seems to be a cool colour that I think I might need and then I spot the new Distress Stickles!!

Have a fab day whatever you have planned for yourself.

Happy crafting