Over 4 hours to make this! Madness!

A card for my granddaughter. I must be insane!



It must just come with lots of practice LOL You should see how many images I ruin right at the end - which are ripped up and put in my bin! I even invested in water colour paper for this.

Or maybe I will just have to face up to the fact that I am just not talented enough yet to 'knock them out' quickly, or even to make them look as good as I would like them too.

I really need lessons - but there seems to be a famine of them in my part of the country!

The photo does not show up the gold on the paper trimmings and prima flowers which gives it a lift.

A black fly thought it looked realistic and landed on the gold centre of the flower just as I took the photo!




I am finding it really, really hard to colour/paint this cute little stamp Images to make them look as nice as I want them too.



Materials
K&Co Madeline backing card and paper trim
Flowers Prima
Stamp from Sugar Nellie
Inks Ranger

Paper Therapy Challenge

I decided on a bit of Paper Therapy this afternoon. It is so hot here so I had stay indoors.

This is another little 4" x 4". I experimented by painting the square sheet of paper with Adirondack inks. The little girl image is a Gorjuss stamp. And the tree and owl by Hero Arts.

I don't know why it took most of the afternoon to do - I had quite a few disasters so kept having to try again.

It's just black and white

I was visiting my favourite blogs last night and saw this very striking black and white card by Cath Wilson

Well I didn't get the same effect - but I will do so another day - but it did inspire me to make a card just using black and white.



Once again using a stamp from the Rummage Bin range of Cornish Heritage Farms I had a play and came up with this.


I used some black gems to give it some texture and 'lift' they catch the light and looked pretty I thought

C'est si bon?

I am trying now to do layers and textures - and this card was inspired by the one here



Yes I know this one doesn't look in the least bit like it - but I used Jo's as an example. Of course I can't emulate hers - but at least it is a start.

I think I am struggling because my cards are too small - so I don't have much room on them to put things.

So - I will be on the internet ordering card blanks.

What is your favourite size - 5" x 5" or bigger - square or oblong. The one I made above is 4"x4" which is 10cm x 10cm.

I just had to buy this Gorjuss stamp

Hello Gorjuss Miss Attitude - who chose those socks?



I have been out of action a few days, so this has been a while in the making. I loved this stamp as soon as I saw it. It reminds me of a little girl whom I love dearly. Now and again she struts the same pose bless her - but don't they all!

I am still learning how to colour stamps, and I coloured the mat 'yellow' paper that little Miss Attitude is glued too.

My next 'challenge' is to try and layer the cards I make - and add more embellishments - lots of inspiration out there on the blogs.

My first Sugar Nellie card

This is my first attempt at a 'cute' card using Sugar Nellie stamps

I can see lots of things 'wrong' with it, and ways I could have improved it, but this was just a bit of R&R this afternoon - a distraction - just what I needed.

Oh should add that the little bird cage I stamped on acetate and then glued on.

Thanks to Moira and Paula for hints and tips - which I have put into use when making this card.

Little People

This little lady came from Cornish Heritage Farms and I am just starting out trying to make cards and colour the stamps.

I painted a textured card with distress inks. Stamped the image onto white card and painted it with distress inks (Note to self - must get some Promarkers or Copics)

I then cut it with a die and as there were white gaps, I painted areas with black ink to blend it all in together

Added a shiny black gem to each corner to finish it off.

Dreams Card

I would like to say this was just a quick card - but it wasn't LOL. I am still practicing.

I cut out the card using a Megabilitie die. Apologies for the photo - the card is laying down and the top has lifted a bit so at the bottom you can see the inside of the card and it looks like it is cut wonky - but it is not.

The stamps are by Tim Holtz and the wording stamp, I haven't smudged - its meant to look like that!

I have ordered a set of new stamps - and they didn't arrive today - so hopefully Monday - but I won't have time to use them until Tuesday - but they are Gorjuss and Sugar Nellies so well worth waiting for.

Now I am feeling guilty about buying them - they cost more than my first car did!

Can you imagine - I got a car and with a full tank of petrol, cheaper than I am paying for half a dozen bits of rubber!

But once I have these - I bet I have more fun than I did with that old car!

Postscript.

In case you all think I am spending thousands of pounds - my first car cost £30! And yes, it was a very long time ago.

I did buy an old van for £5 once too!

Thank you card

As always - click to enlarge photos. I have used a sheet of paper, from which I have selected different areas of colour, so that the pieces co-ordinate.

The 'Thanks a bunch' is an acrylic slider which I have threaded onto dark ribbon. I can't decide whether I want the wording in the centre or to one side - so I can slide it either way!








The inside. It is square - I have just taken the photo 'funny'!

My First Cutie Card

I think I have earned a gold star this morning - I have achieved so much already.

Cleaned out the chickens, potted on two trays of seedlings and made my first 'cute' card.


It is very basic - but I am a beginner.

I have bought a Wizard die cutting machine - and some square dies - so at least I can now cut square squares!

Got to dash - have fresh tuna to cook - jacket potatoes and mixed salad etc - any one for lunch?

The stamps are by Hero Arts.

Just a quickie

Wednesday is never a good day for me to try and do some crafting - but I did have a go late afternoon.


Having downloaded a free graphics sheet from itkupill (See here). I thought the very least I could do to show my gratitude was to get my finger out and make something.

Above is the first - but I promise to do more.

A pretty little tag, stamped with a lace stamp on grey card - with one of the images collaged on top.

With the shimmery pink ribbon she looks very feminine.

Another go at making some cards

I had another go at making some cards this afternoon. I am on a steep learning curve and really want to 'crack' it.

Here is my first effort - another male card - because I need some.

An A6 sized white textured card, which I stamped all over with a little lined stamp.



This is a bit 'dramatic' being just white and black, but I quite like it's simplicity.

I aimed at getting a layered look for my next attempt. Again starting with a white textured A6 card which I covered with basic grey cardstock, then alternated the colours and textures.



The final layer on to which I stamped the T.H.vintage car - is a dull pewter metallic paper. It looks really lovely in 'real life' as it suits the stamp and really works well with the vintage car image. I was quite pleased with the smudging of ink which I did underneath the car to create it's shadow - it 'anchors' it to the paper/ground, rather than just stamping - as I did with the first one - where it appears just as an image.




This last one was an experiment really. My new Tim Holtz plate had arrived and I wanted to have a quick 'go' with it.

Using the remainder of the grey card on a textured card blank, I stamped the foliage and the birds, inked around the edges of the grey paper with silver - which does not show up in the photo - but softens and defines the shape, and added some gem swirls. (Thank JSC - I am still using them)

Male Card

My first go at making a card for a man

I used corrugated card board to stamp the image on, and distressed it to make it look 'rougher' and more manly.

Not sure about the colour scheme, so will probably keep this one for my ideas folder and make another.

I need to make a few male cards - so this was just a practice one - but it has given me ideas for more.

Missing Luke

My little grandson is in Japan for a month - won't be back until 17th May. Not long now, but I do miss him so. Here is a link to him in Japan - you can see the resemblance!


When I saw this stamp, on Cornish Heritage Farms site it looked so much like him that I had to buy it.


He 'sits' like this a lot - and I often see him crouched down like this watching a snail or an ant - lost in a world of his own.

Oh - I had better tell you how I did it. Stamped on white card, painted with inks, matted on thick black card which I distressed quite a bit to roughen it up, as it looked too neat and tidy, and by distressing it I thought it added texture and was more 'boyish'

Then glued it onto a textured card blank which I had coloured with chalk, and edged.

I am going to send it to Japan tomorrow - so that his mummy can tell him I am thinking of him

Daft old bat aren't it!

Had a bit if a shock!

I managed to make a card.

Not a brilliant one - or a clever one - but at least I have made a start.

I was so excited that I had to take a photo - but not a good one - I should have waited until tomorrow and stood it up so that it wouldn't look lop sided.

Isn't the stamp gorgeous - it came from Cornish Heritage Farms The have fantastic stamps and so different too.



This is the inside - I think it needs a bit of 'something' perhaps a swirls stamp in the corners.

As I don't know who will get it - I haven't yet stamped the middle.






And this is the back.

Does anyone know where I can buy a stamp made to order with my name on it please?

Free digital sheet

Click here you can choose a free digital image.

Some lovely vintage pages - why not take a look

A is for..................

Wallet! Well actually it is for Alissa's Magic Wallet - which I can now show as it was for her birthday yesterday.

Do you remember these Magic Wallets?

It has been well documented by me about my 'card making blockage' so when I saw on Time for Crafting
that there was a template in this month's on line magazine, I just had to have a go - putting my own 'stamp' on it of course. The one in the online magazine is 'Jacob's Wallet', but I wanted to make a girly one for Alissa.

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With a spring time birthday, the sun shining, I used the lovely K&Co Que Sera Sera papers, and embellishments from the same range to make a Spring time themed wallet.





Pink card inside with coordinating ribbons (instead of the usual paper).

Once made you lay some money or a message inside, then open it up the other way and the money is under the ribbon - as if by magic






Then open it up the opposite way and the money moves - clever huh?




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And this is the back cover

When we phoned yesterday, she said how much she loved the surprise (especially as it had more money in it than in the demo above!)

I think I will make some more for presents instead of cards - I have some lovely new stamps to try out - so have ideas for 'grown up' wallets.