Another wedding card (sorry!)

Yet another wedding card I'm afraid, this time an anniversary one for my brother and his missus. I made this for my mum to give to them.

Shamefully, I have no idea when their anniversary is, so I doubt they'll be getting a card from me! I might even have missed it!

Ah well, they get one of my creations via my mum anyway!



I used the Always Elegant here and created the background by repeatedly stamping the big swirly pattern on to Whisper White cardstock in Crum Cake ink. A subtle, beautiful pattern. It was mounted on to a square Crumb Cake card blank.



For the focal element, I used the sentiment from that set in Cherry Cobbler ink. I used te Word Window and Scallop Oval punches for the frame. Then, lots of flowers using the flower stamps from the Punch Potpourri hostess set, punched out with the matching Boho Blossoms Punch.

I made some tiny rose buds from Whisper White 3mm Taffeta Ribbon
and decorated with lots of Pearls.

A very pretty card, and the Cherry Cobbler just gives it that wow factor and brings it to life.

Today I'm off to our Buns & Roses WI 1940s/50s day and I have a very pretty dress to wear and dance around in! I will be back with tales and pics soon.

In the meantime, why not head over to our B&R blog to read all about the national AGM this week.

Read more...

Easter weekend

I think this is about the only Easter weekend I've not spent with my family. Very strange, but I kinda did it without realising. I'm going back later this week as we're having a gathering for my grandma's 80th birthday (it's a surprise and all her grandkids wil be there) and I didn't want to be away from all my crafty goodies for too long!

Anyway, I have spent the time with some of my good friends instead. Yesterday I was round at Sam's to help her get started with the Big Shot and begin making her boxes, labels and tags for her yummy bath products. We had a good play, and this is one of the little boxes from the Mini Milk Carton Die.



The milk carton is made from Crumb Cake cardstock and we wrapped a piece from the Subtles DSP stack around it. Then made the label using Four Frames and the matching Decorative Label Punch, coloured in with the Stampin' Write markers. I added the wording using Just Perfect Alphabet and handwriting. Finally, it is (very poorly) tied with the Pretty In Pink 3mm Taffeta Ribbon.

We were both very pleased with how it looks - just the right balance of cuteness and vintage.

We also experimented with embossing the card once the template had been cut, which also looked pretty awesome, and using a Stampin' Around wheel and the Spritzer Tool to create a design on the carton, but I forgot to take pics!

After all this crafty fun we went to the pub for a cheeky beverage and sat in the sun for a while.

And now I have no idea what day it is and what I should be doing! Best go figure it out!

Read more...

Two tags

Just have a couple of tags to share today, using the beautiful Four Frames stamp set and matching Decorative Label Punch.



This first one I made for some of my friends and customers to go with the new Mini Catalogue I gave them.

I stamped the frame with the roses on and cooured it in using my Stampin' Write Markers. The monogram was added with Broadsheet Alphabet. I then covered both sides in sticky back plastic and punched it out. Finally, I added the Eyelet using the Crop-A-Dile and threaded it with Taffeta Ribbon.



This one is mine and it's on my summer handbag, along with my Julie's Jems team brooch and WI badge.



And here's a gift tag using the same stamp. Again, coloured in and punched out. The actual tag was cut from Crumb Cake card and I added a bit of the Springtime Vintage DSP and some butterflies made with the Beautiful Wings Embosslit on my Big Shot. It was finished off with the Seam Binding Ribbon in Rose Red.

Whoever has a birthday next may just get this label on their present. That is, assuming they get a present from me!

Read more...

Just My Type

These are Just My Type of cards. Get it?!

The typewriter is part of an American SU set that wedon't have over here unfortunately, but I had to have it so thankfully a US friend sent it over to me! Gotta love international relations!

I combined it with my favourite Broadsheet Alphabet, thin Taffeta Ribbon and Twill Tape and Newsprint DSP to come up with these cards.





It was a while ago that I made them, and I'm pleased to say that one of the ladies at WI loved them as much as me and bought one straightaway!

It's nice to know I'm not alone!

Read more...

Songbird

Anyone who knows me at all will know that I am a massive fan of Fleetwood Mac. If you don't know that you've obviously never spoken to me for more than a minute.

So last night I made two projects using Songbird as my inspiration. It's one of my favourite songs by them and should a miracle happen and I get married it will be my first dance.

I have used the Notably Ornate stamp set, which has a beautiful bird and an amazing vintage frame (as well as two others!).



Project one is a pendant. I stamped the image on to Very Vanilla card and stuck it to the clear charm with Crystal Effects. The little round tag is a piece of the Newsprint DSP and I decorated the chain with some buttons and my favourite ribbon.



And here's project two - a card. I used Versamark to stamp the frame, which creates a tone-on-tone effect.



The bird was embossed on to Newsprint DSP and inked up with the brayer. I added some Grungeboard, also inked up. I'm not convinced the little frame works quite right - my handwriting could be better! I would really love a typewriter, that would be perfect for this type of thing. Would anyone like to buy me one?!

Read more...

Bitten by the scrapbooking bug!

I have definitely got another love now - I am well and truly hooked on scrapbooking!

Yesterday (actually today still as I've scheduled this post for the morning! That'll confuse ya!) I made THREE pages! And I've not even shown you the ones I did at mummy Julie's club yet! Or the many other cards I have made and stored up to show you!

But one of yesterday's (today's) layouts to show you first!

My mum sent me a selection of pics a while back so I have finally got a good use for them! There were two lovely ones of the two of us - one when I was a baby and we were off to someone's Christening (I think, could have been a wedding!), and the other from my cousin's wedding in Cyprus a few years ago.



The problem was they didn't really go together as their main and accent colours were different. After some deliberation and a few tips from my fellow crafters, I sat down with my stash (this was at 10.30pm) and discovered that the Greenhouse Gala and Woodland Walk DSP from Stampin' Up! each matched a picture perfectly!



To bring them together I cut out a flower from each and added it to the opposite photo and then used the green and red in the title and journaling (to be completed with dates when I find them out!) to pull it all into one.

I'm really pleased with it and will now be on a mission to find and print lots more photos!

Today (tomorrow!) I am off to my first WI committee meeting at the federation offices before coming back for some work. I have half resolved not to do more crafting for a few days as I have a lot of writing to do, a class on Thursday at Buns & Roses WI and my mum is coming up to see me!


PS This is actually the third time I have posted this now as I kept forgetting to schedule it and it just went live. So I have no idea what day it is anymore! All this crafting makes me giddy.

Read more...

Scrapbook page: My trip to America

Yesterday I went round to mummy Julie's to help her out with some crafty things. We had a good natter and got loads done. While I was there she made a scrapbook page and with that and her class this afternoon, at which I will be scrapping some pics of my niece and nephew, I got home and was in the mood for getting stuck in!

So, I dug out a picture of me I have been meaning to do something with for ages. It was taken in May 2007 in a bar in Minneapolis. I had been sent to the USA on a press trip and on arrival handed the keys to a brand new Chrysler Sebring and told to drive 400 miles around Minnesota and Wisconsin! Bear in mind I had passed my test just a few months earlier and had only ever driven a Vauxhall Corsa!

Anyway, it was so much fun and I survived going the wrong way down a one-way street, the lack of roundabouts and being shouted at for doing U-turns and "parking improperly".

For this page I focused on the awesome Newsprint DSP. This is totally me and I use it as much as possible. This background sheet is just perfect for scrapbooking.



I matted the image on to Pacific Point card, which is pretty close to the colour of my top, and used the Spiral Border Punch to make it look like a notebook page. I added a paperclip from the Clips Assortment. The typewriter is from an American SU set called Puns From The Past. The ribbon is Basic Black Striped Grosgrain and Twill Tape, stamped onto randomly with the Just Perfect Alphabet.



The map is actually another design in the Newsprint DSP stack. I went to town with the Distressing Essentials kit, using the sanding block to roughen the edges and the Tea Stain Ink Spot to age it.I stamped USA with the Broadsheet Alphabet. I used brads and some Linen Thread and 3mm Taffeta Ribbon to decorate and marked the places I stayed with Xs. The arrow is a piece of chipboard from the On-Board pack, covered in Blueberry Crisp DSP.



The journalling is done on the oval stamp from the Notably Ornate set, framed with more chipboard pieces, this time covered in another pattern from the Newsprint DSP.



Finally, I decided to highlight some of the super adverts on the Newsprint DSP. Again, I used the Distressing Essentials to rough them up.



This one is my favourite!



I definitely have the scrapbooking bug now so expect more layouts soon!

Read more...

A little scrapbook all my own

Today I decorated this awesome little scrapbook. I did it in between making Christmas cards with people at the I Love West Leeds shop in Armley.
I'm trying to do more scrapbook and vintage pieces so have got LOTS of new stash recently to play with. Just an excuse to shop and see the cute UPS man really!
I decided to title this one with my blog name, and if I can work out how to do it may even alter my layout to incorporate it!
Anywho, the check DSP was some random stuff I found on the net, as is the journal, which has some really funky cards in that I will show you another time. That is, when I have figured out what to do with it! The cotton reels are also from a sheet of DSP so I cut them out and wrapped some embroidery thread around them. I added SU buttons and ribbon and the wording is done with the yummy Broadsheet Alphabet and the Just Perfect Alphabet on Marina Mist card stock.
I'm in Harrogate all weekend so won't be around till Monday. I'm helping out on the WI stand at The Knitting and Stitching Show tomorrow, on Saturday mum is coming up and we'll be shopping and taking afternoon tea at Bettys and then on Sunday we're going to the show for more shopping and to learn new things. So excited!

Read more...

A Newsprint notebook

Here is one of my creations from yesterday - a covered SU art journal.
I have used my favourite Stampin' Up! goodies - Newsprint DSP, the Broadsheet Alphabet stamps and Striped Grosgrain and Taffeta Ribbon.
The colours are Very Vanilla and Basic Black. I added on some flowers made using the Boho blossoms Punch, some Neutrals Brads, a couple of Neutrals Buttons and one of the beautiful Pearls.
I'm so pleased with this, but I have no idea what to use it for!

Read more...

Newsprint bookmarks

Now Convention is over I can show you some of the swaps and gifts I made for people. Well, I have actually posted a couple already without saying cos I loved them too much!
I made these bookmarks for an organised 3D swap, and also did one for mummy Julie, my roomie Joy and the lovely Vicky Hayes, whose blog never fails to inspire me. And I sent one to my mum as well!
They were really easy but fun to make as there are several elements but nothing too complicated. The base is a piece of textured River Rock card and Newsprint DSP on a mat of Basic Black Card. The bottom was shaped with the Eyelet Border Punch. At the top, I had wheeled the Music Notes on to a piece of Twill Tape and threaded it through a punched hole several times. Then, stamped the recipient's initial using Broadsheet Alphabet, cut out and layered on. I added a bit of 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon and a Neutrals Button with Linen Thread.
I kept one for myself so now I just have to find time to read!

Read more...

Mad busy

The fun never stops round here!
Today I have had lots of work on, and not the bits I had planned to do, so still loads more to plough through! Luckily I managed to fit in a bit of crafting as well as Hayley, who is the Buns & Roses WI treasurer, came round to play.
She made some gift tags and I did my bag tags for Convention.


I used some little wooden tags and stuck on my name using the Broadsheet Alphabet stamped on to Very Vanilla card and layered on Basic Black, both torn to give a vintage effect. The background paper is Newsprint DSP. I totally adore these new Stampin' Up! products, they're right up my street. I added a bit of 3mm Taffeta Ribbon and attached on a button with Linen Thread.
I'm now going to tidy up the living room as it is a complete mess! Have bought a Welsh dresser off eBay to help organise my stuff better - can't wait to have a proper place for everything!

Read more...