Happy Birthday Chris

Today is the birthday of two friends who just happen to be called Chris - this is the card that I have made for my SU baby Chris B.
Back to monochrome again - very simple - Sizzlets Little Leaves die, Basis Black and Whisper White cardstock and a (now retired - sad to say) flower from the Pretties Kit. Friends sentiment from Just Believe stampset and Decorative label punched in Basis black CS.

Smiley Face flowers

Chris (sis-in-law) spotted this card on the internet earlier this month, and yesterday when we had our weekly get-together we did our own CASED version.
We used the Scallop Circle, Fancy Flower and Five Petal Flower punches, the Little Leaves Sizzlit die,and Woodland Walk DSP for the background.
Cardstock used was Night of Navy, Peach Parfait and Regal Rose.
The faces were drawn on using the Stampin Write Journaler and the Signo White ball pen and the blusher was Blushing Brise - naturally!
What do you think?

Lovely as a tree

This is another one of my Christmas Cards for this year (I resolve to make them early each year and I am always on the last push!)
I love the Lovely As A Tree stampset and it suits the inkdusting technique very well. I have used Marina Mist inkdusted on Whisper White and Basic black to stamp the trees. Wonder how long it would take to do 2 dozen?

Kusudama flower bookmark

I received a comment on Chris's Circle Circus birthday card from Sandy Ang on Friday, so I visited her blog in return and found the instructions for this corner bookmark with a kusudama flower dangle.
I have used the Newsprint DSP to make these as it seemed appropriate and was very similar to the DSP that Sandy Ang had used. You could of course use old books, but I can't bring myself to deface books however old and tatty they are.
I used the 1/8" Basic Black taffeta ribbon and punched small flowers for the back of the bookmark with the Boho Blossoms punch.
I think that you can see details of the bookmark in situ quite clearly so can see how snugly it fits on the corner of the page.
If you would like to have a go yourself, visit her blog
HERE and leave her a comment.

Top Note Motorcycle

I wanted to come up with a different way of using the top note die - so when I made my little box, I kept the narrow border of Elegant Soiree DSP and have used it here on top of a Top note cut out of Baja Breeze. I have stamped the motorcycle in Basic Black on Crumb Cake, then layered it onto Very Vanilla. This is then matted on top of the Top Note with the border glued on top. All this is then matted onto Crumb Cake and finished off with a length of Linen thread knotted.
Mmmmmm!

Manhatton Rose- double embossed

Here's my first attempt at double embossing using Versamark ink and black embossing powder on a sheet of Daffodil Delight cardstock with the Manhatton Rose Embossing folder.
Instructions on this technique were in the latest copy of SU impressions if any of you SU demos wanted to know how to do it.
If anyone else would like the instructions, pleaee leave a comment and I will get back to you.
Apologies on the poor quality of the photo, but it was a little late in the day when I took this, the piccie does not do it justice.

Circle Circus Card for Chris (my brother!)

Here's a card that I made yesterday for my brother Chris's birthday today.
I know quite a few people called Chris and it can get quite confusing!
There's Craftie Chrissie (a fellow Jem), Chris (sister-in-law), Friend Chris B and then Brother Chris.
Anyhow, I digress...... I had made this One Sheet Wonder sometime last year and had a piece left, which I knew would come in handy one day! I have simply matted it onto Choc Chip cardstock, stamped his name in Choc Chip using the Schoolbook Serif Alphabet set (with a cut-out capital C) and punched 3 stars in Choc Chip cardstock to finish it off. Quite like this one - hope that Chris does too!

And another pretty little box

Here's the little box that Chris made on Wednesday - she used the Springtime Vintage DSP and Perfect Plum cardstock with Very Vanilla Satin ribbon. Same dies and embossing folder as yesterday's posting.

Top Note and Fun Flowers gift box

My SU mummy Jules has a lot to answer for. I had resisted the Fun Flowers die from the day that I first saw the mini catalogue, right up to the day that I went up to Jules' (with sis-in-law Chris) for a training morning.
We used the Fun Flowers die on a card and a little bag, and I was hooked! That evening I sat down and ordered it, and have been waiting for divine inspiration for something different to do with it.
I saw this design on Victoria Rogers blog - here and it inspired me to have a go at making the gift box (which used the same dimensions that we used when we made Jules card) and I love it. The DSP used is Elegant Soiree - cardstock used is Very Vanilla, Baja Breeze and Crumb Cake, the Embossing floder is the square lattice and I have finished it off with a little Crumbcake flower shaped button from the Neutrals button selection, with Linen thread through the button hole and tied in a bow. I have used the Baja Breeze Seam Binding ribbon all around the side of the lid and fastened it in a neat bow on the front.

Monochrome mens' birthday card

Here's an old favourite card for a man with a monochrome colour combo - just for a change - you know how much I like my black and white!

Owl Bag Charm

Here's another little Owl project - once again taken from Julie's Owl Class - what would I do without her!! I don't think it needs any explanation - its just the Owl Punch and the Fancy Flower extra large punch, layered up and after punching the hole, coated with a thick layer of Crystal Effects and left to dry overnight.

Tree owls

Hi everyone - well I am still playing with these lovely little owls. My grand-daughter visited yesterday and she loves them too. She made 3 cards, and I did mean to photograph them before she went home, but we left it too late. You will just have to view my efforts.
Here is the card that Julie (my SU Mummy) did for her Owl Class. I wasn't able to attend this, so Christine and I had a go at making this on Wednesday, and I didn't finish mine until last night (after Lexie had gone home!).

Lynda and Julie's Birthday

Today it is two of Julies' Jems birthdays, Lynda and Julie.
I made both of them the same card in two different colourways.
Here is Lynda's card stamped with and matted onto Poppy Parade, with Whisper White and basic Black. - once again I have used the Fast and fabulous Hostess Set and it is the same design as I used the other day. Julie's card is done in Bashful Blue (I won't bore you with a piccie of this as it is the same as the one I have already posted, but has the letter J with rhinestones on instead of the letter B.

Another card for Ethan

Here is the card that I have made to send to Great-Nephew Ethan - using the Pirate ship stamp from Beware Pirates and Play Date DSP for the background. I matted this onto Pear Pizzazz cardstock

Fast and fabulous

Once again I've had a few birthdays this week, and for this card I have used the Fast and Fabulous level two Hostess Gift. Colour combo is Bashful Blue, Basic Black and Whisper white with a few rhinestones just to add a bit of bling to it.

Builder Wheel Birthday Card

I promised to post another card using the builder wheels - well here it is.
It is my great-nephew's 7th birthday on the 15th so I thought I would try making a background using the wheels. I am quite pleased with the effect and of course I couldn't resist putting an owl on! I have used the Party This Way stampset to stamp the banner, threaded the pennants onto linen thread and used rub-ons for the 7 today greeting. For Ethan's name i used the Varsity Alphabet for the capital E and Schoolbook Serif Alphabet for the lower case letters. Colour combo is Marina Mist and Cherry Cobbler on Whisper White.

Japan Tsunami Appeal - Charity Event

Hi everyone.
Yuki, one of the Japanese ladies who attends my Tuesday Class at Gilroyd Community Centre, has, along with some of her Japanese friends, organised a Fundraising Charity Event in Barnsley, next Wednesday 18th May, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. in the Alhambra Centre.
If you have an hour or so to spare next Wednesday, it would be nice if you could go along and support these ladies to raise funds for the Tsunami Appeal. It sounds like a really good day out.
Yuki writes:-
"Being in England, we recently hardly hear about the massive earthquake and tsunami in Japan which happened two months ago, but there are still huge number of people who are suffering from the damage.
There are still many aftershocks every day.
Poeple who have lost everything -literally everything- are struggling to live.
As Japanese we want to do something to help them, support them.
So we set up a charity event.
We are going to stand for donation and sell some hand-made bookmarks, accessories,cards and so on...
One of our members is going to show how to do Japanese calligraphy"

Here is a mini poster with details. If you need further information, please go to
Yuki's Blog here
and I am sure she will be able to answer any queries you might have.

Baby Blossoms One sheet wonder

My Tuesday class have played with the Baby Blossoms stampset today and here is the before picture (Eileen's).
They will bring their completed cards to class in a fortnight and I will post the pictures of the finished articles.

Blushing Bride Bag

Until I spotted SJ's mini bag here I had forgotten all about this little bag, which I thought was great for holding tiny bits and bobs. I needed a gift bag today to put a present of a tiny necklace in, so here is my Blushing Bride version.
Like SJ, I received a swap at Convention and did mean to spend some time measuring and making a template to reproduce it. SJ has saved me the time - thank you ever so much SJ - you are a star! I have used the Blushing Bride DSP from the Hostess Gift DSP 6" x 6" stack, plus a 3/4" punched circle and small Boho Blosson in Blushing Bride cardstock. The ribbon for the handle is 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon in Pretty in Pink - which actually co-ordinates very well.
Once again - thanks ever so much Sarah Jane!

The holidays over!!

Apologies for the lack of postings this week. Got back from our holiday in the early hours of Tuesday morning and its been a frantic time since.
Came home with a sore throat, hacking cough and runny nose and feeling dreadful.
Nonetheless -Tuesday I had my class at Gilroyd Community Centre in the morning then my afternoon Craft Class.
Wednesday Chris (Sis-in-law)and I went up to Leeds to my SU mummy's - Julie's and had a great time making projects using the Big Shot. Then there was my Wednesday evening Craft Class.
Yesterday I met up with my friend Ashley for our monthly walk, then we had a gfreat Lunch at Owston Park Grange.
Went home to make Barry his dinner and then it was my Thursday evening craft class.
Today I have actually managed to get 3 loads of holiday wasking done - just need to get them ironed, then I can get on with some serious crtafting of my own.
Its good to be back home!!