Jane's Birthday

I have quite a few birthdays in July, so I thought that I had better get some of the 

cards ready in advance (as opposed to rushing around at the last minute!).

It's my sister-in-law Jane's birthday on the second, and as I was

low on inspiration I had to resort to CASEing a card that my SU Mummy

Julie had put on her blog yesterday.  You can see her version HERE

Colour Combo Soft Suede, So Saffron and Very Vanilla.

Stampset is Everything Eleanor.

 So Saffron 5/8" satin ribbon, and the usual obligatory bling - Basic Pearls.

Jane doesn't blog so I am quite safe posting this today!

Happy Birthday Lyn

Today it is my good friend and fellow crafty blogger, Lyn's birthday, so I had to make her an extra special card to celebrate the occasion.  

I bought the Mixed Bunch Stamp Class from Jenny Moor at Stamping Moments

and just tweaked a little with the design to make it more personal.

The colour combo is Island Iindigo, Blushing Bride and Whisper White.

I used the Labels Collection Framelits Dies, for the centre panel, with a Designer Frame Embossing folder in the centre in White, and then I stamped a flower in Island indigo and punched this using the Large Oval punch.  The Sentiment is from Teeny Tiny Wishes cut out with the Word Window punch.  The Pink flower  is stamped with Blushing Bride ink using one of the Mixed Bunch flower stamps and then punching out with the Blossom Punch..

The butterfly is also stamped using a more elaborate flower from this stampset, 

then punched again with the Blosson Punch.

The Indigo Island Backing layer is stamped with the flourish from Creative Elements 

then cut with the  Adorning Accents Edgelits Dies, and embossed with

the Adorning Accents edgelits and Embossing folder.

Think I have covered everything here ........ that just leaves me to say

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LYNN - have a great day!!

First Christmas card this year!!

Lots of people are posting Christmas cards on their blogs, so I thought maybe

I should make a start on mine too!! Chris and I made this one together yesterday

afternoon and I am really pleased with it.  I wanted to try a diorama card

and my SU sister Sally Jo has put a tutorial on how to do this -you can find it here.

Front view

Arty farty angle showing how card is folded

I used 1/2 a sheet of A4 card in Cherry Cobbler.
Used the Framelits dies to cut the aperture in the front,
 and then cut a Whisper White  frame for the centre back..
Stamped the Christmas trees on this, then stamped and cut out the penguins after colouring in.
(Christmas trees and penguins from the Polar Party stamp-set)
A fine line of white glue applied around the aperture and glitter on top of this.
Merry Christmas sentiment from petite Pairs stampset.
And voila - there you have it -  my first Christmas card.
The Wednesday ladies made this last night and loved it.
I am hoping that the Thursday ladies will love it too!

Get well Soon Josie

Today sis-in-law Chris came over for our weekly crafting get together and we managed 3 cards!!
We each did a Get Well Soon card for cousin Josie, who is not very well at the moment.
Chris may well post hers on her blog later, but here's mine.
I have (once again!) used Twitterpated DSP punched with the Blossom Punch and layered
on top of another flower punched in Island Indigo.
I have used a base card of Island Indigo and layered Whisper White card
embossed with  the Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder.

The sentiment is from Hopeful Thoughts. Usual obligatory bling of Basic Rhinestones.

Get Well Soon Josie!!

Paisley petals bag.

Today the Tuesday ladies have made two cards plus this little bag, 

which can be a treat holder,  a gift card holder, or both.

There is no stamping on this at all - it is just measuring, scoring and cutting.

You do need to score and cut precisely, otherwise you end up with a bag like mine,

 that has a few imperfections, but my excuse is that it's a prototype.

I used paisley petals DSP, but the ladies all used different double sided papers.

The pattern came from a friend of mine and Chris's - Cheryl.

So thank you Cheryl - very kind of you.

All the ladies were very pleased with their efforts - which were a sight better than mine!!

Hello Julie

A close up showing the texture of the two layers.

Today I made this card to say hello to my Stampin Up Mummy Julie.

It seems ages since I last saw her so I thought that I would make her a card.

Colour Combo Basic Black, Whisper White and Cherry Cobbler.

The flower is punched out using the Blossom punch, then the card is distressed by curling it,

until the card separates into two layers. The flower centre is a 1"black punched circle.

A Boho Blossom punched large flower in Cherry Cobbler. then the Hello sentiment -

from is the Pennant Parade stamp-set is inked in Cherry Cobbler onto a 3/4" punched circle.

The background paper is Timeless portrait DSP and the pearls are from my stash.

Have a nice day Julie - see you soon!!

Adorning Accents Edgelits.

I decided that I wanted to practice using these beautiful edgelit dies and embossing folders. 

There is definitely a knack to using them, I have found that if you stick them to the cutting plate with

a post-it note it keeps them straight.  I have really enjoyed using them and am quite pleased with the result.

I have used the now favourite Twitterpated DSP - hardly any stamping on this card - just the sentiment

from Just Believe.  Colour Combo Blushing Bride, Island Indigo. Baja Breeze and Whisper White.

I hope that you can see the scalloped embossing on the white card and the Blushing Bride DSP.

The flowers are punched with the Itty Bitty flower punch and the leaves are cut from the Bird Builder Punch.Mandatory bling - rhinestones for flower centres and on sentiment.

Don't think I want to part with this card - may just keep it myself!

Adorning Accents

This card is my second attempt at using the Adorning Accents Edgelits dies.
The first attempt had to be redesigned!
I am however quite pleased with this, and think that it looks quite classy.

Colour combo Baja Breeze, Blushing Bride Cherry Cobbler and a touch of Pear Pizzazz.Bordering on Romance set used to stamp both the background and the small Framelit in the centre - 

which was coloured in using Stampin Write Markers.

White 5/8" Satin ribbon and Regal Rose 1/8" taffeta ribbon used.

Twitterpated DSP used once again.  Sentiment from Petite Pairs.Bird Builder punch used for leaves.

Happy birthday Caroline

Today is one of my Stampin Up sister's birthdays, and as such all our team try and make a card 

for our fellow "Jems".  As these have to be posted, I try to keep them flat (because of the price of stamps these days! )- you need a mortgage to send a highly embellished card through 

the post these days.  Anyhow, I am making good use of all these stamped squares

that I made some time ago, but I think these are last of them.  I really love

this colour combo of Pretty in Pink, Early Espresso and Crumb Cake.

So... Happy Birthday Caroline - hope you are having a great day!!

Thursday Class

Tonight we had a lovely surprise, Jan (whose partner Patrick is in hospital) came along to join us.

It was lovely to see her, and she tells us that Patrick is improving daily - and today

 he actually was able to be fed breakfast and lunch (rather than be tube fed) - another milestone!

 He will also probably be moved out of Intensive care tonight - more great news.

This is one of the cards that the ladies made tonight, using the Bordering on Romance
 stamp-set with the Twitterpated designer series papers. And the Framelits Die.

Colour Combo is Pear Pizzazz, Blushing Bride, Riding Hood Red and Baja Breeze. 

The knot-less bow is tied with Bakers Twine.

Fun Flowers fabric brooch

On Saturday I needed something blue to go with my red and white outfit (you recall that we went to a Red White and Blue themed Street Party Evening), so I decided to make myself a blue fabric brooch.  

I cut up a Dark blue pillow case, and using the Fun Flowers Bigz L Die, cut out two sets of flowers.

I then glued and glittered the edges of the flowers so that they wouldn't fray.

I used a large pearl brad for the flower centre and to hold the flower together.

Then stuck a brooch back on the reverse.

It looked great!!

Au revoir Yuki!

Tomorrow my good friend and fellow crafter (and Stampin Up daughter!) Yuki returns to Japan to live.

I will really miss her as we have become firm friends through our love of crafts and Stampin Up.

She made me a card to remember her by, and here is mine for her.

It's a design that I have made before, but I have changed the colours around. 

 It uses my favourite  DSP of the moment - Twitterpated, and the Blossom Punch.  

The White layer is embossed with the Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folder.

Colour Combo - Baja Breeze and Blushing Bride with Whisper White. 

A matching Twitterpated flower button finishes off the flower.

Janice's birthday card

Today has been another hectic day.  I rushed home from golf to shower and change for a

routine hospital appointment.  Just as we were about to set off, I picked up the letter,

only to find that the date had been changed and I should have gone LAST FRIDAY!! 

Rang up and apologised and then rearranged for next Monday. 

Later this afternoon, Barry and I spent some much overdue time in the garden. 

Then I taxied  Barry through to Barnsley and popped in to see my baby sister Anne-Marie.

Now I am home and ready to relax, but needed to update my blog - so here we go.

Sister-in-law Janice's birthday is on Sunday the 24th, so I wanted to make sure that I

had her card ready for when we see her on Friday for a day out.

This is yet another scallop circle easel card (think I am getting really good at these now,

 with all the practice that I have had.!)  Janice 's favourite colour is red, so it was

an open and shut decision there.  I combined Cherry Cobbler with

Very vanilla and Old Olive.  The flourishes are stamped with the swirl from

Creative Elements.  The sentiment is from Petite Pairs.  

The flower was cut using the Fun Flowers Bigz L Die.

I can safely post this as Janice doesn't blog!!

Lady Captain's day

Thought that I would share some photos with you from our Lady Captain's Day yesterday at the Golf Club.  It was a rather damp day, but it didn't stop us having fun - as you can see by the photos.

We all dressed up as gypsies, and had to play golf in these outfits.

Me raring to go!

Lady Captain

Lady Captain and Past Captain

Competition Secretary

Handicap secretary (left) and Joan

Sandhill Ladies 

Lady Captain with her grandson and Vice Captain

The A Team!!!! 

Our Refreshment Caravan!!

Hope that these will bring a little smile -Enjoy!!

Happy Birthday Sally- Jo

Here's the card that I have made for my SU sister Sally-Jo.  

It's a thank you also for all the inspiration she has given to me over the past year.

I have used a favourite colour combo of Basic Black, Cherry Cobbler and Whisper White.

The sentiment is stamped in Versamark and embossed in White EP and is from Petite Pairs stamp-set.

The flower is punched in Cherry Cobbler with the Boho Blossom Punch.

The leaves are punched using the Bird Builder Punch.

The oval is embossed with the Textured Impressions Designer frames Embossing Folder, 

then a large oval is punched and glued on top.

The background paper is Timeless Portrait DSP.

The  Julie bow is made using 5/8" Whisper White Satin Ribbon.

Happy Birthday Sally-Jo - have a great day!!.

Twitterpated Top Note with Mixed Bunch Butterfly

This is the third card that I made at Christine's last week -
 she found the design on Julie Davison's blog here
As the name implies, this bi-fold card features 

The front half panel covered with Twitterpated DSP and cut with the Top note die. 

The Central inner panel bears the greeting using Petite Pairs stamp-set

and two "kissed" butterfly images using the Butterfly stamp and Mixed Bunch flower.

 The front RHS panel has the Scallop circle in Island Indigo, 

greeting from Petite Pairs stamp-set  and the Butterfly which is made:-

The Mixed Bunch flower is stamped in Versamark, then embossed with white EP

then sponged with Blushing Bride and Pool Party ink, then punched with the Butterfly punch.

A belly-band of Baja Breeze Seam Binding keeps the card closed.

Card closed

Card with belly-band removed

Inside centre panel with greeting

Another Twitterpated Framelit

Yesterday my Wednesday ladies made the same cards as the Tuesday ladies had done.  

Laura decided to change hers and used the other side of the Twitterpated DSP and put her
sentiment
 on top of the ribbon instead - 10 out of 10 for initiative  Laura - it's beautiful.

Thinking of you Jan

Today Chris (sis-in-law) has been over to mine and we have made FOUR cards -

well pleased with our little selves!!

This is one that I have made to send to our friend Jan-

just to let her know that we are all thinking of her whilst Patrick is in hospital.

Hope that it makes her heart a little lighter!

The colour combo is Early Espresso, Pumpkin Pie and Bashful Blue.

I have used the ink dusting technique for the evening sky and landscape,

onto glossy white card cut with the Top Note die.

The Stamp-set used is Pocket Silhouettes and the ribbon is 

1/4" Grosgrain ribbon in Pumpkin Pie.

Twitterpated Framelits

Here's one of the cards that my Tuesday ladies have made today - they are doing a set of 

six cards to go in the little handbag shown here on my blog last month (on the 18th May).

This card uses the Labels Collection Framelits Dies, the Bordering on Romance stamp-set , 

Twitterpated DSP and Whisper White 5/8" satin ribbon.

Colour combo used is Blushing Bride, Baja Breeze and Riding Hood Red.

Apologies for the rubbish photo, but I left it a little late to get good light for this!.

Best Wishes

Yet another Mixed Bunch card!  This stamp-set has turned out to be another firm favourite of mine!

Here is another card that I made at Chris's on Friday.  

Chris used this design (cased from my SU Mummy Julie's Blog ) for a

make-and-take for the workshop she is doing this afternoon, 

so we tested it out to check which tools and inkpads etc would be needed.

The beautifully bright Summery colour combo is Poppy Parade, Peach Parfait,

Pear Pizzaz and Daffodil Delight .

Delightful!!

Get well Patrick

Our good friend and golfing buddy, Patrick, was admitted to hospital with Meningitis, in Portugal,

 the day before Barry and I flew out to join him and his partner Jan for a much needed holiday.

He has been very ill (indeed he still is )and everyone has been praying for his speedy return to health. 

 We stayed with Jan in Portugal until last Wednesday, and were relieved to hear that he would be transferred by air ambulance back to the UK on Saturday.

He was flown to Doncaster yesterday afternoon and then taken to Barnsley hospital, where he

 is now resting after a very tiring journey.  He is still in a coma, but there has been

 a slight improvement in his condition over the last two weeks and he still has a long way to go.

Here's the card that I have made for him.  It's a stamp-set that I use a lot for Get-well and 

thinking of you cards - Hopeful Thoughts.  The colour combo is Old Olive, Cherry Cobbler

 and Very Vanilla.  For the corner swirls I have used a stamp from Vintage Vogue

 - another well used stamp-set!!

The message says it all Patrick - Get well soon!!

Another Mixed Bunch Blossom punched card

Today I have played with the Mixed Bunch stamp-set and Blossom punch again!!

I just love the shape of this flower and you all know how much I love monochrome!

I have simply punched 3 flowers in Island Indigo and three in Whisper White

which I glued together in pairs.

I then stamped the centre flowers in co-ordinating ink (embossing the NTN one with white EP) 

 and then punched out this using the Boho Blossom punch.  

I then stuck this onto a 1" circle in the contrasting colour. 

The card is a white  DL size and I matted and layered a Next to Navy,

then a Whisper White layer which I had embossed with the Square lattice folder.

The just for you sentiment is from the Just Believe stamp-set and I layered this onto

a punched modern label of Next to Navy.

What do you think??

Telescopic card - The Open Sea

Card open (above)

Card closed (below)

Today I have been over to Chris's (sis-in-law)  for our weekly crafting get-together

and we have had a very fruitful session.  We have made three cards.

This is my version of the man's card we have made.

It is a telescopic card (as you can see above)

The colour combo is Night of Navy , Bashful Blue and Whisper White.

The stamp-set is The Open Sea and the various images and sentiment

have been stamped in either Basic Gray or Night of Navy.

I am quite pleased with this but haven't decided who will receive it yet!!

Mixed Bunch Butterfly.

I have cased this card from the lovely  Sandy MacIver's video on youtube after seeing fellow Jem - Sally's version of this a few weeks ago.  I saw the card, watched the video and just had to have a go at it.
All the instructions and materials are given on the video, but I love the butterfly which is stamped using the Mixed Bunch stampset, then punched with the blossom punch and trimmed down.

Another Mixed Bunch Blossom card

Here's yet another  10 cm square card that I have made using the Mixed Bunch stamp-set

and the Blossom Punch.  Hope it shows you how you can make a really quick pretty

notelet/ giftcard/thank you card, with a minimum of stampsets and punches.

Colour combo here is simply Soft Suede and Very Vanilla.

(not forgetting the Gold embossing!)

Another thank you card

Here's another little 10cm square thank you card.

I used this piece that I had found in my trusty bit box,  that had been stamped 

and coloured in using the Bordering on Romance little flower.

I layered this onto a mat of  Baja Breeze card stock

I then punched a flower out of Blushing Bride using the Blossom Punch and added two tiny flowers

 with the Boho Blossoms Punch.  A tini pear finished the centre of the flower nicely.

Sentiment from Petite Pairs.

Baby card

Here's another one of the three baby cards that I made for Helen recently.

This is the one that she sent to the new baby's brother and sisters.

Simple colour combo of Bashful Blue and Whisper White.

A birthday card for Chris's Mick

Over on CBN, Chris Gray asked if we would send her hubby a birthday card 

 as he feels left out when Christine receives so many and he only receives a few.

So I delved into my Mens' card box and pulled this one out - which I hope that he likes.

Happy Birthday Mick!!

Heather's birthday

Today is my good friend and ex work colleague Heather's birthday, and I have made her a card

 not dissimilar to Beryl's card  (see posting 29th May), but I put a Baja Breeze button on instead

 and coloured the two little flowers on the base in with Baja Breeze also.

Happy Birthday Heather!!

Twitterpated Blossom

Here's a card that I have unashamedly CASEd from  my SU mummy Julie's Blog

Although mine is not as fancy as hers, I still love it.

This Twitterpated DSP is so lush - I keep using it!!

Colour Combo for this card is Blushing Bride, Baja Breeze and Whisper White

I used the Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder and made the Happy Birthday Banner

 using the Curly Cute stamp-set. I then punched two flowers with

the Blossom Punch - one in Blushing Bride and one with Twitterpated DSP.

I put a tiny Twitterpated matching Designer button in the centre of the flower,

then punched two leaves out with the Bird Builder punch.

The ribbon is3/8" Pleated Blushing Bride Satin Ribbon.

Thanks Julie!!