Stacked Presents Collection

Now I'm back into "Cardmaking Mode" again, I've decided to do what my husband told me to do a long time ago and make several of the same design of card all at the same time. My problem is I make one card and spend too much time thinking about it and moving things around. So with this set I've used the same design and just used different papers.This was my first attempt, I wanted to go for a very basic look. I've used DCWV Rockstar foiled cardstock to create the presents. They are mounted on foam pads to add a bit of depth, onto a plain white card, eek!
This is version two! My preferred choice as you can tell by the next two cards that follow! I've used some Kraft card for the base layer. The papers are a download, I really love these colours. The sentiment is from a Hero Arts set.These cards are great for using up scraps of paper! I have had this Making Memories set in my drawer for quite a couple of years now. Nice to see it finally getting used!And the final one, although I'm not too keen on the orange ribbon. I have straightened it up since I took the photo though! lol

Thanks for looking.

A Belated Merry Christmas & A Happy 2009 to you all!

Hello to you all! I hope you all had a great Christmas and New Year. I've had a bit of a break for the past few weeks as I was so busy before christmas that I think I completely ran out of inspiration! Back at the begining of December I was asked to have a little stall at the local pre-school Christmas Bazaar which I agreed to do, nervously! It went really well though and I sold quite a few cards and some of my card & candle gift sets too. I think I'll keep my eye open for some craft fairs and maybe do one or two throughout the year. Here is a little piccy of my stall!Santa was very generous to me this year! These are the crafting goodies he left for me! Mostly from my wonderful husband, Ian. I've got a few bits in the online sales too so I can't wait to have a go and get creating again! I will have to clear some of the washing and make the utility room my craft room again! Christmas was a bit more exciting this year, with Adam now being 2 and a half and quite enthusiastic about his presents. He was quite keen to open them himself but I had to help out where they were a bit too well wrapped! We had lots to open! Adam also started pre-school on Tuesday! My little baby is growing up! Where does the time go? He is only doing two short sessions a week to start with. The first one went really well, no tears, he just waved me goodbye and said see you later!

Here are just a few of my favorite cards I made leading up to Christmas.This is using one of Kerry's Stamps Harry Ski-ing. I've used some torn vellum as the snow and have added lots of glamour dust. I've used the swiss dots embossing folder and inked with my white stazon inkpad to make it look like snow. The snowflakes are cut using the cuttlebug die and I've added more glamour dust and an adhesive stone to the centre of each. I love this card! Adam gave it to his Daddy for Christmas!

The next two are cards I made for my friends Son's & Daughter's. She has 5 children all together! Again I've used Kerry's stamps. Harry & Martha with Snowmen. I've combined these with Doodlebug Papers and cardstock. I coloured the snowman with my glue pen and covered him with more glamour dust! This next card is made again with Doodlebug Card & Papers and embossed the background with cuttlebug snowflakes. I've used this sugar nellie stamp so much this year! and I got it for a bargain of about £2.50 earlier in the year when it was on sale. I needed to make some quick and easy mens cards and whilst browsing one of my many magazines decided to go with a tie theme and luckily I just happened to have the making memories set that the used to make them in the magazine which helped to inspire me!This card was so quick and easy to make and I love it. I gave one to my cousin for his birthday and he was very impressed!And finally, here is a get well card I was asked to make for a lady. I've used Kerry's Martha Nurse stamp combined with some of the Summer Driggs papers.

My first order for this year is for a Mamma Mia themed card. Not sure what I'll do yet, but I'll see what I can come up with. We got the DVD for Christmas, its great! We've watched it twice already. We also got WallE which I really love and Adam does too!

Right, well thats about all for today. Hopefully I'll be back again soon with some new creations to share with you! I need to catch up with your blogs too!

Thanks for stopping by!

Pinky The Pirate!

I was asked to make this card for a lady who sails ships for a living. I dont really have much other than my new sugar nellie pirate stamp, which I'v tried to make a bit more feminine by colouring it in shades of pink.
I've used the same layout that I used for one of my mum's cards as it was quite a simple one! The little ship is part of a font I downloaded recently, which I've printed directly onto the doodlebug card. I've used my mini Marks rubons, for the sentiment. They are by American Crafts and I got them from hobbycraft recently. Its a whole book of individual letters, its fab!

I'm not normally a great fan of Hobbycraft if I'm honest, but recently its been getting some really yummy stuff in, like all the American Crafts range and K&Company and I noticed today when I happened to "pop in" they have a lot more of the Making Memories range too. I held back though and didn't buy much atall.

A Scrapbook Page and a Candle!

**Edited to include some better photos of my scrapbook page**

Following on from my post of 6th August, I've finished making my mums birthday presents! I'm really fed up with buying presents for the sake of getting something, so this year I decided to make her presents instead. I had a go at candle stamping a while back but it didnt go well! I heated the candle a lilttle too long and it started to melt! I had another go after seeing Kerry's gorgeous set on her blog recently, and thanks to Kerry's helpful advise I was able to make a matching box too. I wanted it to match the papers I'd used on the card so I just scanned them into the computer and recloloured them slightly and printed them directly onto the card I made the box from. For the sentiment on the candle, I used Kerry's tip of printing from the pc directly onto the tissue paper.

For a first attempt, I'm really happy with this. I think my mum will love it! Ive already been out and stocked up on some more candles and will definately be making more of these.

This next set is for my little boy to give to my mum, his Nanny! This was a bit more challenging for me though as I've never done a scrapbook page before. I made the page in the frame first and then came up with the matching card.
My mum always calls Adam, "Nanny's Little Man" and that was the first thing that came to mind when I thought of making the page for her. I've used a making memories paper pack that I bought a long time ago, the spotty one is my favorite! The photo's were taken recently when we went out walking in Salcey Forest, which is in walking distance of our house! its great to have somewhere like that right on your doorstep!

I bought the frame for £6 from Wilkinsons! Its a 12x12 frame and hobbycraft sell the same box frames for £14.99! I know where I'll be getting mine from! The chipboard letters came with a magazine I bought a while ago and I've used my sharpie permanent markers to colour them in. I wanted it to be quite a simple page, and have gone for 3 matching photos which I've mounted and given a scalloped edge. All of the edges have been inked to give them a bit more definition.
They are stuck down with foam pads so they stand out a bit more. The 3 sayings are all things Adam says when he's puddle jumping, "splashy water" "muddy puddles"and "yuk". "yuk" is what he says after he's put his finger in the dirty water and then has a taste of it! I have no idea who taught him to do this!

I have to say I'm really pleased with both of my creations. I'm not sure that I'm ready to become a scrapbooker just yet, but I'd be happy to do the odd one as a gift or if I get inspired by a nice photo. It did take me a couple of attempts with different papers before I decided on this version. I hope my mum likes it!

Back to the Men!

Just when I thought I'd finished with the mens cards, I was asked to do another couple for a friend. He saw my aeroplanes card I did the other day and really liked it so he asked if I could do the same for his Dad but with Trains. I think I like this one even better that the planes one.

Ive printed both the sentiment and the photos onto white doodlebug crisscross card and it gives it a real look of luxury and the photos look like the have been printed onto canvas.
The same chap also wanted a train related fathers day card to and suggested maybe Thomas the Tank Engine as a funny card. I've come up with this. I found the photo on the internet and worked from that. I wanted to make it a nice card with a slight hint of humor and I think its worked out well. Sorry about the pic though, my craft room was so bright with the sun I struggled to get a good photo! I'm not complaining...

I'm off to my mums and tots group again tomorrow and thought I'd do a couple of extra cards to take with me. I decided to go with the cuddly buddly images again. I've made the sentiment in paint shop pro and resized the image to fit inside. The papers are part of a kit I downloaded from Shabby Princess however I've recoloured them in paint shop pro to match with the cuddly buddly man. I really like the colours on this card.

And finally, Dude! Another one made using Kerry's doodle. He's been coloured in with watercolour pencils. The papers are from the Epsom site and I've printed the sentiment direct onto the paper.

I think thats enough cards for now. I have to come up with something for the weekend. It would have been my little girl Rebecca's 4th birthday on Sunday. I've ordered a nice heart shaped wreath to go on her grave and want to make my own little card to go on it. I'm not sure what I'm going to come up with yet but no doubt it will be pink and have butterflies on it!

Dads!

Well the next lot of cards were made with Fathers Day in mind. I have got both Dads to make cards for and one for my little boy to give to his Daddy, plus both of our Dad's Birthdays are coming up too! Its a busy time of year for me! I was browsing the Docrafts site the other day and saw the idea of the Tag Card and thought I'd have a go.

The papers on this card are a kit from Shabby Princess called Blueberry Cobbler.

I thought I'd try out a different colour scheme on this one and have used the Modish Girl range again from Shabby Princess.

I've been thinking about having a go at this card for some time now as I bought the dies to cut out the tools ages ago and I think I've only made one or two cards with them. I drew the template for the apron myself and inked the edges to give it a dirty look. I've inked some chipboard letters to co-ordinate and attached them to the pocket, which has been stuck down with foam pads. I think the brown and striped papers are from a Making Memories kit I bought in America last year. The tape measure is part of a scrapbook page I also got in America.

Welly wanger! I thought this one would be a bit of fun. One of the Docrafts ladies very kindly sent me a template for the welly boot some time ago but this is the first time I've ever used it. I might use these cards for my little boy to give to his Grandad's.

Retro Men

I dont really enjoy making cards for men, they are so hard to please! I did however buy a few stamps last year that I really like, A Mini and a VW Camper Van, very retro! I've had a go at a couple of cards. The first being the Mini using the papers again downloaded from the Epsom site. I love this brown and blue combination. I think it works really well.

I'm not sure about this next card. I stamped the VW Camper van onto the spotty paper and mounted it onto white card. I've embossed with the Happy Birthday embossing folder and cut it out in the shape of a surf board and mounted both onto co-ordinating Doodlebug cardstock. This card worked really well in my head, but I seemed to struggle transalting it onto paper!

Next is a layout I used for one of my Christmas Cards last year. I have lots of peel offs that need using up so thought this would be an ideal mens card. Ive used the circles embossing folder to tie in with the circle printed paper. I think this paper is from a Making Memories set that I bought when in USA last year. The spotty paper above is from the same set. If you ever go to America or Canada go to Michaels craft store, its the best craft shop I've ever been to!