Pocket cards

I have craft club tonight and Fi and I are teaching pocket cards. They are great for teaching as they are easy for beginners but you can dress them up if you are a more advanced crafter, but I must confess, I don't like them. They are too restrictive for decorating!

I may have tied the ribbon too tight on this one, lol.

The stamp is Flowahbella by www.stampingbella.com and the background is made using a Cuttlebug embossing folder. If you don't have a Cuttlebug yet, seriously consider it, because I just adore mine. I use it all the time because it is so portable, my sizzix I hated because it was too heavy and cumbersome to keep moving about!

The insert matches the card. I used the Cuttlebug embossing folder again and

then the sentiment is called Paper Tray and it is designed by Nicole Heady and you seriously have to visit her website here http://www.papertreyink.com/ I have never seen a more beautifully packaged set of stamps in all my life. They are gorgeous sentiments too. I love, love, love this set and it has become my new favorite sentiments.

Thank you!

Thank you to everyone who replied to my post yesterday, your replies were so special to me! I feel that the real blessing of my crafting is the wonderful friends I have made, so thank you so much!

This is another cracked glass card that I made for my class at the weekend. It is much less bright IRL, it is very soft and subtle. What would we do without Roses in Winter, I really feel it is the most versatile set that I own! :)

Thought provoking!

You may have noted that over the past 2 weeks or so that I have started posting way more cards than I used to.

Well I decided to start making cards that I like. Let me clarify, much as I love Splitcoast, I was caught up in the comments/views race and I was completely paralysed by fear. I was so busy trying to make the perfect card that I ended up making nothing at all.

So I sat down and thought about why I craft. Why do I make cards? Do I make them for me? Or do I make them to try and impress the rest of the world? I lost why I make cards, I hardly ever send a card anymore and that was why I started, I wanted to make something filled with love that would cheer someone else's day.

Then just as I was deciding this, I read a post on Joan's blog here that completely encapsulated how I was feeling. It really brought home that I should be making cards that I LOVE, if I get 50 comments, great, but if I get 1 comment, that's fantastic too, one other person in the world took the time to comment on one of my cards and that's a gift!

So that is how I have now started to develop a style that I am really enjoying at the moment. I have simplified my cards, no more how much of the latest trend can I chuck on one card at the same time, no more agonising about will this impress people. I'm just having FUN and playing with sets that I have bought and haven't used.

This card I love! It is In Full Bloom embossed in gold on Fabriano card and colored using REally Rust and Old Olive reinkers. Then I just tied gold organza ribbon around the card and voila a simple, but I think, really elegant card.

Cracked glass class

I taught a class yesterday on intermediate stamping. This was one of the example cards I made for cracked glass. I love this technique, it is so simple but lots of fun at the same time.

Who doesn't like the excitement of getting your stamped piece out of the freezer and then trying to crack it.

The set I used is SU Woodland Cottage and it is very different from my usual style, it's why I bought it! I love the Englishness of it and who wouldn't want to live in this cottage? :)

I am so blown away!

One of my favorite stampers in the world ever today contacted me and asked me if I wanted to blog link my blog with hers. So you will find Beate's link on the right hand side of my blog. Please go and check it out, it is amazing, she really does have more talent in her little finger than most of us have in our entire bodies.
Beate is the lady that writes nearly all the tutorials for Splitcoaststampers techniques. They are my favorite resource in the world when I am getting ready for a class or a craft club meeting. You can always trust Beate to write a clear, well photographed tutorial and most importantly, you can always rely on her techniques to work. Go and check them out, the Splitcoast link is near the bottom of my links and when you get to the homepage, in the top right you will see a link for resources.
So thank you Beate for making my weekend! :)

I love black and white

This is a card that I made using my favorite color scheme of black and white. I used my cuttlebug embossing folder on the background and the image is Stampendous Sassy Silhouettes, how cute is that image, finished off with some gingham ribbon! Voila, 5 minute card!

It's a Girl Thing!

This is the girl version of the boy card that I did yesterday. The baby background was made using A Muse polka dot alphabet stamps. I used the same stamp as yesterday, but I think the card looks really different, especially with the heart buttons in the bottom corner.
I urge everyone in the UK to rush out and buy the circle and oval scalloped punches, I love mine. They are made by Woodware over here and are much easier to find than in the US. Marvy make them in the US and they are virtually impossible to buy!

What I did last week!

This was another simple card that I did last week for submission. It is so simple but hopefully still cute.

The ribbon is from Jody and I have fallen head over heels in love with my stripy ribbon!

I heard from the Rubber Stamper today and they are interested in some of the cards that I emailed them. I am so blown away, I really wasn't expecting anything, but shows you that you should just try and see what happens.

My redesigned card

I am a much happier bunny today. I went back and redid the insert for my criss cross card, I never redesign, I always throw away, so I am really proud of myself. I really like how it turned out and I am glad I went back and had another go.

I will make another card with the old insert.

Another card

I made this card during my cardmaking frenzy, I think it's going to either be a card submission or my mom's mother's day card. It is such an easy card to make, just stamped in Almost Amethyst and Lovely Lilac. Then the leaves are stamped in Mellow Moss and Always Artichoke.

I used Itty Bitty Backgrounds for the aging and I also sponged the cardstock with Mellow Moss.

I used more of Jody's ribbon and I cuttlebugged the main card.

Voila, one very quick, very straightforward card.

Not a happy bunny!

This is the card I made for the Technique Lover's Challenge on SCS and I'm not happy with it, it's way toooooooo busy!

I really like the envelope of the criss cross, I just don't like the insert, I may have to redo that. I like how the trees Three turned out I just don't think it goes with the Big Pieces and designer paper, they are all competing too much for the eye.

I completely forgot that I am teaching a class on Saturday morning and I have done no preparation. I am teaching intermediate stamping, so I think I'm going to do cracked glass, waterfall and coloring onto stamps, there's nothing like being ambitions, hahahahaha! So off to make some samples! :)

Productive weekend

I was just playing with some of my new sets over the weekend and this is one of them, what a cute set, I really like it!

I actually managed to get more cards done in a weekend than I usually do in a month! Huh!

Anyway, I have been really good about cutting into my new 12 x 12 paper, it is soooo cute and I watercolored with reinkers, such an easy quick card, I need to make more of these than the 27 layers, 4 sheets of cardstock productions that I usually do, lol.

On the Bleach

I am trying to make some cards to submit to various magazines and this is one I came up with last night.

I think it looks quite cute. The main image is bleached out and then recolored in with bleach in an aquapainter.

One of my favorite stampers, Linda Bullard, does this a lot and her cards are just amazing, so I decided to do a simple version of her cards.

Jody, your ribbon makes all the difference to how professional my cards look. So thank you honey!

So do you think I should submit this to a magazine?

Is It Summer Yet?

This is a card I did for Friday's challenge on SCS, it was to make a summer card. I don't really have any summer stamps and the ones I do have, Fi has borrowed and taken with her to her mum's.

So what could I do for the challenge. I know, use my cricut!

So that's what I did, the sundae is made in 2 layers. The blue background is done with my cuttlebug embossing folder. I am in love with these, they add the most fantastic texture to your cards.

My brain has melted!

This is the card I made for the Way to Use it challenge on Splitcoaststampers. The challenge was to use a website for inspiration!

Well Cindy Haffner, one of my favorite stampers in the world, used the site I was going to use and I didn't really want to do a technique.

So what did I decide? Yep, teabag folding. I absolutely love teabag folding, it satisfies the maths geek in me! I had a complete blast doing it!

Colors are a bit out there for me, but I had to use the colors from the paper, Cool Caribbean, Pretty In Pink, Chocolate Chip and Regal Rose. I also had some cool American Crafts ribbon to match. I think it turned out to be really cute!

Today's challenge

This is what I did for the challenge today on Splitcoast, it was to make 4 cards using 1 stamp set, 1 background, 1 sentiment set and the same colors in each. I am so happy with how these cards turned out.

It took me the best part of half a day to do but thank you for the challenge Beth, it was so much fun.

I have been meaning to do the rock and roll technique with Roses in Winter for ages and I just never got around to it, so this was the perfect challenge to do this.




I used Cranberry Crisp, True Thyme and Blush Blossom, I always think of CC and TT as Christmas colors but not anymore, I think they work really well with Roses in Winter!

























































Sorry about the big gap in the photos, I don't know how to fix it!

Outside my comfort zone

I made this card yesterday for the Ways to Use It challenge on Splitcoast for this week. The challenge was to use Glorious Green and I have discovered that boy this is an ugly color! I hadn't even registered it on my radar before this as Bold Brights is my least liked color group anyway. I would quite happily live without at least half the colors in that group.

Anyway, back to the card! I used Making Memories Boho Chic papers and they are way bolder than the colors I usually use. I am a crafter who likes clean and simple and so this card was a real stretch for me. I also distressed the edges which I find really challenging, all I needed to do was tear and this card would have had everything on it that I struggle with.

I am not 100% happy with this card, the green on the front panel has softened too much by watercoloring and it needs something to pull it all together I think, but I will pull it apart and try something else.

My mojo is obviously still hungover because it is driving all over the road at the moment. I need to just get back to my style, I think, and concentrate on actually making more stuff.

Luke is on half-term this week, so I usually find it easier to create as I get more sleep than usual! So I'm off to do the Monday challenge on Splitcoast.

Before I do, I just want to say thank you to Lisa, her blog is on the right, for my birthday present, I will photograph it for you and load it onto my blog this week. She made me a friendship book in the most beautiful purse/handbag. Lisa, thank you, your talent takes my breath away!

Fun card

Here's a fun card I made for a friend. I used DCWV black and white paper for their clothes and surprise, surprise I used my embossing folders for the backgrounds.

The "friends" sentiment is made using my Cricut. I think this turned out to be a really quick, cute, fun card. I hope she likes it!

It's my birthday today!

Well, it's my birthday today, I'm 40 yikes! But that's ok because I still feel 14 in my head, lol! I have had a lovely day, my husband ordered a beautiful bouquet of flowers for me, that's the first time in 20 years together he did that. He buys me flowers all the time, but he brings them home.

My 7 year old is completely overexcited. He loves birthdays and insists on blowing out the candles on YOUR cake at least 5 times!

I thought I would share another card I did for VSN over the weekend, this poor card has been cuttlebugged to within an inch of its life and the cupcake was cut out using my Cricut. I have to say I'm really pleased with how it turned out.

Now I'm off out to dinner with my family! Hugs to everyone who reads my little rambles!

The thing I love about VSN

Do you know what it is that I absolutely love about VSN? It is to try a new technique that you have been meaning to try, but then you never get around to it. Well, this card is one of those occasions. I have been meaning to try the Magic Snowflake technique for ages, but just never got around to it. Well I got the chance to try it today and I am so happy with how this turned out. You can find the technique here

http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/resources/magicsnowflake.php and if you are British rubbing alcohol is surgical spirits which you can buy at Boots, but you have to ask for it.

I am really happy with how this turned out and I can't wait to try it again!

It's VSN night again

It's VSN at Splitcoaststampers, my favorite time and I am feeling really ill. How typical is that, I have managed to do one challenge which was to make a card for Old Broads Day!

It's quite hard to read, but the sentiments says "I'm not young.....I just have a great plastic surgeon!"

I am just completely in love with these Bellas from www.stampingbella.com, they really appeal to me because they are modern, fresh and funky!They are also so reasonable priced it seems rude not to, lol!

Now I'm going back to my sick bed for a while to get some rest so that I can maybe get some of the rest of VSN done!

Much happier

Here is my card re-jigged from yesterday and I am much happier with it. Island Blossoms is the set I go to if I have made a hash of a card. I love this set and I am so sad it never made the catalog because it was a hostess set.

All I did was rip the yucky bits off, I kept the Cuttlebug templated background (how cool is that) and just changed the brad and the color of the striped card. I then mounted the flowers that I had cut out on dimensionals (foam pads) and voila, one much happier crafter!