Winter at last!

Winter is here at last - at least the COLD bit is (15c today only 2c last night) ....but still no rain.  We are nearly 130mm behind in rainfall to date for the year, probably means even worse restrictions come this summer.  It has given me a bit of time to spend uploading photos from my archives, so here are some more cards, starting with a few "Baby" cards....

The first card is a card for a baby girl, I used my Silhouette to cut out the words from "so sweet" pink paper, I coloured the background (that showed through) with Metallic pink pen, added a flower from Die Cuts With a View Pretty Posies collection and a chipboard pram - with tiny buttons on the wheels.  Some doodling with the metallic pen helps tie the colours together.  The cut-out letters were then used for the scalloped edged card finished with little flowers with pink rhinestone brad centres; inking the edges of the card helps soften the whole look - especially with such strong colours on the strip of paper at the bottom of the card (which helped "ground" the word Girl. 

This card for a baby boy was so simple to do - cards like this are great to have on hand.  The chipboard elements came from a ($2 shop)doorhanger set that I cut down; add a bit of ricrac some metal star shaped brads and a bit of blue metallic pen and presto

This card, while technically not a "baby" card could easily be adapted for that purpose.  The image is from a digikit by Bev Luedecke that I strengthened the colour in (using Photoshop).  The background paper has a few butterflies on, one of which matches the colour of the giraffe beautifully - even though that doesn't show in the photo! I used marker pens to colour the white sticker that says "Ella's" in the same yellow - once again hard to pick in this photo!!  The scalloped circle was cut out using a Fiskars punch, as was the plain circle inside it.  The sentiment was a sticker bought in a pack in BigW!  Another nice easy - and inexpensive card

Embossing has arrived!

Well I've finally bought an embossing machine: the Texture Boutique by Provocraft - it's like Cuttlebug Lite as in it embosses but does not die cut. When I've saved my pennies, I may get a Cuttlebug, until then I can use my Silhouette which does a beautiful job but is time consuming as I keep getting sidetracked when I use it! My first embossing projects (other than the 200 scraps of paper I did, lol) are below

 

This card uses the Swiss Dots embossing folder and the D'vine Swirls embossing folder, which echoes the swirls on the patterned paper.  The dots are repeated in the Polka dot ribbon on this really simple card. Stick the first length of ribbon across the card, the next layer is almost twice the length of the base piece, loop it into the middle of the card, fixing the middle in the middle (surprise!) and the ends in the middle with glue dots. Repeat with a slightly shorter piece for the top loop - EASY! Inking the edges of the embossing really helps bring out the texture.

On this birthday card I used the "Bird Banner" digital stamp from Two Peas In A Bucket.  I painted it with Jo Sonja acrylic paints and wrote the sentiment with a permanent marker.  The paper is from the Gypsy Sisters range by Kaisercraft, the bottom layer is flocked, which gives a real vintage feel to the card.  The blue rhinestone brad in the centre of the flower helps tie the colours together, the little pearls around it just helped fill the space! I used a punch my mother gave me on the metallic paper border, which I used my Swiss Dots Cuttlebug embossing folder on - it adds texture without being too fussy.

Baby Aiden Jase

A card to welcome "Aiden Jase"  I used Inque Boutique papers; a  tag from the "Peachy Keen" 6'x6" collection with a computer generated sentiment (getting better at that Word Art!); and Jerry the Giraffe, a digital stamp from Squigglfly painted with Jo Sonja artists acrylics Yellow Orange, Orange, Stillwater and Deep Plum. Finished off with a  bit of brown polka dot ribbon and some plain blue paper to mat the image onto (as well as on the bottom of the card) and some blue ink sponged around the edge of the sentiment and the edge of the card.  The green dragonfly brad covers a blemish on the white paper beautifully - don't you think?

Change is as good as.......

Craftdee Donna
Well how do you like the new look for my Blog?? Not sure if it will stay - or go, it will depend on how my old brain comes to terms with the new navigation skill required to get around it!!

Mothers Day 2010: The Cards!

Mothers Day card for my lovely Mum!  I started with a  nice cream gate fold card with scalloped edge, covered the "base" of the card with paper from DCWV Mat stack "Endless Summer".Basic Grey's "Indian Summer" on the flap. "Mother" cut out with my lovely Silhouette from Indian Summer paper, some pink fabric flowers with a punched flower cut from scraps of Indian Summer paper held together with a pink rhinestone brad.  Pink heart shaped and cream round flat backed pearls decorate the flap.  I fixed a bit of Endless Summer paper punched with my fiskars Apron Lace punch to the inside of the card so the card still looks attractive when standing (these cards "fall" open and it looks nicer to see decoration inside than writing, well MY writing anyway!)

Decorate the inside, they look better when standing up!

The purple card was for my Mother-In-Law.  I used Kaisercraft "Lilac Avenue" papers and the tag came from the same 6"x6" collection: coupled with the sticker sentiment it was an easy bit of labelling!  The centre of the fabric flower was a gold coloured (though not metallic) button with a flat back pearl stick on in the centre.  Once again I decorated the inside of the card so that it looks nice on display

My piggy loving husband had a piggin' perfect day when I made him this card for his birthday: hope you have a piggin' perfect day too!