Kool Kitty Musings

52 Cards challenge 2013 - Week 20

Wow, we have reached the 20-week milestone here on the 52 Card challenge! Many congrats to everyone that has managed to keep up so far. :)

This week's prompt has been very much inspired by a fantastic programme I watched this weekend.

Pride and Prejudice: Having a Ball - it's available here on BBC iPlayer for those that can watch it, but only up for a few more days so you need to be quick! :)

Here's the blurb from the BBC website:

Documentary celebrating the 200th anniversary of Pride and Prejudice, revealing the hidden world behind one of the greatest love stories of all time by restaging a regency ball at Chawton House, the grand estate of Jane Austen's brother. Amanda Vickery and Alastair Sooke lead a team of world class experts as they reconstruct the ball in loving detail, from music and dancing, to food and fashion.

I'm a big lover of this era and I was really inspired to find a way to transform this inspiration into a card.

I know that not everyone will have the tools to go out all Austen on their cards this week, so the prompt is a more general one, but if Austen floats your boat I look forward to seeing your homages!

The prompt is "The printed word" - basically take inspiration from literature, stories, and tales... it doesn't necessarily have to be certain works, perhaps iconic periods and characters, for example we have the Great Gatsby soon arriving on the big screen - no doubt lots of 1920s inspiration will be creeping into fashion, furnishings and the like.

For my main card this week I turned to the Jane Austen stamp and die set from PTI - I bought it mainly for the frame and the regency silhouettes, but I do love a good quote! ;o)

Paper: Pink Paislee
Stamps: PTI
Dies: PTI
Pearls: Kaisercraft
Other: Sewing machine, Stickles, 3D foam

So, the question is what shall I use as my inspiration for this week's Christmas card? I have a little time still to work that one out. ;o)

52 Christmas Crackers 2013 - Week 19

Well, it's back to sharing a Christmas card for this week's texture prompt.

I included various types on this one.

Paper: Basic Grey, Crate
Stamps: PTI
Texture plate: PTI
Dies: PTI, MFT, Memory Box
Other: pompom trim, glitter paper, Distress and regular Stickles, 3D foam

So on the texture front we have a woodgrain impression. I went with spritzing the background with water before embossing to get a deeper effect - that worked but it has warped my card a bit. Still, it'll straighten out by December I'm sure! ;)

Then we have some trim.

And lots of glittery elements providing a contrasting texture to the smooth paper.

In an effort to stay awake...

...and not have a repeat of last night - falling asleep at 9.30 dosed up on Sudafed and waking up at 12.30 thinking it must surely almost be 6 a.m. or something - I spent about 4 hours watching tv trying to become tired and nod off again.

Don't you just love feeling under the weather? ;)

So, I am trying to keep awake a bit longer tonight so that I don't have further call to watch iplayer in the wee small hours since I have run out of things to watch!

Step 1 in this plan was to make the card for this week's 52 cards challenge.

I didn't have the energy to go really detailed on my card, but I turned to my new pad of DIY shop papers:

And picked out a busy sheet to do most of the work. ;)

Paper: Crate
Stamp: PTI
Button: Prima
Die: MFT
Texture plate: PTI
Other: hemp cord

Now, the texture on this card is a bit hard to see, there's a wooden button, but also I passed the card through the linen texture plate from PTI for a little extra detail.

52 Cards challenge 2013 - Week 19

Well, almost 12 hours late, but I'm feeling alive enough to share this week's prompt with you, although not a card sample.

I went away this weekend for our crafty retreat specifically hoping to work on (and finish! Ha!) one project:

I didn't take any cardmaking items with me - basically so that I wouldn't be sidetracked. So hence no sample today.

But the prompt for this week is to use...

Texture

...in some way on your card.

This could be in the form of embossing/debossing:

Source: bestbusinesscard.net via Tomoko on Pinterest

 

Fabrics:

Source: megduerksen.typepad.com via Anna {Rusty Cottage} on Pinterest

 

Creative stitching:

Source: lh4.ggpht.com via Rhonda on Pinterest

 

Chunky lace and trim:

Source: fancylinda.com via Second on Pinterest

 

Wooden embellishments and findings:

Source: prima.typepad.com via KikiK on Pinterest

 

On-trend cork elements:

Source: iminhaven.blogspot.com via Carol on Pinterest

 

And my old favourite... felt:

Source: molliemakes.com via Annika on Pinterest

 

The possibilities are endless, but I'm sure you'll find some lovely ways to incorporate different textures on your cards. :)

Happy creating!

I'd best go and have another dose of Venos before bed as in typical fashion I returned home with not only an almost complete scrapbooking project, but a cold and cough too! Oh and no voice. I was just glad I didn't need to be in work today - but it was a truly fab weekend! ;)

ETA: Here's the card I finally managed to make:

Paper: Crate
Stamp: PTI
Button: Prima
Die: MFT
Texture plate: PTI
Other: hemp cord

52 Christmas Crackers 2013 - Week 18

Well here I am sharing this week's Christmas card a bit earlier than usual, since tonight onwards I will be trying to get everything ready for my crafty weekend away that starts nice and early Friday morning!

I decided to keep on the theme of using scraps so found some nice co-ordinating off-cuts that were just big enough to make this simple card. :)

Paper: Cosmo Cricket
Stamps: WMS, PTI
Dies: Memory Box, PTI
Buttons: OA
Other: hemp cord, 3D foam

Don't think I will ever tire of the Memory box winter die - it's just so perfect...

Anyway, best get the rest of my breakfast eaten and head off to work!

52 Cards challenge 2013 - Week 18

Welcome to a new week everyone! I promise I'm much better prepared this week.

Finally I have sought inspiration from the prompt jar and have picked 3 random elements that need to be featured on your cards this week:

So, while I still had some scraps on the desk from some other projects, I decided to use them up on this card too.

Paper: Echo Park
Stamps: PTI
Dies: PTI, Magnolia
Other: Button, hemp cord, pearls

I quite like the mix of soft colours with cream, pink, light grey, and white. Makes a nice change.

Hope you enjoy playing with this recipe combo and I look forward to seeing the results. :)

52 Christmas Crackers 2013 - Week 17

So, time to play a little catch-up with my cards from last Monday's prompt.

I've updated the main post here with the card I made.

And as for the Christmas number made using scraps, here it is - a small notelet sized card but perfect for using up off-cuts of paper.

Paper: Crate, OA
Stamp: Rusty Pickle
Dies: PTI, Magnolia
Chipboard accent: Crate Paper
Pearl: Kaisercraft
Other: Distress Stickles

I rather like the whole North Pole map as greetings from the North Pole and I think the greeting works well with that. Just a shame I don't have a "Greetings from the North Pole" stamp! ;o)

And now I'd best get the blog post for tomorrow's prompt sorted. I am on schedule for now!

52 Cards challenge 2013 - Week 17

Morning everyone!

I'm afraid I'm being a bad host this week as I haven't actually managed to get any cards done in time for today's prompt.

It's been a very busy week and weekend as I needed to get this little project finished in time for yesterday's christening celebrations:

Inspired by the state of my desk after completing that work and what was left in the collection kit I'd used I've decided that this week's prompt is about...

Using the scraps from a project to create your card!

If like me, you don't chuck bits away that could be put to use on a smaller scale item, then now's the time to raid your stockpile of scraps. Otherwise you could try and use up the remaining items in a pack of embellishments or similar - naturally making way for new purchases to be made. ;-)

I'll hopefully have time to get something made tonight or Wednesday night depending on how tired I am. Had a late night and an early start today so we shall see how that plan goes when I get back from work! LOL

Edited to add: Here's the card I finally made from scraps left over from the album I made at the weekend. :)

Paper: Echo Park
Dies: MFT
Stamp: PTI
Punch: Martha Stewart
Sticker and cutout: Echo Park
Pearls: Kaisercraft
Other: 3D foam

And yep, when dealing with scraps it's always good to get the hexagon die out!

Happy crafting!

52 Christmas Crackers 2013 - Week 16

Well, better late than never!

I've been rather busy every evening this week so not managed to share the Christmas card I made for this week's negative die-cutting prompt.

But the time has arrived!

It wasn't really worth the wait, since it is ultra-simple and plain, but I rather like how it looks in real life. ;o)

Paper: Crate Paper
Die and stamp: PTI
Other: bling, 3D foam

Very simple no? But I really wanted to have a red and white stripe behind whatever word I ended up using this week. hehe

So, just what is it that has been keeping me so busy and off the blog?

Well, my lovely house guest Lola and I spent a lot of time out on walks, including a 5-miler to my mum and dad's which was totally spur of the moment!

The rest of the time Lola enjoyed recuperating by the fire:

She also "assisted" me in cleaning the house ready for a family visit for cake and tea:

Yes, how exactly are you supposed to make the bed when someone is enjoying it so much...

And speaking of bed hogging... she was caught in the act the next day trying to get under the covers in the afternoon:

I had to use the Meerkat toy to tempt her out of the kitchen Sunday morning when I baked muffins, tried out the Hazelnut Praline nutella muffins from the Hummingbird Cake Days book:

Don't worry, we all took Lola for a walk in the park after those!

I said bye-bye to Lola Monday evening, then Tuesday afternoon went up to see miss Anja ahead of her Christening this weekend. And she was very much looking forward to her tea:

And from then onwards I have been trying to get a certain crafty project done, with little success...

But I have managed to sort another thing on my to-do list - get my phone changed at long last since it is now out of contract:

Bye, bye htc and hello (hopefully) a much better phone for my needs! :)

The porting doo-dah should be done tomorrow and I hopefully won't be left without a phone this weekend, as I will definitely need one on sunday! Anyway, I suppose I should start back on the crafty task I need to get done this evening.

I do have a DVD to watch, but it's not clear whether it will be a help or a complete distraction:

I'll let you know!

52 Cards challenge 2013 - Week 16

Morning everyone!

Oh my how this week has flown by, especially the weekend!

I have spent a lot of it walking my doggie visitor and cleaning the house and baking ready for a family afternoon visit yesterday. So, not much in the way of creative time!

This week's prompt is one I alluded to earlier.

It's time to roll out the dies and have a go at negative die-cutting.

If you aren't too familiar with this look and technique, there are plenty of ideas and examples on Pinterest and google images.

Here's the card I made which is a CASE of a previous card of mine but it was perfect for an upcoming event and I really couldn't think of a better "new home" idea. ;o)

Paper: MME
Dies and stamp: PTI
Other: 3D foam

I also really wanted to try and give the old grey and yellow colour palette a whirl since it seemed very in on Pinterest.

Source: theperfectpalette.com via Christi on Pinterest

 

If you don't have any dies to use to accomplish this technique, then a very simple solution would be to cut a box in your card front using a ruler and knife and cut a smaller box to go inside it perhaps with the greeting on it... It's still do-able without dies. :)

I still need to get my Christmas card for this week made so need to decide on which die to use on that one!

Happy crafting!

52 Christmas Crackers 2013 - Week 15

Well this evening is the first in a while where it has actually felt like spring and the sun is still out and glowing!

It seams quite odd to be posting this Christmas card for the prompt - what with the snowmen on it, but hey-ho let's hope the good weather continues! :) Especially since I have lost my umbrella, I am hoping the rain definitely keeps away until I can find it! LOL

Anyway... onto my card:

Paper: Basic Grey, My Mind's Eye
Dies: MFT, PTI
Stamp: PTI
Pearls: Prima
Other: 3D foam

I am digging my Red Pepper ink from Adirondack - it's a lovely shade indeed. I am sure it will be featuring on many more Christmas cards this year!

Right, I'd best scoot and get some of my to-do list for this evening completed.

52 Cards challenge 2013 - Week 15

Hello everyone!

Hope you've had a nice weekend and some sun featured in it. :)

For this week's prompt I thought it was about time we made a bigger deal of the text and greetings that feature on our cards. So I want you to make a card where the words are the main focus.

You can strip it right down to a clean and simple card that just features a greeting or make your greeting fussy and elaborate using various techniques.

Here's the card I made:

Paper: Basic Grey
Die and stamps: PTI
Other: bling, 3D foam

For my card I wanted to use the negative die-cutting technique - so I stamped my greeting on a separate piece of card and stuck it behind the die-cut paper. It gives it a bit of pop without making a really bulky card. :)

I think we might need to revisit this technique on some future prompts. ;o)

In the meantime, have fun with your fonts!

52 Christmas Crackers 2013 - Week 14

Well it is definitely feeling a lot more like Spring after this Easter weekend and the clocks going forward.

In fact it is still light outside!

However considering this week's Christmas cracker card took me an age to make yesterday I am wondering just how well I will keep up with my Christmas cards once summer arrives! Mind you, the excesses of Sunday's Polish breakfast and just 4 hours of sleep may have had something to do with that too...

Anyway, here is my festive hexagon creation - again made with left-over hexagons from another card I made in December:

Paper: Basic Grey, Studio Calico
Dies: MFT, PTI
Stamp: PTI
Bling: Prima
Other: 3D foam

Once again I resorted to using left-over scraps of Terracotta Tile cardstock as a "red" as it doesn't seem too out of place against a grey background. :)

And now I'd best zoom so I can watch the new sewing show on BBC that is following in the footsteps of the great British bake off. :)

52 Cards challenge 2013 - Week 14

Happy April 1st people!

I hope you've been having a lovely Easter weekend thus far.

With it being the 1st of April I had toyed with doing a prompt of a humourous nature, but I was swayed towards something else. :)

This week I'd love to see you embrace the "hexagon" trend on your cards.

I luckily have a set of dies I bought last year that make this an easy task for me, but if you don't have hexagons in your arsenal (whether as punches, stamps, dies or patterns on papers/embellishments) then please feel free to use any geometric patterns or elements for your cards this week. You could still go with the quilted look you get from hexagons using another shape. There are lots of possibilities! :)

So the reason this prompt came about was because I really wanted to use all 4 of the new Crate papers I received at the weekend but didn't really see how I could justify cutting them all up and using them together until I remembered my set of Dienamics hexagon dies!

So I cut a strip of paper from the 3 floral designs and cut out my hexagons ready to assemble.

And here's what I made:

Paper: Crate, Basic Grey
Dies: MFT
Stamp: PTI
Other: Bling, sewing machine

The hexagon die cuts two sizes at the same time; the other die in the set cuts a hexagon strip to mount the smaller hexagons on it. For this card I used the larger hexagons along the edge rather than just the small hexagons on white strips.

And with the left-over die-cuts, I made another card!

It's notelet sized and I just added a button from October Afternoon and the washi-tape style stamp and greeting from PTI and hey presto! Another card made and no scraps for the bin.

I think I will soon have to try a card using just the large hexagons for the background as it is lovely how they all fit together so neatly. This hexagon malarkey could be most addictive!

Happy creating! I'm already wondering what papers to use for my Christmas card - think I shall be raiding my scraps stash!

52 Christmas Crackers 2013 - Week 13

Well, once again my Christmas cracker card is sadly reflecting the view outside my window!

So much for Spring in these parts... I sure hope it arrives by the weekend but I doubt it.

Anyway, the inspiration pins I chose for my Christmas card are these:

Source: tinywhitedaisies.tumblr.com via Natalia on Pinterest

 

Creamy white and grey colour palette that's a departure from the traditional green and red. I really like it and it still looks cosy to me. :)

Source: tumblr.com via Natalia on Pinterest

 

Beautiful white on white snowflakes with just a hint of frosty sparkle.

Source: happydayout.tumblr.com via Natalia on Pinterest

 

And a bit of winter bling - how gorgeous is this brooch?

I'm afraid photographing my card ended up being rather difficult. The light is really bad at the moment what with the grey dark skies and it's always tricky to capture frosty glitter in a photo without good light!

Impression plate: PTI
Die: PTI
Stamp: PTI
Bling: Prima
Glitter: German glass glitter in white, Rocky Candy Distress glitter
Other: 3D foam

I promise it does look a lot nicer in real life and sparkles nicely when light is on it. :) I made the mistake of using wet glue for the first layer of glitter (the white German glass glitter) which is quite dull, while it was still drying I tried out my spray adhesive and sprinkled on rock candy glitter for added sparkle and left the snowflake to dry over night. I think spray adhesive is the way forward for me. Good job I still have a scrap cardboard box to hand that I can use to spray into and not end up with spray adhesive everywhere. :)

52 Cards challenge 2013 - Week 13

Morning everyone!

This past week I've been doing a fair bit of Pinterest pinning and what I love most about Pinterest... tracing back pins to new sources of wonderful inspiration. I have been on some real tangents this week and have spent many a moment admiring yet more pretty things. And ultimately pretty pictures provide inspiration for all sorts of things in our lives.

So this week, I thought it would be rather nice to take something you have seen online or around you as your inspiration for creating this week's card. It would be really fun if you could share details or a pic of your inspiration with your card too. :)

It doesn't matter how small or great the inspiration is; it could be one little element like a button on a coat, the colours used in a home interiors shoot, some glittery sprinkles on a cupcake... whatever it is that caught your eye and made you think "oooh I could do that!", get it on your card and share it with us all! :)

For my main card the inspiration has come from looking at quite a few pieces of beautiful Polish Kashubian folk art online. Mostly embroidery styles, but also once again I was searching the net to see if any shop now sells the lovely light shade I saw on my first trip to Gdansk in 2010 during our regular family holiday to Poland.

It was at the Velevetka restaurant in case you ever get the chance to visit. ;) This shade would be just perfect over my dining table... If only Cepelia sold it, life would be much easier!

Kashubian folk art is very similar in style to the Swedish folk art designs you currently can see in Ikea. It must be that Baltic connection. ;o)

It really is beautiful and I love the symmetry of the designs and the elements:

Source: images.search.yahoo.com via N. on Pinterest

 

The colours are usually muted primaries, with lots of blues and yellows and the zing of red:

Source: haftkaszubski.pl via Kay on Pinterest

 

These designs feature on everything from textiles in the home, clothing, and painted floors to Easter eggs:

Source: forum.kampermania.com.pl via Powiat Kościerski - Serce Kaszub on Pinterest

 

I must confess I was very happy when PTI came out with their Fancy Folkart stamp set as the designs are very Kashubian in style and I do love a bit of two/three-step stamping with different colours. I didn't use traditional colours for my card though:

Stamps: PTI
Ink: Prima chalk ink

It's very enjoyable to create something with just stamps and ink - it's one of the reasons I love papercrafting so much!

Plus it also means I can create "flat" cards to send to Poland - although it might be a bit like sending coals to Newcastle! ;o)

52 Christmas Crackers 2013 - Week 12

Looking out the window this morning you would be forgiven for thinking it can't possibly be the first day of spring, and it is definitely hard to imagine that this time last year we were basking in summer-like temperatures and... sun!

But my Christmas cracker card for this week definitely reflects our current weather system and climate...

Stamps: Hero Arts, PTI
Paper: MME
Pearls: Kaiserkraft
Other: Stickles

Yep, it's another very simple one this week, but I felt it about time I had a play with this cling stamp from Hero Arts that I picked up in Florida. I stamped in Prima "Worn Jeans" chalk ink, which is a lovely bluey grey. It's difficult to see in the pic but the background behind the image is a woodgrain paper from MME. And for a finishing touch I edged the whole thing with Frosted Lace Stickles for a little sparkle.

Now, if only the view outside my craft room window would brighten up I'd feel more like using bright colours and I could probably get some better photos too!

52 Cards challenge 2013 - Week 12

Good morning and welcome to a new prompt!

I was recently sorting my pile of envelopes into a more organised system and came across some little envelopes with no matching card blanks. So it got me to thinking it would be a good time to explore card sizes and switching it up a bit from the standard sizes we see.

So this week we're going miniature with our cards!

The beauty of this is you can also make something a bit more quickly or make a set of cards with the same design quite simply using the same product.

I decided to experiment with a cute little Easter card this week. The finished size is 3 1/4 x 4 1/4 inches:

Paper: MME
Stamps: PTI
Dies: MFT, PTI, Spellbinders
Other: buttons, twine, 3D foam, Stickles

I added some Frosty Lace Stickles to the bunny's tail for added pop. This is definitely a design I could do a few times and still have paper left over from a sheet of 12x12.

I look forward to seeing how small you go with your cards this week. :)

I'll share my mini-Christmas card later.

52 Christmas Crackers 2013 - Week 11

Here I am back to share my Christmas card for this week, however after all the unseasonal snow we had Sunday through yesterday it's just a shame there isn't a snowflake to be found on this project!

Instead I tried to use up some papers from a collection kit by MME. I think these papers are a case of less is more when combining them as the patterns and colours are so bright they tend to clash a bit when you put more than 2 or 3 together. Or at least that's my struggle with them.

Paper and die-cuts: MME
Other: Ricrac, 3D foam, twine, buttons

The stars were a bit of a fiddle to get aligned right as "bunting" but I'm happy with the end result, and it was nice to use up a bit of ricrac from the collection! ;o)

Here's hoping we won't be seeing more snow next week, I'm perfectly happy making Christmas cards in spring without the added inspiration of cold weather!

52 Cards challenge 2013 - Week 11

Morning everyone!

I thought it was about time we had a "sketch" prompt again.

Now, I've not managed to procure or draw a sketch this week, but I have made a card that I intended to use as a the base for drawing the sketch.

Paper: Pink Paislee, MME
Die cut elements: Pink Paislee
Stamps: PTI
Die: MFT
Bling: Prima
Trim: The Ribbon Girl
Other: hemp cord, 3D foam, buttons

So using this layout as inspiration, you can really strip your design back to a very simple look or go to town dressing it up with bunting, trim, and multiple layers.

I really look forward to seeing how you interpret this one! :)

I'll share my Christmas card later this week as I went more the clean and simple route with that one!

52 Christmas Crackers 2013 - Week 10

Well finally I have a Christmas card to share for this week's number prompt.

I ended up looking through my Christmas stash looking for any stickers with some festive-themed numbers on them and came up short.

So it was my number dies that came to the rescue!

Paper: Studio Calico, Basic Grey
Dies: PTI
Stamp: PTI
Bling: Prima
Other: Pattern wheel, 3D foam

The bling was a last minute addition that proved to be a good way to use up odds and ends in an almost empty packet. :)

52 Cards challenge 2013 - Week 10

Well we've hit the 10 week milestone on our 52 card adventure!

And to celebrate I thought it would be fun to have a "number" themed prompt this week.

So, make a card featuring a number on it.

It could be incorporated as follows:

• An age/anniversary
• A date
• In word form
• Lots of random numbers as a background
• Vintage ephemera and tape measures/rulers
• Text speak

Now, if you are feeling stumped for how to incorporate numbers on your Christmas card here are a few ideas to get you thinking:

• The big one - 25th of December
• New Year wishes for 2014 - although that feels premature even to me!
• Famous carols and Christmas songs: Twelve Days of Christmas has lots of scope for including numbers there! The First Noel...
• A postmark from the North Pole with the date on it
• A countdown advent calendar style

I'm sure there are others, and hopefully they'll come to me when I sit down to make my Christmas cracker card later this week. :)

In the meantime here is my main card:

Paper and die-cut embellishments: MME
Stamps and dies: PTI
Other: 3D foam

I hope my friend Kelly likes it and that (after a good few hints and reminders last night) her DH remembers that he has a proxy role to play until little Miss A reaches the age of 10 at least!

52 Christmas Crackers 2013 - Week 9

Better late than never, here I'm sharing this week's Christmas card. I had hoped to get my blog updated last night but I managed to zonk out on the sofa in front of the telly. It wasn't a very productive evening. ;o)

I am not sure this evening will be a productive one, despite needing to get ahead with my makes for next week. I think I might only be up to a soak in the bath with my current Jill Mansell read!

But first, here's the card I made for this week's "rose" prompt - allowing any Christmas plant to be a worthy substitute, I even threw some red rose colours in for good measure:

Paper: October Afternoon
Stamps and dies: PTI
Other: 3D foam

When I was in Florida I managed to stock up on some of the rustic cream and white cardstock from Papertrey, I quite like the rustic specks that run through it. But I am still very much devoted to Vintage Cream as my favourite go-to background colour. I'm very much looking forward to some more stores stocking Bazzill Cardshoppe in the UK - they're only planning to stock 12x12 which is understandable as there is more call for 12x12 in the target market here, but I would love for Bazzill to release some new shades. Will definitely have to get some more Rock Candy, Marshmallow, Taffy and Peanut cluster, fantastic shades. My my absolute favourite red: Wax Lips.

But first I need to wait for pay day and well... a new order of PTI stuff trying out their First Class postage option - really hope that's around to stay as it would be fantastic to be able to purchase regular small amounts straight to my door. :)

Right I suppose I should go and try pushing some paper around and see if a card gets made!

52 Cards challenge 2013 - Week 9

Morning everyone!

Well it's the last Monday of February and to continue on the Valentine/Love theme, this week our inspiration comes in the form of this particular flower:

Source: Uploaded by user via Koko Floral Design on Pinterest

 

Roses galore... For this week's card I want to see you feature a rose of your choice on your card. So it can be a rose in the form of:

• A resin flower
• A stamped image
• A rolled flower in felt etc.
• A die-cut flower
• Patterned paper featuring roses
• And any other rose you can find

As for the Christmas Cracker this week...

I understand it may be tricky to incorporate this particular flower on your Christmas card. If you happen to have Christmas roses in your stash collection, then you are already sorted! ;o)

But for your christmas card, take inspiration from roses in another way. Their colour for example, otherwise feature a plant/flower traditionally associated with winter/Christmas. There's plenty to work with there! :o)

In the meantime here is my card for the main dare:

Paper: MME
Stamps: PTI
Dies: PTI, MFT
Pearls: Kaisercraft
Other: 3D foam, pattern wheel

I've been really wanting to use my Sweet Life stamps from PTI again but wanted to try a new colour combination, this time I used Tattered Rose Distress Ink as the base, then Salmon Adirondack ink in the middle, followed by Rose Madder Archival ink for the darker accents.

Looking forward to seeing your rosy creations this week! I shall be back with my Christmas take on this prompt later in the week. :)

52 Christmas Crackers 2013 - Week 8

Well, I hope you are getting on OK with this week's colour prompt:

Source: flickr.com via Natalia on Pinterest

 

I'm back to prove that you don't need to limit yourself to Christmas papers in order to make a Christmas card. In fact I often reach for my stockpile of "B-side" papers for just this purpose.

For the past few years I have primarily been buying patterned paper based on the reverse of the main design - this is especially true in the case of MME papers. It's just an added bonus when the main design is also a winner. ;o)

My card this week uses patterns from MME to create a very fresh and simple Christmas card:

Paper: MME
Stamps and dies: PTI
Other: 3D foam

There's not much faff to this card, in fact I used two tones/textures of white cardstock just for a little variation and so the snowflakes would stand out individually - but I believe the end result will look nice on anyone's mantelpiece this Christmas. :)

52 Cards challenge 2013 - Week 8

Morning everyone!

I was thinking while we are in February we need a sort of related colour challenge for this month.

Now, I have been wanting to use this pin for some time now as a colour prompt but it's never felt quite right.... but as I was flicking through my Valentine's purchases last week I noticed how many recent releases use colours that sit very nicely in this spectrum.

Source: flickr.com via Natalia on Pinterest

 

I would love it if you used the main shades together on your projects this wee, so red, pink, and aqua - even a smidge of gold if you are feeling ambitious.

But if this palette really isn't calling to you take inspiration from any of the colours in the photo - make it work for what you have to hand. :)

Here's my card for this week:

Paper: Crate Paper
Stamps and die: MFT
Brad: Basic Grey
Other: 3D foam

I don't think I am ever going to get bored of my typewriter die and stamp set from MFT - it has some very handy greetings - would be great if they released a Christmas/other holidays companion set. :)

Anyway, I hope you have fun playing with these colours - I look forward to seeing what you make!

52 Christmas Crackers 2013 - Week 7

Well better late than never! Here's my festive card for this week using up some old Crate stash... always pays to look through what you have and can finally get rid of in a creative way. ;o)

Paper and chipboard elements: Crate Paper
Stamp: PTI
Pearl: Kaisercraft
Other: Glossy Accents

Short but sweet and perfect for winter lovers everywhere! Not that I am currently one of them, after the yucky hail-snow blizzard driving home. But now I'm tucked up nice and cosy with the heating on while my tea finishes in the oven...

Anyway, if any of you are struggling to work out how to feature a heart on your Christmas card... here are a couple of ideas.

Use hearts to create a garland for your greeting or as a decorative element:

Source: allaboutyou.com via Rachel on Pinterest

 

A heart + house design works really well with gingerbread themes - either to decorate a gingerbread man, or on a gingerbread house to decorate the door, or why not use use a heart to represent the puff of smoke from the chimney of a house:

Source: butterheartssugar.blogspot.com.au via Cathi on Pinterest

 

Nordic hearts are a really nice Christmas theme - if you happen to have some Nordic stamps like the background stamps from Waltzing Mouse then you could easily incorporate them into your card - otherwise there are sure to be printables available online:

Source: hardtofind.com.au via hardtofind. by on Pinterest

 

Include the word "heart" in your greeting:

Source: ashleynewell.com via Bert on Pinterest

 

Use hearts as baubles on the tree:

Source: flickr.com via Linda on Pinterest

 

Or like I did for my first card this week, replace a letter in your greeting with a heart or use a punched heart or button instead of the dot on an "i".

These alphas come with a heart and were a nice and easy solution:

Source: stopandscrap.com via Sigrun on Pinterest

 

I look forward to seeing what festive treats you come up with. :)

52 Cards challenge 2013 - Week 7

Morning everyone!

This week the focus is on something we're seeing all around us at the moment by virtue of this Thursday being Valentine's Day.

Yes, that's right, I want to see you feature...

A heart on your card this week.

No matter how big or small, just one heart is all you need to include - or lots of hearts if you are really feeling the love!

Here's a birthday card I made that is destined for a birthday girl in Poland!

Paper: Elle's Studio
Letters: Basic Grey
Dies: MFT
Other: button, twine

A very clean and simple number but it needs to be flat-ish for posting to Poland and also it was a nice excuse to use those new papers and chipboard letters - which I love!

I'll be back later this week with my Christmas card for this prompt, but I look forward to seeing the heart-y creations you make this week! :)

52 Christmas Crackers 2013 - Week 6

So here I am back with my Christmas card for this week's prompt focusing on breathing new life and love into old stash.

And it would seem I was on a roll re-loving my October Afternoon stash.

I would probably have passed over these papers and stickers time and again had it not been for this prompt...

I'm rather glad I stopped to take a closer look at what I had as this is one of the Christmas cards I'm much happier with:

Paper: October Afternoon
Stickers: October Afternoon
Dies: PTI, MFT
Stamp: PTI
Pearls: Kaisercraft
Other: 3D foam, pompom trim, glitter card, sewing machine

I was also inspired by all the Instagram and Pinterest photos you see of creating hearts with candy canes, and with two candy cane stickers left on the sticker sheet it would have been rude not to give it a go on a card. ;o)

52 Cards challenge 2013 - Week 6

Welcome to a new month and the first prompt of February.

As it's the month of love I expect we will have a few "love" inspired prompts coming our way.

This weekend I had a resort of my stash cupboard, in particular my patterned paper stash! Not just because I needed to make room for some new additions but because it had been bugging me for some time that there were so many pretty papers in there that I'd been neglecting and just couldn't reach them on a creative level - a bit like not seeing the wood for the trees... ;o) Anyway, all that's now changed and I have a very organised and nicely pruned patterned paper collection to play with now.

So this week's prompt is somewhat inspired by the discoveries I made during the epic paper reorganization of 2013!

This week's theme is all about giving some love to some old or neglected purchases.

Breathe some new life into your stash and re-love it by putting it to good use.

I had quite a few papers from October Afternoon kept in their entirety by collection - but I couldn't really envisage using them while the papers that I wasn't too keen on were still grouped with the papers I liked. So the unloved papers are going to a new home and now that it's just the re-loved papers grouped together I see so much more potential for using them and combining them with other product.

Here's the card I made - which includes re-loved October Afternoon stamps and a squidgy embellishment along with some other old papers:

Paper: October Afternoon, Luxe, Scenic Route
Stamps: October Afternoon, PTI
Dies: MFT
Embellishment: October Afternoon
Other: 3D foam, sewing machine, pearls

It was all rather liberating as before I probably would have felt constrained to use just papers from the same collection together as sometimes that always seems "easier" - but when you wheedle it down to just the patterns you really like then there is much more scope for mixing and matching with other lines.

I wonder what stash rediscoveries you'll make! I can't wait to see the results. :)

52 Christmas Crackers 2013 - Week 5

Well, here I am sharing this week's Christmas cracker card based on the same sketch posted on Monday.

I have to admit to struggling a bit creatively this week... things just weren't going my way and it was all getting rather frustrating. I hate it when you have an idea for something in the depths of your mind, but you just can't bring it to fruition and your brain refuses to communicate it to your hands which are doing all the sticking and clagging! Grrr!

Anyway, it's one more Christmas card for the pile, but unlikely to be a favourite for this year. ;o)

Paper: MME, Crate Paper, Making Memories
Sticker: Crate Paper
Stamps: PTI
Dies: Marianne, PTI
Other: Glassine envelope, button, wax cord, felt, glitter card, 3D foam

The greeting is inside the envelope and you just have to do as it says and pull the tab to open. :)

I really wish Crate would stop using the shiny coating on their stickers and go back to matt. Even archival ink and staz-on doesn't leave a clean impression as it smushes and bleeds on the coating. Personally I hate it, I used to love their matt stickers, but with this shiny surface you can't stamp onto it neatly and I had to cut a new strip of card to layer over it to cover up the poor results below. I'm sure they expect people to be just journaling on their stickers with a pen, but there are so many nice ways to incorporate stamped designs that complement the size and style of these stickers that it's a shame to hinder it.

< ---- End rant over for the day! ---->

Anyway, here's hoping I will be on better festive form next week! ;)

52 Cards challenge 2013 - Week 5

Hello everyone and welcome to this weeks card prompt - we are almost a month into the challenge so well done to everyone who has kept up so far! :)

This week it's time use a handy sketch for creative inspiration.

I picked this one from MFT's Pinterest board:

Source: mftstamps.com via Mft on Pinterest

 

 

And here's the card I made using some rather nice baby pink stash:

Paper: MME, Studio Calico
Stamps: PTI, MFT
Dies: PTI, Spellbinders
Other: Vellum, button, hemp twine, seam binding, 3D foam

I really like this balloon paper from Studio Calico, and I tried to make it look like the Baby tag was attached to the balloon. I made a vellum sleeve for the bottom of that paper and used a pinking die to decorate the edge. And a little seam binding worked a treat in the corner. *Ü*

Hope you have fun playing with this sketch - don't forget you can rotate it or elements in it to make it work for you. :)

Happy crafting!

52 Christmas Crackers 2013 - Week 4

Happy hump day!

Can't quite believe it's Wednesday already. The evenings are definitely flying by at the moment and they are made all the more entertaining by the presence of Celebrity Great British Bake Off on our screens. :)

But today on the blog it's time to share this week's Christmas card.

Now, the challenge I set Monday was to use paper from a paper pad on your card. I don't actually have any Christmas themed paper pads so instead I turned to a relatively new and versatile purchase - the Crate Paper "Paper Heart" pad I picked up in TK Maxx last year:

Now these papers might not scream Christmas but I thought they would do the job. :)

Afraid the lighting was a bit poor in these shots and they are a bit wonky, but you get the idea...

Paper: Crate Paper
Dies: PTI, Memory Box
Stamps: PTI
Other: Glitter card, 3D foam, white chalk ink edger

And yes, the Memory Box die has made an appearance - I wonder how many times it'll get used between now and December! ;o)

52 Cards challenge 2013 - Week 4

Morning everyone!

This week's prompt is a stash-based one. Hurrah!

I am sure there are many of you out there who own the odd paper pad or two. And often these poor paper pads become neglected once they have had the choice papers used from them. Or you may be hanging onto a pad that is all but used up save a couple of sheets and some scraps. Or perhaps you have a brand new paper pad you have been hoarding for the perfect project and have yet to use it!

Well, this week you're going to have to do something about that.

Your challenge is to use paper from a paper pad on your card!

If you are one of those rare people not to have at least one paper pad in your stash stockpile or you only have digi papers... then feel free to challenge yourself to use paper from a collection pack or another set of papers you have lurking.

Here's a card I made using a sheet from a new 6x6 paper pad from Basic Grey:

Paper: Basic Grey
Stamps: WMS, PTI
Dies: PTI
Seam binding: The Ribbon Girl
Other: rhinestones, Distress Stickles, 3D foam, vintage inker

It's a bit difficult to make out the stamping on the flowers, and the Stickles look less clumpy in real life, but I did have a go at some double bows with the seam binding and rather liked the end result.

Now, this seems like the perfect excuse to go rifling through my stash cupboard to see what other paper pads will fit the bill for my Christmas card and perhaps another card for this challenge. ;o)

52 Christmas Crackers 2013 - Week 3

So, time to share the Christmas card I made for this week's colour prompt using this pic as inspiration:

Source: websterspages.typepad.com via Natalia on Pinterest

 

I went with the lime green, pale pink, and aqua tones - plus a smattering of red:

Paper: Crate Paper
Dies: Marianne, PTI
Trim: Crate Paper
Stickers: Crate Paper
Stamps: PTI
Other: glassine envelope, 3D foam, white chalk ink

I did attempt to use Mr Huey's opaque white mist on the pink background paper, but it just kept seeping in and you couldn't see any white - wonder if that is due to the paper coating or normal for Mr Huey's on paper rather than cardstock... Grumble...

But at least I had opportunity to break out my Crate Paper pompom trim! ;oD

52 Cards challenge 2013 - Week 3

Morning everyone!

This week it's time for a colour challenge. :)

I have been admiring some of the sneak peeks from CHA and a couple of items immediately made it to my wishlist for future consideration.

So the challenge this week is to take inspiration from the following pic and ideally use two of the colours combined on your card:

Source: websterspages.typepad.com via Natalia on Pinterest

 

I chose the hot pink, green and aqua combo for my card:

Paper: Pink Paislee
Stamp: PTI
Die: MFT
Punch: Martha Stewart
Resin flower: Kaisercraft
Other: Sewing machine

I'm sure that the colour palette might be a little struggle for Christmas cards, but just try and incorporate these colours in your project - in whatever hue or shade works for you. :) I think this will be true of most colour palettes that get picked as prompts. :D

Happy crafting!

52 Christmas Crackers 2013 - Week 2

So, here's my Christmas card based on the prompt for week 2 of the 52 Cards Challenge. :)

The clean and simple style could be a blessing when it comes to making your Christmas cards, but it certainly isn't quick when you want to bring a full on glitter fest into the equation!

Here's what I made:

Paper: Echo Park, MME
Dies: MFT, PTI
Glitter: Coarse glitter by Martha Stewart
Other: 3D foam

So, it might not be too clear on the photo, but the whole front of the card is raised up on 3D foam including the inside of the "e" in "merry". Now that was a bit of a challenge - finding the tiniest foam squares I had!

The snowflake die from MFT (and a lovely Christmas present from my friend Ang) was die cut from a cream chipboard coaster, liberally coated in glue, then had a good few ounces of Martha Stewart coarse glitter dumped onto it and was left to dry for a day or so!

I tell you, you need to be organized when it comes to wet glue glittering... I think I will need recommendations for fast drying wet glue that really holds coarse glitter well but doesn't warp your cardstock. I am sure there is glitter in every corner of my craft area right now...

But it was worth it - the end result is most glittery indeed!

I plan to finish off the inside with a "Merry Christmas" stamp - Christmas cannot be merry enough in my opinion! ;o)

52 Cards challenge 2013 - Week 2

Morning everyone!

Here I am back with our next prompt of 2013! It's been lovely seeing the cards made so far, but I wonder if anyone is going to join me on the epic Christmas Cracker adventure of 2013? ;o)

This week we're focusing on "clean and simple".

This is a style of cardmaking I much admire but rarely ever do... for some reason I find it quite a challenge!

We can also think of it as a bit of a creative detox. Getting back to the basics and making something with a minimal amount of elements that is not only satisfying creatively but visually too.

So, here's the card I made for the main prompt this week:

Paper: Crate Paper
Stamp: PTI
Dies: PTI, MFT

I wanted to give my card a bit of a lift so the butterflies stood out from the background. I die-cut the butterflies from the main background paper, then covered the apertures from the back with the reverse side of this same sheet of patterned paper and stuck it down on my card blank.

Then I with the die-cut butterflies left over I flipped them over and scored down their middles and stuck only half the butterfly down in the original aperture, folding the other half back so it popped out nicely.

Really clean and simple but it looks pretty effective in real life. :)

I'll be posting my Christmas Cracker card for this prompt later this week.

Happy creating!

52 Cards challenge 2013 - Week 1

Good morning everyone! We're on the brink of seeing in a New Year and hopefully another 52 weeks packed full of creativity and inspiration!

It's a bit strange that week 1 kicks off in 2012, but just think of it as one extra creative thinking day!

For those of you new to the 52 Cards challenge, here's a little intro. If you're not new to the challenge, well this year there'll be a little extra creative boost to help you along with your Christmas card pile!

What is it?
A no-stress challenge aimed at getting you to make at least one card a week in 2013.
Each week I will post prompts here on my blog - these will either be:

• 3 prompts randomly picked from the prompt jar
• Photo inspiration from Pinterest, etc. (that you can interpret in any way that you like: colours, layout, design elements, product - it's up to you!)
• Design elements or themes
• An existing card design that you can use as a sketch to create your own interpretation
• A colour challenge

All you need to do is use the prompts as inspiration to create a card - if you can't include all the elements of a prompt, don't worry - there are no rules, the aim is simply to get creating!

Where are the prompts?
All prompts past and present can be found here on my blog or by clicking on the 52-card challenge tag over there on the left.

When are they posted?
The prompts go live every Monday morning at around 8.30 a.m. Due to work hours I schedule the blog post for challenge prompts so it's available at the same time and same place each week. And time permitting I will include a card with my own interpretation of the prompt. :)

Where can I share my cards?
If you're a member of UK Scrappers then you can share your cards via the dedicated threads for this challenge, which are located in the main part of the Card Forum here. If you're not on UK Scrappers, then it'd be lovely if you left a link to your card here on my blog via the comments bit for the relevant prompt. I love seeing how people interpret these prompts as no two cards are ever the same!   

What's new for 2013?
Well, there was a hint that other folks were in the same boat as me in December, when panic set in that we hadn't made enough cards to send to people... I really want to avoid a repeat of that for Christmas 2013! So, as an added push this year those that want to get ahead with their Christmas cards can make an extra card a week by using the prompt to create a Christmas card as well. If that sounds like too much work, no problem! This is meant to be a stress-free challenge. Join in as and how you like, one week you may want to just make a card for the original prompt, another week just a Christmas card, or some weeks you just won't have time to make either! There will be a separate thread in the card forum on UK Scrappers for you to share your (hopefully) 52 Christmas card crackers! So if you are ultra-productive there is a chance you could make at least 104 cards in 2013!

I will be posting any cards I make for the Christmas card crackers separately later in the week unless I happen to be ultra-productive!

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

So onwards we go with the first prompt of the year, it's a new year and so a good way to see in the new is to include it on your card!

Make a card featuring something new!

It could be any of the following:

• New stash
• A new arrival
• An announcement of some wonderful news
• A card for someone new in your life
• A new home

The choice is yours!

I went with new stash, because I've not had any time at all really to play with the lovely goodies I got in Florida or my craft Christmas presents!

Paper: Basic Grey
Rosette: Basic Grey
Stamps: PTI
Border die: MFT
Other: Sewing machine, Glossy Accents, 3D foam

I added Glossy Accents to the "Celebrate" banner on the rosette just to make it pop a bit more.

And since I was well-prepared for once, here's my contribution to this week's Christmas cracker card!

Paper: BoBunny
Stamps: PTI
Die: PTI
Embossing border: Cuttlebug
Seam binding: The Ribbon Reel
Other: 3D foam, Mister Huey mist

Almost every single item on this card is new, even the Mister Huey opaque white mist which was an interesting moment! Managed to spray my keyboard despite it being faaar away from my craft mat... Hm, think I will need to do my future Mister Huey spraying elsewhere! LOL

I am also rather fond of the zig zag border that was included in the full embossing folder set. I'm also rather fond of the rustic white cardstock from PTI that I got round to opening. :)

52 Cards challenge - Week 52

Happy Christmas Eve everyone!

Here we are for the last prompt of the year, and I thought it'd be a nice way to end by sharing our favourite cards we have made over the last 51 weeks!

If you are up for creating a brand new card this week - fantastic! I am hoping to have time later this week. ;o)

If not, then just enjoy browsing through your creations from 2012 and sharing your favourite one.

If you do have chance to make something, then use your favourite project as inspiration for a brand new card!

Here's mine - I've not been able to part with it yet:

Thank you to all of you who have taken part in the challenge this year - I'll see you next Monday with our first prompt of the 52 cards challenge 2013!

Have a safe and merry Christmas!

52 Cards challenge - Week 51

Morning everyone!

It's a short and sweet prompt for you this week...

Use glitter and/or paint on your card

 

I had chance to play with some of my new purchases at the weekend, and here's what I made using some new glitter glam paint from Tattered Angels and Distress glitter:

Paper: Crate
Dies: MFT, PTI
Stamps: PTI
Pearls: Kaisercraft
Other: Glitter paint, Distress glitter

It's hard to tell in the photos, but the front snow drift is coated in Chandelier glitter paint which gives it a very subtle shimmer and glimmer, and the top of the snow drift has Distress glitter glistening on it...

Hope you have fun creating!

52 Cards challenge - Week 50

Hello everyone!

Well it's back to December with a bit of a bump after a lovely time in the sun. Alas I have come back rather the worse for wear and in complete stress-head mode over Christmas...

So today's prompt is hopefully a therapeutic one.

I want you to feature colouring on your card in some way.

It can be the the focal point of your entire card, coloured in any medium you choose, or it can be just an accent like mine...

Paper: My Little Shoebox, Echo Park
Dies: Memory Box, MFT, PTI
Stamps: PTI
Other: 3D foam, Stickles, twine, Promarkers

I cut the tree and house border twice. Once from white cardstock to colour in the tree line, then again from patterned paper to do the grass. There are a couple of new purchases on this card. The sun and cloud dies and stamps from PTI, the alpha from PTI, and the layerz fishtail dies from MFT. Also the hemp cord is fantastic, we picked up a reel each at the class we did at the My Favorite Things boutique in Florida and for $3 you got absolutely loads! Anyway, it's supposed to look like a plane is flying the banners... but I don't have a plane stamp/die so you can't see them. ;o)

Happy creating!

52 Cards challenge - Week 49

Hello everyone!

Well this weeks it's sketching time again.

I've really enjoyed seeing some of the sketches that appear on the MFT stamps blog - I think especially at this time of year when card production is in full gear, we need all the help we can get to come up with card ideas and to change things up a bit. My first port of call is always a card sketch!

Here are a few that caught my eye:

Source: kgiron.blogspot.com via Kim on Pinterest

 

Source: mftstamps.com via Carole on Pinterest

 

Source: mftstamps.com via Janice on Pinterest

 

So the choice is yours as to which one you go for. Or maybe you'll give them all a try. :D

Either way have fun creating!

52 Cards challenge - Week 48

Morning everyone!

This week it's time for the return of a colour prompt.

Well, to make things a bit easier I'm going to give you a choice of colour palettes to work with. :)

Good old green and red:

Source: bakingdom.com via Natalia on Pinterest

 

A nice festive red, pink and green combo:

Source: shopsweetlulu.com via Natalia on Pinterest

 

Aqua, red and white:

Source: lovefromtheoven.com via Natalia on Pinterest

 

Red, blue and grey:

Source: photocardboutique.com via Natalia on Pinterest

 

And last but not least, 50's style retro pastel jewel tones with some silver glitz thrown in for good measure:

Source: velvetstrawberries.typepad.com via Natalia on Pinterest

 

I'm sure there's enough there to get cracking on a card or two! ;)

Happy crafting!

52 Cards challenge - Week 47

Hi Everyone!

Welcome to my last prompt before I jet off for a short break in the sun. Now, don't worry, while I'm away I'll schedule a couple of prompts to keep you busy, but in the meantime - here's this week's challenge:

Use at least 3 different designs of paper on your project.

This prompt will definitely help those who are fervently working away on their Christmas cards, or anyone with a stockpile of scraps waiting to be used, plus any folks who have just had a nice delivery of patterned paper and are waiting for the perfect excuse to get cutting! You know who you are. ;o)

Paper and die-cut elements: MME
Stickers: Crate
Die:Magnolia
Stamp: PTI
Other: Stickles, 3D foam

Happy crafting!

52 Cards challenge - Week 46

Morning everyone!

Hope you had a nice weekend - I've spent most of it trying to get recovered from the awful cold I had last week and meant I went awol from blogland for a bit. :(

Am getting there, but still have the head-in-goldfish-bowl hearing and am ample supply of Sudafed to get me through.

So, getting down to business.

This week's challenge comes courtesy of the prompt jar:

And for my card I also used this week's Waltzing Mouse Sketch as added inspiration to get me started, afraid the light was a bit dodgy in the afternoon by the time I was able to take a pic:

Paper, sticker, button: Crate Paper
Stamp: WMS
Dies: PTI, MFT
Seam binding, twine: The Ribbon Girl
Other: Sewing machine, 3D foam, distresser

The greeting from Holiday Ornaments went really well with the washed out 50s colours of this line.

Happy crafting!

A card for another little lady...

Well, technically this card was made at the request of my very good friend and partner-in-almost-every-crime Becky who is now a very proud aunty to the new arrival - it has been months in the planning and I had been on call the past couple of weeks for baby Amira Rose to make her way into the world!

And she finally did last Friday, so it was all action stations this weekend - here's the card I made for Becky to give to the happy new parents:

Paper: Studio Calico, MME
Stamps: PTI
Dies: PTI, Spellbinders
Trim: The Ribbon Girl
Pearls: Prima
Rose: Wild Orchid Crafts
Thickers: AC
Other: sewing machine, Distress Stickles, doily, 3D foam, vellum

And as for the 52 cards challenge prompt for this week, the theme is the same, as it the Distress Stickles on the pink Thickers.

Anyway, I hope the happy parents like it. :D

52 Cards challenge - Week 45

Morning everyone!

I'm afraid my weekend ended up a little busier - and much more wonderful - than I'd planned!

I did make a card late Saturday night to use as this week's prompt, but I think I am going to change the prompt up a little in response to a lovely surprise I received yesterday.

So, this week the challenge is to make a card based on a past card I made:

Source: koolkittymusings.typepad.com via Natalia on Pinterest

 

Now, you can take any element from this card an incorporate it in your project, so for example:

• The colour scheme
• 3D elements
• Using the name of the recipient on the card
• The theme
• A frame
• Mini-tags
• The layout
• Etc.

And the reason why I'm putting up this card as our prompt? Well yesterday, I finally met little baby Anja and enjoyed a wonderful day with her and her very happy if slightly tired parents. I was totally honoured and completely surprised to find that they had had a special frame made for this card and had it professionally mounted so it can hang in Anja's room. It even totally matches the nursery colour scheme. I was so touched and really quite amazed. :)

Can't wait for my next visit and some more cuddles with the little lady.

I will post the card I made on Saturday night later on this week, as it also fits this prompt - I ended up re-using a technique and re-using the theme for another special little lady. :)

52 Cards challenge - Week 44

Hi everyone - and welcome to the first prompt of the proper countdown to Christmas!

Well, in my book when the clocks change back from British summer time, I know I really need to get a move on with my Christmas card production, such that it is!

So, this week I have a Pinterest inspired post to share. We're looking to folk-art, Nordic and rustic-inspired Christmas styles for this week's card.

If you're not making anything Christmas related, that's fine. :o) But try and feature something that ties in with this week's theme some how... say wooden embellishments, twine, felt or even the colours and patterns typically used in these styles.

Here are some pins to get you thinking:

Source: sweetmissdaisy.typepad.com via Karen on Pinterest

 

Source: celebrationsathomeblog.com via Beth on Pinterest

 

Source: livingathome.de via Natalia on Pinterest

 

Source: ashleeproffittdesign.blogspot.com via Natalia on Pinterest

 

Source: housetohome.co.uk via Margaret on Pinterest

 

Source: Uploaded by user via EDMC73 on Pinterest

 

Source: aleggup.blogspot.com via Natalia on Pinterest

 

Source: etsy.com via Honour on Pinterest

 

Source: etsy.com via Mary K on Pinterest

 

Source: folksy.com via Natalia on Pinterest

 

Source: allsorts.typepad.com via Natalia on Pinterest

 

And if you need a little more to get you started, here's the really simple card I made. I want to keep the colour palette neutral so the only pop of colour was the red felt I cut with my faithful Marianne die:

Paper: Basic Grey
Dies: Marianne, MFT
Stamp: PTI
Other: 3D foam

In fact I was rather inspired by the look of some lovely red felt coasters I bought last Christmas... it's always interesting just what can inspire a card eh?

Happy crafting!

52 Cards challenge - Week 43

Morning everyone!

This week's dare could be right up the street of any Christmas card makers out there.

Use the lyrics of a song on your card in some way.

I'm thinking Christmas carols could be just perfect here. ;o)

Here's the card I made:

Paper: American Crafts
Stamps: PTI
Dies: MFT, Sizzix
Other: Stickles, 3D foam

I went to work glittering the berries and star for extra glam. Can't be helped when you're in Christmas mode!

Hope you have fun playing along!