Floral birthday card

 

I love the Everything Eleanor stamp set, it's elegant and versatile.

 

Here I've stamped the large flower head and coloured with Blushing Bride ink & layered over the All Abloom paper for a simple birthday greeting.

 

Here's what I used:

 

 

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Shabby chic card class (tutorial)

We had a great time at my class last night, making these three vintage, shabby chic cards. It was a fast paced and fun evening, working with the lovely Everything Eleanor stamp set and a variety of punches and dies.

 

Bye bye Pistachio Pudding ink & Apothecary Accents Framelits. Missing you already *sniffle*.

 

 

 

I used some old book pages with these two cards, to give a bit of contrast to the pastel colours. I used pages from Business French for Beginners and Adventure Stories for Girls (edited by the intriguingly named "Leonard Gribble". He sounds like he should have been writing taxation manuals rather than ripping yarns for wizard "gells", but a chap's got to make a living somehow, I suppose).

 

 

 

This one has a tie closure - I glued the ribbon to the card behind the central medallion, so the glue didn't show through.

 

If you want to have a go, I've attached the instructions for making the cards here. Some of the elements I used are retiring in the next few weeks, but you can always substitute similar items. (I think you can still grab the Delicate Design embossing folders if you're quick.)

Here's what I used (current stock only)

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Busy busy busy

I have finally accepted that, since they are now 10 & 14, it is unlikely that I will ever use my sewing machine to sew that darling little range of velveteen sailor suits for my boys. I've held off using it for papercrafting, afraid that I might damage it by sewing onto card, but it seems that as long as you don't put glue where you intend sewing, all should be fine.  

So, since I might as well get some use out of it, for the past few days I've been experimenting with machine sewing onto cards. My sewing is  still as bad as it has ever been, but on a card I can pass wonkiness off as, ahem,  "shabby chic".

 

 

I made this card using up old scraps I would have thrown away. It's a bit busy, but that's ok. I like a lot going on on a card :)

Here's what I used:

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Case-d birthday card

I was short on inspiration last night, so I decided to copy a card that I've seen all over Pinterest recently and absolutely love, by Monika Davis. You can see the original here.

 

I didn't have the products Monika used, so I raided my own stash & came up with a pretty solid recreation, I'd say.

 

The "Happy" stamp is a section from a stamp in Stampin' Up!'s Amazing Birthday set. I started off trying to mask off and repeat stamp it, but that was far too complicated & ink got everywhere. In the end I just stamped the whole stamp multiple times and cut out each "Happy" and glued it to the card. Sometimes the simple ways really are the best.

 

 

 

So have a look round Pinterest and the web in general for designs you like & think how you can adapt them using the stamps and inks you already have.

 

(Remember to give credit where it's due if you do base your design on someone else's work  :) )

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Wedding card

We're all romantic & spoony this week at Rubberdubber towers. It's Valentine's Day next week & yesterday was me & Mr B's 27th date-a-versary, an event we still celebrate, even though we've been married umpteen years. 

27 years ago last night we went to Aberystwyth Arts Centre to watch the sort of pretentious foreign film we'd hoot with laughter at these days, before earnestly deconstructing it in the union bar.

Mr B considers it a master stroke that he asked me out just before Valentine's Day, as each year he's able to pick up a modest bunch of flowers at a "sensible" price & they're still in bloom a week later, thus allowing him to avoid buying a Valentine's bouquet at "silly" prices. 

"Well, it's hardly worth it. These have got another few days left in them yet", he'll say, deadheading a carnation.

Anyway, pondering on the fairytale that is married life inspired me to make this card using the new For the New Two and Something Lacy stamp sets.

I got that white border effect totally by accident. First I stamped the pink background from the Everything Eleanor stamp set onto white cardstock. I stamped another onto card & cut it out to make a mask, which I placed back over the stamped image, so that I could over stamp the lace background. The card was quite thick, and so when I over stamped the lace stamp, it couldn't make contact properly with the card at the edge of the mask, & it left a wider border than I was expecting. I really like it though, & will try that effect with other stamps & masks. The trick is to use card to mask off & not paper. 

The Apothecary Accents Framelit matches the larger background stamp perfectly, & I cut a second one in glitter paper, cut it in 2 & popped it behind so it was just slightly peeping out. Too much would have looked cheap but just a hint of sparkle really lifts the card.

Here's what I used (all stamps listed below are cling mount - wood mount are also available)

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