Bold Birthdays and Butterflies

As always I think there is always more time than there actually is, and that's how you end up making Birthday cards the night before they HAVE to be posted!

Here, I've used Pacific Point and Real Red colours and simply used a scallop square Happy Birthday stamp, then punched out by the scallop square.

Another stamp onto the envelope so that the Postman has something to look at too - really couldn't be simpler - I think the next time I do a similar card I will use an embossing folder to create some texture for the solid colour, but this truly is - less being more!!

As my Uncle turned 80 this week, I managed to get myself slightly better organised as there was a parcel to send on time too!

Needless to say I have succumbed to Mini catalogue temptation and added to my Big Shot with the Medium Sizzlit Dies of the Timeless Type Junior Alphabet (Mini p8), just so that I could make the 80 stand out in the stunning Real Red.

As Birthdays are just a number, and my Uncle Arthur has never looked his age, the Celebrations DSP (IB&C p89) makes a great backdrop for this gate fold card.

And to finish here are a couple of small cards that I sent with another set of parcels - seems impossible to send anything without making the appropriate card now! Here I have literally used previously printed and punched elements with the background Confetti stamps (IB&C p60) - let me know what you think . . . . . keep on crafting Gen x

Happy Holidays!

Having had a couple of weeks stay-cation over the summer, in Marvellous Mid Wales I have had a little time to play with another of my favorites - photos :-) This is a compilation photo I had done earlier, but decided to decorate the mount with some rub ons that I had purchased from SU earlier, and I think the swirly corners and family script just finish it off - what do you think? Those of you who are following my blog can leave me a message to let me know what you think ;-)

Here are a couple of close ups of the corners, as I love all things swirly :-)

For those keen observers that is me on the left sitting between my two brothers and above in the fetching bikini - hee hee hee!

Playing of course means that my Big Shot die cut machine is never really far away, and means that making a quick Thank You card is even quicker than usual, good job I kept all those scraps to now make endless embellishments and allow each project to spring to life.

Needless to say I caved in under the pressure of the August promotion and am looking forward to spending my day off tomorrow, playing with my free items - hee hee hee! Keep on crafting, Gen x

21 celebrations and Inspiration

Another coming of age celebration and continuing my love of numbers and using the candle from Party this way stamp set for the number one. Here I've used Bashful Blue, Pacific Point and Night of Navy to match in with some ribbon that I already have and is a favorite of mine for male cards. I then used some silver emboss for the circular birthday greeting from a retired set, hence the stars dotted over the card. Hopefully you can see a bit more of the detail here,

and I hope Calum had a wonderful Birthday.

I also wanted to just mention my most recent inspiration, and it of course comes from a stamping friend Steff whose artistic stamping continually makes me ooh and aah and wonder how I can recreate the images too. As always a picture speaks a thousand words, so here's a card she made. This mirrors my other present inspiration, the summer hedgerows. Here Steff has used Pocket Silhouettes (IB&C p45), stamp set and a current hostess set Silhouette Sentiments (IB&C p11) and the real genius here is that she has inked the flowers and not the stems and that makes them pop out of the foliage and just as you see them in life.

I also want to thank Steff as we had a wonderful evening of stamping to finalise her Ruby Anniversary invitation design, and they are so lovely that I thought I would show you them too.

Here she has used Real Red for the Flower Accent stamp (IB&C p112) and then metallic red and black for the Boho Blossom centres of the flowers secured with brads and then the corner stamp (from the Vintage Vogue stamp set IB&C p62) and sentiment in Early Espresso and just to highlight the flowers I have taken a closer shot to see the detail better. It is always great to get carried away in craft and even better to know that others do the same. Keep on crafting, Gen x

July Birthdays!

Birthday wishes this month to my nephew Mark, whose card is shown above. This is of course the Builder wheel, as showcased in the current Mini catalogue (p13). The candles are in So Saffron (subtles collection), the greeting in Real Red (brights collection), and the stars in Night of Navy (regals collection). I've simply used some Designer Series Paper from the Celebrations set (IB&C p89) as a background and then punched a couple of stars out to break up the blue. I like this wheel for male cards as it's still fun, without hopefully being too much - still hoping for the less is more approach!

:-)

In complete contrast is this card for my niece Ariana, Happy Birthday for today :-) As you can see, I'm still playing with my Big Shot Butterfly dies, and all 9 year old girls need sparkle in their life, so I've used Rhinestone gems for the bodies and then the number 9 as a curly antennae. Colours here are Pretty in Pink, Rose Red and Perfect Plum, all from the subtles collection. On the envelope I used a vellum large Butterfly and a smaller one on top, all secured by glue dots. The embossed patterns allows just enough room to spell her name on the right wing from my stash of peel offs. Just hoping that she's had a fabulous birthday. Keep on crafting Gen x

Twins 3rd Birthday!

Where have the last three years gone? The fabulous Francis twins were three and here are their cards this year!

As Louie is a star and Emily is a petal, that was their themes for this year!

Louie's card here in Bashful Blue and Pacific Point colours, and then Emily's in Pretty in Pink and Melon Mambo. The only current stamp set I have used is in Emily's and is the flower from the Simply Said set. The Fower is done on the marvellous Big Shot using the Daisies Flower Bigz Die (Mini cat p7)

Here is hopefully a slightly clearer image of the central detail of the cards! My Big Shot also saved the day with their presents as this year I decided to do glove puppets and was stumped when it came to making he eyes, so used the daisies die to cut perfect circles in felt in black and white, and so here are Emily's cat and Louie's dog for you to see how Die cutting is permeating all areas of my life - hee hee hee! Keep on crafting Gen x

21!

My gorgeous niece Aimee turned 21 last weekend and making her card was a wonderful excuse to use my Big Shot machine, and here have used the Emblosslit Dies Beautiful wings (Mini cat p9), in shades of pink and purple, because of the base card I had to hand. The simple design with the arrangement of the butterflies into the numbers and it was pretty much done (see detailed picture to see the embossing in better detail below).

Once more the greeting is from the Sincere Salutations set, oval punched on Whisper White card stock, and scalloped oval for the Perfect Plum card stock, with the fabulous 5/8" Organza Ribbon at the bottom.

For the envelope I have used Schoolbook Serif Numbers (IB&C p77), and then the candle from the Party this Way set (IB&C p31).

This was then continued through for the present wrapping, as I love to make things match up. I have saved the large butterflies from the embosslit and doubled up the wings, using rhinestone gems for the central body, and the scalloped circle for the present tag.

Summer celebrations!

Here's my first card with the gorgeous Baby Blossoms stamp set (Mini cat p16). I've used the Subtles collection of colours, the Rose Red 1/2" Seam Binding Ribbon (Mini p17) secured with a rhinestone brad. I love the two step stamping, using the stamp-a-ma-jig to get perfect alignment and allow the colours to give the images the 3D depth. This is the first time I've really used Baja breeze ink on the central panel, and yet again I have managed to fall in love with yet another colour - so more playing in the pipeline - hee hee hee!

Whilst making the card above, using the Sincere Salutations (IB&C p72), for the central greeting and having a 70th card to do, I simply snuck in 70 Birthday wishes and changed the corner flowers for the smaller rose buds rather than the larger roses. As always, making a card for somebody else I became unsure that the design was the one, so made another, which as you can see if far more free flowing than the other design. I stuck with the same colour collection as it's sensational for summer, even if the weather isn't! The stamps here are from the Growing Green set (IB&C p56), with a flower cluster from the Cottage Garden set (IB&C p53), and my favorite swirl in the right hand corner from the Season of Joy Christmas stamp set (IB&C p22). I have also used Basic Pearls (IB&C p99) for the centres of the three largest flowers. Luckily for me they were both used for the seventieth celebrations :-)