Fourth Birthday for the Twins!

Luckily, I'm not the only one who can hardly believe that four years have passed since these terrific twins were born. As you can see from their cards above, I have got completely carried away with Bunting, and with the Petite Pennant Punch (IB&C p119), it's not difficult, using Baker's Twine (Summer Mini p22), for stringing the pennants together. I was going to stamp their names onto the pennants, but I wanted to match in with their presents, seen below, so used Brushed Silver card stock and Medium Sizzlits Die Timeless Type Junior Alphabet and also for the number 4!

 

So for this years presents I made drawstring bags for school, using the Bigz Dies Alphabet Simple Letters (IB&C p123) in felt, and for Emily's bag I used Melon Mambo 1/2" Scallop Dots Ribbon (IB&C p107) - Louie's bag turned into a Red White and Blue theme!

 

 

A little hand stamped gift wrap for their presents - the Happy Birthday Octopus from the Kidoodles set (IB&C p32) - more cake with eight tentacles!! Yum!

 

My last note is just to bring your attention to the July promotion (see the right hand side bar), as those of you who loved the Sale-A-Bration Everyday Enchantment Designer Series Paper as much as I did, can buy this paper for this short time and if your order reaches £45 you can earn free co-ordinating brads and ribbons - whoo hoo!!

Keep on crafting, Gen xxx

 

Butterflies, Brads & Simple Stamping

So just to keep moderately up to date with my card making, a Birthday card using the Bigz Die Beautiful Butterflies (IB&C p123) for the Rich Razzleberry card stock, and Elegant Bouquet embossing folder for the vellum butterfly, highlighted with rhinestones gems and the lovely outline stamp from the Growing Green stamp set (IB&C p52), corner scallop trim punch and greeting from the hostess set Happiest Birthday Wishes stamp set (p8).

As always my Father's Day is a less is more approach - Mocha Morning Speciality DSP (p96), Artichoke Denim Jean Ribbon (p106), Antique Brad (p109) and then stamps in Soft Suede.

A small super quick card - done with a previous free set :-)

And my first time to play with the Everything Eleanor stamp set (IB&C p57),
using colours from the Subtles Collection, and printing the Dog Rose with a yellow centre after walking up the back lane at the weekend :-) and realising that nature is fantastically variable.

Keep on crafting, Gen xxx

Hostess benefits - Precious Butterflies

So just to entice you to host your own party, (extra benefits in June & July on the right side bar), and earn FREE stamp sets for having fun, I thought I'd show you a few cards that I made with the Hostess stamp set you can find on page 12 of the current Ideas Book & Catalogue. Above I've used Melon Mambo card stock and ink, with Wild Wasabi emboss powder, greeting from Sincere Salutations (p82), and then my favourite Scallop Trim Corner punch, highlighted with Rhinestone gems.

Below, a similar format, with pearl gems, Whisper White for the greeting and a 3D flower that I made from heart punching the Rich Razzleberry print three times.



Last but not least, Wisteria Wonder, Old Olive and Perfect Plum, simply stamped straight onto the card stock - this set is so versatile - will really have to make some to sell at work!

Keep on crafting, Gen xxx

Handy hints and tidy tips!

At the most recent training I attended at Reading one of the demonstrators mentioned that it might be easy to keep the fabulous new Framelits and Edgelits with a magnetic sheet and I have actually got round to acting on this advice - result! Doing this for the Framelits means that you can know that you have all 6 dies in place - handy when at workshops, so I don't leave anything behind!

The other plus about this system is that the adhesive paper highlights the labelling of the plastic pockets these dies come in, so allows easy identification. The other really fabulous hint was to get spare standard cutting pads, cover one with grid paper to allow lining up and then use the fabulous sticky strip to hold the edgelit in the desired and lined up position, as seen here.

So when you use these cutting pads you can align your card stock and make sure that your die is level too because of the grid lines. I also hold the framelits on place with a sticky note which works perfectly - lots of fun! Keep on crafting, Gen x

P.S. Have added a couple of new offers on the right hand side of my blog, so check out these offers, while they last! I know I will be ;-)



Apothercary Art co-ordination!

As I have already rambled on about, the Reading Training was full of inspiration for the Summer Mini Catalogue, and with the will of steel that I really don't have I have I was swept away by the co-ordinating possibilities.

 Here, is my version of a greeting card pack that I made from a trimmed 6"x 6" album page protector. Simply using Wisteria Wonder and Pool Party for the backing card and Belly Band with the scallop border punch to finish the presentation pack.

As you can see from the cards in the pack the stamp set co-ordinates fabulously with the Framelits Dies (Mini p16) which I have used for the two background shapes, embossed with the Stripes and Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder - all run through the Big Shot Die Cutting Machine :-)

Colours used, Wisteria Wonder, Pool Party, Regal Rose and Pear Pizzazz, small pearl jewels.

Here I've used my favourite Melon Mambo as a background, shaped with the Adorning Accent Edgelit die above and below, with the Labels Collection framelit die for the sensational central stamp, hand coloured with pencils and an Old Olive bow at the base.

And finally as I get completely carried away with the diagonal plate for the scoring tool to make envelopes with Pear Pizzazz DSP and the scallop trim border punch for the envelope flap.

So the same format, but a different greeting, with a Pear Pizzazz Seam Binding (IB&C p106), wound round three fingers 3 times, with the middle secured by an Antique Brad at the side. I love the detail of this stamp, seriosly arty and seriously easy. Keep on crafting, Gen xxx

Happy Jubilee Weekend!

Sorry about the photo quality, but couldn't resist posting this today. Got this idea from the Reading training weekend from a far superior swap that Lesley Lendon gave to me. As you can see, I seriously simplified the design as I thought I may need to create with kids at the village do yesterday, but luckily they were too busy with races, football and festive jubilee fayre, as it should be!

I simply used stamps from the confetti stamp set with Real Red and Night of Navy inks and background card stock. I made a stencil and then stamped repeatedly to build up the colour - simple enough for children ;-)

I have to admit that I have been having a bit of a Union Jack thing going on lately, here's the cake I made for yesterdays celebrations.

 Well I would, wouldn't I! The recipe is from Good Food and really tasty, nearly as tasty as the hot scotch eggs that we took down too! Finally, although it's not stamping related, a celebration isn't a celebration without bunting, and here's my contribution.

 

I have to say that my 30m was swallowed up in the enormous marquee that we had for the afternoon tea yesterday, but you can't beat handmade ;-) Keep on crafting, Gen x 

Belated Birthday Wishes!!

As you can see from this card I couldn't really resist the Summer Mini Catalogue temptation. The new  Border Edgelits for the Bid Shot tie in fabulously with the Bordering on Romance Stamp set, I did this for a friend who  loves purples and lilacs, here's a close p of the card front . .

For the flowers I stamped onto Perfect Plum, Regal Rose and Pool Party and simply cut them out, using Rhinestones for the flower centres, raising the flowers with Stampin Dimensionals - a girl can never have too much sparkle ;-)

We go from Sparkle to shimmer, with a male Birthday card, even though it was for a 90th Birthday I wanted something a little understated - I used the Brushed Gold card and co-ordinated it with the Gorgeously Golden Mocha Morning Speciality DSP, with the Balloon and greeting done in Gold emboss on Very Vanilla card stock.

Keep on crafting, Gen xxx