Dino Roar card

I can't believe that Ethan will be two this year, time seems to be passing at such an alarming rate. Last time I saw him he was really into dinosaurs and kept saying "wrooarr" so I thought I should make his birthday card with dinosaurs on it. The papers and colours are a bit older than I would have normally used but at least they are fairly bright. I made one dinosaur fluffy and one glossy to add a bit of texture. I have also used my new xcut star dies and I was able to use the ink around the edge method that is so effective,  next time though I think I will use my copic airbrush.

Ingredients:

Image: "Happy Day" the greeting farm

Papers: "Fabusaurus too" Nit Wit Collections

Cardstock: "terracotta tile" and "blueberry sky" both Papertrey Ink

Brad: Eyelet Outlet

Number cut on cricut with Billionaire cart

Wedding Day

I was asked to make this card for my friend to take with her this weekend, she wanted me to try to match the colours of the invitation and her only stipulation was that the bride be elegant, so that meant my lili of the valley and jellypark wedding images weren't suitable so I searched Robert Jackson's images and found the perfect one.

Printed onto my one of my last pieces of star dream like shimmer paper from paper mill and coloured with my copics I think this looks very elegant. I printed the washed damask (pink petticoat) a firm favourite of mine onto more of the shimmer card and the gold card was in the snippet draw but not sure where it came from as it was almost a whole a4 sheet. I used my trusty cuttlebug folder and of course gold nail heads to jazz it up.

This card is much busier than my usual but I do like it, I have even used my arch nemesis....flowers.

Ingredients

Image:

Papers: "Washed Damask" in gold by Pink Petticoat

Ribbon: "Honey Gold" Mei Flower

Dies: "Filigree" Papertrey Ink

Nailheads: Josy Rose

Sentiment: Computer generated using Freehand 591

Penny Black and Sketch Saturday

I just realised that today is Friday doh! and I need to post my Sketch Saturday card before it is too late. I have used a fantastic Penny Black image one I have loved for a while after seeing it on Jules blog. I have used all offcuts to make the card and some small bits at that. Even the white mat has a stamped image on the back lol. I enjoyed this sketch and am trying my hardest to make a sketch card every week.

Ingredients

Image: Penny Black "Sugar Sweet Dream"

Papers: "Dolly" MME

Cardstock: "Simply Chartreuse" Papertrey Ink

Embossing: "Chevron" Stampin Up

Challenges: Snippet Playground

Sketch Saturday

Celebrate Good Times

As soon as I saw the Stampin up sale a bration catalogue I knew which set I wanted, I placed an order and have had the set since mid feb but this is the first card I have made. I attended a stampin up class and really enjoyed myself and I have never made so many cards at a class either.

I used the leftover sparkly paper from the wedding card I made and stamped the penny farthing in rich cocoa memento ink. I distressed the edges with toffee crunch and rich cocoa memento inks using my new finger daubers. Wow these are so easy to use. The sentiment is cut from the paper i used to practise the stamping and even has part of the wheel on it, I stamped the sentiment to check sizing on the scrap intending on cutting a fresh one but I liked the fact it had the wheel on it and so just inked the edges the same as the image. I used the left over kraft card from the anniversary card and ran it through my ebosser with a cuttlebug folder and again inked the edges and the main embossing with the same inks.

I haven't made this card for anyone just thought I ought to have a play with the stuff already on my desk before it went in the snippet folder, so I am entering the playground for a go on the roundabout.

Ingredients: "penny farthing" stampin up

Paper: Papermill

Sentiment: same as image set

Dies: "Sentiment strips" MFT

Cardstock: kraft by recollections

Inks: Toffee crunch and rich cocoa.

Challenges: Snippet Playground

Second card almost the same as the first

In the spirit of making two cards this is the matching one from my earlier post, I have coloured most of the image rather than paper piece as I didn't have enough papers left and didn't want to print more...tight aren't I lol but as colouring is my number one passion I try and include it on every card.

I have been trying to build a stock pile of cards for those oh no I forgot to make one moments but as soon as I am making them I am using them, so either I am giving more cards out or my memory is getting worse lol.

Ingredients

Image: "Mini Diva Doodles" Pink Petticoat

Papers: "Heirloom" Sassy Designs

Cardstock: "Fine Linen" Papertrey Ink

Font: Bookworm 

Challenges: Snippet Playground

Teddy, beer and a sketch

This mini but extremely cute stamp was such fun to colour,  I tried to capture the different colour behind the glass and think I may have succeeded yeah. I had so much fun making the glass shiny and the bubbles frothy too.

The papers have been printed since last year and sitting patiently in the snippet draw, the card is left over from a card you will see probably next week  and I am trying to use stuff that is on my desk before it gets to the snippet draw and it seems to be working.

I have used this weeks sketch saturday sketch and wow is it easy and effective too, I have challenged myself to start using sketches more as they can kick start the mojo even though sometimes they are scary. I think that the scariest part of this one was the embellies and trying to not overpower the image but josy rose came to the rescue yet again, I am so glad Jules introduced me to them.

Ingredients

Image: Fizzy moon

Papers: "this & that" Echo Park at Jessica Sprague

Cardstock: "Early Expresso" Stampin up

Nailheads: Josy Rose

Sentiment: papermania

Dies: Ticket border MFT

Challenges: Snippet Playground

Sketch Saturday

Anniversary Wishes

Today is my 21st Wedding Anniversary and it still feels like we have been married five minutes, he is my soulmate, best friend and confidante all rolled into one. I had an idea in my mind for a card and for the first time ever it looks exactly like I expected lol.

Ingredients

Dies: "gingerbread men" Papertrey ink
Sentiment: "anniversary wishes" MFT stamps

Cardstock: "real red" stampin up, "kraft" recollections
Sparkle: Studio g glitter glue

Challenges: Snippet Playground

More tea anyone

Well all of the elements for this card have been on my desk for over a month just waiting to be made, this was my great idea of making two almost the same cards at the same time and was supposed to make card making easier but in fact it seems to be stifling my mojo lol.

The card is made of mostly snippets so I am entering the playground this week for my turn on the swings lol.

Ingredients:

Image:"Polly's teacup" Sassy Cheryl

Papers: "time for tea" nit wit collections

Cardstock" "perfect plum" stampin up and "sno cone" MFT stamps (both from the snippet draw)

Die: "retro squares" mft

Challenges: Snippet Playground

Matting and Layering

I have been asked what dies I use to cut the mats on my cards and this is where I may surprise some of you but I don't own any nesties or stacks of dies except a set of stars. I use my trusty cricut and two cartridges, elegant edges and lacy labels for all my fancy mats.  My digi stamps  are cut using my craft robo and I also use this for most of the scallop mats as it gives a better finish than the cricut.
Until last year I didn't own any dies at all then I discovered MFT had a shop in Florida and my addiction started. I am tempted by nesties and how easy they are to use but storage space is a premium in my tiny craft room so the method I have now works for me.

I do wish I could ink the edge of the cards with the white border like nesties can but for the amount of times I would probably do this I can't justify the expense. Especially when I keep seeing other things I want more lol. I know that cutting a frame would enable me to do this but as yet I haven't tried it.

I have also discovered a new found joy in fussy cutting my images which gives a lovely look with and without the white border. My cutting is ok but far from perfect but using a tip I picked up fom Debby I now run a grey memento marker around the cut out image and all the imperfections disappear. Obviously I don't use this method when I leave the white border though.