It's beginning to feel a lot like.....

Yes, I have started my Christmas cards.  I had seen an idea on YouTube using a punch by Stampin up.  My friend, who is a SU demonstrator, managed to source the bauble punch and the rest is history.  It's a simple idea but I think very effective, also means you can mass produce quite easily.

 

 

 

I only discovered 'Pinterest' recently and, wow, what a hub of fantastic ideas!  There are some very clever and talented crafty people out there in the big wide world.

I have been playing with a couple of new stamp sets, from Stampin up, which I purchased on Ebay.  This set of stamps is called 'Circle Circus' and I wanted them for masculine cards but think they could be made into very pretty young lady's card too. 

 

Must stop now or I won't have any cards to blog about !!  ;-D

 

Pink & Brown do go...

I’m back again and had decided not to open with how the weather is, so British of me I know.  But, last night we had the best storm and today the air feels a lot fresher.  There’s a nice cooling breeze flowing through my crafting room.  Ok that’s enough Britishness lol!  I finished the card using the dark pink herringbone design, what do you think? 

 

I wanted to add some ribbon to finish the card but didn't have any brown. So, this will make you smile, I hunted around my clothes for anything brown that still had the ribbon hanging loops, and as if by magic, my card was finished! (I feel a red & green Christmassy herringbone design coming on, maybe with a glittery bauble, ummm need to get out the Christmas stash box.)

On Saturday I went to a craft shop just outside Colchester for the first time and found all sorts of things I need. They were demonstrating the Ebosser, I was very impressed and am thinking possibly a birthday present (if I can wait that long!). I have a Cuttlebug at the moment but it came to me already loved and has been well loved by me. It has started to emboss/cut unevenly, I bought new plates but it didn't really make a lot of difference.

Bye for now, must get some crafting done before going to work (groan!!).

 

Fish and Strips

 

The weather is glorious, I am beginning to think I have been beamed to the Mediterranean but without the swimming pool and a cocktail in my hand.  Also, having to go to work is a bit of a drag, interferes with my creative urges!  Enough rambling, I am very pleased with Dad's fish card.  The blinging-up (not sure that's a word but you know what I mean) took a bit of 'offering up' as my Dad would say.  Couldn't decide between sparkly brads, same colour brad and hook, ribbons etc.

Here's the end result, I love it!

 

I have been watching a lot of card making demonstrations on 'YouTube' lately and came across a video showing you how to make a card using the 'Herringbone' technique by Lisa Curcio.  My first Christmas card for 2013 was made using this method.  I wasn't to sure if I liked it, so had a go at a man's card and think it's quite effective.

 



 

This last photo is a sneaky peek at the beginnings of my next creation, liking the darker colour in the herringbone pattern.  Bye for now.

 



 

Cards for men!

It's another beautiful day today but still to hot for me, so it's off to the craft room to work on my Dads birthday card.  My Dad is a very keen fresh water fisherman.  Last year it was his 80th birthday and I made him a fish shaped birthday cake. 

Each year I theme Dad's card around fishing and this year is no exception.  I managed to buy on ebay an unusal American stamp which features a large 'Bart' fish.  Now all I have to do is design it!

Cards for men are always the most difficult for me to make.  Here are a few cards made over the last couple of years, I loved the way the jacket and shirt card came out.

 

 

 

Well here goes my first post on my own blog.

As the weather has been so hot lately, and a shady spot was definitely needed, I have been creating in my craft room/office/spare room.  Here are a couple of the cards I have made.

This last one was for my gorgeous grand daughter's 2nd birthday, she loves Mini Youse!