...loves of my life

Here's the card I made for my delightful, wonderful, handsome, amazing (...just in case he ever reads this ;) ) boyfriend, for our 8 year anniversary...

 I've gotta say...I love it.  It's one of my favourite ever makes.  I started with a 6" x 6" kraft card blank. matted some patterned paper on to it, and edged with a little distress ink.  The topper is made up of an inked doily, two of the same 'spellbinders' dies - one covered in gilding flakes, the other covered in distress embossing powder - and a wee little envelope that I have a punch for.  The 'loveheart' I created by making a mould out of an actual sweet, and filling it with bronze UTEE, i then used 'gleam' gilding cream to bring out the detail.  I punched hearts along the bottom of the patterned paper and filled them with little heart shaped faux-pearls from my stash.  The 'happy anniversary' sentiment is from the 'paper smooches good gab' set and is printed in sepia archival ink.  I think I was having one of them lucky days when everything just comes together.  Hope you like x

...play date

So one of my best friends brought her beutiful little girl, Poppy, around for a fun day of crafting the other day.  We decided to make a door sign for Poppy's bedroom...and like any little (or big) girl, Poppy likes a lot of sparkly things!  It was great fun, and Poppy loved her sign...

...colour on white shadow stamping

This is a technique I learned from a video made by my IDOL, the amazing, Jennifer Mcguire.  I just love everything she does, the lady has' the midas touch' without a shadow of a doubt in my opinion...and boy does she make it look easy!

So here's the card...

The technique does require a certain type of stamp set that needs to include a solid block background, and a detail/outline toppe.  I used the 'Basic grey lotus' set.  It is then simply a case of stamping your 'block' in a white ink (I like 'colourbox frost white' as it is so, well, white :/ ) on kraft card, and stamping your 'topper' in whatever colour/inks you desire.  I found I got the best results by using 'verscolour' pigment ink, I also got a lovely result from using the 'catseye' chalk inks, but it's probably best to experiment for your-self and see what looks you prefer.  To finish the card I die cut a heart and placed a sentiment from the, 'Tim Holtz nature's elements', stamp set behind it.  I then completed the look with a little faux stitching around the edge and some little pearls in the flower centres.   I am going to try this technique, but in reverse, in all different colours, and on various card stock, so will be sure to post my results.  Hope you like x

...nice day for a white wedding

Just thought I'd do a quick post on a wedding card I was asked to make for a friend.  It's very 'not-me', but I think it turned out o.k...

I made it using various 'spellbinders' dies cut out of white 'centura pearl', which is just perfect for wedding cards.  I added a sentiment I have had hidden away in my stash for a long time, added a small satin bow and some little pearls, and pieced it all together.  Like I say, it's a very different style for me, but I do like trying something new and stepping outside my comfort zone!  Hope you like x

owl wish you a happy birthday...

Here is a card I made for one of my best friends, who lives on the other side of the world from me in Autralia!  She loves owls as much as I do so was a bit of a no brainer on what to put on her card...

I honestly can't remember where the owls stamps were from - I have plenty of little owls in my stash and I just took a fancy to using these.  I stamped them out in various colours using my delicious 'hero arts shadow inks'.  The sentiment is also hero arts from the 'it's your birthday' set and is stamped in versamark, then heat embossed using white embossing powder.  The little red owls (although they don't really show up very well as owls on the piccie :/ ) are a product of my amazing melt pot.  I actually used one of my earrings to make an owl mould, which I then filled with red UTEE, and added a little extra detail on using white & black Sakura pens.  i then used my favourite 6" x 6" kraft card blank as my base, added a little faux stitching around the edges, and matted it all together.  A nice bright & cute card for a very bright and cute girl!  Hope you like it x

Melt pot mayhem...

I had been wanting a 'Ranger melt pot' for soooooo long but wasn't really sure what I would do with it and whether to bite the bullet or not.  Then the good folk at createandcraft did a 4-day-deal with the fabulous Hels Sheridan and my 'want' then became a 'need' haha.  This was obviously all a while ago but I was like a child at christmas when my haul arrived!

Suffice to say, I LOVE MY MELT POT!!!  It now has a constant place on my craft room table and is, rightfully so, very well loved :) 

New release paper smooches dies...

As I said in my last post, I haven't blogged in far too long, but when I made this card, these dies were new releases haha.  I got mine imported form the fabulous simonsaysstamp and as soon as I set eyes on them - i knew I NEEDED them.

So here's my card, which I made for a very good friend, and was being sent all the way to Australia!

I started with a blank 6" x 6" kraft cardblank and used white ink to stamp a mini dotty stripe as the background.  I used all 3 dies from the 'hot spots' set and used various colours of 'American crafts' cardstock to die cut them.  I think the designs of these dies are just so awesome and original, I just can't get enough of them.  I then stamped the 'hero arts notepad' in grey ink - and die cut it out using the 'paper smooches notebook' die.  I think it looks cute as a button if I do say so myself.  I stuck it all down using foam pads and silicone glue for some extra dimension, added a little green dotty bow, some faux stitching around the edges, and there you have it.  Hope you like :)

...you are awesome!

Hi everybody,

So I haven't updated my blog in a looooong time! ...my bad!  But I am back...and I'm back for good!

So to start with, here's a card I made using (suprise suprise) my paper smooches stamps.  I made it at the request of a friend, who was then giving it to his girlfriend...awwwwww.  I am still pretty obsessed with all things paper smooches so you will find a lot of their stamps and dies used in my projects.  ...gotta love a smooch though eh?

So here goes...

I started with a 6" x 6" kraftcard blank (my favourite size, my favourite card stock - i just love the look of Kraftcard!).  I used 'My minds eye' patterned papers, die cut 2 different sized hearts into them, then matted and layered it all together. I then glittered an adhesive sheet and placed it on the back of the die cut hearts.

The stamps (and the 'awesome' sentiment) are from the 'cutesaurus' stamp set (sooooo cute) and are coloured with promarkers.  The 'Love you' sentiment is from the 'Avery Elle, lots of love' set and is stamped in jet black archival ink.

Little bit of distress ink around the edges to soften the look, and voil`a.  Hope you like it.