Art Deco Birthday card - for a man

Well now for something completely different, instead of vintage, Art Deco. I did the card in this style as I was asked to make this card for a friends' boyfriend, and I'm not very good at making cards for men unless I really know them. Anyway here's my attempt...

The main design in the middle was made by me, here is the template if you wish to use it 

I printed out three times and cut them out like this...

The embossed lines on the silver silk mirri card were made using my Scor-pal. The rhinestone 30 I bought and the only embellishments used were some rhinestone brads and peel offs.

Inside the card the diamond embossing was done using the smallest square Nestabilitie and again the lines were made using the Scor-pal. The poem I found on the web. I'm not sure I like it, but I think that maybe because I didn't distress anything :oD Anyway I hope she likes it. Thank you for looking, oh here's another Art Deco template I made

Take care and keep smiling.

Vintage Golden Wedding Anniversary card and a handmade rose !!!

I was asked to make a Golden Wedding Anniversary card, and in this day and age of "disposable" marriages to have a couple reach such a mile stone is cause for celebration indeed :o)

The backing paper/card was made by me using Hessian embossed card, Tim Holtz Distress inks - Antique Linen, Scattered Straw, Frayed Burlap, Spiced Marmalade and Tattered Rose. And then stamped with Inkadinkado Gem Flourish clear stamps using Versafine "Toffee" inkpad. Then sprayed with Glimmer mist Gold.
The roses I bought from a gorgeous new website Wild Orchid Crafts. They too were sprayed with the Glimmermist. The heart is made from 3mm Beech wood that I bought from Button-it when I went to a craft fair at the begining of the year. I haven't been able to fine these hearts on their website but I've no doubt if you emailed them they would be able to help. The heart was sponged with StazOn Metallic Gold and Copper ink and StazOn Timberbrown. The sentiment on the front is computer generated and embossed down the side with a Cuttlebug border embossing folder, and then inked with the same colour combination as the backing paper/card.
The heart in the insert was made using Nestabilities heart die and Cuttle bug embossing folder then hand stitched with gold thread. It was all then sponged with Brilliance inkpads Gold, Beige and Coral. The flourish was made with Sizzix Bigz die "Decorative accent with flower".
My "logo" on the back is hand stamped the other information (sentiments) is computer. generated.
Finally the box was decorated using Nestabilities square die and the embossed using a Cuttlebug Embossing folder and edged with gold peel offs.
I was going to make my own roses, but that would have taken to much time. But here's a picture of one I made a while back

This rose I made following a tutorial given in the Magnolia Ink Magazine edition No.3 2010. And it is VERY simple to make. The lady who gave the tutorial has a Blog but unfortunatley didn't put the tutuorial for this flower on there :o( When I've got time I'll post a tutorial for this rose, but of course ALL recognition will go to the lady who did it first. So until then ...

Take care & keep smiling :o)

Vintage Fathers Day Card

Hello and welcome to my new card. It's Fathers Day so what better card to show you than the one I made for my Dad...

All papers used were made by me on the computer and printed on hessian embossed card..

The picture used on the front was sourced from the internet and is called La Scapigliata by Leonardo Da Vinci. Her hair is "highlighted" with very small gold stitches ( I apologise for my stitching. Sewing is not one of my strong points)

"DAD" was first stamped using Anna Griffin "Elegant Engraving Alphabet" clear stamps and again hand stitched and rhinestones added.

The hinge, lock and key were made using Tim Holtz Alterations Hardware Findings die, thick grey cardboard that was inked with Tim Holtz Distress inks - Frayed Burlap, Vintage photo and Firebrick red. Then they were inked with VersaMark ink and heat embossed with Tim Holtz Distress embossing powder Black soot. I used the die in my Cuttlebug using the sandwich - B plate, die (cutting side up), card then B plate again. I ran it through twice to make sure it went through the card.

The flourishes on the inside were made with Tim Holtz Alterations Elegant Flourishes die and hand stitched on.

The passage was printed on Jacquard Inkjet Silk, and the word love was again hand stitched. The font used is FranciscoLucas llana, a free font from abstract fonts.

And here's the present I gave to my Dad

Thank you for looking and Take care & keep smiling

Happy Tilda 18th birthday card, gift set

Tilda strikes again :o) This time for an 18th birthday. I was asked to make this card for a girl who is girly but loves football AND she absolutley adores the husband of Belinda (lady who requested the card). The snag to this is the birthday girl and the husband both support different teams, who happen to be bitter rivals in the world of football. So how to combine all those facts into a card... well here's what I did (lots of photo's, click on them to see more detail) ...

Bazzill card stock - Flowers, covering picture frame and picture mount.

Stardream pearlescent card - base card, square, star and circle Nestabilities,.
Creative Imaginations Samantha Walker Die Cut swirl card
Glitter paper - flowers, Tilda's top.
Shimmerz paint - "Angel Wings" on champagne flute, "Poinsettia Pink" on footballs.
Smooch paint - champagne flute ribbon.
Atyou glitter pens - Football badges and sentiment.
Tim Holtz - flowers
Rubber Stamps - Happy Tilda and Champagne flute by Magnolia Rubber Stamps - coloured with Derwents Coloursoft pencils and Sansodor.
Printable acetate.
Bling on a budget rhinestones.
K&Co paper lace - inside card.
Numbers 1 and 8 - bought from Hallmark Cards.
Pink cotton lace and ribbons.
Metal key and heart bought from eBay.
Cherry Blossom multi punch by Woodware.
I'm not going to go into great detail as to how the card was made, but the insert backing paper was made by me using a football image sourced from the web and then changed to pink. I then painted over the pink parts with Shimmerz paint. The football badges were sourced from the web changed the colours to various pinks and then coloured over with Atyou glitter pens.
Tilda's top was my first try at paper piecing, I used Stazon Rocket red ink on pink glitter paper and then went over it with a Staedtler fine red pen.
Thank you for looking and take care and keep smiling

Traveller Tilda Leaving Card

(sigh) I made this card for my lovely team leader Michelle who has moved on to pastures new. I knew I wanted to use the Traveller Tilda stamp but wasn't quite sure what else to do, but once I started I found it VERY hard to stop LOL.

1. DP (designer paper) used through out the card and on the box - Making Memories/Forest Green series. Stardream Pearlescent card. Bazzill cardstock.

2. Punches used - Martha Stewart's Deco Fan border punch and Frond Branch. Nellies' Choice Floral punches and embossers. VERY small daisy punch - unknown make. Corner rounder punch.

3. Stamps used - Magnolia Rubber Stamps - Traveller Tilda, Suitcases and clock. Alota Rubber stamps - Wall/window. Watercolour Stamps - cobblestones.4. Embellishments - Tim Holtz - Journalling tickets. K & Company - paper ribbon. Bling on a Budget - Rhinestones/gems.

5. Other items used -Derwents Coloursoft pencils and Sansador (Colouring in stamps) Tim Holtz Distress ink pads (flower centers and card edges). Sakura clear Gellyroll glaze pen (clock face, eyes, buttons, case handle)) Krylon Copper pen (colour banding on suitcases) Atyou glitter pens (wording on front of card, Tilda's hat flowers). Pink glitter card (flower centres)

6. All sentiments/wording - computer generated. To get the wording on the journaling ticket, I first printed the words onto a piece of A6 card then using a small piece of double sided tape I positioned the ticket over the words (I held the paper up to the light to get it right, if you've got a light box that would be even better) then fed it through the printer again.

So there you have it, I really enjoyed making this card, though I didn't like the reason I made it, I shall miss Michelle, but I am very happy that she is finally getting to where she wants to be.

Thank you for looking and take care & keep smiling

Oriental Koi Carp Birthday card

Hello, couldn't wait to use my new toys - Dreamweaver stencil and paste. WHAT A NIGHTMARE. The lady demonstrating made it look so easy, I on the other hand, made an epic saga out of it LOL. But I got there eventually, and I'm quite pleased with the result...

1. The main image is made from a Dreamweaver stencil and black matt paste on printable acetate, that was then hightlighted/painted with Shimmerz "December Sky" paint, then mounted onto Stardream "Lapis Lazuli" pearlescent card and edged with gold peel offs.
2. The square and circle panels were made with the same Starcream card using Nestablities dies then embossed used my Cuttlebug and "Victoria" embossing folder. I then sponged over the raised parts with Brilliance "Pearlescent Ivy" and "Gamma Green" inkpads. The circles were edged with peel offs and the squares mounted onto gold satin Mirri card.

3. The patterned card is called "Precious Peonies" by Hunkydory crafts. And the only embellishments added were the Chinese brass coins.

Right I'm off now to have a go at another card, this time I'm going to get my Tilda stamps out :o) And I MIGHT even have another go at another altered tin, not sure yet, see how the mood takes me. So until the next time....

Take care & keep smiling

Vintage Card - Gift set - Part 2

Hello again, and as promised here is the second part to my gift set. I bought a mug from the store that I work at because it was in a tin. Didn't want the mug but I had an idea for the tin, and as it was only £2 it was worth buying just for that :o) This was also my first attempt at altering, and I was very happy with the result ...

All the papers used for inside and outside the tin are by Graphics 45. The lable is computer generated, distressed with Tim Holtz inks and stamp with Basic Grey flourish stamp. The bead trim was first sewn onto the ribbon before being attached to the tin (I hate sewing LOL) The foliage was made with Martha Stewart and L-Em punches.

And here they are together. Just wish I'd have bought more of those tins, I really enjoyed decorating it, oh well maybe they'll have more in another time :o) Thank you for looking.

Take care & keep smiling

Vintage Card - Get well - Part 1

Hello, I've gone all vintage AGAIN :o) I love it, and I think I'm slowly getting better at it. It's one of those styles that just about suits everyone, male or female, and as I wanted to make a card for my friend Tracey who's just had a back operation, I thought this style would be perfect. As you can see from the title of this post this is part 1 as there are LOTS of photo's as I not only made a card I also altered a tin to make a gift set. So here we go ....

In this picture the card is in the box I made for it. You might be thinking what are those black lines on the girls faces? Well I scanned the DP I used for the card and through my graphics programme I changed it to black and white, then into a negative and then printed it onto printable acetate, and then used it to make a "window" in the box lid. Below is a picture of the lid with some white paper behind it so as you can see the printed acetate better. You can click on the photo to get a better look if you want to.

1.The main image is from the internet, unfortunately I can't remember who the artist is.

2. The DP or backing paper is from Graphics 45 "Botanicals" range.

3. The flowers were made by me using EK Success medium flower punch and red vellum

4. The torn letter is a rubber stamp by EK Success - "Parchment Script". Stamped onto parchment, which was then screwed up, distressed and aged with Tim Holtz distress inks ( I don't know how I ever lived without these inks)

5. The Butterfly is a Martha Stewart punch.

6. The sentiment is computer generated aged as above and then double heat embossed.

7. And if you're wondering, the cherub is a button by Dress It Up.

1. The main DP/backing paper is from a CD by Bearly Mine Designs.

2. The pocket for the postcard was again made with the same printed acetate. The "lace" trim was made with Martha Stewart's Doiley Lace punch and Fiskars Leave it to Weaver punch, aged again with Mr Holtz's inks.

3. I loved the postcard I made for a previous card so I decided to do it again for this card. The Eiffel Tower image again was sourced from the internet.

4. The butterfly was made using Marianne design Creatables Butterfly 3 die.

5. The side of the note was made with a Cuttlebug embossing folder and then sponged with the same distress inks.

Lastly here's the back of the postcard. The sentiment is computer generated, the rest of the images are rubber stamps from Clear Art Stamps "French Mail".

Tomorrow I'll post part 2 - the altered tin I made to go with this card. So until then

Take care & keep smiling