Happy Ever After

I've been struck by inspiration lightning today in the form of a number of fantastic blog challenges. I've chosen to incorporate four of them into this card's design.

The colour scheme of Pink, Black and white comes from the CCEE Stampers challenge #1216.

With such a clean palette I had to go with a Clean and Simple sketch, so CAS-ual Fridays challenge #49 sketch was perfect.

I was drawn to the 'How Charming' challenge laid down by the guys down at Less is More this week because I'm not usually one for using charms on my cards. However, never one to shy away from a challenge, I made my own charm using shrink plastic and a stamp from Stampin' Up's Fifth Avenue Floral set. I stamped the image using Memento ink and coloured it with my Promarkers before shrinking it with my heat gun.

Last, but not least, I'd like to enter this card in the C.R.A.F.T challenge #151 for being an anniversary card.

Another card catch up.

Just a quick post to show two cards I made for birthdays recently.

The first is quite a delicate card, featuring a 3D rose I made using a stamp from the Fifth Avenue Floral set and paper from the Domestic Goddess set. I simply stamped the image 3 times and cut out smaller sections from the last two, to layer using dimensionals.

The main panel is made using Island Indigo CS with a Pretty In Pink frame. I've lined up pieces of the Domestic Goddess DSP, which I've cut using the PTI Filigree Border Die, and stuck them to the back of the frame before adhering the whole piece to the Indigo panel, and then to a Bashful Blue base card. I should've used Pool Party so that it matched the DSP but I'm all out of that colour so need to add it to my next order.

The sentiment is from a PTI set and I've cut it out using their Limitless Layers oval dies.The leaves were also cut using a PTI die.

On a very different theme, I wanted to make a card for a friend of my Daughter, who is a big Peppa Pig fan. I tried making a punch art Peppa, but found it would look much more realistic if I cut it by hand.

I backed Peppa with patterned paper from the Just Add Cake set and added the same sentiment as before, this time cut with the Decorative Label Punch. A row of ducks and a row of flowers, both stamped using the Every Little Bit set from Stampin' Up! and coloured with SU markers, finishes off this cute card.

I've been itching to get making more cards for challenges lately and there are loads I'd like to participate in this week. With any luck I'll find some time and will of course blog any that I manage to make.

Mum's the Word

Here is the Mother's Day card I made for my Mum using paper from the lovely Cheerful Treat DSP. I don't think there's a single design in this pack that I don't like, which is a bit awkward because it means I struggle to decide which side of the paper to use. Good job there are two of each design in a pack eh? ;)

I cut out heart shapes from the patterned paper and stuck them onto Concord Crush CS. I then ran the panel through the Big Shot with the square lattice embossing folder.  I stuck this onto a piece of Pool Party CS - I seriously NEED some more of this colour. I didn't think I used much blue until this colour came out! I then added the word Mum, cut using my Timeless Type Alphabet dies and run through the lattice embossing folder, and popped the whole lot onto a summery Melon Mambo base card. The ribbon was from my stash.

As well as a lovely card from my little girl for Mother's Day I also received a gorgeous card and bouquet of flowers from my wonderful Sister. I was so touched and I feel very lucky to have such a lovely Sister. I her a thank you card using one of my favourite stamp 'characters, Nikki from Ladybug Crafts Ink. To tie in with the bouquet, I used 'Flower For You Nikki!.

 

Once again, I chose paper from the Cheerful Treat set and, as it's quite a busy design, I chose to keep everything else simple. Therefore, I just added some colour to the image with my Lucky Limeade marker (so a perfect match with the paper!) and cut it out using a frame die and my Big Shot.

Emboss it!

This week's Fab 'n' Funky Challenge was to use embossing. I chose to use the Faux Leather technique, which involves a combination of dry and wet embossing, which was perfect for this male birthday card. I followed Yvonne Hagane's tutorial here.

I've also used the Movers and Shakers Zipper die from PTI to create a strip that 'zips' off, revealing the punchline to the joke (What goes up but never comes down? Your age!).