Big Shot Ink-It's, embossing folders, sizzix originals..

I love this top card - Very simple and I'm already working on some other similar ones in my head! This one is for my Mum and she likes her cards simple, but I'm racing away with ones with more elements for next time!

Made using the Ink-It's stencil which is just amazing! I was sure it would smudge when I first tried it, but it's fantastic. A bit of careful placing and colouring in with a cats eye stamp pad, and you can't go far wrong.

Finished off with a few sizzix originals butterflies (from their butterflies and circles die), stamped in matching colours. The butterflies are only stuck down with one wing, so they have a nice 3D element to them. Sorry for the crappy photo, there's nowhere good for lighting in my flat, so it's either a weird background or dodgy lighting!

This next one was for a friend's 24th birthday. A Tim Holtz embossing folder, rubbed over with yellow fluid chalk for emphasis of the shapes. Then a few pre-cut flowers (bought in a huge pack for about 30p in a sale), a sizzix originals bird cut out of felt and the leaf cut out of linen type material. Finished with lettering placed on 3d foam pads and a couple of adhesive gems.

Well that's all I'm going to post for now.. I'm sure anyone who has stumbled across this is already bored!

Enjoy your weekends!

Men's cards... so hard to make!

Cards for men... I always find them so hard to make. But here are a few of my ideas so far.

This card is for my brother's 27th birthday. A white card blank with Tim Holtz embossing folder (which I can't quite get the sandwich right for, as it either cuts holes in the card or doesn't leave a good imprint - frustrating!), fluid chalk rubbed over to give colour and a few flat embellishments. I got the flat embellishments as part of a set, and love them but i'm swiftly running out! will be keeping my eyes out for more! They look a bit like brads, but theyre adhesive so not as fiddly as brads, and you don't need to think about hiding the backs! I've also stuck on a few silver jump rings.

Finally, a happy birthday sentiment printed on to woodchip design paper. 

The next card is for another brother's 31st birthday. He loves sheep, and I bought a papermania rubber stamping set with a sheep on in the sale, with him in mind. Finally got around to using it!

Embossing folder is another Tim Holtz, I love this embossing folder as it's really versatile. When I first got it, I thought it would be difficult to use as it's a sort of broken window type look, but with a bit of creativity you can use it as a background for just about anything. On this one, it's supposed to look a bit like cracked ground. Yellow fluid chalk rubbed over the background to bring out the shapes.

The sheep is a basic rubber stamp on white card (stamped in a dark grey fluid chalk), which I coloured in with some good quality sketching pencils. A couple of flowers (not too many, it is a man's card after all!) and a happy birthday sentiment printed off the computer and raised on foam pads.

I'm looking forward to sending these off - I think they will be liked :)

Big Shot with Xcut aperture die and Sizzix Originals flowers.

Here's another card for my sister-in-law... not that she appreciates them when there's no money inside ;)

Made with an Xcut aperture die (I think it's called Fireworks - i <3 it!), coloured in the backgrounds below the die cut holes using fluid chalks to give a messy, grungy look and then in the aperture it's a die cut sizzix original (frame and sculpted flower, it's called) which has again been fluid chalked. I also edged the paper to give a border.

The xcut dies also give a lovely deep embossed look, but you can't see it on the paper I've used! Still, you live and learn!

Finished off with a few adhesive gems and some lettering on foam pads for a 3D look.

I love this card. The petals on the flower aren't stuck down so that they have a nice, fresh look, like it's popping out of the paper.

Graffiti style

Two similar style cards here.. I love this style and will definitely be making more like it. Very simple and quick to make but I think it gives a lovely effect, especially for teenagers or as a new home card with the bricks in the background! The top card is for my sister-in-law who is starting uni in September, and the bottom card is for some friends of ours who have just sold their home and moving to another place.

The bricks are an embossing folder by Tim Holtz (otherwise known as God, his stuff is gorgeous!). The top card was a red card blank with orange and yellow fluid chalk rubbed over to bring out some of the shape and texture. The bottom card was a white card blank with red and orange rubbed over - and I think I prefer it this way as it has a little more depth! Then some papermania rubber stamps to create the words, and it's finished :)

4 year old birthday boy

Here's a really simple and super quick card I made for my nephew's 4th birthday, as he's obsessed with vehicles!

The foam vehicles were bought ready-made... i've just posted it and I'm sure he's going to love it :)

Hello :)

So, my first blog post... well I guess I'll bore you with a few details about me! I'm married to a fabulous guy who doesn't mind me asking him 100 times a night "do you think that flower is central?" or "which colour would look better?" I live in a tiny tiny flat which barely holds all our stuff, and so all of my card making is done on a tiny patch of floor! I've recently bought a Big Shot and there is soooooo much to use it for - I am in love! But my bank balance can't keep up with all the things I want to buy!

I make cards purely for fun. Most of them I make with a purpose in mind, but occasionally I do make them for no real reason. I don't tend to think they come out so nice if they don't have a place to go to though! I do a very stressful and emotionally demanding job, which most of the time I love, but often when I get home I just want to lose myself - I find card-making has the exact right balance of needing to concentrate but not taking too much brain power! It is also lovely to end up with something beautiful to remind you the world can be a good place!

I'll probably do a bunch of posts today, to get some of the cards I've made previously up..

So here's the first ones... Brown one was made for one of my best friends who goes to Barcelona on Tuesday, and is hoping not to return!

I love to make cards on the recycled brown cardstock, it gives a lovely rustic feel. Embellishments all bought cheaply in local shops, and small flower embossed on the corner, rubbed over with fluid chalk. Finally, finished with a few adhesive gems :)

This one is a very similar style, but finished with an embossed "Thank you". It has no home to go to as yet!