In a hurry... I am off of a curry!!!

Yesterday I chatted about special cards, done in a hurry, well here is a special card blogged in a hurry!!

I created this 8"x8" card for Matthew, to give to his Granny for her birthday, which is the day before mine!!

I created a lovely bunch of flowers for her using the 'Mixed bunch' stamp set & coordinating punch, see them blinged here with the gorgeous jewelled SU brads!

 I created the tag using the 'My Family' stamp set & the decorative label punch.

 The stalks and leaves were cut free hand out of 'Wild Wasabi' card stock.

 I love creating a decorative band for projects using the lovely 'Doily Lace Border Punch'.

I also used the stamps to decorate the inside of the card and also to make matching stamped front for the card too, I love that SU designs stamp sets that can be used in so many ways, being a Lancashire lass I like value for money!!!

Anyway must dash, off out for a curry tonight with the lovely Linda and discuss her random picks for her 'Stampers 6' order with me!!

Thanks for stopping by

Sally-Jo

xXXx

Spot the difference!!

Recently I had the pleasure to receive some handmade cards, for a yearly event in my life which I absolutely detest- I absolutely hate being a year older every year, and the handmade cards I received off my craft & SU friends were rays of sunshine in a stormy time for me! They have given me so much inspiration, that I felt a few 'CASE's' were in order!!

My SU Mummy- Julie Kettlewell, sent me a lovely card featuring the lovely 'Fun Flowers' & 'Top Note' SU Bigz Dies, can you spot the difference??

Julie's card is to the left of this picture,

I wanted to give this 'CASE', to my Gran-

who was celebrating her 97th birthday yesterday!

So I upped the size of the card to a 15cm square base,

as she likes a big card for on her mantle piece!

I used 'Parlour Prints' to create a lovely aged background panel-

It goes so well with the 'Attic Boutique DSP',

out of the 'Summer Mini'......

I have to admit that I have spent along time stroking this, before I cut at it!!!

I just love the vintage, shabby chicness of it, but it's still fresh and vibrant with bursts of colour!

 I split my 'Top Note' die cut of the gorgeous 'Attic boutique DSP' to fit the square, placing a 'Crumb Cake' banner, stamped with the birthday greeting from 'Curly Cute', to cover the gap!

I embellished it with SU pearls, as my gran likes the posh bits!

I added a lovely twirled bow-

using the new 'Pool Party' 'Seam Binding &

 using the 'For My Family' stamp set, I added a little 'Decorative Label' with 'Grandma' on & a few more pearls too!

I layered up the flowers- like Julie, but switched the button,

to one of our lush 'Antique Brads'!

Here you can see, that following Julies inspiration, I too added stamping to one of the flower layers.

 I always like to add some decoration to the inside of my cards, that are going to be received, so I finished this with a light stamping of the 'Parlour Prints' stamp around the edge......

This was the trickiest bit in creating the whole card...

As the card is wider than the stamp, and you also want to take off the ink from the centre. of the stamp, so you have somewhere to write your message- this I forgot to do!

So as Julie say's-

'it's a good job SU card stock is double sided!!!'

Thank you for stopping by, and checking out my crafty makes-

Sally-Jo

xXXx

Getting in the groove!

Well after last weeks 'dramas and dioramas' I thought I would have had a quieter week and been able to dust off my desk, and get crafting- but what with Matthew doing maypole.... I know I can't believes he has offered to dance, let alone with a girl!!! and Heather wanting to make the most, of the lighter nights and get lots of riding in, I have failed to do as much as what I had planned!

So did you guess the sneaky peakes that were on show, in last weeks 'Dramas & Dioramas' card???.......

I was giving you a peak at the new  'Framelits Dies'.They are a set of 6, thin wafer-like dies. you can layer inside each other to cut frames for stamp images  or cut single labels for accents or layering. They do coordinate with the 'Apothecary Art' Stamp Set ( shown on p. 17 of the Summer Mini).

The other sneaky peak was a little harder to guess, as its a tool- This is something that really will help you get in the groove! Its the new 'Simply Scored Scoring Tool'! I love that it has made scoring such a pleasant task!!

Here is the card, I made for swaps,

at SU mummy- Julies Training event.

For this I also used the 'Summer Mini' stamp set....

'Bordering on Romance'

 Wood Mounted 125480 £24.95 

Clear mounted 125482 £19.95.

I stamped the spray of flowers from the set, to the left of a panel of the SU water colour paper and used my 'Aqua Blenders' to watercolour- using the lids of my stamp pads as a pallet, the versatility of my SU stash! The water colour paper also helped to let the ink blend smoothly too!

Here you can see, the working of the card fold from above, I was able to create two of these card blanks, from an A4 sheet of card- so would be ideal if you wished to create multiples for wedding invitations or a special event, and using the 'Simply Scored- Scoring tool' and having the place markers set up, would make it a doddle! 

I got farmer Johnnie to help me shoot a video yesterday, to show you how I created the card blank, but lets just say after the 20th take, I was about to beat him over the head with my 'Simply Scored board' what with his phone ringing, the kids running up and down the stairs and I haven't managed to refrain from saying 'oakie dokey', but I hope it helps to show you how to create the card xx

To create the sentiments, I used my trusty 'Stamp-ma-jig' and a combination of stamps from 'Petite Pairs' & 'My Family'.I also added some little flowers, punched with the flower from the 'Itty Bitties' punch pack and dots of 'Tombow- liguid glue' and to all the flower centres, and then a dusting of sparkle with some 'Dazzling Diamonds'.

Thank you for looking by, and I will be back tomorrow, to tell you about ........

xXXx

The Call of the keyboard.....

As I write this from the top secret location of my craft desk, I hastily glance over my shoulder and check that my cover has not been blown...... yep! At this time of night the kids are in bed, and asleep, and use of the netbook should go undetected by them, I am back to blogging just trying to ensure stealth like note book usage..... my brother, the man I turn to with all technological dilemmas would probably tell me that even if the children don't know what I am doing the 'Big Brothers' of the schools technology people, will do..... Hmmmm should I delete this post and wipe my prints from the keyboard???

No the call of the keyboard has struck me and I will endeavour to keep you updated with my crafty happenings, until normal service can resume!! ;-)

This last weekend was not only birthday time, but my Mum and Dad celebrated their 35 year wedding anniversary on the Saturday, as we were going for party tea on the Sunday I took a card I created for them, I gave a sneaky peek via Facebook, as I created it then realised I had no envelopes to fit an A5 card, luckily i had some tissue in which to wrap it.

 The style is nothing new from me, a sort of shabby chic college going on!

 Complete with Crumbcake Seam Binding & Crochet Trim bows....

 A hint of a swirl with 'colour on colour' stamping' for the base card, and the use of the Oval frame from the 'Textured Impressions Designer Frames' Embossing Folder, to create a centre piece for the stamping of 'Mum' '&' 'Dad' from the 'For my Family' stamp set, I had to use my 'Stamp-A-Ma-Jig' for this and I managed it first time, so I think this set may be making an appearance on cards more often, I had got it with Scrapbooking in mind,

 A banner, as a simple way to add a greeting with a different font,

 Some pops of colour, with the lovely flower heads from 'Everything Eleanor' stamped on 'Very Vanilia' in 'Richrazzleberry' Ink with the colour dragged in with a water brush, cut out and then popped to add dimension around the frame. Even the label/ journalling circle from 'Everything Eleanor' was stamped on the base card too!!

 Looking at this side view I took, it's probably a good thing I didn't have an envelope, as I think it would have been to chunky to fit!!

 I followed the style of the front of the card and decorated a 'Very Vanillia' piece of cardstock, to give me a panel on which to write the greeting, to my mum and dad.

 A couple more of the flowers stamped & cut out and I didn't stick them down completely so that the edges had a hint of freedom!!

 And a little bit more stamping and a bit of ink sponging too and my special anniversary card was finished!

I am really pleased with how it came together, and how i managed to make stamps that don't necessarily scream card making such as the journalling label and the family titles work on a card.

Right as my cover has not be blown by a child awaking, I had better not push my luck and log off for now. Don't forget that this is the last month of the Fantastic 'SALE-A-BRATION' were you can get an exclusive free set of stamps or paper for every £45 you spend in either the main IBC, the Spring mini or a bit of both!

If you would like further information please give me a call

Tel: 077891605129,

I look forward to hearing from you xx