A Quick One Layer Card Set!!

I needed some quick thank you cards and this new HA stamp from this set was perfect, it produces a really quick one layer card. For two of the cards in the lighter inks I also kissed the stamp with my Italian Poetry Background stamp to create a little more interest

I think this is my favourite, I used Pool and Cup O' Joe ink.

The perfect little gift!!

Have a great weekend.

Baby Shower!

I am going to my first Baby Shower next Sunday, my God daughter Fay is expecting her second baby at the end of February and she has found out that its a boy this time.  Baby Showers are new to the UK , but I know that for my friends in the US they are common place.  I have bought a little gift but also wanted to make a set of Thank You cards to give the Mum to be.

Just a CAS design but I am beginning to enjoy creating CAS cards, at last I have learnt that "less is often more."

I also created a little pizza box to put the cards in.

As I have coloured the bears with Copic Markers I am going to enter these cards into the CAS-ual Friday challenge this wee.

Enjoy your weekend,
Hugs

A Pin Therein!!

Its been quite a while since I had time to play over at the Moxie Fab Blogs "Tuesday Trigger"  but once I saw this cute pincushion with the sweet hexagons I had to have a go.  I love the chintzy material and that inspired me to use some scraps of chintzy paper ( a great way to use scraps!!)  Unfortunately I don't have a hexagon die so I just used a computer art program  to print off a shape and then I used it a blank!

I have used a piece of felt for the middle so I could stick the pins through.

This is the last weekend of my summer holiday and I am back to work on Tuesday, the six weeks have flown by and I am really not looking forward to going back to school!!

CAS

 I had a few spare moments today so thought I would make a couple of CAS cards for the current challenge over at the Hero Arts blog before the deadline on Thursday.  This first one is using some cute little bee stamps from the Picnic set which I was lucky enough to win from Heather.  Thanks again Heather!!  As you can see this really is CAS the flowers are coloured and stamped using my Distress Markers and I have just added some glitter to the bee's wings.

Here are two cards with different sentiments, I am going to make a set for a gift.  Such a simple design using Distress Stains on my stamps.

This is the last week of my holiday, six weeks has flown by  and I am really not looking forward to going back to work!!

Poppies for a friend.

Just a quick post today, my DD has just moved back home again after completing her Teacher training course, so we have lots of unpacking to do!!  Also I am addicted to the Olympics at the moment and its so exciting that its at home,   unfortunately we were not lucky enough to get any tickets, but on Wednesday we are hoping to go to the mens cycling time trials. They take place not far from here and we would be able to stand at the side of the road to cheer the men on.

Just one quick card to show today, my best friend Gina who I have known for over forty years celebrates her birthday tomorrow so I had to make a special card.  Her favourite flowers are poppies so I know she will love this card.  I am adding this card to the Simon Says challenge which this week is "Anything Goes"

Thank You Teacher!!

  Its nearly the last week of term in the UK and when I made this card for the flickr sketch challenge at "A Blog Named Hero" I thought it would make a great thank you card for a teacher!!
I have used some scraps that I had for this , I always feel good after using a few scraps...

I have also just got my first Die Namics dies and I love them, they cut the card so well and such intricate designs too!  I am having fun playing with them at the moment, watch this space.....

Silhouette Trees.

Last week I was lucky enough to win the Hero Arts "Nature's Silhouettes" set of stamps from ebay at a bargain price and of course I couldn't wait to ink them up and have a play.  This was my first attempt, a very CAS card made with just the stamp and Distress inks but I love the effect.  I have entered this into the current Hero Arts Challenge.

 Next I decided to make a card set,  I am having a craft stall at the school fair in a few weeks and these sets are always popular.  I tried to match the ink colours to the seasons, so the Autumn one is reds, and oranges, the winter, blues, the spring greens and the summer which you can't see is warm oranges.

 Once I started I couldn't stop and this is another set using the same stamps but this time I have kissed them with the Music Background stamp from Hero Arts, such a pretty effect.
                                                   

Here are all four cards, not the best photo to show the"kissing" as on the darker cards it is very subtle especially the winter one.

I am entering these into the "Kissing" challenge over at "A Blog Named Hero".

After weeks of awful weather here in the UK at last we have a sunny day so I am spending the rest of it in the garden, hope you have a fun weekend.

New stamp!

 As soon as I saw this fabulous video on the Hero Arts Blog I really wanted to get my hands on the new Large Flower Background stamp from the  Hero Arts 2012 catalogue.  Luckily my favourite online UK stamp store The Glitter Pot had a delivery of stamps last week.  Unfortunately its about a hour and a half from me so I wasn't able to get there myself for the new stamp release, but second best I ordered online!!

I decided to make a small set of thank you cards using three colour ways. 

The first uses the same technique that Shari used in the video.

For the second I inked the stamp with Versamark ink and then Black memento ink and heat embossed with clear powder.  I then painted the images with Distress inks.

The last one is heat embossed in gold and then lightly sponged with Spun Sugar and Bundled Sage distress ink.

At last I have finished all my Christmas cards so it was fun making something different.
Hope you are all having a great weekend and you are all ready for the holidays.

Another card set and some cards from friends!

My  DD is currently in a school in Cheddar, Somerset just finishing her first teacher training practise and she has asked me to make her some Thank You cards.  Well as she is only 23 I wanted to make something young and funky so I chose these three bright colours ( not my normal choice of card base I usually stick to white).

I was really pleased with the final set, quite simple but they remind my of some stunning Indian sari fabrics I have seen.

As you can see bright fuchsia pink........

bright lime green.......

and bright blue....

I am adding this set to the current challenge over at the Hero Arts Blog (Card sets).

I was lucky enough to receive two beautiful cards in the post this week, the first is from Dawn in New Zealand and I wish you could see this in real life it has the most amazing sparkle to it!

The second is from Jacqueline in France, this is beautiful so soft and delicate. 

 Thanks so much ladies!

Sorry for the long post today.

Card sets!

Part of this months Hero Arts Challenge is to make card sets, I have made quite a few sets in the past check here and here and here.  They make fabulous little gifts and are really easy to make.  My favourite is to make a one layer card.

First you mask round the edges of the cards with low tack tape and then stamp your design and distress in various colours. 

 The Hydrangea image is then stamped over in a slightly darker colour and then you can remove the masking tape.

 I have made four cards in four colours, I just need to make a small box now and I have another gift ready for a friend!!

Buttons!!

I have been having trouble with some missing mojo lately, but at last I think its on the way back!!  I created this CAS card for the current button challenge over at the Lily Pad Blog.  Something quite simple to get the creative juices flowing again!!

I am also adding this to "The Random Fun Challenge" over at Moxie Fab World.

I have added different green Distress inks to the wreath stamp from Hero Arts and then spritzed with water before stamping to give a water colour effect.  I have then just added the ribbon, buttons and bling!!
  I have been wanting to get my hands on the Hero Arts Village stamp for ages after seeing all the fabulous cards Jacqueline and Franziska from the flickr group have been creating.

Imagine my excitment when Clare offered to send it to me after seeing it on my wish list at the flickr site.  Thats what I love about the group everyone is so kind and so generous in many ways.  Thank you so much Clare I am having lots of fun inking it up.

Here is another card I have made with the stamp, this time a Christmas themed one, I know this stamp is going to be so versatile!!

Hope you are enjoying your weekend, I am getting ready to do a small stamping class next week, its my first and I am both excited and nervous!!

Another card set!!

 After making this card and this one I thought it would be nice to make another boxed set, for a small Christmas gift.

Here are the last to cards to finish the set using the same "Basic Tree" digital image from Hero Arts.
The top one is a window card made by cutting layers with the spellbinders labels die and some BasicGrey patterned paper.  I have coloured the tree using some fine liner pens and a glaze pen for the berries. 
This card is just layers with the background Kraft card stamped with the Hero Arts Old Letter stamp.

 Here is the finished set with the box, which I have made using the digital paper design supplied with the digital tree image,  I printed it onto card and then made into a small pizza box with window.

 I am entering this in the current Simon Says challenge to use "Die Cuts or Punches".