A Card And Gift Bag for a Friend

Around about the middle of last year I decided to start one-on-one Pilates classes!  There comes a time in ones life when stretching becomes an imperative, that time arrived last year for me!  I was not happy waking up and feeling like I had to unroll my body one bone at a time (I do exagerate slightly, I am a very fit over mid-40's person, however, I have always neglected stretching!).

Anyhow, all I really wanted to say was that my Pilates instructor celebrated her birthday today, and I go to her tomorrow for my session and wanted to make her a little something, and here they are:

Paper: PTI Carstock, Patterned paper from old stash
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, CTMH (Juniper ink)
Stamps: PTI (frame), Hero Arts (sentiment), Butterfly (gift from Jacqueline)
Other: Flower (Hero Arts), SIlky white flower (unknown), Crochet flower (made by me), brad (old stash), PTI Mat Stack Die, Gemstones (stash)

It's so nice sometimes to not do too much to a card.  I loved that patterned paper and simply added the flowers, the butterfly that was so kindly sent to me already stamped by Jacqueline, and I stamped the Hero Arts sentiment on a die cut that I made from a PTI die. 

Then I decided to make her a little treat bag with some of the yummiest Date, Coconut and Walnut chewy cookies that my wonderful friend three houses down introduced me to over Christmas!  The treat bag design is something that I found in my blog browsing on the Cosmo Cricket blog HERE, really cool idea, all you need is one piece of cardstock.  So here it is:

This is the front view.  I am not really good at decorating, so it looks a litte plain, hey, it's my first one!  My master piece on this is my lovely rose, a close up is on its way.

Here is a side view.  So there is a little goodie bag inside there holding the cookies.  The box itself is really one whole piece of 12 X 12 cardstock.  And then you can add a topper, which is the dark brown cardstock if you want, or use other creative ways to close the box or add some ribbon handles for example.

And here is my rose that I just love.  I used a piece of rustic white PTI cardstock.  I stamped both sides with two different Hero Art stamps that could cover the entire surface.   I stamped them using versamark, then clear embossed and then used Worn Lipstick and Walnut Stain Distress ink and inked up both sides furiously.  Then I rolled the flower, like Jennifer McGuire and many others have explained.  Glued it, pushed down on the petals a little and then spritzed it with Viva Pink Glimmer Mist and that is when I fell in love with my own rose! (It's better in real life, the photo does not do it justice.)

Well, can you tell, I had fun!  I hope she likes it and is not allergic to coconut, dates or walnuts!

Wishing you all a very good night!  It't just  gone midnight here!  I guess a little sleep before the normal daily activities including a run in my countdown to the Marathon in 13 days!  Yippee!  So excited!

Another Birthday Card

Today I thought I would post the card that I made from my daughter to her Dad for his birthday using some of Hero Arts new 2011 stamps.  Shiny and bright, just how my princess likes it.

Paper: PTI Cardstock, Neenah Solar White

Stamps: Hero Arts

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Copic Markers

Other: Martha Stewart Punch, Stickles

I stamped the Butterfly Flowers woodblock stamp and coloured in with Copics and added some stickles in the centres. I also added a punched out butterfly which I totally covered with stickles.

The sentiment is made up of two stamps, the "Happy Birthday" is from one of the new sets and the "Dad !" is from a Father's Day set.

Sorry, short and sweet today as I have a longish list of things to accomplish.  Wishing you all a wonderful day!

A Special Card for a Special Man!

I think it's safe to post this card now, it's for you know who, DH, this Sunday!  I don't think he has any time to really look at my blog, only when I ask him to!!!

Paper: PTI cardstock

Stamps: Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz Collection (Mini Classics & Urban Tapestry), Hero Art (Old Letter Writing), PTI (sentiment)

Ink: Pumice Stone, Chipped Sapphire, Peeled Paint, Wild Honey & Brushed Corduroy  Distress Inks, Versafine Onyx Black

Other: Clear Embossing Powder, Tim Holtz Ideology Masks

It's always a challenge making a masculine card!  So I decided to go with this mix of techniques and inks and stamps and created a kind of a collage. The Compass and Crown masks are actually quite meaningful for us so I was really happy to use them.

I first stamped the background using the Hero Arts "Old Letter Writing" stamp in Pumice Stone Distress ink.  I then applied the masks and inked over them with the various distress inks.  I peeled those off and stamped the additional images using Versafine Onyx Black and I clear embossed the sentiment.  I really like the "splatter" stamp that comes in the set, it really is just one of those great stamps that just adds something to a design!

I distressed the edges of the front panel with a distressing tool and then inked all around with Brushed Corduroy.

I like the final outcome, it cannot get much more masculine, for me that is.  I think he will like it! (At the end of the day it ends up back in my craft room anyway!).  What do your DH's do with the cards that you make for them?

Have an awesome day!

Fishy Birthday

Hi Everyone!  Today is my beautiful niece's birthday in South Africa and this is the card I made for her.

Paper: PTI Cardstock, Neenah Solar White

Stamps: Hero Arts

Ink: Garden Green, Sorbet, Crystal Blue & Blush from CTMH;Vintage Photo Distress Ink, Memento Tuxedo Black, Copics

Other: EK Success Scallop Border punch; Orange Peel Stickles; Glossy Accent

I used one of the fishies from a Hero Arts set to create the background in various colours. I did mask the one fish on the bottom right when I stamped the seaweeds. The single fish is from a different Hero Art set and is coloured in with Copics and adhered seperately. I added a little stickles to the orange fins, and some glossy accents to the bubbles which is a bit difficult to see in the photo.

And that's it. I matted the main image on pink cardstock and added a scalloped border in orange on which I stamped the sentiment!  Her party theme was Hawaii so I thought I would stick with a card from the sea!

Thank you for popping past! Have a wonderful day!

Sweet Birthday Card

Today I have a sweet little card which will be going to my daughter's friend for her 5th birthday.

I first embossed the card base with my Cuttlebug and the Swiss Dots embossing folder.  (The card base is 10 X 10cm). I stamped the Cloud stamp to create the background on white cardstock.  The "grass" is actually the negative part of a piece I had die cut with the Rick-Rack PTI border die, sometimes it pays not to throw away those pieces!  The little girl and butterfly were stamped, coloured in with copics, cut out and adhered.  The butterfly is adhered with a dimensional dot.

Paper: Cardstock (PTI), Neenah Solar White

Stamps: Hero Arts

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Heavenly Blue (CTMH), Copic Markers

Other: Cuttlebug Swiss Dots folder

I wanted to keep the layout simple, bright but sweet. 

Thank you for passing by to have a look!  Have a wonderful day!



Birthday Flowers

Good morning everyone!  What a beautiful day here today, blue skies, sunshine, and perfect temperature!  So much to be thankful for.

Here is a card I just made having found out late in the day that my daughter's teacher just celebrated her birthday!  I love the happy colours. (My picture taking was not the best this morning, the light was not great).

Paper: PTI, Watercolour paper
Stamps: Hero Arts
Ink: Peeled Paint, Spiced Marmalade, Dusty Concord, Tea Dye & Scattered Straw Distress Inks, Staz-On Jet Black
Other: Vellum, random pearls

I used one flower image from a Hero Art stamp set and inked it with various distress inks, spritzed it with pearlized water and stamped it randomly on watercolour paper.  The edges of the paper were inked gently with some Tea Dye ink.

I stamped the sentiment on Vellum and added that to the panel, it's adhered at the back of the panel so that nothing shows through.  A few pearls here and there, and the card is ready to go!

I hope to make a few more cards today for various occasions.  And you, are you crafting today or is Monday just that one day in the week where life is really busy?!

Wishing you all a fabulous day!

Birthday Bash WMC30

I'm back!  With a card that was inspired by a number of different events or items...

Inspiration No.1: That awesome "Fabulous Flourish" stamp from Hero Arts
Inspiration No.2: Jennifer McGuire's Holiday Thinking Inking Video Tutorials over on Two Peas
Inspiration No.3: These beautiful brads from K & Company
Inspiration No.4: OWH Sketch Challenge No.42
Inspiration No.5: The current challenge over at Wee Memories to create something with a birthday theme

And probably a lot more influences from my continuous blog hopping where I learn so much!!!

Paper: PTI, Neenah Solar White, Vellum, CTMH (yellow cardstock)

Stamps: Hero Arts, PTI
Ink: Fired Brick & Tea Dye Distress Ink, Staz On Jet Black, Clear Embossing Ink
Other: Brad (K & Company), 3-D Adhesive strips

This card was made using the Distressed Dots patterned paper from Papertrey Ink.  I did a little sewing around the edges before adhering it to my card base. The centre panel is made with a piece of the Flourish Stamp that was inked with Fired Brick Distress ink.  More and more, Ranger's Distress Inks are becoming my ink of choice, they can do anything, really.

The paper flower was my personal challenge for today.  I have been wanting to make it since I first saw it on Jennifer's video but steered clear of it for fear of making a complete mess.  I cannot say that I am 100% satisfied, yet.  I felt that the clear embossing ink did not get into every crevace of the flower as I would have liked, even though I pressed that flower down really hard!  But I still like it, and I love that brad in the centre! The centre panel was adhered with 3-dimensional adhesive strips.

A sentiment on some vellum, something I am starting to use because who wants to hide that Flourish if you don't have to!

Thank you for popping by today!  Wishing you an awesome Sunday, the weather is absolutely beautiful here in Houston today!  Take care!