Caribbean Wedding

Where has the time gone - we are already approaching February.  I don't know about anyone else, I do believe the older you get the quicker the days/months/years go by.

A friend asked my to make a wedding card for her niece who was getting married abroad - my remit was "anything bright with blue and to reflect the Caribbean" and hopefully I achieved that.  It was a chance for me to use different colours to my usual wedding cards.

The card had to fold flat as it would be travelling to the wedding destination, so I decided to make a double easel card with different shaped easels to add a bit more interest.  I stayed with 3 different colours - blue, orange & yellow throughout. As you can see I loved using the spellbinder edgeabilities to form the base in the 3 colours and also the large easel background.

The first topper on the large easel was a picture of the couple and framed with various layers of spellbinders classic and scalloped hearts.  The other topper was made from one of my new heart lac'e dies - which did all the hard work and produced beautiful work, I could not have cut them freehand with the same precision. I punched a 2" circle and then kept winding organza ribbon to form a flower rosette (secured along the way with double sided tape) which hopefully represented a Caribbean flower.

The second easel was made from labels 8 and stamped with stamps from Inkylicious Special Day Flourish.

For the main stopper I brayered gloss card with Kaleidacolour Desert Heat Inkpad (an alternative to Big & Juicy).  I cut a strip the length of the card and stamped palm trees and on a small piece of the same card used the smallest heart die and then stamped a couple walking (Stampscape Stamps) which was placed on the long strip - stopper for 1st easel.  Last of all I had been given the 3D flip flops, as they were the wrong colour I distressed them with Wild Honey and Dried Marigold and these created the stopper for the 2nd easel.

I am entering this little creation into the following challenges:

Allsorts Challenge - One or More Hearts
Paper Creations Ink - Love/Romance
Inky Impressions Challenges - Heart You
The Pixie Cottage - Love & Kisses
Corrosive Challenges - I Heart You
Crazy 4 Challenges - Layer It On
Make It Monday - Anything Goes
The Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge - Ribbons
Drunken Stampers Challenge - Something New
Do You Stackup - Ribbons
Truly Madly Crafty Challenges - Anything Goes
Stamps R Us Challenges - Valentine/Love
Paper Pretties - Love
Sweet Stamps - Love
Hooked On Craft Challenges - Something Bright
Penny Black At Allsorts - Hearts & Love
Simply Create Too - Love Is In The Air

As always thanks for stopping by, all your comments are welcomed and very appreciated.

Take Care
Hugs xx

Sew-Delicious

Hopefully going to try and get a challenge card out by Tuesday/Wednesday of each week !!!
If I can get one done I will be happy.

My hubby and I have had a busy weekend trying to sort out some more items from my late mum. She was a seamstress many years ago, then once she had us girls making all our clothes and teaching us how to sew.  I went to a workshop (think it was a couple of years ago) and first used the tailors dummy die and knew I would want to use it again sometime and decided to do my own twist, doing this card brought back some lovely memories of her and looking at her old patterns gave me the inspiration to make this card. 

Still into these shaped cards as they give you a large background to work with.  I used different papers from Eline's Winter Hues Paper Pack for the background, dress and tape measure.  On the lower half I used a button mask and lightly embossed the paper. I then used Victorian Velvet Distress Ink all over the papers and then edged with Vintage Photo.  I then added some faux stitching around the card and the paper.

For the edge of the card I used a Marianne Ribbon Die on pearl card, used both distress inks again, then threaded some ribbon from my stash. Finished it with some Cosmic Shimmer Pearl.

The mannequin, buttons and thread reels were all from a Tim Holtz Die.  I used the paper rosettes die then stamped it with Joanna Sheen tape measure from the haberdashery stamp set it for a different effect.

To finish I used some scrap threads from my sewing box along with needles and threader.  The mannequin was finished with cosmic shimmer pearl, organza rose and a decorative pin to hold it in place.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

Allsorts Challenge - Needles & Pins
Stamptacular Sunday Challenge - Seeing Spots
Papertakeweekly - Happy Highlights
Make it Monday - Anything Goes
Crafts and me Challenges - Use Pins
Truly Madly Crafty Challenges - Anything Goes

Think this would have made a lovely birthday or mothers day card for her and I know she would have loved it as I hope you will.

As always thanks for stopping by and leaving your comments.

Hugs xx

Best of British

It hasn't taken long for one of my New Year Resolutions to be broken.  I promised myself I would try and blog more, and there I am on 17 days into the New Year and I have failed. 
Work has taken over again and maybe very busy for the next few months - hoping I can get more organised and try and do both.

Thought I would have a go at using more of my old bits and pieces from my stash and also a couple of new goodies that have been waiting to be used. At least I am keeping that resolution going (so far).

I used the Union Jack stamp from Indigo Blu and coloured it with Broken China and Fired Brick distress inks watered down and brushed onto the stamp to give it more of a distressed look.  Mat and layered it onto layers of Blue, White and Red card from my stash.
I used a Mini stamp from the Dream Cars from Creative Expressions with Memento and coloured it in with my promarkers.  I used my new metallic promarkers for the mirrors,wheel spokes and grills.  To make the lights look as if they were shining I used Crystal Lacquer.  I also used this for the windows to give the glass effect.
The image was die cut using a spellbinder die which was then also distressed with Broken China and Fired Brick.  I then embossed the edges of the die cut to give it a raised look and secured it with a deep layer of pinflair.
The edge of the card was embossed using the Cog Mask. To finish off I used some card candy I had in the same colours.

Hopefully I have given the feel of being British.  My hubby loves all kind of classic cars and thought the mini would symbolise it.

I am entering this little creation into the following challenges:
Allsorts Challenge - Celebration of Nations
ABC Challenge - H for Happy Birthday
Crafty Cardmakers - No Floral Embellishments
Make it Monday - Anything Goes
Anything Challenge - Anything Goes
Cards for Men - Boys & Their Toys
TrulyMadlyCraftyChallenges - Anything Goes

As always thanks for stopping by.  Your comments are always appreciated.

Take Care
Hugs xx

New Beginnings

First of all Happy New Year to you all and hope you all had a good time over the festive period. 
Its seems a long time since I got in my craft room to create anything and do my blog.  Must admit I have enjoyed a nice break from work, hopefully now feel ready and refreshed to start again with my crafting which was also put on hold for a little while.

My first offering of the year I thought would be a Wedding Card.  Its a lovely way to start the year with someone you love and it is a new beginning for the happy couple.

This also gave me an opportunity to have a play with some new & old goodies as well.

I decided to do an 8" x 8" square and turned it into an easel card.  I used an Indigo Blu stamp called 'Love Is' and tried a new technique (for me) using Flitter Glu and Silver Gilding Flakes.  I used several layers of silver mirri, snow white pearl card and bazzil coordinations cardstock.  I then edged some of the layers with Spellbinders Edgeabilities and layered the bigger squares flat, with the smaller squares placed on foam pads to lift them slightly . 

My trusty flower punch and Marianne dies came out again to make the roses which were edged with cosmic twinkles.  Made a bow from organza ribbon and placed this beneath the larger of the roses. To finish the front of the card I used a Bazzill Jewel template and gems to create a flourish in one corner.

I included an insert which I edged again with one of the co-ordinating edgeabilities.  The stopper was made using labels 8 and the stamped image was a verse from Inkylicious Wedding Stamp Plate.

Along with the card I made a co-ordinating box out of snow white pearl card, decorated with the same ribbon and roses and labels 8 for a name plate.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

Papertakeweekly - Anything Goes
Make It Monday - Anything Goes
Stamps R Us Challenges - Anything Goes
Sweet Stampin Challenge - New Beginnings
Allsorts Challenge - New Beginnings
Crafts and Me Challenges - Anything Goes
The Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge - Anything Goes
Penny Black at Allsorts - Love & Hearts

Thank you for stopping by, any comments are appreciated and welcomed.

Take care and have a good weekend.

Hugs xx