Trying Too Hard?

Just got to n very late from a trip to Liverpool to visit my son and remembered on the long drive home that I had forgotten to write my post for CAS Colours & Sketches, as I'm the hostess this week that is a bit of a big deal, so it's 11 pm and I'm writing it now!
For the fourth Thursday in November ( and a very Happy Thanksgiving to all of you celebrating in the US) it is a sketch and when I came up with this one I was rather pleased with myself. Yesterday when I was trying to make my card I was less pleased, it was so hard! So, if you give it a go you will certainly get a complimentary comment from me! Here is the offending sketch ( no one else to blame for it, just me)

When I sat down to craft my card I thought about cutting two circles of DP, but it just wasn't enough for m. I saw that a couple of my  teamies had already created cards like that ( and they are fab too) but I thought I needed to show a different way. 

I remembered making 3D baubles one Christmas and wondered if it would work with half circles. Well, what do you think?

I used a Kraft card blank, some pearlised gold card and then some Kraft and white/ red papers to make the baubles

I used washi tape for the greeting and the only stamping on my card are the two little bows, carefully positioned and stamped in Stayzon to ensure they didn't smudge on the pearlised card

A Bit of Christmas Love

ooohh It's all hearts and flowers now, with Valentines' Day just gone, hope you got some love from someone special.!Whilst we are a Christmas card challenge blog here at 52{Christmas} Card Throwdown we are keeping with the theme of love for this week. We want to see your Christmas cards featuring hearts or expressions/sentiments of love..

My card started as a piece of DP, what I mean, is it was the paper from which the whole card grew.

I found this paper in my local craft shop, and I've made a matching 3D heart ornament (hand cut and embossed with Swiss dots), added a few bows too, and to finish what I think is a perfect sentiment - here a close up

Do have a look at the creations from the rest of the team.  It was great to craft with hearts for a Christmas project and I'm sure you'll be inspired too.  Don't be too quick to put all your Valentines' embellies away!

3D Trees

A last minute card for Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge, featuring a technique from Technique Tuesday.  This is a Christmas card with at least three patterned papers (4 actually) and a die cut shape, in this case a pennant, made into 3D. This die shape makes lovely Christmas trees and I've made a CAS card with an Icicle embossing panel from Tim Holtz Alterations (although they are a little difficult to see on the photo) and a sentiment from SUs Sassy Salutations set. I've added some olive green bakers' twine.  A little snip on the edges with my hand held hole punch makes a tiny tab to hold it in place.

I am always reluctant to use double sided DSP as both sides are usually so beautiful Here it wasn't so bad as these trees only take up very small pieces.  I cut 5 for each tree, following the tutorial. I might make some more as it's a really effective technique - thanks Mynnette and the team!
PS. Yippee my first commission - my mum wants 10 of these cards to send to her friends!

Flowers and Music

Good Morning! The card I have made this morning hopefully covers two challenges in one! Make My Monday - Flowers and Music and The Dynamic Duos. Using only Pool Party and So Saffron clours I have made this spring card, featuring flowers die cut from sheet music. I used sheet music cut from an old piano music book (my children gave up playing years ago and now I've found a new use for their old music books - crafting!). I coloured the music paper and used buttons cut from Pool Party cardstock, using SU's embosslits set Sweet Buttons.  Layering these up on a big note shape cut from So saffron cardstock I assembled the card, adding a sentiment and strip of So Saffron and more embosslit buttons. Some faux stitching and the strip matches the big note. Off to see my Mum and Dad now!

Life Happens. Love Helps

I must be in a bit of a melancholic mood today as here is another card I made today for someone who needs a hug.  It's called a spring card and I made it at a workshop this morning.  The spring mechanism is made by the fold..very clever thinking by someone! The flower is one of those stamps sets where you stamp it in bits and assemble it with a brad.  The card, paper and sentiment are all from Stampin' Up, you'll know by now if you read my blog that I'm a bit of a fan. Anyway, that's all for today, perhaps I'll be a bit more cheery next time!

Another Pair!

I have had another go at the Perfect pairs challenge for Simply Stamping.  This time I chose a colour combination that I rarely use; poppy parade and very vanilla.  I made the little rosettes and stamped and embossed flowers from Fruit and Flowers to make the centres. I made my background paper using the script stamp from my latest stamp set Charming. The sentiment is one from my stash and fits the theme quite nicely.Simply Stamping ;Perfect Pairs Finally I added a flourish of bling to balance the whole thing.

Man of the Match

Here is my entry for this weeks Make My Monday Challenge. I used some Papermania cardstock to make a concertina fold card and some sporting themed stamps which I've had for ages.  I coloured the images using my promarkers

 Then I made little origami sport shirts to match the 3 featured sports, giving them liquid pearl buttons and a waistcoat for the snooker player and finished off  with the sentiment mounted on some more card

 Close up detail of the shirts - I learned how to make thes from a Japanese student who stayed with us once and I use them quite often, you can make them into pretty blouses with a floral/patterned paper or in club colours if there's a team theme to your card.

Happy Easter!

Better late than never!  Here is a card to wish everyone a Happy Easter. The stamp is a freebie from Craft Stamper magazine, I love those bunnies! The rosettes are a little tricky to make but quite effective and I used my new brushes to get that brayered look for the background (one day I will learn how to use the brayer but I'm really not good at it at all...too impatient and a little heavy handed I think). We had a lovely family day on Easter Sunday, with the annual easter egg hunt and a special dinner, followed by games and films No time for crafting though, will have to make up for it later in the week.