Fab at 50!

This week I took delivery of  some more graph'it markers and brush nibs along with the colouring secrets dvd by Nikky Hall. Those of you who know me, know I'm not a very confident colourer innerer but even I can't deny how much I've improved since switching to graph'it markers and I think I can honestly say this is my favourite card I've made to date. I just hope the recipient approves.

The image used is a digi from the awesome Fredericka CD Rom and I coloured the skin, with, 4125, 4145, 4155, hair with, 1210, 1230, 1250, 1270, 1280 and her dress with 5110, 5115, 5120 and 5125. Her clutch bag, eyes and lipstick were coloured using wink of stella glitter markers and a smidge of glossy accents on the glass. I then outlined the whole image with 7125 to make it pop!

Okay, then I got stuck ...... the image was so classy I couldn't think how to turn it into a card. Then my friend Jan text me to remind me that Sue Wilson was doing a 2 hour tool shed show on createandcraft.tv today (Sunday 23rd Feb) I'm so grateful as one of the demo's suited my image beautifully. I used a piece of matching pink card and stamped a rose design all over it (from a previous copy of polkadoodles pen & paper circle magazine). I then stuck a double sided adhesive sheet to the card, peeled off the backing and dipped in iridescent glitter. That was then matted onto some contrasting blue card before sticking to my card base I wrapped some ribbon around and added 4 die cut corners from spellbinders majestic elements.

All that was left to do was add a bow, gemstone and a tattered lace flourish. The greeting is on classic sentiments from creative expressions, I heat embossed it and cut out using spellbinders, labels twenty die and inked using Tim Holtz, spun sugar, distress ink. 

I really hope Jacqui likes her card although I'm not sure when to give it to her as it's her birthday on February 29th - imagine not having a 50th birthday? Sounds ideal to me! So all that's left for me to say is Happy 12½th Birthday Jacqui St Pierre x

Sugar & Spice

So it's challenge time again over at the polkadoodles blog and this week the subject matter is 'Sugar & Spice' this involves me thinking outside the box - those of you that know me will know I struggle enough with the 'thinking' bit without bringing a box into it, lol! Basically I came up with 'Sugar & spice and all things nice that's what little girls are made of so A) GIRLY B) FOOD. 

I used Paper Boutique Vol 1 and decided to use the sugary cake template. Literally all you need to do is click & print.

Then cut out the template. there are a couple of options on how to put it together but it's all very straight forward. Once you've constructed you end up with this!

The only extras I've added are glitter, glue, foam tape and a gemstone. Sometimes I think its nice to send a shaped card and this one can all be cut with scissors.

Thanks for popping over I do hope you'll find some time to join in this week x 

Groovy Baby

For those of you who are friends of mine on Facebook you may know that last Friday was 'Send a friend a card' day and I decided to do a lucky dip for those that put their name down. 

The gorgeous Shelley Bolton was chosen by the randomiser and over the weekend I came up with this...

I used a fab Emma Canning digi camper van as I 'think' Shelley is a fan (I really hope I got that right) which I coloured in with my Graph'it Markers so I decided to go with the whole retro 70's vibe. I had some 'out there' backing paper in my crafty stash that I thought would never be used but it was just perfect for this card. Using the font Keep on Truckin' I cut the word GROOVY on my silhouette Just adding a little faux stitching to help make it 'pop'. The flowers were just punched and layered up, glittered and faux stitched to add a bit of flower power to the whole project.

I really had fun trying to fit the card to the recipient, Who knows maybe I'll do another give away soon.

I appreciate any comments you may wish to leave me.

Chinese Whispers.....

It's time to share my recent makes with you using Nikky Hall's latest CD Dollie Daydream Goes East.

The first one is this weeks DT project. The subject for the design team was Oriental Love - Anything but a card. Why don't you pop over to the Challenge Blog and join in?

It's a bottle tag just adds more of a gift feel to a cheap bottle of plonk! I designed the tag myself used the delightful backing paper and in my graphics programme I added one of the fabby sentiments. The digi is coloured in using my Graph'it Markers I then added a flower from my crafty stash and some die cut foliage.

This black card was made using the Spellbinders, Shapeabilities, Fancy Lattice die to create the decorative design on the front. I added a digi, coloured with Graph'it Markers and one of the pre-coloured floral embellishments to the front and to help make the card pop, I used one of the lovely backing papers as an insert.

Here's my final make this week. These digi's just cry out to be coloured and there are so many different colour options if you use the backing papers for inspiration. I glittered this one with some Spray and Sparkle after having added one of the Chinese sentiments. Matted it onto some contrasting blue card. I then made a fan using some coloured vellum attached that to the front of my card and added a flower from my crafty stash as a finishing touch.

Thanks so much for stopping by I really do appreciate any comments that you may care to leave me.

Have a good day!

Birthday Boys

I've made a couple of cards in the last couple of days for males. I normally struggle with these although why? To be fair most of them have some sort of interest in something. Don't they?

The first one is for my Uncle Alan he likes weekends away in the camper van. I'm not sure his vehicle is this basic but I'm sure he'll get the drift. The topper and backing paper are from Docrafts 'Hot Diggity Dog' CD Rom.

In a few days it will be my Godson's 20th birthday and he loves football and I have no idea why but supports Millwall F.C. I just know they're blue lol. 

I used my distress inks to blend the background and stenciled the dots (studs?) on top. Then I embossed it using  a 'Happy Birthday' folder.

I stamped and heat embossed the football stamp and matted and layered it up as the focal point. Relatively CAS but quite effective I think.

Thanks so much for stopping by and looking at my work. Leave a comment if you like?

Perfect for Mother's Day

I think the very talented Nikky Hall has hit the nail on the head with her latest character 'Dollie' she's available as a download in a variety of guises and this one 'Dollie Bouquet' is just perfect for Mothers Day.

I coloured the image with Graph'its (skin, 4110, 4155, 4170, hair, 3245, 3250, 3255, 3280, dress, 1110, 1130, 1140, shoes,9500, 9501, 9503, flowers, 5215, 5220, 5240. 8260, 8270, 8280)

The background is embossed using the 'tied together' embossing folder and coloured with red, yellow and gold pan pastels. I then added a border and contrasting ribbon. I matted and layered my image onto some red and then yellow card, adding die cut letters to spell out the word Mum. I finished the card off with a rose stamp from the pen & paper circle. 

Thank you so much for popping by. I really do like it when you leave me comments x