Pink and Cream How Sweet You Are Gatefold

Here is a card made using my much-neglected K&Co papers. I've hardly used them since I got my Basic Grey papers, but decided these went well with this image.

The How Sweet You Are image, from Sarah Kay/Stampavie, was stamped using Versafine Onyx Black archival pigment ink and coloured with Copic Sketch markers:

•  Hair: E35, E39, E57
• Skin: E00, E21, E51, R20
• Hat: E43, E31
• Top/Hat Band: G12, BV31, R20
• Dungarees: B21, B24, B93
• Patches: R20, BV31
• Duckling: Y00, Y08, Y17, YR02
• Grass: YG17, G12, G14

 The corners of the image panel were rounded using the large XCut corner rounder punch and matted onto a panel of pink paper and a panel of cream card, the corners of which were punched with the Martha Stewart Eyelet Lace corner punch.

A square gatefold card was created from cream card and panels of the fritillary paper from the K&Co Somerset paper pad were punched with the Eyelet Lace corner punch and matted onto the pink paper. Strips of the harlequin paper from the same paper pad were matted onto the pink paper and adhered across the panels.

The image panel was attached to the left gate of the card. The sentiment circle, from the HOTP Sentiments stamp set, was stamped onto white card using ColorBox Old Rose pigment ink and heat embossed with clear powder. The sentiment was die cut with a circle die and matted onto a circle of pink paper and a big scalloped circle cut from cream card, all die cut with Nestabilities.

A cream Prima paper flower was colour tinted with Tim Holtz Spun Sugar distress ink. The small button image from the Papermania Clare Curd Doodles stamp set was stamped onto the pink paper using the Old Rose ink, clear embossed and cut out. Cream embroidery thread was knotted through the pierced holes and the image was then matted onto a cream circle and added in the centre of the flower. The flower was then added to the corner of the image panel.

Here are the challenges I am entering this card into:

• 2 Sisters - #12 - Birthday
• Catch The Bug - Anything Goes
• Crazy 4 Challenges - #62 - Square Card
• Wee Memories - #30 - Birthday Bash
• Alphabet Challenge - B is for Bird
• Fairy Tale - #1 - Anything Goes
• Stamp Insanity - #34 - Punch-Drunk Love
• Freshly Brewed - #22 - Anything Goes
•  Party Time Tuesdays - #19 - Anything Goes Birthdays
• Scrap-Creations - Favourite Technique
• Lexi's Creations - #26 - Anything Goes
• The Crazy Challenge - #40 - Things With Wings

Blue and Black Sarah Kay Spring Blossoms Easel

This card was inspired by a card that Alex made during a friendly cardmaking get-together at Julie's last year. I've been wanting to have a go at this technique ever since and finally got around to doing it the other day. Hopefully you'll like the results.

You can see Alex's original card here.

I shall be entering these cards into the Cute Card Thursday blog challenge, #107, which has Mono Mania as it theme this week.

I started by stamping the Sarah Kay Spring Blossoms image from Stampavie onto 300gsm watercolour paper using Tim Holtz Faded Jeans Distress ink and the colour was then dragged out using a damp paintbrush. Extra colour was added to areas to add shadow.

The image was cut out using the Mega Rectangles Nestabilities die and the edges were coloured using the Faded Jeans ink and cut and dry foam, leaving the die in place to create a white border.

A larger mat was cut from dusky blue card and the edges colour tinted with ColorBox Charcoal Fluid Chalk ink and stamped with a flourish stamp from the Autumn Leaves Flourish V1 Rhona Farrer stamp set using the Versafine Smokey Grey archival pigment ink.

A panel of blue hessian effect paper from the Hot Off The Press Floral Ultimate Cardmaker's Creative Pack was matted onto a panel of the dusky blue card stamped with the Flourish stamp. A panel of the blue hessian effect flourish paper, from the same paper pad, was matted onto stamped blue card and a length of black sparkle weave ribbon was wrapped around this and matted onto the larger panel.

This was then attached to the easel card and the Sarah Kay image panel was attached onto this.

A circle tag was created from the blue card using the Cuttlebug circle tag and stamped with the Flourish stamp. A white circle to mat on top was cut from the watercolour paper using the Sizzix Sizzlets Circles #4 Frames die. The sentiment was stamped in the centre of the circle using the 'Make A Wish' stamp from the Dovecraft Studio G 'Make A Wish' mini stamp set using the Smokey Grey ink. This was then colour tinted using the Faded Jeans ink and a length of the black ribbon was threaded through the hole and the tag attached to the corner of the image panel.

A touch of sparkle was added to the ribbon and flowers in the image by adding Craft Planet Iridescent Sparkle glitter glue.

To create the stop part of the easel, the blue hessian effect flourish paper was matted onto a panel of the blue stamped card and a length of the black ribbon wrapped around. A sentiment panel was created using the Mega Curved Rectangles Nestabilities die, coloured using the Faded Jeans ink with the die still in place. the sentiment was stamped using the Happy Birthday stamp from the 'Make A Wish' mini stamp set and the Smokey Grey ink.

This was actually the second version of this card that I made. The original version, above, was created without the full front panel, but I decided it needed the panel to make the image stand out more.

Here is the card from the side, showing the construction of the card.

(Apologies for the quality of some of these pictures - they were taken on my camera phone - I really must find my proper camera and USB cable for it).

A Day At Julie's

Just wanted to let you all know how my day at Julie's went. Early morning (6am!!) and an early train journey into London (or the outskirts at least). I bumped into Alex at the train station as we'd managed somehow to synchronize our arrivals.

After a bit of a chat, and the handing out of goodies, we got underway. Thankfully, they all liked their post-it note holders that I'd made for them (and they didn't fall to pieces in my bag, which I was rather worried about!!). But, I did forget to take a photograph of them, so girls, if you get a chance, please email me a couple of pictures so I can put them on here!

Alex had very kindly given us all one of her little boxes that was filled with chocolate. My dear hubby has been looking at it longingly but I'm blowed if I'm going to let him have them. I might just suck them a little every night so I can taste them but not actually eat them. They should last a while that way too!!! Darn this diabetes!!!

Alex had also assembled a card kit for us all in another beautifully constructed and decorated box. The card was a nice clean and simple design, using the gorgeous Papertrey Ink Damask stamp set (if only they would find a UK distributor/retailer, I'd snap them up in a moment, but with such exorbitant P&P charges, I could never justify the expense).

Anyway, having made my version of the card, I then proceeded to get inky finger prints (Versafine Vintage Sepia) all over it, which I had to disguise when I got home by sponging on the lightest brown colour from the Brilliance Tiramisu ink pad. I also failed to match up the border stamp in the centre of the gatefold!! I really should have a think before I commit anything to paper or card!!

Here is what I managed to create. I don't think it turned out that badly. The card blank was made from brown Kraft card, also available from Papertrey Ink, and brown gems were added to embellish the ornament image.



The second project I attempted was given to us by Julie's friend Lesley. She had prepared a pram template for us all to use, and this time we all managed to make completely different cards. Cutting the template out was the hardest part for some of us (wasn't it "stompy-feet Julie"), but we all produced lovely cards.

Here is my attempt!! I'm not sure what make of papers these are, but I thought they were perfect for a 'just in case' baby card, to keep for when you do need one!!

The Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder was used on the hood and the Fiskars Apron Lace border punch was used to create the lace trim. Craft Planet yellow glitter glue was added to the dots on the hood and along the top of the paper lace trim. A large Stampin' Up flower punch and a second smaller flower punch were used to create the layered flower in the top corner. The brad was originally pink, so was coloured using a green Copic marker and a blob of the yellow glitter glue.

Buttons from my stash were added to the wheels and the hood (when I got home), after threading them with green embroidery thread.

Alex very kindly did a demonstration of how to use the Copics to their best, so when/if I get around to buying any, I'll have more of an idea of how to get those great effects that so many of you all produce!!!

Also we all had a go at the monochrome look using the Tim Holtz Distress inks on a stamp and dragging the colour out, just as Alex had done on a Sarah Kay card she made last week. I decided to use the technique on one of the lovely house stamps from Papertrey Ink and the Weathered Wood ink. I haven't made the images into cards as yet, but will upload them when I have.

The rest of the day (and somehow there wasn't much more!) was spent stamping up each others various images that we had brought with us. Before we knew it, it was almost 7pm and we had to start tidying everything away.

Amazingly, that didn't take as long as we had anticipated, so we made our way back to the train station. We said our goodbyes (reluctantly) and headed off home. It was 10.45pm when I got home and was pretty bushed, but it was all worth it for an amazing day spent with friends - 'cos that's what you are girls!!! I never thought that two very special friends could be made through a forum, but they can and you are the proof!! Hopefully my move up north won't spell the end of our get-togethers. We'll have to figure a way around that! Not sure how big my new house is going to be, but maybe a weekend in Lincolnshire is on the cards.

Well, enough of all this soppy-ness! Hopefully I'll get around to uploading a few more cards tomorrow. Not sure which ones though. I'm still a bit behind on my uploads, so I might add a few of the anniversary cards I've been making.