A is for ...

I like the idea of monogram cards as I think that they really personalise the card.  I made this one just really starting with the first letter of the alphabet and that I also have friends with this initial.    Again, it is a really quick card to make with very little whitework or cutouts.This is one of the quicker parchment cards to make.

This was traced with gold ink and coloured with dorso crayons behind the monogram and Perga Color Exclusive for the pattern and between the patterns on the edging.  The colouring was put on the reverse side of the parchment paper and also the embossing of the edging. 

Then, using a two hole tool, I pierced around the edging of the card - except for the spine - and cut the excess away to form the edging.

Blue Flowers

I really enjoyed making this card as it is mainly whitework with a little colouring just to give it that hint of colour. Although it is quite a simple card, it does take a little longer to ensure that the whitework is correct.  I find that you need patience to ensure that you do the whitework correctly as if you rush, you can end up spoiling your work.

The flower pattern was first traced with a very fine line using white tinta ink. It is important that the line is extremely fine so that it does not deflect from the finished work.

I first coloured the reverse of the flowers with a blue dorso crayon and then embossed from the reverse which ensured that the whitework stayed white.

 

I then drew the outside border in gold tinta ink and then embossed between the pattern and with a two hole tool, pierced around the outside border and then cut away to finish the card. 



Forever Blowing Bubbles

I seem to have too many people that are West Ham fans and it is getting harder to think of ideas that incorporate both football and their colours.

I had this stamp which is Flippin' Stamps football and coloured it using Spectrum Noirs in West Ham colours.  Although I used their colours, I wanted to make it just a little different so did not copy their shirt exactly.

I then cut it out using the Spellbinders A2 Distressed Edges and coloured the edging with Distress inks in Salty Ocean and Seedless Preserves. 

I then mounted this onto some Core'dinations card that I had embossed using the Crafts Too Football embossing Folder.  This was then mounted onto more Core'dinations card and as I did not have any ribbon that was the right combination of colour - put one of top of the other to create the colour scheme I wanted.  It also looked masculine in those colours.

As soon as I saw the Angelica and Friends - Felicity Stamp Set by Crafter's Companion that I had to buy it as it had the phrase "Forever Blowing bubbles" and I knew that I would get a lot of use out of that phrase.  I stamped it out onto on to card and also added Happy Birthday and then using one  of the smaller Labels 4 spellbinders, cut it out to form my sentiment.

Birthday Flower in Parchment

I really love making parchment cards with just white work and a touch of gold so when cleaning out my craft room, I found this pattern in one of my old magazines and knew that I just had to make it.

I also wanted to make something that I could take on the plane for the short trip that I was making to Switzerland for a couple of days and that I could do at night in the hotel.

I made the topper first. I traced the pattern with white tinta ink and used gold tinta ink on the ribbon edges. I then embossed the flower, ribbon and edges and then using a two hole tool, went around the outside edge and perforated, and then cut the oval topper out.

With black card, I cut out the background using Spellbinders Grand Decorative Ovals One.  I then mounted the topper onto this using small gold brads.  I then cut out an oval in black card using Spellbinders Grand Ovals and attached this to the back of the topper to hide the back of the brads.  I then mounted the topper onto a easel card I made with Grand Ovals and cut a smaller oval in white to mount my greeting and stopper onto.

The greeting was from Party Paws - Bamboo Rubber Stamp Set by Crafter's Companion which I felt worked well with the topper.

Male Card

I always hate having to make cards for males as I find it so difficult to find elements that are masculine and not sport or cars and was so glad when I saw the JustRite Going Places Vintage Labels stamps being demonstrated by Sue Wilson.  I had seen Sam Poole show a card using the background stamp and the letters and decided to put the two together to make my card.

I stamped the background onto white card with Versacolor black using the U-Mount Newsprint A6 Rubber Stamp by Sam Poole and mounted this onto black and then white card. I then stamped 'Happy Birthday' onto cream card with Versacolor Sepia using Clear Vintage Alphabet A5 Stamp by Sam Poole. I cut out the words separately and went round the edges with a mixture of Brushed Corduroy and Rusty Hinge Distress Ink. I then mounted this onto the background.

I stamped the image from the JustRite Going Places Vintage Labels in Memento Rich Cocoa and then coloured using Spectrum Noir pens and mounted onto the card to finish.

Butterfly Carriage

I really enjoyed making this card and it has the added bonus of having ribbon threaded through the bottom.  Again it is a card that can be made reasonably quickly for a parchment card.

I traced the pattern onto the parchment with white and gold tinta ink.  I then coloured the pattern from behind using Perga Exclusive pens and then embossed from behind.

I also embossed the pattern on the border and then perforated and cut the border pattern.  I then threaded blue and pink ribbon through the top of the border pattern and cut the side edges of the card with decorative scissors to finish.

Bat Mitzvah Card

My husband and I had been invited to a Bat Mitzvah and I decided that I would try and make a card as it was going to prove difficult to buy one.  I had not made a card for a Jewish occasion before but as there did not seem to be much choice around, thought that it was something I would enjoy to try.  I tried looking on the internet for ideas but there did not seem to be too much out there.

I had previously picked up some background paper that I could use on one of my trips to the US.  It was a double sided and I was able to use both sides. 

I first cut out the background using the new Spellbinders die Enchanted Labels 28 to get the Mazeltov showing.  Then using the other side of the paper, cut a label from the JustRite Vintage label and banner die set with the largest size and then cut a label in blue card with the smaller size die. 

These were all mounted onto Centura card and then using my craft robo (which I has not used for about 4 years!) cut out the Star of Dav id shapes for the corner and also the words "on your" and "Bat Mitvah" and mounted these.

The recipient of the card liked it a lot and I know she certainly did not have two of these.