Engaged

This was the card I tried to make as a shaker card with little punched hearts and butterflies as the shaker elements. It was a disaster. I decided to rethink things altogether and not having done any embossing for ages, I got my powders and heat gun ready and made a very simple, but sparkly, card for a friend who recently got engaged.

The card blank is Bazzill Cardshoppe, cut down to 6"x6". I took another piece of Bazzill card, and trimmed it to size and used the reverse punch on my We R Memory Keepers Envelope Punch Board to make rounded corners. I then stamped the three elements (rose from free Clearly Besotted stamp set, rings from Hobbycraft, sentiment from Clearly Besotted mini basic banners) using pigment inks and embossed them with Papermania embossing powders in Tinsel Red, Enchanted Gold and Silver. I simply then adhered this to the card front with some double sided tape. Job done.

I've become very attached to my We R Memory Keepers Envelope Punch Board and having received a job lot of Bazzill Basics paper from an unexpected win on eBay, I decided to make an envelope to go with it in pink.

Birthday Bicycle

So, those cards I destroyed and didn't get started the other evening, I finally made them on Sunday night once the kiddies were in bed! Yay! This one is for a friend whose birthday is this week. I think it suits her because she's literary and we met at library school.

I started with an A6 pre-cut card and cut a piece of backing paper slightly smaller from Dovecraft Curiosity Corner 6"x6" paper and stuck it to the card front with double sided tape, leaving a small white border. I then layered up a couple of strips of Bazzill card in matching colours - I love the muted greens and browns I found in my mini stash - onto the backing paper with some tacky glue - I'm still getting to grips with what glue I like and I like this, but I think it made the card a bit wet and it warped slightly. I then stamped the bicycle from the Good Times collection from Clearly Besotted onto the die cut bicycle using Ranger Archival ink in jet black (that was a pain to clean off!). I'd cut the die out ages ago onto some cream Bazzill I had to try it out and it came in very handy. I attached it to the card front with some foam pads. I then stamped the sentiment onto some Bazzill card stock and rounded the ends using the reverse punch on the WRMK envelope punch board - that's come in very handy indeed! - and affixed to the front with foam pads.

Still haven't had a verdict from my friend, but my husband gave it a big thumbs up!

Crafting disaster :(

I had a crafting disaster last night. I had intended to make two cards. One didn't get started and the other ended up in the recycling. Two hours. Nothing. Rather sad, but I learnt something from the experience:

1. You can't really craft on the floor. I need to get a proper craft space sorted.
2. I need to learn to run before I can walk. I'm inly just learning and doing certain techniques is hard (shaker cards!)
3. I should not craft when tired!

So, time to put down the craft mat and have another think about those cards.

Bicycle Note

During baby's long nap on Thursday I also managed to rustle up a little note card. I'm liking that I'm building up a little card collection to dip into as and when I need one. 

For this, I just used a pre-cut A6 card blank. For some background colour, I used an off cut of the light green Bazzill Cardshoppe I had left over from Valentine's Day card. I then topped this with a die cut circle of white Bazzill Basic, using one of the Spelbinders Nestabilities Small Circles. The bicycle is from the Good Times die collection from Clearly Besotted and is cut from Bazzill Bling cardstock in pink. I love the bicycle. It's the best purchase so far as I've used it several times already, along with the co-ordinating stamps. I stuck it onto the circle with foam pads. The sentiment is stamped in Memento Tuxedo Black from Clearly Besotted's Sweet Little Sentiments stamps (my latest purchase). I added a couple of stick on crystals and there you are. Now, who to send it to?

Valentine's Day

Every year my husband and I decide we're not going to have anything to do with Valentine's Day. It's too commercial etc etc. Yet every year each of us buys the other one a card. So, whilst child no.1 was at nursery on Thursday, he was at work and baby decided to have a long nap early afternoon, I made this little card. Always have to incorporate green into his cards. It's his favourite colour.

 

The card base is made from Bazzill Cardshoppe in a light green. The tag is the rounded tag die from Clearly Besotted, cut from water colour paper and stamped with the rose stamp from the free Clearly Besotted Stamp collection from Simply Cards and Papercraft no. 133 and coloured in with hot red Derwent Inktense Pencil and then brushed lightly with water for watercolour effect. As I only have hot red, lagoon (blue) and sun yellow, the leaves were a combination! I stamped the sentiment with another of the free stamps in Memento Tuxedo Black and then added some sticky gems. I used a bit of red ribbon I'd bought for Christmas cards for the tag and stuck it on with foam pads.

I also used the We R Memory Keepers envelope punch board to make an envelope in Bazzill Bling - a  nice pink I bought to make a card for my 4 year old, but didn't quite get round to it. I really like using the board, but found I had to have quite heavy card and not paper to make the envelopes. It's nice for special cards.

This year we've decided to share a box of chocolates too.

Where do you start with that stash?

I'm still getting a stash together and working out my own style. I've watched a bit of Create and Craft in my time, and I was kindly given some Tattered Lace dies for Christmas. These are hugely popular, and highly intricate, but I have yet to find a project for them.

I decided to buy a copy of Simply Cards and Papercraft and this is where I discovered some things I really do love.

In no particular order, just a snapshot of what I've learned in the past few months of crafting about what to buy:

1. Clearly Besotted Stamps - Excellent quality stamps and dies. I love their simplicity, price and the fact they come beautifully wrapped in pink paper with a thank you written on your order sheet. They are also super speedy at sending them in the post for very reasonable postage costs. Not working at present hampers my aim to own as many of these as I possibly can. It hasn't stopped me buying a few though! The free ones from Simply Cards and Papercraft no. 133 are an added bonus :)

I am so happy when I get the package in the post!

2. Derwent Inktense Watercolour Pencils - I know a lot of  people use pens for colouring - Spectrum Noir, Copic Markers, Promarkers and now Chameleon - but I could only find them in big packs and didn't want to spend the money. After seeing the article in Simply Cards and Papercraft, I bought three in red, yellow and blue and I really like them. It makes me feel very arty! My first attempt at using them, however, I realised I needed some proper waterproof ink..... I now own some Ranger Archival Ink!

3. Bazzill Cardstock - I find the whole paper and card thing quite confusing. All the different weights etc. I started using and still do some pre-cut and scored cards and envelopes from Hobbycraft, which I find very useful and easy. When doing projects from magazines, however, I found it confusing, and so I sought some advice online and had a look at Michelle Short's video on cardstock. I found I really really like Bazzill Card. I love the texture of it. It feels so nice to craft with. Samuel Taylors in their Embsay store has a very good collection, but I didn't manage to get any of the white Bazzill Cardshoppe on my last trip. Means I have to go again. What a chore!

4. Inks - Thanks again go to Michelle for her video on ink pads. I now know the difference between pigment and dye and have a few VersaMagic Dew Drops. There are so many different colours though, I have to be careful with my pennies and am slowly building my stash.

What are your favourites and where did you start? Is there anything you wouldn't be without? Are there things you have you find you never use?

Beginnings...

Hello! Many moons ago when I was in my teens I did some crafting. Anything I could try really, from making clothes to playing with Fimo. I've always enjoyed the creative side of things. 

A Hobbycraft has recently opened up in our town, and I found myself in there last October looking for supplies to make a card. It's quickly becoming an obsession and I've spent a lot of time on various blogs learning about paper, stamps, inks etc. I particularly appreciate Michelle Short's blog, The Card Grotto for its excellent videos and inspiring cards. I've also spent a lot of cash getting a small stash together from various sources and am finding out what I like and don't like. Card making isn't exactly cheap, but it's so much fun!

I've named this blog after the fact I don't get much time to craft being a full time mum, busy with an enquiring 4 year old and an exploring 10 month old. Nap times are best!

Hope you enjoy. Advice is always welcomed!