Early baby!

Where is the time going? Into August already. My sons wedding in September is keeping me busy (will soon be able to show you what I have been up to!) and last week my best friend from Blackpool came over for a few days to take me to get my outfit for the wedding. Dress sorted but still the shoes (and I need comfortable shoes so not easy I have to say), bag etc to get now.
Anyway while my friend was here she received news that her grandchild (due end August) was on the way  -  a month early! - so - she needed a special card, and what better way than to get her involved in the making. She is not a crafter, has never stamped or crafted before so we set about and this is what she did with a little help from yours truly, matting and cutting.

All the stamping. colouring and choice of papers was down to her, also she decided where she wanted the placement of things .(we knew it was a boy and would be called Oliver by the way). So I think she did a great job for a first attempt and the best bit was that she really enjoyed it! She didn't think she could do it, and she fell in love with the Grand Calibur when she cut the circles. If she was nearer I think I could convert her to a crafter.!

Oliver was born weighing 6lb 6ozs - mother and baby doing well, and Grandma over the moon!

That took us quite a while so not a lot of time left for me to make a card so mine was a quick one courtesy of LOTV using the new sentiments that I had bought, some Spellbinder dies, a bit of inking and an embellishment from my stash.




Right well lots to do with the rest of August - cakes! so best get on with it all and will be back when I have something more that I can share with you.
Thanks for stopping by and I would love for you to leave me a comment if you have the time.
Take care
Hugs xx

Another big Birthday

Hi Friends.
Hasn't the weather been gorgeous? Hope it stays a bit longer, though the gardens could do with a drink! I have been making the most of the sunshine in between everything else on my "to do " list, but the clear blue skies forecast for today are somewhat cloudy here in West Yorkshire. It's still hot though - so time for a quick post, a few chores and then a cuppa in the garden!

It's a male Birthday card for my hubby's friend who is reaching that big 60 this week. Men's cards are always difficult unless they like the usual football, golf etc. so I am really pleased with the large everyday sentiment stamps (set 43) from LOTV as they are good for male or female.
So here we are! --again!!

 

I cut an A5 card in half across the middle to make two landscape cards with the fold to the left and die cut a circle with a Spellbinder die. I also cut the same circle from black card. I then stamped the birthday wording with Versamark and embossed with black WOW embossing powder. I have a box full of embossing powders that I have had for years but I always seem to reach for the Wow ones at present. 

 

I then closed the card and stuck the black circle on to the back through the front aperture to be sure it lined up and finished with a die cut 60 and some bakers twine.

 

I also made one in red as I wasn't sure which hubby would choose for his friend -- he went with the  black and white, so I have left the circle blank on the red one to be personalised at a later date.

 

 

Which do you prefer?

I promise to bring you something different next time!

 

Stay safe in the sun friends and enjoy your week.

Hugs

Carole xx

"Bottoms Up"

Hi Everyone
Well what a big surprise this week to win the monthly challenge on LOTV ! The big decision was which set of stamps to choose as I love them all. In the end I have plumped for a set of the large sentiments -  Statements -Congratulations. I already have the Birthday set - so useful, on trend, that little bit different and great for a quick card - unisex too. So when the postie brings - watch this space for a creation.
Thank you too, to everyone who has taken the time to stop by, leave a comment and their good wishes. it is truly appreciated.
LOTV are doing a blog hop today so do hop over and join in for some lovely inspiration from their fab design team, and prizes along the way.

 At last I have managed something new to share. It's actually a card for a friends husband in a couple of weeks but they won't peek so I think I can share it, and it uses one of those large Statement stamps I have just been talking about!

 

In my mind I knew I wanted a backing paper with beer glasses on it and was so sure that I had some amongst my papers, but of course I couldn't find any so I had to resort to a bit of computer crafting and create my own. This was then matted and layered on to a card base. The sentiment was coloured with Whisper markers and stamped,( don't forget the huffing technique) then die cut with Spellbinders Basic Rectangles and layered on the brown card. I used pads to raise it off the background and give a little dimension - sorry you can't see this in the photo.

 

 

The beer glass in the middle of the sentiment is actually floating. I cut out two from spare paper and stuck them back to back on a strip of acetate and attached at the top of the card.

Finally the insert was created from the same backing paper but a lot paler - really washed out in fact and a computer generated sentiment. I stuck another beer glass on for good measure!

 

 

I am quite pleased with the finished result. What do you think? I would love for you to leave me a comment and let me know.

 

I think I can safely say that it has taken me longer to write this post than make the card!!! The gremlins from blogger got in and no matter how hard I tried to upload that last picture it turned it through 90 degrees every time! Anyway got there in the end thank goodness. Hopefully I will enter this card in the Paper Take Weekly challenge -Anything goes - if the gremlins let me!

 

 

Thanks for stopping by and have a good weekend -apparently it will be summer (I will wait and see on that one I think)

 

Crafty Hugs xx

 Carole

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Filigree Heart

Hi there friends.
Just a very quick post and nothing new to show today.
 I  had knee surgery last week so haven't as yet got back to the crafting, just watching it on the telly!! and it's Christmas on the telly but - not yet -  not here it isn't! - though to look outside you wouldn't think it was summer either.
So while I am still manoeuvring crutches just thought I would post something I did quite a bit ago before I ventured into blog land.
A simple Anniversary card using a lovely image from LOTV - Filigree heart.
I coloured it with Copics and matted and layered with Spellbinders labels 24(I think).

 

A bit closer - sorry I really must sort this photo thing.

 

 

Well hope you all have a good weekend doing nice things - mine will be spent putting my feet up! Lets hope the sun shines for us and we can sit in the garden - I don't like being under house arrest!
My hubby has been amazing this week, doing all the chores and meals and generally looking after me.--aaahhhh
Thanks for stopping by - take care
Hugs xx

Starting Anew!

Starting anew is a bit like the feeling we get at New Year I think when we all make those resolutions to stick to - and seldom do - yes I know I still have not made a Christmas card and we are  6 months in to the year! so a Birthday is the next best start - hence a birthday card again.



 

(Sorry not a very good picture - something else on the to sort list!)

 

I used some of the new LOTV stamps on this one -boy are they lush - and too many to choose from. I stamped the rose from the Flora and Fauna backgrounds stamps onto some Melissa Francis patterned paper form my stash, and heat embossed in WOW superfine platinum powder and then lightly coloured with distress inks(spun sugar and worn lipstick), and  a tiny bit of glamour dust for that added sparkle.

 The corner was from another LOTV stamp plate already in my stash (sorry can't remember the name).Tags were from another new set and they were given the same treatment as the main image and then cut out and attached to the ribbon. The sentiment was stamped again onto the patterned paper and cut out with a Spellbinder die and mounted on pale pink card and 3D foam pads for a bit of dimension.

I really am in love with all these new stamps from LOTV!

Butterfly blinged a little and added to corner. ( I think this is a Martha Stewart monarch.)

 

 

A bit of a close up to try and show it a bit better.

 

I thought I might enter this in the monthly LOTV challenge which is "Use a Sentiment" (that is if I can work out how to link it!) .

 

I hope you like and thank you for stopping by. I would really appreciate your feedback.

 Have a good week.

 

Hugs Carole xx

"It's Official"

Hi friends, hope you are enjoying the sunshine - long may it last.
A quick stop by today as I have a busy day as my Mum is celebrating her 93rd birthday, and I am expecting her for tea today! hence the card - a little bit different in the colours I usually do pink and the like for mum.

 

I decided to use some un-inked rubber - the blazing poppy from Indigo Blu and the sentiment is one of the new ones from LOTV - I just love all their new release. I used a shaped card from Craftwork Cards and die cut the mat and layers with a Spellbinder grand die that came with my Grand Calibur when I bought it. It seemed to match to the card pretty well. I stamped the image in black and then softened the white background with a pale blue and yellow pan pastel. I realised then I should have done it the other way around but quite liked the softened look on the image. The image was painted with Twinkling H2o's and the sentiment added (the right way round this time so I kept the black). The Mum bit is a rub on because I didn't have the right sized letters to stamp it - typical all that stash and still not just what I need!

I did the inside to match instead of an insert but just stamped the image in grey and no colour and Happy birthday replaced the sentiment.

 

 

 

You can just get the idea from this photo but of course silly me had written the card before taking the photo so you will have to imagine the rest! -sorry. One of these days I will get all this photo taking and blogging thingy, I am getting there slowly! Let's hope she likes it!

 

Right away to bake a Victoria sponge now (mum doesn't like icing ) so no fancy stuff!

Enjoy your day and thank you for joining me - I really appreciate you taking the time to stop by and leave your comments.

Have a super weekend in the sunshine - might see you at the Dome Doncaster on Sunday!

Hugs

Carole xx

 

PS Sorry the pics are so small but if I do larger they overlap the writing in the side bar  - something else I need to sort out how to do!

A lot of white!

Hi and a very big welcome to all and especially  to my first two followers. I am so chuffed to think I am worthy of your time in stopping by and taking a look at my artistic (well sometimes) offerings. Thank you so much it is greatly appreciated and thanks too to those that have left comments. I really like to know what people think and I don't feel that I am just talking to myself all the time!

I had a lovely afternoon at LOTV on Saturday at their open day and met some really lovely people - they know who they are - a special hello. It is so nice to chat and compare notes with like minded people and make new friends.
I was also able to put faces to names of some of the design team and watch them at work - and wow all different in style but so talented.

The new release was awesome - too much choice and not enough pennies sadly. So well done and thank you to all at LOTV for wonderful stamps and a brilliant day.

Right onto a very quick card - a lot of white and well out of my comfort zone. Sadly on occasion these card are required though - Sympathy that is.

An oval cut in a spare piece of card and used to ink through with distress ink and then the flower stamped in black archival along with the sentiment. A very quick one layer card. I thought afterwards perhaps it should have been a circle and not an oval. What do you think?

It's been a nice day here today, lets hope summer is with us at last.
Take care friends
Crafty hugs xx
Carole