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

Here at last!

Hi ! I'm back! - No I haven't been on holiday, I think the mojo has, but hopefully coming back refreshed from wherever it has been.
I have been busy though - making favour boxes this time for - you guessed it my son's wedding later this year. I expect to be kept busy between now and then with "card and cake" in various stages. All will be revealed in September after the wedding.

So did you all have a good Bank Holiday and enjoy the sunshine? back to winter here yesterday and today no better. Pouring with rain and quite cold. I am sure fed up with this British summer.

On to a card then, a quick one made from scraps basically but nice and summery in it's feel.

 

 



The background was a plain piece of copier paper that I embossed in my Grand Calibur with the A4 Spellbinders "Garden Lattice" folder and wow how that alters such a plain piece of paper so dramatically. No need for expensive backing papers! -- so why do I have a room full? You know why!

 I gently inked with Milled Lavender Distress Ink to highlight the embossing.

 

The image is a Pink Petticoat stamp the was free with a recent magazine. I stamped in black memento and coloured with Copics. A little glitter to highlight and some faux stitching with a black fine liner. This was then layered on to some purple pearlescent card.

 

The little tags are from LOTV - so useful this set and fastened together with a dragonfly brad from my stash and then fixed to the corner of the topper. All mounted on thin foam pads for a bit more dimension.

Here is a close up of the topper.

 

 

 

I try so hard to keep things one dimensional for the post, but seldom succeed.

 

I added a verse inside and there it is all set to pop in the post box. 

 

Let me know what you think, I love and appreciate any comments you might leave and thank you for taking the time to stop by.

 

Hugs x Carole

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SON!

Hello Friends.

Today is the birthday of my eldest son - Happy Birthday Andrew! and here is the card that I have made for him.

I decided to try clean and simple as he likes the minimalist look, inspired by Chrissie on her "Simply One of a Kind" blog. The next problem was what to put on it - don't we always have a problem with men's cards!
I decided on a shirt stamp that I had from way back, BUT guess what - That's right I couldn't find it! perhaps I dreamt I had it. Anyway on rummaging through all my lovely wooden mounted stamps I came across this one of a sports car  - an Anita stamp I think. It has a greeting across the bottom but I masked that off and decided to go with it. ( I also found a lot of other beautiful stamps that I had forgotten about in the process and promised myself I must use them soon - some have never seen an ink pad)!!
The embossed strip is from a Spellbinders M-Bossability - Kicking rubber. These folders are fabulous. I mounted it on red to give an edge top and bottom and to match the car that I stamped in festive berries distress ink and embossed with clear powder. I then cut it close to the image and mounted on the embossed panel.
The sentiment was a mixture of two different stamps from my stash, stamped and embossed the same as the car.
An insert and greeting inside - and job done. Quick when you have the idea. It took longer to think about it all.
Hope he likes it!

Enjoy your Bank Holiday and the sunshine too if the forecast is correct.
Crafty Hugs Carole

Think Pink!

Hi Friends!
I have been busy busy but alas nothing to show - that's new anyway. I have been baking wedding cakes (fruit) for my youngest son's wedding in September - all done and wrapped and maturing now, and also been making their wedding invitations, so as I say busy but all under wraps at present till later in the year.

So -- its a card from a while back that you have not seen and that I did for someone's special birthday. This particular recipient likes shopping and pink, and always wanted a pair of pink shoes! I don't know if she ever got them.

I used some of my Craftwork Cards papers for this card along with a stamp I had in my stash. I used Copics to colour the image and a little distress ink to highlight the die, cut from a Spellbinders Oval.  The pink shoe was also something that I had collected along the way knew it would come in sometime - like we crafters do- never throw anything away! You can just see a little shoe brad at the top of the sentiment on the tag as well.

I die cut the 50 and also the flowers  and stamped the Happy Birthday and then cut it the banner shape and added a touch of Craftwork Cards candy to finish.
Could this possibly be me shopping for an outfit for the wedding? NO I'm not that thin and certainly it will not be a trip to Paris to buy one!

Thanks for stopping by. I'll try not to leave it as long next time.
Hugs
Carole