We’re Going To Miss You – Leaving Card

This card is A5 in size and is made by simply scoring and then folding a sheet of white linen effect card.

Ooooooowwfffffff, nothing subtle or less is more about my last “Leaving Card”, it’s well, very erm…… very pink!!!! It was made for one of the many staff at school who were leaving at the end of the summer term and to help pay off my “staffroom dues”, as well as to help use up just a small part of my vast pile of self adhesive alphabets! 

I had perhaps one of the leaving English staff in mind when I chose to use the printed text paper as a background and for the flower centres. To bring the design together, I’ll be honest, I think  I’ve gone into  pink “overkill” using a little too much Bazzill for the layered punched flowers with flat backed gem centres, and some of the  mat and layering!!!!! A little faux stitching and strategically groups of three dots helps to finish off the design ….. but it just too over the top foe me  …..  looking at the pictures with fresh eyes, I wish I had substituted a little lime green for some of that pink!!!!

Happy Birthday Card

This card is A5 in size and is made using a white linen effect, hand cut card blank.

Please forgive the quality of the pictures in this post, I didn’t realise that there was a smudge on the camera lens until I went to edit them.

This was the card I made for my Brother in Laws birthday.  The pictures makes the colour of the letters look a little pastel, but in real life I think they looked much more “masculine”!

I like the idea of using lots of texture, hence the corrugated card, mat and layered on silver to help accentuate and define the edges.

My self adhesive alphabet stash is going down …… if only on the vowel front, I am going to have to start being more inventive when it come to the making up of words for other cards, if I am going to make any more headway in using up the other consonants, as Marc keeps on telling me, time to get my Silhouette out.

I’ve added coloured wooden stars from Paperchase and tiny silver confetti stars here and there.  I put metallic brads in the corner of each word plaque but I am not sure if they add anything.

I don’t use brads enough, and have got quite a few that really do need using up, any ideas on how to use them on a card in bulk?

Card For A Newly Qualified Pharmacist

This card measures 5.5 x 5.5ins and is made using a linen effect, hand cut blank.

Please excuse quality of photos, there was a smear on my camera lens, that I didn’t notice at the time and is now driving me mad!!!

My niece had recently qualified as a Pharmacist and this is the card I made to congratulate her. 

I found the sentiment on Google and changed it ever so slightly to suit the occasion.  I then typed it out using a variety of fonts and printed it on a green gingham card, followed by a bit of mat and layering on silver.

The addition of the capsules was a moment of inspiration when I couldn’t find anything that looked like pills amongst all my embellishments, and I was too lazy to make some using fimo!

I suddenly remembered these small, plastic “time capsules” I got from a company called Silver Crow in the US about ten years ago ….. filled with glitter, they were perfect!!!  I am now wondering if there are any other ways I can use them again.

Card For A Fashionista

This card measures 5.5ins x 5.5ins and is made using a white linen effect, hand cut card blank.
Please excuse the poor quality of the photos, I didn’t realise that there was a smudge on the lens until I edited the pictures……. doh!

This card was made for my nephew’s girlfriend to congratulate her on gaining a “first” for her fashion degree.  My first ideas were over complicated and nothing came out right …… so I Googled for a while, which is what I always do when I am stuck for an idea, and then after about five minutes the word “fashionista” jumped into my head  ……..

…… and as I was running out of time and still desperately trying to use up my thousands of self adhesive letters, I decided to keep the idea very simple, but that said it all!!

So …… with just a handful of Papermania self adhesive letters, a bit of mat and layering on silver mirror card and a smattering of silver stars and clear flat backed gems, I think I pulled it off!

Dinosaur Nine Square Patchwork Card

This card measure 5ins x 5ins and is made using a white linen effect, hand cut card blank.

What, more dinosaurs?  I can’t believe just how many packets of stickers I have found squirreled away, however I am determined to use every last one, so my apologies if you are bored of my dinosaur cards, but dinosaurs never go out of fashion!  These stickers cost me 60p a pack from a market stall, goodness knows where, and goodness knows how long ago!!!!!

Instead of punching the Bazzill background squares, I cut them on my small X-Cut guillotine because the dinosaurs were a little too big for my 1in punch, this in turn created a sort of patchwork effect.

I am not sure about the overall design though, which is why I only made one, something is missing, but I am not sure what? Perhaps I need to add more detail to the background of each square?

Russian Doll Nine Square Cards

These cards all measure 5ins x 5ins are made using a white linen effect hand cut blank.

The stash busting continues, as it has since January (and it’s unbelievably September already)  ……. this time using my packets of Russian Doll stickers from Accessorize from goodness knows when!

So, it was a matter of just keep going until every single sticker was gone ….. so lots of mat and layering and punching of 1in scalloped squares in contrasting colours and a little faux stitching and doodled dots…….

……. and viola …… and yet another “tiny” pile of stash bites the dust!!!!

We’re Going To Miss You – Leaving Card

This card is A5 in size and is made by simply scoring and then folding a sheet of white linen effect card in half.

Yet another of my “Leaving Cards” and part of my  evil plan to use as many of my vast piles of adhesive alphabets as I can. I’ll be honest, when I was making this card I wasn’t too sure about the combination of colours, but looking at it now with fresh eyes, it’s OK!!!

As the term progressed I had a good idea of some of the people who would be leaving at the end of the school year, and this was made with Sarah the Geography teacher in mind, as I used part of an old map that I scavenged earlier on in the year when they were having a “chuck out!  The map I used was actually of an area the department visited and studied every year, but whether she will spot the fact remains to be seen! The background largely uses the sea area …. and the flowers are taken from towns and the foliage, well it had to be forest/woods didn’t it?

The flowers are made using three layers of large and medium sized punched flowers with flat backed gem centres, the foliage was also punched. A touch of faux stitching round the edges of the mat and layering brings it all together. Again, very over the top for me, but I think it works, despite my initial reservations!

Handbag Birthday Card (40th Birthday Card)

This card is A5 in size and made using a white linen effect, hand cut card blank.

Aghhhhhh this card! Made to order (and no, I won’t ever do it again, my making cards to order days are well and truly over!!!). Would it come together?  Would it my Aunt Fanny!!!!!!

I cut the card blank (A5) and then added the mat and layered gingham background ….. then, I made the sentiment and embellished panels with no real plan as to how they would come together!! Big mistake!

The self adhesive, 3D handbags came from Papercellar, so I reckon I’d had them for a least five years, they were made of silk and all I added were a few tiny faux pearls and matching clear flat backed gems for extra bling.

The self adhesive letters were from a Christmas range from Papermania. and had a touch of glitter about them.

When I started to put the card all together it soon became obvious that both mat and layered panels would have to go on the card at a “jaunty” angle to fit on the card …. and that was the problem, and yes…… in the end I did have to do them again to make them fit ….. and I HATE doing that!

Once the jaunty angle was sorted, I thought that there was too much empty space, some empty space on a card is good, but no every little space needs to be filled in, it’s a balancing act and in this case the two panels balance or come “together” …….. aghhhh

In the end I punched tiny flowers first for the background panel …. and then saw that a few more were needed on the sentiment panel ….. with added tiny flat backed gems ……… and finally faux stitching!

As I said I will never, ever, ever make another card to order ……. the time and angst just aren’t worth what I tend to charge!  If I took into consideration time, materials and effort you’d be looking at a £20 card and no one would ever pay that!!!!

Simple Wedding Card

This card measures 5ins x 5ins and is made using a white linen effect, hand cut blank.

I have to admit that I made this card in a panic and a rush.  I don’t usually make cards for other people anymore as I don’t like the pressure of meeting other peoples expectations, but on this occasion I relented with only a days notice, but for the first half hour or so whatever I tried was wrong …….

But in the end I decided to start again, and started with a wooden heart and wrote the sentiment …… the back hides my first effort where I didn’t think the spacing was quite right.

I add the faux stitching using a black fine liner pen, the wood appears to be polished and so didn’t absorb the ink, but I made sure it was dry before centring it on the card.  Two small, blue, flat backed gems complete the something blue theme, as well as the two matting layers.  Simple and quite less is more, however if I was doing it again, perhaps I might miss out the faux stitching on the layers.

I wish that they did an inexpensive, long lasting, grey fine liner pen, sometimes black can be a little bit harsh and obvious, but there again I could always do my faux stitching lightly with a pencil!!!

Dinosaur Shaker Cards

I have used Royal  & Langnickel 3ins x 8ins aperture cards and bubble fronts for these dinosaur cards,  however, I have had them for some many years  I am afraid that they may no longer be available except perhaps on e-bay.

I bought the card blanks and bubble fronts because I loved the thought of cards with three dimensional scenes, but I’ll be honest, most of them ended up in the bin because although I tried, I never seemed to do any good with them, the end effect always seemed lumpy and the folds not crisp enough, whatever I did  looked tatty! But since I am now on a major stash busting mission, I have had one last go …. and finally, after all this time, I am happy with the results.

I was determined to put them together as carefully as I could using double sided tape, as I had invested too much time putting the dinosaur “scenes” together to go in the bubbles to waste them. 

The dinosaurs came from a market stall (again, ages and ages ago) and cost just 60p a pack. I have quite a collection of dinosaur stickers (so expect to see them quite frequently now I am desperately trying to downsize), and although “never out of fashion” I haven’t used them as much as I should.

I put together three 2ins square scenes for each card, with two or three dinosaurs in each, depending on their size and then doodled a few trees and a bit of grass, nothing too artistic, just to add a little more interest.

A shaker card absolutely need sprinkles ….. and for these I used tiny polystyrene balls and I am thrilled with finished results …… finally!!!!! Perhaps, they might even start a new theory that the dinosaurs were killed by of a giant snowstorm!

I now have five aperture cards left, but ten bubble fronts ….. it seems pretty obvious that I should make five cards featuring fish …….. but what do I do with the other bubble windows …….. I am not sure how neat I can be with a craft knife …… hmmmmmm!

Plundered Old Maps

When I was at work, the Geography Department was throwing away all the old maps that were no longer relevant to the new schemes of work, oh my life,  sacrilege ………..believe me, I was round there pretty dam fast, work had to wait that day!!!!

I know it doesn’t look like much here, but I managed to salvage a huge bin bag of the little beauties, I would have taken the lot, but I had to be sensible!  My initial reaction was “Well, that’s some of my Christmas paper sorted for this year!” ….. if I can come up with some sort of Santa on his sleigh type tags and add some cartoony flourishes to look like movement, I think I can get away with saying that the wrapping is representative of Santa’s journey around the world on Christmas night!!! It will also make quite good birthday wrapping paper too!

There’s also the prospect of perhaps covering an old suitcase or two …… and if I were staying at Castle Greysquirrel I would almost certainly paper the walls of my shed with a good few of them …… not to mention smaller projects like covering travel journals and as backgrounds for cards etc.

I have also looked on Pinterest and found no end of inspiration there, so it looks like I will be very busy with my plundered treasure with many exciting projects already mapped out!

https://www.pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=old%20maps

Card/Notelet With Bookplate Embellishment.

This card measures 5.5 ins x 5.5ins and is made using a manufactured Kraft card blank.  I am afraid the picture doesn’t really do them justice, my lighting is pants at the moment!

I have to admit, this is the sort of card I would love to receive. I cut a 5in square piece of scrap card and then stuck 1in strips of vintage print papers on to it, adding a little faux stitching, but when I make more of this design I am going to run them through with my small, battery operated sewing machine, without any thread and then join the holes up with a fine liner pen, for a “proper” faux stitching effect.  The panel was also mat and layered on gold mirror card.

I then added a gold tone bookplate, an effect I love, but have only used once before. The font I used for the sentiment is Edwardian Script ITC, font size 26, which was a perfect fit.  Two matching brads keep the bookplate in place.

The die cut, cardstock ephemera embellishments (double sided) are from K & Co, I have had them for a few years now, loved them, but didn’t have a clue what to do with them….. but, on this card they were perfect with a little translucent glitter added here and there.

I am so pleased with the results that I am going to make a whole lot more, now I don’t work and I am on a very tight budget these will be brilliant put in sets of eight (and in a decorated box) to give as notelet sets as Christmas presents. 

Flower Garden Card

This card measures 4ins x 4ins and is made using a white linen effect, hand cut card blank
This card was made to solve the problem of what to do with a pack of “tiny weeny” flower stickers which I think originally came from Woolworths!!!!

I started off making the centre panel by cutting a 2.5 ins square, adding a scrap of green Bazzill for the grass along the bottom and then drawing a series of stems to stick the “tiny weeny” flowers on top.  I doodled the leaves using a green fine liner pen and then added a small ladybird sticker to finish the whole design.

Next followed a little extra mat and layering on white and turquoise card because the embellished square looked a little lost on just a plain white card blank.

In the end I managed to get ten cards from one pack of flowers, however ….. I now have the rest of a pack of ladybirds to use up …… probably on a nine square card, so watch this space!

Small, Very Simple, Pearl Heart Wedding Card

This card measures 5ins x 5ins and is made using a hand cut, ivory linen effect card.

A VERY less is more card today, mainly because it was made in a hurry!  To get the shape of the heart right I punched a large heart and then mat and layered it on ivory and gold mirror card.

With the punched heart in place I went round it with a light application of PVA glue and set the small flat backed pearls in place with the slightly damp end of a cotton bud,  A little faux stitching with a sepia coloured fine liner pen finishes off the design.

A Little Wish Bottle

As I have said many times, sometimes if I am not happy with an idea/project, I put it away and come back to it later, as was the case with this little wish bottle.

My frustration was all down to the dandelion seeds, which when I first put them in the bottle I could hardly see them, and so didn’t look very “magical”, but now, after a year or so on my shelf,  I noticed that they had dried and the effect I had wanted had finally been achieved.I haven’t done a lot to the bottle, just wound some blue thread round the top and then tied a silver wishbone charm into it.  The label is made using a Dymo label maker but I am wondering if it is delicate enough? Perhaps another idea for next time.

On the top I had glued an ornate silver spacer bead with a tiny eye screw in the centre, to which I linked a jump ring so that the bottle can be worn on a cord or chain or perhaps ……  hung on a branch on a tree in a secret place  …… left, if you believe in such things,  as an offering for the wish to come true?????. Now, there’s a thought ……..

Leaving Card–We’re Going To Miss You.

This card is A5 in size and is made by simply scoring and then folding an A4 sheet of white linen effect card in half.

Wooooooooooof ………looking at this card/picture now, this card is so uncharacteristically over the top for me, talk about overkill, but, if you can’t be over the top when a colleague leaves work, when can you?  I made a set of five leaving cards for work before I left (!?!?!?), and this is the third, so  I apologise that there are still another two to come!  I really need to work my through my vast box of adhesive alphabets and these cards seemed to be an ideal way to help do it.

Anyway, once I had sorted out the various word plaques, mat and layering them on various matching colours, I started to arrange them, and as you can see from the size of some of the letters I have had to do some very careful unpeeling and overlapping in order to make the “word plaques” fit, perhaps, one day, I will get them to fit together first time, without all this fiddle fart!!!

To bring the design together I have used massive“overkill” with layered, medium sized, punched flowers and foliage, in purple Bazzill card, with turquoise flat backed gems in the centres plus a bit of faux stitching and strategically placed groups of three dots drawn with a black fine liner pen.

A little over the top for me, but I think it works.

Glass Beach - Recycled By The Ocean.

My sister Jan sent me this article ….. and now I need to add another place in the world I “NEED” to go …….
In the early 1900s, Fort Bragg, California, residents threw their household  garbage over the cliffs above what is now Glass Beach. It is hard to imagine this happening today, but back then people dumped all kindsof refuse straight into the ocean, including old cars, and their household garbage,which of course included lots of glass.
Beginning in 1949, the area around Glass Beach became a public dump, and locals referred to it as The Dumps. Sometimes fires were lit to reduce the size of the trash pile (up to 30 feet high).However in 1967, the city leaders closed the area. Various clean-up programs were undertaken through the years to try to correct the damage, but without success.
Over the next 30 years the pounding waves cleaned the beach,  by breaking down everything but glass and pottery. The pounding waves washed the trash up and down, back and forth. Tons of polished, broken glass were created by the pounding surf. These smoothened, coloured glass particles then settled along the sea shore in millions, and so a magnificent beach was formed. The name was changed from, The Dump to what we currently know as, The Glass Beach.

The sea glass that was created is the product of a very long and interesting process. It can take anywhere from 10 to 30 years to make sea glass, the name for any piece of glass that finds its way to the ocean and tumbles around in the water long enough to frost and smooth its surface.

Once it makes its way into the ocean, the glass is broken up into shards and is tumbled around in the water, where sand and other rocks act like sandpaper to smooth out its rough edges. Sometimes as the sea glass is passed through fire, it becomes fire glass, the rarest of sea glass with certain inclusions, just like precious gems.

In 1998, the private owner of the property determined that Glass Beach should belong to the public and, in 2002, it became part of MacKerricher State Park, open to the public. Within a period of a few years the Glass Beach won fame, attracting a large number of tourists every year.

Way back in time, people wanted to dump their glass products on this shore;
Now they would try to get one of these pieces to take home as a souvenir. It is ironic but true that where once it was illegal to dispose the glass on the shore,It now is a crime to remove it. Visiting the Glass Beach today is a unique experience.What makes it even more remarkable, are the sounds produced by the glass pebbles. As they are being washed away by the gentle waves.

For years, the water beat against the different kinds of trash being dumped. Glass, household appliances and even motor parts were discarded on the beach. The waves and weather conditions wore down the overwhelming amount of garbage in the water, creating millions of beautiful smooth rocks.

It was a disgusting dump due to our carelessness, but nature corrected what humans ruined. The beach’s moniker was soon changed from The Dump to The Glass Beach, a more attractive name for the now-beautiful beach. The Glass Beach and the surrounded twenty acres were purchased by the California State Park system and were incorporated into MacKerricher State Park. The miraculous beach was finally under the protection of the state.

It’s hard to believe the short-sighted mistakes we were making that could have potentially ruined this beautiful spot. But thanks to natural processes, the ocean transformed the trash into the sea glass. Each colour gem on the beach has its own story. The ruby red glass stones are typically from old car tail-lights. Then, the sapphire rocks are the remnants of broken apothecary bottles.

The beach at Fort Bragg isn’t the only glass beach in the world, as strange and beautiful as it is. There are other places in the world where Mother Nature put a stop to our foolishness.