Card With A Very Personal Touch!

This card is A5 in size.

I don’t take many “commissions” for cards because in the past I have found that people were getting more and more demanding on what they wanted on a card and they were just too much work, though I hasten to add, they are usually thrilled with the end result.

When I agreed to do this card I didn’t quite expect the number of photos and “favourite” things sent via e-mail to be included to be quite so erm …. plentiful, but felt obliged to use them all …….. Just arranging them and putting them together on the computer (using both Publisher and CraftArtist Professional)  took over two hours ….. but there again I am a perfectionist and for me it had to look balanced.

Once happy with the design I printed it off six times on thin card, so that I could put plenty of simple decoupage layers in for definition.   I covered the bottles with Ranger Glossy Accents and Australian map, and Stampin’Up Dazzling Diamonds round the penguins to add texture and a bit of bling,  and finally a few punched hearts to bring it all together. Not my sort of thing to be honest ….. but I think I hit all the right notes and got the tone right!

Cards Using Foil Stickers

Both these cards are made using ribbed effect Kraft card, and part of a text patterned 12 x 12 paper, mat and layered on purple mirror card.

The stickers are raised foil with flat backed gems and cost £1a pack from a funny little discount store I found in Brixham when on holiday last year, needless to say, I bought several packs!

Two Little Bluebird Cards

These cards measure 5.75ins x 4ins and is made using a white linen effect card blank

The above card is a very simple, but when I looked at the picture as I started to blog it  I  didn’t think it looked quite right, perhaps needed a little something more or the backing panel was too big …. so I went back to the drawing board to make the second card below.

I’ve used my Martha Stewart self adhesive embossed labels and felt birds from Michaels sent to me by Dianne, and my “not used often enough” nestabilities label die. I prefer the second card, but I think it would have looked better if I’d used the spotty paper, but after all the fiddle farting about I’d used it all up, typical!

Tuxedo Card

This card measures 10.5cms x 14.5cms and is made using white linen effect card.

Not an original idea I know, but with the Prom Season approaching in schools I thought it would be a good idea to try my own version.  I fiddle farted around with the buttons for ages plumping in the end for these flat backed pearls ….. I now wish I’d gone for real buttons! Oh well, back to the drawing board.

Wellington Boot Card

I’ve had a pack of five wellington boot card blanks for more  years than I care to remember, going back to the days when  wellies only came in black and green!!!

But they HAD to be used ….. as they were always in the way in my drawer!

I made a template, omitting the grips of the boot, cutting it out in a floral buzzcraft paper to cover the front of the card.  I then coloured the grips with a matching Promarker.  To add dimension I added a top to the boot, and a side tag with a button, sticking them down with foam backed pads. And more clutter …. finally bites the dust!!

Dream …

This card measures 4ins x 4ins and is made using white linen effect card.

Not a lot to this card today … just a embellishment sent to me by my lovely follower Marc and a hand written sentiment. I can think of lots of times and people where sending this card would be perfect. 

Blue Moon Card

This card measures 14.5 cm x 11cm and is made using a blue leather effect card.

If I was being critical,  the starry square (made from wrapping paper) is a little too big and needs perhaps another half centimetre trimmed off.  The moon was a charm I found at the bottom of my bits box. I wanted a whimsical look …… but I don’t think I succeeded!

Patchwork Bird Card

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

Nothing fancy today.  I’ve just made a central panel for the card using scraps from my Boofle 6ins x 6ins paper pack, a felt bird and flower embellishment (from Michaels), a bit of punched foliage and some faux stitching for good measure. Done and dusted!

A Little Bird Told Me Cards

These cards all measure 17.5cms x 8.5cm and are made using white linen effect card.

A whole set of cards today, using a variety of pastel gingham and striped paper strips from Handy Hippo and bubble bird stickers from The Range.  I got nine cards from the packet of stickers which is pretty good going as I think they were about 99p a pack.

The flower borders were part of a present from Dianne in Florida, I love them so much, it was hard to start using them!

The sentiment is handwritten by me, which I thought it could cover all sorts of circumstances occasions.

Flower Patchwork Card

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

I’m not sure about this card, perhaps there is too much going on with the patchwork panel at the back?  I’ve used papers from my 6ins x 6ins Boofle paper pack (£5.00) and a Martha Stewart doily.

I just love this paper pack so much, the proportion of the patterns are just perfect for the size of cards and embellishments I use, and there isn’t one design I don’t like, which has to be the biggest bonus ever!

Simple Bird Card–Thanks To Dianne

This card measures 5ins x 5ins and is made using white linen effect card.

I’ve been desperate to use all my lovely treasure from Diane and with two weeks of Easter holiday laying before me …. I have no better excuse!

Along with the Martha Stewart Tags and Making Memories metal flowers I have also used my Stampin’Up bird punch. Nothing fancy I know, and I can see where I can add more and improve it, but this is the first time I have used a doily on any of my cards ….. I am just so behind with the trends!

Winnie The Pooh Card

This card measures 4.25 ins x 6.5ins and is made using white linen effect paper.

My apologies, this is a card that I made ages ago, but I have moved it around in the blog scheduling every time I have made, what I thought was something more interesting! There are no real card making skills here whatsoever, it was just a matter of a bit of mat and layering on some cloud effect paper and then plonking the stickers on top, very less is more.

With money being tight,  a  crafty bargain is only a bargain when I can use the items almost straight away, making a set of cards quickly and getting them in my box at work as soon as I can, done and dusted, as was the case with these stickers........

..... they are by Jolees Boutique and cost £1 for 3 packs, which wasn't too bad , as I think they usually sell for over £2 a pack and almost everyone loves Winnie the Pooh.

Daisy Card

This card measures 5ins x 5ins and is made using ivory linen effecrt card.

I’ve used part of Stampin’Up Fresh Cuts stamp set to make the background for this card and then have coloured it with Plaid blending chalks, a little ink round the edges and a touch of Hero Arts micro hologram glitter

I’ve then added a paper daisy,(I can’t remember where I got them from, but wish I could get some more as they are quite realistic),  a tiny brass insect charm and some flat backed pearls. Done!

Toadstool Cards and Tags

These are the sort of things I would like to receive.

They are bit quirky but if I may say so myself I love them! The cards measure 3ins x 3ins and are made using ivory linen effect card, a Stampin’Up text paper and wooden toadstool embellishments that I’ve had forever.

The tags use the same materials, with the base made using wooden children’s dominoes.

New House Cards

I have a real thing about Kraft card and text print paper at the moment.

Each of these cards is made using a Kraft ribbed card and measure 4ins x 4ins, a Stampin’Up text paper, a green polka dot textured paper and house buttons I have had for more years than I care to remember.

All I’ve added is a touch of red permanent marker to the hearts and flowers on the houses.  Very simple and very me!

A Little Bird Told Me ….

Each of these cards measure 5ins x 5ins and are made using white linen effect card.

Some times I need to just make a pile of simple, very quick,  less is more cards to replenish my box at work.

And as soon as I saw these K & Co Poppy Seed stickers I just knew they would be perfect for the task.

All I have had to add was a branch made using my Stampin’ Up Bird Punch

And my own handwritten sentiment.

Done and dusted!

Always Have A Song In Your Heart

This card measures 4ins x 4ins and is made using Kraft ribbed effect card.

This idea was supposed to be a tag , until I messed it up, but rather than bin it I’ve turned it  into a card.  The heart was a printed wooden gift tag, which I have recovered with a soft blue coloured paper, then added a bird sticker from K & Co’s Poppy Seed range and a bit of my own handwriting and doodling. Sorted!

Tatty Teddy Kraft Card

This card measures 14.5 x 14.5 cms and is made using a ribbed effect Kraft card.

At first I was unsure about the combination of grey and the brown Kraft card but it’s grown on me …. The Tatty Teddy topper comes with the 12 x 12 pack of Docrafts “Me To You” papers.   To add extra dimension I’ve used Ranger Glossy Accents on the bear’s nose, the parcel tag and the stars on his hat, plus a tiny cream bow and purple flat backed gems.

Popsy Bird-Seed Card

This card measures 7ins x 5ins and is made using a fine ribbed white card.

Introducing Popsy Bird-Seed drawn for me by a friend’s daughter.

I just love the name! As soon as I saw her drawings I knew I could make some brilliant cards with them.  So I asked it I could scan a couple to see what I could do.

I have kept it very simple, as I didn’t want to detract from the drawing.  All I have done is a simple single decoupage layer on the hair and “Thanks” sign, sticking them down with a couple of small foam pads. I’ve also added Ranger Glossy Accents to the hair, shoes and flowers for dimension, plus a touch of glitter on her wings and tiny gems on the flowers for a bit of bling. …. and how cute is this little bird ….?

Poppy Card

I can’t believe how long this card took me to make.  I love the paper and the embellishments (poppies are one of my favourite flowers along with sunflowers) but coming up with a design was a nightmare, everything looked PANTS. I wanted to come out of my comfort zone and try a mix of papers, but I’m so rubbish at it.

The paper and embellishments are from K & Co by Tim Coffey and are beautiful,  but in the end, after at least an hour and a half I went for “simple” and just added three brass dragonflies to add a bit of bling and texture.

It’s so hard, I wish I could mix and match my papers and embellishments like other bloggers do, perhaps I should find a template and design I like and work from there, making small changes with each card I make, till I finally “get it”