Little Bird Card

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

 

A very less is more card today ….. I’ve used a stamp from the StampinUp Fresh Cuts set (111 634 - £18.89), the proportions of which are perfect for the little wooden bird embellishment,  which comes from a pack from Craft for Celebrations, (C2016),  8 birds and 8 butterflies  for £1.49, available from Hobbycraft. 

The card is finished with a few small flat backed pearls amongst the leaves and a tiny clear gem for the birds eye.

Crafty Individuals Stamped Tree Card

This card measures 14.5cms x 11cms and is made using white linen effect card and Crafty Individuals Stamp C1-280

I have visited the uncomfortable realms (for me) of stamping  to make this card.  The stamp is from Craft Individuals and I just couldn’t resist it, every time I look at it I see something new, it’s so quirky, and could be used for so many people and occasions. It’s also very me, and I would love to get a card like this.

I’ve kept everything really, really simple, all I’ve added is a tiny flat backed red heart and some other tiny red gems in the centre of the flowers and in the cocktail glasses, plus a few gold coloured gems in the (sun) flower at the top. It was a devil to get the image printed just right, but worth it in the end.

Crafty Individuals Stamp Card

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

Goodness, what has happened to me, I’m turning into a right old stamper!  This is one of three stamps I bought on Saturday, by Crafty Individuals but the stand belonged to http://www.ali-craft.co.uk/catalog/ – oh my life, they had such beautiful stuff, so lovely, I went back twice, and  now have a wish list for their on-line shop!

As you know stamping doesn’t come easily to me, but with so many lovely stamps, I dabble, knowing that it is very  doubtful I will ever be an expert.

But this stamped like a dream. It’s a shame the same can’t be said for my efforts, which are all too visible in this close up shot! It’s woeful I know, but it was my first effort, and I was only playing with my new toy!  I need to trim a little better on the butterfly layers and it’s a little smudged and grimy in places, because I’d wiped off some cerise glitter from the butterflies when I decided I didn’t like it! But what a gorgeous stamp and I’ll do better next time!

PaperArtsy Bird Cage Card - Keeping A Promise To Myself

I was determined not to come back from NEC and squirrel my new bits and pieces away …. I really am going to make a concerted effort this week to try and use most of them, even if some of the results are pants and are in need of  some tweaking ….

 

This is my first effort using a PaperArtsy Mini Stamp, Squiggly Mini (SM27) - £4.80.  I have to admit that it was only after I had bought it that I noticed the quirky bird on the top, I thought it was the hanger …. I’m not really keen, but it’s easy to solve, whenever I use the stamp, the bird's for the chop!

I’ve stamped the cage directly on to a ledger type printed paper from the Stella Rose stacks I bought (though it’s not that clear in the pictures).  Once printed, I’ve cut round the cage, snipping the bird and feet off.

I’ve embellished the cage using a metal bird was also from PaperArtsy (pack of 5 assorted sizes, gold and silver for £1.50) and some dark yellow flat backed gems.  A lot of white space I know, but this is just the sort of card I would love to get.

What I didn’t notice on the stand, but what Lisa bought, and wish I now had …..

 

The triple icon cost £2.64 and the double £1.68 …. when I saw Lisa’s I thought desk calendar …… so I guess I’ll be ordering online in a little while ….

I’ll probably also add the little bird house …. how cute is that?  And at only 77p, I may splash out on two (or three).

I’ve seen PaperArtsy before many times at the NEC but never ventured inside ….. but I am a convert now!

Girl with a Balloon Card

I’m not very happy with this card, it needs a lot more fuss and froth, it's far too plain...... and this coming from the woman whose mantra is less is more! I am afraid I can't colour in like the professionals, even though I have used Pro Markers. My flesh tones are more akin to a menopausal hot flush than the blush of childhood excitement! Anyway, I have put it on my window sill so that I can glance up at it now and again and then hopefully get inspiration on how to finish it. I think it needs some writing on the left hand side or something....

As you know, I don’t stamp a lot, but I couldn’t resist this little girl from Stamps Away.  I liked her because she isn't all doe eyed, whimsical and cutsey.  As you can see the stamp is quite small.

The balloon sticker from a set from Accessorize, which is in perfect proportion to the stamp.

Looking again, on screen,  this card is just pants, too pink, the mat and layering is all wrong..... agh!  Oh well, back to the drawing board!

Stamped Paper Flower Bulletin Board Pins

The original idea for these bulletin board pins came from:-http://dollarstorecrafts.com/2010/08/make-silk-flower-bulletin-board-pins/  where they were originally made from silk flowers, but I thought I could adapt the idea with materials that I had already.

To make my version I’ve used paper flowers, black StazOn ink and part of a Stampin’ Up stamp that had writing on.

For the centre of the flowers I have used these pins, which were a carboot find, bought for a few pence. I think that they may have originally been something to do with upholstery, but they are ideal for this project.

I stamped all the flowers first and then threaded them onto the pin, applying  plenty of strong PVA glue under the pin on the first flower and then a adding a dab to the centre of each layer to keep it all together, I find PVA adds a bit of strength to paper projects like this.

That’s all there is too them, not heavy duty I know, but pretty and a bit different.

I’ve made quite a few and will be putting two sets of four in my many pocketed Advent Calendar.

I WANT THIS STAMP AND I WANT IT NOW!

What’s happened to me? Most of you know that I only dabble at stamping. I hardly ever visit stamping websites and Lisa will also tell you I definitely don’t do cutesy doe eyed children, BUT when I saw this stamp used here http://debscards.blogspot.com/2010/08/stamp-something-challenge-back-to.html  - I felt an overwhelming need!

It’s from http://www.liliofthevalley.co.uk/acatalog/Stamp_-_Back_to_School_Girl.html and they do a boy version too, aghhhhh.  I am wondering if I can make it to bedtime today without ordering them!

I love it and was thinking it would make a lovely good luck card for my cookery girls when they do their GCSE’s next year.

Born To Shop

I haven’t bought a craft magazine for ages as part of my New Year’s economy drive not to buy them,  but when I saw this stamp set on the front of DoCrafts Creativity! I just couldn’t resist it, and you know, I don’t do much stamping, so I must have been really tempted!

I’ve kept the card really really simple, with the minimum of colouring. I stamped the “shoppers” backpack on the same paper as the background, cut it out and stuck it over the stamped image and then added a handwritten sentiment and  flat backed gems on her shoes and earrings.

But the best bit has got to be the bag ….. the shop I bought the magazine from was having a bit of a sale and packets of Dress It Up buttons were just 59p ….. I bought a few never thinking I would use any with this stamp, but as you can see it’s perfect!

I’m dead chuffed!

Stampin’ Up Birthday Cake Card

This is card made using a stamp from the Happy Moments stamp set from Stampin’ Up.

I’ve kept things very simple,  I am just thrilled that when I use a stamp it doesn’t splodge and smudge everywhere. Planning anything too fancy always seems to end in disaster.

I’ve done the basic in colouring, using  the fine tip end of my Whisper pens, adding tiny weenie gems from a nail decorating set from Poundland, for embellishing the fine detail.

I have then mat and layered the design on  pale pink gingham paper  and silver foil card.

Little Ali Stamp

I have had a couple more queries – the stamp I used in the “Little Girl Looking at The Mona Lisa” post is by Stamps Away - called Little Ali (D1114) – I got it from NEC Hobbycrafts show about 2 years ago – it is a clear stamp and would have cost no more than £3.00.

I don’t have a clue who made the black bird peel offs, it was an impulse buy at NEC Hobbycrafts in March – I wish I knew, as I would like to buy more! 

Where possible I try and put the name of the manufactures or where I bought the products but sometimes I use stuff I have had for years but just leave a comment if you have a query and I will try my best to help.

Looking at the Mona Lisa Card

Everyone knows by now that I buy stamps but I am not very confident when it comes to using them, and so they tend to sit unused in my drawer for ages (…..years).

Well, I loved this stamp when I saw it, it’s so different from all the Magnolia and doe eyed poppet stamps that are so popular at the moment, but I hadn’t a clue what on earth to do with it ….

Then I had a eureka moment …..

Boo – Spider Card

This is one of my less is more cards – I’m not the world’s best stampers – but I dabble now and again.

The stamp I have used is Hero Arts A315 Scary Spider and all I have added is a pair of wibbly wobbly eyes!

For Angie

Is this the stamp?  Its Hero Arts G4817 Dandelion.

A Voyage of Discovery Or My Stamping Is Pants!

I have been experimenting with one of  my “free” Stampin’ Up stamp sets I had from their Sale-a-Bration 2010 promotion earlier this year.

This is my first try with a very small elephant stamp. I used Whisper pens straight onto the stamp and to be honest the resulting colour and finish  wasn’t very successful.  I should have used my “proper” ink pads – but I was only really playing.

I stamped the ear in black, cut it out and glued it on to the elephant  – but I am not sure about that either.

It’s all very “not right” – colours, mat and layering, size, the only thing that is right is the lovely elephant stamp.I really need to go back to the drawing board …….

I also played with the cup cake from the same set, another lovely stamp – but again I have failed to get it to look right – I think it’s the pink – a colour I always seem to have a great deal of difficulty in matching!

There is a Stampin’ Up link to my friend Lisa in the sidebar – for more information on Stampin’ Up products.

Hodge Podge of a Card

This was a weird card to make as it sort of snowballed into something completely different from what I had in mind.

I was trying to use up some of the printed panels I had leftover from yesterday using my Stampin’ Up Fresh Cuts stamp.

I added another panel using a Hero Arts stamp – Thanks (G2679) which is of a dictionary definition of the word “thanks” and matted it on gold.

Next came a flower made from Prima Flowers, Hydrangea, Apricot Medley.  This is the first time I have ever used Prima Flowers, they were a gift about three years ago, and whenever I have tried to use them they have never looked right.  The brad is from Papermania.

The black corners looked like they were missing something, so I found a very small Chinese stamp and stamped it in gold.  I then scattered a few Preciosa crystals here and there.

I thought I was finished but as I took photo the middle dictionary panel just didn’t look right, it was missing something.  I tried another flower but that was too  overwhelming.

Then I spied the I Ching coins I had on my desk for another project, with a little black ribbon threaded through them they filled the gap.

This is quite a different style for me, I think all the blog hopping I have been doing recently and seeing other peoples styles has rubbed off on me a bit.
After I wrote this post I fiddled some more ………….

And tried the design in purple …..

…… I also added “flourish” above the flower, using another smaller stamp from the set. I think the design is finally finished!