Father's Day Grunge

Ok here is a reminder, next month is Father's Day so I started looking around for father-type inspired cards and thought I wanted to use some grunge and washi tape too!

I was inspired by Angie at mychicnscratch.com.

I've used the Epic day washi tape torn straight from the roll and stamped Happy Father's Day onto a punched modern label.

The Classic ink colour is Basic grey for the splatters and all tied up with linen thread.

What do you think - is it man enough?

Oval card fold

It may be wet and grey outside but there is always something happening on my craft table. Most days  anyway! Wisteria wonder and elegant eggplant cardstock form the base of my card.

This one is a fancy fold using the ovals Framelits and my big shot machine. 

I am using some squares of the soon to be retiring "Fan fair" designer series paper. Pretty French lace and French script patterns to punch out and layer on a postage stamp punch. Ooh la la!

Our current catalogue retires at the end of this month. Give me a call or email your order to me this weekend at nerida_carter@hotmail.com or place an online order using the link button on my sidebar.

Little chicken

Happy Easter to everyone who visits my blog this week!

This is my virtual Easter card just for you.

Isn't it the simplest and cutest little chicken ?

I spotted a card on pinterest made by Sharon Burkett and I simplified the design down to this.

 My little chicken is made using the 1 3/8 inch (that's 3.5cm) circle punch and the bird punch (wings) with Daffodil Delight card stock.

My background is a technique called masking. Where you punch out two scallop circles and use them as a mask while you sponge a soft blue ink. Gradually moving the scallop masks downwards till you cover the page with fluffy white clouds.

Card Recipe:

Stampsets - Teeny tiny sentiments, Nature walk

Cardstock - Certainly celery, whisper white, Daffodil Delight, Concord Crush, Poppy parade (for the beak and legs) I was using up paper from my scraps box.

ink - Baja Breeze, Concord Crush

punches - 3.5cm circle, two step bird, Word window

and scallop circle for the cloud mask

big shot - Adorning accent edgelit

ribbon - Daffodil Delight stitched

Happy Mothers day

I hope you all had a lovely mother's day.

Whether you are a mother or celebrated your mother.

My day started early with gifts from the school Mother's Day stall:

 a beaded wire bracelet, vanilla scented bath salts and a red flower made of feathers!

We made pancakes for breakfast and as punishment for being such a nice mum we played the wii fit for two hours before some lovely hot chicken and vegetable soup.

Here are some of the cards I made for the school M' Day stall.

Finding a simple and repeatable design is the fun part.

 Like using my new stampsets and designer series paper in interesting ways that I haven't tried before.

 On these ones I used the Broadsheet Alphabet to spell "Mum"

 and the Summer Solstice stampset.

Then I had a go with the butterfly in this set and for texture ran it through the vintage wall paper embossing folder and the Big shot. 

 The next one is made with whisper white cardstock

 (also run through the Big shot and vintage wallpaper folder).

But first I stamped it with my favourite stampset ATM:

 "Rue De Fleurs."

I just love the images of the vintage umbrella, flower filled bodice, trumpet and pen.

I used Poppy Parade, Daffodil Delight and Marina Mist in a random stamping pattern.

And on the last one, I have used the A la Carte stamp called "Elizabeth"

 to frame the "Happy Mother's day" on a word window.

Mother's day note cards

I am making Mothers day note cards for my local school.

Probably make 20 or more at this stage.

This one is all pink and pretty, but might be a little time consuming with the watercolouring and sponging.

I have used the "Rue de Fleurs" stampset.

My favourite part of this card is the Framelit edge that I have created with the Big shot and the largest of the Framelit dies.

Happy Mothers day stamp is from "Teeny Tiny Sentiments" on the modern label punch sponged with Melon Mambo ink.

"Rue de Fleurs" for Mothers day

 Isn't this a gorgeous image for mother's day cards?

A bodice bursting with flowers.

I've added two different ribbons some pearls and tiny crumpled roses.

 A touch of First edition newsprint paper under the edgelits die and lots of other vintage elements in the pens stamped on Poppy parade cardstock.

 I sponged around the edges of the Framelit die and watercoloured the stamped image.

Card Recipe:
Stampset: Rue de Fleurs, Teeny Tiny Sentiments.
Cardstock: Poppy Parade, Pool Party, Whisper White.
Patterned paper: First Edition
Ink: Black stazon, Poppy Parade, Lucky Limeade.
Ribbons: white Organza ribbon, Blushing bride pleated satin.
tools: Boho Blossom punch, pearl jewels, blender pen, sponge dauber.
Big shot machine, Framelit and Edgelit dies.

Mother's day cards in March?

 Mother's Day is only about 7 weeks away ... did I count that correctly?
I usually find if I don't make cards for an event a month a head I totally miss it. Does that happen to you?
When I think of mother's day I think of flowers and this beautiful Rich Razzleberry colour with patterned designer series paper gives a rich background to this stamping technique.

Has anyone shown you the Mother-of-Pearl technique before?
It is just another use for our gorgeous shimmer paint.
In brief you apply the shimmer paint with plastic cling wrap, then sponge ink onto the glossy cardstock in soft colours such as baja breeze, pretty in pink.
And when it dries you stamp an image over the top in black stazon ink. When it catches the light it shines like mother of pearl.

Quick Recipe:
Stampset: Fabulous Florets (Summer mini), Teeny tiny sentiments. 
Cardstock: Rich razleberry, whisper white and glossy white.
Designer series paper: Pocketful of Posies.
Ink: baja breeze, pink and Rich razzleberry.
Tools: 6cm and 4 cm circle punches, modern label punch.
Sponges, sponge daube, cling wrap.
Shimmer paint - frost white.

Quick and simple Christmas card

 I needed an extra card to send overseas and came up with this one for simplicity.

The Christmas tree from "Snow swirled" is stamped in lucky limeade ink on white cardstock.

I have layered it onto Pacific Point cardstock and put one of the two tag dies behind it.

Then stamped Merry christmas on the frilly bit.

There is a Merry Christmas star at the top punched out with the 3/4" circle punch and thats all the stamping done.

"

Lastly I cut a layer of whisper white and ran it through the big shot on the Square Lattice embossing folder  and that is that... this one is already in the mail.

Christmas music

 Real Red and whisper white ... just say: Merry Christmas!
The musical notes are wheeled in real red ink and between the lines I have stamped the teeny tiny sentiments.
Add a touch of Lucky Limeade and Early Espresso Ink and you have a Card for the music teacher.

 The white satin ribbon adds a soft elegence to this card

 with the "Merry Christmas" from the Contempo Christmas set.

Now no Christmas card is complete without the addition of Dasher the reindeer, fussy cut to sit on top of dimensionals... sponged in Early espresso and Champagne shimmer paint.

Christmas is on its way...

On the weekend we made some cards with a great bunch of ladies.

Have you started on your homemade Christmas cards yet?

This first card shows you dont have to use traditional Chrissy colours or christmas papers.

Use what ever you like and how elegant is this one with the Morning Mocha Specialty paper?

 The perfect bow is centre to this card in 1/8 of an inch wide tafetta ribbon.

It wraps around a piece of spotted scallop ribbon border punch !!!

Stampsets used: Welcome Christmas and Teeny Tiny sentiments.

Ink: Basic Black and Real Red.

Cardstock: Very Vanilla and Basic Black.

Specialty Paper: Mocha Morning

Punches: Word Window, 2 1/2" Circle punch.

But its all about the Glass glitter on the tree.

Held on with a few dots of two way glue pen.

This really is a quick and easy card to make and looks like a snow globe dont you think?

Button Buddies and one layer cards

 Beautiful flowers, buttons, cute pigs, snowmen, cherries and vases of flowers ... its all in the Button buddies stampset. I have only just scratched the surface with the cards I have made so far.

 This one is a CASE from from the Idea Book and Catalogue. A quick and simple card with a button attached using a mini glue dot.

 Next I wanted to stamp all the in-colours and make centres of the flowers with the new glass glitter.
It sticks on perfectly with the multipurpose glue.

 Then next is a cute little piggy in Melon Mambo with the perfect bow attached at the top and a button for his nose! Faux buttons work just as well (using the button embosslit die).

 Shelli demonstrated this stampset up on stage at our Stampin up Convention back in May.

The last one is made by my daughter, Jess. She wanted to colour every petal a different colour (but her mum would only let her use the retired brights colour markers .... and none of any new ones).
Not surprising, It came out very pretty on these pre-punched cards.
She has used the Friendly phrases stampset for her words- Wow you're the Best!
 We have school holidays for the next two weeks - I'm looking forward to lots of crafting! 

Father's day project

It is the 31st of August, last day of the 2010 Idea Book and Catalogue.

And I am ... waiting, waiting, waiting for tomorrow.

Why? Its the first day of Spring and the beginning of the shiny new

Stampin up' 2011-12 Idea Book and Catalogue.

 I have a launch party in a few weeks - I am so excited about!!!

However, while we wait, we have this day called
 Father's day!
This year I am donating cards to the father's day stall at School and it has been lots of fun finding a simple repeatable design I can make. Its tricky enough to make just a generic male card at the best of times but to make 20 or more...

My idea was to make a mask with the Curly label punch and sponge a blue sky,

 then stamp this gorgeous new tree stamp in the centre.

On some of them, to make them ... well,

a little more masculine

 I used the "Sense of Time" stamp set.

Can you pick the new colour(s) I have used ? 

The Happy Father's Day stamp is from Teeny Tiny sentiments

 The border pattern is from Pendant Park stamped on Confetti white cardstock.

Enjoy!!!

Scallop Cup cake birthday

School holidays are coming to an end so it has been a rush of outings packed into the last week...

For an eight year old that includes at least one cup cake and fortunately we were able to indulge that pleasure, followed by a hot chocolate at Lindt and several hours in Sydney shopping this week. 

 We didnt photograph the actual cup cakes ... but I stamped and punched these last Friday (a week ago) with friends: Sophie and Jill.

When I got home I used my ice cream parlour buttons and ribbon pack to finish it off.

That pink button really suits this bright and girly card, perfectly. 

Recipe:

Stampsets: Build a Cupcake, (winter mini catalogue), teeny tiny sentiments.

Cardstock: Tempting turquoise, Melon Mambo,

whisper white

Ink: Melon Mambo, Tempting turquoise

Build a cup cake punch $33.95

Decorative Label punch

Word window punch

Scallop circle punch

Big shot machine, Square scallop die, polka dot embossing folder.

Ice cream parlour button and ribbon

 (FREE when you spend $100 during July 2011).

French Folliage

 Every day a new stampset to play with... that is just another reason why I love Autumn. It is the time to launch the Autumn mini catalogue and celebrate the cooler weather.
These leaves remind me of long walks in the park, green grassy lawns with maple leaves and Birch leaves sprinkling down from the tree branches above. A picnic while the children can shout, laugh and play in the leaves on the ground.

Here where I live, Autumn comes slowly.
Most of the trees are still very green.

 Only the rainy days and cool breezes announce the coming of Autumn.

So I have used the tried and true "rock and roll" technique to get the Old Olive, pumpkin pie and Early espresso ink slow turning look on my stamped leaves.

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The first layout was inspired by the card on page 5 of the mini Autumn catalogue. I am using the spiral edge punch to look like the page of a note book. And some of the Botanical paper along the bottom.

*     *     *     *

The second layout is my own: just tossing the torn stamped pieces on an angle with some distressing of the edges and stamping in Old olive for the background.

*     *     *     *

Card Recipe:
Stampset: French Folliage (set of 6): $31.95 clear or $39.95 wood mount, Teeny tiny sentiments.
Cardstock: Old Olive, Early Espresso, whisper white.

Paper: Botanical Gazette $16.95
Ink: Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie, Early Espresso.
Tools: Decorative label punch $33.95, large oval punch $30.95
Spiral border punch $30.95 and Early Espresso satin ribbon.