Why do I always leave it to the last minute?

Hello again, by the time you read this, the recipient of this card will already have had his birthday. Goodness, how time flies, my son will be 28 the day before Valentines Day. Seems like just a few short years ago that he was so eager to enter the world at 10 weeks early! If only I'd been able to see into the future to know he wouldn't have had the issues expected and that he'd grow into a strong, tall young man.

Anyway, Adam is a tyre fitter, working at a garage in the next village. When he isn't working he still tinkers on friends cars but I guess it keeps him out of mischief. It was with this in mind that I thought I'd try my hand at my first stepper card. I know there are dies out there but honestly, save yourself the expense; they are so easy to make using a paper trimmer and scoring board.

Real Red

Basic Black

Silver Foil

Whisper White

I had seen a fabulous card by Lisa Ann Bernard on Pinterest that was perfect. Click on her name to go to her blog post. Adam, like many mechanics, has a large red upright toolbox that takes up a considerable amount of shed space. I remember it being at the top of his wish list for a long time until he was able to acquire one. So, it was obvious the stepper card would replicate that in some way.

I was able to create tyres by diecutting a circle in black and then using a round button die - not a Stampin Up one - cut in silver foil for the hub cap. Ok, it isn't perfect but it does show that necessity is the mother of invention! It also saved me a little money as I didn't need to buy any extra dies. I don't know about you but I love it when I can find other uses for my crafty stash. I added some small tools and a creeper board, made from the hardwood stamp on a piece of crumb cake card stock. I also wrote Happy Birthday on a "drawer" front with a silver pen to like like it had been scratched onto the chest of drawers.

Coffee Cafe with a Sweet Cupcake

Hello, a while ago I made a birthday card for a colleague at work. I find designing something for a man quite difficult normally, but Phil loves his coffee...

                                ...and cake when there is some.

Island Indigo

Crumb Cake

Pool Party

Whisper White

I'm so pleased I succumbed and bought Coffee Cafe; it originally wasn't on my wish list but having seen some fabulous makes by other crafters, I thought I ought to get it. If you have read some of my previous blog posts you may have picked up that I only buy stamp sets and dies if I can easily design at least 5 different cards. I like to make my stock earn it's keep.

I already had the Sweet Cupcake bundle; it teams up with the coffee cup so well. I knew that I wanted to use Crumb Cake so set about going through my stock of DSP for some that would be suitable. It wasn't long before I stumbled across Serene Scenery, the colours were perfect; Crumb Cake and Island Indigo. This DSP is sadly discontinued. I really should have bought more when I could, I love it.

Oops, the darker DSP is from Blooms and Bliss, another discontinued pack. Sorry!

Flower Shop again??

Hello, if you saw my last post, you'll recall I woke during the night with an idea for a card. Well once I started, I had ideas flooding in from goodness knows where using the same stamp set! This is the second card, again using soft pink and white.

Pink Pirouette

Pear Pizzazz

Whisper White

First of all I took my Pink Pirouette inkpad and stamped one of the flowers from Flower Shop over Whisper White card trimmed a little smaller than the card base, leaving the centre clear. I made sure to leave enough space so that I could add small flowers from Petite Petals for a little variation. When creating your own background paper, I think it looks more natural if some of the stamping is off the edge of the card as you can see below.

Next I die cut a circle from it before mounting onto a slightly larger piece of Pink Pirouette. The die cut circle was then die cut again using a slightly smaller Stitched Shape Framelit circle and them stamped with the sentiment. I love that the pink background forms an edge around it to make it pop more.

I stamped and punched one larger and two smaller flowers alongside some leaves, arranging them to the lower right of the sentiment. Once again, I stamped inside the card and on the envelope for a cohesive look. Another quick and easy card, I hope you like it.

Flower Shop

The other night I woke in the wee small hours with an idea implanted for a card. Unfortunately I didn't have the customary notebook and pencil nearby as I'd been sketching designs in the craft room earlier in the evening. I felt so lucky that when I finally got up, I could still remember what I wanted to make!

Pink Pirouette

Pear Pizzazz

Whisper White

I wanted a soft background so created my own using clear powder to heat emboss one of the flowers out of Flower Shop all over the white card. My sentiment was stamped and heat embossed on a stitched Framelit circle. To get the pale pink text I inked up the stamp first using Versamark before then inking in Pink Pirouette immediately afterwards. Clear embossing powder was heated over the top. I used dimensionals to raise the sentiment slightly.

Using a scrap of white card I stamped, heat embossed and punched out one flower. It was coloured using a pencil with blender pen before the petals were shaped. A couple of leaves were punched and strategically placed but I still felt it lacked something. I personally think the loop of mini silver sequin trim just finishes it off. It really doesn't take much; there numerous ways to use just a small amount of special trim and still get a fabulous finish.