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.

Lovely as a Tree - again????

Hello again, while the Lovely as a Tree stamp set was out I thought I'd make a second card with it. Luckily it was still visible under the mess on my desk. Normally I try to have a tidy up at the end of the day but I've been so inspired recently that ideas have flowed thick and fast. Now this doesn't always happen, sometimes I can sit staring in space for a while before a glimmer of an idea comes to the fore. I'm certainly not complaining about my messy desk, as it means I'm working; long may it continue - as long as there are a few inches of space to work on.

This really is such a classic set, I can't think there will ever be a time it retires. Once again I chose a white on white design, using only 3 other colours although Very Vanilla would also look great for the base colour.

Garden Green

Early Espresso

Whisper White

This time I made a tent card. I masked off an oval and created my sponged background, using Soft Sky and Garden Green. I stamped my trees across and the stamped the larger tree so that the majority was on white space. Sadly I didn't take photos of the process. I really must learn to take them as I go along. I then took a 2nd piece of Whisper White which was the same size and die cut an oval, this one was just very slightly smaller. It took a little time and effort to make sure it was in the right place. I then stamped the large tree again, this time on the card with the aperture, matching up as closely as possible to the tree on the background as some of the branches showed through.

Handy tip; cut the oval first and place it over the card you're going to sponge on then draw around it so you know where the ink needs to be. This card evolved as I hadn't originally planned to add an extra layer!

I wrapped some Linen thread around the top card, securing from behind with a couple of glue dots before using dimensionals to adhere to the sponged card. This in turn was secured to the base card, I added a sentiment and to create some balance coloured and stuck a wooden embellishment in the opposite corner.

I hope you like it. I decided to add to my collection of male birthday cards but depending on the sentiment you choose, this is suitable for many occasions. 

Nailed It with Jar of Love, well almost!

Hello again, as soon as I saw the Nailed It bundle it reminded me of a friend that stored his nails, screws, nut and bolts in old coffee jars. Since I also have Jar of Love it just had to be done! I adore the Jar of Love stamp set and corresponding dies; they are so versatile. I know, I say it every time but it's true so I'm really pleased they are in the new catalogue, released on the 1st June. I was disappointed though that Nailed It was retired as it makes creating cards for men so easy.

Oops, did you spot the lids?

To be perfectly honest, I started this card several months ago, putting it to one side as I wasn't happy with the original results. A friend did happen to point out that I'd managed to stick the lids upside down but even placing them the right way round still didn't solve the problem. It just looked dull; I love the idea of it but in reality it doesn't work for me.


So, what to do? Well, I've changed the colour of the lids and screwdriver handle. Any better? A little but not much. Should I just scrap it? Like I say, I love the idea.... then I had a thought. Why can't I just show that sometimes we all have cards that don't quite work for one reason or another? It's only time, a bit of card and adhesive that's wasted so not the end of the world. And really it's a learning curve, I might not be able to work out how to improve this card, but at least I know what doesn't work on the next one! Who knows,  someone else might see it and love it.



On reflection, I think that the problem may have been the use of Pool Party card stock; I was trying to get an effect of painted and slightly distressed wood but it looks too heavy. Maybe using white card and giving it a light colourwash would have worked better. I think maybe another day I'll have to make some time to experiment with some background techniques. All that remained was to add a sentiment, I think it managed to lift the colour a little in the end

Ahoy there...I saw Three Ships

Hello again, thanks for stopping by. Well it was more like little sailing boats! Once again I'd gone to Coffee and Cards, mainly because I wasn't at all smitten with this stamp set when it came out and wanted to see what could be done with it.

Needless to say, I came back fully inspired and will be adding this set to my basket next time I place an order. Funnily, I already have the coordinating dies as I thought of so many ways to use them!

Island Indigo

Pool Party

So Saffron

Soft Suede

Whisper White

I made 2 cards, the first of which is a handy note cards size. For this one, I used watercolour card and created a sea and sky using Pool Party and Island Indigo. Each element of the boat was stamped on scrap card and cut out and stuck down onto the water coloured background with dimensionals. A simple sentiment and 3 rhinestones completed what is a very simple but effective card. As usual, I stamped the envelope and the inside of the card to coordinate, Most of us struggle with cards for men but I think this would be perfect.

For my 2nd card, this one slightly larger, the sea was made using first and second generation stamping with the splodges out of this versatile set. Not quite the replacement for Gorgeous Grunge - I personally don't think anything else will be - but they do work rather well. The waves have been cut from Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer Paper which adds some sparkle and picks up on the Pool Party splodges. 

I stamped 3 boats and fussy cut them out, tucking 2 behind the waves and leaving the central one on top. They were all stuck down with dimensionals to raise them slightly. The splodges are used behind the sun too.

 I thought this card looked rather calming so chose to add a sentiment for someone retiring. Normally I try to keep them fairly generic unless I'm making for a commission. And just to show great minds think alike over a second coffee afterwards, we thought with a little tweaking and a change of colour this could make a great Christmas card. Watch this space.

To Bee or Not to Bee...

Hello again, recently I won the gorgeous Dragonfly Dreams stamp set in a prize draw I’d been entered into. I feel so lucky, I’d been eying up this set as soon as I saw it as my daughter, Abby, loves bees!

I had also seen a quick and simple paper fold on Pinterest by Stamp and Scrap with Frenchie so thanks to Frenchie for sharing. Click on the name to go to her tutorial. Her card was quite feminine but I thought by using the Urban Underground DSP it would make a more universal card. In fact, my second card is very definitely male oriented! Check out my next blog post to see how by using a different DSP and embellishments you can alter the same design to look either ultra feminine or masculine.

Basic Gray

Delightful Dijon

Very Vanilla

I love the detail on the bee. This was created by using a two part stamp. First I stamped the yellow base after stamping off on a piece of scrap paper. Then I stamped over the top with the second stamp, using black. Once I’d found my clear Wink of Stella, I added some shimmer to the wings – sadly not shown in these photos.

Isn't the beehive cute? It's from the Shooting Star bundle

Men Going Global

Hello, do you find it more difficult to make cards for men? I certainly do! I'm lucky in that when I first discovered SU through a Coffee and Cards group, the stamp set used that afternoon was Going Global; it was one of the first SU stamp sets I ever bought and seems such a long time ago now.

Mint Macaron

Crumb Cake

I chose to use light colours and Pool Party and Crumb Cake seemed to tick the right boxes. I teamed them up with some balsa wood, bought from my local model shop. I know that might appear to be an odd choice, but using a thin gauge balsa definitely adds to the effect and it can be coloured using the inkpads and a sponge or dauber. It cuts very easily and can even go through the Big Shot too.

I decided to use the compass from the set as the feature whilst by using the same colour ink as cardstock, the Ursa Major constellation formed a quite subtle background.


I didn't want a "fussy" card so put a band of Mint Macaron ribbon around and then wound some Linen Thread around my fingers before placing behind the compass. To complete the look I used a simple sentiment and 3 Perfect Accents, strategically placed. Did you know that the White Perfect Accents can be coloured using Promarkers? This makes them so handy to keep in stock!