First Sixty

Strange title for a blog post, I know, but I'm in the process of making another sixty wordbook but for a different recipient! This one is for one of my Aunties (and I have yet to make her card!) and will be sent by my Mum. It's her birthday the same day as my husbands and I have yet to make his card either!!

It's for the Cupcakes challenge which asks for:

Anything But Square

This card is a wordbook which I've used wordart to make the letters, cut them out then added them to blocks of card - each letter then opens up like a book. All the papers are from the now unavailable Girls and Boys collection from Funky Hand and all the embellishments are from my stash.

And this should be my last post for today but it happens like that sometimes when all my projects are completed as I generally have 6 or 7 on the go at any one time!

• All papers: Funky Hand
• Everything else: My stash
  

Birthday Cupcake

There are a lot of Birthdays coming up in March, so I am trying to get ahead and be organised! Famous last words! The Cupcake challenge this week is:

Cake 'n' Ice Cream

So I've made this very cute and quick cupcake with generous amounts of glitter glue and glossy accents! It's from Polkadoodles Paper Boutique Vol 3 and I've used the A5 pre coloured size, cut out all the elements and then layered them with foam pads.


I've then punched two holes through the cake so I can tie the ribbon through which then keeps the card together. Really quick and easy to make but looks really good. Almost good enough to eat!

• All paperbased elements: Polkadoodles - Paper Boutique Vol 3
• Everything else: My stash
  

Small, Cute and Bright Thanks!

Be warned as this is a bright post! I've decided that I really do need to use up all the bits of printed card that I have in the large shoe box instead of printing more, so when I saw the current Cupcake challenge which is:

Thank You

And after remembering that I had several sheets of this hot pink fuchsia card in my stash and some small envelopes perfect for making some Thank You cards, I got to work and made these:

Each card is 90cm square, so quite dinky (I'm using envelopes from a budget range of 10 Christmas cards from Asda at 10p a pack - no, I'm not kidding (the cards were naff, but envelopes good!) and that is before they are reduced!) I've used paper from Funky Daze (sale on at the moment plus the cd is permanently reduced!) which was left over from a previous project and fitted in well with the hot pink colour scheme!

All the buttons were donations from Lynsey (thank you!) and I've glued them on after tying string through and making a bow. I've glued the centre of the bows too.

I've used a Nestabilities die to cut the shapes and the sentiment (wonky in places but adds to the effect!) has been stamped with a little wooden Studio G alphabet stamp. A little bit of inking around the edge of the die cut shapes and the cards are complete!

I need to make some thank you cards from the boys as they got a lot of presents for Christmas, however I'd have to change the colour theme as I don't think they'd be too impressed sending these!

• Backing papers: Funky Daze from Funky Hand
• Dies: Nestabilities
• Sentiment: Studio G alphabet stamp
• Buttons: Lynsey
• Everything else: My stash
  

Pink and Brown

I've been asked to make a number of word books recently including this one, which, as it happens fits nicely with the current Cupcake challenge which asks for:

Pink and Brown

The papers are from Dreams Come True from Funky Hand - I've printed the letters using Word Art and added them to the card backing. I've actually made two cards out of this colour combination but with different paper order and moved the embellishments around.

All the embellishments are from my stash - the spotty ribbon is from Fantastic Ribbons and the gorgeous wide chocolate brown ribbon is from the scrap store and I've jazzed it up a little with some pink organza over the top.

I'm a little snowed under with orders at the moment hence the sparse posts at the moment, however, having said that, there will be two tomorrow including a tutorial!

• Papers: Dreams Come True from Funky Hand
• Ribbons: Fantastic Ribbons and the Scrap Store
• Everything else: My stash
  

Jingle Jangle!

The Cupcake challenge this week is the following sketch plus to use the colour palette shown:


I've been having a play over the last day or so with the soon to be released Christmas cd Jingle Jangle from Polkadoodles, and by chance, I found just the colour palette! So not wanting to pass a challenge by, here is my card!

All the papers, including the tag are from the cd - I've added a little bit of faux stitching around the edge of the chocolate coloured card, inked the edges of all the papers, either with chestnut whispers or silver ink.

The brown organza ribbon is from my stash and I've prettied it up at the front by tying strips together and making it look a bit like a grubby snowflake! I've also added a silver gem to the front of the round tag topper.

And you've not seen the last of this colour palette either - so be warned! The cd is available to pre-order and its launch will be on Monday at 9am on Create and Craft - more details in my sidebar.

• All paperbased elements: Jingle Jangle cd by Polkadoodles
• Ribbon and gem: From my stash
  
  

Gardening

The Cupcake challenge this week is:

"As it's getting close to Fathers Day I thought a Fathers Day card would be appropriate, but there's a slight twist in that it has to be more than a card. You can interpret that any way you want to. If it's not Fathers Day in your neck of the woods then a card for a Man (any man) will do."

I'd already made my Dad's Fathers Day card, so had to think of something else! Nikky had sent the Polkadoodle DT some sheets of her Freddies Friends and Stackies and I wanted to make something with them and decided that this would be the perfect challenge!


I've used virtually all the elements from the Friends sheet and have layered them up according to the very easy step by step instructions. I've mounted the sentiment and topper onto some very shiny green card that I found in my stash to keep with the gardening theme.

The pocket is a cello card bag which I have stuck to the back of the topper but have left the opening free so the items inside can be either taken out or added to easily - I've included a packet of seeds, some plant tags, garden twine and also gardening wire.

There are lots of layers to the sheet so the finished piece looks really effective! I've had limited experience of decoupage in the past but these sheets are pre cut - you simply pop them out and away you go!

• Decoupage sheet: Freddies Friends
• Green shiny card: From my stash
  

By The Seat of My Pants ....

.... I have just about made this card in time for the challenge and to leave it with my Mum (she ordered it) so Casey can actually get it for her Birthday! Such organisational skills I have!



Anyway, the Cupcake challenge this week is:

Numbers

The card looks a bit boring on the photo, but it isn't in real life - honest! Made using the Very-Soon-To-Be-Released Funky Word Books cd from Funky Hand (get it on Monday!) and the card is for Casey. She's also getting this card too so she will be all Funky Handed for her Fifth Birthday - lucky girly eh?!

I've cut the little letters with my Baby Face Cuttlebug alphabet set, the organza ribbon was actually a hairband from Primark but looks much better being used on cards! The little sparkly stars I cut off the said hairband. Card candy from Craftwork Cards (and they have been glittered but you can't really see) and eyelets from my stash.

• Backing paper: Funky Word Books
• Organza Ribbon: Primark hair band
• Card Candy: Craftwork Cards
• Everything else: My stash

Homer / Lisa Simpson Monster...

The Cupcake Craft Challenge this week is

Monsters

And I've inadvertently made one that looks like a cross between Homer and Lisa Simpson....

Ah well! I freehand drew the shape onto some lovely bright yellow slightly textured card, chalked it and drew a wobbly thin black line around the edges. The spikes and spots were made in the same way. And I dabbed a bit of glitter glue here and there for a bit of bling.

The teeth were cut from white card and also chalked.

Samuel has been invited to a joint Birthday party mid April so one card down, one to go!

• All components: From stash
  

Spring Is In The Air!

The Cupcake Card challenge this week is:

Spring

And I've just about made this one in time! My original plan went very very wrong so was scrapped (it really was that bad and a big disaster!) so plan B. The backing paper is Basic Grey Sultry (generously donated in a mini stash swop by Jozza) and the bits I've not used I've kept. A little bit of it has been stuck under a round clear dome sticker to make the centre of the flower as the titchy maroon brad looked a little lost!

The maroon backing card is from my stash so too is the ribbon (which was 10p for around 4 metres from Blackburn market). And the layered flower are two Prima's and were free from a website in the USA.

Although you can't really see it, I've inked the edges with my fading black ink pad.

Inspired by the cherry blossom trees near where I work which will be coming into flower in the next couple of weeks.

• Backing papers: Maroon card stock from my stash, patterned paper Basic Grey Sultry (from Jozza)
• Flower: Prima freebies
• Ribbon: From my stash (Blackburn market originally)
  

Some Very Fab Free Papers!

The Cupcake Challenge this week is a sketch:

And I really was not sure what I was going to do. And then I had a quick look at Kirsty Wiseman's new blog for her new Patti Picklicious Range (Jozza is a member of her design team - how fab is that?!) When lo and behold, there was a time limited freebie on offer! And what very fab colours! So I downloaded and printed both of the papers off and this is what I created that very night!

Everything - with exception to the three black gems at the bottom are all from the papers. And see what a good job I did with cutting around the circle sentiment?! Although could have tried harder when making sure the centre bit was straight and not slightly off.....

All edges have been inked with bright pink and then running out black and I've lightly doodled a border around the card. Its lightly as the pen is on its way out and I must remember to buy another.

I am very pleased with the papers and I can feel some more cards coming on. And I can't wait for the cd to be released as from what I've already seen, the papers will knock me socks off!

• Backing papers and sentiment: Kirsty Wiseman Patti Picklicious Freebie download
• Black gems: Club Green
  
  
  

A Cheap Card!!

And just by the skin of my teeth, here is my entry for this weeks Cupcake Craft Challenge! Actually, I had made the card during the week but not managed to photograph it.....

Anyway, this week it is a sketch:

And the card was a very cheap one to make! The papers are from the current Papercraft Inspirations magazine (although I downloaded the jpeg files so I can print to my hearts content!) and the image was from a swop from Enfys.



The ribbon at the side is actually card (again from PI), sentiment is handwritten, flowers cut using my Cuttlebug flower die (what else!) and off cuts of pink card. Bronze coloured brads from my box full!

• Backing paper: Freebies from Papercraft Inspirations
• Image: My Favourite Things - How Sweet from Enfys
• Dies: Cuttlebug flowers
• Sentiment: Handwritten

Glitter, Glitter Everywhere!

Now I'm not usually a big fan of using a lot of glitter (despite owning quite a lot of it!) so thought I'd attempt this challenge to see what I came up with. The Cupcake Challenge this week is:

This weeks challenge is Glitter!

I want your creation to have glitter and sparkle on it. You can go for heaps of it or just a tiny amount. It's up to you!

I'd already stamped the image (one of my new stamps as I thought it was about time I bought some Forever Friends ones rather than using the stickers all the time!) and I really do like the little A7 brown notebook. So have used a page out of the notebook, added two gold eyelets, threaded some red grosgrain ribbon through and tied a single sided bow at one side (it isn't attached to anything so its single sided!)

All edges have been inked and chalked and I've coloured the image with watercolour pencils. The red glitter is a mixture of some lumpy glitter glue that I found in my stash, some loose glitter (which once dried fell off everywhere!) and sealed with gel glue.

Couldn't think of a not-too-sickly-sweet sentiment, so that's why its blank!

• Backing paper: A7 notebook sheet
• Image: Forever Friends coloured with watercolour pencils
• Ribbon & eyelets: From stash
  
  

Pink & Chocolate Cupcakes!

Sorry to disillusion you, but this is totally calorie free and will taste remarkably like card! This is a new challenge for me which I spied on Carol's blog (thank you!) and I had to make this in double quick time to meet the deadline.

The challenge blog is Cupcake Craft Challenges, and this week the challenge was to be inspired by the background colours on the blog.

The beautiful chocolate brown ribbon is just a small part of the almost 91 metres I have just bought from Ribbon Oasis (yes, I really do need that much as I'm making Wedding Invites in these colours too!) The stamp is a new one I've just bought from Katie & Co and I've used watercolour pencils to colour it in with a daub of glitter on the heart cherry as the card, on the whole, is very lacking in bling!

Martha Stewart punch used also and I've dotted the edge of the small square with a white gel pen. Brads from my stash.

• Backing card: Big a2 sized sheets from The Range (the pink one is pearlescent)
• Stamp: Katie & Co coloured with watercolour pencils
• Punch: Martha Stewart
• Ribbon: From Ribbon Oasis