Challenge Winning cards

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Pink Appeal

Each year, my office has various events during October to raise money for Breast Cancer. This year was no exception and over the past weeks we have raised over £2000. One of our events was a Bake sale and to thank various mums and grans who helped us produce so many yummy pies and cakes, I made these cute thankyou cards.


I've also had requests for various birthday cards and these are a couple of my faves...

Orange can be such a difficult colour to use but it really makes this card stand out. The spotty paper was a magazine freebie and the flower is one of my rare attempts at stamping - it's a Build a Flower stamp set from Clear Expressions (Hampton Arts) and I must admit it is very easy to use for someone like myself who has two left hands when it comes to stamping. It's decoupaged but you can't see this very well.


So... all bouyed up after the orange card, I had a go with one of my wooden stamps and was surprised with the result - no smudging! I was so pleased I stamped it twice and decoupaged the flower head. The pretty paper was from a sample book given away with Cardmaking and papercraft a few moths ago.

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Flippin' Teenagers

Had a lovely morning shopping in Sunderland - new boots, new shoes, a new top for tonight and a visit to my favourite craft shop. Bought some silver peel-off borders, Making Cards magazine (cos I love the freebie papers you get with this mag) and loads of plain card to make my Christmas cards. A successful morning.

Here's a fun card I made using La Pashe's Flippin' Teenagers. There's some fab images in this range for both teenagers and those who still think they are!


The music notes are from a Doodlebug set and the border is made with waste collected in my hole punch! Matches the dancer's skirt and made me think of disco lights.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Card Frenzy!

I've been so busy this week........so many birthdays, so little time. And I really must start making christmas cards!!


This first card is one that I often do for 'big birthdays'. It's so easy to make the outline of the letters in wordart then trace the image onto patterned paper. I'm dead pleased with the scallopped effects as well - the ones above and below 'sixty' were made with my nesties, cut into strips then carefully taped on so you can't see the joins. The scallops round the greeting were make by punching loads of small circles with my hole punch and arranging them aroung the edge of the cut out greeting. You really don't need loads of expensive equipment to get the effect you want.


Same papers used here for the girl's 7th birthday card - the 7 is also done in WordArt. Background is just stars punched in toning colours and a few spangle star confetti bits to add a bit of bling. Even 7 year olds are partial to a bit of bling!


This lady bathing card is made with one of my fave products - Jolly Nation decoupage. I tried to get the effect of wallpaper and a border behind the bath using checked paper and a spotty ribbon and I think it works well.

Finally, a 40th card for a bike mad bloke. Made with lazy crafters' decoupage - the sort that is pre cut for you! Still, everyone needs to make shortcuts every now and then and no-one knows any different! It was only when I took the picture that I realised that the 40 today sign looks a bit like a speed road sign. Total accident but left me feeling dead clever!.

Monday, October 19, 2009

Back In the Swing of Things.....

I've just had a lovely break in Turkey despite being deprived of all things crafty for a couple of weeks and I've come back raring to make cards!


I made this Hello Kitty card in about 20 minutes flat - I make so many cards for other people that I often leave it to the very last minute to make them for myself and this was made in a panic before I went to work one morning last week! I bought a great Hello Kitty colouring and sticker book in the Poundland shop which will supply me with enough images and stickers to make about 20 cards - total bargain!

I got the template for this glamourpuss in Papercraft Inspirations a few years ago and I just love the diamante collar on it - very girly. It goes great with the 'purr-fect birthday' greeting. I missed my ginger fur baby so much when I was away that I think I have cats on the brain at the moment!



I made this final one for a special work friend Stephen who has just married his lovely girlfriend Ashley in Cyprus. The image is one of my faves from Pink Petticoat and I got some wonderful embossed heart wallpaper as a sample from my local decorating shop. I'm dead brazen - I just ask for loads of samples so I 'can match the furninshings' and no-one ever bats an eyelid!