Happy Birthday...

Happy Birthday Tuesday,

Now I don't usually do a lot of Birthday cards however this is one that I make every year as it is for Mr Next Doors father and I can't forget the date as we share a birthday!  So todays card was made specifically for Bruce but I also share it as my birthday card (don't ask Im not telling how old either of us are!)

This is a spinner card that I have been playing with where the central element can spin or turn, I have made the original one for the shows on C&C next week so if there is time I will demo how to make it if not then I will detail on here how to make the card.

As it is my Birthday I am sure you will all forgive me for just pictures and ingredients list!

Ingredients:
Sue Wilson's Dies
     Burgundy
     Beveled glass striplet
     Faux Quilled blooms & Foliage
Kraft Card and Ginger Card both from Creative expressions

Enjoy...

Monday Morning Blues...

Happy Monday,

Well I'm not feeling blue this Monday however as its Monday and toady's card is blue its seemed appropriate!  What could brighten up a nice blue than a host of butterflies?

Originally this card didn't have any butterflies on it it was simply the die cuts however it seemed just too harsh!  I started die cutting the beautiful butterflies from the Sue Wilson Magical Butterflies die set and inked the edges using broken china distress ink  I do seem to be getting into more stamping and distressing at the moment!

The readier of the card is, relatively, simple.  I die cut the french collection background in coconut white foundation card and foam mounted this over a piece of cornflower blue card.  I then die cut the largest filigree die from the french collection Burgundy die set and inked it through the die.  Next I cut the smallest centre die from the same set, inked it in the die, and added the sentiment.

Finally I added a few gems to highlight the edges and detail of the background die and added, using cosmic shimmer dries clear glue, the butterflies as if they had alighted onto the card.  There are also a few dots of pearl PVA glue to make the bodies.

Ingredients:
Sue Wilson's Dies - Magical Butterflies
French Collection Background
French Collection Burgundy die set
CE Sentiment Stamp


Enjoy...

Sunday Replacement...

Happy Sunday,

Today's post is late as the card I had scheduled to post was inspired by a design form Mrs Duck.  However during the night I realised I hunt asked permission to post this one and that Mrs D had not posted her original yet so It didn't seem fair!  I have held that post off until Hers has gone live and I have gained permission!!

Therefore I am posting a replacement card that I hope you will forgive doesn't strictly fit within the realms of simple however it isn't that complicated!

I started by die cutting a selection of Sue's faux Quilled flowers on a sheet of milk coloured foundation card.  I then used this waste piece as a mask and, using Vintage Photo distress Ink, I tinker through this mask onto another sheet of milk card.  I sit this to size and embossed it with the rows of bows A4 pinpoint embossing folder and rubbed the same DI over the top to show the pattern.




I then cut a large oval form this piece form Sue's Salzburg set then cut the next filigree die and a smaller oval from a piece of milk card to sit behind.  Next I stamped the sentiment onto a piece of Kraft card and simply foam mounted each piece over the next to give a dimensional card that moves inwards.

The spray of flowers is made using the petite vinery and the flowers I had cut earlier.  I edged the flowers with the DI and made them up into blooms by using several of the different sized flowers together with Cosmic Shimmer dries clear glue and a pearl centre.

simple (ish)!




Ingredients:
Sue Wilson's Dies - Salzburg
Faux Quilled Flowers
Petite Vinery
Rows of Bows embossing folder
Vintage Photo Distress Ink
Stick on pearls 5mm


Enjoy...

A Saturday Box, Hurrah!

Happy Different Saturday,

Well it faintly had to return to normal and I make a Box as my something different Saturday project again!  Now my long term followers and viewer will know that I have a love of making boxes but I haven't made one or shown it since my return to the UK.  Well now I have made 2 however the photos simply don't do them justice.

The first is a box for the Trifold card I made for Mondays Trifold screen card, if you missed it click HERE to see the original Card.  This style of card does not like an envelope and even the most careful Postman Pat could damage it so a box is required.  I made the box using the same die set from Sue Wilson's latest collection and I simply cut the filigree sections and made the piece into a lid.

The second Box is more complex and is for the Card I made in this post HERE.  Again this card requires a box for it as although its not delicate it can easily be squashed!

I started this box by cutting one of the French collection background die using coconut white foundation card and a double sided adhesive sheet.  I didn't cut the die cut in the centre of the sheet as being quite an intricate die it likes a lot of pressure to cut and my machine (all machines, even form the same brand, have different sweet spot and areas where intricate dies don't do as well)

  Therefore I cut it as a single piece especially as the double sided sheet adds extra difficulties sometimes as there are three layers to cut.  I then made a box lid and cut out a panel slightly smaller than the background die cut and attached the die cut at the back.  I had already made the lid out of a piece of card that had another double sided adhesive sheet attached.

Finally I pulled off the top sheets form the adhesive sheets and covered the whole box in microbeads. Its really hard to see this in the photo but it has a beautiful look in real life as it positively shines.

Enjoy...

The long and the tall of it...

Happy Christmas Friday,

strange title I think for today however there is a reason, both Sue and myself get emails form our American followers asking for smaller cards than we do.  I am a fan, as I am sure you know by now, of larger cards however our American friends like them on the smaller size.  Therefore I thought it would be good to show 2 versions of this card, one sized for the U.S. and one for us here in the U.K. and Europe.  I wanted to show that a large card can be finished simpler to make it smaller and cuter.  There is also another reason as not everyone likes large bows so by making the card smaller you cant put a large bow on it.

The first version is the smaller card which I have used as a header on the larger card below.my usual larger card.  I started by cutting Sue's Peace die in vintage gold foundation card however I discard the die cut itself and used the waste.  I left the waste pieces in the die along with the piece I cut it from.  I stuck the pieces down to a sheet of coconut card using a double sided adhesive sheet.  I then filled the gaps, what would originally of been the die cut with Iced snow.  Once complete I hand cut the sheet into the size you see.  The strange thing of this card is that when you hold it close to you it is hard to read the Peace, holding it at a distance shows the word perfectly, its such a shame you can't see it in real life to get this!

I mounted the die cut onto another piece of the vintage gold that I had covered, again using a Double sided adhesive sheet, with iced snow.  A few interspersing layers of the white and gold and he simple card finished.

Moving to the larger card All i effectively added was a large piece of vintage gold embossed with the CE Nordic Trees A4 embossing folder.  This was added to the back and was mounted in white before being finished with a thin layer of gold again.


Fibally I added a large bow made with gold silk crush ribbon, and a white pearl dazzler (large of course)

Ingredients:
Sue Wilson Peace Die
CE Nordic Trees A4 Embossing Folder 
Vintage Gold & Coconut White Foundation Card
Iced Snow
Gold Silky Crush Ribbon

Enjoy...

Simple stamping...

Happy Thursday,

I thought I would go with s simplistic card today that takes all its effects from stamping, colouring and hand cutting.  Yes there is no die cutting anywhere on this card.

I started by stamping the image, from the singles range by Creative expressions four times around a hand cut square of coconut foundation card in archival black ink.  Next I hand cut the centre out and coloured the flowers using a watercolour pencil and shaded the flowers by washing over with water.

The remainder is simply matting and layering to create a 21cm x 21cm square card (i use A3 card to create these large cards however you can join 2 sheets of A4 to get the same effect.  I stamped the sentiment, form the friends set by CE, in the aperture.  Finally I stamped the image once more on scrap card, coloured it the same way and cut of the flowers.  I added these to the frame around the aperture and finished.  A simple stamped affair that could make a beautiful card for anyone.

Ingredients:
Anemone Planter singles stamp
Coconut foundation card


Enjoy...

What More Christmas...

Happy Wednesday!

Sorry it;s another Christmas card I'm afraid, I know I didn't show any Christmas but looking back it's all I seemed to show last week!  Today's card is the last Christmas project on a Wednesday as This is the last card I made for the CE design team for September that was featured on Sue 's Christmas Die shows on C&C a few weeks ago.  I promise next week its different.

Today's card is a stamped and die cut bauble affair using the stamps to die for and the Outline bauble form the Vintage Bauble die set, again by Sue Wilson.  I simply stamped the image three times using perfect medium and embossed them with detail copper CE embossing powder.  I then coloured the edges with an old burgundy ink pad from my stash and cut n dry foam.

I mounted these, with foam pads, together in a set of the three onto a piece of burgundy card that I embossed through the quilted flower embossing folder.  I added a large bow in the matching grosgrain and a black dazzler in the centre.


The back panel is made by running double sided tape around a piece of the burgundy card and adding a matching bronze polished silk glitter.  A few hats of milk foundation card and another large piece of the embossed burgundy and one Christmas card is complete!

The Creative Expressions blog, click HERE for a look, has just changed its format placing all news in one post per day and includes the Design Team card(s) for that day.  AS Wednesday is my day I'd really appreciate it if you popped by and it should be easier to leave a comment!  for those of you on Facebook then there is a creative expressions page which you can like and see all my DT cards on, should you be a glutton for punishment.  Just search Creative Expressions in Facebook.

Ingredients:
Sue Wilson Vintage Bauble die set
Bauble stamp to die for from Creative Expressions
Quilted flowers A4 embossing folder (as above)


Enjoy...