Father's Day Rosette Card

With Father's Day next week, I thought I would share a really quick and easy Father's Day Card Idea, that none the less looks very effective.

Card Recipe:

Tools: Tonic Studios Indulgence Tea Party Square Base Die, Round Window Pour Me Die and Family Sentiments Die Pack, Scallop Circle Layering Dies, Grand Calibur, Super Trimmer 
Paper and Card: Linen card, Stardream
Embellishments: Crystal Rhinestones

To make my filigree card base, I used the new Indulgence Tea Party Square Base Die following my Filigree Card Base Tutorial. This just makes such a delicate but striking card base.  Just because it's a card for a man, doesn't mean it can't have a little bit of bling, with some topaz coloured crystal rhinestones.

For the topper, I used the outer circle from the Pour Me dies. Then I cut a 3cm wide strip of card from the same card as I had used for the card base and scored it using the Super Trimmer to create a concertina fold.  The rosestte is created by simply glueing the two ends together, then pushing it flat and adhering to the card.  I covered the hole in the middle with a small scallop circle.

Finally, I used the Dad from the Family Sentiments Dies.

Hope you all have a great weekend! Pin It Now!

Fruit of the Vine Men's Card

My Dad spent a lot of his working life in the wine trade, so what could be more apt than this card for his birthday.  Cheers! 

Card Recipe:
Stamp: Stamps Happen Wine Collage
Colouring Mediums: Memento Black Ink, Promarker Pens, Flexmarkers,
Paper and Card: Creative Imaginations, Textured, Joanna Sheen's Elegance Satin
Tools: Tonic Studios Gothic Square Die Set, Tonic Studios Gothic Border Punch, Tonic Studios Verdant Vines Die, Corner Rounder, Grand Calibur
Embellishments: Raffia, Buttons, Twine, Glossy Accents
The main image is stamped with a Wine Collage stamp by Stamp Happens - it's actually an oblong, but I just chopped off one end to make it square shape as that's really what I needed for my card.

I coloured the image with Promarkers and washed the background with Flexmarkers (you just can't see that in the photo though). Finally, I used glossy accents over the glass bottles and wine glasses (again, really difficult to pick up in the photograph).

This stamped image has a very peculiar graphic in the bottom left corner, I have no idea what the artist meant if to be, so I just stuck my sentiment over it!

My corners are (appropriately) cut using Tonic Studios Verdant Vines corner dies to echo the wine feel of the card, and topped one off with this grapes on the vine button that I've had in my stash for years.

The wine papers are also old stash, from Creative Imaginations, I think that they work really well on this card.  

Some raffia and buttons tied through with twine add so additional accenting to the card.



I'd like to enter this card into the following challenge:
Moving Along with the Times - Birthday Boy











So here's one final look

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Clean & Simple Monochrome Window Scene Christmas Card

This card is most definitely a departure from the norm for me!  It's the launch of the new theme over on an Oldie but A Goodie Challenge and this fortnight it's Clean and Simple Christmas.  I've also got details of an exciting competition from Tonic Studios with a chance to win a prize worth £300.

Card Recipe:
Stamp: Kanban
Colouring Mediums: Versamark Black Ink
Paper and Card: Neenah White, Crafter's Companion Matt Black
Tools: Tonic Studios Window Die, Tonic Studios Christmas Sentiments, Embossalicious Embossing Folder
Embellishments: rhinestone crystal!

The main image is a Kanban set of stamps, the deer are separate to the main tree image, and I used a masking technique to stamp the baby deer so she appears to be peeking out from behind the tree.  I think that little baby deer is just sooo sweet!

Isn't this just such a gorgeous image?  It's really suited to a CAS card, as it just doesn't need adornment.

The window is one of my favourite dies from Tonic Studios, I'm currently going through a phase of window scene cards, I think they are so effective.  I didn't use acetate on this occasion, as I've kept the feel of the card quite matt.  I think that this would definitely be a suitable card for a man.

I made my main mat using Crafter’s Companion Regency Damask 8" Embossalicious Embossing Folder.  It's very hard to pick up embossing on matt card in photography, I hope you can see it here.  I very much like this range of 8" embossing folders, they are the perfect size for me, and this particular pattern is one I reach for time and again.

I finished the card off with a simple sentiment cut with one of my Tonic Christmas Cracker Sentiment dies and just a few tiny crystals to accent the holly berries.

So I have two exciting competitions to let you know about and what's great is you could combine entries into both with just one card.  

So first of all, do pop over to an Oldie but A Goodie and join in with our Clean & Simple Christmas Card Challenge for the chance to win a $21 prize from Bugaboo Digi Stamps.

Secondly, Tonic Studios have just announced a fabulous prize competition on their Facebook page, with the chance to win £300 of Tonic products.  Take a look at the Tonic Studios Card Competition here.

There are different rules for each competition so do check them out.  For example, for an Oldie but a Goodie Challenge, I've used the following items that are over 6 months old on my card: Embossing Folder, Stamp, Window Die, Ink Pad, cardstock, crystals.  For the Tonic Studios Card Competition, you need to use a Tonic product and I used my Tonic Window Box Die, Tonic Christmas Sentiment Dies and my Tonic Super Trimmer.  Obviously, I'm not entering (not allowed) but I do hope you will join in the fun on both challenges.  Here's one last look at my CAS Christmas Card.....

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Football Men's 70th Birthday Card

This week's card combines a Men's Football 70th Birthday card with a review of the new Loopy Lace Verso Die Set and Punch from Tonic Studio's.

Card Recipe:
Stamp: Crafter's Companion
Tools: Tonic Studios Loopy Lace Die Se, Loopy Lace Border, Grand Calibur, Cameo Silhouette
Colouring Mediums: Promarker Pens, Momento Ink Pads, Versamark
Paper and Card: HOTP, Neenah, Stardream
Embellishments: Buttons, Metal Corners, Pearl Gold Embossing Powder

Despite this die set being named Loopy Lace, I actually don't think that it's overly froufrou or feminine, so I've used it on a Men's Birthday card (which I find can be a bit tricksy, don't know about you?).

The largest die in the Loopy Lace Die set is approx 11.5cm x 14.5cm, the perfect size to be a frame for many stamped images.  So if like me, you love to stamp your card's focal point, then this die set will prove to be very useful.  I cut the oval of stamping card using my Cameo Silhouette, so was able to create the perfect match for my die cut frame.

This birthday card was a commission for a 70th Birthday Card for an ex-West Ham footballer.  I wanted a football themed image but something a bit fun, not just a football shirt or boots, and Crafter's Companion's Popcorn Bear fitted the bill perfectly!  It has been stamped onto Neenah cardstock and coloured with Promarker Pens.  I also 3D- decoupaged the football, so it looks like it's in-flight.

The medium size die makes a super frame for a sentiment or message, and makes a lovely change from a scalloped circle! And the coordinating border punch is so easy to line up, as per usual from Tonic.  Here I've punched along the top and bottom of an offcut of Startdream cardstock.  You can also see here clearly the difference in result from die cutting (which also gives an embossed finish) and punches (which give a flat finish).  

I used my Silhouette Cameo to cut out the 70 from claret coloured cardstock from my stash.

I don't have a lot of gold-tone embellishments in my stash (and by not a lot, I think I mean none!) - but I wanted something to "finish" the corners of this card.  So I took some white metal star corners, dabbed them with Versamark ink, covered them in pearl gold embossing powder and heat set them (be careful if you do this too, the metal gets very hot under the heat gun, so I did this on my Tonic Glass Mat and left it to cool for a good 5 mins before touching them).  It needed two layers of pearl gold embossing powder to completely hide the underneath colour, but I like the old-gold finish - not too glitzy.



Here's one final peek, I think Tonic Studios have "hit the back of the net" with this lovely die set!

Thank you for visiting and Happy Crafting! Pin It Now!

Autumnal House Mouse Big Apple-tite

Autumn is my favourite season. I know that the Summer is fab but I just love Autumn, the colours, the leaves, the Harvest!  This time last year, I was lucky enough to be visiting the wonderful Autumn colours in New England, so this is my homage to the arrival of Autumn!

Card Recipe:
Stamp: Joanna Sheen House Mouse
Tools: Tonic Studios Elegant Vine Square Die Se, Gothic Border, Tim Holtz Paper Distresser  Grand Calibur
Colouring Mediums: Promarker Pens, Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pads
Paper & Card: My Mind's Eye, Parchment, mulberry paper, Satin Elegance
Embellishments: Raffia, String, Baker's Twine, Sheer Ribbon, Buttons, Skeleton Leaves

Do you recognise the die set that I've used as a mat for the main focal image?   Yes, it's the Tonic Studios Elegant Vine Square Die Set.  Previously I've cut the top die from vellum and laid it over a pattern card, this time, I've cut the filigree layer in patterned card and layered it over a semi-translucent textured mulberry paper.

Plus, you'd never know that there is a tag in the centre of this die set, my focal image hides it completely, those clever, versatile Verso dies!

Do you find it difficult to shabby things up?  I know I do!  However, I've been playing with my Tonic Studios Tim Holtz Paper Distresser and had a good go at distressing all my edges, before inking them up with Tea Stain Distress Ink.  I think I like the effect, what do you think?

You can also see the edge I've punched with my Simplicity Gothic Border Punch - I think it works great on men's cards.



This card is also my Design Inspiration over an Oldie But A Goodie Challenge of us Dies and Punches.  So, the "Oldies" that are over 6 months old on this card are:
My Mind's Eye Card ● Buttons ● Twine ● Raffia ● String ● Ink Pads ● Elegance Satin Stamping card ● Promarker Pens ● Skeleton Leaves ● Mulberry Paper

Here's one last look....

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:
Cards for Men - String It Up

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Anna Griffin Hanoka Koi Card

Hello all, I'm a little bit late in posting my design team piece for an Oldie But A Goodie Challenge as last week I had to post sneak peeks of the new Tonic Christmas Dies, but hey ho, better late than never, and I did have my card ready in time to be posted onto the Oldie But A Goodie Blog.  The latest challenge is Boys/Male Cards and runs until Monday 19th August. So dust out your old stash (you need to use at least one thing on your project that is over 6 months old - one of the reasons I absolutely love this challenge blog).

Card Recipe:

Focal Image: Anna Griffin Hanoka Die Cuts

Colouring Mediums: Promarker Pens

Paper & Card: Anna Griffin, Stardream
Tools: Martha Stewart Punch Around the Page, Spellbinders, Grand Calibur, corner rounder

Embellishments: double satin ribbon, Chinese charms, brad

To make this card, I used a Martha Stewart punch around the page kit to cut the base in black stardream card.  I thought that the cane-style pattern went perfectly with the Chinese-themed Anna Griffin Hanoka papers and die cuts.  I also punched out some long strips of stone coloured pearlescent cardstock, which I used to edge the larger spellbinders Labels 1  mat.  To make these straight strips curve around the corners, I just snipped into them with scissors.

I made the lucky coin charms by attaching double satin ribbon to some coin charms that I had in my stash, and used a jump ring to make the fish charm which I then attached with a brad.

I made this card for my Uncle's 75th birthday, he keeps Koi Carp, so this Hanoka range by Anna Griffin was perfect for his card.  And as everything used on this card was from my stash and over 6 months old, it was perfect for an Oldie But A Goodie Challenge - Boys/Male card.
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Poker Face Saucy Birthday Card

As soon as I saw this Poker Face Stamp, I knew I had exactly the right embellishments and papers to go with it (from a very old Kanban Men's Kit that I had unused in my stash). So, this mixture of old and new made the perfect match for my fortnightly Design Team card for An Oldie But  A Goodie Challenge and I couldn't wait to use it.  This fortnight our theme has been chosen by the lovely Helen, so get your needles primed, as the theme is Stitching. 

 

 

Card Recipe: 
Stamp: Crafter's Companion Frou Frou Poker Face
Colouring Mediums: Memento Black Ink Pad, Antique Linen Distress Ink Pad, Promarker Pens
Paper & Card: HOTP, Neenah, Stardream, Kanban, Linen
Tools: Tonic Studios Love Birds & Scrolls Die Set, Tonic Studios Doily Strip Punch, Grand Calibur

Embellishments: Double Satin Ribbon, Glossy Accents, Kanban die cuts, Bramwells Crafter's Cord

 

To make this card, I stamped the main image twice onto Neenah Classic stamping card, but I also stamped the pouffe onto a piece of HOTP striped paper.  I cut this out and layered it over my base image.  Then I decoupaged the lady over the top of both layers.  The image is, of course, coloured with Promarkers, and then I distressed around the image with Antique Linen ink pad.

I printed the birthday sentiment and the Oscar Wilde quote out from my computer, and mounted the former onto the Scroll die cut from the Tonic Love Birds & Scrolls Die, and the latter onto one of the card die cuts from my Kanban playing cards topper sheet.

I stitched around both main mat layers with using my Tim Holtz Pricking Ruler and Bramwells metallic Crafter's Cord.  I also used the versatile Love Birds Die Set for the scalloped heart tucked behind the main image.  After I had die cut it from red linen cardstock, I used a craft knife to trim away the love birds to reveal a lovely heart.  You may just be able to see that I accented the embossed heart at the top with glossy accents.

I choose my colour scheme to co-ordinate with the Kanban Playing Card backing paper, a very sassy Red Linen cardstock and a hot, summery Gold Stardream pearlescent card.

Please pop over to the main Oldie But A Goodie Challenge Blog to check out the gorgeous inspiration from my lovely DT buddies. To enter the challenge yourself, you can make anything you like Card, ATC, L/O etc as long as it fits in with the theme and that you use something on your project that is over 6 months old.  My "oldies" are all my paper and card stock, colouring mediums,  ribbon and thread.  I'm sure you've also got lots of stash to use up too!

Challenges I would like to enter are:
Crafts & Me - Something Old (Everything apart from Dies and stamp are over 6 months old)

Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes

 

Thanks for popping by to see me today - you are always welcome - and I always look forward to reading any comments you may leave.

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Father's Day Gift Tag & Bottle Tag Set

With Father's Day looming, I've made this matching gift tag & bottle tag, to fully co-ordinate with my Bunting & House Mouse Father's Day Card.

Project Recipe:
Stamps: Joanna Sheen House Mouse, LOTV sentiment
Colouring Mediums: Encore Ultimate Metallic Ink Purple, Memento Cocoa, Promarker Pens
Paper & Card: DCWV, Conqueror, Elegance Satin, Textured Pearlescent
Tools: Tonic Studios Butterfly Beautiful Die Set, Grand Calibur, Spellbinders, Silhouette Cameo
Embellishments: Creative Expressions Bakers Twine, Button, Brads, Beads, Wire

To make the Bottle Tag, I created the base shape on my Cameo Silhouette, by merging a circle and rectangle, and then adding another circle, I then used the offset tool to cut out the patterned paper layer. 

I echoed elements from my Father's Day card by using the same Tonic Studio's label die shape and another House Mouse Stamp from the same set as the card.  It tickled my sense of humour that the House Mouse was giving a present of Cheese as a gift on my Bottle Tag - making it a Cheese & Wine Tag (boom, boom!  Ok, pretty "cheesey" joke).  I made the little "Dad" embellishment with some yonks-old alphabet beads, a couple of glass spacer beads and some pretty lilac wire that I twizzled.  I stitched on th button with Baker's Twine using a pretty hefty darning needle.

The gift tag was made from the same Tonic Studio's label die shape, layered up and folded in two.  Again, echoing the main card, I used the same Happy Father's Day stamp, but reversed the colours on the cardstock so that the tag shape was cut from yellow textured card and the stamp mat in lilac.

So, this Gift Tag and Bottle Tag co-ordinate perfectly with my Father's Day Card:

I am entering this project into the following challenges:

ABC Challenge - Open
Anything Goes - Father's Day

Cards For Men - Dad

Craft-room Challenge - Use your Scraps
Crafts & Me - Something Old (Everything apart from Label Die is over 6 months old)

Creative Card Crew - Punches/Dies

CountryViewCrafts - Die Cuts

Fashionable Stamping - Tag Time
House Mouse & Friends - Father's Day
 I ♥ ProMarkers - All Stitched Up
Love to Create - Father's Day
Paper Crafting Journey - Masculine Cards

Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes
Pile it On - Stripes and/or Plaid

Really Reasonable Ribbon - Masculine with Ribbon or Trim

Simon Says Stamp - Father's Day
Simply Create Too - Father's Day

I hope that you like my Father's Day projects, let me know what you think, I love to read your comments!

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Bunting & House Mouse Card for Father's Day

One of the things I love about House Mouse stamps is that they are so versatile, you can use them for cards for men, women and children. As my Dad rather enjoys all my baking, this cupcake house mouse image is perfect for this year’s Father’s Day Card!

Also, I’m really chuffed to report that I amonce again appearing as Guest Designer on this Sunday’s new challenge over on the lovely Joanna Sheen’s Challenge Blog. I the new theme is spots and stripes, and this is the card I’ve designed for my guest slot!

Card Recipe:
Stamps: Joanna Sheen House Mouse, LOTV sentiment
Colouring Mediums: Encore Ultimate Metallic Ink Purple, Memento Cocoa, Promarker Pens
Paper & Card: DCWV, Conqueror, Elegance Satin, Textured Pearlescent
Tools: Tonic Studios Butterfly Beautiful Die Set, Tonic Studios Doily Strip Punch, Grand Calibur, Spellbinders, Sewing Machine
Embellishments: Creative Exprerssions Bakers Twine, Button, Brads

To make the “DAD” Banner, I used the smaller label die in the Tonic Studios Butterfly Beautiful Die Set and cut out three labels in textured pearlescent card and three more in patterned paper. I trimmed down the outer edge on the patterned paper die cuts so that they created a perfectly sized mat for the card labels, and layered them together. I then scored the top of each of these labels and threaded them onto some Baker’s Twine, before securing with a brad, to create a bunting.

I threaded another piece of Baker’s Twine through the border I cut from my Tonic Studios Doily Strip Punch. I love this punch, it’s just perfect to lace through with ribbon or, in this case, Bakers Twine.

My image is from the House Mouse Ice-Cream stamp Plate, stamped with Memento Cocoa Ink, coloured with Pro-Markers and decoupaged. I also used a Promarker to create the Polka Dot pattern on the cup-cake wrapper, to nicely echo one of my patterned papers.

I've also being trying to get to grips with my Sewing Machine.  It was a birthday gift about 6 years ago, but I am very challenged in the sewing dept :( and after a disasterous first go, gave up.  However a lovely crafting friend has inspired me to have another go, so I used the machine to accent this card.  I will get better, but at least I've had a go!









I am entering this card into the following challenges:
ABC Challenge - Open
Cards For Men - Dad
Craft-room Challenge - Use your Scraps
Creative Card Crew - Punches/Dies
CountryViewCrafts - Die Cuts
CutiePie Challenge - 3-2-1 (3 tails, 2 mice, 1 sentiment)
LEJ Designs - Celebrate
Paper Crafting Journey - Masculine Cards
Passion For ProMarkers - Add Ribbon, Lace or Twine
Pile it On - Stripes and/or Plaid
Really Reasonable Ribbon - Masculine with Ribbon or Trim
Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes
Simply Create Too - Bingo (O)

Do let me know what you think of this card, I love to read your comments! Pin It Now!