Help…I need therapy!

I’m addicted to mini cards!


Today’s little card is using a sketch from a fun new online course.I’m always playing around at trying to do CAS (clean and simple) cards but my creative head wants to layer, so when I saw this class I knew I had to sign up.


This card uses a sketch by Kristina Werner and involves a masking technique.

I masked the card and stamped my Hero Arts woodgrain stamp onto the pink cardstock with a red ink.  I then added a white dotted line around the inside edge.  I stamped and embossed the Paper Smooches sentiment in white.  The Martha Stewart butterflies were cut out of pink cardstock that I’d added red ink too. Because the cardstock is slightly textured it didn’t pick up in all of the areas which gave a great textured look.  To finish I added some small black pearls.

I'm adding this one into the Wee Memories challenge too, I just cannot get enough of these mini cards!

Have fun!

More pink!

Hi again!

My Florence Nightingale duties continue, but I am still managing to make a few cards in between my nursing ;o) My man is now on the mend, home safe and sound, which is the main thing. He just needs to behave, and know that it's ok just to rest! Mind you, I think he has lost the plot actually.  I was typing at my desk earlier and I saw a fairly small (but too big for me to get rid of) spider run up the wall.  I asked if he would remove it for me, and because he couldn't see it he said, 'Are you sure it was a spider?'  Hmmm, now let me think... it was black with lots of legs, it moved.  Umm, yes it was a spider lol.  Funny! 

I've had a bit of time to look at some of the tutorials I'd saved for reading. I've learnt how to make spiral flowers thanks to Rae Barthel's tutorial, ruffled ribbon thanks to Ashley Cannon Newell's tutorial, layered and looped ribbon thanks to Nichole Heady, and many other little bits and bobs. I've had a few of those, 'why didn't I think of that, it's so obvious' moments, which have been quite funny!  I've yet to make a card using Nichole's ribbon technique, but I will :o) Thanks so much for the inspiration ladies!

Ok, so what do you think of this card?  It's not my normal style, but I was asked to make a pink card, with butterflies and bling, very girly and I guess romantic because it was from a partner to his girlfriend.  I can't make my mind up if I like it or not.  Ian and Tink think it's lovely, so does my Mum, but do they count?  They all think I'm amazing (well, why wouldn't they?!! ;o) ) so I'm not sure.  Would love to hear what you think about it!  I've shown you the inside of the card too.  I don't normally do much with the inside, and in actual fact at the beginning of the year I did say I would start doing something, so I just kept it quite plain and simple.  Another thing off my to do list!  I am in LOVE with those yummy spiral flowers though!  They are fun to make and pretty too!

I also made this card for the Clean and Simple FTL #89 sketch this week, where I played with Ashley's ruffled ribbon technique, that was great fun to do too, quite therapeutic actually! 

Have a fun evening!

ps - just in case you were wondering - he did find the spider, and very nicely removed it for me!

Terracotta Butterflies

Hey there

How is your week going? It's been busy here so far, but we're halfway to the weekend now so I get to create and play more then, yay!

Here is a card that I made for the Clean and Simple Challenge FTL #83 this week. I have had my eye on this paper for AGES, but whenever I've tried to do something with it the card has looked a little bit too busy, if you know what I mean. So using the clean and simple challenge this week I decided to just cut the butterflies out and add them to a card.

I'm not sure if you can see, but I embossed the black behind the panel.  It needed a bit more oomph!

1. Cut out black card for base and emboss using Sizzix embossing plate (this is the one that came with the machine so I'm not sure what it's called), adhere to white card stock base
2. Cut out a terracotta rectangle, and a smaller white rectangle.
3. Stamp the sentiment on the white rectangle, add a couple of K & Co stamped butterflies to finish and layer as shown above.
3. Cut out a strip using the Martha Stewart border punch, attach to terracotta border before pop dotting the panel and adhering to the card
5. 'Fussy cut' three butterflies from Basic Grey paper, pop dot two on the top panel, stick the third one directly onto the black card, attach gems to give it a bit of bling!

Dies: Sizzix (purple) embossing folder
Stamps: K & Co Amy Butler Lotus Greeting Stamps (butterfly and sentiment)
Paper:Basic Grey 'Ambrosia - Winsome', terracotta, black and white Bazzill cardstock
Accessories: Martha Stewart doily lace punch, swarowski gems

I just went over to get the links for the card at CAS, and noticed that my card is similar to Heather Pulverenti's.  I remember seeing it once when I first saw the design, but must have subliminally picked up her idea of butterflies and 'thinking of you' sentiment.  Oops, sorry Heather, I didn't do that intentionally!!  It's only now I've come to post it that I've realised.  Do any of you do that?  Sometimes I look through SO many images (usually when I've got a bit behind in my Google Reader!) that I end up combining ideas without even realising.  Isn't the power of the mind scary?!  That's why I try not to watch all of those chocolate adverts that come on between breaks on TV, I then have an obsession with whatever chocolate it is they are advertising and want to rush out and buy it lol.

That's it from me for today.  I do have a few more cards to share, so will be popping back soon when I can squeeze in five minutes!  I will also be sharing my new card for this week's Play Date Cafe Challenge.  Don't forget to play along!

Top 5 - Get Sketchy, Card of the Week & More Challenges!

Hi there everyone

I am SO excited! I made the Top 5 over at Get Sketchy on Saturday! I only found out last night by accident! I had noticed some traffic from there coming to my blog and wondered why, then saw my card listed as one of the Top 5. Woohoo!!!! That's the first challenge I've ever achieved anything in. Then when I was looking through Card of the Week and Best of the Blogosphere(13 -20 Feb) I came across another one of my cards, this one here that I made for the Clean and Simple Challenge.   It must be my week! Wow! I had made a New Year's resolution to keep trying challenges with the hope that I would achieve something in one of them this year! Yay!!!!!! I'm SUCH a happy girl, can you tell?!!!

Ok, so enough of that, here are a few more cards that I'd like to share with you. I've been in the mood for making cards this past couple of weeks, as you can probably tell :o)

This first card is for Card Patterns Sketch #52. Unbelievably I am early with this challenge. I know, can you believe it?!! I can't! As soon as I saw this sketch I knew I just had to dig out my Early Bird papers again. Ooh, they are SO yummy! This sketch was fun.   Sorry about the photo, I took it quite late at night, but have posted it now to a friend so didn't get chance to rephotograph it in better lighting.  Despite trying to brighten it in PSE it's not coming up any better.

The funny thing with this sketch was that I rounded the corners of the little squares so that each one was different to the next, only to then remember that my two panels would cover them anyway, so you wouldn't see them lol.

I made this card for the Clean and Simple Challenge FTL#79 this week.    I have fallen in love with this site, it's fab!  The card is self explanatory, all Early Bird papers and accessories by Cosmo Cricket.  All I did was ink all edges with Tim Holtz distress ink.

I also made this card using the same sketch, although I'm not that sure about it. It doesn't quite work for me somehow, but I can't put my finger on what's wrong with it or whether it's just everything lol. The paper is just so cute though, it had to be used!

After I did these though I realised that neither of them have actually been stamped.  Oh well, I have been having fun doing them :o)  Does using distress ink count as being stamped lol?!! 

I have more to share with you later this week. 

Oh yes... Did I tell you I made the Top 5?!!!! ;o)