Baby girl

This is a terrible photo of my baby girl card.  You will  have to trust me that it really did look better in real life.  The stamp is one from the Big News set.  These stamps are obviously quite large, which is sometimes a good thing as you don't have to worry too much about filling all the blank space.  The little shoes are another stamp from the Baby We've Grown set, cause I can't always use that cute little rabbit. 

 

New Baby

It seems that August is the month for new babies around here.  There have been three in the last couple of weeks somehow connected with our family; two boys and a little girl.  

This was a card made for the grandparents of one of those boys.  Some patterned paper I found hidden in a box which went perfectly with some Stampin' Up cardstock to create a very subtle and (in my opinion) quite elegant looking card.  And I used my favourite seam binding ribbon which ties beautifully and always looks good. 

Looks like this is a week for retired products.  Sorry about that.  I don't own all that many stamps, ..... yet.  

I was reading a forum the other day where people were discussing how many Stampin' Up sets they owned.  I think the most (that anyone admitted to) was 485.  I couldn't believe that one person could own so many.  Imagine the space they would take up.  And it would be so hard to choose which set to use each time.  So no, I really don't have that many, mine wouldn't even reach 50.  But back to the card.  

It's a spinner card for my niece's 2nd birthday. 

Our Wedding Anniversary

Today my husband and I celebrate our 25th Wedding Anniversary.  Sometimes it seems like we have been married a lot longer than 25 years, but then again, at other times it feels like it wasn't that long ago.  

We haven't given each other an anniversary card for a few years, but 25 is something worth celebrating, and as I am a card maker I thought I really should make something to tell him I still love him.  So, here is my card for my hubbie.  FYI - You have to work with what you own.  Don't judge.

 

Female birthday card

Now it's time for the female birthday card.  

My card today uses the Blended Bloom stamp, which was originally designed to be coloured with Blendabilities.  I was never really any good at colouring with these, and I'm still working on my skills with blender pens, so I decided to stamp in VersaMark and then heat emboss in white.  I prefer sponging with daubers, so that's how I created a little depth with my image here.  I also pulled out the scoring board to score a few lines in the background and then added Crumb Cake leaves behind the flower.  The "Happy" is from one of my latest purchases, the "Hello You Thinlits, which I bought in the bundle with "Crazy About You" stamp set.  I'm not too sure how much use I'll get from these thinlits (other sentiments include hello, thanks and you), but I guess you find out if you keep looking.  

Male birthday card

Here's another birthday card that's relatively easy to make and looks pretty good too.  I can't remember whose design it is, or even find where I pinned it, so cannot give them direct credit.  So, if this is your card, thanks. 

 

And this is my card.  Firstly, I didn't have the same DSP so had to find a substitute for that, and then I didn't have the same coloured cardstock.  And I also didn't have the original designer's skill at photography.  

It was relatively easy to make.  Just a strip of DSP, then a slightly larger strip of white cardstock, then a larger strip of black cardstock, stuck down in the centre of the card.  Two different sized stars cut out, with a bit of paper piercing around the larger star and a sentiment placed across the star. 

  

 

Why don't you have a go and make your own version? 

A butterfly birthday

We're back to a birthday card today, this time for one of my aunts.  

Over the holidays I got together with some of my stamping buddies and one of them kindly brought along their Swallowtail stamp for me to have a play with.  Swallowtail is one of the stamps I always wanted to buy, but for some reason haven't gotten yet.  Maybe it's the size of the image that puts me off, but anyway, it was great to get the opportunity to try it out.  As you would imagine, I stamped off a lot of butterflies that day and this card came together after the event.  I'm into sponging at the moment, so my butterfly was sponged in Crushed Curry, Pool Party and Indigo Island, cut out and then popped through a "window" in the front of the card.  The hardest part was then trying to find some patterned paper for the inside - it had to be subtle and not overshadow the butterfly.  And isn't that a beautiful sentiment on the front.  It's one of the Hostess stamps in Stampin' Up's catalogue, and it really added something special after being heat embossed in white.  

I'll have a few more Swallowtail cards to show in the next couple of weeks. 

Bon Voyage

Lately, it seems like almost everyone I know is away on a holiday, just been on a holiday or planning a big holiday.  Ever get the feeling fate is trying to tell you to do something? Maybe one day it will be us.  

My card today is a bon voyage card made for a friend who recently traveled around parts of Europe on a cruise, and had a fantastic time away.  I had to make something quickly (cause once again I left it to the last minute), and I was disappointed to find I don't own a stamp that says something along the lines of "happy holiday" or "bon voyage".  Will have to try and rectify that in the future as I know I am going to need it again soon.  Without a sentiment my card looks a little bare, but its meaning couldn't be mistaken.