On the Road

Someone once gave me the Jack Kerouac book "On the Road" and said "You should read this!.  I don't think I got past the first couple of pages.....
Despite being the sort who likes her "home comforts", I also love to travel and over the years I've been lucky enough to visit lots of wonderful places.  I used to even enjoy the whole "airport" experience - but now that is the part I hate most, it's thoroughly unpleasant and just reinforces my desire for a teleporter!
This week's theme on the Daring Cardmakers is set by our Inking Diva, Svenja and is all about Travel - just in case you hadn't guessed from the waffle, and it being Friday

It’s Svenja here and I’m asking you to look a little further this week as my challenge for you today is (come, sing with me):
"We are going on a summer holiday....."
It’s easy: Make a travel themed card, dream of faraway places, relax and enjoy!

I was all set to make s card with suitcases on it - until I realised why the idea had come so quickly - I'd already done that for a "Suitcase" themed challenge a year or two back...
So I thought I'd resurrect a camper van template which was  one of a summery set of Leo's fab Crafty Templates a while back to make a shaped card.

 

 Materials and Tools

Camper Van template from Crafty Templates

All papers  from "Come What May" by Funky Hand from the

 "Craft the Year Away" CD

SU flower punch, plain small circle punch

Inks, Glossy Accents, Pearls

I inked the base card behind the window apertures, then once it was all assembled added Glossy Accents to look like glass.
I cut some of the tiny flowers from scraps of the flowery paper to add some interest to the sides of the van and added flat-backed pearls to their centres

It took so long to think what to do that I ran out of time a bit - I was going to add some suitcases on a roof rack and maybe a few other holiday-related things on the grass in front of the camper van.  Ah well maybe that would be taking things a bit too far anyway.

Thats my lot for today,  I forgot to blog my first card for the July Sketch File LO earlier in the week, so I'll do that over the weekend.
Head over to the Daring Cardmakers Blog to see what the rest of the team have made for Svenja's challenge this week
Thanks for popping in today 

On Yer Bike!

 It's New Sketch Tuesday on The Sketch File and this is the first of my cards using the June sketch

Over the last few weeks I've been busy making cards using the current  Quirky Kit from Crafty Templates including this one.  I've been saving the gorgeous metal bicycle that came in the kit box for something like this.

 

June Sketch

The papers are all from the current Quirky Kit, as are the wire bicycle and

the fab chipboard letters. 

 I've a feeling that the narrow grey striped ribbon and even the bakers twine on the 

bunch of flowers are also from old kits

If I'm right, then the only non-kit bits are the tiny flowers

I've blogged this and a couple of other Kit cards over on the Quirky Kit blog today - I will get round to blogging the others here too, but don't wait - click HERE to visit the Quirky BLOG and check out the fabulous LOs, tips and ideas that Leo and Lythan have been sharing - it's a little goldmine of inspiration!
Go straight to the Crafty Templates/Quirky Kits Website by clicking HERE

Thank you for visiting today, back soon (well, that's the plan) with more.

Typography

I spend way too long looking through my font list for the right one to use on my projects.  I don't have hundreds of them because my OH says they slow the pc down - he doesn't really understand my fontaholic tendencies.  Since getting my new pc last year I've largely managed with the ones that came with it .  He did save my font library to the external hard drive and I've gradually been grabbing back those I needed.  This makes it sound as though I know what I'm doing.  I don't.  I get him to talk me through how to do things and I write down exactly in very basic terms the instructions.  I have a book with all these things written in it and one day I will sort it out so that I can actually find what I want quickly and easily.  Yes.  Of course I will - when I get one of those magic Round Tuit things
Anyway, I've had a great excuse for mucking about with fonts this week:because Leo has set a fab new challenge for us over on the Daring Cardmakers

'Typography'

I'd like you to use typography as the main basis for your card design. Typography is basically putting together letters and/or words to form an aesthetically pleasing or artistic design/arrangement. So you're making the letter/words the main establishment of your card.

Take a look at the fab cards the design team have come up with this week and if you need more ideas take a peek at Typography pins on Pinterest, http://pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=typography

I often use quotes with a variety of fonts to make sentiment panels for my projects so this time I wanted to do something a little different and use my Craft Robo to cut the lettering - for this reason I needed a short quotation.

The new set of Crafty Templates are out now and amongst them is a template for a lovely doodle-style cupcake, so I put a quotation, the template and some of the gorgeous goodies from the fab Quirky Kit (also from Crafty Templates) and made this card

 

From Crafty Templates/Quirly Kits: Cupcake with flowers template, most papers

Supplementary: Bazzill card in a Brick shade (background), plain pink, cream and black

Syickles in black, pink, turquoise and diamond, Gold Ice Stickles

Candle is hand cut

Fonts used

a, is,of, to; AR Cena

BIRTHDAY; AR Bonnie

nature's; AR Christy

WAY; justanotherfont

telling; Hobo Medium

YOU; Broadway

eat; AR Hermann

MORE; High Tower Text

cake!; AR Christy

* In some cases I "tweaked" the fonts so that they would cut better ie expanding the letters so that the lines were a little wider

* I cut all the words in black card as well as, and in the same size as the coloured and then matted together so that the hint of black helps "pop" the words from the page

* The cupcakes are raised on a couple of layers of chipboard scraps to give aded dimension 

Here's a closer look at the cute Crafty Templates Cupcakes:

 It's not a difficult card to make when you have a Craft Robo to do the hard work, but it did take quite a while to put together.  I actually used the desktop in Craft Robo to work out where everything would go on the card.  All you need to do is "draw" a big square then add your cutting templates into it and change the sizes, shapes until you get what you want.  Then you can use the "Position Settings" button to shrink everything to the size of your card/project.  Move all the bits to the side and start cutting.

That's all from me today  Please take a look at the DCM BLOG and also the Crafty Templates/Quirky Kits website and Blog, there's loads to see on both.

Thanks for visiting

Cheeky Little Monkeys!

It's Samm's turn to set the challenge for the Daring Cardmakers this week and this one is definitely a bit "off the wall"!, She says:

"...well, it's International Monkey Day today, 14th December, so what better way to celebrate than to set a challenge to include some   Monkeys  on your cards this week"

We also have a lovely treat for one lucky Linker to start 2013 off with a 

£10 Gift Voucher

to spend at

 Our last challenge of 2012 is on the 21st Dec, but  you'll be able to add links for this and next weeks' challenges right up to the first dare of 2013 going live on January 4th - that means you have three weeks to make a card for either (or both), add your links and be in with a chance of winning some lush new stash from The Ribbon Reel to get your new year crafting off to a flying start.

The team have come up with some fab cards - they are just amazing at rising to a challenge that initially makes you go "whhhhaaaaaa>"

My own first thought was to check out my "library" of templates from Crafty Templates - Leo often adds some really quirky designs to the kits so I checked back through the archives and found this "Monkey in a Tutu"!

I cut the various layers with my Craft Robo, mirroring some to make the back view of the monkey, then added a length of silver thread between the layers so that she twirls in the aperture.

I used:

Image: Monkey in a Tutu from Crafty Templates (September 2010)

Papers: Everyday Eclectic 6x6 (Echo Parl)

Bazzill Card (Brown, Ecru, Pink, Black, White

Silver thread

Dies: Spellbinders Nesties Circles, plain

Craft Robo: to cut the monkey and also the fluted circle background for the sentiment

PC generated sentiment

Visit  the Daring Cardmakers blog to see lots more cheeky little monkeys this week - we hope you'll join in and have a bit of fun with this challenge!

Thanks for visiting, Please come back soon - Don't forget you're welcome to join in with the aCaD  Daily Blog roll and leave a link to your crafting HERE

 

Colourful December

 Today is the first Friday of December and time for a Colour Combo Challenge on the Daring Cardmakers
This time Gez has chosen the combo and it's such a pretty palette of colours!

They may be a little unusual for a Christmas card, but the baubles in the photo inspired me to make some of my own
Here's my card

 I used:

Various Distress Inks to create the colours on a sheet of white card

Craft Robo to cut the fairy lights and baubles

Trees are cut using a Cuttlebug die 

Stars are cut with an EK Success

6 stars in a circle punch

Baker's Twine inked with darker green for the strings

Matching Stickles shades on the stars

Gold, White, Black gel pens

Gold thread

Glossy Accents

The lights and baubles are raised slightly on tiny scraps of cereal packet chipboard

This is our Inspiration Photo for this week's challenge:

And a bit of a closer look at the bits and bobs on my card

I've got a small amount of the coloured card left over - hoping there's enough to make a couple more cards using these gorgeous colours
You can see more cards made using these pretty shades over on the Daring Cardmakers blog, and we're hoping you'll be inspired to join in and make something to share with us this week.


Thanks for visiting, Please come back soon - Don't forget you're welcome to join in with our Daily Blog roll and leave a link to your crafting HERE

 

Happy Day

My card today is the last of those made with the most recent set of Crafty Templates, and joy of joys for once it's not a Cword card!

Materials and Tools

Heart Tree with Bird template: Crafty Templates

Papers, Memo card, Ribbon, Alpha stickers also from Crafty Templates

Buttons, Thread, Bakers Twine; from stash

Flower punch from Tonic

Not many birds out singing atm - they are all huddling somewhere trying to keep dry!
Hope you stay safe and dry this weekend
Thanks for visiting

Don't forget to leave a link to your crafting this weekend HERE

Lounge Lizard?

Just for a change it's not a Cword card today - shocking, what? :o
The latest set of Crafty Templates are out now, and this is one of the DT cards I made this time.  I did think about giving this guy a party hat and making his tongue into one of those party whistles with a feather on the end - I can't remember what they are called, but you get my drift.  Ok so that's a lie and I've only just thought of it right now...but...
It's another card with one of those "matchbox cover" hinge type things to make him stand away from the card.

I used:

Lizard template, Papers and Card from Crafty Templates
Ribbed Kraft Card for base (PDA Woodward)

large Googly Eye from stash 
Sentiment; pc generated

He reminds me just a little of this chap we saw on the beach where we stayed on Cayo Largo in Cuba

If you've not visited The Sketch File blog to see this week's update yet - then please take a minute to go and have a look.  It's a special showcase post introducing Brenda, who's new to the team and has made some fantastic cards with the November sketch

 

 And while I'm on a roll with plugging stuff - we'd love to see more people joining in with our a Card a Day Blogging mission -it's a rubbish title (sorry!) because it's not just for cards, and you don't have to post every day - really it's just a group of like-minded crafty people who are trying to encourage and support each other to craft...and to blog about what they've made.  Click HERE to visit the aCaD blog

That's all for today, thanks for visiting

Not Santa Baby but....

...Santa Cupcake!

This is one of my DT projects for the new Crafty Templates Kit which should be out soon.  OK so it wasn't really a Christmas themed template, but I couldn't resist making the "Moustache Cupcake" into a Santa Cupcake.  Probably because I'm so immersed in making Cword cards just now that every card HAS to be one.  I still haven't counted how many are in the "done" box as I'm sure I'll be disappointed that although I feel I've made a lot there aren't nearly as many there I want there to be!

Anyway  here is my Santa Cupcake

Materials and Tools

Crafty Temnplates Moustache Cupcake template

Bazzill card; Red, Black, Peach, White

Simple Stories "Handmade Holidays" papers

Scrap of silver card, Black Brads, Stickles

He's made to stand off the card using a "box" hinge, so that he folds fairly flat for putting in an envelope,  The box hinge is a bit like the cover section of a matchbox.

Thanks for visiting, I'm off now to catch up with my fellow crafty bloggers whose posts I've missed over the w/e

Crafty Templates Info HERE
aCaD Daily Crafty Bloggers HERE

Hello Sunshine

So far I'm managing to keep up with the "a Card a Day Blogging" - it's much easier to keep it going when there's a lovely supportive group leaving you messages, I can tell you that!  If you want to join in visit out Facebook group - or if you're not on FB just join in by leaving a message on here.

Today's card is the third of those I made for the Crafty Templates September Kit

I used:

Cloud and Sun template, all papers and ribbon from Crafty Templates

Tonic punch for Flower, Hand-cut stem and leaf, heart button from stash

Sentiment pc generated and printed directly on the card Font = Troutkings (I think)

Thanks for visiting

Lighting the darkness

Today's card is one of those made for the Crafty Templates September kit - yes, I've just realised that I've only remembered to blog one of them so far - so you can see one HERE and there's one more left for tomorrow....hehe

I was very much in a CAS mood with the last lot of templates - the images, along with the fab papers and other elements from the Quirky Kit (also available from Crafty Templates) just seemed to work really well on a clean white smooth card.

What better for a card with Chinese lanterns on than a Chinese proverb for the sentiment, which I kept simple by printing directly onto the card, roughly in the place I wanted it to be before adding the baker's twine and lanterns

I Used:

Smooth white card blank

All templates and papers from Crafty Templates

Black Bazzill card, black gel pen, Baker's Twine,

pc generated sentiment

That's it for today, I hope you like it

Vintage Glam

I've got a couple of projects using the latest set of Crafty Templates to share this time.  If you like a bit of Fifties style, then this set will suit you down to the ground.  There are Dresses, shoes, a pile of gorgeous hat boxes and all sorts of other templates which you can use in any way you like.
Leo always gives each design in a selection of sizes - usually 4 for each, so you can use them to make a shaped card, or use them as embellishments and toppers.

My favourite this time was this pile of hat boxes - I love hats and dream of storing those I have in a stack of glam boxes instead of the dull "shop" boxes you get when you buy those wedding hats!

All papers, plus Blank and White ribbon from from the Crafty Templates Quirky Kit "Tell me More, Tell me More"

Thin black cord for handles from my stash

The next card uses one of the dress templates.  The printed ticket-shaped card comes in the Quirky Kit and I thought it would make a great background for the dress topper - you can imagine that this is the sort of dress a doting mum would make for a daughter's special occasion. 

All papers, yellow ribbon ribbon, shaped background card, sentiment piece from from the Crafty Templates Quirky Kit "Tell me More, Tell me More"

Headed pin, sequin flower, buttons and twine from my stash

Find out more about Crafty Templates and Quirky Kits HERE

Thanks for looking

Hugs, Muffins and Flora Doodles!

Two posts in one week - whatever is the world coming to. hehe....

First up my DT cards made using the latest set from Crafty Templates.   This first one was my favourite - and I could just eat a chocolate chip muffin right now!

I've used 12x12 and 6x6 papers from Simple Stories "Documented" range for this one. 

 The cake part of the muffin is three layers of the template interspersed with some cereal packet chipboard so there's lots of dimension. 

The little letters are from the sheet you'll get if you invest in the "Crafty Goodies Kit"

I've used a Nesties labels die to cut the aperture, pleated a strip of paper for the cupcake case and used Glossy Accents to highlight the choccy chips - which are raised from the surface with tiny pieces of chipboard.

When I saw the Octopus template in this month's kit I thought initially of using some shirring elastic to have my octopus bouncing about in an "aquarium" aperture - but in the end, hearing of several friends having rough times at the moment I made a super-full-of-hugs card instead!

All of these papers, along with the tiny letters are from the Crafty Templates shop.  Among the papers I had to play with this time were some lovely Kesi'Art designs - I love the quality of these papers.

I made little box hinges to put on the backs of the octopuses (or should that be octopi? hehe), This means they fold almost flat for posting, but can be pushed out again so the images stand off the card.

As well as letters from the kit, I used some pc geneerated ones too - mainly because I realised that there wasn't room for the whole phrase to be added using the stick on letters.  

Ah! the virtue of forward planning - if only I had it!

Last up is one of Leo's lovely floral doodle designs

More papers and letters from Crafty Templates shop along with some seam binding, a Die-namics die, a Spellbinders die and lots of Glamour Dust glitter and Glossy Accents

I do love this flowery doodle template and it won't be long till it gts another "airing"

And now more photos from our recent trip down to Cornwall:

The old mines right on the coast were on Hubby's photo wish list, these are taken at the Levant Mines

St Michael's Mount was also on his go-to wish list.  The first photo was a stroke of luck - the view spotted while driving from the north coast, over the hills on the way back to Falmouth. Taken from high up and at a distance you get fields in the foreground - plus blue skies as it was a beautiful day!

Next day we went back to visit the island "properly".  The tide was out so we joined the tourist "ant" procession and walked along the causeway.  We weren't particularly interested in going into the castle itself, we just wandered around the grounds - I was a bit disappointed in the lack of flowers in the gardens, especially after seeing the gorgeous planting at Minnack. 

 This last one is looking back along the causeway to the mainland.  When the tide is in, little boats ferry visitors back and forth to the island.  It was pretty busy on the day we were there and the queues ro pay were horrendous.  I wish the NT would sort themselves out about getting people through their ticket offices, because it really doesn't help the enjoyment of lovely places when you have to stand for half an hour just to pay for a ticket. grrr.

Thanks for popping in, I hope you like the cards I've made and also seeing some more holiday photos  I'll add some more next time - you've been warned!

This and That

My crafting has been a bit lax lately so it's a good time for a bit of a catch up on things I've missed posting, and a quick update on our house refurbishment projects too

I meant to post the third of my Crafty Templates projects last week, but for some reason (I think it may have been the Time Thief's fault, I didn't get round to it (oh, couldn't we all use a round Tuit sometimes?)

I made this using the Tall Cupcakes template from the latest set of templates and papers from the gorgeous Crafty Goodies Kit.

I cut 2 copies of each "topping" section and cut one in a spiral shape. I used glue only on a small section of the spiral so that the rest could "ping" out from the card

 

I used:

Tall cupcakes template from April Crafty Templates

Papers from the Crafty Goodies Kit

Glossy Accents

Border Punches from EK Success and Martha Stewart

Back in March it was Niece Izzy's 18th birthday - I'm going to blog her card tomorrow, but I thought I'd pop some photos of the ribbony decoration I made to put on top of her gift box, today

I made a length of wrapping paper into a rosette, adhering it onto a piece of card for stability, then added lots of matching seam binding and flowers to make a frothy topper!  The silver spirals are a happy accident - I'd used this floristry wire stuff to hold it all together and was about to tuck all the ends out of sight when I thought I'd see if it was strong enough to hold a spiral shape - it was, and I love the way the silver lifts the rest of the bits and bobs

 All the flowers and ribbons are from the wonderful 

 Creative Treasures 

 - an online shop that is "just what it says on the tin!"!

The Building Update Bit:

 Well, after all these months, I'm (very) happy to say that the kitchen is finally finished!  The glass splash-back finally arrived and even fitted ;), and last week the last few bits and pieces were done to the cupboards etc. On Friday the last sockets were fitted and it was all done!

I'm just going to put one photo on here - but if you'd like to see more, then I've put loads of hubby's Kitchen Photo Shoot pics onto a dedicated "Finished Kitchen" board on Pinterest which you can visit by clocking HERE.

There are still jobs to do in the other areas we were altering. As I write, the decorator is busy touching up those bits in the new cloakroom and hallway that needed it and prepping the new hall coats cupboard for painting,  He's also going to be doing some extra painting work we've had time to think of since he was last here - you know how it is with those ever-expanding "jobs to do" lists!  We've ordered a new bookcase for my cookery books, and chosen the new carpets and booked the fitters - all this means that the end is in sight - at least for waving "goodbye" to the various builders, tilers, painters, fitters etc.  I will still have a mountain of stuff to put away before the various rooms regain their proper use after months of being "storage" spaces though.

Actually, it might be nice to get someone in to do that job too.....I wonder if "sorter-outerers" exist?

That's it for now

I just need to find room for the stuff I've dumped on my craft desk and then I can get busy on my crafting to-do list for this week....

Thanks for visiting