Happy Birthday to You

I've made this birthday card with lots of snippets and as the card is to be posted overseas I've made a stencilled background rather than a layered one to reduce postage costs.

To make this card I used:
     6" x 6" white matt card blank
     My Favorite Things 'Inside & Out Stitched Circle STAX Die-namics', My Favorite Things 'Fishtail Flags' and Lawn Fawn 
     'Happy Birthday Border' dies
     Circles Stencil (this is unbranded but I think it was a cover gift with a magazine)
     Versamark ink
     Cosmic Shimmer Clear Detail embossing powder
     Snippets of dark blue, medium blue and pale blue textured card and white matt card 

I placed the stencil onto the front of the card blank, applied Versamark ink through the circles and then embossed it with clear embossing powder.  I die cut the three circles from the dark, medium and pale blue textured card using the stitched die.  These were layered and then cut in half.  I die cut the fishtail flag from a snippet of white card - cutting the first half and then moving the die to the other end of the flag so I could get a 'V' in both ends.  As the card was quite thin I glued it onto another piece of white card and trimmed around the edge.  I die cut the sentiment from dark blue textured card and attached it across the centre of the flag.  I placed the half circles onto the upper part of the card front - leaving a small gap between the two pieces so the sentiment banner wouldn't cover too much of the inner circle.  To ensure the banner lay flat across the card I trimmed another snippet of white card and inserted it in to the gap between the circles.  To finish I attached the banner across the centre.

I am entering the following challenges:
     Allsorts - Cold and Ice (I've used cold colours and the embossed dots look like ice)
     Ally's Angels - Anything Goes
     As You Like It - Anything Goes (I love die cutting, especially when I've been able to make a card entirely from my 'snippets mountain'!)
     Happy Little Stampers Anything Goes With Dies - December Challenge
     Happy Little Stampers Birthday Challenge - Anything Goes
     Snippets Playground - Anything But Christmas

Kath x

Happy Birthday

As I've got everything ready for Christmas, it's time to start making cards for next year and having a play with some new dies I've recently won.  This card used a lovely die from The Paper Boutique which I won in the Snippets Playground.

To make this card I used:
     6" x 6" white hammer card blank
     The Paper Boutique 'It's Time to Celebrate', Crafts-Too 'Happy Birthday' and Tattered Lace 'Mini Butterflies' dies
     Snippets of silver mirri and pink pearlescent card

I die cut the main die from silver mirri and used the circle die to remove the centre before attaching it to the card blank.  I die cut the main die again from pink pearlescent card and inlaid the centres of the flowers and leaves.  To finish, I die cut Happy Birthday and the two smaller butterflies from silver mirri and attached them to the centre of the card.

I am entering the following challenges:
     Allsorts - Something Beginning with 'B' (I have chosen Birthday, Blooms & Butterflies)
     Color Hues - Pink and Silver
     Happy Little Stampers Birthday Challenge - Anything Goes
     NBUS - Challenge 57 (I used my new Paper Boutique die)
     Snippets Playground - Challenge 469

Kath x 

Whimsical Flower

This lovely flower stamp is another of my charity shop finds.  Although the sentiment stamp was missing from the packet I thought the flower would be lovely to paper piece.  I made the card with papers from a new Lili of the Valley 'Pressed in Time' paper pad that Di has recently sent me - thank you Di.

To make this card I used:
     6" x 6" white matt card blank
     Woodware 'Whimsical Flower - Sally Anne' and Clearly Besotted 'Fabulous Fuchsias' stamps
     Versafine Onyx Black ink
     Lili of the Valley ''Pressed in Time' papers
     Snippet of white matt card

I stamped the flower and sentiment onto a piece of white matt card, trimmed the panel to 4.75" square, layered it onto a slightly larger piece of green paper and attached it to the front of the card blank.  I stamped the stem and leaves onto green paper, the flower centre onto brown paper and the petals onto a pink flower from a piece of floral paper.  These were then fussy cut and attached to the image on the card.

I am entering the following challenges:
     Happy Little Stampers Birthday Challenge - Anything Goes
     NBUS - Challenge 57 (my new Woodware stamp)
     Seize the Birthday - Anything Goes
     We Love Stamping - Anything Goes

Kath x

Large Birthday Sentiment

I made this card for the AAA Birthday Card Challenge using a sheet paper from a lovely Lili of the Valley 'Antebellum' paper pad which was one of the two LOTV paper pads that Di kindly sent me - thank you Di!

To make this card I used:
     6" x 6" white matt card blank
     Lawn Fawn 'Giant Happy Birthday to You' die
     Lili of the Valley 'Antebellum' paper 
     Snippets of purple card

I trimmed a piece of the Antebellum paper to 5.25" square and layered it onto a slightly larger square of purple card.  I die cut the sentiment from the centre of the panel, setting the pieces aside before attaching the panel to the front of the card blank.  I die cut the sentiment twice from purple card before layering them and inlaying them into the panel, together with the small pieces of the Antebellum die cut.  To finish I attached the Antebellum sentiment, offsetting it slightly to give a shadow effect with the purple sentiment.

I am entering the following challenges:
     AAA Birthday Card Challenge - Large Sentiment
     Ally's Angels - Anything Goes
     Happy Little Stampers Anything Goes With Dies - November Challenge
     Happy Little Stampers Birthday Challenge - Anything Goes
     Seize the Birthday - Anything Goes

Kath x

Happy Birthday to You

When Sarn sent my prize from the Snippets Playground she also included a piece of her autumnal gelli print which I've used to make this card - thank you Sarn!

To make this card I used:
     6" x 6" white matt card blank
     Lawn Fawn 'Giant Happy Birthday to You' die
     Sarn's autumnal gelli print paper
     Snippets of brown card

I trimmed a piece of the gelli print paper to a 5" square and layered it onto a slightly larger square of dark brown card.  I die cut the sentiment from the centre of the panel, setting the pieces aside before attaching the panel to the front of the card blank.  I die cut the sentiment from dark brown card and inlaid it into the panel, together with the small pieces of the gelli print die cut.  To finish I attached the gelli print sentiment, offsetting it slightly to give a shadow effect with the brown sentiment.

I am entering the following challenges:
     Allsorts - Anything Goes
     Ally's Angels - Anything Goes
     Happy Little Stampers Anything Goes With Dies - Anything Goes
     Happy Little Stampers Birthday Challenge - Anything Goes
     Seize the Birthday - Anything Goes

Kath x

Happy Birthday

I made this card with a lovely floral stamp and one of my last pieces of Lili of the Valley 'Antebellum' paper which was just the right size for this card (I wish I could find another pad of this lovely paper!).

To make this card I used:
     7" x 5" white matt card blank
     IndigoBlu Premium Magazine 'Mixed Media Special 7' floral stamp & Clearly Besotted 'Fancy Sayings' sentiment
     Versafine Onyx Black ink
     Purple, green and gold Promarkers
     Snippets of Lili of the Valley 'Antebellum' paper and purple textured card

The paper was the right width for this card and I trimmed a strip from the top so it was slightly smaller than the card blank.  I placed the paper into my MISTI before stamping the flowers and sentiment in black ink.  I used a purple Promarker to colour the flowers, gold for the flower centres and green for the leaves.  The paper was then layered onto a slightly larger snippet of purple textured card before being attached to the card blank.

I am entering the following challenges:
     Ally's Angels - Anything Goes
     Allsorts - Anything Goes
     Alphabet Challenge - N for Nature
     Happy Little Stampers Birthday Challenge - Anything Goes
     Snippets Playground - Challenge 464
     We Love Stamping - October Moodboard (I have used purple, green and flowers)

Kath x

Happy Birthday to You

It's a horrid wet afternoon, so I've had some crafting time and made this card for my nephew's birthday using lots of snippets.

To make this card I used:
     6" x 6" white matt card blank
     Lawn Fawn 'Giant Happy Birthday to You' die
     Snippets of brown matt card and Hunkydory 'Up & Away' backing card (I'd already used the rest of the kit for another card)

I trimmed the 'Up & Away' card to a square and cut 'Happy Birthday to You' in the sky, setting the sentiment and all the small pieces to one side.  The panel was layered onto brown matt card and attached to the card blank.  I cut the sentiment twice from oddments of brown card.  One sentiment was inlaid into the front of the card, together with the small pieces from the sky sentiment.  The second brown sentiment was attached on top to give depth before the blue sky sentiment was attached slightly offset to create a shadow effect.

I am entering the following challenges:
     AAA Birthday Challenge - Anything Birthday Goes
     Crafty Calendar Challenge - Anything Goes
     Daisy Chain Challenge - Boys/Men
     Happy Little Stampers Birthday Challenge - Anything Goes
     Seize the Birthday - Anything Goes
     Snippets Playground - Challenge 460

Kath x

Steve's birthday

We've been away for three weeks and have only been back home for a couple of weeks before our next trip tomorrow - so there has been little time for crafting.  As time is short, I used an upcycled card to make this card for Steve's birthday (the day after we head off on our travels) - the image is perfect for him as he loves the sea and beach.

To make this card I used:
     6" x 6" white hammer card blank
     Upcycled birthday card
     Clearly Besotted 'Happy Birthday All' stamps
     My Favorite Things 'Fishtail Flags' die
     Versafine Onyx Black & Olympia Green ink
     Snippets of dark green card and white hammer card

I trimmed the image, layered it onto dark green card and attached it to the card blank.  I placed the sentiment stamps into my MISTI to ensure they were straight ('to my' and 'husband' are separate stamps) and stamped them first with black ink and then with dark green ink - this made the sentiment the same dark green colour of the backing card.  I die cut the sentiment with the fishtail flag - cutting the fishtail first and then cutting it again so I could shorten the flag to the length of the sentiment.  To finish I attached the sentiment to the top of the card.

I am entering the following challenges:
     Allsorts - Anything Goes
     Crafty Calendar Challenge - Summertime
     Happy Little Stampers Birthday Challenge - Anything Goes
     Love to Craft - Anything Goes

Kath x

Happy Birthday Hedgehog

I made this birthday card for a friend who loves hedgehogs - the cute stamp was a magazine cover gift ages ago.

To make this card I used:
     5" x 5" white matt card blank
     Immediate Media 'Make Special Cards' hedgehog and Hobby Art 'General Greetings' stamps
     Versafine Onyx Black ink
     Cosmic Shimmer clear detail embossing powder
     Promarkers 
     White matt card
     Wink of Stella

I cut a piece of card slightly smaller than my card blank and placed into my MISTI.  I stamped the hedgehog and sentiment along the lower edge of the card, stamping a couple of times to get a clear outline, before embossing them with clear embossing powder.  I coloured the hedgehog and balloon with Promarkers before attaching the panel to the card.

I am entering the following challenges:
     Happy Little Stampers Birthday Challenge - Anything Goes
     Seize the Birthday - Balloons  
     We Love Stamping - Real Birds and/or Animals

Kath x

Turned 21

I have recently bought this 'Turned 21' stamp to make a card for a forthcoming special birthday.

To make this card I used:
     6" x 6" white hammer card blank
     Woodware 'Turned 21' stamp
     Lawn Fawn 'Outside In Stitched Square Stackables' die
     Versafine Vintage Sepia ink
     Cosmic Shimmer Clear Detail embossing powder
     Three small orange sequins
     Wink of Stella
     Snippets of Lili of the Valley 'Antebellum' paper, brown pearlescent card and thin white card

I attached a snippet of paper onto a piece of white card and placed it in my MISTI so I could position the stamps as there are two separate stamps in this set.  I stamped the image several times with brown ink to get a good depth of colour and embossed it with clear embossing powder.  I then cut the image with the largest stitched die.  I layered the card onto a snippet of brown pearlescent card and attached it to the front of the card.  To finish I highlighted the small '21' with a Wink of Stella and added three small orange sequins.

I am entering the following challenges:
     Allsorts - Anything Goes
     Happy Little Stampers Birthday Challenge - Anything Goes
     Love to Craft - Anything Goes
     Love to Scrap - Anything Goes
     NBUS - Challenge 49 (my new 'Turned 21' stamp)
     We Love Stamping - Anything Stamped

Kath x

Patchwork Daisy Birthday

I made this card for my great niece's birthday - I tried to find an image that was cute but not too childish as she's a grown up ten year old!  

To make this card I used:
     6" x 6" white matt card blank
     Lili of the Valley 'Patchwork Daisy' Mini Masterpiece precoloured image
     Clearly Besotted 'Modern Calligraphy' stamps and coordinating die
     Lawn Fawn 'Outside In Stitched Square Stackables' die
     Versafine Imperial Purple ink
     Wild Rose Studio 'Anabelle's Meadow' paper

     Snippet of white matt card and white paper

I attached the pink paper to a piece of white paper (to make it the same thickness as the topper) before die cutting the stitched square from the centre.  The frame was then attached to the card.  The precoloured image was cut with the same stitched die.  I used purple ink to stamp 'happy' onto a snippet of white card before cutting it with the corodinating die.  I placed the topper into my MISTI and laid 'happy' on top so I could see where to stamp 'birthday'.  This was stamped with the same purple ink.  The topper was inlaid into the frame and 'happy' was attached with a strip of foam tape.

I am entering the following challenges:
     Cutie Pie Challenge - Something Beginning with B (I have chosen a Bear)
     Happy Little Stampers Birthday Challenge - Anything Goes
     Love to Craft - Anything Goes
     Seize the Birthday - Anything Goes

Kath x

Enjoy your Day

This card is made with an upcycled birthday card - the floral image had been attached with foam pads onto a large birthday card giving a 3D effect.  I carefully removed the pretty topper to make a card for a friend's forthcoming birthday.

To make this card I used:
     7" x 5" white matt card blank
     Upcycled birthday card
     Tattered Lace 'Mini Butterfly' die
     Snippets of dark green card, pink pearlescent card and Lili of the Valley 'Beach Bliss' paper

I trimmed the green paper, layered it onto a snippet of dark green card and attached it to the front of the card blank.  After carefully removing the topper from the original birthday card, I removed all the foam tape from the back and applied thin foam tape to attach it to the centre of the card.  To finish I die cut a small butterfly from a tiny snippet of pink pearlescent card and attached it to the card.

I am entering the following challenges:
     Butterfly Challenge - Spin the Wheel with the Letter T (I have used Tea Green, Thistle and Tango Pink on my card, plus my butterfly)
     Daisy Chain Challenge - Flowers
     Happy Little Stampers Birthday Challenge - Anything Goes
     Love to Scrap - Anything Goes
     Seize the Birthday - Anything Goes

Kath x

Red, White & Green Birthday

I made this card for the Seize the Birthday 'Red, White Plus One Colour' challenge and I've chosen green as my third colour.

To make this card I used:
     6" x 6" white hammer card blank
     Memory Box 'Wild Blooms' die
     Clearly Besotted 'Fabulous Fuchsias' stamp
     Versafine Olympia Green ink
     Snippets of white hammer card, dark green plain card and dark red pearlescent card

I trimmed a snippet of white hammer card and die cut the 'Wild Blooms' from the left side.  I placed the panel into my MISTI to position the sentiment stamp which was then stamped in dark green ink.  The panel was layered onto a snippet of dark green card and attached to the card blank.  I used another snippet of dark green card to cut the stems and inlaid them into the panel.  The blooms were cut from snippets of dark red pearlescent card and inlaid into the card.

I am entering the following challenges:
     Daisy Chain Challenge - Flowers
     Happy Little Stampers Birthday Challenge - Anything Goes
     Love to Scrap - Anything Goes
     Memory Box Challenge - Floral Favourites
     Seize the Birthday - Red, White Plus One Colour'
     Snippets Playground - Challenge 449

Kath x

Happy Birthday To You

I first saw this lovely Lawn Fawn die on Di's blog and then saw it again on Sarn's blog so decided to buy it as I thought it would be perfect for so many cards, especially male cards where I often lack inspiration.  I made this card is for my uncle's birthday.

To make this card I used:
    6" x 6" cream hammer card blank
     Lawn Fawn 'Giant Happy Birthday to You' die
     Snippets of cream hammer card, brown card and Lili of the Valley 'Galaxy Stars' paper

I trimmed a snippet of green star paper, layered it onto brown card and attached it to the card blank.  I die cut the sentiment from both brown card and cream textured card.  I used Artist Tac to attach the brown sentiment onto the cream one, offsetting it so it created a shadow before attaching it to the centre of the card.

I am entering the following challenges:
     Happy Little Stampers Birthday Challenge - Anything Goes
     Love to Scrap - Anything Goes
     NBUS - Challenge 48 (my new Lawn Fawn die)
     Seize the Birthday - Anything Goes

Kath x

Action Time

I made this card for my youngest great nephew's birthday using the last image from my Lili of the Valley 'Action Time' Art Pad.

I trimmed a snippet of brown textured card so it was slightly smaller than the card blank.   I die cut the precoloured topper with a stitched circle die and set it aside.  The wood effect paper was attached to a thin piece of copy paper to make it the same thickness as the LOTV topper.  The paper was trimmed so it was slightly smaller than the dark brown mat layer before a stitched circle was die cut from the centre.  This paper was layered onto the brown card and attached to the card blank before the topper was inlaid into the circle.  I die cut two medium stars and eight small stars from snippets of brown card.  '7' was die cut from the centre of one of the larger stars before being layered onto the plain star and attached to the top of the card.  I die cut '7' from the wood effect paper and inlaid it into the star.  To finish, I layered the smaller stars and attached them around the topper. 

To make this card I used:
     6" x 6" white matt card blank
     Lili of the Valley 'Action Time' Art Pad
     My Favorite Things 'Inside & Out Stitched Circle STAX Die-namics' , Xcut 'Nesting Stars' and Memory Box 'Classic Numbers' dies
     Snippets of brown textured card and Papermania 'Wood' paper

I am entering the following challenges:
     Crafty Calendar Challenge - Anything Goes
     Happy Little Stampers Birthday Challenge - Anything Goes
     Snippets Playground - Challenge 443
     The Male Room - Transportation

Kath x

Embossed Birthday

My Christmas cards are all now in the post, so it's time to start making cards for a few birthdays in the New Year.

I embossed a piece of white card and trimmed around the edge of the design.  I stamped the butterfly and 'birthday' with blue ink onto snippets of white card, stamping several times to get a deep blue colour.  These were then embossed with clear embossing powder and cut with their coordinating dies.  I placed the embossed panel into my MISTI and laid the butterfly and 'birthday' onto the panel so I could see where to position the 'happy' stamp.  I removed the butterfly and 'birthday' before stamping 'happy' in dark blue ink and embossing it with clear embossing powder.  The panel was attached to the centre of the card blank.  I coloured the butterfly wings with a cream coloured Promarker.  As the Promarker had bled through the card I die cut a butterfly from a piece of copy paper and glued it to the rear before attaching it to the card and shaping the wings.  I die cut another 'birthday' from a snippet of white card, layering the stamped one onto the plain one before attaching it to the card.

To make this card I used:
     7" x 5" white matt card blank
     Card Making Magic 'The Best of Card Making Magic' and Clearly Besotted 'Modern Calligraphy' stamps and coordinating dies
     Xcut 'Swirls' embossing folder
     Cosmic Shimmer Clear Detail embossing powder
     Versafine Majestic Blue ink
     Ivory Promarker
     Snippets of white matt card

I am entering the following challenges:
     AAA Birthday Challenge - Embossing
     Allsorts - Anything Goes
     CAS on Friday - Embossing (heat and/or dry - I have used both)
     Color Hues Challenge - Navy and Cream
     Happy Little Stampers Birthday Challenge - Anything Goes    

Kath x

Grand Happy Birthday

I made this card for a friend's birthday using a new set of floral dies.

I die cut 'happy birthday' from a snippet of dark red textured card and trimmed it so it was slightly narrower than the card blank before attaching it to the card.  I die cut the sentiment again from white matt card and inlaid the letters.  I used another snippet of dark red textured card to cut the largest flower and also cut one from a lighter red textured card.  I cut a flower centre from a tiny snippet of light green textured card and two large leaves from dark green textured card.  I layered the flowers with the lighter red on top of the flower and attached them to the top corner of the card.  I attached the flower centre and the two leaves underneath the flower.

To make this card I used:
     6" x 4" white matt card blank
     Memory Box 'Grand Happy Birthday' and Creative Expressions 'Finishing Touches -Pierced Summer Blooms' dies
     Snippets of dark red, red, dark green and light green textured card and white matt card

I am entering the following challenges:
     Color Hues - Scarlet & Green
     Happy Little Stampers Anything Goes With Dies - Anything Goes
     Happy Little Stampers Birthday Challenge - Anything Goes
     Seize the Birthday - Anything Goes
     Snippets Playground - Challenge 442

Kath x

Rainbow Birthday

I made this rainbow card for a friend's birthday using one of my favourite butterfly dies that had been a magazine cover gift ages ago.

I die cut seven small butterflies from snippets of textured cardstock and set them aside.  I used the curved border to die cut a snippet of white card - extending the border so it fitted across the bottom of the card blank.  I placed the border into my MISTI and laid the butterflies along the top edge so I could see where to stamp the sentiment.  I removed the butterflies and stamped the sentiment a couple of times to get a good depth of colour.  The border was then attached to the bottom of the card and the butterflies attached along the curved edge of the border.

To make this card I used:
     7" x 5" white matt card blank
     Spellbinders Borderabilities 'A2 Curved Borders One' and Tattered Lace 'Mini Butterfly' dies
     Clearly Besotted 'Fancy Sayings' sentiment stamp
     Versafine Vintage Sepia ink
     Snippets of white matt card, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet textured card

I am entering the following challenges:
     AAA Cards - Along the Edge + Rainbows
     Happy Little Stampers Birthday Challenge - Anything Goes
     Less is More - Colour Wheel (I have chosen the seven rainbow colours)
     Seize the Birthday - Many of Something (I have chosen many butterflies)
     Snippets Playground - Challenge 441

Kath x

Enjoy your Special Day

When I got home after our latest campervan adventure, I had a lovely surprise to find a package with some stamps, dies and washi tape I had won in a magazine giveaway.  This is the first card I've made using the washi tape and coordinating die to make a card for a friend's birthday.

I attached the washi tape to a snippet of white card and used the coordinating die to cut the wreath.  I placed the card blank in my MISTI with the wreath on top so I could see where the position the sentiment.  I removed the wreath and stamped the sentiment first with blue ink and then with several stampings of grey ink so the colour matched the leaves in the wreath.  To finish I attached the wreath with foam tape.

To make this card I used:
     5" x 5" white hammer card blank
     PinkFresh 'Indio Vines' washi tape & Coordinating die
     Hobby Art 'General Greetings' stamp
     Memento Paris Dusk and Gray Flannel ink
     Snippet of white card

I am entering the following challenges:
     AAA Birthday Card Challenge - Anything Birthday Goes
     Happy Little Stampers Birthday Challenge - Anything Goes
     Love to Craft - Anything Goes
     NBUS - Challenge 41 (my new Pinkfresh washi tape and die)
     Seize the Birthday - Anything Goes

I'm also giving away some stamp sets as part of my Birthday Giveaway.

Kath x