What on Earth Am I supposed to Do with These?

Well, yesterday I did a bit more spending before I settled to make some cards.  I went out doing the Food shop with the sole intention of doing that but ended up visiting The Range for a new bird feeder and ... well you know what it is like ... had to visit the Craft centre.  It was then I realised I needed some more little containers for brads, only 99p - well I thought they were but guess what?  They had gone up in price, am sure they were 99p last time.  They didn't have the papers I wanted (do I REALLY NEED more papers?) so I then went to Hobbycraft, on my route home you understand, and they didn't have them either but I got two new stamps to add to my Michael Powell collection from the other week.  Here they are (the house type ones) with the two I bought the other week.  These were at a brilliant price of £2.49 - a whole £2 less than the seaside ones I already had.  And they are rubber and mounted on a sticky backing!  Jemima?  Oh, she's for something for Chloe, well, at £1.99 who could resist?

In my tidying up the other day I came across these pre-cut cards, popped them on one side and decided yesterday to use them to make some birthday cards.  Now am I missing something because I did not know how to use them.  What should I have done?  Can you enlighten me please!

This is the shape, it folds in the centre on the front and has half a Label type shape cut out. There is not an overlay for it so how do I mount something on it?

Well, I wanted to use them so I drew around the shape on a piece of folded paper and then cut out my own overlay.  This is one card I made

Can you see what I mean now?  I used my new Pan Pastels (Turquoise, Magenta and Violet Shade) to create a background for the bird stamp and then I stamped and embossed the bird.  Mounted it on a very narrow mount of black and then coloured the shape I had cut out with the same colours of Pan Pastels but made it look a deeper colour. (I was going to edge it with my Black Dabber but it was dried up beyond recognition.  Now soaking in water in the utility room well out of my way.  Those Dabbers have been a complete waste of money for me.)

I finished it off with a piece of paper from my Old World Stack which I adore.  The recipient does not know how much it cost me to part with that piece of paper, it was a "shall I  shan't I" moment.  But she is worth it.

Here's a close up of the paper - I love it - in fact I love this stack!

The other card I made with the intention of entering it into the Out of a Hat Creations Challenge for this week - Vintage Lace.  As I have no Vintage Lace I used an embossing folder (Textile) and a MS punch to make false lace.  I hope it does not get disqualified as the girls deserve some entries and I just didn't get time last week.

Pity you cannot see the pearls around the edge of the photograph.

I actually made three cards but cannot show you the other one as it used the die I need for the Blog Hop with Oyster Stamps.  Roll on Friday when it begins - see you then!