ALBOTAT: Birthday cards for boys....

... are tricky aren't they! (well for me anyway) I tend to reach for the Stampotique stamps when the Nephews' birthdays come around... 

This time  I went for a funky-dancing-dude-party card...

The Stampotique character is 'dancing' with one leg in the air which, I thought, made it look like he could be standing on something... so I doodled a present - he's bringing a gift to the party!

The background is a Gelli® print (little bit obsessed with these at the moment!), the text is the Fortress alphabet from MaVinci - (really nice, slightly distressed font), the streamers are one of my new christmas images (from JOFY40, seems to work everywhere!). The dancing chap is Jasper Fruhling by Stampotique (available at www.itscraftingtime.co.uk )



(Gelli® used with permission. Owned by Gelli Arts® LLC)

A Birthday Treasure Hunt...

... for my nephew's birthday. We're giving him money as a gift, and to make it a bit more interesting I planned a mini treasure hunt for him - he solves a clue (cryptic rhyming clues no less!) & goes off around the house to find the envelopes containing loot... and carries on until he reaches the birthday cake!

I hope he has as much fun going on his little treasure hunt as I had writing the clues and making the envelopes. lol

(I especially enjoyed making the envelopes! - they're so cute - 7.5x10cm! Its a Sizzix die (Tim Holtz, Movers & Shakers die - Pocket Envelope), as are the numbers (Serif Essential Numbers) on each envelope...)

I made him a card too... used a really quick'n'easy brayered background (I wanted it to look 'rough'), a Stampotique image, JOFY circles and chevrons... & I couldn't resist a bit of gold embossing - even boys like a bit a bit of bling!

x

ALBOTAT:.. Happy Birthday.....

... to my youngest nephew... I made him a card (obviously! lol).. love using the Stampotique images on their cards - this time I teamed my latest edition (to my Stampotique weird and wonderful family) with Ellen Vargo sketched shapes and my greeting stamps...

x

A colourful bit of this and that....

Several days of last week were spent making samples for The Craft Barn demo day on saturday but I also had a few cards to make to send to family and friends - 2 of our nephews had birthdays (on consecutive days!) during the week...
I used one of my favourite 'go-to' stamps for boys - he's such a dude!  from Stampotique.

Happy there was a number '10' on this Bingo card - perfect for the card! Love it when things come together like that. 

The cards are both on a theme.. but different... lots of splashed ink, resisted layers, and boyish colours....

I've just run a distress ink workshop and I think the techniques are still running around in my head because all the cards I've made recently have been influenced by that.. here's a couple of 'thank you' cards I made:  LOVE how they turned out...

(apologies for the weird angle of the photo!) The colours were really quite vivid - Wild Honey & Picked Raspberry Distress Ink (with a touch of Barn Door)... hot pink & orange - LOVE!

... and finally a quick photo of a late arrival in our garden - I do love Dahlias - such 'juicy' flowers! The petals of the flower are orange/pink in the centre fading to yellow - its just gorgeous and I've managed to keep it safe from the slugs (I'll take a picture of how and post it on here tomorrow - such a simple idea!)

I bought the plant at the Hampton Court Flower Show, really pleased it has flowered this year.

... and last but not least... I have a couple of Japenese Kokeshi dolls which I love.. and when I was at 'Its Crafting Time on sunday I noticed a box on a shelf - a 'paint your own' Kokeshi doll kit!!!!! OMG!!! I could paint a JOFY one!!!!! How cool would that be!!

Here they are (with my 2 dolls) - lovely plain wooden blanks - just waiting for a bit of Fresco Finish, a JOFY stamp or 2....  made me very happy to find these! lol

(I'm itching to paint them but I have to be good and clear my 'to-do' list first....)

xx

Speedy post...

... well as speedy as you can be in this hot hot hot weather - which I'm loving by the way!! I'm actually browner now than I was when I came home from Mexico last week! - that's a first for me - my 'tan' normally gets bleached off by the airconditioning on the plane home!
(but please don't think I've been laying in the garden all week - no no no I've been out clearing the garden getting ready to had the keys back to the Landlord - more about that another day..)

This is a speedy post because I have to go to work - and apparently it is going to be hotter than hot - south facing shop with full window shop front - I think I'm sweating just thinking about it! (well not actually sweating - horses sweat, men perspire and women glow - isn't that how the saying goes?? So, in that case I'm 'glowing' just thinking about it)

aaaanyhoo..... it was nephew No 3's birthday yesterday and here's the card I made him:

I love this stamp from Stampotique - Twinkie needed a little 'something' to bring to the birthday celebrations as he climbs over the 'J' on his way to the party.... so I sketched a balloon for him to carry - oh yes... I sketched... direct to page.. with a pen...  no pencilling in first! (am proud of myself that I didn't faff about with it, overthink it - just got it done! lol)
(PS I am really enjoying sketching at the moment)

Aaaaanyhoo... the birthday boy loved his card and that's all that matters isn't it?!

Have a great day - enjoy the sun....

Jo

ACP Week 6, part 2: Ssshhh, don't show my Valentine...

This post was supposed to load up yesterday - last day of red & cream.. but hey ho - it didn't, so today's the day:

A card for my beloved (my 'good catch' - his words not mine, tho I obviously agree  lol) for Valentines day - but ssshhh lets keep it just between you and me that I've put a picture of his card on here before I give it to him (lol) but I think I'm safe to do so as he's really busy at work at the moment (too busy to be on the www looking at stuff...)(hopefully! lol)

I created a heart stencil using a nestabilities die and layered it up with some tiny sequin waste - or maybe its punchinella - not sure as it was given to me - I like it a lot though. 

I like creating my own stencils - cutting them from a drawing or using dies.

I hope you're all getting along ok in the snow - its certainly hanging around isn't it!

Take care

Twinkie goes to School!

I've been toying with the idea of Stampotique images for a while and bought Twinkie to get me started. I like their battered look and that they're just a little bit 'wrong' .. like they have attitude and shouldn't really be messed with.. but at the same time seem slightly vulnerable...
I might be overthinking this obviously..

So here's Twinkie, on a school themed tag...

the tag's actually purple & dark in reality (dusty concord) - I might be embracing my inner Goth!