Beautiful Card Designs Made Easy

December 16, 2012

Quick card

This is just a quick card that I did for no reason at all.

The stamped image is from Lil of the Valley  and they have some of the cutest stamps around.

There is a  new range of them for Christmas 2012.

More stamps being added all the time ... so always worth popping back for a visit.

I have coloured the image with pastel colours of pale lemon,  pale lilac and the palest of greens.

I have then used  the same three colours to create the dotty background around them both and to get the stripes in the  backing paper to blend with my design.

The colour scheme has been continued with the card used for matting and layering  and to punch the Monarch butterflies from  Martha Stewart punch.

And finally I have added some lilac organza ribbon and colour coded the pearls along each of the butterflies bodies.

And there we have a quick card and nobody to send it too...... aaawwww!!

Hugs xx

December 15, 2012

Baby Boy Card

In all the mess that was my craft room yesterday I managed to produce this very pretty "Bookatrix"  Card.

This is using one of the Embossing boards from the Glitter Girls  and is one of many that they have created.

I have added in some very pretty silver mesh to one of the layers and I bought the Teddy Bear from the craft show I went to earlier this year but  I can't remember who it was from.

I have added Googly eyes to the face,  a bow around the neck, and small black pearls for buttons

The beautiful Baby Ribbon has tiny baby feet on it and it  is from   The Ribbon Room 

You can find it in the  Little Ones section and it is in Pink as well as Blue.

I have used all the Book pages and layered them together with foam pads for height.

I have edged the top page with Diamante which  is from Want2Scrap

And the finished book can be added to a Card Stand  and popped inside a box to give to the recipient.


Decorate the box in the same way and it will make a very pretty "Keepsake"

Hugs xx

December 14, 2012

Featuring ... Drum Roll Please ... Me!!


I am so excited to be featured in this new Spectrum Noir Blog Post    Please pop along and take a  look especially if you use these pens yourself.  There are many guest articles on their Blog and there is sure to be something of interest to you.

The post  features my Colour Class Tutorials  and it makes many things worthwhile to be recognised   this way.

But I wanted to show you this .... and this is especially for those people who think I have a neat and tidy craft room.

Someone asked me if it was normal to be untidy and was I a tidy Crafter ...

Oh No! .. This is what it looks like when I am busy being creative.  It is a mess with a Capital M and there is stuff just about everywhere.

On the work top you can just see the project I was working on and it is a card for a new baby.

I will show you the card tomorrow once it is finished.

Hugs xx

December 13, 2012

Glittery Cards

These have to be two of the easiest Christmas cards ever made.

All I have done is use add a double side sticky sheet to some white card and then cut it out with the largest die in the  Spellbinders Heirloom Ornament to create the shape.

I cut the Holly Accents border in red and stuck it down to the sticky sheet once I had removed the backing paper and then added glitter to the rest of the sticky sheet.

I have matted and layered a snowflake embossed piece of card and then added the Ornament to the front with foam pads.

The red organza ribbon is glued under the shape and some gemstones run along the middle of it.... with a tiny bow and another gemstone to hide the knot.

The sentiment has been layered onto red and added with foam pads to the top right corner and more of the tiny red gemstones placed in each corner... Easy Peasy especially if you are in a hurry.

This is done the same way but I have used a gold coloured glitter for this and added in some swirly pearls from Want2Scrap

The matted and layered card is a pale lilac and the border is from the Venetian Accents

Plain and simple but handy for any last minute cards that you may have forgotten about.

Hugs xx


December 12, 2012

Special Birthday Card

The Spellbinders are out again for this card and I have made this for my daughters birthday next month.

This makes full use of the Venetian Accents and Motifs and this is such a girly set.

The card is royal blue and cream...  and the base layer has different sized glue pearls added to it.

The other layers have all been in an embossing folder to add texture and interest to the card.

There is a video ... Create Your Own  Pearls ... to show you how I did this effect and it is a lot cheaper than using flat backed pearls to get the look.

I have cut the border twice and added it to the bottom of the card it has been double layered with blue and cream organza ribbon.... with a pearl to cover the knot.

Labels 20 has been used for the centre piece and I have added the matching pearl  "Bling" from Want2Scrap

The cream feather has been added in behind the mask ... which has been cut in cream  and again in blue to act as the shadow. I have done the same thing with the sentiment.

The finished card is 8" x 9" and I have used my Enveloplus Board to create a larger sized box to put it in.

Hope she likes it when she gets it ...

Hugs xx

December 11, 2012

Father Christmas


This is my Santa and I have had him for a long time ... here's the story about how he came to live at  my house.

Once  upon a time .... on a  cold and frosty  Saturday  morning I went  Christmas shopping ... with my youngest daughter ... to a place not far away.  

The town and the shops were all dressed up and ready for the season of good cheer.... The Christmas music played in the background.


Sparkling lights and tinsel   everywhere and  people bustled around looking for that last minute bargain..... 
  ( am I setting the atmosphere for you) 

One shop appealed to us as we walked by and so in we went .... and stood in the corner was the most wonderful Father Christmas I had ever seen ..... it was Love at First Sight ....  and I  just had to have him.

He was  rosy cheeked, grey haired and very rotund and I swear he winked at me as I stared at his beautiful beard.  He was just asking to be taken home ... so what could I say ... I couldn't refuse Santa or he might not fulfill my  wish list..... (intermission)

So he was duly packed into his cardboard box and we left the shop. We made our way back to the car park only to find that the box and Santa would not fit into the boot (trunk) of my daughters car.

Have you ever seen the size of the boot in an MX5 ???? ...  it's not big enough to put your handbag let alone any thing else ... so how we thought we were going to get him home is beyond me.

Fortunately it was a convertible and so in the freezing cold we put the roof down and I had to sit with the large box on my lap sticking out of the top of the car as we drove about 20 miles back to my house.

We giggled and sang Christmas songs all the way home and we got some strange looks I can tell you.

Back to the story ....


Father Christmas came into my lounge,  and he stood proudly by the side of the fire, warming himself after his long and arduous  journey.

He had small parcels  firmly held in his hand  and  he looked so very much at home.

I tidied his beard and re assured him that I would always take great care of him and we have lived Happily Ever After  ...  and I still love him as much as the day he first came into my life.   

The End 

Goodness me I have missed my vocation .... I should have been a story teller ... don't you think ??

Hugs xx

December 10, 2012

Here's my Tree...

Father Christmas can come to my house whenever he wants to now ... coz I am all ready for him.

My tree,  which is 7ft tall,  is in it's usual corner of the dining area  with all the sparkly lights on it .

I have dressed it in gold this year and added bows and baubles and THREE sets of lights.

I will add the presents as they are wrapped around the bottom.

They will be opened on Christmas Day before we all sit down to Roast turkey with all the trimming.

Can you see the stripes in the wall ??? They look a strange colour in the lamplight but I assure you they are cream.  The top view is from the centre of the room into the dining area.

This is looking to the lounge area and everything is neat and tidy again and I am shattered.

So if you will excuse me now I am going to go and put my butt ... in the corner of that settee ... with a glass of well earned red wine and watch some TV for a while.

Hugs xx

December 09, 2012

Decorating Done ...... (Phew)


 What a busy weekend this has been but the decorating is now finished.

A while ago we removed all the wallpaper from our walls and made them super smooth to paint instead.

But I wanted to add some stripes to the walls in the lounge and this is how we did it.

The base colour is applied first and allowed to dry and then we had to use low tack masking tape and measure out the stripes.

You  can just see  how it looked once we had done that and they look like one thick and one thin stripe but when the tape is removed the stripes are all the same width.

The next step was to roll all the thicker stripes with Varnish and I used the Satin low odour one.

Before the Varnish is dry remove the tape and the stripes are then on the wall.

That way you won't pull off the newly painted base layer along with your tape.

And here you can see the result once the wall is completed and the stripes look really neat.

The painting that you can see in the photo is a very large canvas that cost very little.

I laid it on top of an upturned tub in the garage and copied it from a post card that I bought from Ikea.

And all I used was emulsion that I had used in the house.

The only other thing I bought was a little tester pot of red to colour the orchid that the first girl is carrying.

When I first did this canvas it looked wrong.... until I added in the shading on the clothes and then it all came together.... and I am very pleased with the result.

So my house is getting back to normal and tomorrow I will show you the end result with the tree in pride of place.

Hugs xx

December 08, 2012

We have a Winner ...


Thank you so much to everybody who took part in the draw to win the  Enveloplus Board   from 

This is such a useful piece of equipment for all the boxes and envelopes that maybe needed for larger projects.

I wish I had more of them to offer but alas there is only one and the lucky winner is 



        ...... Wendy L .....

Congratulations Wendy and I think you will be delighted with your prize.

You should have had your email informing you of your win and telling you what to do next to claim it.

Everything was done fairly and the winner was chosen completely randomly by InLinkz.

This is the first time I have ever done something like this I have to thank InLinkz too and I will be using them again.... so please keep popping back to see the next giveaway.

Hugs xx

December 06, 2012

Christmas Mega Bundle

These are some more cards from the Christmas Mega Bundle from  Paper Creator

There are some really sweet and easy to make cards, complete with matching envelope.

Dress them up any way you want.  They are all 6" square cards with some really cute characters.

On this one I have added in a charm to the top right, and a paper doily behind the image ... along with an odd piece of lace I found in my "Stash"

This pretty pink one had the addition of Diamante swirls from Want2Scrap  and it adds that extra special touch for me.

The ribbon is white satin with a gemstone in the centre to hide the knot.

Add in some glitter and use the sentiments that are with the image and make your card.
For this one I have added in some Diamante snowflakes and a  royal blue organza ribbon.

Pretty cards, easy to do and lovely designs ... what more could you want ??

Still not entered your name for the Enveloplus Board ???

 Here is the link 



Hugs xx


December 05, 2012

What a mess...

Lounge
It's three weeks to go to Christmas and this is the state of my lounge .....

Everything is covered in plastic sheeting and it all looks a mess .... but when it is finished it will look lovely.

We have a through lounge and this the sitting area with the bay window overlooking the avenue.

I have the idea to add stripes to the walls using varnish and I will show you the result once we are straight again.
Dining Room

This is the dining area and this is where I will be adding the tree.

The piece in the middle was once a fire  place.

But rather than go to the upheaval of removing it,  we decided to make it into a feature in the room.

I drew out on some paper what I wanted,  and my very talented "Film Crew" made it for me.

But in all honesty he is a builder so this was an easy job for him and the effect is very good.

We added glass shelves to it on each of the wooden frames and this is where I add my pretty ornaments.

There is a light in the top to highlight the objects... and again I will add photos once it is back to normal.... with my tree in the bottom corner.

Hopefully by the weekend it will all be finished and then I will be ready for Christmas .... well nearly !!

The link for the Enveloplus board is still on until Saturday  here  it is

Hugs xx

December 04, 2012

Colouring with Brown ...

In  this video I have used just the browns from the Spectrum Noir six pens sets.... in fact I have only used three of them to get this effect.... GB8,  GB10, EB5  

The only other thing I have used is some blending solution in a spritzing bottle and a piece off an old towel.

The video will explain what these things are for and how to get the look for any animal images that you may want to use.

Colour Class Browns   is the latest one in the series and I am working on the other colour groups and they will be added soon.

I hope that you are finding these tutorials useful ... especially if you are new to this way of colouring.

I have had many emails telling me that you have now bought some of these pens ... in fact some of you are waiting with pen in hand for each new video.

Thank you for your support in these and all the other videos that my "Film Crew" and I  have put together.


The offer for the Enveloplus Board is still running so if you haven't entered yet 
  


Click the blue frog where it says Add Your Link ... you don't need a blog to enter...just leave the URL blank but you will need to add your email address to be notified if you win

Hugs 

December 03, 2012

Another new Video,,,,


My "Film Crew" and I have been busy over the weekend doing two  videos using the Spectrum Noir pens again.

As promised I am staying with the six pen sets... and if you are new to  alcohol pens then this is a good way to start your collection.

You can build up from there as your confidence grows.

This handsome man is from Just Inklined    I am not sure what the image is called but it is one from the collection on the CD "The Next Big Thing"

He has been coloured in with the Pale Hues set ... otherwise known as Skin Tones.

The pens used to get this effect  are FS2,  FS3,  TN2, EB2    and I have used a fine liner pen to give him the rugged look.

Dress the card up any way you want and this one is just blending the colours with the card.

I have wrapped a bit of string around the bottom and added in a masculine sort of button
But if you wanted to play further and you felt confident enough ...  then you could cut around the image ... add him to a freehand drawn wrestling ring.

I have given the impression of faces around the edge of the ring with the same pens ... and I was really  amused at the result.


So if you would like to see the video tutorial then here is the link  Colour Class Pale Hues    I will add the other video tomorrow.

I am so pleased at the response I am getting for the Enveloplus board.  I wish I had two dozen to give away but alas only one  (sigh) 

If you still haven't added your name to the list to win this there is plenty of time as the offer will not close until Saturday.  So if you want the chance to win the one I have ... then here is the link  for the   Enveloplus Board 

Please play nicely and only add your name ONCE to the list .... coz if it is there more than once I will remove it.  That keeps  it fair and gives every body  the opportunity.  And it doesn't matter if you do not have a blog ... you can still enter.


But leave your email  so that you can be notified if you are a winner.  The draw will be done randomly by the Inlinkz thingy and then you will know who has the board.   Good Luck 


Hugs xx

December 02, 2012

Win an Enveloplus Board...

 I am offering you the chance to win an Enveloplus Board from
Crafters Companion

If you are not familiar with this handy piece of equipment then this is what it looks like.

It is quite big and it will enable you to make larger envelopes and boxes for all your special cards... but you will need the larger card to make them.

 It comes complete with the scoring tool ... that will fit into the grooves to score your card ...  and there are full instructions on how to use it so you won't get lost.

I am more than happy to give one away and so if you would like to win then add your name to the box.

The offer is open until the 7th December ...  but please only add your name once so as to make it fair for everybody.

Duplicate entries will be removed ...... soreee !!

I have had a little problem with the link but it is now sorted so if you have tried to add your name before and couldn't  ...  then PLEASE try again ... click the  "Add Your Link"  button and away you go

Hugs xx

       Would You Like to Win One ???











December 01, 2012

Christmas Wedding Card

I really enjoy making  Wedding cards as they can be made to look  so  special.

This is one I was asked to make in dark  red and cream and it is an 8" square.

Because it is a   Christmas Wedding  it  needed  some glittery,  icy covered  flowers too.

All the Pearls are from Want2Scrap  and  they match the Spellbinders that have been used.

The ribbon is a mixture of cream silk edged Organza and red silk.

The Spellbinders  will be BOLD  so that you will know what I have used

I have created the border on the card from Asian Accents  and the Bride and Grooms' names are layered up with Labels 20, Fancy Tags 3, Asian Accents.
The Poinsettia Flower  has been glittered and sparkled with Glamour Dust on all the edges to look like Ice.

The ribbon is double layered over the border and a cream pearl has been added to cover the knot.

For the box  I have used the Heart and Scalloped Hearts and again used the Pearls to match the shape.

The Poinsettias have Pearls in their centres and the Finesse Swirl is on either side of the heart.

The ribbons have been laid underneath the top panel on the box  and wrapped around the back.

I have glued them in place at the back of the envelope box with a matching bow added in place.

The pearl again hides the knot.

The envelope box is held together with a Velcro fastener.



I used the Enveloplus board from   Crafters Companion which will create envelopes and boxes up to 12" and up to 1" deep... so plenty of room for all your big cards.



Hugs xx