Tilda with Sunflower

With Spring around the corner and all of those snowdrops and narcissi breaking through, it's lovely to see some colour again after those dark, dreary winter days.

What better inspiration do we need to explore all of those bright coloured papers, ribbons and pearls.  Here is the card that I have made with my Spring inspiration:

The image is Magnolia's "Tilda with Sunflower" which has been coloured with my Promarkers, matte and layered and then finished off with a bit of faux stitching.  I have embellished with a gingham ribbon and bow, a die cut butterfly and some pearls.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

Everybody Art Challenge - spring
Oldie but a Goodie - spring is in the air
Promarker Challenge - sugar rush
Incy Wincy Designs - spring is in the air
House of Gilli - green
Ladybug's Crafts - faux stitching - TOP 3
By the Cute and Girly - springtime
Desert Island Crafters - use 3 or more from the list
Sunday's with Crissy - stitching
ColourQ - colour pallette

Yacht Twisted Easel Card

I don't know about anyone else, but I always struggle to make men's cards!

I try and base them around hobbies, DIY, gardening, cars, motorbikes, sport, beer, wine, food or woman - they normally fit into one of these categories :-)  Apologies to any guys reading this for being so stereotypical!

This card came about whilst pulling some samples together for a recent demo on different shaped easel cards.  As soon as I saw this shape the yacht sprang to mind and I began pulling the card together - hope you like it?

  

The sails of the yacht were made from 2 different sized triangles of card which were punched using my We R Memory Keepers Crop-a-dile and the 1/8" eyelets and attached to a cocktail stick with some fine string or you could use embroidery threads.  The loose ends were secured to the back of the sails using silicone glue.  The cocktail stick was then fixed to the base of the yacht using silicone glue. The base has been distressed with Tim Holtz Distress Ink - antique linen - and the sails edged with worn lipstick.

I have used another larger triangle of card, decorated with the same wavy paper as the base, to rest the easel up against so that it stands up and attached yellow buttons from the DoCrafts Papermania Capsule collection in each corner.

To personalise the card, you could add the person’s name to the base of the boat or a number to the sails for a specific birthday. I have left mine blank at the moment until I decide who is going to receive it.

For those of you that would like to have a go at making the twisted easel card I have included the instructions below.  I know this may sound silly, but please ensure that when you fold you card flat that your topper i.e. the yacht, fits within the circumference of the card.

I am entering this card into the follow challenges:

Stampin' Sisters in Christ - buttons

Easy Craft Projects - something for the boys

Send a Smile 4 Kids - birthday boy
Crafts 4 Eternity - easel card
Cards for Men - water

 

Heart Easel Card

Better late than never, but here is the Valentines card I made for Mark (my knight in shining armour).

The base card was cut out as per the following diagram:

Once you have cut out your base card you need to score and fold one side of the card to form the easel.  To complete the card cut a single heart the same size as the base card and then decorate and attach to the pointed half of the folded heart.  Remember to only apply your adhesive to the lower half of your heart (not like I did when I made my first one!)

I have used another one of the Lily of the Valley images (sorry, yes again!) and this one is called Together Forever.  You also get the sentiment saying exactly that with the image which I've used on this card.  The image was coloured with Promarkers and decoupaged onto the card to give some depth.

The papers used for this card were inside one of my craft magazines back in 2010 (I think!) and were distressed with Tim Holtz distress ink - worn lipstick.  The ribbon was from my stash and the hearts were left from one of my punches (very useful!).

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

Card Cupids - shaped cards
Corrosive Challenge - distressing
Stamping Vacation - when in doubt, let love win out
Crafty Calendar Challenge - love
Ellephantastic Challenge - distressing with a love theme - TOP 3
Stamp, Scrap & Doodle Saturdays - easel card
Crafts 4 Eternity Recipe Challenge - easel card - WINNER
Sassy Studio Designs - shaped card - WINNER

It's my Party

The stamp used on this card is another one from Lily of the Valley, which I'm loving at the moment, called "It's my Party"  so apologies if they seem to be on all of my cards at the moment!

The image was coloured with Promarkers and then the skirt and tiara were highlighted with Moonglow Starburst Stains.  I have used the mountain lavender gold from the icicle creek set.

The tag is one of Magnolia's and from the heavenly tags collection, this was also coloured with Promarkers and a sentiment stamped in the centre.

The main cardstock and image were edged with Tim Holtz distress inks - milled lavender and dusty concord.

The papers, gems, button, ribbon and beads were all from my stash.  The silk flower was made from colouring a piece of silk with a Promarker, cutting out a circle and then doing a running stitch around the outside which was pulled tight to form the flower.  The button was then sewn on in the centre to complete the flower.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

Card Makin' Mamas - birthday
Off the Wall Craftiness - inspirational colours
Phindy's Place - sketchtime
Challenge up your Life - fairy tales
Little Claire's - anything goes
Sweet Stampin' - oh so girly
Crafty Ann's - birthday card
GuyLou's Inimitability - anything goes

Daisy Box Card

The inspiration for this card came from a friend being in hospital and not being able to have flowers bought into the ward.  I'm not sure whether this was specific to her or whether these are new hospital rules?!?!?!?

I came up with the idea of combining a bouquet of flowers with her card and here is the outcome.

The cardstock is from the Paper Mill Shop, the spotted paper is from Forever Friends and is from the Pink Parfait set and the striped paper is from Doodlebug Designs and is called cupcake sweet stripes.

The edges of the spotty paper and the doily have both been finished off with Tim Holtz Distress Ink - Weathered Wood.

The image used is from Elisabeth Bell and is called Daisy and has been coloured with Promarkers.

The flowers and beads were sourced from either my local market stall or Wild Orchid Crafts.

The label is from a Magnolia set called Heavenly Tags stamped with a sentiment inside it and coloured with Promarkers.

This card has been entered for the following challenges:

Digi Doodle Shop's Best - spots/dots
Lily of the Valley - circles
Stampin B's - use a flower
Sweet Stamps - flowers
Top Tip Tuesday - bling it on
Bunny Zoe's Crafts - spring flowers everywhere
Lexi's Creations - flowers
Ooh La La Creations - pink, pink and more pink
Pink Gem Challenge - buttons, brads, beads and bows
Fussy and Fancy -  embossing or paper piecing
Stamp Something - something with flowers
Totally Papercrafts - paper piecing
Allsorts - make your own flowers

Spotty Dotty Flowers

 This card has been made with a LOTV stamp - Rosie Posy - which has been coloured with Promarkers and finished off with a bit of glitter glue and some gems.  The sentiment is also from LOTV and is from the Dreamy Days circular selection.  Both the sentiment and the image have been distressed with Tim Holtz Distress Ink - Antique Linen.

The paper is double sided and called Fly a kite: Picnic Table from October Afternoon and the base card is pearlised A4 and from the Papermill Shop.

I have entered this card into the following challenges:

Digi Doodle Shop's Best - Spots/dots
Lily of the Valley - Lili of the Valley stamp & circles
Paper Pretties - Glitter
Simon Says Stamps - Coffee and cream
4 Crafty Chicks - Inspirational photo
Southern Girls - Brad, gems or dewdrops