Dad's Shed with added instructions on how to make one

With Father's Day looming I thought I'd put my thinking cap on and come up with something ultra special this year.  See what you think...

My Dad suffered a heart attack a couple of weeks ago and, as he is a really fit and active 72 year old, it hit me like a tonne of bricks.  He was only hanging wallpaper for me the week before - how could it be him?!?!?!?  He's now back home and recuperating from having a stent fitted into his main artery and annoying my mum because he's having to sit around and rest!  He's so stubborn, but thankfully on the road to recovery.

Instructions

Take an A4 piece of card (I've used a green card as my base) and cut to 28cm in length.  The measurements for the cutting and scoring are shown on the diagram below:

Your basic double stepper card should look like this:

On the diagram below it gives the measurements for the shed, the hinges, the picket fence and the topiary flowers.  The flower pot is a stamp from Art Impressions and I've used 1cm diameter flowers to form the flower ring.

I've entered this card into the following challenges, let's hope Dad will bring me some luck:

Cheerful Stamp Pad - a special reason
Craft Your Passion - what a guy
Happileigh Scrappin' - lots and lots of embellishments
House of Gilli - flowers
Karens Doodles - fathers day
Lexi's Creations - fathers day
Stamp With Fun - in the garden
Stamping Scrapping Challenge Central - masculine - TOP 3
The Outlawz - anything goes with a sentiment
Dream Valley - stamp something - TOP 3
Here Come The Boys - fathers day
Stamptacular Sunday Challenge - boys
2 Sisters - anything goes
Craft Your Days Away - fathers day - TOP 3
Easy Craft Projects - for dad
Just Us Girls - fathers day 3d project
Little Claire's - shaped cards
Prairie Fairy - more than one fold - TOP 3
Aud Sentiments Challenge - male card
Charisma Cardz - boy oh boy
Crafty Sentiments - special occasions
Digi Doodle Shop's Best - anything goes
Meljens Designs - fathers day

Butterflys & Flowers

A colleague commissioned this card for a friend that has just been diagnosed with heart problems and is currently undergoing tests - hopefully this card will raise her spirits.

This photo doesn't show the cards true colours unfortunately as it's such a miserable rainy day outside today and  I've had to turn the lights on in my craft room - the backing paper is actually lilac and not blue!

Butterfly punch - Tonic

Flowers, gems, pearls, lace, glitter glue and peel off corners are all from my stash

Paper - Doddlebug Design's baby girl kit - forget-me-not daisies 

Tim Holtz Distress Ink - dusty concord

Magnolia Doo Hickey Die - Heart Swirl Branch Die

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:

Bling It On - photo inspiration
Kenny K's Krafty Girlz - fabulous florals
2 Sisters - anything goes
Allsorts Challenge - things with wings
Phindy's Place - summer living
Crafty Purple Frog - things of beauty
Digi Doodle Shops Best - anything goes
Paper Crafting Journey - anything goes
Paper Play Challenge - blossoms and blooms
Crafty Creations - get well

Mrs & Mrs

Same sex marriages are getting more and more popular aren't they?  This just gives us crafters such an opportunity to bling our cards up even more doesn't it?  Double the bling - yeah :-)  Congratulations to the happy couple "Gemma & Angela" for their forthcoming wedding in July, hope they like my card and that they don't see it on here beforehand.

Where do I begin to tell you about this one?

Pearlised cardstock - Papermill Shop

Heart Swirl Branch Die - Magnolia DooHickey

Flower embellishment - taken from the wedding invitation

Ribbons, gems & buckle - from my stash

Cuttlebug embossing folder - D'vine Swirl & Swiss Dots

I have entered this card into the following challenges:

Divas By Design - one for the girls

Paper Pretties - flowers

Penny's Paper Crafty - anything goes

Simon Says Stamp - sparkle & shine

The Sisterhood of Crafters -let it shine - TOP 3

Truly Scrumptious - anything goes

Anything Challenge - bingo board (paper piecing, flowers & gems)

Use It Tuesday - bling

Ooh La La Creations - fancy folds - TOP 3

The Shabby Tea Room - monochromatic - HONOURABLE MENTION

There's Magic in the Air - embossing

Creatalicious Challenge - flourishes

Desert Island Crafters - 3 or more from the list

Card Cupids - no patterned paper

Creative Inspirations - glitzy & bling - TOP 3

Scrappy Frog - anything goes

Sparkles Forum - recipe - WINNER

Easy Craft Projects - pastels

Little Claire's Designs - sparkle

Our Creative Corner - natural with a twist

Shannon's Sentiments - flowers and no dp
The Outlawz - wedding

A Day On The Farm

This is the second card I've been asked to make for Father's Day and it's for a colleague's son to give his Grandad on Fathers Day and I've used an easel card for this one.

The backing for this image has been made from tearing strips of papers from the Serif "Picnic in the Park" papers free with this months Simply Cards and Papercraft magazine and then using several Art Impressions stamps - teeny tiny grass, small grass clump & tiny stones  - I have created a field upon which to place the tractor.  The paper has been edged with distress ink - peeled paint, the clouds were created using a masking technique and distress ink - tumbled glass.  The sun and birds were added using a Whispers pens.

This card has been entered into the following challenges:

ABC Challenge - unusual folds
Digistamps 4 Joy - boys, boys, boys
Penny's Paper Crafty Challenge - anything goes
Truly Scrumptious - anything goes
Your Next Stamp Challenge - pop it up
The Paper Shelter - distress to impress
Bearly Mine - vintage easel card
Creative Craft Challenge - distressed / vintage
Cards for Men - someone special
Oh La La Creations - fancy folds
There's Magic In The Air - embossing
Come and Get It - colour challenge - TOP 3
Dream Valley - dig out the old (stamps) to use with the new (dp's)

Grandad's Tool Set

This is the first card I've been asked to make for Father's Day and it's for a colleague's son to give his Grandad on Fathers Day.

The tools for this card were a free download from the Papercraft Inspirations magazine issue 87 where they have got a complete tool box project.  The tools have been decoupaged and had Amazing Glaze added to them before mounting them onto a Spellbinders Nestability - labels 11, distressing the edges with Tim Holtz Distressing Ink - weathered wood - and adding brads.

The backing paper was made using the same download as above and I have created my own paper.  This has been mounted onto a darker blue paper, distressing the edges as before, then using my Crop a Dile to put eyelets in each corner and adding faux stitching around the outside edge.

The sentiment has been generated using the PC.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

Cards 4 Men - for someone special
Crafty Cardmakers - embossing
Happileigh Scrappin' - stitching
Stamp R Us - going digital
There's Magic In The Air - embossing
Cooking It Up With Katie - stamp me a letter with brads
Penny's Paper Crafty Challenge - anything goes
Sew Many Cards - anything goes

Young Lovers

Have you been along to the Hotspot Challenge for this months challenge yet?

Why not pop along and have a look at this months challenge which is called "case a cake" and we're being tasked to design with the inspiration from all of those yummy wedding cakes.  From ribbons, to colour, from flowers to embellishments - surely you can come up with some inspiration!  We would love to see what you come up with and the challenge is open until 31st May so you've still got time.

Here's the card I've made as a reminder and I've used one of the images from McMahon Five Designs called Young Lovers.  The image has been coloured using Promarkers and decoupaged onto a Spellbinders Nestability Fleur des Lis square, gold fine line peel offs and gems were added for extra effect.

The sentiment is from the Lily of theValley "For You" circular sentiments stamp set which fits perfectly into a Spellbinders Nestability "lacey circle" with gems added to the centre of the flowers in the sentiment.

The card and ribbon were from my stash.

This card has been entered into the following challenges:

Papertake - fancy a punches
Tuesday Throwdown - die cuts
Use It Tuesday - use your bling
Crazy Challenge - anything goes
Digi Design House - bling
Woodware USA - Wedding/Anniversary
Catered Crop - recipe (brown ink, ribbon & die cuts)
Creative Cowgirls - anything goes
Creative Inspriations - glitzy & bling
Scrappy Frogs - anything goes
Sentimental Sundays - anything goes
Sparkles Forum - recipe
Stampin' Sisters in Christ - all thing beautiful
Catch The Bug - anything goes
Secret Crafter - dust off your stash

Fairytale Tilda

The sketch used for this card is from "A Gem of a Challenge".

The image used for this one is "Fairytale Tilda" from Magnolia.  Isn't she cute?  She has been coloured using Promarkers and the wings have had glitter glue added to make them really sparkle although the photo doesn't really show this very well :-(  I've used my scalloped nestability to frame the image and whilst leaving the die in place as a mask have used distress ink "antique linen" around the edges.

The papers are from Doodlebug Designs baby girl kit and are called "pastel candy dots" and "lovely lime pinstripes" and I've distressed the edge of the pinstripe paper with Tim Holtz distress ink - shabby shutters.

The sentiment is from the Lily of the Valley "Dreamy Days" sentiment set.  The flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts and the ribbon and lace are from my stash.

This card has been entered into the following challenges:

A Gem of a Challenge - sketch
Bunny Zoe's Crafts - lace
Digi Design House - bling
Die Cut Dreams - princess birthday
Happileigh Scrapin' - green - WINNER
Karen's Doodles - pastels
Card Cupids - flowers
Cheerful Stamp Pad - girls with curls
Come and Get It - happy birthday
Crafty Pad - spots & dots
Creative Cowgirls - anything goes
Creative Inspirations - glitzy & bling
Dream Valley - flowers
Emerald Faerie Garden - anything goes
Stamping Sisters in Christ - all things beautiful
Ellephantastic - birthday party
One Stop Crafts - birthdays
Secret Crafter - dust off your stash
Sweet Stampin' - childhood memories
Bah! Humbug! - recycling/green
Crafty Ann's - happy birthday
Crafty Catz - quote/sentiment
Praerie Fairy - here come the girls
If The Shoe Fits - green
Just Magnolia - anything goes
Totally Papercrafts - recipe
Art Impressions Stamps - bling, glitter & sparkle

Love Antennae

I've used a sketch again for this card which is from Sketchy Colours.  The image that I've used is from Penny Black and called "Love Antennae".  She has been coloured with Promarkers and had glitter glue added to her wings to make her twinkle.  I've raised the image using silicone glue and mounted her onto scalloped oval nestabilities.

The red gingham paper was from the Homespun Christams Collection which came free with my Simply Cards & Papercraft magazine and the ribbon, buckles and sentiment were from my stash.

This card has been entered into the following challenges:

Sketchy Colours - sketch
Crafty Ann's - happy birthday
Totally Papercrafts - recipe
Little Miss Muffet - diecuts or punches
Rainbow Lady's - lady in red
Shelley's Images - sugar and spice
Southern Girls - let's hear it for the girls
I Love Promarkers - song title (lady in red)
My Mum's Craft Shop - cute and girly
The Paper Shelter - bling it up
Ladybug Crafts - going dotty
Magical Monday - sketch

Wedding Couple

One of my colleagues at work has asked me to do this card for their friends who are getting married in June - hope they like it!

I've gone back to one of my favourite stamp designers and that's Lily of the Valley and this one is called Wedding Couple.  The image has been coloured with Promarkers and highlighted with gems and glitter glue.  The sentiment is also LOTV and from the "For You" collection.

The pink backing paper is from the Papermania Honey 'n' Hugs collection which came free in one of my craft magazines.  The white card was embossed with the Cuttlebug "D'vine Swirls" embossing folder, all pieces were edged with Tim Holtz Distress Ink - victorian velvet - and faux stitching added.

The flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts and the beads and ribbon are from my stash.

This card has been entered into the following challenges:

Digistamps 4 Joy - it's a celebration
Divas By Design - anything goes
I Love Promarkers - song title (bridal march)
A Spoonful of Sugar - white + one colour
Papertake - anything goes with option of something round
Passion for Promarkers - fit for a princess
Top Tip Tuesday - anything goes
Digi Design House - paper piecing
Die Cut Dreams - wedding
Get HippityWith Ippity - flowers
House of Gilli - layers and stitching
Incy Wincy Designs - I do
Make it Monday - anything goes
Desert Island Crafts - recipe (distressing, sparkle & words)
Emerald Faerie Garden - anything goes

50th Wedding Anniversary

I can't believe it's my Mum and Dad's 50th wedding anniversay this year - doesn't time fly?  They have arranged to go away on a cruise to celebrate and I'm going to see if I can arrange for them to have a meal at the captains table by way of a celebration.  I've just got to try and get the details from them without them suspecting anything!

I've made this card in a red, white and blue theme as blue is my Mums favourite colour and you can't have roses without them being red, can you?

This card has been entered into the following challenges:

Creative Craft World - a right royal challenge
Karen's Doodles - red, white and blue
Quirky Crafts - a right royal affair
Easy Craft Projects - royal wedding inspiration
Daring Cardmakers - by royal appointment

The Hotspot Challenge - Case a Cake

It's that time again and we have a new monthly challenge over at:

This month it's "case a cake" and there are loads of pictures to give you inspiration on design, colours, patterns etc.  It doesn't have to be a cake, it can be a wedding theme or any other celebration using the pictures for ideas.  I've gone for ribbons and bows and a brown and cream theme.  The image I've used is from McMahon Five Designs and is called Young Lovers and the image has been decoupaged.

Why not pop on over and have a look for yourself we'd love to see what you come up with.

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:

Craft Your Passion - anything goes
Die Cut Dreams - wedding
Emerald Faerie Garden - anything goes
Easy Craft Projects - wedding
Cardmadfairy Challenge - wedding
Crafts 4 Eternity - anything goes
Phindy's Place - glitter, glamour and glitz
Totally Papercrafts - glitter
AiFactory Challenge - anything goes
Digi Doodle - anything goes

Updated with winner - Blog Candy

And the winner is.......

No 3:  Jules 

Congratulations Jules

If you could send me your home address to sally-annhanes@hotmail.co.uk I'll get your voucher sent off to you

Thanks to everyone that took part :-)

*********************

Here's the blog candy that I promised you all when I came back off holiday. 

This post will stay at the top of my blog until the 30th April.  For all other posts please continue scrolling down.

The lucky winner will be able to spend £10 from the Sir Stampalot online store or, if you are lucky enough to live close enough, in their actual store in Peterborough!

All you have to do to qualify is:

• Become a follower - if you're not one already

• Post my candy on your sidebar with a link back to my blog

• Only 1 entry per person allowed

• This will remain open until Saturday 30th April and the lucky winner will be announced on Sunday 1st May

What could be easier?

Please add your name by clicking on the blue frog below for a chance to win.