Fun Start to 2013 Part 3

I really enjoyed WOYWW yesterday, can't wait for next week, I love seeing other crafter's desks...nosy, nosy.

Anyway back to this post....just how many cards did we make on Saturday!!

This is the final post and the main photo today is a slight cheat, as I made it before the playdate, but made it as I had an idea of how to use the new papers that I got on sale at TK Maxx and wanted to show it to JT, as I thought it would give us food for thought. The papers are gorgeous and are by Amy Tangerine for American Crafts and I also used them when I made the dress form cards for JT and her family before Christmas. I am very happy with this card. I really like how Liz over at Pink Petticoat uses twine and tags on her cards, so thought I'd have a go myself. The sentiment tag is one I punched from a Pink Petticoat set using my new-ish tag punch. The twine is also by American Crafts and was part of a 24 roll set that I split and gave half to JT for Christmas. The twine colours are absolutely gorgeous. Below is a close-up, so you can see the sentiment and the button.

The card below is another fave from my makes on Saturday. The embossing folder belongs to JT and the ribbon is off of the Christmas gifts she gave me. I just love the simplicity of it all. It's based on a Pinterest sketch, that I modified slightly.

Embossed Birthday

The next card is actually for JT's husband. It's his birthday soon and I am sure he doesn't read my blog, so think we are safe showing this! I really wanted to use the star embossing folder and thought the big circular digital stamps would work here. The spotty paper, blue button and zebra candi give it a bit of zing!

Star Birthday

Star Birthday Close-up

I bought a roll of cupcake tape for us to play with. I'm not totally convinced about the tape, it's a tad big, but I think JT's cupcake embossing folder looks awesome.

Cupcake Birthday

The final card is very simple and I like how all the pinks compliment each other.

So that is the epic playdate posted. I'm really pleased with the output. I should be back over the weekend with a complete post of the cards I've been making for my work colleague Katie. Oh and pop over to JT's blog to see what she made. I think both of us were channelling our inner Mary Fish (I love you Mary Fish).

Cx

p.s I have decided that I will be very poor when we move to NYC, as I will be able to get my hands on all kinds of American Craft goodies...

WOYWW 188 - 9th Jan 2013

Yay! I love WOYWW. Happy Wednesday everyone.

Once again I took my photo on a Tues night, as I have to leave too early in the morning to take the photo and get the post out.

Just incase you don't know what WOYWW is, it stands for What's on Your Workstation Wednesday and is the brainchild of the awesome Julia over at Stamping Ground.

So what is on my workstation...

A stack of Pink Petticoat papers that I have printed out to make some cards for my work colleague Katie - as a leaving gift from me. You can see the cards that I am making for her in various stages - one is finished, another is semi-assembled and there are a couple near the front where I am still playing with ideas. You can just see my new paper trimmer in the right hand corner - finally got round to getting this ordered, no more frayed edges for me! The massive pile of buttons is there because I like to tip them out and shift through them when working - it inspires me. I am working with the Papermania Big Blossoms right now, as I love them. Behind the card that is finished is a stack of ribbons and twine, some are new and some I got out to encourage me to use them. The little green box is a Dymo tape that I just bought for the machine Hubby 'found' in the loft before Christmas. JT's butterfly punch is there, as it's on loan so I can punch a batch of butterflies before I leave..Oh and there are 2 new tacky glues that I want to try - one is clear and the other is white and dries super fast (apparently) - obviously following the UHU  incident I am a little bit nervous about new glue.

I am looking forward to getting home tonight and making a few more of the cards that are on my desk. Katie mentioned that she is loving Spring colours right now, so all the papers are Spring oriented.

Cx

Fun start to 2013 part 2

Morning everyone!

It's pretty hectic right now as I am in my last few weeks of work and I am busy planning the move to NYC, which is exciting and terrifying all at once!

This is the second part of the playdate post. This one is non-birthday oriented.

The main photo today is another modified Pinterest idea. I love it and think it will be useful as either a Valentine's card or as an Anniversary card. The hearts were not cut with my numerous heart punches, but with the new die I got with the Big Shot. I really like the whole layering idea, might have to try it with different shapes and see how it works.

JT brought some really cute square mini stamps with her. She said she found them a bit trixsy to work with. I have a mini square scallop punch that I thought might work well with these stamps. Here are the results -

Mini stamps 1

Mini Stamps 2

Mini Stamps 3

Card 1 is the first card  I made using the stamps and I loved the gingerbread ink on the white paper. Card 2 is one of my faves from the playdate, love the colours and the simplicity of it all. Card 3 uses JT's mini 'Thank You' and utilises my own square mini stamps - not sure what you'd use these for. I decided the stamped images looked like they were floating, so I used blue glitter strips to anchor them.

The card above was a 'challenge' that JT set us. Basically I had the sticker flowers for ages and was a bit terrified about using them, as they are quite fussy. I think the embellishment with the Papermania background, die cut shape, contrasting ribbon and white stamped sentiment works and now I'm like 'What was all the fuss about?'

I have recently been playing with a new technique (well new to me) where you die cut a shape and then emboss it. I did this on the card below using a dress form die by Spellbinders. The spotty paper is by Pink Petticoat and it really makes the dress pop. The daisy chain punch was one of the Christmas gifts that JT got from her family - cute right?

Final card in this epic post uses my new Big Shot flower dies, the possibilities are endless. I like this blue and green combo with pale blue Candi's to bring out the colour in the patterned flower. No sentiment here, as I can't decide what would be the best use of the card...maybe I'll just leave it blank.

See you tomorrow for WOYWW! What's on Your Workstation Wednesday.

Cx

Fun start to 2013

I mentioned on Sunday that Saturday's playdate was an epic one. JT and I had great fun, we gossiped, drank wine, ate curry and made approx 40 cards between us!!!

I took all the photos yesterday and realised that I will need to create 3 posts to show them all to you.. So today's post will be birthday focussed.

Today's main photo is of the card I like the most out of all of the ones I made. JT brought some printouts from Pinterest for inspiration and this card was a modified version of that. I love how sparkly the whole card is, the presents were die cut using a Quickutz die, the bows were a gift from JT, the sentiment is a peel-off and the glittery foam is from my local craft store. I think this makes a good male birthday card.

The card above was made using JT's fancy stamp set - the minute I saw it I knew that it would work brilliantly with the Spellbinders dies I have. I think I was right about that :) I added a glittery outline, some bling and a sentiment.

The next card uses my new Papermania Capsule collection big paper flowers - which I am in love with, I also bought the Vintage Notes ones...naughty, naughty. I cut the scalloped circle using a Spellbinders die and then embossed it with the new folder I bought just before Christmas, added a button (also new and from the Papermania Vintage Notes collection) and a sentiment.

I really like this card, it has a funny story attached too, as Ma was here when I was making it and she announced it would be better with 'bling' in the middle, not a button. Who is the card maker here?! I disagree, but she is my Ma, so maybe I'll make a blingy one for her next...

Continuing with the big flower theme, here are 2 more cards made using the flowers. I like the yellow one, as I am into the twine and tag thing right now, but I am going to need to modify it slightly, as the spotty paper is all wonky and unless it's going to JT (ha ha) I can't really give it to anyone like this. The blue one is a fun use of a scrap piece of Zebra paper.

Also, you might have noticed, some of my paper edges are a bit frayed...I need a new paper trimmer - STAT. I'll be getting on the case with that this week.

This post is getting kind of long, so I'll end here..think it might take me all week to show you the playdate items...especially as I want to do WOYWW this week.

Cx

OMG I'm In Love!!

Happy 2013 everyone!

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and a good start to the New Year.

Hubby and I had a great Christmas and really enjoyed the break. I didn't want to go back to work this week, as I have been really enjoying hanging out with my friends and family.

Because of the move, Hubby and I asked for Amazon vouchers....I bought the Sizzix Big Shot (finally) with my vouchers thus explaining the title and photo.

I am totally head over heels in love with it, it cuts absolutely everything you can think of - fabric, felt, card, thin metal and foam.

I am really looking to trying out the new quilting dies that I bought, but for now I am just having fun using it to make cards.

I gave the Epic Six to JT, I am sad to see him go, we've had such a good time together, but I know that JT is going to totally love using him (my tools are always 'him').

Talking of craft buddy, JT and I had an awesome playdate yesterday and I'll be taking photos of the things I made later on.Our output was monster, so I think I'll post everything over a couple of days. It was a 12hr playdate!! Epic and fun too! Lots of new ideas tried out and the best bit is getting to work with your craft buddies stash.

Cx