Filigree Hummingbird

I got an early birthday voucher (for craftonline.com.au) from my wonderful sister and got a bunch of cute filigree cutting dies - this Hummingbird is by far my favourite!

This Filigree Hummingbird die is made by Cheery Lynn Designs. I hadn't come across them before but will certainly be on the lookout for more :) It cut beautifully and cleanly in my cuttlebug!

Though not my usul style or colours, I like this card - the backing paper design looks a little like sunset and really helps the hummingbird to pop :)

Feel The Love

My sister is turning 31! Granted I'm a smidgy bit older but I couldn't resist being cheeky!

Made with Cuttlebug and stuck down using my little xyron :) very simple, very quick, very cheeky!

Wedding Fever: The Conclusion, I Think

 

THIS MIGHT BE IT - WEDDING CARD

I think I've done it!  I've put it into an envelope and am putting the fact it's mounted slightly crooked out of my mind because other than that, I love this card!  I think this will be the one I give to my friend for her wedding (unless my OCD and self-criticism rages out of control in the next month or so).

 

What do you think?  I am adoring its simplicity, yet dainty prettiness :)

The pretty cut out is a Shapeability die cutter and embosser that I ran through my Cuttlebug.  The background design was painstakingly hand-stamped and bejewelled :)  The "love" is heat embossed.

Yeah, I'm loving it!

Happy Weddings!

 

Dani :)

Updated: Welcome Zahlia :)

 

So yesterday I became an aunt for the second time :)

Welcome, beautiful little Zahlia!

So, naturally, the first thing I do is dash out to my nearest scrapbooking store (45 minutes away).  Yes, I braved the papers and actually picked some out - am quite proud of this because picking patterned paper frightens the heck out of me!  I knew I wanted butterflies so just went for it!

This is the quick and simple page I made for my sister - I did the same thing when my other niece was born :)  I don't put the photo on there - I just think that if it's going to hang in their house, they should pick their favourite picture or picture that best suits!

As you can see, I didn't do too much with it.  It has a very busy background so wanted to keep things as simple as possible.  I just adore the pretty fabric flower and the skeleton leaves!

And here is the card I made!  (for those who saw this page previously, yeah it's a different card - I can't stop fussing!!)

I heat embossed the pitter patter stamp with silver and fussy cut in a circle around it.  Then I used a punch to make a bigger circle in pink.  The edges of both were distressed, no inking.  Stuck them together , affixed 4 skeleton leaves to the back in a sort of fan and then stuck it all onto the bottom right corner of the page!

Added some bejewelling, some teeny tiny paper roses and embossed the Rock-a-Bye directly onto the top left corner of the card.  Punched the botton left corner to soften it and to stop it from looking so neglected :)
Easy peasy and pretty!

Happy Families!

Dani :)

Black & White

 

ROCKIN' THE MONOCHROME!

When making cards, there's no denying that the monochrome look can have a terrific impact - it can  be eyecatching, sexy, classy, modern, masculine (or feminine!), and fun!

And there's no reason you can't tie that into your stamp colouring as well.  If you're  fan of using copic markers, the impact is incredible.  I use watercolour markers, a little more subtle but still fantastic!

I went for cute and fun in this card :)  I think it would appeal to girls in the 10-13 age range :)

I started out by stamping my image and colouring it with various shades of black, grey and white.  To boost the impact I did colour the skin properly and added one element of red, in the cherry, to make the picture pop.

I used only THREE pens in this colouring:  black, red and skin tone.  Any actual black colouring, I used the black marker directly on the card.  Grey was achieved with the black pen, but painted on with an aqua brush (click here for instructions).  I used the pen-tip of the marker to add texture to her hair.

I finished her off with a little jewel on her bow :)

I got a piece of black card with a faint design to back my coloured image.  You could probably use flat black but I think a faint design adds something.  At the other end of the scale, anything with a clear pattern will be too busy and your picture will be lost.

I distressed the edges of the backing card to relax the style and add some definition to the edges (the other side of the card has a design on white so it worked well because when I distressed the edges, the white showed).  I then mounted my image onto the card with foam tape, to give her lift.

I then mounted my image and card onto patterned paper (black pattern on white) that is only a little smaller than the size of my overall card.  The patterned paper I chose is flocked and also has a little shine to it - gotta love textures!

I added black ribbon to break up the pattern a little.

And to finish it off, I stuck the patterned paper onto my base card and inked the edges of the card with black - again to continue the relaxed feel of the card, but it also helps add some definition since you have laid white paper on white card.

I made a little tag - this one I cut out with my cuttlebug, but you could always cut out a rectangle and snip the corners at an angle at the end with the punched hole to give it a tag look.  I used bright red ribbon to embellish the tag, continuing the theme but not overdoing the red.

I then gave it one final touch:  a black heart on the tag with a little red jewel in it!

Happy Monochroming!

Dani :)

When I Should Be Sleeping

WHAT I DO WHEN I SHOULD BE SLEEPING...

Here I sit, so bleary eyed that I'm seeing triple.  I have been booted out of bed by a sick child, snoring husband and snoring dog!  So rahter than nap on the couch, what do I do?  Make cards!

Just some very simple ones and I admit to a bout of middle-of-the-night laziness so didn't get step by step photos of them - trust me, you won't need it :)

My Button Card

Simply string together some colourful buttons and stick them down the card!  I have wrapped the string around to the inside of the card and covered them with a large "sticker" I created with my mini xyron.

Then I stamped my greeting and surrounded it by my favourite mini buttons and some jewels!  Done!

My Swirly Card

I have a set of stamps I used that are of a whole lot of swirly designs - I just stamped the ones that I thought looked best!  Stuck on a couple of little flowers (the ones pictured are actually brads), some jewels and a greeting.  Finally, I layered it with contrasting card and that's that!



Sugar n Spice Card

This was one of those cards where I had so many ideas that they started to merge - and I like it!  It's got sweet and it's got spice :)  Plus it's quick and eye catching!

Put black card through the cuttlebug with embossing folder.  To give the card some more "gloss", I ran a black ink pad over it.  Wrapped some purple ribbon around, wrapped some sheer ribbon (with a buckle) around the purple ribbon.  Attached to the card with foam tape.

Cut out butterfly with cuttlebug, bejewelled and applied a ribbon.  Stick to the card with foam tape.  Attached this to the main card and inked the edge of the card in an eye-catching colour!  Done :)

Happy brainstorming!

Dani :)

Kids Corny Cards

ANIMAL JOKE MINI BIRTHDAY CARDS

I've been busy busy busy in recent weeks with my son, which got me thinking I don't really make that many kids cards - challenge accepted!

Being a weekend chock-full of soccer, I had limited time to get stuff done so went for some very simplistic but cute cards.  Plus kids are not so gentle, let's be honest.  Once I spent DAYS making my son a giant (binder sized), super amazing mickey mouse card with disney characters that sprung out when he opened it.  He destroyed it in the blink of an eye.  He now appreciates even the most basic card that I make - he's at an age where they're ALL amazing to him!  I love that :)

No step by step photos for this lot, but it's not really necessary.  The animals were made with die cutters and my cuttlebug - Lion, Dog and Kangaroo are Cuttlekids dies (why should kids have all the fun??) and the Penguin is by QuicKutz.  The rest is faily self explanatory, with die-cut animals stuck to white card, stuck to colour card, stuck to base card.  I then found some corny animal jokes on the internet and, after typing it up and print it out, I put the question on the front and the answer (plus Happy Birthday!!) on the inside.

Finished up with some cute little buttons (one of my favourite embellishments!) and jewels :)


Kids could easily make cards like this too!

The (terrible) jokes I used are as follows:

Q:  On what day do Lions eat people?

A:  Chewsday!

Q:  What do Penguins sing on a Birthday?

A:  "Freeze a jolly good fellow!"

Q:  What do you get when you cross a Kangaroo and a Sheep?

A:  A woolley jumper!

Q:  What dog loves bubble baths?

A:  A Shampoodle!!

Happy Joking!

Dani :)

Dressed Up Window Card

 

 

HEART-SHAPED WINDOW CARD

It's Mum's Day so I treated myself to some time in peace and quiet, tinkering at my desk.  I am definitely feeling the love today so went for a lovey theme!

I really enjoyed making this card because it's a quick and simple card but so dimensional and sweet!  You could trade the little hearts for butterflies or whatever shape you want, likewise the window.

I have used a Nestabilities set, however there are all kinds of dies and punches you could use for this - I've got some cute leaf punches so I'm thinking an autumn themed card like this might be my next project :)

 

First of all you need two pieces of white card - one that is 20x10cm (which you fold in half to be the card) and another 10cm square, which will be the front of the card.

After you have folded the piece of card in half, open it up and lay it out on your cuttlebug, lay the square card on top, exactly how it will sit once it is stuck on.  Centre the Nestabilities heart shaped cutting die (I used the second largest) on top of the square and cards and carefully run through the cuttlebug.

This will cut through the main card and the square piece that will mount on the front.

Using some red card, use the snallest Nestability heart and cut out eight hearts.

Cut some nylon or cotton white thread - 3 lengths of about 15cm.  Turn your hearts upside down and on four of them place some double sided tape going up the centre of the hearts.  Place your thread along the centre of the heart (as above) and place another piece of double sided tape on top, going across the widest part of the heart - this will make sure the hearts stick together properly and hold the thread in place.

You want the hearts to be laid out per this photo.

2 of the threads will have the heart towards the top of the string (make sure there is a good inch or so of thread above the heart.  The other thread has two hearts on it, about halfway along with a centimetre or so between the hearts.

Turn over your square piece of card and lay down plenty of double sided tape.  Pull the threads taut as you position as above.  The threads needs tension so that the hearts are suspended properly.  Don't cut off the extra lengths of thread.

Lay lots more tape on top of the last lot - yes, I'm paranoid about threads pulling free - and then stick the excess thread back on top of that.  Trimming the threads short will just encourage them to eventually wiggle loose - this way, you're making TRIPLE sure that everything is secure!

Now carefully line up and stick together the square card and the main card, so that the large hearts match up neatly.

That's basically it!

As you can see, I have chosen to stamp a sentiment inside - I like the look of it, but you don't have to put a sentiment on it if you don't want.

I just close up the card and lay it flat and then mark with a pencil, between the two centre hearts, where I want the sentiment to be.  Then open her up and stamp!

Any additional greetings and writing, I think would be better on the back of the card so as to not ruin the visual effects.

Happy Cutting!!!

Dani :)