Whiff of Joy Stars & Stripes challenge

I would firstly like to thank the WOJ challenge blog team for this challenge!! When I read it I thought ugh stars & stripes that will look awful with my only WOJ stamp (Melinda with muffin basket). So I thought I wouldn't join in this week.....then I read the prize.....WOW!!!!!!! a 2 week guest spot as design team member. My absolute dream come true would be to be a design team member (I'm sure its prob every card makers dream) and to get the chance to do it for even 2 weeks would be amazing. So then I HAD to enter. So I rummaged in my stash and found 3 different stripey papers and I knew I had a satin star somewhere but then while I was rummaging found some sentiment die cuts that I didn't even realise had stars on! and that was that my idea flowed from there. I decided to challenge myself further and use the bright stripey paper I'd slung to the bottom thinking I'd never use. All my cards have been very muted dusky colours so this is a real break from the norm but I am absolutely in love with it! Its really fresh looking. So thank you WOJ challenge blog for helping me to discover something new! x I must just add that Melinda's trousers are actually pink to match some of the stripes in the paper but for some reason they look a tad orangey on the photos. It does look really gorgeous in real life....honest!

I decorated the inside to match and left space for a message

Image: Melinda with Muffin basket from Whiff of Joy coloured with Copics

Paper: Papermania

Star Paper and sentiment tag: Forever Friends sentiment pack

Brad and stars: from stash

Gorjuss Grandaughter card

My MIL has asked me to make a card for her for my Niece's birthday. I decided it was the perfect time to have a real play with my new Gorjuss Girl stamps (I'm sorry but I'm just not counting the Father's Day card...it has no flowers!). I got the inspiration for this whilst doing the ironing would you believe. Must iron more often...well no maybe not. I was ironing one of my little girl's dresses which has a heart on it but the edges aren't stitched down and thought it would look good on a card. I've used so much of my stash on this card I am reluctant to give it away. I'm afraid I just had to cover the skull and crossbones in her hair with a flower....didn't think the skull quite went with the flowers theme! Hope you like it.

A close up of the front. I have used my favourite New Year swirl stamp from Magnolia on the heart, overlapping it onto the card and sentiment.

I decorated the inside to match and there is a money pocket behind the Gorjuss girl.

Image: Gorjuss girl set 2 from Sugar Nellie coloured with copics

Paper: Papermania

Sentiment and lettering: from Forever Friends For You set

Flowers: Prima

Ribbon & embellishments: from stash

Cute as a Button Box

I love recycling things and save all sorts of containers and things, usually for my son to make things with and I almost threw out my contact lens box thinking it is far too small to do anything with and then remembered I need something to keep my buttons in. Unfortunately it was too small to fit a whole stamped image on but Tilda's chubby little face fits perfectly. Yes this is the only Tilda I own at the moment LOL (hopefully to soon be rectified) but I love this one so much as my baby girl's hair curls up round her ears just like Tilda's. I made the flowers out of the same paper and added a magnetic clasp as the slot closure it already had was too hard to open once I'd covered the box.

The box before it was decorated...

Not bad for a piece of rubbish!

Image: Tilda with Hearts from Magnolia coloured with copics

Paper: Prima Cavalier Collection - Machiavelli

Other tools: Woodward leaf punch, Dovecraft brads, Basic Grey magnetic closures, Qchalks

Sugar Bowl challenge - Men

When I saw this weeks challenge over at the Sugar Bowl was a card for a male of any age I thought I couldn't enter it as the only stamps I have are 3 gorjuss girls from set 1 and my newly received gorjuss girls set 2. Then when I stamped my set 2 to have a play I thought the one with attitude is so my little girl already, she has mastered the filthy look already....she's 13 months LOL! So then I thought I would do a card from her to my husband for Father's day. Not entirely sure I like it as the only suitable paper I had was blue....not one of my favourite colours at all, and there are no flowers on it LOL!!!! I then thought what the miss attitude could be saying and came up with a great opportunity to use another of my set 2 stamps (any excuse!) So, on the front she's saying "I might not always do as you say...." and inside she's all sweet with her teddy bear saying "but I love you more than my favourite teddy bear". The prize is a mystery...can't wait to know what it is.

Close ups of the front image and message. The writing is actually done in silver but isn't showing up on the photo very well.

The inside of the card.

Images: Gorjuss girls set 2 from Sugar Nellie

Papers: Papermania

Letters: from Forever Friends for you set coloured blue with Q chalks

Brads, Ribbon etc: from stash

Just Magnolia challenge No 2

The challenge over at Just Magnolia this week is to make a card using pink and green. I was in the middle of making this for my Niece's birthday so it spurred me on to finish it! I must be a mind reader as I was using pink and green LOL!!! I have stamped the New Year swirl stamp from Magnolia behind Tilda, it was my first go at masking and overstamping. I love the swirl stamp sooooo much, I think I use it on nearly every card in one way or another! Inside I have made a pocket as we always give her money for her birthday. Thank you so much to Rachel Jakes for the inspiration for this, I love her blog and saw the pocket idea on there. The heart on the inside ribbon happened kind of by accident, which I find happens a lot and ends up being better than my original idea LOL! I was going to do a bow to match the front and thought I'd run out of ribbon so cut a heart out of the paper instead........when I cleared my table I found a piece of the ribbon that would have made the bow LOL....must be tidier...but I think it works with the heart anyway. I made dots on her dress with the copic colourless blender so that it matches the spotty paper.

The inside

There is a money pocket behind Tilda!

A close up of her cute little face!

and her dotty dress. I also made an envelope to match.

Image: Tilda with hearts from Magnolia coloured with copics

Papers: Bo bunny

Flowers: Prima and xcut punch

Ribbon & embellishments: from stash

Whiff of Joy challenge card

Don't know how I've missed the Whiff of Joy challenge blog when I daydream on the Whiff of Joy site daily LOL!!! But anyway I've found it now and here is my first entry to the challenge to Heather's gorgeous sketch. Really loved doing this sketch. I decided to do a bit of paper tearing and distressing with my new brown chalk pads, I'm really pleased with the way it turned out. I have been very brave and used two....yes TWO of my best Prima flowers!!! The curled wire is from a handmade Christmas decoration I did a couple of years ago that didn't quite turn out how I wanted. The one inside is made from florist wire to match. I decided I simply couldn't use one of those flowers inside LOL so tried to make one to match. It is similar but not as good as the real thing! I have put liquid pearl dots round the brads on the flowers to make the flowers blend in with the colour scheme more. You can just see on the photo I have put a liquid pearl dot in the middle of the flowers in Melinda's hair, looks very effective.

Below are pictures of the inside of the card and my attempt at creating a flower to match the ones on the front!

Image: Melinda with Muffin Basket from Whiff of Joy coloured with Copics
Papers: My minds eye and Cosmo Cricket
Flowers: Prima and handmade
Ribbon and Brads: from stash
Other bits: Liquid Pearls, Glitter Glue (on wings and heart on trousers), Wire, Qchalks

Commissioned Whiff of Joy card

I was really thrilled when my Brother's girlfriend asked me to make a card for her to give to someone after I gave her the "Gorjuss" bottle of wine. So this is my second "commission"!!

It has taken a lot of work as I decorated the inside and the envelope but I feel it has been worth it, I think this is my best card so far.

complete with matching envelope.......

The inside I'm really proud of. I can't remember where I've seen the idea, it was on the front of someone's card on their blog but I've looked and looked and can't find who's it was sorry, but suffice it to say it isn't my idea! I did it out of necessity really as the sentiment was too long and I didn't feel it would look right cut up. I had already planned to decorate the inside with the same image as on the front so it all sprang from there really, threading the sentiment onto some ribbon through the image panel. I'm so chuffed it worked! So when you open the card all you can see is "We're so" and then you pull the ribbon to reveal "proud of you". Will definitely be using this idea again.

Here are some details of the front. I have used my first charm and also you may notice that wahing powder net is back again this time coloured aqua with a few liquid pearls added. I also used my favourite New Year swirl stamp from Magnolia on the sentiments as they looked too white. I have done a yellow "candle glow" on Melinda's face too which I didn't think of doing before when I have coloured her.

Image: Melinda with muffin basket from Whiff of Joy coloured with Copics

Papers: Cosmo Cricket

Flowers: Prima and clear ones from stash

Netting: courtesy of a well known washing powder!

Other tools: Liquid Pearls, Anitas glitter glue, Q chalks, Woodware leaf punch

Whiff of Joy blog candy!

Get yourself over to Katharina's blog for a chance to win the Whiff of Joy summer stamp kit! She is giving out not one but two kits to two lucky people. Oh I so hope I am one of them, they are bound to be beautiful! You can also preorder (if you don't win LOL) by clicking on the link in my sidebar!

Blog candy closes 1st May, preorders close 4th May

Gorjuss plonk!!

Warning...this post may be long as I'm sooooo excited about this project!

and here it is.......an altered bottle of wine!!! I have made it for my Brother's girlfriend as she cuts my son's hair but won't take any money so usually get her some wine so she can't refuse! The reason I'm so excited about it though is becuase I made my own paper using Magnolia's new year swirl stamp and a flower stamp with Qchalks and silver embossing. I'm really pleased with how it has turned out. Here is a close up of it........

One of the other reasons is the pearly pink "netting" behind the flower.......you'll never guess what this is made from.......I cut up one of those net bags you get with your washing tablets and covered it in pearlescent pink glue! LOL I think it looks great and I think it will be appearing in different colours on more of my projects!

I also made a bottle "cuff" and gift tag which is attached to the top with a flower.

Hope you like it!!! Trouble is I'm loving it so much I'm loath to give it away now! Sorry if I've bored you! x


Image: Gorjuss girl "just a girl" from Sugar Nellie coloured with copics
Paper: my own design! using Magnolia new year swirl stamp
Flowers: Prima and hand punched on tag
Hearts: from stash
Netting: courtesy of a well known wash powder!!