More Birthday Cake

Card/Paper: Not Quite Navy, Kraft, Whisper white
Ink: Not Quite Navy, Creamy Caramel, Summer Sun, Pumpkin Pie
Stamps: Big Bold Birthday
Other: Linen Thread, Antique Brass Eylets
Card Size: 15cm x 10.5cm (approx 4" x 6")

I had another male card to make as well as hubby's, so to save time, I used the same card and stamp sets as yesterday's card, but made a simpler one. I think I like this one better in fact. This time I stamped all the elements of the cake individually and cut them out, stuck them together and mounted the finished cake with foam pads to pop it up a little. The front two candles are inserted into the cake through little slits cut with a knife. Even with the cutting out, this was a pretty quick card to make - well, by my standards anyway!

Blue Birthday Balloons

Ingredients:

Card/Paper: Not Quite Navy, Kraft, Whisper White
Ink: Not Quite Navy, Creamy Caramel, Summer Sun, Pumpkin Pie
Stamps: Big Bold Birthday
Other: Linen Thread, White Gel Pen
Card Size: 12.5cm x 12.5cm (approx 5" x 5")

Well, Emma's converted me to liking Kraft! I really like it with Not Quite Navy for a masculine colour combination. This is hubby's birthday card - and I even made him a real cake as well. Shame he's away this week, and we're finishing it up without him!

Birthday Oak Make and Take

Ingredients:

Card/Paper: Chocolate Chip, Creamy Caramel, Summer Picnic Designer Paper, Watercolour paper for image
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Basic Grey, Old Olive, Creamy Caramel,
Stamps: Lovely as a Tree, Sincere Salutations
Other: Stampin' Pastels (blue for sky), Vintage Brads
Card Size: 15cm x 10.5cm (approx 4" x 6")

Method:

This is the other make and take card from our last stamper's ten meeting. The image was stamped using Basic Grey ink, and then watercoloured using the markers scribbled onto a plastic sheet, and an aquabrush. The sky was coloured using blue chalk. The brads are fixed on to a tab punched shape. The image is matted onto a chocolate chip square, and then mounted onto the designer paper with foam pads. The right hand edge of the card base has five score lines at 1/4" spacing, which have been sponged with Chocolate Chip for an extra bit of definition.

Space Monkeys

Ingredients:

Card/Paper: Bazzill Bling Handsome, SU Basic Black and Whisper White, water colour paper
Ink: Versamark, Stazon Black, Whispers Permanent markers in red, blue and orange, SU Chocolate Chip, Green Galore, Brocade Blue, Cameo Coral, Night of Navy, Bashful Blue
Stamps: Stampendous Changito in Space, Inca Dot Birthday
Other: SU Silver Embossing powder, Acetate, red and orange gems, aluminium drink can
Card Size: 13.5cm x 12cm (approx 5" x 4.5")

Method:

My son's birthday has come around for the second time since I started my blog, so those who saw his card last year may remember the comment about monkeys on cards. For the curious the post is here. As you can see - monkeys this year too!

I designed the card base using a font called Pagoda SF, and Serif Draw, then cut it with my Silhouette (Robo). The stars and swooshes are from the Changito in Space set, and were stamped with Versamark and embossed in silver. The inside white part of the card is sponged around the edges with Bashful Blue, and stamped with the stars. It also has the happy birthday stamp in Night of Navy.

I stamped the rocket images in Stazon onto water colour card, cut them out, and just coloured in the monkey/cockpit parts using an aquabrush and the SU markers scribbled onto my Stamp-a-ma-jig sheet. I then cut out pieces of acetate to cover over the cockpit part, and extend a little below the cockpit. The part that extends below is the part that I stuck onto the coloured in image, so the glue won't show through the cockpit. I then stamped the images again with Stazon onto the back of an aluminium drink can, and cut them out - including cutting away the cockpit part. I coloured the rockets with the permanent markers, shaped them a little with a large embossing tool, and glued them on top of the coloured image with silicone. Then fixed them onto the card base. Finished off with little orange gems for the alien monkey ufo, and a red one on the top left space ship.

And I bet most of you will spend longer looking at it than he will! But at least I had fun making it . . .

Marmite is Back!

Ingredients:

Card/Paper: Old Olive, Ruby Red, water colour paper
Ink: Old Olive, Ruby Red, Creamy Caramel, Night of Navy Black Stazon,
Stamps: Unfrogettable
Other: Stampin' Pastels Chalks, Old Olive brad, googly eyes
Card Size: 15cm x 10.5cm (approx 4" x 6")

Method:

Another quick card needed for a 5 year old boy's birthday. So I turned to Marmite the frog to help me out, as I find that it is so quick to create a little scene with this set, and it's simple to colour as well.

I stamped the sitting frog first, then stamped him again on a post it note, cut it out, and used as a mask whilst I stamped the mushroom he is sitting on. I then created a mushroom mask, and used it, and my Stamp-a-ma-jig to do all the other mushrooms. Finally I stamped the leaping frog. The dragonfly was stamped on a scrap piece. All the painting was done using the Stampin' Write markers scribbled onto the Stamp-a-ma-jig sheet, and an Aquabrush to pick up the colour. Old Olive for the frogs, Ruby Red for the mushroom caps (with the spots coloured in with the Ruby Red direct to the paper), Creamy Caramel mixed with a little Ruby Red for the gills and stalks, a very watered down Night of Navy for the dragonfly wings, and Creamy Caramel for it's body.

Once the painting was dry, I sponged Bashful Blue and Old Olive chalks from the Pastels set on for sky and ground. Cut out the dragonfly and stuck him on once the card was assembled. The tag is made using the Stampin' Up tag punches, and the greeting from the Unfrogettable set. Sponged the edges of the white part with the chalk as well. Finished off with an Old Olive brad, and googly eyes.

Sadly Marmite is retiring, but is still available at the moment.

Simple and Quick Birthday Card

Ingredients:

Card/Paper: Brocade Blue, Creamy Caramel, Night of Navy, Whisper White
Ink: Brocade Blue, Creamy Caramel, Barely Banana
Stamps: Big Bold Birthday, Sincere Salutations
Card Size: 15cm x 10.5cm (approx 4" x 6")

Method:

This is a very plain and simple card - but I needed one in a hurry! It was for a man, so no frills!

I stamped the cup cake using the elements from the Big Bold Birthday set. For the icing, I used the 'rock'n'roll' technique of rolling just the edges of the stamp on the ink pad. This way, I had ink just on the edges of the solid stamp. I then cleaned the stamp, and put ink just on the edge of one end, and used this to stamp the humps in the middle of the icing. I stamped the candles on to the card, and then masked them off before stamping the icing. Using my Stamp-a-ma-jig of course for placement. I masked off the icing before stamping the bottom of the cake. Added a little bit of Barely Banana to give some colour to the flames.

The Creamy Caramel strip behind the image was stamped with another of the stamps from the set, using the Stamp-a-ma-jig again to line up all the little circles from one block to the next.

Thinking of You Trees

Ingredients:

Card/Paper: Chocolate Chip, Creamy Caramel, water colour paper for image
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Versamark, Not Quite Navy, Old Olive
Stamps: Lovely as a Tree, Sincere Salutations, Canvas Background Stamp
Other: Cuttlebug Forest Branches folder, clear embossing powder

Method:

I inked up the tree stamp first with Versamark, and then with Chocolate Chip ink. Stamped onto water colour paper and then embossed with clear powder. I used an Aquabrush to paint the grass and sky using Old Olive, Chocolate Chip, and Not Quite Navy ink. As the embossing over the trees wasn't perfect, the brush picked up tiny amounts of the Chocolate Chip, and turned it to purplish hues mixed with the blue of the sky - quite accidental, but turned out fairly effective!

Matted the image onto Chocolate Chip, and then mounted onto Creamy Caramel embossed on one side with the Forest Branches folder, and stamped with a greeting from Sincere Salutations in Chocolate Chip ink. Card base of Chocolate Chip stamped with the Canvas Background stamp in Chocolate Chip ink.

Big Cake, Little Guy

Ingredients:

Card/Paper: Chocolate Chip, Bashful Blue, Not Quite Navy, Whisper White for stamping cup cake, Water colour paper for image
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Not Quite Navy, Barely Banana, Blush Blossom
Stamps: Big Bold Birthday, All in the Family
Other: 5/8" Chocolate Chip grosgrain, pewter brads, happy birthday Cuttlebug folder

Method:

I stamped the cake and candle images onto a scrap of Whisper White and cut them out. The icing stamp I inked up using a sponge dauber to transfer the ink from the pad to the stamp. Put a little speckle of it over the centre, but mainly just colour around the edges. The candle flames were coloured in with Barely Banana.

Used the stampamajig to stamp the boy - I had to extend his arms by drawing to fill in the gap between them and his shoulders in order for them to reach above his head to the cake. Used a black marker for this. Watercoloured his clothes using ink squeezed onto the lid of the Chocolate Chip and Not Quite Navy pads. Used Blush Blossom for his face. Used a piece of cut and dry foam to apply Not Quite Navy ink around the image. Glued the cake pieces in place, and matted the picture onto Chocolate Chip card.

Cuttlebugged the happy birthday design onto Not Quite Navy card, and matted onto Bashful Blue and Chocolate Chip. Finished with ribbon and brads.

Those Frogs Again!

Ingredients:

Card: Really Rust, Old Olive, Chocolate Chip - all Stampin' Up. Fine grain watercolour paper.
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Whispers markers, Stampin' Pastels
Stamp: Toadily Yours Penny Black
Font: Crazy Girlz Blond BTN
Other: Cuttlebug embossing folder Tiny Bubbles

Method:

Stamped frogs on to watercolour paper - I masked off the flowers so that I could substitute the signs - and coloured with markers and blender pen. Background coloured with pastels, and hand doodling around the edge with fine nib of marker. Matted onto Chocolate Chip. Embossed Old Olive with Tiny Bubbles. Words and numbers computer generated onto watercolour paper. Coloured with pastels, matted onto Chocolate Chip, punched corners of everything with Woodware Squared Corner Cutter. Added thin strips of Chocolate Chip for the sign post handles. All mounted onto Really Rust background. Finished with hand doodling to match image border, and three little rough cut squares of Chocolate Chip.


I have pinched this idea for posting from others that I have seen - hoping to make it quicker for those who just want to see what I used, but still leaving an explanation for those who like to read! Also quicker for me to type up - so more time to make cards!! Hope you like this format - let me know if you don't.

Lager Can 30th Card

Another male relative with a birthday. I used to cop out and just make cards for the girls, and buy for the boys, but practice is good, and the male cards are getting easier! Went with one of the 'stereotypes' for this one - beer/lager, but instead of a picture of a brew, I used the container. I wanted it to be obvious that I had used a lager can, so I cut the 30 out of the area with the logo. If you enlarge the picture you can see some of the wording.
I cut the top and bottom off of the washed can with a pair of kitchen scissors. Then cut up the side between the logos, and flattened it out. You have to be very careful in handling as the edges are very sharp. I used my favourite Ariel Rounded MT Bold to create a template for the numbers. Printed them out in a mirror image, rough cut around, and then temporarily stuck them to the back of the can. Cut around with my short bladed craft scissors. Then ran the numbers through my Cuttlebug with the Spots and Dots folder. Next stuck them to black card and cut around leaving a narrow margin of card which I distressed.
I designed the wording on the computer using Freehand 591 BT font, printed on to grey card and then embossed the top portion diagonally with Distressed Stripes. Distressed the edges of the grey card, and matted onto silver mirror card. The background is black card with a single row of dots embossed down the right edge and along the top.

Autumn Oak

The leaf and oak tree stamps are from the Lovely as a Tree set by Stampin' Up. I inked up both stamps first with Versamark, and then with Chocolate Chip ink. Stamped them onto fine grain water colour paper, and then embossed with detail clear powder. I coloured in using a blender pen, picking up colour from brown and green water colour markers. The background was done using make-up sponges and Stampin' Pastels. Trimmed the tree image to size, and slightly distressed the edges. Matted onto Chocolate Chip card, and then stuck onto the Old Olive card background. Cut out the leaf and mounted with foam pads to pop it up a little. The sentiment is from the Cheer and Wishes set, and is stamped with Chocolate Chip ink. All on a cream card base measuring 10.5 x 15 cm (approx 4 x 6")

Changuito Birthday

Revisiting the Changuitos for another male birthday. I stamped the image with my new Versafine Onyx Black pad, and used watercolour pencils and an aquabrush to colour them. Chalked a little green around the edge, and hand doodled over the top of that. Slightly distressed the edges with my scissor blade. Mounted on a strip of brown Bazzill card, also lightly distressed. Background is Pebbles Inc. Zoo Fun Animal/Wave.
The leaves are a 1" Woodware punch - Monstera - which I chalked with green at the edges, and scored a crease down the middle. Couple of brads to finish and echo the orange in the image.

Art Impressions Scene

This is my first attempt at a view/scenery picture from Art Impressions stamps. I got the idea for it from an example card displayed at my local craft shop.
Using watercolour paper, first I washed on the background hills and sky, then added a little church surrounded by trees, and the birds. To do this I scribbled colour from watercolour markers onto a plate, and used small paintbrushes and water. The plants in the foreground, and the overhanging tree are made up of various Art Impressions stamps, all inked with watercolour markers, and stamped on once the background was dry.
The matting is all done onto Bazzill Basics. Some of the layers have had the edges slightly distressed. I used my 1/2" punch to do the corners of the darker brown layer, and painted brads with a dark brown permanent marker to match. The twill tape is threaded through slits I cut by punching out 1/16" holes and then joining them with my craft knife. I anchored it at the back with a piece of tape to stop it slipping out. The greeting is from my Woodware Francoise Read Tiny Phrases set. The card base is hammered textured cream card, and the card measures 15 x 10.5cm (approx 4 x 6").
Click for a closer look.

Father's Day Card

The image on this card is created using Art Impressions stamps. I stamped the watering can first, inking the stamp with a black watercolour marker and stamping onto water colour paper. Then I used an aqua brush to draw some of the colour off the stamped image to colour it in. Not sure if this is a bona fide technique, but it seems to work! I stamped another watering can image onto a post-it note, and cut it out to use as a mask whilst I stamped some of the foliage and flowers, and the stone path that the can is sitting on. Then I removed the mask and stamped the remaining parts. All the inking of the stamps was done with watercolour markers. I washed around the stones and grass with my aqua brush to colour in the spaces between the stamped images. All together there are ten different stamps used to make the picture. The edges have been shaded with green chalk.
I cut out the image with a square Nestability die. Mounted it on light green Bazzill card - the corners were punched with a 1/2" circle punch. Matted onto a reddish brown Bazzill card, with blue brads to finish. The words are from the Woodware (Francoise Read) Tiny Phrases set. I left off the 'it's' which is in front of the 'father's day' and used 'happy' from the 'happy birthday'. I used a marker to ink these stamps as well.

Anniversary Flowers

I made this card for my husband for our anniversary yesterday (24 years).
The image is created using Art Impressions stamps. I began by stamping the watering can, and then stamped another on a piece of scrap paper to cut out and use as a mask. Using a stamp postitioner, I added the leaves and flowers - made up from two different flowers, and three different leaves. Finally used two grass stamps and tiny flowers to create some ground for the can to stand on. All the inking of the stamps was done with water colour markers. After stamping the watering can I carefully used my aqua brush to pull some of the colour off of the stamped image to solour it in. The same technique was used for the blue flowers, and the green between the grass blades. Not sure that this is a bonafide Art Impressions technique - but it works for me! You have to make sure that each layer is dry before stamping the next, and can't use the aqua brush on more than one layer to prevent colours running.
I cut and embossed the edge of the image square with a Nestability die, then lightly chalked the edges with green. The brown card is Bazzill, with lightly distressed edges. The twill tape has been stamped with a Francoise Read (Woodware) Tiny Phrases stamp - looks better in the flesh than the photo has picked up. I used a Colour Box chalk pad to ink the phrase, and didn't press too hard. The tape has taken the stamp really well. I made slots for the tape by punching pairs of tiny holes and joining them up with my craft knife. Where the tape goes through the right hand set of slots, I have used a piece of tape behind to stop them slipping back through. I cut and frayed the ends to length once the card was constructed. Two blue brads to finish to pick up the blue in the flowers.

Frogs with Balloons

I made this card for Beate's Weekend Sketch Challenge #47, and then realised that it fits the bill for the Stamp Something Challenge - First Somethings, so it's entered in that one too! It qualifies as the first time I have used something - my new Penny Black Toadily Yours stamp.
The patterned papers are double sided by Pebbles Inc - the spotty one is Easter Time Sprinkles/Green, and the other is Zoo Fun Animal/Wave. The orange and green card is Bazzill. Ran the green through my Cuttlebug in the Happy Birthday folder.
The Toads were stamped on plain white card in black ink, and coloured in using markers and an aqua brush. I masked off the flowers that they should be holding with tape whilst inking up, and then removed it before stamping. (Actually, I didn't remove it before stamping - said a rude word - then inked it up again and stamped a second image having remembered to remove the tape!) Lightly chalked and distressed the edge of the oval, and hand doodled a frame. I cut the slit for the tape using a small round hole punch to punch two holes and cut between them with a craft knife. I am so pleased to finally have bought myself some woven tape - even if I don't know what it's properly called! Really like it for when I don't want pretty. I made myself a little balloon template, and cut out three orange Bazzill balloons. Shaded the edges with a little chalk, and tied on three strands of embroidery cotton. Used an embossing ball tool from the back to give them a little dimension. Then I poked holes in the card on each side of the toads' hands and used a needle to thread the strands through. The threads are held in place on the back of the card with a little tape to stop them slipping out. Foam pads in the middle of the balloons to stick them to the card.

Monkeys on Blocks

A quick card for a 1st birthday. I experimented with chalking a background - need more practice, but am fairly happy with the results. I just streaked on horizontal bands of different colours, and then polished over the whole piece with a wad of cotton wool to blend. After that I ran the card through the printer to print on the block wording. This is a free download font called LMS Lance's Letter Blocks which I printed out in a dark blue, and then coloured in with a lighter blue marker. Added a little bit of shading with a grey marker to ground the blocks, and then stamped on the monkeys (Stampendous - Changuito B'day). I also stamped them on white card and coloured with water colour pencils, cut out the heads, bodies and sign, and glued them flat on the background. I masked off the original message on the sign, and then hand wrote the 1. Matted onto orange and blue card.

Autumn Owl

This card was made using a digital backing paper designed by Carol (carolivy64 of Circle of Crafters). I sized the picture to fit a 15x10.5cm card (which is roughly 6x4.25"), and printed the whole image out twice on thinnish card. One image I ran through my Cuttlebug with the Distressed Lines folder, and slightly roughed up the edges with my scissor blade. The other image, I cut off the outer band to the inner shadow line and stuck on top of the embossed image. I also printed off two other copies (cropped digitally to save ink) and cut out the circle with the owl and branches, and then just the owl. I also roughed up the edges of the circle, and coloured them with a marker to make the circle stand out. I layered the circle and the owl with thin foam pads. A little bit of Stickles glitter glue on the branches to hopefully look like they are twinkling in the moonlight with frost! I matted the whole thing on to brown Bazzill. The sentiment is a rub-on put onto a piece of the same brown Bazzil.

Party Animals

A first birthday card for a nephew, using a Penny Black stamp called Party Animals. Coloured in with Whisper markers. Matted onto a scrap of blue card with faux stitching, and distressed edges. The striped backing paper is by Doodlebug. The happy birthday and the 1 are computer generated using Crazy Girls Blonde font. The circles for the 1 and the white card square are cut with Nestabilities. Finished off with DMC embroidery thread and brads.

Monkeys and Drumsticks

Recently I read on a couple of blogs that while the papers and stamps etc are out for one card, that it is a good idea to make another using those same papers and stamps. (I'm sorry that I can't remember which blogs they were though.) So while everything was out for the 17th card I posted a couple of days ago, I took the advice and made a smaller, simpler card for another male relative. I just used the one stamp, with the same papers, punch and techniques as before. A great time saver all round - especially as coming up with the ideas and how to achieve them is usually what takes the longest for me.

This second card was also made for my son, but for my in-laws to give him. He plays the drums, and is an Iron Maiden fan - hence the font which is a free download here. The backing paper on this card was from a set that came with a magazine, and I chalked brown and grey around the edges for shading. The drumsticks holding up the words are made from Bazzil card with brown and grey chalk to shade. I then scored down the middle of the stick on the back and folded them slightly to give a bit of dimension. They are mounted on the card with foam pads.
I used my drawing program to break apart the two layers of the font, and then exported the shapes to my cutter software so that I could use the machine to cut them out. They were cut out of two different shades of brown Bazzill, and then glued together with pva. The thread that they are hung on is DMC Precious Metal Effects embroidery thread. This was one of those cards that I got to the point where I thought 'why am I doing this?' - and that point came right around tying the threads around the drumsticks! Initially my idea was to have the letters hang freely, but I had to use a tiny snippet of foam pad at the bottom of each one to stop them pinging up all over the place.