Forgotten Favourites

When I first got my hands on the 2018/19 Annual Catalogue in April last year the Graceful Glass Vellum stack was top of my wishlist. We used it as part of a make-and-take at OnStage, and I ordered it, marvelled at how truly gorgeous it was when it arrived (it's always an exciting day when the UPS man turns up with a box)... and then got a bit stumped because I wasn't really sure what to do with it!

Fast-forward to December, and I was determined to use it for Mama Badger's birthday card, because she likes all things churchy and mediaeval. I came up with this design, which has a keepsake bookmark concealing the greeting on the front, and I have to say, I was pretty pleased with it.

And then I could't get enough, so I made a few more, albeit simpler versions!  I love the "rose window" stamp for a background - it breaks up the white without taking the focus away from the coloured panel. I think I have a new friend in this vellum!

Chillin' By the Bay

OK, all that Lemon Lime Twist might have been a bit much for me the other day - a bit of water-colouring should be just the ticket 😂 And a ticket to the seaside at that - what a stroke of luck!

It's Sale-a-bration time, which I see as a good excuse to challenge myself to use stamp sets I might not ordinarily choose from the catalogue because, well, they're FREE.  This is one such set: By the Bay is not my usual style, and to be honest one that would intimidate me a little bit had I not had a chance to try it out and see just how effective it can be. 

I'm looking forward to trying some other techniques with it, but this is straightforward watercolouring using the watercolour pencils, a bit of scrap card as a palette, and a brush.  My top tip is to spritz a bit of water onto one of the acrylic blocks: that way it's always handy, and I don't over-saturate my brush.

(oh, and the Badger Cub's drawing at the back?  That's a brick house, from the Three Little Pigs.  So now you know)

The Bold and the Beautiful

Is there anyone else out there who gets a bit scared of colour? I mean, don't get me wrong, I LOVE colour (rainbow, anyone?), but I do tend to plump for a white card base as a default setting, and try to tone down any clashes or sharp edges. I'm sure I can't be the only one.

So this was stepping outside my comfort zone, but I do love Lemon Lime Twist, and I will be sad to see it go in June, so I've made a concious effort to enjoy it while it's here.  Too much?  Nah.  Life's too short to say no to cake... and to colour!

All That Glitters...

I've been intrigued by the thought of incorporating jewellery into cards for a while, and finally hosted a class based on this idea last week. I think the appeal for me was having a card/gift combination that satisfied both the "a bit more than just a card" and the "small gift with no fuss" criteria, and I'm pleased with the results.  What do you think? 

The first card uses the leaf skeletons from Rooted in Nature, on a Night of Navy and Very Vanilla easel card, and the second features the star from Country Roads - which is a recent discovery for me - and is mounted on a Fresh Fig card with Melon Mambo accents.

When Old Friends Stay

Thank goodness the Sprig Punch has carried over.

And, in the wise words of Forrest Gump, "that's all I have to say about that."

Fresh & Floral

Wow, it seems to be all about the Birthdays this month!  This card features two things I've struggled to use very much: the Floral Frames stamps, and the Delightfully Detailed laser cut DSP.

I like the IDEA of florals, but I never seem to have results that I'm happy with, so the Floral Frames have been a bit of a challenge for me.  However, paired with this DSP I think that I've got a result I'm happy with, even if it was outside of my comfort zone!

Have Your Cake...

Now that Christmas is over I seem to be on a bit of a birthday kick! These cakes are from one of the new sets from the Spring/Summer Catalogue from Stampin'Up! which is aptly named Piece of Cake!

I love the versatility of this set: birthdays, christenings, weddings, anniversaries... the possibilities are endless, because who doesn't like to celebrate with cake?

Birthdaeus Magikus!

This is the reason I keep some select retired items!  A friend asked me to make a Harry Potter card, so out came some old owl dies, velvet paper, Magical Mates and Cauldron Bubble stamps and the Love Notes dies!  The cardstock, ink and Wood Textures DSP are current though.

I was particularly pleased with the teeny little wax seal on the envelope, made from a bit of melted crayon 🖍💓

New Year, New People!

Happy New Year!

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What better way to usher in the New Year than with a new baby?  No, not mine, one Cub is definitely enough for now!  But I do love a good baby card - it makes me think of all things sweet and squidgy, and doesn't at all remind me of toxic nappies and six feeds per night...

I've kept it simple with these, again using up some retired embellishments.  Again these are off to charity.  I didn't keep track of how many I made last year, but I'm going to keep a running total this year.  I'd like to do at least 500.