Button Card, Peeping James, Male/Female

I reconnected with an old friend that I hadn't seen for a number of years recently...  She's one of those kind hearted souls that will do her best to help anybody.

This card is one of three I'll be posting over the next little while that are all baby themed...  and all for her.  She's helping me out by trying to keep me busy.

I'm still not quite ready to go into details as yet (if ever)...  but suffice it to say that this is the hardest, saddest year I have ever had to face - and it will not get better.  Not ever.  Yes, I know it will hurt less in time, but trust me on this one.  There is no coming back from it.

So...   I'm sorry that I'm behind on my commenting yet again.  I do save the emails I receive so I will catch up with you all just as soon as I'm able.

I rewrote my blog profile yesterday and coined a phrase that I'm not sure if I've made up myself or heard somewhere else before...  'Gluing my life back together one craft make at a time'.

Anyone heard that before?

Either way, it's spot on for me.

So...  Now that I've given at least some sort of explanation for being MIA, here's a peek at my card.  (He is called 'Peeking James', after all)...

This might not look much like a baby card to most of you.  Young child?  Yes.  But baby?  

They are really not my thing at all, so I've made them all 'Donna' style - and tried to make them all very different from each other.

You know...  I was messaging a lovely craft friend of mine just the other day and bemoaning how long it takes me to take a photo I'm happy with.  And I finally did it...  took a decent photo where my square card looked square enough...  and then realised AFTER spending an age editing it that the mini envelope on the card looked like it was falling apart. Which it wasn't...  It's just that the top flap is actually not glued down in reality and it made for a strange optical illusion. 

So I had to secure it with a spot of White Tac - just for the sake of the photo.  It's a shame because now it's lost some of it's dimension.  But at least in reality it's flap free!

I mess around a lot with different ideas (see photo below)... 

After more than a week of staring at the New Arrival sign that I added to the card I still couldn't decide which one I liked the best...  The before or after?

So I sent a HELP ME message to the same lovely lady I mentioned earlier and quite truthfully said I think I prefer the before - what about you?

She (thankfully) agreed with me.

But what about YOU?

Do you prefer the first or the second version of this card?

My husband and the woman I'm making them for both prefer the second...

Supplies Used:

Stamps:

Lili Of The Valley 'Peeping James'

Sentiments from Crafters Companion

Die:

Marianne Design/Collectables 'Tab With Text'

Punch:

Woodware 'Scored Rectangle Envelope Punch'

Inks:

Stazon 'Timber Brown'

Tim Holtz Distress 'Walnut Stain'

Other:

Twine

Buttons

Challenges I'm Entering...

Stamping Sensations

'Anything Goes'

Pixies Crafty Snippets Challenge

All Snippets

Aud Sentiments

Challenge #155  'Anything Goes'

The Sisterhood of Crafters

'No Design Paper'

Creative Card Crew

Challenge #112  'Anything Goes'

Thanks for stopping by...

Donna. x

Large Tag, We Do Not Remember Days, Female

I have a very simple CAS tag to show you today.  After all, it IS a Friday...

Time for another challenge at Tag You're It!

When I initially made this tag I chose muted colours as I thought that it would end up as a Sympathy or Thinking of You card - if added to a card front obviously!
But now that it's finished I think it works as a Wedding or Happy Anniversary tag!!!

Is there something very wrong with me that my brain can think that?  I mean, some of the happiest AND some of the saddest moments in a person's life BOTH being suited to this design?

Which would you use it for?  Either?  Neither?  Both?

Anyhow...  I've based my design on this tag, which comes to you courtesy of my fellow DT mate, Carol Mayne...

I've kept faithfully to her design brief...  Stencilled background, graduated inking, sentiment stamp and flying insect - except that I've chosen to add all of my elements to a tag, swapped out the dragonfly for a butterfly, snuck in two tiny butterflies as additional 'embellishments' and added my graduated inking to a flower stem.

As Carol didn't use any sequins or gems, etc I didn't either... but if I was making this again I think I would be tempted to try adding some in place of the tiny butterflies...   some clear Morning Dew drops maybe?
 That's the joy of designing for me.  How even the smallest of changes can make such a big difference..  and you don't know until you try.

Supplies Used:

Stamp:

Penny Black 'We Do Not Remember...'

Die:

Tim Holtz/Thinlits 'Wildflowers'

Punches:

Tim Holtz 'Butterfly' (Large)

Martha Stewart 'Pop Up Butterfly'

Inks:

Memento (Tsukineko) Rich Cocoa

Memento (Tsukineko) Expresso Truffle
Ranger 'Perfect Medium' Embossing Ink

Other:

Stampendous 'Detail Black' Embossing Powder

White Vellum

Creative Expressions 'Birch Tree' Stencil

White Organza Ribbon





Challenges I'm Entering...

Simon Says/Monday Challenge
(April Showers Bring May Flowers)

Addicted to Stamps and More

(Challenge #189 'Clean and Simple'

Aud Sentiments Challenge

(Challenge #153 'Anything Goes'

Creative Card Crew
(Challenge #110 'Die Cut'

Unicorn Challenge
(Favourite Time of the Year) - Late Spring

Pixies Crafty Snippets Challenge

(All made from my 'snippets' stash)

Have a good weekend...

...  and thanks for stopping by...

Donna.

Tag Card, May the Hand of A Friend, Female

I don't often put my 'make' right at the top of my blog entry...
Well, by 'don't often' I actually mean never.

BUT...

I fell in love with this Penny Black sentiment as soon as I saw it on eBay.  I'm presuming it's an old stamp design  (never used, so yay!) and I wanted it to capture your attention.

After all...  if it's 'speaking' to me, it may 'speak' to you...

*

Tag You're It! have their new challenge starting today and it's my turn to share my DT creation with you all...  

(You did see it, didn't you)?

As much as I love making tags into cards, sometimes it's out of necessity.  I just couldn't see an application for this tag as a standalone attached to a gift, so instead it's been made into a CAS(ish) style card that I think works well as a 'thinking of you' card or just a simple 'note' card maybe?
What do you think?

Supplies Used:

Stamps:

Penny Black '... Near You'
Inkylicious 'Whispering Winds'

Dies:
Papertrey Ink 'Library Card Tag'

Memory Box 'Grape Vine'
Memory Box 'Butterfly Heart'
Impression Obsession 'Tied Line'

Inks:

Tim Holtz Distress Marker 'Tumbled Glass'
Tim Holtz Distress Marker 'Stormy Sky'
Tim Holtz Distress Marker 'Forest Moss'
Tim Holtz Distress Marker 'Peeled Paint'
Memento (Tsukineko) 'Bamboo Leaves'
Ranger 'Perfect Medium' Embossing Ink

Other:
Stampendous 'Detail Black' Embossing Powder

White Sequins
Glossy Black Card
Judikins Color Duster

Here's a quick rundown of how this card was made...

Scribble Distress Inks on to a stamping block, spritz with water and stamp onto watercolour card.

(Repeat until happy with the overall look).

Once dry, run it through a die cutting machine with the tag die AND cut an additional tag out of plain white cardstock.  

Glue the two tags together.

Stamp on the grass.

Leave to dry.

Stamp on the sentiment in clear ink, add embossing powder and heat set.

Cut 2 'Tied Line' dies to size, trim off the unwanted bow portion and glue into place.

Cut and attach butterflies (gluing centres only) so that the wings can be folded up a little.

Leave tag to one side to dry.

Cut 2 'Grape Vine' dies and glue into place.  (As so little of this die is actually visible, trim to size and keep the offcuts for another card or to decorate the inside).

Attach tag using foam pads.

Use stippling brushes and ink to add a slight 'grunge' feel to parts of the outer edge of the card.

Add sequins.

You can't tell from this photo, but the Grape Vine die has been cut from glossy black card to mirror the shine from the black embossed text.  I just couldn't get a good image with the shine showing, but I did manage to make full use of the natural daylight that produced some lovely shadows for me!

Challenges I'm Entering...

CAS Mix Up
(I've chosen to go with Stamping, Watercolouring and Die Cuts...
but I did sneek in a little stippling, too! )

Pixies Crafty Snippets Challenge
(Butterflies, frame and vine all cut from snippets)

Allsorts Challenge
(Spring Is In The Air)

Addicted to Stamps and More
(Photo challenge week - I took inspiration from the stamp)

City Crafter
(Week #303 'Make it Green')

Dragonfly Journeys
(Challenge #48 'Go Green')

Unicorn Challenge
(Challenge #7 'Clean and Simple")

Craft Rocket Challenges
(Challenge #11 'Anything Goes')

Some of you may have noticed that I haven't been blogging much lately.
Pretty much every cupboard and drawer in my house has had a major tidy and sort through...  and it's taken me months to complete.
This was not the result of a New Year's Resolution (I personally don't believe in those), but the fact that two whole room's have had to have a major overhaul.  One needed decorating and new furniture...  and the other simply had far too much 'stuff' in it.
So craft time has been pretty much non existent as of late...  except for sorting through my craft stuff and trying to tidy that up, too...
And then I decided that if I had come this far I may as well do the entire house...  so no cupboard or drawer has been spared!

Thankfully, I'm pretty much done now.
Except for the huge pile of stuff that needs to go to charity or to be sold.
But that's another story...


I would really encourage you to pop on over to the Tag You're It challenge blog and take a look at what my team mates have come up with based on my design.  I may well be biased...  but they've all knocked my socks off with their talent.

Have a lovely weekend, everyone...
...  and if you have the time, let me know if the stamp on my tag 'spoke' to you, too.

Take care...  and come and play along if you can...

Donna. x