Birthday Card for Nan

I love this card - and so did my Nan.   The funny thing about a lot of creation is 90% of the time is getting the colour combos just right.  Only 10% in the actual making.  This card uses the Romantique range by Graphic 45.  To be honest, if I had my time again, I would make the orange background border the same army green as the cameo background.  I was over it by this point though lol.


A lot of these style of cards have a stamped image of a magnolia stamp or the like.  I felt that a tilda wasn't an appropriate image for my Nan - 92yrs.  Fortunately, I'd recently purchased a Maryann design die which I thought would fit the bill.  A bit of playing around and hey presto, let's turn it into a cameo!

Love how the flowers turned out, but moreso the embellishments - "Made with Love" loveheart was mounted on a foam dot and the antique pin.

The leaves were meant to be the same green as the floral leaves but the colours did not work.  Bit of playing around and I decided upon cutting the leaves out of the paper and adhering them.


The first flap open

reveals an intricate cutout using Spellbinders Fancy Tags 2.  I added a cutout of one of the stamps from the paper range.


Inside of card
Wasn't happy with the inside - it was the last to be done and again, I think I was over it.  The gift card certainly didn't fit the card but oh well.  The inside didn't really need to be done as the focus really is on the front.

Back of card
I got one of these cool stamps made with my name.  On reflection, perhaps I should have had "handmade" or "created" by, but oh well.  In all honesty, I originally stamped onto the card but it bled into the paper a bit so this tag is actually covering up a bit of a mess.  I think it worked out for the better though, don't you?

Father's Day card

A lot has happened in life lately - hence my tardiness in posting.  Oh who am I kidding?  Even with the floods and close family member's ill health, I'd probably still be tardy.


But, a special occasion is as good as any to pull my finger out and create something.  I played with all sorts of papers and suddenly it dawned on me - less is more.   Taking it from the complex, to a more simple design had it all fall into place rather quickly.  Not sure if that's the KISS theory, or my skills.  Either way, I'm happy with the way this card turned out and have made my father swear to give me back the key before he throws the card.  Mum is adamant the card won't be thrown out (a fellow novice card maker)


My father's day card:

Close up of that key!

(do you sense another trend... vintage and keys??)

and, the cogs.  It's so difficult to create a masculine card...I think this is a success.  I used brads from my stash which I bashed with my tim holtz hammer to give an aged look.  The other buttons are ... I don't know what they're called... stud rivet thingies?  anyway, the important thing here is they make the cog ROTATE.  ha, that's right, the 2 biggest cogs can spin around!  woot!

 

It's a gift card.... card

I love love love how this card turned out.  I created this recently for my Nan's 91st birthday.  Yes, you heard me right, I GAVE A CARD AWAY.  It's a first for me!   Satisfaction was of course in the giving as she's very happy with it and has given it pride of place on top of the fridge.  The reason for the title - well you'll see when you look at the photos below, it's actually designed to have a gift card inserted into it.


I still can't get the knack of putting a cluster of flowers on something and not making it look "plonked" on, but I'm happy with this - mostly because of the colours I think.  It's my old favourite dark olive green.

Up-close of flower with little key

 up close - I used a pattern tracer wheel to give the effect of stitching

Thanks for popping in!

I am so not the blogger....

But the good news is, it's so rare that I post something - you know it's going to be good (in my honest, modest opinion anyway... ).  Well that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!


I did this card before Christmas but loved it so much I didn't give it to anyone.  It will of course become a template - when I get around to this years cards??


I don't know how this came together, it just did.  All about being "in the zone" I guess.  I sat down one day and, whilst spending all day at it (getting the colour combinations just right), I'm pretty happy with the result.  All the tags etc pop out with messages.  It is so sad that a beautiful range like this is now out of production :(  I was very busy buying up every ounce of it that I found though!

Don't forget, photos are taken with my rubbish phone camera.  One of these days I'll buy a decent camera!


The front:

opens up to reveal...

close ups:

(left side)

(right side)

(middle panels)

I have another card to show you but I feel somewhat of a glutton not posting in forever, and then hitting you with a whole lot.  Oh what the heck... here is my other christmas card (that was never sent *sigh*.  It's a template people!.. honest!)


a small one:

difficult to demonstrate how it opens but hopefully you get the idea

 Thanks for popping in!

p.s did I mention I like the vintage style??