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??

Just because

"Just Because" - Because I can, I'm posting a layout I finished a couple of months ago.  I should probably change the title because I think there will be a lot of "just because" in the coming future :P


Just Because:
1) because otherwise I'd never post on my blog;
2) because I love it; and
3) It was the first layout that I've done completely on my own (ok, I did ask someone what they think and they said it was perfect).


So just because, here is my layout of my Great Aunt Adelaide.  I just absolutely ADORE this picture.  I will try to get some upclose pictures of her dress so you can see the texture/detail.  The photo was taken in 1912 in Bangalore, India.  Not sure why she was in India, but she was born in UK.  She is my great grandmother's sister.


I only recently managed to identify what it is exactly I love about old photos.  Sure they're pretty (everyone pre 1940's just looked gorgeous... there's something to be said for being out of focus :| ), the paper is just amazing - the matte finish these days is still rather shiny.   


What I managed to put my finger on is... connection.  It sounds a bit odd, but to think I am holding something in my hands, that a person over 100 years ago was holding who is related to me.  This person would never in a million years think that I would exist, or the technology we have today would exist.  Ok, so I can't quite put it into words, but it's a physical link to my past and in this day and age of technology, I just find it... comforting.  


I've always known most of my past (long story for another day) but lately (mostly in part being old enough to realise that my Nan (nearly 91!) and my great aunt (94!) won't live forever) and so, I'm making a concerted effort to get all the stories and information out of them whilst I can.  I clearly have an addictive personality as now I'm also addicted to Genealogy.  Guess it goes naturally with my other love of all things old {{{{{Nan}}}}


I am so lucky that my Nan loves old things too (or is just old herself and hoards).  She has all these photos which, sadly I probably won't inherit so instead I'm copying everything I can, whilst I know where to find them.


I only hope that with time and experience, I can do the photos I have justice.  I keep on buying every vintage type paper and embellishment for when I finally have the confidence.  I know what I love, just putting it on paper and making it look "just right" is difficult.


So enough of me rabbiting on, here is Aunty Addie

Upclose (I wanted to point out that 1912 isn't her birthdate - just the year of the photo):

Her gorgeous dress (if you click on it, it will zoom in for you)

Thanks for popping in!

Scrapbook City Bling it up Competition

So, this is my second post, but my first entry into an online competition.


Did I mention previously how difficult it is to come up with a blog name??


Anyway, without further adieu, here goes...


I haven't put any sentiments on the card as I'm not sure what I'm going to use it for.  I had to use my crappy camera phone so hopefully they come out good enough (they don't really show how nice it is in real life though :( ).  The bazill I used is a gorgeous dark olive green (yes, the photos are that bad).  I have a feeling my Nan will love this so it may become a "just because" card.


I love vintage style and as you can tell, I'm a bit of a minimalist lol.  Actually, the truth is I haven't worked out how to place a gorgeous cluster of flowers onto something and make it look like it wasn't just plonked on!

 Trying to show how the card opens up (the flap slips under the little flower to hold the flap closed)

Thanks for popping in!

My first post!

Hi everyone,


This is my first ever post so please be kind!


I have an addiction with stationery.  Put me in a Office Works and I'm in seventh heaven.  I also have a love of crafty things so put the two together, it was destiny for me to fall in love with scrapbooking/papercraft.


I honestly started this blog as it appears the only way to enter awesome competitions lol. 


I'm not only a newbie to blogging, but also scrapbooking so hopefully as time goes along I will become as skilled as so many of the bloggers that I visit.


Thanks for popping in.