Card Making Sesh ...

Well, I have been very productive today! I got into the garden and did some chores during the week, so have felt justified in doing something crafty for most of the day ....

I have made a lot of cards this year, but always for a purpose, or a gift ... I haven't thus far made any specific to sell.  I have a few customers at work who buy cards occasionally, but haven't managed so far this year.  Whatever doesn't sell quickly will go to a friend who sells A LOT of cards at her work with all proceeds going to  breast cancer.  The miscellaneous cards I sell help me buy more card blanks and adhesive and keep me happily making the cards for charity.  I am consistently using my scraps, too!

My mission at the moment is to use up all the odd envelopes in different sizes, along with different products and things "lying" around. 

I have got packets of these file folders around the place.  I don't use them in my scrapbooking, so there will be LOTS of cards in this style coming up in the future.  The EK Success office file punch has come in very useful here.  Freebie "Crate Paper" from a mag. 

Here's more cards from the end of this piece of paper:-

That piece of crushed velvet ribbon looks really crooked - I will have to straighten it!  With the card on the top right, I stamped the blue border with a squiggly flower stamp so it didn't look too stark. 

On a previous visit to Australia, my mum gave me some shaped patterned bits of card - namely, the blue and pink flat cards used as the base above and below.  I used the outside frame as the border on the top right and the starburst shape was a reject from a layout, cut out with my Cricut machine. Lots of Making Memories and Hero Arts flowers and various buttons to finish. 

This last lot of cards (or at least the two blue and green cards on either end) were from some handmade paper which is getting used up! The green spotty  paper is a scrap of Creative Imaginations paper.

I borrowed my friend's Martha Stewart border punch for the blue and green ones, and she very fortuitously had some blue and green floral ribbon which went perfectly here.  I think if you mix older stuff with newer techniques or accessories, then you can somewhat update the look. 

The pink and green card uses left over the backing off some paper lace, coloured in with candy pink Copic marker.  If you colour on the least shiny side, the marker does dry.  I have found that Basic Grey shaped journalling stamp so handy, and brilliant for breaking up so many straight lines in my cardmaking.  Well worth the money!  Off to catch the last of the sun in the garden.  :)