Cards

I've taken the opportunity to make one or two cards per evening or even in the morning ... I have two good customers at work who like bright and colourful, modern cards - that leaves the problem of what to do with my vintage/rustic bits and pieces?

The top left one really is a bright and colourful scrap - you can't see it too well here, but it worked IRL and the colours popped.  The top right uses my new Martha Stewart loopy punch - great for making cards and adding a bit of fun. Nothing too stretching or challenging - but this is what sells.

All these cards below are sold - very satisfying, but then they are £1 each. 

I have nearly finished these Craftwork Cards circle birthday greetings, but went onto their website and ordered more - they make card making so quick and easy.  I have been hanging onto that scrap of paper from ki memories on the top left hand card - but it has gotta all go!  I find those flower centres from Papermania perfect to add a bit of decoration to something otherwise very plain.  I learned how to do that flower spiral properly at the UK Scrappers cyber crop last weekend.

The centre card is very straight forward, but I have used some Heidi Swapp tape behind the white scallop to add a bit of contrast and interest. 

This last one is using up some more of my coloured vellum, together with a Kanban tree, an old K & Co saying about friends, and a shaped paper die-cut with a scrap of ribbon.  Sold!

More over the weekend - have customers to satisfy ....

UKS Cyber Crop

I have always enjoyed participating in the cyber crops on UK Scrappers - they have always been really well organised, with such interesting themes.  This year, I cleared the decks so I could have a full weekend if I wanted to, and hubby mostly played along with my plan...

I ended up with 5 layouts, most of which I am happy with, so a right result! 

For tonight's viewing, here is the first class I did, after cleaning my desk and sorting out my cardstock ...

This was Angie Woolfall's class - create a frame.  She used a bigger photo, but as I am working on my Chelsea Flower Show photos, so thought I would continue the theme ...

I decided to go for a crazy patterned paper choice, so went with Heidi Grace's Reagan's Closet range.  I just adore her papers, but they are so playful and cutesy, that most of the time I have no suitable subject for them ... This time, I just decided to go for it!  Especially as I also received this Doodlebug alphabet set in a layout swap on UKS, and otherwise it would have sat waiting to be used for  long time ..... I didn't really like the ribbons on the layout, so substituted with buttons and other circles cut from a piece of paper in the same range.  I wasn't too happy with the doodling, but I really do like the end result ....

Colourful and Quirky

Ahem - bright and wacky makes me happy!  Here are the cards I entered into this month's card making challenge on UK Scrappers, which was to use something cute - most people have used cutesy stamped images, but I have used some stickers my friend Tara shared with me from the pound shop. 

I puzzled for a long time how to use them, but then decided that they needed lots of shapes around them to blend everything together. I bought some colourful peeloffs from Ideal World quite a while ago and I think everything co-ordinates well. The dragonflies and butterflies are from when I first started crafting about 6 years ago – so they should have been used up and flown off by now! Some brads add some dimension and add to the cartoon character of these cards. I enter these challenges for a bit of fun – they went to work yesterday, along with all my other recent creations – and a colleague almost bought the lot! I am very grateful, and at least someone else liked them too.

Floristry

I am not normally one for buying the whole of a range - especially a new one - but I fell in love with Crate Paper Brook, and bought nearly everything in the range! It's take me at least two weeks to do this layout - why?  Everything is Crate Paper, but the brown spotty flower journalling spot is Jenny Bowlin. Oh - and the big flower shape chipboard is Fancy Pants.

Pictures are from Chelsea - I love the idea of making hats (and not just any hats - gorgeous, flamboyant floral creations) from flowers and this was one of my favourite things from the show. Letter stickers are ancient ones, (I've used both the positive and negative) and the yellow lettering is Sizzix Slobbery Kiss. It's really hard to photograph a double layout and not to cut off the bottom - it is straight IRL. :)  Thanks for stopping by .....

Using Up!

I hope people don't get bored - more of the same!  I have challenged myself this weekend (amongst the gardening and cooking etc) to try and use up bits and bobs. 

I have delved into my scraps bag for this first purple card.  I had a tiny scrap of that circle paper left that has been staring at me for years, so that was the start for this card.  I was really pleased to use that ribbon too - I have generally found it quite hard to use because it is so geometric in nature, and generally that is not my style.

The second card is very simple and uses up more of that Crafty Individuals "People and Places" pad. I have some clear flower epoxy stickers from when I very first started crafting, so over 6 years ago - there are 6 more to be used, so I think more suitable for vintage type cards.  I usually always put a message on, but left this one clear. 

This started when the blue mulberry paper fell out of the blue scraps bag and onto the floor.  I have a roll of this butterfly ribbon to use up so it was a natural embellishment to add.  I then found this lovely scrap of Autumn Leaves orange shaped patterned paper and took it from there.  The brown in the ribbon is assisted by the very thin trim of Bazzill cut with my postage edge shaped scissors, and the brown velvet textured wool threaded through the button. 

That blue mulberry paper was again utilised here in this paper flower.  All the other patterned paper was that freebie stuff from a magazine  -great for cards!  Another file folder up on the left.

Some you win and some you don't - I really am not fond of the card up on the left – but I am keen to get rid of some of the stuff laying about. It really is too busy – but hey ho! Some one might like it. Whereas the card on the right is a bit stark – but it uses up that last fan and bit of green border sticker.  A wee scrap of Basic Grey paper in grey, green and maroon colour tones complemented the Oriental theme to me.

The flower on the top right is one of the Prima Artful Collage flowers – a pearl middle, surrounded by a half inch circle punched in black, nicely finishes that flower off. 

Above on the left is a piece of patterned vellum which has been sitting in my scraps bag for at least 5 years. I do still love it, but time to get used.

That Basic Grey shaped journaling stamp is one which looks fabulous on every card I use it on – a sliver of ribbon, and a couple of brads – and that’s all it needs.

The card on the right is a scrap of 7 gypsies on the left and Basic Grey on the right – again, pleased to use that ribbon – the colour combo is quite a difficult one, but it looks great here, I think. A simple flower, some stamping, a Karen Foster industrial brad – and it’s done!

I am also really pleased, as that is all my oddments of envelopes now used up - every card base in my stash now has a matching envelope, which is very time saving in itself. That really does bring me a great sense of achievement and has been a very long time in the making.

UKS Challenge

Well, it's something I do anyway, but in response to this UKS thread on how people use their scraps, I've made a few cards this week.  Sometimes my energy is a bit limited in the evening, so I tend to get up a bit earlier, and maybe make a card or two before leaving for work.

Here's something a bit different- I bought a Crafty Individuals People and Places 6 x 6 pack, which I shared with a friend.  They need to get used now, so with images that are that beautiful and detailed, the card really doesn't need much else.  The gold peel-off here looks fine in such a simple setting. 

See how many cards you can make from the leftovers of one sheet of 12 x 12 Basic Grey Skate Shoppe?  About time I boosted my stack of men's cards. 

That card in the middle was really made from dregs. About time I used up some of my eyelets!  Great for men's cards.  All very simple - but I do particularly like that one in the middle, considering the small scraps from which it was constructed!

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.  :)