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Monday 26 March 2012

Fred She Said........Part 2

Hello everyone, from a beautiful warm sunny Scotland.  We have been having extraordinary weather of late and it looks set to stay for a wee while longer/  Hooray!!


Today I thought I would carry on with Fred She Said (FSS) designs and what I have done with them.  Hopefully you will love them or get ideas form them for yourselves.


So here is the first card:






This beautiful little card is so spring-like I just had to share it.  


I used a 4 and 1/2" square greeting card and covered it with gold striped paper, on top of which I glued a die cut shape with the yellow wheel-barrow image printed on it.  I tied a lovely gold organza and satin bow on the side and found a sentiment I already had that says 'hope you feel better soon'.


Card:  Mad About Cards


Ribbon and sentiment:  my own stash


Photographic paper:  Kodak


Image:  FSS


There is really not much else to be said about this card, except hopefully someone is going to be cheered up by it very soon.




My next card is:




Completely different from the first one.  This is an A5 white card with a image from a certain era on it almost in black and white, and I thought the purple roses decoupage set it off beautifully. The sentiment was one I already had.


Card:  Paptiere (Aberdeen)


Image and sentiment:  already had


Roses:  FSS  (on Kodak ultra premium photographic paper)




The roses are decoupaged and are very effective in a real situation as opposed to a photograph.


Here we have another:







Wheelbarrow card.  In blue, this card is just so lovely.  I used a 4 and 1/2" square card and covered it with blue and white checked paper.  I printed the image of the wheel-barrow onto photographic paper and die cut it using my cuttlebug.  I then tied a little twin coloured blue and pink organza ribbon at the side and used a sentiment I already had, which says 'Happy Birthday'.


Card:  Mad About Cards


Ribbon and sentiment: My stash


Image:  FSS


Photographic paper:  Ultra Premium from Kodak






So now we come to one I made very recently, as I was feeling quite brave and used a FSS decoupage sheet.






So, here we are then.  I really hope I did this sheet some justice.  First of all I printed out the background design from a FSS download onto photographic paper.  After using my cuttlebug to cut it out, I coloured the edge and the little flowers inside with a poppy red pen and highlighted the swirls with green.  I then printed off a pre-colopured sheet of dahlias and leaves again on photographic paper, which I then cut out.


Once I had cut the flowers out, I cut down each petal and using a small paintbrush handle I rolled up the edges of the petals.  I did this for every petal on each flower.  I did the same with the leave.  I then glued each flower together with the largest one at the bottom.  I glued the leaves to the card and then the flower on top.  In the centre of the flower I put a sequin with a gold gemstone on it with a little white from a gelly roll pen. 


Down the side of the card I have glued a strip of red foamy velvet.   The sentiment was one I already had, and it says, 'congratulations', which means it can be used for any occasion.  I layered the sentiment onto a pale green piece of card, which I darkened the edge of so that it would match the leaves.


White Card:  Papetiere (Aberdeen)


Green card:  my stash


Velvet: Craft Creations


Sentiment:  Mad About Cards


Photographic paper:  Ultra premium direct from Kodak




My next card is a very simple one:



Here I have used A4 card made into an A5 greeting card by creasing the centre that was already striped in blue and white.  I printed out a blue flower wreath downloaded from FSS, then cut it out using a die on my cuttlebug.  in the centre I glued a satin open petal flower and placed a clear gemstone in the centre.  The sentiment I already had.  How easy is that then?  Very easy and very effective too.

Card:  Papetiere (Aberdeen)

Photographic paper:  Ultra Premium from Kodak

Flower:  Creaft Creations

Sentiment and gemstone:  I already had.




I hope you like this selection of cards.




For all printing:  I always use a Kodak AIO printer using Kodak inks.





Tuesday 20 March 2012

Fred She Said................... Part One

Today I want to show everyone some of the cards I have made over the past few years using Fred She Said downloads.  Okay! My cards are not the most expertly made in the world, however I am still on a creative journey and want to share my efforts with you all.  I hope you enjoy today's post as much as I am going to enjoy composing it:




Here is my very first card I made using (FSS) Fred She Said downloads:



First of all the only things on this card that come from somewhere else are the ribbon, lace and card.

The card was an A6 size.

The backing paper comes in more colours, however I needed to make a blue themed card for someone and this suited the purpose. After sticking the backing paper onto the card I edged it with stickles aqua and it just blended beautifully with the colours in the paper.  I printed off a centre piece, ornate bracket border, cut it out and coloured parts of it in blue around the edge and the tiny flowers and tinted the scrolls green. 

I then put that on top of white leather effect card and drew the shape in pencil leaving a little border, and then I cut it out with a scissors.  Having done that I glued the two pieces together.

I printed the centre flower from FSS Pointy Daisies Sheet, and coloured the flowers blue.  After cutting them out I creased them in the middle of each petal and stuck four of them together of varying sizes.  Having done that I stuck a gemstone in the centre and then stuck the whole flower onto the middle of the card.

I made a large bow from some beautiful organza ribbon and stuck that to the base of the design and across the bottom of the card I stuck more of the organza ribbon and topped it with white lace.  

The whole card was inspired by one that Fred She Said put up on her blog.

Ribbon, gemstone and stickles:  my own stash
Lace: Panduro
Downloaded from FSS:  backing paper, flowers, ornate bracket border.
Pens: promarkers (Letraset)

I hope you like it.

Here is another:


This was for a gentleman.

Using a leather effect metallic silver/grey bas card I stuck some organza ribbon near the bottom and put white lace and red lace with sequins attached so build up the colours I used.  

I printed off the the image on plain white card and used metallic silver and red colours to colour in the design with.  This one is difficult for me to remember a sit is the first one I ever did and I appear to have lost the design.  However I printed off 4 of them and cut them into layers to build them up using double sided sticky fixers, which was very effective.  In the centre I placed a red gemstone, which set everything off perfectly.

Here is a close-up of the centre:


You may notice that I also coloured the sticky fixers to match the card colours so that they didn't show up as they were white.

This next card is an Easter card:


Here I used a metallic gold base A5 card, rounding the corners with a punch and cut out an egg shape from pale blue card onto which I stuck circles patterned paper to the bottom half.  I covered the join in the centre with some gold ribbon with little clear gems hanging from it.  The edging of gold around the egg is a peel-off, which I think keeps the edge tidy.  I placed coloured gemstones at random on the bottom half of the egg and used a peel-off cross in the centre.  For the top of the egg I used a peel-off sentiment and the flower with leaves came from FSS.

I printed off the flowers and the leaves onto vellum, this time I used a pre-coloured sheet as I thought the delicate colours would be just right for the card.  After I creased the petals and leaves I stuck them together and placed them to the right of the sentiment, finishing the flower off with a red gemstone in the centre.  At the top left hand corner of the card I put a lemon paper flower with a red gemstone and a cut out stem in pink.  I think it worked quite well.

Here is the final card for this part of the FSS designs.  There will be a part 2 coming shortly.

I used Kodak Ultra Premium photographic paper to print this image on.


This card was a joy to make.  I used a scalloped A5 pure white card.  I printed off the pre-coloured images of the wheelbarrow.  They are in a selection of colours all on one sheet.  Using my cuttlebug I die cut the image into a square and cut out a scalloped gold square a little larger to put behind it.  I glued cream lace down the edge of the card and die-cut a gold scalloped embellishment through which I threaded pink satin ribbon and then glued it just beneath the centre-piece.  I also glued some leafy ribbon underneath and a paper rose with skeleton leaves on top of it. The last thing to go on was the sentiment.

I think it looks stunning.

Image: FSS 
Card: Hunky Dory
Lace: Panduro
Paper flower: Crafts U Love
Gold mirri-card: Craft Creations
Skeleton leaves, sentiment and pink ribbon: my own stash.

See you all next time.

Many blessings x






Saturday 17 March 2012

More cards

Hello everyone


What a day I had yesterday......cards, cards and more cards!!!  You'd think I made cards or something!  Anyhow, here's a photograph of Jazz, with one of his most favourite toys:


Doesn't he look loveable?  Just you try and get that toy from him and you'll find out just what he can do!!!!!  


Just so that I don't leave Bess out of things, here she is on the beach:




Okay then, break is over,now it's time to get back to the cards:




I thought I'd share a girlie card with you all this time:



The base card is white, and then I stuck on the backing card, which is a pink tartan  with a black doily and the shoes and handbag,which I decoupaged  ..........oh and I put a couple of feathers on it too as there were feathers on the image already.  This card can be for any occasion as it says 'Celebrate'.  I highlighted the jewels using glossy accents and a sticky gemstone, while I used peel-off flowers on the sentiment.


The whole thing was printed onto Kodak Ultra premium photographic paper.


Image:  Craft Rabbit (download)
Card: Craft Creations
Peel-offs: Craft Creations
Feathers and gemstone: my stash


I hope you like it.


And now for something completely different:

Here is a Steam-punk card with a difference.  I think this could be for a man or a woman, and when you see it in real life it is fabulous.  I used a grey card, landscape and put some fabby holey ribbon down one side on top of which I have stuck a black and cream rose and beneath that a dark coloured button with funky fibres coming out of the holes in it. I also put a strip of cream lace with a velvet coffee coloured ribbon in the middle from top to bottom.  

The main image is a download which I printed out and stuck the base onto the card.  I cut out the square and the heart and layered it so that the design matched up.  The sentiment says 'Just for you'.

Size: A5 landscape

Card: Papetiere (Aberdeen)
Rose embellishment: Crafts U Love
Button and funky fibres: My own stash
Cream lace with velvet middle: Papetiere (Aberdeen)
Image: Craft Rabbit (Download)
Photographic paper: Kodak Ultra premium (from Kodak)
Sentiment: my own stash
I really love this design and think I will be making more of it.

I hope you enjoyed my efforts today.

Have a lovely weekend everyone.

Many blessings xx








Friday 16 March 2012

Where has the time gone?

Hello everybody. Today has just flown by. I have not been well, (woman's version of man flu!) and today has been the worst day yet. Hopefully that means it's peaked and I will soon be feeling heaps better.

It has given me time to use my creativity though, and I have made some more cards, which I will photograph tomorrow. I need to go and catch up with forums and stuff while I drink my lovely cup of tea, all tucked up in my bed.

See you all tomorrow.

Many blessings xx

Thursday 15 March 2012

Hello

I thought I would pop in and say HELLO to :


Geniezdezignz and Jess's Crafty Things


In fact I really should welcome all of you:


Luckydawn
Angela
Anne
Sharon
Dianne
Hazel
Kat
Colette


Helloooooo to everyone and I hope you keep popping back and leaving comments.  


Many Blessings to you


Annie xxxx

My Frist Blog AwArd

I am so excited to be given an award for my little blog.  I would like to thank Luckydawn who gave it to me for her thinking of me.  She is a lovely lady and has left comments for me which have been very encouraging. So a BIG thank you to Dawn.This award is for people who have a Blog and has less than 200 followers.





I am copying what Dawn wrote as it explains it so clearly:


The LEIBSTER Blog Award is used to show appreciation of smaller blogs (under 200 followers)  and to help spread readership and joy.  It comes from the German meaning Dearest or Beloved, but can also mean Favourite.  As part of the tradition, the award is to be passed along to five other blogs that have motivated and inspired me.


Here are the rules:

The blogs I choose must have less than 200 followers.
I must comment on their blog so they know about it.
I must link back to the person who gave me the award and thank them, and post the award on my blog.




So here are the Blogs:


http://kreativitykat.blogspot.com/
http://diannesdooodleblog.blogspot.com/
http://doodles-sharonscreativecorner.blogspot.com/
http://makingitwithmeslyn.blogspot.com/
http://jesscraftybits.blogspot.com/


I will now go and let them know


Many Blessings xx









Peel-offs

Today I thought I would share with you all a very simple card using one piece of mirri-card and peel-off.  I think sometimes peel-offs get  looked down on a little bit......but there are some lovely designs out there and they just need to be used in creative ways:


Here is a simple but, I think, stylish Birthday card.  I used brilliant white ribbed effect A4 card folded into an A5 greeting card.  The main backing for the design is a gun-metal mirri-card rectangle.  Onto this I have stuck a cogs and wheels peel-off in sparkly dark grey, using only part of the peel-off image.  Underneath that I have put other bits and pieces from the same peel-off set and then used black peel-offs for the wording.


I hope you like it.


Card: Papetiere (Aberdeen)
Mirri-card and peel-offs: Craft Creations


Many blessings xx

Wednesday 14 March 2012

A moment of humour

This is for everyone out there who thinks they cannot.......... (fill the blank)


You are never really alone and you CAN ...................(fill in the blank)


Many blessings xx

Steam ~ punk

Hello everyone,


Today I have been to the Papetiere paper mill shop in Aberdeen   http://thepapeterie.com/
.......Oh! my goodness, I could have spent so much more money that I did!!!!  However, restraint was the order of the day today.  I did buy papers, ribbons, a spellbinders shapeabilities set of crosses for easter etc a few peel-off and some kanban card, so I am going to be busy.


I thought i would share one of the two steam~punk cards I made this week:


So here we are then.  I used a very thick matt red base card onto which I glued some gold fibre paper.  On top of the gold fibre paper I put the textured muted rose paper over the top of which I put red card that had been embossed.  I then glued the image onto that and wrapped red ribbon around it making a bow (pretty much basic one) and tucked the ends of the bow back around the whole thing and stuck it down at the back.  


Then I put black ribbon around the card about a quarter the way down and placed the image over the top , sticking it down with double sided sticky fixers.  I used peel-offs for the Happy Birthday greeting on the top right hand side of the image.  I finished it all off with some peel-off dots and  flowers, and pearls.


All images I print are done using a Kodak printer with kodak ink and kodak premium photographic paper.


Size:  A5 (8 and 1/4" tall x 5 and 3/4" wide)


Red card:  Craft Creations
Papers:  a gift from someone in a swap.
Image:  My Craft Studio download
Ribbon and peel-offs: Craft Creations
Pearls: already had in stash


I hope you have enjoyed today as much as I have.


Many blessings x

Tuesday 13 March 2012

Carry on Crafting.......

Hello everyone.  It seems such a long time since I have written to you or shared anything with you so here I go again.  I will share with you what I have been doing over the past week or two.  


First of all, I want to thank those of you who pop by and have a read.  This blog is meant to be light-hearted, crafty but thoughtful too, so I hope you all find something worth taking away from it.  After my Birthday celebration weekend I eventually got back to normal.  I had so many cards and comments that people left on Facebook I was really overwhelmed.  I have not yet taken photographs of my cards but I will, and I will share them all with you.  Sad to say, I am in some crafting forums and because the past few months have been pretty shaky for me I have either forgotten or lost the lists from them so if anyone is reading this from those forums.....I truly am sorry.


Time has flown whilst I have been making cards for my little online shop.......which you can find at http:/www.anniescardshop.com 


Please pop into the shop and let me know what your thoughts are about it.  There are only a few cards in it and as I am so new at all this I don't think I have done a bad job so far!


So, on with the cards then:  My first one is quite modern  and all cut using my cuttlebug and cricut expression:

I used a brilliant white, leather effect base card and folded into an A5 size. (8 and 1/4" tall x 5 and 3/4" wide)  Black and white was the order of the day.  Using a die and my culttlebug I cut out the circle and then folded each little triangle under the one beside it until it looked like a sunflower or sun-burst.  I think it is very effective and shows clearly against the white background. I then cut out the flowers, again with a die and my cuttlebug and interlaced them to make the two lovely black and white flowers.  Using my cricut expression, I cut out the flourish from the Home Accents cartridge.  The peel-offs which I added to the centre of the circle and in the middle of the little flowers and flourish are cogs and wheels in sparkly black and silver.

Having all the pieces made, this is what I did:  (I know it is basic stuff, but I have to start somewhere!)

I positioned the large circle and used sticky fixers to adhere it to the card.  I found the right sized peel-offs for the centre and stuck the pieces in place.

The two small flowers are one black and one white, intertwined to give a contrasting effect and in the centre another small peel-off.  

The flourish was stuck down by carefully using some tacky glue and a little pressure put onto it until it began to stick.  

The two flowers were positioned last using double sided foam sticky fixers.

Finally, I added "Just To Say" using black peel-offs.

Where did I get everything from?

White leather effect card ~ The Papetiere (Aberdeen)
Matt black and matt white card ~Craft Creations
Peel-offs ~ Craft Creations
Dies ~ Crafts U Love

Tools used:  Craft knife, Cricut Expression, Cuttlebug, various dies.


This next card is suitable for a man, particularly if he work in the oil industry (as many do where I live).






I just love this card.  I made one similar to this for a special Birthday, and it was really appreciated.  

I used flecked grey base card and on the bottom half I used worl maps which i then overlapped with the silver mirri-card.  On top of that I placed the oil rig image (which was copyright free).  I then put a peel-off across the whole card just beneath the image.  The sentiment was one I already had and it was stuck to grey card and then silver mirri-card.  I found an image of a part of a tool (no idea what it is, but it was in an oil rig section of something)  So I printed it and covered it with clear gloss and when dried I then stuck it to the bottom of the sentiment.

I print all my images on a Kodak printer with Kodak in and Kodak premium photographic paper....... there is no point in skimping if you want something to look as good as it can.  The image is stuck on using double sided foam sticky fixers, as is the sentiment and embellishment.  

The colours all seem to blend well together and I loved the splash of orange with the sunset.  

For the layering of the sentiment I die cut the grey and silver using a die and my cuttlebug.

If you have any comments to make or suggestions or have a question, please fire away.

One thing I have found out about myself when i am crafting.............I forget everything else that is happening around me, which sometimes can be a real blessing.  

Nobody's life is perfect, and mine isn't either, so crafting allows me to forget the things that would bring me down and for that I am truly grateful.

I hope you have enjoyed today's offering to you and I leave you with this thought:


Many Blessing to you all. xx

Tuesday 6 March 2012

Busy Weekend

Hello everyone


Last weekend was very busy.  My 60th Birthday arrived and there were celebrations galore.  Out on Saturday night for an intimate dinner for 35 people!!  I will put up pics for all to see and over 30 Birthday cards, which will also be put on display.  We had visitors from England , who are very special people to me, so I was delighted. I have no idea what the future holds, but I do know that I don't feel any different, so getting older must be agreeing with me.


Here I am with my friends, Ian and Sue:



These wonderful people live in Cheshire and traveled up on Saturday and went home on Sunday.  They also made me a beautiful card using an image of my collies in black and white, on a white card.....it is truly stunning.

So, anyway, I was just passing through and thought you might like to know why I have been absent.  There are orders to catch up on and people to visit too, but I will be back with loads of photos.  

Friday 2 March 2012

So are you ready for the weekend?

Hello everyone


I am having a weekend to remember.  My 60th Birthday is on Sunday, and I am having friends up from England and meeting up with family and all sorts of people over the weekend.  Dinner out tomorrow night...it's all fabulous.


It's at times like this that i think of those I will not see, or who is no longer with us and I know they would enjoy themselves if they were here too, so I am going to make an effort to enjoy myself on their behalf! 


I have been busy making cards for someone and will post them here for you to see.


This is a delicate Birthday card for someone who loves the garden.  I bought the cards with envelopes a while ago, and can't remember where from.  They came in a pack of 25.


I printed the image onto photographic paper, and decoupaged it (which doesn't show that well when photographed!)  I cut out the shape of the gold mirri-card using a cutting die and then ran it through the cuttlebug a second time to emboss it, then using double sided sticky tape I stuck the image onto it.  I then stuck the whole thing onto the card.  Beneath the image you can see a gold diecut strip, through which there is pink and white ribbon threaded and it has a knot on one end. The other end has a beautiful paper rose with gold and silver skeleton leaves all glued together onto the strip.  Beneath the strip is a length of ribbon vine, and down the side is cream lace.  The sentiment just says Happy Birthday and matches in gold and white.  I really hope you like it.  I really hope the person who gets it loves it.  I was asked to leave the insert blank, because a very talented scribe is going to write inside it using calligraphy.  


Size of card: A5 scalloped.
Image:  Fred She Said
Paper rose: Crafts U Love
Gold mirri-card: Craft Creations
Lace: Panduro
Sentiments: and vine ribbon: Mad about Cards




Here is the second card:


Yellow is the theme for this one:


Self embossed white card onto which I stuck on a yellow panel, which I made from card that I had already.  I then put on a white scalloped panel using sticky fixers to raise it from the base slightly.  The gold gems I already had in my stash and the Happy Birthday sentiment is a peel off.  The butterfly is dufex and 3D.  The flower is one I made, using lemon paper and my cricut machine.  The stem is cut from green card using my cricut.  The bow is just for decoration.


So, the flower:


I cut out various sizes of flower heads using my cricut from some good quality yellow paper.  Once I had the flower head pieces I sprayed them with water and scrunched them up and left them to dry.  Then I used a bleaching brush and stroked all the petals and sprayed them again with water, scrunching them a second time.  After they were dried, I carefully opened them up and placed them on top of each other.  I had the green backing flower leaf from another set of ornamental flowers, so I cut off the plastic  centre-piece and put the leafy part behind the flower, fixing it together with a fluffy yellow brad.  I then carefully used a promarker pen to make the colours vary slightly on the petals and put yellow stickles on the petals for effect.


The stem, was cut from green card, which just happened to match the back of the flower, so I glued that to the card and then glued the flower on top of it.  At the base of the stem I glued a little gold bow.


So there you have it.


Card: from stock
Yellow card: Viking Direct
White panel: Fidgity Fingers
Butterfly: Mad About Cards
Green card: Craft Creations
Bow: Fidgity Fingers


Other bits and bobs I already had in my stash.


I hope you have enjoyed your visit today.  Have a wonderful weekend and I will see you next week.