5 Cards, 1 image, 1 layout

One of the girls at work asked if I could some christmas cards to send to her family back home - 5 brothers, 1 sister and a Mum.

For the brothers I used the same image - Father Christmas from Digistamp Boutique - and which I coloured in with copics, adding stickles for the santa's hat, jackets and boots and watered down liquid pearls to the beard. To make it easier for me I decided that I would use the same layout for all the cards but use different cardstock to make each card individual.

Was also asked to do a card for her sister. My inspiration came from one of the cards I did recently for a challenge. Used the same basic elements but it has turned out totally different.

The final card was for her mum, all she said was that wanted it to express how much she missed her. Using my sizzix shadowbox dies cut out 2 m's and a u in co-ordinating card and for the sentiment adapted a birthday sentiment and added a bow as a finishing touch.

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Sugar & Spice

Today's effort is for one of the guys that works with Billy and who became a granda for the first time on Monday. According to Granda there is no pink baby stuff in Bahrain as Grandma has bought it all!!

Using copic pens coloured in 'Tilly' from Digistamp Boutique. The papers used for matting and layering were from the some free papers that I got a while back from Simply Cards and Papercrafts as was the wee border at the bottom of the card.

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Feeling Better!

One of my very good friends is feeling a wee bit under the weather just now, suffering from Sciatica. As she is across the water in Saudi and I can't be there to help out, thought I would send her a wee card to let her know I was thinking about her.

Knew the exact image I wanted to use, a die cut from a card kit from Papermania called Nostalgia, using the other die cut image for another card, more of which another day. Also used one of the sentiments that came along with the kit. Matted the image and sentiment on some scraps of cardstock that I had lying about.

By the end of today it should hopefully be winging its way over the causeway to Saudi.

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Sketch Saturday Challenge

After enjoying the Quick Cards Challenge the other day, thought I would try some more, well one, this one being over at Sketch Saturday. When I take part in a challenge I like to be able to make use of the card, so this one is for another work colleague, whose birthday is at the end of the month.

The image and sentiment is from a freebie supplement, called Stamp It, that I got with one of my magazines. Not only does it have images but there are some matching papers to go with the image. However I decided not to use this part of the freebie. The cardstock came from Lasting Impressions, the various green cardstock from the Limeade range with the blue from Smooth Sailing. Copics were used to colour in the image and the buttons came from my stash.

Just after I posted on Sketch Saturday, I received word of a new challenge, whose theme the card also fell into so adding it to another challenge over at One Stitch at a Time.

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My First Christmas Card

Yes, you've read the title right, I have mentioned the dreaded 'christmas' word.

Got the impetus to start when I received an email from Quick Cards letting me know what is in this month's issue. Top of the email was the 'Quick Cards Bonus Papers Challenge'. The challenge was to make a christmas card using the free downloadable bonus papers. I do love freebies, lol!

To make the card I printed off the bonus papers, took out my trusty 'Bug' and die cut some christmas trees from glitter foam, printed off a sentiment and added some gems and Voila!.

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My Hero

Can't believe that I have nearly clocked up another year on the wedding anniversary clock. Next Tuesday hitting number 27 on the clock!!!! For some reason this year I am had, as Sarah would put it - a cheese on toast moment, lol, but when I saw this image by Just Inklined - Derek Doodlebuns - over at Imag-e-nation, I couldn't resist.

I coloured my 'hero' with Copic pens and used various bits of cardstock from Lasting Impressions 'Limeade' range for the matting and layering. The sentiments were printed off on the computer.

Since I used copic pens I thought I would link this project some fab blog candy that is on offer over on Charmed Crafts Blog - 72 pen set of Copic Pens.

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Birthday Wishes

After not crafting for ages, I am hopefully getting into the groove again. Today's effort is for one of the girl.s at works birthday next week - second of three october birthdays. Again trying to be a thrifty crafter and use up my scraps. The base mat is a BoBunny Back To Back - Coffee Dot, which I also used at a base mat for the sentiment. The top mat was a 6x6 paper from Papermania - Creative Tones, Antique Cream. Printed off 'Birthday Wishes' onto a scrap of cream card and cut it using Labels 7 from Nestabilities. Finished it off with some flowers from my stash held together with matching brads.

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Final One For Today

After a week off work went back to work today only to realise that it is one of the girls birthdays at the end of the week. As everyone gets a birthday card and me having a few things on this week, I had to come with something quick and easy. Reverted again to the scrap draw and fished out a couple of bits from a Fred She Said set which I have called Dancing Daisy. Finished it off with a couple of brown colour gems.

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A New Pad

Just before Sarah and Mikey arrive I got a card finished for an old family friend who had moved house. The image was from Digistamp Boutique and called Bob & Benji and coloured with Copic pens. I just think the image is so cute. Again trying to use up all my scraps, so unfortunately I can't remember the names/colours of the mats. Sorry!

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Future SIL

Last week saw our daughter, Sarah, and future son-in-law, Mikey, paying us a visit. It was great having them out as it meant I was on holiday too, took a week off work. Ch.nged my job for a week from school secretary to chief tour guide, lol. Whilst they were here it happened to be Mikey's birthday and as he expects nothing but a handmade card from me, I couldn't let him down. He was needless to say, chuffed with my attempt, or so he said. Used a freebie image and sentiment from Bugaboo Stamps, called Soccer Nut, which I coloured in with copic pens. Used scraps of cardstock for the mats and finished it off with 3 buttons in decreasing sizes.

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A Mixture of Allsorts

As we have had a long weekend thought I would spend the time getting some cards done - unexpected cards and orders. The first two are the unexpected ones, the cards that most cardmakers hate doing - sympathy.

The next batch are for more happier occasions - an engagment and birthday. The birthday is for the female of the couple. The engagement happened in New York, although they have been together for a while, the groom to be still said it was nervewracking. The first two are from the groom to be's parents.

This next one is from me and Billy to the happy couple.

This next one was a rush one, was asked by one of the girls at school to do an Eid Mubarak card for her hubby.

And last but not least, a birthday card for one of the girls at school. When it is a birthday of one of the staff at school, I always do a card for them and Lynn and I provide birthday cake. Some months are worse than others.

Instead of giving details descriptions of what was used in each card will summarize it by saying that I used some free papers, cuttlebug embossing and die cuts, stamping, heat embossing and used a new crafty programme - My Craft Studio using the Tattered Lace cd.

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Eid Mubarek

Not a lot of crafting been done over the summer for me as I have been focussing on getting Sarah's wedding organised but have managed to get a batch of cards done to give out when I get back to Bahrain to my Bahraini friends when they celebrate the Eid holiday which follows immediately after the end of Ramadan.

Before I headed home for the summer I printed off the backing papers, stamped a batch of Claudette camels and using a plain and a scalloped oval nestability cut out mats. When I had a few minutes coloured in the camels with watercolour pencils and put the cards together.

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Candy Time Again

Jak Heath has on offer some fab candy to mark her blog getting a million hit along with a thousand blogger followers. Pop over by Midnight on Friday 3rd September and see what she is offering.

Here's a couple pieces of candy to whet your appetite

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All done.

As I am heading home to Bonnie Scotland at the end of the week and won't have any of my crafting gear at home with me I have been trying to get all the cards I need till the end of September done. Got the final one finished today so I can now relax a bit.

The card to finish off September is for my eldest daughter, Tara. The inspiration for this came from the cardstock - BoBunny's Back to Backs Kitchen Spice Nutmeg and Kitchen Spice Sesame. My image is from Funky Funky and which is coloured in with copic pens. I used Martha Stewart's Loop Corner punch and EK Success' Daisy Chain to add a bit of embellishment. For the sentiment I used the 'Happy Birthday' stamp from Kanban's Garden Vistas - Spring Silhoutettes. For the image and sentiment mats I used Labels Four nestabilities. The edges were distressed with Adironkack Cabin Fever.

This next card is also for Tara as she is changing jobs at the end of the month. The cardstock came from K&Companys Citronella collection. The image which I coloured with copic pens is a stamp from Whispers but doesn't have a name only a bar code, lol. I used the nested eggs to make the various mats and a two marvy punches to make the tags and which are held together with a brad and a peel off sentiment.

The final card was a request for a grand-daughter who is into pink and girly things. I used Smirk's Naughty But Nice for the elements of this card using various of the sheets to make the mats. For the images I trimmed three images from one of the image sheets and attached them using foam pads. For a bit of bling I added two glittery brads and finished off with a peel off sentiment.

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On A Roll Today

Got on like a house on fire today and as a result nearly got all the cards for September done.

As I enjoyed doing the circle card I thought I would do another one. This the base card was cut from a K&Company's paper pack - Citronella - as is the blue and orange mats which were cut using two dies from the Blossom nestabilities set. The image, which I coloured using copic pens, came from Cuddly Buddly Crafts and called Happy Birthday To Ewe. For a bit of embellishment added three flowers with brads for the flower centres.

The next one used a decoupage topper and co-ordinating paper from a Hello Kitty pack that I bought at the beginning of year and have hardly used. For the decoupage bow centre I added a glittery brad. Added a bit of ribbon and finished off with a 'Happy Birthday' peel off.

Number three today was an anniversary card and came from a pack of cards and embellishments. I layered three hearts with foam pads and finished off with a peel off.

The final one for today is a new baby card. The blue and green mats came from the same Citronella K&Company paper pack as the circle card. The image is another Cuddly Buddly Crafts image called Ellies and coloured with copic pens. The sentiment was cut using a cuttlebug die and for a bit of embellishment added three co-ordinating brads.

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Wrinkled Ladies

This morning while checking my Facebook page I came across a posting from a friend of mine with a video attachment. While watching it I couldn't resisting singing along. Having said that I don't think I will be able to listen to Beyonce singing Single Ladies without thinking about this version. Hope it cheers you up.

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Christmas in July

Summer's not hardly begun and some of us are thinking about Christmas already. How many of you are saying, 'AAAAAAGGGGGHHHHH, you've mentioned the dreaded word'. Well they are over at Stampin' For The Weekend - for theie current challenge you are provided with sketch and a theme - Christmas In July - to follow.

I don't really start thinking about christmas until after the summer but thought I would give it a go and see what I could come up. My stamped image is one that I have used a fair bit for christmas cards and fairly easy to colour in. I coloured the scarves, holly leaves and hat band with copic pens. For the mats I took out my nestabilities - rectangles and big scalloped rectangles. For the circles I used a couple of circle cuttlebug dies. The cardstock is a two-sided cardstock from Basic Grey called Eskimo Kisses Thin Ice. For the sentiment I used a peel-off.

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