A birthday tree

I seem to be on a roll with masculine cards at the minute. Here is a birthday card, featuring one of my most-used sets in the catalogue, Lovely as a tree.

I embossed a piece of espresso cardstock using the square lattice embossing folder, then added eyelets using a crop-a-dile. Some twill has been threaded through the eyelets and tied in a knot. I made a little tag for the sentiment using the modern label punch and crumb cake cardstock, and attached to the twill knot with linen thread. The tree stamp has been inked using markers and stamped onto watercolour paper. I've then used an aquapainter to spread the ink a little to create a watercolour effect, then torn the paper on two sides.

Products used (all Stampin' Up!):

• Stamps – Lovely as a Tree, Occasional Quotes (hostess L3)
• Ink – Old Olive, Early Espresso
• Cardstock – Old Olive, Early Espresso, Crumb Cake
• Other – Modern Label punch, Square Lattice Embossing folder, Watercolour paper, Aquapainter, Jumbo Eyelets, 3/8” Twill, Linen thread, dimensionals.

Bright butterfly birthday

I saw my first butterfly of the year today, so I thought I'd show you a card with butterflies. I made this earlier in the year when there was snow on the ground - Mother Nature obviously ignored my hopes for some warm weather for quite a long time!

Products used (all Stampin' Up!):

• Stamps - Punch Potpourri (hostess L1), Occasional Quotes (hostess L3)
  
• Ink - Rich Razzleberry, Melon Mambo, Tempting Turquoise
  
• Cardstock - Whisper White, Melon Mambo
• Other - Scallop Edge Border punch, Butterfly punch, 1 3/4" circle punch, Corner rounder punch, Designer Series Paper Patterns stack (Brights), stamp-a-ma-jig, dimensionals.

Wait long enough, and you'll get a Free card!

Oh dear, it appears I've been neglecting my blog! Sorry for the lack of posts, but not much has been done in the last few months craft-wise. It seems the cold weather totally sapped my inspiration :( The days are getting longer again so hopefully Miss Betty will let me craft in peace (I'm being extremely optimistic there, LOL)

Here's a card made using stamp sets that you can get for free! (costing nothing, gratuitous, without charge, freebie, complimentary, gratis, on the house, without compensation, FREE OF CHARGE!) Don't you just love those words! Please contact me for further details on how you can earn these sets too!

The main panel has been stamped with the scroll stamp from the Bliss stamp set in crumb cake ink, and the flower in 'stamped off' soft suede ink. The quote in the top left corner was stamped with soft suede ink. The edges have been distressed using one of the files from the distressing kit, then sponged with crumb cake and soft suede inks. A ruffle of vanilla grosgrain ribbon was added before the panel was adhered to a soft suede card base. An espresso oval and a soft suede scallop oval provide mats (and depth) to the sentiment, stamped in soft suede ink on a vanilla cardstock oval.

Products used (all Stampin' Up!):

• Stamps: Bliss (SAB), Occasional Quotes (hostess L3)
  
• Ink: Crumb Cake, Soft Suede
  
• Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Soft Suede, Early Espresso
• Other: Distressing kit, Sponge Daubers, Extra Large Oval punch, Extra Large Scallop Oval punch, Large Oval punch, 5/8" Very Vanilla grosgrain ribbon.