playing with old toys

I'm in a rut, I've got no inclination for colouring even though it's the daily marker 30 day challenge, and so I have dug out a very old toy, my silhouette, to make this card, oh and scraps too, I like cards that use up scraps

new home, old toy

I've had my silhouette for years, but for the last couple it has been mostly unused, but with a new home card required, and my stamps failing me, I thought I'd drag it out.

Mama Elephant Femme Frames

Lawn Fawn Stitched Rectangles

hello baby

I don't know why I'm so attracted to making baby cards, but I do seem to make a disproportional number of them. This time I'm using up old Pebbles collection, New Arrival which I got as a 'pack with an album, stickers etc from TK Maxx back when I was in Aberdeen for silly money.

Here I've combined it with the American Crafts Simply Chic which I think I'll be using for a while to come and some Lawn Fawn die cuts. The baby is cut on my Silhouette, and no, I haven't yet managed to get it set up since moving house but this is something I cut back in Aberdeen as well onto sticky backed card.

I think its cute, but that's partly down to those cute birdies.

paper: American Crafts Simply Chic, Pebbles New Arrival
dies: lawn fawn scripty hello, hearts, spellbinders nestabilities circle
other: silhouette, silhouette adhesive cardstock

hello city

Last week I really didn’t have much of a chance to look at the alternative colour schemes because of my trip to the big smoke of London. On a big smoke note, may I recommend the Kensington Creperie for a super nice treat.

Anyway I’ve been looking at the alternate colour swatches this last week, putting together ideas, especially as I wasn’t super happy with working with this weeks colour scheme.

So I took one of the alternate colour sets from last week:

and thought that the colour matched really well the contents of the Social Club papers from Cosmo Cricket without me having to search any further afield. So taking everything I’ve learned about composition, contrast and balance I started on a new colour scheme.

Originally I was going to use the vinyl butterfly out of the American Crafts Dear Lizzy Hyacinth details, but it just didn’t match perfectly so I used the same idea and cut a butterfly out of the collection papers with my silhouette.

Patterned Paper: Cosmo Cricket Social Club

Other: Ribbon (American Crafts), rubon (Pebbles), pearl (paper cellar)

Silhouette Shapes: Butterflies

friends will be friends

 Edited to add: this card was selected by the cards blog as a smashing example of of accordion flowers - I was super excited!

I’m not entirely sure what my colours are, because this is another week where I had to scramble around to find suitable papers for the colour swatches at the summer card class.

I have to add kraft to this mix up, I was also inspired by the accordion flower challenge on the cards blog. I know it’s crazy, but as a brit I should make cards that are A6 but I do love the American 4 1/4 x 5 1/2” cards.

Cardstock: Bazzill (kraft), American Crafts (cream)

Patterned papers: My Minds Eye (Stella & Rose collections and Fine & Dandy) and Prima

Other: Bling (unbranded) embroidery thread (Anchor), Uniball signo broad white pen.

Silhouette shapes: cute heart and star labels.

Tools: WRMK Corner Chomper, Martha Stewart score board

what a wonderful word

 There’s been a lot of ‘hello cards’ this week for summer card camp, and coming up with different titles has made me think of so many songs. Today in my hello mode I have the ‘hello song’ from the movie Crazy People going around my head.

Hello, hello, hello, what a wonderful word hello

Hello, hello, hello, you can use it wherever you go

Anyhue... I’m loving summer card camp, I really feel like I’m stretching myself and I’m trying to make cards that look and feel different.

I’ve already established that purple isn’t a colour that I have much of, I didn’t realise I was so colour particular until the complete lack of purple became evident, however I bought a mixed pack of baker’s twine and there was a purple skien in there, which is what inspired this card. I’ve already used (or lost) all of my pink skien.

This will be my last card of the week, because I’m off for work for the weekend, but I can’t wait until Monday, when another colour combination comes up.

Cardstock: Bazzill, American Crafts

Patterned paper: Echo Park, Basic Grey

Other: Pebbles (rubon), Divine Twine, Kanban (bling), Uniball Signo Broad white pen.

Silhouette shapes: cute heart and star labels

hello again

 More from the Echo Park summer days paper collection as it’s the only match to the colours this week. Clearly being very inspired from Kristina’s lovely card on Monday.

More from the Silhouette as well, this time Echo Park hearts and yet another Pebbles rub on matched with some bling.

birthday numbers

So I’m messing around with the Silhouette, again...

And more of that American Crafts everyday paper :), American Crafts card too, and ribbon. Pebbles inc duplicates rub on (love these) and some Papermania blingage.

I’ve use the cute heart and stars labels from the silhouette store and the star I made in keynote.

Now the shiny edge to the star is from a Sakura glitter star dust pen, just makes it a bit less plain and a bit more fancy.

happy wishes

What did I do without my silhouette? I’m really in a card place right now and I’m really loving my silhouette.

This card was copied from a sketch I made of a card from Kristina Werner.

The butterfly is a shape from Echo Park at the silhouette store, the rest I designed and made myself. Papers are from the Basic Grey Urban Prairie collection which I’m still loving.

shabby thanks

Friday 13th and nothing bad has happened so far :)

More from the silhouette, I’m really proud of accordian fold flower rosette thing and if I work out how to do downloads I’ll put a link in the downloads section here. I warn you that it cuts out a bit erratically when putting the scorelines in but I have no idea on how to improve the cutting efficiency.

I made the scallop shape too, but the label shape, oval and thanks are all from the ‘thanks’ card kit by Lori Whitlock in the silhouette store.

Papers are by WRMK from the nonsense pad and the ribbon is Stampin’ up.

under the weather

A started a new this week, and sent me pictures of his first day. Well trained or what?

More from the silhouette.

I cut a white cloud but you can hardly see it in real life or in the photo so I don’t know why I bothered. The message is printed on the card using an Auburn font I think.

Shapes are from Echo Park at the silhouette store and the papers and cardstock are by American Crafts. The little bits of bling are from Papermania.

seeing stars

I know that every one struggles with manly, and I’m really no exception, I just don’t know how men think or what they like.

Anyway, this card I made all my own shapes for the silhouette once again, the message is print and cut and the font is Auburn. I have to tell you about the star though, the star is a little bit of clever thinking from me. I drew it in keynote (where I’m really familiar with the drawing stuff because of my job) in black, saved it as a jpg and then opened it in the silhouette studio software and then traced around the edge of the shape. Voila, the perfect custom shape, ok the star is super simple, but I’m learning.

American Crafts papers, cardstock and button. Stampin’ Up ribbon.

hi

Loving my silhouette right now, everything is using it.

I made all my own shapes this week, and the font is american typewriter. It’s all American Crafts stuff again, from their everyday collection. I buy the collection packs then I have enough papers to last 3 or 4 lifetimes :)

love

Playing a little more with my silhouette and check me out, I’ve been playing with the sketch pens.

Just a super simple card using papers from American Crafts (everyday collection) and AC ribbon and cardstock.

Kara Dudley hearts and Baby Kruffy font.

you're so sweet

Just back from my holiday, seeing my in laws in Northern Ireland, there was a big birthday celebration, lots of family stuff and lots of driving for A. The Sperrins are really beautiful, and unpasturised ice-cream is one of the best things I’ve ever eaten.

Really enjoying my silhouette, even if it’s only to cut basic shapes like little hearts.

I printed the frame and the message on my computer, I’ve put the file in the freebies section of my website if I find a way I'll make it available as a freebie.

So far I only have an A4 version, just pop your cards in the printer tray and run it through. I’ll do a US card size version as soon as I get a chance. Print it on scratch paper first to be sure.

Ingredients

Basic Grey Urban Prairie collection

Silhouette heart

hello friend

Ok I have to start off by apologising about how unwordy the blog has been of late. I’m now living in my 3rd house in 5 weeks, after problems with finding a house, I’ve had problems with my blog publishing on mobile internet (still not fixed) and I’ve been busy at work (as unexciting as that is).

However, I’ve just received the most amazing birthday present off my partner (I love him very much :)), a silhouette.

So here is one of my early attempts with the silhouette

The butterfly is by Echo Park and the background is the floating flower background by hero arts. The circle and the banner I ‘designed’ and cut myself, the banner was a print and cut. I have to say although I’m still learning I’m super impressed with this machine, I’ve waited a long time for one and finally they bought out mac software :).

Ingredients

Basic Grey Urban Prairie collection

Bazzill Basics flower from years ago

American Crafts cardstock

Echo Park Butterfly

Hero Arts Floating Flower Background