Cards and cake

My nephew has just bought a house and was saying he needed some art for the walls, so my sister suggested some of  my slow drawings.  He looked through the many patterns that I have drawn (since joining the slow drawing group in 2023) and decided on nine.  I got them done for him and have since sent them to him.  Here they are above, in one formation, but it will be interesting to see how he chooses to put them together.

This was a card for my sister-in-law, using the Sizzix stencil, which I first mentioned here.

I sent this card to my nephew, with the nine drawings.

This was for a colleague's birthday.  She has several cats, so I often make her a cat based card!

This is the inside...

...and the back.

Here is a card for my husband's big birthday.  I put the numbers on balloons on the inside, just in case he didn't want to be reminded of his age! He loves 'Snarky Cats' stamps by Tim Holtz and Stampers Anonymous, so these usually make an appearance on his cards.

Here's the back.  Yes, I did mention cake, didn't I?

This is the 'Russian Roulette Revels Cake' which I make as a birthday cake, as it is a great recipe that is moist and keeps well (if you can stop yourself eating it!).  This is the very indulgent version with chocolate fudge icing, but the butter cream icing version is just as good.  

Revels are a chocolate covered sweet, with various fillings, such as toffee, Malteser, orange, chocolate, raisin and the dreaded coffee (I really don't like that one and often seem to get one on a slice!) There was an advert about Revels from 2001, when there was also a peanut one, but these were then removed due to allergies - the advert sums up my dislike of the coffee one!

I have made myself feel hungry now, so am off to have something to eat!

Latest cards and cakes

There were a few birthdays to make for during November. Above is the card for a colleague at work.  This stamp set (from Aall & Create) has a cat back and front with three different faces, so is really versatile.

Here's the inside...

...and the back.

Here is the 'Russian Roulette Revels Cake' with chocolate fudge icing, which we took round to her. She always looks forward to this cake.  

This is the card for my sister-in-law, using a distress ink technique I had seen demonstrated recently.

This is the cake for Chris, whose birthday was also in November. The cake is the same as above but with chocolate butter cream icing rather than the chocolate fudge. (It was delicious!)

Chris asked for a Snarky Cat card, so that's what he got!

Here's the other grumpy cat on the back.  

Finally, here is the birthday card for my Mum, whose favourite colours are turquoise and orange.  I really enjoy making these backgrounds with watercolour, stencilling and stamping.

#Printinktober 2022 - week four

The final week of #Printinktober and what an enjoyable challenge it was.  Chris gave me the purple and orange colour scheme for 'Big' above.  It is one of the biggest background stamps I have from Stamps By Me, so worked well for this. 

'Small' was lots of tiny images from Woodware, by Jane Gill, linked together, which reminds me of the TV game show 'Blockbusters'.  People in the UK of a certain age will remember this!

'Pretty' was all these pastels and a stamp set from Altenew called Nature Snippets.

Another Visible Image set for 'Orange' using Erica's Maple.

'Dots' was illustrated by this big stamp from Altenew.  

'Dark' was a bit tricky but as it means absence of light, I went for a clear embossed circle image which would show up when you tipped the page.  The stamp was one from Visible Image again.

'Botanical' was from a couple of sets from Creative Expressions by Sam Poole.  I have used these quite a bit and they have a lovely vintage feel.

'Wood' meant I could dig out my hand carved wooden stamps from Blockwallah.  This one is Birch Tree.  I have collected quite a few of these but they don't get used very often, which is a shame.

'On Black' gave me the chance to use a newish stamp from Indigoblu - William Morris Willow, which was heat embossed with white.

Finally, 'Favourite'. I couldn't really choose a favourite, as I like so many stamps!  However, Tim Holtz's Snarky Cats are one of my favourites.  They have been used quite a bit for my cat loving friends' cards.  I do have one more space to fill so am having a think about what to feature and then these will be bound into a book with a stamped cover, of course!

I will post an update once the book is finished and bound.

Easter

The Easter long weekend was lovely and I enjoyed having some time away from work.  I had been busy making cards, using lots of different dies and making some Easter egg stamps which I used to decorate some of the envelopes.  The Tree of Life was a newish die set which also included blossom and leaves as dies too. I am looking forward to creating a four seasons tree picture.

Snarky cats made their appearance for a few friends who I knew would appreciate them.

I bought a couple of bunches of daffodils and we enjoyed their happy colours.

The paler ones were very pretty...

...I liked the apricot pink tones of the trumpet.  They lasted pretty well and gave the sitting room a nice splash of colour. Of course we treated ourselves to some little chocolate eggs - it had to be done!

In other news, much to my surprise, my Sansevieria (Mother in Law's Tongue/Snake plant) plant decided to flower.  Apparently, this is relatively rare but due to either stress and poor conditions and its roots being crowded, or the opposite.  As this particular plant is in a small pot and really needs a bit of care, I am assuming in this case, it is the first of these!  I really must take pity on it and pot it on.  The flower was very sticky but sweetly scented while it lasted.

Latest card makes and looking like Harry Potter

 I have been making various cards for friends, family and colleagues.

Here is a stencilled design for my brother-in -law.

Some thank you cards, after my birthday...

...and here.

A card for my work colleague - this is a stamp I have used before and which always looks good.

I also made her a bookmark tag. The front...

...and the back.

Mothering Sunday cards.

More birthdays...

...and bookmark tags, front...

...and back.

My sister-in-law's card - she is a very keen and good gardener.

I added some interest on the back too.

A card for a friend who has recently got into gardening and has an allotment.

I added some extras on the inside...

...and the back.

Here's the bookmark I made for her.

Snarky cats made an appearance again!

Finally, Easter cards. 

In other news, I, like a lot of the UK, am desperate for a haircut!  At the moment my usually short and under control hair is crawling down my neck and tickling my ears. 

(image from https://www.bbcamerica.com/anglophenia/2014/06/daniel-radcliffe-done-acting-coach-harry-potter)

In fact, I think look a bit like Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter, which may be a good look for him, but isn't for me! I have an appointment on 22nd April which can't come soon enough.