Other cards this year

I like to post photos of the cards I make, as a reminder of what I sent to whom, as well as a record of what I have been making, so here are some more from this year.  Above is a simple stamped and watercoloured card. These clean and simple cards are often more tricky - all it takes is an inky finger print and you have to start all over again!

Easter cards are enjoyable to make and these were made using stamps, dies and stencils with pastel coloured backgrounds.

I made a couple of these for my cat-loving friends, using stamps and dies.

As this stencil and dies set from America cost me a fair bit in tax, I am determined to use it as much as I can.  It is a good one for using scraps and here there are embossed bits as well as scrap book paper.  

This one used some of the slow drawings I do on a Wednesday evening. I have amassed quite a collection of these little pieces, so it is good to use some of them.  

This one used embossing folder for the background, and some die cut flowers which I watercoloured.  The recipient is a teacher, so the letters and vintage book page number strip seemed appropriate!

I enjoy looking for themed supplies - hearts are a good one.  Here I used an embossing folder and a heart which had metal foil applied to it.  Simple, but effective, I think.

An embossed frame and stencilled image made this card.

I saw this inked technique demonstrated on TV and knew I wanted to try it.  I think it worked really well. The image is stamped onto watercolour card with Distress (or other water based ink) and then sprayed gently with water, just enough to react the ink and start it spreading.

Another simple card with a gel printed heart in the centre of the embossed background.

Finally (and well done for making it here!) is this card which uses one of the pieces I made in an online course I did in the summer. Lots of layers of paint and ink in this piece with a stamped butterfly as the focal point.   I have a couple of birthday cards to make for male family members and I find cards for men are a little more tricky but I have ideas of what to do, so watch this space.

More cards and some new stencils

Here are a few more cards which I haven't posted about.  Above is one for a friend who appreciates animals and...

... a pun or two...or more.  I really like the stamp set I used here, which is by Josh Griffiths' Beyond Stamping range.  His animal stamps are so cute.

I added a final pun on the back!

This one was for a friend who really likes the slowing drawing patterns I make.

This was for my niece and I tried out a stamp which had lots of images on it, by Lynne Perella for Paper Artsy. Lynne Perella's stamps are full of collaged images and detail.

A ruby wedding anniversary card for one of my sisters.

A card for my mum-in-law's birthday, with a die cut heart which I watercoloured.

Another friend's birthday and some lino cut stamps from Clarity Crafts, again watercoloured.

Here are the new stencils I treated myself to. I like the retro feel and I think these geometric patterns will work well, especially for men's cards, which are always trickier.

They are rotating stencils, which means you apply the first colour, then rotate 90 degrees and apply the second and so on until you have the four colours.

This one is my favourite so I tried it first.

This is what it looked like once I had finished applying the inks and then it became this...

...a birthday card for a friend's daughter. I saw the idea when the stencils were being demonstrated and knew I needed to make my own version!

I really enjoy making cards and getting inspiration from others. There are so many talented people who generously share their skills and ideas.   (The only trouble with this hobby is that there are too many lovely stamps, stencils and dies out there and news ones coming all the time!)

Some cards through the year - part 2

Here are some more cards which were made over the year.  More birthday cards...

...some using dies as well as stamps.

Anniversary cards made using stencils...

...a thank you card using a stamp which I watercoloured.  I really like this Kandinsky-esque pattern.

A special birthday card for my best friend who lives in Canada but who visited this summer.  The little rhyme reads: "Cherish friendship in your breast, New is good but old is best; Make new friends but keep the old; Those are silver, these are gold".  I included a Canada stamp, relevant numbers, a picture of a forget-me-not and a photo of her when she was little.  I really enjoy creating these collage backgrounds.

This was her pearl anniversary card - both of us were married in 1993 and I was at her wedding in Canada as a Matron of Honour.

More birthday cards...

...anniversary cards...

...and these are the most recent, for my brother-in-law

...and my nephew.

The next cards to make are for my sister, sister-in-law and then Chris, not forgetting that Christmas (whisper it!) is not all that far away!  I had better get making!

Some cards through the year - part 1

As you know, I enjoy making cards and I like to keep a record of what I have made.  So here are some of the cards from this year.  There are probably more, but I think two posts is enough(!).  The top one was for a friend's birthday - she likes pink.

The next one was for my brother-in-law.  I always find cards for men a little trickier.

I think this card was my piece de resistance this year.  It was for my colleague at work whose partner is an entomologist. My colleague has now become interested in insects, so I made this card for her.  There are pockets and 'slides' with various bugs and beetles on them.

On the back of the card were many bugs too...

Here you can see the 'slides'.

I also added a little money envelope inside.  The only problem now is thinking what to make her for next year!

There have been thank you cards.

Lots of birthday cards...

...some including collage.

Then there have been Mothering Sunday/Mother's Day cards...

...and Easter cards (I love this Tim Holtz/Sizzix rabbit die set)...

...and more Easter cards.

Finally for this post, another birthday card, following inspiration from Tracy Evans, who has been posting lots of helpful 'snippet' videos on Youtube here and I have a few of her stamps so can make my own interpretations.

Part 2 coming soon... 

Making my own paper

I recently treated myself to a paper making kit (from Stamps Away/CleverCut here in the UK here.)  I used scraps of copy paper from various printing projects and cut them down to make very small squares.  I added warm water to the scraps and mixed them up to create a pulp. The kit has a hand-held paddle to which you attach a piece of netting with clips. You then pour the watery paper pulp over it (making sure it is over a bowl or the sink) and then flip it onto some woollen material and remove the clips. You press the water out using a sponge, then carefully remove the paper from the netting and let it dry.  It is certainly easier than having a netting in a frame which you dip into a vat of paper pulp.  The paper has come out quite thick in places, but I like the rustic effect!  Above was one of my first attempts.   

I have tried again, incorporating dried hydrangea flowers and gilding flakes.  I was pleased with this one.

Then I added gilding flakes and words which I had cut out of a book page.  This one is my favourite so far.  

I have used some of the paper which I inked up and added some gilding polish to make an anniversary card for my sister and brother-in-law.  The texture comes through beautifully.  I am looking forward to more experiments using junk envelopes etc.  Watch this space...