Little Claire February Digi Inspiration

As you know by now the theme for the Little Claire February digi challenge is love and romance and they are offering five digi stamps as prizes for the winner of the challenge. I have made a card as part of the digi team and it was all a bit sudden as I didn't know that I had to make the card until the last minute. When I realised that I had to do a card I panicked as it truly was the eleventh hour, and then I set to and made this card in two hours. If you like it and want a go yourself then here is the recipe for it.

what you will need: 
6" x 6" white base card
Little Claire Two Owls digi stamp
good quality printer paper around 220gsm or more
pink card
turquoise linen card
darker blue linen card
Tim Holts Distress Ink - Tumbled Glass
colouring pens
white cotton ribbon
turquoise gingham ribbon
various flower punches
hole punch
Lili of the Valley sentiment stamp
Versa Fine ink pad
white card from your stash
free printable paper download
Glamour Dust
Stickles - Waterfall
pearl gems

Cut the pink paper so that it mat and layers with the base card.
Cut the turquoise linen card to mat and layer onto the pink card.
Stick the linen card onto the pink card.
Download the free printable paper and on your graphics programme crop it down to 2 1/2" x 4 3/4". Copy and paste the image and flip the new image horizontally. Print the two images out onto good quality print paper.
Cut the printed papers to the required size and mat and layer onto pink card.
Stick the two background images onto the turquoise linen card.
Stick the cotton lace into position and fold around the back of the card to make a neat edge (my lace was a bit too narrow so I doubled it up).
Stick the gingham ribbon over the top of the lace and again fold around the back of the card.
Stick the card and ribbon combo onto the base card.
In your graphics programme open the Two Owls digi stamp and re-size to measure 8cm from tip of branch to leaf. Print the image onto good quality print paper.
Colour in the image. To colour in the sky first tear some paper and using this as a stencil dab some Tumbled Glass distress ink on to a piece of foam and dab the foam along the edge of the paper (do not dab over the owls or the branch). Move the paper to another area and repeat. Repeat the stencilling until you have the desired effect.
When the image is fully dry cut it to size.
Mat and layer the image onto the darker blue linen card.
Stick the mat and layered image onto the card at a jaunty angle.
Punch out the various flowers from the pink paper and glitter them using the Glamour Dust.
Punch the centres of the larger flowers from the lighter turquoise linen card and when the Glamour Dust on the pink flowers is dry assemble the flowers.
Add the pearl gems to the centre of the flowers.
Punch three dots from the light turquoise linen card using the hole punch and glue to the centre of the smaller flowers.
Arrange the flowers on the card and stick into place.
Make a bow using the turquoise gingham ribbon and stick in in place.
Punch three dots from the pink paper and glue into place at the bottom of the card.
 Using the Versa Fine ink, stamp out the sentiment onto fairly heavy card stock.
Colour the stamp around the edges using the Tumbled Glass distress ink.
Colour the flowers with pink colouring pen and dab the centres of the flowers with the Stickles.
Stick the sentiment onto the card.

I hope you enjoy making the card, it`s fairly quick to do once you have all the ingredients.

Emma Shoes Birthday Card

Today was miserable weather wise so I spent most of it in my craft room as I have a friends birthday coming up this week and needed to make her a card. This card is what I would term a "big card" in that it took ages to make, but I faffed about loads and changed flowers and colours etc before I was happy with the finished result. If you make the card it shouldn't take so long because all the design stuff has been worked out, but if you want to change things then it could take a long time.

what you will need:
6" x 6" cream base card
dusty pink paper
yellow linen paper
pink paper
green, cream and vibrant pink card from your stash
Good quality print paper
Good quality card stock to stamp onto
Crafters Companion Love CD
Lili of the Valley Emma Shoes stamp
Versa Fine ink pad
Tim Holtz inks - Spun Sugar, Scattered Straw
Creative Expressions pink stripe ribbon
Dovecraft Tea Party yellow ribbon
Tonic Dotty Border punch
die cutting machine
Tattered Lace Essentials Circles
various flower dies and punches
any swirley accents die
hole punch
Hobbycraft General Sentiments Happy Birthday clear stamp

Cut the dusty pink card so that it mat and layers onto the cream base card.
Print off the relevant image from the Crafters Cmpanion CD (I printed my image onto watercolour paper and set my printer to print onto mat paper but I would not recommend this as some printers don't like thicker papers, but if you`re feeling adventurous have a go) and cut it down to mat and layer onto the dusty pink card. Mat and layer the paper onto the card.
Take a length of the Creative Expressions stripey ribbon and stick it into place (I like to run my ribbons around to the back of the card).
Using the Tonic Dotty Borders punch, punch a length of the pink paper to lie over the striped ribbon. Cut the paper down and punch along the other side to make a paper ribbon. Stick the paper ribbon over the striped ribbon and cut to size.
Stick a piece of the yellow Tea Party ribbon over the top of the paper ribbon.
Stick these layers of paper, card and ribbons to the cream base card.
Using the Tattered Lace circle 13 die, cut the yellow linen paper and stick into position on the card.
Using the Versa Fine ink pad stamp out the Lili of the Valley stamp onto card.
Cut the image out using the No. 11 circle die.
Colour the stamp in using colours appropriate to the colour scheme of the card (I always use Tim Holtz distress inks and a water brush or water based pens mixed in a pallet with a water brush).
Stick the image onto the yellow linen card (the image is not central to the yellow card, it is off set to the bottom left).
Make your flowers and colour them using the Tim Holts Distress Ink Scattered Straw and glitter all over using the Glamour Dust. (I cant remember who my dies are made by as I`ve had them so long). I used a small Tonic flower boot punch and the vibrant pink card to make the flower centres and finished them off with a dot made using the green card and the hole punch. The small green flowers were made using another Tonic boot punch and finished off with a dot made using the vibrant pink card).
Using the green card cut the accent pieces and lay them onto the almost finished card to see where best to place them (you can cut into the di cuts to make the pieces fit better into the space). When you are happy with the positioning stick them into place.
Make a bow using the Dovecraft Tea Party yellow ribbon and stick into place.
Arrange the flowers on the card and when happy with the positioning stick them into place.
Using the Versa Fine ink pad stamp the Happy Birthday sentiment onto cream card and cut to size.
Colour around the edges with the Spun Sugar Tim Holts Distress Ink.
Mat and layer the sentiment onto the vibrant pink card.
Stick the sentiment into position.

Sorry I`ve been a bit vague with the flower and flourish dies but I`ve had them for ages and the packaging has long since vanished.
Hope you have fun and enjoy your finished work of art.

Valentines Day

This Saturday is Valentines Day and all thoughts should turn to love and making your own Valentine card (did you hear on the news this week that most shop greetings cards are made of card that comes from wood from the rain forests - nasty), so just in case you forgot here is a really quick and easy card to make for your loved one. I made the card for my friend to give her husband and he is a real bicycle sporty type so I hope he likes it.

 

What you will need:

base card measuring 10cm x 21cm

good quality print paper - at least 120gsm

graphics programme - Serif Craft Artist

red colouring in pen

clear nail varnish

 

Download the free digi image of  the bicycle from http://beyondthefringecrafts.blogspot.

In your graphics programme (I use Serif Craft Artist) mark out the size of the card blank - 10cm x 21cm.

Import the bicycle digi stamp and re-size to measure 7cm from wheel to wheel. Flip the image horizontally.

Place the bicycle 21mm from the bottom of the card and the back wheel 1cm in from the left of the card.

Using the shapes tool add a heart and re-size and rotate as desired and place about 22mm down from the top of the card and 1cm in from the left of the card. Using the fill tool select the colour red and colour in. *Copy and paste this heart. Move and re-size to a desired position.* Repeat from * to * once more.

Using the text tool write "the best times" in Tropical Script BTN Bamboo 37.18. Place this text next to the big red heart about 1cm in from the right of the card. Write "are the times" in Tropical Script BTN Bamboo 12.55pt and move to a suitable place. Write "I spend with you" in Tropical Script BTN Bamboo 17.55pt and move into place on the card.

When you are happy with the card composition select all the elements of the card and group together, move to a suitable place on the paper and print (I turned my composition onto its side to print and this meant that I used the print paper more economically).

Add extra colour to the hearts and then apply three coats of clear nail varnish allowing each coat to dry in between.

Draw strings from the balloons to the handle bars.

Cut the card image to measure 93mm x 230mm.

Mat and layer the image onto black paper.

Mat and layer the card topper onto the base card.

 

 

 

 

 

 



Ellies and Flowers Screen Card

Today I have made a screen card and its the first time I have ever had a go at one of these but I think it looks quite cute. You could use whatever papers or stamps you have in your stash, but the Nitwit papers I have used do go really well with the grey of the ellies.

What you will need:
Little Claires digi stamp - elephants in squares
Spellbinders Borderbilities A2 Scalloped Borders One (Die)
die cutting machine
Nitwit papers - Pastel Dreams
copy paper
white card
good quality printer paper
Lilly of the Valley stamps - Sentiment Tags set 24
Tim Holtz Distress Inks - Weathered Wood, Faded Jeans, Tumbled Glass
water brush
Stickles - Waterfall
various flower punches
hole punches
dragonfly punch
white glitter paper
scrap papers from stash

Take a piece of card measuring 3" x 5" and secure die 1 centrally to the top edge of the card.
Run the card through the die cutting machine and trim the sides of the card.
Repeat this two more times.
Measure down the side edge of the card to 4 1/2" and cut along the bottom edge.

Take a piece of the blue stripe paper from the Nitwit pad and cut it down to 2 1/2" x 5". Secure die 2 centrally to the top of the paper and run it through the die cutting machine.
Trim the paper down so that it will mat and layer on to the card previously cut.
Darken the edges of the paper with Tim Holtz Tumbled Glass distress ink.
Repeat this process twice more.
Stick the papers on to the card.

Make horizontal bands with  bits of scrap papers from the Nitwit paper pad. Make each band different and stick two on each card section.

Take a piece of plain paper (I used copy paper) measuring 5" x 7 1/2" and place the centre panel card in the middle of the paper. Allow a small border on each side of the panel and mark with a pencil.
Make a fold along these marks and remember to fold the left side under the the middle section and the right side over the middle section.
Draw a faint pencil line across the bottom of the paper 4 1/2" down from the top of the paper.
Line up the bottom edge of the middle section of the card with the pencil line on the paper and stick it down centrally between the fold lines. Using the same method stick the right and left sides to the card allowing the a similar distance between the  fold line and the card as was allowed for the central panel. Trim off the excess paper.

Print the digi stamp onto good quality print paper (about 120gsm or more) so that it measures 2 7/8" from edge to edge.
Colour in three of the squares using the distress inks and a water brush and when dry cut them out allowing a border all around.
Stick the images to your card.

With the Tim Holtz Faded Jeans distress ink and the Sentiments Tags stamp out three tags.
Cut the tags down and apply the Faded Jeans ink to the edges.
Stick the sentiments onto the card.

With the flower punches, various scraps of paper from the Nitwit paper pad and your own stash  punch out the flowers.
Shape the flowers and assemble them. Use the hole punches to make centres for the flowers.
Stick the flowers onto the card.

Punch out the dragonflies from the white glitter paper and stick onto the card.
Using the Stickles Waterfall glitter the body of the dragonfly.


I made a simple panel for the back of the middle section of the card and I put my sentiment onto this and wrote out my greeting, then I stuck this in place as I didn't want to squash the lovely flowers by applying pressure when writing.