Birthday time

I made this card this morning, it was a quick card to make and features washi tape which is something new that I bought and was looking forward to using.

As you can see, this card is customised for my brother-in-law. I have a new alphabet stamp set by Lawn Fawn that allows me to do this!

Materials:
Cardstock: Island Indigo, Basic Black, Brushed Silver, Whisper White.
 Ink: Tuxedo Black by Memento.
Stamps: Motorcycle by Stampin' Up, Jessie's ABC's by Lawn Fawn.
Other: Black and white checkered washi tape, sponge, dimensionals.

Tips and Tricks:
1. I put a little bit of glue tape down on the base card and stuck the silver panel to that. Then I put the washi tape around the edge to stick down the silver panel.
2. I sponged around the Whisper White layer to give it some interest.

Stuff Ups:
1. I should have cut the washi tape to make it thinner - it's just too overpowering.
2. Cutting the washi tape would also have allowed me to centre the motorcycle panel on the silver rather than have it sticking out over the top of the washi tape.
3. I really wanted to use my diamond plate embossing folder on the silver but it would have been too much.
4. The uneven edges on the washi tape was deliberate!

Pleasant Surprises:
I'm amazed that the letters of the sentiment all lined up - each letter is an individual stamp. Lawn Fawn stamps are brilliant at making stamping easy!

Motorcycle

I was checking out The Daily Marker today and Kathy recommended visiting Lily Pad Cards. I hopped across and loved it so I decided to enter their colour challenge. This is the first challenge I've entered so I'm excited! Here's the challenge link: Lily Pad Cards - Color Palette Challenge.

I made this card today and will be mailing it tomorrow to my brother-in-law for his birthday. Happy birthday Bob!

It's probably the first time I haven't included a sentiment on the front of a card. I just couldn't see where it would fit. This card is a Kate original, I haven't cased anything.
I also learnt (from Lily Pad Cards) the value of photographing my cards against a light, plain background rather than my dark, wooden hutch.

Materials:
Cardstock: Night of Navy, Cajun Craze, So Saffron.
Ink: Night of Navy, Cajun Craze, So Saffron, Versamark.
Stamps: Motorcycle, 'To a Classic'.
Other: striped grosgrain ribbon in Night of Navy, dimensionals, clear embossing powder, embossing buddy, heat tool, sponge, sticky strip.
Non Stampin' Up: corner rounder punch by Fiskars.

Tips and Tricks:
1. I used the emboss resist technique for the motorbike layer. I sponged over the clear embossed image with Cajun Craze and Night of Navy ink.
2. I used a sponge to ink around the cardstock layers with Night of Navy ink.
3. I used the speedometer stamp from 'To a Classic' as the background stamp on both the base card and So Saffron ribbon layer. The speedometer images on the So Saffron cardstock are clear embossed.
4. I pulled some threads from the ribbon to make it bunch up and stuck the bunched ribbon down on a piece of sticky strip. I secured the ends underneath the cardstock.

Stuff Ups:
1. It took me ages to get the ribbon layer the way I wanted it. I tried folding the ribbon in half lengthways and gluing it flat. I didn't like it. I tried bunching up the folded ribbon and gluing it down. I didn't like that either. Finally I tried the pulled thread method with a new piece of ribbon and was happy with that.
2. I had to fight the urge to bling up this card with brads and rhinestones. I thought it would be too much and didn't want it to look over the top. I hope I made the right decision there.

Father's Day 2 ways: Part 1

Yes, it's been a while! Had a card drought for the last month - no birthdays or anything. I have two for you today - one I made for my Dad and one I made for my father-in-law. I'll start with the one for my Dad.

You can just see a pic of me on the left behind the card - hello me!
I was cruising google images for inspiration and came across a card I adored and have cased it almost entirely I'm sorry to say. It features three Stampin' Up products that I received yesterday (To a Classic stamp set, Newsprint DSP and silver brushed metallic cardstock, oh and the motorcycle stamp that I haven't used yet) so I had to try it. The original card I loved was made by Ros Davidson.

Materials:
Cardstock: Basic Black, Brushed Silver, Very Vanilla, Newsprint DSP.
Ink: Stazon Black, Basic Black.
Stamps: Motorcycle, To a Classic, Teeny Tiny Sentiments.
Other: Sponge, dimensionals, big shot machine.
Non Stampin' Up: Diamond Plate embossing folder by Universal, Black and white checkered Japanese washi tape (inside the card), Stampamajig.

Tips and Tricks:
1. Using the brushed silver cardstock was a lot easier than using a coke can to achieve the metallic effect. Another idea is to wrap a piece of cardstock with tin foil and run that through the big shot machine. The cardstock should give the tin foil the power to hold the embossed image. Haven't tried it myself just yet, only read about it somewhere.
2. I used the stampamajig to stamp the sentiments. I find that the easiest way to stamp with small skinny stamps. I don't bother using the plastic sheet, just that little T-square device. It helps to avoid wobble marks and smudging you make especially if you are prone to it like I am.
3. I sponged around the main image with a watered down Basic Black ink solution. My Basic Black ink spot pad has dried out and I don't have a reinker so I just added a bit of water (and probably wrecked it now) and used that with a sponge.
4. Ways my card differs from the original:

• I am not talented enough to create a masked and stamped image so mine is a single stamped motorbike.
• My proportions and dimensions are different (and probably skewiff).
• I have a sentiment stamped on mine.
• I used a diamond plate embossing folder rather than the square lattice embossing folder.
• So yeah, not a whole heap different...

Stuff Ups: 
1. The Very Vanilla layer - I should have trimmed it down but I was too worried that I'd ruin it so I left it big.
2. Getting that Very Vanilla layer on straight. I must have peeled it off 3 or 4 times. Thank goodness the card didn't bend.
3. Forgot to take a photo of the insert inside. It looks really cool with the black and white checkered washi tape along the bottom - like a checkered flag at the races.