Long weekend = chance for card making

It's a long weekend here in Western Australia (Labour Day) so I have some time to catch up on my card making and even try to get ahead a little bit. I have three cards to make for March birthdays so I did them today. Here's the first, I made two of these:

I was inspired to make this based on this card by Mary Fish from Stampin' Pretty.

Materials:
Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Not Quite Navy, Cajun Craze, Sixth Avenue - Broadway (American Crafts DSP).
Ink: Bashful Blue, So Saffron, Cajun Craze, Pear Pizzazz, Not Quite Navy.
Stamps: Best Dad Ever.
Tools:  Dimensionals, Eyelet border punch (Fiskars), Scoring board (Martha Stewart).

Tips and Tricks:
1. The ties were fussy cut and put up on dimensionals.
2. I did score the top third of the card like Mary's but the camera didn't pick it up.

Stuff Ups:
1. I kept messing up the score lines when trying to score the top third of the card. It took me 4 attempts to get it right - I kept slipping.
2. My cutting with the paper trimmer needed work today - it just doesn't seem to cut straight, always off on a slight angle. Maybe it's time for an upgrade.

Pleasant Surprises:
1. The colours in the paper and ties almost match perfectly.

A twist on an old favourite

I've made another male birthday card and again this is a twist on my favourite design. I've created several male cards with the patterned paper you see on this card. All are slightly different from each other but have the same basic design.

Here's the recipe -

Materials:
Cardstock: Chocolate Chip, Whisper White, Printed acetate by My Memories, Rough and Tough: Awesome by Kaiser.
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Old Olive, Pear Pizzazz, Bashful Blue, Stazon Black.
Stamps: Trendy Trees by Stampin' Up, Sophie's Sentiments by Lawn Fawn, Roughin' It by Bo Bunny.
Other: Honeydew bakers twine by The Twinery, Martha Stewart circle cutter, sponge, mini glue dots, Fiskars corner punch, stamp-a-ma-jig.

Tips and Tricks:
1. After cutting the circle, I used the scrap card with the circle hole in it as a mask to sponge the grass under the trees. I used a Pear Pizzazz marker to add texture to the grass. I trimmed off the bottom of the circle so it hides nicely behind the twine.
2. I sponged around the circle with Bashful Blue ink to show some sky. I sponged heavier at the top than the sides.
3. Getting a clear, precise image on the acetate took a few tries but luckily I remembered a trick. If you make a mistake on acetate with Stazon, just use Stazon cleaner to wipe off the ink and try again. It worked and didn't damage my acetate.
4. The acetate is secured with mini glue dots.
5. I used a stamp-a-ma-jig for the trees and got their placement right the first time. I stamped the leaves first rather than the trunks as the leaves are the bulkiest part of the tree, therefore they need the correct spacing.

Stuff Ups:
1. Stamping on the acetate took me about 8 tries to get right.
2. I still haven't mastered that circle cutter so the circle is a bit rough around the edge.
3. The Bo Bunny stamps just don't hold Stampin' Up ink nicely. It tends to pool on the surface. Lawn Fawn stamps do hold the ink nicely.

Pleasant Surprises:
1. I like the way the acetate looks on the card, particularly because it is patterned so in some parts you can see through it to the patterned paper underneath and in other parts you can't because it's opaque.

2. The honeydew bakers twine matched the patterned paper perfectly. You may not be able to see the pale green in the paper but it's an awesome, coincidental match.

Our Anniversary

This is hot off the press! It's the anniversary card I have made for my husband. Tomorrow is our second anniversary! Yay us! I'm super proud of this card. No casing, an all Kate design! I used a lot of different stamp sets too.

As usual, the photo doesn't do justice to the card. I used the Colour Coach to get my colour selection - Pear Pizazz, Cajun Craze and More Mustard. I added Very Vanilla because it needed something else.

My gorgeous husband loved the card. The first thing he said was, "Ooh, I like the colours!" Well done Colour Coach! Jason gave me a stunning jewellery box for our anniversary! I have been wanting one for so long, it's just perfect!

Materials:
Cardstock: Pear Pizazz (in colour), Cajun Craze, More Mustard, Very Vanilla.
Inks: Pear Pizazz, Cajun Craze, More Mustard, Versamark.
Stamps: Itty Bitty Bits (hearts on the tags), So Happy For You (background heart on pear pizazz), Teeny Tiny Sentiments, A Happy Heart (retired - big hearts).
Other: Big shot machine, Top Note die, Lattice embossing folder, Hemp twine, Itty Bitty buttons, mini glue dots, stick on pearls, modern label punch, dimensionals, paper piercing tool and mat pack, sponge.
Non Stampin Up!: Fiskars tag punch.

Tips and Tricks:
1. As in my last card post, I ran the Cajun Craze and More Mustard cardstock through the big shot machine together with the top note die. I trimmed the more mustard along the perforation to get that nice border of Cajun Craze. Next I used snail adhesive to stick them together before putting it through the big shot again in the lattice embossing folder.
2. You can't really tell but I put a round Itty Bitty button on each Cajun Craze heart on the tags and a tiny pearl in the centre of each More Mustard heart on the tags to tie in with the pearls on the sentiment. I want to buy the tiny tag punch from Stampin Up! because I find this Fiskars tag punch to be too big. Also the tiny tag punch punches a hole in the top of the tag and the Fiskars doesn't. I had to use my paper piercer which looked messy. I should have used my eyelet tools but forgot I had them till after I finished.
3. The 'Happy Anniversary' sentiment is stamped in Pear Pizazz ink but you can't tell in the photo. I also sponged around the label in Pear Pizazz ink.
4. The Top note die cut is popped up on dimensionals to compensate for the bulkiness of the twine. The sentiment is also on dimensionals.

Stuff Ups:
1. I pulled the twine too tightly when tying it and it cut into the cardstock a little.
2. On the insert that I wrote on inside the card, I accidentally wrote on it portrait-ways (standing vertically) when the card is made in landscape (stands horizontally). I hope I explained that correctly! I didn't want to rewrite it because it came from the heart and I didn't think hubby would care much less notice!
3. Overall the tags are very clumsy. I also forgot to sponge around them with pear Pizazz ink. I would have liked the tags smaller and more precise in their creation but you gotta work with what you've got.

A new colour scheme

I've made two similar cards this week using a colour scheme I would not normally choose. I had some gorgeous Sunny Garden DSP that was screaming to be used. Also my Stampin' Up order came in so I had new toys to play with. These cards, while probably similar to other cards out there, were again from my own mind. I'm glad these worked out because one I attempted earlier in the week just doesn't do it for me.

The 'Thank You' card I made for my Mum and Dad. The 'Congratulations' card I made for my nephew's housewarming.

Materials:
Cardstock: Daffodil Delight, Poppy Parade, Peach Parfait, Pear Pizzazz, Sunny Garden DSP.
Inks: Poppy Parade inkpad.
Stamps: Curly Cute, Punch Potpourri.
Other: Bird punch, Top Note die, Big Shot machine, Daffodil Delight grosgrain ribbon, Modern word label punch, stick on pearls, 2 way glue pen, mini glue dots.
Non Stampin' Up: Polka dot embossing folder by Cuttlebug, Prima Flowers.

Tips and Tricks:
1. I cut out the Poppy Parade and Peach Parfait top notes at the same time, then trimmed the Peach one along the perforation line. I glued them together with SNAIL (glue tape) and then put it in the polka dot embossing folder and ran it through the big shot.
2. I used a 2 way glue pen to glue the leafy branch to the card.
3. On the 'congratulations' card, I cut an extra piece of ribbon and threaded it around the base ribbon. I find that easier than trying to tie it all at once.

Stuff Ups:
The only one (omg, only one!) is that the 'congratulations' sentiment is glued on crooked. I was so annoyed that I didn't spot it until after the glue had set.