Birthday Bubbles Card

Over the Christmas period, I noticed on Instagram that there were several posts where people were sharing photos of bubbles they had made using various techniques.

I'm still under the weather and didn't want to do anything too technical, but decided to paint my own bubbles.

I drew round a couple of objects, drawing two sizes of circles, some overlapping others and also drawing some off the edge of the water colour card.

I used "Cosmic Shimmer Iridescent Shimmering Water Colour Paints" to colour my bubbles, using a white Posca Pen for highlights and a 2B pencil too.

I stamped the "Birthday" sentiment using a stamp from the Hobby Art "Greetings for friends - CS158D" stamp set, stamping in Versafine Clair "Medieval Blue" ink.

On the computer, I typed the word "Bubbles", printing it in a similar blue to the stamped sentiment.  I then die cut the sentiment and stuck it below the "Birthday" word.

Finally, I mounted the water colour card on to a piece of dark blue card and then on to a white 6x6" card blank.

Lavinia Stamps "Wallace" Birthday Card

I made this card for my nature loving friend.  I have already given her the birthday present, a hedgehog hibernation house for the garden, so I decided the card had to reflect that gift somehow.

For the large "Happy Birthday" sentiment, I have used a "Hobby Art Ltd" stamp set called "Greetings for Friends - CS158D", stamped in Wow! embossing ink and coated with a Wow! silver coloured embossing powder and heat set.

For the small corner image, I have used three Lavinia Stamps sets.  I stamped one of the hedgehogs from "The Wallace Family" stamp set in Versafine Clair "Morning Mist" grey ink.  

I then stamped the "Lavender" and the small lavender stamp from the Lavinia "Flower Pots" stamp set in two shades of Versafine Clair, using "Shady Lane" green ink for the stems and "Monarch" purple ink for the flower heads.

I grounded the hedgehog and flowers using "Weathered Wood" Distress Oxide Ink, applied with a paint brush. I then gave the hedgehog body some colour, using "Frayed Burlap" Distress Oxide Ink.  I painted on some grass too, using "Mowed Lawn" Distress Oxide Ink.  

Finally, I added some dots of pink and purple Posca Pen to give the impression of flowers in the grass.  Then mounted the card on to a piece of grey paper and then on to a white card blank.

Cardio Majestix "Last Orders" Birthday Card

I'm trying to get ahead of myself making cards for birthdays coming up in the next couple of months.

For this card, for a male friend, I started with using the Sweet Poppy "Circle Aperture Stencil" with "Shadow Grey" and "Forget-Me-Not" Ranger Archival Inks to create the coloured background circle.

Initially, I was thinking I would make a clock, using the bottles as the numbers, but decided against that idea.  I used a small bottle stamp from the Cardio-Majestix stamp set called "Last Orders" stamped in Versafine Clair "Green Oasis" ink.

Next, using Versafine Clair "Nocturne" black ink, I stamped the "Happy Birthday" words using the Hobby Art Stamp set called "Greetings For Friends - CS158D".

I mounted the card on to co-ordinating green card and then on to a card blank, finally adding a spotty background using a silver glitter Unibal Signo pen.

Stampers Anonymous "Crazy Dogs CMS271" Birthday Card

One of our favourite little people will be celebrating his fourth birthday next week.  This is the card I made for him. 

For the main image, I have used the Stampers Anonymous "Crazy Dogs CMS271" red rubber/cling set, stamped in Versafine Clair "Nocturne" black ink.

I have coloured the image using a mix of Distress Oxide Inks, applied with a paint brush and Van Goch Pastel Pencils.

The sentiment is part of the Hobby Art Ltd set called "Greetings for Friends CS158D".

The "4th" is par of a Docrafts Forever Friends stamp set.

50th Eclipse Birthday Card

Our friend celebrates her 50th birthday next week.  I suspect she isn't aware that I know it's a milestone birthday, so have made this eclipse style card for her.

I started by using a Lavinia Stamps "Laurel" stencil with "Bundled Sage" Distress Oxide Ink just in the central area, fading to the edge.

I then used number dies through my Sizzix Big Shot die cutter to cut the two numbers out of the middle.  I then mounted the piece of card on to a dark pink background.  With the die cut numbers still in position, I adhered the middle of the "zero" flat onto the coloured card stock and then removed the remainder of the number.

I used a Hobby Art Stamp set called "Greetings for friends", stamped in Versafine Clair "Purple Delight" ink.

Next I cut some double sided thin foam strips and stuck them where the numbers would be.  I then layered the die cut number on top.  This means that the actual numbers are slightly raised and from the side, you get a little hint of the colour below.  This is the bit which is called "eclipse".

 

Ring of Roses using Abstract Beauty stamp set by #FunkyFossil

This is one of my first Design Team makes for Funky Fossil Designs:https://www.funkyfossil.co.uk/


To celebrate being part of the Funky Fossil new Design Team, Sarah has generously provided a discount code that I can offer to you.   A 15% off coupon code to be used from now, till midnight on Monday 23rd September 2019.  Quote the code "FFSAM15" to claim the reduction.

As the Funky Fossil Designs "Abstract Beauty" stamp set was on my desk, I decided to create a totally different card using the roses.

I stamped the roses several times on to white card using Versafine Clair "Morning Mist" a shade of grey ink.  I coloured the roses and the leaves using a selection of Distress Oxide Inks applied with a paint brush.  I used Spun Sugar, Worn Lipstick and Picked Raspberry for the flowers.  Twisted Citron and Shabby Shutters were used for the leaves.

Using a blender and a Distress Oxide Ink called "Peacock Feathers" I coloured a white piece of card to create the background.

In the middle of the background, I used the central section of the "Leafy Mandala" stencil with white ink to create a little subtle pattern.

I cut out the roses and leaves and then adhered them on to the background in a circle shape.

Using an off-cut of the coloured background I stamped the sentiment (Hobby Arts Ltd - Greetings For Friends CS158D) using a black Versafine Clair Ink called "Nocturne" and then added it over the cetral area of the ring of roses.

Thinking of you card using a "Leafy Mandala Stencil" from #funkyfossil

This is one of my first Design Team makes for Funky Fossil Designs:https://www.funkyfossil.co.uk/


To celebrate being part of the Funky Fossil new Design Team, Sarah has generously provided a discount code that I can offer to you.   A 15% off coupon code to be used from now, till midnight on Monday 23rd September 2019.  Quote the code "FFSAM15" to claim the reduction.

For this card, I used a base of Kraft cardstock (kraft feels a little bit like a recycled product).  I used a Brilliance Ink called "Moonlight White" through the Funky Fossil Designs "Leafy Mandala Stencil" to create the background image.

In the bottom right hand corner, I stamped the sentiment, which is from a Hobby Art set called "Greetings For Friends - CS158D), stamped in Versafine "Olympia Green" shade of ink.

Using two shades of green card, I die cut the Creative Expressions foliage pieces and adhered into position.  I used some paper flowers I had in my stash, adhering them into position using a Docrafts Stick It Silicon Glue.

Finally, I added some sticky back pearl gems to various points of the mandala.

Male Birthday Card using the Funky Fossil Mini Cube Stencil

I often struggle making cards for males.  Considering they are half the population I don't know why it is so difficult, but I find it so, especially if you don't want to go the typical route of sport and beers.

I used a Distress Oxide Ink in a blue/green shade called "Peacock Feathers" through Funky Fossil Designs stencil called "Mini Cubes".  I did it first on a pale blue background card and then again on the front of a white 5"x5" card blank.

I stamped the birthday sentiment on the pale blue background, using Hobby Arts Ltd stamp set called "Greetings for a friend - SC158D" using Versafine Clair "Nocturne" ink, which is a lovely black ink to use.  I then cut the panel down and mounted it onto black card before adding it to the top of the patterned front of the card.

I always clean my stencils after each use.  I usually use an off-cut of card to rest the stencil on, but this time decided to open up the card and clean the stencil on the inside right hand side of the card.  

Using a wet wipe I gently wiped the ink away, in doing so the ink on the stencil fills the pattern gaps creating a toned down replica of the stencil pattern, so it nicely matches the front cover.

I used a Papertrey Ink stamp from their "Stylish Sentiments" set for the internal sentiment, again using Versafine Clair "Nocturne" ink.

Funky Fossil "Abstract Flowers" stencilled card

One of the things I love about using stencils is that before I put them away, I clean them with a wet wipe over a piece of card.  The colour wiped from the stencil fills the gaps in the stencil, which in turn gives a lovely subtle pattern.  This is how I achieved the coloured background of this card.

Cleaning the Funky Fossil "Abstract Flowers" stencil after using it for this card, provided a beautiful coral shade of flowers.

I outlined the coloured sections using a gold shimmer Sakura Jelly Roll Pen.

The "To A Special Friend" sentiment is from a Hobby Art Ltd called "Greetings From Friends - CS158D" which I stamped in Versafine Clair "Nocturne" ink.