Quick, clean and simple (CAS) card

This is such a quick and simple card that took 5 minutes to make.

I cut a piece of patterned paper (from my much-loved but barely used stash) to a size slightly smaller than my folded card.

I then punched out the label shape from one corner, and used a paper piercer and template to pierce around the recess.

I used this frame to stamp the sentiment  through onto the card itself.

I mounted the card on foam pads to give a slight raise, and then stamped and punched the teensy butterfly to stick to the corner. A few bits of sparkle, and job done.

 A really quick and easy go-to design for last minute "I forgot it was *insert name here*'s birthday/anniversary/job interview" card - just change the sentiment, and off you go!

I used:

(Check out next week for a punch review Martha Steward vs Stampin' Up.)

Are you a "Clean and Simple" card maker, or do you like a bit of frills and fancy? Or, if you haven't made your own cards before, what would encourage you? Do tell!

12 days part 'a'

Do you remember that other class I'd signed up for this November? This one here? Well, it's started, and wow, there is an incredible amount of ideas and it's only been running four days. Only 2 official class days, but we got another bundle of tips, tricks and tutorials to keep us going this weekend. One of them was for a rather cute christmas banner type thing, but once I saw the flag images, I just had to do this:


(let me tell you, I'm so envious of Kirsty's colour sense. It's awesome. Just look at those colour combos!)

It's the flags all printed out together, resized to fit an A6 card and frosted stickles traced over the lettering. I really like it. I also did a large square one here:


but I don't like it as much. Might sneak the sewing machine out at some stage and stitch a grid inbetween all of the tiles. Any other ideas gratefully received!

A secret mission from the no-stress scrapper

So, there I was, browsing my email the other day when I got a request from Shimelle Laine. She was wanting to host an inspiration party on her blog this weekend, and was looking for some contributions. I was very honoured to be asked to contribute, and I was sent an assignment forthwith. Be warned if you've come here from Shimelle.com: my photos are in no way as arty and beautiful as all the other party-ers, though I am working on it :)

I tried printing out the cupcakes and one of the quotes on shrink plastic, but the only stuff I had was clear - the ink on the cupcakes was taking AGES to dry, and I'm really not that patient!

Shrinking them resulted in a bit of a messy mini-cupcake fob, which, though still useable (only just - see keyring) was not what I wanted. So I traced the original cupcake onto the plastic, dabbed white opaque StazOn over the back, and then coloured the front in with my alcohol markers.



These shrunk really nicely, so I threaded them onto a ball-chain and used this to hold my second project together. This project (a minibook) involved lots of copies of a journaling tag printed out onto cream card: I then cut then out and punched a hole in the top left corner. Easy peasy. I'm going to pick out a selection of my favourite indulgent recipes, and write them in the minibook, probably with a photo on the left-hand page.


The cover of the minibook has a cut-out chocolate cupcake stuck on it and a shrink-plastic "indulge" title, also found on the printables sheet.


So, onto the card. Cupcakes, and lots of them, deserve to be presented nicely, and so I cut a cake stand out of some white card, keeping it simple, drew a brown rim on the plates, chose some co-ordinating paper, glued it all down, added the "indulge" title and voila! One tasty-looking card.


Then finally to the easiest project of the lot. This photo:


I enlarged the printables file (opened in Adobe Photoshop Elements, not in Adobe Acrobat), and copied the cupcake quote that I wanted. This was then placed on a new layer of the photo, printed out to A4 and framed. Job's a good 'un!

It's been so useful to have this challenge, it's given me loads of ideas for future projects, but alas, there was only so much time to spend crafting this week. Mind you, I think that 4 projects in about 6 hours is pretty good. So, cruise on by Shimelle's blog this weekend, take a look at all the other blogs that she's linking to. Who knows what you might find? And if you can't make that, maybe I'll see you in the classroom for Go To Press!

Yet more cards

Just another two today - my card calendar is so busy this time of year. I think I'm going to have to make a stock of them in advance. Yeah, right. Who am I kidding? That would require forward planning. Pah.

Anyhow. I'm still using the same kit I won from SI/Creative Expressions, in fact, the same piece of paper. Who knew how many cards you could get from a 12x12 piece! I'd never used patterned paper on cards before I started scrapbooking, and it's really opened my eyes. There are only so many things you can do with blank cardstock!

The lettering is more done with the pound stamps. Also, rub-ons are now my "thing". They're great, and I want more. But then there's no surprise. Since I stopped buying paper, I've been accumulating more stash for embellishment. Now I really need that house extension for my craft room...

P.S. Still one more space left on my PIF post - take a look down the page :)

Card city!

Well, four anyway. Which is more than I've made in quite a while.
Luckily I made them yesterday before my mojo once again left me. 2 birthday cards, 1 V day (of course!) and a very early Mothers' Day card. The more observational of you may notice that I have clearly succumbed to the call of the Cuttlebug. I relented and spent the last of my Christmas money on it. And I love it! Of course, I had to get a couple of Nestability scallop dies to go with, but all in all, I am very happy.

It's the first time I've made cards since redoing my appalling effort at Christmas cards. I'm not over the moon about all four, but they have their bits of appeal.
I do love the lettering stamps (in the "always") - they were part of my Best of British Scrapbooking prize from Creative Expressions, as were the stems, the patterned paper and the pink ribbon. I thought I'd actually better make something with the stuff, rather than storing it neatly away under the bed or on the shelves.

The photo is one I've been waiting to take for a while. We have a fab Royal Mail pillar box over the road, and I've been waiting to get some decent snow to take this shot. The postie didn't make the pick-up that day :)