Apple

Hi all

As I sit at my desk writing to you, my sash window is open and I can see a beautiful blue sky, and hear the birds tweeting who are obviously enjoying a little spring weather. I am not entirely sure that it is here to stay as yesterdays weather was awful, but for today, the world is dressed up to the nines and looking great.

Over the next few weeks I will be sharing with you some more of my boxed envelope cards, a stylish black and white number and a lovely egg shell blue wedding card.  I also will be writing a note about greetings cards, a little history, nostalgia and hope, all rolled into one.  But for today, a project that is immersed in the modern world for sure!

I tunes, by Apple , is such a distinctive bit of branding, that one single blocked image of a piece of fruit tells you who made it and what status it affords you!  Their gift cards use bright colours that seem to compliment each other and jar all at the same time, making for some really interesting colour schemes.

This week was a friends birthday, and I wanted to get her an i tunes gift card for her to spend on apps- but I wanted it presented as a gift, not just the plastic card- so I made a birthday greeting card wrapper .... Here's how it turned out .......

The patterned paper from October Afternoon is just brilliant, and the fact the design is made up of bright little apples, it was just perfect  for this i-tunes gift!  I made a 4.5x4.5 inch pocket, with an insert measuring approximately 4x4 inches, and decorated with ribbon and a little stamping.  The design composition and actual construction took a little time, but the actual decoration of the card was very straight forward and simple.  

I was really happy with this design, and I am thinking of adding more like this to the gift section of the website ..... making gifts out of glue and paper is so rewarding, and making a pressie that is so bright and bold as this, just lifts the mood!!

Have you made a card or gift, or scrap book layout that just pops with colour and says 'spring'?? I'd love to see ..... feel free to add links to your websites and blogs in the comment section.

So for now, goodbye, until our next catch up next week

X

Papertrey Ink challenge, full steam ahead

So ....  working on custom projects has taken me into some creative territory that tests my abilities and my faith in what I can achieve!  The Papertrey Ink challenge has asked for projects with a giant focal point, and this project does just that.  It is a card that measures 7.5x7.5 inches, and has giant flowers as its focal point.  It was designed for a Baptism, and so the inside has pockets for keepsakes, and little note lets to remember the day by.

The paper with the flowers printed on is just beautiful!  Its {My Minds Eye} Lush Pink Daisy Paper The flowers are flocked, and so jump off the paper, and it is slightly off white, giving a hint of vintage.  All this detail in the paper, meant that I didn't need to do so much to finish off the card, and just embellished with ribbon and a message.

Thanks for looking.  To order a custom card like this, please visit the website here

Shelly X

My Cherry Amore ....

I decided this week to participate in a blog challenge, and having been exposed to Papertrey Ink by Dawn McVey I thought that this would be a good place to start!  My day began with finishing up a special order for a production of Sweeney Todd in Denmark- this was a huge task in finding elements that were British but without the 1960's feel!!  I managed it by stamping the houses of Parliament with an acrylic stamp from Kaycee crafts, who offer a wide selection of unusual designs.  I stamped with Versa Magic multi-surface chalk ink (my favourite type of ink) in black GD-91.  This was stamped on red card stock, and finished with black satin ribbon, and designer paper, with diamante's stuck on the paper to highlight the swirl.  I like that this gives the effect of clouds behind the London skyline.  Printed straight onto the card from the printer was the phrase 'held og lykke' meaning Good Luck in Danish.  A tricky little order that worked well in the end.

Once that was completed, I began the task of designing for the Papertrey Ink challenge.  The challenge was to creatively use buttons ..... So i made a Valentines card for my husband using buttons as cherries....

The card uses a bright red card blank measuring 5x5 inches, and mounted on the front is a plain white card, detailed with 'Cherry Hill (Egg basket)' paper from October Afternoon, and red organza ribbon.  The cherries are made from recycled buttons, and use the sizzix sizzlit die.  I LOVE this card so much, considering that it was using up left over papers, and uses pinks and reds for a mans card, I couldn't happier.  I saw the cherries used in this way on Dawn Mcvey's blog and thought it was great, so i reused the idea here.

This year for Valentines I wanted to write a letter instead of a card, but I couldn't resist making a card! So inside the card I put a smaller envelope measuring 4x4inches.  Decorated with a scalloped seal and heart, and more red organza ribbon.

This could contain the letter and still be displayed on the mantelpiece.  

I hope that you liked my creations, and thanks for reading. Sometime soon I will be starting blog challenges, so watch this space.  I will be backBut before then, I will be back on Monday for my regular blog.

Have a nice weekend one and all

Shelly X

February madness

So, Valentines season has arrived, and with it a touch of madness.  I have been non stop busy the last week or so working on some really beautiful commissions, using some gorgeous colours.  It was so great to be so creative, and know that the projects will make special occasions extra special.  However, as the events are yet to happen, I will be sharing them with you at a later date.

What I am here to share with you is a gents card that I made, which I am really proud of.  I have a great deal of trouble making masculine cards, and although I have made some which work, I have made more which don't!!  

The birthday of my uncle Bob coincided with the Papertrey Ink competition :A challenge was set by the lovely people of Papertrey to download some of their tags designed by their design team, and make a card using them- so i made my uncles card with the lovely tags they gave us.

Here is the finished project ...

Flowers, which are a traditional female embellishment, has been used here as a background for plain blue and mustard embellishments.  The polka dot embossing folder gives an impression of pressed metal, and I used diamantes on the birthday tag to look like nails.  I stamped 'bob' onto mustard card stock and it just personalised the card enough, whilst still being all about his birthday.  I combined curved corners with blunt edges to create an interesting layout, and I set it all on a plain white card blank to make a canvas.

Challenges like that set by Papertrey Ink are a great way to keep designs fresh- to make you work with elements or colours that you find challenging, but that is in the nature of a challenge, and it is so rewarding when you make something that you didn't think you could.

This is a simple card using simple elements, but I think its all come together to make an uplifting card to say happy birthday.

Hope you have all had a great weekend, and have a good week.  See you next Monday.

Shelly X

morning crafters ...

I am up working on my blog earlier than normal today, as I am venturing into Canterbury this afternoon to meet a very special friend.  Sally is one of Evelyn Mae's biggest supporters, and with her interesting orders, she keeps me on my creative toes!  She, like me, has a love of tea and cheesecake, and whenever we can, we catch up, with said items making an appearance!

Last year she and I spent a happy day walking through Greenwich and Covent Garden, mulling over ideas on how to take card designing forward, this was before the company name was decided and before I had married, moved house and found room for a crafting studio! 

Needless to say, Sally is definitely one of my favourites!!

So, that brings me to work earlier than normal today, to share with you a project that I have been working on.  The project is for my brother Chris, and his wife Emma.  It was my 30th birthday this week, and my husband was 33 the week before that, and the next time we go to visit my brother, he is hosting a party for us.  It gives us a chance to see all the family together, and also to catch up with some friends who we don't get to see nearly enough.  So as a thank you, I made some Raseberry vodka, and packaged it in a tiny bottle, and matched the bottle wrapping with a little note let and a gift bag.

 I love the purple and the green mixture in this gift set - green and purple have been a theme for January for me.  The purple paper is 'forget me not' from Core Colour Collections and the green is 'Pear' Bazzill card stock.  The scallops are created from a 1.5 inch scalloped punch from The woodware craft collection. The stamps I used are from Fiskars 'Wishes all round' and a lovely flower stamp by Rhonna Farrer.

The ribbon is a bright apple green, and the mini card is embellished with a flower brad, and the bag uses mini diamantes.  To create the bag I used a flat glassine bag that I had sent over from the States, and stuck two rectangle pieces of card stock on either side to create the bag shape.  When put all together, I think it creates a really sweet package, and one that has a lot of care and attention put into it.

I would love to see what you have been creating this week- why not comment and leave a link to your website or blog, so we can all see.

Well, time to get ready for Canterbury and a lot of catching up, so I will say goodbye for this monday, and see you in a weeks time.

All the best X

 

A good morning ....

Good morning to you all, and welcome to a wet and rainy day in Margate.  With the blind pulled right down and the lamp on, it could be 2.38am, not 2.38pm, but there you have it, the normally sunny Thanet coast is taking a battering from the rain.

On the upside, it has left lots of time indoors to make mint hot chocolate and craft away.  This week I have mostly been working towards starting the 2011 Birthday card collections, and I am pleased with the results Both col.  The cupcake cards are simple and cute, with the colour coming from the ribbon, and the key lime pie collection gets lots of bright colours to bring us a step closer to spring.  Both collections have been designed with affordability in mind, and have a totally different feel to each set.  You can find the collections ready to order on the website here.  

The 'Simply cupcakes' collection was made using white card stock with matching envelopes, white textured card, black line pen to draw faux stitching, cupcake stamps and sentiments from Inkadinkado 'birthday cupcake' stamp set, Versa Magic chalk ink in midnight black, and jumbo java, and polka dot grosgrain ribbons.

The 'Key lime pie' collection uses papers from the Dovecraft designer paper pack- Wild Blossom, and uses satin ribbon, diamante embellishments and birthday wishes printed on white card stock.

If you would like to place an order, you can do so here

Have a good week everyone, and I will see you again on Monday,

Love Shelly X

Happy new year!

Happy new year!

2011 has arrived, and already the year has begun at one hundred miles an hour.  Christmas saw me enjoying time with family, and tucked up with the flu in equal measure!  January has brought with it a new attitude to diet and exercise (I am adamant that this will continue .... but it is only January the 10th, so i will reserve a formal statement on that!), rain and a bitter cold wind, and a more structured attitude to work.  

Long may it continue!!

This week I have been working on a custom wedding card for a customer who has a passion for nature, she loves natural fibres, buttons and brown paper, and I wanted to reflect this in the card I made for her .....

 

The card uses a card blank of white card stock measuring 5x5 inches, East of India ribbon, Sizzix ornate label #3 die and quickutz love bird die.   I finished it off with blue wording- 'With Love on your wedding day' and faux stitching.  Its a bit of a theme with my latest work!

Also this week I have begun work on the cupcake heaven range, which will be available to order from my website in the near future.  

 

 

 

The sweet birthday wishes card uses October Afternoon's egg basket paper, and stamps that have been embellished with half ivory beads, glitter and green pen, and inch thick white organza ribbon.  I LOVE this card!  

 

Another possible card for the line is this cute and simple trio of stamped cupcakes, with red gingham ribbon and again, faux stitching, with the wording 'Have a break, have a cupcake'.

Cupcakes are some of my favourite things!  And I'm enjoying working with the designs, and finding a style for the range.  I'd be interested to hear your feedback on the designs you like best!

Thanks for stopping by, have a lovely week. 

Until next time

Bye X