A Good Read

Before Covid-19 reared its ugly head, I was supposed to be hosting a charity card workshop.  I've decided to push on with the kits anyway, in the hope that one day the lockdown will be eased and the workshop can take place.  This was a sample I made for a bookmark card - a card featuring a bookmark as part of the design.  It seemed appropriate to use Sugarpea Designs Brainy Bookmark  Die set and co-ordinating Read Between the Lines Stamp Set.

The bookmark was too big for a standard A6 card front so I cut it down to a more manageable size.  I went through the many paper pads and card stocks I have until I settled on this combination.  The READ was layered up to make it pop and the "books" were stamped and embossed with WOW Primary Bark Embossing powder on red card stock and trimmed by hand.  

The bookmark looked a little plain until I decided to trim it with a little snippet of the patterned paper and I'm quite happy with the result.  I'm not crazy about the ribbon but I have some 3mm red satin on order.   I added a doily (purchased from the supermarket) to soften it a little.

Timeout Challenge #159 has the following challenge so I thought I'd join in.

Thanks for stopping by, especially if you take the time to leave a comment.  Your visit means the world to me - especially in these difficult times.  Stay safe,

Kate

Sweet Dreams

I've been seriously remiss in posting lately, but I couldn't let International Epilepsy Day pass by without making an effort to promote its awareness and Timeout has the following challenge to do just that

My youngest son has epilepsy.  He has a host of other problems too but epilepsy is definitely the one which has impacted our family the most.  It's under control for the most part, we went 6 years without incident until last December when he had some seizures over a 2-day period.  He's going through puberty so there are a lot of changes happening in his body and we're hoping that's all it is.  But realistically, we just don't know (and alarmingly neither do does his neurologist).  Also the cure can be almost as bad as the disease, he's so doped up from his 3 different medications that it's impossible to know whether his learning difficulties are part of his condition, his medication or damage done to his brain when his seizures weren't under control.

But he is one of the happiest, loveliest people I have had the pleasure to meet.   I am immensely proud of him!  His enthusiasm is infectious - one of his teachers described him as bringing joy to everyone around him. And we're lucky his seizures are mostly under control.  For some, the nightmare is constant.  There are links on the Timeout Post if you want to find out more about epilepsy and also a personal account of a battle with this invisible disease.

Now onto the card details.  I used some pretty patterned paper and purple card stock to create an easel card which (hopefully) resembles a dream catcher (WPlus9) hanging on a bedroom wall.  I used the same patterned paper to create a matching pillow case (WMS Stitched Rectangles were the best size I had in my die collection) on the inside which serves as the stopper for the easel card.  I used Crealies Stitched Rectangles for the front panel (and inside), because these are a better size for the standard post sizes we use in Europe (and Australia) - A6 cards and C6 envelopes.

Thanks for stopping by, especially if you take the time to leave a comment - your visit means the world to me.  Especially as we are practising social distancing here in the heart of Europe at this difficult time.

Kate

Flowers, Stripes and Lace

Strips of black laid on white card stock really contrasts beautifully with this pretty rose (Old Country Roses WMS).  

I was lucky enough to have  in my stash a strip of lace which matched the Tattered Rose DI perfectly.

I finished off with a very simple "Thinking of You" Sentiment,  making this card perfect for any occasion!

Twofer Lions

I wasn't sure I would make the deadline for Twofer Challenge #15, you know one of those days when NOTHING goes the way you expect!  What with underestimating the size of this old die cut, over-inking and smudging, but the final straw was when I mislaid my last pair of glasses.  One day you're tripping over them (I try to keep lots of spare pairs lying around) and then you're down to your last pair and then whoosh - they're gone too!  I decided to drive up to the local Action store and buy a few cheap pairs!  As I was driving the sun came out from behind a cloud and I emptied out the contents of my handbag onto the passenger seat to find my sunglasses - what should also fall out but a pair of glasses (my prescription ones too)!  I know I had looked there but those sneaky things gremlins must have put them in there when I had my back turned!

Anyway I finished the cards (sort of). Here's the first.  I had to replace his face after I smudged it badly (which is why it's a different colour, shhh don't tell anyone) and I'm not 100% happy with the speech bubble but at least it's finished.  I used snippets of suede card stock I've been hoarding on their manes.  

Here's the second.  I was happier with this one (I didn't smudge him and preferred the lighter blue background).  The sign was a bit of a challenge - the die I wanted to use was way too big!  So I ended up doing some selective die cutting.   

Doesn't he just look like butter wouldn't melt in his mouth?   Don't be fooled!  Did you notice how he scratched out the "DO NOT" on that sign?  I haven't finished the inside of this card yet, but it will be something similar to this one I made a few years ago. 

 Previously I used an oval die for the mouth and a grass die for the teeth, but I have a much bigger selection of dies these days so we'll see!  Last time I made this card everyone had a good chuckle (well those who understood English anyway).  I hope it will go down well at an Art and craft festival at which I'm exhibiting next month. 

I'm also entering my cards in the following challenges

CASology Week 340 - cue card is Africa
Happy Little Stampers Anything Goes with Dies April Challenge
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by, especially if you take the time to leave some feedback.  I can't tell you how much I enjoy reading your lovely words!

Kate

Spin the Bottle

I recently saw on Pinterest where someone had made a Heineken bottle using the MFT Soda Bottles die set and I thought I'd try making some cards with some Luxembourgish beer labels.  I also thought it would be fun to make the bottle spin.  The Kraft card stock I used was quite thin so it took 6 stacked die cuts to get this right.  The bottom die cut had a small hole for the brad prongs to go through.  I used a small punch to make holes in the next three layers large enough to clear the brad head so that the top layer sat atop the brad head and used some Gathered Twigs Distress Ink to add some depth to the finished bottle.  I cut my computer generated label with the appropriate labels die from the Soda Bottles set and coated it with Glossy Accents.  I then mounted my beer bottle brad on a checked "tablecloth" cut with Crealies Stitched Squares and Scalloped Squares.

Using the MFT Bottlecaps Die set, I cut some corked bottle caps and spelt out PROST using the MFT Bottlecap Letters set.  The brick wall was embossed using an embossing folder I picked up at Action.

Closeup of cork bottle, bottle caps and brick wall

There are a couple of challenges I'm entering my card in

Cardz4Guys Challenge 217 - Fun and Games

Inkspirational Challenge  184 - Pop It Up

Happy Little Stampers April Anything Goes with Dies

and Pixie's Snippets Playground Challenge #350

Thanks for stopping by, especially if you take the time to leave some feedback.  Your kind words will make my day!

Kate 

Purple Smile

I made up some card fronts in gold and cream a few weeks ago and I thought I'd use one to make up another card featuring this lovely Impression Obsession Smile sentiment.  I used a different flower from the WMS Simple Sprig set and the colour purple this time.  Unfortunately my punching was not spot on and several of the flowers were punched off centre, so I decided to add some large purple gems to the centres to hide my mistakes - which worked out well because the current challenge at Time Out is to use at 2 or more embellishments. 

I'm also entering the current Allsorts challenge - Sentiment in Focus;

Pixies Snippets Challenge #349

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge : No Designer Paper;

 the Paper Players Challenge ;

Always for Fun Challenge 105 to use Flowers;

Addicted to Stamps Challenge #336 Anything Goes

Happy Little Stampers April Anything Goes with Dies Challenge;

Thanks for stopping by, especially if you take the time to leave a comment.  Your kind words will make my day!!!

Kate