Birthdays galore

Well first and foremost, although I am going into hospital in 4 days, I figured that I need to make a start on my ideas for easter!!!!! (I know, christmas has only just been)I found a template on Amys blog, and although they are nowhere near as ornate as her's, I had very limited creativity that day, so came up with the bumble bee theme and the purple and yellow (I love the combination of those two colours). I will work on the design more at a later date, and maria has also suggested using the scallop nestabilities oval shape to gice the egg basket more detail. I will post more when I have done them.





For the next one, I have my friend Kelly's birthday on March the 12th and designed the card and gift box for her. I got inspiration from the colours that she is going to be decorating her front room in (she has just bought the house and is renovating it at present) Red, gold and cream, and although this started life as a square in the top left corner with a band of gold and ribbon accross the bottom, when I layered it up, I decided that it looked better this way, without the ribbon. I have used peel offs for the black flowers on the gold layer, as the card does not take stamped images very well even with staz-on ink!!!!!















This next one is for fun. I love this dotty background that I have used here, in the aubergine colour. I stamped two images of the flower from the SU set "Happy Harmony" using the stamp a second time without re inking, to get the paler image. I also used the phrase out of the same SU set on white card and placed at the bottom right hand corner with a white ribbon across the bottom using a "stay put bow"















I also love using the "simply said" set from SU. On the card below I stamped the flower bunch from the set, twice, the scond time re-inking before stamping and slightly offsetting this, so that it looks like one long row of flowers, and then stamped the ssying "simply said from the heart....... thank you" on the top of the same peice of card, layering this on a thin border of red, a large border of embossed cream and another layer of red. I was very impressed with the outcome of this card. Very simple and yet lovely with it.















The next card, was a blast of inspiration from a card that I saw on the docrafts website. It is actually totally different from the one i saw, but the flowers making a border, is pretty much the same. I used the Su set "Happy Harmony" again for the saying and layed this on white and red card, on the red panel in the centre of the card, with red and white flowers, that were cut out from some patterned paper I had, and placed and different intervals along the border. I used silicon to stick these, to give vaying degrees of depth (although this is not very evident ont he photo) I have done this card for my friend, Marianne's birthday as she is, at the moment, the happiest she has been in her life.














And the last card I did was for my sister in law, Kelly's, birthday. She loves purple and I thought that this would be perfect. Again I used the "Happy Harmony" stamp set (can't you see I really like this set) and also used a tag stamp from another set that is not SU (Dream Big). I used some card that Maria had given me (Not sure how she has got the desired effect of mottles on this, I will have to ask) with an embossed layer on top to show off the saying (again layered on the purple mottled card) and a blue flower from the SU set (using a corner punch to round the edges on each layer). I then used a stay put bow for the top of the card and attached the dream big tag to this. I loved the layout of the card when I started but once it was all together, I was a little unsure of the result. I made the box to match but used an extra layer of purple ribbon across the top and bottom as it looked a little untidy.

Thanks for reading and I will post more before I go for the dreaded op!!!!!

Vikki x x x x x

Garden Whimsey Class last evening

Well sorry I've not posted for a few days, had a lot on with my Pre-op assesment for my op, and what have you, however, thursday night I got a creativity rush again, in time I think for the garden Whimsy class I went to at Maria's last evening. I was extremely excited about making this, as I love the set. We made a card wallet with 4 cards on the inside, protected by cellophane - it will make a wonderful gift!

I chose to stamp the outside and the outside of the wallet with a snail random print and then the tops of the card holders in the two little bugs in red, on blue cardstock, layered onto the yellow.

The 4 cards that go into the cellophane are shown below.

Although the wallets were the same for each of the class members made totally different cards, using different stamps for each. I was very, very pleased with the outcome, and learnt some valuable things whilst carding with them. Maria is an excellent teacher, and is very talented, as you can see from her blog. I feel extremely honoured to be attending classes at hers, even though orders are thin on the ground for me, with me being off work at the moment. I have only ever been a sole crafter and therefore am picking up loads of hints and tips from the classes.

The next three cards (and one small origami box) were made on Thursday night, after I had been for my pre-op - needed to escape from reality for a while, and carding is the perfect answer for that.

I treated myself to a corner punch, and as you can see, I have been making use of it.

Well, we have my step children staying over today, and we are going to be making some cards for their dads birthday on Tuesday (needless to say I haven't made one yet and it's Saturday!!!!) I will probably also make mine later on today, when the little ones are all in bed!

So bye for the moment and I will post the creations for Phil's birthday later.

Bye x x x x

Another creativity rush!!!

Well beleive it or not I have spent the last Three nights carding, no break!!!! I blame all this on Maria. My mind seems to be buzzing with ideas (I think it is currently my escape so I don't have to think about my operation)

Anyway here's the first of my creations:

Very simple easy design that I have done, using an embossed card at the bottom and plain card at the top.

The next one is a little bit more detailed (not much):

I saw the 'magnifying glass' type idea on a blog and love it - so here I adapted it to fit my card idea.

The third one is very very simple and very very easy - I really liked the patterned paper on this - and it is so far from what I normally use, I couldn't quite belive i had done it. However my husband did quite happily point out that at the moment every card I have done has Pink in it somewhere - maybe I'm going through a PINK stage, not sure really. But I do quite like pink and purple in a funny sort of way anyhow.

The stamp in the bottom right hand corner says "a friend is someone who makes things easy", and the saying is so true.

So this brings me to my last card for today, a card, which in fact has no pink in it whatsoever. It is my step-sons birthday on the day I go into hospital, so I have done this card for him, to make a little special. I am also going to make him a gift box of some description, to go with it but that will be in the not so distant future.

Creativity rush!!!!

Well following my card class with Maria, I have had a mad rush of creativity, and last night managed to make 3 cards and a little gift type box (that I have found the design on In Love with Stamping - and I loved it!). I couldn't beleive it - mind you I do find it very therapeutic as I have been in an awful lot of pain this week, and it helps me relax and forget about it for a while!!!


Well here we go, the first one I made was to match my Heart Box,

I was quite impressed with this, I think it has turned out really well.


This next one was just so different to what I have done previously - I was quite impressed with the outcome of this too, I have just left this as a "happiness always" card so it can be used for many occassions.

I then did the matching card for my "dreams come a size too big so we can grow into them" box.

I used a buckle on the card, but didn't on the box, thought I would give it it's own identity.

It is also my sister in laws birthday at the beginning of March, so I have done a card for her.

And last but not least - this is my little box. I am sooooooooo impressed with this idea, these will go down well with little chocolates in I think, although it is certainly not just limited to chocolates.

Well thats in for this post, but the way my creative fire is burning - no doubt there will be a load more done tonight. Till the next time x x x x

I got some news yesterday

Well, I finally got the call, last night, at 7.40pm, confirming that i am being admitted to hospital on the 3rd March 2009 (my stepsons birthday) so I can have the operation on my back on the 4th March 2009.
I know that this is the news I was waitin for, BUT it all seems a little bit too real now. I was going to make some matching cards and tags tonight for my boxes from yesterday, but not felt very creative.
I think anxiety has kicked in now. I need to channel it in some better way I think.
Anyway news is news and the operation will go ahead, no matter how much I worry.
Hopefully I will have some more pics on tomorrow of my cards and tags that I am going to make tomorrow evening after my little man has gone to bed!!!
Till then
Bye x x x x

My First SU Carding Class

Well I have attended my first Stampin Up carding class/workshop today at my good friend Maria's and it has really sparked my creativity (even though we had to battle through half a foot of snow to get there).

I loved every minute of it, and was so excited. We made three little projects, a box (that I absolutely adore), a card, and a tag, all matching using the Live your Dream set and the gorgeous SU cardstock and patterned paper.

Here's the picture.

I am aware that these pictures aren't the best, and certainly do not show the quality of these projects but unfortunately these are the best I can get at the moment.

Anyway, It has certainly sparked my creativity, and what with the Valentines day looming (and me begrudging paying a fortune for things that are for sale a for a fraction of the price the rest of the year) I figured I would have a go at making a couple of these boxes myself.

These are my creations - I hasten to add these are not SU card and paper (nor the rub on used for My Heart Belongs to You) as I currently don't have any, however the stamp sets and the ink are!

I am extremely glad I went today as it has fed the creativity fire fuel and I am certainly going to do more before I go in hospital. Now found out I am due to go in on the 3rd of March - only 28 days away. Need to get going!!! Looking forward to my next class with Maria on the 20th though - can't wait.

Till next time x x x x x x

Happy 2009

Well, I apologize for not being online for the past couple of months - I have had a pretty bad time of it. I got took into hospital in November 2008 as I lost some sensations in my groin area. To cut a long story short I am having have another operation in the next 5 weeks to repair my discs again (well to actually see if they can find out what is going on hehe). I did have an operation 4 years ago to remove the bulging bit of my disc, but it would appear that it hasn't really worked. So i am currently off work, spending as much time as I can with my son and my husband.
I am however going to a carding class tomorrow at my good friend MAria's . I am SOOOOOOO excited as she is so very talented and the stampin up products are fantastic.
I will definately put my creations on here tomorrow. I realyl can't wait - anyway going to go and feed the cat, the fish, the rabbit and then me and phil hehe.
Till Tomorrow x x x x