Forever Friends Retro Collection Digital Designer Cards

I have just made five cards using the Forever Friends Retro Collection Digital Designer discs. It is so easy to use and quick too. Ideal for if you need a card in a hurry. It will also speed up the making of Christmas cards too if you have a lot to make. I really enjoyed making these cards. With all the different elements on the 3 discs, the options of different cards are endless. Hope you like the cards I've made.

Tatty Button Card

I used an 8x8 kraft card blank. I cut a piece away on the front of the blank so that you would see the inside. I used my oval x cut shape system to round the edges.Inked edges using promarkers. I then used Papermania textured card stock and rounded the corner in the same way. I cut a piece of kraft grid card to size and put it through my texture boutique using the Me To You primrose embossing folder. I inked lightly using memento desert sand to emphasise the flowers. Matted and layered onto each other. I added cream raffia and tied knots onto the length. I stuck a piece of decorative paper from the first edition summer breeze collection paper pad inside the blank. Stamped Tatty Button Sunflower onto cream card and coloured using promarkers. Stamped the image onto white card and cut out, using this as a mask I then stamped the Tatty Button Fence and coloured in. I cut to size, rounded the corners using a chomper and inked the edges. Matted and layered with textured card and kraft card. Stamped the text, then matted and layered and used 2 foam pads stuck on top of one another to make it sit higher than the image. Embellished using Candi and a heart shaped button.
Promarker colours used:
Bright orange/Magenta/Sky blue/Pastel green/Pastel Beige/Pastel blue/Honeycomb/Burnt orange/Oatmeal/Tan/Pastel pink/Ruby/Yellow/Soft green/Lime green/Forest green/Grass/Blender.
Candi used:
Coffee bean
Ink pads used:
Memento - Tuxedo black/Desert Sand.
The card took about 2 hours to make.

Productive evening!

Well after a hectic few days down in Stratford UpOn Avon, meals out, seeing Take That at the Villa ground last night and craft shopping in Nottingham this afternoon, I decided to have a play with my new goodies that I bought today. Well, I should say that my dear hubby treated me to lol. I got some lovely new stash today. Tatty button stamps, Gorjuss stamps, candi, ink pad, card, paper, kraft card, card blanks, oh I love craft shopping! So this evening I have been making a card using Tatty Button, she is so cute. I will upload a picture and details of the card. I'm back at my day job tomorrow lol, only for 3 days and then got 2 days off so craft craft and more craft. Hope you all enjoy the rest of the week, and if your reading my blog, a massive thank you from me for taking an interest in my crafty world lol,
lots of love
NJ XXXX

Hello

Hello everyone, did you wonder why I'd gone quiet lol. Well I'm staying with family for a few days in Stratford upon Avon. I am going to see Take That tomorrow night, I can't wait. I did'nt bring my craft bag with me this time as I knew I would'nt have much time to do any! I am having withdrawal symptoms though, especially as I know that I have the new Forever Friends Digital Cd's waiting for me when I get home.
I am going craft shopping on Wednesday though. I am hoping to get some Tatty Button stamps along with some gorgoeus shimmer card and kraft blanks and maybe a few other things too. It depend if my hubby turns the other way so he can't see what I'm getting. Although I was good today when we went into two fising tackle shops and I never complained once lol and I said he could get what he wanted....lets hope he says the same on Wednesday!
Well, once I get back I have some projects I want to complete. I'm doing a demo at 'The Geordie Meet' in September so I want to make some samples for that. Also I have a couple of crafty gifts I want to make too....the list is endless but I can't wait to get stuck in....somewhere in between I'll fit in my day job too..hehehehe.
Well thats all for now folks, have a great week everyone and I'll be back with another update soon,
enjoy the sunshine everyone and happy crafting,
lots of love
NJ XXXX

Double Easel Card

I have made this double easel card as a surprise for my husband, he is a member of Rotary and on the 5th July will be the President of his local Rotary club for a year. I wanted to make him a special card that I will give him on the night of his handover. I used 8x8 card and scored in half. I then found the centre of one side and cut down the centre and folded points over. I cut 2 squares of card 4"x4" and matted and layered co-ordinating card with the colours of the Rotary logo. I added ribbon and candy dots. I typed the wording using gulim font.

Sliding Easel Card

This was todays Creativity Club TV project from the Do Craft forum. It was really easy to follow the steps. I made my own version of the card as I didnt have all the materials used. The stamp used is Lily and Milo - Taking care. I have used Labels Two spellbinders nestabilitie. Thank you to the lovely Phill Martin for a great tv project once again. I recommend the Do Craft Forum for crafting of any description. The Creativity Club is worth joining, so many lovely projects and downloads too.

Tag Challenge Try It on Tuesday

I cut 2 pieces of kraft card into tag shapes. Used X cut Flutterby border punch down the left handside of one tag and rounded the corners on the right side with a corner chomper. Using TH DI in Spiced marmalade,peeled paint & rusty hinge I inked craft sheet, spritzed with water and laid tag on top, being careful not to move it too much so I wouldnt get a muddy effect. Dry using heat gun. Take the other tag and round the corners on the right side again. This time use just peeled paint and rusty hinge as before but only on left side as this piece is the backing for our main tag. Spritz gold pearl ex powder and water over butterfly tag and use heat gun to dry. Ink edges of both tags using rusty hinge. Mask butterfly border and ink Stampendous faux finish quad cube the crackle effect using rusty hinge. Stamp over tag. Tie some natural raffia round an ornate brad, thread some beads on and tie the other end round another brad. Add this to tag. Now attach this tag carefully matching edges upto your backing tag. I stamped the butterfly from Inkadinkado Mindscapes set of clear stamps. The ink used was Rich cocoa memento ink. Stamp onto cream card. Use a baby wipe and take spiced marmalade ink to the butterfly wiping over lightly. Dry with heat gun then spritz gole pearl ex and dry again. Cut out and ink the edges with rusty hinge. Embellish with gems and attach to tag using pinflair glue. Use gems to embellish butterfly border. Make a hole at top of tag and thread raffia and ribbon through. Add a bow and flowers.

A quick hello

Just a quick hello, I hope you are all having a nice week end. I have been browsing blogs for a couple of hours, and wow is there lots of inspiration out there and so many talented crafter's. I am thinking of entering some blog challenges. I am new to this blogging thing lol so still working out what I have to do to enter them. Hopefully I've sussed it out now and have quite a few ideas of my own. Although this week I won't have as much time to craft as I'm taking my father in law into hospital today for a new knee. Bless him what a way to spend Father's day. I took him a pressie and of course a handmade card round. Unfortunately my Dad is no longer with me but in a short while I am going to lay some roses in his resting place in his favourite garden.
So, with work, hospital visiting, and crafting, there are not enough hours in the day. I am planning to make some challenge entries tonight though, so hopefully my night will work out how I'm planning lol.
Well thats enough waffle from me.........for now of course, and enjoy the rest of your Sunday and I wish all the Daddies out there a happy and wonderful Father's Day, and for all the daddies in the sky including mine, I wish you lots of love and peace.
Happy Crafting everyone and I'll catch up with you all again soon,
lots of love
NJ XXXX

Doily Card

I used an 8x8 white card blank. Using masking tape I attached the large doily to the base and inked over the design. I then lifted off the doily to reveal the pattern on the base card. I then inked a sunflower stamp and took the smaller doily centre to the stamp so I could stamp exactly in the centre. I then used a yellow ink to ink all around the edges and in the centre of the flower. I used  pinflair glue to attach the doily to the centre of the masked pattern. I embellished the card with lace, flowers, gems, pearls and a greeting.

Well...hello....lol.....

Just a quick hello, hope you are all ok. Well I finished the easel card tonight, the printer decided to mess me around so my work took me longer than expected trying to sort it out! I've been browsing a few websites tonight looking at ink pads and other crafty bits and pieces. I'm looking forward to the week end when I can get some more crafting done. I will be making a get well card for my father in law as he is going into hospital next week for a new knee. 
I am working tomorrow at my day job lol, if I'm not too tired tomorrow night I might have a play with some stamps that I havent got round to using yet. Righty oh, thats it for tonight, I waffle a bit lol, take care and happy crafting love NJ XX

Twisted Easel Card made using the sketch

This is the end result from the sketch I did. My client asked for a wedding/blessing card with the theme of tropical and the colours of Lime green, turquoise and orange. I chose to use these flowers as I think they look tropical. I have also added a decorative edged corner so that client can write her own message. Hope you like it and thanks for looking, love NJ XXX

SKETCH - TWISTED EASEL CARD

I have made this sketch for a commisioned tropical wedding themed twisted easel card. I had an idea of what I want to do but sketched the design so I could see before I start and use as a guide. I will upload a picture of the card when I've made it this afternoon. Please feel free to use this sketch yourself if you want to have a go.

Good evening

Hello everyone. I hope you've all had  a great Wednesday. Well, I was supposed to be crafting tonight but I fell asleep...oooppps! Anyhoo, I have tomorrow afternoon off work so I will catch up with it then. I have a commision for a card to make. The theme is wedding, but not to have actual wedding day on it as its more of a blessing....and the colours tropical. So, I've decided I'm going to make a twisted easel card. I've drawn the sketch first. I will upload a picture of my sketch tomorrow, I just want to tweek it again before I do. Also, the colours are chosen to match the cake. So, my client has requested the colours of lime green, orange and turquoise. I am looking forward to making this.
I have worked out the wording for the front too and shown my client to make sure that she likes the wording before I actually make the card.
I will keep you updated on my progress lol, hope you all have a good Thursday and happy crafting,

love NJ XXXX

Sweetie Gift and Card

I measured this to fit a card bag that I filled with sweets. I used a border punch for the edges. Inked using whispers pens around the edges. Used various stamps and coloured in the images. Decorated the fairy wings and butterflies with stickles glitter glue. I used the fairy sat on a mushroom as I thought it was appropriate with the sweets being coconut mushrooms lol. I made the card using kraft card that I cut to size and decorated a tag for the main part. This is a gift for a crafting friend who likes these sweets. I'm posting them to him tomorrow so I hope he won't have peeked my blog before he gets them..lol....if you have....enjoy...lol!

A very late Good Evening LOL

Well hello everyone and a very late Good Evening. It's been my day off today so I went into town and had a coffee with my friend. I came home and have been stamping images most of the afternoon. I had loads of stamps that I havent got round to using yet, so I've been stamping some more tonight too. I thought if I stamp as though it's a production line...lol....I can store them in an A4 folder in polypockets once I've coloured them in and at least I've got some ready to hand if I want one to make a card. While I was in town today I bought some more lace, I love lace, and the colours I bought will look gorgeous in some vintage projects. Sometimes I dye my white lace in tea, coffee or red wine(bit of a waste of the wine if you ask me lol...but it works) just for a bit of a different vintage feel. I also bought some raffia too which I will be using on the kraft card blanks. OOOpps yes I've just remembered I bought also two massive bags of different flowers as they were only £1.25 a bag...oh yes and some pink ribbon too lol. Well thats my update on what I've been doing today.......tomorrow I am back at work but I'm looking forward to colouring my images tomorrow night and then making up some cards with them. Hope you all have a good week whatever your all doing, nite nite and take care,
lots of love NJ XXXX

Pearl Wedding Anniversary Card

Altered Art Chest

I made this as a gift for a friend probably over a year ago, but wanted to share it with you all. I bought the chest at an auction room for £4.00. It was the blue colour with birds on. I started by sanding a lot of that off, then applied a couple of coats of gesso. I then painted using acrylic paints, and finished with a crackle glaze paint. When that had dried I rubbed a vintage stain ink using cotton wool over the cracks. I stamped and embellished using various elements. I filled the drawers with crafty stash and gave it to my friend.

Altered Art Canvas

Used gesso and then painted with metallic acrylic paints. Altered three dominos to match. Added various findings and fibres. Used a hot glue gun to stick the embellishments to canvas.

Altered Slide Mailer

                               I made this as a gift for a friend a while ago now.

Altered Slide Mailer

                            I used acrylic paints for this and various stamps.

Artist Trading Card

The background is alcohol inks. The edge is a metal leafing pen. I altered a domino and wrote Art with the leafing pen. I made the the three faces using clay and then used mixed metal leafing to finish.

Altered Art Canvas

I made this altered art canvas quite a while ago. It was for the Geordie Meet that a friend organises and we had to take a handmade item with the theme of Art. I made this with a vintage feel and used a lot of different findings that I had in my stash. Various stamps were used. I painted the canvas with a coat of gesso and then used acrylic paint.

Friendship card

Anniversary card

Birthday Card

Baby card

A simple anniversary card

Altered beer mat book

I made this as a gift for a friend. I used gesso paint on each mat first, and then inked and painted the backgrounds using distress inks and paint dabbers and sponges. I stamped flowers and cut out and added various embellishments on each page. I binded it together using my binding machine and added ribbons to finish. The wording in the top left corner is stamped text onto shrink plastic. I love the vintage feel of this.

Bling

I love pink and bling lol and no I did'nt make this I bought it on the plane coming back from America last year, but I just love it lol XX

Memory board

I made this memory board of my Dad and it now hangs on the wall in my craft room.

Memories

This is a scrapbook album that I made especially for my Beautiful Dad. My Dad passed away last year. We knew he had a terminal illness and that 2009 was his last Christmas. So I made this album of us and gave him it at Christmas. My Dad loved it, and I now have it in pride of place on a shelf in my craft room. I just wanted to share this with you, I wear my heart on my sleeve and this is just a little bit more about me. I was always a Daddies girl, as you can probably tell, and one of the proudest days was when my Dad walked me down the aisle. I love the fact that I've got all these lovely memories, they are so important and will always live on in me. I am in the process of making two more albums of photos that I have of my Dad. I'm going to make a black and white album for the black and white photos and a vintage coloured theme for the coloured photos. These albums are to be a long term project because I have so many photos to go through. Hope you didnt mind me sharing this with you, I just wanted to share an important part of my life with you, My Dad. XXXX