The Other Side Of Me

Hello all, Back at last and hoping to get into the flow of things again.  I can't believe I've missed a month!  It's not as though I haven't been crafting, I might have to back date a few things. But here's a card I whipped up in a few minutes (seriously!) Everywhere you look on Pinterest at the moment, there are cards using this set.  In the end I succumbed myself and bought it and it's proved to be one of the lovliest sets I've ever bought.  This is what I made at the weekend for a friend's birthday: As you know, I love to case, and use what I have in my stash to replicate a card I like.  The colours I used are: Island Indigo for the base, then a layer of Pool Party.  I stamped a couple of times with the water blot type stamp from the French Foliage stamp set and used the New York post stamp under the butterfly's wings (which you can't see very well, but it is there!)  Then I die cut the medium sized butterfly from the set and popped it o...

Hello all, It's a bit nippy, isn't it?  We haven't had a lot of snow, though, fortunately.   I've had a week off work and I've been packing, but also doing loads of french and getting some cards made. In January the card swap group challenge was to use a definite shape on your card, like a square, rectangle, circle, etc.  As it turned out, the majority of people went for hexagons in one way or another and they were all fabulous. This is the card I made for Michelle: I've used Pool Party and Lucky Limeade, with some of the lovely Fresh Vintage paper. I can't believe I've still got some of that in my stash. It's been absolute ages since I made one of these cards and it's silly really because they're very easy and fun to make. The whole piece of Lucky Limeade cardstock measures 28cm x 11 cm.  I scored at 7cm from either end and folded it over.  I cut two pieces of matching dsp at 10.5cm x 6.5cm and stuck them to both flaps.  Then I cut...

Here's a little something to show you: Sorry the picture quality's not all that great, and unfortunately I've given the card to the recipient so no chance of taking another pic now. I had such fun making this, but I'm going to be honest.  The SU tulip embossing folder is a very strange size (unless I'm doing it wrong!)  If you used it on a card it would be very small, and I'm really struggling with this.  In the end I embossed a piece of Pool Party cardstock and cut the whole thing out and mounted it on a white piece of card stock as the only good way of doing it. The stamp I recently bought from a woman on a facebook group (which I will never do again as long as I live - what a saga that turned out to be!) and it is truly lovely.  I'm going to be using it for my Christmas cards this year, which I'm very pleased with too, but can't show you yet. The stamps are from the old Fresh Vintage stamp set, which I still love. All the staff signed the ...

Evening everyone! I'm gradually working my way through my card list for November and December.  Here's the latest creation: I've managed to use up some Everyday Enchantment dsp for this card.  The stamp is one from the Simple Soft stamp set.  I still adore these. I do love my days off work, where I get lots of time to craft. It's a good job really, as I've recently got my eldest daughter into Project Life. We are both doing December Daily this year.  I've made some cards for my daughter to use in her album.  Hope she likes them. Back soon Jane x

The challenge I set for July was to use black, white and either pool party or bermuda bay.  I was amazed at how quickly everybody has made their cards this time around, and they're all fab.  Anyway, here's mine: I used up my last piece of pool party cardstock for the base so I couldn't afford for anything to go wrong!  (No pressure!) The base paper is from a black and white set I've had for ages (docrafts I think).  Then I had to play with my new toy  tool which is my Sizzix polaroid die.  It really is the most awesome thing.  I bought it primarily for my Project Life folder but I went on Pinterest and saw some fab cards made with it and just had to have a go. The stamp is, of course, Summer Silhouettes, in black and pool party and the flower is a Marianne die.  I stamped the sentiment and was thrilled that it came out perfectly on the frame. I had a lot of fun making this and got loads of ideas for more cards.  This challenge just remi...

I made a card for a resident who's birthday is on St Patrick's Day.  Here we are:   I started off with a Lucky Limeade base (it had to be green, didn't it?)  I've been wanting to play with a couple of embossing folders that I have that you would place over a card.  Now I can do this without creasing the surrounding cardstock I just had to have a go. The other thing is that I've just got a new set of Sizzix dies in tag shapes.  I cut a piece of Fresh Vintage dsp in the Lucky Limeade and Pool Party colour, then drew around the same die and cut it out, to make a border.  I popped it on, lined up straight at the top.  Then it was just a case of using up a few Pool Party scraps to make butterflies (I actually have a drawer full of these in lots of different colours and sizes).  Et voilà Back soon, I'm sure Happy crafting! Jane xx

I've been keeping a journal since the summer.  I've always kept a diary but I've wanted to add illustrations for ages.  I've just had to wait for the perfect book to use.  This is actually a sketch book from W H Smith. It's part smash book, part diary, part art journal.  I'm very pleased with a lot of the pages And then occasionally one turns out to be a total disaster! Okay, it started out well, went down hill rapidly and then I dropped a stamp on it and didn't know how to cover it up! And all the while, I kept seeing articles and pictures on Pinterest about Project Life.  At first I didn't even understand what it was, but I've gradually put two and two together and decided I really like it.  Anyone who likes scrapbooking is bound to, really.  Then it took ages to find out if anyone stocks the stuff in the UK (Hobbycraft as it turns out.  Probably others).  And then I looked at the price! There's no way, with all th...

Hello y'all! Five minutes peace to sit and talk to you.  I've had another sesh with my Everyday Enchantment papers.  I still have loads left, but I've just bought some Calypso Coral cardstock and ink,  so there'll be no stopping me now.  Lookie: I'm not going to list any products as you probably recognise everything on these. You know me, butterflies with everything!   I've since added a sentiment to this one, just above the dsp on the left.   Surely you could make this with virtually any dsp?  Go on, CASE it and see what you end up with!  And finally, this one With the little birds from the Clearly For You stamp set. Which one do you like best? Back soon Jane xx 

Do you ever go on a bit of a journey with your cardmaking, where one thing leads naturally to another?  I know once I get an idea in my head (and it works!) I like to see where else I can go with it.  Let me explain. This card came to me in my sleep. My starting point was the dsp from Twitterpated, in the Island Indigo colour, so I sat for a while trying to decide what colours would go well with it, and it had to be this set again, ie Pool Party, Tangerine Tango and Rich Razzleberry.  I started by stamping the little flower arrangement in the top right corner, loving the fact that the leaves are in Island Indigo and not a green (because you get blue leaves, right?!)  Then I ran the card through the Bigshot with the honeycomb ef.  I was fascinated by the effect, and after that the rest of the card was a doddle.  The flower has been cut with my Sizzix flower die set, which comes with co-ordinating stamps and it rather cool!  ...

I am thrilled to say my friend Lynne has ordered 10 cards from me.  How fab is it to know someone who likes your cards so much they order 10 at a time?!  I've sent off 8, and this is one of them: I saw a very similar card on Pinterest from Lisa Martz blog here .  I liked the colour scheme very much, but realised I liked the tall image in the centre panel.  I hunted around for what I had in mind and found my lovely bay tree image.  I don't know who makes this, it's just in a set of stamps in the Born To Shop range. I made this, with it's Lucky Limeade cardstock, and then black and assembled all the parts, and then had to leave it in my drawer while the Pool Party ribbon winged it's way to me and then I put it all together.  It's lovely to think Calypso Coral is coming back, isn't it? I've realised I haven't put any sort of sentiment on it, but then she can use it for whatever she wants, can't she? I need to crack on and make her two more car...

Good morning everyone!  It's a dull rainy day here, but we are desperate for the rain, so I am not going to complain.  My horse needs grass! Anyway, I have a special card to share with you today.  Check this out: This is the front of what looks like a fairly simple card.  The dsp is Everyday Enchantment, with a large piece of Pool Party cardstock cut using my framelits dies and then run through the Bigshot with the square lattice embossing folder. (I still have lots of this dsp left, which is why I'm so pleased Pool Party is staying with us.) The stamp is Summer Silhouettes in Lucky Limeade and Calypso Coral with Happy Birthday stamped with my new stamp set, but it's very similar to the one in the retired Elementary Elegance set. I didn't realise until the card was finished that the dots on the flower really reflect the dots in the dsp. I've popped a little piece of Pool Party ribbon on the side, to add to the softness of the card. But the reall...

Good morning everyone!  After the bizaare weather yesterday we have sunshine so I am popping on with a quick post before I go and ride The Boy (more about him in a post coming soon). This year I have decided to make a birthday card for all of my work colleagues as well as the residents, so here is the card I made for Ana: I saw a similar card on Pinterest, by a lady called Cathy ( Maine Mountain Stamper ) and decided to have a go. When I look at a card I want to make the first thing I do is ask myself what it is about the card that appeals to me.  Why do I want to CASE it?  In this 'case' (!) it was the colour combination, which turned out to be Calypso Coral and Pool Party, but I loved the whole 'flowers in a row' thing, and the use of the squares. So my next job is to work out how I can replicate this style, especially if I don't have the stamps or dies used on the original card.  My flowers are from a set by Little Claire Designs, which worked perfe...

Hello everyone, time to share a card creation.  Have a look: Way back last year, our American cousins got hold of this beautiful dsp, Spice Cake, and I have to admit to having crafting envy!  I was so thrilled when we finally got it.  But the American girls had also found amazing ways to combine it with the Gently Falling stamp set, so imagine how pleased I was when it turned up in our catalogue this year.   This is just the sort of card I had in mind.  Having never come across 2-stage stamp sets until I met SU!, I think they are something that will fascinate me for ever.  I stamped the outline of the leaf in Soft Suede and then the inner leaf with Pool Party, taken, of course, from the colours in the dsp.  What a combination that turned out to be!  I haven't looked at this card for a while and I still love it! I am also pleased to say that my card swap group is up and running and would like to say a big thankyou to all those taking...

Hello everyone!  It's still a bit nippy, isn't it?  We've had snow all day.  I've been on a course in Nottingham and was worried about getting home, but we've made it. The good thing was, we had a late start so I had a chance to photograph the Valentine card I've made for John while he was out of the house! The other blog challenge I want to keep up with this year is the Cards For Men challenge .  This is challenge no. 3 and they want to see Valentine, Anniversary cards etc, so here is my entry: So many cards on the internet are pink, aren't they?  But as most cards are made by women to give to the important man in their lives, I just wondered if there ought to be more of a focus on masculine cards.  I've seen a few cards like this though, and love this kind of design and just had to have a go. The base is kraft card, followed by very vanilla, which I distressed with Tim Holtz old paper ink and went round the edges with some soft suede ink, befor...

Hello everyone, I hope you're not too cold, whatever you're doing.  I am in the middle of a blissful week off work.  I had, of course, thought I'd be riding, but the snow has put paid to that, hasn't it?  What is a girl to do, but put the kettle on and get the inks out?! I recently bought a new set of Sizzix stamps and dies and couldn't wait to get home and open them.  BUT also, I am in love with the colour combination on the new More Amore dsp, which contains Pool Party, Primrose Petals and Real Red.  In previous years I've made and sold loads of Valentine's cards, as I sold them in two local shops, but this year there will only be one card for the hubster.  So instead  I decided to play around with the colour combo as I've decided it's not just for Valentine's day.  Here's what I made: I made this as a result of just playing with the colours and not really minding if I didn't have a card at the end of it.  The base is Pool Part...

Obviously it's dawned on me over a period of time that when you see a group of SU! colours on a set of dsp, it's their way of saying, "Hello!  These colours work together well, guys!" (for people who are a bit thick, like me!) So I keep noticing cards using the new dsp Sycamore Street (part of sale-a-bration, by the sound of it) and am fascinated by the colour scheme of Island Indigo, Pool Party, Rich Razzleberry, Sahara Sand, Summer Starfruit and Tangerine Tango.  These are colours it would just never occur to me to put together, but I find them so striking, I just had to have a play.  This is what I made: So you can see, the base of this 4"x4" card is Island Indigo, with a slightly smaller square of Rich Razzleberry (a colour I've hardly touched) that has been run through the square lattice embossing folder, followed by a stamp from Four Frames in Tangerine Tango.  I have never used this colour before, even though I've had it a year.  I cut...

I've made a little card, with one of my all-time favourite stamp sets.  Come and have a look: Layer 1: 5"x7" pool party cardstock.  Layer 2: soft suede. Layer 3: a beautiful design from the Spice Cake dsp.  I am going to use every inch of this fabulous paper! Layer 4: I cut a large size piece of card using the Labels Collection Framelits, then stamped my fave image from the Simply Soft set in Wild Wasabi.  As you probably know, it's a 2-stage set, so I inked up the inside in pool party and stamped away.  I will never get tired of doing this! I added a section of paper from another sheet of the dsp, popped lace on, then added a sentiment using my Four Frames stamps and punch. Just a quick post today as I'm off out shopping. Happy crafting, folks! Jane xx

Goodness me, such busy days!  And when I'm not working I'm glued to the Olympics.  I thought I'd better pop in today to show you a card I made recently. I made this for the lovely Michelle, who's blog you can see here .  I've used a white 5x7 card base, followed by a slightly smaller layer of Pool Party card.  The dsp, I'm sure you'll recognise, is from the Everyday Enchantment dsp.  I actually ended up with two packs of this!  I'm still at the stroking stage with it, so it's a wonder I've made a card with it at all!  But my new favourite thing is the new Apothecary Art stamp set used with the framelits labels collection.  There is something so thrilling about stamping and colouring this and then cutting it totally accurately with the die.  It's such an interesting shape to use, too.  I've coloured the image with Pool Party and Calypso Coral pens. I've cut a slightly bigger piece in Pool Party and used a very sweet embossing...

Hello all, what a hectic week I'm having.  I'm just getting used to my new job and trying to see how much time that leaves me for crafting, by the time I've done the housework as well - phew! So I'm very pleased to have got a card ready for this week's Dynamic Duos. Here are the colours for this week: Yes it's Pool Party again, but let's face it, we can't get enough of this gorgeous colour, can we?  And of course it's partnered with So Saffron, which I love. My dear friend Priscilla came to lunch on Saturday and asked me for a special card for her sister, who's baby is due in June.  They already know it's a girl and have decided to call her Eva, so when someone asks you for a special card and can supply you with all that information, you have to use it, don't you?  Oh, one more thing:  Although the card is for a baby girl, her mum doesn't like pink.  Great.  Cue Dynamic Duos!  Anyway, here's my card: Sorry the phot...

Hello everyone, I hope you're having a great Bank Holiday weekend (here in the UK), even if it is raining! Now, many of you probably already know Lesley Croghan, owner of the wonderful Always Playing With Paper blog, who runs her Merry Monday challenge from there.  If you don't, you certainly should pop over when you get time. Anyway, she's now hosting a new challenge, called Dynamic Duos, which you can find here : Her first colour choice is Pool Party and Lucky Limeade, and I couldn't resist having a go.  This is what I've made: The base is 5x7" in Very Vanilla.  (Neutrals are allowed, thank goodness!)  Then I've taken a piece of watercolour card, which is very similar to the vanilla, with the addition of a lovely texture.  I've punched out a flower using my Posy Punch, very close to the edge, so it leaves a gap.  I've put dimensionals on the back of the water colour paper and stuck it onto one of the sheets from the Everyday Enchantment ...