Helen Plus Three

Call this an arty card experiment. Not sure if you can make out the Hero Arts(eiffel tower,) 'Take Time ' splashed with Tim Holtz distress and Tattered Angels inks. The lighting may not be that clear. I kind of like vintage and aged look on accessories and visuals. Then there's my latest pop up box card using my latest embossing plates and dies from Sizzix and Elizabeth Craft. Cupcakes, candles and presents all the happy things that birthdays are made of.  Those roses are dies from Wild Rose studio.  

A neat mix of embossing and dies, Sizzix the Sweet Shoppe, words for Peny BLack die and Impressions Obsessions stamp. Flowers punched using Carl punches and sprayed with Tattered Angel inks. A sizzix frame in the background if you catch a glimpse of it sticking out behind the cart and flowers. It's not quite aligned yet as I have not glued it on to the checked background. Sizzix Owl, 'Make a Wish' from Penny Black die and Wonder dies for the foliage... Martha Stewart punches for border and corner

Isn't this a neat idea, and oh so FUN. You get to play with lots of different pattern papers and the little stamps. And it all turns out sweet and eye popping depending on the colours. The idea came from Splitcoaststampers. Most of the the dies are from Sizzix and Cottage Cutz.... Sometimes my blend of colours isn't all that wonderful... ..but I keep at it.. Stamps are from Penny Black (hedgehog), Magenta, Hero Arts (words)... The heart is extracted from Martha Stewarts punch out borders. The pattern punch out in the centre of the flap is also from a Martha Stewart's punch.

Joy, hope and wonder A blessed Christmas and a peaceful and fruitful New Year to all .

Making that list already and getting down to making Xmas cards... Reindeer and Santa on the inside....the Xmas paper is lovely.. a month away.... .. time for the Christmas tree to come out...

I needed to make a card for a farewell. I didn't have stamps that actually said bon voyage, so I made it up.. as in 'leaving the coop ' with my birdie stamp... of course  I had some help from my sizzix Big Shot dies.   Then came the guy card, which I say is really challenging when you don't have those real  'macho' design stamps (if stamps can be macho !!) so IMPROVISE.. this are 2x2 embossing dies which I then punched out using my circle punch....  ..a little fun, colour .. it's for a 13 year old.. so it'll do.. I decided to leave off the leaves... . ...

It's tough to make non-girlie looking cards for the guys.. I think I need to stock up on some suitable like stamps or I'll end up with the same few ... This was what I made for Dad using my Hero Arts owl and Sizzix Flip its.. The embossed words are from "Just Because Phrases Embossing Folder Borders from Darice ' '

Sizzix has actually come out with a die (flip it) to do this template without the need for manual cut n measuring. Well this was manually created   It's a fun card to create, more images are needed...and you get to play with paper patterns.... Using Sizzix embossing dies for the embossed image, 

a little something for those hardworking hands .....from my hands with a little help from Sizzix layered flower dies and the 'Candy Cup' die and Penny Black stamp. My sis, sis-in law are mothers handcream for the hardworking  Sizzix die cut for the little box, handstamped with Hero Arts ..

With the season settling in.. I get to play with my stamps again. Making simple ones and experimenting with new card designs. Got my work table sorted out somehow, still working at how best to arrange the desk and drawers. I am also experimenting with creating my own backgrounds most of which are with Hero Arts stamps, which I bought a while back. I'm digging them out and looking at them with new eyes. Bells & Whistles "Pepper with Gift'; Hero Arts flowers Stamp; Snoopy ... Simple cards for my family.. and a a new design called the Hinged card below..

A few more recycled designs...

K Kingdom embossing folders, the one that looks like the grain of tree bark, that's the look I'm aiming for.......  the trellis is from Heartfelt Creations - 'Bella Rose Lattice' stamp, Hero Arts word clear backed by Sizzix Scallop die, edges sponged with Distress inks...