65 Years Young ..........

So what do you get someone for their 65th ........

especially if like my Mum, you don't really want or need anything.  She is very happy with her jewellery and wouldn't wear anything new, she loves her house as it is and always has a special holiday...........

that doesn't leave much choice really does it ....

We to start with I made her an extra special card ......... in the process of which I ended up covered from head to foot in dazzling diamonds.

I made this using a selection of the lovely things to be found in our ideas Book.  But did use my magnetic platform, and the new Circle Thinlets Dies to create this amazing card.

The sentiments were from Petit Pairs and the numbers are Morning Post numbers.

I decided to make my Mum a decorative wreath for her kitchen 

Here's what it looked like.

I have made a bird box, flowers - some stamped, some glittered and some embossed,

die cut the leaves and birds, added ribbon and jewels and lots and lots of love.

I gave this and the card to my Mum two days ago and she loved it.  I hope you do too.

If you would like to make a wreath for a loved one then get in touch and we can arrange a workshop for you and your friends.

All items can be ordered through my online shop  HERE

For Maddie ................

Hi everyone, do you remember a few posts ago I showed you the start of a memory book I was making for a special little girl called Maddie?  

I'm sure you do, if not you can find the link to the post here ............  Maddie's Book

Anyway, I finished the book not long after that, but didn't show you the whole thing as I wanted to surprise Maddie's parents with the book, and I know that Kayleigh sometimes looked at my blog.

To finish the book, I used lots more stamp sets - all from Stampin Up! and a little bit of ribbon from my stash. 

The inside front cover was made using our fantastic MDS programme.  What's that you ask?  It's our brand new digital design programme.  This programme is so versatile, you can make just about anything with it.  Anyway I made this page and inserted it into the front of the book, turning this project into a Hybrid project.

So I wanted to share the finished book with you guys.  Here it is.

The Front

The back

Inside the front - made on MDS

The first page etc

   

Photo tags, on which to write you memories

The back cover

All the pages were either stamped in Strawberry Slush, Primrose Petals or Blushing Bride.  You can see all the different stamp sets used in the pictures above.  (If you would like to know what any are leave me a comment and I will answer you, or contact me on my email:  craftybirdlisa@gmail_

I hope you have enjoyed looking at this gorgeous book, as much as I did making it.

I also wish Maddie and her Mum and Dad, and whole family lots of love.

Have a brilliant crafty day.

Hugs

Lisa xx

PS  Don't forget the 15% discount on the Papillon Potpourri and Bitty Butterfly punch ends Monday.  So if you haven't already got yours, add it to your basket on at my online store.

A beginning and an end ......

Hi everyone.  My mojo must be returning these days, as I have found some inspiration from somewhere.

Firstly my friend became a Grandma .... Her daughter gave birth to a gorgeous baby girl ......
And then another friend has buried her Dad.  Two very different aspects of life, but a certainty for us all.

I made two baby cards.  One for the proud parents, and one for the proud Grandparents. Very similar so that Mother and Daughter could not argue about who had the nicest card.  Anyway congrats to both sets of proud parents.

The papers for these are by First Edition.  The gorgeous shapes have been cut using Nesties and the "Baby" sentiment was cut on the Cricut.  The die cuts are of course Forever Friends.  I have finished off with ribbon, lace and card candi from stash.

Sadly a friend had to bury her Dad recently and this was the simple card I made.  The agapanthus was stamped using Versamark and then heat embossed.  Simply then matted onto black and white card from stock, before adding a black ribbon bow at the bottom.

Crafty hugs for now.

Summer Days ..............

no no, not the title song from that great movie Grease, but the theme of the new challenge over on Anything Goes.

What does that conjour up for you, for me it holds childhood memories of the beach, long hot sunny days, bike riding, picnics and fun all summer long.  How sad, that it's not the same these days, so I decided to turn a negative into a positive thing when making my card.

The image was given to me by a friend, and was wonderful to work with.  I have coloured here with Promarkers and Dovecraft Chalks.  The papers were some freebies last year, and have been sat in my stash.  The gorgeous stickers were from Accessorize (last year).  I made the sentiment with a Lili of the Valley stamp and some ribbon from my ribbon box.   The border was punched with a Deep Martha Stewart Punch and the flowers are from Papermania.

Hope this has made you smile, there's nothing quiet like making sandcastles in the rain on the beach!! 

Hugs to all

Spots and Stripes ........

and not a gold medal in sight ..............

Hello to all of you out there in blogland.  Are you watching the Olympics?  If so, I hope you are enjoying them.

Well, firstly sorry I have not posted for a while, I have been to Centre Parcs with my family.  We had a great time, and ate far too much in their amazing restaurants ..........  oh well, back to the diet again.

I have been crafting and have had the pleasure of working with some amazing images this week, courtesy of Bugaboo.  They are sposoring the Cutie Pie Challenge this week, and we had the opportunity to pick our favourite image to work with.  Given the challenge theme this week, I just couldn't resist ladybirds .............. I love to see them flitting about in the summer sun ........ so as you can imagine that's quite a rarity these days.

As always we have some amazing sponsors over on the Cutie Pie Challenge this week.  So go on hop on over and have a look at what the rest of the fabbie DT team have come up with for your inspiration and see what you can do with spots and stripes ...............

The moment I saw these cute ladybirds, I knew I wanted them to really pop off the card,  they have been coloured with Promarkers and then finished off with Glossy Accents.  I deliberately kept the rest of the colour scheme to black and white.  I dug out my Papermania liquorice capsule collection papers, some spotty buttons from stash, as well as ribbons and bows.  Finally I added card candi.  

I love the colour scheme on this one, I hope you do to and that I have inspired you.

Hugs for now.

Polka Dots

Well as you already know I'm behind on all my postings at the moment........... must try harder.

Anyway over on the Anything Goes challenge blog, it's polka dots with birthday.

This is my card.  I have used the fantastic gorjuss, coloured of course with Promarkers  (who has polka dots on her brollie!!)  and then layered her over some Country Companions paper.  I have added a Tim Holtz stamped sentiment, cut with a Spellbinders Nestie, coloured with Dovecraft chalks, and some beautiful ribbons.  The edges of the card were also coloured with Dovecraft Chalks.

This the inside, again the papers are from the Country Companions range, I used this brilliant verse from the Wellington Range, as is the little girl hugging the bear.    The ribbon is from my stash again.

A very simple card to do, but one which hope you will agree is quite effective.

Hugs

We start and end with family

With everything thats being going on in my life over the last few months, nothing is truer than this, we start and end with family.

Without both my and my estranged hubbies family I wouldn't have survived let alone be out having fun and smiling. I'm off on a girlie night out tonight, takeaway and wine with a load of us having a sleep over ........  haven't done this since my teens, so looking forward to it.

Mother's day was fantastic for me, not only could I celebrate my mother, but also my mother-in-law who has been such a rock.  That weekend also marked my MIL's 60th Birthday.  Here's the card I made for her.

This card was made using Tim Holtz distress inks to edge the pages, but also to stamp with.  The image is a new set from Sizzex, which includes stamp and dies.  I have then decoupaged the image, added some sentiments, again stamped with TH and layered with ribbon and die cuts.

Below is the card I made for each of the Mums, they had the same sentiments, but different pictures in each.

There is a gorgeous verse page for each, (but I forgot to photograph it!!)  lol

The papers are from my stash, as is the ribbons and charms. I have layered them up and made the gorgeous sentiments as the focal point.

Hope you all have a good weekend, don't forget to check out the Cutie Pie blog and the Anything goes blog to enter our challenges before they end on Sunday and Monday, if you haven't already.

Hugs to all

CUTIE PIE BLOG CHALLENGE NO 1 - SKETCH  gtd


I am soooooo excited - as you know I was asked to be a Guest Team Designer for the Fantastic new Cutie Pie Blog.  Well today's the day we go live and it would be wonderful if you could pop on over and join in with our fantastic challenges at:


http://cutiepiechallenge.blogspot.com


We have wonderful sponsors and there are great prizes.  The design team are truly talented and have come up with some fantastic ideas.


Anyway I was asked to guest design for this first one and here's my card

The papers are from the fantastic new Christmas range by Kars.  The gorgeous little cuties are of course Penny Black.  These are coloured with promarkers and the snow created with Ranger Stickles glitter glue. The sentiment is a Hunky Dory one and the leaves are cut from Stampin Up papers.  To finish some papermania flowers and some card candi.  The bow is a double bow in Papermania Christmas Ribbon.

• I wish to enter this card into the following challenges:
• Bugaboo Stamps Catch The Bug Blog - Scene It
• Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge - Glitter
• Christmas Stampin Blog- Challenge
• Penny Black at Allsorts Blog - September
• Penny Black Blog