Thanks!

Well it was my birthday on Saturday and I received some lovely presents, most of which were for my card making addiction, so I thought I'd use some of my new toys to make these thank-you cards for the people who bought me such great gifts!

I've been waiting for a Cuttlebug for AGES - indeed my O/H bought me it last month, so it's been sitting in the house waiting for me to use it ever since, but I wasn't allowed until my birthday. Anywho, I was up really early on the day to play with my new toy, and this is what I came up with.

I don't think this card needs explaining - it's practically all Cuttlebug based (of course!) apart from a retro stamp I used to liven up the background here and there...

This card was made for a special friend. I had been brewing this design for some time, but after my upgrade to Vista, my ancient old scanner finally gave up the ghost. So, I saved up for a new one, and could start scanning in designs and playing around with images again.

I stamped some scribbly flower backgrounds onto some white paper, scanned them in and shrinked them down, then printed them out on bright pink paper for the main topper. I then went over each individual flower with my glue pen and black embossed each image.

The lighter pink background is clear stamped & embossed, however, when I do this card again, I'll white emboss it instead for more definition that's still subtle.

The stamped sentiment is from the Friendship Blossoms See-D's stamp set. I really like the sentiments in this set, but the flowers aren't much cop!

The box I developed from an idea from this tutorial and tied into the card by using the pinks and blacks and the scribbly flower stamp by Anita. next time I make a box like this, I will make more of the topper on the lid and make it 3d, but I didn't have a whole lot of time as life is quite busy at the moment.

My dad, the dictionary definition of Father

This card was for my Dad using a technique I'd read about, but changed to suit my needs. The card design is similar to this one as I was running out of time to come up with something of my own and post it in time!

Anyway, I made the antique paper using standard good quality ivory paper. First I wet the paper slightly using a baby wipe, but you could just wet it with a sponge or similar, I just used what I had to hand! This helps with the next bit and also helps when inking it up. Screw it up into a ball (artisically of course) and then gently flatten it out. I lightly inked a brayer with brown ink and carefully rolled it over the creased paper so the peaks of the creases caught the ink. I did this until I was happy with the effect. If you are after a softer look, simply rub over the ink with your lightly dampened sponge/baby wipe to smudge/smear it across the paper until the desired effect is reached. Then iron out your image. If you're lucky enough to have an iron & board dedicated to craft (I'm not!) just iron away on the back of the design until flat. Otherwise, iron on the back but with another bit of paper to protect your ironing board from the ink. Do not iron the right side of the image or it will go shiney, unless this is a look you are going for.

Pop your paper into the printer and print your father's day definition or rubber stamp your design onto your 'antique' paper. Cut out and mount on your card accordingly. This technique was so much fun!

If I was to do this card again with a bit more time, I'd background stamp the green strips using green ink, just to give the project something...more.

Boing boing the Baggies...

(inside reads)..."Don't worry Eric, they'll go down again next season!! Happy 54th Birthday"

This card was commissoned for a life long Baggies fan (West Bromwich Albion). Now I know nothing about football, in fact I actively avoid it (unless I've got insomnia). I'm a rugby girl through and through and nothing's going to change that!

So, knowing nothing about football, and enjoying taking the mick out of football supporters as I do :o) this card was born! The guy I made it for has an excellent sense of humour, and will understand that it is all meant in good faith and he should not take it personally that his football team is naff, lol!! Oh well, someone's got to support them!

How it was made - I designed it on the computer and made up some football paper by drawing a football in the Baggies colours and C&Ping the football all over the paper...then lightening it so it was not so in your face. I then cut out around the words using a craft knife (and a lot of patience) then mounted the paper as an insert inside the card.

Hope he likes it! I do!