A cardstock experiment - I can't help it, it's how my brain works!!

Since i started getting collecting copics (shh... HB thinks they breed in the box) I've been having real trouble with what cardstock to use.

Some cardstocks bleed too much, some don't take the colour at all (that one was odd) and some is just too darned expensive!  Now I know its all personal choice, but personally I don't like cardstock that bleeds too much - it's all very well that your colours blend nicely, but when you've just spent an age colouring an image only for it to bleed over the edge its just plain annoying!

I managed to get hold of some samples of various cardstock to have a play with, and I'm afraid my maths/stats/science brain kicked in and before I knew it I had created a mini experiment... I'm going to blame the day job here, it's not something that a crafter should do!

I started with several types of Cardstock - Gina K Luxury Cardstock, Neenah Cardstock, Magna Art Board; plus a random cardstock from The Papermill. I noted which piece of card was which and stamped each piece of cardstock with my image twice using Momento Ink. I coloured one image of the two on each card type with the copics - I used the same colours for each and tried really hard to do each one the same!

And the results?

Quite astounding really - here's some pics

Sample 1

Sample 2

Sample 3

Sample 4

So which was which?

Sample 1 was cheapy paper from the Papermill - it bled quite a bit and I got the impression that I was using loads of ink up, although I can refill the Copics it's not something I really want to be doing frequently! The uncoloured stamped image is OK but it's not a perfectly sharp image. At £4.99 a box though it's not a bad choice (and since doing this experiment I have got other card from them that doesn't bleed as much, it seems to depend on what they have in at the time).

Onto sample 2. This one was lovely - it's Gina K Luxury Cardstock - but at $6.95 for 25 sheets plus shipping from the US it wasn't cheap! The colours merged really well, but were really easy to control, and the stamped image was very crisp. I really liked that this is a really thick card - and was the only one of the 4 that the colour did not bleed through to the back - perfect if you want to colour straight onto your card

However I couldn't really see much difference between sample 1 and sample 3 - which was detailed as being Magna Art Board. I had really high hopes for this, but the image wasn't even as clear as the card from the Papermill and it bled loads too...

Sample 4 was Neenah Classic Solar White - not normally available in the UK but The Hobby House has some - £10.99 for 50 sheets, plus P&P. This gave a lovely crisp image and like the Gina K is a brilliant as opposed to off white. It blended well but again was controllable.

So it being my birthday the other day I asked for... the Neenah... yes the Gina K is slightly better, and if I can find anyone going over to the US anytime soon I'll probably ask them to get me some, but I didn't think it was worth the extra shipping costs.

I have heard that there are lots of other cardstocks that are pretty good too (Stampin Up seems to be a favourite) - I can feel another experiment coming on! I just need more samples!!

Thanks for looking

Sue xx

Yum Yum!

Cakes seem to be a bit of a reoccuring theme in our house! Hmmm...

This layout uses a pic from SIL's wedding last year - this time of the cakes that were baked by her (and HB) cousin.

They were all different shades of pink - and each had a fondant heart and glitter and were totally delish!  I'm hungry now!!

Sorry it's a short one tonight - more tomorrow

Sue xx

Good Luck!

Evening!  Sorry for the late post but I have just finished this card and wanted to share it :)

One of my colleague's asked me to make a Good Luck card , so it seemed as good a reason to use some of the Bo Bunny papers I got last week from Scrapbook Sisters.  I wanted to do quite a bright card and these seemed perfect

I've used the Magenta stamp I used the other day, and like it better in strong colours as opposed to pastels

I'm entering this card for the Papertake Weekly Challenge Sketch 44

I'm also entering this for Crafty Cardmakers Challenge 24 - Inky Fingers (often the case with me, but refering to the stamping round the image in this instance... ; )   )

Supplies:

Cardstock - White Cardstock; Pink and Green Bazzill Bling.

Papers - Bloomers, Petal Pushers, Notes and Orange Citrus Dot - all Bo Bunny.

Stamps - Bouquet, Magenta coloured with Copics; Corner stamp - Studio G; Gook Luck - Papermania (I masked this up).

Inks - Tuxedo Black Momento; Bundled Sage Distress Ink; Stone Grey Stazon.

Deckled Rectangle Nestie;  Pins and Beads - Dunelm Mill;  

Olive Green Satin Ribbon from stash; Felt Brad - Papermania

Flowers - Prima and Wild Orchid Crafts

That's it from me tonight - just got to make a box for it then I'm off to bed

Thanks for stopping by

Sue xx

You Two

I thought tonight I'd share one of the projects we did at a recent class at Scrapbook Sisters.  This was a mini book that was the second class in a set of three - I've still got to finish it off, but as it's 80% of the way there I thought it was OK to share.  I have decided what photo's I want to use, I just need to sort them out so they are the right size for each page, crop em and make some of them black and white... hmmm maybe more to do than I thought :)

I decided to do a mini book featuring my sons.  Despite the five year age gap they get on well, even if my eldest has to put up with his brother nicking all of his stuff, it's a good job he's (normally) quite calm! 

The papers and "Friends" stickers are by K&Co; Thickers Alphabet; Flower Punch - EK Success?; Butterfly Punch - Tesco; Felt brads - Papermania

The book opens up...

And expands...

so loads of room for pictures and the odd page of text, or other images.  I've used my Martha Stewart stars border punch here and there

I've covered the inside back page in more of those butterflies, all over the plants leaves.  It'll be lovely when it's finished!

Thanks for stopping by

Sue xx

Another lovely day, two cars and and (mini) adventures

Weekends shouldn't be this busy!

Yesterday was the fab Scrapbook Sisters Birthday Bash, then HB and I went out for dinner to celebrate my birthday - we didn't stay out late, but it was lovely to be able to have a meal together without worrying what the kids were up to!!

Today was an early start as I went to the Scrapbook Sisters Treasure Hunt with my friend Vicky who goes to the same fortnightly class.  I was driving (both of us in headscarves in a vain effort to stop the wind making us both look like scarecrows) so most of the pics are on Vicky's camera but think we got some good ones.  I understand Karen and Julie were lurking and have got some candid ones too... they'd probably have got more but we kept getting lost!! At this point I'm going to say that it was not the fault of navigator or driver, but whoever wrote the hunt that Karen and Julie bought off of the internet left quite a few important instructions out - most of them turn left or turn right, or straight on - all of which would have helped!

We were doing quite well for the first few questions but ended up driving round a one way system repeatedly... hmmm....  we gave up on the instructions and followed our noses and somehow got back on the right road, but by this time we were both tired, grumpy and hungry (as was the car, which spent more time in reverse than is normal!!)  As we passed the place where we were meant to be meeting for lunch we made the decision to give up and lounge on a village green instead, a bit of a cop out I know, but hey, it's Sunday, so I think we can be forgiven.

Needless to say we didn't win, but had a great time anyway.    Here's a few pics of the prize giving and the winners!  You can see more pics here

.

Whilst I was there I got a text from HB to say he had managed to get the Mini going... now this has been a source of great consternation over the past week as it ran initially last weekend and stubbornly refused to fire after that.  Once they realised their schoolboy error ( :-) ), and ordered more parts to replace the ones that had been innocent casualties it still wouldn't go... he was getting more and more frustrated... by process of elimination he finally sorted it and its now going!!  Whoo hoo!! 

Here's a pic of HB having driven it down the drive - it went back up too!!

And my word, it sounds rather lovely, the engine my Dad built sounds all brummy (is that a word??) and with that whine that a proper mini should have.  So now it moves under it's own steam (or should that be petrol??), so a few more little bits of tinkering to the suspension is required, carpets to order and go in and it's pretty much all finished. 

Oh, and despite my pronouncements that I wouldn't drive it, did I have a little go up and down the drive?? 

You bet I did, couldn't resist :-)

Thanks for stopping by - back to crafty stuff tomorrow

Sue xx

A Lovely Day!

Hi ya hope you are having a great weekend!  I've spent today at Scrapbook Sisters at the first of their two birthday crops being held to celebrate being open for 5 years.

I can't start showing what we got up to until after next weekend, but I had a great time and I think everyone else did too.

It was my birthday yesterday, just think I was only 20 when the shop opened!! (if I keep this up do you think people are really going to start believing that I'm only 25???, No... me neither!!)

Tomorrow is their annual treasure hunt, and I am going with two of my friends from the regular class, fingers crossed it doesn't rain as I am driving and am taking the convertable, and that we don't get lost! 

Double fingers crossed that the roof doesn't get stuck down if it does rain :-) 

So looking forward to a great day tomorrow and some fantastic picture opportunities along the way.

I'll leave you with a couple of pics of the class, not of what we did!

Thanks for stopping by, enjoy what is left of the weekend

Sue xx

Alternative Graduation Card

I've made this card for my Mum to send to a friend of hers who is about to graduate.  As she is in her 50's mum thought that flowers would be more appropriate for an image, so I've used this flower boquet stamp by Magenta - I bought it ages ago and struggle to use it cos it's not really my taste if I'm honest.  It tends to see the light of day for with sympathy cards as it looks beautiful with the roses left white, and maybe I stuggled to use it for something that is a celebration as opposed to a sad time...

Personally I thought she'd have prefered something less formal, but I did what I was told!

I've used the new flowers that I got from Wild Orchid Crafts and I'm pretty pleased with them as they are good quality, a great selection of colours and at a reasonable price too, can't be bad!  I've accented the petals with some Stickles.  The papers are all by Bo Bunny

I'm entering this card for the Totally Papercrafts Challenge 23 - One for Girlies

Anyway, got to go - first night of a busy weekend - hope you have a great one

Thanks for stopping by

Sue  xx

New baby

Hi!  I hope you are having a great week :-)

Today I'm sharing a card I made for my friend Julie who is one half of Scrapbook Sisters, where I go to my classes and whose shop I spend far too much money, LOL

Julie and her HB have become grandparents for the first time recently, so I wanted to make them a card to say congratulations, but what to make for someone that owns a craft shop!

After spending over an hour searching I had only found one of my baby stamps - I have gone through every box that is stored in the cupboard, and I knew they weren't in the main storage I keep by my desk, and not in the stamp boxes either.  I'm really confused as I have no idea where they can be!  All I can think of is that I've lent them to someone cos the worse option is that they've got dumped in a bag and thrown away, although that is unlikely as a couple of them were reasonable sized wooden ones, who knows!  So I had to use what I had, and its a cute stamp anyway!

I've gone a bit mad with flowers on this one - all the sunshine we had during the week must have made me come over all summery!  I've also hidden a metal teddy bear charm in there

The image is another one that I've had for an age, and as only a cheap one - another 99p job I think - and I've stamped it 3 times then coloured and cut out using one of the small deckled edge nesties then I've brushed round the edges with a pink chalk eye

Supplies:  Card and Paper -White card; Slipper raised dots, Bazzill Basics; Shitake and Blush Double Dot Cardstock, Love Bandit Nuts 4 U and Love You Deerly all Bo Bunny; Flowers - Woodware and Prima; Brads - Papermania, Charm from Stash

I'm entering this for Charisma Cardz Challenge 26 - Metal and One Stop Craft Challenge - week 86 - pink and brown

Thanks for looking

Sue  xx

Final 3 teachers cards

Hi!  I can't believe it's the middle of the week already!

I went to my regular class at Scrapbook Sisters last night... I won't do a spoiler (not until I run out of things to show you anyway :-)  ) but it was a great class and I made a very cheeky little layout... LOL... I think that is enough of a teaser!!  I'm back there on Saturday for their birthday crop (and mine as it happens as it's my birthday on Friday) as they are celebrating their 5th year this weekend (it's my 25th... ROFL!!!)

I've got to make a graduation card tonight for my mum to send out... I'm being nagged for it, so I must get it done - even at, ahem, 25 she still nags me :-)  

So apologies but I'm going to share the last three cards I have done for my son's teachers - only 3 more weeks of school left, I'm just glad I got these out of the way nice and early - last year the glue was still drying as he was trying to write them, oops, bad mummy!

Two of them are using the same papers as I used for the provious two and the third has Bo Bunny Love Bandit Papers.  The "Good Memories" are from a lovely set by Cloud 9 designs that are totally lovely and have been added to the growing pile of things that I must use more often!

Thanks for looking

Sue xx

I'm Late!!!

Hi!  Hope you're having a great day!

Today's pics are of a card I made last night and I love this one, the image is just sooo cute!

Without futher ado, here it is :-)

Isn't he adorable!  I just love his hang-dog (hang-rabbit???) expression!  I looked at this image and thought he'd be perfect for a belated birthday card - despite having a box full I always seem to be late in posting cards, naughty me :-), so I probably should make a whole host of these.   The only trouble was I don't have a "I'm sorry I'm an idiot and forgot your birthday" stamp, so had to make my own up with a clear alphabet

The papers are all from my hoard (stash is no longer appropriate...) as I'm trying to be good and use some stuff up!  The white strip at the bottom has been run through the Cuttlebug I have had on long tem loan from Debra - on the basis that she was moving and doing a house up and it would be "safer" with me :-).  The clock face and hands were stamped onto white card using brown Stazon and distressed with Distress Inks.

I've used a gold pen on his pocket watch and chain and Glossy Accents on the glass

I'm entering this card for Cupcake Craft Number 97 (sketch),  Allsorts Challenge 58 (embossing), The Crafty Pad Challenge 77 (embossing), Mo's Digital Challenge (anything goes) and the Crafty Catz Weekly Challenge (digi stamps)

Supplies:

White Cardstock, Bitter Chocolate and Dusk Bazzill;

Papers - Yoko by 7 Gypsies, ??? by Creative Imaginations;

Stamps - "Late" digi stamp, Mo Manning coloured with Copics, Gold pen ;  Francoise Alphabet,Woodware; Time Flies, Sandylion;

Flowers from Stash; Glossy Accents

Inks - Timber Brown Stazon; Antique Linen and Vintage Photo Distress Inks; Chestnut Roan Chalk Eye;

D'vine Swirl embossing folder - Cuttlebug; Large Deckled Rectangles Nesties

That's it from me for today, more tomorrow

Sue xx

Another day, another thank you teacher card :-)

Hi, hope you are having a great Monday :-)

Today I'm sharing another one of the cards I made yesterday for my son's teachers - this one is for his headmaster.  The school is quite a small one - only 20 kids in each of the 7 years - and as such they are really close knit and friendly school, and the bigger ones really look out for the little ones - it's a real little community. The head is pretty hands on and knows each one of the children by name and tries to take each class for half a day each week and as such I thought I should send him a thank you card too.

So I'm entering this one for the Charisma Cardz Challenge 25 - For the Boys

The papers are all from the {you]th range by Prima marketing and they are stunning made into a card, great for a boys card (of any age!).  I thought they were appropriate for this card because of the stars, lines and numbers!  A few buttons and there you go!  The image is Yale by Mo Manning

More tomorrow, thanks for stopping by

Why does my son have SOOOO many teachers!

He's only 8, but he has 5 including the teaching assistants!!  and I'm of the opinion that you can't send a gift/card to one of them and not the rest, so with 5 cards to make I decided to get cracking today.  I'll go to the supermarket soon and make use of the 3 for £10 offers get them all a bottle of wine as a gift, lord knows they deserve it after putting up with a class full of 7/8 year olds all year :-)

I'll be sharing these cards over the coming days as each one is different... hope that's OK :-)

It was a beautiful day here, really hot though and at times I had to go indoors to get cool, but took the finished cards into the garden to photograph

First up is one that I am entering for the Stamp Something Challenge - something vintage with flowers, as the papers are old style school registers, report cards and numbers.

I'm also entering this for Friday Sketchers Sketch 108 and Magical Crafts Fortnightly Challenge number 18

I know it's quite simple, but it looks pretty effective

I have used a new digital stamp, Yale by Mo Manning and coloured him in the colours of my sons school uniform.  I have no idea what card is going to which teacher, but I really hope they like them

More tomorrow, thanks for looking

Sue xx

Yum yum yum!

It was my eldest sons school fete today - they picked a good day for it, as it was nice and sunny...probably a bit to hot if I'm honest as some of the kids were melting faster than the ice cream :-)

They had sent a box home and asked the parents to make cakes for the cake stand... well I like a challenge so made two batches, one vanilla

and one lemon

Yum yum yum!!

More tomorrow - I've got to dash as I'm got to get ready as we are going to a wedding reception tonight

Hope you hare having a great weekend

Sue

xx

Thank you!

I've been inspired by Julie at Rainbow Days to have a rumage through my stamps at all the stamps that I don't use that often (if ever!!).  Well in these frugal times that just isn't on!!  I'm also trying to build a wide range of cards just in case I get a last minute call to go have a table at the farmers market..

I've now got quite a few birthday cards for women and girls, a few wedding cards, and I've been thinking what else do I need... hmmm... I seem to have quite a lot of options not covered, and I'm going to try to address that over then next few weeks. 

First up, Thank You cards.  Now I don't know about you but I am shocking for sending thank you cards - I normally just ring someone or send them an email.  How bad is that??  I do send Thank You cards (or at least a letter) to some people though - normally older relatives - and I try to make the kids send them - although splitting the atom is probably an easier task!

Anyway, back to the card!!

I like this stamp although before now I'd never used it.  I've used Stickles on the flowers to add a bit of dimension, and I like the purple and green colour combo too

I'm entering the Papertake Weekly Challenge - Sketch 43 with this card, although I've flipped the design by 180 degrees

Supplies: Stamps - Spikey Flower by Little Claire Designs, Sentiment from set, Ladybug Crafts Ink; Green and Purple Bazzill; Papers - "Tropical Blue Stripe" from Paper Adventures, "Fairy Garden" from Indeed Collection by Prima Marketing; Dark Blue Stickles; Gems, Ribbon, Pin Heads and Beads from Stash

Thanks for looking

Tennis anyone?

To celebrate the start of Wimbledon this week's Cupcake Craft Challenges was to make a card on the theme of Strawberries and Cream... I adore strawberries, but you can keep the cream unless its the really thick and lovely sort!

So I started with something similar to yesterdays card, but thought that Cupcake Ruby need a bit more bling than the the whimsical Daydreaming Ruby (and it was a jolly good excuse to use that Prima gem that I have been itching to use!)

As with yesterdays card she's wearing a bold red dress and I've got a bit carried away with the glitter as it's on her wings, edge of dress and the top of her shoes :).

I really wanted to incorporate a doily in this card, but I can't find any for love nor money, at least not that are of a suitable size for cardmaking... I might have to take a trip to the cake shop over the weekend, but that will probably mean I don't just come out with doilies.  If anyone has seen any on their travels, please can you let me know where - thank you :-)  So the lack of doily meant that this card is pretty similar to yesterdays (sorry about that), but I've used more of that stick on white lace ribbon - I think it looks pretty good though :-)

Thanks for looking - promise something completely different tomorrow!

Sue xx

Gotta get a heart in there somewhere!

I'm still making cards like it's going out of fashion :-)  I'm quite enjoying myself and HB is happy cos I don't moan about him watching programmes on Discovery about deep sea fishing, driving across ice, oil rigs etc etc.

Tonights card is one of a pair, and I'll show you the second one tomorrow (even though that is a bit of a cheat cos they are really similar :-)

Today I have used Daydreaming Ruby - I love her coloured in like this in a really bold red dress - I'm getting there with colouring the log she's sitting on as well and went a bit loopy with the blender pen but I think it looks OK.  I've then Glamour Dusted her wings and added glossy accents to her hair slide and the ladybird.

I'm entering her for Paperplay challenge week 24 - Something Old - the lacy ribbon and the heart shaped brads have been sitting in my stash for EVER, none of the papers are new and were all were off cuts from some long ago project, the stamp that I've used round the edge of Ruby was one of the first mini stamp sets I bought for about 99p and the chalkeye is so old I had to squidge it to get it to put enough colour on the stamp!!  So on that basis I think I fulfilled the criteria OK :-)

I am also entering her for Alphabet Challenge - H is for Hearts due to the heart shaped brads and the ribbon has got little hearts all the way through it

Supplies:

Stamp - Daydreaming Ruby by Ladybug Crafts Ink, coloured with Copics, Glamour Dust; Sentiment from Set Ladybug Crafts Ink; Studio G mini stamps;

Punches - EK Success Retro Flower, Mini Flower Punch - Tesco, Deckled Rectangles Nesties;

Brads and Gems from Stash

Cream Linen cardstock; Papers - Marooned Daisies, Sandylion; Fairytale, Fancy Pants; Dotty paper, ??

Thanks for looking

Sue xx

Blondie!

Hi ya, quick post from me today as I've been waffling on a bit int he last few posts :-)

I was asked the other day by a friend if  I had any cards using the Gorjustt Girls stamps with blond hair - to my horror - NO!  I have no idea why but I've had them for a while and have only ever coloured them with brown or black hair - why would that be???  I do the Ruby and Nikki images with different hair colours , why not these??? How very strange!!

So I said I'd do one for her with blond hair, and she looks really odd to me!!!  Come to think of it even the die cuts I bought of her were all dark haired I think...

Papers are by Doodlebug, flowers are Prima and Woodware, Brad is a felt one from Papermania, sentiment is by Woodware

There you go, told you it would be short :-)

Thanks for looking, Sue xx

What is it with me and challenges at the moment??... oh and another mini update!

I dunno, but I'm totally hooked at the moment on challenges!!

If you know me you know my crafty mojo has been going wanderlust on a regular basis for the last 8 months or so.  One thing and another piled up on top of the the day to day grind of work'kids/washing/ignoring the dust (LOL) and got down in the dumps and that affected my crafting and I just couldn't get inspired.

.. I dunno, maybe it's my star sign and the alignment of the moons and the suns have finally sorted themselves out and my mojo is slowly but surely returning and I'm likeing what I'm doing again :-)

... or more likely it's starting blogging on a daily basis and looking at all the fabulously inspiring work out there has given me the kick up the bum I needed!!

I think it's the latter!!!

Anyway... another  challenge

This one is for the Stampin' for the Weekend Challenge 41 - this week to use both the sketch (below) and blue and yellow...

hmmm - a rumage through my craft box provided some lovely yellow check paper, but the blue paper from the same range wouldn't go with any of my images (how has that happened!!!... that'll be me falling in love with papers and having no idea what i'm gonna go with them... again...)

More rumaging produced half a sheet of spotty blue paper, different manufacturer, but similar tones... hmmm

Now normally I like to use products from the same manufacturer, preferably from the same range, as you are pretty much guaranteed someone with better eyes than I have has made sure they will co-ordinate... but I think I've got away with mixing and matching this time...

...told you I was getting my mojo back!  Look at me going all "outside the box" (to quote my boss) and shock horror, mixing manufacturers!  OK, once I'd had a little lie down I got cracking with the card(s)...

Here's card number 1

Cute huh??

I've popped a drop of Glossy accents on her bowl and the spider.  Apologies for the awful main photo - the ones without the flash were too dark and the bling on the card was confusing the flash - grrr!!!

As I've still got my fingerts crossed for the farmers market next month I'm still going on the why make one when you can make 2... or more... so please bear with me if I share the same card but with different images for a while, just til I get it outta my system!!

So here's card 2...

In all honesty I think I prefer the second card... I think it's the sentiment stamp - I've got this acrylic circle set that I used for card 1, but trying to get the think to actually form a perfect circle is totally beyond me, and I just end up getting the massive hump with it!!  I'm much better with something that is supplied in a straight line that I can bend to make something wiggly if I want it like that...  I can see this set of stamps tipping me over the edge one day and ending up as straight stamps regardless of what the designer intended!!

Supplies:

White Cardstock; Blue Cardstock - "Sparkle", Bazzill Bling; Papers - Bo Bunny "Kitchen Spice, Nutmeg" and Paper Adventures "Old Macdonald's Fdarm Yellow Plaid": Pins and Beads - Dunelm Mill; Flowers - Prima; Brads - Papermania, Blue Gems, from Stash; Digi Stamps - "Little Miss Muffet" and "Jill is Two", both Mo Manning; Sentiments - "Jane's Script" and "Circular Creetings" both Woodware

Mini update - for those that are interested - engine in and it turns over fine (horray!!! - Dad relieved!!), rest of bits and bobs being rebolted and reconnected to engine this week.   Official key turning event planned for next weekend.  Oh god, I have this horrible feeling I'm gonna be expected to actually drive it!!!  I've been driving various german built things for the last few years!!!  And it's soooooooooooooo small!!!

Thanks for stopping by

Sue xx

Happy Fathers Day!

Hi!  Hope you are having a good day!

It's fathers day in the UK today - my eldest son had made his dad a card at school, but I wanted to do one from them both for my HB too...

This is what I came up with

I love how this turned out!! (and HB and the kids liked it too, which was a bonus :-) )

The images are from the Jungle Pals set by Woodware and I have stamped another pair of the monkeys paws and 3D'd them.  I've added glossy accents to some areas on the leaves, monkey's nose and on the bananas.  I kicked myself after this was all done and sealed in the envelope as I wrote "from" and "your" to complete the sentiment I wanted and for not thinking to use my white rub on alphabet!  Duh!! 

I've attached the bananas to the back of the green card only, and the leaves to the front so they wobble about a bit!  The green card and the brown triangles are on foam pads, and the main image is on yet more foam pads to give a bit of lift.  I think this is a perfect image for Fathers Day from my boys as they are both being a bit of a handful, although for different reasons, at the moment

I am entering this card into several challenges:

Cupcake Craft Challenge 95 - One for the Boys

Papertake Weekly Challenge - Ice Cream Flavours - This is Mint Choc Chip!

One Stop Craft Challenge week 85 - One for boys

Supplies: White and Green Cardstock; Brown Buttons from Stash: Stamps - Woodware Jungle Pals (the "Cheeky Monkey!" is from this set too), "Love to you" from Janes Script sentiment set also by Woodware; Papers -  Little Boy Blue"That's My Boy" Daring Dots and "Little Man" Zig Zag and Growing Up all from My Minds Eye, Quite Contrary range;  Inks - Tuxedo Black Momento and Timber Brown Stazon; Copics; White pen

That one was actually card number 6 yesterday - I think I must have got warmed up by then as it really flowed, no sketch (not even by me), no nothing, just went for it!!  I quite surprised myself LOL!

So cards 4 and 5??  Well Fathers Day cards for my Dad and FIL.  As ever with these things they are both pretty similar and both use Bo Bunny's Anna Sophia "Worn Dots" and "Shabby Plaid" papers and stamps from the Bubbly set of Stamps by Penny Black.  I kept them quite plain - I think I'd lost the will to live at this point and my little one was driving me insane... mojo returned just in time for HB's card!

First up, my Dad who likes cats:

I'm gonna be honest and say that I found this image tricky to colour, maybe because I was trying to get it to look too much like my parents cat! I used the blender pen quite a bit and it came together eventually!  A touch of white pen on the ballons followed then I cut round part of the ballons laid them over the top of the Nestability die while I cut the rest of the image out.  I've been wanting to try this for a while - I haven't explained it very well, but this tutorial out of the frame tutorial by Rach is really helpful :-), I then used Faded Jeans distress ink to make it look like he was up high.

Next, FIL - he prefers dogs to cats

All in all quite a successful weekends work - just umpteen birthday and anniversary cards to make now!

Thanks for stopping by

Sue xx