No Challenges in this post

This will be a long post!

Phew - it's been a busy few days for us retired folks!  I have had my usual volunteer thingys on Monday and Wednesday, and then have I told you that we are renovating out kitchen?  We have been at this for several months and have now purchased all the white goods, signed the deal with a builder and now it looks as if it will all go ahead in the second week in September.  So, if I don't post as regularly it may be because I am somewhat busy with other things!

Now, the card above was made for a male friend who turned 70 last week.  The image is from a wine bottle - Mr Duncan - but it was too good to thrown away.  Some red card through the Cuttlebug with a Sissix folder, and backed onto some tan paper.  This is then backed onto brown card.  The 70 was cut out of Tim Holtz Grunge paper and sprayed with Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist - Peppermint Stick.  This didn't work as well as I thought so I then painted it with white Gesso and sprayed it again - it was a bit better.  Edged around them with Krylon Gold Pen.  I then added some string. 

The base or inside of the easle card:  tan card punched with Fiskars Loop Punch, and I added the metal tag Dream which was floating in the stash, so I don't know where it came from. The sentiment was typed up and then edged with SU Close to Cocoa ink, as is all the other card pieces except for the brown blank.

Here is a close up of the card front: don't you love the relaxed style of Mr Duncan!

                                     

Then I did my usual cut up of magazines where I can get ideas from or case a good card.  I cased this one from the UK magazine CARDS, but not sure whose it was. 

                                            

Have only just realise that it has slipped off the hanger! Must fix that up! So, yellow SU card blank, and then some lilac card, and whisper white - put through the Cuttlebug with a Swiss Dots folder.  This was sponged with SU Melon Mambo ink. The hanger is made from gold wire twisted into shape.  The dress - scraps of DP, punched with SU's scalloped edge punch and then inked with Melon Mambo ink.  The scraps were stuck to a spare bit of card and I handcut the whole skirt shape.  The top is made of JAC paper and tinsel.  It was fun to made but fiddly to get it organised.  Again, I handcut the shape for the bodice. Some pink bling and a flower centre jewel from Prima finished it off.  Looks sweet I thought.

                                             

Got three parcels from Japan from a friend there and had to made a thank you card for these.  I thought I would try and be 'Japanesy' so took out the Waltzing Mouse Stamp set called Asian Garden, and some things from the extra set Asian gardens additions.  Also used an old foam stamp for the sign 'wisdom' and small letters to make the sentiment 'Arigato' which means thank you in Japanese. I also used a pice of special Japanese paper as a background, and some pink handmade silk paper, as well as the SU Whisper White.  I edged the white card with SU Melon Mambo and use that for the lantern, sign and sentiment. I used SU Soft Suede and Old Olive for the tree.  The whole thing is on a piece of green sparkly Bazzil card.

Last one! This is another case from the same magazine already mentioned.  I used a piece of light brown card that is a bit flimsy but it distressed so well, I thought I would go with it. It is not Bazzil - came in a pack, but don't know the name of the manufacturer. 

                                                

Cut the circles using SU punches - three diferent sizes - from green Co'ordinations and distressed them by filing the edges. The tree trunk is cut from wood veneer GIVEN TO ME by my husband from the workshop! (Don't faint!) I stuck it to JAC paper to make it easier to cut out but it was tricky.  A sticker behind the tree, and a red heart sticker on the tree, some ribbon and some distressing around the base card and a rub-on at the top, as well as letter stickers for DAD.  Inside also used some letter stickers. I thought it looked very effective and it was simple.

                                                      

So, that's all for now - perhaps I will enter some Challenges now!