Little Buddy's Birthday FMS174 cQc#280

I organised my Saturday so that I did my shopping early, and was home by 10.30, mainly to avoid the heat (and crowds). Then I did my tidying up and by lunchtime I had free time to craft. February/March are very heavy on birthdays in our family, and now there's another one, with a brand new nephew arriving last Wednesday. His safe arrival has been a long process for my sister-in-law and her partner and we wish them much joy with their precious son.

It might be a good idea to build my stock of children's cards, and so I pulled out this often-ignored stamp set Little Buddy Birthday to make a card using the sketch at Freshly Made Sketches. I always like the sketches the design team challenge with at FMS and this week is no exception. What about the interesting colour combination at ColourQ? These shades are so rich and regal, but I like the way they balance each other.
Perfectly Rustics have a challenge to use wings, and this little guy has the teeniest wings, so I'll pop it into that challenge too.

The other stamp sets are the retired Up Up And Away for the chirpy sentiment, and Perpetual Birthday Calendar for the spots in different sizes. Those little stamps come in so handy for adding little details. I decided to use some of the gold foil punched into circles to make the gold spots and match up with the starburst circle of gold.

I still have some Moonlight Designer Series Paper Stack left and it seemed like this spotty piece really suited the card front, and actually, there is enough white space to write a greeting.

We have an early start on Sunday morning to head out of town and spend the day with a 7 year-old birthday boy. How quickly the years pass!

Have fun
Rachel

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

Three Friendly, Furry Monsters

Once I saw these cute, little furry monsters that a number of people have pinned on Pinterest, I wanted to give it a go. I still had the eyes from a Holiday catalogue from about a year ago, and I had the Simple Stems stamp set too. Yes - believe it or not, it is a flower from that stamp set, but I doubt that I will EVER see it that way!

The Paper Player's challenge, set by LeAnne this week, is to use three: a "Three Spree."
Therefore, three little monsters (with another one inside for good measure). This might just end up being the birthday card for the grandson turning three this year too, unless I think of something better before then! For that reason, I have finished this card inside as well.

Now, I have also based the layout on the sketch at Try Stamping On Tuesday. Not with a photo, as suggested, but I might later, although I rarely do a single photo layout. Only one of the design team did, so I don't feel TOO badly.
I also used a couple of stamps from Just Sayin' and cut them with the matching Word Bubble Framelit Dies. The greeting inside is from the retired stamp set Up, Up and Away. Those sentiments fit the Word Bubbles nicely too. A strip of Perfect Plum was dry embossed with Embossing Folder Alphabet Press, love the texture it gives.





I'm planning to do some more creating today, must away...
Rachel

Happy Birthday

It has been a little while since my youngest son's birthday, so I can safely share the card I made for him using new colours and product from Stampin' Up!

They're not so new now, and you can go to my online shop to place your order (if you reside in Australia). Here is the link to my online store. You even earn the same hostess benefits there as you do when you spend $300 with me personally.
The card colour is Bermuda Bay, an In-colour from the time before I was a Stampin' Up! demonstrator and  reintroduced in the brights colour family. Its just beautiful!
The inks I used were Bermuda Bay, Smoky Slate, Midnight Muses and Basic Black.

I have used the lovely new stamp set Gorgeous Grunge on the front of the card and some of the Epic Day washi tape too.  The greeting is from Label Love and cut out with an Artisan Label Punch. I cut a window out of the card front with my 2½ inch circle punch and used 2 of the hot air balloons out of the now (retired) Up Up and Away stamp set and the greeting was also from the (retired) stamp set Word Play. At the time I needed the card, my new greeting stamps were in transit or I probably would have used the Live the life you've imagined from Really Good Greetings. Aaron is at a junction in his life, so to speak, finishing off his science degree with a year of research on site and in the laboratory, before he moves on to the "Real World".

Happy stamping!
Rachel

  

In the Direction for CCMC251

I'm always being asked for cards for men and boys, it seems to be a challenge for everyone to make something for the fellas in their lives. I haven't made this with anyone in particular in mind, so it will just go into my stash of cards, for now.

I've used two retiring stamp sets, Word Play for the greeting and Up Up and Away for the hot air balloon. (I'm going to miss both of those sets so badly!)

The other stamp set with the map of world and compass stamps is The Open Sea, which is sticking around, thank goodness! I've seen sneak peeks of a LARGE stamp, same size as Swallowtail,  which is a map too, looks great!

I used Basic Gray, Bravo Burgundy (retiring) and Gumball Green card, with the addition to those colours of some Crumb Cake and Garden Green in the inks. The Bravo Burgundy went through the Big Shot inside the Chevron folder for just a bit of texture, doesn't really show in the  first photo, might be better in the next one.

For inspiration, I went over to Create with Connie and Mary, and used this sketch.


Hope you've enjoyed dropping by, I've loved having you call in,
See you
Rachel

I Dig You PP143 PPA158

I have been asked to make a 2nd birthday card for a little boy who loves trucks. Well, what little boy doesn't love trucks?

The obvious choice for this card would have to be I Dig You paired with the happy little birthday greeting from Up Up and Away. Both these stamps sets will be retired when our new catalogue is released so if you don't already own them, now is the time to think about making that purchase.

I found that Ann's sketch over at The Paper Players was just the inspiration I needed and then the colours at Pals Paper Arts were fabulous too.

Just in case that card doesn't appeal to my customer, I have rustled up a similiar one using the truck from I Dig It and Real Red with Pacific Point. I like them both and have a grandson turning 2 this year as well, so I will keep the spare for him.
I used the large doiley from the Bigz l Perfect Pennants cut on my Big Shot of course. Punches used were the 2½ inch circle, 1 inch circle and the 1¼inch scallop circle. The number comes from that very useful set Memorable Moments.

I am entering these challenges:
The Paper Players pp143
PalsPaper Arts PPA 158 color challenge

Fathers Day balloons CCMC245

Since I am on holiday at the moment, I should really have loads of time for challenges, and yet I have come close to missing entering for this challenge at Create with Connie and Mary.
With Easter, and family, there didn't seem to be as much time.

Tonight, however, I have rustled up this simple little one layer (almost) card to celebrate Father's Day, which isn't until September in Australia, so heaps early!!!

Balloons come from Up Up and Away and the greeting is from Delightful Dozen. I hope that the night photography isn't too dark, thanks for dropping by.

Maybe I will have more time tomorrow,

hope so,

Rachel