I needed to send a sympathy card to a friend and initially was going to buy a card, but then thought I would try and make one. I had to rein in my usual girly floral ideas, and keep it simple. The paper is a recent purchase from The Stamp Attic, I think it is quite thoughtful and appropriate. I kept the embellishments very simple with just 3 plain brads and some black velvet ribbon which I have been itching to use. Still haven't geot the hang of cropping... the left side of the card has been chopped, should show a red border like the other sides!

ICSketches #17

Really liked the sketch to follow! I began with some paper I bought last week from the Stamp Attic and used a stamp image borrowed from my friend Anne's huge collection! Tried to think of something different to do at bottom of sketch and used ribbon instead of circles.... I am trying to de feminise my cards, but seem unable! I went to Flutterbye Crafts this week and asked them to recommend one thing for a new crafter, they suggested a paper cutter and I have used the alternative cutting edge on the small green insert ver pleased with the effect it gives.

CPS-Card Sketches CPS 116

Went to my first craft class/gathering at Stamp Attic http://www.thestampattic.co.uk/ everyone was very friendly, didn't get much done, was happy to look at other crafters work! Bought some lovely paper which I have used on this challenge, yet again I have changed my thinking about the design in the middle of attempting this challenge, well they do say it's a woman's priveledge!

Sketch and Stash Challenge 10

I used a lovely stamp from my friend Anne as a starting point for this card, it's for a friend's 50th birthday who is a hard working teacher and should definitely take time out for afternoon tea! My new item is the background paper, a lovely parchment which I picked up yesterday from a little shop in my home town of Newbury http://www.artists-materials.co.uk/ that I had never been in before (new to cardmaking!).

Whoops! you can tell I am new to this, forgot to crop my card.

Corrosive Challenge #11

This is my first challenge! I really appreciated having the focus of the challenge to start me off, and not the panic of a blank card! I used my friend Anne's Gorjuss girl stamp, she also lent me a fab book (cards June 2009 red line publications) which gave me the idea to use more the one bow on the ribbon. I continued the circles theme with the embellishments on the top ribbon and kept to a small colour palette.

Chocolate!

This is a very simple design, but I am pleased with how it turned out. Probably something to do with browns being a favourite colour of mine! The label was from my Ally Pally pack, and now that my friend Anne has let me use her (many!) cake stamps, I should be able to use more of my chocolate resources.

Penny Black

2nd Penny Black

Penny Black stamp

This is the first stamp I bought, and I'm really happy with it. I have coloured it in several different ways each time I have used it and still getting pleasure from it. The 2 examples I have shown are my most recent, the pink and black uses resources I treated myself to on a recent visit to Alexander Palace card show just a few weeks ago. Had a lovely day out and am proud that I managed to restrain myself from buying too mucheven though it was my first visit to a show!

Butterfly stamp!

This is the latest card I have made. It began life as a card to show off my latest purchase; a lovely rectangular stamp featuring a trio of bugs ang butterfies. However, the brown background was too dark so I changed my mind completely and as I have a shopoholic daughter who has several likeminded friends, I knew this would get used by me soon!