Wednesday, March 2, 2016

Photo Inspiration this week.....OG 222

 This lovely calming photo is the inspiration for two cards I made this week. I had thought to go off into a dreamy haze of greys and blacks, maybe with a hint of bling, but instead I went to the golden end of the spectrum for both.

This one uses up a piece of Stampin Up paper that I have always loved for its shadowy images and muted colours.  A little bit of black matte sequins in a spray complete the picture, and its a rusty coloured card for a change.
 The second card goes right down the autumn spectrum and uses an oriental paper as its background.  The tag and flowers are from my box of "come in handy" things.  As always, I am seduced by the paper and want to show it off.
The biggest flowers are another Stamin Up product, from right back when I first made cards.  One day I embossed lots and lots and tried out all my embossing powders just to see what they did.....these are some of the last.

Wonder what other people created this week?

Sunday, February 14, 2016

Love is all you need.....

....and a little bit of money doesn't hurt!

Got just a little bit carried away with the heart-shaped punches, but, its all in a good cause if it makes a pretty picture.

My favourite colours just ARE black and white, no matter how many times I use anything else,  so to make something from the heart, I went back to my first love.  The card background is black so, inside I put a square of paler DP to save looking for a silver pen that works (why do they always run out when you need them?).....and on the front is a roughly torn piece of soft fluffy handmade paper.  I added a random collection of red and white hearts, and a sentiment I wrote myself.  The only bling is a tiny red sparkler on one of the hearts.

I like it, and Peter would have too, since it uses his favourite colours too....RED, white and black.

This card answers the Challenge at Opus Gluei to show us if love is all YOU need; is it?

Sunday, January 31, 2016

Favourites.....OG #220

Loving the opportunity to use my very favourite colour combination has made me go a little overboard.  Its no surprise that my favourite background colour is black because it makes everything else seem so much clearer and brighter, but its also no surprise that, given my head, black and white are my "go to" combination for every event.

So......planning to make one card, I made four, each using black and white.  My favourite uses a piece of recycled paper made into an accordion pleated flower.  Once it was tied in the centre with a couple of pieces of coloured string, the rest was easy.  I'm obsessed with packs of vinyl flourishes at the moment, but they'll be finished soon.  There are silver and black pieces here, as well as the last of a piece of spotted ribbon and a scrap of old Stampin' Up DP.



Now on a roll, and with a pack of black cards in hand, the next card came together from scraps on the desk.  Its busy, but I think it works.




In the hunt through the boxes of bits, I came across the last few tri-fold window cards which I find hard to use....but they are black, so that's at least one point in their favour. The third card came together by accident (yes, well maybe it looks like that too) and has a few more of those vinyl flourishes and dots.

The last card uses another of the tri-fold cards and some kaiser-craft cut-outs, along with a star I stamped rather imperfectly, but I think that's okay today when shabby is still chic!  The white embossed paper in the window is almost the last of a piece of wrapping paper I have been hoarding and using sparingly for too long (thank you Beth).



I have far too many boxes of bits and pieces, and pieces of DP, and I love them all, so rather than buy more, my resolution for the year is to USE THEM.  I know they'll work because when I look through them, I never say "Where did THAT come from?".  Maybe this year my crafting hobby will cost less??

If you too have a favourite colour combination, make something wonderful,and show us at Opus Gluei this week.  We'd  love to see your work.

Sunday, January 17, 2016

Happy Birthday Mum

This year my Mum turns 85,but you'd never know it from anything about her.  She loves to dress up and go out for lunch, so this year we headed into the National Gallery to Persimmon, their beautiful restaurant, to do just that.

I made her a card that makes a feature of her favourite muted silver, and added some pearls as well.



Over at Opus Gluei, we're celebrating the New Year with a sparkly shimmery Challenge, so why not make something like this for someone special in your life, and share it with us.