Gilded Cage - another 4x4 card

Hello Everyone,

I hope you've all had a happy weekend and that Monday hasn't been too bad for you either. My weekend was busy ... not crafting busy, but being with family busy :)

Unfortunately, I've had the mother and father of all headaches today so I've spent it quietly pottering about. In fact, most of my time has been taken up with embossing with the Cuttlebug. I dug out all those folders I've either never used, shame on me, or have not looked at for quite some considerable time. I also cut up two 12"x12" sheets of card, one white and the other Kraft, to make 4" square card bases - you can get 4 from one sheet.

However, after all that playing around, I've only got one wee card to share with you.

The Swiss dotted edging is from one of the first set of embossing folders I bought ... in fact it came with the Cuttlebug ... and I think I may have used it only once in all that time! It's a border folder and, unfortunately, not only does it do the embossing, but it also leaves a line caused by the edge of the folder, which I really didn't want. To disguise this, I butted the patterned paper right up to the line and then used a very fine gold peel-off edging to cover it completely. The stamped image was a tester from a previous cardmaking session ... I'd saved it in my stash thinking it might come in useful one day. It  is coloured with ProMarkers and glitter has been added to the cage - making it the gilded cage of the title :) The leaves were also tucked away in my stash - the result of an evening watching TV! The flowers were punched from the contrasting patterned paper and blinged up with a yellow gem in the centre.

Strips of the patterned paper and gold peel-offs decorate the inside.

The base patterned paper is wrapped round the back and trimmed with a peel-off too. And a punched flower made from the two papers adorn the back.

Here's a list of the materials I used:

• White card for base, cut to measure 8" x 4" and folded to form the 4" square card
• Cuttlebug and Cuttlebug Embossing Borders Folder, Just My Type
• Basic Grey paper pad, Out Of Print 
• Snippet of white card for stamp, Crafty Individuals stamp, C1-320, Memento Ink Pad, Rich Cocoa
• ProMarkers - Buttercup, Pastel Yellow, Pear Green, Marsh Green, Sandstone
• Woodware Punches, daisy (2 sizes), leaves and corner rounder
• Other items: glue pen, dark gold glitter, yellow gems, various adhesives

I plan to submit this card to the Fat Pages and Cards with an Attitude challenge #8 - Anything Goes

As I said earlier, I spent some time visiting family this weekend and caught up with my little great-granddaughter, Rhian. My granddaughter, her mum, moved house last year and now lives quite a drive away and we don't see them as much as we'd like so it was lovely to catch up. Rhian is growing fast as you can see from this photo taken with her adoring great-granddad.

And here's another close up. Her eyes are a most unusual grey/brown colour.

Hopefully, the headache will have gone and I'll be more productive tomorrow and have something completed to share with you.

In the meantime, I wish you all a good night and see you tomorrow.

Happy Crafting,