Summer Header and Hello Card

Hello Everyone,

Time for change again. Spring's over and daffodils are over too so time for a new summery header.

I've used one of the Gelli plate prints I made a few weeks ago - see post here - for the base panel. It's over-stamped it with seedheads and grasses that make me think of a summer meadow - , pretty randomly but leaving an area in the centre fairly clear- the name of my blog appears in this area.

 Grasses from Hobby Art's 'March Hares' set, Penny Black's 'Aspire' and the dandelion head from a set that was a free gift from a magazine.

Ink pads - We Are Memory Keepers, aqua, green & pink; Memento Dew Drop 'Elderberry & Pear Tart; Versafine 'Imperial Purple' & Olympia Green.

Of course, once I'd taken a photo of the panel, and uploaded it to Serif CraftArtist where it was merged with my blog name, I made a card.

Nothing too complicated. I simply stamped and embossed the greeting, 'Hello' from Papermania Capsule Geometric stamp set, with embossing ink and Stampendous Midnight Black powder on to middle of the panel. Then, to finish, the panel was matted on to a scrap of deep pink cardstock and then adhered to the front of a white scalloped card base.

That's it for me today. Many thanks for dropping in to see what I've been up today - I appreciate your visits and the comments you leave.

Take care and have a wonderful Saturday.

New Look Header - New Look Me

Hello Everyone,

I have a new hairdo.

I've had the same style since a few years ago when I had the 'big cut' - in fact, about 4 years ago when, due to arthritis, my waist-length hair had become too difficult to care for.

I'm thrilled with the new me. The EM gave it his thumbs-up too.

One change can often lead to another and my new hairdo certainly has. My blog header hadn't had a makeover in too long. I'd simply forgotten it. I opened up my much neglected Serif Craft Artist and set to work. The result is the new header above. Hope you like.

The sun is out and the sky is blue, though it is a tad chilly - a perfect autumn day. It's pulling me outdoors - got to enjoy it while we can, we have a long winter ahead.

Take care and enjoy your weekend.

The Completed Dinky Flower Border Card ... and also a Typewriter Birthday Card

Evening Everyone,

Between hops around blogs, I've managed to complete the card you might have noticed I was working on this morning ... scroll down to the previous post to see it part done.

The card is one of several featuring digi stamps that have been stashed away on my PC. I usually print them out on to smooth white card to be coloured then trimmed to whatever shape, matted and used on a card. But recently I've been experimenting with my graphics software, firstly creating cards using my own flower photographs (featured in an earlier post this week), and then digital images. The dinky wee Flower Border stamp on this card is from Digi Stamp Boutique. I've coloured it with Promarkers and teamed it up with some tiny strips of leftover design paper in coordinating colours. A stamped greeting and an simple insert completes the card - very CAS :)

Materials used: white Papermania textured cardstock for base, printer paper for insert; Digi Stamp Boutique's Flower Border stamp; ProMarkers - Rose Pink, Blossom, Tea Green, Powder Blue, Primrose, Pastel Yellow, Lime Zest, Pear Green; Stamp from Verve, Thanks So Much; Memento Tuxedo Black ink pad; three thin strips of paper in aqua, olive green and rose pink

They may be tiny but I think the snippets of leftover papers qualify this card for a trip over to Di's playground, that's at Pixies Crafty Snippets Playground - Week 71. I've heard on the grapevine that there might be a picnic going on up in the treehouse :))

This next card features a typewriter from Nice Crane Designs Typewriter Machine set that looks just like the one the EM picked up for a song at the car boot sale recently. Interestingly, I bought  the digital image long before my lovely typewriter was discovered ... wishful thinking perhaps :)

The card created using Serif Craft Artist Professional and printed on to white Papermania Textured cardstock. 

The insert, on ordinary printer paper, features the typewriter image shrunk down, and it's on the back too.

I thought this card would be perfect for a male recipient ... not a flower, ribbon or glitter in sight :) 

Apart from finishing off the flower border card, very little crafting has been done again today. However, I have taken photos of some more completed projects that have been waiting in the wings, so to speak, and then cropped them down ready for posting at some time. To quote Barbara Gray, I have a plan :) And it concerns the holiday we have lined up for June. The plan is to have a week of posts written up and scheduled to appear while I'm away ... hopefully, that done, you won't even know I'm gone :))

In the meantime, I find I'm in need of some liquid refreshment so I'm off downstairs for another cup of tea :)

Take care everyone and have a lovely evening.

Happy crafting,

Flower Cards ... made with my own photos

Evening Everyone

Hope you have all had a great bank holiday Monday.

I've been finding my way around Serif Craft Artist Professional this afternoon, experimenting with the best layouts, fonts and printer settings ... this proved to be the most difficult part but I think I have sussed it out now :)

I had a disaster or two but here's a few that came out okay.

Lady's Mantle

Queen Elizabeth Rose

Pot Marigold

Rudbekia

White Foxglove

Yellow Rose

I used Papermania textured card which gives a nice canvas effect on the photographs. Each flower is framed either with an edge from GA Artistic Edges Volumes 1-3 or one of the various frames found in Serif Craft Artist. The font for the greeting is 39 Smooth and Holiday Springs BTN Quill is the one I chose for my signature on the back.

Every card has a tiny photo on the back and inside on the inserts - which were printed on ordinary printer paper - like this:

If I hadn't had to spend so much time sorting out the settings on my printer, I think I could have said that these were quick and easy cards to make. As it is, I can say that they are handy cards to have tucked away in my drawer ... I won't get caught out again for that card needed in a hurry :)

That scrap page is still lying on the workdesk, unfinished ... I'm struggling to create just the right embellishment cluster for it even though the rest of the layout is looking good. It includes a photo of my late mother that I particularly love.

I think it's a case of 'walk away from the layout' Elizabeth :))

That's said, I'm away to have a cuppa and think about it.

Take care all, and have a good evening,

Happy crafting,

Flower Photo Cards - experiments with my photographs

Afternoon All,

Again! Twice in one day! After the cake comes the cards.

I've been playing with my computer and it's all because I've long admired what Jackie, of Craft Designs, does with her photographs and the cards she makes with them. Since seeing her work I've been keen to try to find my way round Photoshop myself. So, over the last couple of days, in between eating, sleeping and WOYWW blog-hopping, ... not to mention the dreaded 'H' word, all dedicated crafters will know what I mean by that ... I've been having a bash and here's what I've done.

The photos were imported into Serif Craft Artist and then altered using Photoshop before printing off. I'm still learning but it's fun to see the different effects that can be achieved. The flowers, the pink African Daisy (Osteospernum) and blue dwarf Columbine (Alpine Aquilegia) are both plants grown in my garden.

Materials used: 

• white bases cards
• linen textured paper for printing
• scraps of coloured cardstock for matting
• various greeting stamps and Memento Tuxedo Black ink pad
• pink gems/Papermania dew drops, aqua, for embellishments

Tools used: 

• Serif Craft Artist & Photoshop
• Epson XP-40 printer; Docrafts X-cut dies, circles, spiro circles, flower shapes
• Stampin' Up label punch

All this experimenting has had the added benefit of using up a few snippets too, so I'm checking in at Di's place to see what action, if any, is going on at Pixie's Crafty Snippets Playground - Week 67.

And that really is that for today ... I'm in the middle of putting a scrap page together and I really do want to finish it. It's raining, and the rain is very welcome, but I don't plan on going out into it ... I'd rather stay warm and dry in the craft room.

I'll be back tomorrow to announce the winner of this week's book giveaway. 

Take care all and I wish you all an enjoyable weekend wherever you are.

Happy crafting,