CASEing the Catty - #CTC158 Case From a Page Your Age

Case a project from a page of your age - or the age you would like to be!  

I have to admit the page of my age didn't spin my wheels, so this week I think I would like to be 45 and have used the holiday catalogue image below:

I was also wanting the inspiration for a special birthday card for a young lady who turned 18 on Friday. I decided to use a similar style to this one I had made my daughter last year but with the front sealed off to create a pocket for a gift card or similar.  

The Year of Cheer Specialty DSP was perfect for this celebration, and I made the mini treatbag from it, then used a piece slightly smaller as the pocket lining (below). Being a smaller size card, I opted to use Whisper White for the card base, and sponged Sweet Sugarplum around the edge. Diecuts made of Champagne Foil, numbers and bow; along with Sweet Sugarplum: numbers, heart and Happy Birthday, then Vellum from Stitched Shapes. Corners were rounded with the Envelope Punch board. The elements used were the Silver Metallic Foil Doilly, Silver Mini Sequin Trim and Metallic Thread and the tiny hearts are wooden from the Hearts and Stars elements, which were pressed against the Sweet Sugarplum ink pad and then fine tip glue was added for the shine. The front was scattered with assorted size sequins from the Metallic Sequins assortment.  

The inside was calling for another of those cute little Party Pandas, and I wanted a decent space to write a note so the right side was left blank.

Amazing how much more challenging crafting becomes when you have one leg that you are not allowed to bear weight on. However we got there, and I hope it inspires you to have a go at joining in this week, hook up with the link on the right.  Meantime, be sure to pop on over to Megan's blog and check it out.

Surprise Birthdays are Great

A special friend recently turned an age with a zero on the end, and I was fortunate enough to be able to attend a surprise luncheon for her. To see her face when she entered the room made the travel and juggling all worth while!

Before I received the invitation I was already busy making this card which was inspired by the super talented Bronwyn Eastley. Isn't it amazing??  The invitation meant it wasn't such a rush to get it in the post! My version is a little more toned down but uses a few of the same elements, based on the Z-fold card.

Background cardstock is Crumb Cake. Very Vanilla has been embossed with the Brick Wall TIEF and sponged around the edges. The Wood Crate framelits and a light shade of Wood Textures DSP for the flower container, with a Silver Metallic Foil doily edging. The flowers and leaves are coloured or inked Peekaboo Peach, Rich Razzleberry and Pear Pizzazz. Jar of Love for the crate flowers and the Sprinkles of Life basket and flowers on the front. Country Livin' boots and basket stamped in Early Espresso with Crumb Cake and Early Espresso water colouring. Greeting is the Happy Birthday Thinlit cut apart and the numbers are stacked, the first layer stamped from Number of Years and that along with Peekaboo Peach die cut using the Large Numbers framelits.  

My handwritten message is attached to a Very Vanilla panel and added on the back.  This does all fold down nicely to fit in an envelope. The not-so-helpful Rove keeping an eye on proceedings. Have a fabulous year Cindy - a privilege to be part of your celebrations!

Significant Age Birthday Card

Sitting there chatting with my husband and mentioned the next day being his Mother's birthday, when he dropped in "and she's 75"! My panic-meter went off and I knew the birthday card I had thought I would use wasn't going to cut the mustard. I got up yesterday morning and decided to grab out the challenge colours from Colour INKspiration #CI05 (Blushing Bride, Soft Sky and Sahara Sand), and as she has a little bird, I also grabbed the Best Birds stamp set and told myself that was it - not to go getting any other ideas!

And here is the card I came up.  I took a piece of Whisper White card stock, slapped my 3 challenge ink pads directly onto the cardstock and then spritzed until the harsh edges started to soften and the colour moved. I had to speed up the drying with the heat gun. Next I diecut 75 from the Large Numbers framelits, and one of the Birds and Blooms thinlits for the main image.  The card is 6x6" and the base is Blushing Bride, then a mat of Sahara Sand with Soft Sky as the top layer. To soften the top layer, I stamped with Sahara Sand images from the Best Birds.  The mesh in the middle was stamped off to give more depth to the edge images. Leaves were stamped in Sahara Sand onto same colour cardstock and diecut, along with a circle frame from Stitched Shapes framelits.  I then cut flowers from scraps of the coloured piece of Whisper White, Soft Sky and Blushing Bride using the Bloomin' Heart thinlits. Finished with pearls, linen thread bow and Wink of Stella, although it didn't show up in the photo - which I apologise for, the day turned a bit hectic and my distraction meant a rushed picture before it was given away.

I used the new Reverse Words from the Sale-a-bration set for the inside in Soft Sky, and the greeting from Best Birds, along with another little Birds & Blooms image in Soft Sky...

"Love" - International Visual Blog Hop

Welcome to our International Visual Blog Hop using current Stampin' Up!® Products. What a great selection of projects for you to be inspired by!  We would appreciate it if you could hop around and visit all of our blogs to see a close up of our projects.  Our theme this month is "LOVE" because as Card makers we LOVE spreading the love! Check out the gallery below, this will be on every blog that you click on so you will never be lost.

As our darling daughter has a birthday coming up - it seemed only fitting to combine the biggest love of our lives with the Love challenge!  I think I'll be safe in her not seeing it before the day as exams are finished today and apparently some social time to catch up on.

Yes, back to an old favourite - the Mini Treat bag and matching card. Blushing Bride cardstock and Blushing Bride Glimmer Paper teamed with Whisper White.  The contrast is the linen thread wrapped around the bag.

Happy Heart TIEF to add interest to the bag, although I chose to use the debossed side. The banner is made using the hearts line up from the Mini Treat Bag Thinlits with strips of BB Glimmer Paper behind and on top.  The end of the banner was made using the heart shape upside down, I felt it tied up the theme more. Hello You Thinlits for the Happy has been raised using dimensionals and Tin of cards stamp set for Birthday word. Tin of cards for the greeting on the front of the card as well.

The heart shape cut from the front is also from the Mini Treat framelits, When cut out I lined up another from the glimmer paper, and adhered to the next page. The background was made using the Playful Backgrounds - stamped off with Blushing Bride Ink, and the circles were embossed with Silver Embossing Powder.  But wait - there's more...

Yes - a mini trifold - if you're interested in trying this yourself - Whisper White was cut to 4 3/4" x 10 1/2", scored at 3 1/2" and 7".  I folded then punched my corners with the Envelope Punch board. 

The greeting is from Wild about Flowers, and being animal owners, they both had to feature, thanks to Bella and Friends, and Pretty Kitty.  Number of Years to highlight the age, which used Large Number framelits.  

Thanks for visiting today - if you are interested - both the Large Number framelits and Blushing Bride Glimmer Paper are featured on the Online Extravaganza - (if you are in NZ, use the Shop Now button - and overseas visitors - see your demonstrator).  Offer expires Monday - 28th November!  Same day as this card will be given.  Big thanks to Kylie Bertucci for organising this hop... 

Sweet Sixteen Pop Up Twist Card

Decided to make a card for my daughter's friend - and you know it's a hit when she thanks me and claims it! As I usually get the story about how they don't give each other cards - (sigh, hard for me to handle when it's what I do!!), I was making it from me, however looks like I'll have to do another one now.

The paper I used is retired and called It's My Party.  With the recent update to the Clearance Rack you can find this at a crazy price (only available within NZ) while stocks last. The cover is using the Large Numbers Framelits and Number of Years stamp.  So far, fairly unassuming, but when you open it up...

It is a little hard to fathom from the photo, but the inside pops up and opens like a little book. I have seen a trend in these cards lately and they do pack a bit of a WOW. I think you'll be seeing me make more before too long. There are a number of tutorials on You Tube and I looked at a couple and then did a bit of tweaking, so I'm sorry I haven't got a particular credit, and the ones I did follow credited someone else as well, so please accept that this is a combined effort.  

The card base is Basic Black. I have used retired Party Pants set on the balloons.  The little bird is from Birds & Blooms Thinlits.  The Happy Birthday is from Confetti Celebration.  

A Spring Birthday Entry for #PCC011

While hunting for inspiration for a birthday card I needed to make, I remembered the Pootles colour challenge, so thought I'd start there.  The colours were Blushing Bride, Sweet Sugarplum, Rich Razzleberry and Crumb Cake - and you didn't have to use them all, but I did.

Being 13 is just a bit special, so have upped my game and made a Shaker Card using the Stars Framelits, some glitter and Fancy Frost sequins. The card base is Rich Razzleberry. The Large Numbers Framelits were cut in both Rich Razzleberry and Sweet Sugarplum for a shadow effect.  The Crumb Cake was embossed with the Fluttering TIEF. The bow is Blushing Bride Baker's Twine - (liking it a lot).

For the inside I have used a greeting from the Rose Wonder set and die cut stars from Rich Razzleberry.  Happy Birthday Grace - hope you have a fabulous day!

Clean and Simple for #GDP026

The Global Design Project has again inspired me.  The last time I think I entered was also a Teneale inspired sketch (it was a while ago though).  I used the Thick Whisper White for my base and standard Whisper White for the top layer which was embossed with the Stylish Stripes Embossing Folder.  A strip of silver glimmer down each side and the rose was reverse cut from Silver Glimmer Paper with the Rose Garden Thinlit Dies. The banner is stamped in Smokey Slate from Number of Years and die cut using the Large Numbers Framelits.  The sentiment came from (and could have been swapped out for several of) the Teeny Tiny Sentiments stamp set.