Cards for a Wednesday

Here’s my latest cards; the first couple I made using Kaisercraft paper, and the Christmas one is Basic Grey paper.

The birthday card is an example of experimenting with what you’ve got. I put Kindyglitz all over the Heidi Swapp flower, then dried it with a hair dryer. Now I have big glitter flowers! I covered the chipboard flower with the paper, and put the Melissa Frances flower on top. The felt is a scrap I cut with fancy scissors and fastened with a couple of buttons.

This one I painted and glittered the chipboard heart, and cut the circle with nestabilities dies and stamped a journalling stamp for the border.

For this one I painted a Maya Road chipboard swirl white then covered with kindyglitz. The greeting is a rubon I mounted on felt. I cut Kaisercraft rhinestone squares for the border.

I’m being domestic

this afternoon; I just made scones and I’ve finished these cards too. They’re all made using Basic Grey papers. I’ve machine stitched all of them, as well as using ink and paint to make them softer. At the moment I’m right into using chipboard in various ways too. I covered one of the swirls with paper (sanding off the edges took awhile..), the others I painted and covered with Kindyglitz.

Now I’m really in business

I bit the bullet; I’ve opened up my own etsy shop. It’s scary, but I thought I would try it and see how I go. I have made so many cards in the last few months that selling them seemed a good idea, so that’s what I’m trying to do.

I’ve linked my shop in my sidebar under ‘My Internet Shop’ (surprise, surprise…) My shop is called ‘anthealee’, and I even made the banner; which is the first time I’ve done something like that.

So far I’ve uploaded about 10 cards to the shop; I aim to keep adding new ones all the time. Each of my cards is a one-off, so that should keep it interesting. Fingers crossed!

I’m SO EXCITED!

Okay, so I’ve been trying to get something published for a while now, and I’m getting my wish! I submitted some of my cards to Simply Cards Magazine, and I was accepted on their design team.

I received my commission of 6 cards to make, and all the details of what to include, so I’ve been working on it for a few days now. As well as designing and making the cards I had to include materials lists and instructions for each card, as well as writing an article of a few hundred words, along with tips. This took a bit of time, but I’ve finished all the text and emailed it, and now I just have to send the original cards. The magazine doesn’t come out monthly, so it will be published some time next year. I can’t wait! It just shows that perseverance does pay off.

Stuff from this week

I taught my Wednesday morning class at Chandon, and guess what? Everyone turned up! I think it’s the first time ever, so it is more impressive than it sounds (at least to me…) Ros designed this layout, so it’s cool that we’re doing classes by a few different designers, to get different ideas.  One of the classes in Novemeber is a layout I designed, which is a compliment.

I love this layout by Ros, which uses Noteworthy papers by Making Memories. I bought some of these papers recently, so it’s given me a few ideas.

I’ve been checking out some cardmaking blogs lately, they have good ideas and sketches.  I made these two cards as an entry for a competition on one of the blogs:

I’ve used the Heidi Swapp ghost clock and butterflies on this one. The papers are by Kaisercraft, and I’ve used inking and hand stitching too.

For Christmas I wanted to do something clean and simple, so I cut circles from the Basic Grey paper and put embossed paper behind them. The words are an American Crafts rubon. That’s all for now!

So I was inspired

 to make some wedding/engagement style cards, after the engagement card I made last week. I used Basic Grey papers, with pink, white, and cream embellishments. The edges are inked and stitched, and the words are rubons. I think they turned out well; now I need someone to get married or engaged…

Also, my Basic Grey Urban Prairie layout is in their idea gallery; a little thing, but cool nevertheless.

Just a quick layout

I did last night in front of the TV. This one came together really well, using some of the new Sassafras Lass ranges and a Pink Paislee diecut circle. I love the deer, and these photos. I took them of my sister with one of her friends a few weeks ago. I also used Nestabilities dies for the small circles, distress ink for the edges, American Thickers for the title, and a rubon and pearls from Kaisercraft.

This new paper is so much fun

My first layout with the Urban Prairie line. It’s very girly, and I was inspired to do some doodling so I outlined a lot of the details with black pen. The flowers are covered chipboard, and I made the stems with my oval cutter. I used gem brads on the butterflies, and I stamped the journalling.

So today I bought

a pair of running shoes-my first in years. I’ve been meaning to do something about my physical wellbeing for awhile now, without ever getting around to it. I thought I would do it properly, so I went and got properly fitted and got the right ones for my feet. Oh no, now I’m running out of excuses to not go walking…

Basic Grey was my paper of choice for the following five cards I finished last night. I’ve also been inspired to use up some of my felt scraps, which I’ve cut with my Cuttlebug using Nestabilities and Cuttlebug dies. I like them as layered flowers.

This one is Basic Grey and Making Memories papers. I’ve machine stitched a border, layered Queen and Co felt flowers over ones cut with my Cuttlebug, and hand stitched the stems. I cut the scalloped felt border and sewed buttons on top.

I used nestabilities dies to cut the paper circle, and the white felt circle which I sewed the butterfly onto. The border is machine stitched.

I’ve machine stitched the border on Basic Grey papers, and sewn the butterfly onto felt shapes cut with the Cuttlebug for this one:

Basic Grey papers machine stitched around the edge, and felt circles cut with my Cuttlebug layered onto a Heidi Swapp flower:

Basic Grey Euphoria papers make the background of this one, which I machine stitched around for the border. I’ve also covered a chipboard flower with the paper, and put felt scalloped circles for the layers of the flower. I layered lace and ribbon for the edge, as well as cutting with my scalloped scissors, and poking the little holes in the scalloped edge with my paper piercer:

I just finished making

this engagement card for my sister to give to one of her friends, who got engaged on the weekend. She wanted something in white or cream, so I used shades of both for this. I layered different papers, and I used my cuttlebug to emboss some of the cardstock. I painted the chipboard hearts and covered them with Kindyglitz. I used pearls to finish it off. I like how everything works well together, a bit simpler than my usual efforts…