They say it's your birthday ...

... well if it is your birthday today then I hope you have a very happy day, if it's not then you can still have fun by making this bold and bright birthday card.

Jean has some gorgeous sticker strips in the shape of flags and banners and coordinating 6x6 paper from the Sassafras range (sticker strips out of stock but I think she's getting more in) which I fell in love with and used to make my card

Step 1: Doodle an edge around your folded cardblank with plack pen - doesn't have to be straight doodles never are!

Step2: Cut one of the flag stickers to length and adhere to card, add a few of the smaller strips across the top

Step 3: Glue one dew drop on the bottom of each flag. I love these dewdrops and use them stacks as flower centres, on the corners of my cards and as little design extras to fill up the spaces on my cards. Even better - they last forever!!

Step 4: Tear lengths of coordinating paper into strips. Curl up the edges and glue together.

Now you could have a dig around your scrap box to find small scraps to make your paper strips with but everyone who knows me knows that I don't 'do' scraps very well at all so I was perfectly happy to break into new pieces of paper to make my torn strips. Ha Ha! I came out in a cold sweat just thinking of even keeping scraps :)

Step 5: Create a sentiment or greeting on your computer or use a rubber stamp - I would have used a rubber stamp but I couldn't find my black under under the mound of 'stuff' on my desk so made do with my computer and printer. Trim it, round the corners and doodle an edge around it

Step 6: Glue onto the back of your paper strips and then glue everything onto your card

Step 7: Glue a length of black rikrak across the paper strips and add a button tied with string or thread to finish your card

There you have it, a fun birthday card to make someone smile

And, just because I had all my tools and the rest of the paper out on my desk I made another card using the same paper as I love it so much

Have fun, Andrea x

Julie: Head Trinket Keepsake project

Hi all, how's things? How much crafting have you got through this week? Not as much as you'd like [No? Me neither!] or too much? [if there is such a thing as too much crafting that is!!]

While this isn't something I've made this week, there are two specific reasons I thought I'd share this particular project with you today.

1. The first is that it was Shakespeare's birthday just last Friday [What? Did you forget to send him a card again?].
2. Meanwhile, at this exact time last year, I was setting up the inspiration blog The Copy + Paste Project and this Shakespeare-inspired project was the very first thing I made for one of our challenges. [You can read more about it here].

While it looks like I might have spent a lot of time and care cutting out a tiny head shape ... I certainly haven't! No, I just bought and altered a 'Head Trinket' from the 3DJean shop:

Once I'd completed the simple construction I decorated the outside with paint, a scrap of wrapping paper, a rub-on, some coloured crayon and Stickles glitter:

The tiny quotation is from Shakespeare's Hamlet and to frame it within the shadow-box I:

• typed it into Microsoft Word document using a size 8 font;
• printed it off;
• glued it in place;
• Glossy Accented it and finally ....
• smeared it with various colours of Stickles:

The end result is now proudly on display and as it's so tiny and so light he's simply Blue-Tacked to a shelf unit! [Not sure how respectful that is to a Prince of Denmark!]

Now, having re-visited this project, I'm wondering why I didn't buy more of them and have a line of wise heads lined up across the shelf.

Luckily, there's some in stock right now .... I'll race you to the checkout ...

Julie ;)

Shimmer Shimmer Shimmerz

Shimmerz one of my favourite products. I dont realy do cute but having a 10 year old girl I often need a card for a birthday party, so i bought some stampinbella's. Here are 3 of the cards I made with them , the Shimmerz and some of Andrea's left over paper's (I love sitting next to her when I make cards lol)

I painted the stamped images with the Shimmerz and a very very fine brush.
And then painted some plain Prima flowers in the same Shimmerz to match.

So from these plain Prima's we end up with.

These lovely Shimmery Shimmerz one's which look just right on the cards.

Pretty as A Picture!

Need something quick to make for the man in your life?.. this could just be the thing!
A racy little photo frame.........

It's made from two chipboard frames, these were cut with a Sizzix die but if you don't have a cutting machine then just cut 2 plain rectangles from chipboard, cut an aperture in one of them.Cover one side of one frame (front)with patterned paper. Cover the other frame, front and back with black card. Stick the two frames together with double sided foam as in the picture. To decorate .....glue tissue pin up onto card, cut out and glue to the front of the frame. Add clear Dew Drops around the edge! To make the frame stand cut a strip of card and glue to the back to form a hinge.The sentiment is by Catslife Press.If you would like to have a chance to have this winging it's way to you then just leave a comment! Hope you like it!

Effie

XXX

Back in Stock

Those lovely Webster's Pages 6x6 papers are now back in stock , but they're selling fast

I'm in love, I'm in love, I'm in love

With these gorgeous Webster's Pages petite papers. I want to stroke them ,they are just so yummy and they're double sided. I'm so glad 3DJean has decided to stock these . You can buy yours here but you had better be quick I don't think they'll be on the shelf long.

Easel cards are so easy to make. I think that these papers don't need alot to embellish then but I couldn't resist going down the vintage route with paper dollies and the fab prima flowers.

I've chalked the Mother Goose nursery stamp to add suble colour.

The flowers have been painted with Shimmerz pearlz and caramel to give them a bit of bling.
The centres are Robin's nest Dew Drops.

Time for a Cake

Had a bake so here are some pictures of the yummy Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes I made and the recipe.

You will need

cake

120g plain flour

140g caster sugar

1 1/2 teasp baking powder

40g buter

120ml milk

1 egg

1/2 teasp vanilla extract

12 strawberries chopped into small pieces

2 digestive biscuits

icing

150g icing sugar

25g butter

60g cream cheese

mix together either by hand or machine flour , sugar , baking powder and butter , when you have a sandy consistency pour in the milk , vanilla and beat , then add egg , beat again.

divide strawberries between 12 paper cases and then top with cake mixture

cook at gas 3, 170c for 20-25 minutes , allow to cool

make icing by mixing together all ingredients until smooth , decorate cooled cakes and then crumble biscuits and sprinkle on top of cakes , now eat and enjoy.