Christening Boxes

Do you remember my last post - the white on white?   Well, I just had to make some boxes for my Christening cards for the twins, didn't I, so here they are -  and they fit in very nicely with the theme at Mo's this week of  'I see spots'.

I made them from my favourite cardstock with a pearlescent sheen which of course, bounces the light off the embossed dots (made with an embossing folder), on my central panel beautifully.  The image I used for the circular tags is exactly the same as on the Christening cards themselves, (that of 'Babygirl S by Mo Manning) and I also made one a reflected image of the other as I did before so they match the cards. I am sure I don't need to tell anyone that I coloured them with Promarkers, LOL.

I also created & cut out the recipients names myself, setting them in a similar fashion into the layered banner (from Bird's Cards) - hinting at the card hidden away inside.  The flower embellishing each one echoes the names of the babies.  Having cut & rolled up the rose I dotted the centre with Liquid Pearls and hand embossed Poppy's flower for a bit of interest & dimension before adding a few Liquid Pearls dots to the centre of this too, & which hopefully make it more poppy-like.  I also hand embossed the leaves from Penny Duncan.

A card in it's own box.

Need more spots 'n' dots? LOL.  Well, I gave the top edges of the box added interest with a minuscule scalloping into which I added a tiny cut out circle every so often and not one to like waste, I used an off-cut remnant of the scalloped edge to decorate the central panel too. Far too pretty to consign to the bin!

I'll just show you one of the insides of the boxes, the other just has a different name and with the flowers on the other  side.

As I usually do, I gave the boxes an insert - this time with a scalloped edge & also with a sentiment in a similar font to the one I used to cut the name tags. If you look carefully, you will see that this is printed on top of a faded out version of the main image. Again, keeping each variation of the image for each girl. I kept the embellishment of the insides necessarily flat of course, but used the same flowers as I had cut for the cards. Total co ordination!

Hope you like them.

Tine :)

P.S - if you would like to see details of the cards themselves the link is here.

Challenges I would like to enter my boxes for are:
Mo's - I see spots
Stamping Sisters in Christ - a joyful, celebratory occasion
Passion for Promarkers - white on white
Sunday's With Crissy - favourite colour combo (WoW - hard to beat I reckon)
Emerald Faeries - use a banner
Frosted Designs - banners
Pink Elephant - flowers
Great Impressions - flowers
Wags 'n' Whiskers - say it with flowers
Truly Madly Crafty - handmade flowers
Crafty Creations - flower power
Tip Top - spotty dotty
I Brake For - anything but a card (boxes albeit for cards, LOL)
Tammy's Scapin' Corner - anything goes (with embossing).

#112 Twin Christening Cards

Theme at I ♥ Promarkers - white on white
Sponsor & prize this week - Di's Digis

Do any of you remember my card for when the twins were born?  Well, as you can see from the photos of the cards I am posting today, they were both girls - identical ones too and these are the cards I have made for their Christening. The cards are the same, but different. Not quite reflections of one another - just to stamp a bit of individuality onto each.

The image on the front is of course, one from the pen of the talented Mo Manning (Babygirl S) and I coloured my babies using Promarkers. Don't you just love their wispy hair? LOL. I printed one 'as is' but flipped the second image for the next card.  Virtually everything was cut from my bright white shimmering cardstock which I love so much and which just has to be perfect for Christening cards.  I made & cut the geometric circle background (which I think looks like an intricate baby blanket & the circles represent the circle of life - I am  Godmother to the babies' mother - well, you know how I over think things and if nothing else, it makes sense to me! LOL).

The embellishments just had to be floral, given the names of the children and hopefully echo the names they have been given. The pennants into which I cut the girls' names are from Bird's Cards and the rose leaves that I hand embossed to give them a ridge down the centre were from Penny Duncan. I also made the flowers too, layering some of the smaller ones up so it would add to the dimension and I then dotted the centre of each with Liquid Pearls.

For the second insert the image is facing the other way, as on the front.

I have gone for a traditional paper insert for the insides of the cards, using the same image as the front on the opposite side of the verse - and as I had done for the fronts, flipped it for the second card. I then cut a scalloped edge around the insert to echo the designs on the front.

Tine :)

Challenges I would like to enter my cards for are:
Mo's - anything goes with a Mo image of course (optional sketch too)
Passion for Promarkers - white on white
Emerald Faeries - use a banner
Frosted Designs - banners
Sunday's With Crissy - favourite colour combo (white on white can be hard to beat!)
Wags 'n' Whiskers - say it with flowers
Pink Elephant - flowers
Great Impressions - flowers
Crafty Creations - flower power
Truly Madly Crafty - handmade flowers
Stamping Sisters in Christ - a joyful, celebratory card
Kaboodle Doodles - new life
OSAAT - use a digi.

#111 Through The Garden Fence

Theme at I ♥ Promarkers - Springtime
Sponsor & prize this week - Joanna Sheen

Well, I hope Spring has well & truly sprung wherever you are in the world and that the sun is shining - or at least trying!  Don't you just love the fresh greens & pin-pricks of flowers dotted about of this time of year?  Well, when I made this the weather was 'hopeful' & decidedly Spring-like, then of course we had the blazing sun of last week - & now I think I should have supplied this young girl with a snow-shovel!

Whatever weather you may be enjoying/enduring (please delete as appropriate! LOL), I hope too that you get the idea of Spring from my card today, using of course this fabby image from Mo Manning called 'Nelly'.  Of course, the trouble with making cards that are not square is that they never show up nicely on Blogger - even when made 'large' I find that I can't really see them properly so you might, like me, have to click on the image to see it better.

I had the idea of a kind of secret garden, peeking through a white-washed fence so first of all cut myself my card shape, (having created a wood grain print for my cardstock), layering a few of the timbers & added a gate latch.  Onto the front I then dotted a couple of my flowers, those escaping from one side of the fence to the other as they tend to do.

Half open gate.... or is it half shut? Anyway she is peeking through..... 

Once the gate is fully opened (as in the very first photo), you can see the image properly and as I always do, I coloured Nelly with Promarkers before layering her up.  Remembering that I would have to keep the inside pretty flat or the gate wouldn't close, I chose my flowers carefully.  At her feet lie a pastel yellow floral border and a spiky grass border cut from textured card, both from Bird's Cards.  As too were the tall climbing ivy (around the image) and the leaves which were also cut from green card.  However, I then coloured the ivy & the leaves to add a bit of depth & variation of colour.  For the ivy on the opening fence panels I created my own variations making one into an 'L' shape and a double ended design on the other.  The scattered flowers were all cut using two Woodware punches, again colouring with Promarkers to suit the kind of flowers I was after - daffodils & primroses.  The 2 purple crocus (or crocuses or croci - I am not going to argue whichever it is as when I went to check, even some dictionaries couldn't agree! LOL), were made by cutting into a petal from the same punched design as the other flowers & I coloured them too with Promarkers.  I was very good and managed to resist turning this from a Spring card to a very flower-abundant Summer card - but it was so tempting to add more & more flowers!

Tine :)

Challenges:

Mo's - photo inspiration
Crafty Catz - use a digi image
Fussy 'n' Fancy - anything but square/rectangle
Outlawz (Paper A La Mode) - shaped card
Stamping with the Dragon - Spring is here (yeah, right!)
Sweet Stampin' - Spring or Easter or sketch
Stamp, Scrap & Doodle - Spring
Come & Get It -  Spring
Creative Card - Spring
Catch the Bug - Easter/Spring
That Craft Place - it's all about Spring
Sparkles - Mother's Day or Spring
Jellypark - what's the weather - (sunny & Spring-like)
Passion for Promarkers - whatever the weather (warm & sunny - don't you just like optimism, LOL)
Wags 'n' Whiskers - say it with flowers
Partytime Tuesdays - flowers
Great Impressions - flowers
Pile It On - create a scene
Stamping for the Weekend - anything goes.

#110 Field of Flowers

Theme at I ♥ Promarkers - beads
Sponsor & prize this week - Digi Doodle ($10 gift certificate)

My DT card today uses an image from our sponsor this week, Digi Doodle, called 'Field of Flowers' and, coloured with Promarkers in traditional Easter colours, my young gal collecting her posy is surrounded by entwining threads onto which I had added tiny beads of yellow, white, green and lilac.  So small in fact they were difficult to get onto the thread as most needles were too wide at the eye to go through the centres - and even then only some could accommodate the needle going through.  Nothing like preseverence is there. LOL.  The yellow thread was wrapped spirelli style around the sun-like spikes of a design I cut myself from pastel yellow pearlescent cardstock before being layered on top of another 'sun', cut this time in white.  I also cut my own flower-shaped base card from lilac pearlescent card.

For the inside of the card, I cut white solid flower shapes and then added some of the pearlescent lilac left-overs from the base card shape I had cut out.  (Don't like waste - especially pretty pearlescent waste! LOL).  This was definitely too nice to bin so used it as decoration.  I replicated the image on the inside, though smaller & uncoloured so it was like the centre of it's own flower but I left the other side clear so that I could add my own hand-written sentiment &  'from'  later.  Sometimes a bit of hand-writing is so much more personal than a printed generic verse/sentiment don't you think?   Depends who the card is going to I suppose.  Hope you like it!

Tine :)

Challenges I would like to enter this card for are:
Fussy & Fancy - anything but a square/rectangle
Hanna & Friends - flowers
Joanna Sheen - spring is in the air
2Sisters - spring is in the air
Crafty Catz - Spring
Creative Card Crew - Spring
Cupcake Craftroom - Spring bouquet
Dream Valley - Easter
My Sheri Crafts - Easter
Squirrel & Fox - Easter
Tip Top - Easter
Penny's - Easter
Crop Stop - shaped card
Stamping for the Weekend - anything goes.

#109 Lenny & the Champers

Theme at I ♥ Promarkers - 3 different design papers
Sponsor & prize this week - Stamp Fairy ($10 gift certificate)

This week's DT card uses one of our sponsor's image, that of Lenny (Happy New Year 5) but as this dapper young bear is clutching a rather nice looking champagne glass, I reckon he could be easily used to celebrate anything, not just New Year. He was coloured with Promarkers of course.

The layout I have chosen to use is another fab one from CLP but if you ladies on the CLP DT notice I have actually tilted a couple of the layers, so I hope you forgive me. LOL. Why? Well, obvious really when you think about it - look at the size of the champagne glass against the size of the bear.  If you consumed your own body weight in champers then I reckon you too would be having to lean on the glass and be seeing the world all wonky! LOL.  I reckon I would be spark out on the floor mind you! LOL. I have indeed used 3 dps too, not just the two orangey ones, it is just that the blue one in the background also has a woven texture to it, making it match perfectly with the base card I chose to use. Actually, I used the blue & orange patterned one twice - a tiny bit was paper-pieced for Lenny's very smart tie.

I cut my sentiments out on the front to tie in with the design LO too and added the Dovecraft twine just because I liked it and it worked for me. LOL. Hope you like it too.

Tine :)

Challenges:

CLP - design sketch
Crafty Ribbons - birthday
Aud Sentiments - song title (Champagne Supanova - Oasis)
Cardmadfairy - sentiment
Totally Papercrafts - male card
Crafty Pad - pair (two shaped sentiments)
Sundays With Crissy - animals
Passion for Promarkers - animals
Heidi'sHobbystuggu - animals
Lothian Crafts - 2 main colours
Gingersnaps - 2 colours
Stamp & Create - paper piecing (only a small amount but his isn't wearing much! LOL)
Digi Makeover - field of flowers colour inspiration of blue, orange & yellow
Bearly Mine - dots (only on one dp but you wouldn't want too much of a good thing now would you, LOL)
Poodles Parlour - anything goes.

#108 Sweet Birthday

Theme at I ♥ Promarkers this week - anything goes!!!!!
Sponsor & prize this week - Joanna Sheen -£10 voucher

All together now, "Aw..." isn't this a cute image!  These two meeces who have stuffed themselves with all that resplendent cupcake are a House Mouse stamp. Yes, my Promarkers coloured them in as usual and that includes the tiny one in the centre of my sentiment from Bird's Cards. Can you ever have too many cupcakes? LOL. The dps with the jolly balloons perfect for a party atmosphere are both from TLC and cut into a fancy border shape at the bottom. The card is sugar-candy coloured.

Another little mouse is on the inside of the card, 'reading' the large circular sentiment from Cindy Close. The calendar, to which the relevant birthday date has been added using a fine liner was also one of Cindy's. Yes, I can get away with saying 'All the best people were born in March' as it is my birthday in March too, LOL, and not only in the same month as one another, as my friends know, I share 'my day' with my daughter for whom I have made this card.  I will let you do the detective work out what day that was last week! LOL.  I made the tag shape too, cutting out her name and layering an off-cut from the dps (well, I don't like waste when it can be put to good use), from the front of the card placing it behind the cut-work so that it would peep through for a bit of added interest. I have written who the card is from (as if she didn't know!! LOL), on the reverse of the tag before slipping it into the pocket. The ribbon was from my stash.

Tine :)

Challenges:
Sundays With Crissy - animals
The Pretty Little Ribbon Shop - Spring colours
House Mouse - (cupcake) photo inspiration
Poodles Parlour - birthday)
Pink Elephant - photo inspiration
Totally Papercrafts - favourite things (colouring with my Promarkers/border cut using cutter)
Hotshot Craft - ribbon
Jellypark - favourite things (colouring with my Promarkers/border cut using cutter)
Truly Madly Crafty - colour inspiration
Gingersnap - border punches
Joanna Sheen - spring is in the air (colours)
Papertake - for a girl/mother (my daughter).

On Mother's Day

Well, I have managed to squeeze a Mother's Day card into my itinerary - for my MIL, who apparently was unaware that all the cards she ever got from me were actually coloured by me too.  She thought I just bought everything 'as is' and stuck it down!

Yes, I used this LOTV image not too long ago (Rosie Posy), and yes, I certainly do have other LOTV images I could have used, but you can't go far wrong with a bunch of flowers for Mother's Day can you?  This time I put the image into a frame I cut using a design by Bird's Cards and added the required elements at Lili's Little Fairies this week - lace (from Fantastic Ribbons) and ribbon from my stash.

I chose the fab sketch to work to from Creative Belli and one of the required elements was a sentiment on the front, in this instance, a circular one from Bluebird Flats. As the writing in the centre of the sentiment was rather small, I repeated it on the inside of the card but enlarged it to make it more legible having layered the papers on the opposite side to the sketch. The white rectangle is of course for my hand written 'from' - as long as I don't forget to do that bit! LOL.

Tine :)

Challenges:
Lili's Little Fairies - ribbon & lace
Little Darlings - pearls
Passion For Promarkers - mum/female relative
Crafty Catz - Mother's Day/special lady
Crafty Ribbons - celebrate a mother figure
Crafts 4 Eternity - special mum (for my MIL)
One Stop Craft - Mother's Day with ribbon
Dream Valley - Mother's Day
PanPastel - girly/Mother's Day
Allsorts - say it with flowers
Cupcake Craft Room - spring bouquet
Sweet Stamping - layers (&/or sketch if you want)
Joanna Sheen - spring is in the air
Mark's Finest Papers - bingo (lace, bling (pearls) & circles)
Hotshot - ribbon
Totally Papercrafts - fav things (Promarkers & a new fav toy too, my cutter)
Jellypark - fav technique/product etc (Promarkers!!!!)
Papertake - anything goes
Paper Shelter - anything goes

Creative Belli - design sketch

#107 Wedding Tryptic

Theme at I ♥ Promarkers - ribbons & bows
Sponsor & prize this week - Lili of the Valley - £10 gift voucher (I want to enter too....!!!)

This card is going to my God daughter/niece who gets married this year so I am getting this done in good time.  I designed, created & cut out the card base myself - well, you never know if you can until you try do you!  It was a bit problematic at times but for once, I managed to do exactly what my head had created.  A kind of tryptic with lattice side panels all cut from shimmering white & ivory heavy weight card.  I hope you can see it clearly enough. I even changed the colour of my light-box back drop so you could see it a little more easily.

I chose to use a simply gorgeous stamp from LOTV, (our generous sponsors this week), which I am sure most of you will recognise as 'Wedding Couple', and I did the honours with my Promarkers once again.  All the dots at their feet are meant to be the confetti in case you were wondering were I was coming from with that one. LOL. You might wonder too at the blue frame and coordinating coloured ribbons on the image but this apparently is the colour of the bridesmaids' dresses so I thought I would try to personalise the card entirely.

The fabulous satin edged ribbon which is such a brilliant match to my ivory card, was part of the stash I won over at Jak Heath's blog fairly recently. Wasn't I a lucky girl?!?!  Having run some of it across my embossed card, I managed to tie a fairly small bow for above the central panel's set of ringing bells.  The small crosses on the front & reverse of one of the side panels was cut using a couple of dies from Spellbinders rather than me cutting them out. This also meant that I could emboss them. I was a little tempted to add some flowers I must admit, but wanted to keep the card  flat enough to fold together. So although there is a bit of dimension from matting using a touch of glue gel there is nothing to impede the tryptic closing.

I then personalised the rear panel too, cutting out the name of the 'happy couple' with a space beneath so that I can write on the 'from' later. You can see the front of the side panels too from this angle and I have put a second layered Spellbinders' cross in a similar position on the circle so both crosses back onto one another.

Have really enjoyed making this one & I hope you all like it!

Tine :)

Challenges I would like to enter this card for are:
Little Claire's - Romance
Lothian Crafts - 2 colours (white & blue)
Emerald Faerie Garden - embossing (on the front panel)
Crazy4 - fun folds
Our Creative Corner - music (White Wedding - Billy Idol)
Crafts 4 Eternity - digital (cutter)
Pan Pastel - stamped image
Love to Create - monochromatic
Simon Says - either Mother's Day or special girl (my God-daughter)
Pink Elephant -  at least 3 layers
Whimsy - no sentiment
Paper Minutes - colour combo
Clearly Inspired - anything goes
Papertake - anything goes.