Frugal February

Well, I managed to get through January by only buying card blanks and double-sided tape. My mission for February is to do the same again and only buy basics - no magazines, no eBay bargains and no visits to The Works, The Range or Hobbycraft. Good job it is only a short month!

These two cards were made from pages of an old bird-watching calendar.

Three of a Kind ....

Today I've been playing with one of my die sets that gives this lovely oval border. Each of these cards has the intricate border cut out of a yummy chocolate glitter card and backed with a gold sparkle card.

Each card then has a wooden embellishment of butterfly, bird or guitar

 and then different sentiments and backing papers - for 3 similar but different square birthday cards

Birds of a Feather

I seem to have made several bird themed cards recently - not sure why, sometimes that's just the way things work out!

A Small Bit of Stash Busting

Sorry for the absence from my blog -I was away in London visiting ComicCon and the Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular. However, I have had a chance for a little crafting since then.

These cards were both made with bits of paper that have been sitting in my stash for at least 5 years - I really must stop buying new papers, as I  probably have enough to keep me going for many years yet!!

Day 29 ATC Challenge - 7 Gypsies Bird

I haven't bought Papercrafter Magazine for ages, but when I saw these fab stamps by 7 Gypsies, I just had to have it!

The ATC was made using up 3 scraps of paper leftover from card making.

Little Wooden Embellishments

Love these cute garden themed wooden embellishments that I picked up in the Range recently!

As I recently celebrated my 50th birthday, I decided to have 50 new experiences over the next 12 months! 

I have set up a blog to recount these experiences and if you are interested - you can find it here!

Bird on a branch

The 'small bird on a branch' is one of my favourite dies from Marianne Creatables, I love the silhouette of the bird and have used here on 3 different but similar square birthday cards

Neglected Stamps

We've all got a few of those, haven't we! You know, the stamps we fell in love with, just had to have but then only used a couple of times before another set of yummy stamps came along.




Anyway, I dug out these lovely Inkadinkado bird stamps and decided to give them another go, so here are 2 fairly simple cards using Brilliance Cosmic Copper ink, which gives them a lovely sheen!

A Birdie with Black Lace

I haven't had much chance to craft this week as we have been re-decorating our bedroom. This has meant I have had to let go of some of the card making magazines I have been hoarding at the bottom of the wardrobe.

Flicking through those mags from 2008, it seems that things have changed so much in 3 years. Cards now look much more sophisticated and complex!

Anyway I just had the crafting itch and so used this cute little birdie stamp from Inkadinkado patterned birds & bugs set for the first time.

Just loving this Marianne Bird

This 'bird on a branch' has got to be one of my favourite dies. Its from Marianne Creatables and looks fabulous as a silhouette.

I know I have featured an ATC and a sympathy card made with it before on my blog but couldn't resist posting this latest birthday card for a male birdwatcher friend as well.

Little Pink Felt Birdie

This cute little pink felt bird and flower were part of a set of 8 which I found in The Works today for the bargain price of 59p! I also picked up a set of 100 printed birthday sentiments for 99p

So, of course, I couldn't resist using them to make a card as soon as I got home from work. The background papers with daisies are by Nancy Watt. The set also includes 2 bunny rabbits which will be great for Easter cards, when I get round to thinking about them.

I'm getting brave and going to enter this into

Bunny Zoes ...... spring flowers everywhere

Marianne Bird on Branch Sympathy Card

A new sympathy card I've just made with a silhouette of a bird on a branch from a Marianne Creatables die. I've layered it on a scrap of green card and black cardstock with an old piece of black lace to set it off .

The 'Thinking of You' sentiment is a Woodware stamp with 3 pieces of black card candy in the corner.

I've entered this in the 'Just us Girls' sketch and the Papertake 'Anything Goes plus lace' challenges

A little Bird Told Me .......

I just love this sweet free vintage image of 2 birds sitting in a branch from Digital Two for Tuesday. They currently have some great Alice in Wonderland images to download for free at the moment too! This is the first time I have used the x-cut leaf punch and love the way it embosses all the veins on the leaf as well.

Flourish Bird Card

I treated myself to a set of bird stamps from personal impressions (well ,it is pay day!). This shadow swirl stamp was layered onto a recycled piece of Christmas card (can you spot the holly leaves?) and black card then layered over a piece of black flourish vellum free with Making Cards Magazine and designed by Nancy Watts - I finished it off with a cute red bow and Happy Birthday sentiment. It's quite striking isn't it!!