It's a Countdown....5....4.....3.....2....1 !

Only 5 more days to order from the retired products and the Spring/Summer catalogue!  Here are some cards I have been making for all the little one's birthdays lately.  My little one turned 3 last month and we had a blast with the Blast Off stamp set.  I knew as soon as I saw it in the catalogue I would need to buy it for birthday celebrations for him.  I even made a rocket shaped cake based on the design, but that is a whole other story!

 

This card layout was hard to photograph for you to see all of the design and the card layout.  The middle section folds separately from the top and the bottom of the card.  The idea I had for this card was to use the Outter Space Jumbo Wheel with shimmer paint to create a planetary background with some galactic glitter. It was a bit tricky at first and I think I could have taken a bit longer to get a more even coating on the wheel probably using the brayer. 

 

The thing I love about this stamp set is the spaceship which looks great in the embossed silver.  My little alien friends are in Lucky Limeade which was a great choice of green for them to stand out - this is a colour also retiring.  I added some left over googly eyes from the Aut/Wint catalogue and there are some Brights Brads on the spaceship too. 

 

Now of course, as every mum does, I think my Son is the greatest so the top sentiment here is the single stamp from the current catalogue World's Greatest which is retiring also.  I combined it with a stamp from the For My Family set, also retiring - how will you make family cards without this set?  It's a must from the retiring sets surely!

 

Here's another layout for the card I made for one of the friends with the same set of stamps.  For the Outter Space background for this one I stamped using Versamark for the watermark look.

For all the 'Thank-You's that follow a birthday celebration, here were the little thank you cards we sent to thank everyone for the great presents received and for coming to our party.  The coloured dots on the spaceships are postal friendly for these cards - just simple punched coloured card this time.

For the cards for the girls I used the Create a Cupcake stamp set and the co-ordinating Cupcake Builder punch. I just love the stamp set where there is a matching punch it is so easy to make a card!  Of course the colour Pink features on the cards and the cakes just look good enough to eat!

Another retiring stamp set is the little trio of stamps used for the 'Happy Birthday' sentiments on the cards.  This set is called Made For You and I thought it was a fantastic value set as it has 'Thank You' and 'Especially for You' as the other sentiments in it. They are in a really lovely clear font for all occasions.  Don't forget too, the scalloped dots ribbon shown on the card is also retiring.  This ribbon comes in some lovely shades, especially those ready for Christmas (yipes! A mention so early in the year) as there is Old Olive and Cherry Cobbler versions!







The next card is possibly one of my favourites.  You will have to excuse the photography of the last few pictures as, in my haste, I used my camera phone to take quick snaps before sending them off in the post so the quality is not so good and this one is particularly blurred.

This is a CASE of a design I saw online by a US demonstrator Lisa Young   I loved the idea of cutting the castle template for a fairy princess themed birthday to celebrate.  I altered a few bits by making my turrets from the Pennants Builder Punch and I also added the Boho Blossoms to the tops of these (well a girl needs some flowers on her birthday) and some sparkles too with rhinestones.  The designer papers here are the Standard Subtles papers and the Floral District (for the turrets and scallop borders).

 

The sentiment is the Curly Cute stamp set, yes another one leaving the catalogue so get it whilst you can. There is still time to order!  The little designer brad on this card is also retiring.  It is one of the pool party dotty Designer Brads we have in the In Colours 2012-2014.

 

Did you spot those Cupcakes hiding again on this card?  There they are, the cupcake tops are white clouds on this card.

 

Last one for today is this Two By Two card for my Nephew who is turning one.  I cannot believe a year has passed already!  This stamp is gorgeous for birth congratulations (it has the sentiment 'congratulations' as part of the stamp), or as I have used it here, for a younger card theme.  Lots of lovely blues for the card with Marina Mist and Tempting Turquouise and I have teamed it up with some Real Red for the scallop circle and stitched ribbon bow.  The sentiment again here is the Made For You happy birtday.

The stamp is an outline stamp so I stamped in Staz On Black ink and then have used a blender pen with my colours to colour in the animals and the ark.  You can add as little (to make your picture more watercolour) or more if you want it a little brighter.  I love being able to create the shading on the picture with the blender pen. 

 

Tip: If you have the ink pads in the colours, just give the ink pads a little squeeze before opening to get a little ink on the underside of the lid to pick up the colour with your blender pen.  If you don't have an ink pad in the colour, don't worry, just use the inside of a lid of another colour ink pad, a paint palette or even just some plastic or perspex and colour a patch with your marker pen to get some ink to pick up with your belnder pen.

Retiring items from this post:

Curly Cute stamps
Made for You stamps
World's Greatest stamp
Two-By-Two stamp
For My Family stamps

Designer Brads
Shimmer Paint
Floral District DSP
Lucky Limeade products
Regal Rose/Pretty in Pink products
Scallop Dots ribbons

To place an order, book a party or come to a workshop email me at craftyinkbuds@sky.com