About Me

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Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
I have been crafting since May 2008, when in desperation to find an unusual birthday card for my Mum, I gave up looking in the shops and decided to have a go at making my own. I soon realised that crafting is addictive and I haven't brought a card since. In 2011 I completed my certificate in papercrafting as a result of the work I did as part of the course I started entering challenges on line and in magazines. I applied for design teams and also started making samples for Ooh La La Creations for their shows on Create and Craft. I have now completed my Diploma in professional crafting and most recently been runner up in the Papercrafter of the Year 2013 a competition run by Papercraft essentials magazine, I don't have a particular style I like to use elements from lots of styles and techniques, although I do love all things vintage. In 2014 I started to move more towards scrapbooking to take care of the huge family archive of photographs that were stored in my attic. I have continued cardmaking and Scrapbooking through 2015 and 2016 but have also become interested in off the page projects. I hope to be able focus on these in the future.

Friday 9 March 2012

Getting ahead of myself.

I like to keep ahead of the game when it comes to making cards and this is certainly the case with this card. It is for Father's Day in June.

It all started when I saw the 'DAD' stamp from woodware in my local craft shop, my dad is a gardener and almost every card I make him has a gardening theme so this year I wanted to try something a bit different.
I started by painting a piece of thick card with cream acrylic paint and I also painted the tag. I used a heat gun to speed up the drying time ad then used Memento Cocoa ink to stamp the Dad panel. I used Ranger distress ink to stamp the flourishes around the edge of the tag and I didn't re-ink between stamping to get a slightly faded effect.  I also stamped the with love sentiment from Papermania's Book Print range of Urban stamps onto a scrap of cream card using dew drop brilliance copper ink. This stamps as a single sentiment so I cut between the letters and distressed the edges with a pair of scissors and Memento Cocoa ink to get a slightly raised edge and then covered the centre of each letter with glossy accents to get a tile effect. These were then put to one side to dry.

Whilst waiting for the tiles to dry I cut several different sized gears using the Tim Holtz die through the sizzix I used thick card which I then covered in copper ink and clear embossing powder and then heat embossed them. Whilst the first layer of embossing powder was still molten I added a layer of enchanted gold powder and heated them again, the small nuts were some shapes I had in my stash and these were heat embossed to get a rough surface and then coloured using a gold gilding pen.

The background papers are from the Touch of Steam Punk CD from Crafty Catz and they are actually one of the 8x8 inserts printed at full size and then resized to 6x6 and the two have been layered up. The balloon toper is also from the same CD. I added three buttons tied with twine to the top right hand corner, and the 8x8 insert inside the card to finish it off.


And there you have it a fathers day card for my dad and not a gardening reference in sight!

I am entering this card into the following challenges.

http://anythingchallenge.blogspot.com/ boyz to men
http://clearlyistamp.typepad.com/ - anything goes
http://catchthebugblog.blogspot.com - anything goes
http://ppp-makeitmonday.blogspot.com/ - anything goes
http://thestampmanchallenges.blogspot.com/ - vintage

11 comments:

  1. wonderful card! love all the different embellishemtns on it! thanks for playing this weeks anything goes challenge at catch the bug!

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  2. Fabulous card! I love the addition of the gears! Thanks so much for sharing your creation with us in our “March anything goes” challenge at Catch The Bug! We hope to see you, again, next challenge! ~~Sammibug~~ DT Member For Bugaboo Stamps

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  3. what a gorgeous card, perfect for Fathers Day
    hugs

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  4. Great masculine card. It is one subject I really struggle with!

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  5. You did a fabulous job on your father's day card! Love the gears! Found your wonderful card at MIM.
    Hugs,
    Marie XX

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  6. Fabbie project. I love the cogs and the tiles- great elements for a male card! Thanks for joining us at Anything Goes this week, hope to see you again soon! x

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  7. Fantastic Allie! Love all the elements and fab inside too! Thx for linking up to Make It Monday!

    Mary J x

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  8. Great card - I'm sure your dad will think it's fab!
    Kath x

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  9. Another brilliant card, really love your work.

    I would like to nominate you for the Liebster Blog Award. Please look at my blog for the information:

    http://www.shirleyrosecards.blogspot.com/2012/03/liebster-award.html

    I am also following you.

    Shirley

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  10. My mum introduced me to your blog. Really like your cards! I am now following you x

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  11. Great card , it has a sort of retro feel ...if you know what I mean.That stamp is tremendous and love the gears . Am sure your Dad will love it when he gets it.

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