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.

Sunday 18 December 2011

50 Golden Years


Earlier this year a work colleague and good friend told me that she needed a really special card for her parents Golden Wedding Anniversary in December. She wanted something different but something they would want to keep. I suggested a boxed card that included a photograph of her parents on their wedding day, which she thought was a lovely idea. Having visited the Creative Stitch and Craft show at Aintree in May   I had seen the Glitter Girls demonstrating their embossing boards and had treated myself to the bookatrix board and the box template board.

After a couple of false starts, due to me having the box embossing board upside down because I had tried to do it from memory. All else having failed I read the instructions and turned the board the correct way and found it was in fact incredibly easy to make the box. I decorated it using parchment that I had embossed using one of the Marianne designables folders through the sizzix and the hearts were cut using a x-cut aperture cutting and embossing folder. These were trimmed using pinflair flexible peeloffs and a sentiment was added on piece of pearlised ivory card. The golden pearls I made using pearl paint and by squeezing it onto a non stick craft mat I could get them all the same size once they were dry it was simply a matter of peeling them off the mat and attaching them using a dab of pinflair glue gel. The flowers were from Wild Orchid crafts.


For the card I used pearlised ivory card stock as the base and various patterened papers for the pages each was edged using dew drops brilliance gold ink before being stuck down to form the book. I wrapped cream crotched lace ribbon around the spine and finished this with a piece of gold satin ribbon to cover the join.

My husband had been watching intently and pointed out that whilst the card was lovely there was no where to write on it, I over came this by using a heart the same as those on the box lid and stuck this over the corner of  an envelope which could then be stuck to the card to form a pocket, I used an off cut of cream hammered card trimmed to the correct size to slip inside the pocket which my friend can remove to add her greeting to her parents and then slip back inside.


I again used flowers from Wild Orchid to decorate the corner, and also added a spray of pearls I had in my stash.

On the other side of the card I used a plain oval die cut from x-cut to cut out the wedding photo of my friends parents which I had printed from my computer. again flowers and pearls were added to balance the sides of the card.

Whilst the finished card looked lovely lying flat in the box I wanted my friends parents to be able to display it to friends and family at their golden wedding celebration so I made an easel card base to the same size as the box and lines the inside with some lovely handmade golden paper from my stash and added a heart cut from cardboard as a stopper so the card could stand up for display.


I really enjoyed making the card for my friend and I am keeping my fingers crossed that when she gives it to her parents at the end of the month they love it as much as she did when she saw it.

I have to admit having looked at these type of cards for a couple of years since I started making cards I had always considered them well beyond my capabilities and whilst it took a long time to make due to the number of layers and the amount of die cutting it really was quite straightforward and I'm planning my next one already.

8 comments:

  1. Thanks Doreen I really enjoyed making it and am looking forward to doing some more

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  2. That is so beautiful, I hope you are going to submit that as one of your pieces of work for the course. The whole thing just works so well with the colours and the theme is wow. Love it xx

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  3. Bex - once I get feedback from my friend on what her Mum and Dad said It will probably be used as a project piece for the course
    xx

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  4. WOWOWOWOWOW!!!!! Gorgeous!!!!!

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  5. what a stunning card, just popped by to say hi and I'm looking forward to joining you on Oh La La in January
    hugs and best wishes from Daniele

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  6. Wow absolutely gorgeous look forward to seeing more of your creations
    Wendi

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  7. Thanks Daniele and Wendi looking forward to working with both of you in the New Year
    Alli

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