**Anniversary Hugs**

I remember reading this quote a long time ago ... 

"You don't marry the person you can live with, 

You marry the person who you cannot live without."

 ... and decided it was good enough advice to follow.

So I did

 Today is our 23rd Anniversary

January Card Rush

Blimey!  January's been quite busy for cards and as you've already seen 2 of the Challenge cards for my 2010 Christmas stock,  I thought I'd show you some of the others I've made.

Today my parents celebrate their 52nd Wedding Anniversary - no mean feat by anyone's standards.  My poor dad hasn't been well for a while now and, with the added problem of the nasty weather,  was unable to get to the shops for a card for mum, so I felt quite chuffed when he phoned and asked me to make him one.
I used one of the gorgeous Kanban Art Deco ladies from a QVC kit to make a large easel card.  I think these images look so classy and seem to be quite popular at the moment at a particular well-known card shop in town, so a pretty safe bet really. 
The front panel is A4 sized and already lightly glittered so needed very little extras to make an impact, hence my only contribution was the addition of a couple of adhesive gems and some gold peeloffs.   
Rather less impressive is the card I sent from us, which was from a different Kanban kit and I must apologise for the rather blurry photo.   Should've uploaded it and checked before I sealed the envelope really, but hey ho, not to worry.
Again,  the only additions are a strip of pink ribbon, a gold peel off and some gold mirri card for matting the background card - which is beautifully foiled with musical notes.

My aunt and uncle also celebrated their Anniversary this month and I made a card for them from the same kit as above.
Despite this I'm pleased that their card has a completely different feel,  which is one of the joys of these comprehensive - and in my humble opinion - great value kits.   Although I feel it my duty to warn you that QVC are quite heavy handed with their postage charges, which has obviously got to be taken into consideration when ordering from them.  I tend to check out their Clearance section or wait for the crafty TSV's as the discounts can often compensate for the hefty postal charges.
Anyway ... again everything, including the sentiment, was part of the kit so very easy to put together with just a few foam pads to add dimension and a strip of mirri card behind the image.

Finally, this card was created using 3 Bugs in a Rug - Celebrate Words double sided paper which was part of the Fidgeon's Crafts - 'All Occasions' kit I received for Christmas from my son.
The Pink Elephant Challenge #49 asks that we make a birthday card - so I'm chuffed that I can join in again after such a long absence.

The blue panel was embossed on the Cuttlebug with Swiss Dots before mounting onto the card blank and then the patterned panel was offset to the left, after matting onto gold mirri card and adding a strip of green ribbon for decoration.  
The matching adhesive sentiment sticker was popped onto a scalloped circle, pierced with a pokey tool, before overlapping both panels.

Hopefully, my Aunt liked her birthday card when it landed.

Random Round Up

T'was nice to get time to visit a few of your blogs last week ... I will eventually get around to you all but there are so many it's going to take time. It was lovely to see all of your amazing and beautiful projects.
Last week I did manage to get some cards made myself but won't bore you with them all, that would be too cruel.
Here are just a few ... click on the images for a clearer view.

The first was for my dad, who celebrated his birthday last Tuesday, using the K. & Co. Verbena Scrap Pad for everything - all the elements were pop out so a very easy card to make.

The black and gold gatefold card was also for my dad from our 'kiddlings' ... who call him Pops ... and the foiled champagne topper was part of a Kanban kit.
I did a similar card for the Glenrothes Squad ten pin bowling coach who celebrates his 70th birthday today.
Black card, gold mirri card and a few peel offs and it's a job done!

My brother and his wife celebrated their Wedding Anniversary on 11th but were in Florida at the time - lucky devils - so they'll get their card and gift when I next see them.
This one is recycled from the many cards that people pass on to me, and I simply cut the image and message into a heart shape with scalloped scissors and mounted them with foam pads onto silver mirri card debossed with swiss dots, added a ribbon and popped it all onto a DL card blank.

The Christmas card orders are starting to come in now and I'm really, really, really going to try to be sensible and only take on what I can achieve without having to resort to 24 hour sessions to complete them, as happened last year.
Time will tell if I can follow through on that one.

Well hubby is due at the station in about an hour, so had better go and see if I can make myself semi-presentable - not sure lippy and mascara will be enough though! Good job he loves me.

Golden Wedding Card Album

This project was made for my husband's Aunt and Uncle who celebrated their 50th Anniversary this month.

I was asked several months ago if I could make a special keepsake card to send across the water to them in Australia and if possible, include photographs of all the family members back here in UK.
When I didn't hear anything more about it over the next few weeks I presumed the idea had been shelved.

Then, last week I was handed envelopes with photographs ... and bits of photographs which had been diced and sliced to within an inch of their lives ... or in some cases a centimetre!!
Not exactly ideal to work with but I did my best.

After an initial panic attack, wondering what I could possibly do quickly that would look half decent, I came up with this gatefold card which opens to show one of their original wedding photographs and is deep enough to hold an accordian album containing all the family photos I was given.
Both sides of each page shows a different family member or family group and I used a combination of punches and nestabilities to create gold frames in an attempt to disguise the uneven scissorwork.
**I have blurred the images so as not to upset anyone by plastering their faces for all to see without permission, but you will get the gist of what I've done.**

The matching box and gift card were made from gold mirri card with paper roses and feathers tied with ribbon providing a little decoration.
Bearing in mind the postage costs, I had to make sure it wasn't too heavily decorated.

Hopefully it will be well on it's way by now and will arrive safely in plenty of time for them returning from their holiday in mid September.


As this is a keepsake album and box I'm hoping it will qualify for entry at Truly Scrumptious Challenge #14 where they are asking for anything but a card ... but that may be pushing the boundaries a bit.

Anniversary Love

My brother and his wife celebrate their 14th Anniversary later this month and I wanted to make them a card that was romantic but not too mushy ... if you know what I mean.
I think I've managed to achieve that with this card by using this beautiful double sided cardstock from Imaginisce.
I really love the softness of these colours together and the lovely flowing lines just cried out to be cut around, giving me fabby top and bottom panels for the front and also providing an interesting panel for the message inside.
The pink centre panel cardstock was embossed on the Cuttlebug using my favourite Swiss Dots folder and pale blue ribbon was threaded through slits in an acetate greeting and secured behind with tape before attaching it to the DL blank.
A couple of Prima flowers with liquid pearl centres add some decoration.
The small silver peel off letters on the heart are their first name initials and I hope that I haven't made them so small that they will be missed. Various different sizes of letters, both peel off and chipboard, were hauled out of my stash, but these were the only ones which didn't overpower the paper too much.

The inclusion of embossing and initials on my card will hopefully mean I can enter it for both of the challenges at Bubbly Scrumptious ... their usual monthly challenge and their new weekly challenge ... IF that's allowed of course!
No doubt someone will tell me if it's not.

Anniversary Love

The weather today has been absolutely shocking so we didn't need much persuasion to stay at home warm and dry.
Naomi just invited a couple of friends round for a few hours of girly time so I took advantage and escaped to my crafty corner to make this card to enter into Moving Along With The Times Challenge #4 which is another new one for me.
It was a Sketch Challenge with Wedding/Anniversary theme as an additional option.

The foiled image and sentiments are from my recycle box, double matted onto silver mirri card and then pale lilac doublesided cardstock from Papermill.
The small silver hearts punched from the mirri card were used as embellishments.

Black 'n' Gold Elegance

Hands up ... if you know anyone who doesn't just love embossed card?
Especially if it's luxury embossed card ... like, for instance, this gorgeous example of a tapestry effect on gold.
Can you see the sheen ... and don't you just want to stroke it?

I think this pattern is the epitome of elegance and beauty, especially when combined with the black leather effect background card and it speaks to me of afternoon tea, lace tablecloths and crinoline dresses.

Such a sumptious look needed very little embellishment but deserved something special, so out of hiding, came some luxury w...i...d...e black velvet ribbon (kept only for special occasions!) and a couple of fabby gold heart brads.

This will be my (almost late) entry for the CA Challenge where embossing has been the theme this month.

All White ... with a Dash

Today's offering is a first for me ... using white supplies ... although technically I suppose I cheated because I added a 'dash' of silver ribbon and mirri card and black ink inside for the stamped message. But hey ho ... it's nearly all white.

It could double as either a Valentine card or an Anniversary ... and I suppose at a push maybe even a birthday.

The hearts are cut from glitter card and the wire embellishment was from a Christmas Cracker, so more recycling.

I don't have a wife ... but my hubby does ... tee hee.
But then again, maybe my brother will want this one 'cos it's not too 'slushy'.

Anniversary Wishes

Today my parents celebrate 51 years of marriage ... and whilst I don't suppose for one minute their lives together have always been blissful, their commitment to their wedding vows and each other must be acknowledged.

At the risk of sounding like a fuddy duddy, I wish later generations had even a smidgeon of such staying power and then maybe there wouldn't be so much 'dysfunction' in our society.

Anyway ... I digress.

I used papers from a HOTP book of Pretty Papers to decorate a cream card blank and cut a circle and heart with scallop scissors to embellish the front pages which are only adhered at the folded edge.

Satin pink ribbon tied in a knot through punched holes, adds the finishing touch to the folded spine.

A wee peek inside reveals some layers using the offcut papers and a sentiment stamped onto pastel card has been gold embossed.

Red Roses

Today's card was made to send to my Aunt and Uncle who will be celebrating their Anniversary this week. Red roses combined with black and gold cardstock always look good. The ribbon was recycled from our Christmas crackers and the papers were taken from a HOTP card kit.

Anniversary Card & Numbers

It is my wee brother's and sister~in~law's 11th Anniversary today, so I thought I'd show the card I made for them.

I used some gorgeous turquoise foiled tissue paper, (it really is beautiful paper), mounted onto silver mirri card, then matted onto turquoise coloured card before adding a message tag decorated with matching ribbon and silver punched hearts.
I unearthed a fancy heart shaped corner punch the other day ... when looking for something else ... which was perfect for decorating the corners of the white card blank.

Another of this week's projects was to make a 60th birthday card and I relied on one of my favourite K. & Co. papers for this one.

I created a ribbon rosette from some non fray floral ribbon and added gold number peel offs to a scalloped circle, punched from the same paper, before mounting it on the front.

Simple but pretty I think.

I still have my dad's 70th card to make before Monday.

xxx 21 Years xxx

Today my husband and I celebrate our 21st Wedding Anniversary ... who would've believed it?
I was only 16 years old when we met over 30 years ago .... sigh .... and I don't think either my parents, nor indeed his, thought our relationship was going to last given the age difference. How wrong were they?
We were married 9 years later...







... and the rest, as they say, is history.

Unfortunately, he is currently working a couple of hundred miles away and won't be back home until 9th October so we'll have to wait to celebrate properly.

However, out of sight is not out of mind.

Look what arrived this morning.


Just want to say "Thank You Jimi"
... for loving me & wanting to share your life with me xxx

Making Up For Lost Time

I've been busy today ... busy making cards no less!
Don't fall off your seats with excitement 'cos the enthusiasm may not last but as all crafters know, you have to go with the urge when it grabs you LOL!

So ... Do you want to see what I made? Really ?? You Sure ?? .................. ok then.

The first card uses my favourite silhouette stamp, which seems to be the one I reach for when a condolence card is needed.

The background paper is from Dovecraft and the flower was stamped (with black Stazon) onto white card, then matted onto black card. The sentiment is part of a wooden stamp set, but I can't remember where it came from.

On to happier events ... and a birthday card for a family friend.
She is the proud 'mum' to a little white Scottie Dog called "Archie" so a doggie theme was called for.
My daughter and I had spotted a cute Scottie keyring whilst browsing through a local garden centre so I added it to her card.
The DCWV 'All Dressed Up' stack provided the card base and after folding the sheet in half, the front face was trimmed to reveal the inside which is some green marbled paper matted onto black card.

The cute image was part of a QVC kit and black velvet ribbon was used to attach the keyring.

My final offering today was a quick and easy Anniversary card.
A tall white blank was wrapped with some gorgeous pink foiled tissue paper, (part of a pack picked up in The Works a while ago).
Isn't that foiling just scrummy?

I didn't want to cover up this beautiful paper with too many embellishments, so a simple white ribbon and silver tag were all the decoration needed.

A peel off message was coloured pink with permanent markers and then added to the tag .... voila!! All done.

Anniversary Card

This morning I had a little time to myself and made an Anniversary card for my nephew and his wife who will celebrate their 2nd Anniversary on 8th April.
I wanted to try my hand at making a fold over card that you tuck in, and thought it would be good practice for cutting slits with a craft knife.
The 'Just For You' message is stamped and embossed with gold ... it didn't photograph well and looks smudgy but believe me when I say it looks clear enough in real life.

Not bad for a first attempt even if I say so myself!

Hardened crafters will recognise the mini book on the inside as being the smallest part of the tall Bookatrix board ... it was the perfect size.

I used gold embossed card and some handmade paper from my stash for the pages then added some feathers under the message which reads ...
'To a wonderful couple'.
Hope they like it as much as I do.

Golden Wedding Anniversary Card

On Monday evening, I was asked by one of my neighbours to make an Anniversary card for a couple celebrating their Golden Wedding. She has bought some general greetings cards from me in the past and as she hadn't seen anything in the shops that she liked ... well ... not at a price she was willing to pay, she asked me to 'do something'.
I have to tell you that is quite a scary thing for someone like me, who is not entirely confident that what I actually do 'DO' will be what they WANT me to do.

Here is what I came up with ... and she absolutely loved it so Job Done and I feel good!