Crafting   

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I don't have hobbies - I have passions!

I am trying out a lot of crafting ideas that I've never had time for previously; these include: resin, book-binding, quilling, paper making; however, these are not ready for public viewing as yet, but watch this space.

What I mainly find myself doing outside of the business interests and supporting interests, just for fun, is creating greeting cards for friends and relatives.  Anyone who has had a go at card making will know that you cannot put a realistic price on the time and effort involved, but it's nice to make these one-of's that are personal to the recipient.  I enjoy coming up with the ideas - although I have to admit to finding some inspiration on Pinterest - and adding my own unique twists.  I am lucky to have the time and equipment ro play with and to be able to use different techniques and meduims.  I thought it would be nice to share some of my favourite creations here and perhaps inspire others to be creative.  I hope you like them.

A friend was going away to Art school and I wanted to wish her well.  I've reused the idea for several 'arty' people. I made printed cut-outs for the sentiments onthe front and attached with sticky pads to give greater depth, the colours on the cut-out pallet are small gemstones. The insert is printed with a blank frame for a personal message.  The easel is appropriate for the subject and makes a great display stand. Due to the depth of the finished item I wrapped in tissue within a card box which kept everything ready for unveiling when recieved.
Matching pendant and card combining 2 interests of the recipient - books and Scottish Country Dancing.  The front of the card - the dress - was drawn and cut by hand after printing the dancers inside, sentiments were die cut.
The 'impossible card' varied slightly - surprisingly easy to achieve the 'twist', but a heavier card (I used 120gms) would have been better for creating the stqnd-up effect, embossing and die cuts created with Sizzix Big Shot	A simple [one of mine] photographic insert for a pre-cut aperture card.	Aperture cards again,using a) a shiny insert and artificil flowers and b) tartan ribbon and heather from my garden
A white die cut card on a silver card.  Embossing the inner for a change.  Sentiments were die cut.		My first attempt at quilling was used to adorn a gift box, hopefully I will improve on the technique through time!
Original photograph of Andy's accordion.	Using Photoshop to remove background and dividing into 2 halves, printed divided image onto ivory pearelescent card and folded the centre section to represent accordion pleats.  Created Sizzix diecuts for sentiments. Enveloped with accordion closed so that it springs open when released.
There are lots of Tuxedo cards out there, but they are great for personalising.  I used the inside jacket flaps for memories past and those still in the planning.  This was a first attempt and getting all the details just right was quite tricky, but I learnt a lot about the cutting and folding which should help next time. Now do I give him this one for Valentine's day or save it for our anniversary?		For a Canadian cousin with love from Scotland; using appropriate map images from the internet and printing onto card, adding the die cut "thinking of you" to the front, with a personalised printed inner
Embossing maroon card and acetate with matching dots and fastening front to back, glueing die cut "Happy Birthday" and tree silouhette to back of film and a photograph of the recipient's garden (as seen from her kitchen window in Melbourne) to the interior card so that the photo showed through the film. A personalised message was printed and affixed to the back of the card.  The dark colours and the acetate made this a difficult card to photograph, but the card was pleasing and the recipient delighted!
Around 30 years ago a friend modelled for a fashion makeover in a magazine.  I kept the magazine and made use of it to celebrate her 50th birthday by scanning the before and after images and printing to create the insert for the gold aperture card and the inner sentiment.  She is horse mad so I added the sillouhetted drawing (gleaned from pinterest). Using lettering dies and my sizzix machine, I cut out her name and attached to the front with mount pads to add dimension.  The cut-out letters were used on the tissue-wrapped card.
A childhood photograph of my sister-in-law with her little brother (now my husband) on a local beach formed the basis of this card.   Her favourite seashells are these tiny yellow ones so I added some from my collection (I just love living by the sea!) to give colour, texture and personal interest to the front of the card.		When your brother-in-law is a pianist, what else couldthere be?  Found a Pinterest theme for this card, modified to suit.  Printed keys glued in place and added gold ribbon, a printed treble clef attached with a sticky pad and a Happy Birthday peel off sticker.  Happy birthday sheet music inside.
Stuart's daddy pilots these areoplanes, so Stuart enjoyed putting the jigsaw puzzle together.  Having trawled through the internet to locate a suitable image (accuracy was very important in this instance as I would have quickly been informed if I'd got it wrong!), I used a die to cut the puzzle pieces from a print that I'd made and laminated for durabilty and thickness for the jigsaw.  I placed the peices inside a small ziplock bag and attached to the front of the card inside a frame (made from wooden coffee stirrers) that was exactly the right size to hold the finished puzzle.  Adding his name, again using die cut letters, to the front and using the finished picture for the inner along with the sentiment.
Flowers are a never ending joy and inspiration.  Everyone loves flowers, most people have favourites, so using a mixture of my own printed photographs, die cut floral shapes and lacey dies, plus a few sticky gems, here are just a few of the ones made for friends and relations.
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In tribute to both his musical prowess and his sartorial pose, this was my husband's birthday card 2019. Using my own photoraph in an aperture card and printing keyboard, phot and sentiment on the inner.		Butterflies again.  Simple embossing on the outside and the inner plus a die cut butterfly.
Sometimes we forget, and when we do, we have to say "Sorry."  This wraparound image is one of my favourites, the hydrangea bush is in my sister's garden and I have used the image to create cards, coasters, keyrings as well as full size prints.	A Golden Wedding is a time for glitter and magic as well as gold.  Cutting a forest aperture and backing with fabrics that offer a glittery sky and a shimmery floor, all enclosed with green tissue which enhamced the colours and sealed the fabrics in position, also giving a background to the same forest aperture cut into the card's inner.  the message is printed onto the inner.
Shaker cards are lots of fun. Using the sizzix machine to cut jar shaped apertures in the first 2 folds of a tri-fold card, plus keys and sentiments. I stuck 2 pieces of acetate together with adhesive padded strips to create a gap which I filled with assorted miniature keys in gold and silver.  This I sandwiched between the 2 apertures which allowed the background to show through - this was in fact the contrasting gold paper inner on which the sentiment was printed.		A booklet inside this plain card, made from decreasing sized pages - a die set. The sentiment printed before cutting.
A friend is recovering in hospital and very much looking forward to being well enough to return home.  Using a trifold card to open left then right, a photograph of her house is placed to show through a winter-tree aperture cust in the first face of the card. Gold rectangles are cut and attached to tidy and frame the image, die cut snetiments are added.  The blank inner page allowed a personal handwritten message to be included.
Like most close friends, we get together over a cup of tea and talk about the ups and downs of life, but when we're a bit downhearted we try to remind each other that it's going to get better.  So, a teacup full of butterflies is the inevitable outcome.		Friends were celebrating their 6th anniversary and I always try to relate to the traditional gifts.  Iron this time - represented by the wrought iron gates and padlock, enclosing their warm cosy love.
"Floating" cards.  2 variations, both using the same technique - by inserting a piece of clear acetate within the aperture in the inner folded section, the lower part of a cut-out can be glued in place allowing the top to stand proud.  On opening, this pop-up gives a floating effect.  For the gardener I used flowers, for the nature lover a butterfly. Both were against an appropriate embosssed background and enhanced with gemstones.  The fronts of the cards had banner sentiments atached with sticky pads and matching themes.