09/05/2011 by Gwyneth.

Some More Cards With Various Birds On Them

On the 7th I put a blog post up called Birds 1 - here - today I’m starting my blog post with some more of the bird cards I’ve made over the last year.  Once I post this I’ll probably find more in my box of cards, but for now - Enjoy!

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1. Mummy duck and ducklings Pyramid Sheet by Sarah Edwards (This card is a straight edged pyramid so very easy to cut out and put together.  I think this design would work well with a speech bubble coming out of either the duck or one of the ducklings mouths with a witty comment in it.  Any ideas about what is being said?)
2. Peacock Wavy Side Stacker by Sarah Edwards (This is a side stacker with wavy edges that are easy to cut out - and very forgiving if the waves are not exactly accurately cut as well.  It’s not difficult to cut out or make up.)
3. Peacock by Kristin Guyer (The pyramid layers are round on this card.  This time the peacock doesn’t have his tail up in a display.)
4. Harris hawk step by step by Sharon Trommelen (The top layers that are of the bird’s body and wings are easy to cut out but there’s a bit more of a fiddle on the lower layers that need cutting out around and between the legs.  You could get away with just building up the easier to cut layers if you want.)
5. Parrots in the Rainforest Pyramid Sheet by Sarah Edwards (Another of the easy to cut straight edged pyramid designs.  This is a very striking image.)

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1. Kookaburra by Linda Whittles (This square shaped pyramid design had a paper ribbon on the sheet as well.)
2. Bird on Feeder Twisted Pyramid by Sheila Rodgers (Is this a sparrow?  I’m not sure, but even though this is a twisted pyramid, and therefore gives a different effect to the finished card, it is still made up of easy to cut square layers.)
3. Cute Wise Owl Pop Up Spring Card by Katy Kinsey (The most fiddly thing to cut out about this card are the owl’s tufts.  The whole card is on the design sheet, you simply print, cut, score and fold.)
4. Peek-a-boo Easter chick step by step by Michelle Johnson (Lots of ins and outs to cutting this design out, though the clear black lines make it easier to do than many.  It can be made up into a card of whatever colour you want.)
5. BLUE TIT ON AN APPLE BLOSSOM TREE BRANCH by Elaine Sheldrake (This is a side stacker card, so again only straight edges and easy to cut out.  The design sheet does have a background element included, together with some flowers which are a bit more fiddly to cut out.)

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1. PARROT OVER THE EDGE CARD by Clive Couter (This card was cut out using my CraftROBO.  The only hand cutting was trimming the sticky backed clear plastic I put behind the image.  This card is totally coloured in using various colours of fine glitter.  Some care is needed to get all the glitter in the correct aperture, but I think it makes a really stunning card and is well worth the effort.)

If you click on the link that appears with my notes on how difficult the card is to cut, etc., you will be taken to the page with design itself on, and you too could buy and make a similar card.

CUP Newsletter

As I was finishing writing this blog post I noticed that a link to the latest CUP Newsletter was posted up on Facebook.  If you want to go and have a look click -> here.  There are some stunning cards being highlighted, as well as many great design sheets and kits created by some of the CUP Designers who’ve gone Platinum. Why not pop to the page and have a look.

You can see the cards I’ve made using design sheets from CUP in my “Crafter Showcase Area” on Craftsuprint.com - here
(Just scroll down past the top boxes to see the cards.)

-oOo-

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07/05/2011 by Gwyneth.

Cards With Various Birds On Them

I was going to make a post today with all the cards I’d made that had various birds on them - then I realised quite how many I’d made and thought that there were far to many for one post.  So I’ve picked out a batch of ten cards today.

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1. Little Chick Quick Card with Pyramage by Carol Clarke (Pyramage style cards are always easy to cut out and make, and this one comes with a little extra in the form of a gift of a bookmark.  Would make a great card for somebody who’s in hospital or convalescing.)
2. Duck Iris Folding Pattern by Margaret Jones (As this design is basically just yellow paper strips for the legs and beak and white for the body it is an easy one to follow.  Cutting out the aperture is the most difficult thing about it.)
3. Dove Iris Folding Pattern by Margaret Jones (Cutting the aperture out for this design is a bit more difficult as there are lots of ins and outs around the wings, but the making up of the iris folding is again quite easy as it is mostly one colour.)
4. Penguin Iris Folding Pattern by Margaret Jones (This is an easier aperture to cut out and only has some yellow for the beak and two blocks of coloured strips to work to, so no intricate iris folding patterns to follow.)
5. Owls Pop Out Card by Sheila Rodgers (Some people may find it difficult to cut out the pieces that are around the ovals, but it isn’t particularly intricate, just a bit of a fiddle using either a craft knife or a scissors.)

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1. BIRDS 2 OVER THE EDGE CARD by Clive Couter (As this is made using a cutting file created for use with my CraftROBO there was no cutting involved in creating the main card.  I did then take a bit of time colouring in the acetate from behind, but, because I did the colouring from behind it wasn’t too important to stay directly within the lines as the card shape covered any errors from being visible from the front.)
2. Swallow Spiral Edge Stacker by Eva Cano (This is a straight edged spiral stacker so only straight cutting and very easy to put together.)
3. Tawny owl step by step by Sharon Trommelen (Although this is a decoupage built up of layers with less of the owl on each layer, it is actually quite easy to cut out because the owl is just basically an oval shape with uneven edges.  With each layer shaped and rounded before attaching this makes a stunning, dimensional decoupage that I really love.)
4. Parrot quick card front with pyramage by Michelle Johnson (With a complementary background behind the parrot image this makes a lovely card front that’s easy to make a great card from.  The cutting is all straight edged as the extra layers are all square.)
5. Lorikeet pyramid by Sally McIntyre (This is again a straight edged pyramid, but not in the usual square or rectangle shape, but it is just as easy to put together.)

Keep an eye out for my “Birds 2″ blog post in the near future for more cards including ones with -Ducks, Peacocks, Harris Hawk, Kookaburra, Blue Tit, and more!

CUP Newsletter

I had a real surprise on Wednesday when I opened my E-mail and saw that this little blog had got a mention in that day’s CUP Newsletter.  Thank you for the mention CUP!

If you’ve not got your name down to receive it you can see a copy online by clicking -> here.  There’s much more to see than just the plug for this blog, so go have a look.

The Newsletter that came out yesterday (Friday 6th May) said:

May Competition

Next week we launch our May Competition the theme of which
will be Wedding Cards so get your thinking caps on.

So I guess I’d better start thinking of a card using one or more sheets from CUP to enter into that competition now.  So many choices on CUP, so what will it be - a bouquet, a cake, a couple, ….?  Lots of thought required for this one I think.

You can see the cards I’ve made using design sheets from CUP in my “Crafter Showcase Area” on Craftsuprint.com - here
(Just scroll down past the top boxes to see the cards.)

-oOo-

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03/05/2011 by Gwyneth.

New Items

I’ve managed to make a few jewellery items the last couple of days and have made some boxes, some with cards attached, to present the items in as gifts.  The boxes have each been made from 250 gsm good quality card that has had a different background sheet design bought from CUP printed on it.

If you click on each thumbnail image you will see a larger version of the image and if you click on the links given below you will be taken to a page showing the background I used to make each box/card.

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1. This is a necklace in green and silver with a star shaped bead pendant at the centre.  I’ve made a long box as part of a tall card to present it in (out of Green Christmas Swirls Vellum by Deborah Davies).  The front of the card is simply decorated with some green peel-offs and a ribbon tassel and can be detached as a bookmark by the recipient.
2. This is a gold bookmark that has been decorated with a string of red beads.  I’ve made a shorter box and card which is wider to present it in (out of White lace 1 by Astrid Spijkers).  The card side of the box is simply decorated with a ribbon bow and a greeting “Dymuniadau Gorau” (Welsh for Best Wishes).
3. This is a simple, but stylish, box I’ve made (out of Blue and White Teardrop Backing Paper by Katy Kinsey) to present a gift of a set of blue necklace, bracelet and earrings that I’ve started making.
4. I’m in the process of making a bracelet which will be presented in this box (unfortunately run out of beading elastic so have to wait for some more to be delivered before I can complete all the bracelet strands).  As I had enough of the background (Sparkle Landscape Backing Paper by June Harrop) I made a matching gift tag and put a small drop made using the same beads I’m using for the bracelet as a decoration on the card and a means to thread ribbon on to attach to the box.
5. I made this three stranded bracelet using an assortment of purple sheen seed beads and some faux, purple and white, pearl beads.  It is presented in a box made using a purple design (Purple Lace Backing Paper by Sarah Edwards).  If you click through to the page of the backing design you will see I’ve given the dimensions for scoring in the description at the bottom of the page.

I’ve found that having a good selection of background designs in my digital library is a good thing as it allows me to play around with different things, such as these different sized and styled boxes without having to worry that I’ve spoiled a lovely card, as, if something goes wrong and I cut or score in the wrong place I can simply re-print and start again.  I’m slowly building up my digital library from CUP as it allows me to pick designs I’ve got an use for, and that I can see myself using several times.  Buying CD-ROMs is another great way of building up a digital library, but many of them have a small proportion of what I really want to use and a large proportion of designs I’ll never use so I only buy them if I know that there’s a reasonable amount of stuff I’ll use on them. The beauty of buying from CUP is that I can buy a Christmas, Art Deco, children’s design, and several totally different background in one order (minimum order of only £5), and as they are digital designs they can be downloaded and used as soon as the payment goes through, day or night, so no waiting for the postman to bring a CD-ROM of designs either.

CUP Update Newsletter

If you haven’t already signed up for the CUP Newsletter you can do so here. - you will even be sent some free downloads   You can see the latest CUP Newsletter by clicking -> here.

CUP April 2011 - Fathers Day Card Competition

Maureen Garrigan has been announced as the winner of the April card-making competition.  Congratulations Maureen!  You can see the results for all the cards entered by clicking here.

These are photos of the outside and inside of the card I entered.  If you click on these thumbnails you’ll see larger images of the cards.

I was fortunate to come in joint 3rd.  Thank you very much to all those who voted for me.  Every vote, and the nice comments left by some under the card in the competition gallery, is very much appreciated.

We’re all waiting now to know what the May theme will be.  The Update E-mail sent out yesterday said that the details will be released later this week.

You can see the cards I’ve made using design sheets from CUP in my “Crafter Showcase Area” on Craftsuprint.com - here
(Just scroll down past the top boxes to see the cards.)

-oOo-

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02/05/2011 by Gwyneth.

From birth to retirement there are all sorts of occasions that mean we need to make cards for the males of the species.  Although it’s been said that making cards for men is a difficult task, the wide variety of designs on CUP means that it is easier to find something suitable.  I’ve only picked a small assortment of the cards I’ve made for this blog post - just a taster for you.  Please click through on the links below each group to see exactly what you get on the sheets.

Lets start with cards to the proud parents on the birth of their baby boy, and go on to boys playing and the “I want to be a pirate” theme cards.

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1. New Baby Boy Fold Back by Eva Cano (The card base for this is part of the design sheet and only requires straight cutting around the outside and cutting with a craft knife around the right hand side of the panel before folding back.  There are greetings panels on the design sheet as well.)
2. He’s here at last! by Angie Palmer (The design sheet I used to make this has several toppers and little elements like bottles and dummies/comforters, together with greetings panels, so you can make a variety of different cards from the sheet.)
3. Me ‘n’ My Big Bro by Michael Tullio (As the design for this decoupage is quite chunky it’s not too difficult to cut out.  It makes a great card for a child, especially one who has a brother close in age.)
4. Pirates Ahoy Quick Card with Wavy Spiral Side Stacker by Carol Clarke (Wavy side stackers give a very different effect to a card but are easy to cut out and put together.)
5. Pirates Cascade Sheet with Pyramid by Ammie Sanders (Straight and oval cutting only for this card, so again an easy to cut out and put together even though it is a different shaped card.)

Some more “I want to be…” cards - astronaut, centurian, cowboy, together with a boy and his football and through to the “cool” teenager.
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1. Cartoon astronaut 2 quick card front with decoupage by Michelle Johnson (Another “chunky” decoupage that makes it reasonably easy to cut out.)
2. Centurian pyramid by Chris Harland (How many of you have had children using saucepan lids as shields and wooden spoons as swards?  Perhaps they’ve been studying the Romans at school?  This card only has straight cutting to the pyramid layers so is easy to make.)
3. MIDNIGHT COWBOY TUNNEL SHEET by Karen Nash (Don’t know whether cowboy’s are still as popular with boys as they use to be before this “digital age” but if you have a budding “cowboy” in your family then this card is easy to make with only straight cutting and a different effect with side stacker layers.)
4. Foot Baller by Carol Brown (This is again a “chunky” decoupage so is quite easy to cut out the layers.  The most difficult bit is cutting between the arms and the body, which is a bit of a fiddle.)
5. Cool Kid Step By Step by Deborah Davies (Another decoupage that’s reasonably easy to cut out.   The sheet itself includes the whole card front and some greetings panels.)

Of course, little boys have to attend school, and some even go on to become school teachers.  Of course there are lots of jobs men could end up doing and I’ve just picked on carpenter and doctor here.  And many would prefer not to have to work but to spend their days on the open road on a bike or dressed up to the nines showing off a posh car.

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1. Thank You Teacher! Male Pyramid Design by Amy Cummings (An easy to cut pyramid design with a couple of “paper ribbons” on the sheet to enhance your card.)
2. DIY Carpenter/Joiner Dude Pyramid by Gordon Fraser (The design sheet I used to make this had several greetings panels in addition to the easy to cut pyramid.)
3. Get Well Soon Doctor Dude Circle Pyramid by Gordon Fraser (The design sheet had 7 circular layers, but I decided to use fewer to keep the card depth more shallow.  The design looks great however you make it up.)
4. Biker by Sheila Wilks (The sheet I used to make this has a backing element and some greetings ribbons in addition to the topper and one extra layer.  This decoupage layer is the most tricky to cut out as you are cutting around the bike shape itself.)
5. Mr. Smooth Gate Fold Card ideal for birthday or fathers day by Stephen Ingram (The base card itself and the panels for the front of the gatefold card are easy to cut out.  The separate image of “Mr Smooth” is a bit more fiddly to cut.)

Now how many men wish they looked like the first card of the next set?  After a life of work and fun comes retirement.  I’ve just chosen fishing and gardening cards to represent this age of man, but of course many a younger man fishes and does the garden.

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1. Sexy Man 1 Foldback by Rhonda Brittain (The base card, pyramid layers and several greetings panels come on the design sheet, and there’s only straight and oval cutting, so it’s not difficult to make this card.)
2. Fisherman slider by Kristin Guyer (I used an acetate strip to make a puller so that the fish can be pulled back and fore along the card.  The design sheet also had several greetings panel.)
3. Gardener male for Retirements Birthdays Fathers Day pyramid by Eva Cano (The pyramage layers on this card are oval, so it’s an easy card to cut and make.  The sheet has greetings for retirement, birthday and Father’s Day.)

Of course, the themes I’ve chosen for this blog post may not fit in with the boys or men in your life and you are looking for a different hobby or occupation.  There are thousands and thousands of designs available on CUP, so why don’t you click through - here - and go and have a browse around to see what’s available, or do a search for something specific.

You can see the cards I’ve made using design sheets from CUP in my “Crafter Showcase Area” on Craftsuprint.com - here
(Just scroll down past the top boxes to see the cards.)

-oOo-

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