some various swing cards

Hi there! This is a quick post, basically because these cards are quick to make.  There is no colouring involved, but the embellishments make the cards exquisite.  I thought I would post them just purely to give you some ideas on different things that you can put on your cards.  I alter a lot of things, like cutting the ring off charms (as seen with the dinosaur in the pebbles near the fence) or the back notch of buttons and the split pins off brads. I hope you can find some ideas here.  By inking the edge of  straight cuts and using some frantage or different coloured embossing powders you can transform a simple card topper with a saying. 

Thanks for stopping by, Stay safe XOX Tania

Forever Friends Bear with large Present

Good morning. thanks for stopping by.  Today I have another swing card, this time using a Forever friends stamp of bear with large gift.  It came in a set of wood mounted stamps a couple of years ago and is super cute!  I did not write down the colours I used. The DP is from a Kaisercraft pad called True Romance.  The flowers are Wild Orchid Crafts, the ribbon is from my LSS Arnolds.  I made the acetate butterfly... an update for these.... I have always used dimension magic to mix the glitter in and seal the staz on ink.  My LSS did not have any in stock, so I got some glossy accents thinking it would do the same trick.... It doesn't!!!! it is much thicker and cracks when you cut out the butterfly and fold up the wings. So I am sticking with the dimension magic!  The hearts are cut from a memory box die called precious hearts.  If you look closely among the flowers, I have glued in some diamontes.. the sparkle is gorgeous.  I buy cheap sew-on rhinestone buttons on ebay (the claw set ones) and remove the claw, leaving the bevel rhinestone to glue on.  Adds such a nice touch and if you buy in bulk, they really are a cheap way to add bling!

Thanks for stopping by. Stay safe XOX Tania

popcorn the Bear Fishing for Dad

Hi There. Its been such a long time since I have posted a card here... I've had my hands all little full :-) I managed to get quiet a few cards done before Amelia was born, so will try and get them uploaded as quick as I can.  Some may not have the colours or DP companies, but I hope they will give you some inspiration and ideas for some of your cards.

This one is one I did for Fathers day.  It is a Popcorn the Bear stamp of a bear and a duck fishing.  It is an adorable image, and you can have fun colouring wood grains and bear fur.  now, you all know how much I struggle with boys cards, but I had so much fun with this one!  I did it as a swing card, and used lots of old stuff I've had for ages from my scrapbooking days!  So, the shells, starfish and glass starfish all are seconhand from a cousins wedding table decorations! Yep, recycling at its best!  The fish are brads are leftovers I used on our honeymoon scrap page (we were married in 2003!) and the metal tiles were in my stash as well.  I used some gold pebble sand that I dont know where it came from years ago, and I have splashed around some dew drops in the water.  

Design Paper from a Prima Pad called Craftsman

copic colors:

YR 12, 15, 16

Y 35, 38

E 15, 19, 21, 23, 25, 29, 31, 33, 34

B 000, 14, 91

G 99

YG 03, 63

R 11, 20

N 1, 4, 6

100

Thanks for stopping by, Stay Safe XOX Tania

box tutorial for cards

Hi there. A really quick post today with the tutorial for making boxes for square cards.  I thought I had a tutorial on this, but cant find it, so here it is:

You can adjust measurements to suit your cards.  Basically what you do is measure you card- I make my cards 14.8cm square ....  Add 4mm to this measurement.   This is going to be the base of your box.  I do my boxes 2.5cm or 1 inch deep, so you need to add this to the cardstock measurement X 2.  So in total you should have a 20.2cm piece of cardstock for the base box (that is 15.2cm + 2.5cm + 2.5cm).  Score each edge 2.5cm or 1 inch.  then score each little corner on the box diagonally (the first picture may best describe what I mean).  then it is a matter of gluing the corners in.  I find it helpful to fold up all the score lines before gluing and just hold the corners with a paper clip until the glue takes hold.  Do exactly the same technique for the lid EXCEPT add 0.3mm to the size of the cardstock... so you will have a piece of card 20.5cm square, scoring at 2.5cm or 1 inch around each side.  You need this extra little bit so the top sits over the base.

Take a look at the pictures below, they will be much more helpful in explaining how to make these boxes. If you have any questions, please drop me a message.

Stay safe XOX Tania

Please meet my newest masterpiece.... Baby Amelia

Good morning. Just letting you all know that I have not dropped off the face of the planet.... I have been creating a masterpiece of a different kind :-)

Please meet Amelia, our beautiful daughter we welcomed on the 20 August.  weighing 3130g she is absolutely perfect! The marks on her face are from forceps.  She is the most content wonderful little girl who will hopefully allow me some time to to keep crafting :-) I do have lots of cards done which I haven't uploaded yet, so stay tuned...

Thanks for stopping by. Stay Safe. XOX Tania

Penny Black Wishes for Kisses Christmas swing card

Good morning! a swing card today, using Penny Black's "wishes for kisses".  DP is by K&Co called Holly Vine Printed embossed. Flowers are from Wild orchid Crafts.  I have scattered some rhinestones around the flowers, added a handmade hat pin.  The ribbon is from my LSS Arnolds, and the adhesive rhinestone is by Queen & Co.  The swing part is cut using spellbinders labels four and the image is cut using spellbinders Gold Labels Four.

copics used:

N 1, 4, 6

E 000, 00, 42

B 000, 14, 91, 95, 97

G 09

YG 03, 97

R 00, 11, 20, 24, 27

YR 12

Flower soft was added to the scarf for added texture.

Thanks for stopping by, Take care XOX Tania

A christmas verse swing card

Hi there (again!)  I have gone with something a little bit different here by just using a sentiment and no image. The beautiful verse is by Verses Rubber stamps called "Magic of holidays" and I have silver embossed it.  I have used no DP here, instead using a cuttlebug embossing folder on white card - swiss dots. I have matted it with  purple glitter cardstock.  Now, one problem I encountered here is that the cuttlebug folders do not emboss a 15cm square card... so what I had to do for the inside was to emboss two pieces of card and hide the join under the ribbon! No one ever knows (unless you're a crafter lol)  I bought a new spellbinders die called elegant labels which I just had to use here... it does overhang the card a little, but still manages to fit in my boxes I make.  I glued the die cut to the glitter paper and handcut around the base... I guess you could use JAC paper in the same way and sprinkle the cut out parts with glitter too!  The flowers are Wild Orchid Crafts sprinkled with loads of glitter and I made the angel charm myself.  The little crystal and ribbon is from my LSS Arnolds Scrapbooking at Rothwell.

Here's my tip.... glitter paper is expensive and doesn't tend to glue anything to the top very well.  what I do is cut the matting (glitter) piece, then cut the centre out (so it looks like a frame)  the back of the glitter card glues perfectly to your base card, then you can stick you white  piece directly onto the actual card as well (I usually cut the frame about 1.5cm wide around... my top card goes over the top of the glitter paper to give a clean edge, but you can still stick the top piece directly onto the base card through the window section).  this way you can use the inside of the glitter window for things like snowflakes or butterflies etc. You could even "pop" up the top card onto some foam dots for dimension!

Wild Orchid Crafts is asking to see blue or purple, so would like to enter a second card into their challenge

Thanks for stopping by, Stay Safe XOX Tania

Penny Johnson 'Shhh' christmas card

Hello! Another Christmas card here... this time using a Penny Johnson image called "Shhh". The paper came out of my stash, so I cant tell you the name, and the glitter card I picked up from the craft expo a couple of months ago.  So sorry, but there isnt really much I can tell you about this card... think of it as eye candy LOL!!!!  The flowers are WOC of course.... and I made the hat pin myself.  ribbon is also from my stash.

TIP: I buy a lot of white or cream flowers so I dont have to store so many different coloured flowers and hit them with glimmer mist to suit the colour card.  I usually spray my lighter colour, then I unscrew the bottle and dab my darker colour on the edges...  If you do this while the lighter colour is still wet, your darker colour will be dragged into the lighter part a little and blend nicely.

Copic colours used:

R 27, 29, 89

G 09, 99

YG 03

Y 38

E 000, 00, 21, 29, 34, 42

100

N 1, 4, 6

B 12, 28, 93, 99

I would like to enter this card into the Top Tip Tuesday Challenge who would like to see spooled items

Thanks for stopping by, Stay Safe XOX Tania

Penny Black Here comes Christmas

Good morning, thanks for stopping by.  Here is another christmas card I have done up this week, and I must admit, it is probably my favourite card I have done in a LONG time!  I think the colours are pretty, and I just love this image... which is of course a Penny Black stamp called Here comes Christmas.  The DP is by Anna Griffin.  Flowers are of course Wild Orchid Crafts, and I have made the hat pin myself and added some dangle snowflakes to the end of it.  I have also scattered around some diamonte buttons amoungst the flowers, which I just love and have been doing to my cards since I saw what a finishing touch it makes.  I left the crystals in the button for this card, but I also have some claw set rhinestone buttons where I pulled the rhinestone out of its claw and glued them on... Let me tell you, the sparkle is divine!!!  The swing part is cut using spellbinders labels four die and the image is cut using spellbinder Gold Labels four die

Copic colours used were:

R 24, 27, 59

RV 95 (cheeks)

100

N 1, 4, 6

E 21, 25, 30, 34, 50, 53

YR 12 (moon)

B 000, 12, 28, 93

 I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:

Penny Black Saturday Challenge: Christmas in July

Wild Orchid Crafts Challenge: Blue or purple

Ribbon Girls: Blue and White

Thanks for stopping by. Stay Safe XOX Tania

Lili of the Valley Little Trumpet

Hi there thanks for dropping by.  Long time since I have posted a card... I have been making loads, I promise..  I just haven't had time to upload them :-(   I have made a few christmas cards for a lady at the craft market I go to, so be warned... over the next couple of days, you are going to be inundated with all things Christmas!!! 

Its been a long time since I have pulled out my LOTV stamps, so I thought I would ink this cutie up.  Her name is Little Trumpet, and I have done a swing style card.  This style card is super easy to make but is really effective!

I have used Making Memories paper called Je tÁdore... not really a christmas paper, but the music notes fitted well with the trumpeting!  Flowers are of course Wild Orchid Crafts and made the little angel charm myself.  The die is labels one by spellbinders.

Copic colours used:

R 20, 81, 85

RV 95, 99

YG 03

E 000, 00, 01, 25, 30, 34, 53

Y 18, 35, 38

B 000 for shading

I would like to enter this card into the following challenge:
Lili's Little Fairies Challenge: Christmas in July

Creative Inspirations Challenge: Bingo (Ribbon, stamped image and flowers)

Bearly Mine Challenge: Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by. Stay Safe XOX Tania