70th Wedding Anniversary - Platinum

I got a commission this month - well two really.  One of my best friend's parents-in-law were celebrating their 70th Wedding Anniversary.  Well first we had to look it up and apparently it is Platinum, and secondly you can't find many cards out there for a 70th Wedding Anniversary (or any for that matter).  Imagine how special it must be to celebrate 70 years! So it gave me chance to totally personalize the cards - one from the two of them, and one from her dad. Their's had to take centre stage with the one that they sent off for from The Queen so I knew it had to be special. So I did a bit of research and found out that the lovely bride had pink roses in her bouquet on her wedding day in 1943, and so along with platinum theme this is what I came up with:

It is quite a large card - 8"x8", custom made from Centura Pearl in Ivory, which has such an amazing sheen to it.  The roses are Anna Griffin decoupaged stickers, which I formed into a wreath, overlain on a Anna Griffin background paper, punched in a circle, and accented with Platinum Liquid Pearls (this months obsession!). The sentiment is bespoke as well! Here's a little close up.

Well of course such a special card wouldn't go in any normal envelope so out came the boxer board as well:

 

I completely forgot to take a picture of the insert but I had found a very special Christian-themed verse online which was perfect for them. Apparently the special couple were over-the-moon with the card, especially the effort that Jane had made in getting it so personalised.  There is no greater compliment to the crafter than the giver and the recipient both being pleased with the results. Probably not my usual simple style but you have to adapt to those in a different generation don't you?

The second card was a smaller card just focusing on the platinum theme.  This was definitely a good stash buster - card blank I've had for ages, a ribbon offcut, and bead embellishment from who knows where, and scraps of cards punched out for the sentiment. But doesn't it look elegant?

I hope you like them.  Sorry most of the photos are on a funny angle.  I must have had a wonky head that day, and trying to fix on the computer was making the pics blurry so you'll have to tilt your heads too to really appreciate them :-)!

I've got another couple of dolly mixtures cards nearing completion so I'll be back with them soon.

Helen x

Another wreath - this time on a card!

Happy New Year everyone!  Hope you had a happy and healthy Christmas and New Year (unlike our family where the dreaded lurgy was doing the rounds...).

Karen was right when she said great minds think alike when we both made some wreath cards for Christmas. Unfortunately I forgot to take pics of the card I sent to her, but she has kindly sent some photos so I can get put up on my blog.

It is mainly made of Craftwork Cards products (by the way don't look at their sale section if you are trying to be good in the New Year!). The card blank, flowers, base for sentiment and card candy are all CWC. The leaf is from a Martha Stewart punch. Here's a close up:

The sentiment is an Anna Griffin stamp and I've added a tiny bit of bling as I know Karen loves it!

Plus here is the obligatory ribbon.

I was so pleased they like it and Karen blogged about it. You can see her card here.

Hopefully I'll get to blog more in 2013. Thank you to all the people who follow me and leave such lovely comments.

Helen x

A Christmas Wreath (Julkrans)

Hej hej (Swedish for hello!)

This weekend I had the pleasure to go and visit some lovely friends in Lund Sweden. It was starting to feel a lot like Christmas as we visited a traditional crafts fair, and tried lots of festive Swedish foods like saffron rolls and sampled different kinds of glögg :-) .  Other highlights included popping into visiting the cathedral and walking in on a concert rehearsal of Mozart's Requiem which was sublime, and getting a warm welcome at a local church.  I must admit I love Swedish design and some of the crafts at the fair were amazing. I'm a sucker for all the red and white, and wood carving, paper star lights and little elves.

So it was a bit of a risk taking a homemade present as a thank you to my friends, but thankfully I got a great idea from my friend Nicky from craft group of a paper wreath. She made one here in black and cream, and it really is stunning.  As a Stampin' Up demonstrator Nicky always has some great ideas so it is definitely worth looking at her blog http://www.cavaliercrafts.co.uk/

Well here is my version, which I made with a polystyrene ring, Anna Griffin Christmas papers, and a whole bunch of pins.  I was a bit worried that the pins would set off the alarms at airport security but thankfully they didn't.  It was just me that had to go through the body scanner!

They liked it that much it went straight up on the door. Phew... Here's a close up of the ribbon and the paper curls.

I've plans to make a few more as Christmas presents so you might see them popping up here again in different colours.

Vi ses snart! (Swedish for see you soon)

Helen x