Three Minute Thursday - using punches

Good morning! Today I have some super-speedy cards for you time-pressed people out there, using a very simple masking technique. If you were here last week, you'll have seen me mask off an area with post-it notes and stamp inside the resulting shape. This time, I'm cutting a shape in a post-it note with a punch and sponging inside the shape. Look:

This one was made using the large heart punch. I stuck the post-it note onto a 7cm square of Whisper White card stock and sponged inside using Pink Pirouette ink. To add a bit of a 3D feel, I sponged a darker ink (Pretty In Pink) to the left and to the V of the heart. The sentiment was added in Bravo Burgundy ink using a stamp-a-majig for position and the square mounted onto a 9cm square Bravo Burgundy card base. I used burgundy to neutralise the pink so that it would be suitable for a man.

The same technique can be used to make different types of cards:

Here's a little celebratory card using the large star punch. I'ts sponged with bashful blue, with a touch of Marina Mist at the edges, and mounted on Marina Mist card stock. The sentiment has been stamped in Night of Navy - do you recognise it? It's from one of the amazing sets that you get free as part of the Sale-a-bration promotion. Sale-a-bration finishes on the 28th of February, so do hurry if you haven't got your free stamp sets yet! You can see all four free stamp sets, and get all the details here, and then to place an order with me, just click here or phone me on 01280 820593.

I have one more card to show you today.

This time I've used the small heart punch to make the mask. It is so easy to space this punch evenly -check out this post on Monday when I used it to make a border. I sponged inside the mask with Pink Pirouette again and added definition with Pretty In Pink but this time I added the sentiment (from Perfect Punches) in Cherry Cobbler ink. The understated Crumb Cake card base and all that white space really draws the eye to the smaller image.

I had a terrible moment today: I went to take a photograph and the camera didn't work! I couldn't press the button! I spent ages checking the usual suspects - battery, settings etc but couldn't find anything. In the end I went in search of my husband - not, you understand, because I thought he could fix it but because I wanted to tell him how upset I was! Do you know what he did? He took a photograph! Not of me unfortunately, because I would have loved to show you what I look like when I am absolutely, totally and utterly lost for words...

Thank you for your company today. Oh and here's something I keep meaning to say: I really love it when you leave comments for me. I read each one and enjoy returning your visits. But sometimes I can't because not everyone has a blog, and sometimes there's no email either. If I've not been able to respond to you, please know that you really have made my day.

See you tomorrow,