Valentine/anniversary card using Sweetheart

Oh my goodness - the sun is out! I've come out of hibernation, cheered up no end, put a skirt on and filled my cards with colour! Here's a lively valentine for you:

Of course, with a change of sentiment, it could be a birthday card, anniversary card, congratulations card... I think you get the message on that! I've used the scallop border punch to decorate the edges of the card stock and I love the way they look layered up.

The bird is from the Sweetheart stamp set - isn't he a little cutie? He's holding a little flower cut out of one of the Play Date designer papers. I am SUCH a fan of these papers!

The banner is made with hearts cut out of coloured card stock using the small heart punch. I added a touch of white gel pen to make them look delicious! By the way, the little punch costs only £4.95 and you can make these banners with it, not to mention flowers, confetti, four-leaf clovers etc... if you don't own this, you're probably wondering why on earth not!

The ends of the banner are decorated with the gorgeous taffeta ribbon in Marina Mist. I love this style of ribbon, firstly because the weave of the ribbon means that the edges are slightly darker than the middle which is very pretty; and secondly, because it's very pliable, which means you can make effortless bows that aren't too bulky.

If you were to order some of these items, just look what you'd get for your money:

Scallop border punch £14.25

Small heart punch £4.95

9.1 metres taffeta ribbon £6.25

A4 pack of assorted subtles card stock £6.25

A4 pack of assorted brights card stock £6.25

Pack of Play Date designer papers £8.75

All this comes to just £46.70 AND... you get to choose one of the free Sale-a-bration stamp sets as well! Click here to see the free sets and for more details, and click here to email me your order.

Here's how to make this card:

• Cut a piece of Bashful Blue card stock 13.5cm x 6.5cm and scallop one of the long sides. Sponge the edges of the card stock with Marina Mist ink.
• Using a plate as a template, draw a curved line onto the card stock with the thick end of a Marina Mist marker to represent string.
• Use a 1/8" circle punch to make a hole at each end of the line, about half a centimetre in from the edges of the card stock. Thread a piece of taffeta ribbon through each hole and tie into a pretty bow. Trim the ends of the ribbon.
• Stamp a sentiment, using a stamp-a-majig for accurate placement. (I embellished my sentiment with a tiny heart cut from the smallest flower on the Boho Blossoms punch.)
• Cut some heart shapes out of bright card stock using the small heart punch. Attach to the 'string' with dimensionals and add 'shine' with a white gel pen.
• Now cut a piece of Melon Mambo and a piece of Daffodil Delight card stock 13.4cm x 2.5cm. Scallop one of the long sides on each of these. Also cut a piece of designer paper 13.4cm x 3.5cm. All of these pieces need to be layered onto a 14cm x 9cm rectangle of Old Olive card stock finishing with the main image. Fix in place with glue.
• Stamp the bird from Sweetheart using Daffodil Delight ink and add an eye with the Marina Mist marker. Cut the bird out and stand him on the banner using a dimensional. Cut a flower out of the designer paper for the bird to hold. Attach this with a touch of glue, allowing one of the leaves to overlap his beak.

Supplies

Stamps: Sweetheart, Basic Phrases and Hello You (sentiment)

Ink: Marina Mist, Melon Mambo, Daffodil Delight

Card stock: Marina Mist, Old Olive, Bashful Blue, Melon Mambo, Daffodil Delight

Other: Scallop border, small heart, 1/8" circle punches, Play Date designer paper, Marina Mist taffeta ribbon, Marina Mist marker, white gel pen

It might not quite be flip-flops weather, but I've taken a few tottering steps out into the garden and there are exciting little shoots coming up everywhere! AND it wasn't quite pitch black when I got up this morning. Looks as if there's hope... but I won't put my hot water bottle away just yet!

Do come back and join me for Mail-friendly Monday if you're interested in flat, easy-to-post cards with a bit of pizzaz! I must just add that when I mentioned this to my teenage daughter, she said: "You may not get any interest in that."

"Why not?" I asked, rather nettled.

"Well, they might have all renounced men!" she said.

There was a bewildered silence for a few moments and then I said: "Its MAIL-friendly Monday you loon, not MALE-friendly Monday!"

So anyway, do join me for Mail-friendly Monday and feel free to bring a male!

Have a lovely weekend!