Peek a boo bug

It was the birthday of someone fabulous and small yesterday and I got to make the birthday card - yay! Come and have a look:

Are you aghast? Does it seem ridiculously plain for a little girls' card? Well that's because it's harbouring a secret thanks to the Peekaboo Frames Bigz L die! The card was for the little sister of my daughter's boyfriend and she loves pink and playing hide and seek... so what's under the flap?

It's a ladybird - and she loves those too! This ladybird comes from Stampin' Up's Bug Me stamp set and is romping about on some snippets of designer paper.

I popped the card in a bright envelope, made with my indispensable envelope board...

And added a speech bubble sticker to the front, cut out with one of the Word Bubble framelits.

I'll be linking today's card up with Make My Monday where the theme is Nature.

HERE'S WHAT YOU'LL NEED TO MAKE THIS PROJECT
(Click on each item to find it quickly in my shop) 

Stamps: Bug Me wood or cling, sentiment retired

Ink: Real Red classic ink, stazon black

Card stock: Blushing Bride, Whisper White

Other: Word Bubbles framelits, Peekaboo Frames Bigz L die, Big Shot, Polka Dot Parade designer paper (plus snippets from Retro Fresh, Epic Day and Gingham Garden),  envelope board, stamp-a-majig

Click above to place an order any time, day or night,

but if you have any queries, or prefer to speak to me, I'm always happy to help.

You can contact me by email or phone on 01280 820593.

CHOOSE ONE OF THESE PHOTOPOLYMER STAMP SETS WITH EVERY £60 YOU SPEND (excl. p&p)

It was my daughter that introduced her boyfriend's little sister to the absorbing game of making houses for bugs in the garden. They found a container, decorated it with grass and twigs and gravel and searched for a ladybird to live in it. At the end of a long, happy afternoon, the little girl brought the little bug into the house. My daughter and her boyfriend exchanged glances. "The ladybird needs to go home now," they told her. She turned her big blue eyes on them. "But it's warm and safe here!" she said. It took patience and ingenuity but you'll be glad to know that the ladybird was eventually released into the wild.

See you tomorrow,

Anniversary with an extra surprise

Have you visited the Pink Paper Bakery yet? I do recommend having a browse there - it's full of fun projects and techniques. I was delighted to be asked to appear as a guest designer there today and have decided to bring out my new Peekaboo Frames Bigz L die for the occasion!

This die cuts six different shapes with little doors in them. They're perfect for scrapbooking of course, and for advent calendars, but I love them for cards too. Children love to open the doors to see the surprise underneath and they can be a great learning resource too! Today's idea though is to use the Petite Pairs sentiment set for an anniversary card. Come and see:

Once I'd cut out my peekaboo frame I wanted to give it a bit of texture, so I clear embossed a heart design on it using my Confetti background stamps and ran it through the Big Shot with the lattice embossing folder. To give it a mat I stuck it onto a piece of Riding Hood Red card stock and cut round the shape with some sharp paper snips.

The heart on the front has been stamped with the woolly heart design from Make a Mitten - you can use these stamps for so many different occasions! The sentiment label on the front was scored and embellished with a tiny heart cut using my owl punch and given a touch of sparkle with Dazzling Details.

When you open the little door, you get the full impact of the other half of the sentiment. Notice that only a part of the woolly design from the front is repeated on the inside - it's easy to do this with markers.

Finally, I mounted the frame onto a scored panel before adding it to my card base.

Here's what you'll need to make this card
Stamps: Make a Mitten, Confetti, Petite Pairs
Ink: Cherry Cobbler
Card stock: Very Vanilla, Naturals Ivory, Riding Hood Red, Cherry Cobbler
Punches: Owl builder, Full Heart
Other: Big Shot, Peekaboo Frames Bigz L die, Lattice embossing folder, Simply Scored, versamark, clear embossing powder, Dazzling Details in Cherry Cobbler, Cherry Cobbler marker, stamp-a-majig
I'd be delighted to order any of these items for you and have them delivered straight to your address in the UK, France, Deutschland, Nederland or Osterreich. I'm committed to providing excellent customer service and am always happy to offer help and advice. To place your order, just send me an email or give me a call on +44 (0) 1280 820593.

My husband and I were married 18 years ago today. We always look back with great affection on our wedding day. After a solemn church ceremony we retired to the most beautiful hotel for a wonderful feast with our friends and family, then went on to the local village hall where we danced the night away at a Barn Dance. It really was a great idea - everyone was up dancing, young and old and I think there may have been a few aching bones next day! I remember the lovely lady who made my dress sewed a loop into the train so that I could hook it over my wrist while I danced. 

Well time marches on - although we did get an extra hour in bed in the UK this weekend as the clocks went back to GMT. I shall be back tomorrow with a Christmas card. See you then.