Home is Where the Heart is

Home is Where the Heart is

Today I'm attempting to do some simple home decor using Tonic Affection Dies. I adore anything heart shaped, so these are my favourite set of dies and I've used them before individually on my cards, but never as a full set on one project. I've been meaning to do it for a while but never had time to do it. It was quite time consuming to die cut all the layers. I used Centura Pearl Snow White with Hint of Gold, plain black card stock (if I had to do it again, I would have chosen some silver mirror card instead to soften the look) and some "bling" hearts, as well as sentiment stamp from Crafter's Companion.

The hearts are layered on foam pads, to give 3-dimensional effect. All three hearts are then glued onto wide ribbon and are now proudly hanging in my corridor, welcoming us back home after a busy day. I'm not sure about all 3 of them being together, as the design is quite "busy" so I may split them to be displayed individually in the future. 

Shhh, don't tell anyone but I love my Spectrum Noir pens

Shhh, don't tell anyone but I love my Spectrum Noir pens

I am still only at the beginning of my crafting journey, but one of the first purchases I have made last year was a full set of Spectrum Noir alcohol marker pens, along with the tutorials DVDs. I have never coloured before in my life, so that was a big leap of faith for me, but Leann Chivers from Crafter's Companion made it sound so easy that I just fell in love with it and had to have them all :).

So here I am, a year or so later, having done quite a few handmade cards using the Spectrum Noir pens, I am starting to feel more confident. However, I never had the courage to actually try to colour in the "Shhh" digi stamp that included on the Crafter's Companion Spectrum Noir tutorial DVD, as it seemed to be a more "ambitious" project.

But I could procrastinate no more, as my daughters kept pestering me to make something for their room. I have more or less followed Leann's instructions, but improvised on the flowers. And of course, as I love a touch of glitter on my cards, I had to add that in too.

The "Shh" picture took several hours to complete, mainly because I printed it in the original large size, with the intention of framing it for display. I am quite pleased with the result, and in spite of few minor glitches, it will go onto the wall in the girls' room.

Shhh, don't tell anyone but I love my Spectrum Noir pens

I can honestly say that I would have not been able to do it without my Spectrum Noir pens (and no, I don't work for Crafter's Companion :)).

Scruffy Little Cat Absolutely Adorable Birthday Card

Today I'd like to share my latest birthday card made for one of my daughters.

This one is made using a Scruffy Little Cat "Amy" stamp from Crafters Companion, which I got via Create and Craft TV when it was originally launched, and it is coloured in with Spectrum Noir pens ("Absolutely Adorable" sentiment was on the same stamp). This is only my second attempt at making a card with a Scruffy Little Cat stamp.

Absolutely Adorable Amy Scruffy Little Cat

It is mounted on an embossed Centura Pearl card (both also available from Crafters Companion) and a Spellbinders die cut frame. The finishing touches included Parchment butterfly (embossed with Stamps by Chloe glitter), embossed Parchment quilled flower (again, from Crafters Companion) and a simple organza ribbon bow.

Coloured with Spectrum Noir Pens Birthday Card

The Spectrum Noir Pens used:

Hair: TN2, TN1
Skin: FS2, FS4, FS6
Dress: TB1, TB2
Cupcake, Bag & Bottle PP1, PP2, and IB1

Little Princess Birthday Card

Last year we started a "family tradition" of making handmade birthday cards for each other. With five children's birthdays throughout the year, we certainly have plenty of opportunities for making them! Today is my little princess's 3rd birthday, but I've been busy knitting her a teddy bear, and I have run out of time to make one (I cheated and made it on Serif's CraftsArtist so she still had one made by me, but that's not "totally" handmade, is it?)

So I have let my 9 yr old daughter lose with my crafting stash, and asked her to make a birthday card for her little sister all by herself, from scratch, completely unsupervised. This is her result:

OK, I may have helped a little bit - the stamp is from Crafter's Companion Angelica range, the flower is from Spellbinders, but the rest is all her doing. I am especially proud of her colouring with Spectrum Noir pens - it just shows you anybody can learn with the right tools!

Spectrum Noir pens used:

Hair: GB2, GB8

Skin: TN1, TN2

Dress: TB1, TB2, TB3

Lacy Sunshine "Lizabeth Wedding Bliss" Wedding Congratulations Card coloured with Spectrum Noir pens

Lacy Sunshine "Lizabeth Wedding Bliss" Wedding Congratulations Card coloured with Spectrum Noir pens

New Wedding Congratulations card for my Etsy shop, in the "blushing brides" range. This wedding beauty features Lacy Sunshine's Lizabeth Wedding Bliss digi stamp and is simple and elegant, to complement the beautiful bride on her special day. I  love her large dress, reminds me of my own wedding day many years ago...

I've used my Spectrum Noir pens:
Hair: TN1, TN2, TN3, TN4
Face: FS2, FS4, FS1 and FS6
Dress: GG1, blender
Flowers: GT1, PL1, PL2, PP1,

Also used Spellbinders Dies, Lily of the Valley sentiment stamps, handmade pearls embellishments, ribbons and simple glittered flowers to add a bit of touch of simple elegance to the card.

Have a Fabulous Birthday, Dear Friend!

Have a Fabulous Birthday, Dear Friend!

This card, featuring "Louise" from Crafter's Companion Scruffy Little Cat rubber stamps range, was made especially for a very special birthday of a very special friend.

Be Your Own Kind of Beautiful

Gold, Pink and Purple, what a combination

A Glamorous Girl can never have too many earrings

The Spectrum Noir Pens used:
Hair: TN3, TN2, GB1
Skin: FS2, FS4, FS6
Dress & Flowers: PP1, PP4, PP5
Perfume Bottle IB1, IB2
Lipstick DR1, DR2, DR3


To finish the gift card off, a pair of handmade purple Jesse James beads earrings was included, packed in a pillow box made with Tonic dies.