Happy Christmas everyone...

Very best wishes to all readers for a peaceful Christmas and a happy, healthy and creative new year.

Cheers!

Crafty Cardmakers Challenge 58 - Use it 3 times

The challenge this week is hosted by Tracy  and is "Use it 3 times"

Use the same stamp/image three different ways. It could be the background, main image and a tag to match for example. (ie Christmas Wrapping Paper, Greeting Card and Gift Tag) Using different colourways is another way.

We're sponsored again by the lovely Joanna Sheen who is offering a £10 voucher for her online shop which is crammed full of goodies with new stock arriving all the time! Thanks once again Joanna!


 For this challenge, I used a freebie rubber stamp of a small angel that I got with a magazine.   I stamped it three times, masking the centre angel and then coloured them with promarkers.  I then cut it out using a nestie and distressed the edges with chipped sapphire distress ink.

I also stamped the greeting with another stamp from the same set.

The nestie shape was mounted onto blue card, and  this was then added to plain white cardstock, that had been distressed on the edges with the chipped sapphire stamp pad.  The final touch was to add the white organiza ribbon.

I used the same stamp to decorate the envelope, and I used an offcut of the blue card with a stamped angel decoupaged onto it as a book mark.

And the winner is.... GWENDRAITH

I used the widget random number generator to pick the winner of the software giveaway and it was..... comment number 2.

So, taking it logically, the second comment left in the list was by gwendraith.  I will be emailing the details of how to download the software to her - congratulations!!

And for those people who weren't successful this time - I will apparently be given another download code in three months time, so keep an eye out for another giveaway post.  Or, if you can't wait that long, you can still grab a bargain by using my code STMMMS59047 which, as a special offer, will provide you with a $10 discount off the purchase of the My Memories Suite Scrapbook software and a $10 coupon for the MyMemories.com store - $20 value in total!)

Crafty Cardmakers Challenge 57 - heat embossing

We are kindly sponsored for this challenge by The Stampman (and Lady of course!) who are offering the winner the lovely prize pictured.

Starburst Stains Brush on The Fun - Holiday Wreath

Deep, rich, vibrant colours with a two-toned shimmer!

These are all dye based products, which give them that vibrancy and can be used on any porous surface, (paper, wood, fabric, balsa, chipboard, etc).

Instructions on how to use: Add hot water, (filtered preferrably, especially with the stains), let sit at least 10 minutes.

Shake or stir before each use.

The challenge set was to use heat embossing, and I usually enjoy that but for some reason this time I struggled a bit for inspiration.  After several attempts, I ended up with this card, which is a standard 6 x 6 card base in a burgundy leatherette cardstock.

I stamped the festive swirl onto the top left hand corner and heat embossed with gold detail embossing powder.  The Poinsettia was glittered using quickie glue pen and gold glamour dust.

The topper was a vellum image of father christmas and child, that was stuck onto plain card and then triple heat embossed to make it into a glossy tile.  That was mounted onto gold mirri board using four small gold brads.

I coloured some white ribbon with burgundy promarker to go along the bottom of the card, and attached a bow at the base of the topper image.

I also stamped happy christmas on the left side of the ribbon with gold inkpad, but alas it was too faint to show in the picture. 

Clean and simple inspiration

Sometimes, less is more.  I thought I'd have a rummage through my stamps and see if I could find any that I hadn't used in a while.  I liked this simple orchid stamp because you could colour it in, or leave it as line art.

I used plain white base card stock, and embossed two thin lines down the righthand edge.  I think red stands out nicely on white, so used that as my contrast colour.  The highlight in the flower was done with a red Sakura gellyroll glaze pen.  Having said that, I think it would work superbly as a monochrome black and white combo - super easy if you need a card in a hurry!


Also, don't forget there are only a few more days left before a blog reader can win the fabulous free software from My Memories digital scrapbooking - all you have to do is call in at my previous post and find out what you have to do...

You can make some cracking scrapbook pages with it - even me (and I am a complete novice!).

You can also find My Memories Suite at

Blog- http://blog.mymemories.com/
Facebook-http://www.facebook.com/pages/MyMemories/140359372717593
Twitter- http://twitter.com/#!/mymemoriessuite

Another scrapbook page

I have been playing some more with my new My Memories software, and the free design sets that can be downloaded.  It was great fun trying out new layouts - the only limit is your own imagination!

The My Memories website has some very useful tutorials, which explain things like how to use imported images and digisets provided as freebies from other companies - very useful!

In this layout, I used a background from a My Craft Studio cd.   The possibilities are endless - and there are lots of free designs available on the internet as well as from the My Memories website.

The next step on my voyage of discovery is looking at making backing sheets for my cards - how expensive are the pre-printed sheets?  Now I can make my own!

So, remember, all you have to do to win a copy of this fantastic software  is to visit the My Memories website and leave a comment on my last post to say which of the design sets you like the best between now and the end of the current challenge at Crafty Cardmakers (no 56 - Recycled).   When the challenge is closed, on Sunday 27th November, I will randomly choose one of the comments left there to be the lucky recipient of the free software.   I will then contact the winner and let them know what code to use to get it.

Birthday boy

This card was made using a digi image from Sugar Nellie called Nathan.  He colours in like a dream!  (this time I used promarkers).  Nathan is sitting on a straightforward easel card made out of plain white cardstock.  He is mounted onto oval nestie diecuts, and matted onto an x-cut diecut frame.    Decoration was simple and in keeping with a plain and simple approach and the colour scheme was kept to the minimum.

I am entering this card into the Crafts and Me challenge - Birthday

Don't forget, the free competition to win free software from My Memories digital scrapbooking is still open - all you have to do is call in at my previous post and find out what you have to do...

You can make some cracking scrapbook pages with it - even me (and I am a complete novice!).

You can also find My Memories Suite at

Blog- http://blog.mymemories.com/
Facebook- http://www.facebook.com/pages/MyMemories/140359372717593
Twitter- http://twitter.com/#!/mymemoriessuite

Christmas needn't be fancy...

Christmas is getting ever closer and I am totally conscious that I still have loads of cards to make.  I thought I would try to be less complicated, and utilise all those embossing folders I bought for the Bug.

This card is made from plain white cardstock that is embossed with a swirly Christmas Tree.  (not sure whose embossing folder this one was).  Because I had embossed the actual card base, I found that I had a faint line down each side left from the embossing folder.  I debated cropping it and mounting it white on white, but then it occurred to me that I could make a feature of the lines!  Et voilá. 

A touch of glittery ribbon and some glamour dust on the stars meant that even though it was a simple and plain card, I think it still looks pretty effective!

I am entering this card into the challenge at Creative Card Challenges - Minimalistic.

Don't forget, the free competition to win free software from My Memories digital scrapbooking is still open - all you have to do is call in at my previous post and find out what you have to do...

You can make some cracking scrapbook pages with it - even me (and I am a complete novice!).

You can also find My Memories Suite at

Blog- http://blog.mymemories.com/
Facebook- http://www.facebook.com/pages/MyMemories/140359372717593
Twitter- http://twitter.com/#!/mymemoriessuite

My Memories Suite software - Blog Candy special offer

I've been meaning to look into scrapbooking for some time, as an extension of my card making. Like most people I have boxes of photographs that never get seen, and it's got worse since digital cameras became more common, because now I have even more images stored up on my hard drive!  But where to begin?  And did I want a physical or digital scrapbook?

Then I heard about the My Memories Suite, which is digital scrapbooking software that is rated #1 by Amazon and which has a value of $40...   It's great for utilising those digital images in scrapbooks and photobooks, but you can also use it for cards and calenders and when you have created your albums, you can just print them out - it is really easy to use!

The first thing I tried was to create a page using elements from some of the free kits I downloaded, and some photos from my hard drive.   As it was Remembrance Day, I chose to make that the topic of my page.

I've never made one before and was really impressed.  It just shows how easy the software is to use.

Even better, someone reading this blog right now could win a copy too!

All you have to do to win is to visit the My Memories website and leave a comment here to say which of the design sets you like the best between now and the end of the current challenge at Crafty Cardmakers (no 56 - Recycled).   When the challenge is closed, on Sunday 27th November, I will randomly choose one of the comments left here to be the lucky recipient of the free software.   I will then contact the winner and let them know what code to use to get it.

As an additional bonus, if you submit an entry to the Crafty Cardmaker's challenge, you may also win a £10 voucher from the lovely Joanna Sheen (who is the sponsor) too!

  

And if you don't win a copy of the software, you can still grab a bargain by using my code STMMMS59047 which, as a special offer, will provide you with a $10 discount off the purchase of the My Memories Suite Scrapbook software and a $10 coupon for the MyMemories.com store - $20 value in total!) 

 Just enter the Code STMMMS59047 on the shopping cart page here at My memories.com

I downloaded the software straight to my computer with no problems at all from here in the UK, so it isn't a problem that the company is based in the US.

You can also find My Memories Suite at

Blog- http://blog.mymemories.com/
Facebook- http://www.facebook.com/pages/MyMemories/140359372717593
Twitter- http://twitter.com/#!/mymemoriessuite

A quick card...

I had a bit of an "eek" moment today.  I suddenly realised I missed a birthday yesterday, so I had to make a card super quick.    Worse, it was for a man so was doubly difficult!

The topper was made from the new Big One cd, which has just been released from La Pashe.  The image used was a trinitage - 3 layers of decoupage, but nothing fiddly.  I wanted this card to go in the post, so just used foam pads to separate the layers (you are supposed to put them on a multi fold stepper type thing I think to really make them stand out)

As  a result you can't really see from the photo that the lower bits at the front (up to the cloches and the cabbages) are raised, which really make them stand out in real life! 

The base card was a white 5 x 7 blank and I used a sheet of "grass" backing paper as a mat on top of it.
 
The final touch was the sentiment, which was a silver peel off mounted onto plain black card.  It is going to be late - but it's the thought that counts!

Get well ... again

I'm beginning to feel like I am doing nothing but get well cards lately!

This card was one that I had to pull together in a hurry, so I used some diecut decoupage from my stash, and some rather nice backing paper I bought at Doncaster (if only I had bought more!!!!).

This is an A5 landscape easel card and I used my nesties to cut the topper backing shape and the sentiment.

The sentiment along the front was stamped (but unfortunately I can't remember whose stamps I used).

Birthday card for Josephine.

I got a little reminder pop up from my LJ list today to say that it is Josephine's birthday. 

So it is too late to post the original, but I thought I would dedicate this card to her - and hope that she has a wonderful day!

The card is a 6x6 portrait white base, which was distressed around the edges with vintage photo distress ink.  I used some copper tone paper which was punched along one edge with a Martha Stewart punch and a piece of scrap from my box to form the background. 

The topper was a crafty individuals stamp, stamped using the vintage photo distress ink and coloured with distress inks - vintage photo, victorian velvet and a combo of bundled sage and pine needles.  I used a stardust pen to colour the bee wings. I mounted the topper onto pink mulberry paper, which was wetted and torn to get a frayed edge.

The flowers were all made from scrap paper and punches, and were made into a bouquet with the addition of some punched leaves and a white chiffon ribbon tinted with the vintage photo distress ink tied into a bow.  All were glued into place with pinflair glue.

Finally, I stamped a greeting top and bottom on the patterned paper.

Crafty Cardmakers Challenge 54 - Colours (Pink Brown and Cream)

My, how time flies!  It's time for the next challenge at Crafty Cardmakers, set today by Vix, and this time we were asked to work with colours - pink, brown and cream to be precise!

This challenge is sponsored by ONE STOP CARD CRAFTS who are offering a £10 voucher for their store as a prize.

So come on, why not have a go?


My card is one for those who have their birthdays around Christmas, so it has some of the festive imagery too (check out the cute robin!)

The card base is a 6 x 6 inch in cream, and I used a coffee coloured backing paper for my base layer.  I cut two corner decorations from some of the scrap cream card and used a holly corner punch to decorate them.  The image is a sarah kay stamp, coloured with promarkers, and that was diecut using a nestie.  The shape was then mounted onto another nestie diecut shape in pink (label one, I believe). 

Before sticking this onto the card using foam tape, I put another panel of scrap cream card across the lower half of the card to make a contrast. 

Finally, I used some pink gems to act as holly "berries" at the top, and three larger pink gems to act as an accent around the bottom right corner.

The sentiment was stamped onto the last of my scrap cream card and distressed slightly around the edges with tattered velvet distress ink (although that doesn't show particularly well in the photo).  The very last touch was a double two colour bow, taken from the ribbons that came in the Polkadoodles Christmas kit.

Blog candy opportunity

Sue Wilson at Particraft has a blog candy opportunity going  on... she will be drawing at random from her followers when she reaches 1900 - and she is up to 1873 already! 

There are five sets of A5Stamp sets for you.  A set of Tim Holtz Grunge board pieces, a fun mask to play with, a rub it scrub it pad, a large acrylic block, black archival ink pad, a couple of jars of Cosmic Shimmer embossing powder, color spray wash,  a perfect medium pad, Cosmic Shimmer spray mist, a pack of natural wood buttons, a Tim Holtz Distress Ink, decorative stick pins and an Adirondack ink pad. 

So what are you waiting for?  Get yourself over there and follow Sue's blog!  

Autumnal birthday card

This card is a birthday card I made for a friend who was turning 50.  She is a keen gardener so I thought she'd like this picture, and chose a neat sentiment.

Having seen it, another friend said it was a bit tactless - like now she was fifty she was in the autumn of her life.  Hopefully she didn't see it that way - it wasn't intended!

The image was stamped onto plain card (the stamp is one of flower softs) and was then coloured with promarkers.  It was simply mat and layered onto a card which already had foiling around the edge.

The sentiment was printed out and mat and layered on gold card.


I would like to enter this card into the challenge at
Oldie but Goodie this week - Forever Autumn
Deep Ocean Challenge blog - Fall colours

Snowmen

The relentless production of Christmas Cards goes steadily on.

I am not very good at producing masses of the same card, so I try to ring the changes.  That's why I love stamping so much - you can change things dramatically with just a touch of colour.

This card is a monochrome one - White base, white mat (embossed with the swiss dots cuttlebug folder, which I think is perfect for snowy winter cards) and layered onto silver grey card.

I coloured the snowmen in with grey promarkers and added some diecut snowflakes that I covered with quickie glue pen ink and then gilded with gilding flakes.

The sentiment was stamped onto the same silver grey card as the base layer.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:

Stampendous impressions - clean and simple
Secret Crafter Saturday challenge - white plus one colour
Ooh la la creations - let it snow

Daylight lamp.

Jak Heath has some blog candy on her blog - a daylight lamp.  These are absolutely an essential  for colouring in if you want to get the shading right.  The lamp that Jak has on offer looks especially useful as it is battery operated, so you can use it where you don't have access to mains power!

A get well wish

A friend of mine has had some very bad health issues over the last couple of years, and has just had to have a very major operation.  I have made her a get well card, the design inspired by a sample I saw on the Joanna Sheen show on Create and Craft yesterday.

I have used card from my stash, and as she is a dog lover, chose a stamp that  I believe was from a freebie set given away with a magazine. (I am going to try to label my stamps so I can be more accurate, but I already have so many unknown!)

The decorative shapes are both nestabilities ( the base one is Label one, but the other oval shape I'm not sure of the name).

The swirls are a cuttlebug die, and the butterfly was stamped on acetate and highlighted with glitter.  The small bow came from the ribbons supplied with Nikky Hall's Christmas polkadoodles kit (available from Hobbycraft, and WH Smiths, as well as from the Polkadoodles website).

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:

Polkadoodles week 41 challenge - ribbons and bows.

Crafty Cardmakers Challenge 54 Cute With A Dark Twist

Today's challenge at Crafty Cardmakers - Cute with a Dark twist. This one is sponsored by the wonderful Joanna Sheen and she is offering a £10 voucher, so why not head over and join in?  You never know, you may win and can indulge in some shopping at Joanna's great site - p and p is free!

I'm not usually keen on Halloween, but I have a friend whose birthday is on 31st October, so I usually send her a "witchy" card each year.   This year's card was made on black base cardstock and is using a background from Serif craft artist (it was one of their kits) which I overlaid with a paper lace strip.

The small girl dressing up was a clear stamp (origin not known, but it may have been a freebie with a magazine) and I coloured her with Spectrum Noir pens.  I'm not totally happy with the outcome - I think after all that I do prefer my promarkers!!

The Happy Birthday sentiment was stamped with versamark and embossed with silver, and the three small black gems came from my stash. 

Christmas bear

Sometimes inspiration just doesn't come, and I have lots more Christmas cards to make this year still.  As a result, I thought I would copy one I did last year.  Previously, this was an easel card, but this version is a straightforward 6 x 6 plain card.

I used distress inks to colour the hills, using my cut and dry foam to apply the ink.  I've forgotten which company made the bear stamp (I really need to make sure things are labelled and stored correctly) but it was coloured using the distress ink to provide shadow and promarkers for the blue bands, then topped with glossy accent.  The icy touches (and snow) were done with a quickie glue pen and some clear glamour dust.

I would like to enter this card into the Bear challenge (week 124) at Allsorts challenge

New baby card

This is a card I recently did for a colleague whose daughter in law just presented her with a new grandson.

The card was a gatefold square card, with a raised centre flap.  I kept the colours plain and simple, using blue and white as the main theme.  The butterflies were punched (X cut punch, I believe), as was the dotted edge to the card gatefolds (EK Success edger punch).

 The inside flap was decorated with a topper made from layered nesties, and with a very old stamp (manufacturer forgotten, I'm afraid) that was languishing in my stamp drawers.  The image was coloured with promarkers.

Underneath the flap was the normal congratulatory sentiment, and a single "congratulations" was placed under the image.  Side panels were made from the same blue card as the topper and front panel butterflies.

I used peel off lettering for the baby's name.

This is a close up of the coloured image.

I am entering this card into challenges at
ABC-Challenge - anything goes 
Paper crafting Journey - punches or diecuts
Penny's paper-crafty challenge - anything goes

Crafty Cardmakers Challenge 53 - Anything goes

The challenge this week from Crafty Cardmakers is "Anything Goes".  Well, what an opportunity!!!  No thinking needed ...  so I thought I would share this one.

I just got a new crackle stamp and tried it out with a walnut stain distress ink.  The pictures came from my stash and were simply mat and layered with gold mirri board.

The paper flowers were made with punches,  the lace strip was a self adhesive paper lace on a roll that was from Kars.  I really like this - it comes in a creamy colour, but if you distress it a bit with the same inkpad as the background it tones really well.

The sentiment was a piece of scrap card cut with a nestie.

How exciting!!!

 Well, I have been lucky enough to have been picked to be on the Crafty Cardmakers DT!

 I am both excited and nervous about this new responsibility, but I am looking forward to it and will definitely be doing my best.   Watch this space!!

Totally Gorjuss Challenge 100 - a sketch

Totally Gorjuss have just issued their 100th challenge, which was a sketch and I thought I would have a go at it.

Now, Sketches sometimes bamboozle me a bit, because I get obsessed about matching it exactly, but this time it seemed to go ok. The colours are a bit brighter than I usually favour - I'm so not a pink girl! - and I used paper and images given free in Making Cards magazine, along with a couple of extras from my stash.  The paper flower and gems are also from my stash.

Crafty Cardmarkers Design Team Call

Crafty Cardmakers are having a change of Design Team, and I have been pondering whether to apply.  The deadline is 2nd October, so I am really leaving it up to the last minute to enter!.  Having said that, nothing ventured, nothing gained.

It will be interesting to take on new challenges and perhaps develop my crafting if I am lucky enough to be picked.

We were asked to highlight three projects that showed off our style.  My style actually varies with my mood, but rarely (unless we are talking butterflies or flowers) includes lots of embellishments.  I'm currently into stamping and colouring, and using images from the various CDs I have bought.

I like to personalise my cards so they fit the person they are being sent to, and I do like to make cards that double up as something else.   Ideally, they also work as a gift.  So, without further ado, here are my three choices that showcase what I like to do.

My first choice is an easel card that has a box for recipe cards.  As this one was a Christmas Card, I included four specific recipes - Christmas mulled wine, Orange pastry, Traditional Mincemeat, and Mince Pies.

The Art Deco image was from a Debbie Moore CD and the recipes were from a Josceline Dimbleby book I've owned (and loved) for many years.

 My second choice is a really versatile card - you can use it for all occasions. Inspiration for it came from a very talented crafter called Marianne.

I have made one for a new baby, where the gift inside was a pair of baby socks, I have also made one for a wedding, and in that case the gift inside was a horseshoe with confetti.

This photograph is one that was a more general birthday card, and contains tealights.

.

The front decoration was created using some background paper from my stash.  The butterflies were stamped and embossed onto the same paper and then cut out and sprayed  with crafters companion spray and sparkle.  I made the roses using promarkered paper and punches - I love making my own flowers - and they were then glazed.

 My third choice is to show a more straightforward style of card, and is a birthday card.  The main topper was in fact the sentiment and the interest really came from the patterned background paper and the paper flowers.  There were very few fiddly bits on this card - simple matting and layering, only.  I often make cards where the sentiment you would normally expect to find inside appears on the front as a focal point.  I love my nesties for their versatility in doing this.

 Finally, the last item was a challenge - a card with the theme "New Beginnings".  I have some new baby cards I could use, but as I have just made a card for someone who has just left their job, I thought that was very appropriate too.

Nothing like changing jobs to make you feel life is starting over... so yes, New Beginnings.

I've never been part of a design team before, and honestly, have no expectations for this application - there are so many very talented crafters out there and I have no delusions about my own abilities!  But as stated before, nothing ventured - nothing gained, and you never know, I may just be picked!!  And if I am, I will do my very best.

New Beginnings - a Leaving card

It's always hard to find a suitable subject for a mans card.  It's just so much easier for the ladies!!!

This card was an A5 landscape card, with some grey stripey paper from my stash, layered onto a gunmetal silver card. The inverted corner punch gives a great effect with the backing paper - my new favourite thing!

The base layer for the image was stamped with a fish (not sure which set this came from *blushes*) and then the image itself, which was a digital image from Just-Inklined called Man at work. The image was coloured in using Promarkers.

The card was finished off with a greeting printed off on the computer, and a "Good Luck" peeloff.

Snowy winter scene

Technically, it's not a card yet.  But I have done the topper!  this one is from the new At Christmas Time set of stamps from Papermania.

Mum and I first saw this stamp at a promarker class we went to at In2Crafting at Wickford 

In2Crafting run an online shop as well, but I would definitely recommend a visit to the shop as René and John who run it are super helpful.

Anyway, this image has been coloured using a combination of promarkers and spectrum noir pens.  The glittery "snow" effect was achieved using a quickie glue pen and my trusty favourite - Glamour Dust!

Winnie Polkadoodle owl

This week I thought I would have a go at colouring a digi image from the Kraft Sprinkles cd from Polkadoodles.

First, I coloured the background of the card, so I was positioning my image in correct colours, then I coloured in and layered the images I printed off with promarkers.  I glued the fence  so it curved slightly, which I think gave a good effect.

I do like the muted tones here, but stupidly didn't write down the colours.

I was pleased with the results though - not quite up to Nikki's standards, but quite passable for me! 

DL - landscape card

A friend of a friend is being honoured with the freedom of the City of London.  My friend wanted a congratulations card that somehow incoporated the logo and the Freedom ceremony.

 I cut two strips that were 4inches by 8 inches and one strip that was 4 inches by 10 inches.  I scored the last strip in each side at the 1 inch mark so that I could then glue the two side strips onto it.

This made a DL card, but opening landscape.  I embossed the front with the swirls embossing folder, and covered the join with spotty ribbon.  I embossed the greeting with the Cuttlebug onto the same white card and sprayed it with Crafters Companion spray and sparkle in silver.  This was stuck onto the front of the card using foam tape, over the ribbon.On the right hand side of the card front I used an EK Success punch along the edge, and stuck a black ribbon tab on the centre, with a brad.  

On the inside left cover, I used a downloaded copy of the logo cut out with a nestie label die to cover the join in the ribbon.  On the right hand side flap, I used promarkers to make a backing layer, and stuck onto that the Freeman's oath. 

Inside the card, I stuck an insert with a saying on it.  All three folded in to make a card that fitted a DL envelope perfectlhy!

CD Sunday Challenge - Ovals

Everyone has their favourite summer flower and for me it's the poppy.  This image came from the Diary of an Edwardian Lady by Joanna Sheen - and came complete with it's own backing paper.  I didn't have the right colour red to make the layers, so used plain white card coloured with promarkers. 

The bow is made from organza ribbon, and was tied round the poppy paper before the topper was put onto the DL card.

I am entering this card into the CD Sundays Challenge - Only Ovals.

Birthday beefcake...

Today's card is a birthday card for a very vain 26 year old - the brother of one of my colleagues at work.

Techniques used are a combination of printing images snagged from online, a digistamp from Mo Manning that was coloured in using promarker skin tones, and embossing using the Creative Expressions brickwall embossing folder in my 'bug.

The base card was white, and I printed onto cardstock the England badge background.  This was then trimmed and put into the embossing folder. The brick edges were then highlighted using Cool Grey 1 promarker.

The brick embossed sheet was trimmed and the edges rounded off and then mounted on red mirri card.

More red mirri card was used to mount the happy birthday sentiment.
My strong man was shaped and then attached to the front of the "wall" using pinflair glue.  Finishing touches were the two flags that represented the family heritage.