Starting out with Papercutting...

Another fortnight has flown by and it's time for another challenge over on the Let's Craft and Create blog an we'd like you to get creative with Swirls.
For my card, I'm learning a new skill - Papercutting.  This is my first attempt, and I'm rather pleased with the result.

I've used a template to get me started.  There are a lot available for free on the Web.  This one is from Inspire Me Papers.  My aim is to draw and cut my own designs eventually!

Check out the blog for more swirly projects from the design team.  Hope you can join in with us, there's a Stampin Up stamp set up for grabs for one lucky winner.

I'll be back soon with my next papercutting project.

Men like flowers too...

I've been trying to analyse my reluctance to make masculine cards.  Coming to the conclusion that when faced with the prospect my immediate thought is. "No flowers!".  A card without a flower or flowers doesn't hold as much interest for me.  Then I got to thinking about all the male gardeners there are out there, they must like flowers.  So I set out to make a card for a man, with a flower, and this is what I came up with.  The book paper and shades of denim blue, I think, help with the manly feel.

Here's how I made the.flower.
Punch a circle with a 2" circle punch.  Then put the circle back into the punch creating a petal.  Repeat 4 times more.

Happy Birthday...

A new challenge launches today over on Let's Craft and Create and the the theme is Happy Birthday.
We'd like you to share your Happy Birthday projects with us. It can be a card, tag, gift anything that fits with the the Happy Birthday theme.  There are some fabulous projects from the design team over on the blog.
There's a cute little prize that you won't want to miss.  Check it out HERE

For my card I created a frame with a multi frame die and some crushed velvet cardstock that I've had for an absolute age. They had a last minute reprieve from the 'bin it' pile.  The flowers are just punched, scrunched and layered together with a tiny brad.  I machine stitched the stems and added some tiny hand cut leaves.  Another scrap buster card.

Stamp -  Paula Pascual - Mix & Match; Papers - My Minds Eye; Die: - Nellie's Multi Frames; Doodlebug Crushed Velvet Cardstock