Thursday 2 February 2012

Getting carried away... with Valentine’s at Forever Friends!! :)

Hello lovely Bloggers!! :)

Well, I’ve no clue where January disappeared to- at this rate 2012 will pass me by in even more of a flash than 2011, which I would hardly have thought possible!! :S – but disappear it has and so it is time for our February challenge over at The Forever Friends & Co. Blog!! :)


This time we have a very seasonal theme for you as we would like to see your Valentine’s cards... should be nice and easy for most people if all the gorgeous Valentine’s creations I’ve been seeing recently are anything to go by!! :) We are sponsored this time by Di’s Digi Downloads!! :)


I got a bit carried away with this one as I made everything on the card myself on my netbook- the digi paper, the cut files for my electronic cutter for the ‘Nestie’ shapes and even a cut file to make my own embossing mask from Doeflex for the first time- I’ve been wanting to try that for ages!! :) Took a while to get it all sorted but, as I don’t normally make many Valentine’s cards, I didn’t have much already in my stash that would work and once I started, I could just see so many other possibilities...  I had a great time doing it, though, and it’s a nice feeling to know I designed and made it all bar the stamp myself!!lol Anyway, here it is:


I knew I had this image, which I had already coloured ages ago, in a box by my desk (somewhere!!lol) and this colour combo is one I love (since I made quite a few V’s Day cards from a kit all in black, white, silver/grey and red a few years ago to fundraise for charity- about the first time I used red on a card and liked it!!) so the first stage of the creative process was all sewn up from the start!!lol The computer aspects took ages (a bit at a time in bed over the last week or so!!lol) but I have the files for future use now and, as all that prep was done, putting the card together once everything was printed and cut actually took no time at all, especially as I decided the graphic look to the papers and made it seem more masculine so kept the embellies to a minimum!! :)


This gorgeous FF bear was coloured in my usual PMs and has just a bit of Stardust pen smudged around the top and base of the heart :) I wish I knew what colours I’d used for the heart as I actually like the patchy effect now... but I didn’t like it at all when I did it, typically, so didn’t bother to note them down!! :(



A couple of close ups of the layers and embossing- this was the best I could do to try and show the embossing... it isn’t the deepest embossing as the Doeflex isn’t that thick but, to be honest, I would have been afraid to put my lacy rectangle through a normal embossing folder as it would have ripped the edges so that’s a good thing really!!lol I did sand everything to add to the more masculine feel in the end, too, and it was more than deep enough for that to work a treat- I particularly love the contrast on the black card!! :) The little hearts in the top of the rectangle are the ‘waste’ from the circle and a border cut file I also created but ended up not using as it made it look just too busy!! :)


And a little close up of my paper :)

The List:
  • 6” Sq. White card blank
  • Forever Friends wooden stamp by DoCrafts, stamped in Memento Rich Cocoa and coloured with PMs (usual colours for the bear- Ivory, Vanilla, Oatmeal and Sunkissed Pink- and not sure on the heart)
  • My own design digi paper
  • Core’dinations cardstock- red from the vintage selection, grey and black from an All-in-the-Family pack
  •  My own design embossing mask and cut files for the heart circle and lacy rectangle, created in my graphics program and cut on my Cricut
  • Distressing Tool for the paper edges and sanding thingy (mine is a flower shape!!lol) for all the card
  • Black Bakers Twine
  • Red Stickles
  • Sakura Clear Stardust pen
  • Black gems


I’d like to enter this card in the following challenges: Sweet Stampin’ – Animals :) ; Cards for Men – Seeing Red :) ; Pollycraft – My Favourite Things (lots of them- FF bears, creating my own papers and ‘nestie’ shapes, Stickles and my Stardust pen... there are probably more but that’ll do!!lol) :) ; PaperSundaes – Valentine’s :) ; Allsorts – One or More Hearts (think I *might* have this covered!!lol) :) ; Joanna Sheen – Love is in the Air :) ; Ladybug Crafts – Loves Me, Loves Me Not :) ; Craft Your Days Away – Distressing :) ; Bling It On – Love :) ; My Mum’s Craft Shop - Fab & Funky :)

So that’s my card- hope you like it!! :) Thanks for stopping by today and for all the comments on my last two cards- I forgot to say in the post for my sis’ card that, when I said I hoped she didn’t mind how simple it was compared with the ones I’ve made her in the past, she said she thought it was her fav of all the one’s I’d made her... well, that’ll save me some time and energy fussing with papers and extra embellies next year then!!lol  :) Please do pop over to the FF blog to have a look at the cards from the rest of the DT and I hope you’ll join in with us, too!! :) I’ll be back with my next Dream Valley DT post at the weekend, if I don’t make it before... which is unlikely as this week has turned out to be incredibly hectic with no sign of a let up yet and so I’m struggling a tad and should probably rest not post again!!lol In the meantime, I hope you are all well and having a good and crafty week!! :)  






22 comments:

Fleur said...

A gorgeous card, great papers
Thank you so much for entering our challenge at ALLSORTS this week, good luck & hope you’ll join us again!
Hugz Fleur xXx

Unknown said...

Hi Rachel, what a great card. Love the paper and embossed panel. Wonderful image as well.

Thanks for joining in with us this week at Sweet Stampin.

Sarah

Shanna Shands said...

I love the papers. The color ton of everything. Thank you for playing along with Paper Sundaes. Stop by for our new challenge this weekend.

Joey said...

Rachel this is so cute! gorgeous image and love the layout, thanks for joining us at pollycraft.Joey x

Tracy Heaton said...

Lovely card - thanks for joining us at CFM
Tracy x

Tracy Heaton said...

Great card - really cute. Thanks for getting fab and funky at MMCS
Tracy x

sparklingblackrose said...

Gorgeous as always Rachel :-) Miss you!!! Elaine-xxx-

Vicki Fraser said...

Hi Rachel, love your card, the bear - the hearts - too cute!

coops said...

stunning card rachel.your colours and design are gorgeous and i love the ff bear :D

xx coops xx

Rachel said...

Gorgeous card! Thanks for joining us at Sweet Stampin this week and we hope to see you again next week, Wedgie xxx

Diane's Card Designs said...

Wow this is gorgeous. Gorgeous backing papers and love the heart nestie. Thanks for joining us at LCI this fortnight.
Diane xx

Shell said...

Oh this is gorjuss, thanks for joining us at Bling It On this month.
Shell xx

Carole of Brum said...

Hiya Rachel! wow, another fabulous card, I love how you've achieved quite a masculine look even with all those hearts, I think you chose the perfect colours too. Hope all that sanding didn't make too much dust, that's the bit I hate about sanding the edges. Don't tell me you did that part while in bed! lol. I know what you mean about January flying past, I can hardly believe a 12th of the year has gone already. Take care, petal. CoB

Sande said...

One great card! Lovely color combo and this your own digi paper is wonderful!!

Hugs, Sande xx

Paula said...

Gorgeous card Rachel!

Thanks for joining us at the Joanna Sheen challenge!

Paula :D x

http://paulaholifieldcrafts.blogspot.com/

paper fun said...

Great card. I love the black with the red.

Thanks for joining us at Craft Your Days Away.

Mari

Lynne in NI said...

Oh wow, what a fabulous card! Well done for making it all from scratch too!

Mandy said...

Gorgeous card,love the FF image...Thank you for joining in with us at Cards for Men,hope to see you next time...
Mandy x

Jill said...

gorgeous card Rachel the love colours too thanks for joining us at MMCS hugs Jill xx

Julie said...

Just gorgeous Rachel! Hope you enjoyed my challenge theme at Ladybug Crafts Ink this time,remember to stop by tommorrow to see some sneeky peeks,see you then,Julie.x

Debs said...

how sweet :0)..thanks for sharing with us at Bling It On..hugs Debs x

Whimsey said...

Super cute - love the distress look of the heart border around the bear; great background paper too!

Thanks for joining us at LCI!!

Hugs,
Michele

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