House-mouse Sunflowers

Good Evening

The sun is trying it's best to make an appearance, so fingers crossed for tomorrow. To bring a smile on a gloomy day, I have spent the afternoon cutting out and assembling this card.

Isn't this just the cutest?

This is a decoupage sheet, available from Joanna Sheen, and the quality of these papers is fabulous, they really are a joy to work with.

The base card is a white hammered cardstock from PaperMill. I layered onto this some orange card, and then onto that some sunflower backing paper, printed from the Pamela West cd-rom (again from Joanna Sheen), together with some yellow card that I had embossed with a floral embossing folder. The flowers were made from the sunflower backing paper, and I added a little brown flowersoft to the centres.

I decided not to put a sentiment on the front of this card as I feel it is appropriate for a number of different occasions.

I am entering my card in the following challenges:

Housemouse and friends challenge Flowers

Paper Sundaes Challenge Pop It Up

Papertake Weekly Challenge Bloom and Grow

Whoopsi Daisy Challenge A Card Suitable for a Birthday.

Thanks for visiting :o)

Jo x

House Mouse Competition Card

Good Morning

Today I would like to share with you the card I made for the recent House Mouse competition that was open to all members of Joanna Sheen's forum. I am delighted and still very excited at being runner-up.

I decided very quickly the image that I was going to use, and upon selecting the image decided I was going to embellish the card with some lengths of wool. Whilst putting the decoupage together, I decided to dig-out my knitting needs and have a try at knitting one of the little chicks with the jumper on. I didn't have a pattern of course, so it took a few attempts until I got one that I was happy with. I then added some plastic feet, some black beads for eyes and made the little beak out of some card. I made 3 chicks in all.

It was then that I came up with the idea of having the knitted chicks in a shop window, like little manequins, displaying the clothes for chicks. So I also knitted some little hats and scarves to display in the window. Having knitted the chicks I was able to determine the depth that the window needed to be and cut this out of some pearlescent card stock. I then cut out the four windows and added some acetate. I searched for a suitable image for in the window, and then attached this to the cardstock before attaching 2 of the little chicks and the other accessories. Of course a name was needed for over the shop window, so I decided on the name 'La Chic Boutique'.

The middle section comprised of some pearlescent paper with the corners punched out, a little image from the cover sheet of the decoupage pack, and then I punched some holes all around the edges and threaded through some lengths of wool.

The back of the card represented the back room of the shop, where the Happy Hopper is knitting all the clothes for the little chicks, which will then go on sale in the shop. I searched for some images of balls of wool which I then adjusted to the size of the back section of my card. The decoupage was applied to this section.

I then knitted a few more rows, which I then transfered to a couple of pins which I had cut the sharp end off, as these represented the knitting needles. I then wound up the rest of the wool into a little ball. This was then attached to the back section of the card.

It took many hours to complete the card but I was very pleased with it once it was finished. It was good fun to make too.

House Mouse & Friends Welcome Spring

Good Morning

The Challenge over at House Mouse & Friends is 'Welcome Spring'.

Well, spring wouldn't be spring without all those showers, so for my entry I chose to choose a Happy Hopper image.

My card is made using a decoupage sheet from Joanna Sheen, and an insert, used as a backing paper, from the new House Mouse inserts cd-rom, also from Joanna Sheen.

I used a white textured cardstock for the base card and then matted some yellow cardstock onto there with the insert/backing paper onto that. I punched out some flowers using my Nellie Snellen punches, and some leaves using an x-cut punch, a pearl was added to the centre of the flowers.

I cut a tag from the same yellow cardstock using a Nellies Choice die, threaded some blue satin ribbon through it and then added the sentiment. Finally I used some clear glaze on the umbrella, puddle and raindrops, and added a few to the leaves for good measure.

Enjoy your Saturday.

Jo x

Anyone For A Donut?

Good Morning

A very quick post for me today.

Thank you very much to everyone who commented on my Clean & Simple card, and also on Grace's cards. Your comments mean a great deal. Thank you :0)

Today I'm posting a House Mouse Easel card I've made for a friend.

This is made using the fabulous decoupage from Joanna Sheen, and I added a little shaker window, filled with hundreds and thousands. The punched border along the top edge is made using a Martha Stewart punch, the first one I bought, and still one of my favourites.

Thanks for you visit today, enjoy your Friday.

Jo

House Mouse New Beginnings

Hello Again!

It's another dull, miserable day here today, the light hasn't improved all day which made photographing todays card even more difficult (I know, excuses, excuses I hear you shout!!!!!).

This is my card for the House Mouse 'New Beginnings' Challenge. I think every House Mouse image I've ever seen has made me smile.

I made a square card for my base using Pearlescent card from PaperMill.  The lace backing paper and floral backing paper are both printed from Joanna Sheen's Precious Petals cd-rom.  The House Mouse decoupage is again from Joanna Sheen.  I used a Martha Stewart Deep Edge punch along one of the backing papers, and then added a tiny pearl to the centre of each flower.  I also added some larger pearls to the bottom corners.

Now for the flowers..... I've tried making flowers in the past, without much success, so not to be beaten, I decided to give it another go.  Not having a punch or stamp, I decided to draw a rough 6 petal shape in 2 sizes.  I cut these out and then drew round them 3 times per flower onto the left-over pieces of backing paper.  I then made up the flowers as shown in a demo I'd seen.  Anyway, I was quite pleased with the result.  I think they show a little clearer in this photo.

The leaves were made using an x-cut embossing punch, and then I added a couple of swirls made using a Marianne die.

I decided against adding a sentiment to the card because I think it is perfect for an Engagement, Wedding, Anniversary or 'Moving In Together' card, to name but a few!

Thanks for stopping by today, enjoy the rest of your Saturday.

Jo x

We Three Mice

Good Afternoon

I defy anyone to look at the image on this card and not smile!!  I'm not having a good day today, the pain is really getting me down so I needed something to stop me feeling any lower.  I couldn't help but smile while I cut this out, and when I was putting it all together.

The decoupage is from Joanna Sheen's house mouse Christmas range.  The quality of these decoupage sheets is fabulous, they are a joy both to cut out and then to build up into a card.

The base card is PaperMill's pearlescent.  The backing paper I printed off from the Adorables cd-rom, and then inked around the edges using one of the green's from the Big and Juicy Spice inkpad and some Cut n Dry foam.  The sentiment came on the decoupage sheet, I then matted it onto some pearlescent card stock and applied copper embossing powder around the edges.  Finally, I attached it to  the main image with some jump rings.

I hope you're seeing some kind of a thaw near to you.

Jo x