Hanging Out

Hi all,

I am dropping by here to share a cute little card made with some Papermilldirect card and the most perfect little SVG cutting file! The selection of colours available made this card super easy to make, and the card all cuts perfectly, even down to the tiniest piece. I used:

• Papermilldirect Mocha Brown Plain card
• Papermilldirect Plain White card
• Papermilldirect Smooth Black card
• Papermilldirect Blue Plain card
• Papermilldirect Gold Sandgrain card
• Papermilldirect Dark Green Plain card
• Papermilldirect Spring Green Plain card
• Papermilldirect 5×7 Buff Card Blank
• Owl on branch SVG

I cut all the parts needed for the own file on my Silhouette cutting machine. I assembled the owl using a glue pen and a skewer to help me align the smaller parts. I decided the branch would be sitting in a plain blue sky, so I matted the plain blue card on to the buff card base to make the blue sky.
I built up the branches and leaves with foam tape to add dimension and repeated this with the owl. This gives more of a 3D effect.
I added a simple birthday sentiment and left it simple, with the owl the main focus. I love how it looks like he is reaching out to give you a hug!

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Disney Themed Wedding Card

I love when you can personalise a wedding card to really mean something to the bride and groom. When you can take things a step further than simply incorporating their wedding colours, and bring in something that means a lot to them, it makes a card that much more special. I have full details of this card over on the Papermilldirect blog, including what card colours I used, and how I created the background. I love the colour combination on it though!

Turtle Birthday Card

Hi all,

Nicole here to share a cute little card, using minimal supplies, but giving great impact. What I used:

• Papermilldirect Hammered White Card
• Papermilldirect Teal Card
• Papermilldirect Buff Smooth Card
• Papermilldirect Spring Green Plain Card
• Papermilldirect Dark Green Plain Card
• Papermilldirect Buff A5 Card Blank
• Patterned Paper
• PaperSmooches Stamps
• Peacock Feathers Distress Ink

I started off by paper piecing the turtle from the PaperSmooches stamp set. You can see him in the stamp set in the first image below and then completed. I added some spots on the turtles shell using the confetti stamp from the set.

I stamped the banner stamp from the set onto my patterned paper using Peacock Feathers Distress Ink. I didn’t want to completely hide the patterned paper, and it is a solid stamp. So I stamped the banner stamp once to give a solid impression, and then a second time to give a faint, second impression. This gave me enough of an outline to follow to cut the banner out, and to go over the stitch marks with a white pen. But it still showed the pattern through it. You can see the first impression stamping on the top row in the image below.

I then used the same distress ink to stamp the confetti image from the stamp on the Teal mat layer from the card. This gave a bit of interest and stopped it looking so plain, but was a bit more tone on tone, and not so bold as black ink would have been.

I then added glossy accents onto the spots on the turtles shell to give a bit of texture.

I put all my elements together and that was my card done!

Retro Computer Loading Card

Hi All,

Just stopping by with a fun card for a retro computer lovers birthday. I recently came across this file and set of instructions for a really fun birthday card that looks like an old school computer message window. As soon as I saw it I knew it was prefect for a certain birthday that I had coming up so just had to try it! I printed the template on the Papermilldirect White Card – Plain. This card is brilliant for printing on, and takes the colour really well, and also lets you score and fold it too.

I followed the instructions in the template, with one little change. I cut my front panel out with little tabs, and I used these to make my window ‘pocket’. This will make sense if you look at the instructions, I promise!

I then stamped a background on a Slate Grey card blank to add a bit of interest.I then used foam tape to add my pocket message to this card blank for my super fun card.

Have you ever tried a template like this? I would love to know of more fun ones, so let me know if you have!

Hidden Message Card

Hi All,

Just dropping by with a little fun, personalised birthday card for a friend. For this project I used a lot of Papermilldirect card colours, you can see the full list over on their blog. I also have a step by step on how I made this card.

It has a fun bonus feature. The cake on the front of the card opens for a bonus ‘hidden’ extra birthday message!

I hope you enjoy and let me know if you ever create double opening cards like this!

 

Riders on the Storm – Rob Blackwell

Book:Riders on the Storm (Available on Amazon*)

Author: Rob Blackwell

Could we take a moment for this stunning cover?!

 A book to define a genre!

There is little that Rob Blackwell writes that is not pure excellence and very unique. However when I heard sci-fi western I will admit to a brief raised eyebrow. I am not typically a reader of westerns. If you feel the same let me tell you – this book will convert you. It is a true page turner, I could not put it down until I was finished, and then immediately wanted more.

Set in the year 1883 in the Dakota Territory it is decidedly unsci-fi in many ways. Horses and six shooters are the standard fare. No space blasters, shiny silver space suits and hover cars here. Throw in bandits, stick-em-up bank heists and stagecoach robberies, and it is looking almost decidedly normal. Then comes the twist. The rolling storm clouds, that are squirming, alive with monsters. These are the Vipers and they are impossibly fast, can’t be killed with regular bullets and if they so much as scratch you, well say your goodbyes fast.

Early on in the story we meet Jules Castle – she is a thief, con artist, the daughter of an outlaw and raised among outlaws. She is the best of the best. Whip smart, ruthless and unbeatable with her gun, and with her sister by her side, nothing can stop her, except perhaps the Vipers. She is searching for clues to track down her father, who vanished mysteriously a few years before. However pursued by the U.S army, some of her father’s former posse and not to mention the Vipers how successful can she be?

This book evoked memories of Firefly, but dare I say it, even better?! More Jules Castle please!!

I received this book from the author for review, but all opinions are entirely my own.

This review is also listed on Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk and Goodreads.

*No affiliate links, I am just linking to make your life easier!

Grid of Hearts

Hi All,

If you have been by here before then you will know that I love using up my scraps. This card was one such project. You can see the list of the exact colours I used over at the Papermilldrect blog, but all of these pieces were offcuts from other projects.

By marking out a grid I was able to use a heart die to punch out heart openings on the linen texture card.

I added a piece of each of the colours in behind these openings, added a sentiment, added the panel to a card base and it was done! Very fun and a great way at using up scraps!