Happy Anniversary (Part Deux!!)

Hi folks... Honestly, you wait all year for family events and then 2 happen in as many days!
Yesterday t'was Joanne and Paul's Anniversary. And today, it is the turn of Ma & Pa...

Not any old Anniversary.. Today, they have been married for 45 years making it their Sapphire Wedding Anniversary...
Congratulations Mum & Dad.. Hope you enjoy your day. xx
Thanks for checking us out.
See you soon.

Wedding Anniversary Cats....

Hi folks.. Just trying to get ahead of the game with today's project... We're almost at the end of April, which means May is very nearly here and more to the point June, which is when I have a whole host of Wedding Anniversaries!!!

So, this is the first one checked off my list...
I had several Hearts left over from Saturday's demo which I had prepared but never actually used... So, rather than let them go to waste.... I've teamed them up with my new SteamPunk Corner Die and my ever so "oooh La La" cats.. Tres Chic, non??!! Check out his little Bow Tie which I added. Bet you'll never guess in a million years when that came from!!
Thanks for checking us out.
See you soon.
Andy.

Cheery Lynn Die - B437 Steampunk Corners
Cheery Lynn Die - B446 Wedding
Cheery Lynn Die - B243 Anniversary
Marianne Designs Collectables Die - COL1344 French Cats
Marianne Designs Creatables Die - LR0299 Anja's Filigraan Heart
Embossalicious A4 Embossing Folder - Gothic Script

Hearts & Diamonds....

Hi folks.. I hope you all had an enjoyable Bank Holiday Weekend? Me, I found some time to get some more samples prepared for Saturday's embossing demo her at Pinnacles.....

The title of this post really is just a reflection of the images on this project..
Obviously, we have a whacking great big Heart in the middle AND around the edges (just in case you were wondering how the frame was achieved)...

The Diamonds, right in the centre of the Heart...

I've got a Diamond Wedding Anniversary (or is it Golden?) coming up, either way I think this card should be fit for purpose....
More samples coming along later this week..
Thanks for checking us out.
See you soon
Andy.

Marianne Designs Creatables Die - LR0299 Filigraan Heart
Dutch Doobadoo Mask - Diamonds
Sue Wilson Large Embossing Folder - EF-017 Quilted Flower

Dutch Doobadoo....

Hi folks.. Weird title to this post I know, but that is the name of the brand of Masks/Stencils I have used on this project.... And I kinda like it!!

Just another sample for the 26th's Embossing demo,

just trying to get a little more out of our Masks than the norm...

With such detail on some of them it seems a waste to just use them with Texture Paste, Gesso or Sparkle Paste, although I have plans to use some of those as well...
Thanks for checking us out, see you soon.
Andy...
Dutch Doobadoo Mask - Wheels (Circles)
Marianne Designs Craftables Die - CR1264 Bird Silhouette
Embossalicious 8" x 8" Embossing Folder - Rose Vine

Believing the Magic....

... Hi folks... I suspect that, like many of us at this time of year, we revert back to our inner child just a little bit, although I know for some that inner child stays with them all year round!!!!
Every family has their Christmas traditions, and our family is no different.. Yes, we still all have Advent Calendar’s each year, the Tree goes up as early as possible!! And we all have a Christmas stocking.

Which is what makes this card a little bit special.. It brings back memories..
Hope it does for you too and that you still believe in the Magic!!?
Have a great day and thanks for checking us out.
See you soon.
Andy.

Pretty in Pink...

Hi folks.. Last one of the samples I made using the Festive Boot Stamp..
We've had a couple of "traditional" ones, a little bit of "Vintage" and now,

it's time for something a little bit more "Contemporary", and probably my favourite of the lot...
Thanks for checking us out.
See you soon.
Andy.

Time for a change...

... of colour way that is!! Hi folks.. Well, the Red and White Boot in my last post seems to have gone down a storm I thought I'd chance my (colouring) arm a bit and use it with something a bit more vintage...
So, tones of Brown and Cream for this one, or should that be Chocolate and Cream?!!

It's always about food with me.!! Well, not just me. Have you noticed how many crafting products, particularly Inks are named after foods? Guess who ever named them might have been a bit peckish at the time!!
Thanks for checking us out.
See you soon.
Andy.

Hi Folks.. Welcome to the long Bank Holiday Weekend (for some...) And, in keeping with the British Bank Holiday tradition, the weather is pretty grotty today! Still, it's not set to last all weekend! Which is good, cos I've got things to do!!

Just wanted to share with you a few "quickies" I've been working on!

You can tell I've enjoyed making them cos

I've made more than one!

Normally I would have a fave!!!!

And, if pushed, I would say it was the Green one,

but to be honest, on this occasion, they're all pretty spesh!!
Have a great Bank Holiday Weekend folks.
See you soon
Andy.

Memory Box Die - 98724 Precious Ornaments
Marianne Designs Creatables Die - LR0271 Anja's Vintage Swirl

Happy Anniversary #3

Hi folks.. Last Anniversary card for now!... Today is the 1st Wedding Anniversary of one of my besties...
You may recall last year that I was "one of" their Best Men at their wedding!! How the year has flown!! And today, they celebrate their first wedding Anniversary..

Traditionally, this is celebrated with Paper.. And in the modern fraternity it is celebrated with clocks... So, as I use paper pretty much every day of my life that was easy to incorporate into their Anniversary card.. Trying to keep up with modern tradition was the tricky part, but hopefully I have captured both traditions in this project!! However, I still may have to explain the thought behind the process though!! Happy Anniversary Mr & Mrs C.. Hope you enjoy your day..
See you soon. Andy.

Dies: Cheery Lynn Fanciful Flourish (B117), Happy (B226), Anniversary (B243), Marianne Craftables Clock (CR1234),

Happy Anniversary.....

Hi Folks... It's Joanne and Paul's (Sister & B-I-L) Anniversary today... and they said it wouldn't last!!!

Here's the card I have made for them... I'm defo in a Cream and Black mode at the moment!! It's Ma & Pa's Anniversary Tomorrow, (god, it's like busses round here at the moment!! None for ages, and then they all come at once!!) So If I don't get any inspo today then I may have to do this one again but in the reverse colour way.. We'll see..
Have a great day and thanks for checking us out.
See you soon.
Andy.

Spellbinders Die Floral Ovals (S4-356), Classics Ovals Large (S4-110)
Marianne Designs Creatables Die Lord & Lady (LR0211)
Cheery Lynn Die Fanciful Flourish (B117)
Inverted Corner Punch

In Tandem...........

Hi Gang. Hope you had a good weekend? And I hope that those who were able to pop along to our demo day on Saturday with Andy Skinner are feeling suitably inspired? I know I am.. It was such a great day, I can't wait to get playing! After putting the workshop back in some sort of order it was time to get on with some crafting of my own on Sunday. A friend had asked me to make his Wife an Anniversary card... I'm terrible when it comes to requests! I don't mind churning out samples for the shop and the blog for you all to see, some you may like some you may not! And that's fine.. But when it comes to actual requests, my mind goes a blank and I am more worried that the recipient won't like it. I guess I could keep it all very simple and just snap it all together with very little thought, effort or crafting skill. But that is just not my style... You know I like to get the most out of a piece of crafting equipment, and help you to do the same in the process! So, here we are with what I came up with..

To be honest, and without blowing my own trumpet I'm pretty impressed with the result. I love the simplicity of it, although there was quite a bit of thought which went into its production, as you'll see below.

To start off with, I cut out the Marianne Creatables Bicycle Die (LR0233) twice in Black, Silver and Copper coloured Mirror card. This particular Die looks great as a one dimensional image, but I thought it might be worth trying to make it at least a two dimensional!

With one of the Silver images I cut away part of the wheels

so that when it was mounted onto the Black image the wheels showed through in Black.

Next, I cut away sections of the Copper image

so that when it was mounted onto the other images the Black wheels and the Silver spokes of the Bike showed through! I could have left it there and just done a second Bicycle, but what about a Tandem?

So, taking my second Black image

I cut away the spokes from the front wheel!

With the second Silver image, I cut the front wheel; Basket and part of the back wheel off all together

and mounted the remaining part of the image directly onto of the Black.

Doing the same with the second Copper image, this time removing the spokes from the back wheel so that when it was mounted all together,

each element showed through as before minus the front wheel spokes....

So, we have the front part and the back part,

all we need to do is join them together and you have a tandem bike!! Pretty proud of that bit!

I printed my sentiment onto my card stock and cut it out using a die from the Spellbinders Fancy Framed Tags One (S4-377).

This was then mounted onto my prepared base card

and finished off with the Tandem... I could have perhaps added a little bit of FlowerSoft to the Basket, or tarted it up a little, but this was as far as I was prepared to take it in case I spoilt its simplicity! I think this would work as a great Wedding or Engagement card also... Anyway, thanks for checking us out. See you soon. Andy.

Monochromatic....

Hi guys. Here we go with one of the projects we have been doing in our Monochromatic lesson this week.. I suspect that most of us would consider Black & White to be monochromatic? But to give it it's full description it is in fact tint, tone or shade of one colour.. I know!, we like to educate where we can here at Pinnacles... That said, apart from the oodles of samples I prepared for the lesson in various monochromatic tones, we have indeed been playing around with Black and White, with a hint of Red thrown in for those who just couldn't resist playing outside of the box.. You know who you are.. I mention no names!!..... CHRIS!!!!!!!! ;o)

So, here is my sample which everyone has followed, to a lesser or greater extent!

To start off with, I cut out a frame using the two largest shapes from Spellbinders Labels Twenty Eight (S5-127) in black card.

I then cut just the largest die in White card stock.

Positioning the Black frame on top of the White to give me a guide

to place my stamped image on to.

I then added some foam pads to the frame

and stuck it down.

Before applying it to my prepared base card.

To fill in the open spaces I cut a shape from Spellbinders Fancy Framed Tags One (S4-377) in Black card

and in both Black and White card stock I cut the Marianne Creatables Flowers 1 and 3

and applied them to the card to complete the project.. This project works on so many different levels, in many different colour ways and therefore for many different occasions!

Perhaps for a Wedding, Anniversary etc

or just a general Birthday? Don't forget that it is our FREE demonstration day this Saturday (27th October) with the very talented Andy Skinner.. Just turn up any time between 10am - 4pm and be prepared to be inspired... See you there if you are able to make it!! Thanks for checking us out. See you soon. Andy.

O Canada.....

Hi Guyz... Well, that's the folks packed off to Canada for a well deserved Holiday.. Up at stupid O’clock Yesterday to drop them off at the Airport. Some might say "to make sure they actually went" ... how very dare you... But yes, they did actually go, and after a long but rather comfortable flight with Air Canada they have arrived in Calgary safe and sound... Any of our Canadian followers out there, if you see em, don't forget to say hi... At the weekend it was my mate Tony's 40th Birthday "shin dig". And from what I can remember of it, it was a pretty good night.. Like many of you, I struggle when it comes to cards for the guyz.. And I came up with many connotations before I settled on the card I actually sent him... I have no idea what possessed me, but my original idea was to do the whole thing in Monochromatic (mono). Perhaps I was, in a way getting ready for next week’s Mono lesson? Not only did I decide to do Mono, but of all the colours I could have chosen I chose GREEN!! eeekk....

In some way, I kinda like this, but not suitable for this particular Birthday card...

I then tried Black & White.. Now Tony is Italian.. and this could have worked, but I kept getting the "Italian Gangster Mafioso" image in my head.. You don't want to offend an Italian now do you?

It looked equally good in White and Black, but still not what I was after... So, in the end, I plumped for mono Creams and Browns. It worked so well on my recent Skating card that I thought I couldn't go wrong..

And I was right... finally!! Hope these give you some ideas for cards for the guyz in your lives..... Thanks for checking us out. See you soon... Andy..