Happy Birthday Dad

It's my fabulous Dad's birthday today. He's in his 80's and would love to be able to fish again, but sadly health doesn't allow, but he still has a wicked sense of humour and we're going to celebrate in style.  So it's a big whoop whoop HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD day.

I made him a floating frame card using the Stampin' Up! Best Catch set.  I remember as a child going fishing on holiday out at sea and I found that small boat rocking was not the best day of my holibobs.  I'll not say anymore on that subject today though. 

I used the stamps and dies from this wonderful bundle to stamp and cut out lots of fishing images.  I also used the Well Said dies to create my framed sentiment.  I'm pleased to share that the Best Catch stamp set and dies are carrying on in the new annual Stampin' Up! catalogue when the spring catalogue ends, but they won't be listed as a bundle so if you like the bundle and want to save 10% get it now before the end of May.  You can see the individual products or the bundle in Zoe's Stampin' Up! Shop. 

I stamped some images, but the hats I embossed with black embossing powder to give a little more texture and I'm afraid I used retired Not Quite Navy card, but you could use any colour for a fisherman's hat.  Some of the dies speak for themselves like the fish and the Merry Merlot hooks. 

So now it's time for cake so I must dash, but before I go here is the card I made from the floating images cut from the centre of the card. 

A simple happy birthday  from Itty Bitty Sentiments makes this a great masculine birthday card especially if they like to fish. 

Enjoy the sunshine.

Zoe x

SHOP STAMPIN' UP! 

Cards for Men at Moving Along with the Times

Stampin' Up! like many stamp companies does have a selection of male orientated stamps, but we all seem to struggle with this type of card.  Today though I'm sharing a card I made a little while ago and saved for my theme at Moving Along with the Times.  We would love you to join in and share your masculine cards. The Design Team have a fabulous selection to inspire you so do pop over to MAWTT and have a look as well as joining in our challenge. Share your card and some of the DT will come take a look at it and leave you a comment.

For my card I've used sponges and ink and the eclectic Stampin' Up! stamp set Enjoy Life. It's a real mix bag of images but it includes a cyclist, the butterflies, foliage and grass and I've added a sun by using a circle punch to create my own thin paper stencil and sponged the sun through it.

I created a mask for the hill by just ripping a piece of paper and using one half to mask the sky and the other to mask the hill.  Once I had sponged the hill I added just the tops of the grass stamp using the mask to limit the amount of image stamped on the cards and where it went.  I've also added the flowers using Stampin' markers to colour the stamp prior to stamping.

You can create a faux watercolour look doing this techniques and add in whatever images you wish.  The cyclist I stamped on a piece of scratch card prior to fussy cutting and adding with just glue dots to raise it only very slightly.

I like this stamp set and enjoyed the smudging and texturing with just ink.  Why not have a go too!

Hugs Zoe x

COMING SOON 

How exciting!!!

Fathers Day Cards with Stampin Up Swirly Bird

My poor Dad has had a bit of a 'swirly' year so far so a yacht on the waves seems appropriate for this year's Father's Day.  I turned it into a spinner card too using the Sliding Star framelits in the new Stampin' Up! annual catalogue.

 Poor Dad has had a lot to deal with and he had some complications too when he had his surgery, so I wanted to remind him how much we all love him and are wishing him well on his journey through this challenge.

Combined with the Swirly Bird stamps and Sliding Star Framelits are Swirly Scribbles Framelits, Friendly Wishes stamp set, Crazy About You stamp set, Celebrate Today stamp set and designer series paper Blooms and Bliss.  

The paper was left over from my Stampin Up Floral Frames card and it is too lovely to leave bits unloved and used.  It's island indigo and mint macaron pattern here are perfect for the shades of the sea and pretty too for girly cards like the Floral Frames one I made.  Other colours used are real red, daffodil delight, night of navy and calypso coral.  

Like most girls I love my Dad and I wish him and Dads around the world a peaceful and Happy Father's Day this Sunday.  

Zx