My latest creations

Date: 26 February 2011 16:21:52

I've spent today making some cards - the Artisanat is open again, after its winter break, and we've been asked to do a bit of a "spring clean" of stock...as I have Christmas cards up there, it's probably a good idea!

Here are some photos of what I've made. I've not used sexy techniques or craft supplies like so many of the cards I see on blogs/sites around t'internet. Just bits of paper, recycled birthday cards, and stuff I've bought at Noz (clearance shop)This uses a circle I printed, saying "Merci beaucoup..." in two different fonts. Then the main circle, cut with my "pinking shears" (that ages me, I think!) saying "Merci mille fois". The backing paper is plain purple paperstock, with a recycled ribbon from a Christmas present. The little spray of purple flowers was a Noz bargain buy & there's a little diamanté drop in the bottom right hand corner.

These two are quite similar, as you can see. Again they're using left over paper that I had. I cut out a leaf in two colours of green (one was from a set of lovely handmade paper envelopes bought at Noz) and then cut down the middle, & matched the two halves. The one on the left uses recycled corrugated card as a background, with a ladybird button and two diamanté blobs. The whole quotation is "Le bonheaur c'est maintenant" (I suppose that roughly translates as "The good times are now") The other card has torn paper down the left hand side, sponged with printing inks to highlight the edges. Again, it uses a ladybird button, and the quotation is "Le bonheur c'est de traverser la vie sans jamais regretter le passé" (Good times are living life without regretting the past)

This one uses a recycled card that I made for my mum a couple of years back. She gives me her old birthday cards to use again - this was one I made, and I've now reused! The background uses gold squares, bought in a pack at another clearance shop - a bag of about 50 gold squares of different papers & designs, for 1,50€. Bargain!

Another of mum's recycled birthday cards! This uses old paperstock for the background, the "especially for you" card, plus a piece of ribbon I got free with a craft magazine, a lovely Laura Ashley velvet rub-on (from Noz again!) and some pink/clear bubbles. I bought those full price! Inside it says "Chaque moment avec toi est spécial" (Each moment spent with you is special)

And finally, another card using recycled paper. The strip at the side was a decorative strip around some stationery I was given, the butterfly comes from an old birthday card, and the purple papers are bits I had lying around. The diamanté hearts were given to me by mum last time she was here. (She often brings me supplies from the Paper-&-Card shop in Liverpool, which sadly is closing down due to competition from internet shops. I never know what she'll bring, but it's always good stuff.) The quotation reads "Entre nous il n'y a pas de moments ordinaires" (Between us there are no ordinary moments.) (That's a literal translation...I can't think of an appropriately poetic way of putting into English at the moment... But you get the idea!)

I'm really rather pleased with my efforts. I've been busily making lots of cards and need to try to display them well in the Artisanat (craft shop) It's not easy as there's so little space and everyone is vying for space and attention! Still, I do my best. I think I'll speak to a couple of the shopkeepers around town and see if they might stock a few of my cards too. I'm thinking the florists and maybe the haberdashery. We'll see.