50

Some of you already know this but I am very 'last minute' when it comes to making cards.
I always leave it to the day before, or sometimes the day itself, and then I am rushing about like a mad woman.
I do exactly the same thing when it comes to making my projects for the club.

 It's my husband's fiftieth birthday today, I've known him nearly twenty-two years so it's not like it's just been sprung on me but, as usual, I left it until yesterday (and had two dozen other vital things I needed to be doing as well as crafting).

This was the card I made, in too much of a rush to design anything better or to change the blade on my Cricut so it's a bit rough around the edges. The card is 12 x 6 inches, it's an actual card blank with envelope to fit which is a size I'd never seen before.

After I'd taken the pic I decided it was too plain so added some thin navy ribbon around the spine and it looks much better.

Sea Glass

We live a few minutes drive from the local beach so every day me and the puppy go there for our walk.  The beach gets 'combed' every day (large tractor-thing with a huge rake) so if you time it right it's nice and flat and clean. Depending on the weather/ tides there's sometimes heaps of shells and other times it just looks like a lot of flat mud!

One thing I had noticed amongst the shells was sea glass. If you don't already know it's literally small pieces of normal glass that have been tossed and battered about by the water and the sand. The glass becomes opaque as it gets battered and it also loses any sharp edges.

On our walks I decided to start picking up the sea glass and I've managed to acquire quite a collection. You can actually buy it on eBay but I like to think I'm helping clear up our beach and, of course, it's completely free.

The most common colours locally seem to be white and pale aqua but I've also collected some lovely cobalt blue. Our downstairs loo has aqua-coloured accessories so I thought I'd make something with the sea glass to hang in there and remind me of happy walks with Fletcher.

I've just used a box-frame and some card stock, the frame is 12 x 12 but the aperture is 8 x 8 inches.
Loads of sea glass ideas on Pinterest, I like the idea of a tea-light holder next.

Cascade

One of my lovely ladies, Jan, taught a class on cascade cards.

I used a Tonic punch, Sizzix dies, and Colour Cloud inks.

Love

This year's Valentine's card for my husband.
I followed a video tutorial from Collette Mitrega, quite clear and straightforward instructions.

I've used some very old SU papers and Sizzix Block Party alphabet.
The initial was added last minute to cover a dirty mark, shhhh don't tell him.

Sneakers

Main stamp is by Woodware, sentiment is by Clearly Besotted
I've added silver Wink of Stella to the soles and coloured the rest with Promarkers.
Card is 7 x 7 inches.