Unrealistic Fish & Pretty Flowers

Is it just me, or do other people have trouble coming up with titles for their blog posts?

Anyway... on to the cards. Both of these cards are for friends who have birthdays coming up soon. I really have trouble making cards for men, I mean I have plenty of 'girly' stamps, but very few that are suitable for men's cards! I really should do something about that....but there are so many pretty stamps sets that I want first....mmmmm. So, when I needed to make a card for my friend Rob I decided to use 'Fishy Friends' again. He has the most enormous fish tank with amazing Lake Malawi Cichlids...Electric Blues, Electric Yellows, and a whole heap of other ones that I can't remember their names! I had thought of trying to make these fish realistic, but then when I got out the markers to colour them I was just having too much fun to do that, so.... "Unrealistic Fish"......The card stock is Yoyo Yellow, Gable Green, Tempting Turquoise and Brilliant Blue. The same colours were used on the fish, with the addition of some Green Galore, which was also used to stamp the jellyfish "seaweed". The Happy Birthday sentiment is from Cheery Chat and was stamped in Not Quite Navy to make it visible under all the Crystal Effects that I used on the "bubbles" and the fish to make them super shiny! I hope he likes it....but at least I know the kids will think it's cool!

This next card is for Rob's wife and my best friend, Helene. Now, she's not really a girly girl, and I had originally planned on making her something different, but I'd been playing with the Le Jardin Designer Paper for another project {which I will show you next Saturday...until then it's TOP SECRET} and I just had to use it. I may change my mind and make the card I had originally planned, but this one is so pretty I thought I'd show you anyway!

The card base is Very Vanilla, topped with So Saffron, Bashful Blue and the DSP. The sentiment and white flower are rub ons from 'A Perfect Day', which are in the new mini catalogue. The big blue flower and small circle are another cute thing from the new mini...die cut Blooms. They come in 4 colours and there are heaps of different flower shapes...too cute! The other circle is some Vanilla CS and it's all held together with a blue rhinestone brad for some sparkle. The ribbon is the most beautiful So Saffron with little embroidered flowers, from the 'Fairytale' ribbon originals that Madonna gave me for my birthday. This one took a lot less time to make than the fishy one.... NO STAMPING!!! But it's so pretty in real life....I just love that DSP.

I have been very creative this weekend, and plan to play some more today...got lots of cool ideas to try out and lots of new stamp sets that haven't seen ink yet!!! I hate having uninked rubber, I think those stamps might be feeling a bit sad...like why did she buy us and then not even use us??? Yes, I am a little odd...but I'm ok with that! :)

And I'm feeling very virtuous, because my swaps are all finished...a whole week early!!! So I have time to do some fun stuff. My back has been naughty the last few days and playing with my 'toys' distracts me from thinking about how miserable I feel....I'm considering writing to the Health Minister to recommend that they introduce Stamping as a treatment for chronic pain conditions and have it subsidised by the government.....do you think they'll buy it?

Have a great day whatever you are doing,

Kristie