Here be Dragons....

Black base card cut & folded to 15cm square. The ancient script is by Elusive Images from Graphicus.( Scripts & timepieces u/m themeplate) stamped with Gold Encore pigment ink and embossed with gold detail powder, onto a slightly textured paper. I lined up a strip of gold paper with the edge of the stamped paper and tore off the edge, then moved the gold paper out a little and stuck both down with DST. The 'E' at the start was then coloured with H2O's, as in Illuminated manuscripts.The dragon stamp is by Inkadinkado, 4223P, stamped onto black card with clear embossing ink, then dusted with mica powders. Corners are punched with a southwest punch and mounted onto gold paper cut with a deckle edge blade. Mount the image to the lower left, then add an insert and a thin cord and tassel.

Wolf Birthday

Black base card with gold flecks, card from PDA Card & paper.Piece of blue card stamped with the Judikins Harlequin stamp and clear embossing ink. Sprinkled with a variety of metallic embossing powders then heated. Trimmed to size and matted onto gold card, attached to left hand side of card in topfold format. The wolf image is by Coranado Island Stamps, bought from Aries crafts. Stamped in Stone Grey Ancient Page ink onto blue marble effect card. Placed the image where the blue marble would look like sky & cloud. Matted onto gold card and blue card, added pewter square brads and mounted across the Harlequin panel.

Ophelia 3

Black base card, used in topfold format.Stamped with harlequin stamp and clear embossing ink, then dusted with a mix of purples, blues and pink micas. Ophelia stamped in Black stazon onto an alcohol ink background made with Stream &Denim ink with gold mixative. Mounted onto gold then blue metallic card. Two dull gold brads added in lower right corner. Wide blue, medium purple and narrow pink organza ribbon wrapped around card front and stuck down where the image will be placed.Ophelia image mounted with foam pads. Two small feathers stuck down with a little silicone glue, a small curl of wire embedded in the glue, and a large blue acrylic flatback gem.

Ophelia 2

This is the Ophelia image facing the opposite way. Stamped with Stazon Timber brown, onto grey marble card, and the corners punched with a southwest punch, then mounted onto dark brown card.I then added a little colour with some pink mica powder applied with a cotton wool bud to the flowers in her hair. The base card is cream linen A4 sheet scored, folded and cut to 15cm square, trimmed with a deckle edge blade and used in topfold format.This was stamped with the Judikins Harlequin background in Light Brown Ancient Page ink.The image is then mounted on foam pads at a slight angle.Narrow dark brown ribbon attached to the left hand side, cut at an angle. The 'bow' is made with two pieces of ribbon folded in to a circle then attached one on top of the other with a pearl headed pin, then cut off the majority of the pin with wire cutters, and fold over the remaining pin with a small pair of pliers. Stick in place with a little silicone glue.Small peeloff sentiment to finish off.

Ophelia

The image is called Ophelia, by Stampsmith. She is available facing left or right. I bought both versions, from Blue Moon Crafts in Stratford on Avon. She is stamped on an Alcohol ink background, made with Denim & Stream, with Silver Mixative.Stamped in Stazon Black. Trimmed down and mounted onto silver then pale blue card. Base card is an A4 sheet of pearl white card (PDA card & paper) scored and folded in half, then the front scored and folded in half again. One edge is dry embossed with the Emboss to Impress board and blue & clear flatback acrylic gems stuck into the circles with a little silicone glue. The left hand side of the card is covered with blue handmade paper with a glittered surface decoration. Two layers of ribbon are wrapped around the folded back front half of the card and secured in the middle, under where the main image will be placed. The image is then mounted, stuck down only to the folded back portion of the card.

Get well soon

Pale blue mulberry paper torn to fit down the centre of the card.A silver mesh panel added on top. Craft Creations Vase peel off fixed onto blue patterned paper and cut out. Flowers punched from a selection of blue & purple papers. Fernleaf from a punch by Woodware.Small tag has a blue eyelet in the top with ribbon threaded through and sentiment added.

Happy Birthday

3 strips of mulberry paper in brown shades torn to size('draw' the lines with a wet paintbrush & pull the piece apart to give the feathery edge).Stuck to card base with DST. Piece of mesh adhered to this with spray adhesive. I put it on a piece of scrap paper in my waste bin to spray it. The vase shape was cut out of card and embossed with a wavy line from a stencil. Leaves and small flowers are both paper punched. I stuck two flowers together with PVA glue, twisting the top one so it filled the gaps of the lower one.I also put a dab of PVA in the centre of the flower and left it to dry for a couple of minutes before adding Glitter Glue to the centres.I tried putting just Glitter Glue on the paper, but it came off when it dried, but stayed put with the PVA.The wires were coiled around a pencil and stretched out a little for shape. I decided where the vase was going to be then put a large blob of silicone glue down and stuck the ends of the wire into that before putting the vase over the top. I also used blobs of silicone to hold the wires where I was going to put flowers.A small piece of mulberry paper adhered to a piece of handmade paper and the sentiment added.

CD card

White square base card, black glitter card cut to leave a border all round, mounted with Double sided tape. CD mounted with glue dots. Peeloffs from Craft Creations stuck onto a smooth black glitter paper then cut out.

New baby

Decoupage sheet by Le Suh. Yellow Gingham vellum has slots cut to thread the ribbon through. Yellow and white mulberry paper punched with Fiskars Sunflower border punch. This works better if you sandwich the mulberry paper with normal cheap printer paper. Base baby image stuck onto white glitter card with silicone glue. The ribbon part of the decoupage I cut away and replaced with real ribbon.

For men

This one is really simple. Black base card,diagonally half covered with black glitter card.A blank cd-one of the freebie advertising ones is great-stuck onto the front with silicone glue or glue dots. Decoupage images from a Le Suh sheet. Peeloffs all by Craft Creations.

Clown

Decoupage sheet by Le Suh, matted onto white, black then white again glitter card. Silicone glue used to stick them together.Edge of card cut with 'Victorian' blade on cutter, then dry embossed using the Emboss to Impress board again.Square jewels added on end to echo the embossing. Acetate with black design bought at Hobbycrafts show at the NEC.Black diamond border peeloff from Craft Creations.Black & White eyelash yarn used to wrap around the spine.

At the Altar 2

This one uses blue vellum border punched with a Fiskars Rope Border punch, rhen a length of ribbon added over the top. At the Altar stamped in silver onto white pearl card and blue vellum. Blue organza ribbon tied in a bow and added to the top. Spray of blue flowers addedin a curve shape, with a heart charm.

Landscape wedding

This one used a stamp called At the Altar, by Stampendous(R102). Stamped and embossed in silver first onto white pearl card, then onto Burgundy vellum. I cut out just the overdress from the vellum and attached to the main image with silicone glue.The dry embossing was from the Emboss to impress board by the Glitter Girls, then flatback acrylic gems added. Heart border peeloff is by Craft Creations. I coloured the bouquet with H2o's.Nestability scalloped oval cut & embossed, and a slot cot either end. Burgundy organza ribbon knotted through. and Names added with peeloff letters.

Egyptian

Very simple, Torn piece of hieroglyph paper onto folded marble effect card. I found the Egyptian picture on the net, but there are a lot of similar ones on Joanna Sheens Egyptian Adventure CD.Cut around with pinking shears. The blue tile is Fimo,stamped with an egypt themed stamp, then rubbed with gold rub-on wax after baking,and stuck down with silicone glue.Small peel-off stuck onto blue glitter card also with a small amount of silicone glue, otherwise it won't stick.

Gold & Burgundy wedding.

Base card is cream linen A4 scored & folded. Dark Burgundy paper has a strip of Ivory wedding day paper( Craft Creations) mounted in the top half, and a strip of wedding vellum is then attached to the left side with gold eyelets. thin gold cord threaded through and tied in a bow, then mounted onto gold paper, leaving a wide border, then mounted onto the base card also leaving a border.A red & Gold padded heart attached with a glue dot. 2 Burgundy & 2 Gold roses( Craft Creations) tied together along with a rose leaf and a little gold bead cord, which I found on a market haberdashery stall. Stuck down with silicone glue, and a short length of gold ribbon tied into a bow and stuck on top, also with silicone. I punched out an envelope from Gold paper( envelope punch by Woodware)and added the small words and Heart. A corner of the envelope is pushed into the wet silicone glue. Names and Dates added in peeloff letters (The Art OF Craft).

Oriental 2

A really simple quick card. A5 card scored and folded.A strip of red patterned oriental paper mounted onto a slightly larger piece of gold paper, mounted to the left. A small piece of red mulberry paper, torn. Lines 'drawn' with a wet paintbrush help.
The 'coin' was made from Fimo, cut out with a small round lid from a jar. I then pressed a real japanese coin into it for the pattern and used a scalpel to cut out the centre square.I cut out a dozen or so, then after baking rubbed with gold rub-on wax. Threaded through with some narrow red ribbon, and mounted on top of the mulberry paper with silicone glue.Found some small Peeloff Happy Birthday stickers( Craft Creations).

Oriental with mizhuiki knot

I wanted to have a go at mizhuiki, but didn't have the cords, so I improvised and used some scoobies! They actually work quite well, and especially if you are new to this, as they stay put while you get the others in place. I found it helped to stick down some small pieces of double sided tape to attach the ends to. Otherwise this was a very simple card- I used the Black with Gold flecks from PDA card & paper, Chinese Dragon stamp, and an Oriental character stamp. Both stamped in gold ink & embossed with Gold detail powder onto red card, then matted onto black, then gold textured card. Add a panel of Washi paper( Hobbycrafts) to the right of the card, mounted the main image offset to the left over this. Mounted the character to the lower left, and the mizhuiki knot with silicone glue.
I've added some links to sites with details on how to form mizhuiki knots, and also where to buy the proper cords.

Wedding Card in Black & White

Base card is A4 sheet from PDA Card & Paper, cut, scored & folded.
The u/m Celtic Horseshoe stamp I bought a long time ago, but I think its discontinued now, as I haven't been able to find it anywhere

First Post,lol. Finally got round to setting up my own blog- just have to pass the link on!