It was recently a male relatives Birthday, and pretty much like most ‘made by hand’ card makers, I don’t like making cards for men. They all seem so twee or predictable – so … ‘forgive me Crafter for I have sinned’ … I will normally buy the men in my life a card for their birthday. And … this is the story of how this card came to be.
I knew I’d bought a card for this particular relatives Birthday.
Mr. Cobs knew I’d bought a card for this particular relatives Birthday.
Could I find said card?
Not on your nelly! (I have no idea where that saying came from – but it’s most definitely a saying here in the UK, and has been since dirt was invented. It means: ‘Not on your life’!).
So, with very little time left before a card had to be delivered by hand, I got my thinking cap on and came up with a card which, I have to admit, looks better in real life than in the photo. But … and this is the important bit … it practically made itself.
It began with a cut and scored white card. I chose the cafe latte coloured, striped with cream stripes card for the top part of the card, and the rich chocolate-brown Happy Birthday card, in different font styles for the bottom. (You can buy both these cards in a huge variety of different colours – so check out the options if you visit the website). Both of these cards are from the Anna Marie Designs range.
I cut these different cards to size, then layered them onto some black card stock, then fixed them to the white card.
Then cut the tag from some white card stock, using a Tattered Lace Peach Sorbet Torn Edge Tags die. I don’t think Tattered Lace make these anymore, but I’ve had a look round and found some on Amazonhere.
The ‘Birthday Wishes’ was stamped using a stamp from the Wishes and Vines by Silhouette Stamps. I’ve had these stamps for a while, but you can still buy them in one or two places, both in the US an in the UK – so ask Google to be your friend and I’m sure he’ll help.
I stamped and then layered the tag onto some black card, which I then carefully cut around, attempting to match the wiggly outside of the tag itself.
Then I added a ribbon made from some wide silk ribbon in my stash and …. That’s all there was to it!
I would have posted this a couple of days ago … but I couldn’t find the place I’d saved it to on my computer! {sigh} … It would seem that Birthdays are going to be a nightmare when card giving this year. First Birthday of the new year and I’m already ‘fudging it up’!
I know I don’t normally do Jokes on any day but Friday … but I heard this one and I need to share it with you ….
Why did the cow cross the road? – It wanted to go to the mooovies.
Yup … still finding it funny and still laughing out loud. lol
Have a really great rest of your day, and thank you so much for coming and having a coffee with me!
Sending you lots of squidges in a huuuuge bucket ~
I don’t know about you, but Fridays give me this funny little feeling somewhere between my tummy button and my … erm … my uhm … chest. (phew – that was touch and go there for a minute). It’s an odd sort of feeling, like my body is having a quiet giggle to itself. A cross between a giggle and a tickle – but right inside me. In the centre of my body. Funniest little feeling. Nice one though.
Aww … hush up Cobs.Get on with the post already!
Right .. you’re here to read about how I’ve had my edumacation improved this week, so without further ado, I shall plunge straight in and get on with it.
This week I learned . . . that Liechtenstein is a tiny, doubly landlocked country tucked away between Switzerland and Austria. It owes much of its wealth to its traditional status as a tax haven, though it has in recent years taken steps to shake off its image as a tax haven and to reposition itself as a legitimate financial centre.
However …do you know that Liechtenstein is the Worlds Leading Manufacturer in _______. If you don’t know the answer to that …. have a guess. Think about the country. Think about where it is. Imagine what you think that Liechtenstein is the Worlds Leading Manufacturer in. Just take a wild guess.
Vaduz Castle, overlooking the capital, is home to the Prince of Liechtenstein
Let’s see if you guessed correctly shall we? In actual fact, Liechtenstein is the Worlds Leading Manufacturer in —>left click on your mouse and hold the click as you drag your cursor over this blank spot here —>FALSE TEETH<— 😀 If you’re anything like me you’ll have guessed that it would be some sort of speciality Beer. But no… such a beautiful place with such romantic feel about it – who could have guessed that fact? lol
If you’d like to learn a little more about this enchanting place you can read more here: The Spectator – Liechtenstein the link will open up in another page for you. If when the page loads, it asks you to ‘join up’ to their site, either close that smaller window or simply click back, then click forward and the Spectators efforts to get you to sign up will disappear so that you can read.
Now then … what else have I learned this week?…. ohhhhh… I know…
I learned this week that when you have a plan, the world laughs at you and makes other plans just to see how you handle the new stuff which life has thrown at you.
My craft room is all set up in our converted garage. The whole thing was already converted when we bought the cottage – so it seemed to be fate that brought us to it.
It took about a year before we were able to set up the room properly so that I could craft in it. (we had to do renovations to the cottage after we bought it). And I love it in there. However … I did have to make a teensy bit of room for our washing machine. But it’s located at the other end of the room, away from where I sit, so I didn’t bother too much about it. BUT … this week it suddenly began making the most dreadful noise when it started to spin. BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG! It got louder too.
So scared was I that I picked up the phone and called Mr.Cobs (he was in the cottage – our phones can call each other – so my phone in the garage can, at the press of a button, call the phone in the house. It works!. When Himself answered the phone I had to shout to hear myself talk…. “come to the craft room QUICK!”, I was scared silly that the Washing Machine was going to suddenly blow up!
Well, shortening the tale … the Washing Machine has gone to Washing Machine Heaven. So .. a new machine was found, delivery arranged, payment was made AT GREAT EXPENSE I might add!, (I hope this new machine makes me my coffee, I’m telling you!). Then Mr.Cobs said he’d have to get the old machine out, ready for the men to make delivery of new machine, and take old machine away with them. And that’s where the trouble started.
It sounded like such a simple thing – remove old washing machine, make space for new one. Oh. My. Goodmiss! I hadn’t quite realised that there was a small(ish) Ikea unit which although not ‘in front’ of our old machine … it was enough in front, to stop the machine moving fully out of its position. Sothat unit had to be moved. Which meant that a whole load of stuff on the unit had to move, and then all the stuff which was on top of the unit had to be moved … and well, shortening the tale even further … a mess the size of a volcano happened. I haven’t been able to work at my desk(s) all week. I decided that since we’d got that unit out, then perhaps the best thing would be to re-site it and attach it to the sewing desk, so that the unit wouldn’t be in the way.
I won’t bore you with the jiggling which happened after that, but suffice to say … I could, at 7.30pm on Thursday night (yesterday) finally see a bit of my desk again. So from all this I learned … That I rather envied my Grandmother and how she told me about she used to do the washing for her growing family …. in a ‘dolly tub’ in the back garden. BRING BACK THE DOLLY TUB! It’s cheaper, and it doesn’t break down!
Credit: East Cleveland Image Archive
I also learned this week: in quick, ‘bullet’ form ….
That . . . 80% of food has sugar added to it.
That . . . Wasps must wear ‘uniforms’ by smearing themselves with wax from their nest, and then on their return, fellow wasps recognise they are from the same colony and accept them in.
That . . . Mark Twain invented and patented the bra-strap clasp. I kid ye not. This really is true.
That . . . Abulia is the word for the inability to make decisions.
A musophobist is a person who distrusts poetry. As someone who will make up a bit of silly poetry at the drop of a hat – this was a real upset to me!
Depp means ‘twit’ in German. This kind of upset me for a moment, because I used to have rather a soft spot for Johnny Depp … but then I outgrew him so no longer upset. 🙂
The first commercial chewing gum appeared in 1871, after Thomas Adams had failed to make car tyres from the same ingredients. Yes … that stopped me in my tracks too when I learned that.
The Pantone colour chart has 104 shades of grey. So that means *that fellow* in *that ’50 shades’ book* was well below par. (snigger) I’m so glad that I didn’t read it.
and finally . . .
Male Ladybirds can spend up to four hours mating with a dead female before realising something is wrong. Ok… I’m going to stand up and admit that I actually laughed. I’m sorry. I’m sorry to the Men Ladybirds. I don’t think I meant to find that funny … but … well … it just kinda snuck up on me and before I knew it I was giggling like a schoolgirl. (And each time I think of it, I start giggling all over again). I don’t know why it tickles the heck out of me … well, maybe I do… but I’m not going to say. Let’s just say that I apologise. (and yes…. I’m giggling right now too).
I’ve learned rather a lot this week. How I’ve managed to remember all of it so that I can share it with you, is way out of my understanding. But I’m so glad that I did. (Especially so the Lady(man)bird one. LOLOL. [now stop it Cobs. Behave yourself! tsk tsk.]
Well there’s only enough time for some jokes now, so I’d better get on with it…. ready? OK.. let’s go!
Why did the bicycle fall over? . . . Because it was two tired!
Why did the prune go out with the raisin? . . . They couldn’t find dates!
Did you hear about the corduroy pillow? . . . It made the headlines.
Why do they call them light bulbs? … Because they don’t weigh very much.
What’s red and looks like a bucket? . . . A red bucket.
What’s blue and smells like red paint? . . . Blue paint
What’s orange and sounds like a parrot? . . . A carrot
Why does Beethoven hate chickens?. . . Because all they ask for is Bach Bach Bach Bach Bach.
and finally . . .
What is Beethoven up to now? . . . Decomposing.
I did say that we could talk more about Time Travelling this week … but I ran out of ….. lol.
Truth is, I think I’ve talked more than enough, so I’m going to shut up and give your brain a rest.
Also …. My apologies to all the crafters out there, because I haven’t shared anything crafty with you this week. Having had my craft room turned upside down hasn’t helped with any crafty endeavours … but … I’m filled with ideas for what I want to do, so I’ll try to be back next week with something lovely to look at.
I have a busy weekend coming …. I’m hosting Little Cobs Birthday Party in our cottage. I’ve been busy ordering, buying, finding and all manner of things. So I’m really looking forward to his party on Saturday (tomorrow). All I have to remember to do before then is find half an hour to wrap his gifts, instead of realising ten minutes before the party starts, that I haven’t wrapped them!eeeek!
So … what about you?Do you have anything planned for this weekend? Do share. I’d love to hear about what you’re up to in your corner of the world.
Whatever you’re doing, may you find happiness and joy. May the weather be what you’d like it to be, and may love enter your life softly, gently, and leave footprints on your heart. Be good to each other, and . . . may your God go with you.
Brightly woven, cobwebby squidges, to you in your corner, from me in mine ~
Making ANYTHING for Mr. Cobs has always been a logistical nightmare. He’s got a sixth sense when something is going on which relates to him. A cake. A meal. A gift. A plan. A surprise, etc etc. But making a card for him probably the worst because he pops in and out of the Craft Room all the time. He comes to bring me a surprise ice cream from the ice cream man. To bring me a coffee. To collect empty coffee cups. To look for the dog, or one of our cats. He’ll come bearing any packages which might have arrived for me, or even to tell me something funny which he’s read in the newspaper, heard on the radio, seen, or thought of.
I love him dropping in. Except.. when I’m trying to make him a card. I rarely make cards for him as I find it just too difficult to work on one in secret. But I managed this time, Yay!
In my panic about him creeping up behind me, (always a nightmare at anytime) I forgot to take photographs of each step, but I did remember at around the ‘quarter into it’ mark, so at least have one ‘in the middle making photo’ to share :
It’s meant to represent his shed. A total mess, and no rhyme or reason to it … but he seems to know what’s there, and I guess that’s all that matters. (Doesn’t stop me from wanting to get in there and label everything and put them all in some sort of understandable order though! lol).
Anyhoo …
The card was made using Card-io Stamps, – and the notes saying ‘Happy Birthday’ were made on the computer (I wanted to use a particular font, in the right size – so stamps wouldn’t do it … but stamps could be used), liquid pearls (for the drips of paint and the paint drips on the pots) and Anita’s 3D Clear Gloss. The stamp pads I used were by Memento and Papermania, dye ink pads.
Each of the little pinned notes were first curled up a little at the bottom, then glued to the card front. The two different types of bulldog clips were then stamped into place – in oder to ‘anchor’ the notes to the wriggly (hand drawn) string which stretches across the card – again these bulldog clips are Card-io Stamps. And the cupboard (with opening doors!) was again made using Cardio Stamps, and a bit of careful cutting with a scalpel and metal rule.
And that’s all there was to it!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MR. COBS! (erm …. how old will you be next year, sweetheart? [snigger])
Hello all. It’s great to see you here. Before I get into talking about this card I’d like to take a moment to say a very warm welcome to new followers. I’m absolutely thrilled to pieces that you’ve signed up here, – so a big thank you!
I actually made this card about two weeks ago and I’ve been struggling ever since to get the photographs loaded, sort out the clearest ones, (most of them look like I was joggimg while operating the camera), resize them (to make them smaller than the size of an Olympic swimming pool!) and then load them onto the blog here. Time seems to have flown and before I could blink, every day came to its end about 12 hours before I needed it to. But … better late than never….
The idea behind this card came from looking at cards which had been made for men for all sorts of occasions: Birthdays, Anniversary, Fathers Day, ‘Congratulations’ cards, and also cards sent to celebrate Civil Partnerships. I always struggled finding a decent shop bought card for men, but making one is even worse! So I thought I’d give myself a challenge to come up with a design which would be a little different. Something which had a bit of style (and a spoonful of humour), but instead of it being for a specific occasion, I wanted to make a ‘multi-functional’ type of card, which would be great as a card sent on or for any occasion. I especially wanted to include a Civil Partnership suitable card as I’ve grown so tired of seeing two cut outs of grooms in wedding attire on the front of a card. They’re great, and they state what the cards for, but I wanted something different.I began by fixing two 6″x6″ cards together and cutting the flap to the left hand side of the fold in a diagonal from inner crease top, to the outer corner bottom.
2 6×6″ white cards glued to each other, then the centre panel lined with black card.
The right hand side of the card was firstly cut in the same way, but then cut again, as you can see in the photo above. This was in order for it to become the folded over side of the suit jacket.
Adding the ‘fabric pattern’ of the suit
I originally began this idea thinking I was going to make a striped suit, but instead I chose a more fun, spotty card – black with white dots. I added two silver buttons, and made a jacket breast pocket – with faux stitching, to make it look like it was stitched to the front of the card. I made the stitch holes using a sewers marker tool:
the white card shows the little holes made by the tool.
The collar to the jacket was an easy make. Two strips of cardstock, cut to the correct length and scored (with a 1cm fold which would be used to fix the collar to the inside edge), then cut and shaped, with a ‘v’ cut out at just the right point, to represent a collar on a jacket, and then fixed to the card. Then it needed a shirt. I simply measured the width of the inner card, then took off around a centimetre and cut some white card to that width. I scored the card across the width at the depth I wanted the collar to be, and then cut down the centre of the card just enough to make it look like the shirt was unbuttoned a the top. I then rounded the corners of the collar with my Memory Keepers Corner Chomper. Next: came the tie. Aww, now this proved to be a big pain in the rear end – because the only time I’ve ever tied a tie was when I was in my Secondary School, and it was around my neck. I can tie ties around my neck … but doing it around this card was something of a skill that was lost on me. It took me roughly seven or eight go’s before I got even close. <sigh> But .. in the end I managed it and gave myself a well deserved ‘FINALLY!!!’ – out loud and very exhaustingly proud. The shirt was fixed into place. The tie was fixed so that the knot would hang free, but that the body of the tie would kind of bunch a little over the jacket closure. and finally, the jacket was fixed into place and ‘closed’. Then came the tags for tucking into the ‘pocket’ which I’d just made within the card, inside the shirt. The larger of the two tags is for the ‘dedication’ of the card (to/from etc):- I think I found that frame on the Graphics Fairy – but wherever it was, I changed it so that it matched the purple of the tie. The long slim tag was stamped with an empty clock face – the idea being that the time could be filled by the sender drawing on the hands to mark the time appropriate. It could be the time he was born; Time the child sending the card was born; Time of the Civil Partnership; etc etc. And above the clock face – details of what the time meant/means; date of birth etc, or maybe: details of where the receiver of the card is meant to meet you (say for a meal) – etc etc. Or even maybe a photograph(s) of children or of the receiver themself.The backs of the tags … the larger one is a vintage image which I coloured to match the tie; and the long slim tag is a copy of an original vintage postcard of the same length and width as you see in the photograph. I added a paper rose and some metal filigree leaves. (Metal for the more masculine feel of them), and a fob watch on a chain, which I draped up to the breast pocket, and fixed in place with a ring. (The chain hangs free, and gives movement to the card.) I made a tag for the breast pocket too and added some folded and stitched ribbon to the end of it, to make the handkerchief popping out of the pocket. And finally … I made a matching box for the card. The tiny shirt fixed to the front of the box is actually one piece of folded paper (sort or origami style folding), and I made a tie out of two pieces of card which was closest in colour to the tie on the card as I could possibly get. I added a blank tag to the front of the box so that the recipient’s name could be added, just as you would do on an envelope.
The whole set!
I have to admit that there were times, as I was making this card, that I began to wish I’d never started – it seemed to be taking me forever to do the smallest things. However, once it was finished and I sat back and looked at it, I loved it. Thank you so much for coming today and having a look at this card. Hope you like it.
Have a wonderful rest of your day. May the weather be kind and may life treat you well.
The Art of Cobwebs 