Life in Mamma's Heart Towers has been very busy. There is so much going on I have barely had time to take a deep breath and take a look around. the one thing I have been making time for is friends and family's birthdays and other celebrations. In the last 3 months there has been a wedding, lots of birthdays, a birth which means a christening coming up, new jobs, passing driving tests and exams and well just lots of other good things that make you smile from the inside and out.

So I have been using my exceptionally good mood at the moment to make beautifully embellished cards for my family and friends, cards hat they can keep to remind them of the good times, and I have had a blast making them. I may have to continue this theme for a range of cards for the Folksy page.

I started by using 2 8 x 8 scalloped cards cutting 1 in half and folding the other to make a basic easel card. I found it easier to decorate the base card before attaching it to the main card. I always start with whatever the main image of the card card is and then work the rest round it. I made up some Fairy Poppet decoupage, one on it's original base showcasing the original artwork and the other free from it's base as I wanted to do something different with it. I matted and layered the main fairy image on to red Core'dinations card and pink Glitter Silk card stock. I like to use this type of card stock because the weight of the card gives you crisp solid lines and edges and as there is colour all the way through the card, the colour is more crisp and it makes your images really pop.
 I used paper from the Paintbox Poppets CD Rom as the base paper on both the main card and the base. I used Pinflair glaze on the necklace, tiara and heart charm she is holding and dotted some gems around the image just to give it that extra bling (you know me). I recently bought the Tim Holtz Kraft-Core Nostalgic Collection pad and I am totally in love. It is basically vintage core' dination paper with a kraft paper core, genius!! What I love about this paper is that it gives your project an immediate vintage feel without even trying. It is so easy to distress or emboss this paper and it completely changes the look of it. So I die cut a large ornate shape and then embossed a floral pattern onto it. Before I sanded the paper I scrunched up the paper to distress it further. It is important to wipe your paper with a Dust Buddy to get rid of all the flock and debris and you will be surprised how it really defines the pattern. As this is an easel card I had to think about where I wanted to put the sentiment. I am tending to put the sentiment on the reverse of the card where there is a DL shaped panel which lends it's self to this.

Then I began to think about the embellishments. I wanted a vintage floral theme so I looked through my stash and found some lovely paper (sorry I have lost the front cover so no idea where the paper came from). I love the paper for the colours and the Victorian feel of it. I used the Sizzix floral w/leaves Bigz die several times to cut the flowers and the leaf flourish, which i think looks great around the card.When attaching the flourishes to the card I only applied glue to certain parts of the shape so that the rest was free of the card which gives a feeling of flow to the card which all adds to the look/theme. I used the Spellbinders Fanciful Flight dies to cut out the butterfly  and dragonfly shapes that are on the main part of the card and the base. When attaching the butterfly's and dragonfly I shaped the wings to give the impression of movement. I also used a Spellbinders border and corner accent in the same Core'dinations paper I had used before on the card. The second Fairy Poppets image I left free of it's base and attached it to a piece of acetate so that it sits off the card giving the illusion that the fairy's are amongst the flowers.

I have to say I really love this card. I had the most fun making it as I was able to really indulge myself and let my imagination run free, which I think I did with gusto. So please forgive me. I hope you like the card and the slight decadence of it. Thanks for dropping by and having a look. See you soon. B'xxx

I wish to enter this card in their Crafter's Companion Monthly Challenge 25 Embellishments