Aud Sentiments Happy Birthday

Wow!  Three years old!!!  Seriously, who can imagine that?

Now, hopefully, you have arrived to me from Mel's blog - wasn't her creation gorgeous?  Phew, hard act to follow!....

If you didn't come here from Mel, then why not pop over to AudSentiments and find out all the information about our birthday celebrations?

So here is my card....the image was from My Heart Pieces....and I cut out the frame and lace edge with sizzix eclips machine - gotta love that!  The cut files were from Lettering Delights (oblong frame) and SVG Cuts (crochet edging).  

Regulation close up of image!  I did enjoy colouring this one - just such a gorgeous image! 

Now, you are on your way again - short but sweet visit!  Your next stop is Sandra's blog....WAIT!!!  Don't forget to leave me a comment to be in with a chance of the prize!  .....Ok, now you can go hop along! 

thanks so much for popping by....Ruthie x

Paper Cutting

I have long been a fan of the wonderful PaperPanda.  She does the most incredible papercuts by hand.  So, methinks, I wonder if I could do that....

Turns out...I can!  With lots of Panda help!  Panda does a "Trainee Panda" kit, so of, course, I just HAD to have it!  The design above is one of the ones that came with the kit!  Also in the kits is a scalpel, cutting mat, starter designs - and the all important "Trainee Panda" badge - without which you cannot possibly cut anything!!!

There is also a facebook challenge to create and cut your own design with the theme of your favourite book.....here it is.....

Yep,  my own design and handcut....but then I wondered if my machine couldn't just do this so much quicker - and save my arthritic hands (have had child arthritis, so still have issues with certain things!)....

It did take a bit of fiddling to find the right paper - the poster paper used for the handcut was just toooooooo fragile.  So I moved onto copier paper weight - that wasn't quite right (by "quite right" read "complete mess") - then I grabbed some very lightweight card - think its about 150gsm...maybe...ish!

Here are the two side-by-side - handcut on the left.  Little fluffy bit at the bottom left of the photo is Popcorn Cat!

The machine cut one is the one above....

Close ups - left hand side are the machines, right hand side are the hand cuts.

So not really a huge amount in it.  I was very impressed that the eclips managed to cut it out at all (once I had got the settings sorted).  

So there ya go....lots of fun!

thanks for popping by today x