More birthday cards at last

It's been ages since I've posted - sorry for my long absence! I've finally made a few more cards, so I can use them for my birthday card exchanges on a couple of miniature groups I belong to.  This first one is another 'pretty in pink' one, following a similar template I've been using for quite a few of the cards as you'll notice - but I have brought limited supplies of punches etc with me on this trip away to my daughter's place and this is a pretty and quite effective design.

A second pink card uses patterned paper, with a design of butterflies - I love butterflies!  I found a charm with 'knitting diva' and it is perfect for the person I made the card for.  She does beautiful knitting - in miniature.  So delicate and tiny.  She lives interstate so the card hasn't arrived there yet, but she doesn't read this blog as far as I know so I'm fairly safe posting the photo, I think.

Then I did some using red and white.  This first one has a red and white check ribbon and little dots on the background of the main part of the front.  I really like it, it is sweet and simple.

This second one is also red and white, with the emphasis on more red.  I really like it too.

And in this one I explored red, black and white and I think it's quite interesting.  Not sure who I will send it to though.  

I'm thinking about going to a class in the city half an hour from here next week.  It is about using some pens so I assume it's colouring stamps.  I'm ready to move on to more techniques   and to expand the skills I can use for cards, though it will mean a lot more expenditure buying stamps when I do lol!  I have some, several in fact.  But as I have found with the Cuttlebug, you often need a different die or embossing folder than the ones you have no matter how many you already have.  And I'm pretty sure it will prove to be the same with stamps!

I have downloaded lots of card patterns from a couple of sites.  I'm not good enough to enter the challenges, and I'm really in awe of the skill of the entries.  But the patterns are useful as a guide for designs, and for giving ideas.  The challenge entries are often far fancier than you would do as a normal card too - they'd be impossible to post for one thing.  But they do also give inspiration.  

I've made cards with two of our grandchildren as well -- both of the 9-year olds.  Grace, Kirstie's daughter did a birthday card for her mother.  I did too, but apparently didn't take a photo of it :(  And Kylie's son Cameron did an 'I love you' card for his mother as well.  I have promised Luke (5) that I'll help him do one on Monday.  Kirsten and her family have gone home so there hasn't been a chance to do any more with the rest of the children.

Maybe I'll also be able to do some scrapbooking while I'm here, though mainly I'll be doing cards with Kylie