Handmade by Natty

When your very good friend asks for a favour and would like a card making, but looks sheepish when she tries to soften the blow of what specific theme she needs for the card, you know it’s going to be an interesting one…

So I need a card… A card for a guy.

OK.

For a 60th birthday.

OK.

….

And he works in pest control, so could you do something along those lines?

{silence}

{cogs whirring}

Pest control?

Well, thankfully another very good friend was sat at the same table, and this very good friend had precut me some of the Curio Summer Findings die set for that particular crafty get together, and it happened to include some moths, fly/wasp creatures, and other pest-control-friendly elements.

I am not sure Betsy ever imagined that a pest control inspired card would be made with her products… but here we go:

Paper: Honey Bee Stamps – Fresh Brewed, Pink Paislee – Auburn Lane (r)
Stickers: October Afternoon (r)
Stamps: Simon Says Stamp – Tiny Words Birthday, The Stamp Market – Little Lovelies
Dies: Honey Bee Stamps – Wood Frame Builder, The Greetery – BotaniCuts Toadstool Garden, The Greetery – Curio: Summer Findings (borrowed), The Stamp Market – Embroidery Hoops, The Stamp Market – Tiny Tags
Other: Distress Inks, Distress Oxides

I started out by creating a notice board background with cork paper from Honey Bee Stamps and an off-cut of the Auburn Lane paper that happened to be on my desk that would make a great frame using the Honey Bee Stamps Wood Frame Builder dies.

Once the background and frame were constructed, I cut a load of white tiny tags to place inside the noticeboard area and worked out what summer findings dies would fit where.

I also knew I wanted to include some Fungi (another pest control issue…) and finally had a good reason to use my Toadstool Garden dies mixed in with the summer findings.

All the elements were cut from white cardstock, and I simply blended ink over them on my mini waffle flower mat.

It holds them so well, and Distress Ink (original formula) really blends in nicely and makes these elements look so vibrant.

Before sticking the tags down, I stamped a sentiment on one of the larger tags and added jute twine to all the tags as an extra detail.

I also had a little space left to include one of the embroidery hoops from The Stamp Market with a bit more greenery.

Sadly I didn’t have any dies that had numbers of the right size, but I still have a few Mini Market stickers from October Afternoon and the ledger set still had a six and zero that fit on one of the long tags.

I’m pretty pleased with how it turned out, and I am hoping my friend will be too.

But I’m not sure that I’m cut out for any more pest control cards just yet. 😉

Simon Says Stamp – Tiny Words Birthday stamps Shop at: SSS	The Stamp Market – Little Lovelies stamps Shop at: MISC	Honey Bee Stamps – Wood Frame Builder dies Shop at: EH | MISC | SBC	The Greetery – BotaniCuts Toadstool Garden dies Shop at: MISC | SHC
The Stamp Market – Embroidery Hoops dies Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market – Tiny Tags dies Shop at: MISC	Distress ink pad – Antique Linen Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Distress ink pad – Black Soot Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
Distress ink pad – Candied Apple Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Distress ink pad – Crackling Campfire Shop at: EH | SBC | SHC	Distress ink pad – Crushed Olive Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Distress ink pad – Fossilized Amber Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
Distress ink pad – Gathered Twigs Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Distress ink pad – Iced Spruce Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Distress ink pad – Mustard Seed Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Distress ink pad – Peeled Paint Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
Distress ink pad – Pine Needles Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Distress ink pad – Rustic Wilderness Shop at: EH | SBC | SHC	Distress ink pad – Speckled Egg Shop at: EH | SBC | SHC	Distress ink pad – Twisted Citron Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
Distress Oxide ink pad – Antique Linen Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	The Stamp Market – Greenery ink pad Shop at: MISC	Versafine – Onyx Black ink pad Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Neenah Classic Crest 110 lb smooth Solar White cardstock Shop at: EH | SSS
Honey Bee Stamps – Fresh Brewed 6×6 paper pad Shop at: EH | MISC	Pink Paislee – Auburn Lane – Paper 02 (r) Shop at: MISC | SBC	Ranger – Multi-Medium Matte adhesive Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC	Tombow – Mono-Multi liquid glue Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
3M Scotch double-sided foam tape Shop at: AZ | EH	Craft blending brushes Shop at: AZ	Taylored Expressions – Blender Brushes Shop at: MISC	Waffle Flower – Mini Media Mat Shop at: EH | SBC | SHC
Yoseng 8 Finger Ink Blending Brushes Shop at: AZ	Sizzix – Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ | SBC	Sizzix – Sidekick machine Shop at: AZ | SBC	Tim Holtz – Tonic guillotine trimmer (maxi) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC
Tim Holtz – Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ | EH | SBC