Sunflower Birthday

Hello everyone. I have a card to share inspired by my visit to the maize maze last week – where there was also lots and lots of gorgeous sunflowers. I knew I had a few items in my stash, and I chose the ‘Lovely Layers: Sunflowers‘ from Honey Bee Stamps to create my project:

I die cut the pieces for the flowers in a yellow, green, and brown card stock from Concord & 9th. Once die cut, I then ink blended the layers to create a little more dimension. I then curled the leaves of the sunflowers a little, then attached the layers using 3D foam pieces – for even more depth. I had to wait a little a the ink from the ink blending was still a little wet.

Once the flowers were assembled, I hunted through my stash for a background paper which had a distressed and splattered look, a very muted pink/lilac shade.

As the flowers are big, I used a 5×7 inch card base, cut down the paper and attached with glue.

The flowers were attached, then the leaves placed, leaving room for the silver foiled sentiment at the top. This sentiment is actually cut down, it did say ‘happy birthday to you’ but I cut the end down and glued to the edge.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

AAA Birthday – birthday and flowers

Cupcake Inspirations – in the garden

Inspiration Station – photo inspiration

Beautiful Blossoms – flowers

Ellibelle’s Corner I Spy – something yellow or sunflowers

Butterfly Inlay

Hello everyone. Another challenge has started at The Alphabet Challenge. Deborah has chosen the theme of:

I is for Insects

I have two cards, as I chose to use the inlay detail on the background from a Concord & 9th die set:

The background panel was die cut and all the little bits and pieces kept to inlay back in. The panel was previously created using ink smooshing and water-colours.

I then cut it again out of white, then placed double-sided sticky sheet behind it, stuck onto a card base, then added all the elements. This did take a bit if time, but I didn’t lose any – even those teeny tiny pieces for the centre of the flowers.

I then decided to die cut the butterfly out of two darker and more vibrant ink smooshed panels – again keeping the pieces separate, and again out of white for one butterfly, and one out of a dark blue for the other.

Once more, double-sided sticky sheet came into play to adhered all the pieces.

The butterflies were adhered with 3D foam – choosing which one to go onto which background – and the cards were done.

I do like to have a little play and inlaying – so therapeutic to me……..that’s if I don’t lose any pieces, anyway.

I hope you can come and join us with your projects following our themes xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Inkspirational – word prompt – garden

Unicorn Challenge – layer it up

Crafting From the Art – anything goes

Crafters Café – anything goes – option of easel card not taken

Kraft & Blue

Hello again. Cardz 4 Galz has started a new challenge, and Sue J has chosen the theme of:

Kraft & Blue

Here is my card:

For my blue flowers, I used a Pinkfresh Studio stamp, die, and layering stencil set. The images were stamped, then coloured using the layering stencils, choosing Pinkfresh Studio inks, and three tones of blue for the florals, and a light brown for the leaves and stem.

I thought it would be fun to do a little partial die cutting on the front, so I laid the floral die onto a card base and only ran it through half way – the image was then hanging over that edge.

I added a piece to the front after running through with a Spellbinders embossing folder, added a thin gold glitter strip, then glued the floral die cut image onto the top.

The inside is layered a piece of Kraft card stock.

I hope you can come and join us with your creations following our theme. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Allsorts – embossing – heat or dry

Unicorn Challenge – layer it up

Beautiful Blossoms – anything goes with florals

Kudos To You

Hello there. I’m here with a card where the colours are inspired by the current challenge at Color Hues:

With the colours being yellow and orange, I decided to go with florals and ink blending, merging the two colours on the petals of the flowers. This stamp, die, stencil and embossing folder set is from Altenew.

I first stamped the all the images in the set, then used Pinkfresh Studio inks – yellow first, then the orange for the inner parts of the petals.

The leaves were done in grey, as you see, and then the die was used to cut them out. I did run them through with the latching embossing folder, but I wasn’t hugely impressed with that, as you can’t really tell there is much dimension, even in real life.

The background is a piece of card from Concord & 9th, run through with a Spellbinders embossing folder, then cut down slightly to leave a white border on the card base.

Arranging one flower and the two buds with the leaves, I stamped the sentiment – from the same Altenew set – and attached with glue, before adding the florals and leaves with 3D foam.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Color Hues – orange and yellow

Allsorts – embossing – heat or dry

Stencil Fun – stencils, option of CAS not taken

Triple B – birds and/or butterflies and/or blooms

Floral Get Well Wishes

The new challenge at Ally’s Angels has started, and I am a little late in posting – I hope Becca and the team will forgive me……the theme is always ‘anything goes‘. Here is my card:

I started by creating the florals and leaves from a Spellbinders die set – Fresh Picked Daisies – adding some ink blending to the centre of the flowers – though it is hard to see – and ink blended a darker green onto the leaves.

The background is a white panel and run through with a Spellbinders embossing folder, and adding a Pinkfresh Studio frame onto the centre.

The flowers and leaves were added by tucking behind the frame and using 3D foam and glue.

The black sentiment strip with silver foiling added, and then some black enamel dots spread around.

I hope you can join us with our ‘anything goes’ challenge – you can enter up to five times. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Inkspirational – word prompt – garden

Allsorts – embossing – heat or dry

Triple B – birds and/or butterflies and/or blooms

Beautiful Blossoms – anything goes with florals

Take Joy In The Little Things

Hello. A late posting today as hubby and I have been out and about in the cooler weather. We visited a maize Maze near Ashbourne in Derbyshire. There’s quite a bit to do for the little ones – of which we certainly are not – but walking amongst the sunflowers and wildflowers as well as working our way through the maize maze took almost a couple of hours – with an ice cream at the end…..

This card was created yesterday, and fitted our little sojourn today:

For the foliage and the butterflies I used a stamp, die and stencil set from Pinkfresh Studio ‘Fluttering Butterflies‘. I also have the washi which goes with the die set but used the other products this time round.

I stamped, ink blended then die cut the images. I did the foliage twice as I wanted plenty on this card.

The background panel was created using a grey card stock, then a Spellbinders embossing folder. I chose a darker colour to enable the colours of the foliage and butterflies to stand out more.

I ran a white circle die cut through with the grey panel and the embossing folder, to keep the pattern aligned – though I ended up covering most of the outside of the circle.

The circle was attached with 3D foam, then the foliage arranged by tucking underneath. I did have to cut some down, but managed to get them as full as I wanted.

Before adding the butterflies, I added the sentiment. This is a pre-printed sentiment, received as part of a virtual event I think, then the butterflies arranged around that. I did have to double-up small pieces of foam tape as my butterflies were half on, and half off the white circle, but this wasn’t hard to do.

The final step was to add some ombre glitter gems.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

CYHTP – embossing folder with option of ‘tie it up’ not taken

Ellibelle’s Corner I Spy – something with wings

Tic Tac Toe – upper right to bottom left diagonal – insects/gems/free

Triple B – birds and/or butterflies and/or blooms

You Bring Colour To My World

Hello there. I have a card to share inspired by the current challenge at As You See It. This time round, it is a speed challenge – you have to make the card within 10 minutes. You can prepare certain things, get your stuff out – and that does involve a lot of preparing – what you are going to use and how, you can mount your stamps, etc. Here is my card:

I wanted to use a panda which didn’t involve colouring, but I saw this cutey from an older Heffy Doodle set, and wondered if I could just a little colouring and die cutting within the time frame.

I got out my Gina K amalgam ink, a couple of pink and gey Copics, my little side-kick die cutting machine, the dies for set on a magnetic mat to the side of me, low tack tape pieces handy, 3D foam pieces handy, a pink ink cube from Pinkfresh Studio…….my stamps were added to the Misti strategically to put them all on the same panel. The word stamps I placed at the edges so I only had to cut down two sides….

I stamped the images in black, then the one word in pink. Quickly heat set with a blast of my heat tool, did basic colouring and even added a scribble of pink to the centre of the painters easel.

Cut down the panel so the images would all through the small die cutting machine in one pass. Cut down the sentiments with my scissors.

Added small pieces of 3D foam behind all the pieces, attached to the card base – the sentiments added haphazardly so I didn’t have to worry about them being straight. Glued the little paint brush into the slot created by the panda die. Done. Phew!

I shall be entering the following challenges:

As You See It – speed challenge

Critter Crazy – anything goes with a critter

Daisy Chain Challenge – animals

Dinosaur Birthday

Hello there. I have a birthday card to share as Surprise Party Guest at the new challenge at Seize The Birthday. The new theme is:

Birthday and funny/punny

Here is my card:

For this card I used the new dinosaur dies from Gummiapan. These little cuties come as one set, so I die cut them out of water-colour card and used my Zigs to colour them in – very haphazardly, very roughly, and just let the colours do their thing.

I decided to go more mixed media for a change with the background, and started by die cutting another label/tag die from the same company out of an ink smooshed and splattered panel I had.

The background panel was created by using a piece of Distress Heavy white card stock, a little ink blending, running it through with a Spellbinders embossing folder, then brushing a brown ink pad over the top to catch the higher parts of the design.

All the elements were attached, then the sentiment stamped and added as you see.

I hope you can come and join us with your birthday projects following the theme. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Mix It Up – anything goes – option of shaped card not taken

Addicted to Stamps & More – birthday

CYHTP – embossing folder – option of tie it up not taken

Critter Crazy – anything goes with a critter

Daisy Chain Challenge – birthday

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge – funny/punny

A Quartet of Penguins

Hello there. A new challenge has started at ABC Christmas Challenge. We have reached the letters P, Q & R, and we want to see your Christmas creations featuring the following themes:

P is for Penguins and/or Q is for Quartet and/or R is for rectangles

Here is my card following the Penguin and Quartet themes:

For the four penguins, I chose to use the Tim Holtz/Sizzix die set called ‘Winter Critters’. Die cut and layered as needed.

I die cut them all in white woodgrain card stock, then used Copics to colour what I wanted – the dark grey for black, red, and orange.

The four squares are die cut from a gold foiled panel, using Spellbinders ‘Dazzling Diamonds‘ hot foil plate.

The background is a red panel, run through with a Spellbinders embossing folder ‘Nordic Noel’, then some gold wax run gently over the top to bring out the details.

The sentiment is gold foiled and die cut, layered a couple more times for dimension.

I hope you can come and join us with your Christmas creations featuring one, two, or even three of our themes, and you can enter up to five times. The challenge finishes on Sunday 5th September.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Merry Little Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Christmas (or not) Bingo – column B – Christmas/red/free

Critter Crazy Challenge – anything goes with a critter

Daisy Chain Challenge – animals

Sending Birthday Swings

Hello everyone. It is hubby’s birthday on 11th August, so I created this card using Waffle Flower die and stencil sets as he is an avid golfer and frequently travels abroad on golfing trips:

I first die cut the golf bag and clubs, using grey and black, as his current golf bag is those colours – he isn’t a flashy kinda guy!

The background was created using another die and stencil set from Waffle Flower, first die cutting the mountains and the water, then used the stencil to create some dimension.

These were layered together, adding some paper for the sky area, and some green card stock for the grass.

The sentiment is also from Waffle Flower – part of this release – stamped then die cut, then layered a couple more times before gluing to the card.