I just love that sentiment, and when coupled with the flowering cactus – I just had to buy the stamp and die set and play with it.
The set is from Memory Box, and I stamped the image onto a Neenah 110lbs card stock to reduce the amount of Copic bleed-through to the other side when I coloured it.
I kept the tones quite similar, using the colour scheme from a recent Hero Arts virtual class, and colours suggested by Daniel West.
Hello once again. The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge has started a new challenge. The theme is always ‘anything goes Christmas/Festive’ – here is my card:
During the past year I have taken some online classes with Susan Tierney-Cockburn – moving out of my comfort zone and trying something new. I struggled – and still do – when creating these flowers using her Spellbinders collection of dies – but I keep trying. I am pleased with how this poinsettia turned out….
The only thing I didn’t really feel I got to grips with was the centre – I really messed that up – which is why there is Nuvo drops and some glitter there……..!
I managed to create these flowers and leaves following her YouTube videos, and have even invested in the flower forming tools – I feel they would help as I was using my ball tools when I created this and didn’t quite get the detail and lines and veins of the leaves – you will probably see another variation on this theme….
I didn’t put a candle in the lantern either – and I don’t think it’s missed – maybe another variation for the future…..
The base card was layered with squares using Sue Wilson stitched dies, and one of her embossing folders too to add the holly swirl details in the white background piece.
The lantern was die cut from Tim Holtz metal coloured card stock, then I used some of his embossing powders on it to try and create a more weathered and metallic look.
I am definitely going to create this flower again – maybe in other colours – as I actually quite enjoyed stepping out of my comfort zone.
I hope you can come and join us with your Christmas/festive creations. xx
Hello. I have had time to play in my craft room today, and created this card:
Taking the colour scheme from the current Color Throwdown Challenge, I started with a black 7 inch square card base. Onto that I layered a slightly smaller dove grey card from Concord & 9th which I had dry embossed with a wood grain embossing folder, and slightly ink blended with Distress Ink.
The wreath was die cut twice, and I cut one of them to add more layers to the part that was showing.
The poinsettias were die cut from a cream textured card stock I had and the edges were inked with some Pumice Stone Distress Ink – but then I added some Weathered Wood as I didn’t think it was grey enough. The extra darker leaves were die cut from the same cream card stock, but ink blended before I die cut with the same grey Distress Inks.
I stuck the wreath down with glue – leaving some of the twiggy bits unstuck for dimension and movement, and the poinsettias and leaves were stuck down with 3D glue – I like to use that for the more dimensional elements when I’m adding more – like the extra leaves – so I have some time to play around with the layout.
I then added some stickles to the centre of the flowers.
The Alphabet Challenge has reached the letter ‘M’ – and Melanie has chosen the theme of ‘Motivational or encouraging sentiment‘. Here is my card:
I am sure you know someone who would appreciate an encouragement card. There have been quite a few – from my side of things at least – that deserve that little more recognition from me. I always try to express those thoughts in person, but sometimes a little something-something can add and boost their confidence.
I have a team in mind for this card, and will be taking it to them shortly.
I again used the new Tim Holtz Mica sprays for this card – after I had stamped the image from Polkadoodles. I may repeat this card again and this time heat embossing the image, but for this I like the overall effect.
I did go back in with some clean water on some of the flower images to ‘lift’ some of the spray to make them more visible……
The image is so much more visible in real life – and those mica sprays have so much shine – but I just can’t seem to capture them on a photo…….!
As this stamp is so long, I went for the slimline style, but I did cut it down on one edge, and left a border of black instead of centering it in the middle – I like how that seems to make it more dramatic.
I hope you can join us with your encouraging sentiments – I am sure they will be appreciated by the recipient. xx
Hi there. Cardz 4 Galz had started a new challenge with a new theme. Caz has chosen the theme of ‘Autumn/Fall Leaves‘. Here is my card:
I wanted to make a card with this kind of sentiment on it for a good friend who has been absolutely invaluable to me over the past few weeks. I’ve needed someone to help with some things – and she has been right there. She has run me around and generally kept in touch when I needed a boost – I am so, so thankful for her. She’s an absolute gem.
I started by stamping the Concord & 9th turnabout onto a Kraft card stock, using four autumnal colours from Gina K. The turnabout jig is a must for me to be able to line things up – thanks to the Concord & 9th Summer Camp I ‘virtually’ attended – the jig was included in the kit, and Cathy Zielske showed us how to use it…..
Once the background was stamped, I used the leaf die to cut the large leaf out of white card stock, but I added some colour by stamping the small splotch stamp so it wasn’t quite so stark. I also decided to add the panel to a white card base to bring it together.
I also decided to add some sequins so I hunted through my stash and found a Catherine Pooler sequin mix, but when I open it some of them just kinda fell onto my card – so I stuck them down where they fell. That’s one way to decided where they go, isn’t it?
I hope you can come and join us with your girlie autumn/fall leaves creations – I look forward to seeing you in our gallery. xx
We have a new challenge starting at The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge. The theme is always anything goes as long as it’s Christmas or festive. Here is my card:
Using one of my pre-made ink smooshed cards, I die cut the pine cones and branch. The base is a 3D embossing folder – leaving it white to be able to see the texture, but also to highlight the pine cones and branches.
I also used some enamel dots I had laying around – no idea where they came from. I think they were part of a kit or an online order as a freebie – but I thought the colours matched the card perfeclty.
Quite simple in it’s design, but lots of texture.
I hope you can come and join us with your Christmas makes. xx
Hello once again. I’ve been playing some more in my craft room, and using some of the backgrounds I created a while ago – this time using an alcohol ink piece of Yupo to create this CAS card:
I used this die from MFT which cuts the balloons and the frame, and with the additional balloons provided I die cut them from the piece of Yupo paper.
The frame I stuck down with some foam strips – they were very, very sticky so I’m glad I stuck it down straight! The balloons were stuck down using wet glue…….and then I wondered what I was going to do for the sentiment – I had forgotten to stamp it before I put all the layers together. I didn’t think the Misti would help, due to the dimension, so I actually stamped using an acrylic block! Shocker! I rarely do that because I always get it wrong…..
This time, I prepped my stamp, I used a Catherine Pooler ink, and chose an outline sentiment…….and it worked! It’s always good when a plan comes together – but I was nervous of spoiling the card…….I’m glad I didn’t! It is only a few pieces of card, but still……
I shall be entering the following challenges:
Seize The Birthday – anything goes birthday with option pastel colours (not taken)
Hi. I have been inspired to create this card using the elements from the current challenge at Festive Friday. They proved an inspiration list, and you have to use at least three elements from that list. I must admit I think I used more than three elements – I enjoyed playing and constructing my card. Here it is:
I started by using one of the new Tim Holtz mica sprays, and sprayed two pieces of card, as I knew I wanted at least a 6 inch square panel, and I also wanted to die cut the leaves from it.
Whilst that was drying, I die cut the dove from Simon Says Stamp – putting some tape on the back to hold all the pieces together – minus the legs. I couldn’t figure out a way to keep the legs on the dove – so it’s juts sitting there instead!
I then took another piece of black card and dry embossed the basket weave from We R Memory Keepers, by which time the sprayed panels were dry – and so, so shimmery!
I layered the square of green onto the black card base, added the embossed panel, then played the layout of the leaves, and ended up with them as you see. I didn’t stick the entire leaf down each time, leaving some just kinda flapping and giving movement, then added the dove with some foam squares.
So let’s have a look at the inspiration list:
It appears I used a dove, white, leaves, non-rectangular card base, die-cuts, and spritzing………
I shall also be entering this card into the current challenge at Beyond The Blue – with the theme of ‘let it shimmer’ – those mica sprays are really, really shimmery – whether I’ve managed to catch the shimmer in the photos or not – it’s certainly there. xx
Hello there. The Alphabet Challenge has reached the letter ‘L’ and Deborah has chosen the theme of ‘LEAVES’. Here is my card:
I’m doing some messy playing at the moment – I do like creating background panels and adding them to my stock – sometimes I think I enjoy this more than actually creating cards with them…….!
I used a Tim Holtz mica stain on a piece of Distress Heavy stock, and when that was dry I used a Simon Says Stamp embossing folder, then wiped some Sizzix lustre wax over the top for even more shine and interest.
The etched laurel leaves were die cut from another piece of card stock which had yet another Tim Holtz mica spray on it.
The frame is from Tum Holtz too, and so is the sentiment strip.
I hope you can come and join – I look forward to seeing your creations involving leaves. xx
Hi there. A new challenge has started at Cardz 4 Galz, and Debbie has chose the theme of ‘Stencils’. Here is my card:
managed to catch the shine
The background stencil is one from my stash – no idea where it came from – but it was big enough to create two card bases:
I mixed Salvaged Patina Distress Paint with some Altenew embossing paste and set that aside to dry once scraping it through the stencil.
The words are die cut from a piece of Distress Heavy-stock, sprayed with the new Halloween colour from Tim Holtz – and I certainly made use of that little piece of card:
The die cuts are from Concord & 9th, I even managed to cut the little hearts out of that same piece of card stock – utilising every available space on that piece….
So much shimmer and shine in those Halloween spray colours – even though I don’t ‘do’ Halloween – I love the way these colours look…….so vibrant…..
I hope you are able to come and join us with your girlie makes using stencils – I look forward to seeing your creations. xx
loopyloocards 