Month: August 2022

A Robin Merry Christmas

The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge has started a new challenge, a little later than usual, and only lasting for one week. The theme is always ‘anything goes Christmas’. Here is my card:

The images from Poppy Stamps were coloured with Copics and die cut with their matching dies. I added some Lawn Fawn chunky glitter to the hats and the stocking, and whilst that was drying I made the background panel.

I dry embossed a previously ink smooshed and splattered background, and splattered with Lawn Fawn ‘Liquid Stardust’ for some shimmer and shine. That dries quite quickly so I put together the card as you see. I also added some silver gems – more than was warranted – but why not?

The sentiment was stamped, cut apart, and added haphazardly for some added fun.

I hope you can come and join us, we have some new members of the Design Team and it would be great if you could pop along and visit their creations. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Krafty Chicks Challenge – occasions

Peace On Earth Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Time Out Challenge – inspired by the word ‘Festive’

We Love To Create – anything goes mixed media

Here For You – Rain Or Shine

The Alphabet Challenge has reached the letter ‘K’ and Meg has chosen the theme of ‘Kraft‘. Use Kraft card on your creations. Here is my card:

I dry embossed a piece of Kraft card, then swiped the Hero Arts Unicorn ink pad over it to highlight the raised areas, and splattered with white and black acrylic ink.

I just had to chose the image from The Colorado Craft Company (Anita Jerum) as I am definitely a cat person. Currently having four cats of varying ages. I stamped in brown amalgam ink – no colouring, just stamped, and the sentiment stamped below, then all die cut with a stitched oval.

I hope you can come and join us with your creations using Kraft. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

MAWTT – anything goes

As You Like It – favourite domestic animal and why

Ellibelle’s corner – anything goes

Allsorts – anything goes – option of roses not taken

Avenue 613 – anything goes

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends – anything goes

Hi, Hello, and Hugs

The new challenge at Cardz 4 Galz asks for ‘3 of something‘. Claudia is the host this time round. Here is my card:

Onto a white card base I adhered an ink smooshed and splattered panel. The splattering was with white acrylic and Lawn Fawn ‘Liquid Stardust‘.

The three circles, and three sentiments were layered as you see, and some black faceted gems and small silver gems added for even more shine and bling.

I hope you can come and join us with your ‘3 of something; creations. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge – mixed media

Beyond The Blue – mixed up sentiments

Avenue 613 – anything goes

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

Ally’s Angels – anything goes

Hi – different ways

Hello there. I have been playing in my craft room and trying out a new background technique – it may be known to some of you, but to me it was new – amazing – fabulous – and I just had to give it a go.

I saw something on Facebook (Honey Bee Stamps) where you used alcohol inks and water – and dipped a piece of card into it! Really? Alcohol inks and water and normal everyday card! I was so gob-smacked, I messaged my sister in Canada to have a look – of course she had seen the same video and the original video by Carly T Miner. My sister linked me to the Instagram video – my goodness – I immediately hunted for a container to play.

After creating about 20 backgrounds I stopped – only because I ran out of drying space…….

Here are two cards created with two of the backgrounds:

*blue, green, pink, purple alcohol inks – paper piecing*

*pink, black, alcohol pearl – replaced white pieces*

On the last few pieces of card I added the alcohol pearls – they kinda bunched a little, but created some fabulous effects on the background. I also used black alcohol ink – and I love the colours and variation in marbling it gave.

I can see I’ll be creating more of these – some to die cut too, as well as backgrounds.

You can also see I’m playing with the new die from Concord & 9th – this is the card I came up with first, using the colours form the current Color Throwdown Challenge, and a die cut background using a die from Pinkfresh Studio:

So – several cards for several challenges – all because I needed to escape the heat and my craft room has aircon!

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Color Throwdown – purple, red, green

Allsorts Challenge – atg with option to create your own background (option taken)

Time Out Challenge – make your own background

Creative Artiste Mixed Media – anything goes mixed media

Here Is A Place To Start – anything goes – option by the book not taken

2 Sisters on the Blog – text as main focus

Happy Winter Birthday

Cardz 4 Galz has started a new challenge. The theme is ‘check it out’ chosen by Helen. We want to see your creations which include gingham or plaid. Here is my card:

Onto a white card base I adhered some MFT plaid patterned paper in brighter colours.

The image is from Time For Tea Designs, stamped with a brown Gina K amalgam ink, and coloured with Copics, trying to match the colours in the plaid background.

I used the matching die, which cut out the centre of the wreath, but I placed that back inside once I had stamped the sentiment – from the same stamp set.

I’m looking forward to seeing your girly creations using plaid/gingham. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

INTAAS – happiness

Love To Craft – anything goes

Colour Crazy Challenge – week 31 – anything goes with colouring

Craft Rocket – flowers

AAA Birthday – birthday atg

Crafty Hazelnuts Patterned Paper Challenge – anything goes with patterned paper

ABC Christmas Challenge – P, Q, R

Hello again. The ABC Christmas Challenge has reached P, Q, and R – the themes for those letters are P – for Pink, Q for Quarters, R for Reindeer. This time round I created a card for all three letters:

Using some ephemera and patterned paper from Tim Holtz, some matting and layering, some Distress Ink blending around the edges.

More Tim Holtz ephemera and patterned paper, some Distress Ink around the edges of the frame.

Not Tim Holtz for this card! Hero Arts sentiment die cut from an ink smooshed background, layered with white. A patterned paper background, some pink ink blending, and then some pink sequins.

I hope you can come join our themed Christmas challenge this time round – I look forward to seeing your creations in our gallery. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

P if for Pink:

Love To Craft – anything goes

Sparkles Forum Christmas Challenge – Christmas and sentiment as main focus

Q is for Quarters:

Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Mix It Up Challenge – anything goes – option CAS not taken

Moving Along With The Times – anything goes

Crafty Hazelnuts Patterned Paper Challenge – anything goes with patterned paper

Christmas Kickstart – Christmas and never in a nativity

R is for Reindeer:

TTCRD – anything goes

Cards Galore – anything goes

Winter Wonderland Challenge – Christmas and reindeer

Merry Cardinal Christmas

Hello. The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge has started a new ‘anything goes Christmas’ challenge. Here is my card:

This cute little bird is from the new Spellbinders release, of which I must admit I bought quite a lot of the products. There will be more cards coming with those products in the near future.

Onto white card base I layered a red panel, then the white dry embossed panel.

I die cut the scallop oval, matted with a plain white piece, and then set-to putting the little birdie together.

I decided on what colours I wanted to go where on the birdie – and stuck down a piece of white on the back behind the eye and neck, placed him onto the oval and stuck down the 3D foam tape.

I stamped the sentiment onto white, and layered that small panel with the matching red card to enable it to standout a little more from the background.

I hope you can come and join us – thereby creating your stash for later in the year. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge – emboss it

Christmas With The Cuties – cute Christmas

Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Merry Little Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Crafty Animals Challenge – anything goes with an animal

Addicted To Stamps and More – die cuts and/or stencils

Monster Hugs

Hello there. I’ve had fun playing with this monster die set from Elizabeth Craft Designs – and getting inky and messy:

I first created a piece of card sprayed with a Tim Holtz green mica spray, layered several times and splattered with water. Once dry, I die cut the monster body.

The monster legs were die cut from a piece of card I had made previously – I think created with black soot, splattered with water and white acrylic paint, and a varnish added to create some shine.

The arms were die cut from a Distress Ink green background panel from a previous messy crafting session.

The eyes, flower and horns from the same panels used on the rest of the monster – but of course bright white teeth!

The background is a piece of patterned paper, dry embossed with a swirly embossing folder, and then Hero Arts white pigment ink swiped across the catch and highlight the raised areas.

The sentiment is from Elizabeth Craft Designs also – and placed as though the little monster is balancing on one leg on top of it.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Color Throwdown – black, brown, green, white

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge – emboss it

We Love 2 Create – anything goes mixed media

Moving Along With The Times – anything goes

Crafts Galore – anything goes

Crafty Hazelnuts Patterned Paper Challenge – anything goes with patterned paper

Addicted To Stamps and More – die cuts and/or stencils

Happy Little Stampers – atg Birthday

Hello there. Happy Little Stampers CAS Challenge has now changed to an ‘anything goes birthday’ challenge – and it doesn’t have to be CAS at all. I hope you are able to come and join us with your birthday themed creations, and fill our gallery with your birthday makes.

Here is my card:

The stamp used is a turnabout stamp from Concord & 9th, received as part of their recent virtual event. I used different coloured inks for each ‘turn’ to create the background.

This panel was matted onto black card stock – I knew I wanted to stamp the sentiment in black – and adhered to a white card base.

The sentiment strip was die cut and I then ‘bent’ the sentiment to match the line of the die cut, which actually wasn’t as difficult as I thought it was going to be. I then added some pink sequins – three tones of pink – for some added glitz.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Stamping Sensations – stamping and summer flowers

Creative Knockouts – anything goes

Krafty Chicks – occasions

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge – Happy Birthday

AAA Birthday – anything goes birthday