Month: January 2023

Hello there…..

I had some time to play in my craft room today to create this card with some dies from Honey Bee Stamps:

I decided to use the dragonfly from Honey Bee Stamps ‘Lovely Layers: bugs‘ for the first time. The wings were created by using a pink and a mustard alcohol ink and dropped them onto a piece of vellum – let them move around a little – and die cut the wings from the reverse side – catching some pink and some of the yellow/mustard.

The body of the dragonfly is die cut from a previously created ink smooshed green panel, and the wings layered on top…….I had to check whether to glue them to the top of the bottom of the body first……for some reason my mind went blank.

I dry embossed a diagonal border onto a white panel – using the reverse of the embossing for the smaller lines – cut this panel down slightly, and adhered to the card base.

The greetings banner was created by die cutting the main banner three times, setting the sentiment part into the top one, and colouring the second layer with a pink Copic to get some pink to shine through the words.

The arch frame was die cut, then the middle of the arch is a piece of vellum which had been passed through the Xyron to enable it to stick to the base panel without having to worry about where to put dots of glue.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Color Throwdown – mustard, pink, green

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge – anything goes

Everybody Art Challenge – new

CYHTP – embossing folder – option of borders taken

Sparkles Forum – friendship

Mix It Up – anything goes – option of now stamping taken

From Me To You

The Alphabet Challenge has started a new challenge. We have reached the letter ‘V’, and Debbie has chosen the theme of ‘Vellum’. Here is my card:

I first took some vellum and applied alcohol inks, I think two or three shades of green, moved it around – generally played really – and set that aside to dry. Once dry, I die cut the leaves – snipping one and adding to the larger image – and adhered with wet glue.

The card base is created with some linen textured card, and an arch die cut added.

I added the foiled sentiment strip, and I felt the card was done. No embellishments – just a very CAS card.

I hope you can come and join us with your ‘vellum’; creations. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Here Is A Place To Start – anything goes

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge – anything goes

Sparkles Forum – friendship

Love To Craft – anything goes

Mix It Up – anything goes – option no stamping – option taken

Column Card

Claudia has chosen the next theme at Cardz 4 Galz, and she wants to see your shaped cards. Here is my card:

I created the base column card using instructions from a previous online crafty event – Maker Mania – and it was quite simple to put together.

I chose a white base card, and then used some Graphic 45 papers and ephemera to embellish. I don’t use my patterned papers enough, and I certainly don’t use ephemera very much, but I am trying different things, exploring different avenues – anything to do with paper crafting I’ll give it a go.

This also folds down to be mailed easy:

I struggle with layering and ephemera, what colours to use and where to place the items, but I’ve decided that what works for me is to lay things out and just go for it……..as long at the ‘stuff’ co-ordinates it seems to work. I can see I’ll be playing around a little more in the future.

I hope you can come and join us with your shaped cards. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

A Perfect Time To Craft – anything goes

Craft Rocket – not square

Crafts Galore – anything goes

Creative Crafters – anything goes

Papercraft Challenge – anything goes

Love To Craft – anything goes

White and Gold Christmas

A new challenge has started at The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge. The theme is always ‘anything goes Christmas’. Here is my card:

The three circle dies are from a kit through Scrapbook and Cards. I found out about these kits from another online card making course. The kits ship every two months, and combines a stamp set, die set, and a class with different people/companies. I believe the next one is with Gina K – but I haven’t received that yet – it takes a little more time to get to me here in the UK.

This die set was from LDRS Creative and I decided to make baubles.

I first created the dotty background with a Spellbinders stencil and gold paste. I left that to dry for 24 hours – just in case – and prepared the ‘baubles’.

I die cut the base circle from Spellbinders gold card stock, die cut the main decorative circle from white card stock, then layered. I used another die set for the bauble topper – adding with 3D foam.

Onto the slimline card base I added a gold base layer – I ‘gutted’ this layer to preserve some of that fabulous card stock – layered with the gold dotty panel, then added the baubles.

The sentiment was die cut from the same gold with a white shadow layer.

I decided to add some matt gold gems – kinda hard to stop when you get started.

I hope you can come and join us with your festive/Christmas makes. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Cut It Up – anything goes with a die cut

Creative Fingers – anything goes

Most Magical Time Of The Year – anything goes Christmas or Halloween

Creative Knockouts – celebrations

Merry Little Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

White on White – rabbit and heart

I have a card to share inspired by white-on-white challenges – and it was – indeed – a challenge:

I received this stitched rabbit recently, and thought I would try and use it for these themes – CAS and white-on-white.

I first die cut the shadow layer, then die cut the rabbit three times and layered them up. I thought that way I could create some dimension and ‘shadow’.

I did the same with the heart – one layer for the base and three layers for the heart itself, which I placed as though the bunny was holding it – I may have suddenly gone all romantic…….!

I added some of the die cut stitches to various places on the rabbit, one on the heart and was feeling just about finished – when I remembered I had some white gems – I used those on the eyes……

I shall be enteringthe following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge – 4 legged animals

2 Crafty Critter Crazies – anything goes with critter as main focus

Krafty Chicks – CAS

Die Cut Divas – valentines including a die cut

Beyond The Blue – white-on-white

AAA Cards – CAS white-on-white

CAS Birthday Bear

Hello. I have a CAS card to share using a Clearly Besotted stamp:

I stamped the image onto panel and coloured with Copics. I then stamped the sentiment in the same brown Gina K amalgam ink, cut the panel down to be slightly smaller than the card base, and adhered with 3D foam.

I decided the bear needed some grounding, so I added a little cool grey Copic shadowing.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

AAA Cards – CAS – bears

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge – 4 legged animals

2 Crafty Critter Crazies – anything goes with critter as main focus

Crafty Animals – anything goes with an animal

AAA Birthday – anything goes birthday

Sparkles Forum – friendship

Snowy Scene

A little more crafty time created this card:

This card took a little planning, some drying time – and patience…..

I started by ink blending a piece of card with Distress Inks – Prize Ribbon and Hickory Smoke. Once dry, I stamped the trees in Versafine Black Onyx – and waited for it to dry again. Then splattered with white acrylic paint – and waited yet again.

Whilst waiting for all the drying to happen, I die cut the houses from The Greetery from ‘Ice White’ card stock from Pink frog Crafts here in the UK, pieced all the layers together – not a major issue – then stuck some black card stock on the back of the houses to fill in the windows.

I then die cut a circle from the front of the card base, die cut a larger circle from the ink blended panel – deciding which part I wanted to show through the aperture, glued that to the back of the card front – adding a white panel on the back to cover the mess. Sorry – the creative process……

I then placed the houses as you see – the smallest one with glue, and the other two with 3D foam squares, added a foiled sentiment – and done….

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Allsorts – anything goes option winter blues

Color Throwdown – grey, navy, white

Paper Funday – anything goes, option starry night

Peace On Earth – anything goes Christmas

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

Ally’s Angels – anything goes

Sending Wishes Across The Miles

This has been a busy crafty weekend for me – a virtual class with Jenn Shurkus, and on the breaks from the class – and before it starts US time – I was able to make this card:

I took the opportunity to use some Spellbinders products – new and unused – to create this card.

I started by die cutting the elements – flowers, leaves, house, and trees, then created a scalloped circle and inner white circle using a Gina K Designs Master Layouts die set.

I then used a Spellbinders embossing folder – choosing to use the debossed side – and splattered that piece with some black acrylic paint.

I played a little with the layout – where to put the house and trees – how and where to add the floral elements – and found I liked this layout – using a mixture of 3D foam and wet glue to stick them all down.

The sentiment is a previously foiled strip.

After I had thought I had finished the card, I decided to add some white glitter card to the smoke coming out of the chimney…..

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Color Throwdown – red, green, brown

Lil Red Wagon – winter

Krafty Chicks – Christmas

Daring Cardmakers – use a crafty product not used before (Spellbinders die sets)

CYHTP – embossing folder with option of dots not taken

Merry Little Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Get Well Soon…..

The Alphabet Challenge has started their first challenge of the year. We are at the letter ‘U‘, and we want to see your ‘Under The Weather/Get well‘ creations. Here is my card:

I stamped and coloured the image from Brutus Monroe then die cut using a wonky stitched rectangle die, and matted that with a blue piece of card. I added a couple more panels to the cards base, and added the sentiment as you see.

I decided to make the boy look quite sick and poorly, colouring his skin green – which was quite fun to do actually.

I hope you can come and join us with your ‘under the weather/get well/ creations. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

A Perfect Time To Craft – anything goes

Ellibelle’s Corner – anything goes

Crafts Galore – anything goes

Avenue 613 Create – anything goes – option of winter not taken

You’re How Old……?

Hello there. Cardz 4 Galz has started a new challenge. Caz has chosen the theme of ‘Clean and Simple’. Here is my card:

I chose a Heffy Doodle image, stamped then coloured with Copics, and die cut with the matching die set.

I then die cut a circle into white panel, added a piece of previously created ink smooshed card behind the aperture, and then added the image so he was poking his head out of it.

The sentiment was stamped and cut into a strip, adding as you see.

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

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Crafty Calendar – add a sentiment

AAA Birthday – anything goes birthday

Here Is A Place To Start – anything goes

Love To Craft – anything goes