Month: March 2023

Flowers and Frame

Hello. I have a card to share using a few of the products as part of the kit for the recent Crop and Create Virtual event:

I dry embossed a grey panel with a Spellbinders embossing folder and attached to a card base.

The white pierced frame is also from Spellbinders – part of the event kit – and I used one of the three layers this die cuts out. This was attached with glue to the grey panel.

The layered flowers were die cut out of yellow, the leaves out of green, and I also ink blended a little Distress Ink in Bundled Sage onto the leaves – though it’s difficult to tell from the photos.

The floral die set comes with a flourish stem, but I cut that up to create some smaller leafy areas. The flowers were added with a small piece of 3D foam, the leaves were adhered using glue.

The centre of the flowers are sequins, and I also added three more just under each flower.

I don’t have a sentiment picked out just yet, this could be a ‘just because’ card, and I didn’t want to cover any more of the embossing detail.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends – anything goes

Fab’n’Funky – lots of layers

Color Throwdown – yellow, sage green, grey, white

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge – anything goes

Beautiful Blossoms – floral as main focus

Thinking of you

Hello there. I created this card using the colour scheme from the Color Throwdown Challenge:

I stamped the Pinkfresh Studio image, dried the ink a little, then used the matching layering stencils. I used several blue inks, a couple of brown inks, and Rusty Hinge for the rust colour.

Once coloured, I used the matching die set and adhered it with 3D foam to a background panel which was dry embossed using a Spellbinders embossing folder.

I stamped the sentiment, die cut that with a label die, then searched my stash for some gems or sequins which would match the colours.

I shall be entering the following nchallenges:

Color Throwdown – blue, brown, rust

Allsorts – anything goes – option of rain not taken

Stencil fun – anything goes with a stencil – option of CAS not taken

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

CYHTP – embossing folder – option of Easter not taken

Creative Fingers – anything goes

The Alphabet Challenge – ‘Z for Zodiac’ – Best Fishes

Hello once again. We have reached the letter ‘Z’ on The Alphabet Challenge. I am hosting this time round, and the theme is ‘anything related to the Zodiac’ There are lots of options for this challenge – any of the animals, girl/woman, weighing scales, water, air etc. Here is my card:

This layering set of dies if from Hero Arts, one of the Looking Glass’ die sets. I struggle with these, despite watching YouTube videos time and again – it just doesn’t stick in my head – but it doesn’t stop me buying and using them……I just go with what works for me.

All of the layers were die cut from white card stock, then each layer coloured with tones of blue or teal. The fishes were coloured with orange Copics.

The background is a Hero Arts stamp, a blue ink onto a light blue piece of card stock.

I hope you can come and join us – I’m looking forward to seeing all the variations on this theme. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Crafty Animals – anything goes with an animal

Creative Knockouts – add a sentiment

Crafts Galore – anything goes

Avenue 613 – anything goes – option CAS

Ally’s Angels – anything goes

Cardz 4 Galz – Spring Flowers

Hello there. I am hosting the new challenge at Cardz 4 Galz. I chose the theme of ‘Spring Flowers’. Here is my card:

The background panel was created using an embossing folder from Spellbinders, and cut down to fit.

The light blue frame is from Pinkfresh Studio, and the bluebells layering dies are from The Greetery.

I played around with different blue card stock until I was happy with the colour, and added some subtle ink blended blue to some of the bases.

The sentiment is a previous foiling session, and some silver drops added for more interest.

I actually lost the layering instructions for the bluebells, and despite an intensive YouTube search – I couldn’t figure them out. I reached out to The Greetery, provided them with a copy of my invoice from when I bought them, and they immediately sent me a download of the instructions – fabulous customer service…..

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

I shall be entering the following challenges:

The Four Seasons Challenge – anything goes Spring

Die Cut Divas – anything goes with die cuts

Triple B – birds, butterflies, blooms – any or all three

2 Sisters On The Blog – Spring or Easter

Beautiful Blossoms – floral/flowers as main focus

‘Tis The Season…..

The new Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge has now gone live, and the theme is always ‘anything goes Christmas/Festive‘. Here is my card:

I had quite a bit of messy fun creating this card – ink smooshing, die cutting, ink blending – and I like the outcome.

The background panel is a piece of ink smooshed card stock, with pink and blue Distress Inks, and when that was dry I used a Pinkfresh Studio background die.

I adhered that whole panel to the card base, then turned to the die cutting…….

The two critters are from Tim Holtz, and each piece die cut pout of an ink blended or smooshed panel. If I didn’t have the colour I wanted, I created one.

Before adding each layer, I did some more ink blending on them to make them different. All the brown pieces are from the same panel, but I ink blended a darker brown on them to create different shades – the antlers for instance.

The sentiment is also from Tim Holtz, stamped onto the same brown smooshed panel, cut out, then ink blending.

I adhered all of them with 3D foam.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Jingle Belles – Christmas and card stock – no patterned paper

Creative Fingers – anything goes

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

Crafty Animals – anything goes with an animal

My Time To Craft Christmas – Christmas and something beginning with ‘R’ (red, reindeer)

Merry Little Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Flying By To Say Hello….

I had a play with new – and some not so new – items and created this card:

The hummingbird die is part of a Spellbinders/Bibi Cameron class last weekend. We created a total of three cards with the hummingbird die set, which also comes with some large lilies. I understand these die and their add-ons will be released next month. In the meantime, I have been playing….

I changed my mind several times with this card. I first die cut the hummingbird and all the layers with some lime green and yellow card stock – to match the colours of a current challenge – but decided the image was too flat, despite the layers.

I decided to create my own yellow and lime green card by ink smooshing Twisted Citron and Squeezed Lemonade Distress Inks, and then using those two panels to die cut the bird layers. The only decision to be made was which colour for which layer – but I like how this turned out.

The background panel was created using a piece of light blue card stock, a a Sizzix 3D embossing folder. I thought the blue was too even, so I then took the Hero Arts Unicorn White pigment ink and gently – so very gently – swiped it across the piece of card. The white highlighted the most raised areas of the embossing, and I was much happier with this look.

I cut down that panel to be slightly smaller than an A2 card base, adhered it with 3D foam, and then attached the bird – also with 3D foam.

The sentiment is from the add-on sentiment stamp set from the same release.

I also added some light blue iridescent sequins – three slightly underneath the wings of the bird, and three below the sentiment.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge – emboss it

Color Throwdown – pale blue, yellow, lime

2 Crafty Critter Crazies – anything goes with an animal as main focus

Crafty Animals – anything goes with an animal

Triple B challenge – birds, blooms, butterflies – any or all

Yummy…..!

There is a new challenge at The Alphabet Challenge. Having reached the letter ‘Y’, Billie A has chosen the theme of ‘Yummy’. Here is my card:

I ink blended the base panel using the Concord & 9th ‘Popsicle Party’ stencil set onto a white panel, then adhered that to the card base.

The biggest popsicle is from the ‘Sweet Summer’ stencil and die set, ink blended, tone-on-tone stamping for the berry details, then die cut, adding the popsicle stick behind. The large sentiment added once the ink was dry.

It would seem fitting that this post went live whilst we here in the UK are having some snow issues. We don’t have snow for very long, but it does seem to create havoc when we do get it. I took this picture whilst in front of a roaring log fire – the best way to view snow in my opinion:

I think it’s going to be a while before the hammock and swing chair are used again…….!

Excuse the window reflection – I wasn’t going to venture outside…. 🙂

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

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

Crafting Happiness – lots of green

Avenue 613 – anything goes, option of CAS not taken

Here Is A Place To Start – anything goes

Stencil Fun – anything goes with a stencil, option of CAS not taken

Cardz 4 Galz – use vellum

Hello once again. The new challenge at Cardz 4 Galz has gone live, and Billie A has chosen the theme of #Vellum’. Use vellum on your girlie creations. Here is my card:

A took a piece of vellum slightly smaller than an A2 card base, and put it through a Spellbinder embossing folder. I then ran that through my Xyron machine, and attached it to the white card base.

I die cut the Gina K Designs feathers from a yellow ink smooshed and splattered card panel, ran them through the Xyron machine too – and stuck them down as you see. I then took some gold and black metallic paint and splattered.

Whilst that was drying, I die cut the word ‘enjoy’ three times, and stuck the layers together. I then stamped the two extra words, and cut them at a jaunty angle.

The larger word was adhered directly onto the dry vellum panel, with the two smaller words adhered with 3D foam.

I hope you can come and join us with your creations using vellum – there are so many ways to use this product. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

A Perfect Time To Craft – anything goes

Die Cut Divas – anything goes with a die cut

Give A Crafter A Cookie – yellow as main colour

Love To Craft – anything goes

Mix It Up – anything goes – option distressing

ABC Christmas Challenge – E, F, G

Hello. The new challenge has started at ABC Christmas Challenge. Whilst this is a Christmas creation challenge – we do have themes for the letters. This time the challenge is hosted by Carol, and the themes are:

E is for Elves, F is for Food, G is for Gold

Here is my card for the ‘E is for Elves’ prompt:

The image is from Simon Says Stamp, which I stamped, coloured with Copics to match the patterned paper I was going to use, then die cut with the matching die. I added some white gel pen for interest. The sentiment was stamped and white heat embossed on black card.

The background patterned paper, which had some glitter detail, was adhered to the card base with just a little border, I added a red and white layered oval, then attached the elf image, then added the two sentiments – all with 3D foam.

I hope you can come and join us with your Christmas/Festive makes following our themes – I look forward to seeing your creations.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Peace On Earth Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Arty Divas – anything goes

Avenue 613 Create – anything goes = option CAS – option not taken

Ellibelle’s Corner – anything goes

Merry Little Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Snowman Snowflake Kisses

Hello everyone. The new Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge has gone live. As always, the theme is ‘anything goes Christmas/Festive‘. Here is my card:

I saw this snowman die when I visited my local Crafters Companion store, it was on sale – many Christmas products are currently – and decided I had to have it – it’s not as though I have many snowman images or dies – but this one looked too cute to resist.

The snowman is a layering die, so onto the white body, I adhered the gold scarf, and die cut some of the black Spellbinders glitter foam for the hat, gloves, and walking cane – and then used red glitter foam for the nose……..why not a red nose? Maybe he is a Rudolph snowman…..

There is a stamp for the facial features, which I used, but also went in there with a black liner pen.

The die set also comes with a tall lamp post, but I didn’t really want to create a scene this time round – just the jolly snowman.

The bakcground panel is from Pinkfresh Studios, with some silver glitter card behind it, and the sentiment is a previously foiled strip.