Month: November 2023

Christmas Cityscape

Hello everyone. Cardz 4 Galz has started a new challenge. Debbie is the host, and she has chosen the theme of ‘cityscape‘. Here is my card:

I started with the background by ink blending Distress Oxides onto a white panel. I kept the lighter blue on the centre portion, then the darker blue, then finally the black.

I then used the houses part of the stencil, beginning with the Shaded Lilac for the houses at the rear, more heavy handed for the centre row of houses, then black for the front houses. I also note that the background blue altered the lilac to some degree – but I am liking the effect.

I also used the stencil on top of the front row of houses and Simon Hurley Lunar Paste for the lights in the windows of the houses. I then set this aside to dry, before I went over the background with a glitter paste to create the snow flurry.

Once all was dry, I cut this panel down, glued onto a white card base, then added the foiled sentiment.

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

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Girlz Creative Christmas – Christmas and based on a Christmas Song – ‘Silent Night’

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

My Time To Craft Christmas – Christmas and Snowflakes

Merry Little Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Ellibelle’s Corner Eye Spy – Sparkle and Shine

Stenciled Merry Christmas

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

I started by using the layering stencil from Simon Says Stamp to create the background and let the inks dry.

I then add some gold heat embossing to the centre of the flowers, and used a gold marker pen to add some extra small and larger dots around the background.

Using Gina K Master Layouts dies, I cut the black layer, then the stencilled layer, and added to a white card base.

The foiled sentiment was added, and then some iridescent gems here and there.

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

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Avenue 613 Create – anything goes – option embossing wet or dry

Peace On Earth – anything goes Christmas

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

Stencil Fun – stencils – option of leaves taken

Crafty Gals Corner – dots and/or stripes (gold dots around the background)

Merry Little Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Christmas Greetings

The main shape is die cut from a Spellbinders die, and I even did the stitching on it too – something I have resisted wholeheartedly over the past few months. I must say, this little bit of detail stitching was easy to do, and I didn’t feel it was too much – just enough to give added detail. I used a gold glittery thread on top of the brushed gold card stock.

I then used another Spellbinders die set to create the floral element, layered them together, and then used a lighter green card stock to die cut the leaves.

The layers on the card base are as you see, with a dry embossed basket weave for the background of the main element.

The foiled sentiment was added across the middle with 3D foam.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Daisy Chain Challenge – Christmas/Winter

Unicorn Challenge – Christmas

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge – make it sparkle

Die Cut Divas – die cuts and any holidays

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

Avenue 613 Create – anything goes – option of wet or dry embossing taken

Peace On Earth – anything goes Christmas

Merry Little Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

With Sympathy…

Hello everyone. I have a card to share which we don’t really want to make and send but sometimes it is just needed:

The flower is from Honey Bee Stamps, die cut out of white card stock, then a yellow-green ink blending to the centre of the leaves, layered together with a mixture of 3D foam and wet glue to add dimension.

The leaves were die cut from dark green Concord & 9th cardstock.

I used a favourite embossing folder from Stampin’ Up with a white card panel, then used black acrylic paint to add some black splatters. This white panel was adhered to the card base, the flowers and leaves added with wet glue, then the foiled sentiment strip added with 3D foam.

I also added some dark green enamel dots – also from Concord & 9th – around the floral arrangement.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Color Throwdown – white, black, dark green, yellow-green

Avenue 613 Create – anything goes – option of embossing (wet or dry) taken

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

Ally’s Angel’s – anything goes

Beautiful Blossoms – flowers/florals

Q is for Quadruple

Hello everyone. The new challenge has started at The Alphabet Challenge. We have reached the letter ‘Q’, and Debbie has chosen the theme of:

‘Q is for Quadruple – shapes or images’

Here is my card:

Starting with a white card base, I die cut the Pinkfresh Studio deco frame, and also die cut the centre panel out of it. The frame I adhered flat with wet glue, and the inner part I dry embossed using and embossing folder from Spellbinders. The embossing folder is called ‘Splash’ but I do also think it has the appearance of leaves……this panel was also adhered flat into the frame.

The four leaves were cut using The Stamp Market products out of Concord & 9th card stock.

I found the foiled sentiment I wanted, and used a 3D foam strip, then arranged the leaves as you see – snipping off the bottom if needed.

As the foiling was gold, I also added some gold sequins. I hope you can coma=e and join us with your projects matching our ‘Quadruple‘ theme. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

CYHTP – embossing folder – option of Turkey/Thanksgiving not taken

A Perfect Time To Craft – anything goes

Ellibelle’s Corner – anything goes

Give A Crafter A Cookie – mostly white

Avenue 613 – anything goes – option of embossing – wet or dry – taken

Creative Inspiration – anything goes

Mix It Up – anything goes – option of stamping not taken

Hello Friend

The new challenge at Cardz 4 Galz is hosted by Helen, and she has chosen the theme of :

’embossing – wet or dry’

Here is my card:

I chose the option of dry embossing, using a very old Darice embossing folder of these cute little flowers. I die cut the circle first, then used the embossing folder.

The background panel is backed by a silver panel, and adhered to the card base. I then added the circle with 3D foam.

The flowers and leaves are from Spellbinders, just a little layering on the smaller yellow flowers, then added with wet glue, placing all the elements until I was happy.

I then added the silver foiled sentiment and some clear drops into the centre of the flowers, and dotted around the bottom area.

I hope you can come and join us with your dry and/or wet embossed creations. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

CYHTP – embossing folder, option of turkey/thanksgiving not taken

A Perfect Time To Craft – anything goes

The Crafty Addicts – anything goes

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

Avenue 613 Create – anything goes, option or wet or dry embossing taken

Ally’s Angels – anything goes

Glittery Joy

Hello once again. The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge has started a new challenge – anything goes Christmas/festive. Here is my card:

This ‘joy’ die set is from The Stamp Market, who were the guest company as part of the Pinkfresh Studio ‘Create and Connect‘ event. Such a gorgeous stamp, die, and stencil set. I chose to use the die for the word, and die cut out of Spellbinders gold glitter foam, layered with a couple of layers of white card stock for a little more stability.

The background is a dry embossed panel, adhered to the card base, and the word adhered onto that as you see, with a slight overlap on the bottom at each side of the middle letter.

I then used Spellbinders dies and Concord & 9th card stock for the flower, leaves, and foliage, arranged on and around the middle letter. A few gold glitter foam dots in the two diagonal corners and the middle of the poinsettia.

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

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends – anything goes

CYHTP – embossing folder – option of Turkey/Thanksgiving not taken

My Time To Craft – Christmas and Poinsettias

Daisy Chain Challenge – Christmas/Winter

Unicorn Challenge – Christmas

Die Cut Divas – die cuts – any holidays

Most Magical Time of the Year – anything goes Christmas/Halloween

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

Poinsettia Wreath

Hello everyone. I have had a couple of days catching up with some virtual crafting events, but took time to create this card using a couple of Spellbinders die sets:

The background panel was created using an embossing folder, one of the items from a recent virtual event, and adhered flat to the card base.

As I always do when creating a card with a lot of die cuts – I set to cutting them all using my little Heffy Doodle mini die cutting machine – this little baby has been my go-to for the little dies – an absolute gem for things like this.

I used Concord & 9th red card stock, for the poinsettias and little flower heads, Kraft card for the sprigs – floral and leaves – dark brown card for the circle at the base of the wreath, and the background to the sentiment, and my favourite gold card stock from Spellbinders for all the gold die cuts……..sprigs, sentiment, and flower heads.

I then put all the different elements together. Those little floral sprays – my goodness they are fiddly. I found the best way for me was to put a little dot of wet glue on the back of the sprig tops – then use my Pinkfresh picker (a ‘swag’ item from a Pinkfresh event last year) for the flower heads themselves. Essentially, creating the floral sprigs wrong way up – that seemed to work better than trying the glue to sprig heads onto the tiny flowers….

Once each item was put together, I then created a circle frame using two different sized circles, off-set it from the centre of the card and glued flat. Then I played……placing each element, moving it, fiddling with it, die-cutting more of the fern in gold, moved it around more, die cutting more poinsettias……..until I got the design I wanted.

I then used wet glue to adhere them, not completely as I like movement on my elements, added the sentiment – and done.

I seem to get into the zone when I create with the small Spellbinders dies – a routine of die cut, assemble, then arrange. I must be acquiring more patience as I’m getting older…..

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Color Throwdown – yellow gold, brown, red, Kraft

Krafty Chicks – Christmas

Creative Fingers – anything goes

Cut It Up – die cuts and layer it up

Peace On Earth – anything goes Christmas

My Time To Craft Christmas – Christmas and Poinsettias

Daisy Chain Challenge – Christmas/Winter

Cardinal Wreath

ABC Christmas Challenge has reached the letters ‘W‘ and ‘X‘, and I am hosting this time round. We want to see your Christmas/festive creations following the themes of:

W is for Wreath, and/or X is for XOXO – hugs and kisses

Here is my card:

This card was created using Spellbinders products – and what fun I had with all the die cutting and layering and gluing….

The card base had a dry embossed panel placed on top – just enough detail for interest, but not enough to confuse the matter.

All the leaves, flowers, and the bird, were die cut, layered as required, and then put to one side whilst I played with placement.

First all the different coloured ferns, then the holly, then the poinsettias, and the floral sprigs just kinda shoved in there – should I say placed delicately…….? You know what I mean…..

Then the little birdie was added perched on the bottom of the wreath.

I also added some of the red ‘berries’ around the wreath, and placed a facetted gold gem on each of those – offset slightly so you could still see the red under the gold.

I hope you can come and join me for our challenge – Christmas creations following one or both of our themes. I have added a prize for a random winner – a stamp with matching die set from Heartfelt Creations:

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Ally’s Angels – anything goes

Crafty Catz – anything goes – option to show some flowers taken

Just Us Girls – red and green and neutrals

Beautiful Blossoms – anything goes with flowers

Crafters Café – flowers

Cut It Up – die cuts and flowers

Peace On Earth – anything goes Christmas

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

Triple B – Birds and/or Butterflies and/or Blooms

Happy Birthday Wishes

Happy Little Stampers ‘anything goes birthday‘ has started the new challenge. Here is my card

I decided I wanted to go with a bright and colourful card – and I think you will agree with that this is indeed bright!

The background pink panel is dry embossed using a Spellbinders embossing folder and adhered flat to the card base.

I then used a selection of Spellbinder dies to create the rest of the elements.

The sentiment banner was created and adhered with 3D foam, and the flowers were layered and attached with wet glue, and some added bling in their centres.