Card Making

A Really Big Thank you

Hello once again. The Alphabet Challenge has started a new challenge. We have reached the letter ‘T’, and Caz has chosen the theme of ‘Thank You’. Here is my card:

I dry embossed a white panel and adhered it to a white card base. I then die cut the elements from the November 2022 small die of the month in varying colours of card stock, and layered them all together. I did play with the colours and layers a little until I came up with a colour scheme I was happy with, and then repeated that to create two of the floral designs.

To create a little more stability in these I die cut the same base layer a couple more times in white card stock and layered them behind.

I decided which orientation I wanted for these two florals, and added a foiled sentiment across the middle.

I hope you can come and join us this time round – I look forward to seeing you in our gallery. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

Ellibelle’s corner – anything goes

Paper Funday – anything goes

TTCRD – anything goes

Creative Knockouts – anything goes

Krafty Chicks – anything goes

Shaded Blue Birthday

Hello there. I hope everyone is well and had a good Christmas. I am popping in as Cardz 4 Galz has started a new challenge. This time we want to see your projects from any of our themes from 2022. I chose ‘Shades Of Blue‘ from September, as I missed this one – away on a great holiday. Here is my card:

For the main image I used a stamp and stencil set from Honey Bee Stamps – first stamping the image, then instead of using the layering stencils, I chose to colour the images with varying blue tones of Copics.

I even attempted to fade the blue tones across the open white area in the middle – quite pleased with first attempt doing that.

I then die cut the image with some stitched rectangle dies, cut a blue panel for a very small rim, and then layered onto the card base.

The sentiment is a previously foiled strip from my stash – I feel another foiling session coming on very soon….

I hope you can come and join us – you certainly have a great choice of themes from the past year – I look forward to seeing your creations. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Dragonfly Dreams – anything but Christmas

Here Is A Place To Start – anything goes – option of happy holidays not taken

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

Ally’s Angels – anything goes

Crafters Café – anything goes

Creative Fingers – anything goes

Snow Sweet

Hi, I hope you are doing well. I have a card to share using a technique from a virtual class by Hero Arts and some Spellbinders products:

The background red panel was created during a virtual class run by Hero Arts. Jennifer McGuire dry embossed a foil plate – after inking the plate……..to say I was amazed and astounding is putting it lightly.

I inked the foil plate with red ink, and ran it through by die cutting machine to create this debossed panel with red ink in the grooves – it makes the detail stand out more. She also suggested white ink – I have a couple of those panels to hand for the future.

The vellum has white ‘snow’ on it, and I die cut with a bauble die from Hero Arts – the one that matches the foil plate – and attached it with a small 3D foam square through the bauble ‘hole’ at the top – so it swings just a little.

I put the snowman together by die cutting two circles which had double sided tape on them, placing them behind the snowman body and head, paper-piecing all the little light blue shapes into the belly, and paper-piecing the little black dots for the eyes and mouth. The carrot nose is a separate die which I die cut from a little piece of card I coloured with an orange Copic marker.

The hat has a little cut to insert the snowman head – very well thought out – and then I added the scarf, and actually added an extra scarf piece around the base of the hat.

Once the snowman was adhered to the vellum, I thought some more detail was needed, so I took some white glitter card stock – a new white shimmery card from Pink frog Crafts here in the UK – and used a BG Copic to colour the glitter card – then die cut some snowflakes, adhering them as you see.

The sentiment is from the same snowman die set from Spellbinders – a black banner in the back, the light blue in the front with the words die cut out of it.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

52CCT – snowflakes

Fab’n’Funky – Christmas

A Perfect Time To Craft – anything goes

Cut It Up – Christmas – include die cuts

TTCRD – anything goes

Dream Valley – Christmas

Crafty Gals Corner – Tis The Season

Sending Snowflake Kisses

Hello there. I have been playing with different media over the weekend, and trying some new techniques. One of those I want to share on a card:

This card took quite a bit of thinking about – and a few changes along the way.

I started by die cutting the Hero Arts snowflakes ornament die out of silver glitter card stock, cutting off the ornament topper to create a circle. I then die cut a silver circle frame using a couple of different sized circle dies, and layered on top.

The blue background to the circle, which was previously created using Brushos, again die cut with a circle die and adhered to the back of the snowflakes.

For the background panel, I tried the ink pad to embossing folder technique – on both sides – debossed and embossed, to see what happened. I tried this several times, with different blue Distress inks, and liked this debossed panel the best. I adhered that to the white card base using 3D foam, then stuck down the snowflakes circle.

I wanted a little more bling, so I added some separate snowflakes die cut in the same silver glitter card, from a Pinkfresh Studio set, snipping and placing as you see – of course – this would have been easier had I done this prior to adhering the circle – but there we are……

I added the foiled sentiment – and then decided to add more shine by adding a little silver gem to each of the little snowflakes in the circle…….who knew there were many of them in there?

I shall be entering the following challenges:

CYHTP – embossing folder – option Christmas

We Love 2 Create – anything goes mixed media

Beyond The Blue – snowflakes

Peace On Earth Christmas – anything goes Christmas

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

Golden Congrats…..

A little more crafty playing yesterday to create this card:

I began by picking the colours out for the current Color Throwdown Challenge and then browsing the ‘Color My Life’ app for ideas. I had no idea where I wanted to go with these colours.

I decided to use these new-to-me dies from Honey Bee Stamps to create a couple of bells, which I die cut and created first. I then decided I wanted a dry embossed background, so turned to one of my favourite embossing folders from Stampin Up.

I wanted a gold layer beneath the embossed layer, so after cutting the panel, I die cut the sentiment – from Lawn Fawn – out of the middle, then layered the two panels together, adding to the card base with 3D foam.

I played with the placement of the bells, but thought a little more dimension was needed, so I used two ovals from a Gina K Designs Master Layouts set, and stuck everything down as you see.

The sentiment was added, but only after I had layered the gold with a couple of white die cuts.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Color Throwdown – gold, pink, ice blue

CYHTP – embossing folder, option of Christmas not taken

Inkspirational – prompt word – gold

Dragonfly Dreams – anything but Christmas

Crafters Café – anything goes

Joy And Wonder

The Alphabet Challenge has started a new challenge. Having reached the letter ‘S‘, we want to see you ‘Snow’ themed creations. Here is my card:

I used a background panel from Pinkfresh Studio to create a white on white detailed layer on the card base. I cut a thin gold glitter strip for one edge.

The snowflakes are from Pinkfresh Studio also – cut from a red mirror card and a red glitter card and layered.

The sentiment is gold heat embossed onto vellum, and die cut using the matching die, with three gold gems added for accents.

I’m looking forward to seeing your ‘snow’ themed creations. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge – ice cold

Lil Red Wagon – use transparency or vellum

Cupcake Inspirations – happy holidays

Inkspirational – prompt word – gold

Craft Friends – traditional Christmas colours

As You Like It – anything goes Christmas

Use Your Stuff – anything goes Christmas

Cardz 4 Galz – Fun In The Snow

Hello there. Cardz 4 Galz has started another challenge. Caz has chosen the theme of ‘Fun In The Snow’ Here is my card:

I stamped the image onto some Neenah card stock in amalgam ink from Gina K design, then coloured with Copics. I feel these two characters are having a fun get-together and chat in the snow – my take on the theme.

I then used a stitched rectangle to cut the panel, layered with black, then adhered onto a white card base.

The sentiment is a previously foiled strip – I’m beginning to run out of those and I feel a foiling session coming on soon…….

I hope you can come and join us with this challenge – I look forward to seeing you in our gallery. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Cupcake Inspirations – happy holidays

Tuesday Taggers – Santa

Crafting Happiness – Christmas

2 Sisters on the Blog – Christmas and Holly

TTCRD – anything goes

Dream Valley Challenge – Christmas

ABC Christmas Challenge – Y and Z

Hello yet again. ABC Christmas Challenge has reached the end of the alphabet for this year. With the letters being ‘Y’ and ‘Z’ – Wendy is hosting and the themes are ‘Y is for Youngsters (for or featuring a child and/or ‘Z’ is for Zoom (mode of transport). Here is my card:

I stamped the image from Newton’s Nook onto Distress water-colour card, and used the Distress water-colour pencils to colour it in.

The best way for me to use them, is to take a wet brush and touch that to the pencil nib, then move the colour around each part of the image. Once this was dry, I used the matching die set to cut it out, and set it aside to create the card base.

I took a white panel, die cut a Hero Arts bauble shape then dry embossed that panel with a Simon Says Stamp embossing folder.

I created some hills with white card stock, and found a previously created blue ink smooshed panel. I fiddled with the placement of the panel, the hills, and the bauble until I was happy, then adhered this to a card base.

I added the van at a jaunty angle, then also added some dots of glue to the blue sky, parts of the presents and the tree on the van, and along the edge of each hill.

The sentiment is a previously foiled strip.

I hope you can come and join us with your Christmas makes – following our themes – and I look forward to seeing you in our gallery. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Beyond The Blue – winter holidays

Allsorts Challenge – anything goes with option let it snow

Cupcake Inspirations – happy holidays

As You Like It – anything goes Christmas

Use Your Stuff – anything goes Christmas

Merry Christ-mouse

Hello once again. The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge has started it’s last challenge for the year. As always, it is ;anything goes Christmas’. Here is my card:

I used quite a few Spellbinders die sets for this card – loving the die cutting and assembling of all the elements. I must have been in a finnicky mood that day…..

I first took the white card base and added some black splatters, and whilst this was drying I turned to the post box, envelope and mouse, cut out the elements, and assembled them.

Once I had put the post box on the card base, added the mouse to the front, I slotted the envelopes in as you see, then decided that there was something missing – so I die cut those hearts and arranged them around and about.

The sentiments are from a previous foiling session.

I hope you can come and join us for the last challenge of this year – we will certainly back in the New Year – creating Christmas cards for our stash. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Mix It Up Challenge – atg – option to use a technique (splattering, foiling)

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

2 Critter Crazies – animals as focus

Here Is A Place To Start – anything goes with option happy holidays

Ally’s Angels – anything goes

Joyeux Noel

Hello – I have a card to share using the Honey Bee Stamps cardinal die set again:

I first put together the cardinal using reds and blacks – and a little white gel pen for the eye. I then put him to one side whilst I stenciled the mistletoe arches, using the three layers for the leave and the red berries, and used the matching die to cut it out.

I white dry embossed a panel for the background, adhered the arches, and added the cardinal.

I thought I would die cut the feet again and prop him onto the sentiment strip – almost like he is perching there.

I added the red gems to each of the berries – you know when you start something and then realise just exactly how many of those berries there are? Well – it took me a little while – but I like the effect. I also added a couple of larger gems to the sentiment strip because- well – why not?