W is for Weddings

Hello. The Alphabet Challenge has started a new challenge. We have reached the letter ‘W’ and Dawn has chosen the theme of ‘Weddings‘. Here is my card:

I wanted to go with a white-on-white card, and it has turned out to be another shaker card, using some older Sue Wilson/Creative Expressions dies. I found this heart shaker cup and made the card and layers around that/

A white square card base, with a couple of layers die cut using a shimmery white card stock.

I used a couple of heart shaped dies – they were brought out at the same time as the heart shaped cups – to create the back and the surround for the heart – filling it with white, glittery and pearl gems and heart shaped die cuts.

The glittery hearts were die cut from Spellbinders silver glitter foam, and I already had the gems in my stash.

I hope you can come and join us with your ‘wedding’ themedprojects. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Shopping Our Stashwinter landscapes or white on white

Love To Craft anything goes

Ellibelle’s Corner I Spy hearts and/or roses

Try It On Tuesdayhearts and/or flowers

Creative Inspiration Challenge anything goes

A Perfect Time To Craftanything goes

MAWTT love hearts

Crafty Calendar add a heart

Shaker Hello

Cardz 4 Galz has started a new challenge, and Dawn has chosen the theme of ‘sequins’. I went with a shaker card:

For the shaker window, I used the largest nesting die from a set from the Spellbinders 2023 Advent Calendar, Once that was die cut, I dry embossed the panel using a Spellbinders embossing folder.

The acetate was adhered to the back of this panel, 3D foam strips applied all over, added some sequins from my stash, then adhered to the card base.

The ‘hello’ sentiment is also from that Advent calendar, and the florals and foliage are from some other Spellbinders die sets, and using a mix of Concord & 9th and Spellbinders card stock.

I hope you can come and join us with your creations using sequins – the Design Team has come up with a wide range of inspiration for using them. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Ally’s Angels anything goes

Allsortsanything goes – Bingo board option not taken

Beautiful Blossomsflowers

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friendsanything goes

Creative Inspiration Challenge anything goes

A Perfect Time To Craftanything goes


Cherish The Season

Hello everyone. The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge has started a new challenge – the theme is anything goes Christmas. Here is my card:

I used a stamp set from Tim Holtz and picked this cute little reindeer and wreath. The image was stamped in black onto water colour card stock, then heat embossed in clear.

I then took out my Zig markers for a change and coloured the image, then used the matching die set to cut him out.

I decided to take this card a little more simply, but just adding a hot foiled panel behind him, and then a hot foiled sentiment. He certainly needs to take centre stage.

I hope you can come and join us, and I look forward to seeing you in our gallery. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Krafty Chicks use stamps

Merry Little Christmas Challenge anything goes Christmas

Mix It Up Challengeanything goes mixed media – use more than one medium (ink, embossing powder, water colour, foil)

Peace On Earth ChallengeChristmas

Crafty Animalsanything goes with an animal

2 Crafty Critter Craziesanything goes with a critter

A Perfect Time To Craftanything goes

Thinking Of You….

After my crafty funk last week, I seem to be on a roll. Here is a card I created for a few challenges:

I used the ‘Lovestruck Colorize‘ dies from Tim Holtz/Sizzix for this. The red and pink card stock is from Concord & 9th – three different tones of each. I did have to watch the Sizzix YouTube video to ensure I got the layers correct though…

Once the two hearts were layered and glued together, I dry embossed a white panel using a Spellbinders embossing folder – also with hearts – and arranged the red and pink hearts in a jaunty manner with 3D foam.

The foiled sentiment was added, and then some little sparkly sequins.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Simon says Stamp Wednesday Challengeanything goes

CYHTP embossing folder – option of birthday not taken

Crafting Happiness red and pink

Colour Hues red and pink

Ellibelle’s Corner – I Spy hearts and/or roses

MAWTTlove hearts

Crafty Calendar add a heart

For You…..

Hello there. I have had a little of a crafty funk this week, finding it difficult to create anything. I decided to sort out some of my craft room, add some new products to the CML app so I can keep track of them – which led me to find the wax seal kit my sister bought for me for Christmas 2022……that’s right, Christmas 2022 – and I have never played with it.
I decided the time was right, so I had a play – and it is very addictive I must say. I think I created at least 15 wax seals, and I used a couple on this card:

I created some wax seals, then remembered a Yana Smakula video where she added the seals to some die cuts, so this is the result of my experiment with that technique.

I die cut some bluebells and other foliage from a couple of The Greetery die sets, and created the blooms, then placed them on the mat ready for the seal, added the wax, then the seal – and waited.

Once the wax had cooled, I removed the seal, and though the seal had trapped the die cuts quite well, you could see the stems through the seal. I was considering just adding more wax and sealing again, but instead I added another seal on top.

I knew I had the wax seal ribbon die so I hunted that out, die cut that in green, and added to the rear of the wax seal and flowers. The woodgrain card stock is from Lawn Fawn which I’ve had for ages, so that was used for the panel which the ribbon die could wrap around, then added to the white card base.

I find I am always a little late to try new ways of adding to my card making, but – like the hot foiling – this wax seal technique is going to be one of my favourites I think.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Color Throwdowngreen, Kraft, blue

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challengeanything goes

Ally’s Angels anything goes

Allsortsanything goes – option of the Bingo board not taken

Beautiful Blossomsflowers

Love To Craft anything goes

Hello Friend….

Hello there. I seem to be on a roll using products I have previously bought, but never used. I think I’m a collector – buy things ‘just in case’. I do eventually use them, but it might take me a while…….

Here is a card using a layering stencil from Pinkfresh Studio I have had for a little while:

I took the opportunity to use this set of stencils with the current colours for the Color Throwdown Challenge.

I had a piece of Vicki Boutin Foundation Paper I had taken out of the pad ready for a Distress Spray class yesterday, but never used, so I thought I would have a go and see how this card stock works with ink blending.

I used all the layers of the stencil, but I did use different tones of each colour on the same stencil. I would never have thought of doing that until I attended some Taylored Expressions and Pinkfresh Studio virtual events. Now I wonder why on earth I would think you have to use just the one colour on each layer is beyond me – but there you go…..we live and learn.

I used Pinkfresh inks as I have several colour families, and just inked it up. I am a little heavy handed when it comes to ink blending, so I made sure to dry each layer before moving on to the next stencil – another lesson learned…..

Once the panel was created, I used an older Mama Elephant slimline die to cut it out with a scallop and stitched edge, then adhered it to a Neenah card base.

The sentiment was chosen as it wouldn’t cover too much of the design, and I didn’t even add gems or sequins – that design really does stand for itself.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

MAWTTuse a new craft item

Avenue 613anything goes – option new beginnings not taken

Color Throwdown red, navy, pink

Just Us Girlsstencils

Lil Red Wagon never before used Schtuff

Stencil Funstencil – option of birds/birdhouses/bird feeders taken (two little birds on the bottom of the stencil)

V is for Vogue

Hello there. The Alphabet Challenge has reached the letter ‘V’, and Veronika has chosen the theme of

‘V is for Vogue – inspired by fashion’

Here is my card:

I had such fun creating this pop-up card – so many little elements to use and apply. So much die cutting……

The die sets for this card came from Concord & 9th. I already had the pop-up shoppe and the Christmas elements from a virtual event they ran a couple of years ago, and when I saw this landscape pop-up die set – and the fashion and clothing elements I just had to have it. We all need options for orientation of cards, I think.

The most work came from deciding which colour of card stock to use for which elements. I wanted to use the Spellbinders sage card stock for the shop canopy, and gold card stock for the details, and basically went from there.

I managed to find a subtle background paper for the inside of the shop, then placed all the elements where I thought they would look the best.

I even added a little potted plant you could see through the door.

I hope you can come and join us with your ‘Vogue/Fashion’ inspired creations. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Crafts Galore anything goes

Die Cut divasdie cuts and never before used stuff

MAWTTuse a new craft item

Avenue 613 Createanything goes

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friendsanything goes

Ally’s Angels anything goes

Roses Galore

Hello there. Cardz 4 Galz has started a new challenge. Sue J has chosen the theme of ‘red and/or pinks‘. Here is my card:

I decided to give my new purchase of the Waffle Flower ‘Postage Collage Rose‘ stencils. I have had them for a couple of months, but not used them yet, and I must say I really like how these images come together using the layering stencils.

Onto a white panel I used Pinkfresh Studio inks to create each layer. Several tones of pinks and green to create some difference between the images. Once ink blended, I then used the ‘Postage Collage’ die, which creates such a unique layout with the stitching and the holes.

The stamp set was then used for the black postage elements.

I thought the pink card base – using Concord & 9th card stock – highlighted the images and colours better than a white card base would.

I can see that I will have to play more with this stencil and die set – so many options.

I hope you can come and join us with your pink and/or red creations. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Inkspirationalmore than one stencil

MAWTTuse a new craft item

Avenue 613 Create anything goes – option of nee beginnings not taken

Triple Bbirds and/or butterflies and/or blooms

Ellibelle’s Corner anything goes

Fab’n’Funky stamp it – include some stamping

Stencil Fun stencil – option birds/bird feeders/bird houses not taken

Beautiful Blossoms flowers

Ellibelle’s Corner – I Spy – Hearts and Roses

Stenciled Trees

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

These trees were one of the products from the Simon Says Stamp Wonder Box – a 12 days of advent crafter calendar.

I began by stencilling the trees in Pinkfresh Studio inks – there are four stencils to this set. Three of the stencils are for the trees, then the fourth is for the snow – which I used with embossing ink and silver embossing powder.

Once that had cooled down, I used a wonky stitched square die to cut it out.

The background panel was die cut using the same wonky stitched square die to ensure the aperture was the same size, then dry embossed using a Simon Says Stamp embossing folder.

This snowflake panel was adhered to a card base the 3D foam, then the tree panel inserted flat to the card base.

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

I shall be entering the following challenges:

CYHTP – embossing folder, option of snow people not taken

Krafty ChicksCAS

The Four Seasons Challenge anything goes winter

Inkspirationalmore than one stencil

Craft Rocketuse embossing

Daisy Chain Challengeno designer paper

Get Well Wishes

Hello everyone. I created this card and finally managed to use the matching stencils for this background I had in my stash from a previous foiling session:

I have this foil plate and matching stencils for a while, and had foiled the panel quite a few months ago, but hadn’t got around to using it. I used the opportunity with the current colours for The Color Throwdown.

Onto the silver foiled panel, I used all the layering stencils, and the three Distress Ink pads you see in the photo. I set this aside and die cut the arch from another white panel, then used a Stampin’ Up embossing folder to create the texture on it.

I wanted it to be almost like a stained glass window.

I then adhered the ink blended panel behind the arch aperture, using 3D foam to stick them to a card base.

The sentiment is also from a previous foiling session.

The ink blending took most of the time creating this card, but the choosing of the colours to use was easier as I have just finished swatching all my Distress Inks and Distress Oxides, so I can easily flip through the swatches to choose the colours.

I also realised there are 3 colours of Distress Inks I don’t currently have – that will be amended in the next couple of days….!

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Color Throwdownblush, dusty blue, pink

Inkspirationalmore than one stencil

Crafts Galoreanything goes

Avenue 613 Createanything goes – option of new beginnings – not taken

Stencil Fun – stencils – option of birds/birdhouses/bird feeders – not taken

Ally’s Angelsanything goes