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Sparkly Joy

Hello once again. Cardz 4 Galz has started a new challenge. Pamela is hosting and has chosen the theme of:

‘A Christmas Card’

Here is my card:

The background was created using a hot foil plate from Spellbinders, and cut to an A2 card size.

The die cut elements were created using some Tim Holtz die sets – the word ‘Joy’ die cut out of Spellbinders red glitter foam and adhered with 3D foam – more dimension so I could add the foliage underneath the letters.

For the holly and the berries, I added glossy accents to create the shine, and I dotted some clear sequins around for even more shimmer and shine:

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

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Inkspirational – add glitter

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

Ellibelle’s Corner – I Spy – sparkle or shine

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

Dragonfly Dreams – Christmas

Christmas Crafts All Year Round – 12 of something, a musical theme, or anything goes Christmas

Sage Green Snowflake

Hello everyone. The ABC Christmas Challenge has reached the last challenge for this year. Helen is hosting this month, and having arrived at the letters ‘Y’ and ‘Z’, and we want to see your Christmas makes following the themes of:

Y is for Your Choice, Z is for Zebra – black and white or stripes

I chose ‘Y is for Your Choice’. Here is my card:

The background is using Spellbinders sage green card stock, and a Simon Says Stamp embossing folder. The circle is from Pinkfresh Studio, die cut using the same sage green card stock, and layered as you see.

The snowflake is from Pinkfresh Studio, stamped with one of the darker inks I used to ink blend with, then ink blended, using green/blue tones, and using a lighter or heavier hand to create even more contrast between the layers of the stencil.

I then used the matching die to cut it out, and attached it to the layers on the card base, then added some silver gems to the centre and four of the points.

The sentiment is from Lawn Fawn, silver foiled, then die cut using the matching die set.

I hope you can come and join us with your festive/Christmas creations – following our themes.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Merry Little Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Mix It Up – anything goes – option of stamping

Christmas Bingo – column B – free, stamped image, ink blending

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

A Perfect Time To Craft – anything goes

Aud Sentiments – embossing folder and/or winter/New Year and sentiment

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

Merry & Bright

Hello all. I had some time to play to create using a stencil and die set I have had for a few weeks – if not months – to create this card:

The stencil and die set are from Waffle Flower, and I used the colours from the current Color Throwdown Challenge. This took a little creative thinking, but I am pleased with the result.

There are four layering stencils, and I chose an aqua blue and darker blue from Pinkfresh Studio, a light brown Distress Ink, and decided to gold heat emboss some of the elements.

This did involve using some of the stencils a couple of times for the different layers, and masking some of the smaller parts off.

I remembered to ensure the ink was dry before trying to heat emboss, and to apply the embossing ink through the stencil I used a dedicated blending brush. This is a technique learned during a previous virtual event – and it works a treat, especially for those little dots – just use the brush, the embossing ink, and pounce through the stencil……

Once gold heat embossed, I used the matching postage die, matted it with a black layer, then added it to a top folding A2 card base.

The sentiment is a hot foiled and die cut one from a previous hot foiling session.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Color Throwdown – blue, aqua, gold

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge – use dies

Peace On Earth – anything goes Christmas

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

Make My Monday – Christmas tree or forest tree

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

We Love to Create – anything goes mixed media (heat embossing, ink for blending, hot foiling)

Creative Artiste Mixed Media – anything goes mixed media (heat embossing, ink blending, hot foiling)

Birthday Wishes

Hello everyone. I have a card to share for the Happy Little Stampers ‘anything goes Birthday’ challenge.

Unfortunately, Kylie has decided that the Happy Little Stampers will be closing – for all challenges…… It is with a heavy heart that Kylie made this decision, but she obviously feels that this decision is right for her at this time. I am sure we all wish Kylie well for the future, and maybe she will return when and if she feels it is right……

So – the final birthday card for the final Happy Little Stampers ‘anything goes Birthday challenge’:

For this card, I used Concord & 9th ‘Pretty Petals’ stamp and die set. I used the turnabout stamp for the light grey background – I wanted a muted background for the floral images.

The layers of the florals were die cut and assembled, placed onto the panel, then the sentiment added.

I couldn’t resist using some of the gold flecked enamel dots – matching the colours – around and about the image.

I hope you will come and join us with your ‘birthday’ creations, and with wishing Kylie well for the future. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Ally’s Angels – anything goes

Beautiful Blossoms – flowers/florals

Love To Craft – anything goes

Mix It Up – anything goes – option of stamping taken

Happy Reindeer Christmas

Hello everyone. I was lucky enough to be the winner of a recent Critter Crazy Challenge, and have taken them up on the offer to be this month’s Guest Designers. The theme for their challenges is ‘anything goes with a critter. The animal has to be the main focus. Here is my card:

I have been wanting to use this new die set from Spellbinders, designed by Nichol Spohr, and thought this challenge would be the ideal opportunity.

I first die cut the elements to make the reindeer, and assembled all the layers. This reindeer was my second go at it – I added the muzzle and mouth the wrong way up the first time – and then wondered why he looked so sad……!

I put him to one side then concentrated on the other elements.

The background panel is a light brown card stock, dry embossed using a Spellbinders embossing folder, then I ran the Hero Arts white pigment ink pad over it to catch the raised white areas.

I attached this to a 5 x 7 inch card base, leaving a white border, and then added my reindeer with 3D foam.

I then used several Spellbinder die sets for the flowers and the foliage, using three green, a couple of reds, white, and some gold for the ferns.

These were assembled, then I added them to the card using wet glue, arranging them until I was happy. The poinsettias were added on top of the rest, and faceted gold gems were placed in their centres.

The foiled sentiment was attached using 3D foam, and some holly leaves and berries at both ends.

I hope you can come and join us with your critter creations. The challenge ends on the 25th of this month, and you can enter 5 times with different projects. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

C YHTP – embossing folder – option of Christmas taken

Ally’s Angels – anything goes

Beautiful Blossoms – flowers/florals

Merry Little Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Ellibelle’s Corner – I Spy – sparkle or shine

R is for Reindeer

Hello once again. The first of two posts today, and this post is for the new challenge just started at The Alphabet Challenge. Billie A is the host, and as we have reached the letter ‘R’, she has chosen the theme of ‘Reindeer’. Here is my card:

It’s been a while since I used my Copics, so I chose this image from the collaboration with Trinity Stamps and Simon Says Stamp.

I first stamped the images, coloured them, then used the matching die set.

For the background I chose a Simon Says Stamp embossing folder and a deep red card stock. I wanted to create a scene, but not a traditional scene with all the background of grass and hills etc, just something which would be festive, and highlight the images.

Once the panel was down on the card base, and the images arranged, I added some gold sequins and then some Stickles to the reindeer hat, and then the sentiment.

I hope you can come and join us with your ‘reindeer‘ themed creations. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

CYHTP – embossing folder – option of Christmas taken

Ally’s Angels – anything goes

Christmas Craft Creations – Christmas and add a hat

Merry Little Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Mix It Up – anything goes – option of stamping taken

Christmas Bingo – bingo card – column ‘G’ – red, die cuts, free

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.