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Poinsettia Wreath

Hello. I have had time to play in my craft room today, and created this card:

Taking the colour scheme from the current Color Throwdown Challenge, I started with a black 7 inch square card base. Onto that I layered a slightly smaller dove grey card from Concord & 9th which I had dry embossed with a wood grain embossing folder, and slightly ink blended with Distress Ink.

The wreath was die cut twice, and I cut one of them to add more layers to the part that was showing.

The poinsettias were die cut from a cream textured card stock I had and the edges were inked with some Pumice Stone Distress Ink – but then I added some Weathered Wood as I didn’t think it was grey enough. The extra darker leaves were die cut from the same cream card stock, but ink blended before I die cut with the same grey Distress Inks.

I stuck the wreath down with glue – leaving some of the twiggy bits unstuck for dimension and movement, and the poinsettias and leaves were stuck down with 3D glue – I like to use that for the more dimensional elements when I’m adding more – like the extra leaves – so I have some time to play around with the layout.

I then added some stickles to the centre of the flowers.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Color Throwdown – black, grey, cream, kraft

Addicted to stamps and More – any occasion

Krafty Chicks – occasions

Die Cut Divas – anything goes with die cuts

Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas – option to use the word ‘Joy’ (option not taken)

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So Proud OF You……

The Alphabet Challenge has reached the letter ‘M’ – and Melanie has chosen the theme of ‘Motivational or encouraging sentiment‘. Here is my card:

I am sure you know someone who would appreciate an encouragement card. There have been quite a few – from my side of things at least – that deserve that little more recognition from me. I always try to express those thoughts in person, but sometimes a little something-something can add and boost their confidence.

I have a team in mind for this card, and will be taking it to them shortly.

I again used the new Tim Holtz Mica sprays for this card – after I had stamped the image from Polkadoodles. I may repeat this card again and this time heat embossing the image, but for this I like the overall effect.

I did go back in with some clean water on some of the flower images to ‘lift’ some of the spray to make them more visible……

The image is so much more visible in real life – and those mica sprays have so much shine – but I just can’t seem to capture them on a photo…….!

As this stamp is so long, I went for the slimline style, but I did cut it down on one edge, and left a border of black instead of centering it in the middle – I like how that seems to make it more dramatic.

I hope you can join us with your encouraging sentiments – I am sure they will be appreciated by the recipient. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Stinkin-inkers Challenge – Pick Me Up

Creative Artiste Mixed Media Challenge – anything goes mixed media

Creative Fingers Challenge – anything goes

Crafters Castle Challenge – anything goes

Mix It Up Challenge – anything goes – option monochrome

Creative Artiste Mixed Media Challenge Blog

Thankful For You

Hi there. Cardz 4 Galz had started a new challenge with a new theme. Caz has chosen the theme of ‘Autumn/Fall Leaves‘. Here is my card:

I wanted to make a card with this kind of sentiment on it for a good friend who has been absolutely invaluable to me over the past few weeks. I’ve needed someone to help with some things – and she has been right there. She has run me around and generally kept in touch when I needed a boost – I am so, so thankful for her. She’s an absolute gem.

I started by stamping the Concord & 9th turnabout onto a Kraft card stock, using four autumnal colours from Gina K. The turnabout jig is a must for me to be able to line things up – thanks to the Concord & 9th Summer Camp I ‘virtually’ attended – the jig was included in the kit, and Cathy Zielske showed us how to use it…..

Once the background was stamped, I used the leaf die to cut the large leaf out of white card stock, but I added some colour by stamping the small splotch stamp so it wasn’t quite so stark. I also decided to add the panel to a white card base to bring it together.

I also decided to add some sequins so I hunted through my stash and found a Catherine Pooler sequin mix, but when I open it some of them just kinda fell onto my card – so I stuck them down where they fell. That’s one way to decided where they go, isn’t it?

I hope you can come and join us with your girlie autumn/fall leaves creations – I look forward to seeing you in our gallery. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Simply Create Too – fall leaves

The Four Seasons Challenge – anything goes FALL

Crafty Calendar Challenge – anything goes

Cards Galore Encore – Anything goes

Die Cut Divas – anything goes with die cuts

Christmas Pine Cones

We have a new challenge starting at The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge. The theme is always anything goes as long as it’s Christmas or festive. Here is my card:

Using one of my pre-made ink smooshed cards, I die cut the pine cones and branch. The base is a 3D embossing folder – leaving it white to be able to see the texture, but also to highlight the pine cones and branches.

I also used some enamel dots I had laying around – no idea where they came from. I think they were part of a kit or an online order as a freebie – but I thought the colours matched the card perfeclty.

Quite simple in it’s design, but lots of texture.

I hope you can come and join us with your Christmas makes. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Krafty Chicks – Christmas

Creative Knockouts – anything goes

Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

DL Art Challenge – fall colours

My Time To Craft Christmas – photo inspiration (white background and festive themed, green, brown)

Birthday Balloons

Hello once again. I’ve been playing some more in my craft room, and using some of the backgrounds I created a while ago – this time using an alcohol ink piece of Yupo to create this CAS card:

I used this die from MFT which cuts the balloons and the frame, and with the additional balloons provided I die cut them from the piece of Yupo paper.

The frame I stuck down with some foam strips – they were very, very sticky so I’m glad I stuck it down straight! The balloons were stuck down using wet glue…….and then I wondered what I was going to do for the sentiment – I had forgotten to stamp it before I put all the layers together. I didn’t think the Misti would help, due to the dimension, so I actually stamped using an acrylic block! Shocker! I rarely do that because I always get it wrong…..

This time, I prepped my stamp, I used a Catherine Pooler ink, and chose an outline sentiment…….and it worked! It’s always good when a plan comes together – but I was nervous of spoiling the card…….I’m glad I didn’t! It is only a few pieces of card, but still……

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Seize The Birthday – anything goes birthday with option pastel colours (not taken)

Clean and Simple on Sunday – CAS Balloons

Watercooler Challenge – occasions

Aud Sentiments Challenge – birthday sentiment

Shimmery leaves and a dove

Hi. I have been inspired to create this card using the elements from the current challenge at Festive Friday. They proved an inspiration list, and you have to use at least three elements from that list. I must admit I think I used more than three elements – I enjoyed playing and constructing my card. Here it is:

I started by using one of the new Tim Holtz mica sprays, and sprayed two pieces of card, as I knew I wanted at least a 6 inch square panel, and I also wanted to die cut the leaves from it.

Whilst that was drying, I die cut the dove from Simon Says Stamp – putting some tape on the back to hold all the pieces together – minus the legs. I couldn’t figure out a way to keep the legs on the dove – so it’s juts sitting there instead!

I then took another piece of black card and dry embossed the basket weave from We R Memory Keepers, by which time the sprayed panels were dry – and so, so shimmery!

I layered the square of green onto the black card base, added the embossed panel, then played the layout of the leaves, and ended up with them as you see. I didn’t stick the entire leaf down each time, leaving some just kinda flapping and giving movement, then added the dove with some foam squares.

So let’s have a look at the inspiration list:

It appears I used a dove, white, leaves, non-rectangular card base, die-cuts, and spritzing………

I shall also be entering this card into the current challenge at Beyond The Blue – with the theme of ‘let it shimmer’ – those mica sprays are really, really shimmery – whether I’ve managed to catch the shimmer in the photos or not – it’s certainly there. xx

‘L’ is for Leaves

Hello there. The Alphabet Challenge has reached the letter ‘L’ and Deborah has chosen the theme of ‘LEAVES’. Here is my card:

I’m doing some messy playing at the moment – I do like creating background panels and adding them to my stock – sometimes I think I enjoy this more than actually creating cards with them…….!

I used a Tim Holtz mica stain on a piece of Distress Heavy stock, and when that was dry I used a Simon Says Stamp embossing folder, then wiped some Sizzix lustre wax over the top for even more shine and interest.

The etched laurel leaves were die cut from another piece of card stock which had yet another Tim Holtz mica spray on it.

The frame is from Tum Holtz too, and so is the sentiment strip.

I hope you can come and join – I look forward to seeing your creations involving leaves. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Inkspirational – autumn leaves

We Love 2 Create – anything goes mixed media

Creative Artiste Mixed Media – anything goes mixed media

A Perfect Time To Craft – anything goes

Love To Craft – anything goes

Crafty Creations – anything goes

We Love to Create mixed media Challenge Blog...sponsored by Polkadoodles

Use stencils – Cardz 4 Galz

Hi there. A new challenge has started at Cardz 4 Galz, and Debbie has chose the theme of ‘Stencils’. Here is my card:

The background stencil is one from my stash – no idea where it came from – but it was big enough to create two card bases:

I mixed Salvaged Patina Distress Paint with some Altenew embossing paste and set that aside to dry once scraping it through the stencil.

The words are die cut from a piece of Distress Heavy-stock, sprayed with the new Halloween colour from Tim Holtz – and I certainly made use of that little piece of card:

The die cuts are from Concord & 9th, I even managed to cut the little hearts out of that same piece of card stock – utilising every available space on that piece….

So much shimmer and shine in those Halloween spray colours – even though I don’t ‘do’ Halloween – I love the way these colours look…….so vibrant…..

I hope you are able to come and join us with your girlie makes using stencils – I look forward to seeing your creations. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

A Bit More Time To Craft – anything goes

Crafting Happiness – anything goes

Use Your Stuff – anything goes

Crafters Café – anything goes

Crafty Sentiments – anything goes

TTCRD – anything goes

Creative Fingers – anything goes

We Love 2 Create – Anything goes mixed media

Mixed Media Lovers – anything goes mixed media

Happy Bird-Day

Hi there. Happy Little Stampers CAS Challenge has started a new challenge for the month of September. The theme is ‘Winged Things’ – in a CAS style. I had to make a birthday card, as it’s my birthday this month – so here is my card:

For the circle I used the Concord & 9th turnabout we received as part of the their Summer Camp, using their ink cubes, and then used a stitched circle die.

The bird die is also from Concord & 9th – Birdie Talk – and using their card stock too……so it’s turned out to be a Concord & 9th card really…….

It would be great to see your CAS style cards with this current theme – I look forward to seeing you there. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Allsorts Challenge – CAS

Pink Gem Challenge – anything goes

Addicted to CAS – CAS NATURE

INTAAS – birthday

S for Stencil, T for Two

Hello. The ABC Christmas Challenge has reached the letters ‘S’ and ‘T’. Our prompts for these letters are S for Stencil, and T for Two. As long as they are Christmas creations and follow our theme, then you’re good. Here are my cards:

The first card is using several stencils actually. It didn’t start out that way, but that’s how it went. The central poinsettia image and the background image are stencils from Uniko. It involved a lot of masking – a lot! I also used a Hero Arts alignment stencil for part of the masking process too.

I first used the alignment tool to make the square on the card base, then added the poinsettia stencil. then masked around it, then used Distress Oxide to create the purple flower in the centre.

Some change of the masking, I then did the green – but when I finished the card I didn’t like the green – which is why there is a frame around the flower…..

All sorts of masking, using itty bitty pieces of post-it notes as these gave me the angles and the movement I needed. In the end I also stenciled the background, using the little square mask from the Hero Arts stencil set – and even more post-it notes for the bottom edge.

As I didn’t like the green, I created a frame using some stitched square dies, then ink blended the same pink oxide so it matched.

The second card has an ink blended background, splattered with water, then when it was dry I stamped the Hero Arts ‘Winter Swirls’ background stamp with white pigment ink.

The snowmen are from Hero Arts also – coloured with Copics, some white detail for the scarves, and placed as if they were in a blizzard……..

I hope you can come and join us for our Christmas themes this time round – I hope to see you in our gallery. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Snowman card:

Creative Fingers Challenge – anything goes

Jingle Belles Rock – photo inspiration

Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Krafty Chicks Challenge – occasions

Poinsettia card:

52 CCT – Christmas and stencils

Christmas Craft Creations – Christmas and non-traditional colours