A Merry Holly Christmas

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

I first stamped a Hero Arts background script onto a white piece of card in a water-proof ink, then ink blended around the edges, taking the colour inwards a little haphazardly.

Then I had a go at a newish technique for me. I used a Tim Holtz red rubber stamp, and Distress pencils, slightly wetting the stamp, drawing the colours on with the pencils, a little spray of water – and stamp…..I think I did this a couple of times, adding a little less water the next time, but I really like how it turned out. I may have to have a further play with this technique in the future.

Once that was dry, I attached to a red layer, then a Kraft card base.

I felt the berries needed a little something-something, so I added some gold highlights to them:

The sentiment is stamped using a Tim Holtz stamp in Distress Oxides to match one of the pencils I used.

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

I shall be entering the following challenges:

We Love 2 Create – anything goes mixed media

Crafty Catz – anything goes – option Christmas in July

Paper Dragonfly – anything that flies or nature

Creative Artiste Mixed Media – anything goes mixed media

Crafting Happiness – anything goes

Get Creative – Christmas in July

A Sunny ‘Hi’

Hello there. After a busy week, I was able to get to my craft room and play. Here is what I created for today:

I used a couple of die sets which were cabin counsellor gifts from the Concord & 9th Summer Camp. I first created the hot air balloon in bright and sunny colours, then the sun – obviously in yellow.

The background cloudy panel was created using Milled Lavender Distress ink and a Simon Says Stamps stencil. The ‘Hi’ sentiment is also from one of the die sets, layered three times – even the tiddle….

I then used Gina K Designs Master Layouts for the black layer and the cloudy layer.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Addicted To Stamps and More – die cuts and/or stencils (both)

Cut It Up – die cuts and look up in the sky

Daisy Chain Challenge – summer time

Inkspirational – travel/journey mood board

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

Simply Ellibelle’s I Spy Challenge – a sweet or warm and sunny colours

Hope Your Birthday Is On Point…

Hello once again. The Alphabet Challenge has reached the letter ‘H’ and Billie has chosen the theme of ‘H is for Humour’. Here is my card:

I decided to use a Tim Holtz die set to create the cactus, and Concord & 9th card stock in various shades of pink. I made the flowers more colourful for some contrast.

The background was created using a Clearly Besotted stencil and Lost Shadow Distress Oxide.

This was attached to a grey slimline card base, and the cactus attached with 3D foam.

I found some pink heart embellishments in my stash and added them around the heat embossed sentiment.

I hope you can come and join us with your humorous creations. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

MMM Challenge – birthday

Addicted To Stamps and More – die cuts and/or stencils

A Perfect Time To Craft – anything goes

Crafting Happiness – anything goes

Ally’s Angels – anything goes

Mix It Up Challenge – anything goes – option of aperture not taken

Cardz 4 Galz – Cats or Kittens

Hello once again. A new challenge has started at Cardz 4 Galz, and Debbie has chosen the theme of ‘cats and/or kittens‘. Here is my card:

I have four cats currently, and I must say they brighten my day. I just had to use this stamp and die set from Heffy Doodle ‘Purrfect Day‘ and Time 4 Tea Designs ‘Kitty Capers’. I stamped all the images in Gina K Amalgam ink, coloured them with Copics, then used the matching die set to cut them out.

I had fun putting the scene together – once I had decided on what patterned paper to place at the back – and added the small elements from the stamp set, such as the milk bottle and tiny mouse.

I hope you can come and join us – I’m very much looking forward to a very feline gallery this time round. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

MMM Challenge – birthday

Crafty Animals – anything goes with an animal

Challenge Up Your Life – patterned paper

Country View Challenge – 4 legged friends

The Crafty Addicts – anything goes

ABC Christmas Challenge – N and O

Hello there. I am hosting the new challenge at ABC Christmas Challenge. We have reached the letters ‘N’ and ‘O’ and the themes for those letters are:

‘N’ for No Layers – card base only, no added layers, and/or ‘O’ is for Ornaments.

Here are my cards:

The ‘No layers’ card was created by using layering stencils from Pinkfresh Studio called ‘Winter Foliage’. I first stamped the image then used the stencils to colour in the images, and added some gold dots to the berries. I also went in with the gold marker and added some extra gold dots in the more open spaces.

The sentiment was heat embossed.

The ‘O is for Ornament’ card was created using a foil plate from Hero Arts – silver onto black card stock, adding a foiled sentiment in the centre, and even though I tried to restrain myself with the silver gems – I couldn’t resists just filling in the centre of the bauble with them……..

I hope you can come and join us with your Christmas/Festive creations using one or both of our themes. I even have a couple of stamp sets up for grabs to a random winner – so everyone is in with a chance of winning these:

I shall be entering the following challenges:

One layer card:

Inkspirational – Christmas In July

Craft Rocket – Christmas in July

Aud Sentiments – stencils and/or Christmas in July and a sentiment

Sparkles Forum Christmas Challenge – Christmas and include gold

Get Creative – Christmas in July

Bauble card:

A Perfect Time To Craft – anything goes

12 Months Of Christmas – anything goes Christmas

Dragonfly Dreams – Christmas in July

The Crafty Addicts – anything goes

Merry Little Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Believe In The Magic Raccoon

Hello. I was proud to be the winner for the Christmas Craft Creations May 2023 challenge, and therefore offered a Guest design Team spot for July.

The July theme is ‘anything goes Christmas’.

Here is my card:

The background was created using a Simon Says Stamp embossing folder and some light blue card stock. I cut that down slightly and adhered with 3D foam to the card base.

I die cut the ‘Christmas Bandit‘ from Spellbinders layered together – fiddly but I persevered – and added some red glitter foam and silver glitter card for the hat.

I used another Spellbinder die set for the cloche, the frame itself from silver glitter card, and I die cut it again to get the white inner piece, and dry embossed that with another Simon Says Stamp embossing folder. I created a hill by cutting some glitter card to size.

The sentiment is a silver foiled strip, and I chose that sentiment because who doesn’t want to believe in the magic of a Christmas raccoon…….?

I hope you can come and join the team with your Christmas creations. xx

I shall be entering th3e folloowing challenges:

Inkspirational – Christmas in July

My Time To Craft Christmas – Christmas and Christmas animals

Crafty Animals – anything goes with an animal

Country View Challenge – 4 legged friends

Merry Little Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Welcome……

I was lucky enough and thrilled to be chosen as a Featured Stamper on a new challenge for The Color Throwdown.

These are the colours for the new challenge:

and here is the card I made:

The Kraft background is dry embossed using a very, very old embossing folder from Crafters Companion, and a little Tea Dye Distress Ink blended around the edges.

I then die cut all the pieces from the Spellbinders ‘Always Welcome‘ die set, using a slightly textured cream card stock, Concord & 9th Tidepool card stock for the aqua, and Spellbinders gold card stock.

The pillars were die cut three times and layered, and I also used the embossing mat to create some of the details in the pillars.

I die cut the window out on the door, and added some vellum behind it, then glued down the fancy door detail panel, and added the letter box and door knob.

These colour choices could be used for a variety of creations, and I had several ideas before I settled on this card – I am sure the DT at Color Throwdown have some amazing inspiration – I hope you can come and join us. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Creative Fingers – anything goes

Crafty Catz – anything goes – option of more than one fold not taken

Crafting Happiness – anything goes

Ally’s Angels – anything goes

Love To Craft – anything goes

Slimline Christmas

Hello there. I am a Guest Designer for the new challenge at Most Magical Time of The Year with this card, having been one of the top picks in a previous challenge:

I decided to go slimline with this, as I wanted to use two of the berry branch sprigs.

The sprigs are from Pinkfresh Studio, stamped and gold heat embossed, coloured with the matching stencils, then die cut.

The outer frame is from Time 4 Tea Designs, and the inner portion was dry embossed with an old Sue Wilson embossing folder.

I struggled a little with the sentiment. If I used a gold sentiment, it got lost, if I used a coloured sentiment, it stood out too much – so I decided to go with a silver sentiment, and added some silver sequins to tie it in to the card.

The theme is always ‘anything goes Christmas or Halloween‘, and I hope you can come and join us. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Inkspirational – Christmas in July

Craft Rocket – Christmas in July

12 Months of Christmas – anything goes Christmas

Sparkles Forum Christmas – Christmas and include gold

Get Creative – Christmas in July

Floral Birthday

I created this card yesterday, then forgot to photograph it and write the post – so here I am running just a tad later than planned:

The floral image is a layering stencil set from The Greetery, and I used Pinkfresh Studio inks in two different pinks, purples, and greens. The green leaves are layered with the same colour each time, but going in a little more heavy-handed with the second layer.

I tried this image with a white background, but I thought I would go for the more dramatic look to allow the colours to stand out more…..

A black card base, with a black panel which had been dry embossed using s Spellbinders embossing folder – cut slightly smaller than the card base.

I added the floral image, then a foiled sentiment strip across the middle.

A finishing touch of a few silver sequins hidden here and there.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Color Throwdown – pink, purple, green

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge – anything goes

Krafty Chicks – anything goes

Addicted To Stamps and More – any occasion

Die Cut Divas – die cuts and birthday

Love To Craft – anything goes

Wonky Birthday Wishes

Hello there. Happy Little Stampers ‘anything goes birthday‘ challenge has started for July. Here is my card:

I’m still enjoying those itty bitty layering dies from Spellbinders, and this cake made me smile. I chose a bright pink card stock to go with the white, liking the contrast between the two colours.

The white background panel is dry embossed with a Spellbinders embossing folder, and cut down a little.

The cake itself was quite easy to put together, I just had to decide how many layers, and the little swirly stick things – no idea what they are called – were inserted for a little interest.

The icing on the cake – no pun intended – is white sparkly glitter card.

The sentiment is white heat embossed onto the same pink card stock, then die cut with the matching die.

I hope you can come and join us with your birthday creations. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

CYHTP – embossing folder option of butterflies not taken

Krafty Chicks – anything goes

Allsorts – anything goes

Ally’s Angels – anything goes