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

You’re So Sweet……

Hello there. I have created a slimline card to share:

I used Pinkfresh Studio ‘Fruitalicious‘ washi tape and matching die for the images. I received them as part of a Pinkfresh event quite a while ago, and still have loads of the washi left.

I adhered the washi to some white card, then die cut with the matching die.

The background triple aperture layer was created using a slimline die from Pinkfresh, and the gold scalloped border from a Time 4 Tea Designs die set.

Once they were adhered to the card base, I stamped and gold heat embossed the sentiment, die cut with the matching die, and adhered to the centre circle.

I then played with the arrangement of the fruit washi images, and adhered them with 3D foam and/or glue, tucking some under the gold border.

I added some gold and purple sequins here and there.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

The Crafty Addicts – anything goes

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge – anything goes

Krafty Chicks – anything goes

Paper Craft Crew – fruity-licious

There once was a cat and a ladder….

Hello. This sounds like the start to a limerick or other funny story, doesn’t it? I just couldn’t think what to call the post so I just wrote what I saw…..

The Alphabet Challenge has started a new challenge. We have reached the letter ‘G’, and Debbie has chosen the theme of ‘G is for Green as the dominant colour’. Here is my card:

I used a previously created green ink smooshed [iece of card, and added an alcohol ink banner at the top. Some different shades of green, with a little gold on the alcohol ink portion.

The cat, ladder, and the leafy sprigs are from Charlie and Paulchen, a German company I have ordered from a couple of times. They have some amazing die sets – very small but perfectly formed – as they say…..

The cat and sprigs were die cut out of white so they stood out from the green background, and the ladder die cut from some brown card, layered a couple of times for dimension.

I added a previously foiled sentiment at the top as it seemed to fit better that way.

Although there are a few layers, I still feel this is quite CAS – compared to recent cards anyway.

I hope you can come and join us with your creations which feature green predominantly. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Avenue 613 Create – anything goes – option summertime

Die Cut Divas – die cuts and critters

The Crafty Addicts – anything goes

Ally’s Angels – anything goes

Thank You Triple Flap

Hello once again. Cardz 4 Galz has started a new challenge. Helen is the host this time round, and has chosen the theme of ‘more than one fold’. Here is my card:

This is a triple flap card, quite easy to do, but as fancy folds aren’t my usual style – I really had to concentrate for this one. It is held closed by the belly band.

My goodness – these are a challenge to photograph.

I chose some coordinating patterned paper from Spellbinders, adding them to each part of the card. The back piece I wanted quite plain as I knew I was going to add a little something more.

The frames and puffy sentiment are also from Spellbinders, and not too bulky for the card to close.

The triple flap is held closed by a belly band, to which I stuck a larger floral image from the same card kit.

As you know, I’m not one to use a lot of patterned paper usually, but I really like these colours, and as the whole pad has a lot of coordinating paper, it makes it just that bit easier to match .

I hope you can come and join us with your creations following our theme. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Here Is A Place To Start – anything goes

Get Creative – more than one fold

Allsorts – atg option bunch of flowers

Dragonfly Dreams – fancy folds

Creative Creases – anything goes with a fun fold

Ho Ho Ho

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

The snowflake background was created using a Simon Says Stamp embossing folder with blue card, then swiping some white pigment over the top for highlights.

I cut this down slightly and adhered to a white card base.

Now onto the construction of the main image – lots of die cutting and layering, using different combinations of red and gold card stock.

I added some silver glitter foam die cuts to the hat and the cuff of Santa.

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

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Most Magical Time of the Year – anything goes Christmas or Halloween

Die Cut Divas – die cuts and critters

12 Months of Christmas – Christmas – option inspired by Christmas Song

Inkspirational – emboss your background

Sparkles Forum – no stamping allowed

Flowery Birthday Truck

I was inspired by a few challenges to create the following card:

One of the challenges I am entering was to create a birthday card with a car or a truck. I knew I had one or two somewhere, so I searched the Color My Life app and found this truck which came with last year’s Spellbinders Advent Calendar.

I die cut the truck with Concord & 9th card stock, then added the black and gold wheels. I added some light blue card stock to the windows.

The background was created using a piece of Spellbinders patterned paper which has some gold embossed detail to it, and a dry embossed strip – another Advent Calendar item – placed at the bottom to ground the truck.

The flowers are also from the Advent Calendar – die cut and assembled as you see – and added to the card so it would seem they are bursting from the back of the truck.