die cutting

Daffodil Dimension

Hello again. The Alphabet Challenge has started a new challenge, having reached the letter ‘V’, Helen has chosen the theme of :

‘volume – use foam pads or gel to raise apart of you design’

Here is my card:

I decided to go with a springtime fell with these daffodils. Having had what seems like months of rain here in the UK, the snowdrops are appearing, and I felt a spring card was needed to encourage brighter weather.

The daffodils are from Hero Arts, die cut and then a little ink blending to the petals before adding the corona, which was attached with 3D foam pieces.

The background panels of green, then the stitched white layer were cut using a Gina K Designs Master Layouts set, and the green circles die cut with nesting dies to be slightly larger than the two white scalloped circles – also cut with a Gina K Designs die. Before attaching the white circles to the green, I ran them through an embossing folder to give a little more interest.

The sentiment is foiled and die cut from Pinkfresh Studio.

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

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Crafts Galore – anything goes

A Cut Above – anything goes with die cuts

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

Craft Rocket – flowers

I’m A Lucky Duck

Hello and welcome. Cardz 4 Galz has started anew challenge, this time the host is Helen, and she has chosen the theme of:

Wings – butterflies, fairies, dragons etc

Here is my card:

For this card, I created my own background panel using techniques learnt from a Jenn Shurkus virtual event and Distress water-colour pencils. I loved this particular technique, and made several panels with different colours.

The technique consists of using a wet small brush, taking colour from the Distress pencil, then just scribbling a patchwork of colour down onto a panel….that’s it……

After the panel was dry, I spritzed with the dirty water from my little water pot thingy (I know – but as per Jenn Shurkus – it works well!!), then added a stamp of musical notes to the top – no idea why I chose that stamp – and you also use a wet distress pencil to colour the stamp – then stamp it. It gives a faint and blurry image.

This was drying to one side, and I die cut the ducks from a Simon says Stamp set, layering them together and adding small black gems for their eyes.

The sentiment was stamped and die cut using s trip die – I think it is two sentiments I stamped to make one – but I can’t find the second half of the sentiment now – this first half is definitely Lawn Fawn.

The panel was adhered to a white card base, th3e sentiment and ducks arranged as you see.

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

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Critter Crazy Challenge – anything goes with a critter

Crafty Animals – anything goes with an animal

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

Addicted To Stamps & More – make your mark

Black & Gold Christmas

Hello everyone. As you probably know, I love making Christmas cards – all year round. I enjoy making them for challenges with a set theme, and this card is no exception. I was inspired by the current challenge at 52 Christmas Card Throwdown – their current Christmas theme is to ONLY use black and gold – here is what I created:

I used dies from The Greetery to create these two sprigs of holly, die cutting the main elements out of Spellbinders brushed gold card stock, and the berries out of mirror metallic gold.

I created a black card base, and the used a piece of Pink Frog Crafts Black Ice card stock – this has a pearlescent finish, but felt it was a little too stark behind the holly sprigs……..so out came my Spellbinders hot foil machine!

I used this dotted background plate from Pinkfresh Studio and a mat gold foil. This plate has two sides of dots – this one I used, and the other side is dots which are closer together. I made two panels – one of each – but went with this one. The other will definitely be used later….and I must say that this card stock foiled like a dream…..

Whilst I had my foil machine out and running, I also foiled several Christmas sentiments – from Spellbinders – and used the one you see.

Assembly was quite straight forward – the black dotted panel adhered to the card base, the holly sprigs arranged using small itty bitty pieces of 3D foam tape on some areas ( I found some black 3D foam pieces to use) and the sentiment added to cover the ends of the sprigs.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

52 CCT – Christmas with black and gold

Krafty Chicks – Christmas

Peace On Earth – anything goes Christmas

Get Well Wishes

Hello everyone. A little time to play in my craft room today, inspired initially by Time Out Challenges and their ‘pick two’ list, die cutting and using an embossing folder – my favourite way to create, and my happy zone:

The die set used for the floral and the circle frame are from Spellbinders. The die set was part of their Weekender from 2024. I haven’t played with this diet set yet, so I thought it was time.

The circle and frame is supposed to be an embroidery hoop – but I left it at a framed circle, using some circle nesting dies from Hero Arts to create the slightly larger frame in red, then cutting the die again, out of white glitter card to give the slightly smaller frame – glued to the larger red circle – and the white glitter inner circle.

The florals were all die cut and assembled separately, and set to one side, whilst I used a light pink card stock panel and ran it through with a Spellbinders embossing folder, a small edge of black, then attached to a white card base.

The hoop was assembled then glued down, the flowers arranged how I wanted them, and as I though I needed something to cover the bottom of the stems, I used a previously created wax seal. The final step was to add the white foiled sentiment.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Time Out Challenge – choose at least 2 – sparkle, red, heart, pink – not using aperture and twine out of the 6 options

Cut It Up – die cuts and this makes me happy

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

CYHTP – embossing folder, option of using die cuts taken

You Got This

Hello once again. The Alphabet Challenge has started a new themed challenge. We have reached the letter ‘U’, and Melanie has chosen the theme of:

‘Uplifting – positive and encouraging’

Here is my card:

The background was created using a Waffle Flower die and layering stencil set. When the panel is die cut, the elements stay in place – it is only partially die cut so you can create added dimension if you wish – and then I used the matching stencils and Pinkfresh Studio inks to colour each element in.

The butterflies were also die cut and coloured with their own matching layering stencils, then attached to the background with 3D foam pieces.

The sentiment is from Concord & 9th (So Many Sayings) stamped then die cut, and attached as you see.

I hope you can come and join us with your encouraging and positive – uplifting – creations. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Beautiful Blossoms – anything goes floral

Ally’s Angels – anything goes

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

Triple B – birds and/or butterflies and/or blooms

Bunny Hugs & Kisses

Hello everyone. It is my turn to host at Cardz 4 Galz, and I have chosen the theme of:

Hugs & Kisses

Here is my card:

I first created the little bunny using a die set from The Greetery, which also included the little flower it is holding.

The florals to either side are a layering stamp and die set – also from The Greetery, and created using Pinkfresh Studio inks.

The background was created die cutting a panel out of white card stock using a cover plate die – I think from Pinkfresh Studio – then attaching that to a white card base.

The bunny and the florals were then added with thin 3D foam pieces.

The sentiment is from Heffy Doodle.

The final touch was to add some black gems as the eye for the bunny, and three more as you see.

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

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Inkspirational – hugs & kisses

Critter Crazy – anything goes with a critter

Crafty Animals – anything goes with an animal

A Cut Above – anything goes with a die cut

T is for Texture

Hello once again. It is my turn to host the new challenge at The Alphabet Challenge. Having reached the letter ‘T’, I chose the them of:

T is for Texture

Here is my card:

For this card I chose to add texture by using an embossing folder and many layers.

The main floral image is from The Greetery, a layering stamp of a carnation, then die cut with the matching die.

The oval layers are also from The Greetery, and I stacked three of the layers on top of each other for dimension with the pattern adding more texture, stamping the words on the top layer.

The panel in the background was created using an embossing folder from Spellbinders.

The back layer was glued flat to the card base, then each of the oval layers added on top, the uppermost payer with thin 3D foam, then the floral image also added with more thin 3D foam pieces.

I hope you can come and join us with your creations featuring some form of texture. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Crafts Galore – anything goes

Triple B – birds and/or butterflies and/or blooms

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

Ellibelle’s Garden Party – anything in or from the garden

Beautiful Blossoms – anything goes with florals/flowers

Friendly Pink Flowers

Hello everyone. Cardz 4 Galz has started a new challenge. This time the host is Billie A, and she has chosen the theme of :

add pink flowers

Here is my card:

I first stamped the Altenew images then used the matching layering stencils to colour them in. I added slightly more ink towards the centre of the flowers and the base of the leaves to create more dimension, die cutting them with the matching die set. This set also has an embossing folder to add details to the florals, but I didn’t use that this time.

To highlight the florals and the colours, I chose to use a mid grey coloured card stock, and embossed using an older We R Memory Keepers 3D embossing folder with the basket weave pattern.

The sentiment is gold foiled, and some gold gems were also added.

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

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Triple B – birds and/or blooms and/or butterflies

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends – anything goes

Ellibelle’s Corner Garden Party – anything in or from the garden

Beautiful Blossoms – florals anything goes – optional mood board

For Someone Special

Here is a card using items from the list provided by Festive Friday:

I chose to use the elements of silver, white, and rhinestones.

For this I used a new product from Waffle Flower Crafts – the ‘Happy Chevrons’ die. I first cut it out of white card, then silver glitter card, snipping the two edges so I could alternate the white with the silver.

I then started by placing the top white piece flat to a piece of card, adding the silver with 3D foam to raise the image and create some dimension, and on downwards to fill the panel.

This was then layered with another piece of silver glitter card, then attached to a card base, the gems added, and then the foiled sentiment.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Festive Friday – 3 items from the list – silver, white, rhinestones

Time Out – all that glitters

Die Cut Divas – die cuts and something new

Craft Rocket – something new

Winter Birthday

Hello everyone. I have a card to share inspired by several challenges:

I started this card by taking a light blue piece of card and using a Simon Says Stamp snowflake embossing folder. I then ran – very gently – a white pigment ink pad over the top to bring out some of the embossing d3etails on the snowflakes.

This panel was then cut down slightly so I could a have a thin white border around when attached to the card base.

I then used some Pinkesh Studio snowflakes and die cut them out of vellum, attaching with a little tape runner to the blue panel, and adding gold gems to the centre of each snowflake.