die cutting

For You…..

Hello there. I have had a little of a crafty funk this week, finding it difficult to create anything. I decided to sort out some of my craft room, add some new products to the CML app so I can keep track of them – which led me to find the wax seal kit my sister bought for me for Christmas 2022……that’s right, Christmas 2022 – and I have never played with it.
I decided the time was right, so I had a play – and it is very addictive I must say. I think I created at least 15 wax seals, and I used a couple on this card:

I created some wax seals, then remembered a Yana Smakula video where she added the seals to some die cuts, so this is the result of my experiment with that technique.

I die cut some bluebells and other foliage from a couple of The Greetery die sets, and created the blooms, then placed them on the mat ready for the seal, added the wax, then the seal – and waited.

Once the wax had cooled, I removed the seal, and though the seal had trapped the die cuts quite well, you could see the stems through the seal. I was considering just adding more wax and sealing again, but instead I added another seal on top.

I knew I had the wax seal ribbon die so I hunted that out, die cut that in green, and added to the rear of the wax seal and flowers. The woodgrain card stock is from Lawn Fawn which I’ve had for ages, so that was used for the panel which the ribbon die could wrap around, then added to the white card base.

I find I am always a little late to try new ways of adding to my card making, but – like the hot foiling – this wax seal technique is going to be one of my favourites I think.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Color Throwdown – green, Kraft, blue

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge – anything goes

Ally’s Angels – anything goes

Allsorts – anything goes – option of the Bingo board not taken

Beautiful Blossoms – flowers

Love To Craft – anything goes

Get Well Wishes

Hello everyone. I created this card and finally managed to use the matching stencils for this background I had in my stash from a previous foiling session:

I have this foil plate and matching stencils for a while, and had foiled the panel quite a few months ago, but hadn’t got around to using it. I used the opportunity with the current colours for The Color Throwdown.

Onto the silver foiled panel, I used all the layering stencils, and the three Distress Ink pads you see in the photo. I set this aside and die cut the arch from another white panel, then used a Stampin’ Up embossing folder to create the texture on it.

I wanted it to be almost like a stained glass window.

I then adhered the ink blended panel behind the arch aperture, using 3D foam to stick them to a card base.

The sentiment is also from a previous foiling session.

The ink blending took most of the time creating this card, but the choosing of the colours to use was easier as I have just finished swatching all my Distress Inks and Distress Oxides, so I can easily flip through the swatches to choose the colours.

I also realised there are 3 colours of Distress Inks I don’t currently have – that will be amended in the next couple of days….!

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Color Throwdown – blush, dusty blue, pink

Inkspirational – more than one stencil

Crafts Galore – anything goes

Avenue 613 Create – anything goes – option of new beginnings – not taken

Stencil Fun – stencils – option of birds/birdhouses/bird feeders – not taken

Ally’s Angels – anything goes

Windows of Blue

Hello again. I have created a card I would like to share with you:

I was inspired by the blue and the window/shutters of the Inspired By challenge, and used the arch window die from The Greetery. I wanted the window pane section to be separate from the arch itself, so I first die cut the arch using a Simon Says Stamp arch die set, then die cut the window panes inside that. I then die cut the panes again in a lighter blue and pieced them back in. All the card stock is from Concord & 9th.

The background was created using a Spellbinders stencil and ink blending the two Distress Inks you see in the photo, keeping the darker blue towards the bottom.

Once this was adhered to the card base, I added the window with 3D foam, die cut the flowers, and added them for a pop of colour.

The flowers and sentiment strip are both from Spellbinders.

I also added some glittery gems from Pinkfresh Studio to the centre of the smaller cluster of flowers.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Inspired By – photo Inspiration

A Perfect Time To Craft – anything goes

Daisy Chain Challenge – no designer paper

The Crafty Addicts – anything goes

Ally’s Angels – anything goes

Warm Winter Wishes

Hello once again. I had some messy and inky play yesterday to create this card:

I first created the panel for the mug. I used a Simon Says Stamp snowflake stencil, and through that I put some Altenew paste onto water colour card. Whist that was drying, I took some Distress Heavy Kraft card stock, stamped and heat embossed the sentiment in white, then sprayed with Distress Oxides in two purple colours. Again – this was set aside to dry.

Once the white snowflake panel was dry, I took purple Distress Inks, and ink blended over the top. I wanted the snowflakes to catch the ink, but also to have some purple on the background for an almost grungy look, and to be able to see the pattern from the water colour card itself. I then die cut the mug shape using a Heffy Doodle die set.

The sentiment cup holder was wiped with a dry cloth to try and get the white sentiment back, then die cut. The top of the mug was also using some of the left-over pieces from the die cutting of the mug and the holder piece.

I wanted a snowflake background, so took a Simon Says Stamp embossing folder, and as I didn’t want it stark white, I ink blended the lighter purple Ditress Ink around the edges.

The background panel was glued directly onto the card base, and the mug attached with 3D foam.

I found some purple sequins and dotted them around as you see.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Allsorts – anything goes, option to make your own background taken

The Four Seasons Challenge – anything goes winter

Give A Crafter A Cookie – photo Inspiration

Ally’s Angels – anything goes

Mix It Up – anything goes – option to use more than one medium taken

Floral Boot Birthday

Hello. A chance to play today to create this card:

The die cuts on this card are from Spellbinder – a mix of different die sets – with card stock from Concord & 9th.

I used an embossing folder on a panel for the background, and adhered that flat to the card base.

I then took some purple and pink Concord & 9th card colours, and a green Spellbinders card for all the floral and foliage and set to the die cutting. Once everything was die cut, I assembled the layers, then arranged – finally – as you see. This usually takes me a while, but once I am happy, I take a snap shot, then use glue or foam dots to stick them all down.

I have tried using Press’n’seal to pick everything up once arranged, but that never works out for me……

The sentiment is a foiled strip from a previous foiling session.

To finish the flowers, I added some gems to the centre, then also added some clear/iridescent gems near the bottom.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Double D – birthday or anniversary

Color Throwdown – pink, purple, green

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

Aud Sentiments – make your own background and/or birthday and a sentiment

Unicorn Challenge – birthday

Daisy Chain Challenge – no designer paper

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

Ally’s Angels – anything goes

Christmas (or not) Bingo Challenge – Column G – pearls, die cuts, free

Make A Splash……

Hello once again. The Alphabet Challenge has reached the letter ‘U’, and Melanie has chosen the theme of ‘Under something‘. Think of under the sea, under the weather, under an umbrella etc. Here is my card:

I decided to break out several older products for this card.

The background blue piece is a water colour panel coloured with Brushos – I wet the piece down, sprinkled on the Brushos, move it around a little, then let it dry. I wanted a more even background colour with some darker little spots, and I also wanted the water colour card texture to come through too.

The images are from Lawn Fawn, coloured with Copics, then cut using the matching die set.

The sentiment is stamped onto the background panel instead of using a separate sentiment strip, to try and keep as much of the blue background as possible.

A little rainy and splashy scene with the cute Lawn Fawn images.

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

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Crafty Animals – anything goes with an animal

2 Critter Crazies – anything goes with a critter

Creative Inspiration – anything goes

Aud Sentiments – sentiment + make your own background and/or birthday

Daisy Chain challenge – no designer paper

The Crafty Addicts – anything goes

Mix It Up – anything goes – option of more than one medium taken (ink, Copics, Brushos)

Elephant Safari

Happy New Year to you all.
Cardz 4 Galz has started the new year with a challenge theme chosen by Dawn W. – ‘On safari. Here is my card:

The die set of the elephants are from Altenew, and when I saw them just before Christmas – I just had to have them. Aren’t they cute?

I used a lighter grey and a darker grey for the layers, but added a little shading with Distress Inks to the larger elephant on the layers at the back – the legs and the body, just for a little more dimension.

Once the layers were glued together, and some black gel pen added for the eyes, I searched through my designer paper stash for a suitable background paper, and found this from Spellbinders with some faint little hearts.

I matted that layer with black and a gold layer, which I also die cut the sentiment and it’s shadow layer from. The sentiment is from the Spellbinders Advent Calendar.

The hardest part about this was the arrangement of the elephants, and after playing around a little I thought the three of them arranged like this – as though they were waling towards you to say hello – would work best.

I hope you can come and join us with your ‘safari’ themed projects. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Ellibelle’s Corner – I Spy – something old and/or something new (new elephant die set, new sentiment die, old paper)

Crafty Animals – anything goes with an animal

2 Crafty Critter Crazies – anything goes with a critter

Die Cut Divas – dies cuts and never before used stuff (Altenew die set, sentiment die)

Moving Along With The Times – use a new craft item (Altenew die set, sentiment die)

Christmas Bingo – the ‘O’ column – layers, rectangle free

Holly and Berries

Happy New Year to you all. The ABC Christmas Challenge has started with their Christmas themed challenges. The first is A – anything goes Christmas, B – Berries. Here is my card:

So – pink………I know – but I love the way this looks…… I am not a pink girl in general, but I just thought I’d try this out.

The pink background is dry embossed using a Spellbinders embossing folder, then splattered with white and silver acrylic shimmer paint. Whilst this was drying, I die cut a previously created panel of green mica spray with the Hero Arts holly dies.

The holly was layered onto the pink background using glue for the bottom sprig, and 3D foam for the uppermost sprig.

For the berries, I chose some red sequins.

So many shimmer and shine elements, and then I added a foiled greeting strip too…

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

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Creative Inspiration – anything goes

Crafts Galore – anything goes

Daisy Chain – no designer paper

Ellibelle’s Corner – anything goes

The Crafty Addicts – anything goes

Love To Craft – anything goes

Merry Little Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Mix It Up Challenge – anything goes – option of mixed media taken – acrylic paint, foiling, mica sprays

Oh Joy…..

Hello everyone and a Happy New Year to you all…..

The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge has started their new challenge – the theme is always ‘anything goes Christmas’. Here is my card:

I decided it was time to use some products I had received as part of a virtual event last year. I hadn’t gone through the classes at all, so I am trying to use the products, even though I wasn’t following the actual classes.

The background is a Spellbinders embossing folder, and onto that I adhered the stitched oval which was layered three times, the top layer being the gold layer. I only attached the top half of the oval initially, as I knew I wanted to layer some foliage under it.

The bird is a layering stencil from the SCT class, die cut then stencil – easier to layer that way. I then sued a stencil for the holly and the pine cone, then used the matching dies for those.

The bird was attached first with 3D foam strategically placed, then the foliage elements inserted.

The foiled sentiment from Lawn Fawn was added, and then some gold sequins.

I hope you can come and join us, it would be great to see you in our gallery. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Ellibelle’s Corner – something old and/or something new (new layering stencils)

Crafty Animals – anything goes with an animal

2 Crafty Critter Crazies – anything goes with a critter

A Perfect Time To Craft – anything goes

Die Cut Divas – die cuts and never before used stuff

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

A DL/Slimline card with flowers

Hello everyone. I hope you have enjoyed the past few days in whichever way suited you.

Cardz 4 Galz has started a new challenge, Caz has chosen the theme of ‘A DL/Slimline card with flowers‘. Here is my card:

It wasn’t until one of my DT peeps asked what a DL card that I actually realised I didn’t know. I thought it was slimline, but Caz shared that it is ‘double length’……..you learn something new every day…….

I started with a white card base, and added a stitched gold layer, then added a previously gold stenciled panel. This is one of my favourite Spellbinder stencils, and I also have the glimmer plate as I love that diamond pattern – so versatile.

The florals are from Sue Wilson, an older die set, but I like the almost filigree pattern to them. The centres are the same gold card as the base layer, and I also added a gold gem on top.