die cutting

Guest Designer Creative Artiste Mixed Media

Hello there. I was thoroughly pleased and excited to be offered a chance to be Guest Designer at the new Creative Artiste Mixed Media Challenge, when THIS card was chosen as winner by their Design Team.

The theme is always ‘anything goes mixed media’. Here is my creation:

I started by creating the background by using a snowflake stencil from Funky Fossil and Distress Texture paste in ‘Sparkle’. This set off to one side to dry and I then moved to creating some panels with Colorsparx watercolour powders in red and green – these were then set to dry, and for the other foliage, I created some panels using Distress Inks and Distress Mica sprays.

I already had an ink smooshed panel of lighter brown and dark splatters which I dug out ready to use.

Once all the panels were dry, I used Tim Holtz ‘Holiday Brushstroke 3‘ die set for the poinsettia and leaves, Spellbinders gold card stock for the centre of the poinsettia, and Sizzix ‘Buds and Branches‘ for the other foliage. The layers of the poinsettia glued together, and the edges with a Brutus Monroe Tricolour ink pad for more shadow.

The snowflake panel a was adhered to a square card base, and the floral and foliage images around to my satisfaction then attached with either 3D foam pieces or glue.

Some snow effect was added splattering Liquitex acrylic iridescent ink in white and gold, a foiled sentiment attached, and then some Pinkfresh Studio ombre glitter drops – I do like sparkly gems.

I absolutely loved creating this project. Mixed media is quite scary for me, but I have found that if I just go with my gut – it usually turns out reasonably good.

I hope you can have a go yourself and join the challenge this time round. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Try It In Tuesday – traditional Christmas

Ally’s Angels – anything goes

Crafty Gals Corner – anything goes – option of three or more layers taken

Beautiful Blossoms – florals

Love To Craft – anything goes

Ellibelle’s Corner I Spy – something for Christmas

My Favourite Colours

Hello again. Cardz 4 Galz has started a new challenge. Johanna has chosen the theme of:

Your Favourite Colour Combination

Here is my card:

As you know, I like to make cards with florals, and the best way to showcase my favourite colours was by using the Concord & 9th ‘Party Hats Inlay’ die. These colours are what I tend to use when I make floral cards using die cuts.

I have made a couple of cards previously using the inlay dies and this was just as fun – fiddly, but fun.

I used the die on all of the colours you can see – pink, dark green, light green, yellow, purple, lilac, and I did use some ‘Press’N’Seal’ to try and keep the pieces under control.

To be able to inlay the pieces a little quicker, I used a white A2 card base, and added double sided sticky sheet to it, placed the background die cut panel on there, then started inlaying.

The sentiment is from a package of Pinkfresh Studio pre-foiled sentiments.

This green one is my favourite of all I created – but here are the rest:

I hope you can come and join us by creating a project using your favourite colour combination. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Avenue 613 Create – anything goes – option of ‘thanks’ not taken

Here Is A Place To Start – anything goes option of thanks not taken

Paper Funday – anything goes – option of tags not taken

Fab’n’Funky – dies or punches

Ally’s Angels – anything goes

Crafty Gals Corner – anything goes with option of three or more layers

Mix It Up – anything goes – option of paper piecing

Love To Craft – anything goes

Thinking Of You

I had more time to use some new products from Altenew yesterday:

The image is a combination of an embossing folder and layering stencils to colour the image. I tried a couple of ways of doing this – stencilling first then embossing, but for this version I used the embossing folder first, then used the stencils to colour. I liked how the embossing enabled some colour variation within the leaves themselves.

The leaves were ink blended with pink, and the Pinkfresh Studio frame was die cut using a teal card stock. The panel and frame were layered onto a white card base, the foiled sentiment added, and three silver Pinkfresh Studio silver gems also added for a little bling.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Color Hues – Pink and Aqua

Creative Fingers – anything goes

A Perfect Time To Craft – anything goes

CYHTP – embossing folder – option of winter fun not taken

Season’s Greetings

Hello once again. Here is another card created during my previous crafting session:

The card base was created using the same colour card stock as the background panel – I forget which particular colour it is, but it is from Concord & 9th.

The background panel was run through my die cutting machine with the ‘Holiday Diamond‘ cover plate – a product from the recent Pinkfresh Studio ‘Create and Connect‘ online event. As you can see, this cover plate cuts out some trees and some stars, as well as having a diamond pierced detail

I then took a piece of Spellbinders gold card stock, and a Pinkfresh Studio frame die to create the frame, and the piece that came from the middle of that I placed behind the panel so the gold shone through the trees and stars.

The frame was attached with strips of 3D foam to create dimension.

I then took a piece of dark teal – Concord & 9th card stock – and used a stamp from another recent event through ‘Online Card Classes’ also Concord & 9th, and heat embossed using a Taylored Expressions gold sparkly embossing powder.

This tree was then die cut, and I layered that with another couple of die cuts for stability, and attached that with 3D foam pieces.

The sentiment was also heat embossed with the same embossing powder, and a star from a Spellbinders die set, was added at the top of the tree.

Some gold facetted gems for the centre of the snowflakes and the centre of the star were the final touches.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Sparkles Forum Christmas – Christmas and Snowflakes

Aud Sentiments – glitter and/or Christmas and a sentiment

Die Cut Divas – any holiday in the year

12 Months Of Christmas – anything goes Christmas – option of stitched up

Ally’s Angels – anything goes

Mix It Up – anything goes, option of paper piecing not taken

Love To Craft – anything goes

Merry Little Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Christmas Florals

I have been creating again, here is my latest:

It seems I am quite into using teal at the moment….. :)

The background panel is a dark teal, and embossed using a Spellbinders embossing, the panel cut down slightly.

The silver glitter frame was cut using a couple of Pinkfresh Studio dies and Pinkfresh Studio glitter card stock, then added with 3D foam strips.

The sentiment is from Concord & 9th, part of the recent Online Card Classes virtual event, a lighter teal shadow layer, and he white sentiment.

The florals are from Spellbinders, using an even lighter teal for the branches and stems, and red card stock for the poinsettias and the smaller flowers. I arranged these as you see, using a combination of wet glue and 3D foam pieces.

Some silver facetted gems to complete – the centre of the poinsettias, and three more around the sentiment.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge – emboss it

Try It On Tuesday – sparkle

Peace On Earth – anything goes Christmas

A Perfect Time To Craft – anything goes

A Cut Above – die cuts, option to ‘warm it up’ not taken

Craft Rocket – Christmas and/or Winter

Aud Sentiments – glitter and/or Christmas and a sentiment

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

Beautiful Blossoms – florals

Teal and Silver Christmas

Hello again. I have a card to share created during the snowy and cold weather snap we are having here in the UK. A lot of time spent in my craft room this past couple of days.

I started with a darker teal background panel from Concord & 9th, and ink blended slightly around the edges to create a central halo effect.

Whilst this was drying, I then took some snowflakes and die cut them from white glitter card stock several times, these were then adhered haphazardly to the dark teal panel using wet glue. I went over the edges with them, and when those extra pieces were snipped off, I found small places to add them too – not much wasted here.

The sentiment was die cut from silver glitter card stock, added to an even darker teal shadow layer, then attached to the snowflake panel with 3d foam.

I decided more bling was needed, so I used some facetted silver gems for the centre of the snowflakes, and smaller ones dotted here and there around the background.

It was difficult to capture all the glitter and shine with a photo, but it really is sparkly in real life.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

52 Christmas Card Throwdown – Christmas and sparkle

Try It On Tuesday – sparkle

Creative Fingers – anything goes

MAWTT – sparkle

A Perfect Time To Craft – anything goes

A Cut Above – die cuts – option ‘warm it up’ not taken

Craft Rocket – Christmas and/or Winter

Be Merry

Hello everyone. I wanted a little messy play today, so created this mixed media card:

There are times when I do want to get my fingers dirty, and times when I don’t mind waiting for things to dry. This card took me a couple of days to create for that reason – drying time.

I started with the background panel and applied some white gesso. I then used a couple of Distress Sprays – Peeled Paint and Weathered Wood, also adding extra water and let them flow around. Not to cover every inch of the background, just to add some colour.

I dried this with the heat gun, then took some Nuvo Glacier paste and a spatula and smeared it around. No rhyme or reason, and leaving some chunkier areas. I also used a snowflake stencil and applied some ink through that for the larger background snowflake, another stencil and added some gold and some silver glitter paste dots. Mores mearing with glitter paste on top of all this, then more splatters of teal ink.

Whilst this panel was drying I turned to the die cuts. The poinsettia leaves were cut using purple card stock, and several layered together to give a fuller flower, then silver glitter paste spread across the leaves for shimmer and shine.

The leaves are actually a snow flake die – the large Snowflake Card Creator. The leaves are actually a snowflake die – the large snowflake card creator from Spellbinders/Bibi Cameron. This die was used on a dark teal card stock, then some glitter paste dragged across the whole thing whilst before the die cut was removed.

To create the finished panel – which I did the following day, allowing everything to dry fully – I added the large snowflake to the top left corner with collage medium. The poinsettia leaves were plumped and shaped a little, then added with collage medium again. When the glue had dried, I cut the snowflake arms which were sticking off the edge.

The final touches were some gold glitter to the centre of the flower, and a foiled sentiment from Lawn Fawn.

I created a few more panels using most of the same products and colours, just slight variations:

As you all probably know by now, I don’t have a particular style for my cards. I’ll have a go at most things – but I do gravitate towards die cutting and perhaps embossing folders more than anything else – these were fun…. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Krafty Chicks – Christmas

52 Christmas Card Throwdown – Christmas and sparkle

Tuesday Taggers – sparkle

Addicted to Stamps and More – make your mark

Creative Artiste Mixed Media – anything goes mixed media

We Love 2 Create – anything goes mixed media

MAWTT – sparkle

Gingerbread Collage

Hello once again. Using the Waffle Flower ‘Gingerbread Collage‘ stencil, I created this card:

I first used the collage die then placed the die cut on my sticky mat. Each stencil was used, and Pinkfresh Studio inks. I decided to use tones of brown with a teal contrast colour, and a pink background for each portion.

Once ink blended, I added a matching brown panel behind, then attached to a white A2 card base.

I can see that this could be one of my batch-making cards – an enjoyable process and quite quick to put together.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Jingle Belles Rock – Christmas Feast – holiday sweets and treats

Krafty Chicks – Christmas

Peace On Earth – anything goes Christmas

A Perfect Time To Craft – anything goes

Creative Inspiration – anything goes

Die Cut Divas – any holiday in the year

12 Months Of Christmas – anything goes Christmas – option of ‘stitched up’ not taken

Merry Little Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Eat, Drink, and Be Merry

Hello everyone. I am back from a few nights in gloriously sunny Tenerife – hubby and I decided to have a short break away. Fabulous time – but back from 24 degree temperatures to the UK forecast saying a little snow on the way here….

Here is a card I created using some products from several companies:

The background panel – cut slightly smaller than the A2 card base – was hot foiled using a Lawn Fawn hot foil plate and Spellbinders rainbow stripe foil. I liked the variety of the colours for the snowflakes. This was adhered flat to the card base.

The dies are from Spellbinders ‘Merry Mug‘ die set. I used Pinkfresh Studio gold glitter card stock for the stars, and the other die cuts using card from my stash from Heffy Doodle, Pink Frog, and some unbranded.

The mug was die cut from two different shades of teal to create a darker piece behind, and the front panel raised with low 3D foam pieces so I could tuck things down.

The candy cane from white glitter card stock, then the red pieces adhered on top – that was a challenge, getting the red to stick to the glitter – patience is not my forte….

I flued the mug flat to the foiled piece, then played around with the other elements, adding the marshmallows and the chocolate pieces haphazardly into the top of the mug.

The last thing to be added was the foiled sentiment – I chose a black strip foiled with silver for a striking contrast.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Jungle Belles Rock – Christmas Feast – sweets and treats

MAWTT – Sparkle

Crafty Calendar – anything goes

Craft Rocket – Christmas and/or Winter

Sparkles Forum Christmas – Christmas and snowflakes

Inspiration Station – photo inspiration – inspired by the hot decadent drink

Love To Craft – anything goes

Merry Little Christmas Challenge – Christmas anything goes

Thanks So Much

Hello once again. Cardz 4 Galz has started a new challenge. Dawn has chosen the theme of:

Add Texture

Here is my card:

I used a couple of die sets from Spellbinders to create the floral elements. One way to add texture is to layer things up – there are lots of layers on these floral and leaf images.

The second way I added texture was by using an embossing folder.

The background panel was created using a deep purple card stock, then I took a piece of white cut down slightly, then another piece of the purple and ran them through my die-cutting machine at the same time – one piece of top of the other. That way, both pieces are embossed, and the pattern runs continuously across both pieces.

These were adhered down, the the floral elements added, extra little flowers and leaves placed where I thought they were needed.

For more texture, I added Pinkfresh gems to the centre of some of the flowers.

The foiled sentiment was added at the end.

I hope you can come and join us with your creations highlighting and featured texture. xx