die cutting

Joyeux Noel

Hello once again. The new challenge at The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge has started. Kate has taken over the helm for this challenge. Here is my card:

The background was created by die cutting a Pinkfresh Studio cover plate and adhering that to a brushed gold panel.

Now onto the main image – lots and lots of die cutting, piecing those itty bitty pieces together – and watching YouTube to figure out how to make her dance:

It’s actually quite an easy and simple idea to be able to create the ‘dancing’ and movement – ingenious if you ask me,

The dies are from Spellbinders, and cut using a mixture of patterned paper, black glitter foam, and gold.

I added the foiled sentiment, and also added some small gold gems to the centre of each snowflake.

I hope you can come and join us with your Christmas creations – anything goes Christmas. I look forward to seeing you in our gallery. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

12 Months of Christmas – anything goes Christmas – option not taken

Jingle Belles Rock – Christmas and no stamping

Beyond The Blue – interactive

CRAFT Challenge – Christmas

Christmas Craft Creations – Christmas and no stamping

Merry Little Christmas challenge – atg Christmas

I’m Here For You….

Hello. I spent some time in my craft room yesterday and created this card:

I wanted to use this cute little duck from Spellbinders, so I die cut all the elements from some new colours from Concord & 9th.

The background was created using a stencil from Clearly Besotted, ink blending the umbrellas with Salvaged Patina Distress Ink, then stencilling some Ranger glitter paste on top of the umbrellas. Putting that aside to dry, I searched through the Color My Life app for a suitable sentiment, and this came up from Simon Says Stamp on one of their butterfly sets.

I stamped that in Versafine black onyx, and arranged everything onto the card base.

I felt the card needed something else, so I also die cut the umbrella from another Spellbinders set, and added that – thank goodness I didn’t glue the wing down completely on the duck – I was able to slot it in behind.

I feel that this little duck may be making some further appearances on my blog posts…..

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Allsorts – anything goes

Crafty Animals – anything goes with an animal

FarmQuest – rain gear

Crafters Café – animals

Sparkles Forum – things with wings

Ellibelle’s Corner I Spy – things with wings

Floral Birthday Border

Hello. I attended the online Spellbinders Glimmer class this past weekend, and played with foiling – with just about every plate and sentiment set I had. I was glimmering for absolutely hours. Once I got the hang of it – I just kept foiling. Here is a card created with a foil plate from Pinkfresh Studio:

I had foiled the plate onto a white panel, then I used the matching stencils in Pinkfresh pink and lime green inks. I just stencilled harder with the same pink to create some variation, and added extra lime green to the base of some of the leaves.

I didn’t blend the centre of the flowers, but added some gold dots with a metallic gold paint marker from Spectrum Noir. I had bought them to use when I was doing the wax seals and highlighting the image – yet another kit I haven’t really played with yet……!

Once the blended panel was dry, I die cut the border with the matching die set, and added two more die cut layers in plain white for stability.

I thought the centre of the border was a little plain, so I dry embossed a stencil and inserted that embossed ‘off cut’ to create more interest in the centre.

The sentiment is also from my foiling sessions, added with some 3D foam strips, and I searched my stash for some pink and lime green sequins, and added them as you see.

I’m afraid I have become addicted to foiling – you are definitely going to see more of that in my future posts…..beware!

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Crafty Catz – anything goes, option of lace, ribbon or twine not taken

Allsorts – anything goes option add embellishments – taken

Color Throwdown – pink, lime green, white

Here Is A Place To start – anything goes option of flowers and one other thing taken (+ sequins)

Get Creative – flowers

Double D Challenge – flowers

Christmas Scene

Hello once again. The new challenge at The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge has now started. Here is my card:

The back panel is from Pinkfresh Studio, and layered with Spellbinders gold card stock to allow the gold to shine through the edge detail.

The images are from The Greetery, a layering stamp set, and then die cut with their matching dies.

The elements were attached with a mixture of 3D foam and glue, and then the sentiment banner placed across the top of the scene.

Some gold sequins added for even more bling and shine, though I think the overall look is quite clean.

I’m looking forward to seeing your Christmas/festive makes in our gallery. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Peace On Earth Christmas – anything goes Christmas

Creative Inspiration – anything goes

Most Magical Time Of The Year – anything goes Christmas or Halloween

Christmas Crafts All Year Round – Christmas and five of something of lots of gold (gold)

12 Months of Christmas – anything goes Christmas

Merry Little Christmas – Christmas anything goes

Mistletoe Kisses

Hello there. ABC Christmas Challenge has reached the letters ‘J‘ and ‘K‘, and we want to see your Christmas/Festive creations with ‘J’ for Jingle Bells, and/or ‘K’ for Kisses (under the mistletoe)’. Here is my card:

I have some slimline card bases in this gorgeous dark blue and never think to use them – so I grabbed one, and embossed the front half with a Spellbinders embossing folder.

The birds, bird house, and all the floral elements were die cut and assembled, and the hardest part was deciding on where each of the elements were to go. Thank goodness I went for slimline so I could get everything on there.

I’m looking forward to seeing your Christmas/Festive makes following our themes. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Beautiful Blossoms – anything goes flowers/florals

Sparkles Forum – emboss it

Fab’n’Funky – things with wings

Creative Fingers – anything goes

2 Crafty Critter Crazies – anything goes with a critter

Most Magical Time Of The Year – anything goes Christmas or Halloween

12 Months of Christmas – anything goes Christmas – option Christmas Decorations not taken

Merry Little Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

You Had Me At Meow….

Hello once again. The Alphabet Challenge has reached the letter ‘C’, and Helen has chosen the theme of ‘CATS’. I am currently ‘owned’ by four cats, but rarely seem to make cards with cats……. Here is my card:

The background panel is patterned paper – a subtle one as I wanted everything else on there to be bright and cheerful.

The main sentiment is from Time For Tea Designs, die cut in the bright pink with the white shadow layer, and attached with 3D foam.

The cats are from a Tim Holtz die set, the die set aptly called ‘Mischievous’, and I chose the three cats which I would be able to intertwine around the sentiment – again in bright and cheerful colours.

The hardest part about creating this card was choosing the colours. I wanted bright, cheerful and fun colours, which I think I achieved.

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

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

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

2 Crafty Critter Crazies – anything goes with a critter

Crafty Animals – anything goes with an animal

A Perfect Time To Craft – anything goes

Crafts Galore – anything goes

You Are Amazing….

Cardz 4 Galz has started a new challenge. Sue J has chosen the theme of Mother’s Day (US) or flowers for a friend. I went with flowers for a friend:

Onto a white card base I added a die cut layer from a Pinkfresh Studio die set to create the interest around the edges.

The main image was stamped and gold heat embossed, and the layering stencils used, including the one which allows you to colour the background behind the flowers. I then took a smaller die from the same Pinkfresh set and die cut that panel, and added it to the layers on the card base.

I added a foiled sentiment and some gold gems for more interest.

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

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Allsorts – anything goes – option one for the girls

Make My Monday – flowers

Cupcake Inspirations – Mother’s Day of someone special feminine

Beautiful Blossoms – anything goes flowers/florals

Ellibelle’s I Spy – April Showers or May Flowers

Stencil Fun – stencils and option of flowers

Birthday Peony

Hello. I have a card to share using some die sets from Honey Bee Stamps:

I wanted to use the three colours for the current Color Throwdown Challenge and was stumped. I mentioned the colours to a friend of mine, and she instantly said ‘peony’…….I searched the Color My Life app for what peony items I had (quiet a few actually) and this die set just spoke to me.

I ink blended a panel of Distress White Heavystock with Spun Sugar Distress Ink – keeping it quite light, and not being too perfect – and die cut the leaf from that due set twice.

On another panel I die cut the flower layers first, then ink blended the Tattered Rose Distress Ink afterwards – I wanted to vary how strong, how blended, and how smooth I wanted the blending to be, depending on which part of the flower showed when all layered together.

I die cut three of the ‘Lovely Layers Heart Vine’ outlines and arranged them behind the rose and leaves:

Once I had the placement I wanted, I used some ‘Press’n’seal’ to pick the whole arrangement up and attach 3D foam to the back, and then stick down. The leaves were not stuck down any other way and left loose to give even more dimension.

I stamped the sentiment then used the matching die to cut it out, and arranged as you see.

I also added some enamel dots to the top right corner.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Color Throwdown – blush, dusty rose, white

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge – make your mark

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge – anything goes

Krafty Chicks – occasions

Make My Monday – flowers

Black and White Hug

The Alphabet Challenge has started a new challenge, and as we have reached the letter ‘B’, Veronica has chosen the theme of ‘Black and White’. Here is my card:

The base panel is embossed using a Spellbinders embossing folder – a lovely deep impression of all those flowers.

Into the centre I attached a die cut circle = also from Spellbinders, and part of the Maker Mania 5 kit we received. I layered that with couple of other circles – alternating black and white, then added sentiment.

The butterflies were stamped and die cut and added as you see.

I also added some faceted black gems in the four corners.

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

I shall be entering the following challenges:

2 Crafty Critter Crazies – anything goes with a critter

A Perfect Time To Craft – anything goes

Crafts Galore – anything goes

Country View Challenge – things with wings

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

Ready to do some gardening…..?

Hello. I have a CAS card to share today, using an older Sizzix die set:

I searched the tags in the ‘Color My Life’ app for any of my products with ‘garden’. Quite a few came up – I use tags a lot – and this older Sizzix die set came up. I am sure many of us are preparing and planning our gardens at this time of year – what to plant and where – and as I was searching for our wheelbarrow a few days ago, this die set seemed to speak to me.

I used a selection of different coloured card stock for the pots and watering can, with a silver framed wheelbarrow. The sentiment if from Spellbinders.

I was going to attach the die cuts to the base card, but I felt it needed a little something behind it, so I ink blended some blue that was left on my blending brush, then ink blended again using a stencil for some darker areas.