Die-cutting

A White Daisy

Hi there. I hope you are all well. I was lucky to obtain the new ink cubes and card stock from Concord & 9th when it was first released over here in the UK.

This card features just the card stock – all die cutting – mixing the three Concord & 9th ‘Fresh Cut Florals‘ die sets for several challenges:

A close friend of mine has a birthday on 11th August, so this card was made withe her in mind. I knew I could go a little more dimensional as I could take it to her so I wasn’t worried about giving the daisy a little bit of dimension and life – whilst still keeping the look CAS.

She has been shielding since March, so I haven’t seen her – though we have kept in contact. Her family has been doing the shopping etc. It’s only recently that people who have been shielding have been ‘let out’ of the house. I’ll be picking up some real flowers and maybe a little treat as well.

After die-cutting the three sets a dies a few times in the blue, white, marmalade and red pieces of card, I then played with the colours of each element. I knew the white daisy was going to take centre stage, but the other elements were moved and changed around until I had the layout you see above.

I have some huge white daisy in our garden which were also an inspiration:

I didn’t ink the leaves of the daisy – just clean lines and colours. I looked for a sentiment – and I have a lot of them – but in the end I decided to put the sentiment on the inside to keep the outside kinda ‘pure’.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Color Throwdown – red, coral, blue, white

Watercooler Challenge – atg with feminine twist

Simply Less Is More – CAS Summer Flowers

Give a Crafter a Cookie – photo Inspiration (white flowers)

Clean and Simple On Sunday – CAS Nature

For your blog

Joy Wreath dies

Hello there. Having time to craft today, I started off with one project – and came up with this one. Does that happen to anyone else?

It’s only a few more days until I begin my first challenge as Design Team member for the ABC Christmas Challenge, but in the meantime I have this card for you:

I was looking for some holly stamps – for some reason I don’t have many that I could put my hands on – then I remembered my Catherine Pooler ‘box’. I have a whole storage box where I put my Catherine Pooler stamps and dies – there is a bunch of stamps I’ve never used, and I came across this die set from the Winterhaven collection.

As I’ve mentioned before, I’m learning all about alcohol markers – Spectrum Illustrators and Copics. I recently bought some Copics from Ebay – and I really, really see the attraction. What amazing pens these are – totally fallen for them. And – I think I’ve developed a ‘full set’ syndrome……help me now!

I’ve been doing a little internet searching and currently reading all about Copics from the Copic Marker Tutorial page, and the Kit and Clowder tutorials. Still not feeling relaxed and chilled when colouring, but enjoying the process of learning.

This card is made from the die cut wreath, with the individual parts coloured simply with Copics, and adhered to the card base.

The sentiment is cut from a Copic coloured piece of card, with several layers underneath for just that little dimension.

I may have to return to my craft room to complete the project I was initially going to do – I think I can manage that. 🙂 🙂

I shall be entering this card into the following challenges:

Stamplorations CAS card challenge – CAS with option to use green

CASology – CAS Holly

Christmas Duo

I have two cards to share today, as I had time to craft yesterday. This morning I put in the final touches. The first card is using the colours from Color Throwdown:

As you can see, I took some craft card and stamped my newly arrived, new release ‘Snowflake Serenade‘ stamp set from Uniko. This stamp is quite large and winds around, so I stamped it a couple of times off the page, and added some extra snowflakes – all stamped and heat embossed with Wow! white embossing powder. 

I coloured the holly leaves using a green Copic marker and arranged as you see. The sentiment is also from that same stamp set.

I shall be entering this card into the following challenges:

Color Throwdown – red,green, Kraft, white

The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

This is the second card:

I think I’m getting the hang of scene cards now – with the elements at least – and really enjoy colouring little images and playing with their placement on the card base.

I don’t play too much with the actual background, but also seem to be addicted to the Lawn Fawn ‘Stitched Hillside Backdrop‘ dies…..they are really, really useful in this kind of card……….I may have to put them away shortly – but I am enjoying using them too much! I still like the look that embossing the blank cut-out piece to add some background dimension gives, too. This time I used a little folder which gave some distressed lines.

The penguins and snowman are from Heffy Doodle ‘Wanna build a snowman‘ stamp and die set – yet another I am loving using this year. I am using this stamp and die set to create a bunch of cards for my work friends and colleagues. 

This card will be entered into the following challenges: 

Watercooler Challenges – occasions

Addicted to stamps and More – make your mark

Lil red Wagon – black and white and one colour

Alphabet challenge – ‘S’ for Season’s Greetings

Gold and Blue birthday

Hi there. I have another floral card to share to day, but as I still had some black card-stock out from the card posted yesterday, I decided to keep going with the black and gold theme – but also added a few shades of blue.

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I stamped a Stamps By Me floral stamp onto water-colour card, and heat embossed in gold. Using my Zigs, and very little water, I coloured as you see, keeping the colours vibrant. The gold embossing resisted the colouring, and it also let me know the main places for the darker shades of blue.

I then used the matching die – one solid die, so quite difficult to place over the image centrally – maybe I;ll die cut first next time, or even emboss around first……hmmm – I think a little playing is coming on….. and then stuck this down onto some black card.

The frame is die cut using two sizes of Sue Wilson’s stitched rectangles. The sentiment is heat embossed in gold, and is from MFT.

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20180717_145924I tried to get some shine coming through in the photographs, but it has been quite dull here, even though warm.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Watercooler Challenges – masculine

Allsorts Challenge – flowers

Inkspirational – birthday

 

Just add a ‘T’….

Hello again. I have been using one of my products bought at the Doncaster show last weekend. I say one product……..there will be more coming up!

This is from a stamp and die set from Stamps By Me:

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A completely different card to my most recent colourful cards – I think I channeled my monochrome inner-self.

The big letter ‘T’ is die cut, then heat embossed using Creative Expressions detail gold embossing powder. I then separately die cut and stamped the leaves, then yet another layer for the flower.

These sets are made so the flowers and leaves can be stamped and added to the letter separately, probably in floral colours……..but I stuck with black and gold.

I then took a piece of black card and embossed with a folder I haven’t seen for years – until I found it when sorting my craft stash out. It looks like a distressed stripey thingy background, and actually brings to mind the Altenew die and stamps.

Another black piece of card, and I stamped around the edge using a Tonic Nuvo clear embossing pad. I needed some more Ranger Perfect Medium, but thought I would buy this Tonic Nuvo pad. I am liking it – very juicy!

Once I had stamped around the edge of the card, I used the same gold embossing powder – to keep all the gold the same colour – so that I could use it as a layer.

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I also found some black foam dimensionals too – no idea where I got those – so from the side it doesn’t look too white and glaring with the layers.

I shall be entering the current challenge at Just Add Ink with the theme ‘add a ‘T”……do you think this ‘T’ is big and obvious enough?!

 

sweet machine

20180225_165829Hi there. After attending the Uniko stamping retreat yesterday (Saturday) in Stockton-On-Tees, I was a little inked and stamped out. I had so many thoughts and ideas going through my head using their new release stamps and stencils – I just didn’t know where to being to play today.
So – I didn’t. I went with die-cutting to give my little brain a rest……or so I thought! This card is inspired by the current challenge from Pinspirational. I used some of the inspiration from the photo, but you can see I went my own way.

The Candy Machine is from a Sue Wilson die I have had for ages – and not used. I didn’t want to do the full dimensional working candy machine, at this point, and went for a flatter look.

Once I had die cut the candy machine, and die cut it out of the centre of the light blue background – which is inspired from the light blue background of the inspiration photo – I embossed the blue card with Sue Wilson’s ‘Checkboard’ embossing folder, which is a ‘pin point’ folder, meaning different embossing levels, and faux pierced effects.

I thought white card behind the machine was a little too stark, so I die cut the candy machine outline out of vellum, and stuck that down. I then stamped the sentiment on a circular piece of vellum, heat embossed with black, and stuck that down.

My original candy machine was out of the blue shiny card, if you remember, but it all looked a little…….well, boring. So – out came some vibrant red card, which tied even further into the inspiration photo, and stuck that down. The two glimmer card pieces are for little extra.

I started by thinking this was going to be easier to do than playing with my Uniko new stash – but in fact it created a whole load of issues itself. It wasn’t easier – just different.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Pinspirational – inspiration photo

QKR Stampede – anything goes

 

 

 

 

 

 

Friends

20180218_203048Hi everyone. I have moved away from the florals for a little while….for this card, anyway. I was inspired by the current challenge fro CASology, and as I had a delivery from Clearly Besotted this week, which included these cheeky monkeys…….off I went.

I know that many people are thinking Valentines at the moment, but I tend to buck the trend and think of other ways of ‘together’. This card is an homage to my best friend, and the sentiment taken from an Altenew stamp set just fits the bill nicely.

We are crazy when we are together, yet professional and somewhat calmer during our work time. In fact we hardly see each other at work, even when we worked within the same department. Which made it all the more special when we went away for a night or two. We are going away for the Uniko retreat this coming Saturday (24th), as we had so much lovely crafting time last time, we just had to! (Even though my bestie isn’t really a crafty card maker……..she just comes with me for the craic!)

So, this card….the images stamped in Versafine black onyx and heat embossed with clear embossing powder. I actually stamped quite a few of them, as I didn’t know which of the images I wanted to use, and I didn’t know which colouring medium I would prefer.

I coloured some with my Zigs – the ones I used – and some with my Polychromos, then some with some Crafters Companion pencils. I then die cut them, arranged them on the card – fiddling several times – then added with 3D foam.

20180218_203102_001The sentiment is stamped in Versafine black onyx again, but not heat embossed. One thing I always seem to do – add the sentiment last, even when the card is complete except for the sentiment. How about if it stamped wrong?! I do like to live on the edge…..

 

 

Pink and Sparkly Congratulations

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What a busy few days I’ve had, with no time to post to my blog. I  have been making up for it today with Christmas cards, and this sparkly little number. Here are some more photos of the sparklyness…..

There are several reasons for making this card, the main one being that a couple of friends of ours are coming round this evening for a Chinese Take-away, and bringing their new daughter. Well, I say new daughter – would September 1st baby still be classed as new? I think so……..

I couldn’t very well not make a card for them, when I make cards all the time, but I was wondering about which style to use. If it is something like Christmas and celebrations, then I tend to turn to my Sue Wilson dies, and my glittery card stock, and have at it! I also tend to do bigger cards, and add loads of die cuts, which means I have to put them in a box, as they won’t fit in an envelope.

I can make my own boxes, but when I have pre-cut cards, then I use pre-cut boxes. Saves a lot of time, especially when you don’t want to do anything much to the outside of the box.

So – this card . Colours – pink and sparkly – was inspired by the current Card Concept challenge. I know that many people are making Christmas cards, but I went with the new baby card for my friends, but inspired by the colour scheme from this challenge.

The glittery card stock is from Stampin Up – and boy does that shed glitter!!!! – and the other pink card is Foundations Card from Creative Expressions.

The main larger layers I just measured and cut with my Cutterpillar, but used Sue Wilson dies for all the die cutting – debossed square, frilly oval, two inner ovals, and even the three beaded swirl additions.

The sentiment is actually from the Altenew stamp set – ‘Baby Zoo – a recent and long-awaited purchase from Seven Hills Crafts. I don’t really make ‘baby’ cards, and tend to make do with what I have but when I saw what my sister did with this stamp set, I waited for the stock to be replenished at Seven Hills so I could order it.

Challenges I will be entering:

The Card Concept – photo inspiration

Time Out Challenges –  word inspiration (used a twist on celebrate)

Try it on Tuesday – colourful – no or little white areas

Crafty Gals Corner – use your dies

 

White on white

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20171113_200506Hello everyone. Well, isn’t this card different to my recent past cards? This card is all about die-cutting, and not using colours.

I made this card for the challenges which were for white on white, and as I am trying to make Christmas cards, I turned to my trusty and always useable Sue Wilson dies.

I have always been a fan of hers, and this particular angel is my bestest and most favourite ever – she is the 2014 angel. I have another couple of Sue Wilson’s Christmas angels, but this is certainly my favourite. She always looks beautiful and effective, whatever you cut her with, and whatever you put around her – well, I think so, anyway.

I used Centura Pearl for this card, and whilst the card is white, there is a hint of silver in there. I must admit that I had to run her through my die-cutting machine several times to get everything cut well, as Centura Pearl is quite a thick and coated card. As I was using my electronic Big Shot – not a problem. Unless you count moving your finger from one side of the button to the other for reversing direction a particularly arduous task!!!!

For the rectangular layers I used another Sue Wilson die set – Shadow Box Collection – Stitched Lattice Frames. Only using the frames, and not the lattice. I did try the lattice, but my angel got lost when I put her on it, so I kept the card behind her plain.

After I had cut her out, I removed her from the die, to realise that all of the little pieces in her skirt had stayed in place. Realising what a great look this was – I am quick sometimes, you know – I removed the small pieces from her wings, then quickly sprayed the back of her with glue and stuck her down. Phew. Once I decided to do that I was quite nervous every time I had to pick her up, in case some of them dropped out.

The greeting is an X-cut die cut, and the little dove – from the same Sue Wilson 2014 Angel set – is raised on a foam piece for some more interest and dimension.

I shall be entering this into the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge – Snow White

The Paper Players – White on White

Crimbo Crackers – anything goes Christmas

 

 

Wild Flowers

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Hi everyone. I wanted to post a quick card this evening, so I attacked my Catherine Pooler stamps, inks, and matching dies. I wanted to use the colours from the Color Throwdown challenge, and as the challenge was to use green, Kraft, and white, I wanted the green to be a bright and vivid green against the other two colours.

‘Grass Skirt’ from Catherine Pooler fits the bill nicely, showing against the Kraft really well, and I am pleased how this turned out.

I stamped the ‘Wild Flower’  stamps in the green, die cut them, and added them to a Kraft piece of card cut with my wonky rectangles. This particular Kraft card is a little textured, certainly not smooth. So this added a very muted feature and detail to the base of the card.

I added that to a white base card, and stopped there. I didn’t add a sentiment, and I am quite liking cards with no sentiments at the moment. They can either be added later, or these cards would be ideal to write a little note inside for any reason at all…….

I shall be entering this card into the following challenges:

Color Throwdown – Green, Kraft, White

Aud Sentiments challenge – no sentiment on front

Craftaholics R Us – die cuts

House Of Cards challenge – floral images and/or colours (floral)