DT card

ABC Christmas Challenge – J and K

Hello everyone. The ABC Christmas Challenge has reached the letters ‘J’ and ‘K’, and we want to see your Christmas creations featuring the following themes:

J is for Jesus

K is for Kings

Here are my cards:

I was really stumped by these themes, I don’t have very much in the way of traditional Christmas, except for some Tim Holtz products.

I used a Tim Holtz die for the three wise men, layered a couple of times, and adhered it to an ink blended background panel.

The Jesus themed card took a little longer to sort out. I eventually found an SVG file which I bought and downloaded to my Scan’n’cut. This in itself is something I have rarely done, but I managed to figure it out – resizing then sending to my machine.

The SVG file was from ‘Craftables’ and is a free download – how cool is that?

The ink blending on this panel was just an idea I had – instead of going across, I decided to go in a downwards direction, and I like the outcome.

I hope you can come and join us with your Christmas projects following our themes. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Creative Fingers – anything goes

2 Crafty Critter Crazies – anything goes with a critter

Crafty Animals – anything goes with an animal

A Perfect Time To Craft – anything goes

Merry Little Christmas Challenge – Christmas atg

Car Shaker

Hello once again. The Alphabet Challenge has reached the letter ‘C‘, and Billie A has chosen the theme of ‘Cars‘. Here is my card:

The shaker element was created using Spellbinders ‘Stylish Ovals’ dies – two dies together to create the frame – cutting the shape several times in white, then a top layer of a light blue/teal. I prefer to use die cuts for the walls of the shaker instead of 3D foam as I think it keeps the edges neater.

Once the white layers were stacked together, and glued to the card base, I added the sequins, then added the top layer to which I had adhered the acetate.

I used a Spellbinders die for the car, from the Spellbinders Advent Calendar 2023, assembled all the layers, then glued that down to the acetate – slightly overhanging the lighter blue/teal as though this was the road……

A foiled sentiment was added for completion.

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

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Crafty Gals Corner – anything goes

Seize The Birthday – birthday – option off the edge not taken

Ally’s Angels – anything goes

Classic Design Challenge – anything goes – option birthday taken

A Perfect Time To Craft – anything goes

Crafts Galore – anything goes

Halloween (and other occasions) Crafts – any occasion

Pop-Up Celebration

Hello everyone. A new challenge has started at Cardz 4 Galz, Pamela has chosen the theme of ‘celebration’. I believe there is Mother’s Day coming up in the USA, also think graduation, babies, weddings etc…. Here is my card:

Please excuse the angled tweezers, but they are holding the card closed to photograph as the inside is a pop-up:

The inside was so very difficult to photograph, here are my other attempts:

The pop-up dies are from Concord & 9th and a virtual event from 2022. I did have to go back to the videos to see how it was put together, but thankfully they will be available indefinitely.

I first created the background panel for the front of the card by ink blending through a stencil. I then stamped the balloons, heat embossed the sentiment in white, then used the matching dies to cut them out.

Then turning to the inside of the card and the pop-up element, I used the same stencil and all three ink colours to cover the whole of the inside, die cut the letters from some striped rainbow card stock, die cut the pop-up pieces, adhered the letters, then assembled the pop-up as instructed in the videos.

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

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Avenue 613 Create – anything goes -option of splash of colour/colourful

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge – feminine

Crafty Gals Corner – anything goes

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

Ally’s Angels – anything goes

It’s Just A Bauble…..

Hello everyone. A new challenge was due to start at The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas is our theme – as always, but our leader has been unwell, so there won’t be a challenge for this next two weeks.

I have decided to still post my card for some challenges:

This bauble was created using a Spellbinders die set. There are two baubles in the set, but I chose to use just one of them for this card.

The background is embossed using a Spellbinders embossing folder and blue card stock, then a blue ink blended around the outside to create an almost glowing centre.

The bauble and all the elements were die cut out of red, navy, blue, and silver glitter card stock, then all placed on the main background piece as you see. And – yes – all those itty bitty silver hearts were inlaid back too……a little fiddly, but I think worth it.

I adhered the background panel to a card base, then added the bauble with 3D foam, also adding some silver twine behind the top of it- I failed doing a bow soooo many times, that I decided the twine was good as it looks here.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge – anything goes

Cut It Up – die cuts – something starting with B (bauble)

Creative Fingers – anything goes

CYHTP – embossing folder, option feminine not taken

Ally’s Angels – anything goes

Stained Glass Bird

Hello again. The Alphabet Challenge has reached the letter ‘B’, and Debbie has chosen the theme of ‘Birds’. Here is my card:

This cute little bird is a die and stencil set from Simon Says Stamp. I ink blended the bird areas, masking off some parts so there was no contamination between the areas, adding some darker shading to some of the areas. I then die cut the white stained glass portion several times, adhering all but one of them to the ink blended image.

I then went in with some glossy accents, let that dry, then added the final white layer. I then added a black gem for the eye.

The background panel was created using an embossing folder from Spellbinders, using their sage green card stock and cut down slightly so there would be a white border on the card base.

The scalloped circle was cut, and dry embossed with another embossing folder.

The floral images are from Concord & 9th, stamped then die cut, and I made sure I made a lot of them in similar colours to the bird, so I could put as many down as I wanted.

I then added the bird, and slotted the floral images all over the bottom of the circle, adding some gold gems in the centre of the flowers and some around the edge of the circle.

A foiled sentiment to complete the card.

I hope you can come and join us with your projects incorporating a bird/birds. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Ellibelle’s Corner – anything goes

CYHTP – embossing folder – option of weather not taken

Tic Tac Toe – stencil, die cut, critter

2 Crafty Critter Crazies – anything goes with a critter

Crafty Animals – anything goes with an animal

We Love 2 Create – anything goes mixed media (ink, foiling, glossy accents)

Creative Artiste Mixed Media – anything goes mixed media (ink, foiling, glossy accents)

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

Stencil Fun – use a stencil – option spring/flowers taken

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge – stencil it

Cardz 4 Galz – Movie Madness

Hi there. Cardz 4 Galz has started a new challenge. Debbie has chosen the theme of ‘Movie Madness‘. I created this card based on the recent movie starring Jason Statham – ‘The Beekeeper‘. I really enjoy his films – usually thrilling and exciting – and I definitely am not rom-com kinda girl……!

I started by die cutting the images from Brutus Monroe – another virtual event product – and assembled the bee bodies. I die cut vellum for their wings.

The balloon image was stamped, coloured with Copics, then die cut.

The background was created by using a stencil and ink blending – going with alight blue instead of the usual yellow for the honeycomb to ensure the bees and sentiment really pop.

The sentiment was also die cut and assembled and all the images attached with 3D foam.

The Design Team has come up with some amazing creations inspired by a a wide variety of movies – I hope you can come and join us. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge – make your own background

Ellibelle’s Corner – anything goes

Tic Tac Toe – stencil, die cut, critter

2 Crafty Critter Crazies – anything goes with a critter

Crafty Animals – anything goes with an animal

Stencil Fun – use a stencil – option Spring/flowers taken

Christmas Four Ways

Hello once again. The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge has started a new ‘anything goes Christmas’ challenge. Here is my card – and the additional makes:

This is only one of four cards created using an idea from a recent online event. The idea is that you stamp half of an A4 piece of card – then cut it up to create four cards.

I decided to try this with a range of snowflake stamps from Gina K Designs, a few different blue inks.

I also added some silver dots as added extras then followed the cutting guide from that class. Here are the other three cards:

I added some extra detail into the white part of the card base, by adding an embossed panel, and on one card I added dies cuts – like the main picture.

Some strips of navy card stock the complete the card base.

The sentiment was die cut from a Time 4 Tea Designs die and adhered in strategic places on the four cards.

I hope you can come and join us in our challenge – and maybe have a go at the half-sheet stamping then cutting technique. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Krafty Chicks – Christmas

Crafty Catz Weekly Challenge – anything goes – option of cute critter not taken

Creative Fingers – anything goes

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge – make your own background

A Perfect Time To Craft – anything goes

Hats and Inky

Hello. It’s time for the new challenge at ABC Christmas Challenge. Carol is hosting this time round and having reached the letters ‘H’ and ‘I’ the themes are:

H is for Hats

I is for Inky

Here is my card for both themes:

I started with the background, as I knew I would need drying time for this – something I am a little too impatient for usually.

I applied some crackle paste through the Tim Holtz stencil in the middle of the panel – not straight, very haphazard – and set that aside to dry. I left it until the following day, then took out my Mica sprays – and just sprayed, added water, sprayed again, moved it around, added some drops of water – you know how it goes……then let that dry…..

I then used some Tim Holtz die sets for the foliage, which were die cut from a couple of previously created ink smooshing panels, with the berries die cut from Spellbinders red glitter foam.

I used a Lawn Fawn die and silver glitter foam for the large sentiment, backed with a layer of white card stock for some stability.

I wanted to add a Christmas hat so Tim Holtz to the rescue again with one of his die sets – and red and white glitter foam from Spellbinders.

This background is really shimmery in real life – difficult to capture in a photo – but I think you can make out some shimmer and shine.

I hope you can come and join us with your Christmas creations following one or both of our two themes. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Addicted To Stamps and More – die cuts and stencils

Peace On Earth Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Creative Fingers – anything goes

Craft Rocket – layer it up

Creative Artiste Mixed Media – anything goes mixed media

A is for Adventure

Hello everyone. The Alphabet Challenge has started at the beginning of the alphabet again. Deborah is the host, and has chosen the theme of:

A is for Adventure

Here is my card:

The camper van die set is from Elizabeth Craft Designs, and despite having it for quite a while – I have never used it. I decided this was the time…

All the elements were die cut from patterned paper from Lawn Fawn and odds and ends of metallic and black. I did have to watch the YouTube video on what little piece goes where, and which to add first to all the layers, but I am pleased with how it came out.

I added some vellum behind the windows to give a more realistic look.

The background paper is also from Lawn Fawn, and I had to use a larger card base – a 5 x 7 inches this time – to ensure I could adhere the camper van and all those suitcases – as well as the sentiment.

I hope you can come and join us with your ‘adventure’ themes projects – the design team has come up with some amazing ideas as inspiration. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Crafty Gals Corner – anything goes

Ellibelle’s Corner – anything goes

A Perfect Time To Craft – anything goes

Crafts Galore – anything goes

Here Is A Place To Start – anything goes

Congratulations Duck….

Hello once again. Cardz 4 Galz has started a new challenge. Helen has chosen the them of ‘Cute Animals’ Here is my card:

I just had to use this cute little duck again, so I die cut the elements and layered them together, leaving a little piece under the wing unglued to add the balloon string.

The balloon was die cut several times to get all the colours to layer.

Once the duck and balloon were sorted, I used an embossing folder to create the background – I wanted a bright and colourful card, and thought the little duck would stand out from this colour.

The sentiment is foiled and added somewhat as a grounding for the duck.

I am from an area in England where we call everyone ‘duck’ – a term of affection – to strangers and friends alike. I believe this is sometimes a little difficult for people to appreciate if you aren’t from the Sheffield/Yorkshire area – but if anyone from England calls you ‘duck’ – then take it as a friendly greeting……xx

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

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Everybody Art Challenge – farm animals

Ally’s Angels – anything goes

CYHTP – embossing folder – option of birds taken

Ellibelle’s Corner – something yellow

2 Sisters On The Blog – farm animals