There once was a cat and a ladder….

Hello. This sounds like the start to a limerick or other funny story, doesn’t it? I just couldn’t think what to call the post so I just wrote what I saw…..

The Alphabet Challenge has started a new challenge. We have reached the letter ‘G’, and Debbie has chosen the theme of ‘G is for Green as the dominant colour’. Here is my card:

I used a previously created green ink smooshed [iece of card, and added an alcohol ink banner at the top. Some different shades of green, with a little gold on the alcohol ink portion.

The cat, ladder, and the leafy sprigs are from Charlie and Paulchen, a German company I have ordered from a couple of times. They have some amazing die sets – very small but perfectly formed – as they say…..

The cat and sprigs were die cut out of white so they stood out from the green background, and the ladder die cut from some brown card, layered a couple of times for dimension.

I added a previously foiled sentiment at the top as it seemed to fit better that way.

Although there are a few layers, I still feel this is quite CAS – compared to recent cards anyway.

I hope you can come and join us with your creations which feature green predominantly. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Avenue 613 Createanything goes – option summertime

Die Cut Divasdie cuts and critters

The Crafty Addictsanything goes

Ally’s Angelsanything goes

Thank You Triple Flap

Hello once again. Cardz 4 Galz has started a new challenge. Helen is the host this time round, and has chosen the theme of ‘more than one fold’. Here is my card:

This is a triple flap card, quite easy to do, but as fancy folds aren’t my usual style – I really had to concentrate for this one. It is held closed by the belly band.

My goodness – these are a challenge to photograph.

I chose some coordinating patterned paper from Spellbinders, adding them to each part of the card. The back piece I wanted quite plain as I knew I was going to add a little something more.

The frames and puffy sentiment are also from Spellbinders, and not too bulky for the card to close.

The triple flap is held closed by a belly band, to which I stuck a larger floral image from the same card kit.

As you know, I’m not one to use a lot of patterned paper usually, but I really like these colours, and as the whole pad has a lot of coordinating paper, it makes it just that bit easier to match .

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

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Here Is A Place To Startanything goes

Get Creativemore than one fold

Allsortsatg option bunch of flowers

Dragonfly Dreamsfancy folds

Creative Creases anything goes with a fun fold

Ho Ho Ho

Hello once again. A new challenge has started at The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge. The theme is always ‘anything goes Christmas’. Here is my card:

The snowflake background was created using a Simon Says Stamp embossing folder with blue card, then swiping some white pigment over the top for highlights.

I cut this down slightly and adhered to a white card base.

Now onto the construction of the main image – lots of die cutting and layering, using different combinations of red and gold card stock.

I added some silver glitter foam die cuts to the hat and the cuff of Santa.

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

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Most Magical Time of the Year anything goes Christmas or Halloween

Die Cut Divas die cuts and critters

12 Months of ChristmasChristmas – option inspired by Christmas Song

Inkspirationalemboss your background

Sparkles Forumno stamping allowed

A Butterfly Paper Hug

A new challenge has started at The Alphabet Challenge. Having reached the letter ‘F’, Deborah has chosen the theme of ‘Flying – anything that flies’. Here is my card:

I chose a stamp, die, and stencil set from Concord & 9th to create this card. The background is stenciled in muted tones of some Altenew brown inks/grey inks to provide some interest without taking away from the main butterfly image.

The butterfly was die cut and assembled, and added with 3D foam, and some gold gems added to the wings in strategic places.

The sentiment id also from that same stamp/die/stencil combo, the banner layered with some gold. I had to do some partial die cutting to make the gold match the curve of the banner – I don’t like fussy cutting so I’d rather work out the partial die cutting. Some small gold gems added to this banner also.

I hope you can come and join us with your ‘anything that flies’ creations – so many options to choose from. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Ellibelle’s Cornersomething with wings

2 Craft Critter Crazies anything goes with a critter

Crafty Animalsanything goes with an animal

Paper Dragonfly Creativeanything goes or summer creatures

Die Cutting Divasdie cuts and critters

Triple B birds and/or butterflies and/or blooms

Happy Blooming Birthday

Hello there. I am the host for the new challenge at Cardz 4 Galz. I chose the theme of ‘use die cuts and/or punches‘. Here is my card:

And so continues my fascination with die cutting and layering – all that fiddlyness – I think I made a new word!

These tile dies are from Spellbinders, and I die cut a whole bunch of each – the diamond background, the floral elements, the gold stars – and assembled them before I even thought about how I was going to put them on a card base.

I decided to go a heart shape as I could use a lot of the tiles – even though you can see I had some left over.

The background is a dry embossed panel – using the deboss side – and matted onto a black rectangle to make it pop a little more.

The sentiment is a debossing sentiment, which I quite like the look of, especially in gold.

There was enough going on with this card so I didn’t even think about adding extra gems or enamel dots.

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

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Allsorts anything goes option birthday

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends anything goes

Seize The Birthdayanything goes birthday

CYHTPembossing folder – option of weddings not taken

Craft Rocket use dies

Christmas Fireplace

A new challenge has started at ABC Christmas Challenge. Having reached the letters ‘L’ and ‘M’, we want to see your Christmas/Festive makes with ‘L for lots of layers‘ or ‘M for Mice’. Here is my card:

It is very obvious I went with the ‘lots of layers’ theme to create this card.

The background panel is dry embossed using a Simon Says Stamp embossing folder.

The main image and additions are all from Spellbinders. This is another card where I had to watch a YouTube video to see how everything came together, and from that video made the decisions for each colour.

I wanted the stockings hanging on the mantle to be a pop of colour, and added them with gold string through their loops, but didn’t glue them down, so they move around when the card is picked up.

The die cutting, layering and fiddly assembly mood seems to be staying with me……

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

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Merry Little Christmas ChallengeChristmas anything goes

Inkspirationalseasonal

Peace On EarthChristmas anything goes

Craft Rocket use dies

12 Months Of ChristmasChristmas – option not taken

Merry and Bright Lantern

The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge has started their next challenge. Our theme is always ‘anything goes Christmas/festive’. Here is my card:

The background panel is dry embossed using a very old We R Memory Keepers embossing folder, I then layered that with a gold panel – gutting the centre by die cutting the gold label die, to which I also added a white dry embossed layer.

The images and florals are all from Spellbinders, another mega die-cutting session, then layered together. I first adhered the lantern, then played with placement of all the images until I was happy, and adhered them with a mixture of 3d Foam and wet glue.

I then added some gold gems to the centre of the poinsettias, and a foiled sentiment.

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

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Merry Little Christmas Challengeanything goes Christmas

Inkspirationalseasonal

Peace On Earth anything goes Christmas

Creative Inspiration anything goes

Most Magical Time Of The Yearanything goes Christmas or Halloween

12 Months of ChristmasChristmas – option inspired by Christmas song not taken

Triple Bbirds and/or butterflies and/or blooms

Birthday Banners

Hello and welcome. My second post of the day as the June Happy Little Stampersanything goes birthday‘ has started.

Here is my card:

I dry embossed a light blue panel and cut it down slightly to create the border from the card base.

The banner was die cut with blue card, and the triangle from the Spellbinders silver glitter foam – this is o very easy to die cut.

Once I decided on where I wanted each string and each triangle, I glued them down – and I even measured between each little triangle to make them even – did someone say OCD…….?

The sentiment was attached with 3D foam.

I hope you can come and join us with your birthday makes. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challengeanything goes

CYHTPembossing folder – option bird/bird houses not taken

Ally’s Angels anything goes

Cupcake Inspirationsanything goes

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 RockChristmas and no stamping

Beyond The Blue interactive

CRAFT ChallengeChristmas

Christmas Craft CreationsChristmas and no stamping

Merry Little Christmas challenge atg Christmas

D is for Dragonflies

Hello there. The Alphabet Challenge has reached the letter ‘D‘, and Caz has chosen the theme of ‘Dragonflies‘. Here is my creation:

So – it’s a little different to my usual creations, isn’t it? I challenged myself to use some of my crafty stash – things which have been sitting there for absolutely ages……and items which do not come easily to me to use.

The star of the show is that dragonfly, a die set from Stampin’ Up, but taken up a notch using double sided sticky sheets and glitter flakes. I first adhered the sticky sheet to a piece of card, rubbed in the glitter flakes, then die cut. I added the solid layer behind, and only stuck down the main body of the dragonfly – not the wings and tail end.

Once I had him made, I decided to use some of my 49 and Market ‘stuff’.

I attached a green base layer to my 5 x 7 inch card base, then added some tickets and the main sentiment, then went to town adding the flowers and leaves with collage medium. I even found a shiny button thingy and added that too. These items are from Craft Box UK, and 49 and Market I think.

So very much outside of my normal creations, but I challenged myself, I am happy with the outcome.

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

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Allsorts anything goes +/- embellishments

We Love To Createanything goes mixed media

Crafty Animalsanything goes with an animal

Creative Artisteanything goes mixed media

Use Your Stuffuse a technique – (glitter flakes technique)

Crafting HappinessFlowers

Sparkles Forumthings with wings

Love To Craft anything goes