DT card

More swans….

I am hosting the new challenge at The Alphabet Challenge. The theme was chosen by another team member who has since left the team, but we are staying with the theme chosen – ‘Water’. There are a lot of possible choices – as you can see from the Design Team inspiration makes. Here is what I have gone with:

This card took a little planning, a little frustration – but I believe the outcome was worth it. I actually gave this card to my mum-in-law for her birthday.

The swans are from Hero Arts, one of their ‘Looking Glass’ collection of dies. I love to use these sets of dies to create a scene – but I find them difficult – despite watching the YouTube videos – over and over again…….my brain just doesn’t want to take it in….

I added circle frames, and added a decorative die cut from a Pinkfresh Studio die set.

The layers of the swan scene were coloured – the sky and water were ink blended with a Distress Ink, the reeds and swans coloured with Copics.

I hope you can come and join us with your ‘water’ themed creations – either making a water scene, using water-colours…….I;m looking forward to seeing a variety in our gallery. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Allsorts Challenge – anything goes with option ‘I Love’……(Hero Arts Looking Glass dies)

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge – fun with dies

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

2 Crafty Critter Crazies – anything goes with critter as main focus

Crafty Animals – anything goes with an animal

Ellibelle’s Corner – anything goes

Crafts Galore – anything goes

From Me To You

The Alphabet Challenge has started a new challenge. We have reached the letter ‘V’, and Debbie has chosen the theme of ‘Vellum’. Here is my card:

I first took some vellum and applied alcohol inks, I think two or three shades of green, moved it around – generally played really – and set that aside to dry. Once dry, I die cut the leaves – snipping one and adding to the larger image – and adhered with wet glue.

The card base is created with some linen textured card, and an arch die cut added.

I added the foiled sentiment strip, and I felt the card was done. No embellishments – just a very CAS card.

I hope you can come and join us with your ‘vellum’; creations. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Here Is A Place To Start – anything goes

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge – anything goes

Sparkles Forum – friendship

Love To Craft – anything goes

Mix It Up – anything goes – option no stamping – option taken

Column Card

Claudia has chosen the next theme at Cardz 4 Galz, and she wants to see your shaped cards. Here is my card:

I created the base column card using instructions from a previous online crafty event – Maker Mania – and it was quite simple to put together.

I chose a white base card, and then used some Graphic 45 papers and ephemera to embellish. I don’t use my patterned papers enough, and I certainly don’t use ephemera very much, but I am trying different things, exploring different avenues – anything to do with paper crafting I’ll give it a go.

This also folds down to be mailed easy:

I struggle with layering and ephemera, what colours to use and where to place the items, but I’ve decided that what works for me is to lay things out and just go for it……..as long at the ‘stuff’ co-ordinates it seems to work. I can see I’ll be playing around a little more in the future.

I hope you can come and join us with your shaped cards. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

A Perfect Time To Craft – anything goes

Craft Rocket – not square

Crafts Galore – anything goes

Creative Crafters – anything goes

Papercraft Challenge – anything goes

Love To Craft – anything goes

White and Gold Christmas

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

The three circle dies are from a kit through Scrapbook and Cards. I found out about these kits from another online card making course. The kits ship every two months, and combines a stamp set, die set, and a class with different people/companies. I believe the next one is with Gina K – but I haven’t received that yet – it takes a little more time to get to me here in the UK.

This die set was from LDRS Creative and I decided to make baubles.

I first created the dotty background with a Spellbinders stencil and gold paste. I left that to dry for 24 hours – just in case – and prepared the ‘baubles’.

I die cut the base circle from Spellbinders gold card stock, die cut the main decorative circle from white card stock, then layered. I used another die set for the bauble topper – adding with 3D foam.

Onto the slimline card base I added a gold base layer – I ‘gutted’ this layer to preserve some of that fabulous card stock – layered with the gold dotty panel, then added the baubles.

The sentiment was die cut from the same gold with a white shadow layer.

I decided to add some matt gold gems – kinda hard to stop when you get started.

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

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Cut It Up – anything goes with a die cut

Creative Fingers – anything goes

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

Creative Knockouts – celebrations

Merry Little Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Get Well Soon…..

The Alphabet Challenge has started their first challenge of the year. We are at the letter ‘U‘, and we want to see your ‘Under The Weather/Get well‘ creations. Here is my card:

I stamped and coloured the image from Brutus Monroe then die cut using a wonky stitched rectangle die, and matted that with a blue piece of card. I added a couple more panels to the cards base, and added the sentiment as you see.

I decided to make the boy look quite sick and poorly, colouring his skin green – which was quite fun to do actually.

I hope you can come and join us with your ‘under the weather/get well/ creations. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

A Perfect Time To Craft – anything goes

Ellibelle’s Corner – anything goes

Crafts Galore – anything goes

Avenue 613 Create – anything goes – option of winter not taken

You’re How Old……?

Hello there. Cardz 4 Galz has started a new challenge. Caz has chosen the theme of ‘Clean and Simple’. Here is my card:

I chose a Heffy Doodle image, stamped then coloured with Copics, and die cut with the matching die set.

I then die cut a circle into white panel, added a piece of previously created ink smooshed card behind the aperture, and then added the image so he was poking his head out of it.

The sentiment was stamped and cut into a strip, adding as you see.

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

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Crafty Calendar – add a sentiment

AAA Birthday – anything goes birthday

Here Is A Place To Start – anything goes

Love To Craft – anything goes

Comfort and Joy

Hello there. The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge has started a new challenge. As always, the theme is ‘anything goes Christmas‘. Here is my card:

I dry embossed and white piece of card then splattered it with a bronze metallic acrylic paint. Whilst that was drying, I die cut and assembled the poinsettia and the added foliage, splattering the poinsettia with the same bronze paint.

I then die cut a square into a panel that was slightly smaller than my card base, added the splattered embossed piece behind the opening, then arranged the flower and foliage as you see.

The sentiment is a previously foiled strip.

I am hoping you can join us and start to create your Christmas card stash ready for the end of the year. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Peace On earth Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Christmas Crafts All year Round – Christmas and one of something or a tree – (one poinsettia)

Mix It Up Challenge – anything goes – option no stamping – option taken

Merry Little Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Shaded Blue Birthday

Hello there. I hope everyone is well and had a good Christmas. I am popping in as Cardz 4 Galz has started a new challenge. This time we want to see your projects from any of our themes from 2022. I chose ‘Shades Of Blue‘ from September, as I missed this one – away on a great holiday. Here is my card:

For the main image I used a stamp and stencil set from Honey Bee Stamps – first stamping the image, then instead of using the layering stencils, I chose to colour the images with varying blue tones of Copics.

I even attempted to fade the blue tones across the open white area in the middle – quite pleased with first attempt doing that.

I then die cut the image with some stitched rectangle dies, cut a blue panel for a very small rim, and then layered onto the card base.

The sentiment is a previously foiled strip from my stash – I feel another foiling session coming on very soon….

I hope you can come and join us – you certainly have a great choice of themes from the past year – I look forward to seeing your creations. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Dragonfly Dreams – anything but Christmas

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

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

Ally’s Angels – anything goes

Crafters Café – anything goes

Creative Fingers – anything goes

Joy And Wonder

The Alphabet Challenge has started a new challenge. Having reached the letter ‘S‘, we want to see you ‘Snow’ themed creations. Here is my card:

I used a background panel from Pinkfresh Studio to create a white on white detailed layer on the card base. I cut a thin gold glitter strip for one edge.

The snowflakes are from Pinkfresh Studio also – cut from a red mirror card and a red glitter card and layered.

The sentiment is gold heat embossed onto vellum, and die cut using the matching die, with three gold gems added for accents.

I’m looking forward to seeing your ‘snow’ themed creations. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge – ice cold

Lil Red Wagon – use transparency or vellum

Cupcake Inspirations – happy holidays

Inkspirational – prompt word – gold

Craft Friends – traditional Christmas colours

As You Like It – anything goes Christmas

Use Your Stuff – anything goes Christmas

Cardz 4 Galz – Fun In The Snow

Hello there. Cardz 4 Galz has started another challenge. Caz has chosen the theme of ‘Fun In The Snow’ Here is my card:

I stamped the image onto some Neenah card stock in amalgam ink from Gina K design, then coloured with Copics. I feel these two characters are having a fun get-together and chat in the snow – my take on the theme.

I then used a stitched rectangle to cut the panel, layered with black, then adhered onto a white card base.