DT card

‘Tis The Season…..

The new Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge has now gone live, and the theme is always ‘anything goes Christmas/Festive‘. Here is my card:

I had quite a bit of messy fun creating this card – ink smooshing, die cutting, ink blending – and I like the outcome.

The background panel is a piece of ink smooshed card stock, with pink and blue Distress Inks, and when that was dry I used a Pinkfresh Studio background die.

I adhered that whole panel to the card base, then turned to the die cutting…….

The two critters are from Tim Holtz, and each piece die cut pout of an ink blended or smooshed panel. If I didn’t have the colour I wanted, I created one.

Before adding each layer, I did some more ink blending on them to make them different. All the brown pieces are from the same panel, but I ink blended a darker brown on them to create different shades – the antlers for instance.

The sentiment is also from Tim Holtz, stamped onto the same brown smooshed panel, cut out, then ink blending.

I adhered all of them with 3D foam.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Jingle Belles – Christmas and card stock – no patterned paper

Creative Fingers – anything goes

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

Crafty Animals – anything goes with an animal

My Time To Craft Christmas – Christmas and something beginning with ‘R’ (red, reindeer)

Merry Little Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Yummy…..!

There is a new challenge at The Alphabet Challenge. Having reached the letter ‘Y’, Billie A has chosen the theme of ‘Yummy’. Here is my card:

I ink blended the base panel using the Concord & 9th ‘Popsicle Party’ stencil set onto a white panel, then adhered that to the card base.

The biggest popsicle is from the ‘Sweet Summer’ stencil and die set, ink blended, tone-on-tone stamping for the berry details, then die cut, adding the popsicle stick behind. The large sentiment added once the ink was dry.

It would seem fitting that this post went live whilst we here in the UK are having some snow issues. We don’t have snow for very long, but it does seem to create havoc when we do get it. I took this picture whilst in front of a roaring log fire – the best way to view snow in my opinion:

I think it’s going to be a while before the hammock and swing chair are used again…….!

Excuse the window reflection – I wasn’t going to venture outside…. :)

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

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

Crafting Happiness – lots of green

Avenue 613 – anything goes, option of CAS not taken

Here Is A Place To Start – anything goes

Stencil Fun – anything goes with a stencil, option of CAS not taken

Cardz 4 Galz – use vellum

Hello once again. The new challenge at Cardz 4 Galz has gone live, and Billie A has chosen the theme of #Vellum’. Use vellum on your girlie creations. Here is my card:

A took a piece of vellum slightly smaller than an A2 card base, and put it through a Spellbinder embossing folder. I then ran that through my Xyron machine, and attached it to the white card base.

I die cut the Gina K Designs feathers from a yellow ink smooshed and splattered card panel, ran them through the Xyron machine too – and stuck them down as you see. I then took some gold and black metallic paint and splattered.

Whilst that was drying, I die cut the word ‘enjoy’ three times, and stuck the layers together. I then stamped the two extra words, and cut them at a jaunty angle.

The larger word was adhered directly onto the dry vellum panel, with the two smaller words adhered with 3D foam.

I hope you can come and join us with your creations using vellum – there are so many ways to use this product. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

A Perfect Time To Craft – anything goes

Die Cut Divas – anything goes with a die cut

Give A Crafter A Cookie – yellow as main colour

Love To Craft – anything goes

Mix It Up – anything goes – option distressing

ABC Christmas Challenge – E, F, G

Hello. The new challenge has started at ABC Christmas Challenge. Whilst this is a Christmas creation challenge – we do have themes for the letters. This time the challenge is hosted by Carol, and the themes are:

E is for Elves, F is for Food, G is for Gold

Here is my card for the ‘E is for Elves’ prompt:

The image is from Simon Says Stamp, which I stamped, coloured with Copics to match the patterned paper I was going to use, then die cut with the matching die. I added some white gel pen for interest. The sentiment was stamped and white heat embossed on black card.

The background patterned paper, which had some glitter detail, was adhered to the card base with just a little border, I added a red and white layered oval, then attached the elf image, then added the two sentiments – all with 3D foam.

I hope you can come and join us with your Christmas/Festive makes following our themes – I look forward to seeing your creations.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Peace On Earth Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Arty Divas – anything goes

Avenue 613 Create – anything goes = option CAS – option not taken

Ellibelle’s Corner – anything goes

Merry Little Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Birdie Birthday

Hello. Happy Little Stampers anything goes birthday challenge has returned after a little break, and the first challenge for this year is now live.

Here is my card:

I started by taking a white panel and used the Altenew ‘Scalloped Frame 3D embossing folder’. The folder is the full circle, but I only wanted half of it on my card. It came as part of an online class with them – another class I haven’t fully completed.

I then took some Spellbinders dies and die cut, layered, re-arranged, die cut more, re-arranged again – you know it can get sometimes – until I was happy with the layout.

I used a combination of 3D foam and glue to adhere and layer the elements, and added a debossed sentiment from Spellbinders. I find I am loving these debossed sentiments. Sometimes my die-cutting machine has a little too much pressure and the words actually cut through the piece of card – no worries – either cut another, or layer a piece behind. Sorted…..

A Some of these dies came from the Spellbinders Advent calendar – and I will certainly be signing up for the next one…….

I hope you can come and join us with your ‘anything goes birthday’ creations. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Crafty Gals Corner – add a heart (gold hearts in semi-circle die cut)

Seize The Birthday – anything goes birthday (option of red and white and one other colour not taken)

CYHTP – embossing folder – option of things with wings taken

Creative Fingers – anything goes

Crafters Café – cute

X is for ‘XOXOXO’

Hello once again. The Alphabet Challenge has reached the letter ‘X’, Dawn is hosting, and we want to see your ‘XOXOXO – Hugs and Kisses’ cards. Here is my card:

Onto a Distress white heavy-stock panel I ink blended some pink Distress Oxides – I find I can blend them better than the inks – then splattered with metallic acrylic paints in gold and silver.

I took another white panel and ran through through s Spellbinders embossing folder, adhered it to a card base.

Once the ink blended and splattered panel was dry, I used a Time For Tea designs ‘Stitched Hearts’ cover die – I think you can just make out the stitched hearts around the pink edges – and also used inner rectangle to cut out the middle.

Out of that pink cut-out piece, I die cut two hearts and added them to the card as you see, and also cut out the x’s and the o’s, after putting the strip onto double-sided sticky tape, then adding them to another white strip – trying very hard to keep them aligned……

I hope you can come and join us. I’m looking forward to your take on the theme. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Inspiration Station – photo inspiration – inspired by love and hearts

Here is a place to start – anything goes – option to pick a palette not taken

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends – anything goes

Crafty Gals Corner – add a heart

Papercraft Challenge – hearts

Cardz 4 Galz – red, white, pink

Hello once again. Cardz 4 Galz has started a new challenge and this time the theme has been chosen by Pamela – a girlie card with red, white, and pink. Here is my card:

I struggled with this colour scheme a little – I am not a pink kinda girl 0 but it is a challenge, isn’t it, so I went with it and created a card I am quite pleased with.

Onto a 5 x 7 inch card base, I matted a piece of patterned paper with red.

The butterfly is an old one from Sue Wilson, which I die cut in red, then added a glue spray, then added glitter.

To ensure the butterfly didn’t get lost on the background, I added a scalloped circle, and then added the foiled sentiment.

I’m looking forward to seeing your red. white, and pink creations – maybe it will give me some ideas for future challenges with these colours……..

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Crafty Animals – anything goes with an animal

MMM Challenge – all creatures great and small

Shopping Our Stash – something starting with ‘B’

Ally’s Angels – anything goes

Christmas Soldier

The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge has started a new ‘anything goes Christmas/Festive’ challenge. Here is my card:

Channelling Tim Holtz yet again, I die cut the soldier layers from the white and grey woodgrain card stock – just colouring his little face a tiny bit. I also used some double sided sticky sheets for each piece – a great tip from Tim – not so much glue oozing out of the edges….!

The background is a piece of patterned paper, to which I added a Spellbinders die cut, and a foiled sentiment.

Doing the soldier this way – and many of the ‘Colorize’ dies I would imagine – would look great from this card stock….

I hope you can come and join us with your Christmas/Festive creations and get your stash ready and waiting for the end of the year. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Most Magical Time of the Year – anything goes Christmas/Halloween

Sparkles Forum Christmas Challenge – Christmas and non-traditional colours

12 Months Of Christmas – anything goes Christmas – option of into the woods not taken

Creative Crafters Challenge – anything goes

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.