Thanks So Much

Hello. I was inspired by the sketch – quite literally – at the current Altantic Hearts Challenge to create this card:

As I said – quite literally……

I have juts bought a Sizzix die in a sale and it was sitting on my desk ready to be catalogues in the CML app. It was perfect for the leaves.

The background panel is in a ‘Fog’ cardstock, a scalloped circle die cut from the centre, and then dry embossed using one of my all-time favourite embossing folders from Stampin Up’. I raised this with thin 3D foam tape to a white card base.

The leaves were die cut from three shades of green card stock – Spellbinders and Concord & 9th – then inserted into the aperture, glued using wet glue.

The sentiment is a previously foiled strip, and then three silver sequins added to the top right to compliment the silver of the foiling.

It has been absolutely ages – possibly years – since I entered a sketch challenge – I might have opened Pandora’s box here….

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Atlantic Hearts Challenge – sketch

Hello Friend

Hello once again. The Alphabet Challenge has started a new challenge, our leader Caz is hosting, and she has a colour mood board for you to base your creations on. Here is the board:

Here is my card:

I chose to make the background the darker grey to highlight the pink of the flowers, and the lighter grey of the vase.

I dry embossed the background panel with a Spellbinders embossing folder, and die cut the vase and foliage from various colours of Concord & 9th card stock using Spellbinders die sets.

Once the flowers were layered together, and the vase adhered with 3D foam, I arranged them as you see. It usually takes me a while to figure out arrangements like this, so this actually took longer than die cutting and gluing….

Once arranged to my liking, I used glue and little pieces of 3D foam, then added a previously foiled sentiment.

Some pink pearls added to the flower centres and the background for extra interest and dimension.

I hope you can come and join us with creations for which the mood board colours are most prominent – neutrals can be added too.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

A Perfect Time To Craft – anything goes

Crafts Galore – anything goes

Ellibelle’s Corner – anything goes

Here Is A Place To Start – anything goes

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

Tic Tac Toe – middle row – free, layers, flowers

Double D challenge – basket and/or posies

Beautiful Blossoms – flowers

ABC ‘N’ and ‘O’

Hello everyone. The ABC Christmas Challenge has reached the letters ‘N’ and ‘O’, Fabiola is the host this time round and the Christmas themes are:

‘N’ for No Stamping and ‘O’ for Off The Edge’

I went with the no stamping option. Here is my card:

I am sure you all know by now that I am a Spellbinders fanatic, and this card was created using one of their die sets and one of their embossing folders.

The background was embossed and then a darker blue ink blended around the outside edges to create a halo effect.

The baubles were all die cut, and all those little pieces of white and blue were die cut and inlaid back into their little places – a fiddly job, but I treated as a therapeutic endeavour.

I also used some white glitter card stock for some portions of the die cuts.

The sentiment is from a previous hot foiling session.

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:

AAA Colourful Challenge – mainly blue colour board

A Perfect Time To Craft – anything goes

Sparkles Forum Christmas – handmade ornament or ornament card

Christmas Crafts All Year Round – anything goes Christmas

Merry Little Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Christmas (or not) Bingo – column ‘I’ – free, embossing (wet or dry), glitter (glitter card)

You Bring Colour To My World

Hello. I have created a fun and colourful card to share today:

I die cut the brush elements from a Taylored Expressions set, and assembled them. Card stock is from Concord * 9th and Heffy Doodle.

The background panel was die cut using an old Catherine Pooler postage die, and dry embossed using a Stampin’ Up embossing folder – an oldie but a goodie……

The splats are from a Tim Holtz die set – a little trimming here and there for them to fit where I wanted them.

As I decided to use the same brown for the background panel as I had used for the brush handle, I ink blended a darker brown onto the handles to make them stand out a little more.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Color Throwdown – yellow, orange, red

CYHTP – embossing folder – option of beach not taken

Allsorts – anything goes or masculine

Creative Fingers – anything goes

Craft Rocket – no designer paper

Unicorn Challenge – embossing

Ally’s Angels – anything goes

Pomegranates

The Alphabet Challenge has reached the letter ‘F‘, and Melanie has chosen the theme of ‘Fruit’. Here is my card:

The background was created using a Spellbinders embossing folder, and as the fruit are quite a vivid colour, I went with a dark background again. I am liking a darker background behind strong colours of die cuts.

The whole arrangement was die cut and layered using Concord & 9th card stock, as well as some Spellbinders card stock. I am still in my fussy mind-set – liking repeatedly die cutting and layering all those itty bitty pieces…..and Spellbinders do their leaves and flowers so very well – my favourite die cutting elements to put together.

The sentiment was added and using gold card stock.

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

I shall be entering the following challenges:

CYHTP – embossing folder – option of beach not taken

A Perfect Time To Craft – anything goes

Crafts Galore – anything goes

Craft Rocket – no designer paper

Die Cut Divas – die cuts and favourite die cut shapes – leaves and flowers for me

Ellibelle’s Corner – anything goes

Swinging Fun

Hello once again. Cardz 4 Galz has started a new challenge. The theme has been chosen by Sue J and is:

Summer Fun

Here is my card:

This die set with the girl and the swing is from Spellbinders, and I have been itching to put it together. What doesn’t say summer more than a tree swing surrounded by flowers….? (Not that the UK has had any type of summer yet – we are waiting impatiently…..!) The florals also come with the set, and I believe I added extra foliage.

It does take a lot of die cutting and layering – which suited my currently fussy mind – and getting the swing ropes placed just right was a challenge – I inserted them behind the background panel, but I am pleased with the result.

The background panel is also using an embossing folder from Spellbinders.

I hope you can come and join us with your creations following our theme – the design team has come up with great inspiration. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Love To Craft – anything goes

Mix It Up – anything goes – option of inlaid die cut not taken

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

CYHTP – embossing folder – option of beach not taken

The Four Seasons Challenge – summer

Craft Rocket – no designer paper

Happy Birthday & Many More

Hello everyone. It is my turn to host the new challenge at The Alphabet Challenge. Having reached the letter ‘E‘, I have chosen the theme of ‘embossing – wet or dry’. Here is my card:

I started by die cutting all the elements from a couple of Spellbinder die sets, and used a mixture of Concord & 9th and Spellbinders card stock.

Deciding to go landscape, and dry embossed a panel and adhered it flat to the card base.

I played around with the layout, knowing that the ampersand would be sat on top of the florals – which took a little figuring out when it came to 3D foam – where to place it, and how many layers………the ampersand was die cut a couple of times and layered together for added stability, and also ended up with 2 or 3 layers of itty bitty 3D foam pieces – I do like to make my life harder….!

I hope you can come and join us with your creations matching the theme – I look forward to seeing your creations. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

Seize The Birthday – birthday – option to use metallics taken

CYHTP – embossing folder – option of fruit and veggies not taken

Krafty Chicks – anything goes

Ally’s Angels – anything goes

Addicted To Stamps and More – any occasion

Love To Craft – anything goes

Heels and Handbags

Hello once again. Cardz 4 Galz has started a new challenge. Dawn W has chosen the theme of ‘heels and handbags’. Here is my card:

This was challenge to me as I couldn’t find anything in my stash which would fit the theme. Once again – I took to searching for digital images, and came up with this one from Etsy – StylishFantazy – there are some absolutely gorgeous images on there……I was certainly stuck for choice.

I used a square card base, and some Creative Expressions card stock which I have had for ages. The background panel was dry embossed using an older Sue Wilson/Creative Expressions A4 embossing folder, and I also used some Sue Wilson die sets to create the panel and aperture.

I also decided to off-set the main image panel, and I didn’t add a sentiment this time round.

I hope you can come and join us for the heels and handbags theme. xx

Floral Christmas Tree

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

I began by die cutting all the elements needed from the Spellbinders die set in a selection of card stock from Spellbinders and Concord & 9th.

I die cut the base green leafy layer a couple of times more and layered them together for stability. As you can see, I didn’t use the base rim for the tree, as I wanted the florals and leaves to stand out, and have the background panel show through the gaps in the arrangement.

I also decided to use a dark grey background panel, embossed using a Spellbinders embossing folder, to create the dramatic look.

I added the small red atg, backed with gold, to the top right of the card base – not intruding on the tree itself.

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

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Peace On earth Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Halloween and other Occasions Crafts – occasions

MAWTT – flowers

Aud Sentiments – foiling and/or flowers and a sentiment

Jingle Belles Rock – Christmas and tic tac toe – middle column – red or green/embossing/die cuts

Merry Little Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Christmas (or not) Bingo – column ‘I’ – free – die cutting – tag

Especially For You

Hello everyone. It’s been a busy few days but I managed to find time to create this card using the colour scheme from the Color Throwdown Challenge:

The background is using a piece of card stock from Concord & 9th and a Spellbinders embossing folder. Once embossed, I used Hero Arts white pigment ink to swipe across, which meant it highlighted the raised areas.

I then used a Spellbinders die set to create the flowers, and some ‘Marmalade’ card stock from concord & 9th, which they discontinued last year – but I do have a stash of that still.

I also used two shade of purple for the stamens, and the centre of the larger flower.

Once adhered to the card background, I added a foiled sentiment. I also wanted that to pop, so used black with white foiling, and then added some black gems.

I shall be entering the foloowing challenges:

Color Throwdown – orange, purple, aqua

CYHTP – embossing folder – option of flowers taken

A Perfect Time To Craft – anything goes

Craft Rocket – flowers

Cut It Up – die cuts and ‘send me flowers’

MAWTT – flowers

Beautiful Blossoms – flowers