embossing folder

Let The Games Begin

I have a card to share inspired by the current colours for the Color Hues challenge – and I took the opportunity to add other elements for some other challenges:

I have this die set from Spellbinders for quite a while, though I did have to wait for the re-stock initially, and have been waiting for the chance to use this fun set.

The colours for Color Hues are ‘orange and purple’, which I thought would be perfect colours for this joker.

I die cut the elements required for him from Concord & 9th card stock – minus the stick thingy he holds – and started gluing each of the layers together, body part by body part. I then assembled him, adding some small 3D foam in certain places for more dimension – the legs, the head for instance.

I then though about what to do for the background……I tried a couple of ways first – which didn’t work and were too busy for this chap – and whilst searching through my stash came across this fun embossing folder – just some subtle starts and bubbles – and thought it would work.

I used a different colour C9 card stock:

The sentiment is from Spellbinders and is a Letter Press plate which was with the same release, picking the sentiment I thought was fun, used my letterpress for it, then die cut it out.

This same letter press set came with the banner die – it took me a while to figure that out (!!) – but I managed – only one small piece of card to throw away when I did it wrong…

I glued the background embossed panel to the card base, added the joker with a mixture of 3D foam and glue – he was all different levels due to my use of 3D foam when assembling him, then added the sentiment.

As a final touch – you know I like my gems – I added some small purple ones to each of the parts of his outfit where I thought bells would be if he was a proper joker or court jester.

All-in-all – having fun with the die set, a couple of oops moments, but smiles mostly…

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Cut It Up – die cuts and add embellishments

Die Cut Divas – anything goes with die cuts

Color Hues – orange and purple (neutrals allowed)

Cup Cake Inspirations – what makes your smile – card making, even making some errors, playing around generally to create a card – and the card itself has made me smile)

CYHTP – embossing folder – option pumpkins or orange

Beyond Happy For You

Hello. I had time to craft and create the following card today:

I was intrigued by the current recipe for the As You See It Challenge and decided to see what I could come up with – flowers, frame, happy sentiment, punch/die, shades of orange.

I began with choosing some flower die cuts from The Greetery ‘Embroidered Blooms‘ – and cut the elements from tones of orange, some green, grey, and yellow for added interest.

I then chose a frame die set from Pinkfresh Studio, and used ‘Cayenne‘ card stock from Concord & 9th, adding a couple of white layers beneath for dimension, rather than using 3D foam.

Arranging on a 5×5 inch card base to align with the square frame, I felt the background was a little too plain, so I used an Altenew embossing folder ‘Daisy Bed 3D‘.

This embossed panel was glued down to the card base, the frame added, then the florals arranged.

The sentiment is from Pinkfresh Studio, stamped and die cut with the matching die. I chose black for a little more drama, and even added three little black Spellbinder gems – I do like to use gems….

A smaller card and a different size than my usual, but I think it is quite cute – if I do say so myself…..

I shall be entering the following challenges:

A Cut Above – anything goes with a die cut

As You See It – recipe – flowers, orange, frame, happy sentiment, punch/die

Ellibelle’s Corner – anything in or from the garden

Beautiful Blossoms – florals

A Tree and Stockings

Hello once again. It is time for the new challenge at ABC Christmas Challenge. Helen is hosting this time round, and having reached the letters ‘S‘ and ‘T‘, we have the themes of:

S is for Stockings’ and T is for Tree’

I created a card for each of the themes:

S is for Stockings

This first card was created using dies from The Greetery – the stockings and the foliage. Once these die cut, and the stockings layered together, I created a background white panel using a Spellbinders embossing folder, and added the elements by creating a swag of greenery, hanging the stockings from that swag, then also adding ombre gems.

The sentiments is gold foiled.

T is for Tree

For this second card, I used this fabulously fun die set from A Pocket Full Of Happiness – ‘Happy Rexmas’. There is certainly a lot of die cutting for this image, and I also used an embossing folder on the tree to create the added details – the same embossing folder I used for the background, from Spellbinders.

On the die set, the words came directly from the dinosaur mouth, but I didn’t want to create a larger than A2 card, so I added them above.

I hope you can come and join us by sharing your Christmas creations following one or both of our themes. If it isn’t clear which theme has been followed – then please let us know. There seems to have been a few entries to our challenge which do not match our themes and had to be deleted……

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Die Cut Divas – anything goes with die cuts

A Cut Above – anything goes with die cuts

12 Months Of Christmas Link-Up – anything goes Christmas – option of circles & squares not taken

Merry Little Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Teal Poinsettia

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

To create this card, I used the Waffle Flower Crafts ‘Sketched Poinsettia‘ stamp, die and stencil set. I first gold heat embossed the image with Altenew gold embossing powder, used the matching stencils to ink blend and colour the image in, then used the matching die to cut it out.

I used Pinkfresh Studio inks for the main floarl element.

For the background, I wanted a bold back-drop to the flower, so I used a dark blue card stock, and a Spellbinders embossing folder. This panel was cut slightly down to create a white edge.

The Spellbinders sentiment is gold foiled and die cut.

the elements were added as you see, and some dew drops added around and about.

I hope you can come and join, and I look forward to seeing you in our gallery. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Die Cut Divas – anything goes with die cuts

A Cut Above – anything goes with die cuts

Stencil Fun – use stencils – option of nature taken

Merry Little Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Stitched Armchair

Hello everyone. It seems the more time I have, the less time I spend crafting…..it seems I have been getting out and about more than usual, so I am glad I manage to keep well ahead in my DT duties.

The new challenge has started at Cardz 4 Galz. Billie A has chosen the theme of ‘stitching – real or faux‘. Here is my card:

I wonder how many of you are like me and have some stitching dies, and yet rarely use them. This challenge theme gave me the opportunity to grab one from Spellbinders and have a go at it.

I first die cut the chair from Kraft card, then stitched with a darker brown thread. I wanted a more vintage look to the chair. I did try a red chair, and a darker brown chair – but once I started to stitch them, I didn’t like it.

The cat is also from the same die set, and die cut very simply from white card stock. This cat has certainly got that nose-in-the-air look, hasn’t it?

This is one colour of cat I have never had. Our first cats were two black brothers, and now we have two old black and white cats, one tabby, and one torty….but never a white cat….

The background panel was created using a Spellbinders embossing folder, the gold frame was die cut from a Pinkfresh die set, and the sentiment is gold foiled.

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

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

Everybody Art – anything goes

Addicted To Stamps & More – die cuts and/or stencils

CYHTP – embossing folder – option of balloons not taken

Crafty Animals – anything goes with an animal

Die Cut Divas – anything goes with die cuts

Hugs Leafy Frame

Hello everyone. There is a new challenge at Cardz 4 Galz. Johanna is hosting, and she has chosen the theme of ‘Use Vellum’. Here is my card:

I started by ink blending the leafy frame from The Greetery, using all of the layers from the stencil set and Pinkfresh Studio inks, adding some darker ink towards the bottom of each leaf, then die cut using the matching die.

The background panel was created using an embossing folder, onto which I attached the frame using small pieces of 3D foam.

I then took the vellum and die cut some extra foliage to place around and about to create more subtle details.

The sentiment was created by swiping one of the ink pads I had used for the ink blending, and using a Time 4 Tea Designs die, with the shadow layer also in vellum.

I hope you can come and join us with your projects using vellum. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Ellibelle’s Corner – anything goes

A Cut Above – anything goes with die cuts

Crafts Galore – anything goes

Stencil Fun – use stencils – option of trees or leaves taken

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

Creative Fingers – anything goes

ABC Christmas Challenge – P, Q, & R

Hello everyone. It is my turn to host the new challenge at ABC Christmas Challenge. We have three letters and themes for you to choose for your Christmas projects:

P is for Pastel colours

Q is for Quick

R is for Robins

I chose to make two cards covering two of the challenge themes:

Q is for Quick:

For this card, I used a Spellbinders embossing folder for the background panel, and onto that I adhered some die cut washi from Pinkfresh Studio, then a previously foiled sentiment. Simple and quick, but I think very effective none-the-less.

R is for Robins:

This card was little more faffy, but fun creating.

I first used the two layering Robin stamps from The Greetery, then the matching dies to cut them out. I also wanted some branches, so used another layering stamp set from The Greetery ‘Blooming Branch’.

The background is a panel of silver glitter card stock, with branches adhered to it. When I came to add the branches and the birds, I though the background was too busy, and I wanted the Robins to stand out more, but still keep the glitter effect.

I used a Pinkfresh Studio die to cut out a shaped piece of vellum, added that on top of some of the branches, then added branches and the two birds on top of that.

The final addition was a silver foiled sentiment:

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

I shall be entering the following challenges:

wreath card:

Merry Little Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

CYHTP – embossing folder – option of summer fun not taken

Ellibelle’s Corner – anything goes

12 Months Of Christmas Link-Up – anything goes Christmas

Robin card:

Cut It Up – die cuts and add a sentiment

Craft Rocket – animals

Crafty Animals – anything goes with an animal

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

A Little Holiday Sparkle

Hello again. The Holly & Ivy Christmas Challenge has started a new challenge – the theme is always ‘anything goes Christmas‘. Here is my card:

I used a collection of Pinkfresh Studio products to create this card, received for as part of a previous virtual event.

The first step was to hot foil the plate with the images on them, then ink blend with my choice of colour scheme using Pinkfresh Studio inks, then use the matching die to cut them out.

For the background, I took a white panel and used a Spellbinders embossing folder, placing that behind a panel of gold glitter card stock from which I die cut an oval from the centre.

I added the hot foiled sentiment to the centre of the aperture, then arranged the images with a mixture of 3D foam and glue.

The final step was to add some teal gems here and there – quite a few actually – I just couldn’t stop….

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

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Just Add Ink – Christmas

Just Us Girls – stencils

Aud Sentiments – tags and/or Christmas in July and a sentiment

Peace On Earth – anything goes Christmas

Crafters Café – anything goes – option of Christmas in July taken

Congrats On Your New Home

Hello again. There is a new challenge starting at The Alphabet Challenge. Dawn is hosting, and she has chosen the theme of ‘H is for Home’. Here is my card:

I chose to use an older Lawn Fawn die set for the house – ‘Build-a-House’. The main part of the house was die cut, then I used a small Tim Holtz ‘Mini Brickwork‘ embossing folder to create the brick effect.

All the other layers and elements were die cut and assembled, with some light grey textured card stock for behind the windows.

Once the house was completed, I used a Hero Arts mica spray received as part of an online event, sprayed the top of normal white card to create a less intense look – sprayed finely to not damage the card stock of over-wet it, and let that dry. I like the effect of the solid top and the flecked bottom part of the card, and I simply adhered the house to the centre.

I stamped the sentiment from a Scrapbook & cards today stamp set, die cut with the matching dies, layered a couple of times for stability, and glued that down.

The final step was to add three facetted gems….

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

I shall be entering the following challenges:

A Cut Above – anything goes with die cuts

Crafts Galore – anything goes

Here Is A Place To Start – anything goes – option to use vellum not taken

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

Ally’s Angels – anything goes

Mouse Wedding

Hello once again. We have anew challenge starting at Cardz 4 Galz, Caz is hosting, and has chosen the theme of:

Wedding or Wedding Anniversary

Here is my card:

I took the opportunity to use some Elizabeth Craft Designs die sets to create this fun card. I actually gave this to someone this past weekend for their wedding.

I started by die cutting the mouse heads in a brown card stock. Once die cut, I did a little ink blending around the edges to create some dimension, and assembled all the pieces. The eyes, ears, nose, mouth, hat and floral head band were also die cut and added, with a little ink blending to the ears.

These mice actually come with their bodies too – but I just used the heads for a cute and whimsical look.

The background panel was embossed using a Spellbinders embossing – all the hearts adding to the wedding vibe. The frame was die cut using a Pinkfresh Studio die set.