Holly and Berries

Happy New Year to you all. The ABC Christmas Challenge has started with their Christmas themed challenges. The first is A – anything goes Christmas, B – Berries. Here is my card:

So – pink………I know – but I love the way this looks…… I am not a pink girl in general, but I just thought I’d try this out.

The pink background is dry embossed using a Spellbinders embossing folder, then splattered with white and silver acrylic shimmer paint. Whilst this was drying, I die cut a previously created panel of green mica spray with the Hero Arts holly dies.

The holly was layered onto the pink background using glue for the bottom sprig, and 3D foam for the uppermost sprig.

For the berries, I chose some red sequins.

So many shimmer and shine elements, and then I added a foiled greeting strip too…

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

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Creative Inspirationanything goes

Crafts Galore anything goes

Daisy Chain no designer paper

Ellibelle’s Corneranything goes

The Crafty Addictsanything goes

Love To Craft anything goes

Merry Little Christmas Challengeanything goes Christmas

Mix It Up Challengeanything goes – option of mixed media taken – acrylic paint, foiling, mica sprays


Oh Joy…..

Hello everyone and a Happy New Year to you all…..

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

I decided it was time to use some products I had received as part of a virtual event last year. I hadn’t gone through the classes at all, so I am trying to use the products, even though I wasn’t following the actual classes.

The background is a Spellbinders embossing folder, and onto that I adhered the stitched oval which was layered three times, the top layer being the gold layer. I only attached the top half of the oval initially, as I knew I wanted to layer some foliage under it.

The bird is a layering stencil from the SCT class, die cut then stencil – easier to layer that way. I then sued a stencil for the holly and the pine cone, then used the matching dies for those.

The bird was attached first with 3D foam strategically placed, then the foliage elements inserted.

The foiled sentiment from Lawn Fawn was added, and then some gold sequins.

I hope you can come and join us, it would be great to see you in our gallery. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Ellibelle’s Corner something old and/or something new (new layering stencils)

Crafty Animalsanything goes with an animal

2 Crafty Critter Crazies anything goes with a critter

A Perfect Time To Craftanything goes

Die Cut Divasdie cuts and never before used stuff

Triple Bbirds and/or butterflies and/or blooms

A DL/Slimline card with flowers

Hello everyone. I hope you have enjoyed the past few days in whichever way suited you.

Cardz 4 Galz has started a new challenge, Caz has chosen the theme of ‘A DL/Slimline card with flowers‘. Here is my card:

It wasn’t until one of my DT peeps asked what a DL card that I actually realised I didn’t know. I thought it was slimline, but Caz shared that it is ‘double length’……..you learn something new every day…….

I started with a white card base, and added a stitched gold layer, then added a previously gold stenciled panel. This is one of my favourite Spellbinder stencils, and I also have the glimmer plate as I love that diamond pattern – so versatile.

The florals are from Sue Wilson, an older die set, but I like the almost filigree pattern to them. The centres are the same gold card as the base layer, and I also added a gold gem on top.

Once the flowers were added, attached a gold foiled sentiment.

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

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Most Magical Time Of The Year anything goes Christmas or Halloween

Die Cut Divasdie cuts and flowers

Dragonfly DreamsChristmas

Christmas Crafts All Year Roundanything goes Christmas (or 12 of something, or a musical theme)

Triple B birds and/or butterflies and/or blooms

Beautiful Blossomsanything goes flowers/florals

Sage Green Snowflake

Hello everyone. The ABC Christmas Challenge has reached the last challenge for this year. Helen is hosting this month, and having arrived at the letters ‘Y’ and ‘Z’, and we want to see your Christmas makes following the themes of:

Y is for Your Choice, Z is for Zebra – black and white or stripes

I chose ‘Y is for Your Choice’. Here is my card:

The background is using Spellbinders sage green card stock, and a Simon Says Stamp embossing folder. The circle is from Pinkfresh Studio, die cut using the same sage green card stock, and layered as you see.

The snowflake is from Pinkfresh Studio, stamped with one of the darker inks I used to ink blend with, then ink blended, using green/blue tones, and using a lighter or heavier hand to create even more contrast between the layers of the stencil.

I then used the matching die to cut it out, and attached it to the layers on the card base, then added some silver gems to the centre and four of the points.

The sentiment is from Lawn Fawn, silver foiled, then die cut using the matching die set.

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

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Merry Little Christmas Challenge anything goes Christmas

Mix It Upanything goes – option of stamping

Christmas Bingo column B – free, stamped image, ink blending

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends anything goes

A Perfect Time To Craftanything goes

Aud Sentimentsembossing folder and/or winter/New Year and sentiment

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

Happy Reindeer Christmas

Hello everyone. I was lucky enough to be the winner of a recent Critter Crazy Challenge, and have taken them up on the offer to be this month’s Guest Designers. The theme for their challenges is ‘anything goes with a critter. The animal has to be the main focus. Here is my card:

I have been wanting to use this new die set from Spellbinders, designed by Nichol Spohr, and thought this challenge would be the ideal opportunity.

I first die cut the elements to make the reindeer, and assembled all the layers. This reindeer was my second go at it – I added the muzzle and mouth the wrong way up the first time – and then wondered why he looked so sad……!

I put him to one side then concentrated on the other elements.

The background panel is a light brown card stock, dry embossed using a Spellbinders embossing folder, then I ran the Hero Arts white pigment ink pad over it to catch the raised white areas.

I attached this to a 5 x 7 inch card base, leaving a white border, and then added my reindeer with 3D foam.

I then used several Spellbinder die sets for the flowers and the foliage, using three green, a couple of reds, white, and some gold for the ferns.

These were assembled, then I added them to the card using wet glue, arranging them until I was happy. The poinsettias were added on top of the rest, and faceted gold gems were placed in their centres.

The foiled sentiment was attached using 3D foam, and some holly leaves and berries at both ends.

I hope you can come and join us with your critter creations. The challenge ends on the 25th of this month, and you can enter 5 times with different projects. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

C YHTPembossing folder – option of Christmas taken

Ally’s Angels anything goes

Beautiful Blossoms flowers/florals

Merry Little Christmas Challenge anything goes Christmas

Ellibelle’s CornerI Spy – sparkle or shine

Christmas Cityscape

Hello everyone. Cardz 4 Galz has started a new challenge. Debbie is the host, and she has chosen the theme of ‘cityscape‘. Here is my card:

I started with the background by ink blending Distress Oxides onto a white panel. I kept the lighter blue on the centre portion, then the darker blue, then finally the black.

I then used the houses part of the stencil, beginning with the Shaded Lilac for the houses at the rear, more heavy handed for the centre row of houses, then black for the front houses. I also note that the background blue altered the lilac to some degree – but I am liking the effect.

I also used the stencil on top of the front row of houses and Simon Hurley Lunar Paste for the lights in the windows of the houses. I then set this aside to dry, before I went over the background with a glitter paste to create the snow flurry.

Once all was dry, I cut this panel down, glued onto a white card base, then added the foiled sentiment.

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

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Girlz Creative ChristmasChristmas and based on a Christmas Song – ‘Silent Night’

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friendsanything goes

My Time To Craft ChristmasChristmas and Snowflakes

Merry Little Christmas Challenge anything goes Christmas

Ellibelle’s Corner Eye Spy Sparkle and Shine

Stenciled Merry Christmas

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

I started by using the layering stencil from Simon Says Stamp to create the background and let the inks dry.

I then add some gold heat embossing to the centre of the flowers, and used a gold marker pen to add some extra small and larger dots around the background.

Using Gina K Master Layouts dies, I cut the black layer, then the stencilled layer, and added to a white card base.

The foiled sentiment was added, and then some iridescent gems here and there.

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

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Avenue 613 Createanything goes – option embossing wet or dry

Peace On Earth anything goes Christmas

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friendsanything goes

Stencil Fun – stencils – option of leaves taken

Crafty Gals Cornerdots and/or stripes (gold dots around the background)

Merry Little Christmas Challengeanything goes Christmas

Q is for Quadruple

Hello everyone. The new challenge has started at The Alphabet Challenge. We have reached the letter ‘Q’, and Debbie has chosen the theme of:

‘Q is for Quadruple – shapes or images’

Here is my card:

Starting with a white card base, I die cut the Pinkfresh Studio deco frame, and also die cut the centre panel out of it. The frame I adhered flat with wet glue, and the inner part I dry embossed using and embossing folder from Spellbinders. The embossing folder is called ‘Splash’ but I do also think it has the appearance of leaves……this panel was also adhered flat into the frame.

The four leaves were cut using The Stamp Market products out of Concord & 9th card stock.

I found the foiled sentiment I wanted, and used a 3D foam strip, then arranged the leaves as you see – snipping off the bottom if needed.

As the foiling was gold, I also added some gold sequins. I hope you can coma=e and join us with your projects matching our ‘Quadruple‘ theme. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

CYHTP embossing folder – option of Turkey/Thanksgiving not taken

A Perfect Time To Craft anything goes

Ellibelle’s Corner anything goes

Give A Crafter A Cookie mostly white

Avenue 613anything goes – option of embossing – wet or dry – taken

Creative Inspiration – anything goes

Mix It Up – anything goes – option of stamping not taken

Hello Friend

The new challenge at Cardz 4 Galz is hosted by Helen, and she has chosen the theme of :

’embossing – wet or dry’

Here is my card:

I chose the option of dry embossing, using a very old Darice embossing folder of these cute little flowers. I die cut the circle first, then used the embossing folder.

The background panel is backed by a silver panel, and adhered to the card base. I then added the circle with 3D foam.

The flowers and leaves are from Spellbinders, just a little layering on the smaller yellow flowers, then added with wet glue, placing all the elements until I was happy.

I then added the silver foiled sentiment and some clear drops into the centre of the flowers, and dotted around the bottom area.

I hope you can come and join us with your dry and/or wet embossed creations. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

CYHTPembossing folder, option of turkey/thanksgiving not taken

A Perfect Time To Craft anything goes

The Crafty Addicts anything goes

Triple BBirds and/or butterflies and/or blooms

Avenue 613 Create anything goes, option or wet or dry embossing taken

Ally’s Angelsanything goes

Thinking of You

Hello. I wanted to share a card I made using some dies from The Greetery and Pinkfresh Studio:

The white panel is dry embossed using a Spellbinders embossing folder. The blue circles are from Pinkfresh Studio, and die cut using some Creative Expressions card stock.

I then took The Greetery die set, and cut the gourds and bushel out of white card stock. I used Distress Inks to colour them, Antique Linen was one colour, and I think the orange was either Carved Pumpkin or Spiced Marmalade……I can’t check as – for once – I tidied away after myself before I took the photo…..!

The elements were added as you see with either wet glue or 3D foam pieces, and a foiled sentiment strip attached, and then some iridescent gems for a little more interest.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Color Throwdownorange, pale blue, cream

The Crafty Addictsanything goes

Cut It Updie cuts and add a sentiment

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challengeanything goes

Lil Patch of Crafty Friendsanything goes

Ally’s Angelsanything goes