foiling

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 YHTP – embossing folder – option of Christmas taken

Ally’s Angels – anything goes

Beautiful Blossoms – flowers/florals

Merry Little Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Ellibelle’s Corner – I 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 Christmas – Christmas and based on a Christmas Song – ‘Silent Night’

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

My Time To Craft Christmas – Christmas 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 Create – anything goes – option embossing wet or dry

Peace On Earth – anything goes Christmas

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

Stencil Fun – stencils – option of leaves taken

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

Merry Little Christmas Challenge – anything 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 613 – anything 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

CYHTP – embossing folder, option of turkey/thanksgiving not taken

A Perfect Time To Craft – anything goes

The Crafty Addicts – anything goes

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

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

Ally’s Angels – anything 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 Throwdown – orange, pale blue, cream

The Crafty Addicts – anything goes

Cut It Up – die cuts and add a sentiment

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge – anything goes

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends – anything goes

Ally’s Angels – anything goes

Slimline Holly Christmas

The ABC Christmas Challenge has reached the letters ‘U‘ and ‘V‘. We want to see you Christmas/festive creations with the themes of ‘U for Use It Up’ and/or ‘V for Vertical‘. Here is my card:

Onto a black slimline card base I placed a piece of black glitter card, added a white frame, then a narrower black frame.

The holly was die cut from a piece of card created when playing with some techniques. I used a green mica spray and when that was dry, I stamped with a red rubber stamp and heat embossed in gold. You can see the detail of the gold heat embossing here:

I then used a slimline holly die from Sue Wilson, and arranged as you see – some hanging over the edge. That did take a while to adhere to the black glitter card, but I put something heavy on top and left it overnight.

I wanted a sentiment which would stand out from the background but not take over from the holly and the glitter background, so chose a gold foiled sentiment from Pinkfresh Studio.

I resisted adding even more bling with sequins as I think this card has enough shine and shimmer.

I hope you can come and join us with our Christmas/Festive projects following our themes. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Peace On Earth Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Love To Craft – anything goes

Merry Little Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Christmas Bingo – 3 items from one column – ‘B’ column – black/free/no stamping

Sparkles Forum Christmas Challenge – Christmas flowers/foliage

Monochrome Thoughts

It is time for the new challenge at The Alphabet Challenge. Helen has chosen the theme this time round, and she wants to see your monochromatic creations,. Here is my card:

I decided to give the Gina K wreath builder stamps and wreath builder templates a try. I haven’t used them before, so I watched a few of her YouTube videos and went for it. I chose black and white for the monochrome look and I am really pleased how this turned out.

I did go on to create several more panels with different stamps from the wreath builder set, but this was my favourite.

There are so many little stamps in this stamp set tp be able to fill in those nooks and crannies, and I found starting with one of the larger images first felt right to me, then I just built the design around those.

The sentiment is white hot foiled onto black card stock from a previous hot foiling session.

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

I shall be entering the following challenges:

A Perfect Time To Craft – anything goes

Avenue 613 Create – anything goes

Ellibelle’s Corner – anything goes

The Crafty Addicts – anything goes

Love To Craft – anything goes

Three Snowmen

Hello. ABC Christmas Challenge has reached the letters ‘S’ and ‘T’. Fabiola is hosting, and the themes are ‘S for Snowmen’ and/or ‘T for Three of a kind’. I used both the themes on my card:

For the background, I die cut the Lawn Fawn ‘Four Square Backdrop’ and then each of the four insert panels I ink blended with Distress Oxides. I then splattered with water, and also splattered with some silver shimmer acrylic paint and set aside to dry.

I stamped the images from Time For tea Designs, coloured them with Copics, and die cut with the matching dies.

Onto a white card base I adhered the frame with 3D foam, added the ink blended panels and the images, found a foiled sentiment to add to the fourth opening, and adhered some sequins for even more shimmer and shine.

I hope you can come and join us with your Christmas creations following one or both of our themes. xx

Sending A Note

The new challenge at Cardz 4 Galz has started, Caz has chosen the theme of ‘Leaves’. Here is my card:

This card was created using Gina K Designs Poly-Glaze stencil-mates foiling sheets. I followed the YouTube video, used a laminator and some green Decofoil I had from goodness knows when, then used the matching stencil to colour in the foiled leaves, with a yellow and a light orange to create some depth.

I have a couple of the poly glaze sheets for different stencils, and when I get my laminator out again, I’ll probably do batch foiling with different coloured Decofoil to them ready for future quick cards.

I also used Gina K Designs Master Layouts to die cut the black panel, then the leaf panel, adding a previously foiled sentiment and some goldy/orangey sequins.

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

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends – anything goes

Challenge Up Your Life – anything goes

Crafting Happiness – anything goes

Love To Craft – anything goes

Mix It Up – anything goes – option make your own background