foiling

ABC Christmas Challenge – W and X

ABC Christmas Challenge has reached the letters ‘W’ and ‘X‘. The themes for the Christmas creations should be ‘White’ and/or ‘Xtra Special‘. Here are my cards:

As you can see – I had a ‘white’ moment for both cards. I think white on white gives a touch of elegance,especially with a pop of gold.

For the trees card, I dry embossed a dotty pattern onto a white panel – I think it should be rain drops – but also looks like snow to me……

The trees from Elizabeth Craft Designs were die cut out of white glitter card stock, and the sentiment is from a previous foiling session.

For the more involved snowflake card, I created a panel of white linen card smaller than the base, then used my bone folder and scoreboard to create a frame around the edge, and a few lines at the top of the ornament- almost a hanging thread or string.

The snowflake was die cut from white card stock and white glitter card – a new card for me from Pink Frog Crafts here in the UK – and adhered to the bottom of the dry embossed lines.

The sentiment is also from Simon Says Stamp – the outline in Spellbinders gold cardstock and the inner parts of the words from the same glitter card stock. I didn’t use the shadow layer.

As I had used gold for the outline of the words, I had the ‘bright’ idea of inlaying some gold back into the snowflake. I say ‘bright’ ‘cos that was fiddly as fiddly as could be – but I’m glad I didn’t give up as I like the result.

I hope you can come and jpoin with your Christmas/Festive creations following our theme – I look forward to seeing a White and Xtra Special gallery. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Tree card:

Allsorts Challenge – sparkle and shine

Creative Fingers Challenge – anything goes

Crafty Friends Challenge – Christmas

Unicorn Challenge – Christmas is coming

Merry Little Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Snowflake card:

AAA Cards – CAS anything goes

Craft Rocket Challenge – Christmas/Winter

Crafts Galore – anything goes

Die Cut Divas – die cuts anything goes

Dragonfly Dreams – Christmas

Birdie Christmas Greetings

Hello. I have a card to share inspired by the current colours at Color Throwdown:

I decided to make a Christmas card with those colours, and used a few Spellbinders die sets I have.

The background is embossed using an older embossing folder from Sizzix – not a Christmas design by any means, but I liked that it add some interest.

The central die is from Gina K designs and one of her Master Layouts, raised and adhered with foam.

The birds were put together using all the layers in each die set, but for the bird which is supposed to be a cardinal, I changed his/her tail feathers to the smaller ones from the other bird.

The floral elements and ferns are also from Spellbinders.

I played with the layout a little, stuck the elements down when I was happy with a mixture of 3D foam and glue, then added some sequins – I restrained myself to only adding three – and found that the sequins actually shine a little pink – so matches the colours perfectly.

I added the previously foiled sentiment for a total contrast so there is no mistake that this is a Christmas card……! Despit the colours…..!

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Color Throwdown – mustard, pink, green

CYHTP – embossing folder – option pumpkins not taken

Christmas With The Cuties – anything goes Christmas – option food/drinks not taken

Sparkles Forum – festive and things with wings

Die Cut Divas – anything goes with die cuts

Merry Little Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Believe In The Magic

Hello there. I have a card to share created using some new products, and some older card stock and gems, using traditional Christmas colours:

I’ve spent quite a bit of time in my craft room these past few days – I had a ‘little’ accident when cycling – hit some mud and boom – was suddenly on the floor! My goodness that hurt – but also thank goodness for my cycle helmet – I banged my head – it could have been worse. A grazed and bloody knee, a bruised elbow, and a lot of pain around right side of chest – maybe cracked rib – painkillers helping to some extent – but it means I can’t do very much else except craft – a rainbow behind the cloud!

Anyhoo – this card was also quite fiddly with all the elements, but as soon as I saw the Spellbinders Christmas collection, and what Yana Smakula in particular did with it – straight into me basket and delivered very quickly.

I mixed a few die sets to create this – lots of die cutting, lots of arranging, and re-arranging until I was happy with the result. Another bonus is my electronic die cutting machine, as even cranking the handle on a manual one hurt….

The post box was created using two different shades of red, with a gold handle. I used gold for the skates and gold gems in the middle of the poinsettias and added to the bottom left.

The flowers, holly, mistletoe and ferns using plain white with red accents – lots of die cutting and fiddly assembling – I really do seem to have my fiddly and fussy head on at the moment.

The card base had some black splatters for added interest.

The foiled sentiment is from a batch previously created and it didn’t foil absolutely perfectly – but it still shines and it is still readable.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

The Flower Challenge – flowers and use a sentiment

Use Your Stuff – die cuts

Crafty Friends Challenge – use more than one die

Most Magical Time Of The Year – anything Christmas or Halloween

Sparkles Forum – Christmas with Holly and/or Ivy

Christmas Crafts All year Round – Christmas with winter sports/recreation (skating)

Fab ‘n’ Funky – season’s greetings

Black and White and Gold Christmas

I have a CAS Christmas card to share today:

Onto a white card base I attached a scalloped oval from one of the Gina K Designs Master Layouts.

The sentiment – a previously created foiled sentiment – was attached and used as a ‘grounding’ for the trees.

The trees and little snowman are from a die set from Charlie and Paulchen, and little gold stars added – gold to match the foiling on the sentiment.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Krafty Chicks – CAS

Clean and Simple on Friday – CAS – black, white, and one colour

Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Crafty Friends Challenges – use more than one die

Merry Wishes To You And Yours

Hello there. I have been playing with a new-to-me die set from Tim Holtz:

I first created some panels of green shimmery card using Tim Holtz mica sprays in varying shades of green and one panel of orange. I let them dry overnight, as I had used Distress Mixed Media Heavystock, which would need a couple of passes through my machine – that card stock is indeed ‘heavy’.

I then die cut the wreath layers and stuck them together. Now – that sounds simple – but it took some figuring out – it’s a good job I was in a fiddly and fussy kinda mood! I then die cut the berries and used only two layers – my fiddly and fussy mood didn’t extend to the small, very small, outer berry circles!

I also used the remainder of the orange mica card to die cut the bow.

Once the wreath layers and berries were glued down, I turned to the background, and die cut this snowflake panel – again – for a white-on-white background. I thought this added interest without taking away from the wreath.

I then searched through my previously foiled Christmas sentiment stash and used the one you see.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Color Throwdown – orange, green, white

Crafty Catz Challenge – anything goes – option ribbon or twine not taken

Use Your Stuff – use some die cuts

Sparkles Forum – Christmas with Holly and/or Ivy

Fab’N’Funky – Season’s Greetings

Peace On earth Christmas – anything goes Christmas

ABC Christmas Challenge – U and V

The new themes for ABC Christmas Challenge are ‘U for Unusual Colours‘ and ‘V for Velvet‘. I chose to go with unusual colours. Here is my card:

The two Hero Arts holly branches were created from a playtime I had in my craft room. I have done this technique before, and love how it turns out every time.

Onto piece of white card, apply PVA glue all over, add tissue paper – wrinkle it as laying it down. Then spray with water and add colour with powder – Brushos for instance. More water to let the colour soread – then leave to dry.

You end up with a very crispy and colour piece of card. I then add gilding wax to pick up all the wrinkles – then put to one side for future use.

As you can see, the top branch is using purples and browns with gold gilding wax, and the second is using different greens with gold gilding wax. You are best adding the gilding wax before die cutting as you may squash some of the texture putting it through your machine.

For the card, I dry embossed a very old Sue Wilson embossing folder, cut a panel for the card base, adhered the branches, and added a foiled sentiment – from another play session with my foiling machine.

I was going for a cleaner look this time – so ne gems – shocker!

I hope you can come and join with your Christmas/festive creations using our themes. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Peace On Earth Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

QKR Stampede – anything goes

Merry Little Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

CYHTP – embossing folder – option orange and black not taken

Arty Divas – anything goes

Creative Artiste Mixed Media Challenge – anything goes Mixed Media

Sparkles Forum Christmas Challenge – Christmas with Holly and/or Ivy

Grateful For All You Do…..

It is my turn to host the new challenge at The Alphabet Challenge. As we have reached the letter ‘N‘, I chose the theme of ‘Nature’. Here is my card:

Onto w white card panel I splattered gold and black Liquitex acrylic. Whilst that was drying, I stamped, coloured, then die cut the leaf images.

Once I had decided where to put each leaf – and cut/trim accordingly – I attached with 3D foam, then added the foiled sentiment.

The white panel layered with a black panel, some gold facetted gems added – and the card is ready to go to a dear friend.

I hope you can come and join us with your ‘nature’ themed creations – I look forward to seeing your creations. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Shopping Our Stash – leaf/leaves

TTCRD – anything goes

Mix It Up – anything goes – option smooshing

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

Creatalicious – anything goes – option for a friend

Crafts Galore – anything goes

Rockin’ Holidays

Hello there. A new challenge has started at Cardz 4 Galz, and this time the theme is ‘Christmas In July’. Here is my card:

The background with gold foil stars was created using Thermoweb Duo Gel, a star stencil, and then running through my die-cutting machine with Decofoil.

I used the Lawn Fawn backdrop for the white, and then die-cut the blue foiled star panel to get the evening sky. The hills were glittered using Lawn Fawn Prisma Glitter.

The trees and gnome are from Spellbinders, a little Copic shading on the tree stumps, and the trees themselves cut out of Lawn Fawn paper with little dots on – just to mimic some snow…….maybe…..and the edges of the tree layers die cut out of some white glitter card.

The gnome – now his legs move – rocking from side-to-side:

It was quite fun creating this little scene – I did have to watch a couple of videos on how to piece the gnome together – so many little pieces. I usually don’t like little fiddly die-cutting and assembling – but this was fun.

I hope you can come and join us with your creations matching our current them – I look forward to seeing what you create. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Creative Moments Challenge – anything goes

Merry Little Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Creative Craft Cottage – Christmas in July

Daisy Chain Challenge – use dies and/or stencils

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Foiled greeting

Hello everyone. This may look like a clean and simple card, but it took me absolutely ages to figure out how I was going do some foiling, and for it to look respectable. I was trying to get some inspiration for the current CASology Challenge, and after making the card yesterday, I still had the stamps and dies out and I decided to foil the ‘friend‘ sentiment.

I don’t have a foiling machine, so I hunted for my packets of foil. Then I had to decide how to do it.

The first 2 or 3 times didn’t work. I took some double sided sticky sheets, and stuck it to card, then die cut the letters. I then took the foil and lay it on top, smoothed it out, took away the foil – messy and uneven. I tried again, but it still looked messy and uneven, I couldn’t – initially – think of a way to put down even pressure to make the foil stick.

I went to get a coffee, watched a Real Housewives episode (addicted to a couple of them), and it came to me. Why not put them through my die cutting machine……so I took the sticky letters, added the foil, sandwiched them between a couple of sheets of paper, (my cutting plates are a little ‘tired‘) sent it through my machine……..and this is what I came up with.

Whilst I was faffing with the foiling, I was also thinking about layout. The current challenge from AAA Cards is to only use one third of your card. So that’s what I did!

Now – how to get the letters straight? How to spell it right? We can’t have ‘fiend’ or ‘frend’ now can we? :)

I used the card I had die-cut the letters from and just lay that over the bottom of my card, and inlaid the foiled letters – then removed the unwanted piece of card. That took some figuring out, too, let me tell you.