Cherish The Season

Hello everyone. I am back from my short jaunt to Tenerife for some sun and quality time with hubby. The weather here in the UK is gorgeous and yet here I am posting a Christmas card for the new challenge at The Holly & Ivy Christmas Challenge.

I certainly had some messy fun creating this card.

The cute ice skating deer is from Gummiapan, stamped and black heat embossed, then water-coloured, and die cut with the matching die.

The background blue panel was created by ink smooshing Distress Inks, and cut slightly smaller than an A2 card base, then adhered with glue, saving a border to place at the feet of the deer to represent some ice….

The background to the scene was also ink smooshing, but with Distress Oxides this time round, die cut with an arch die, and adhered to the blue panel.

I added the blue ‘ice’ strip at the bottom, then used Gummiapan tree dies and die cut from other previously created ink smooshing panels, slotting them into the background.

The deer was added, then the foiled sentiment.

I hope you can come and join us with your Christmas creations – the theme is always ‘anything goes Christmas’ xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Crafty Animals anything goes with an animal

Die Cut Divasdie cutting and water-colouring

Peace On Earthanything goes Christmas

12 Months of Christmas link-upChristmas – option of blue and gold not taken

Aud Sentimentswater-colouring and/or Spring and a sentiment

Merry Little Christmas Challenge anything goes Christmas

Just Saying Hello

Hi there. A new challenge has started at The Alphabet Challenge. We have reached the letter ‘C’, and Tee has chosen the theme of ‘Circle’. Here is my card:

The background panel is a cream piece of card, and dry embossed using an old Stampin’ Up embossing folder. This was layered flat onto a card base.

To create the colourful piece, I used Brushos and water-colour card – some sprinkling, some sprayed water – and a very colourful panel was created. Out of this panel I die cut a scalloped circle from a Gummiapan die set.

The main floral image is also from Gummiapan, and die cut from black card stock so it would stand out against the colourful circle, and layered again with a white die cut of the same image to give a little off-set look. This was adhered flat to the bright scalloped circle.

I then die cut a further scalloped circle from the same nesting circle dies, and adhered flat to the embossed panel.

The sentiment was hot foiled and die cut using the matching dies, adhered to the panel, and some ombre glitter gems from Pinkfresh Studio added.

I hope you can come and join us with your projects which feature a circle/circles. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Craft Rocketflowers

Ellibelle’s Crafty Wednesday anything goes

Crafts Galoreanything goes

Mix It Up anything goes – option of paper piecing not taken

Love To Craft anything goes

Shaker Holiday Cheer

Hello everyone. I have a fun Christmas shaker card to share today as The Holly & Ivy Christmas Challenge has started a new challenge – anything goes Christmas. Here is my card:

I used a Tonic Studios shaker pocket to create this. I first cut a panel of red card stock, then adhered the shaker pocket to three sides, added just a small amount of sequins and beads (a lot actually!), then stuck down the last edge.

This shaker panel was then adhered to a white card base.

The frame image is using the Pinkfresh Studio ‘Joy of the Season’ suite, and foiling the image and sentiment in black foil, then using the matching layering stencils to colour them in with a traditional colour pallet. Once die cut, the frame and sentiment were glued to the shaker panel.

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

I shall be entering the following challenges:

My Time To Craft ChristmasChristmas and use flowers

Peace On EarthAnything goes Christmas with optional mood board

Creative Fingersanything goes

12 Months of Christmas link-up anything goes Christmas – option of blue and gold not taken

Christmas Bingo column O – free/sequins/vellum or clear plastic overlay

Merry Little Christmas Challengeanything goes Christmas

Floral Thanks Gatefold

Hello everyone. It’s been a few days since I posted – I was out and about in the gorgeous weather we are having currently in the UK. Cardz 4 Galz has started a new challenge. Billie A is hosting, and has chosen the theme of ‘flowers‘. Here is my card:

I decided to do another fancy fold, this time a gate fold, and used the last of the previously prepared washi panels from a Pinkfresh Studio suite.

I first created the gate fold base card, and used the stamps from the suite all over the front.

The washi panel was created using an embossing folder on the background, then adhering all the washi images, cutting away the overhang, then matted this with a dark blue panel. The gold foiled sentiment was added, then the panel attached to the left opening of the base card.

I also completed the inside of the card using a white panel, some of the washi floral off cuts, matted with another piece of blue card stock, then adhered to the centre.

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

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends anything goes

Ellibelle’s Garden Party anything goes garden related

Tic Tac Toe top row – die cut, fun fold, flowers

Beautiful Blossoms anything goes floral/flowers

Ally’s Angels anything goes

Ellibelle’s I Spy – April showers and/or May flowers

Floral Birthday Frame

Hello again. I had time to play in my craft room using some flower dies from The Greetery I haven’t used as yet:

I used the current colour scheme from The Color Throwdown and a mixture of Spellbinders and Concord & 9th card stock.

I die cut all the elements in the ‘Embroidered Blooms‘ die set and set about arranging them. I didn’t use half of what I die cut, so I am sure they will be used on a future project.

As I arranged them, I decided to add a panel at the back embossed using a Spellbinders embossing folder, and die cut a white frame using Pinkfresh Studio ‘art Deco Frame’. The fame was added using 3D foam squares in various places – I didn’t use foam strips as I didn’t really know if I wanted any of the foliage tucked underneath the frame as yet.

Once the frame was attached. I added the foiled sentiment strip at the bottom, then added the large flower with a few 3D foam pieces, and then arranged elements around and about.

The final step was – you might have guessed it already – adding some gold gems.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Color Throwdownsage green, yellow, coral

Die Cut Divasdie cuts and flowers

Aud Sentiments sentiment with embossing wet or dry and/or flowers

Crafty Catz Weekly Challengeanything goes with option of feminine birthday

Beautiful Blossomsanything goes flowers/florals

Holiday Cheer

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

I started off with a lilac panel, and Pinkfresh Studio cover plate ‘Stitched Pinwheels‘ to the stitched background.

The frame image was hot foiled, then coloured using the matching layering stencils. I went a little darker with the blending for the centre of the larger poinsettias.

Once coloured, I used the matching die to cut it out, and also cut out the sentiment from the same suite – also hot foiled.

The lilac panel was attached to a white card base, the frame image added, then the sentiment, and some gems to add some more interest.

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

I shall be entering the following challenges:

My Time To Craft ChristmasChristmas and use foil/foiling

Time Outchoose 2 or more – I chose stencil and florals

Die Cut Divas die cuts and flowers

Sparkles Forum ChristmasChristmas Foliage

12 Months Of Christmas link upChristmas anything goes – option of vintage not taken

Just Saying Hello

Hello once again. The Alphabet Challenge has started a run through the alphabet again. For this challenge, hosted by Helen, we want you to choose your own letter from the alphabet, and create a card from your own choice of theme for that letter….

I chose ‘F’ is for Flowers’, and created this card:

This is actually a gate-fold card, so I created the blue card base first, then ran that through the machine with an embossing folder. This created an all-over pattern for the whole of the card base.

The front panel was created using the same embossing folder, onto which I adhered some Pinkfresh florals from one of their washi tape suites – attached to a white piece of card, then die cut.

Once the images were laid out onto the white panel, with images over-hanging the edge, I cut the over-hangs off. The foiled sentiment was added, as were some gold gems.

I placed another white panel on the inside of the card, also decorated with some of the washi florals.

I hope you can come and join us this time round – choose your own letter and your own theme following that letter – the world is your oyster. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Addicted To Stamps & Moredie cuts and/or stencils

CYHTPembossing folder – option of rainbow or rainbow colours not taken

Crafts Galoreanything goes

Die Cut Divas die cuts and flowers

Creative Creasesanything goes with a fun fold

Beautiful Blossomsanything goes flowers/florals

Art Deco Thanks

Hello everyone. Cardz 4 Galz has started a new challenge. Johanna is the host, and she has chosen the theme of ‘Art Deco’.

I had to do an internet search as I really didn’t know what that actually meant. I see that it describes bold colours, geometric or simple lines……I had a search through the products in my Color My Life app and came up items to create this card:

I used a Pinkfresh Studio suite of products (Overlapping Geo Leaf) which included a foil plate, layering stencils, and a die.

I first used the foil plate on white card stock, then the layering stencils, and then the matching die. The inks used were also from Pinkfresh Studio, and I chose bold colours which would work well when layered together.

Once die cut, I then used some Spellbinders brushed gold card stock, and used the die again, placing the gold outer frame ‘off cut’ onto a white card base. I decided to die cut again in white, and layered that with the ink blended panel then inlaid it into the frame, adding the smaller gold pieces. This made the ink blended piece stand a little proud of the background.

The foiled sentiment was added as you see.

I hope you can join us with your projects in the Art Deco style – I am looking forward to seeing all the bold and bright colours on our gallery. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friendsanything goes

Addicted to Stamps & Moredie cuts and/or stencils

Crafts Galoreanything goes

Stencil Funuse stencils – option of patterns taken

Ally’s Angelsanything goes

Christmas – Acetate Technique

Hello everyone. It’s the start of another ‘anything goes Christmas‘ challenge at The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge. Here is my card:

The snowflake was created using a Simon Says Stamp die (Pixie Snowflake) and die cutting that out of a previously created panel of acetate, tissue paper, Brushos, and glue……

You take a piece of acetate, add some dries clear glue or lacquer, then alcohol inks or water-colour powder – the colours of your choice – then sprinkle on some glitter. Here is a Sue Wilson video to check out if you wish.

You then add some wrinkled tissue paper and press down so the tissue paper sticks to the glue and alcohol inks. This is the messy part, so I wore some disposable gloves and some kitchen roll.

This needs to then dry over night – I usually make several pieces at one time to have some available when I want them.

Once that acetate and tissue paper had dried, I used a Simon Says Stamp die (Grand Pixie Snowflake) and die cut out of the middle of an A2 sized piece. I did have to use my chrome plate for die cutting as the acetate and the layers it has on it needs a little more help than the usual plates.

I created a white card base and added a green panel slightly smaller. The white glitter card I cut down to a square just larger than the snowflake, then die cut the snowflake out of the centre, and inlaid the acetate die cut into the glitter square.

The sentiment is a previously foiled strip.

I have the ‘off-cut’ here ready to add another sentiment when the time is right:

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

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Just Us Girlsdie cuts – no flowers

Ally’s Angelsanything goes

Merry Little Christmas Challenge anything goes Christmas

Peace On Earth anything goes Christmas

12 Months of Christmas Link UpChristmas – option of vintage not taken

Butterfly Stripes

Hello there. Popping in to share a card for the new challenge at Cardz 4 Galz. Dawn has chosen the theme of ‘Stripes’. Here is my card:

My use of stripes is in the background foiled panel. I layered that onto a piece of gold glitter card stock. I added another frame from a Pinkfresh Studio die set, then created the images.

These images are from another Pinkfresh Studio suite – washi tape onto white card, then die cut with the matching dies.

The images were arranged as you see, and some ombre glitter gems added.

The sentiment is also gold foiled, and stacked with two or three die cuts instead of 3D foam.

There is a lot of gold going on in this card – I must have been in one of my blingy moods.

I hope you can come and join us with your take on our theme of ‘stripes’.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends anything goes

Ally’s Angelsanything goes

Crafters Caféanything goes – option of CAS not taken

Mix It Up anything goes – option of layers taken

Love To Craftanything goes