foiling

Congratulations

Hello again. It is my turn to host at The Alphabet Challenge, and having reached the letter ‘I’, I chose the theme of ‘ink blending’. Here is my card:

I chose to use a stamp set from Pinkfresh Studio ‘Pretty Blooms’. I stamped all the florals in a light grey ink, then used the layering stencils to ink blend using Pinkfresh Studio inks. I wanted bold and bright colours for the flowers. Once ink blended, I then stamped the images again – I hadn’t moved the stamp from my Misti. This is a technique learnt from one of the Pinkfresh Studio virtual events, it certainly gives a bolder outline when stamped after ink blending.

I then used the matching dies to cut them out.

The background is a smaller than A2 panel, die cut with a postage edge die, then run through with a background panel with stitching on the create more interest.

This was adhered to the card base, the floral images adhered with 3D foam, and then the gold foiled sentiment added. The final touch – as usual with me – was adding some gold gems

I hope you can come and join us with your ink blended creations. I look forward to seeing all the variations to our theme. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Beautiful Blossoms – flowers

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

Ellibelle’s Corner I Spy – something to celebrate

The Flower Challenge – flowers and add embellishments

A Cut Above – anything goes with die cuts

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

Cardz 4 Galz – Fun Fold

Hello everyone. I have had a short break with hubby – travelling around Italy with a short stop in Switzerland. Hubby drove and we covered 1000kms in four days, through several mountain passes and lots and lots of hair-pin bends – they look like amazing zig-zags on the maps we followed.

Now back and hopefully crafting more, though I must my mojo seems to be having a longer break than me.

Here is the card I made for the new challenge at Cardz 4 Galz. Sue J is hosting, and she has chosen the theme of ‘Fun Fold’.

The design team has been a little more adventurous with their fun folds than me, but I actually enjoyed the process of creating this card.

I chose the gatefold layout, using patterned paper with a woodgrain effect as a backdrop to the vibrant flowers I was going to add.

The middle panel was another piece of paper from the same collection, the bamboo trellis is from Spellbinders, which I cut and assembled twice so I could make it a little longer.

The flowers and leaves are also from Spellbinders, using a few of their floral sets, assembling and arranging to cover the join in the trellis, and just generally whatever suited my eye.

The panel was then attached to the left side of the gate-fold card, and the foiled sentiment added – a bold black strip with gold foiling to make it stand out. Gems were added to the centre of the flowers – and a few around and about.

I hope you can come and join us with your creations featuring fun folds – I look forward to seeing which folds you use. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Die Cut Divas – die cuts – birthday

A Cut Above – anything goes with die cuts

Ellibelle’s Corner – anything goes

Crafts Galore – anything goes

Love Those Pretty Papers – anything goes with patterned paper

Inkspirational – word prompt – birthday

Swan Easel

Hello once again. It is time for the next challenge at Cardz 4 Galz. Debbie is hosting, and has chosen the theme of:

‘Easel card’

Here is my card:

For the base of the easel card I used a 5×7 top-folding card. I knew I wanted a larger card to ensure I managed to get everything on there.

The front of the card was scored, then I cut a slightly smaller piece of brushed gold card stock for edge of the visible sides – three in total – and before attaching to the card base I die cut the circle from the larger piece for behind the swan.

These three pieces of gold were attached, three pieces of white card stock cut down to layer on top, and each of those three pieces were placed into an embossing folder from Spellbinders to add some interest, then glued down.

The next step was to hot foil the swan and floral images. This is from a Pinkfresh Studio set received from their ‘Create & Connect’ event in February of this year. Once hot foiled, all the images were ink blended using the matching layering stencils, then die cut with the matching dies.

The circle frame is also from Pinkfresh Studio, the gold circle previously cut added to the back, the swan and some florals added, then attached to the easel card.

The rest of the images added below the circle to form a swag.

The next step was the sentiment, which I used as the ‘stopper’ to allow the easel to stand open, and this was two hot foiled sentiments, die cut at least several times for depth, and glued down. Gold gems added for further interest.

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

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

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

Love To Craft – anything goes

Tic Tac Toe – top right to bottom left diagonal – die cuts – free – ink blending

The Flower Challenge – flowers and add embossing – heat or dry (embossing folder)

Sweet Holiday Wishes

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

This card was created using products from a Pinkfresh Studio virtual event which occurred in October 2024, for which I also added the press plate add-on bundle.

The jar was created first by die cutting the back of the jar in a light teal card stock, then die cutting the inner white piece. This piece was dry embossed using a snowflake cover panel for added interest, glued to the base, then the lid was die cut from brushed gold card stock from Spellbinders.

All of the images were hot foiled in gold, then coloured using the matching layering stencils, die cut with the matching die, then arranged onto/into the jar.

I decided to create a coloured background panel by ink blending the panel in one of the colours used on the smaller images, and this too was dry embossed using the snowflake cover plate.

The final addition was the foiled sentiment.

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

I shall be entering the following challenges:

52 Christmas Card Throwdown – Christmas with dies/punches

Cut It Up – anything goes with die cuts

Peace On Earth – anything goes Christmas

Love To Craft – anything goes

Merry Little Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

12 Months of Christmas Link-up – anything goes Christmas – option of one or two layers not taken

D is for Dogs

Hello once again. The Alphabet Challenge has reached the letter ‘D’, and Caz has chosen the theme of ‘DOGS’. Here is my card:

Now most of you know I have cats, currently four of them, and have never owned dogs. However, it appears I have quite a few dog-themed crafty products in my stash. For this challenge I used a Spellbinders die for the dogs, die cutting in varying tones of brown and grey. Some black was used for the eyes and noses.

This die was part of the Spellbinders Advent Calendar 2024, and comes with additional elements to make this cute little guy into a Frenchie – a little beret, a little scarf, and stripes for his jacket. As you can see, I kept him quite simple – if die cutting and layering all those pieces can be called simple.

Once he was put together three times, I decided to use a slimline sized card to get them all on comfortably. The slimline scalloped circle die is from Pinkfresh Studio, and the patterned paper behind the three holes is from Time 4 tea Designs.

I added a gold foiled sentiment.

I hope you can come and join us for this new challenge with projects celebrating dogs. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Crafters Café – anything goes – option of no squares taken

Ally’s Angels – anything goes

Love To Craft – anything goes

Floral Frenzy

Hello everyone. It is time for the new challenge at Cardz 4 Galz. Helen is hosting, and has chosen the theme of:

‘Floral Frenzy’

Here is my card:

For this card I used a Concord & 9th ‘Bright Blossoms’ die set. Inside of using the background die to create stitching on the background for the placement of the florals, I dry embossed the pattern. This caused the floral placement areas to be indented, giving an almost cushioned look.

I then die cut the floral images in a variety of cardstock colours, adding some ink blending towards the centre of the flowers, and some ink blending onto areas of the dark green leaves – though this is less noticeable.

The leaves were glued directly into the indented places, and the flowers were added with 3D foam for further dimension.

The centre of the flowers were die cut from gold glitter card stock, and as I had raised the flowers with 3D foam, I had to get a little creative adding those centres – some teeny tiny itty bitty pieces of 2D foam to make them the same height. Somewhat of a challenge – but fun none-the-less.

I die cut some extra little gold glitter dots so I could add them around the background.

The foiled sentiment was added for the final touch.

I hope you can come and join us with your projects celebrating florals, creating a floral frenzy in our gallery. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

If You Give A Crafter A Cookie – pretty flowers

AAA Birthday – anything goes birthday

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

Seize The Birthday – birthday – option to use a frame not taken

Addicted To Stamps & More – birthday

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 Divas – die cutting and water-colouring

Peace On Earth – anything goes Christmas

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

Aud Sentiments – water-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 Rocket – flowers

Ellibelle’s Crafty Wednesday – anything goes

Crafts Galore – anything 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.