foiling

Teal Poinsettia

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

To create this card, I used the Waffle Flower Crafts ‘Sketched Poinsettia‘ stamp, die and stencil set. I first gold heat embossed the image with Altenew gold embossing powder, used the matching stencils to ink blend and colour the image in, then used the matching die to cut it out.

I used Pinkfresh Studio inks for the main floarl element.

For the background, I wanted a bold back-drop to the flower, so I used a dark blue card stock, and a Spellbinders embossing folder. This panel was cut slightly down to create a white edge.

The Spellbinders sentiment is gold foiled and die cut.

the elements were added as you see, and some dew drops added around and about.

I hope you can come and join, and I look forward to seeing you in our gallery. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Die Cut Divas – anything goes with die cuts

A Cut Above – anything goes with die cuts

Stencil Fun – use stencils – option of nature taken

Merry Little Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Stitched Armchair

Hello everyone. It seems the more time I have, the less time I spend crafting…..it seems I have been getting out and about more than usual, so I am glad I manage to keep well ahead in my DT duties.

The new challenge has started at Cardz 4 Galz. Billie A has chosen the theme of ‘stitching – real or faux‘. Here is my card:

I wonder how many of you are like me and have some stitching dies, and yet rarely use them. This challenge theme gave me the opportunity to grab one from Spellbinders and have a go at it.

I first die cut the chair from Kraft card, then stitched with a darker brown thread. I wanted a more vintage look to the chair. I did try a red chair, and a darker brown chair – but once I started to stitch them, I didn’t like it.

The cat is also from the same die set, and die cut very simply from white card stock. This cat has certainly got that nose-in-the-air look, hasn’t it?

This is one colour of cat I have never had. Our first cats were two black brothers, and now we have two old black and white cats, one tabby, and one torty….but never a white cat….

The background panel was created using a Spellbinders embossing folder, the gold frame was die cut from a Pinkfresh die set, and the sentiment is gold foiled.

I hope you can come and join us with your creations following our theme. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

Everybody Art – anything goes

Addicted To Stamps & More – die cuts and/or stencils

CYHTP – embossing folder – option of balloons not taken

Crafty Animals – anything goes with an animal

Die Cut Divas – anything goes with die cuts


Joy To The World

Hello everyone. After a busy few days over the Bank Holiday weekend, including a de-stash stall in our market area here in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, I find I am a day late in posting for the new challenge at The Holly & Ivy Christmas Challenge. The theme is always ‘anything goes Christmas’. Here is my card:

The Santa Collage is from Waffle Flower – such a joyous and festive layering stencil set. I first die cut the collage panel, laid the stencils in order, and ink blended using traditional Christmas colours – a bright red, a bright green – then added white gel pen for some extra details.

I also added some pencil scrawls across the list Santa is holding, and gold acrylic paint dots on the solid red present.

The sentiment is from a previous foiling session – I have quite a few ready for attaching to cards – and is from Pinkfresh Studio.

I will definitely be using this stencil set again, maybe in different colour ways, but I do like the traditional look for this.

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

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Stencil Fun – use stencils – option of trees and/or leaves not taken

Creative Fingers – anything goes

Peace On Earth – anything goes Christmas

Addicted To Stamps & More – die cuts and/or stencils

Ally’s Angels – anything goes

Hello Friend

The Alphabet Challenge has started a new challenge and theme. Melanie is the host, and she has chosen:

J is for Jump – anything which jumps

Here is my card:

I chose to use a new die, and one from a company I haven’t used before. They now have their products on one of our UK stores, and I took the opportunity to buy several – this peekaboo die really sang to me.

I used a white card base, and die cut the peekaboo die from another panel of white card stock, and simply laid down a rainbow striped paper behind it….really clean and simple – for me at least…..!

I added the foiled sentiment – no gems, no other embellishments – again a rarity for me – but I really do like the simplicity of it.

I hope you can come and join us with your creations featuring anything that jumps. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Ellibelle’s Corner – anything goes

Craft Rocket – animals

Crafty Animals – anything goes with an animal

A Cut Above – anything goes with die cuts

Colorful Options – Neutrals colour board or rainbow

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

Sending Snowflake Kisses

Hello once again. The Holly & Ivy Christmas Challenge is starting a new challenge. The theme is always ‘anything goes Christmas’. Here is my card:

I started by die cutting the snowflake panel with white card stock using a Pinkfresh Studio and layering some silver glitter card stock behind to shine through the openings. This was added to the card base, then I set to ink blending the Waffle Flower ‘Postage Collage Snowman’ layering stencils.

I ink blended the images, then created a slightly darker halo effect around each image to highlight them a little more.

This was then die cut using the Postage Collage die, then each image cut apart to create individual pieces, and arranged on the snowflake background.

The sentiment is silver foiled.

For once, no additional embellishments as I thought the glitter card and the foiling were enough. I hope you can come and join us. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Peace On Earth – anything goes Christmas

Merry Little Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

12 Months of Christmas Link-Up – anything goes Christmas

Stencil Fun – stencils – option of trees and/or leaves not taken

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