foiling

Season’s Greetings

Hello everyone. The Holly and Ivy Challenge is back with their first challenge of the year. There was quite a lot of blogger issues with our leader at the end of last year, and a few of us weren’t able to comment or even find where to add things. We apologise if your entry over the past couple of months wasn’t commented on – it was a nightmare for us all.

Here is my card for the first challenge of the year, with the theme being ‘anything goes Christmas‘:

I decided to try a different colour scheme, using more purple tones, with a little bit of pink.

The background is hot foiled using a Lawn Fawn plate – silver onto a dark blue panel, and adhered flat to the card base.

The ice skates are from Spellbinders, and die cut using different tones of purple, with matt silver for the blades, and black for the sole of the shoes.

The flowers and foliage were die cut and assembled, then all arranged onto the card base. Some silver sequins added for a little more shine – to the centre of the flower and some around the background.

I hope you can come and join us and start building your stash.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Peace On Earth – anything goes Christmas

A Perfect Time To Craft – anything goes

Dragonfly Dreams – use pinks and purples

Crafty Calendar – add a die cut

12 Months Of Christmas Link Up – anything goes Christmas – option polar bears not taken

Merry Little Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Merry Christmas – GDT 52CCT

Hello everyone. One of my previous creations was chosen as the winner for the November theme at 52 Christmas Card Throwdown, and as such was invited to be a Guest design team Member for an upcoming challenge. The challenge starts today, and the theme is to create using a previous colour theme from 2024. All the previous themes are listed on the top of their blog page.

I chose to use the colours from June 2024:

Here is my card:

The background panel is a cover plate from Pinkfresh Studio called ‘Festive Grid’. I used a white A2 panel for this. The stars fall out of the cover plate, so behind them I used Pinkfresh Studio gold glitter card stock, then a thin 3D foam to adhere to a card base.

I then die cut the tree and stars. The tree is a freebie from ordering at The Greetery, and die cut using some Heffy Doodle card stock. As the little diamonds also fell out of the tree, I die cut it again using the gold glitter card stock and inlaid each of the little diamonds into the green tree. The star is also die cut form the same gold glitter card stock and adhered as you see.

The final touch was to add a gold foiled sentiment.

I hope you can come and join the team choosing a previous colour theme – there are certainly lots to choose from. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Mix It Up – anything goes with option of paper piecing

Merry Little Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Ellibelle’s Corner – anything goes

A Cut Above – anything goes with die cuts

12 Months Of Christmas Link Up – anything goes Christmas

Be Merry

The last challenge for the year has started at Cardz 4 Galz. The challenge finishes on 22nd December, and we will be having a break until the new challenge on 9th January.

Billie A is hosting this time round, and she has chosen the theme of ‘Christmas‘. Here is my card:

I cut a square of the Pinkfresh Studio gold glitter card stock the same size as the square card base. Before adhering, I die cut the square scalloped frame using a Pinkfresh Studio die set out of the centre – it would be hidden behind the white panel.

The white square was cut, then dry embossed using a Spellbinders embossing folder. This white was layered onto the gold, then the gold frame adhered on top.

The baubles and foliage are washi tape from Pinkfresh Studio and arranged as you see, then the gold foiled sentiment from Lawn Fawn added.

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

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Double D – Christmas Ornaments

A perfect Time To Craft – anything goes

Dragonfly Dreams – Christmas

Avenue 613 Create – anything goes with option of any winter holiday

Pinspirational – anything goes

Christmas Crafts All Year Round – bows, gifts, decorations

12 Months Of Christmas Link Up – anything goes Christmas

Stencilled Bauble

Hello once again. The Alphabet Challenge has reached the letter ‘R’, and Veronika has chosen the theme of:

R is for Round

Here is my card:

I used the Bibi Cameron ‘Snowflakes Ornament’ stencil set from Spellbinders.

The stencils were used direct onto the card base, and Pinkfresh Studio inks. There are several layers to each stencil, for different parts of the bauble. There are actually two bauble sizes, and I chose to do the largest.

Once the bauble was stencilled, I then used the mask over it and splattered with silver sparkle acrylic paint, and then again with one of the blue inks used for the stencilling.

The sentiment is foiled using a Lawn Fawn hot foil set, then die cut with the matching die and attached with wet glue. I then added some clear gems for a little more interest.

I hope you can come and join us following our theme. I shall be entering the following challenges:

12 Months of Christmas Link Up – Christmas, option of stitched up not taken

Stencil Fun – use stencils, option of sparkle or shine taken

Everybody Art Challenge – blue tones

Crafty Catz Weekly Challenge – anything goes, option of blue Christmas taken

Ally’s Angels – anything goes

Ellibelle’s Corner I Spy – something for Christmas

My Favourite Colours

Hello again. Cardz 4 Galz has started a new challenge. Johanna has chosen the theme of:

Your Favourite Colour Combination

Here is my card:

As you know, I like to make cards with florals, and the best way to showcase my favourite colours was by using the Concord & 9th ‘Party Hats Inlay’ die. These colours are what I tend to use when I make floral cards using die cuts.

I have made a couple of cards previously using the inlay dies and this was just as fun – fiddly, but fun.

I used the die on all of the colours you can see – pink, dark green, light green, yellow, purple, lilac, and I did use some ‘Press’N’Seal’ to try and keep the pieces under control.

To be able to inlay the pieces a little quicker, I used a white A2 card base, and added double sided sticky sheet to it, placed the background die cut panel on there, then started inlaying.

The sentiment is from a package of Pinkfresh Studio pre-foiled sentiments.

This green one is my favourite of all I created – but here are the rest:

I hope you can come and join us by creating a project using your favourite colour combination. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Avenue 613 Create – anything goes – option of ‘thanks’ not taken

Here Is A Place To Start – anything goes option of thanks not taken

Paper Funday – anything goes – option of tags not taken

Fab’n’Funky – dies or punches

Ally’s Angels – anything goes

Crafty Gals Corner – anything goes with option of three or more layers

Mix It Up – anything goes – option of paper piecing

Love To Craft – anything goes

Thinking Of You

I had more time to use some new products from Altenew yesterday:

The image is a combination of an embossing folder and layering stencils to colour the image. I tried a couple of ways of doing this – stencilling first then embossing, but for this version I used the embossing folder first, then used the stencils to colour. I liked how the embossing enabled some colour variation within the leaves themselves.

The leaves were ink blended with pink, and the Pinkfresh Studio frame was die cut using a teal card stock. The panel and frame were layered onto a white card base, the foiled sentiment added, and three silver Pinkfresh Studio silver gems also added for a little bling.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Color Hues – Pink and Aqua

Creative Fingers – anything goes

A Perfect Time To Craft – anything goes

CYHTP – embossing folder – option of winter fun not taken

Be Merry

Hello everyone. I wanted a little messy play today, so created this mixed media card:

There are times when I do want to get my fingers dirty, and times when I don’t mind waiting for things to dry. This card took me a couple of days to create for that reason – drying time.

I started with the background panel and applied some white gesso. I then used a couple of Distress Sprays – Peeled Paint and Weathered Wood, also adding extra water and let them flow around. Not to cover every inch of the background, just to add some colour.

I dried this with the heat gun, then took some Nuvo Glacier paste and a spatula and smeared it around. No rhyme or reason, and leaving some chunkier areas. I also used a snowflake stencil and applied some ink through that for the larger background snowflake, another stencil and added some gold and some silver glitter paste dots. Mores mearing with glitter paste on top of all this, then more splatters of teal ink.

Whilst this panel was drying I turned to the die cuts. The poinsettia leaves were cut using purple card stock, and several layered together to give a fuller flower, then silver glitter paste spread across the leaves for shimmer and shine.

The leaves are actually a snow flake die – the large Snowflake Card Creator. The leaves are actually a snowflake die – the large snowflake card creator from Spellbinders/Bibi Cameron. This die was used on a dark teal card stock, then some glitter paste dragged across the whole thing whilst before the die cut was removed.

To create the finished panel – which I did the following day, allowing everything to dry fully – I added the large snowflake to the top left corner with collage medium. The poinsettia leaves were plumped and shaped a little, then added with collage medium again. When the glue had dried, I cut the snowflake arms which were sticking off the edge.

The final touches were some gold glitter to the centre of the flower, and a foiled sentiment from Lawn Fawn.

I created a few more panels using most of the same products and colours, just slight variations:

As you all probably know by now, I don’t have a particular style for my cards. I’ll have a go at most things – but I do gravitate towards die cutting and perhaps embossing folders more than anything else – these were fun…. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Krafty Chicks – Christmas

52 Christmas Card Throwdown – Christmas and sparkle

Tuesday Taggers – sparkle

Addicted to Stamps and More – make your mark

Creative Artiste Mixed Media – anything goes mixed media

We Love 2 Create – anything goes mixed media

MAWTT – sparkle

Eat, Drink, and Be Merry

Hello everyone. I am back from a few nights in gloriously sunny Tenerife – hubby and I decided to have a short break away. Fabulous time – but back from 24 degree temperatures to the UK forecast saying a little snow on the way here….

Here is a card I created using some products from several companies:

The background panel – cut slightly smaller than the A2 card base – was hot foiled using a Lawn Fawn hot foil plate and Spellbinders rainbow stripe foil. I liked the variety of the colours for the snowflakes. This was adhered flat to the card base.

The dies are from Spellbinders ‘Merry Mug‘ die set. I used Pinkfresh Studio gold glitter card stock for the stars, and the other die cuts using card from my stash from Heffy Doodle, Pink Frog, and some unbranded.

The mug was die cut from two different shades of teal to create a darker piece behind, and the front panel raised with low 3D foam pieces so I could tuck things down.

The candy cane from white glitter card stock, then the red pieces adhered on top – that was a challenge, getting the red to stick to the glitter – patience is not my forte….

I flued the mug flat to the foiled piece, then played around with the other elements, adding the marshmallows and the chocolate pieces haphazardly into the top of the mug.

The last thing to be added was the foiled sentiment – I chose a black strip foiled with silver for a striking contrast.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Jungle Belles Rock – Christmas Feast – sweets and treats

MAWTT – Sparkle

Crafty Calendar – anything goes

Craft Rocket – Christmas and/or Winter

Sparkles Forum Christmas – Christmas and snowflakes

Inspiration Station – photo inspiration – inspired by the hot decadent drink

Love To Craft – anything goes

Merry Little Christmas Challenge – Christmas anything goes

Thanks So Much

Hello once again. Cardz 4 Galz has started a new challenge. Dawn has chosen the theme of:

Add Texture

Here is my card:

I used a couple of die sets from Spellbinders to create the floral elements. One way to add texture is to layer things up – there are lots of layers on these floral and leaf images.

The second way I added texture was by using an embossing folder.

The background panel was created using a deep purple card stock, then I took a piece of white cut down slightly, then another piece of the purple and ran them through my die-cutting machine at the same time – one piece of top of the other. That way, both pieces are embossed, and the pattern runs continuously across both pieces.

These were adhered down, the the floral elements added, extra little flowers and leaves placed where I thought they were needed.

For more texture, I added Pinkfresh gems to the centre of some of the flowers.

The foiled sentiment was added at the end.

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

Water Colour Poinsettias

Hello. ABC Christmas Challenge has reached the letters ‘W’ and ‘X’. We want to see your Christmas creations with the following themes:

W is for Water colouring, X is for Xylophone

Here is my card for the water colouring theme:

The poinsettia image is from Pinkfresh Studio – the Poinsettia Frame collection – and I chose to heat emboss the image. There are matching items for this set – a hot foil plate, a stencil set for colouring, as well as the matching die.

Once the image was gold heat embossed, I broke out my Zig markers and water coloured them. I don’t do much water colouring, I don’t actually enjoy the process, but I actually have fun with this image and the Zigs – I forget how they are really good to colour with.

Once the image was coloured, I let it dry, then used the matching die to cut out the frame.

I chose a deep purple card panel, and dry embossed with a Spellbinders embossing folder, then placed the frame on that with 3D foam.

The foiled sentiment was added to the centre, and then I played with glossy accents – using that on each berry, and the centre of the flowers.

I thought the centre needed more, so I also added some Pinkfresh Studio gold gems.

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