gems

Making Spirits Bright

Hello everyone. The Holly & Ivy Christmas Challenge has started a new challenge – anything goes Christmas. Here is my card:

There’s a lot of glitter and shine with this card, and I’ll try and show you on the following pictures.

To begin, I started with the Pinkfresh Studio ‘Whispers of Poinsettia’ die and stencil set. I started by using the stencil and ink blended all the layers with different coloured inks, then used the matching die to cut it out.

To add more drama, I used a black panel and cut to an A2 card base size, then used another Pinkfresh die set to cut the frame out of black, and used an embossing folder for the cut out portion of the frame. The poinsettia panel was also die cut with the larger of the frame dies, placed behind the frame, the black embossed panel added behind, and then I added some splatters that with some gold shimmery acrylic paint from Liquitex.

When I say ‘some’ splatters – I kinda went to town with it….

A gold glitter card stock panel was cut, and all the layers added with wet glue.

I added a foiled sentiment and them some ombre glitter gems for the centre of the flowers.

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

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Inkspirational – seasonal

A Cut Above – anything goes with a die cut

We Love 2 Create – anything goes mixed media

12 Months of Christmas Link-up – anything goes Christmas, option of snowfall not taken

Triple B – birds and/or butterflies and/or blooms

Creative Artiste Mixed Media – anything goes mixed media

Crafters Café – anything goes – option of Christmas taken

Love Letters & Hearts

Hello again. The Alphabet Challenge has started a new challenge. Veronika is the host, and as we have reached the letter ‘L’, she has chosen the theme of:

Love Letters and Hearts

Here is my card:

I chose to use a Spellbinders die set for this card and wanted vibrant colours.

The dies set for the main heart and the flowers is called ‘Blooming Heart‘. I used a combination of Spellbinders card stock and Concord & 9th card stock to create the vibrant glowers and leaves, and added them to the dark blue background heart.

For the letters or handwriting part of it, I used a Spellbinders Letterpress plate twice – just moving it along to create the indents in the mustard coloured card stock behind the heart.

The sentiment was created using matt gold card stock, and of course, there had to be some addition of gems.

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

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Crafters Café – flowers

Ellibelle’s Corner – anything goes

Colourful Options – any colour, any combination, any theme

Crafts Galore – anything goes

Triple B – birds and/or butterflies and/or blooms

Mix It Up – anything goes – option of fancy fold not taken

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 Throwdown – sage green, yellow, coral

Die Cut Divas – die cuts and flowers

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

Crafty Catz Weekly Challenge – anything goes with option of feminine birthday

Beautiful Blossoms – anything goes flowers/florals

Best Wishes

Hello there. Cardz 4 Galz has started a new challenge. Pamela is hosting and she has chosen the theme of ‘Embellishments’. Think gems, sequins, buttons, bows, etc. Here is my card:

The background panel is a purple card stock and dry embossed using a Spellbinders embossing folder.

I die cut the frame from a Pinkfresh Studio die set out of brushed gold card stock, then added the washi tape blue roses – again from Pinkfresh Studio. I only used one of the multiple images from the strip of washi tape, the others are for another project.

The sentiment is heat embossed, and my nod to the challenge theme was to add multiple gems – some small sparkly gems and a few larger coloured gems.

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

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Crafts Galore – anything goes

Tic Tac Toe – top left to bottom right diagonal – enamel dots – die cuts – dry/heat embossing

A Cut Above – anything goes with a die cut

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

Beautiful Blossoms – anything goes with flowers/floral

Birthday Wishes

I had a chance to play with some new products from Spellbinders:

I cut a white panel and used a Spellbinders embossing folder to create the background, layered onto a white card base.

I then did some die-cutting – when I say ‘some’ die-cutting I really mean quite a bit. I was using the colours from the current challenge at Color Hues, and die cut the hexagons, flowers, and all the layers from white, teal, and lime green card stock. I had no idea when I began which colour I was going to use for which layer, so I played around until I found the layers that I wanted, then glued them all together.

I then played with the positioning of the hexagons until I was happy with the layout above, glued the floral images down, added some small gold gems to the flowers then thought about the sentiment.

I used a debossing sentiment – also from Spellbinders – and some of their gold card stock to match with the centre of the flowers.

I’m getting quite used to the small fiddly layering dies, and instead of dreading them I embrace them wholeheartedly….and the only thing I get just a little worried about are the colours for each layer, but with a colour challenge that is taken care of……

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Allsorts – anything goes – option of wings not taken

Color Hues – lime green and cyan

Creative Knockouts – birthday

Time Out – birthday

Everybody Art – birthday

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

Joyeux Noel

Hello – I have a card to share using the Honey Bee Stamps cardinal die set again:

I first put together the cardinal using reds and blacks – and a little white gel pen for the eye. I then put him to one side whilst I stenciled the mistletoe arches, using the three layers for the leave and the red berries, and used the matching die to cut it out.

I white dry embossed a panel for the background, adhered the arches, and added the cardinal.

I thought I would die cut the feet again and prop him onto the sentiment strip – almost like he is perching there.

I added the red gems to each of the berries – you know when you start something and then realise just exactly how many of those berries there are? Well – it took me a little while – but I like the effect. I also added a couple of larger gems to the sentiment strip because- well – why not?

I think I’ll have a go with the other bird in the die set at some point this week – watch this space……

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge – holiday cheer

Krafty Chicks – Christmas

Crafty Catz Weekly Challenge – anything goes

Allsorts Challenge – anything goes – option of ‘let it snow’ not taken

Crafty Friends Challenge – traditional Christmas Colours

Stencil fun – anything goes with stencils

As You Like It – anything goes Christmas

The Alphabet Challenge – R for Reduce

Hello once again. The Alphabet Challenge has started a new challenge, and as we have reached the letter ‘R’, Veronika has chosen the theme of ‘Reduce – make it clean and simple‘. Here is my card:

I used a frame from my stash – I forget the maker – and stuck a piece of patterned paper onto the back – then trimmed around the frame.

I stuck this down onto the card base with a strong glue.

I think the tree was a pre-cut piece from a kit, to which I added three gold strings, and then placed some gold facetted gems on top of the ‘loops’ of the string, adding a larger gem onto the top of the tree.

I’m looking forward to seeing your CAS cards in our gallery. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

TTCRD – anything goes

Lil Red Wagon – glitter, glitz, gleam, glow

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge – anything goes

Fab’N’Funky Challenge – die cuts or embossing – no stamped image

Love To Craft – anything goes

Hi, Hello, and Hugs

The new challenge at Cardz 4 Galz asks for ‘3 of something‘. Claudia is the host this time round. Here is my card:

Onto a white card base I adhered an ink smooshed and splattered panel. The splattering was with white acrylic and Lawn Fawn ‘Liquid Stardust‘.

The three circles, and three sentiments were layered as you see, and some black faceted gems and small silver gems added for even more shine and bling.

I hope you can come and join us with your ‘3 of something; creations. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge – mixed media

Beyond The Blue – mixed up sentiments

Avenue 613 – anything goes

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

Ally’s Angels – anything goes