heat embossing

Sunshine Kisses & Birthday Wishes

Hello. I am hosting the new challenge at Cardz 4 Galz, and have chosen the theme of:

Seaside/Coast

Here is my card:

I started with background, and used a Honey Bee Stamps die & stencil set called ‘Beach Break’. I did have to go to the web site to figure out how things went together, but it was quite fun creating.

The beach was created using Kraft card and the die – which gives a lot of the details, then the stencils were used and a darker brown ink to make those details a little more prominent.

The blue of the waves/sea was die cut in a light blue card, I went in with the stencil and embossing ink, then heat embossed with white to create to foamy water.

Then to choose a critter – and this little guy is from a die set from Spellbinders a couple of years ago, die cut and assembled as required.

He was added to the background with 3D foam.

The sentiment is also from that release, stamped in blue and clear heat embossed, then die cut.

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

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Make My Monday – add texture with dry or heat embossing

Mix It Up – anything goes option of stamped background not taken

Pick Three Challenge – embossing, birthday, blue (not used sports, numbers, plaid)

Critter Crazy – anything goes with a critter

Four Seasons – anything goes Summer

Crafty Animals – anything goes with an animal

Lots of Thanks

Hello there. I had the need for quite a few ‘thank you’ cards. Having recently retired from the NHS after over 40 years, I had a small leaving meal last Saturday. There was the nurse practitioner team I first started 26 years ago – now a team of 8 people. There were consultants there who I did clinics with up until my final day – who actually paid for the whole thing…….to say I was emotional is putting it lightly. Such a lovely gesture….

Anyhoo – I wanted to batch make some thank you cards for them, and decided to go down the route of complicated. These cards actually took me over 3 hours to make – why did I go with heat embossing and ink blending? Well – I enjoyed the process – but I don’t usually like to make the same card more than once. Here are the cards:

The stamp, die, and stencil set called ‘Chirpy Mithu‘, is from Pinkfresh Studio, and was part of their Create & Connect event in February this year. I hadn’t played with them yet, so I though it was time to bring them out.

I began by stamping and heat embossing the image in gold, then colouring with the provided layering stencils. Pinkfresh Studio inks were used for this. As there were seven images, and there were 6 stencil layers – this took quite a while, especially as I used different ink colours on some of the stencils.

Once coloured, I then used the die to cut them out, cutting out an extra white layer to make the image a little more sturdy.

I then used a couple of the sentiments from that same event, heat embossed those in gold, then die cut them, also adding an extra white layer.

For the background, I used a over plate to create the stitch details in two colours of card stock – just for a little variety.

The background was adhered directly onto the card base, after cutting down slightly to create a white edge. The image was added with 3D foam – another fiddly job of cutting pieces to fit – and then the sentiment was glued down.

The final touch was to add some gold gems.

I shall probably pop in and give them out one day this week.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Ally’s Angels – anything goes

Make My Monday – add texture with dry or het embossing

Love To Craft – anything goes

Ellibelle’s Corner Garden Party – anything in or from the garden

Allsorts – anything goes from the garden

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

Stencil Fun – use stencils – option of butterflies not taken

Have a (gum)ball

Hello again. It is time for the new challenge at The Alphabet Challenge. Dawn is hosting, and has chosen the theme of:

B is for Balls

Here is my card:

I decided to go with a quirky take on the theme, by using a stamp set from Lawn Fawn. I stamped and heat embossed the image onto water-colour card stock, the water-coloured with my Zig markers. This was die cut when dry, then the sentiment stamped and die cut with a fishtail banner die.

The background is patterned paper, matted with white, and all put together with glue and 3D foam.

I hope to see all sorts of ‘ball’ themed creations in our gallery and hope you can come and join us. xx

Happy Birthday, Honey

Hello everyone. Cardz 4 Galz has started a new challenge. Dawn is hosting, and she has chosen the theme os:

Bees

Here is my card:

I used Simon says Stamps products which were part of a previous online class from 2025.

My first step was to stamp all the images in the set onto water-colour card stock in black ink, then add clear embossing powder. I then water-coloured all the images with my Zigs. When they were dry, I used the matching dies to cut them out.

The background panel is plain yellow card stock, but onto that I added pieces of the honey comb – die cut from a Simon Says Stamp die set called ‘Honeycomb Tag‘ and snipped in places, arranged haphazardly, for added interest, also adding some of the ‘fall out’ pieces. I do like to add die cuts onto the background instead of embossing sometimes for a different and quirky look.

The central hexagon is from this die set too, and die cut from a previously created ink smooshing panel, onto which I then added extra detail by stenciling through a honeycomb patterned stencil – also from Simon Says Stamp.

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

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Aud Sentiments – watercolour and/or Spring and a sentiment – water colour chosen

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends – anything goes

Allsorts – anything but square

Thinking Of You Today

Hello again. I have a card to share whilst trying to keep my mind busy after saying goodbye to one of my cats yesterday.

My starting point was the list at Festive Friday and searched my CML app for ‘envelope’. This Spellbinders hot foil plate came up, and with it were layering stencils, so out came my foil machine, and off I went.

I used a brass foil and Hammermill card stock. Now – I am not a fan of this card stock. I have not had great results when foiling or ink blending, but thought I would give it another go……..in future, I will stick with my Neenah for ink blending.

It did foil perfectly. I just don’t like how the card ‘grabs’ the brush, the ink doesn’t flow smoothly enough for me. I will use it for foiling or for stamping – but not for ink blending….

Anyhoo – onwards……I ink blended Pinkfresh Studio inks in the colours you see using all the layering stencils. I added a slightly darker blend to the areas of the envelopes I felt would be a little,in shadow under another envelope.

The panel was then cut down slightly to leave a white border showing on the card base.

The sentiment is from Pinkfresh and one of their recent virtual events, heat embossed in brass, then die cut with the matching die.

I created a die cut vellum label to go behind the sentiment, also from Pinkfresh Studio.

I can see that I shall be crafting over the next few days – in between cuddles with my other cats – that’s if they let me. They aren’t particularly a cuddly bunch. The weather in the UK seems to be a little brighter this next few days so I much venture out on my push bike…….

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Festive Friday – 3 items from the list – envelopes/vellum/thinking of you sentiment

Addicted to Stamps & More – die cuts and/or stencils – I used both

Stencil Fun – stencils, option of rainbow colours

When it rains – look for rainbows

Hello there. Cardz 4 Galz has started a new challenge. Sue J is hosting, and she has chosen the theme of:

April Showers

Here is my card:

I decided to go slimline with this card to get more umbrellas on there, so I created the background panel using a Clearly Besotted stencil, Versamark ink, and silver embossing powder. I had to move the 6 x 6 inch stencil to cover all the background panel – but it worked out well.

The rainbow umbrellas were created using a Spellbinders die set, ink blending a slightly darker colour for the under-side of each umbrella, and adding the lacy layer – ink blended to be slightly darker – for a little more interest and dimension.

The sentiment is from an older Avery Elle stamp set – stamped then cut into a rectangle.

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

Addicted to Stamps & More – die cuts and/or stencils (both used)

Ellibelle’s Corner I Spy – Spring flowers or Spring showers

A Splash of Green

Hello everyone. A new challenge has started at Cardz 4 Galz, with the theme of ‘a splash of green‘ hosted by Pamela:

The centre image is from Pinkfresh Studio ‘Garden Tapestry’ and consists of a stamp, die, stencil, and hot foil plate. I didn’t use the hot foil plate this time round, and chose the stamp and gold heat emboss the main image.

Once heat embossed, I used the layering stencils to colour the image, choosing softer colours, then use the matching die to cut it out.

The background panel was created using some light green card stock and running it through with a Spellbinders embossing folder ‘branching out’, cutting it down slightly and attached to a white card base.

The die cut image was added with 3D foam, then the foiled sentiment attached.

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

I shall be entering the following challenges:

CYHTP – embossing folder – option of sewing/sewing related not taken

Stencil Fun – use stencils – option of vine/vinery

Craft Rocket – no designer paper

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

Blue & White Christmas

Hello there. I have a card to share for the new challenge at 52 Christmas Card Throwdown. I was lucky and fortunate enough to win their February colour challenge, and as such was invited to be Guest Design Team Member for this challenge.

The theme is: Blue & White Christmas

Here is my card:

I first started by stamping the image from Kristina Werner/Concord & 9th in black, then heat embossing with a clear powder. I prefer to do this if I am going to ink blend straight away, to stop any smudging.

The matching layering stencils were used to colour the image in, using blue inks from Pinkfresh Studio, adding a light shade to the whole flower petals, then a darker shade towards the centre.

The foliage was ink blended using a light grey ink, and a lighter blue for the holly leaves and berries.

Once the image was coloured, it was die cut using the matching die, and a second piece die cut out of white card stock to add some stability and thickness.

Onto the square white card base, I added a shimmery blue piece of card, then glued the coloured image straight onto that.

The sentiment is also from the same stamp/die/stencil set, die cut and attached as you see.

For added interest and a little sparkle, I glued blue gems from Pinkfresh Studio onto the centre of the poinsettia, and three smaller gems surrounding the sentiment.

I hope you can join the team with this colour challenge. I look forward to seeing you in their gallery. xx

ABC Challenge – Elves, Foliage, Gems

Hello everyone. The ABC Christmas Challenge has reached the letters E, F, & G. We want to see your Christmas creations following the following three themes for this challenge:

E is for Elves, F is for Foliage, G is for Gems

Here are my cards:

I first decided on the background for this card, using a piece of light blue card stock and running it through with a Spellbinders embossing folder.

Before attaching that piece to the card base, I decided where I wanted the hat to be, then used the Waffle Flower ‘Elf Hat‘ die set, die cutting the hat out of Spellbinders glitter foam.

The face part of the elf was die cut with white and ink blended some light peach, attaching the the corner of the blue panel, then the hat pieces glued to fit. I trimmed the edges to make them square with the base piece.

This was then glued to the card base, and the sentiment added after stamping and trimming to fit.

For my second card, I stamped and silver heat embossed the image twice – a Pinkfresh Studio set called ‘Magical Holiday’.

I then used the matching layering stencils to colour the two images in, and then the matching die to cut them out.

The white background panel was created by using an old Stampin’ Up embossing folder, and attaching to the card base.

The silver frame was created by using two nesting rectangle dies, then two ink blended images attached to the back, then glued down onto the dry embossed panel.

The sentiment was also silver heat embossed and die cut, adding to the centre, then the silver gems glued as you see.

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

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Elf card:

CYHTP – embossing folder, option of sympathy not taken

Addicted To Stamps & More – Christmas

A Cut Above – anything goes with a die cut

Mix It Up – anything goes, option of die cuts taken

Foliage & gems card:

Inkspirational – use stencils, option of plaid not taken

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

Merry Little Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Love To Craft – anything goes

Heat Emboss Resist Christmas

Hello. I thought I had posted this card a day or two ago – but obviously forgot to even write it – never mind post it.

This card was created as I was intrigued by the current challenge at 52 CCT – their Christmas technique theme this time is for using heat emboss resist. I thought of a Gina K Designs stencil I had of a large snowflake, so decided to give it a go:

The first step was to tape the 6×6 inch stencil onto a piece of white card which measured slightly bigger, and pounce some embossing ink through it. I think I remember doing this on a previous virtual event, so I had a blending brush already set aside for using this embossing ink.

I first brushed some anti-static powder onto the card stock, then taped the stencil down round the edges. It took a little doing, a lot of pouncing instead of brushing, but I managed to get the whole image done, then used white embossing powder and heat set the design.

I then took three colours of Pinkfresh Studio inks and blended them all around, wiping it down between each colour to not cross-contaminate.

The blending was taken to the edge of the larger piece of card, so I could choose which part to use, and die cutting with a Gina K Designs Master Layout die set to get a stitched rectangle.

This rectangle was then matted with brushed gold card stock from Spellbinders, then a deep purple card, and attached to a white card base.

The foiled sentiment was then added.