layering dies

Elephant Safari

Happy New Year to you all.
Cardz 4 Galz has started the new year with a challenge theme chosen by Dawn W. – ‘On safari. Here is my card:

The die set of the elephants are from Altenew, and when I saw them just before Christmas – I just had to have them. Aren’t they cute?

I used a lighter grey and a darker grey for the layers, but added a little shading with Distress Inks to the larger elephant on the layers at the back – the legs and the body, just for a little more dimension.

Once the layers were glued together, and some black gel pen added for the eyes, I searched through my designer paper stash for a suitable background paper, and found this from Spellbinders with some faint little hearts.

I matted that layer with black and a gold layer, which I also die cut the sentiment and it’s shadow layer from. The sentiment is from the Spellbinders Advent Calendar.

The hardest part about this was the arrangement of the elephants, and after playing around a little I thought the three of them arranged like this – as though they were waling towards you to say hello – would work best.

I hope you can come and join us with your ‘safari’ themed projects. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Ellibelle’s Corner – I Spy – something old and/or something new (new elephant die set, new sentiment die, old paper)

Crafty Animals – anything goes with an animal

2 Crafty Critter Crazies – anything goes with a critter

Die Cut Divas – dies cuts and never before used stuff (Altenew die set, sentiment die)

Moving Along With The Times – use a new craft item (Altenew die set, sentiment die)

Christmas Bingo – the ‘O’ column – layers, rectangle free

From Me To You…

Hello everyone. I have a card to share using products from several companies:

The background panel is a light pink, embossed using a Sizzix embossing folder, and cut down just a tad before gluing onto the white card base/

I then used the Spellbinders Kaleidoscope Arch die set, die cut the floral elements in either dark pink, a lighter pink, or white. The leaf and stems were die cut using a light brown card stock, and Spellbinders matte silver card stock for the flower centres.

The top layer of each of the arches was stitched with silver shiny thread, then the other layers matted underneath.

The flowers were layered, and added to the two arches once the sentiment strip was adhered, so I could tuck them underneath.

The pink sequins were part of the year’s Spellbinders Advent Calendar – just perfect for this. They have an almost iridescent look to them – sometimes they look dark pink, sometimes light pink, and at other times gold…

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Colour Hues – pink and silver

Aud Sentiments - embossing folder (other options are winter and/or New Year) and a sentiment

Die Cut Divas – die cuts and flowers

Give A Crafter A Cookie – gold and/or silver

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

The Crafty Addicts – anything goes

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

With Sympathy…

Hello everyone. I have a card to share which we don’t really want to make and send but sometimes it is just needed:

The flower is from Honey Bee Stamps, die cut out of white card stock, then a yellow-green ink blending to the centre of the leaves, layered together with a mixture of 3D foam and wet glue to add dimension.

The leaves were die cut from dark green Concord & 9th cardstock.

I used a favourite embossing folder from Stampin’ Up with a white card panel, then used black acrylic paint to add some black splatters. This white panel was adhered to the card base, the flowers and leaves added with wet glue, then the foiled sentiment strip added with 3D foam.

I also added some dark green enamel dots – also from Concord & 9th – around the floral arrangement.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Color Throwdown – white, black, dark green, yellow-green

Avenue 613 Create – anything goes – option of embossing (wet or dry) taken

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

Ally’s Angel’s – anything goes

Beautiful Blossoms – flowers/florals

Thanks So Much…..

Hello I have a card to share using some Spellbinders products:

These floral dies were part of the products received when attending a virtual event with Bibi Cameron and Spellbinders. The layering florals are actually meant to be snowflakes – but I chose colours which are not necessarily meant for snowflakes and Christmas, to make a thank you card.

I die cut the outer layer with the shiny gold card stock, then used Concord & 9th green and cider for the florals – a lighter green for the stem, and a darker green for the leaves.

I also die cut another of the ‘snowflakes’ and layered behind the main one so you can see the itty bitty point showing in the gaps on the outside.

The background is a dry embossed panel using a Spellbinders embossing folder, matted with the darker green of the leaves – die cut using a Gina K designs Master Layouts die – so handy for those layers.

The sentiment strip is from a previous foiling session.

I’m so pleased with the versatility of this die set and how it turned out – not Christmas related at all. I like how the colours of the card stock and the gold go together, and the dry embossed panel adding some interest to the background.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

CYHTP – embossing folder – option of poppies not taken

Festive Friday Challenge – choose three items from the list (I chose four) – flowers, thank you, embossing folder, die cuts

Die Cut Divas – anything goes with die cuts

Mix It Up – anything goes option make your own background

Octopus ‘Hi’

Hello, I hope you are doing well. I have a card to share using some products from the June release at Spellbinders which I haven’t got around to using yet:

I started by ink blending my background panel using the two inks you see in the main picture. I splattered them with water and set it off to one side to dry.

This piece of card is an older Distress Heavystock – some of the batch which doesn’t take water well, so I had to be very careful with the amount of water I added – but the effect came out as I wanted.

Once dry, I die cut the bottle, and then used a Spellbinders embossing folder to create the bubble effect. Onto that embossed bottle I then rubbed – very gently – some of the Hero Arts white pigment ink so it would pick up some of the edges of the bubbles.

I then used a previously created ink smooshing panel of green – a lighter green panel and a darker green panel – to die cut the octopus layers and the seaweed.

I put the layers together, added some black for the eyes and mouth, and stuck them down onto the bottle.

The cork was from some brown cardstock, as was the board and sentiment, slotted into one of the arms of the octopus.

This was fun card to create, and I can see I’ll be playing with this die set again.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

Color Throwdown – pink, green, magenta, white

Cut It Up – die cuts and under the sea

Shopping Our Stash – any wild animal

Crafty Animals – anything goes with an animal

Die Cut Divas – anything goes with die cuts

Grab My Button

Friendly Florals

A Bank Holiday weekend here in the UK and some time for crafting. I created this card with some recent purchases.

I created the floral arrangement using Concord & 9th card stock ‘Four Petal Thank You’ die set from Spellbinders. Layering flowers and leaf die cuts seem to be my new joy………and a couple of years ago I wouldn’t have gone anywhere near any tiny, little fiddly pieces – now I quite enjoy them.

I die cut the favourite Pinkfresh Studio ‘Art Deco frame’, and die cut the middle out too. I used this middle piece of card with the new purchase from Catherine Pooler – the ‘woven‘ background panel. I wanted to insert this into the frame so instead of cutting the panel out wholly, I just used this inner piece.

The ‘woven’ panel was added as a ‘might as well’ when I was ordering recently, and I’m really glad I did. I think this die will be used a lot – it adds interest when used this way – white on white – and I am sure it will stunning in different colour schemes too – watch this space….!

A white card base, the deco frame adhered with 2D foam strips, the inner die-cut woven piece inserted, the florals added with 3D foam, a foiled sentiment strip and I thought I was done……but no…….I added some iridescent gems because they would pick up the colours near to them.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Crafts Galore – anything goes

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

Here Is A place To start – anything goes – option trees and/or leaves

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

Paper Funday – anything goes

My Time To Craft – use die cuts

Beautiful Blossoms – flowers

A Butterfly Paper Hug

A new challenge has started at The Alphabet Challenge. Having reached the letter ‘F’, Deborah has chosen the theme of ‘Flying – anything that flies’. Here is my card:

I chose a stamp, die, and stencil set from Concord & 9th to create this card. The background is stenciled in muted tones of some Altenew brown inks/grey inks to provide some interest without taking away from the main butterfly image.

The butterfly was die cut and assembled, and added with 3D foam, and some gold gems added to the wings in strategic places.

The sentiment id also from that same stamp/die/stencil combo, the banner layered with some gold. I had to do some partial die cutting to make the gold match the curve of the banner – I don’t like fussy cutting so I’d rather work out the partial die cutting. Some small gold gems added to this banner also.

I hope you can come and join us with your ‘anything that flies’ creations – so many options to choose from. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Ellibelle’s Corner – something with wings

2 Craft Critter Crazies – anything goes with a critter

Crafty Animals – anything goes with an animal

Paper Dragonfly Creative – anything goes or summer creatures

Die Cutting Divas – die cuts and critters

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

Happy Blooming Birthday

Hello there. I am the host for the new challenge at Cardz 4 Galz. I chose the theme of ‘use die cuts and/or punches‘. Here is my card:

And so continues my fascination with die cutting and layering – all that fiddlyness – I think I made a new word!

These tile dies are from Spellbinders, and I die cut a whole bunch of each – the diamond background, the floral elements, the gold stars – and assembled them before I even thought about how I was going to put them on a card base.

I decided to go a heart shape as I could use a lot of the tiles – even though you can see I had some left over.

The background is a dry embossed panel – using the deboss side – and matted onto a black rectangle to make it pop a little more.

The sentiment is a debossing sentiment, which I quite like the look of, especially in gold.

There was enough going on with this card so I didn’t even think about adding extra gems or enamel dots.

I hope you can come and join us with your creations following our theme – I look forward to seeing you in our gallery. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Allsorts – anything goes option birthday

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

Seize The Birthday – anything goes birthday

CYHTP – embossing folder – option of weddings not taken

Craft Rocket – use dies

Christmas Fireplace

A new challenge has started at ABC Christmas Challenge. Having reached the letters ‘L’ and ‘M’, we want to see your Christmas/Festive makes with ‘L for lots of layers‘ or ‘M for Mice’. Here is my card:

It is very obvious I went with the ‘lots of layers’ theme to create this card.

The background panel is dry embossed using a Simon Says Stamp embossing folder.

The main image and additions are all from Spellbinders. This is another card where I had to watch a YouTube video to see how everything came together, and from that video made the decisions for each colour.

I wanted the stockings hanging on the mantle to be a pop of colour, and added them with gold string through their loops, but didn’t glue them down, so they move around when the card is picked up.

The die cutting, layering and fiddly assembly mood seems to be staying with me……

I hope you can come and join us with your Christmas/festive creations following our two themes. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Merry Little Christmas Challenge – Christmas anything goes

Inkspirational – seasonal

Peace On Earth – Christmas anything goes

Craft Rocket – use dies

12 Months Of Christmas – Christmas – option not taken

Christmas Skates and Greenery

Hello. The new Holly and Ivy Christmas challenge has started. Here is my card:

I have used a collection of die cuts from several companies to create this card. Lots of die cutting and assembling, but I enjoyed the process.

The card base and the snowflake design was created using die cuts and matching embossing folder from Simon Says Stamp (Refined Snowflakes) – die cutting and embossing the snowflakes, and adding them randomly around the background panel with wet glue to give dimension.