‘Tis The Season…..

The new Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge has now gone live, and the theme is always ‘anything goes Christmas/Festive‘. Here is my card:

I had quite a bit of messy fun creating this card – ink smooshing, die cutting, ink blending – and I like the outcome.

The background panel is a piece of ink smooshed card stock, with pink and blue Distress Inks, and when that was dry I used a Pinkfresh Studio background die.

I adhered that whole panel to the card base, then turned to the die cutting…….

The two critters are from Tim Holtz, and each piece die cut pout of an ink blended or smooshed panel. If I didn’t have the colour I wanted, I created one.

Before adding each layer, I did some more ink blending on them to make them different. All the brown pieces are from the same panel, but I ink blended a darker brown on them to create different shades – the antlers for instance.

The sentiment is also from Tim Holtz, stamped onto the same brown smooshed panel, cut out, then ink blending.

I adhered all of them with 3D foam.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Jingle BellesChristmas and card stock – no patterned paper

Creative Fingers anything goes

2 Crafty Critter Craziesanything goes with animal as main focus

Crafty Animals – anything goes with an animal

My Time To Craft Christmas Christmas and something beginning with ‘R’ (red, reindeer)

Merry Little Christmas Challenge anything goes Christmas

More swans….

I am hosting the new challenge at The Alphabet Challenge. The theme was chosen by another team member who has since left the team, but we are staying with the theme chosen – ‘Water’. There are a lot of possible choices – as you can see from the Design Team inspiration makes. Here is what I have gone with:

This card took a little planning, a little frustration – but I believe the outcome was worth it. I actually gave this card to my mum-in-law for her birthday.

The swans are from Hero Arts, one of their ‘Looking Glass’ collection of dies. I love to use these sets of dies to create a scene – but I find them difficult – despite watching the YouTube videos – over and over again…….my brain just doesn’t want to take it in….

I added circle frames, and added a decorative die cut from a Pinkfresh Studio die set.

The layers of the swan scene were coloured – the sky and water were ink blended with a Distress Ink, the reeds and swans coloured with Copics.

I hope you can come and join us with your ‘water’ themed creations – either making a water scene, using water-colours…….I;m looking forward to seeing a variety in our gallery. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Allsorts Challengeanything goes with option ‘I Love’……(Hero Arts Looking Glass dies)

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge fun with dies

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends anything goes

2 Crafty Critter Craziesanything goes with critter as main focus

Crafty Animals anything goes with an animal

Ellibelle’s Corner anything goes

Crafts Galore anything goes

Thankful For Your Friendship

Hello once again. It’s my turn to host the new challenge starting at Cardz 4 Galz. I have chosen the theme of ‘stencils’. Here is my card:

This card is – obviously – a slimline card – but slightly longer than the usual. I started with the card base, and die cut the Pinkfresh Studio deco frame twice – it wasn’t as long as I needed it – but I knew I could cover the join with my other elements.

I dry embossed a panel to go inside the frame and adhered the frame with 3D foam – I wanted to add the elemenst with 3D foam, and to tuck them under the frame in certain places.

The birds and branches are from a stamp, die and stencil set from Pinkfresh Studio. I stenciled this several times with different colours of birds and flowers, then used the matching die, which created lots of separate pieces, and set about arranging them in my frame.

I knew I wanted to cover the join in the frame, so I started there, then looked for a sentiment and arranged everything else around that. Some of the leaves and flowers I trimmed down to fit, and added gold gems to match the sentiment.

I hope you can come and join us with your creations which include a stencil – I look forward to seeing your creations. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Allsorts ChallengeAnything goes (option to add number/s not taken)

MMM Challenge thank you

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friendsanything goes

CYHTPembossing folder (wreath option not taken)

Crafts Galoreanything goes

Die Cut Divas anything goes with die cuts

Here Is A Place To Startanything goes – option words of thanks

Avenue 613 Createanything goes (option fancy folds not taken)

Stencil Funstencils (option fall colours not taken)

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge stencil it

Friends Like You…

Hello. I am hosting the new challenge at Cardz 4 Galz, and I have chosen the theme of ‘die cuts and/or punches‘. Here is my card:

I recently ‘attended’ a virtual craft weekend with Pinkfresh Studio. This floral bouquet is from that weekend, and I didn’t use it on a card at that stage, but knew I could use it for when made a card for this challenge.

The image was stamped, and then the matching stencils used to colour it in, and then die cut.

The grey background panel was dry embossed with a Stampin Up folder, and then the Hero Arts wood frame attached.

The flower bouquet was added, and the sentiment – also from Pinkfresh Studio – attached as you see.

I added some gem droplets for more inteest.

I hope you can come and join us -I’m looking forward to seeing your creations – I know you are going to make it difficult for me to choose the winners. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge – frame it

TTCRD – anything goes

Crafty Gals Corner – anything goes

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge add a sentiment

Paper Dragonfly Challenge in the garden