Sue Wilson Stitched Squares die set

Lantern and Poinsettia

Hello once again. The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge has started a new challenge. The theme is always ‘anything goes Christmas/Festive’ – here is my card:

During the past year I have taken some online classes with Susan Tierney-Cockburn – moving out of my comfort zone and trying something new. I struggled – and still do – when creating these flowers using her Spellbinders collection of dies – but I keep trying. I am pleased with how this poinsettia turned out….

The only thing I didn’t really feel I got to grips with was the centre – I really messed that up – which is why there is Nuvo drops and some glitter there……..!

I managed to create these flowers and leaves following her YouTube videos, and have even invested in the flower forming tools – I feel they would help as I was using my ball tools when I created this and didn’t quite get the detail and lines and veins of the leaves – you will probably see another variation on this theme….

I didn’t put a candle in the lantern either – and I don’t think it’s missed – maybe another variation for the future…..

The base card was layered with squares using Sue Wilson stitched dies, and one of her embossing folders too to add the holly swirl details in the white background piece.

The lantern was die cut from Tim Holtz metal coloured card stock, then I used some of his embossing powders on it to try and create a more weathered and metallic look.

I am definitely going to create this flower again – maybe in other colours – as I actually quite enjoyed stepping out of my comfort zone.

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

I shall be entering the following challenges:

My Time To Craft – embossing (I used wet and dry embossing)

Merry Little Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Mix It Up Challenge – anything goes mixed media – option monochrome

Mixed Media Lovers Challenge – anything goes Mixed Media

12 Months of Christmas Challenge – Christmas with option of metallic

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Elves, For Tree and Garland

A new challenge has started at ABC Christmas Challenge. We have reached the letters E, F and G – and we want to see your Christmas creations with the following themes:

E for Elves, F for Fir Tree, and G for Garland.

Here are my makes:

E for Elves
F for Fir Tree
G for Garland

The MFT ‘Christmas sElfies’ was stamped, coloured with Copics, and the square die-cut with a stitched square from Sue Wilson. Patterned paper adhered to a card base, and the sentiment strip raised with 3D foam – trying to keep the squares and lines etc in alignment – I think I did a pretty good job at that.

The second card using the Hero Arts stamp – an old one I don’t think I’ve actually used yet – stamped using Altenew Obsidian black ink direct onto the card base. I did use my Misti, and it took about three stampings to get a solid image. I liked the effect so much I stamped it again using a couple of Concord & 9th inks too. The sentiment is from my stash – no idea where it came from – and I even added a plain white Tim Holtz deer – just because I could, really…….

The third card is using a stamp and die set from Uniko. The leaves of the garland are stamped directly onto the card base, with the holly leaves, pine cones, and berries also glued down. Not too much dimension. I struggled with an appropriate sentiment on this card, and in the end left it without one – I’ll probably stamp one inside when the time comes.

It appears these three Christmas themes inspired me to create for all three letters – I must have had a mojo lightning strike that day!

I hope you can come and join us – please remember the letters have themes that we have chosen, and we would appreciate your Christmas creations adhering to those themes. I hope to see you in the gallery. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Elf card:

Colour Crazy Challenge – anything goes colouring

Christmas with the Cuties – Cute Christmas option elves/gnomes/fairies

Christmas Cards All Year Round – Christmas and something beginning with E or F (elves)

Crafty Hazelnuts Patterned Paper – anything goes with patterned paper

Fir Tree and Deer card:

Krafty Chicks Challenge – occasions

Sweet Stampers Challenge – CAS

2 Crafty Critter Crazies – anything goes with a critter

Sparkles Forum Christmas Challenge – CAS Christmas

Garland card:

Merry Little Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas


Alphabet Challenge – Old Folk

Hi there. A new challenge has begun at The Alphabet Challenge. We have reached the letter ‘O’ – and Dawn has chosen the theme of ‘Old Folk’.

Here is my card:

Aren’t these couple of ladies looking like they’re having fun? The image is from Jan’s Digis, manipulated a little in ‘Word’, adding the sentiment – playing with the layout and layering options – then printed, coloured with Copics, and die cut with MFT ‘Wonky Squares’ – just for a little more craziness…….

When I saw this digi stamp months ago, it reminded me of my bestie. We have always said we would be old and grey and still partying…..just like these two ladies here.

Just to say – we are already grey – though the hairdressers we have do a marvellous job 🙂 :)……….and the ‘old’ bit? Well – it’s a frame of mind and not birth years I find….though sometimes I definitely feel older than my years.

Anyhoo – I hope you can come and join us for this challenge – I can hardly wait to see your creations using this theme – I am sure there are going to be some laughs along the way……………. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Allsorts Challenge – birthday cake or cupcakes

Crafty Sentiments Designs – anything goes

Colour Crazy Challenge week 41 – anything goes colouring

Jan’s Digi Stamps Challenge – anything goes colouring

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Watercolour Poinsettia

Hello once again. I have a card to share for the new challenge beginning at The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge. The theme is anything goes as long as it’s Christmas related.

Here is my card:

I began by stamping and heat embossing in white the Thirsty Brush and Co ‘Sparkle to my world’ stamp set onto Arteza water-colour card. I used the rough side of the card as I like the look that gives with watercolour. I then used the Arteza Real Brush pens and a combination of several reds for the poinsettia itself, and several greens for the leaves.

I just played with the colours and the shading – not particularly taking any notice of light source – just playing and colouring, adding water, then taking some away – I do tend to add too much water sometimes – until I was happy with the result.

I did colour some of the stamped berries, but I didn’t like how they turned out, so I went into my Tonic Nuvo drop stash – I seem to have a lot of these drops – and found a colour that matched. I also found a lovely green – so I added that too.

For some reason, I just can’t stop adding these drops once I start:

I layered some red and green card and as I wanted to stamp the sentiment in black to make an impact, I used a black card base.

I hope you can come and join us, as I’d love to see what Christmas creations you can add to our gallery. The Design Team has some fabulous and varied inspiration for you xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Crafty Catz Weekly Challenge – atg with option wet or dry embossing

Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas Challenge – atg Christmas with option of cute

Joy Of sets Tic Tac Toe – watercolour/embossing/floral

Happy Little Stampers watercolour challenge – watercolour with option of bling

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White and Blue

Hello everyone. I have a card to share as there is a new challenge starting at Cardz 4 Galz. The theme this time is ‘White and Blue’.

I began by creating a 6×6 inches card base, and die-cutting a stitched square frame just slightly smaller.

Then embossing the white card with the Apple Blossom embossing folder, and cutting it down slightly to ensure a slim white border around it.

The heart circle die is from Heffy Doodle, and another stitched circle die to cut around that heart frame – as it only cuts into the card, and using another die from the Heffy Doodle set for the blue inner die-cut. I think this is supposed to be the waste from that die – but there is no waste here!

The little hearts that came out of the Heffy Doodle die fit quite nicely into those embossed dotty circles – so with a little patience – I went round and stuck them all in as you see.

The ‘Thanks‘ word is from Altenew ‘Enchanted Iris’, die cut twice in white card stock and then in the same blue – for some extra dimension. I decided to stick this at a jaunty angle – for no reason in particular. 🙂

The photo is taken indoors in natural light – it’s very, very blowy here at the moment – but you can see the fabulous dimension and embossing that folder creates.

I do hope you can come and join us this time. I look forward to seeing what you create. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Just Us Girls – create dimension

Crafty Sentiments Designs – anything goes

Lemon Shortbread Challenge – anything goes

Pretty Bows

Hello there. There is a new challenge beginning at Cardz 4 Galz, and the theme this time is ‘Pretty Bows’. We would love to see your paper-crafting related projects with this theme.

We are also have a Design Team call – so if you can create a card every two weeks following a set theme, be able to comment on your allocated numbers in the entries – I usually comment more – and host a challenge or two, picking the spotlight winners – then please come along and submit your entry for consideration. I’m looking forward to seeing what you create, and looking forward to greeting a new teamie…… xxxx

Back to the current challenge. Here is my card:

I began with a lilac card layer using Sue Wilson Stitched Squares, cut a smaller square with one of the layers, and then die cut one of the verso layers from the tonic die set. The bows in this verso layer can be lifted for added dimension, as you can see from the close photo.

After cutting a couple more layers from the Tonic set, I created a lattice bow using the Spellbinders tiered Mulitloop Bows die set, using a gem brad to put the layers of the bow together, and added to the card as you see.

I decided not to put a sentiment on this card, and will instead use a verse or poem in the middle instead, as I feel this could be quite a generic card.

I hope you can visit the Cardz 4 Galz challenge and see the creations from the Design Team – and I also hope you can come and join us – I look froward to seeing what you create.

XX

Sun, Sea, and Sand….

Hello again everyone. There is anew challenge started at Cardz4Galz, and the theme is – Sun, Sea, and Sand.

Here is my take on the theme:

To create the sea and the sand at the front, I used The Ton ‘Golf Course‘ stamp set. For the sand in the mid-ground, I used a finger dauber and one of the two shades of Altenew brown inks, and just – well – dabbed it down. It gave the effect of sand, which I’m quite pleased about.

I did the same with a blue for the sky to give an overall uneven look to it.

I then took the Hero Arts ‘Colour Layering Palm Tree‘ stamp and die set for the palm trees, hammock, and also decided to stamp some monkeys…….all die cut with the matching die set.

The sentiment is from the Hero Arts stamp set, and all layers die cut with a Sue Wilson’s stitched squares.

I hope you have the time to join us for this challenge, and I see the Design Team have some great projects for you to see…..I look forward to seeing your creations. 🙂

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge – make your own background

Give a crafter a cookie – cookie inspiration

Pinspirational – photo inspiration

Brown Sugar Challenge – anything goes