Thinking Of You

Hello everyone. I had – unfortunately – the need for a sympathy card. A close friend of mine lost her father this last week so I wanted something simple yet meaningful. Here is my card:

I started with the background, and used a Pinkfresh Studio cover plate to create the stitched panel. This was adhered flat to the card base. Onto that I attached a frame created using a layering stencil from a recent Pinkfresh Studio virtual event, and die cutting with a ‘Fancy Frames‘ die set – also part of that event.

I first stencilled a panel, then used the frame dies, and used this one piece adhered flat to the background stitched panel.

Using the washi tape from that event – stuck onto a piece of card then die cut with the matching dies – I chose the floral images I thought would best go around the frame, and adhered them with glue.

The sentiment is a previously foiled strip.

Having lost both my parents over the past 5 years of so, I can appreciate how she is feeling, but it is still very difficult to be able to put that into words, isn’t it?

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Just Us Girls anything goes with a stencil

Creative Fingersanything goes

Make My Mondayfaux or real stitching (background panel)

Beautiful Blossomsflowers – optional mood board

Tic Tac Toe top row (metallic – layers – thinking of you)

Love To Craft anything goes

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 Galoreanything goes

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

A Cut Aboveanything goes with a die cut

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends anything goes

Beautiful Blossoms anything goes with flowers/floral

Cardz 4 Galz – anything but square

Hello once again. Cardz 4 Galz has started a new challenge. Helen is hosting this time, and she has chosen the theme of:

‘anything but square’

Here is my card:

I decided to go with an oval card suing nesting oval dies from Spellbinders. Using a basic A2 card base, I die cut a large oval – keeping the fold – for the actual card base.

I then used the large oval to create the brushed gold layer, then another for the white piece on top. This white piece I used an embossing folder on to create some added interest.

using even more of the nesting ovals I created a brushed gold oval frame, placed that on top of the white piece, and used that as a base shape to place all the images.

The blue roses are from Pinkfresh, one of their washi tape suites, die cut a couple of times to enable me to have plenty of flowers to play around with.

Once all the elements were attached – a mixture of glue and 3D foam pads – I added the gold sentiment and some gold gems dotted around and about.

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

I shall be entering the following challenges:

A perfect Time To Craft anything goes

Crafty Calendaradd a die cut

Crafts Galore anything goes

Creative Inspirationanything goes

Give A Crafter A Cookie anything goes

Beautiful Blossomsflorals

Mix It Up anything goes – option of monochrome

Be Merry

The last challenge for the year has started at Cardz 4 Galz. The challenge finishes on 22nd December, and we will be having a break until the new challenge on 9th January.

Billie A is hosting this time round, and she has chosen the theme of ‘Christmas‘. Here is my card:

I cut a square of the Pinkfresh Studio gold glitter card stock the same size as the square card base. Before adhering, I die cut the square scalloped frame using a Pinkfresh Studio die set out of the centre – it would be hidden behind the white panel.

The white square was cut, then dry embossed using a Spellbinders embossing folder. This white was layered onto the gold, then the gold frame adhered on top.

The baubles and foliage are washi tape from Pinkfresh Studio and arranged as you see, then the gold foiled sentiment from Lawn Fawn added.

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

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Double DChristmas Ornaments

A perfect Time To Craft anything goes

Dragonfly Dreams Christmas

Avenue 613 Create anything goes with option of any winter holiday

Pinspirationalanything goes

Christmas Crafts All Year Roundbows, gifts, decorations

12 Months Of Christmas Link Up anything goes Christmas

Washi Christmas Wreath

Hello. I have been busy crafting and have made a Christmas card using some Pinkfresh Studio washi tape:

The first thing I did was to place the wide washi onto a piece of card, and use the matching dies to cut out the images.

I created the background using a Spellbinders embossing folder, then wiping over some white pigment ink to bring out the details more.

I then arranged the images in a wreath format, adding the dangly baubles at the bottom. Before using a combination of glue and 3D foam.

I have a selection of this washi tape from Pinkfresh Studio – the trickiest part is not applying it to the card before die cutting – it’s making sure the die is very well stuck down to the card piece surrounding the washi – low tack tape doesn’t stick to washi and the die can move – a lot! Ask me how I know…….

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challengeanything goes

Crafty Catz – anything goes – option to use dies/punches taken

CYHTP embossing folder – option to use pumpkins not take

Krafty Chicksanything goes

Allsortsmagic of the season

Ally’s Angels anything goes

Merry Little Christmas Challengeanything goes Christmas

You’re Sweet

Hello once again. Recovering from a head cold, and found that crafting did take my mind off things. I created this card:

I used an older Pinkfresh Studio washi tape for the fruit elements, inspired by the Inspiration Station photo – lots of fruit on a stall. This is a very large repeating washi, and once laid down onto a half sheet of card stock, I used the matching die to cut the elements out.

As washi tape is very slippery, and low tack doesn’t really adhere to it, I made sure some of my low tack tape was on the card stock too – ask me how I knew to do that……!

As this card is on the larger 5×7 inch side, I die cut a white panel and used a Spellbinders embossing folder which has fruit slices as the design. This was then added to the card base.

As the washi tape images had gold highlights, I then used a couple of rectangle dies to cut a frame out of Spellbinders brushed gold card stock.

I then added that to the panel with 3D foam as I was going to layer the fruit elements over and under the frame.

The fruit elements were added with a mixture of 3D foam and wet glue – leaving a space for the sentiment, which was stamped and heat embossed in gold. The matching die cut for the sentiment was used, and cut several times to create a more stable sentiment added as you see.

I have several rolls of washi tape from Pinkfresh Studio, but always forget they are there. I can see more cards coming soon using them.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Just Us Girlsword prompt ‘frame’

Ellibelle’s cornerI Spy Summertime Vibes

The Four Seasons Challenge Summer

A Cut Aboveanything goes with die cuts

Die Cut Divas use die cuts and wet or dry embossing – I used both embossing methods

Pinspirational die cuts

Inspiration Stationphoto inspiration – fruit medley

Flowers, Hares, and a Bird

Hello everyone. Whilst I was watching the England football this evening, I decided to create something using techniques and mediums I rarely – if at all – use. Like most of us, I have them, but am unsure of how to use them, so today I just went with it to create this collage mixed media panel:

The starting off point was the image in the centre. This is actually a layering washi tape from ‘AALL and Create’. I have never seen these before, and one of my go-to shops showcased them recently – so I bought a few different ones to try.

This is the ‘Sunflower and Hares’ washi, and I layered it onto some Distress Kraft Heavy stock and cut it down into a square.

Now to play with ‘stuff’…..I took a spare piece of white card stock and some Tim Holtz papers and went to town. Using the vintage collage medium to give a sepia tone, I created layers on the background.

I then took an Indigo Blu red rubber stamp and Archival ink to stamp partial images over the dried collage. I created a brown stencil paste using Altenew embossing paste and brown Impasto acrylic paint, a Tim Holtz stencil, and added detail to the background.

When the paste had dried, I took some gold wax and rubbed it over the top – I wanted some vintage yellow to somewhat match the sunflowers.

I then added some green die cut leaves I had laying around on my desk, covered them with the vintage distress collage medium to tone down the green a little,

Once all that was dry, I added the square with the images with the other collage medium, then found some light brown paper flowers, adding some of the gold wax to the petals, and stuck them down as you see.

As I was putting some of the papers away, a strip dropped out ‘Made in England‘ so I added that to the bottom.

Here are the products I used, and you can see the roll of washi tape off to the side:

All-in-all, a fun but messy creation. I still have no idea what I’m doing – but I did enjoy the process.

Here is a picture of the washi tape just attached to white card stock and the image the four layers create, ready for making into a card:

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Addicted to Stamps and More make your mark

Ally’s Angelsanything goes

Creative Fingersanything goes

Inkspirationalstencils – option to use paste taken

We Love 2 Createanything goes mixed media

2 Crafty Critter Craziesanything goes with a critter

Crafty Animalsanything goes with an animal

Creative Artiste Mixed Media Challengeanything goes mixed media

Triple B birds and/or butterflies and/or blooms

Thanks So Much…..

Hello again. This card was created using the rest of the left-over pieces of the Washi tape from Pinkfresh Studio:

I dry embossed a white panel using a Spellbinders embossing folder, then attached that with glue.

There are two large floral bouquets added with 3D foam to the bottom left and top right corners, then three more floral images attached in the top left corner. The bottom corner was left for the foiled sentiment.

I also added some gold gems around the arrangement.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Here Is A Place To Start anything goes

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challengeemboss it

Crafty Catzanything goes – option to use an embossing folder taken

Allsortsanything goes

Creative Fingersanything goes

Ally’s Angelsanything goes

CYHTPembossing folder – option of birds not taken

Beautiful Blossoms flowers

CAS Bouquet

Hello. This time I created a CAS card for several challenges using a left-over piece of the Pinkfresh Studio Washi tape from a couple of days ago when I entered the speed card challenge.

I ink blended some blue in the bottom left corner – only what was left on my blue blending brush, then adhered the bouquet with glue.

The foiled sentiment was added to overlap the bottom of the bouquet.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

SCS Cards – CAS

Tic Tac Toe middle row – pastel colours – CAS – flowers

Allsortsanything goes – option of CAS taken

Lots Of Love…..

Hello once again. This card was created as I was totally intrigued by the current challenge at ‘As You See It’. The challenge theme is ‘Spring Flowers – in under 10 minutes’……

So – this was my second attempt at creating a card in under 10 minutes. The first card I was still using the stencil and not even got around to the die cutting part at the end of 10 minutes.

I had a rethink, and decided to go with some Washi tape from Pinkfresh Studio – that would take care of some stamping, colouring and die cutting all in one go – but little did I know that trying to get that Washi down smoothly would take more time than I anticipated.

However, it worked…..Here is my timer:

Just in the nick of time.

A plain white card base, a circle frame I die cut – within that 10 minutes – the Washi die cut pieces attached with glue and some 3D foam squares……the sentiment was also stamped and die cut (2 layers), then glued down…..I can see I’m also typing quickly – I still think I’m on a timer….!

I was going to add some bling – but time was running out and I hadn’t prepared for that….

So -an interesting challenge, which made me realise just how much time it takes to create a card generally – definitely far longer than 10 minutes……

As You See It – Spring Flowers in under 10 minutes