Dragonflies and Butterflies

A birthday card today, which I hope has arrived at its destination, although you never know with the UK post. I'm still waiting for a handmade anniversary card which was sent almost two years ago and it only had to travel about 5 miles! LOL!

I started by covering the front of a 7" x 5" card blank with silver pearlised card.  The embossing folder is by Craft Concepts, 'Dragonfly'. As the folder was only 5" x 4", I decided to use four pieces of embossed card and arrange the pieces leaving a space between each one.  The dragonfly is a Spellbinders die, 'Dreamy Dragonfly', which comes in two parts and used snippets of pearlised blue and silver card.  The circles are MB 'Stitched Circle' dies and I used a die from The Works for the stitched rectangle.

I am joining in the following challenges with my dragonfly card:

Cards in Envy Bug Me! (Insects & Bugs) Card Challenge!

City Crafter Challenge Blog Week 375 ~ You Don't Bring Me Flowers

Dies R Us Challenge #79 ~ Anything Goes with Dies

Dragonfly Dreams August Challenge ~ Animals

Crafting with Dragonflies Challenge # 87 ~ Embossing/ wet and or dry

When I was writing this post earlier today, I thought it would have been perfect for the current Butterfly Challenge, which is to use the colour Wedgewood Blue, if I had used a butterfly rather than a dragonfly.  So, I decided to make another similar card, but with a butterfly.

I didn't have any of the blue pearlised card left from the previous card, but found a few snippets of a slightly paler blue pearlised card.  The colour is probably closer to Wedgewood Blue anyway.  I don't know the name or make of the embossing folder as there are no marking on it.  I made a Get Well card this time, to go into my box of ready-made cards.

I am joining in the following challenges with the butterfly card:

Butterfly Challenge #84 ~ Butterflies + Y is for You Choose and/or Wedgewood Blue

HLS August Anything Goes with Dies Challenge

Skateboarding

The Less is More Challenge this week is the dreaded One Layer with the theme of 'Vehicle'.  The dictionary definition of a vehicle is 'a thing used for transporting people or goods', so I hope my skateboard counts.

The stamp is a Woodware Francoise Read, 'Skateboard Dude' stamp and the sentiment is a stamp by Funstamps.  Both these stamps are wood mounted and as I now a have a Tim Holtz Stamping Platform I wish I had the courage to remove the stamps from the wood, but I know if I mess it up I can't replace the stamps.  The image is stamped with Memento 'Tuxedo Black' and coloured with Promarkers.  The sentiment is stamped with Versafine 'Onyx Black'.

I am joining in the following challenges:

Less is More Challenge #341 ~ OLC Vehicle

Stamping Sensations August Challenge ~ Anything Goes

Addicted to CAS Challenge #117 ~ One Layer Card

I Love Promarkers Challenge #340 ~ One for the Boys

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge ~ For a Child

Patchwork

I was delighted to be asked to be a Guest Designer again in Pixie's Snippets Playground.  I'm sure I'll never run out of snippets, but I usually forget to use some of my growing pile of patterned paper snippets.  This is the second patchwork die I'm lucky enough to own, given to me by and crafty friend, and I love how placing the papers in a different place makes a totally different pattern.

The die is a Die-namics 'Diagonal Quilt Square Cover-Up' die.  I used two punches to make the flower. The patterned paper and red card were all cut from snippets. When I was making the card, I was reminded of the time many, many years go when I went to patchwork classes, stitching the blocks by hand.  There are so many fabulous patchwork designs, I thought I'd try to make a notelet, with a simple patchwork block design, using just snippets, a guillotine, scissors, a pencil and a ruler.  

I started with snippet of card 4" square and I drew a pencil line across the middle vertically and horizontally.  This can be any colour as it's covered up.  The red and floral patterned papers were cut into 1" x 2" strips.  Then I cut off the corners, as shown in red on the diagram to get the shape I needed for the red patterned paper.

  For the floral patterned paper I needed to reverse the corners I cut off, like this. 

The cross in the middle of the 4" square made it easy to line up the pieces of patterned paper.  I found it easiest to cut the blue squares and triangles slightly bigger than I needed, then trim any excess off after they had been stuck down in the spaces left.  When the patchwork was complete, I layered it on a piece of yellow card slightly bigger than the 4" square and attached to a 5" square card blank. 

I am joining in the following challenges with the first card:
Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper August 2017 Challenge
HLS August Anything Goes with Dies Challenge

Cheers!

A masculine card today, for my niece's husband.

The silver mirror card Sweet Dixie 'Beer Tankard' die cut was mounted on a Poppystamps 'Stitched Main Street Tag'.  I added a brad to the top of the tag.  The black and white backing papers are by Anna Marie Designs.

I am joining in the following challenges:
Pixie's Snippets Playground - Week 293 and 294 ~ Use Snippets (Tankard and Tag)
Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper August 2017 challenge

HLS August Anything Goes with Dies Challenge
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge ~ Happy Birthday

Mr Tumble

Welcome to my new follower Nancy Boyd of Kandy Krazee.  

I made this card for a 'nearly three year old' little boy who has just become a big brother.  He loves Mr Tumble, the TV character, and carries a Mr Tumble soft toy everywhere.  I found a copyright free outline drawing of Mr Tumble online and coloured him in with Promarkers, making sure I used all the correct colours! 

I used MB 'Stitched Ovals and Rectangles' for matting and layering the image and sentiment and added three punched stars to one of the die cuts.  The embossing folder 'Sparkle Squares' by Creative Expressions.

  I am joining in the following challenges:

I Love Promarkers Challenge #340 ~ One for the Boys

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge ~ For a Child

Cute Card Thursday Challenge #490 ~ Embossing!
Paper Creator Crafts Challenge #60 ~ Something for the Kids

Be a Pineapple!

When I saw that LIM Challenge this week is 'Tropic Fruits', my mind drew a blank.  I knew I didn't own and fruit dies, stamps or embossing folders, except for one apple embossing folder....and apples are hardly tropical!  Then I remembered some tropical papers I used when I was on the Readers' DT for the QCME magazine a couple of months ago and I put the pieces I didn't use in my box of patterned paper snippets.  

I used Memory Box 'Stitched Oval' dies to die cut the image and the white mat.  To find a suitable sentiment, I googled 'Tropical Fruit Quotes' and found the perfect sentiment, which I designed and printed in colours to match the patterned paper.  After finishing my card, I re-read the challenge details and remembered that the challenge was to use tropical fruit 'colours'! Hey-ho, at least I've used up a little of my tropical fruit papers, which at least are the right colours.

I am joining in the following challenges.

Less is More Challenge #340 ~ Colour -Tropical Fruits
Dies R Us Challenge #78 ~ Summertime Fun
CAS on Friday Challenge #113 ~ Exotic
Die Cuttin' Divas Challenge #329 ~ Bye-Bye Summer 
AAA CAS Game #96 ~ Summer Fun

Filigree Swallow

A quick card today using a die and embossing folder I was given by a crafty friend.

The die and embossing folder are both by xCut, 'Filigree Swallow' and 'Swallow Pattern'.  I used a Lawn Fawn 'Stitched Hillside Border' die to cut the blue border at the bottom. I finished off the card by adding a tiny, black pearl for the swallow's eye.

I am joining in the following challenges:

Moving Along With The Times - Challenge #51 ~ Things the Fly

Sunny Day Crafting Challenge #46 ~ E is for Emboss