Age is only a number!

Looks like it's going to be another sunny day again today.  As someone said the other day, why do the weathermen keep saying we are in the middle of a heatwave?  We're not.....we're just in the middle of summer! 😎

The Crafty Calendar Challenge begins today, with the theme 'Totally Girly'.  

My DT card uses a pre-coloured digi stamp from one of our sponsors, Pink Gem Designs. The image is called Cocktail Molly and can be found HERE.  After layering the image with dark red card, it was attached to the card front.  I trimmed off a centimetre or so from the right-hand side of the front of the card blank.  Using the same red card, I punched a border using a Martha Stewart border punch and attached it to the inside edge of the front of the card.  I put a thin strip of white card behind the holes so I could add white pearls down in the border.

This photo shows what the front of the card looks like when it's open.

We have two generous sponsors this month:

Pink Gem Designs

and

Crafty Ribbons

The challenge ends on 28th July and I'm looking forward to seeing all your entries.  Please pop over to the Crafty Calendar Challenge to see lots of inspiration from the DT.

I am joining in the following challenges:
SoSS #113 - Over the Hill
A Perfect Time To Craft Open Challenge #07 ~ Anything Goes
Crafty Cardmakers #215 ~ At Least Two Dies/Punches or One of Each
2 Sisters on the Blog Challenge #17 ~ Fruit

Hummingbird

Welcome to my new follower, Maristella of Louca por porcelana!  Thank you for letting me know you are one of my new followers.

A card today which I hope has reached its destination.  I had a snippet of this background in my bits box from this project HERE which I liked too much to throw away.  It seemed the perfect background for this hummingbird image.

For the background I used the rubber band heat embossing technique with silver embossing powder over a Distress Ink background. The hummingbird is a Sizzix die, 'Free Bird', cut in black and matt silver card.

I am joining in the following challenges:

Less is More Challenge #374 ~ 'Bits Box' Item

4 Crafty Chicks Challenge #410 ~ Birthday

Addicted to Stamps and More Challenge #299 ~ CAS

CAS-ual Fridays Challenge #203 - Heat Embossing

Simply Create Too Challenge #140 ~No Pattern Paper

AAA Cards CAS Game #118 ~ Use A Frame

Thinking of you x 3

A friend likes to keep a supply of my 'Thinking of You' cards, not just for sympathy cards, but for friends who are going through a difficult time.  I made three cards of a similar design.

 For the first two cards I used the embossing folder which came with the Apple Blossom Magazine and Kit recently.  The scalloped border die also came with the magazine.  On the top card, I just used the top half of the embossing folder and used patterned paper from the kit for the bottom of the card. The flowers on all three cards were punched with an Xcut punch, which also embosses, with a tiny punched centre added.  When Craft Stash had a 40% off sale last week, I treated myself to a set of the 'Apple Blossom All Occasion Stamp Set A5 Wavy Sentiments' stamps as they go perfectly with the die and the embossing folder.  They had been on my wish list for a while and the offer was too good to miss.

A couple of other embossing folders fell in my basket so I could get free P & P.  This is one of them, 'Apple Blossom - Lattice Hearts'. 

I am joining in the following challenges:
Crafty Cardmakers Challenge #215 ~ At Least Two Dies/Punches or One of Each

Thinking of you

Yesterday I had a great day at a mixed media workshop with Andy Skinner, which was being held locally.  Another day when I was totally out my comfort zone with paints and inks.  I still can't get all the acrylic paint out from under my nails!  I haven't quite finished my project, so I'll post a photo another day when it's completed.

My card today uses an embossing folder, die, stamps and patterned paper from the Apple Blossom Magazine and Kit, which I bought recently.  The embossing folder is a relative of 'That Folder' which was a very popular embossing folder which came as a free gift with a magazine a while ago.  I covered the front of a card blank with yellow card, which was an recycled file divider.  As I recently finished supply teaching, I have been emptying all my old files (and there were a lot!) and saving all the cardboard dividers to put in my snippets drawers.  The flower was stamped twice on the same yellow card and fussy cut, with a tiny punched, green circle and white pearl in the middle.  I used an old green card divider to die cut the scalloped border, after stamping the sentiment.  The punched butterfly covers up a mishap with black ink that I didn't realise was on my fingers and was impossible to erase on the embossed surface! 

I am joining in the following challenges:

Pixie's Snippets Playground - Challenge #329 ~ Use snippets

Crafty Catz Challenge #423 ~ ATG with the option of Embossing wet or dry

Country View July Challenge ~ In The Summer Garden

Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper July 2018 challenge