Musical Fairy

I have a new follower to introduce today - Karen Hasheck of 'Karen's Kreative Cards'.   Please visit her blog to see all her beautiful creations.

The Lavinia Stamps Challenge this month is 'Anything Goes'.  This is 'Sky', one of the latest Lavinia stamps I've added to my ever-growing collection.

I started with a 7" card blank and embossed the front of the card with a Creative Expressions 'Checkboard' embossing folder.  The background was made with Adirondack inks and Ink Dusters.  I used a Versafine black inkpad for the Lavinia  stamped images and added some sparkle to the wings with a Wink of Stella clear glitter brush. I made a pattern of blue and green pearls around the black scalloped circle, to match the colours of the background and added little punched leaves in the corners.

I would like to enter my card for the following challenges:

Lavinia Stamps Challenge 1 ~ Anything Goes

Fussy and Fancy Challenge 131 ~Things with Wings

Valentine Butterfly Card

This is first time I've done a scheduled post, so fingers crossed this post appears when it's supposed to! 

I was honoured to be asked to be a guest designer for the Butterfly Challenge #23.  The format has changed slightly this year, with a twist of an extra ingredient going through the letters of the alphabet.  Challenge #23 is 'Butterflies with V for Valentine'.  Here is my card.....

I used a Memory Box ' Butterfly Heart' die for my card and this is the first time I've used the die.  When I bought it, I thought it would cut out all the butterflies and leave them as apertures, but it actually only cuts out the wings, leaving them to flutter on the card.  I liked the effect of the fluttering butterflies, but I wanted the butterflies to be red, especially as this is a Valentine's card, so I used the die again on a snippet of red card and snipped off all the butterflies.  I then stuck the red butterflies over the white ones on the original card and also attached a pink snippet of card on the back to give an extra bit of colour to the butterflies.  I was left with a red piece of card with butterfly apertures, where they were snipped out, which can be backed with another colour and used for a future project.  I'm really looking forward to seeing all the entries for the Butterfly Challenge #23.

I would like to enter my card for the following challenges:

Pixie's Snippets Playground - Week 161 ~ Used red and pink snippets

Country View Challenge ~ Use something new to you (die)

Lisa B Designs ~ Anything goes (with the exception of Christmas
Fussy and Fancy Challenge 131 ~Things with Wings
We Do Doobadoo Crafting Challenge #2  ~ Romance
That Craft Place ~ Love/Valentine
Time Out Challenge #23 ~ Valentine's Day With the Optional Twist of Hearts

January Rudolph Days Challenge

Well, it's still January and I've managed to make my first Christmas card of the year in time for Scrappymo!'s January Rudolph Days Challenge.

I started with a red card blank.  The aperture die is 'Large Circle Burst' by Memory Box. I love this die as it's so versatile and can be used for cards for all occasions.  I punched a snowflake and holly leaves out of snippets to decorate the card.

I would like to enter my card for the following challenges:

January Rudolph Days Challenge ~ Anything Goes Christmas Card
Pixie's Snippets Playground - Week 161 ~ Used green and white snippets

Butterflies and Brads

The Butterfly Challenge #22  is 'Butterflies + B is for Brads'.   This was a good excuse to use up some more of my millions of brads.  I do like brads and use them quite often, but I seem to have accumulated quite a lot over the years!

As I have worked nearly every school day so far this month as a supply teacher covering sick leave, (so much for retirement!  LOL!), I thought I deserved a little treat and bought myself a set of Sizzix 'Basic Step-ups' dies.  The card folded up measures about 11cm x 14cm and makes quite a cute little card.  The patterned paper is from a Dovecraft paper stack.  I punched out the large butterfly twice using a Stampin' Up punch, embossing the top one before layering them.  The little butterflies were punched out with a Fiskars punch and attached with foam pads.  The punched flowers have little pink brads in the centre and I've added some white star brads to match the backing paper.  So.... that's five more brads used up out of my stash!

I would like to enter my card for the following challenges:

Butterfly Challenge #22 ~ Butterflies + B is for Brads
Pixie's Snippets Playground - Week 161 ~ Used pink and white snippets
Country View Challenge ~ Use something new to you

Handy Man

My Cardmaking and Papercraft magazine dropped through the door today and they've printed a photo of one of my cards!   You can see it here.  

Today's card is birthday card for a male friend.  A DIY theme was more appropriate than a sporting theme, so this is the design I came up with.

The stamp is a Papermania one, coloured in with Promarkers.  The tool embossing folder is by Crafts-Too and I've added a couple of little tool brads.

It's a Girl!

They say that when you're waiting for a bus for a long time, suddenly three come along at once.  Well I feel a bit like that today.  I've had no time to make any cards during the week..... and I've made three posts today!

My daughter's friend had a baby girl this morning, so this is the card I made for the happy parents.  A friend made a  name banner yesterday for a birthday card she was making, so it gave me the idea to add the name on my card like this.

The pram stamp is a Woodware one, coloured in with Promarkers.  Although I've had a Stampin' Up banner punch for a while, this is the first time I've used it.  I know the alphabet stamps were unused, as when I was looking for some suitable stamps, I came across these in a box which was still sealed in plastic.  I've no idea how long I've had them, but it's a long time!  I really like the font, so I'm sure I'll be using them again soon. I found it easiest to stamp the letters first and then turn the punch upside down to punch out the shapes.  That way I could make sure the letters were in the middle.

I would like to enter my card for the following challenges:
Pixie's Snippets Playground - Week 160 ~ Used pink snippets
Country View Challenge ~ Use something new to you

NBUS Challenge #3! ~ Use Never Before Used Stuff

With Sympathy

Another sympathy card to make today.  I wanted to keep the design quite uncluttered.

I used a Memory Box 'Large Circle Burst' die and also a Spellbinders butterfly die.

Owl Doodling!

Yesterday I went to my local, monthly crop and craft day.  As usual, I didn't get much done - I was too busy chatting and seeing what everyone else was doing! I had an Dreamweaver owl stencil from a friend for Christmas, so I finally had time to get it out of the packet and have a play.  The stencil is perfect for trying a bit of Zentangle - well more like doodling, as I'm still trying to get to grips with this fairly new technique for me and I'm not sure I'm doing it correctly!  I had a disaster with my first attempt. I'd almost finished when I managed to smudge the ink!  Lynne, my crafty friend,  suggested putting a piece of card under my hand while I was doodling, so I started again and finished it off today.  

I would like to enter my card for the following challenges:

Pixie's Snippets Playground - Week 160 ~ Used black snippet for matting and layering
Lisa B Designs Monthly Challenge ~ Anything Goes
Country View Challenge ~ Use something new to you
NBUS Challenge #3! ~ Use Never Before Used Stuff

Sunflowers

Another busy week, four days supply teaching  in a Reception class of four and five year olds.  I've had a student teacher with me in the class and she happened to mention that it's her birthday tomorrow. As I'll be teaching the class for a couple more days, I've made a quick birthday card for her today.  The class is called Sunflower (my class, before I retired), so I had to get sunflowers on the card somewhere!

After embossing the blue card with a Couture Creations 'Tied Together' embossing folder, I punched out three 1 1/2" circles down the side.  The sunflowers were made with punches.

I would like to enter my card for the following challenges:

Pixie's Snippets Playground - Week 159 ~ Used yellow and brown snippets

New Job

A friend is starting a new job tomorrow, so I made this card for her today.  I hope she makes the quote under the image her motto in her new job!

This is the card closed....

....and this is it open.  I cut 1" off the front of the card on the right-hand side and attached a strip of spotty patterned paper slightly wider to the back inside edge.

I would like to enter my card for the following challenges:

Pixie's Snippet Playground - Week 158 ~ Used black and white snippets

Thank You Card

Happy New Year!

I have a new follower this week.  Desire has lots of amazing creations on her blog, so pop over to 'Doing Life' to have a look.

After a busy start to the new year......... cooking, entertaining, visiting friends, as well as a wonderful 100th birthday party to attend, (see here), it's lovely to have time to get back in my craft room. Just sneaking in a little photo here of the birthday girl at her party, with a Mayor who came to give her some flowers and wish her a happy 100th birthday.

My first card of 2015 is a CAS thank you card.

The butterfly die is a really old Nellie's D.Die I bought many years ago, in the days before the Big Shot and Cuttlebug, when the most common die cutters were the heavy red Sizzix ones.  I tried to use the die when it was new, but it wouldn't cut the intricate pattern cleanly, so it has been gathering dust ever since.  Trying to get some inspiration for the Butterfly Challenge this week, I remembered this die and thought it might work with a metal shim... which it did!  I'm hoping that this will count for Darnell's NBUS challenge, as this is the first time I've made something using the die. The die comes in two parts, the intricate butterfly pattern and a matching shadow die.  I used snippets of white, turquoise and silver so I'll be visiting the Playground this week.  The Card Candi embellishments are just plain silver to match the mirror card, although you can see my reflection in them, taking the photo! 

I would like to enter my card for the following challenges:

Butterfly Challenge #21 ~ Thank you with butterflies (I hope the word 'thanks' counts!)

Pixie's Snippet Playground - Week 158 ~ Use snippets

NBUS Challenge #3! ~ Never Before Used Stuff