Owl Congratulations Card

I was thrilled that the card I made HERE was featured in Quick Card magazine this month on their letters page. :-)

My daughter asked me to test one of her Brownies for their Writer's Badge yesterday.  When Joanna mentioned that  seven year old Jessica was the first of her Brownies ever to do all the work at home for a badge, I thought she deserved a little congratulations card. 

As Jessica is a Brownie, I headed straight for my owl dies and stamps and decided to use this beautiful Joanna Sheen  owl die.  I layered the die cut on Spellbinder Nestabilities die cuts and added two little black circle for pupils, to bring the owl to life.  The backing paper is from a DoCrafts paper pad I picked up in a sale a few years ago.  Two punched leaves finished off Jessica's card.

Jessica passed her Writer's Badge with flying colours!

I would like to enter my card for the following challenges:
Pixie's Snippets Playground - Week 218 ~ Used yellow snippets
Becky's Place February Challenge

Two cards today

For my first card, I used a Poppystamp 'Side Lattice Cutout' die on the base card.  I was lucky enough to win the die recently on the Poppystamps blog.  The cutout is backed with a strip of acetate.  I embellished the panel with punched flowers and leaves.  The pearls look a bit pink in the photograph, but are lilac IRL. I added a tiny punched butterfly, which is attached with foam pads, to give added interest. 

This photograph shows the card open.

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

Less is More Week 264 ~ Add Some Texture

Butterfly Challenge #49 Butterflies + G is for Glitter and/or Grape

Becky's Place February Challenge

My second card uses a Cottage Cutz 'Flamingo' die, which I was fortunate to borrow this week.  I think I may cut out a few more flamingos before returning the die!  I wanted to cut a strip for the pink diagonal with a pierced edge to matched the die cut rectangle, so I used the long edge of the largest Sue Wilson 'Double Pierced Rectangle' twice to cut a matching strip.  I decided not to use a sentiment so the card can be used for any occasion.

Incidentally, I was told recently, when I was working as a supply teacher, that primary schools are now being told not to use the word 'rectangle'.  Rectangles now have to be called oblongs.  Some things go full circle, they were always oblongs when I was at school!  

Rudolph Days February Challenge

I was honoured to be included in the DT for the Rudolph Days Challenge for February, April and June this year. The challenge is open every month from between the 25th until the end of the month.  The prize for the lucky winner this month is a lovely Memory Box Holly Leaf Border Die.

I've used red and white for my card for February, probably my favourite colour combination for Christmas cards.  I started by die cutting the centre of a piece of white card with a Memory Box 'Large Circle Burst' die.  Then I embossed the card with a poinsettia embossing folder - a freebie with a craft magazine.  I remembered to die cut first, otherwise the embossing gets flatten if the embossing is done first.  Something I learned from experience!  This was then attached to a red card blank.  I used the two smallest Spellbinders 'Layered Poinsettia' dies with a snippet of white card for the poinsettia in the centre.  I wanted to add a few small red circles, but didn't have a circle punch small enough, so found a snippet of red card and used the Circle Burst die to die cut a few circles.  The finished flower is attached with foam pads.

 It's never too early to start your Christmas cards, so I hope you find time to enter this month.  As it's a leap year, you have an extra day this February!  Looking forward to seeing all your creations. Click HERE for the link.

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

Less is More Challenge Week 264 ~ Add Some Texture

Becky's Place February Challenge

That's Crafty! Circle It Challenge

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge ~ Anything Goes

Butterfly Easel Card

The theme this fortnight for the Butterfly Challenge is 'Butterflies + S is for Stamping and/or Sapphire'.  The challenge closes later today, so I'm sneaking in a last minute entry.

I'm not sure the shade of blue counts as 'sapphire', although the tips of the butterfly are sapphire, but there is definitely stamping!  I used my favourite butterfly stamp, 'Zen Butterfly' by Lavinia.  It was stamped with a black Memento ink pad and coloured with three shades of blue Promarkers.  The whole butterfly was covered with a clear Wink of Stella glitter brush.  I used Memory Box 'Stitched Rectangles' to die cut the image.   The blue background was embossing with a Spellbinders 'Dainty Dots' embossing folder and shows up more IRL, so I resisted the temptation to add any more embellishments.  I punched a border from a snippet of white card, which was attached with foam tape, enabling the main part of the card to stand up.  Two white flower brads and a sentiment finished off my card.  

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

Butterfly Challenge #48 Butterflies + S is for Stamping and/or Sapphire

Pixie's Snippets Playground - Week 217 ~ Use snippets
Beccy's Place February Challenge
Stamping Sensations February Challenge ~ Anything Goes
Penny Black and More  February challenge ~ Anything goes with a stamp and a die/s
Addicted to Stamps Challenge #120 ~ Die Cuts

Fuchsia

The Less is More Challenge this week is a One Layer card to include a stem.  I decided to use a wood mounted Fushcia stamp I've had for years, but it is still one of my favourite flower stamps.

I stamped the image with Versafine' Onyx, which was then coloured with Spectrum Noir Sparkle Glitter pens.  The colours of the pens are so vibrant and really sparkle!   The sentiment is an old Hero Arts wood mounted stamp.

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

Less is More - Week 263 One Layer ~ Include a stem

Addicted to Stamps and More - Challenge #181 ~ Anything Goes

Beccy's Place February Challenge

This wasn't my first attempt at making the card above.  The pens I used were new, so I played around on a scrap of paper first to make sure the ink was flowing well.  When I'd finished the card, I somehow accidentally put the card on the scrap of paper, which was still very wet with the ink, and got green ink on the back and the corner of the front of the card.  It was rather a mess!!  Rather than throw the damaged card away, I decided to die cut parts of it and make another card.  So here is Fuchsia card number 2!

I die cut the image using a Memory Box 'Stitched Circle' die and die cut a stitched rectangle from the clean bit of the back of the card. (I hope this counts as a snippets as I'll be sharing my card over in The Playground).  The image is attached with foam pads.  The sentiment is another very old wood mounted stamp.  Three purple pearls finished off my card.

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

Pixie's Snippets Playground - Week 216 ~ Use snippets
Addicted to CAS Challenge #81 ~ Bloom
Stamping Sensations February Challenge ~ Anything Goes
Penny Black and More  February challenge ~ Anything goes with a stamp and a die/s
Addicted to Stamps Challenge #120 ~ Die Cuts
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge ~ Recycle/Upcycle Style (recycled damaged card)

Golden Wedding Anniversary

A Golden Wedding Anniversary card today.

I made the card base with a Presscut step card die, using white linen card.  The panels were die cut using gold glitter card.  The heart is 'Heart if Hearts' by Impression Obsession, die cut using the white linen card.  For the hearts down the side panel, I used some of the outline heart waste.  I didn't have quite enough so a used a snippet of the white card to cut a few more using the die. I added a tiny pearl to each heart.

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

Pixie's Snippets Playground - Week 216 ~ Use snippets
The Craft Barn Weekly Challenge ~ Hearts (not red)

Beccy's Place February Challenge

Crafty Boots Challenge ~ No Stamps Allowed

Crafter's Cafe Challenge # 143 ~ Love is in the Air 
Little Claire's Monthly Blog Challenge # 66 ~ Love and Marriage

Second Fiskarettes DT project

My second Fiskarettes DT project has now been uploaded onto Fiskarettes UK Facebook page so I can now put it on my blog.  I made some Post-It Note holders using acrylic frames and snippets of plain card.  I've made a few before, but this time I decided to use a Fiskars border punch and layer the punch strips.

The Post-it Notes stick directly onto the acrylic frame, no extra glue needed, so are easily replaced.

 I cut a piece of card 6" x 4" and layered the strips on top, before putting into the acrylic frame.

 This photo shows a side view.

 I made the flowers to match the Post-It Notes.  I didn't have the right shade of pink so....

..... I coloured a snippet of white card with a Promarker, then punched out the flowers.  I'm not sure why I've never thought to do this before!

I also made one in purple and white and embellished it with silver Card Candi.

Please pop over to the Fiskarettes UK Facebook page to see what the other DT members have created this week.

I would like to enter my Post-It Note holder into the following challenges:

Pixie's Snippets Playground - Week 216 ~ Use snippets

Beccy's Place February Challenge

Key to my Heart

A second White on White card this week.

The 6 x 6 embossing folder was a freebie with a craft magazine.  The sentiment was stamped with a Versafine 'Onyx' ink pad, die cut and attached with foam pads.  For the key, I used a die from the Spellbinders 'Lace Hearts' set and again used foam pads to add dimension.  A couple of snippets were used for die cutting, so I'll be off for my third visit to the Playground this week.

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

Happy 5th Birthday "Less is More" Colour Challenge ~ White on White

Pixie's Snippets Playground - Week 215 ~ Use Snippets

Beccy's Place February Challenge

CASology Challenge - Week 184 ~ Valentine

White on White

The Less is More Challenge this week is White on White.  It's their 5th Birthday this week, so why don't you pop over and join in the fun.

The embossing folder I used for the background is Couture Creations 'Fireflies'.  I die cut a tag using a Poppystamp 'Stitched Main Street tag' die and add a Memory box 'Fuchsia Sprig' die cut. A white eyelet was set in the top of the tag and a snippet of white ribbon threaded through. Three white pearls and a computer generated sentiment finished off my card. As all the white card, apart from the card base were snippets, I'll be sharing me card over in The Playground.

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

Happy 5th Birthday "Less is More" Colour Challenge ~ White on White

Pixie's Snippets Playground - Week 215 ~ Use Snippets

Beccy's Place February Challenge
Addicted to CAS Challenge #81 ~ Bloom

Valentine's Day

Welcome to my two new followers, Swissie of Swissies Verden and Janice Rohde of My Craft Room Makes.  Please pop over to their blogs to see all their lovely creations.

We've spent the last four days in our little caravan in North Devon, shaken about by the gales of Storm Imogen and experiencing rain, hail and snow. We came home yesterday and today we have clear blue skies with the odd puffy, white cloud!  

Onto today's card, a Valentine card for my hubby.  I know blue and white are not the most traditional colours for Valentine cards, but his football team plays in blue and white and the rival football team plays in red and white.  It's been a standing joke in our house that red and white cards are not allowed for hubby! :-)

The heart die cut is 'Heart of Hearts' by Impression Obsession, which I cut out from a snippet of white card. I used four white hearts from the waste in the corners of the the card.  The heart was then layered on squares, die cut with Memory Box 'Stitched Squares'.  The computer generated sentiment was die cut with a Memory Box 'Stitched Rectangle' die.  

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

Pixie's Snippets Playground - Week 215 ~ Use Snippets

Cardz 4 Guyz Challenge #106 ~ Valentine or Love

CASology Challenge - Week 184 ~ Valentine

Beccy's Place February Challenge

Black Tie Dinner/Dance

Two cards are needed for this weekend for a Black Tie Dinner/Dance, one masculine and one feminine.

The first card is a copy of a card I made in 2013, in the days when my blog was fairly new, I hadn't discovered the blogging community and I think I was the only one looking at my blog!! My card is CASE'd from a card I saw made on YouTube - you can find out the details HERE in my previous post.  The embossing folder I used is a SU one and the buttons are black gems.

For the second card I used a Little Claire silhouette stamp.  I added tiny clear gems to the chandelier.  The embossing folder is Spellbinders 'Dainty Dots'.  A piece of ribbon and three black gems finished off my card.

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

Pixie's Snippets Playground - Week 214 ~ Used pink snippets

The Craft Barn Weekly Challenge ~ Triplets (3 black gems)

Beccy's Place February Challenge  

Valentine Card

Here is my first Fiskarettes DT project - a Valentine card, although it could be used for a Mother's Day card as that's coming up soon in the UK too.  It still hasn't sunk in that I've made it onto a DT!

For this card I used a Fiskars 'Small heart' lever punch and an  'Interchangeable Border Punch Cartridge - Hearts'.  I added and piece of red ribbon with little hearts on.  The bottom of the card is embossed with a Spellbinders 'Dainty Dots' embossing folder. The sentiment is attached using foam pads and tiny white pearls were added to the punched hearts.

I would like to enter my card for the following challenges:
Pixie's Snippets Playground - Week 214 ~ Used red and white snippets

The Craft Barn Weekly Challenge ~ Triplets (3 punched hearts and 3 pearls)

Addicted to CAS Challenge #80 ~ Red
Simon Say Wednesday Challenge ~ Have a Heart
Mod Squad Challenge ~ Hearts and Flowers
Beccy's Place February Challenge

Doing a Happy Dance!

After having to keep it under my hat for a month, I'm finally able to put on my blog that I've been picked as one of the members of the Fiskarettes UK design team for the next four months!  It's my first time on a DT and I'll be making a project each week using Fiskars products which will be put on their Facebook page.  Hopefully this is a link to the Fiskarettes Facebook page, so if you are on Facebook, it would be lovely if you would 'Like' their page to see what other DT members are creating.

Back to today's cards.  For the last three years I have kept our Christmas cards with the intention of upcycling suitable ones into new cards.  (Obviously not the handmade ones as they  are safely packed away in a box!) However, they have been sat in a drawer, untouched until this week.  So, here are three cards, upcyling old cards for the first time:

I die cut part of the original card using a Memory Box 'Stitched Square' die, which I then matted on red card. The snowflake is Memory Box 'Twilight Snowflakes' die cut, attached using a foam pad. As the image is quite large, I just added a strip of red and white ribbon and a small sentiment.

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

Pixie's Snippets Playground - Week 214 ~ Used red and white snippets

For this next card, I die cut the image using a Creative Expressions 'Pierced Square' die, matted it on silver, then again on a pearlised ivory card.  The ivory card is the same colour as the figures in the image, although it doesn't really show up in the photograph. This was then attached to the card blank, which I'd covered in patterned silver foil.

The last image I used is quite detailed, so covered a card blank in silver holographic card and, leaving a small border of silver, added a white, Swiss Dots embossed background.  The image is die cut using a Memory Box 'Stitched Rectangle' die, matted on the silver holographic card.  The Memory Box 'Twilight Snowflakes' are attached using foam pads.  The image already has a Christmas greeting at the top, so there was no need to add another.