Attitude!

It's over a week since I last blogged.  It was so hard getting my crafty mojo back after the busy Christmas celebrations, but here is CAS card I made today. Not the best of photos, I find metallic elements on cards are always difficult to photograph under artificial light. I haven't used this old wood mounted stamp for quite a while, but it's my favourite for teenage girls.  I first used it when my daughter was a teenager, many years ago! I just love the sentiment.....'I have an attitude & I'm not afraid to use it!'

The stamp is a Funstamp, 'Fairy with Attitude' and coloured with Promarkers and a silver Wink of Stella glitter brush. The purple clothes were then covered with a clear Wink of Stella glitter brush to add some extra sparkle.  The image and silver mirror card mat were die cut using Memory Box 'Stitched Octagon' dies.  I add three white and two silver brads.  That reduced my brad mountain by another five! LOL!

I am joining in the following challenges:
Memory Box Challenge #19 ~ Marvelous Metallics
Less is More Challenge #307 & #308 ~ Children
HLS December Anything Goes with Dies Challenge
That's Crafty Anything Goes 2016 Challenge

Snowman Poo!

I usually make a little sweet treat box for everyone on the Christmas Day table.  I saw this idea on Beccy's Place blog, but put my own twist on it.  As there will be several small children around the table, I thought they would prefer white mini marshmallows rather than mint TicTacs.

 I made a pillow box using a Sizzix die and embossed it with a Cuttlebug 'Swiss Dots' embossing folder.  The image is a Beccy's Place pre-coloured digi stamp from the 'Snowman Set', which I die cut with a MS 'Stitched Rectangle' die.

I am joining in the following challenges:

Beccy's Place December Challenge

Country View December Challenge ~ Christmas
Dies R Us Challenge #63 - Snow

New Arrivals

Three cards today - and not a Christmas card in sight!  

The first is for a friend's daughter and hopefully has arrived in Australia by now.  I used dies from the Sue Wilson 'New Arrival' collection, a recent birthday present.   The stitched dies are part of the Sue Wilson 'Stitched Lattice' set of dies.  The names are computer generated.  The dark pink ducks were snippets, so I'll be off to play in The Playground. 

I am joining in the following challenges with this card:
Pixie's Snippets Playground - Weeks 260 & 261 ~ Use Snippets

A similar card this time, but for a little boy born on Friday.  As the card with be hand delivered, the boat, feet, heart button and duck are raised up on foam pads to add dimension.

I am joining in the following challenges with this card:
Allsorts Challenge Week 394/395 - Blue Bingo (Add dimension, Blue and yellow, No designer paper)

My final card is for Alexander Luke's 'soon to be 3 years old' big sister. The Woodware 'Flower Fairy' image is stamped with Memento 'Tuxedo Black', coloured with Promarkers and covered with a clear Wink of Stella glitter brush to add a bit of sparkle. The image is die cut with a MB 'Stitched Scalloped Circle die and I used a MB 'Stitched Country Border' die for the sentiment

 I am joining in the following challenges with this card: 

Less is More Challenge #307 & #308 - Children
Butterfly Challenge #68 ~ All kinds of Fairies, Elves, Gnomes and Pixies

Cinema Pop-Up Gift Card Holder

I bought a cinema gift card for a birthday present and needed something to put it in.  I made a gift card holder using patterned paper from a paper pad that came free with a magazine quite a long time ago.  I'm getting better at using up papers I really like rather than just saving them because they are to nice to use!

I added a SB 'That's the Ticket' die cut with 'Enjoy a Trip to the Cinema' printed on.  

You can find a tutorial I made HERE.   As I couldn't find any instructions online,  I worked out my own measurements to fit the gift card.  An extra tip - use the strong red DST to stick the card together.

I am joining in the following challenges:

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge ~ Gift It

Princess Carriage

A birthday card for a special seven year old today.  It was really difficult to take a good photo - so much sparkle and shine!  The background is pink/purple glitter card and the image and text are all die cut with silver mirror card. 

The image is a Sweet Dixie 'Fairytale Coach and Horse' die.  I used MB 'Alphabet Soup' dies for the name, a Sizzix 'Block Party' die for the number and a Die'sire 'Happy Birthday' die.

Silent Night

I finished off the last of my Christmas cards this week, batch making some designs I've already blogged, so nothing new to blog.  I thought I'd share a card I made a week or two ago with a fabulous Sue Wilson die I won recently over in the Playground.

I CASE'd Di's card HERE.  When Di sent me the die, she suggested I had a go at inlaying it.  'A piece of cake' I thought to myself - however there were SO many tiny pieces!  My first failed attempted was to stick them in with glue.  This is my second attempt.  I backed the aperture made with the die with double-sided tape, as I had no double-sided adhesive sheets,  and replaced all the pieces.  I used silver mirror card in the star.  I'll be off to share my card in the Playground.  

Skating Santa

Another busy week unexpectedly supply teaching for four days, so no time to do any cardmaking or blog visiting until today.  This card is for friends who support our local football team, which I need for tomorrow.  I wanted to make a Santa in the team kit of blue and white quarters and this digi stamp from Beccy's Place was perfect.  (The nickname of the fans of our football club are the Gasheads.)

 

The sentiment is computer generated and I coloured the image with Promarkers.  I used MB 'Stitched Rectangles' for matting and layering and I embossed a large snippet of white card with a Creative Expressions 'Snowflake Lattice' embossing folder for the background.

I am joining in the following challenges:

Pixie's Snippets Playground - Week 258 ~ Use Snippets

Beccy's Place December Challenge
Country View December Challenge ~ Christmas

Golfer

My card is for a golfer who is celebrating his birthday today.  

I bought this Tonic Studio 'Golf Ball, Tee and Turf' a few months ago with this friend in mind. The die cuts were assembled on a blue MB 'Stitched Rectangle' mat.  The sentiment it one of a set of three Impression Obsession text dies, which leaves the letters attached to the card.  I attached the blue mat onto the red card and trimmed down the sides and across the bottom to make a frame.  I used a Sizzix dots embossing folder for the background to match the dots on the golf ball.  Five Card Candi finished off my card.

I am joining in the following challenges:
Cardz 4 Guyz Challenge Challenge # 148 ~ Something Beginning with T (Tee and Turf)
Win and Tonic November Challenge ~ Take Your Pick (Product)

Emboss Resist Technique

The Less is More Challenge this week is the 'Emboss Resist Technique', a new technique for me.  This was my first attempt and I'm sure it won't be the last!

I chose an old wood mounted Penny Black stamp with quite a simple design.  The image was stamped with an embossing pad and heat embossed using clear embossing  powder.  I sponged over the image using an Adirondack 'Raspberry' ink pad and used the same ink pad to stamp the sentiment.  I added some faux stitching using a fine liner pen.  

I am joining in the following challenges:

Less is More Challenge #304 - Recipe ~ Emboss Resist Technique
Addicted to Stamps and More Challenge #222 ~ Make Your Mark

Fairy Picture

A change for the December Butterfly Challenge with a theme of  'All kinds of Fairies, Elves, Gnomes and Pixies'.  This time my project is a framed picture.  (The faint white lines going through the image are just a reflection on the glass.)

The box frame is from Ikea.  I inked the background of the picture with Adirondack 'Denim' ink and an Ink Duster, masking off the moon.  I used one of the Lavinia Celtic Dreams dies with black card.  Sadly, these dies are no longer made. For a finishing touch, I added tiny flowers punched from snippets of pink card.  For the centres I added a spot of green Nuvo Crystal Drops.

I am joining in the following challenges:

Butterfly Challenge Challenge #68 ~ All kinds of Fairies, Elves, Gnomes and Pixies

Pixie's Snippets Playground - Week 257 ~ Use Snippets

Butterfly

I missed a few challenges last week as I was unexpectedly working all week, but the Butterfly Challenge finishes today, so I got my skates on and made a card to sneak a card into the challenge before it closes.  The theme is 'Butterflies + N is for Not Square and/or Navy'.  

 

I started by die cutting a navy base card using a Presscut 'Scalloped Semi-Circle' die, although it looks more like black in the photo.  The Lavinia butterfly stamp is coloured with three shades of yellow for the wings and two shades of blue for the body.  The whole butterfly was then covered with a clear Wink of Stella glitter brush to make it sparkle.  The image was matted and layered using Sue Wilson 'Pierced Pinpoint Circle' die cuts.  I wanted to add a sentiment, but didn't want it to detract from the beautiful image.  I drew a VERY faint line using one of the circle die, so I could position the white MB 'Uppercase Alphabet Soup' letters.  I then erased the pencil line.

I am joining in the following challenges:

Butterfly Challenge #67 ~ Butterflies + N is for Not Square and/or Navy

HLS November Anything Goes with Dies Challenge

Always Use Rubber Challenge #4 ~ Things With Wings

Christmas Tree

The Rudolph Days challenge runs from the 25th until the end of each month, so I've made my card with just a couple of days to spare.

The stamp is part of a Heartfelt Creations set which I was given in a goodie bag a few years ago, but I don't think I've ever used.  I stamped the image using Versafine 'Onyx'. The word image is die cut with a MS 'Stitched Rectangle' die and layered on a Sue Wilson 'Double Pierced Pinpoint Rectangle'  silver mirror card die cut.  The stars are punched from mirror card.

I am entering the following challenges:

Rudolph Days November Challenge

Stamping Sensations November Challenge ~ Christmas Greetings

Penny Black and More November Challenge ~ Anything Christmas
Allsorts Challenge Week 391 ~ Anything Christmas
Country View November Challenge ~ Stars
Addicted to Stamps and More Challenge #221 ~ Anything Goes
Beccy's Place Challenge ~ A Month of Holiday Cards
CHNC Challenge #309 ~ Use a  Sentiment
Alphabet Challenge ~ T for Trees

Crafty Boots Challenge ~ See the Wood for the Trees

Cute Hedgehog

After thinking I had a fairly quiet week to do lots of crafting and blog visiting, I been teaching all week, covering teacher  who is out sick.  I've got a stall at a charity craft fair on Saturday and I'm really behind with the last minute things I was going to finish - so it looks like it might be a busy evening tomorrow!  Hopefully I can catch up with my blog visiting next week.

Today's card is a card I made a little while ago, but haven't got round to posting on my blog until now. 

 This cute little hedgehog is a Sweet Dixie die cut layered on a SB Nestability die cut, both of which were snippets.  The backing paper is from a paper stack which came free with a magazine.  I added a googly eye to give the hedgehog a bit of character.

I am joining in the following challenges:
Pixie's Snippets Playground - Week 256 ~ Use snippets
HLS November Anything Goes with Dies Challenge

Snowmen

The Less is More challenge this week is a One Layer with the theme of Books/Literature.  This has has me stumped all week, until I started thinking of children's books this morning and the ideas just kept on coming!  I settled on 'The Snowman' by Raymond Briggs.  

The Woodware snowman stamp is stamped with Memento 'Tuxedo Black' and coloured with Promarkers.  The berries are Nuvo Crystal Drops - I just love this new product for making pearls!  I had a few more colours from a friend for my birthday, so I think I may be using these a lot on my cards in the coming weeks. I wanted a sentiment which reflected the snowman in the story and this one seemed perfect.  It's from a Papermania set, stamped with Versafine 'Onyx' and I added a clear gem to give a bit of sparkle.

I am joining in the following challenges with this card:

Less is More Challenge #302 - One Layer ~ Books/Literature
Stamping Sensations November Challenge ~ Christmas Greetings
Penny Black and More November Challenge ~ Anything Christmas

A second snowman card, this time with a pre-coloured digistamp from Beccy's Place. 

The sentiment is computer generated and I added a MB 'Twilight Snowflake' die cut in the corner of the MB 'Stitched Square' die cut.  The embossing folder I used is by Crafter's Companion, but I think it might be discontinued now.  

I am joining in the following challenges with this card:

Beccy's Place - A Month of Holiday Cards Challenge
Cuttlebug Mania Challenge ~ Music
Pixie's Snippets Playground - Week 255 ~ Used green and white snippets
Daring Cardmakers Challenge ~ A Musical Christmas
Deep Ocean's Challenge #142 ~ Inspired by a Song or Movie (Song - We wish you a Merry Christmas)

CAS Christmas card

We've just spent a few days in Devon, closing down our caravan for the winter.  My two great-nieces and great-nephew (aged 5, 7 and 8) came up to the caravan on Friday to give me this amazing birthday card that they'd made together.  They even remembered there are lots of rabbits on the caravan site which appear at night, so they drew some brilliant rabbits and did a little fussy cutting.

I had a lovely birthday on Friday, with a long walk along the beach in glorious weather, a trip to the theatre, as well as the visit from my three favourite little people.

Onto my card for today.  I made several of this design over the last few days.

I used a Sweet Dixie 'Christmas Present'.  I die cut it in black, then again in green, using the green waste holly leaves to inlay into the spaces.  The berries are a fabulous new product I've discovered recently - Nuvo Crystal Drops.  They form a perfect round dome shape every time, in whatever size is needed.  So much easier than using pearls and no chance of them dropping off.

I am joining in the following challenges:

Beccy's Place ~ A Month of Holiday Cards 

HLS November Anything Goes with Dies Challenge

A Snowflake is a Winter's Butterfly

The Butterfly Challenge this fortnight is 'Butterflies + Q is for Quotes and/or Quick Silver'.  I thought that this quote was perfect for the challenge, particularly at this time of year. 

I covered a card blank with pearlised silver paper. The quote is computer generated and printed  on white card.   I positioned the quote in a Sheila Douglass 'Frosty Ice' embossing folder so it appeared in the plain part of the folder, before running it through my Big Shot.  The butterfly was die cut in white and silver using Poppystamps 'Elsa Butterfly' and 'Lyndon Butterfly' dies.  The butterfly is attached just in the middle and foam pads make the wings stand up.   Three clear gems were used for the body to add a bit of sparkle.  I finished off my card by adding some MB 'Twilight Snowflakes' die cuts in the corners.  Snippets of white and silver were used for the butterfly and snowflakes, so I'll be off to share my card in the Playground.

I am joining in the following challenges:

Butterfly Challenge #66 ~ Butterflies + Q is for Quotes and/or Quick Silver

Pixie's Snippets Playground - Week 254 ~ Use Snippets

Beccy's Place ~ A Month of Holiday Cards 

Crafty Boots 'Things with Wings' Challenge 

HLS November Anything Goes with Dies Challenge

Cuttlebug Mania Challenge ~ Tic Tac Toe (Animal, Die cuts and Sentiment)

Poppies

I was thrilled to have the quilt Christmas card I made HERE printed in this month's 'Quick Cards Made Easy' magazine.

Another poppy card today.

I embossed a white piece of card using a freebie embossing folder that came with a magazine.  I cut off the the top half and replaced it with a piece of black card, which I'd embossed with a Cuttlebug 'Swiss Dots' embossing folder.  I made the poppies sometime ago with a borrowed pair of Tonic punches.  The two punched flower shapes interlink and I added tiny black punched flowers for the centres. 

I am joining in the following challenges:

The Craft Barn Two Weekly Challenge ~ Poppy - Monochrome with a Splash of Red

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge ~ Thinking of You

Cardz 4 Guyz  Challenge # 144 ~ Remembrance or Sympathy

Poppies for Remembrance

A CAS poppy card today.  Poppies are significant in the UK as a symbol of remembrance, particularly at this time of year as Armistice Day is commemorated on November 11th.

 

 I stamped the image, Stampendous 'Poppy stems' with a Memento ink pad before lining up the image in the embossing folder to ensure it was in the middle.  The embossing folder I used was Couture Creations 'Bon Jour', which has a blank panel across the middle.  I turned it round so the blank panel went down.  The image was coloured with Promarkers.  I added three red Card Candi and a sentiment to finish off the card.  

I am joining in the following challenges:

Sweet Stampin' Challenge ~ Red for Remembrance

CAS on Sunday ~ Challenge #95 Flowers

Fantasy Stampers Challenge # 75 ~ Poppy Appeal

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge ~ Thinking of You

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge ~ Thinking of You

Cardz 4 Guyz  Challenge # 144 ~ Remembrance or Sympathy

I read this on Facebook during week, following the appalling decision by FIFA to ban the wearing of poppies by England and Scotland football teams when they play on Armistice Day:

I am not a badge of honour,

I am not a racist smear,

I am not a fashion statement,

To be worn but once a year,

I am not glorification

Of conflict or of war.

I am not a paper ornament

A token,

I am more.

I am a loving memory,

Of a father or a son,

A permanent reminder

Of each and every one.

I am paper or enamel

I'm old or shining new,

I'm a way of saying thank you,

To every one of you.

I am a simple poppy

A reminder to you all,

That courage, faith and honour,

Will stand where heroes fall.

Paul Hunter 2014

Purple and Gold

The Less is More Challenge this week is a colour challenge - Purple and Gold, so I Iooked through my dies for some inspiration.

I decided to use a set of Lin and Lene dies I bought at a recent craft fair.  The set came with the cage and three different birds and had 75% off!  So the whole set cost not much more than a cup of coffee, my bargain of the day! I die cut the cage with gold mirror card, then used the die cut as a template on a snippet of white card. The bird was attached to the back of the cage die cut, before backing with the white card.  I used the side of a large MB 'Stitched Rectangle' die to cut across the purple panel.  The sentiment is attached with foam pads. 

I am joining in the following challenges:

Less is More Challenge #301 - Colour ~ Purple and Gold

Mod Squad Challenge ~ Go for the Gold!

Butterfly, Hoops and Harebell

A second post today to sneak in a last minute entry for the Butterfly Challenge.  For some reason I thought we were in week one, but suddenly realised we're a couple of hours away from the end of week two when the challenge finishes!  I seem to have lost a week somewhere!

The theme of the challenge is 'Butterflies + H is for Hoops and/or Harebell'.  Harebell....not really blue and not quite purple, but somewhere inbetween.  After unsuccessfully trying to find any card or paper of the right colour, I turned to my Promarkers.  As bluebells and harebells are the some colour, I used the 'Bluebell' Promarker to colour some white snippets of card.  I used these to die cut the butterfly and mat the sentiment and I also coloured round the edges of the white card blank with the Promarker before adding the embossed background.  The butterfly is a SB die cut, the die sadly discontinued, layered on a MB stitched circle die cut, with foam pads.  I used a Darice 'Bubbles' embossing folder which looks like hoops, for the background.  

I am joining in the following challenges:

Butterfly Challenge #65 ~ Butterflies + H is for Hoops and/or Harebell

Cuttlebug Mania Challenge ~ Tic Tac Toe ( Embossing, Die cuts, Purple. I hope the 'harebell' counts as purple.  If not, I'll go for Animal, Die cuts and Sentiment)

Time to Celebrate!

The Less is More Challenge is celebrating its 300th challenge - what an achievement! The theme this week is Celebrations and Festivals.

 

I used a Sweet Dixie 'Wine Glass Celebration' die, which I cut first in black and then used some snippets of red to die cut just the hearts and flower, using the same die.  The sentiment is computer generated.

I am joining in the following challenges:

Less is More - Week 300 ~ Celebrations and Festivals
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge ~ Anything Goes

Spooky!

I hope everyone in the UK remembered to put their clocks back last night and enjoyed an extra hour in bed. 

I don't usually make Halloween cards, but as there are a few spooky challenges at the moment, I thought I'd make a spooky pop-up box card today.

 

I started with a black piece of card measuring 10 1/4" x 6 1/2" to make the basic box shape. All the other pieces of card I used were snippets.  The orange panels were embossed with a pumpkin Cuttlebug embossing folder from the 'Happy Hauntings' set.  The white flaps were embossed with an Embossalicious 'Petite Dots' embossing folder.  I used MB 'Alphabet Soup' die cut letters, layered on SB die cuts.  The spiders on the side flaps were cut with a very old Sizzlet die.   All the die cuts popping up are from an Impression Obsession 'Halloween' die set and attached on strips of acetate.

I am joining in the following challenges:

Country View Crafts October Challenge ~ All Things Spooky

Cuttlebug Mania Challenge ~ Spooky

That's Crafty Challenge ~ Halloween

Pixie's Snippets Playground - Week 253 ~ Use snippets

HLS October Anything Goes with Dies Challenge
Creative Inspirations Challenge #260 ~ Halloween / Fall
Deep Ocean Challenge #140 ~Halloween

Mod Squad Challenge ~ Halloween Fun!

Reindeer Games

Welcome to my new follower, Pauline of Crafting with Cotnob.  Thank you for joining me.

I love having a few days break in North Devon, but I so miss having access to the Internet for most of the time.  So, I'm playing catch-up again with my blog visiting.  I did manage to make another 28 Christmas cards while we were away, a bit of batch making on two different coloured card blanks. 

For the embossed scene I used a Couture Creations 'Reindeer Games' embossing folder.  A Joy Crafts 'Happy Holiday Reindeer' was added to the foreground.  I layered the sentiment on white, added it to the card and the card was finished.

I am joining in the following challenges:

Allsorts Challenge - Week 387 ~ Let's make a start on Christmas

HLS October Christmas Challenge ~ Embossing

CHNC challenge #305 ~ Anything goes as long as it's Christmas

Merry Christmas

 A Christmas card today.

The background was embossed with a Sheena Douglass 'Snowfall' embossing folder.  I used a Memory Box 'Grand Merry Christms' die.  The Poppystamps 'Snow Flocked Tree' die cut has some Glamour Dust added to it to make it sparkle and is attached with foam pads. To finish my card, I die cut the smallest Memory Box 'Twilight Snowflakes' three times from snippets of white card and added a sequin in the middle of each snowflake.

I am joining in the following challenges:

Rudolph Days October Challenge

Memory Box Challenge #17 ~ Sequins

Pixie's Snippets Playground - Week 252 ~ Use snippets

HLS October Anything Goes with Dies Challenge

HLS October Christmas Challenge ~ Embossing

Black and White

A black and white card today. 

I used the Poppystamp 'Side Lattice Cutout' die on a black card blank.  A strip of acetate was placed behind the die cut.  The embossing folder is Couture Creations 'Grand Jo Jo' and I added tiny black pearls over the embossing.  I attached three punched flowers with black pearl centres and used Poppystamp 'Ivy Tendrils' die cuts, cut in half behind the flowers. 

This photo shows the card closed.

I am joining in the following challenges:

 Poppystamps Challenge #25 Back To Black 

HLS October Anything Goes with Dies Challenge
Creative Corner Challenge ~ Black and White