Rudolph Days

Time for the March Rudolph Days Challenge, which runs from the 25th until the last day of the month. I came across an unopened box of Christmas card last week, which I bought in the days before I started making all my Christmas cards.  I bought them for the children in my Reception class, when I was teaching full time, but must have forgotten them and bought another box to send that year.  So, that makes them at least six years old!  As they are fairly small cards, I thought they would make ideal toppers.  

I die cut them using a MB 'Stitched Square' die, which I layered up on and green die cut.  The strip across the middle was cut with a MB 'Stitched Country Border' die.  I chose this die to match the shape of the kings' crowns.  I finished off my card with three Card Candi and a gold Merry Christmas peeloff sentiment. 

I am joining in the following challenges:
Rudolph Days March Challenge
CHNC Challenge 326 ~ anything goes as long as it's Christmas.  Optional theme: inspired by a song or carol (We Three Kings)
CHNC challenge extra for March 2017

Framed Trees

A birthday card today with a few challenges in mind.  I rarely make a tall card, but it seemed the best shape for my design.

I used an very old red Sizzix die, 'Frame, Slide Mounts & Coin Holder', to die cut three red slide mount shapes.  These were attached with foam pads to the card blank to add dimension.  The black, punched trees were positioned to show through the apertures and tiny, punched leaves added to the frames.  The slide mount frames look like they're not quite straight in the photos, but the camera is playing tricks again - I've just remeasured them!  I finished off my card with tiny, black peeloff sentiments.  Everything, apart from the card blank and sentiments were snippets, so I'll be off to play in the Playground.

I am joining in the following challenges:

Less is More Challenge #321 ~ Recipe - Use a Frame

Cardz 4 Guyz Challenge #162 ~ Trees

Pixie's Snippets Playground - Week 273 and 274 ~ Use Snippets
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge ~ Use More Than One Die Or Punch

Washi Tape

Welcome to my new follower, Janice Oakes.  I can't find a link to your blog, so please leave me a comment so I can add a link in my next post.

It's well over a week since I had time to get into my craft room.  I've spent most days for the last couple of weeks supply teaching -  so much for retirement!  LOL!  So the choice today was crafting or housework - it was a close thing, but the housework can wait until tomorrow. 😉

The Less is More Challenge this week is 'Washi Tape'.  As I have a little box full of washi tape gathering dust, it seemed the perfect time to actually use some of it.  I'm not sure why I rarely think to use it.

The cat is a Poppystamps die cut, 'Large Walking Cat'.  I used the washi tape for the cat to walk along as well as using it to make a frame for the sentiment. The sentiment is computer generated and cut to fit the washi tape, leaving a border of dots.  Using washi tape meant that was a really quick CAS card to make, so I think I will be using it more often in future.

I am joining in the following challenges:

Less is More Challenge #320 ~ Washi Tape
Addicted to Stamps and More! Challenge #234 ~ CAS
HLS March CAS Challenge ~ Die Cuts
HLS Anything Goes with Dies ~ March Challenge
Die Cut Diva's March Challenge ~ For the Love of Animals/Pets

Leaves

The Less is More Challenge this week is a One Layer with the theme of 'Leaves'.  My first thought was to use stamps, but I decided to use a punch I haven't used for quite a while. 

I used a Martha Stewart Double Edge 'Vine Trim' punch to make a mask.  I attached the punched vine to the card with removable glue, then masked off the sides.  Using a dauber and a 'Mowed Lawn' Distress Ink Pad, I inked over the punched vine.  The sentiment is a very old wood mounted stamp, which is probably a NBUS one - it certainly didn't look like it's been used before! .  I stamped the sentiment using the same ink pad.  I think this card is probably more suitable to send to a man.   If I need a more feminine card, I'll add a few tiny punched flowers along the vine.

I am joining in the following challenges:

Less is More Challenge #319 ~ One Layer - Leaves
Cardz 4 Guyz Challenge # 160 ~ CAS

My 'Nearly Landed Up In The Bin' card

The Less is More challenge this week is 'Mainly Teal' and as I haven't been able to join in this challenge for the last month, I was determined to get a card made for this week's challenge.  However, my idea of a CAS, one layer card didn't go at all to plan!  

The border and flower stamps were a from a set kindly given to me by Darnell when I visited her last week on our way home from our holiday. I stamped the border with a teal ink pad.  My first attempt didn't stamp clearly and my attempt at trying to stamp over the top failed!  A Misti, or the Tim Holtz equivalent, slowly crept up my wishlist!  So I started again and stamped the border and flower.  I then stamped the sentiment and it was almost straight, but not quite.  The Misti crept even further up my wishlist!  So, I abandoned my idea of a one layer card.  I stamped the sentiment again on a snippet of white card and die cut it with a shaped die.  I had the intention of attaching it with foam pads over the the original sentiment, but I realised it would have  overlapped the flower which would have looked odd, so I attached it with DST instead.  I stamped the flower again on another snippet of card, cut it out and layered it over the original stamped flower with foam pads.   When I looked at the photo of my card on the computer screen, I realised that the bottom of the stamped border had slightly smudged.  At this point the card was hovering over the bin!  Then I had a light bulb moment and just sliced off the bottom inch of the card, getting rid of the smudged part. 

I made three other cards earlier week and took several photos of each before sending them.   But...when I went to crop the photos today, I realised that I had taken the photos on the wrong setting and they were badly out of focus!  Note to self - don't take photos when suffering with jet lag. 😉

I am joining in the following challenges:

Less is More Challenge #318 ~ Mainly Teal

Pixie's Snippets Playground - Week 271 and 272 ~ Use Snippets

Penny Black and More March Challenge ~ Anything Goes

Butterfly Challenge #74

I was delighted to be invited to be the Guest Designer for Butterfly Challenge #74  where the theme this fortnight is 'Butterflies + E is for Edges and/or M is for Mint Green'.

As I haven't made an easel card for quite a while, I've thought I'd make one for my butterfly card.  I used a SB 'Butterfly Circle' die and layered the white die cut on a mint green circle of card. The butterfly is a MB 'Vivienne'  die.  I used a Martha Stewart 'Optic Dot' edge punch for the pattern on the bottom of the card, punching it three times and layering the pieces of card.  My intention was to continue the pattern up behind the butterfly circle but it looked too fussy, so I decided to leave it plain.  The 'Happy Birthday' panel is raised up on foam tape to enable the card to stand up and the two white butterflies are the waste from the butterfly circle die. 

This photo shows the side view of the card.  

Pop over to the Butterfly Challenge where you can find details for the challenge. I'm looking forward to seeing all your entries for this fortnight's challenge.

Pig Lover

I've been AWOL from blogland for a month, more about that at the end of my post.  

My card today is one I made for friends who collect pigs - not real ones! 

The pig is a TL die cut, with the head slightly raised up with a foam pad.  I embossed the background with a Sizzix embossing folder and added a strip of ribbon with a sentiment.  Three tiny, green punched stars with tiny pearls  finished off my card.

I am joining in the following challenges:

Cuttlebug Mania Challenge ~ It's a Zoo out there (include an animal)

So........ the reason why I've not been around for a month is that my hubby and I were fortunate enough to go travelling.  Our first stop was Singapore for a few days on our way to New Zealand.  As well as touring New Zealand, we caught up friends in Wellington and Auckland.  We came home via San Francisco, where we visited Darnell and her hubby, Kevin.  I was lucky enough to have a tour of her fabulous Playhouse and even saw a tiny hummingbird sat in a nest in the garden.  Thanks to Darnell for her hospitality and for the following photos.  

Darnell and me outside the Playhouse.

 Alan and Kevin.