Blooming Poppy

This is my second post today and I hope I have better luck making this post live!  Did anyone else have problems with blogger earlier today?  I made the post live, hitting the 'Publish' button, and nothing happened.  I tried it again and still nothing happened, no sign of a live post..... then some time later suddenly it appeared.  Very strange!  I made this card with several challenges in mind.

For this card I used the lovely MB 'Blooming Poppy' die and a butterfly comes as part of the die.  I first used the die in white and then in pale green.  I snipped the green butterfly off the die cut and attached it over the white butterfly.  The scalloped edge is one of the MB 'Stitched Country Border' dies.  I added a pale yellow Nuvo Crystal Drop in each of the scallops.

I am joining in the following challenges:

Memory Box Challenge #23 ~ Celebrating Mom

Butterfly Challenge #77 ~ Butterflies + F is for Faux and/or the colour Jasmine (Faux pearls and I hope the pale yellow counts as Jasmine)

Deep Ocean Challenge #153 ~ Spring

Cards in Envy ~ Pretty Pastels Card Challenge

HLS April Anything Goes with Dies Challenge

Stamplorations ~ Things with Wings - (Part of their blog hop & linky party)

Anniversary

Welcome to my new followers, Bunny Hoyle of Bunny's Cards,  Val Wallis of Aquarius Blog  and Jeanne H.  Jeanne - I can't seem to find the link to your blog.  Can you leave me a comment please, so I can add a link in my next post. 

Today's card is an anniversary card for friends who are celebrating their 43rd wedding anniversary this year. 

I used a SB 'Happy Days' die for the step card shape.  The red card is embossed with a Creative Expressions 'Love Hearts' folder.  The flower is made from the Sue Wilson 'String Flowers' set if dies, using three different dies.  I didn't have any suitable leaf dies, so I used a MB 'Tree of Wonder' die cut and snipped off the two branches.  The hearts are part of the Sue Wilson 'Mr & Mrs' set of dies.  A computer generated sentiment, attached with foam pads, finished off my card.  As all the red and white card, except for the base card, were snippets, I'll be off to play in The Playground when the gates open again in the morning.

I am joining in the following challenges:

Mod Squad Challenge ~ Love Theme

That's Crafty! Challenge ~ Bright!

HLS April Anything Goes with Dies Challenge

Allsorts Challenge - Week 413 ~  Embossing

Simply Create Too Challenge #126 ~ Anniversary

Pixie's Snippets Playground - Week 277 and 278 ~ Use Snippets 

Congratulations

A congratulations card today for a friend.  I wanted to incorporate a fairy and keep the card fairly CAS.

I started by covering a card blank with purple card.  I assembled everything else on a piece of card slightly smaller than the base card to make it easier to get everything level.  The top half of the card is embossed with a CB ' Swiss Dots' folder.  I used a MB ' Stitched Country Border' die to make the stripes, overlapping the layers.  The Congratulations ribbon is by Dovecraft, which I wrapped around the card.  The Poppystamps 'Posing Faerie' die comes in in two parts, so the image can be used without the wings.  It would be perfect for a ballerina without the wings.  When everything was assembled, I attached the decorated piece of card to the base card, leaving a narrow purple frame. 

I am joining in the following challenges:

Less is More Challenge #325 ~ Stripe 

Allsorts Challenge Week 412 ~ I spy with my little eye something beginning with 'B' (border die cuts)

HLS April Anything Goes with Dies Challenge
Stamplorations ~ Things with Wings - (Part of their blog hop & linky party)

Illuminated Angel

I was delighted to be invited to be a Guest Designer for the Rudolph Days April Challenge.  The challenge runs from the 25th until the end of each month. 

I bought this Creative Expression 'Illuminated Angel Striplet' die at a craft fair last year, when I saw it for half price.  The black die cut was attached onto pearlised white card and layered on yellow card.  I inlaid the blue and yellow sections.  Although this took a little while, there was no way I would have had the patience to inlay all the white parts!  I used a Couture Creations Embossing Folder 'Jo Jo' for the panel on the right and added Nuvo Crystal Drops in Gloss White to the centre of each star.  I can't recommend these Crystal Drops highly enough.  They're so easy to use, forming a perfect dome in the require size, and no chance of falling off in the post.  Just remember to leave them to dry overnight.  Saves on buying pearls too.  

You have 6 days this month to enter the Rudolph Days challenge and be in with a chance to win a lovely prize.  

I am joining on the following challenges:
HLS April Anything Goes with Dies Challenge

Good Luck

I was delighted to be asked to be a Guest Designer over in The Playground this week.  The challenge is to use snippets, I'm sure we've all got plenty of those!  

If you've arrived from The Playground, you can skip this next bit as you've probably read it already. 😊

My good luck card is made entirely from snippets, except for the card blank and sentiment panel.  The white embossed Creative Expressions 'Pawprint Lattice' background was even a snippet, although a fairly large one.  Does anyone else have an overflowing drawer of white snippets???  I’m sure they just multiply when I’m not looking!  The black cat is a very old Sizzix die, matted and layered on MB ‘Stitched Octagon’ die cuts. The four leaf clover ‘Clippunch’ punches I used come as a pack of two, one punching out the shape and one punching out a ‘u’ shape in the middle of the leaf, so it can be ‘clipped’ onto a separate piece of card.  I know these two punches are at least 10 years old as I bought them on one of several visits to ‘Nellie Snellen’s’ shop in the Netherlands.  Did you notice that I did a bit of name dropping there?  If ever you get the chance to visit her shop in Sevenum, it’s well worth a detour. If you’re lucky, you may even get to meet Nellie serving behind the counter and discover what a friendly and delightful crafter she is. There is even a lovely coffee shop nearby, where you can deposit an uncrafty OH with their newspaper while you shop!

Here are the punches I used.  They can either be used together or the leaf can be used on its own for a complete shape.

You have another week to enter a snippets card HERE to be in with a chance of a lovely prize.  The theme every fortnight is to use snippets, so I hope to see lots of your beautiful creations there.   

I am joining in the following challenges:
HLS April Anything Goes with Dies Challenge

Thanks a Bunch

A thank you card today.

 The image is an old Anita's wood mounted stamp, stamped in Memento 'Tuxedo Black' and coloured with Promarkers.  I added a white Nuvo Crystal Drop to the centre of each flower.  The embossing folder I used is SB 'Dainty Dots'.  

TIP: I love using Nuvo Crystal drops, they look like pearls, but no chance of coming off, especially in the post.  To make it easier to find the colour I need, I've put a drop on the lid of each bottle, remembering to let it dry!  This is really useful as I've got several shades of the same colour and I can see straight away that I've got the shade I need.

I am joining in the following challenges:

Pixie's Snippets Playground - Week 277 and 278 ~ Use Snippets (all snippets apart from the card blank)
Simon Says Wednesday Challenge ~ Showers and/or Flowers
Stamping Sensations April Challenge ~ Anything Goes
Penny Black and More April Challenge ~ Spring

Dance in the Rain

I'm back again after a lovely week in the North Devon countryside.  The caravan site we stay on has been advertising improved wifi so, armed with my laptop I thought I'd be able to carry on blogging and blog visiting during the week when I has time.  However, the wifi was still pretty non-existent and I couldn't upload anything onto my blog at all.  But Hey-ho, I'm back today with a card I haven't had a chance to blog before now. 

The image and sentiment are both by Inkylicious, stamped on Versafine 'Onyx'.  I used a MB 'A Little Rain' die and MB 'Stitched Ovals' and 'Stitched Rectangles' dies.  The oval panel is raised up on foam tape.  The glitter card is a bargain buy from a pound shop, 10 A4 sheets for £1. 😊 It cuts beautifully and the glitter doesn't come off at all! 

I am joining in the following challenges:
Simon Says Monday Challenge ~ Splash it on
Simon Says Wednesday Challenge ~ Showers and/or Flowers
HLS April Anything Goes with Dies Challenge
Stamping Sensations April Challenge ~ Anything Goes
The Little Red Wagon Challenge ~ April Showers

Congratulations Twoo-hoo!

The Less is More Challenge this week is a colour challenge - Use Three Pastel Colours.

I needed to make a congratulations card today, so I decided on three pastel colours.  The Woodware stamp is one of my favourite owl stamps, which I've had for ages.  I stamped it using Memento 'Tuxedo Black' and coloured the owl with Promarkers.  The wings are attached with foam pads to add some dimension.  To keep the theme of the stitched pattern on the image, I used a MB 'Stitched Rectangle' die to die cut the image.  The sentiment is a Die'sire die cut.  Three punched feathers, using a new Fiskars punch I bought on a recent holiday, (as a bargain buy!), finished off my card. 

I am joining in the following challenges:

Less is More Challenge #322 ~ 3 Pastels

Darnell's 2nd Annual April Fool's Boo-Boo Hop and NBUS Challenge #11

Stamping Sensations April Challenge ~ Anything Goes

Addicted to Stamps and More! Challenge #236 ~ Anything Goes

Playful Bunnies

Welcome to my new follower, Rita MacGranthin of RMG Creations.  Thank you for following me, I hope you can pop back now and then.  

A slider birthday card today for my great niece.  She has a pet rabbit, so I thought a card with rabbits would be perfect.

The background is made with Lawn Fawn 'Hillside Borders' and 'Forest Border' dies.  I used the one of MFT 'Surf & Turf' dies for the slider part, with a 'Spin and Slide' disc, which I was lucky enough to win over in The Playground a few months ago.  The small punched flowers have Nuvo Crystal drops for the centres.  The rabbits are cut from brown card and I used a white Sharpie pen to add the detail. Two of the rabbits are from the Joanna Sheen 'Rabbit family' set of dies.  I had intended to use all three rabbits from the set, but after sticking on the largest and the smallest rabbit, I realised the rabbit I was going to use for the slide part was going to be facing the wrong way!  Grrr!  Although the rabbit tumbles as it slides down the hill, it didn't look right going backward.  Turning the die cut over didn't look right either as it was obvious that it was the back of the die cut.  I suddenly remembered that the after school craft club I run with a friend has a Memory Box set of rabbit dies about the same size.  One of them faced the right way! Result!  I was thinking that my card would land up in Darnell's 2nd Annual April Fool's Boo-Boo Hop and NBUS Challenge #11 with a backward facing bunny, but a borrowed die saved the day!  

I am joining in the following challenges:
Pixie's Snippets Playground - Week 275 and 276 ~ Use snippets (everything apart from the card blank and sentiment panel were snippets)
Alphabet Challenge ~ B for Bunnies
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge ~ Happy Birthday
Lawn Fawnatics Challenge 2 ~ Interactive Cards!

Thinking of You

I'm not sure where this week has gone......is it Saturday again already?!! I've somehow managed to fit in making several cards this week, none of which I can post until I know the recipients have received them.  As I haven't got any sympathy cards left in my little box of ready made cards, I've made this card today with a few challenges in mind.  

I used a NBUS Martha Stewart butterfly border punch, which I bought during a recent holiday.  I saw it on special offer and it was too good an offer to miss...... and a perfect souvenir to bring back from my holiday, even though I had to carry it half way round the world!  The embossed background was done with a SB 'Dainty Dots' embossing folder and I added a repeating row of Card Candi.

I am joining in the following challenges:
Butterfly Challenge #75 ~ Butterflies + R is for Repeat and/or the colour Night sky
Darnell's 2nd Annual April Fool's Boo-Boo Hop and NBUS Challenge #11
Simon Says Stamp - Monday Challenge ~ Things with wings