Dutch Fold Card

I thought I'd try a new fold on a birthday card I need to make for a friend.  I've been meaning to try this fold for ages, but somehow have never got round to it.  I had to play around with the measurements I found online so I could make a finished 6 x 4 card.

I used three rubber stamps I bought I long time ago, 'Glasgow Butterfly', 'Glasgow Motif 2' and 'Glasgow Square'.  I have quite a few of the Glasgow Rose stamps, and they are some of my favourite stamps to use.  The images were stamped with Memento 'Tuxedo Black' and coloured with Promarkers.  All the dies I used were Spellbinders Nestabilities.  

 This photo shows the card closed.

I decided not to put a sentiment on the front of the card, but use the 'Glasgow Square' image inside the card so I can write the sentiment and greeting in the middle of the image.

I am joining in the following challenges:

Butterfly Challenge #93 ~ Butterflies + X is for Xtra Fold and/or the colour Peacock Blue/Green

Allsorts Challenge Week 452 ~ Old Favourites (stamps)

Addicted to Stamps and More! Challenge #276 ~ Anything Goes

Penny Black and More January Challenge ~ Something New (New Fold)

Cuttlebug Mania Challenge ~ Birthday Project
Country View Crafts January Challenge ~ Anything Goes
Make My Monday Challenge # 63 ~ Fancy Folds

Golfing

A birthday card today for a friend who's a keen golfer.

The image is from Digi Stamp Boutique, 'Golf Alf', which I coloured with Promarkers.  I used the debossed side of the white card for the background, as it resembled the pattern on a golf ball and added strips of ribbon with a golfing pattern on. 

I am joining in the following challenges:
DigiStamps Boutique January Challenge
Addicted to Stamps and More! Challenge #276 ~ Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge ~ Layer it up
Country View January Challenge ~ Anything Goes
I Love Promarkers  # Challenge 351 ~ Embossing

One Layer

The Less is More Challenge this fortnight is a One Layer card with the theme 'Cute'.  I thought the closing date was yesterday, so rushed to get it finished, but then discovered the challenge was only half way through!  I'm totally losing the plot this week!  So rather than making two posts in one day, I'm posting it today.

 

I used two old wood mounted stamps, Fun Stamps 'Sleeping Dragon'  and Hobby Arts 'Magical Birthday.  I often used this dragon stamp to make birthday cards for the Reception children I used to teach.  I still can't bring myself to take stamps off a wooden block,  so I couldn't use my Stamp Platform.  As this was a One Layer card, I just had to stamp the image and sentiment and cross my fingers that they were straight! LOL!  Fortunately it worked first time.  I stamped the image with Memento 'Tuxedo Black' and coloured it with Promarkers.  The sentiment was stamped with Versafine 'Onyx Black'.

I am joining in the following challenges:
Less is More Challenge Challenge #363 ~ OLC Cute
Moving Along with the Times Challenge #63 ~ CAS
CAS on Friday Challenge #125 ~ Color me pretty - Use markers or pencils on your card
Allsorts Challenge Week 452 ~ Old Favourites

Santa Owl

I picked up a second stomach bug last weekend, which put me out of action in my craft room for a couple of days.  After missing Christmas with a stomach bug that lasted four days, I thought I'd had my fair share of bugs for this winter!   I've finally had time to get back in my craft room and make a few cards, although I've still got a lot of blog visiting to catch up on.

The Rudolph Days January Challenge began yesterday and runs until the end on the month.  Maureen's put in an extra twist this year with the chance of an extra prize for entering every month from January to December.

I used a Couture Creations 'Chevrons' embossing folder for the background.  The embossed pattern has a flat strip going down the side, so I added a layered sentiment over this.  The Santa is made with a SU owl punch, adding a little hat and belt.  The ovals are MB 'Stitched Ovals' and the patterned paper has strings of fairy lights.  Everything,  apart from the card blank was snippets, so I'll be off to share my card in the Playground.

I am joining in the following challenges:
Rudolph Days January 2018 Challenge
Pixie's Snippets Playground - Weeks 317 and 318 ~ Use Snippets
Simon Says Wednesday Challenge ~ Layer it Up
Simply Create Too #134 ~ Use Embossing
Winter Wonderland Challenge ~ Embossing (Dry or Heat)

CAS in Purple

A CAS card today in two shades of purple.

The die cut is Memory Box ' Florina Corner', which I die cut in purple.  I inlaid just three of the flowers in a lilac to add a little extra interest.  

I am joining in the following challenges:
Less is More Challenge #362 ~ Purples
Moving Along With The Times Challenge #63 ~ CAS
Use Your Stuff Challenge #295 ~ Monochromatic
4 Crafty Chicks Challenge #386 ~ With Sympathy

Blue and White Christmas

A glittery blue and white Christmas card today - number 15 towards my cards for Christmas 2018.

I covered a 6 x 6 card blank with blue, non-shed glitter card from a local pound shop. On a sheet of white card, I die cut the two channels using Poppystamp 'Snowflake Channel' and 'Let It Snow Channel' dies, then trimmed the white card down to a little under 6 x 6.  This was attached to the blue glitter card front using Crafter's Companion 'Stick and Stay' adhesive.   I die cut all four Memory Box 'Twilight Snowflakes' from the glitter card and arranged on the top part of the card.  A tiny clear gem over the 'O' of SNOW finished off my card.

Edited to add:  Commenting on some blogs seems to have been really slow recently.  It's worth reading THIS on Brenda's blog to make commenting on your blog easier.

I am joining in the following challenges with my card:

Poppystamps Challenge #40 ~ Snow Day!

Memory Box Challenge #32- Snow and Winter
Make My Monday Challenge # 62 ~ Blue and White
That's Crafty Feeling Blue Challenge
HLS January Anything Goes With Dies
HLS January Christmas Challenge ~ Anything Goes
Cardz 4 Guyz Challenge #186 ~ January Blues
Allsorts Challenge Week 450 ~ No Patterned Papers

Creative Minds ❤️ Kind Hearts

There's a new Facebook page called 'Creative Minds ❤️ Kind Hearts'.  I decided to join in the monthly card swap and now I know that my card has been received, I can post a photo of it on my blog.

I used a die from the Spellbinders 'Happy Days' set for the step card base.  The patterned paper is from a Docrafts paper pad.  I made the flowers with Sue Wilson 'String Flowers' dies  and a drop of 'Buttermilk' Nuvo Crystal Drops for the centres.  The leaves are Poppystamps 'Ivy Tendrils'.  The turquoise squares of card were embossed with a Cuttlebug 'Swiss Dots' embossing folder.  

I am joining in the following challenges:
Cuttlebug Mania Challenge ~ Flowers
Moving Along with the Times Challege #62 ~ Flowers
Simon Says Wednesday Challenge ~ Use Patterned Paper
 Pixie's Snippets Playground - Weeks 315 and 316 ~ Use Snippets (all the flowers and turquoise card)
Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper January 2018 Challenge
Country View Crafts January Challenge ~ Anything Goes

Pink Butterfly

Welcome to my new follower, Maria of Maria's Merry Makings.

The Butterfly Challenge this fortnight is 'Butterflies + O is for One Layer and/or the colour Ultra Pink', so I've gone for the whole package!

To make the background, I put a Creative Expressions 'Stripy Spots' stencil over the card blank.  Then I die cut an oval into a piece of scrap card, laid the card over the top of the stencil, and inked through the oval aperture.  I used an Adirondack 'Raspberry' ink pad and applied the ink with an Ink Duster.  Using my TH Stamp Platform (however did I manage without it??!!) I stamped the Lavinia 'Zen Butterfly' image with Memento 'Tuxedo Black'  and the Sizzix sentiment with Versafine 'Onyx Black'.  The image was coloured with a matching pink Promarker.  

I am joining in the following challenges:
Butterfly Challenge #92 ~ Butterflies + O is for One Layer and or the colour Ultra Pink
Allsorts Challenge - Week 450 ~ No Patterned Papers
Time Out Challenge #100 ~ Thankful
Addicted to Stamps and More! Challenge #274 ~ Clean and Simple
I Love Promarkers Challenge #350 ~ Thank you
Country View Crafts January Challenge ~ Anything Goes

Baby Blue

I should have heeded the saying 'More haste, less speed!'.  This should have been a fairly quick card to make, but everything that could go wrong, did go wrong.  I had three hours before the Allsorts Challenge finished and as I missed it last week, I wanted to make sure I joined in this week.  I decided to make a New Baby card for my box of readymade cards.

The image and sentiment are both from LOTV, stamped with Memento 'Tuxedo Black' and coloured with Promarkers.  This is attempt number two, as my first attempt was on the wrong sort of card, so the colouring with Promarkers started to bleed over the lines.  The image is die cut with a MB 'Stitched Rectangle' die and layered on the blue, pearlised stitched die cut mat. The Creative Expression, 'Heart Lattice' embossing folder is one kindly sent to me by Cara.  The ribbon is by Darice and after I had attached it to the embossed card, I some how ripped of a tiny corner of the card, so I had to trim everything back.  The ribbon looks flat IRL!  I added a punched heart to finish my card....although it wasn't quite finished as when a turned the card over, I realised that I'd managed to get some black ink on the back somehow! Grrr!   So, the front was cut off and attached to a clean white card blank.  Phew! Card completed with 30 minutes to spare!

I am joining in the following challenges:

Allsorts Challenge Week 449 ~ Something New
Make My Monday Challenge # 62 ~ Blue and White
Southern Girls Challenge ~ Stitching
Simon Says Monday Challenge ~ Winter Blues
That's Crafty Feeling Blue Challenge
The Male Room Challenge #76 ~ New Beginnings
Penny Black and More January Challenge ~ Something New

Feathers

Darnell has started a new challenge with a difference this month called Twofer Card Challenge.  The aim is to make two completely different cards for two different occasions, using the same stamp or die on both cards.  Each month there will be a different prompt word and the word for the first challenge is 'Feathers'.  You can find out more HERE and also get lots of inspiration from Darnell and her talented DT.

Here are my two cards.

The feather die I used on both cards is from a Spellbinders set of feather dies.

I am joining in the following challenges with this pair of cards.

Twofer Card Challenge #1 ~ Feathers

My first card is a 'Thinking of you' card, which I decided to make in blue and white so that it would be appropriate to send to a man, as well as a lady.  It will be going into my box of readymade cards.  The sentiment is an old Hero Arts stamp, stamped with Versafine 'Majestic Blue'. The ovals are MB 'Stitched Oval' dies cuts and the white one is two sizes bigger the blue one to create a wider frame.  The embossing folder I used is Crafts-Too 'Feathers'.  The matted and layered oval is raised up on foam tape.

I am joining in the following challenges with this card:
Make My Monday Challenge # 62 ~ Blue and White
Southern Girls Challenge ~ Stitching
Simon Says Monday Challenge ~ Winter Blues
That's Crafty Feeling Blue Challenge

 My second card, a birthday card, uses the same SB feather die.  The base card was die cut using a die from the SB 'Happy Days' set.  The patterned papers are by Anna Marie Designs.  The squares are embossed with a Cuttlebug 'Swiss Dots' e/f with a Fiskars punched feather on each square.  Three white pearls finished off my card.

I am joining in the following challenges with this card:
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge ~ Use Patterned Paper
HLS January Anything Goes with Dies Challenge
4 Crafty Chicks Challenge #385 - No Winter Blues (No Blue Colour)
Country View Crafts January Challenge ~ Anything Goes
Dies R Us Challenge #88 ~ Anything Goes 

Wedding Anniversary

An anniversary card today for a crafty friend and her husband.

I used a MB 'Large Circle Burst' die in a square of cream card, which was matted and layered on deep red pearlised paper and a cream card blank.  The heart is a MB 'Sofia Heart'.   As the heart is a very intricate die and difficult to keep straight,  I inlaid the die cut in the red circle. (Joining in the Addicted to Stamps and More! challenge - challenge started on Wednesday Australian time, but it's still Tuesday in the UK!)

I am joining in the following challenges:

4 Craft Chicks Challenge #384 - Dies/Punches with a twist

City Crafter Challenge Blog Week 394 ~ All you need is LOVE!

HLS January Anything Goes with Dies Challenge

Addicted to Stamps and More! Challenge #274 ~ Clean and Simple

Let's Create and Craft Challenge #133 ~ Anything Goes + option Love is in the Air

Country View Crafts January Challenge ~ Anything Goes

Crafty Calendar Challenge - DT Post

The Crafty Calendar Challenge this month is 'Mythical Creatures' - Fairies..Dragons..Goblins etc.  

A 'Thank You' card today for a crafty friend who gave me some lovely crafty goodies for Christmas.  I used a beautiful 'A Day for Daisies' image from one of our sponsors, 'Standing on a Flower', which I coloured with Promarkers.  I covered the fairy's wings with a clear Spectrum Noir glitter brush and they really sparkle IRL.  The image is die cut with a Spellbinders 'Daisy Chain' die.  To make the base card, I used a Presscut 'Step Card' die.  I cut two strips of white card for the sides, doodled a stem down both with a black fineliner pen and decorated with punched flower heads.  The border at the bottom is a Memory Box 'Spring Border' die cut, cut in green and then in blue, using just the blue flower heads.  

I hope to see you over in Crafty Calendar Challenge before the 28th of this month with your Mythical Creatures creations, where you'll be in with a chance of winning a super prize from one of our two generous sponsors.....

I am joining in the following challenges:

Cuttlebug Mania Challenge ~ Flowers

Moving Along With the Times Challenge #62 ~ Flowers

4 Craft Chicks Challenge #384 ~ A/G with a twist - Dies/Punches

Country View Crafts January Challenge ~ Anything Goes
Time Out Challenge #100 ~ Thankful

With Sympathy

Welcome to my new follower, Julie of Crafty Julie's.

We ended 2017 with the sad family news that my uncle had unexpectedly passed away.  This is the card I made to send to my cousin, his daughter.

The panel is embossed with a Cuttlebug 'Swiss Dots' e/f, which I used as a background for the Memory Box 'Prim Poppy' die cut.  The three pearls are white, although they look pink in the photo. The phrase 'The camera never lies' is a myth!

I am joining in the following challenges:
Cuttlebug Mania Challenge ~ Flowers
Alphabet Challenge ~  U for Use 3 of Something 
Moving Along With the Times Challenge #62 ~ Flowers
4 Craft Chicks Challenge #384 ~ A/G with a twist - Dies/Punches
Simply Create Too Challenge #134 ~ Use Embossing 
Country View Crafts January Challenge ~ Anything Goes

103 Years Young!

Three years ago I made a card for a very special 100 year old lady who I see regularly supporting our local football team.  Well, today she is 103 years young, still going to watch the matches and still as amazing as ever!  As usual, her card is in the team colours of blue and white, with a football theme.  This time I've made a rocker card, with a good contrast between the colours as her eyesight is not too great.

I used royal blue pearlised card, die cutting two circles with Sue Wilson 'Double Pierced Circle' dies.  I scored the largest one through the middle, before folding in half to make the rocker part of the card.  I used a snippet of white card to die cut a slightly smaller circle and used just half the circle on the rocker base.  The football die cut is another snippet of white card, using a Dixi Craft 'Football' die.  The die also embosses.  I left the die cut in the die and I used black distress ink and a dauber to ink through the apertures of the die to make the patterns on the footballs.  The letters are Memory Box 'Alphabet Soup' die cuts, using some of the blue card left from die cutting the circles.  I adhered them starting in the middle to make sure I got the spacing right.  The sentiment in the centre is computer generated.

I am joining in the following challenges:
Pixie's Snippets Playground - Weeks 313 & 314 ~ Use Snippets
Country View January 2018 Challenge ~ Anything Goes
That's Crafty Challenge ~ Anything Goes
LTCCB #18 - January Anything Goes!
Simon Says Wednesday Challenge ~ Anything Goes