Barbecue Time!

Welcome to my two new followers.  Your thumbnail photos are not appearing under my list of followers, so I don't know who you are.  Please leave me a comment and I'll add a link to your blog in my next post.

Well, it's not really barbecue time in the UK!  It was a friend's birthday this month and a group of us clubbed together to buy him a new barbecue, so this is the card I made for him.

 

I used dies from the following sets:

Sue Wilson - Ornate Pierced Rectangles 

Sue Wilson - Stitched Lattice Frames

Sue Wilson - King of the Grill

Memory Box - Stitched Ovals.  

The flames were die cut in yellow and I coloured the edges using an orange ink pad applied with an Ink Duster.

I am joining in the following challenges:

Allsorts Challenge Week 456 ~ I spy something beginning with 'B' (Barbecue)

City Crafter Challenge Blog Week 401 ~ Die Cuts

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge ~ Anything Goes

Country View February Challenge ~ Anything But Cute

Addicted to Stamps and More! Challenge #281 ~ Anything Goes

Football Fan

Welcome to my new follower, Gloria of 'Gloria's craft room'.  I hope you can stop by my blog again soon.

A quick CAS card today CASEing the layout of the card I made on THIS post.  I made this card for a football fan in the team colours.

I used blue pearlised card and embossed the left hand side with a Crafts Too 'Football' embossing folder.  The football was die cut using black card, attached to a circle of white card and popped up on foam pads.  I attached a thin strip of white card to divide the embossed side and the plain side.

I am joining in the following challenges:
Allsorts Challenge Week 456 ~ I spy something beginning with 'B' (Ball)
HLS February Anything Goes with Dies Challenge
City Crafter Challenge Blog - Week 401 ~ Die Cuts
Less is More Challenge #365 - 7th Birthday ~ Dry Embossing

Alcohol Ink Backgrounds

It's ages since I played with my alcohol inks, but I wanted to make a background for the last ATC for Janis's challenge and I thought an alcohol ink background would be perfect.  My other three ATCs for the challenge are in my previous post.

The last theme is 'Chocolate' and I had the perfect Woodward stamp in the set 'Take It Easy' for the challenge.  With the temperatures plummeting this week in the UK, I might indulge a mug or two of the real thing!  I stamped the image with Memento 'Tuxedo Black' and coloured it with Promarkers, before die cutting it with a stitched die from The Works.  I used a three shades of brown alcohol inks on glossy card. 

I am joining in the following challenges with my ATC:

HLS February ATC Challenge ~ Hearts

While I had the inks out, I made a few more backgrounds, including this one made with red and green inks for a Christmas card.  The frame was made with two Sue Wilson 'Double Pierced Rectangle' dies.  The gold mirror card die cut is Sue Wilson's  'Christmas Tree Greetings'.

I am joining in the following challenge with my card:

Rudolph Days February Challenge

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge ~ Make Your Own Background

ATCs

Janis has a month long Giveaway Challenge on her blog, 'Her Peaceful Garden', to make ATCs.  There is a new theme each week, you can find out more HERE.  Well I'm an ATC virgin, I've made cards, scrapbook pages and mini albums but never made anything as teeny weeny as a 2½" x 3½" ATC.  So, having put off making one for the last three weeks of the challenge, always planning to make one 'tomorrow',  I finally decided to make three today to catch up.

Week 1 the theme was 'All Those Cats!'.

The cats are a Frantic Stamper 'Love Cats' die cut, using some red 'waste' hearts from a die cut I used on a previous project.  The embossing folder I used was Creative Expression 'Heart Lattice'.

I am joining in the following challenges with this ATC:

HLS February ATC Challenge ~ Hearts

Week 2, the theme was 'And The Chickens'.

Well, this caused me the biggest problem.  I searched through all my stamps and patterned paper and couldn't find anything resembling a chicken or a hen.  I thought I didn't have a suitable die, but then I remembered an old thick Sizzix die I bought when I had the old style red Sizzix die cutting machine. The dies then were such a simple shapes, but at least it looks like a chicken!  I also used the  Die-Namics 'Fresh Cut Grass' and Memory Box 'Puffy Clouds' dies.

The theme for Week 3 was 'Adorable Teapot Collection'

For this ATC, I used the teapot from Trimcraft 'Tea Party' set of dies and cut the same from patterned paper.  I inlaid the leaves, heart and dots and used the die again for the leaves in the corners.  The flowers are punched.  

I am joining in the following challenges with this ATC:
Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper February 2018 challenge

So that's my first three ATCs done, I'm looking forward to finding out what the final theme is tomorrow.  

Hearts

Darnell's second Twofer Challenge ends tomorrow, so I'm sneaking in a last minute entry.  The challenge is to make two different designs for two different occasions using the same die/stamp.....using the 'word' prompt.  This month it is 'Hearts'.  I used a die on both card from the Spellbinders  'Lace Hearts' set of dies.

I am joining in the Twofer Challenge with this pair of cards.

My first card is an easel card.  I used the heart die with a scalloped edge to make an aperture in a square of white card.  I haven't done any Iris Folding for years but thought I use this technique on this card.  I remember cutting up all the strips of this paper many years ago from snippets and folding them ready to use.....except I never did use them!    I couldn't find a Iris Folding heart pattern that fitted my heart aperture, so I adapted a square one.  The centre is silver, holographic card and I've used the same silver card for the little hearts, die cutting them with one of the dies from the Sue Wilson 'Mr & Mrs' set of dies.  The finished Iris Folding piece of card was layered on a Sue Wilson 'Double Pierced Square' die with foam tape.  I found a couple of matching full sheets of the patterned paper and used them to cover the front of the card.  An extra strip of card was covered in patterned paper and attached with foam tape so that the card stands up.

I am joining the following challenges with this card:

Pixie's Snippets Playground - Challenge #320 ~ Use snippets

HLS February Anything Goes with Dies Challenge

Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper February 2018 challenge

Alphabet Challenge ~ X for Xtra Special Occasion

For my second card, I used the die cut left over from the previous card and cut out the trellis part in the middle with a die from the same set.  I cut a heart shape out of red card and backed the white one, before attaching it to the card blank with foam pads.  I used an Xcut embossing folder 'Small Polka Hearts' and added a thin strip of red card down the edge.

I am joining in the following challenges with this card:

Less is More Challenge #365 - 7th Birthday ~ CAS Dry Embossing

HLS February CAS Challenge ~ Hearts

That's Crafty I Heart You Challenge

Country View Crafts February Challenge ~ Anything But Cute

Glitter and Butterflies

A birthday card for a crafty friend who will be 60 this weekend.  She loves butterflies and glitter, so I wanted to include both.

The butterfly is made up with two Memory Box dies,  'Darla' and 'Vivienne'.  The pink/purple glitter card is from a pound shop.  Against purple, the glitter card looks pink and against pink it looks purple, but it is a really beautiful colour.  The embossing was done with a Creative Expressions 'Butterfly Dreams', with just a thin strip of the glitter card between the embossed and the plain card.  I didn't have any pearls the right colour, so I coloured white ones with a Promarker in the same colour as the glitter card.   

I am joining in the following challenges:
Less is More Challenge #365 - 7th Birthday ~ CAS Dry Embossing
Butterfly Challenge #95 ~ Spin The Butterfly Wheel with the letter P (Pink/purple + Pearls)
Country View Crafts February Challenge ~ Anything But Cute
HLS February Anything Goes with Dies Challenge

Thinking of You

A White on White sympathy card today I made for a friend.

The corner die cut is one of the Memory Box 'Distressed Windham Collage'.  The flower is MB 'Prim Poppy'.  I finished off with a grey sentiment. 

I am joining in the following challenges:

HLS February Anything Goes with Dies Challenge

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge ~ Add A Die Cut

Country View Challenge February Challenge ~ Anything But Cute

Susan's 5th Blogversary Challenge

Just for You

A card today I made for a recent card swap.   

I used mainly Sue Wilson dies for my card:

Ornate Pierced Rectangles

Scalloped Lattice Frames

Double Pierced Ovals

String Flowers

I also used Poppystamps 'Loopy Stem' die for the leaves and a Sizzix die for layering the sentiment.

I added drops of lilac Nuvo Crystal Drops for the centres of the flowers.

I was really pleased how my card turned out, so I made a second card, just changing the colours.

I am joining in the following challenges:

Allsorts Challenge Week 455 ~ Handmade Flowers

HLS February Anything Goes with Dies Challenge

Monochrome Magic Challenge #8 ~ Monochrome

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge ~ Add A Die Cut

Country View Challenge February Challenge ~ Anything But Cute

Dragonfly Dreams Challenge ~ Flowers

Ladies' Night

A masculine card and a feminine card today, using the same word die, for two Chairmen attending a formal dinner dance Ladies' Night.

The Ladies Night die is a Tonic die.  I used a die  from the Sue Wilson 'Cathedral Background' set of dies to make the frame.   I embossed the oval die cut with a Creative Expressions 'Dotted Matrix' e/f. 

I am joining in the following challenges with this card:

Cardz 4 Guyz Challenge #188 Something Beginning with L (Ladies Night die)

Bizzy Bec's February Challenge ~ Anything Goes

For the background on my second card, I used dies from the Sue Wilson 'Ornate Pierced Rectangles' set.  The embossing was done with a Creative Expressions 'Beaded Fanfare' e/f.  The flowers and leaves are Sue Wilson 'Pinwheel Floral' die cuts, with a purple pearl in the centre of the flower.

I am joining in the following challenges with this card:

Allsorts Challenge Week 455 ~ Handmade Flowers

HLS February Anything Goes with Dies Challenge

Monochrome Magic Challenge #8 ~ Monochrome

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge ~ Add A Die Cut

Alphabet Challenge ~ X for Xtra Special Occasion

Country View Challenge February Challenge ~ Anything But Cute

Musical Birthday

After a busy week, I've finally had time to make a very quick CAS card to join in the LIM challenge before it closes, which is a special challenge, celebrating their 7th birthday.  The theme this fortnight is 'Music'. 

The stamp is an old wood mounted stamp, Butterfly Kisses 'Musical Birthday' which I stamped with Versafine 'Onyx Black'.  I used a Joy Crafts 'Dance to the Music' die, attaching the die cut across the bottom of the white card, before attaching the white card to a black card blank.  A small punched quaver finished off my card.  The light was pretty bad for taking a photo, I'll try and take a better one tomorrow.

I am joining in the following challenges:
Less is More Challenge #364 ~ 7th Birthday: Music
Monochrome Magic Challenge #8 ~ Monochrome or Monochrome with a Twist of Black and White

Butterfly Challenge

The Butterfly Challenge has taken on a different format this year, with a choice of three colours and/or three themes....and also to include at least one butterfly.  

I was lucky enough to win some 'not quite so pre-loved anymore' crafty goodies over in Andrea's blog 'KandA Creative Moments' recently and was delighted to give them a new home.  I used Spellbinders Impressabilities 'Flowers' to dry emboss the background.  The stamps are from the Clearly Besotted  'Simply Quilled' set, also a gift from Andrea, and I used three of the stamps to create a butterfly using a Versafine 'Crimson Red' ink pad.  The wings are a tear drop shape, so I'm sure they will be really useful for making stamped flower images too.  The stamped image was layered using Spellbinders Nestabilities dies.  The corners were cut with an old Sizzlets die.

I am joining in the following challenges:
Butterfly Challenge #94 Spin The Butterfly Wheel with the letter C (Crimson and Corners)
HLS February Anything Goes with Dies Challenge
Sparkles Challenge #100 ~ Thank you

Just a few photos to share of our visit on Sunday to Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill.  If you've never been, it's well worth a visit.
 

 This is 'The Temple of Diana', where Winston Churchill proposed to his wife. 💕

He's buried in a nearby village churchyard. 

Valentine Card

Today's card is a Valentine card for my hubby, fairly CAS and not too fussy.

I used a Sue Wilson 'Ray of Light' die which I cut in red card.  I attached a piece of double-sided adhesive sheet to the back of the die cut as I wanted to inlay the white pieces as I think it gives a neater effect when it's inlaid.  I used the die again with a large snippet of white card and used the individual pieces for inlaying.  The white ray of light frame will be kept for a future project. The sentiment is computer generated in grey as it's less stark than black.  The stitched, layered red heart is attached with foam pads to add some dimension.

I am joining in the following challenges:
Pixie's Snippets Playground - Challenge #319 ~ Use snippets 
Allsorts Challenge Week 453 ~ Spots and/or stripes (I'm hoping the rays count as stripes)
Mod Squad Challenge ~ Have and Heart
That's Crafty Challenge ~ I Heart You Challenge
Cards in Envy Challenge ~ Love You So Much!
Moving Along with the Times Challenge #64 ~ Love 
Deep Ocean Challenge #174 ~ Love is all Around
Dies R Us Challenge #90 ~ For the One I Love!
Simon Says Wednesday Challenge ~ It Must Be Love
Simon Says Monday Challenge ~ Love Is In The Air
Country View Crafts February 2018 ~ Anything But Cute

Tree of Hearts

I think the recent problem with Blogger making commenting very slow, unless there was a pop-up box, seems to have been resolved.  I've changed my comment section back to 'embedded', as it's the only way to be able to reply to a comment.

I was thrilled to be invited to be a Guest Designer for the February Happy Little Stampers Christmas Challenge.  The theme is Anything Goes with the optional twist of Hearts.

I made the tree with punched hearts, decorated with Nuvo Crystal Drops in red and gold.  The pot was a punched flowerpot, with part of the bottom cut of to make it more of a pot shape.  I added a strip of gold card and a punched gold bow.  The tree was matted and layered on Sue Wilson 'Double Stitched Hexagons'.   A computer generated sentiment and punched gold stars finished off my card.  

The challenge is a good way of getting ahead with your Christmas cards for 2018, as well as having the chance to win a gift voucher for Happy Little Stampers.  I'm looking forward to seeing all your beautiful creations.

Climbing Kitties

Welcome to my new follower, Sharon of Crafty Hugs Blog.

Time for a new Crafty Calendar Challenge, where the theme this month is '2 or more layers'.  Here is my DT card using an image from one of our sponsors.

I chose to use the Dr Digi's 'Climbing Kitties' digi stamp, which I coloured with Promarkers.  The embossing folder I used for the background is Creative Expressions, 'Paw Print Lattice'. The border is Poppystamps 'Cat Paw Border', which I die cut in green, before backing with a strip of plain white card.

The Crafty Calendar Challenge has two generous sponsors this month and the challenge is open until 28th February.  

Dr. Digi's House of Stamps

and

Crafty Ribbons 

Pop over to the blog to see all the beautiful creations my teamies have made this month.

I am joining in the following challenges:

Addicted to Stamps and More! Challenge #277 ~ Make your Mark

I Love Promarkers  Challenge #351 ~ Embossing
Simon Says Wednesday Challenge ~ Anything Goes