Supporter of the Year

Anyone who follows my blog may remember birthday cards I've made for an amazing 103 year old lady, who I still see regularly watching our local football team.  Well, this week she was chosen for the 'Supporter of the Year' award by our football club!  As there are regularly over 9,000 supporters watching each match, there were plenty to choose from, but Kitty is a very worthy recipient of the award.

Having recently seen the 'Impossible Fold' style of card,  I decided to have a go at making one to send to Kitty.  It's surprisingly easy to make this type of folded card, using just one piece of 5 x 7 card.  In fact, it's a great way of using up those larger snippets of white card.

 I started with a  5" x  7" piece of white card.  To make the fold I marked a line along the middle of the card and made three cuts.  I've made a template to show the measurements I used on my card.  The dotted line shows the middle of the card and the solid lines are the cut lines.

After making the cuts, the card it twisted round.  There are several videos on YouTube which show how this is done, which is easier than trying to explain it, but basically you just hold one side still and twist the other side.

Edited to add: Click HERE to see a video clip.

To add texture, I embossed the blue card with a Crafts-too 'Football' embossing folder. The footballs are peeloffs, pressed onto white card, fussy cut and attached to the card with foam pads.  To make the card more stable, I added a strip of blue card, layered on white card with a piece of football ribbon on the top.

I am joining in the following challenges:

Pixie's Snippets Playground - Challenge #325 ~ Use snippets

CAS Christmas card

My craft room blitz is still ongoing!  This time, rather than just shuffle things around to make things look reasonable tidy, I'm doing the job properly and decluttering the things I know I won't use again.  I'm going through every box, drawer, shelf and cupboard, which is taking forever!  On the plus side, I'm finding things I had forgotten about and know I'll use again.  I wasn't going to make any more cards until I'd finished sorting my craft room, but the current Less is More Challenge ends today and the Rudolph Days Challenge only has a few more days to go.  I decided to make a quick CAS Christmas card....in fact it took less than five minutes to make, so I think I will be batch making these some time.

The Less is More challenge is 'Bring Something Back'.  I immediately thought of all the peeloffs I still have.  Although they seem to have gone out of fashion, they still can look quick effective.  I die cut a white frame and attached it to the square 6x6 card blank.  I added three green and gold holographic tree peeloffs in the square apertures and a gold sentiment in the rectangular aperture.  The trees are a bright green IRL, but with another dismal day here, it was difficult to get a good photograph.  I'm really pleased how this card turned out and being the quickest card I've ever made was an added bonus.

I am joining in the following challenges:

Less is More Challenge #369 ~ Bring Something Back

April Rudolph Days Challenge

Cute Hedgie

The Butterfly Challenge finishes today, so I'm sneaking an last minute entry using the seven elements.  The challenge this fortnight is 'Spin The Butterfly Wheel with the Letter D' - Dark Salmon/Denim Blue/Dirt/Diecut/Digi Image/Dimension/ Butterfly.

The image is a digi stamp from the Digistamp Boutique 'Elvis Hedghog Set'.  I coloured the image with Promarkers, including the colours for the challenge, dark salmon and denim blue for the butterflies and dirt for the hedgehog.  The image is die cut and layered using MB 'Stitched Squares' and 'Postage Square Layers' dies.  The background is embossed using with a Couture Creations 'Fireflies' e/f with a strip of spotty ribbon along the middle.  I attached the layered image with foam tape to add dimension.  

I am joining in the following challenges:

Butterfly Challenge #99 ~ Spin The Butterfly Wheel with the Letter D

Football Birthday Card

It's my hubby's birthday today and I wanted to have a football theme for my card, using the colours of blue and white.

When I saw this pre-loved Tattered Lace 'Circle Stepper' set of dies being sold on a Facebook declutter page for such a good price, I snapped it up!  Actually, I'm not sure it was pre-loved as I think it had never been used!  It's certainly found a good home now. 😊  The large football die cut is layered on MB 'Stitched Circle' die cuts and the small footballs are peeloffs, stuck onto white card and fussy cut.  The patterned paper is from a Dovecraft 'Blue Skies' paper pack.

I am joining in the following challenges:

That's Crafty ~ Going Round in Circles Challenge

HLS April Anything Goes with Dies Challenge

Little Red Wagon Challenge # 442 ~ C.O.U.S. (Cards of Unusual Size)

Creatalicious Challenge #137 ~ Anything Goes with optional dies and punches

Rubber Band Technique

Yesterday I went to my local, monthly crop and craft day.  I was lacking inspiration of what to do, so I decided to take along the things I needed to try the 'new to me' technique using rubber bands.  I saw the technique used by the DT on the CAS Mix Up Card Challenge HERE, including useful links to video tutorials.  

I made the background using rubber bands and a brayer.  The rubber band pattern was embossed with silver embossing powder on white card, before rubbing over with shades of blue and turquoise Distress Oxide inks.  I made the frame using Memory Box 'Postage Square' and 'Stitched Square' dies, attached the inky background behind the aperture and attached to the card blank using foam tape.  The die cut in the centre is Poppystamp 'Small Tilda Swirl', cut twice and layered.  I added a silver pearl to the centre.  The sentiment is a stamp from the Happy Little Stampers 'Dandelion Wishes' set of stamps, stamped with 'Salty Ocean', one of the Distress Oxide colours I used for the background.  

I am joining in the following challenges:

CAS Mix Up April Challenge ~ Rubber Band Technique, Stamping, Die-cutting
Poppystamps Challenge #43 ~ Framed
Allsorts Challenge Week 464 ~ Use Pearls
Pixie's Snippets Playground - Challenge #324 ~ Use Snippets (all card except the card blank)
HLS April Anything Goes with Dies Challenge

90th Birthday

Welcome to my new follower, Shez of I am - blog.

A birthday card today for a very special 90 year old lady who is an inspiration to everyone who knows her.

The deep red card is pearlised and has a lovely, rich sheen.   I used dies from the following sets:

Sue Wilson - 'Ornate Pierced Squares',  'Classic Adorned Squares',  'Striped Nasturtiums',  'Petite Vinery'

and 'Stitched Lattice Frames'

and

Memory Box 'Stitched Circles'

I finished off my card with white pearls in the middle of the flowers.

I am joining in the following challenges:
That's Crafty Going Round in Circles Challenge
HLS April Anything Goes with Dies Challenge
Creatalicious Challenge #137 ~ Anything Goes with optional dies and punches
Fussy and Fancy Friday Challenge #210 ~ Add A Die Cut

Everybody Art Challenge 423 ~ Die

Bauble

Welcome to my two new followers, Lorraine of 'Lorraine's Loft' and Sylvia of 'Sylvia Hobbycards'.

A CAS Christmas card today to add to my collection for 2018, using my favourite colours for Christmas cards.

The bauble is a Poppystamps 'Vesha Ornament' die cut, using  blue non-shed glitter card and matt silver card.  The bauble is attached with foam tape.  I used the glitter card for the sentiment, Sweet Dixie 'Christmas Messages' die cuts, and also for the punched bow. I used some sparkly thread to 'hang' the bauble.  To frame my card, I scored two lines around the edges of the card front, using my scoreboard.

I am joining in the following challenges:

CAS Christmas April Challenge ~ Ornament

Poppystamps Challenge #43 - Framed

Creatalicious Challenge #137 ~ Anything goes with optional dies and punches

Crafting with Dragonflies Challenge # 102 ~ Cards using dies and or punches

Southern Girls Challenge ~ Favourite Colour Combo

Little Red Wagon Challenge #441 ~ Shine, it´s your Day!
HLS April Christmas Challenge ~ Anything Goes

HLS April Anything Goes with Dies Challenge

......and now I'm off to blitz my craft room.  Wish me luck, I may be some time! 

Twofer - Pets

The Twofer Challenge this month is 'Pets', making two completely different card designs for two different occasions, using the same stamp or die.


The die I used on both cards is Frantic Stamper 'Love Cats'. 

For my first card I used a Presscut 'Centre Stepper Card' die to make the base card.  The embossing was done with an Xcut 'Small Polka Hearts'  e/f.   The cats are on a Tonic 'Mixed Edge Diamond' die cut, which is attached to the card with foam tape.  I added some tiny hearts which were the waste from a MB 'Heart of Hearts' die cut.  The sentiment is layered on a strip of red card and attached with foam pads.  Two brads finished off my card........and I now have two less brads in my brad mountain!!

I am joining in the following challenges with this card:

Cute Card Thursday Challenge 525 ~ Brads

HLS April Anything Goes with Dies Challenge

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge ~ Add some Texture

For my second card, the cats are layered on MB 'Stitched Ovals'.  The patterned background paper is by Anna Marie Designs.  I had intended to make the paw prints with my paw print border punch, but I couldn't find it anywhere.  I know where it should have been, in the box marked border punches, but it wasn't there!  I really need to have a blitz in my craft room, but I get easily distracted every time I try! 😉  So, I used a Woodware paw punch and punched it five times along a strip of white card, before backing it on black card.

I am joining on the following challenges with this card:

Fab 'n' Funky Challenge #389 ~ Cute Critters

Cardz 4 Galz  Challenge # 69 ~ Black and White + 1 Bright Colour

Daring Cardmakers ~ Animal Antics

Butterflies

The current Butterfly Challenge finishes today, so I'm sneaking in with a last minute card.  The butterfly wheel has been spun again and landed on the letter T - for Teal, Tomato, Thistle, Twine, Two of a kind and Triangles as well as a Butterfly.  I went round in circles trying to design a card with all seven elements, but in the end decided on just Teal and Two of a kind (brads) to go with my butterflies. 

A quick and easy card, with an image I was lucky enough to win in a previous Butterfly Challenge.  The image was too beautiful to cut up, so I used it as it was.  This was layered on a piece of teal card.  I used a snippet of the left over teal card to back the sentiment, added two small white brads and attached it to the card with foam tape.  

I am joining in the following challenges:

Butterfly Challenge #98 Spin The Butterfly Wheel with the Letter T

Sunflower

A Thank You card, which has finally reached its destination.  I think it may have gone round the world several times, the time it took to arrive!! LOL!

I started by making a white frame using two of the Memory Box 'Stitched Circle Layers' dies.  The embossing was done with a Creative Expressions 'Checkboard' e/f and white card.  Using a brayer and green Distress Ink, I inked over the embossing, before attaching the embossed card behind the circle aperture in the white frame.  This was layered on a green MB 'Stitched Circle' die cut.   The Sunflower is a Cheery Lynn die and for the leaf I used an Xcut punch which embosses as well as punches.  The sentiment is from Happy Little Stampers 'Doodled Flowers' set of stamps, stamped using the same ink pad I used to ink the embossed panel.

I am joining in the following challenges:
Memory Box Challenge #36 ~ Floral Challenge
That's Crafty Going Round in Circles Challenge
Simply Create Too Challenge #137 ~ Use Die Cuts
4 Crafty Chicks Challenge #397 ~ Flowers
Tic Tac Toe Challenge #42 ~ Thank You, Punch, Square (card)

AAA Card CAS Game #112 - A Favourite Technique (Die Cutting)

Tiny Bee Child

A new challenge starts over on the Crafty Calendar Challenge blog today.  The theme this month is 'Buttons And/Or Bows' and the challenge runs until the 28th April.  Our sponsor this month is A Day for Daisies.

For my DT card, I used the lovely Tiny Bee Child digi stamp from A Day for Daisies, which I coloured with Promarkers.  I added some sparkle to the bees wings with a Spectrum Noir sparkle brush pen.  The dies I used for the frame are Sue Wilson 'Double Stitched Hexagon' and 'Classic Adorned Hexagon'. A computer generated sentiment and a few buttons finished off my card.

Looking forward to seeing all your lovely creations over on the Crafty Calendar Challenge this month. 

I am joining in the following challenges:
Cardz 4 Galz Challenge #68 ~ Buttons and/or Bows
Simply Create Too Challenge #137 ~  Use Die Cuts
Angie's Digital Stamps Challenge #19 ~  AG/Optional Twist Use Buttons & Bows 
The Flower Challenge #19 ~ Shaped Cards

Thinking of you

A CAS sympathy card today. 

The left hand side of my card is embossed with a Cuttlebug 'Swiss Dots' embossing folder.  The sentiment is printed in grey, layered on pink card and attached with foam pads.  The flower is Memory Box 'Chloe Stem'. I finished of my card with a piece of pink ribbon down the centre.

I am joining in the following challenges:
Memory Box Challenge #36 ~ Floral Challenge  
4 Crafty Chicks Challenge #397 ~ Flowers
Simply Create Too Challenge  #137 ~ Use Die Cuts

Unicorn Slider Card

Last year I made my great niece a slider card for her birthday, HERE.  She happened to mention a month or two ago that she had played with it so much it had broken and her dad had told her it couldn't be repaired. (I'm sure I could have sorted it out. 😉)  So this year I've made her another slider card.

The unicorn, number 7 and the stars were die cut/punched from non-shed silver glitter card.  The channel was made with one of the MFT 'Surf and Turf' dies and I attached  two of the slider circles to the back of the unicorn to keep it more stable.  The embossing folder I used is Creative Expressions 'Shimmering Stars'. I die cut the channel first, so I didn't flatten the embossing.  The embossed background is raised up on foam tape to enable the unicorn to slide across the card. I used Memory Box stitched hexagon and rectangle die, raising the hexagon up on foam pads.

I am joining in the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge ~ Happy Birthday

Dragonfly Dreams ~ Pink
Inkspirational Challenge #157 ~ Mythical

New Chairman

A club I belong to is holding the AGM this week and I've made a card for the incoming Chairman to wish her good luck in her new role.  I've kept the colours to blue and yellow, to match the club logo. The 'Good Luck' message will be written inside.

The embossing folder is a Sizzix one, sadly no longer available.  It has a plain panel through the middle, so I downloaded the club logo,  printed it three time so I could make a strip through the middle.  I personalised the card with the name of the club and the year. 

I am joining in the following challenges:
Allsorts Challenge - Week 461 ~ New Beginnings
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge ~ A Trio Of Something (Three logos)

Stencil Folder

Not a card today, but a folder I made for my 6" x 6" stencils.  I started by recycling some chipboard from some old envelopes, you know, the sort of envelope that has a chipboard back to keep things flat when they're sent through the post.  

I covered two pieces of the recycled chipboard with K & Company scrapbooking papers I bought ages ago.  The spine is made with a snippet of Tim Holtz grunge paper.  The grunge paper is like a flexible chipboard, which embosses well with an embossing folder.  I used a Creative Expression 'Linen' embossing folder, then applied Distress Ink with an ink blender in a colour to compliment the papers.  I punched holes in the spine for the split rings and added some scrapbooking letters to the front.  

Inside I put inexpensive 6" x 6" scrapbooking page protectors.  In each one I inserted a sample of the stencil at the front, a piece of 6" x 6" plain stiff card in the middle to make sure the stencils don't bend and the stencil at the back.  Two pieces or organza ribbon were added, so I could tie them and keep the folder closed.

I am joining in the following challenges:

Country View Crafts April Challenge ~ Pimp it up! (reuse or alter something) - Chipboard from old envelopes

Alphabet Challenge ~ A - Anything but a card

Pixie's Snippets Playground - Challenge #323 ~ Use snippets (Grunge paper)

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge ~ Anything Goes

Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper April 2018 challenge