Spring Bunny

One more cross-stitch card today, this time with a spring theme.  

I used my MFT 'Cross-Stitch Tag' die, cutting the die cut down to make a rectangle.  The base card is was die cut with a Presscut step die.  The embossing was done with a Cuttlebug 'Swiss Dot' embossing folder and I used punches for the flowers. 

I am joining in the following challenges:

Tales from the Craft Room Challenge #3 ~ Easter/Spring

Dragonfly Dreams Challenge ~ Include and Animal

Country View April Challenge ~ Easter and/or Spring

The Sisterhood of Crafters Challenge ~ Chicks 'n Bunnies

Yesterday I went to a Stampin' Up workshop, which included a delicious cream tea!   Here are the cards I made using the 'Humming Along' set of stamps.

Cross-Stitch Cards

After recently posting a cross-stitch tag card,  I've made several more cross-stitch tags and used a couple of them to make the cards in this post.

The tag is MFT 'Cross-Stitch Tag' die and I used crochet cotton for the tree.  The background is embossed using a Creative Expressions 'Snowflake Lattice' e/f.  A sentiment and three red and silver Card Candi finished off my card.  

I am joining in the following challenges with this card:
Rudolph Days April Challenge 
Addicted to Stamps and More! Challenge #338 ~ Holidays
HLS April Christmas Challenge ~ Anything Goes + Optional - Nature
HLS April Anything Goes with Dies Challenge
Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge #435

My second card was made with the Butterfly Challenge particularly in mind, where the theme is up to the letter 'E'.   I decided to use all seven elements on my card - Emerald Green/Egyptian Blue/Eminence (Dark Purple) /Embossing Folder/Edges/Easel + a Butterfly.   Instead of using the tag shape, I cut off the end to turn it into a rectangle.  I used crochet cotton in all three 'E' colours for the cross-stitch butterfly.  The white card is embossed with an Embossalicious 'Floral Frenzy' e/f and I used a Martha Stewart border punch for the decorative edge on the raised panel.  The sentiment is from a Happy Little Stampers 'Doodled Flowers' set of stamps and stamped with Versafine 'Onyx Black'.

I am joining in the following challenges with this card:

Butterfly Challenge #121 ~ E for Easel

2 Sisters on the Blog Challenge #26 ~ Embroidery

Allsorts Challenge Week 517 ~ Feminine

Let's Craft and Create Challenge #146 - AG + Option Beautiful Butterflies

Happy Birthday

It was my hubby's birthday this week and this is the card I made for him. 

The stamp is  'Football Border' by Unmounted Stamp Company, stamped with Versafine 'Onyx Black'.  I used a Crafter's Companion 'Football Crazy' embossing folder for the background.  Black and silver Card Candi finished off the front of the card.

This is the inside of the card.  The patterned paper is from a Dovecraft 'True Blue' paper pad.  I'm not sure if this fold has a name, but it folds flat when the card is closed.  The footballs are stamped with Versafine 'Onyx Black'.

I am joining in the following challenges:

Addicted to Stamps Challenge # 173 ~ Lots of Layers

Craft Rocket Challenge Challenge #58 ~ For Men/Boys

The Male Room Challenge #109 ~ Anything Goes (Without the Twist)

Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper April 2019 Challenge

Twofer - Hippo

I'm running out of time for the Twofer Challenge as it finishes in a few of hours, so I'm sneaking in a last minute entry.   The theme this month is 'Zoo Animals' - two designs, two different occasions, using the same stamp, stencil and/or die.

I used a hippo stamp on both my cards from the Happy Little Stampers ' Birthday Friends' set.

I am joining the Twofer Challenge #15 with this pair of cards.

The image was stamped with Memento 'Tuxedo Black' and coloured with Promarkers.  To achieve the colour I wanted, I first coloured the hippo in grey and then went over with a tan pen to give the mottled grey/brown color.  The sentiment is from the same stamp set, stamped with Versafine 'Onyx Black'.  I used Memory Box 'Stitched Circle' dies for the image and mat and a Memory Box 'Stitched Country Border' die for the top of the green card.  Black, grey and white pearls finished off my card.

I am joining in the following challenges with this card:

Simon Says Monday Challenge ~ Going Around in Circles

Memory Box Challenge #48- Clean And Simple Cards

My second card is for a friend who is going through a difficult time at the moment.  I know hippos aren't usually purple, but the recipient will know exactly why I chose a purple hippo with a yellow rain hat and I hope it brings a smile to her face. The hat was a freebie outline image I found online, which I coloured with a Promarker before attaching with thin foam pads.  The sentiment is from the Stampin' Up 'Butterfly Gala' set of stamps. Two strips of washi tape finished off my card. 

I am joining in the following challenges with this card:

CASology Challenge - Week 340 ~ Africa

Dragonfly Dreams Challenge ~ Include an Animal

Crafty Catz Challenge #458 ~ Anything Goes + Optional Twist - All Creatures Great and Small

Happy Easter!

HAPPY EASTER!

We've spent the last week in our caravan in North Devon.  What a change in the weather!  When we arrived week ago it was cold, very windy and raining and thought perhaps we should have packed our thermals!  Yesterday we were at a family barbecue, sitting in the shade to get some relief from the hot and sunny weather.   It's been a welcome change to have a bank holiday weekend with lots of sunshine.

Friends of ours celebrated their wedding anniversary yesterday and this is the card I made for them.

I first saw this MFT 'Cross-Stitch Tag' die used over in the Playground.  After resisting temptation to add it to my die collection, I eventually gave in!  The tag was die cut with a thick snippet of white card stock.  The heart pattern was one I found online here and I used crochet cotton to complete the cross-stitch pattern.  I'd forgotten how relaxing it is to do cross-stitch and this week I've made quite a few different tags - so watch this space as I'll be turning them into cards over the next few weeks.  I used a snippet of pink card which came from an old file divider for the background and embossed it with an Xcut 'Small Polka Hearts' embossing folder.  

TIP: When I made the first tag, I put a needle through each individual hole to push out the tiny circle, which was quite time consuming.  So on the next tag, I used a blunt tapestry needle, put the tip into the first hole and dragged it gently along the line of holes. This took a fraction of the time as all the tiny little circles just popped out as the needle went along the line of holes. (Hope this makes sense.)

I am joining in the following challenges:

Pixie's Snippets Playground - Challenge #350 ~ Use snippets

2 Sisters on the Blog Challenge # 26 ~ Embroidery card

Ike's World Challenge #119 - D for Die Cuts/AG

......and if you're still here, a few photos taken at Clovelly this week, one of my favourite places in North Devon.  

There is no vehicle access down the main village street which is narrow, steep and cobbled, so supplies are delivered on a sled.

 It's a long walk down to the harbour!

Sweet Pea Card

A sympathy card to share today.

The flower is a Poppystamps die, 'Sweet Pea Stem', which I die cut in pastel green and inlaid with pink and lilac.  I made a frame using two Memory Box 'Stitched Rectangle' dies.  I used a Memory Box 'Stitched Country Border' die along one edge of the green panel and raised up the sentiment with foam pads.

I am joining in the following challenges:

Poppystamps #55 ~ Blooming Garden

Allsorts Challenge Week 515/516 ~ Blossoms, Butterflies, Bugs

The Crafter's Cafe Challenge #217 ~ Easter and/or Florals

HLS April Anything Goes with Dies Challenge

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge ~ No Designer Paper

Simon Says Monday Challenge ~ Beautiful Blooms

Southern Girls Challenge ~ Frame It

Pop-Up card

I'm back after a busy ten days, when I've only had a chance to add a scheduled DT post and very little time to do any blog visiting.  After a night in a Leicester hotel where my hubby was on a course and I went along to explore the area, followed by a few days in Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare and finally a couple of days in London to attend a memorial service...... I'll be glad to be sleeping in my own bed tonight.  😊  Here is a card I made for my great niece, which I can post now that I know it's been received.  Eve seems to have gone through the fairies and princesses stage, so I thought I'd make a butterfly card for her, with a pop-up surprise when she opened the card.

The patterned paper is from an old paper pad.  The sentiment is layered on a Spellbinders Nestabilites die cut.  I added a few clear gems to add some sparkle (I'm sure my great niece will think they're diamonds!) and raised up the butterfly on a foam pad.

At a recent cardmaking workshop, we made a pop-up card using this fold.  The one we made was pre-cut, so I worked out the measurements to make this card.  I'm not sure why I always thought this fold was difficult, as it's just six cuts in the folded white card.  The butterflies are all from the Stampin' Up 'Butterfly Gala' set of stamps, punched out and coloured with Promarkers.  The sentiment is a stamp from the Happy Little Stampers 'Birthday Friends'.  The ribbon is layered on a green panel die cut with a scalloped Memory Box 'Stitched Country Border' die.  To finish my card I added  the flight path of the little butterflies with a fine pen. 

I am joining in the following challenges:

Pixie's Snippets Playground - Challenge #349 ~ The butterflies and green panel were from snippets

Butterfly Challenge #120 ~ Dartmouth Green/Dark Orange/Denim Blue + Diamonds +  Butterfly

Cards 4 Galz Challenge # 94 ~ Pretty Papers

Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper April 2019 challenge

Sheepski Designs Challenge #25 ~ Wings

Crafty Friends Challenge #107 ~ Happy Birthday

Crafty Calendar Challenge

The April Crafty Calendar Challenge starts today.  The theme is a recipe -  '1Ribbon/2 or more Designer Papers'.  We have two  generous sponsors this month, Oddball Art and Crafty Ribbons and this is my DT card.

I decided to make a double Z-fold card, the first time I've tried this fold.  Oddball Art kindly gave us some images to work with and this is the one I chose to use.  It's called 'Cute Big Eye Owl on Tree Branch' and I've coloured it with Promarkers and die cut it with a Memory Box 'Stitched Rectangle' die.   The patterned papers are from a Papermania paper pad, 'Owl Folk'. 

I decided not to add a sentiment, but added a white die cut rectangle inside to write the sentiment and message.  I layered it on an orange mat to pick out the orange in the owls eyes. A strip of white ribbon finished off my card. 

The Crafty Calendar Challenge finishes on the 28th of April.  You can see more cards made for inspiration from my talented teamies HERE.   Looking forward to seeing all your beautiful creations.

Oddball Art

Prize $10 Gift Card 

Crafty Ribbons

Get Well Soon

A card today for a special 90 year old friend, who fell and broke her hip recently.   I needed to make a card big enough for a group of friends to all sign and also to make it in blue and yellow.

The blue card is pearlised and  I used the following dies:

Sue Wilson - 
Lavish Accented Octagons
Double Stitched Octagons

Memory Box -
Moonlight Butterfly
Kaleidoscope Butterfly

I am joining in the following challenges:
Allsorts Challenge Week 513 ~ Use Yellow
Crafty Catz Challenge #455 ~ ATG Optional Twist 'Stitching-real or faux' (Stitched dies)
Southern Girls Challenge ~ Someone Special
Dream Valley  Challenge # 199 ~ Shaped Cards No Squares or Rectangles