Hap-Bee Birthday

Welcome to my latest follower, Marjan Hoogland.  I hope you can stop by my blog again soon.

A birthday card to share today for my box of ready-made cards.

The honeycomb and hive are dies from the Sweet Dixie 'Bee Happy' set of dies.  It's the first time I've used the dies, so I'll be sharing my card over in the NBUS challenge.  I die cut the honeycomb in white and attached it to the card front.  I die cut the honeycomb again in yellowy gold and inlaid all the little hexagons.  The little bees are wooden and I drew flight paths with a black fineliner pen.  The sentiment was printed on the computer.

I am joining in the following challenges:

Allsorts Challenge Week 673 ~ I spy something beginning with 'B' (Bees)

Dream Valley Challenge # 268 ~ Add Embellishments (Bees)

HLS April Anything Goes with Dies Challenge

NBUS Challenge #37 ~ Use Never-Before-Used-Schtuff

Finally, I would like to share a photo of the hand-drawn birthday card our twelve year old great nephew made for my hubby's recent birthday.  The design is a copy of the logo of the football team we support.  It will be especially treasured as our great nephew supports the rival football team.

Curtain Fold Cards

This month seems to be whizzing by and I've just realised that the April Rudolph Days Challenge started two days ago!  I made a Christmas card using the Curtain Fold technique.

The papers are from The Works and are double sided, so perfect for this style of card.  The sentiment is a Stampin' Up stamp.

I am joining in the following challenges with this card:

Rudolph Days April Challenge ~ Anything Christmas

The Holly and Ivy Challenge # 114 ~ Anything Christmas Goes

Sparkles Christmas Challenge #135 ~ Fun Folds

I made two more cards using papers from The Range.  I added three star gems to this one.....

..... and a strip of ribbon to this one.

I am joining in the following challenges:

Dream Valley Challenge # 268 ~ Add Embellishments

Make My Monday Challenge #173 ~ Happy Birthday

Daisy Chain Challenge #62 ~ Birthday

Floating Flower Circle Card

EDITED TO ADD: As a blogging friend wasn't sure how I made this without having the acetate still on the finished card, here is how I did it. 

I used a circle of acetate and put the flowers face down on the acetate using repositionable glue, trimming off the excess flower shapes using the acetate circle as a guide. Next, I put foam pads on top of the flowers, turned the whole lot over and attached to the card blank. The acetate was then on the top, so I carefully removed it and removed the repositionable glue on the flowers with an adhesive eraser. I then added the flower centres and pearls. Hope this makes sense. The instructions I saw on the Butterfly Challenge used a circle of acetate with the flowers on top and the acetate attached to the card base with foam pads. My thin acetate wasn't clear and my clear acetate was too thick to die cut, so I had to come up with a Plan B

After making a Floating Strip Card recently HERE it got me thinking that I could use the same technique using die cut flowers instead of strips and this is what I came up with.  The acetate is removed so the flowers are ‘freestanding’. 

I used flower dies from the first Lisa Horton box kit.   The sentiment is a stamp from the Happy Little Stampers 'Doodled Flowers' set.  I added a few pink pearls to finish off my card. 

I am joining in the following challenges:

Allsorts Challenge Week 673 ~ I spy something beginning with 'B' (Blooms)

Alphabet Challenge ~ B is for Blooms

Cut It Up Challenge #250 ~ April Showers Bring May Flowers

HLS April Anything Goes with Dies Challenge

Country View Crafts April Challenge ~ Spring is coming

Football Card

It's my hubby's birthday today and this is the football themed card I made for him.  We will be watching our favourite team hopefully win this afternoon as they push for promotion. 

I used patterned papers from a Dovecraft 'Blue Skies' paper pad.  The footballs are peel offs (yes, I do still have a box full 🤣) and I added some silver Card Candi.  The plain panel is for writing the message.

The card folds flat for posting.

I am joining in the following challenges:

Allsorts Challenge Week 673 ~ I spy something beginning with 'B' (Balls, Blue, Birthday)

Craft Rocket Challenge #91 ~ For the boys/men

Tic Tac Toe Challenge #158 ~ Layers, Patterned Papers, Embellishments

Floating Strip Card

The current challenge over in Butterfly Challenge is F for Floating Strip Card, Flowers, Fuchsia, Fawn, Flame, Flax + a Butterfly.  Mrs A has put the instructions for making a Floating Strip Card HERE.

I wanted to make a circle with the floating strips, but the clear acetate I had was too thick to die cut a circle, so I had to come up with a Plan B.  My thinner acetate had a yellowy tint which would have shown against the white background.  So..... I used the yellowy acetate to die cut a circle.  Then I stuck a snippet of patterned paper onto a piece of stiff card, before cutting it into strips.  Using repositionable glue on the patterned side of the strips, I stuck them patterned paper side down on the acetate circle.  I trimmed off the excess strips to cut into a circle using the acetate as a guide, then I put foam pads on the back of the strips, still leaving them on the acetate.  I turned the circle over and stuck the circle in place on the card with the acetate on the top, then gently removed the acetate circle.  I removed the repositionable glue from the strips with an adhesive eraser.  Hope this makes sense.  The patterned paper was from a paper pad which came as a cover gift with a magazine in 2012!  The butterfly was made with Memory Box 'Pippi Butterfly' and 'Isabella Butterfly' dies.  The flowers are punched and the sentiment is a SU stamp, stamped in Versafine Clair 'Charming Pink'.  I used snippets for the floating strips, butterfly and flowers, so I'll be sharing my card over in the Playground.

I am joining in the following challenges:

Butterfly Challenge #169 ~ F for Floating Strip Card, Flowers, Fuchsia, Flax and Butterfly

Snippets Playground Challenge #426 ~ Use Snippets

Alphabet Challenge ~ B is for Blooms

Memory Box Challenge #83 ~ Colorful Creations

HLS April Anything Goes with Dies Challenge

Tic Tac Toe Challenge #158 ~ Florals, Patterned Paper, Die Cuts

 

Candy Time!

I coloured this cute image a little while ago and finally came up with a design to make it into a card.  I love the expression on the little mouse's face as he tries hard not to drop any more of his precious cargo!

The image is a Stampendous House Mouse 'Carrying Mints' stamp, coloured with Promarkers.  The image and mat was die cut with Memory Box 'Stitched Rectangle Layers' dies and I added a punched heart in the corner. The patterned paper is from a paper pad from The Works and the ribbon was from my stash.  I die cut the sentiment and mat with Memory Box 'Stitched Circle Layers' dies and raised them up on foam pads.  This is the first time I've used this House Mouse stamp, so I'll be sharing my card over in the NBUS Challenge.

I am joining in the following challenges:

HMFMC #363 Anything Goes + option of Stitching

NBUS Challenge #37 ~ Use Never-Before-Used-Schtuff

I Love Promarkers Challenge #508 ~ Anything Goes without the option

Memory Box Challenge #83 ~  Colorful Creations

Simon Says Monday Challenge ~ Sweet Treats

Stamping Sensations April Challenge ~ "I Love....making monochrome cards"

We Love Stamping April Challenge ~ Favourite stamps

Alphabet Challenge ~ A is for Animal Antics

AAA Birthday Game #36 ~ Critters

Solar design

I saw this background die cut used on a beautiful card Kath made HERE.  As she wasn't sure of the brand I did a search on my blog as I knew I had this die and I'd made a card with it a little while ago.  I eventually realised that the photo was still on my computer and I'd never actually added it to my blog..... so here is it!

The die is Lisa Horton 'Background Collection - Solar Circles'.  I used it with white card and layered it on a slightly smaller piece of blue card.  Using some red, yellow and green snippets,  I used the die again and randomly inlaid the circles into the white die cut.  The sentiment is a Sue Wilson 'Noble Expressions Happy Birthday' die cut.  As this is the only time I've used the background die, I'll be sharing my card over in the NBUS challenge.

I am joining in the following challenges:

NBUS Challenge #37 ~ Never-Before-Used-Schtuff

Allsorts Challenge - Week 671/2 ~ Masculine

Fab 'n' Funky Challenge #548 ~ Masculine

HLS April Anything Goes with Dies Challenge

Football Card

A football card to share today.

The circle of footballs is a die from Dixi 'Football Circle & Corner' set.  The die cuts the outline and embosses the pentagon shapes.  To add the black, I left the die cut in the die and used black ink through the little apertures with a dabber.   I die cut a blue circle and embossed it with a football embossing folder.  The sentiment is a stamp from the Stampin' Up 'Game On' set.  A few black pearls finished off my card.

I am joining in the following challenges:

Allsorts Challenge Week 671/2 ~ Masculine

HLS April Anything Goes with Dies Challenge

Sparkles Monthly Challenge #150 ~ For Men Only

Craft Rocket Challenge Challenge #91 ~ For the boys/men

Fab 'n' Funky Challenge Challenge #548 ~ Masculine

The Male Room Challenge #161 - Dry Embossing

Let's Squash It Let's Squash It! Challenge #19 ~ Without Geometry, Life is Pointless (Circles)

      

Masculine Card

A masculine card today for my nephew.

I used a Memory 'Gearworks Border' die with silver mirror card.  The numbers are dies from The Works, cut out in silver mirror and red card, with the numbers slightly offset to create a shadow.  The patterned paper is from Anna Marie Designs.

I am joining in the following challenges:

Allsorts Challenge Week 671/2 ~ Masculine

HLS April Anything Goes with Dies Challenge

Sparkles Monthly Challenge #150 ~ For Men Only

Craft Rocket Challenge #91 - For the boys/men

Fab 'n' Funky Challenge #548 ~ Masculine 

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge ~ Happy Birthday!

Photo Overload

I found some photos of cards on my computer which I made last year during lockdown and never posted.  So I decided to put them all in this post.

 

Easter Egg Holders

I won these Easter Egg Holder dies over in the Playground recently and couldn't wait to play with them.  I will be giving the finished holders to my three favourite little people next week.

Apart from the yellow card, everything else was from my snippets drawer, so I'll be sharing my card over in The Playground.

I am joining in the following challenges:

Snippets Playground Challenge #425 ~ Use Snippets

Allsorts Challenge Week 670 ~ Any 'real' Animals

Country View April Challenge ~ Spring is coming

Craftlandia Challenge #10 ~ Birds (Chick Holder)

Double 'D' Challenge ~ Easter

NBUS Challenge  #37 ~ Use Never-Before-Used-Schtuff

Simon Says Monday Challenge ~ Easter/Spring

Dragonfly Dreams April Challenge ~ Spring/Easter

River of Creativity  Challenge #12 ~ Anything Goes + option of Spring

Creative Inspirations April Challenge ~ Hoppy Easter / Animals!

Chicken Farmer

It's my great niece's 11th birthday today and this is the card I made for her.  She has several chicken in her garden which she looks after and sells the eggs to her neighbours.  She recently said she'd love to be a chicken farmer when she grows up!

This image seemed perfect for her card.  It's a pre-coloured digi stamp from Beccy's Place 'Spring Chickens' set.  I used SU gingham paper for the back of the card and added a die cut Spellbinders feather die cut.  The embossing was done with a Crafts-Too 'Feathers' e/f.  Three Card Candi finished off my card.

I am joining in the following challenges:

Beccy's Place April Challenge

Allsorts Challenge Week 670 ~ Any 'real' Animals

Craftlandia Challenge #10 ~ Birds

Paper Dragonfly Creative Challenge #4 ~ Birds

Can You Handle the Pressure Challenge ~ Anything Goes Embossing

Just a little note

The Crafty Calendar Challenge begins today with the theme 'Anything but Square'.  Our generous sponsor this month is Oddball Art.

Our sponsor kindly gave the DT digi stamps to use and I chose 'Let's Meet at the Sunflower'. (No surprise there! 🌻) I coloured the image with Promarkers, before cutting into a circle using a Memory Box 'Stitched Circle Layers' die.  The easel was made with a Memory Box 'Stitched Scalloped Circle' die.  The patterned paper was a snippet of SU designer paper and the sentiment is a stamp from the SU 'Butterfly Gala' set, stamped with Versafine Clair 'Green Oasis'.  Three tiny yellow pearls finished off my card.

The Crafty Calendar Challenge  ends on 28th April, so plenty of time to join in the challenge.  As usual the DT have made some beautiful card for inspiration, so why don't you pop over to the challenge blog to see what they have made.

I am joining in the following challenges:

I Love Promarkers Challenge #507 ~ Anything Goes + option of Use a Die cut 

Passion For Markers Week 634 ~ In the Garden

International Art & Soul Challenge #130 ~ Include a Circle

 Creative Creases Challenge #29 ~ Anything Goes with a Fun Fold

Crafty Gals Corner Challenge #229 ~ Add a Flower