Christmas in April

This card didn't start off as a Christmas card.  I was making some invitation cards for our Big Lunch street party which is happening in a few weeks.   

The front was embossed with an old Sizzix embossing folder.  I made 18 of these cards and had the text ready to put on the plain panel on the front of the card.  I designed and printed the inserts in colour with all the details and a photo of last year's street party to perfectly fit a 6" x 4" card..... and then realised the card blanks weren't actually 6" x 4", but I think were the equivalent US size card. (Note to self..... always measure the card blanks to check the size).  As the inserts didn't fit, I decided to attach the printed inserts to a piece of coloured card and send out the invitations as a single layer card.

 

After thinking of what to do with all the half made cards, I made one of the cards into a Christmas card. 

I used a snippet of red card to cut a panel to cover the plain white part of the card. Using a Cheery Lynn 'Winter Neighborhood Border' with a snippet of white card, I cut it long enough to fit the red panel.  After trimming off the excess I glued the panel to the base card.  The matted sentiment was attached with foam pads to add some dimension.  As I still have 17 cards with the embossed front, I think I will batch make a few more Christmas cards like this as they will be quick and easy to complete.

I am joining in the following challenges:

Rudolph Days April Challenge

Snippets Playground Challenge #505 ~ Use Snippets

Inkspirational Challenge #340 ~ Seasonal (Winter)

C.R.A.F.T. Challenge #753 ~ Christmas

Cut it Up Challenge #328 ~ Starts with a "C" (Christmas)

The Holly and Ivy Challenge #183 ~ Anything Christmas Goes

 52 Christmas Card Throwdown April TechniqueChallenge ~ Embossing

Following the Christmas theme, yesterday I was able to use the Christmas present my daughter gave me last December.... a ticket to see the Torvill and Dean 'Our Last Dance' performance in Birmingham with her.  The show was amazing!

Allsorts Challenge ~ Inspired by a Song

A new Allsorts Challenge begins today and Sarah has chosen the theme 'Inspired by a Song'.  I chose the song 'Love Me for a Reason' by the Osmonds.  It was number one in the Official UK singles chart the day Alan and I were married, a really romantic song.  Just as well our wedding wasn't the day after, as the number that day was Kung Fu Fighting. 🤣  I decided to make an anniversary card for good friends of ours who celebrated their anniversary last weekend.

 

The card base was made with a set of  Made To Surprise 'Side Panel Showstopper' dies.  The patterned paper is from The Range.  I used a digi stamp from Bugaboo, which sadly is no long available.  The image was coloured with Promarkers.

The card folds flat for posting.

There are three lovely prizes of die sets from In2Craft to be won.

I am joining in the following challenges:

Creative Knockouts Challenge #545 ~ 2 or More Pattern papers

Alphabet Challenge ~  A is for Alphabet (A is for Anniversary)

Daisy Chain Challenge #95 ~ Not Square

Happy Birthday to my Hubby

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

The card base was made with a Crafter's Companion 'Triple-Stepper' set of dies. Used plain navy card and patterned paper from a Dovecraft 'Blue Skies' paper pad.  I found some football peeloffs, stuck three of them on a snippet of white card and fussy cut them around the edge of the footballs.

I am joining in the following challenges:

Alphabet Challenge ~ A is for Alphabet (F is for Football and Fancy Fold)

Cut it Up Challenge #328 ~ Starts with a "C" (Circles)

Cardz 4 Guyz #370 ~ Fancy Fold

The Male Room Challenge #197 ~ Geometric

Golden Wedding Anniversary

Friends of ours celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary yesterday and this is the card I made for them.

I used a set of Xcut 'Heart Frames' dies with pale gold, pearlised card.  I backed the large frame with plain white card before adding all the extra die cuts.  The background was embossed with an Xcut 'Small Polka Hearts' embossing folder and layered on a pale gold mat.  A personalised sentiment finished off my card.

I am joining in the following challenges:

Alphabet Challenge ~ A is for Alphabet (A is for Anniversary)

Easter Bunny

I made this Easter card for a card swap, which I can share on my blog now that I know it's been received. 

The card base was made with a set of  Made To Surprise 'Side Panel Showstopper' dies.  The image is a stamp that came as a cover gift with a magazine many years ago.  The image was stamped with Memento 'Tuxedo Black' and coloured the image with Promarkers.  The patterned paper is from The Works.

I am joining in the following challenges:

Fab 'n' Funky Challenge #614 ~ Think Spring!

Passion For Markers Challenge Week 784 ~ Easter

Shopping Our Stash Challenge #545 ~ Hippity Hop

Stamping Sensations April Challenge ~ Anything Goes

We Love Stamping April Challenge ~ Anything Goes

Sweet Stampin' Challenge ~ Easter Creations

Money Wallet

It was my great niece's 14th birthday earlier this month and the card I made for her is HERE. She asked for money for her birthday as she's always saving for something.  We saw her today and this is the money wallet I made for her, using a similar colour combination that I used on her birthday card. (Gone are the days when money and vouchers can be guaranteed to arrive if sent by post.)

My card is made entirely with snippets, except for the base card.  I covered the front with card strips punched with an old Martha Stewart border punch, which hasn't been used for ages.  I die cut two circles using dies from the Spellbinders 'Petite Scalloped Circles' set.  The flower was made with dies from the Jamie Rodgers 'Daisy Blossoms' set.  I finished off the front with tiny white pearls.

The front is split in half and the bottom half attached to the back of the card with double sided tape on the side and bottom to form a pocket.  I used a Cuttlebug 'Swiss Dots' embossing folder. 

The card measures 6" x 4", which is big enough for UK notes.

I am joining in the following challenges:

Snippets Playground Challenge #504 ~ Use Snippets

Addicted to Stamps and More Challenge #490 ~ Die Cuts and/or Stencils

Daisy Chain Challenge #95 ~ Not Square

Let's Craft and Create Challenge #218 ~ AG + Add Flowers

Dream Valley Challenge # 334 ~ Add Embellishments (pearls)

The Neglected Stuff (4/25) Challenge ~ Martha Stewart Punch

Allsorts Challenge ~ Use Stencils/Masks

A new Allsorts Challenge begins today and Val has chosen the theme of 'Use Stencils/Masks'.

I used a Creative Expression 'Honey Bee Circle' die with grey card and backed the die cut with a pale green circle.  I made a honeycomb pattern with a Lavinia Stamps 'Honeycomb' stencil and an Elements 'Sahara' ink pad.  I used the circle die again with the honeycomb paper and inlaid the centre 'waste' part into the middle of main die cut.  The bees are dies from the same set of dies.  I die cut them in grey and inlaid white card in the apertures. (I know bees are black and yellow, but black was to stark so I used grey..... artistic license. 😉)   I put  clear Wink of Stella on the wings and gold Wink of Stella on the bodies to add some sparkle.  I decided not to add a sentiment on the front, but added Sizzlets die cuts in the corners to finish off my card.

There are prizes from Lisa Horton Crafts, Pansy Corner layering stencils with coordinating die and embossing folder and a second prize of two AALL and Create stencils.

I am joining in the following challenges:

Alphabet Challenge Z is for Zoom - Anything which goes fast (Bees)

Little Red Wagon Challenge #802 ~ C is for Circles

Addicted to Stamps and More! Challenge #490 ~ Die Cuts and/or Stencils

April Stencil Fun Challenge ~ Anything stencilling goes + Option of Patterns

Bees

I spent last weekend at a craft retreat..... two whole days of crafting with about fifty other crafters and a night away in a hotel.  We all did our own thing and there was lots of chatting and laughter as well as crafting. I think I may have been the only person making cards, as everyone else seemed to be scrapbooking, but it was lovely to get lots of inspiration seeing what everyone else was doing.  I managed to make quite a few cards which I'll add to my blog in future posts.

A fancy fold birthday card today, which I can post on my blog now that I know it's been received.

The card base was made with a Crafter's Companion 'Triple-Stepper' set of dies.  The paper are from The Range.  The bees are Lavinia 'Bumble and Hum' stamps, which I stamped with Versafine Clair 'Nocturne'.  I coloured the bees with Wink of Stella glitter brushes.... clear for the wings and gold for the bodies.  The bees were inked up for the first time, so I'll be sharing my card in the NBUS Challenge. The sentiment is a Sizzix stamp.

I am joining in the following challenges:

Stamping Sensations April Challenge ~ Birds, Animals, Flowers and Nature

NBUS Challenge #73 ~ Use Never-Before-Used-Schtuff

Love Those Pretty Papers April 2025 Challenge

Alphabet Challenge ~ Z is for Zoom - anything which goes fast (Bees)

Creative Creases Challenge #102 ~ Anything Goes with a Fancy Fold

Krafty Chicks Challenge #762  ~ Birthday

The Paper Funday Challenge #75 ~ Anything Goes + Things that Begin with the Letter "B" (Bees)

Crafty Calendar Challenge ~ Feminine

The April Crafty Calendar Challenge begins today with the theme 'Feminine'.  I made a Get Well card for a friend who recently had major surgery.

For the card shape I used a Sizzix 'Card, Circle Flip-Its #2' set of dies.  The patterned paper is from The Works. I used Stampin' Up punches for the circles.

The flower was made with dies from the Creative Expressions  'Daisy Blossoms' set.

The prize this month is a fabulous set of sentiment stamps.

The Crafty Calendar Challenge ends on 28th April. I'm looking forward to seeing all your beautiful feminine creations.

I am joining in the following challenges:

Moving Along With The Times Challenge #177 ~ Spring Flowers

The Paper Funday Challenge Challenge #75 ~ Anything Goes with Optional Twist - Things that begin with 'B' (Blooms)

Beautiful Blossoms Challenge ~ Anything Florals Goes

Die Cut Divas April Challenge ~ Flowers

Triple B April Challenge ~ Birds, Butterflies and Blooms

Cool Chick

My great niece is celebrating her 14th birthday today and this is the card I've made for her.  She keeps chickens and sells the eggs to neighbours, so I thought this image would be perfect.

I've made a few of these ZigZag cards lately and decided to use embossed card for the panels this time.  It’s pretty easy to make the base card, just a couple of cuts and a few scorelines.  The image is a pre-coloured digi stamp from Beccy's Place 'Cool Chicks' set of stamps. (Beccy's online digi stamps will no longer be available after June and this set is currently in the sale HERE.) I used Couture Creations 'Fireflies' embossing folder and made the flowers with punches.

I am joining in the following challenges:

The Paper Challenge #632 ~ Anything Goes with the optional twist of Something Funny

Triple B April Challenge ~ Birds, Butterflies and Blooms

Shopping Our Stash Challenge #544 ~ Fun Folds

Dream Valley Challenge # 333 ~ Any Celebration - Birthday, Wedding

Creative Creases Challenge #101 ~ Use a Fun Fold

Can You Handle The Pressure? Challenge ~ Anything Goes with an Embossing Folder

Creative Knockouts Challenge #544 ~ Embossing Delight

The Sound of Music

The current Time Out Challenge theme is 'Inspired by Your Favourite Movie'.  I have so many favourite films, but this week we watched 'The Sound of Music' as it's the 60th Anniversary of when it was first released.  It is the first film I remember seeing at the cinema and I still love to watch it, so this was the inspiration for my card.  I decided to make a masculine card in black and white.

I had a crafting evening with a friend a few days ago and borrowed her large treble clef die to die cut some shape.  She found the die in a charity shop recently, so I'm not sure of the brand, but it was a perfect size for this card.  The patterned paper is from Anna Marie Designs. I used a Crafts Too 'Musical Notes' embossing folder and attached the treble clef with foam pads to add some dimension.  I thought that the top right corner need something, so I dug out and old Sizzix musical notes die..... one of the old thick green one, which I hadn't used for years.  The quavers were a perfect size.  Everything, apart from the card blank, was snippets, so I'll be sharing my card over in the Playground.

I am joining in the following challenges:

Snippets Playground Challenge #503 ~ Use Snippets

Fab 'n' Funky Challenge #613 - One for the Boys/Men

Can You Handle The Pressure? Challenge  ~ Anything Goes

Time Out Challenge #285 - Inspired By Your Favorite Movie

Now for some news of a new challenge starting next month.  You can find out all about it HERE.  Don't forget to click the Followers button on the challenge blog to keep up to date with new posts.

I'm looking forward to joining in the fun and getting lots of inspiration for making tags and ATCs.