Christmas in July... Two cards with circles, dots and spots

 Do you know that there is a Christmas Card Makers Success Summit starting at the end of July - it's free but you can purchase the VIP pass and get to watch the tutorials straight away.   And that's what I did! 

I watched the tutorial from Ardyth Percy-Robb - which showed how to use a gel plate to get some gorgeous papers and how turn them into Christmas cards.  For my card I CASE'd Ardyth's example card, just using some different stencils and colours. 

I used a Hero Arts stencil called Crossing Waves.  I added some red paint to my gel plate and added the stencil.  I let the paint dry on the plate and then layered with some gold paint and added another paper. Once it dried I took my pull and this is what I got.   It took a few goes to get something I liked... but got there.  I used a circle die from Gina K Master Layouts 3 to make my ornament.  I used some of my roll off papers to cut the gold topper and the Merry Christmas die (both from a magazine freebie set)  For my background, I swinked some Catherine Pooler Juniper Mist onto some card.   I found a Memory Box stencil (Diamonds) that I used some texture paste to add in the corners.   I thought my background was dry but obviously not... it picked up the ink and coloured the paste.   Added some white dots of Posca paint and white gel pen and finished with some homemade star dots.  

I am adding this to latest Christmas Kickstart Challenge #100 - Merry Go Around.   Use spots, dots and circles-

And while I was in the mood for Christmas cards I made a second card for the challenge...

I used Altenew Wonderful Wreath stencil to make a half circle wreath - with two Altenew green inks - Sweet Leaf and Just Green.  I moved the stencil three times to get the three layers of leaves.  I stenciled the red berry circles, but after making a bit of a boo-boo so changed them to use circular red gems for the berries.  I used some off the left over red roll off from my previous card, covered with some clear packing tape to die cut the Hero Arts Peace stamp and cut set.  The sub-sentiment was stamped directly to the card.  Matted with some dark green card. 

Slowly building up the Christmas stash.  

Two more Floral cards.

 Two more new embossing folders and dies and stencil and die sets.    It was a wet rainy weekend so had some play time with some new stash. 

Used Alinacutle Layered Blooming Flower stencil and die set with some Altenew inks.  Decided that a square card would let me highlight more of the flowers.   The sentiment is a Spellbinders Hot Foil - one of the first I bought.   Drew a frame around the edges. 

This one is a embossing folder with two dies.   I embossed the folder with some white card which I lightly ink blended in some pinks and greens.  I die cut one of the flowers and then embossed it before adding a darker layer of the inks.   Added to the background and then added a foiled sentiment from my "magic mug"   Matted with some pink card and added some of my homemade enamel dots.  

Purple flowers

 I recently got a new embossing folder and die set -  and had some fun die cutting it from purple card before embossing it. 

I used inks to blend over the die cut.  A darker purple over the flower and a dark green for the leaves.  I embossed a subtle background to put the floral die cut on.  Added some die cut sentiments from a pre-printed Creative Expressions Wordies sentiment sheet.  Really happy how this one turned.  

Altenew July 30 Days of Crafting - Day 2

 Another month and another 30 Day Challenge from Altenew.   Day 2 - create a card with a die you've never used before....   

Easy for me... as I got a the Mini Delight Fabulous Flowers and it's associated die set last week and on Thursday afternoon I got time to have a play after having spent the morning with Grace.  It's 2 weeks School Holidays and I was looking after her.  

I went with a very clean looking card.  I started by stamping the little flower from the Mini Delight stamp set in Baby Pink, Fuchsia, Green Field and Shadow Creek inks.   Must say it took a few times to get it layered! Used the die from the associated die set to cut the arch.  Added a sentiment from Morning Asters stamp set.  I used an older Leafy Border die for some added texture on my background.  Added a few little iridescent dots.

Entering this into Darnell's NBUS challenge - first time using this mini delight set.

My morning on Thursday was spent with Grace and I getting our nails done. 

She was very patient as I had a full pedicure and manicure, and she just had the kids nail painting done.  It was a shocking wintery day with lots of rain, so nice to spend some time getting pampered.   Came home and she made a card.   She choses a card I had made and she tried to replicate it with Grace amendments!  She is great at choosing colours and putting her own spin on the cards.  

Hope all my USA friends and followers have had a great 4th of July celebrations.   
   

Christmas in July - Fun Fold card.

 I saw a neat fun fold card over at Splitcoaststampers a couple of weeks ago and finally got around to trying it out.   It's called Puzzle Panel Gate Fold    and it's nice and easy to do.  

I decided to make a Christmas card using some pretty Kaisercraft patterned paper.   

Here is the card standing up.  I found the paper when I did my reorganising the craft room... and thought it was perfect for this fun fold.  The base was made with a very dark green cardstock.   I stamped the sentiment for the outside and inside with Altenew Mountain Pine ink.   Both are from a free stamp set from a magazine - a very old one.   

Here it is showing the inside sentiment.   

I'm sure I'll be using this fun fold again as it looks awesome.

Poppy Stamps Die at Die Cut Divas

Can you believe it's the last day of June... over 6 months of the year done!   

As it's the last day of the month, it's time to share my card at Die Cut Divas. 

Our sponsor

for the month is Poppy Stamps

and our challenge is a colour board. 

I've used an older die called Adriana Square Frame.  

I die cut the frame from white card and used three Altenew inks - Pink Crystal, Mauve and Berrylicious to add colour.   I made a background panel by adding some Catherine Pooler Garden Party ink to a Gina K embossing folder (Tapestry).  I cut it to a square and added to a white base.   Added a stamped and die cut a Couture Creations sentiment.  

Come and join us - you have to 9.00pm US Pacific time to share your project.

Woodblock Wednesday - June 2025

 It's been a wet winter's day today, so after doing the housework I spent some time in my craft room... doing some DT work, and do my July swap card for my NZ swap group.  Carol published the challenge early so we could get spend some time this cold weekend doing crafting... 

I also decided to play along at Woodblock Wednesday challenge.

I used 4 woodblock stamps to make this project.   A Hampton Arts Stamp (dated 2001) called Large Negative Plate - stamped with Catherine Pooler It's a Girl ink,  Hero Arts Old French Writing (dated 2002) randomly stamped in Altenew Gray Denim ink, Penny Black Blush (dated 2006) inked in Onyx Black Versafine ink as was the Stampin' Up sentiment from Ward Wood (dated 2006)  I spritzed and splattered some Distress Spritz in Fossilised Amber and Picked Raspberry.  Die cut the panel and the backing pink panel from Altenew's Mix and Match Frames.  

Happy Birthday Floral Cluster

 It's my turn to inspire you at Die Cut Divas.

Our challenge this month is a color challenge. We'd like you to use at least three of these colors, as well as black and white and skin tones, for people.

Our Sponsor this month is Poppystamps who will be giving our winner a $20 gift card. Thank you Poppystamps for your generosity.

My card uses an older Poppystamps die - called Floral Cluster. 

I made my own coloured cardstock using Altenew inks and my gel plate - I used Canyon Clay, Burnt Red and Mahogany Bark inks direct to my gel plate and brayed to combine.   The colours become more muted and softer then direct to paper or ink blending.  I used some green inks and did the same for my branches and a very light version with Silver Sage and Jade inks for my background.  I embossed that with Altenew's Organic Linen embossing folder.  I die cut two layers of the green branches and then the separate flowers from the various blending I did  I added three over the flowers on the branch and three for around the edge of the die cut oval from Gina K Master Layouts 1.  Sentiment was stamped in Gray Denim ink - to keep with the soft muted theme.  The matting layer is actually an olive green ( not as dark looking as the photo)

Do come and join us, using your die cut machine and the colour palette for the challenge.