Die Cuts at Sweet Stampin' Challenge.

 Time to share my sample for Sweet Stampin' Challenge.   Our challenge is to use Die Cuts....something that is right up my alley!

For this card I used a Sizzix die set called Geo Frames.  I got it a while ago from Spotlight here in NZ.  I die cut from a variety of card stock.  The frames are very narrow and most difficult to get on straight.  I off-set two of the frames and then added the flowers around the frame.   I used a little sentiment from Altenew's Summer Wishes.  Added splatters of Distress Spritz in Fossilised Amber.   

Tiny but Mighty...

 The Altenew Challenge Live this week - Tiny but Mighty - make a card 3" x 3" or smaller....  today I have been feeling a little better and decided to give the challenge a try. 

I pulled out a few of my Altenew Mini Delight stamp sets and had a play. 

I started by making the background panel.... used some blue and green Altenew inks and a large blending tool.   Took the Bitty Botanicals and some Jade ink and added some subtle leaves in the background.  Added some watercolour splatters with Altenew paints.   Stamped Adorable Anthurium stamp after having die cut the image.   Used Green Fields and A Pocketful of Sunshine alcohol markers to add the colour.    Used a sentiment from the Adore You Added on stamp set.    Finished with some of my homemade enamel dots.   I trimmed the panel down and matted on some dark green card and then onto my little 3" square card base.   Love the pop of the yellow pot with the gorgeous greens of the leaves.   Had great fun making this one.... 

Happy Birthday Dad

 It's my Dad's birthday today... 88 years young!  He is incredible.   Still very active. 

Used more of Uniquely Creative digi images - mainly from the Father's Day images.   Cut out some tags, added a  Best Dad Ever circle and a matted birthday sentiment.   A few little kraft dots to finish.

September Challenge at Altenew.

 A very quiet restful day - still feeling tired and weak.  And coughing a lot!   

This card for the September challenge at Altenew.   I had made it over the weekend.

I've recently got a colour wheel and these three colours are triad - so go well together.   I used Altenew orange inks with a circle stencil to make a background.    For the purple element, I die cut three flowers with the Petite Mountain Aven layering die set,  from white card and used some ink-blending with Wisteria and Hydrangea inks for the flowers, Shadow Creek and Mountain Pine for the leaves and Camomile and Snapdragon for the flower centres.  The sentiment is from Altenew Birthday Builder set cut with a die from Featured Sentiment die set.   Edged with a darker purple ink.   Finished with some purple dots. 

 

Christmas cards - building up the stash.

 The weekend before last on the Sunday I did manage to get a couple of cards made, but haven't had time to post them. 

First card - using a stenciled background. 

I used a stencil I purchased to use with my gel plate - from the local Art Store.  Used 3 tones of Catherine Pooler green inks to make an ombre background.  I then used a Poinsettia that was in my to-be-used pile.   I think it is a Hero Arts one. Added a little Waffle Flower sentiment - from Star Snowflake set.   A few gold dots to finish.

And my second card used the same stencil, but on my gel plate. 

I attempted to used some paints with the stencil set.   Didn't quite turn out quite how I wanted.  So trimmed a panel to added to the left hand side.  Took an oval die cut and matching scallop die.  I had used a embossed the oval with Dots and Circles folder.  The Nutcracker is fussy cut from a PP set.    Finished with a fussy cut banner - stamped onto red card with a red rubber stamp.   Added some glittery dark red dots.  

Well today was an interesting one....I was still feeling unwell so decided to stay home as I was coughing a lot and hadn't slept well on Sunday night.  I slept on and off all morning... feeling hot and cold.  Around lunch time, I got up to have a shower and boom, I collapsed in the shower - lost consciousness momentarily and scratched my leg.  I rang the ambulance - and got taken to the local hospital.   Turned out I tested positive for Influenza A... and collapsed due to dehydration.    7 hours later, made it back home.  And a week off work!   Thanks to our wonderful health system.  

 

Happy Father's Day, Dad.

I haven't posted for a week... but have made a couple of cards that I'll share soon.   I have been unwell since Thursday - with little to no energy to craft. 

However, I do have my Father's Day card for my Dad to share.

This is a Hybrid card.... made with Uniquely Creative digital Father's Day images (from 2024 and 2025) Used my Scan'n'Cut to cut some of the images and fussy the some as well.  Die cut the background paper using a Gina K Master Layout 7 to cut the mini slimline card.  photo 

Dad loved the card.  I had a good chat with him today.  I ring him every Sunday to catch up.    He did let me know that both this card and his birthday card (birthday on the 10th) arrived safely.  

Here's a photo of my Dad and I, taken last Christmas.

 

Double Z-Fold Floral

 Final day of August, so time to share my card for Die Cut Divas.  Our sponsor this month - Altenew

Our challenge - Z-fold cards.   

My card today is a Double Z-fold.   

I have never made a double Z-fold before, so did some googling - and found many, many video's and tutorials.   This was a fun card to make.  I chose some PP from Rosie's Studio Forever paper pad. Used Altenew's Hello Beautiful Craft Your Life stamp, stencil and die kit.  I used some Grey Denim ink to stamp the largest of the floral images and then used the colouring stencils to add a variety of Altenew pink and green inks.   Die cut the floral bouquet and added to the front of the card.   Die cut the sentiment from Altenew Scripty Sentiment for the front of the card and used a sentiment from Morning Asters stamp set inside. 

I also stamped on the inside panel with the mid-size flower from the Hello Beautiful stamp set.  Used a 2HB black pencil and a blending stump to add a bit of shading.  

Our challenge finishes at 9.00pm Pacific Time on the 31st.  Do come and join us. 

Play date - crafting with a friend.

 I've had the most awesome day... My friend, Suna, came to visit today.   This year has been very busy for both of us, and we haven't meet up since Oct last year!!!!  So this Saturday was the day - we both were free and Suna drove the 25kms from her place to mine.   She arrived around 11.00am and left around 3.30ish.   Lots of chatting, crafting and had a lovely lunch - we were able to sit outside on the deck before the weather pack up and the rain started.  

The last picture is of Suna's drawing.  She had blended some blue ink onto her card and then hand drew the gorgeous flower.    Isn't she so talented.  

Suna got three backgrounds done -

Her hand-drawn flower, a new stencil I had gifted her and an older stencil of hers.  Just love what she did with the middle one... such interesting colours. 

I managed two cards.

This one used the Papertrey Ink stencil - In the Meadow - this time with more purple inks.  I cut the panel with a Pinkfresh Die- Folk Edge Rectangle.   Added a big two-tone purple die sentiment with a vellum shadow layer.   Added some iridescent dots for embellishment. 

My second card used a Waffle Flower die and stencil set I've had for about a month now, but hadn't opened.  

I made a little 4.25" square card for this one.   I die cut all the parts of the die and then used the stencil to add the colour.  I die cut all the extra flowers and berries and layered them over the first die cut.  Spritzed it liberally with some Frost Shimmer Spray. I took some Tim Holtz Distress Spritz Fossilised Amber and splattered it over the base before adding the die cut.   Sentiment is from Waffle Flower - Star Snowflake stamp set. 

As this was the first outing for this die and stencil set, I'm adding to the NBUS challenge for August. 

Really enjoyed crafting with someone who understands what card making is all about!