Stamped Wreath

 The NZ Swap group this month had the theme "Make a Wreath"  Not to be made with a single stamp but with multiple smaller stamps wiht an extra challenge of not using a Wreath Builder stencil.

I started by drawing around the edge of a circle die to start my wreath.

I used little stamps from Gina K's Wreath Builder set in a variety of Altenew inks. The sentiment is from the same Wreath Builder set.  The little bow is from a Hero Arts set.   I added some little gems after using Gina K Master Layouts 3 to cut my panel and the black layer.    My wreath did get a little lopsided but still looks okay. 

Hope your weekend is going well.  I finished work early on Friday and drove up to Mangawhai to stay with my friends.  Usually hubby drives his car up but I drove my little car as he was going on a pub crawl for our son's Stag party.  They did a crawl from Auckland up to Mangawhai where they had hired a house for the night.  I got a call from hubby around 5 o'clock.  He was slightly worse for wear but had a great time.   This morning I texted my son early, asking how he was  "Ummm good would be an overstatement,  But I'm up and about"   It's only 2 1/2 weeks to the wedding now.

Twofer cards - Inspired by Jennifer McGuire.

 I am a great fan of all things Jennifer McGuire and love watching her videos.  Recently she did one where she mangaed to get two card from one blending, stamping and embossing - so after a few false starts - such as my clear embossing powder being contaminated with white powder and one card getting stuck together - I ended up with one set of two cards.  I was inspired by my blog friend Sally with her choice of background stamp - a Hero Arts background stamp called Leaf and Floral background. 

I chose some Distress Oxides in Broken China, Weathered Wood and Cracked Pistashio to blend as my background.  Then I clear embossed the Leaf and Floral background.  I liberally spritzed the panel, added another on top and ran through my Cuttlebug.  

Here are my two cards

This is the first pane..  You can still see the beautiful glossy background.  I took a Gina K oval and scalloped oval to make the focal point.  I added a sentiment from a Gina K sentiment.  I stamped a flower from Altenew Line Art stamps using the same colours in Distress inks.  I die cut it and a couple of other layers to make the flower stand up a bit better.  Added a few clear gems. 

And here is the second panel I got.

This panel is a much softer looking.  I stamped the flowers and used Distress inks in the blues and greens to watercolour them before fussy cutting them.  The little Thanks is from the same stamp set.  I die cut it with the matching die and stamped the sub-sentiment straight onto the card base. 

I was pleased with the results of these two. 

Trying to find the missing Mojo!

 Hi there.... well after a week away and a busy week back at work.... the old Mojo has been missing.  So I decided to just play around today.  I pulled out some of my pre-made backgrounds and found one I liked. To be honest, I not sure how I did it, but know it was a stencilled one. 

I think it's a type of Joseph's Coat technique using a stencil.  I die cut it and added a white border and then added to a black base.  I used a Gina K flag die with a bit of extending done.  The sentiment is also from Gina K.  Love the sentiments in the Wreath Builder set.  Added the little flourish from the set as well. 

Next up I thought I'd make a card for the Christmas Kickstart Challenge...

I had some Christmas images stamped and die cut in my stash - so again pulled them out and did some colouring.

This is a mini slimline.  I used an embossing folder to add the holly and berries to a red panel that I layered onto a gold panel.  The middle sentiment circle was popped up.  I added some glossy accents to the reindeer's nose. 

We had a lovely week away and enjoyed great weather - apart from one afternoon.  It was cold and raining the afternoon we got to Gisborne.   And now only three and a half weeks till the wedding and another week off to spend time with the family. 

WWC 315 - Marsha's Challenge: All Things Feminine

 Hi there.  Time for another Watercooler Wednesday Challenge.  Marsha is our hostess with an All Things Feminine challenge 

My daughter's birthday is 6th May (today my time) and this is the card I sent her. 

As the card had to make it's way to the far side of Australia, I made it a while back.  At that time I had just received some new Altenew ink sets and a Layering Stencil called Hill Blossoms.  It's a colouring stencil.  I fell in love with it when it came out.  My local online store, Krafters Cart had it shortly after the release so it went into my basket, together with a Gina K Wreath builder set.  I love the wonderful sentiments that fit beautifully into the circle dies from one of the Master Layout dies.  So inks from Martian Terrain and Nature's Wonders were used with the stencil.  I also purchased the tiny blending brushes from Altenew which made it so easy to blend the small parts of the stencil.   I'll be using this one with lots of different colour combos for sure.   The Martian Terrain inks were a bit more orangey than I expected but I love them.  I had some dark orange card in my stash that went perfectly as the layer for the card panel and the circle.  

Come and join in the fun at  Watercooler Wednesday Challenge and check out the projects from the other designers.  Then take our challenge and link up your project to the challenge post.    We'd love to have you join us.  You have until Monday 17th May 2021 at 5 pm Mountain Standard Time (Tuesday 18th, at 12.00 noon NZ time ) to link up your project.

Floral window at Die Cut Divas.

Hi there.  It's the last day of the month so it's time for my last card for Die Cut Divas for our April ochallenge.    Our sponspr this month is Poppystamps and our challenge theme is  WINDOW or APERTURE CARD

I bought this really cute die from Poppystamps and here's what I made

I made a green watercolour sheet and used it to die cut the Intricate die.  I used an embossing folder with some white card that I had cut with a Spellbinders square die. I used some 3D tape to add behind the frame.  I added the frame to a panel that I had on hand... that had been made with my Gelli Plate and an Altenew stencil.  To finish I added a die cut sentiment.  This is from Britannia Dies and I cut it from black card that had been covered with clear packing tape.  This gives it a really glossy look with out the mess of Glossy Accents. 

You have till 9.00pm (US Pacific Time) to join us here.  We'd love to see your creations.  

Window card for Die Cut Divas.

 Hi there.   It's my day to inspire you over at Die Cut Divas. 

Poppystamps are our sponsor and have such fantastic products.

Poppystamps kindly gave the design team a discount to their store and I got a couple of really gorgeous dies, perfect for our challenge.  

The die I used is Adriana Square Frame.  I cut it out of some Canson watercolour paper and then used a variety of greens and a splash of teal from Altenew's 36 pan watercolour paints.  Once it dry I add the stamped vellum behind the appeture. The sentiment is from a Catherine Pooler Designs set and I white embossed it onto some heavy vellum.  I then glued it to a dark grey panel.

Do come and join us at Die Cut Divas for this month's challenge. 

Fun Pop Up Step Card

 Our NZ group technique swap this month was a Pop Up Step Card.... There is a video tutorial HERE 

I thought this might be hard to do, but in the end following the instructions it was resonable easy to put together.

I went down the vintage looking alley.... using papers similar to the tutorial.  I used some punches to make my daisies and stamped some leaves from an Altenew set which I die cut to add to the flowers.  I used an Altenew sentiment cut and a die cut from a magasine to make my sentiment.   This one folds flat to put into a standard envelope.  

I'm taking a week of work from tonight.  We are heading off on a little road trip.  Down the East Coast of the North Island.  We are stopping with friend's for a few days.  Looking forward to the break, before the wedding.  My daughter and her family are staying with us for 9 days and my Dad and his partner for a week...so it's going to be a full house.  

I do have a post scheduled for next week.  Take care 

WWC314 - Dawn's Challenge: All About Occasions

 Hi there.  Time for a new challenge at Watercooler Wednesday.  I'm the hostess for this challenge with an All About Occasions.  

I had fun making this Birthday card.  I made the background by sponging Mowed Lawn Distress Oxide inks onto my white panel.  I then took a Kasiercraft stamp called Botanical and a Delicata 4 metallic ink pad to add the stamp.  I used all 4 of the colours on the ink pad.  I then took the Gorgeous Gardenia Outline die from Memory Box to make the roses.  The pink (Altenew Magenta) was sponged onto some card and added behind the outline.  I messed up the leaves, so had to cut them separately and add to the roses.   I stamped the sentiment from a Hero Arts Hello There stamp and die set. A few gold sequins finished up the card. 

Come and join in the fun at  Watercooler Wednesday Challenge and check out the project from the other designers.  Then take our challenge and link up your project to the challenge post.    We'd love to have you join us.  You have until Monday 3rd of May at 5 pm Mountain Standard Time (Tuesday at 11.00 am NZ time ) to link up your project