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 

70th birthday card

 One of our friend's turned 70 the other day.  He and hubby used to play rugby together over a number of years... Hubby asked me to make a card that used the logo of one of their teams.   So I took a photo of his shirt with the logo on it... and here's what I came up with....

I used a Bugaboo digi stamp and inserted the Shore Black's logo.  I then used my black Copic marker to colour in the shirt.  I did a bit bigger card for this so I could get the image in it.   I added a die cut 70 and an Altenew Happy Birthday sentiment. 

I had fun making the card and both Hubby and our friend, Warren, loved it. 

Use those extra bits and bobs!

 Hi there...well the week is flying by as is time.. 7 weeks tomorrow till my son and his partner get married... and the good news that my daughter and her family are getting ready to come and be here for the wedding.  So all good news.

Today's card is the last one from Easter.  And it was made with bits and bobs from the desk.

The flower and leaves were coloured for another card but not used, the centre panel was originally cut with a Master Layout's die but the stitching tore so it got trimmed down and the base was one that was cut a bit small for the card it was for... so with a bit of embossing - using a striped folder twice - once each way, I made the focal background.  Added the Altenew label stamp sentiment. 

I'm feeling a bit more secure at work this week, after having heard that the area I work in will not lose any staff.... not so for my team Lead.  She is having to apply for her job with about 15% of the leads being surplus to requirements.  Although I'm not an affected staff member I will be impacted - come September I most likely will be working with different team members and different Team Lead.  A little unsettling to say the least. 

Thanks for stopping by. 

Catch up time.....

 Well the best laid plans etc..... I had intended to show you some more of my last weekend's projects... my week was busy and I was exhausted each night... add in physiotherapy on my shoulder, optometrist appointment and a short week.   So here's another couple of the cards I made. 

For my first one I used the Altenew layering stencil.  This time I used it, I flipped the stencil to have the flower going the other direction.  Loved how quick this card came together.   All my inks were Altenew.  

I am entering this into the latest "The Flower Challenge"  Pretty Pastels.  

Next up another floral

This one uses Altenew Natures Blossom and the matching stencil/mask and dies.   I also used the 3D embossing folder for a textured background.  Added the sentiment, white embossed onto black card.  

And I have one more card to share today.  I saw the STAMPlorations Blog Hop - Things with Wings.  I had a butterfly background that's been sitting around for a long time...and yesterday I made it into a card.  

The butterflies (Hero Arts) were stamped onto watercolour paper and coloured with Zig Markers.  I then sprayed it with some glitter spray.  I wasn't sure I liked it... so it sat around.  I trimmed it down and added a little sentiment embossed on black card.  It totally shimmers in real life.  

Thanks for stopping by today.  Hope you weekend is going well. 

WWC 313: Tristan's Challenge - All Things Masculine

Hello there, it’s time for another Watercooler Wednesday Challenge.  Tristan is our hostess this week with All Things Masculine challenge.

My card today is a Birthday card.  

This is a mini slim line - just a little bit smaller.  Mini's are usually 3 1/2" x 6 1/2" - but I accidently cut this one to 3 1/2" x 6" -  Just perfect to showcase this cute Tim Holtz Blueprint stamp.  It was part of Simon Says Stamp Stamptember - way back in 2015 and believe it or not... this is the first time this one has been inked up!  I stamped it directly on the case base and used Copic markers to colour it.  The sentiment is from another Tim Holtz set.   A truly CAS card. 

More Weekend crafting

 It's Easter Monday here in NZ and today we will be heading back home later today.  I managed some more crafting yesterday and another trip to the beach for a swim.  This morning it's a bit cooler and cloudy so before packing up I did another card for homework on my class - Creative Colouring with Erum.

I tried out the splatter watercolour look.  Didn't work out as well as I wanted as I didn't have a spray water bottle and had to just use a big brush.  However I was really happy with the card I made. 

I used a mixture of Woodless Watercolour pencils and the 36-pan set of watercolours. My flowers are from Nature's Blossom set and the leaves from Leaf Canopy set. I added some depth with Prismacolor pencils- a technique that Erum uses.  I used the Woodless Watercolour pencils for the background.  The sentiment is from a Gina K Wreath Builder set. 

Yesterday I played with the Wreath Builder stencil and stamps.  I had forgotten to bring my normal MISTI and only had my mini one and thought I might not be able to use it.... but managed it 

The edge hung out but it worked well. 

I did a few more cards yesterday but will share them over the next few days.   Take care all

Homework for Erum's Creative Colouring class

 Happy Easter to you all.  I'm spending some time up at my friend's place in Mangawhai and happily have brought some crafty supplies and a couple of WIP projects from the my class at Altenew Academy.  I'm doing Creative Coloring with Erum - Advanced Techniques Online Class

The other day on my Facebook I showed this WIP 

Yesterday afternoon I finished it off.  

This was Day 3's class - Watercolouring and Stencils.  I used this gorgeous stencil called Rose Bouquet and after stamping it with Vanilla Cream ink, I used some of the Woodless Watercolor pencils.  Added some splatters for texture.   I had forgotten my coloured card so used a darker pink ink to blend some ink around the edge of my layer piece.  Turned out perfect.  Finished with a black sentiment from Sentiment Stripes 2 stamped directly on my main panel. 

My second project started last Wednesday with me adding some Texture paste and sparkle glitter Embossing Powder to my white card.  Once it dried, I used the heat gun to set the powder.  Another one I completed yesterday 

This one was inspired by Day 2 - Playing with Textures.  I used the same stencil as my first card.  I added some WOW Sparkle Embossing powder over the paste.  I then took some purple watercolour paints (from the 36 pan set) and added it all over the watercolour card.   I case'd Erum's idea of stamping a sentiment in black on white card and fussy cutting around it for a shadow layer.   I got the Birthday stamp set this week... I was tired of trying to find a Happy Birthday sentiment so was super pleased to see this one on sale.  I added a little "girl" sentiment to finish

Our Easter weekend has had lovely weather so far.  We travelled up north Good Friday morning.  After finishing these two cards in the afternoon we headed to a local beach to enjoy the afternoon sun and even I managed to hit the water.   Then today after doing two more cards we "beached" again.  We went a little later in the day but still got some sun and yes another swim for me.  Two more days of the holiday break so hoping the nice weather continues. 

Happy Easter to you all.