One-Go Briar Blossom: Two Cards from One Beautiful Set

Yesterday was World Cardmaking Day here in New Zealand, so of course I spent some time in my craft room making a couple of cards. I can’t share those projects just yet—but I do have two cards from Thursday afternoon to show you today!

My order from Krafters Cart, a New Zealand online company, arrived on Thursday, and I couldn’t wait to try the coordinating set I’d purchased: Altenew’s One-Go Briar Blossom. The set includes stamps, colouring stencils, a one-go die and a matching embossing folder—and it was totally worth the cost!

The floral stamp is a single design featuring three flowers, two buds and four leaves. I stamped it in Versafine Clair Nocturne ink, then clear-embossed the image. For the stenciling, I used Altenew Enchanted Garden inks on the flowers, with Limeade and Fresh Leaves for the greenery. Next, I used the coordinating one-go die to cut all the images at once. Lining everything up in the embossing folder took a little fan-dangling, but the finished texture was beautiful. Best of all, I ended up with enough flowers and leaves to create two cards.

For the first card, I die-cut lilac cardstock with Gina K Master Layouts 2. I deepened the edges with the darkest purple from the Altenew palette, then added a little stencilling using Montarga Scripty Words. A pre-cut lacy oval from Gina K Master Layouts 12 worked perfectly against the background. I arranged two florals and several leaves around the oval, then finished the design with a gold-embossed sentiment from the Altenew Classic Sentiments stamp and die set.

 

For the second card, I used the remaining die-cut florals and leaves and took a cleaner, simpler approach. I masked a section of the card base with 1-inch tape, then added soft ink blending using only the residual ink on my blending brush. With a ruler and gold gel pen, I framed the blended area before stamping a sentiment from the One-Go Briar Blossom stamp set. Flowers and leaves in opposite corners completed the design. I loved the simplicity, so no further embellishments were needed.

While the stamp was out, I stamped and embossed it twice, which left me with another panel to colour. I worked on that today, so look out for a completely different take later this week!

Entering the top card into Darnell's NBUS challenge - first outing for the One Go combo.  

I hope you found plenty of time to make cards over the weekend. I always think of it as “World Cardmaking Weekend”—one day simply isn’t enough!

A Festive Poinsettia Card Inspired by Crafting with Donna

I recently discovered the lovely Craft with Donna channel on YouTube, and one of Donna’s beautiful cards immediately caught my eye. Inspired by her design, I decided to create my own version—and I’m delighted with how it came together.

 

I started with a lovely poinsettia die set that includes extra branches and berries. To give the flower a fuller look, I die-cut the poinsettia several times from white card, layered the pieces, and added a gold glitter centre. I cut the branches and berries from green and gold card, then cut additional berries from red card. After a little fussy cutting, I layered the red berries over the green ones for a festive pop of colour.

I loved the square format Donna used, so I made a 5¼-inch card base—slightly smaller than hers—with a 5-inch panel. I stamped a fine-line sentiment from the Rosie’s Studio Hearth + Home stamp set, then arranged the poinsettia, branches, and berries around it. A scattering of gold glitter dots added the perfect finishing touch.

I love how this card turned out, and I’m already planning to make a few more using poinsettias in different colours. It’s a simple way to give the same design a fresh new look each time.

Pastel colours - Two cards

Today I’m sharing two cards I’ve made over the past few days, both featuring a soft pastel colour palette.

First up is a card inspired by the Faux Batik tutorial from Splitcoaststampers.

This is such a fun and easy technique. All you need is a stencil and a white wax crayon. Place a sheet of thin paper or card over the stencil, then rub across it with the crayon to reveal the pattern. Add a little ink blending, and the background is done! I die-cut the finished panel and layered it onto green card. I used printer paper, which was slightly too thin and warped a little, but I think that only adds to the batik effect.

To finish the card, I added black die-cut leaves using the Pinkfresh Studio Curvy Leaves die, along with a black Couture Creations sentiment layered over a vellum circle.

 My second card was inspired by a YouTube video from Jo Simons.Jo is the queen of embossing, with so many fabulous techniques to share, and this one is especially pretty.

 

The technique involves applying watercolour pens to the inside of an embossing folder before running it through the machine. I used Altenew’s Whimsy Motif 3D embossing folder with Fabriano Mixed Media card, which can handle the amount of water needed to create that lovely soft effect. Once dry, I cut the panel with a stitched rectangle die.

I scribbled Zig watercolour markers across the inside of the folder, spritzed it with water, and then ran it through my Platinum 6. When the panel came out, I gave it one more quick spritz before setting it aside to dry. A Spellbinders Must Have Sentiments sentiment was the perfect finishing touch. I loved the beautiful softness of the result, so I decided it didn’t need any further embellishment.

 I also had a lovely Saturday afternoon when my granddaughters came to visit. Grace and I spent a couple of hours together in the craft room, where she looked through some of my cards and decided to CASE three of them. She used the same products but changed up the colours to make each design her own. She did a wonderful job—with a little help from Nanny on some of the fussier bits and pieces! The weather was cool and wet, so it was the perfect way to spend time together.

Sweet Stampin’ Challenge: Inspired by Autumn Colours

It’s time for the latest challenge at Sweet Stampin’Challenge, and this time our theme is Autumn.

Here in New Zealand, autumn arrives earlier in the year and we’re now heading into spring, but I still love that rich autumn/fall colours: reds, oranges, browns and golds. Those warm tones became the inspiration for my card.

On Friday, I was browsing my local stationery store when I spotted an older paper pack from a magazine on sale for around $9. It included 21 sheets of 8” x 8” paper, along with lots of pre-printed elements, sentiments and banners. One of the beautiful autumnal papers immediately caught my eye, so I chose it as the main feature for this project.

The paper really is stunning, so I wanted to let it be the star of the show. I cut it with a Gina K Master Layout 2 stitched die, then matted it onto another patterned paper from the same pack. To add a little touch of glamour, I ran a gold pen around the edge of the panel.

For the sentiment, I used the Altenew Classic Sentiment stamp and die set. I embossed the sentiment in gold onto white card, then lightly ink blended over it with my orange brush to tie it back to the autumn colour palette. A few sparkle gems finished everything off with just the right amount of shimmer.

I hope you’ll come and join us at Sweet Stampin’ Challenge with your own autumn-inspired projects. I can’t wait to see what you create!

Recycle, Re-use, Re-purpose at Die Cut Divas

Today I’m sharing a fun card I made for this month’s challenge at Die Cut Divas. Our sponsor is Art Impressions, and the theme is a fantastic one: Recycle, Re-use, Re-purpose.

For my recycled element, I used part of a tissue box for the background. The design was too pretty to throw away, so I die cut it with a Pinkfresh Studio Essential Mini Slimline die to make the most of the pattern. For the focal point, I used the Laughing Girlfriends stamp set from Art Impressions. I stamped the image, coloured it with alcohol markers, and fussy cut it before adding it to the card.

The sentiment is from another Art Impressions set, Loungers, and it paired perfectly with the image. I did a little die surgery so the die cut would fit neatly around the sentiment, and I’m so pleased with how it all came together. It turned out just as I had imagined!

 

The sentiment is from another Art Impressions set, Loungers, and it paired perfectly with the image. I did a little die surgery so the die cut would fit neatly around the sentiment, and I’m so pleased with how it all came together. It turned out just as I had imagined!

 

Craft Roulette #337 - Penguin inspired card,

This week’s card was inspired by my friend Linda W, whose adorable penguin card for Craft Roulette #337 immediately sparked an idea. She used penguins with a blue gingham-style background, and as soon as I saw it, I knew I had the perfect die set waiting in my stash.

Even better, the die set was getting its very first outing, which made this project feel extra fun. I love when a challenge gives me the perfect excuse to use something new.

I started by searching through my paper stash for the right blue check pattern, but nothing quite matched what I had in mind. After a quick search on PNGWING, I found a lovely blue tartan checked image, resized it, and printed it as an A2 panel. I then die cut the panel with Gina K Designs Master Layouts #2.

The print was a little brighter and whiter than I wanted, so I softened it with a quick blend of Altenew Eastern Skies ink. Once the colour felt right, I matted the panel with some paler blue patterned paper to tie everything together.

For the die-cut sentiment, I used soft blue glitter cardstock from Crafters Choice for the top layer, then added a slightly offset black layer behind it for extra definition and dimension. The penguins came together from scraps of coloured paper and black cardstock, which made them a great way to use up little leftovers from my stash.

To finish them off, I added Clear Glossy ink to the white parts of the hats for a little shine.

Since the die set was making its debut, I’m also entering this card in Darnell’s NBUS challenge.   It always feels good to give something new a proper first outing!

 

I'm also entering the Merry Little Christmas Challenge - #70

A little life update and two Reindeer cards

Life has been full over the last little while. Between a weekend away, coming down with a horrible head cold, and then flying down to Wellington to spend a few days with my dad, crafting has had to take a bit of a back seat. I came home still coughing, spent a couple of days tucked up in bed, and then eased back into work.

By Tuesday afternoon I was finally feeling a little more human, so I spent a couple of happy hours in the craft room. I had reindeer on my mind after seeing this month’s challenge at Christmas Kickstart, and that was all the inspiration I needed.

For the first card, I started with a digital image from my files: a Bugaboo image called Reindeer Trio. I printed it out, pulled out my alcohol markers, and enjoyed colouring this adorable little trio.

Once the colouring was finished, I die cut the image with a Gina K Master Layout die, using a little partial die cutting to get the panel to the right size. I found a Craft Concepts sentiment stamp in my stash that fitted perfectly in the open space and stamped it to complete the focal panel.

For the background, I used some lovely red music paper and added the coloured panel on an angle for a playful look. I really do think these three reindeer are just adorable.

My second card took a very different direction. I found a sweet reindeer stamp in a Rosie’s Studio set called Hearth + Home and stamped it onto a white panel with Memento Toffee Crunch ink. I added the bow in Catherine Pooler Peppermint Scrub ink for a cheerful touch of colour.

To build the frame around the image, I used an older Hero Arts woodblock stamp, Pine Bough, stamping around the edges with Distress Oxide Evergreen Bough ink. I then blended a little of the same ink around the edges to soften everything and bring the panel together.

The sentiment, from the same Rosie’s Studio stamp set, was stamped in VersaClaire Nocturne ink. I masked the words and deer before splattering white acrylic paint over the panel, then finished the card with a dark green mat on a white card base.

I'm adding this one to the CAS Christmas Challenge -  Woodland Critters 

It felt so good to be back in the craft room, even just for a short time. Sometimes a couple of hours, a few favourite supplies, and a pair of reindeer cards are exactly what is needed.

Christmas Cardmaking with Poinsettia Sticker Tape

 A quick creative update from me today: over the past couple of weeks, I’ve been working on a festive set of Christmas cards using some Poinsettia Sticker Tape I recently purchased.

I made four cards in this set, combining the poinsettia tape with die cuts and a little stamping to add extra detail and dimension. The tape gave each card an easy festive starting point, while the die-cut pieces helped to create a more finished handmade look.

It was a lovely way to play with a new product and put together a coordinated mini collection of Christmas cards. I always enjoy projects where a few simple supplies can be mixed and matched to create variations that still feel like they belong together.

I’ll share the finished cards here, along with a few notes on how I used the tape, die cuts, and stamping. 

First up - Peace

Using Hero Arts Peace die and stamp set.  

Next-

This one used a large Joy die - the "O" made with the sticker tape.   Added a little stamped sentiment die cut and ink blended. 

Next -

Used an oval die from Gina K Master Layout with the scalloped backing layer in dark green and a gold die cut sentiment and finished with three little gold dots. 

And finally -

For this one I used a large die cut sentiment and some stitched rectangles from a Gina K Master Layout die. 

Have you started your Christmas cardmaking yet?

 

White on White with One Colour: Heartfelt Wishes.

It’s the last day of August, which means it’s time to share my card for the Die Cut Divas August Challenge. This month’s theme is White on White with One Colour, and our wonderful sponsor is Birch Press Design. If you enjoy intricate and elegant die cuts, their website is full of beautiful inspiration.

For my card, I reached for a lovely Birch Press flower set called Star Flowers Contour Layering Die.

It was the perfect starting point for this challenge, giving me a delicate focal image while still leaving plenty of room for that soft white-on-white background.

I began by die cutting the flower die twice from white card. Using a selection of pinky-red Altenew inks, I blended colour onto the flower pieces and layered them together to create two large flowers and two small flowers. For the white-on-white background, I embossed a panel of white card with the Craft Concept Leavy Flourish embossing folder, which added just the right amount of texture and interest. I then created a die-cut frame using two dies from the Hero Arts Infinity Arches set and adhered it to the embossed panel. The flowers were arranged with three in the bottom left-hand corner and one in the top right-hand corner, giving the card a balanced yet graceful look. To finish, I stamped the sentiment in the same pinky-red colour using a Hero Arts stamp from the  All Occasions (retired) set, then die cut it and added a few white pearls for an elegant final touch. All in all, I’m really pleased with how this card came together—it feels soft, pretty, and fitted the challenge theme perfectly.

I hope you’ll join us at Die Cut Divas this month and share your own White on White with One Colour creation. We can’t wait to see how everyone interprets this elegant theme!  Just remember to use your die cut machine to cut or emboss. 

Two cards, two inspirations...

I have two cards to share today: one I made on Friday for a retirement party we attended, and another I created on Saturday for Amy’s Woodblock Wednesday Challenge.

First up is the retirement card. It was made for a woman who had worked with my husband for nearly 30 years. She is heading to Vietnam for a holiday, with a friend,  in a few weeks, so that became the inspiration for the design.

I used Pingwing to find a beach scene, printed it onto an A2 card, and then trimmed it down with a Gina K Master Layout die. I had recently purchased a jandals die, which was perfect for the theme, so I cut the jandals from gold glitter card from Altenew and some black card. To finish, I created the sentiment on my laptop using Word.

My next card came about on Saturday while I was doing a bit of tidying up. As I sorted through some of my woodblock stamps, I realised I was still in time to join Amy’s Woodblock Wednesday Challenge.

For this card, I used a Penny Black stamp called Gossamer. It is such a pretty image, and I came up with the idea to ink blend around the flower, then paint the flower in a lighter tone of the same colour.

I stamped the image and die cut it with a Pinkfresh Studio Folk Edge die. After masking the flower, I added Distress Ink in Tumbled Glass and Broken China, blending the colour all around the image. I then used a light wash of Tumbled Glass as paint, with a little Mowed Lawn for the leaves and flower centres.

The sentiment is from a Penny Black photopolymer set, Je T’aime Paris, and I finished the card with a little die cut butterfly from Monte’s Craft Supplies Layered Butterflies die. 

I'm entering this into the Penny Black Saturday Challenge - Anything Goes - optional Things with Wings. 

I was really pleased with how this one came together — it turned out just as I had imagined. Thanks so much for stopping by to see today’s cards.

Use a Die: A Festive Christmas Card for Sweet Stampin’ Challenge

It’s my team’s turn to share some inspiration at SweetStampin’ Challenge, and this fortnight’s theme is one I always enjoy: “Use a Die.” I absolutely love dies and die cutting. I’ll admit I probably have far more dies than I need, but somehow, I still can’t resist adding more to my collection.

For today’s card, I used a die set I picked up from my local stationery store. They carry a small range of dies at very reasonable prices, and over the past few months I’ve collected a few Christmas designs. This card gave me the perfect excuse to use one of them.

I started by cutting the full die from red card. Then I cut the smaller pieces —the trees, stars, and topper — from green card and gold glitter card, before piecing everything together. To keep the die cut as the focal point, I created a simple background using white card embossed with the Altenew Dotty Circles 3D embossing folder.

The sentiment comes from an LDRS Christmas Stack and coordinating all-in-one die. I had already stamped and die cut the full stack, so I now have plenty of extra sentiments ready to use on future festive projects. To finish the design, I added a few red glitter dot embellishments for a touch of sparkle.

Once the main panel was complete, I cut it into a square, matted it with red card, and added it to a top-fold card base. The result is a bright, textured Christmas card with the die cut taking centre stage.

I hope this inspires you to get out your favourite dies and join us at Sweet Stampin’ Challenge. We’d love to see what you create!

White on White with One Colour: My Die Cut Divas Challenge Cards

It’s time to share my cards for this month’s challenge at Die Cut Divas, where our theme is “White on white with one colour.” We’re lucky to have Birch Press Designs sponsoring the challenge this month, and if you love beautiful dies, they have some wonderful designs to explore.

I don’t have a large collection of Birch Press Designs products, but I do have their String Art Hot Foil Plate. It took me a little while to work out how best to use it for a white-on-white card, but in the end, I decided to emboss a white panel with it. The subtle texture gave the background just enough interest while keeping the card elegant.

For the focal image, I used an already stamped and cut Couture Creations Ringing Bells image, which I had cut with my Scan’n’Cut. I coloured the bow and clappers with red pencils, then added Star Dust Stickles for texture and sparkle without introducing another colour. The sentiment came from the LDSR Christmas One and Go stamp and die set, which has left me with lots of extra sentiments ready for future cards.

While I had the hot foil plate out, I also cut some red foil and created another card panel.

For this card, I wanted the focal point to stay white on white, so I die cut the Spellbinders Poinsettia and built it into a layered flower. A small red glitter dot in the centre tied it back to the one-colour theme, and I stamped a Merry Christmas sentiment in red ink before clear embossing it. A few more red glitter dots finished the design beautifully.

I really enjoyed finding ways to add texture and interest while keeping the palette so limited. White on white can be such a lovely challenge, especially when that single pop of colour is used thoughtfully.

Do come and join us at Die Cut Divas this month with your white on white with one colour projects. Just remember to use your die machine to cut or emboss.  We’d love to see what you create!

A Pair of Mixed Media Cards for Dad

Yesterday I spent some time making cards for my dad, with two special dates coming up very close together. Father’s Day is on 6 September, and his birthday follows just a few days later on 10 September. Because I need to post both cards—and NZ Post can be a little slow these days—I’m trying to be organised and get them sent early.

I decided to go with a mixed media theme for both cards, beginning with the Father’s Day design. 

I started with a piece of ombré patterned paper from Uniti in shades of blue and purple, then cut it using Gina K Master Layout 1.

To build up the background, I used the Circle Disruption stencil from AALL & Create and added areas of blue and purple ink with my blending brushes. I also brought in Memento Toffee Crunch, along with Altenew Cloudy Night and Cloudy White inks, to add extra depth and contrast.

For the embellishments, I die-cut several black cogs using Paper Rose Studio cog dies. I randomly dabbed them with embossing ink, then heat embossed them with WOW Metallic Copper Sparkle powder for a worn, metallic effect. A few dots from a gold Posca pen added the final touches of shine.

I finished the card with a pre-printed sentiment from a Uniquely Creative digital kit, then matted the panel onto black card before attaching it to a white card base.

I carried the mixed media look through to Dad’s birthday card as well, this time creating a bold blue-and-gold panel. I ink-smooshed the background using Catherine Pooler Juniper Mist and Distress Oxide Chipped Sapphire, which gave the piece a rich, layered feel.

Next, I used a Craft Giraffe splatter stencil with Versamark ink, then added Ranger Gold embossing powder for texture and shimmer. Once the panel was ready, I punched out a pile of 1-inch squares and arranged them diagonally across a die-cut panel.

To complete the card, I backed the panel with dark blue card, attached it to a white base, and added a sentiment cut from gold mirror card. 

Both cards have the same mixed media feel, but each one has its own personality. Now I just need to get them safely into the post and hope they arrive in plenty of time!

Crafting with a friend- fun afternoon of creating.

One of the best things about paper crafting is sharing it with a fellow crafter, and yesterday I had the pleasure of spending the afternoon with my friend Suna at her home in Orewa. It's about a 30-minute drive from my place, and it was well worth the trip.

I arrived around midday and we got straight into crafting. After about an hour of creating (and chatting!), we took a break and walked to a local café just five minutes from her apartment for lunch. After a delicious lunch, we headed back for more crafting before I left for home at 4.20 pm.

Despite spending over three and a bit hours together, I only managed to complete two cards. Then again, there may have been a little too much chatting happening!

My first project was a Christmas card featuring some recently purchased poinsettia-themed sticker tape.

I placed a strip of the tape across the centre of my card panel and then used two dies from the Spellbinders A2 Curved Borders One set to divide the panel into two sections. I chose a stitched border for the top section and a plain border for the bottom, adhering both pieces back onto the panel while leaving the decorative tape visible in the centre.

The sentiment is from Rosie’s Studio Hearth & Home and was stamped onto the lower panel using Nocturne Versafine Clair ink.

To finish the design, I created a poinsettia using a new die set. Although the set includes three layers, I felt the largest layer was too big for this card. Instead, I cut two of the smallest layers from red cardstock and layered them together, then cut the middle layer from green cardstock. For the flower centre, I used white cardstock coloured with a yellow Posca Glitter pen. The set also includes foliage dies, which I cut from green cardstock.

I'm really pleased with how this card came together.

My second card also showcases a new die set featuring an arched panel and a flowering branch.

I cut the branch twice from white cardstock. For the base layer, I coloured the branch using a grey-green Spectrum Noir marker (thanks to Suna and her pens). On the second die-cut, I coloured the flowers with pink Altenew ink and then carefully fussy-cut them out. The die design makes this process surprisingly easy, with cut lines that clearly define the flowers and buds.

Once everything was layered together, I adhered the floral branch to the white arched panel. For the background, I added a piece of blue watercolour paper from a Scrapbook.com paper pack to the card base. The die set also included a couple of extra floral elements, so I created a small cluster in the top corner. After that, I decided the card didn't need anything else. Sometimes the simplest finishing touch is no extra embellishment at all.

The cards were fun to make, but the real highlight of the day was spending time crafting with a friend. We shared stamps, dies, ideas, and plenty of conversation. There's something special about being able to bounce creative ideas off one another while working on projects side by side.

I'm entering my second into Darnell's NBUS challenge.  All the dies used from the one set are having their first outing.  

Christmas Cardmaking: Silver Sparkle and a Festive Poinsettia

Over the weekend I managed to create a couple of Christmas cards. The first one started out as an entry for a Time Out Challenge, but I soon realised I had not read the theme quite correctly. The challenge was to choose two items from a list, and I had only chosen one: monochromatic. Even though it did not quite fit the brief, I was still really pleased with how elegant the card turned out.

I was inspired by a YouTube video I watched on the Altenew channel, where Erica created cards in white and silver. I loved the elegance of that colour combination and decided to try something similar.

I had recently purchased a Christmas die from my local stationery store, which included a snowflake edge die and an ornament. Using Altenew Stirling Glitter cardstock, I die cut both pieces, then added the snowflake edge down the left side of the panel and placed the ornament on the right.

For the sentiment, I used one from Rosie’s Studio Home & Hearth set and embossed it with Altenew Antique Silver powder.  I used some holographic card to mat the panel.  To finish the card, I used some of the tiny stars left over from the snowflake edge die cut as embellishments. They were perfect little details and tied the whole design together beautifully.

My second card was a quick one I made on Saturday. I am still trying to find my missing Poinsettia die set, but while searching I came across my Hero Arts Woodblock Antique Poinsettia stamp and the matching dies, so I decided to put them to use.

I stamped the poinsettia twice on red card and once on green shimmer card. The coordinating dies include three pieces, which made it easy to cut the layers and build up the flower. Once assembled, I added a gold gem to the centre for a little festive shine.

For the background, I embossed a white panel with a Christmas folder and added a scrap of music paper that I had used on another recent project. I matted the white layer onto red card, and in the end, I decided the design did not need a sentiment.

It was lovely to get a little festive crafting done over the weekend, even if the first card did not quite work for the original challenge. I now have two more Christmas cards ready to go, and both have a very different feel: one elegant and sparkly, the other traditional and warm.

A Crafty Weekend of Watercolour, Florals and Sweet Little Wings

It’s been a wonderfully crafty weekend here. On Saturday afternoon, Grace, Florence and Kieran came round, and naturally Grace wanted to head straight to the craft room. We played with watercolour powders and each made a background before Grace spotted a panel I’d created with Altenew’s Dreamy Daylilies.

I embossed a panel for her with the folder, then she set off with the stencilling. She did such a beautiful job of ink blending, using pinks with three colours on each petal. And lovely soft greens for the leaves. I only wish I had taken a photo of her finished project! I did find a frame for her panel, which made it feel extra special. After she left, I managed to make one Christmas card too, but I’ll share that another day.

Today I headed back into the craft room and decided to join a few challenges. My first card was intended for Time Out Challenge #391, which asked us to use two ideas from a list. Somehow, I misread the theme and only used one, so that card will have to wait for another post!

Once I realised my mistake, I changed track and chose three ideas from the list instead: monochromatic, stitching — faux stitching in my case — and floral.

The pink background is part of the watercolour panel I made yesterday. I die cut it with Gina K Master Layouts 2 to create the stitched panel, then die cut Simon Says Stamp Iceland Poppies from white card.

For the colouring, I used the leftover ink on my blender brushes in shades of pink, with just the tiniest touch of green — hopefully that still counts! I arranged the flowers on the panel and finished the card with pre-printed sentiment strips.

This second card is for the Penny Black Saturday Challenge for August: “Anything Goes” with the optional theme of "Things with Wings" 

I have a few older Penny Black stamps from when I first started card making, so I pulled out Hedgie Friends, a stamp set from 2012.

I stamped one of the images — Hedgie with a butterfly — along with two of the sweet little dragonflies, then used my Scan’N’Cut to cut them out. The colouring was done with Altenew Woodless Watercolour Pencils. For the background, I chose a pretty teal patterned paper, then added a white strip across the card with the sentiment from the stamp set.

To finish, I layered the circle panel over the strip, added the little dragonflies, and included a few white dot embellishments. It was such a lovely weekend of simply playing, experimenting and enjoying time in the craft room.

A Festive Tattered Poinsettia Christmas Card

I can’t believe it has been 11 days since I last posted! I have still been crafting away behind the scenes, getting cards finished for upcoming design team work, but today gave me the perfect chance to sit down and make something festive just for the joy of it.

This afternoon I came home early from work because some rough weather was on the way, and I managed to beat the heavy rain home. With a little unexpected time on my hands, I decided to make another Christmas card using poinsettia dies. Last week I used my Spellbinders poinsettia die set, but do you think I can find where I put it? Of course not!

While hunting through the craft room, I came across a very old Sizzix/Tim Holtz Alterations BIGZ die called Tattered Poinsettia. I haven’t used it for a long time, so it felt like the perfect opportunity to bring it back out.

I started by die cutting the BIGZ die from kraft paper, and it cut beautifully in my Spellbinders Platinum 6. To add colour to the three layers, I used Distress Inks in Mowed Lawn, Rusty Hinge, and Gathered Twigs. The combination gave the poinsettia a warm, rustic look that worked perfectly with the kraft base.

For extra texture, I ran the die-cut pieces through the Gina K Tapestry embossing folder, and the result looked incredible. I then used a ball stylus to shape the leaves before layering everything together. A few pearls in the centre finished off the poinsettia beautifully.

For the background, I chose a digital Christmas music sheet image and printed it onto more kraft paper. I trimmed it to a 4 ¾-inch square, matted it with brushed gold card, and added it to the card base.

To finish the card, I added a hot-foiled sentiment from Spellbinders Yana’s Christmas Sentiments that I already had in my stash. It had been silver foiled onto white card, so I rubbed black ink over it to create a silver-on-black effect. It was a simple change, but it tied in beautifully with the rest of the design.

I’m really pleased with how this card turned out, especially considering it started with a search for a completely different die set. Sometimes the best makes come from rediscovering something tucked away in the craft room. Sad to say, I still haven’t found the other poinsettia dies… they must be in there somewhere!

Sweet Stampin’ Challenge: Stripes or Chevrons

Hi there! Can you believe it’s already the 1st of August? This year is absolutely flying by. Today I’m sharing my latest card for the Sweet Stampin’ Challenge, where this month’s theme is “Stripes or Chevrons.”

I started by looking through my patterned paper stash for something that would suit the theme, and I found a chevron paper that immediately sparked the idea for this card.

To build the design, I trimmed a panel of the chevron paper and placed it across the centre of the card front. From there, I chose the focal image and sentiment. Lucy from Peanuts was the perfect fit, and the sentiment from the Peanuts stamp set finished everything off beautifully.

I stamped Lucy onto white card, die cut her with an oval shape, and coloured the image with alcohol markers. I added a black lacy mat for contrast, then white embossed the sentiment directly onto the patterned paper. I love how the bold chevrons work with the classic character image to create a fun, cheerful card.

Thanks so much for stopping by. I hope you’ll join us at Sweet Stampin’ and share your own striped or chevron-inspired creation!

Waffle Flower Christmas in July at Die Cut Divas

It’s the final day of the Die Cut Divas Christmas in July challenge, and I’m back with a couple of festive cards featuring our wonderful sponsor, Waffle Flower.

For my first card, I used one of my favourite Waffle Flower dies: the Postage Collage Die.

I die cut three of the top “stamp” shapes so they would all be the same size, then used the poinsettia from the Christmas stencil to add colour with Distress Inks.

To create the centre panel, I found a free Christmas sweater pattern image online, printed it out, and trimmed it to fit. Once the panel was ready, I added the three die-cut “stamps” on top. I finished the card with a Scrapbook.com die-cut sentiment, cut from red card that I had spritzed with Sparkle Spray. It came together quickly and has such a fun Christmas feel.

For the second card, I had a little “oops” moment. I originally cut the “stamps” slightly larger than the stencil, which meant they didn’t fit quite as planned — but I decided to make it work.

To give myself more room, I chose a mini slimline card base. I made the base in red, then added a dark green panel embossed with a Cuttlebug folder for texture. After arranging the three die cuts across the card, I finished everything with a Spellbinders foiled sentiment.

I love when a creative mishap turns into another finished card. It’s a good reminder that sometimes the best projects come from simply adjusting the plan and carrying on.

Thanks so much for stopping by today. I hope these cards inspire you to join in with the Die Cut Divas Christmas in July challenge and have some festive fun with your dies, stencils, and favourite holiday supplies.

A Fun 3-2-1 Card Challenge

Over at my local swap group, Carol set us a great challenge: 3-2-1. That meant using three different patterned papers, a two-word sentiment, and one focal image. I had such fun with this one, and it was a lovely way to play with colour, pattern, and a few favourite supplies.

For the three patterned papers, I chose a selection from a Uniti paper pack and cut them into ¾-inch strips. I angled one end of each strip and laid them side by side to create the background. For the two-word sentiment, I used a new Waffle Flower sentiment die, cutting the words from black card and the shadow from vellum. The focal image is a lovely flower from the Altenew Peony Bouquet layering stamp set, inked with Altenew Dried Petals inks.  Finished with some tiny die cut gold hearts. 

Even though I’ve had the Peony Bouquet set for a long time, I still can’t seem to get the layers quite right — but I’m happy with how it turned out, and the flower still looks great. My card made its way slowly to Maxine in the end. NZ Post is very slow these days, but I’m glad it arrived safely.

I'm entering this into Darnell's NBUS challenge as my sentiment was used for the first time on this card. This month's NBUS challenge is a thank you to all the wonderful companies out there that ensure we can make great cards.