Altenew June Inspiration Challenge - Inspired by Samantha.

 Last week I got an Altenew die set - Petite Mountain Aven.   I had to look up these flowers to see what they looked like.   They are sweet little white flowers with yellow centres.... but for today I was inspired by Samantha Pfrimmer - the guest designer and challenge setter for the June challenge at Altenew and made them little orange flowers.

I was still not well this morning so stayed home and after a bit of a sleep in, I got up and decided to CASE Samantha's card. 

I started by finding some sand cardstock for my background.   I then used some Distress Spritz Fossilised Amber to splatter the background.   Next I die cut the flower 4 times from some off white Fabriano 260gm card and used Altenew's Golden Sunset Crisp Dye inks to add colour to the petals.  I die cut out the centres with some dark cream card and used some darker Orange inks (Warm and Cozy inks) to add some blending.  Added some Gold Glitter pen to the last layer.   Used two different green card - one dark and shimmery and the other an olive green, to cut the leaves. Added a little ink blending on them.   I decided I needed something to "ground" the flowers so used the branch from Altenew's Itty Bitty Flowers die set.  The sentiment is stamped in black and clear embossed - from Classic Greetings and cut with the matching die.  

I'm entering this into The Flower Challenge 103 - Add heat/dry embossing - my sentiment was heat embossed. 

and also Darnell's NBUS - first time using the Altenew Petite Mountain Aven die set

 

Just A Note - Take 2

 It's been a long weekend here in Auckland - celebrating Anniversary Day... and with having Friday off too, it's been a 4 day weekend for me!   It's been all over the show weather wise - rain, wind and this afternoon nice and sunny if a bit breezy.   Over the weekend I've got lots of crafting done... as well as heading out to lunch today - crusin' in the convertible! 

Anyhoo - sharing one card I did over the weekend - came about from sopping up some left over inks and watercolour powders... which was then turned into a focal floral image. 

The pinks for the flower were from Grace's "crafting" on Friday.   I spritzed the left over ink from blending and watercolour powders and sopped them up with some paper.  I then used the Altenew Dahlia April Heather dies to cut one flower for my floral focal point. I curled each of the flowers and the leaves (cut from the dark green paper I used to make my matting layers)  This really gives great dimension to the flower.  I have been watching the Stash Summit and used what I had on hand... a paper pack from Francheville - Red Plums - and a sketch from the Gina K Master Layout 1 packaging.   I cut some white card using the smaller of the larger rectangles and used the reverse side of one of the paper - dark green- to mat with the larger rectangle.  It looked a little plain so ran both layers with the Dotty Circles 3D folder.  Much better!  I used the smaller rectangles to cut some patterned paper from the pack and added the mat layer.   I used the dark green to cut the sentiment from Altenew Scripty Sentiments die and added Spectrum Noir glitter pen.  Used two of the shadow die cut behind it.  Made some little flat sequins by adding packing tape to a scrap of the green and used a hole punch. 

Today we headed out for a spin in the MG - out through some country roads to a little village called Riverhead, where we stopped for lunch.  

Now into the craft room as I still have new stuff to play with... 

Calla Lilies - Day 12 of Altenew 30 Days of Crafting

 Hi there.  I'm making an effort to use up some of my significant pile of backgrounds I've made over the last 6 months.  And for Day 12 of Altenew's June 30 Days of Crafting the theme is "Design a nature-inspired card gave me a great idea.

All the Calla Lily die cuts came from one piece of watercolour card that looks like it's been spritzed or smooshed.  Not sure which but it was really shimmer with some pink and green bits here and there.   I selectively die cut pieces from the panel and then added some ink blending to some of the die cut bits to change the colours.  For my background I used Altenew Feathered leaves.  My blending brush had some green-y colour on it and I also used some Permanent Mist Gray ink with it to add a little subtle texture.  Layered up the flowers and leaves and added a small sentiment - white embossed on black card.  The sentiment is from Altenew Sentiment Strips and cut with the Featured Sentiment die. A few green enamel dots finished the card.  

New dies in the house

 Hi there!  Can you believe it's the last day of January!   So that's time for me to share my card at Die Cut Divas for the last day of January.

We do not have a sponsor this month, but wonderful Whimsy Stamps has donated a $15 gift voucher and we want you to enjoy using it.

Our challenge this month is to use "NEW" or NBUS (Never before used stuff) - a new parcel arrived just yesterday from Scrapbook.com and one of my items was Altenew's Craft-a-flower Calla Lily layering die and some Hero Arts Antique Ivory card stock.  So was up late last night making my card for today and then this afternoon I took the photo.   It's a stinking hot day and a tad warm in my craft room!

Isn't this just a gorgeous layering die.  And quite easy to put together using Altenew's keyhole system.   I cut all the flower parts from the Ivory card and then used Altenew Pocketful of Sunshine mini set of inks to add colour.  The leaves and stems were cut from paint chips.  I decided on a mini slimline card so used Pinkfresh Studio Essential mini slimline dies to cut my panel.  Add a touch of the yellow ink around the edge.  And part of a sentiment from Altenew's Sentiment Strip 3 white embossed on black card and cut with Altenew Featured sentiment dies.  Love the rounded corners.  

So a big thanks to Whimsy for donating a prize for us this month.  You have till 9.00pm Pacific time to join us  Here

And as this is the first time using the die set, I'm entering Darnell's

thanks for stopping by today 

Floral Swag with Die Cuts

 This week I got my order from Krafters Cart... a  local online store run by the amazing Meetu.  She stocks a lot of Altenew goodies - a company I just adore.  In my order this time... I ordered a die set  called Charming Foliage - it's a layering die set with three roses, two leaves and a couple of branches.  

For my first go, I used the colours in the inspiration inner... but as I don't have the coloured cardstock, I die cut all the pieces in white card and used the Altenew inks sets - Cherry Blossom, Shades of Purple, Green Meadows and Sea Shore - to colour. 

For my background I die cut the white panel from Mix and Match Frames - the second die -  I added a simple gingham stenciling using Altenew Classic Stripes and some Limestone ink- just a subtle amount.  This panel was added to a black die cut panel - the larger one in the Mix and Match Frames.  I worked out where I wanted my flowers - inspired by the cover  of the die set, stamped the sentiment from Sentiment Strips 3.  I then layered the flowers and leaves - some straight onto the panel and some on dimensional tape. 

I'm entering this into the Just Add Ink #617 - Choose Two (Gingham, Dots & Die Cuts) challenge.     I think my stenciling works as the Gingham element and the flowers, certainly are die cuts! 

and also for Darnell's NBUS Challenge #41 as this is the first outing for the Classic Foliage Dies

Thanks for stopping by today... It's been a good day - the sun was shining (mostly) got to 20C - hubby got the main deck finished with the help of our friend Michael.   Just the capping on the seat round the edge to do.  And I got the grocery shopping done, washing, baking Weetbix slice, had a visit from Grace and her Mummy & Daddy and got two cards made!  A successful day.  

Pastel Flowers

 Today I have another water coloured paper that has been die cut to make a flower.   Last Tuesday (my birthday) Grace and her Dad popped in to say Happy Birthday.  Of course, Miss Grace decided she need to do some ink blending..  she chose some Distress inks and added them to some mixed media paper.   When she left, I spritzed the paper to mix the colours... they turned out so pretty - all pastel colours. 

I took an Altenew 3D flower die - Fantasy Floral die and cut two flowers.   Love the combination of the colours.  I added some white paint splatters and some fine black splatters.  I used Altenew Mixed Frames to cut the panel and added a Happy Birthday sentiment from Altenew Sentiment stripes 3 set.  This card is for a friend who's birthday was on Friday.  She lives in Australia but arrived today for a two week holiday here in NZ to catch up with her whanau (Family).  We are heading into the city very soon to meet up with her for dinner.   I haven't seen her for 5 years - when I last visited the Gold Coast just before my Mum passed.   Will be great to catch up with her and her two daughters.

I'm entering this into this month's Inspiration Challenge at Altenew

Thanks for stopping by.   

Watercoloured Dies.

 Recently I watched a Gina K Facebook Live (here) where Gina made watercolour backgrounds with her Zig Markers and then die cut them to use on cards.   Over the weekend, I tried it out.  My Zigs are getting a bit dry so didn't get the same bright colour ways.   I still managed to get some fun backgrounds that I used for a couple of cards.  I recently bought some Mixed Media paper - and it's perfect for watercolouring on.  

First up - using some of the pink and orange watercolour papers.    I was inspired by the cards Gina made but using Altenew Itty Bitty Branches die cuts.  

I used Gina K Master Layouts #2 to cut my centre panel.  I cut a circle die and stamped my sentiment and then added the die cuts.   I had an issue with my glue going everywhere.  I still like how it turned out - not as noticeable in real life.  

My next card I die cut some more of the pinky watercolour and some of the green one I did,

 For this card I cut the layers of the Wild Rose 3D die  and added extra ink blending over the other layers.  I made my background panel with some Marble patterned paper.  The sentiment is from a Pinkfresh studios hotfoil and die set.   You get a lot of sentiments at once... 

I'm going to make a few more backgrounds to have on hand.  

Tomorrow is my birthday - officially an Old Aged Pensioner.... 65 years old.  NZ'ers get the pension at 65 so my holiday fund will get an extra boost every two weeks!   

Red Florals for Christmas and a Birthday

 I saw the December challenge the Flower Challenge and knew what I wanted to do...

 

I have a few Christmas digital images from Gracielle Design and one is a hanging Poinsettia. A Christmas Hello set...

I printed the flower and the sentiment from the same set onto white card.  I used two of the dies from Pink Fresh Studio's essentials mini slimline card.  I used Copics to colour up the flower and and then added it to the red die cut frame and then onto the white mini slimline base.  I added some white pearls to the background florals.  A very CAS card for Christmas.  

This morning we had to pop into our Local Mitre 10 (hardware store) to get some hooks and screws to repair my wardrobe that collapsed yesterday... and while I was there I picked up some Valspar paint chips and chose reds and greens so I could do a red flower. 

I used Altenew Fantasy Floral 3D die to layer up the three colours of the paint chips.  The leaves are only one layer.  I used a Gina K Designs sentiment which was white embossed.  I added some white pearls to finish.  I used Gina K Master Layouts 2 to cut the black and white layers.  I added to a red top fold US A2 card base. 

Just one more week at work before I take my Christmas break.  I had planned to have been in Perth Australia this Christmas and took 4 weeks leave, but COVID put paid to that plan.  But I decided to still take the 4 weeks off and just relax.  We might go North for awhile to visit our friends.  The hard border around Auckland is being lifted on Wednesday night, and as we are both double vaxxed we can travel..  

Take care everyone.