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.  

A Crafty Play Date

Yesterday I had the loveliest crafty play date with my talented friend Suna, who drove about 20 minutes to spend the day creating with me. We had around four and a half hours together, complete with homemade soup for lunch and plenty of crafty chatter. Suna spent her time ink blending, assembling Simon Says Stamp roses, and colouring a Gina K image with her Polychromos pencils—something she does beautifully. While she worked on her projects, I managed to make two and a half cards during our time together and finished the last one after she left.

Here’s a look at the three cards I created during our crafty afternoon.

For my first card, I pulled out a tulip die set I bought a while ago and followed the assembly method demonstrated by Christine Stokes on her YouTube channel here. Although the tulips are designed as a single layer, Christine cleverly cuts them twice and trims them to create a dimensional two-layer effect. I ink blended purples for the tulip petals and fresh greens for the stems and leaves, then added texture by spritzing everything with water droplets. To build the background, I die cut a panel using Gina K Master Layouts 2 and added patterned paper cut with the same die for a coordinated grounding layer. I finished it with an Altenew pitcher die cut and embossed from brown textured card and a foiled Spellbinders sentiment from my stash.

My second card was inspired by a video from Natasha Foote, where she used the Altenew Dancing Cosmos stencil on its own. The stencil coordinates with an embossing folder, and I’ve previously used it to colour the embossed design, so I enjoyed trying a different approach this time. After a slightly rocky start, I finally got the stenciling just right, and I was really happy with how it turned out. I trimmed the finished panel with a die, matted it with dark pink cardstock, and then created a decorative frame by fussy cutting the centre from a Kaisercraft scalloped rectangle. The final touch was a stamped and die cut sentiment from the Pinkfresh Studio Artistic Dahlia set.

My third card was inspired by a video from Natalie Bowers, where she used an embossing folder to “stamp” onto cardstock. I inked up the Couture Creations “Jane” embossing folder with Distress Oxide in Picked Raspberry, added touches of Wilted Violet here and there, spritzed it with water, and then pressed it onto cardstock. While the panel was still damp, I sprinkled on tiny bits of gold embossing powder and heat set them for a little extra sparkle. Natalie cut her panel into smaller pieces to make several cards, but I loved my background too much to chop it up, so I kept it whole. I trimmed and matted it with gold cardstock, then added a flower from the older Simon Says Stamp Fresh Daisies die with a vellum layer behind it. The sentiment came from a Spellbinders set that was included with a magazine a few years ago.

It was such a fun and refreshing day of crafting, conversation, and inspiration. With a long weekend here in New Zealand for King Charles’ Birthday, it feels even more special to have four days off work—and I couldn’t think of a better way to start it than with a crafty catch-up and three new cards to show for it.

Crafting with Suna...

 I had a "play date" with my friend Suna on Friday afternoon... I had made a start to my crafting in the morning and then we had a fabulous time crafting and talking.   I got so busy crafting I forgot to take any pics of us playing.  

Earlier in the week, my order from Scrapbook.com had arrived.   Part of it was Pinkfresh Studio - Peony Glow stamp, die and washi tape.   I forgot the matching stencil ( but it is now on it's way!)  The washi is soooo beautiful and there is so much washi on the roll.   I added the washi to white card and vellum and cut them for Suna to take home. 

I made two cards on Friday using the washi on white card. 

This lot of die cut washi isn't even all of one panel!   For this one I made a background using an Altenew Cover Plate - Dotted Sunburst Debossing - for some lovely texture.   I then created the frame using a Gina L Master Layout 18 die.  Then I went to town adding the florals die cuts.   Had fun  putting it together.   Added a sentiment from the matching stamp set and it's shadow die layered 4 times for a really sturdy sentiment.   Finished with rose gold dots.  

My second card - used more of the panel of die cut washi

Again, I used the Altenew Starburst Debossing Cover plate for the background panel.   On top I layered a frame made with 2 of the Hero Arts Infinity Arches Dies.  I had embossed it with a wood grain folder.  I used the same card stock to cut and emboss the Altenew Pitcher Vases folder and die.   Added some brown ink from Altenew over the embossing.  Cut some Scrapbook.com watercolour patterned paper for the inside of frame.   I used a stipe of 3D tape down the middle to give it some dimension and shape.   Added the floral cluster from the first panel of washi die cuts.  Again, used a sentiment from the Pinkfresh Studio stamp set.  Finished with some more of the rose gold dots. 

And one more card I made in the afternoon... this one using a free digital image from Sande Woodson.  It was free on her Facebook page and is blue Christmas images 

I used the Hero Arts Infinity dies again to make a gold frame.  I cut a white panel to fit into the centre of the arch.   I used a Holly 3D embossing folder to add texture.  The sentiment is from Rosies Studio - Hearth and Home stamp set and fitted perfectly in the top corner.  I had printed the sheet of blue Christmas images and used my Scan'N'Cut to cut them out.   I loved this little girl with her book.   Went perfectly with the rest of the card.  Finished with some dots cut from the same gold card. 

Thanks for taking the time to view my cards today.   I had so much fun playing with Suna.  It's great to spend crafting time with a friend.   Just loving have Friday's off now so I can do this sort of thing.  

I actually made a total of 7 cards on the day. So a very successful day.

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!  

Crafting with a friend.

 Hi there.   Today I had a crafty day with my friend, Kim.  Kim lives around an hour south of where my daughter lives in a town called Mandurah.  I caught the train from the nearest station to Emma's and got off at the station 5 mins walk from Kim's house.   Kim and I "meet" each other online and then 7 years ago we meet in real life here in Perth and went to a craft fair together.  Since them we have meet several times here and in Auckland.  Today was the first time I visited her at her home. 

Here we are in Kim's amazing crafty space.   We spend a good part of the day crafting together.   And then had a lovely lunch out at a local pub. 

Kim shared all her goodies with me and I've got a number of stamped and die cut images to take home with me and I had fun trying out her Gina K inks and stamps.   Kim also gifted me a stamp set and an embossing folder and dies.   I got four cards made.  I had taken a John Next Door magazine with free stamps, die and embossing folder with me and made a card with using some Gina K dies.

I used some cheap watercolour pencils I'd picked up to colour the roses and then die cut them.  I used a postage stamp die from Gina K as a mat to my central panel.   I used an embossing folder with Gina K Soft Stone ink for a bit of a background. The sentiment is from the free set- it's an open stamp that I added a fine liner pen to colour.  

Next I did a card using a Pinkfresh Studio stamp, stencil and die set of Kim's.  

I stamped the images - they are all joined together and then I used Gina K inks - must say I really liked how creamy they are! - and then used the matching die, that cuts all the elements out.  I used embossed the background and used an oval from a Gina K Master Layout to add the sentiment and added the elements around the edge.  Such a fun card to make. 

I'll share the other cards in another post.  One is for my NZ swap group - so as I won't get it sent to Jude till after I get back, it will be blogged later in the month.  

I had an awesome time and so much fun.  Kim and I realised we both like the same sort of books, music and TV programs so had lots of chatting as we crafted.