Pink Plaid Birthday

 There's a new challenge at Sweet Stampin' Challenge today - and the challenge is to use Gingham/Plaid. 

I did a couple of cards in different colours.  This first one is the one that will be on the blog today.

The background was stamped with the Catherine Pooler Plaid Background using It’s a Girl ink, with fine black pen details added. A die-cut panel (Gina K Master Layout 2) features a large Elizabeth Craft Designs sentiment, which was  placed ear the top to allow for a small bouquet of Sizzix and Spellbinders flowers with gem centres. The panel was matted in dark pink and mounted on a white card base.

For the second card I used Concord and 9^th Plaid background stamp with Catherine Pooler Fiesta Blue ink and used the stripes stamp in black ink.  Die cut the oval from Gina K Master Layout 1 to highlight the focal floral.  Used the rosebud from Elizabeth Craft Design to cut some Scrapbbok.com watercolour patterned paper.  Happy Birthday sentiment by Memory Box was foiled in black and die cut. Finished with some gold dots.

Do come and join us at Sweet Stampin' Challenge

CMSS - Inspired by Juliana Michaels... not one but three cards!

 Yeap, I loved the presentation by Juliana Michaels and made not one card, but three!   Her technique was using stamping foam and an embossing folder.   This is a favourite technique, but one I don't use all that much.  

As I am doing mostly Christmas Holdiay cards this summit - I chose an Altenew folder.  Classic Pinecones Slim 3D folder.  I heated my foam and pressed it into the folder.   Chose the "sticky up" side (although hard to determine with a 3D folder)  

First card I inked the foam with some Vintage Photo Oxide ink.   I used some 240gms Fabriano Start Mixed Media paper.  It says it is white... but it is really an off white colour.  It's A4 size so my card bases become 4 1/8" x 5 3/8" - just a smidgeon less than a US A2 size card.  

Love the colour I got with the Vintage Photo ink.  I trimmed the stamped panel leaving a tiny white border.  Matted the panel with some brown card - the same colour as my pinecones.   I used an Elizabeth Craft Designs die set - Christmas Accents.  It's an older die set, with two sizes of pinecones and two sizes of the poinsettia flowers and leaves.   I used two tones of brown for the cones, and some red paper.  I made my own green paper by using Distress ink in Pinecone direct to the paper.  A little fellow centre finished my poinsettias.   I made these cards yesterday and fortuitously my order from Krafters Cart arrived - with the Concord & 9th - Big on Christmas stamps and die set.  I stamped the big FA LA LA and used the die to cut it... and added the sub-sentiment directly on the card. 

Card two- I used Weathered Wood Distress Oxide to stamp the foam, trimmed and added to a dark green mat.  

This time I chose an older stamp and die set from Hero Arts- Holly Jolly.  We have been tidying up the storage space under the stairs - where I store some of my stamps... ones I haven't used in forever!  Saw this set and thought it would be perfect against the background.  I used more of my own green paper to stamp on and die cut the holly leave.  Added some Altenew enamel dots for the berries.  The sentiment is from the same stamp set.  

For my third card, I reheated the foam and used the other side of the folder.  Used the Weathered Wood Distress Oxide ink and definitely got a totally different look. 

I trimmed a larger border around the panel and used a Gold Sharpie to add a faux mat.  I stamped another of the stamps from Concord & 9th set - gold embossed directly onto the panel.  Added some die cut stars (from the same die set) with a little gold gem in the centre. 

The stash of Christmas cards is growing quickly with the inspiration from the Card Makers Success Summit.. and I still have nearly 40 more presentations to watch.  

Little Ellie - Die Cut Divas

 Last day of the month and time for our final post with Elizabeth Craft Designs as our sponsor at Die Cut Divas. 

Our theme has been - Use your favourite dies....

Today I am share a cute as little Ellie die from ECD.

I used Gina K Master Layouts to cut my patterned paper and it's matching layer.  And I love my doily dies... this one is from My Favorite Things - Dainty Duo Doilies.  The ECD Elephant die is adorable.  I did have to google the video from ECD to see how to put it together.  In the end it was super easy.    The sentiment is from ECD- Happy Birthday collection.  Stamped in black ink and clear embossed 

Using a big sentiment with Elizabeth Craft Designs.

 It's the last day of the September challenge at Die Cut Divas.   Our lovely sponsor is Elizabeth Crafts Designs

You only have until 9:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time to enter the challenge.

The theme is "Anything Goes"  

The Prize: $25 gift card  
Thank you to Elizabeth Craft Designs for their sponsorship!

I have two cards to share today....

First up is the card I shared on the Die Cut Divas blog 

The background for this one was brayered by Grace last week when she conned Pop that she needed to come home with him after he had been "parent" helper when her class at daycare went to the Transfer centre for a recycling lesson.   I got a text message to say she wanted me to come home so she could craft!  She had fun using some Catherine Pooler inks to brayer and using the "Magic powders" aka Pixie powders and Nuvo powders to make some backgrounds.   I took this orange one and ran it through an embossing folder and added white ink, gold ink and some gelato crayon on top.  I trimmed it down and then added the Elizabeth Craft Designs Happy Birthday die.  I cut it from black and white and layered the two together.

And card two is a bonus one... 

After Grace had done her "Magical powders" panels she decided to use the little guillotine to trim off some of the edges,   I grabbed them and glued them onto a panel of card.   I trimmed it down and layered onto some purple card and added to a dark blue card base.  I had a couple of die cut circles that I decided would work with the background.  I stamped the sentiment and then used the Elizabeth Craft Designs dies to cut the umbrella from a bit of the panel I made.   Added the black gems and some iridescent sequin's from Nuvo to simulate rain drops. 

Do come and join us at Die Cut Divas - you have till 9.00pm Pacific Time to link up your project.  

Snowflake Christmas card

 Hi there,  Time for a share at Die Cut Divas

 This month's theme is "Anything Goes".  

The Prize: $25 gift card  

Thank you to Elizabeth Craft Designs 

for your sponsorship and support.

I was lucky that my team mate Arlene gifted me some ECD dies and one of them was a set of amazing BIG snowflake dies.    I used one of the smaller ones to make this card 

 The snowflake was die cut from Altenew Dazzling Diamond Glitter cardstock and cut in half and but behind the Waffle Flower sentiment cut with a Gina K Master Layouts banner.  The background panel was cut with a square die from the same Master Layouts set and run through my machine with a freebie embossing folder from a few years ago.  Lots of Pinkfresh Metallic pearls were added to give that extra bling.  

Daylight Savings time started yesterday... darker mornings but lovely long evenings.   Spring is throwing us all sorts of weather... Hot and sunny one day, cold and wet the next!  Here's hoping for a better summer than last year.  

Christmas Floral - how to adapt a non Christmas flower

Hi there - it's the last day of the month so it's time to share my card for Die Cut Divas. 

and our theme for the month is Christmas in July.

I don't have many Elizabeth Craft Designs stamps and dies, so came up with the idea of adapting what I had to make a Christmas card.  I have a lovely floral stamp and die set that I've had for a while.  It's called Flower Power (unfortunately now discontinued)  and I adapted it to make it a Christmas Flower. 

 

 I die cut the flower from watercolour paper before stamped it and used Altenew Woodless Watercolor pencils to make the centre portion red and the outer portion green - to look like a Poinsettia.  

I used Gina K master layouts to cut out a dark green panel which I gold embossed with a freebie sentiment.  I also used the dies to put some patterned paper.  I layered the panels and added some dimension by gluing two layers to the flowers and green panel.  A few gold baubles finished the card.  I really am pleased with how it turned out.  

There is still time to join our challenge.  Pop over here to add you Christmas projects.  Don't forget to use your die cut machine to die cut, emboss etc.  

Christmas Reindeer

 Hi there.  It's my day for sharing at Die Cut Divas... our sponsor for July is Elizabeth Crafts Design

Our challenge is "Christmas in July"

For my card today, I have used ECD - Reindeer.  

I die cut out all the pieces and then used Copics to colour it in.   It is an adorable die cut.  There is a wreath with it - but I found it quite difficult to work out what went where so decided not to use it.  I found some lovely gold star paper for the background.  I used a Pretty Pink Posh edge die to cut a snow bank and added it over the PP.  I used Gina K Master Layouts 1 to trim the panel down.  I matted it onto black card.  I stamped a sentiment from a magazine freebie.  I love how the little reindeer turned out.  He is just so cute.

Do come and join us at Die Cut Divas with your Christmas projects.  

WWC 272 Helen's Challenge: Anything Goes with a Masculine Twist.

Hi there - time for another challenge at Watercooler Wednesday Challenge.  Helen is our hostess with an Anything Goes with a Masculine Twist challenge.

I have been struggling to do masculine cards so I went back through my Flickr photosteam to get some ideas.  This technique was one I saw over at Jennifer McGuire's blog in 2015 which she called Faux Textured Metal Paper.  I remember enjoying making the faux metal paper back then and again today.   It's done by using Perfect Pearls over distress inking.  For this one I masked the centre of the white card and then sponged on Fossilized Amber Distress ink and added Bronze Perfect Pearls.    It really gives it a metallic shine which when you emboss it, makes it really pop.  I used a WRMK 3D embossing folder .   I added the big Happy Birthday die from Elizabeth Craft Designs cut from black cards stock.   I added some black pearls to finish.   

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 at 5pm Mountain Standard Time (Tuesday at 12.00 NZ time) to link up your project.

Perfectly CAS - Birthday

Hi I'm back to enter the Perfectly CAS challenge - this time the theme is "Birthday"

This CAS challenge asks you to only use a third or less on your card.   I was lucky enough to be chosen as one of the Top Picks for the first challenge.. so had to join in again.

Once again I chose to do the bottom third of my card for my focal point.  I used a stamp set that was a freebie with a magazine. (note to self:  write the magazine it came from on the back of the stamp set!) I decided to leave it black and white and only add the pop of colour with the bright pink Happy Birthday die from Elizabeth Craft Designs.   Really happy how it turned out.  I added a scored line all around but not other embellishments.

I am also enter this into the Addicted to CAS - code word "Birthday" 

Thanks for stopping by today.  Hope the weekend was fun for you.  I did get a bit of stamping in and on Sunday did a 6 garden, Garden Ramble in Coatesville (about a 25 min drive from our place in the countryside)  It did rain a bit, but we saw some beautiful gardens from a sweet "Bumpkin" garden to "Mincher" a very elegant and large, well know garden.  Had a great time.  And got to see our little princess on the way home.  She was 6 months old yesterday

This is so typically "her" - full of smiles.  The last 6 months have simply flown by.

Summer Birthday card at Die Cut Divas

It's the last day of the month so it's a Thank you to our sponsor over at Die Cut Divas.  Our lovely sponsor was Elizabeth Craft Designs - and the team have been using their products for the month.

I chose to make a "Hot" Summer card using ECD Flower Power stamps and dies

I started by making a background piece using some watercolour paper and some green Zig Marker.  I used lots of water to move around the marker.  Once the panel had dried, I used an Altenew stencil and some Bamboo ink to add a bit of texture.  I added some black watercolour splatters.   For my flowers I used more watercolour paper and stamped the flowers with some soft brown inks.  I used Zig markers and water to colour them in and used the matching dies to cut them out.  I stamped the sentiment from an ECD stamp set - Build you own sentiments #1.  I added the main flower with dimensional tape and the rest I stuck directly to base. 

You still have today to join us.  Our challenge closes at 9.00pm August 31st.

It's Birthday time at Die Cut Divas

Hi all...   June is birthday month here at Die Cut Divas... and June is my birthday month.  My birthday was 14th and it's one of my friend's birthday today (25th) so what better than to share her birthday card here.

Our sponsor this month has a HUGE variety of dies that would be perfect for a birthday card.  I used an Elizabeth Craft Design's large Happy Birthday die that can be purchased from Cheapo Dies

This was such a quick card to make.  I used some marbled Patterned paper and add some glittered contact vinyl to card stock before die cutting the sentiment.  As it is such a big die, it take pride of place on the card.  A few sequins and some layering and it was done.

Do come and join us at Die Cut Divas with your Birthday projects.  Just remember you must use your die cut machine... dies, or embossing.... somewhere on your card.

Thanks for stopping by.

An Elephant for my Grandson.

I was sad to see my daughter, son in law and grandson fly home on Sunday.  I decided to make him a little elephant card to take with him.

I recently got this little Elephant die from Elizabeth Craft Designs.  It's so cute.  I cut the pieces out of white card stock ad used some Weathered Wood distress ink to colour the elephant and some Victorian Velvet distress ink for the ears.  Archie loves elephants and balloons and the colour orange.    I die cut the Balloon from orange card stock.  The die is also an Elizabeth Crafts Design.  I used a sentiment from an ECD stamp set.    The background is some marbled Patterned Paper.  My daughter gave him the card at the airport and he loved it.

I'm sharing this over at Virginia's Show and Share this month.

 

 

thanks for stopping by. 

Anything Goes for August at Die Cut Divas

New challenge time at Die Cut Divas and it's an Anything Goes 

Our sponsor Elizabeth Craft Designs has kindly given the Design Team so stamps and Dies to work with this month.... and I got Flower Power

And here is my card.

I stamped and Copic coloured my flower and then used the die to cut it out.   I used some yellow embroidery floss to add French Knots to the centre and then did some hand stitching around the purple panel. My sentiment is from a Catherine Pooler Designs stamp set.

Be sure to visit Die Cut Divas and join us for Anything Goes August.

On your Bike for summer

There's a new challenge up at Die Cut Divas and it's all about Summer.
Our sponsor is DiesRUs.

 

 They have so many stunning dies from many companies.

For this card I started by making my background.  I used a Hero Arts mask to make my clouds.  I sponged on some green at the bottom and stamped the grass (from a WPlus9 stamp set)  I stamped the sentiment (Hero Arts) and the balloon (Hero Arts)  I die cut the Penny-farthing bike from Memory Box (Memory Box dies are available at DiesRUs).  The frame is a die from Elizabeth Crafts Designs (Thanks Arlene for sending this to me)   My background embossing folder is a new one from We Are Memory Keepers.  Its a 3D one is is stunning.  Particularly on the shimmery grey card stock. 

Thanks for stopping by.