Farewell to Southern Girls Challenge

It's a sad day - after nearly 10 years the creators of Southern Girls Challenge, Lou and Tracy, have decided it's time to say goodbye.... today is the final post for the challenge.  Some of the past and present designers are sharing projects.  I have done two stints with the group... the last one for the past year or so.

Today I am sharing a little gift box I made.  I follow a UK Stampin' Up demonstrator called Sam (Pottles.co.uk)  She makes lots of different boxes.  This one uses an 8"x 8" piece of card for the base and a 6" x 6" piece for the top.  I used kraft for the base and some PP for the top.

I recently got Heartfelt Creations Wild Rose small stamp, die and mold set plus the Classic Rose stamp and dies.   I stamped, die cut, inked and shaped the individual flowers before putting them together.

So it's Adieu from Southern Girls. Come and check out the wonder projects from past and present DT members HERE

Anything but Square at Sweet Stampin' Challenge

It's time for another challenge at Sweet Stampin' Challenge.  Our theme this week is "Anything but Square"

So my card today is a big 5"x 7" rectangle card. 

I made a 5"x 7" card base from two pieces of card.  I used Spellbinders 5x7 Elegant Labels 4 to cut out the two layers of the frames.  On the smaller label I used a Kaisercraft sentiment.  My flowers are home made - using Heartfelt Creations Wild Rose Small stamps and die plus the matching flower mold.  I had stamped the flowers onto cream card stock with some Altenew pale brown ink.  I added some red in the centre and after they were molded, I used some stamens and glued them together.  The leaves are a Couture Creations die.

Do come and join us at Sweet Stampin' Challenge blog and check out the rest of the design team.

Inspired by Virginia...

My crafty bloggy friend, Virginia, was up on the Altenew website yesterday with a great idea for using nesting dies to create a frame.  Of course, she used an Altenew die to make her frames, but as I don't have any, but have a LOT of Spellbinders nesting dies, I was inspired to make a frame.   I wanted to try some challenging colours for me as well.... Green and orange!

 I found a Heartfelt Creations Classic Rose stamp set that I hadn't opened.... I've had it for a year or more, but it was tucked away with some other stamping stuff and hadn't seen the light of day!  For some reason, orange roses came to mind... so I stamped the flower ad leaf layers with some Catherine Pooler Orange Twist ink and Eucalyptus ink.   I used my Scan'n'Cut to cut out the flowers and the leaves.  (since ordered the matching die as I'm sure it will be easier to use). I used a dauber to colour them all in in the same inks. I have the Heartfelt Creations basic 3D shaping mold so used that to add the texture to the petals.  I used the smaller dies to make my rose.

You can see the dimension of the rose in this picture.

Once the rose had dried I rubbed on soem Opal Dust (gel glitter).  I cut my frame from Spellbinders Labels Four nestibilities from some green watercoloured looking patterned paper and then used the Eucalyptus ink to sponge around the edges to give it some dimension.  I did the same with the panel it was mounted on.  I also used the same ink to add some interest in the centre of the card using a TCW stencil called Mini Beaded Curtain.  I added a sentiment from Altenew's Sincere Sentiments set and finished with some flat gold sequins topped with a dot of Ivory Seashell Nuvo drops.

Big thanks to Virginia for reminding me about making frames with nesting dies.  And because Virginia inspired me I'm adding this to her Show and Share for April.

Wishing you all a very Happy Easter Sunday

Pop it Up!

OMG - I almost forgot that I had a Design Team card due this morning!  So a very quick trip to the craft room and a card made it up on to the Southern Girls Challenge in time. Our theme is Pop it Up.....

The sponsors this time around are

and 

I used a cute image from Lacy Sunshine called Emily - Snow Princess.

I used a MFT oval die cut from sparkle foam and used some 3M mounting tape to add it to the card.  I added the tape to the main image as well.  I added some flowers I made with a Heartfelt Creations stamp and cut out with my Scan'N'Cut, then molded using the Heartfelt Creations Basic Flower Mold (available from Artfull Crafts) 

I'm looking forward to the weekend, as my Dad is arriving to stay with us for the next two months.... it will be great to have him here.  Maybe I'll be able to persuade him to come and live here... who knows!

Thanks for stopping by.  Hope you are getting your craft on this week.

Hand made flowers

I recently purchased the Heartfelt Creations 3D basic flower mold...

I don't have any Heartfelt Creations flower dies, but do have some Spellbinders dies and Tim Holtz Tattered Poinsettia die.  The poinsettia die was the one I did my first try with

They are soooo easy to get the dimension without any effort.  Cut the dies out, lay them into one half of the mold, spritz with water, and then add the top of the mold and run it through your die cutting machine... I have a Cuttlebug and it worked perfectly.  As the pieces dry they go really firm and are great to layer.   

Here is the tag I made with this flower

And here are a couple of flowers I made using the Spellbinder's Rose die

I still need to make a couple of smaller ones and then make them into a card. 

And I got a great early Christmas present.... from my very good friend Suna.... she was lucky to be the big winner in a Spotlight competition and won 2 Brother Scan n Cut machines and 2 Brother Sewing Machines.  And I was extra lucky that she gave me one of the Scan n Cuts - yes gave it to ME!

Here is Suna when she brought it to work today for me

I've got to make some space in my room for this.... so until I can organise things, it will have to stay in the box... but I've been looking at videos and sussing it out.  Thank you so much for your generosity Suna.