Floating by to say..... at Die Cut Divas

 I'm here to share my card for the last day at Die Cut Divas for our March Challenge - Critters.

I only have the one Sunny Studio critter stamp so it got used again .... together with another little Sunny Studio stamp set called Floating By.

I decided to combine my two stamp sets onto a Mini Slimline card.  I used a couple of dies from a Pink Fresh Studio Essential Slimline dies to cut my panel and matting layer.  I lightly ink blended the panel with some blue ink and a home made cloud stencil.   I stamped the balloons directly to the panel, and then stamped them and the little cow onto some white card and coloured with some metallic watercolour pens before die cutting them.  I added the sentiment - one from the Floating By set and one from the Miss Moo set.  I added the balloons directly over the stamping and added some 3D tape to the cow.  

You still have till 9.00pm US Pacific time to join us with your critter projects.

Weekend playing with my Gel plate

 It was King's Birthday Weekend over this past weekend.  We got a public holiday on Monday.   We made the most of three days off by heading to our friends in Mangawhai.  We haven't been for quite a while so was lovely to spend time with them and their family (our pseudo family!!!)  

I took my gel plate, some Oxide inks and watercolour powders and had a bit of a play.   I used some nasturtium leaves and some large bubble wrap.   

 these are just a few of my backgrounds.  

I also watched the videos from Justine Hovey's Fearless Cardmaking in Minutes Challenge.  It's all about using your stash without thinking too much about things.  Take a theme, a focus, a technique and just go for it! 

So this evening, I took a background I had made using the ink on the bubble wrap as stamp.   I trimmed a panel of the big bubbles done in pink. 

I took a fine liner pen and doodled/scribbled roses.   Day one of the challenge was to take a theme (birthday) and a large die for your focus... so this was my day one homework.  The die cut sentiment is a new one from Pinkfresh Studio (having it's first outing)  Simple but every effective and less than 15 minutes to make.  

I'm entering this into the NBUS challenge (June) - 

Quick Card and a Mixed Media Card...

 Hi.  Two cards to share from the last few days.   I've been busy crafting after work and over the weekend. 

Quick card....

This one came about when I was supposed to be tidying up!  Came across my Pink Fresh Studio Washi (Artistic Dahlia) and of course, I just had to make a card. 

I just love this washi - stuck it to some white card stock and then using the matching dies, cut out all the pieces - still even more pieces for future use.  I found the purple panel which I think might be watercolour powders as it's very shimmery.  I used a Gina K Master Layouts die to cut it.  The sentiment is from the Artistic Dahila stamp set.  Added the floral image and added a few pearls.  

My second card is a bit of mixed media.  

I started with some white card and brayered on some silver acrylic paint down one side, added a few different 49th & Market rub-ons and some metallic inks around the edges and around some of the images. Used the best tool ever - my finger!!!   Messed up the rub-on sentiment - but it's handmade!

I also made two more cards today (Sunday) but ran out of time to take photos.  

Flowers and Heart

 The Flower Challenge has restarted for the New Year and being February (the month of Love) the challenge is "Add a Heart" 

I still trying to use patterned paper so I pull out some for my background. 

The paper is from a Uniti pack called Sunshine Floral.   Love the soft look of this paper.   The rest of my card is made up by bits from my "to use" pile.   The heart (a Spellbinder's die) and the floral bouquet (Pink Fresh Studio - Artistic Dahlia stamped, stenciled and die cut) have been sitting in the pile for some time.  I took Prisma's pencils to add some extra shading to the bouquet and to add around the heart.  The sentiment is from a very old Hero Arts set called Yes.   I used some Memento Gray Flannel ink.  Three little pink gems finished the card perfectly.   

I had a great weekend creating.  Yesterday I finally got around to creating the pages for the two new grandchildren to put into frames and made my design card for the 28th of the month.   Today I did a card for the Craft Roulette that I will share tomorrow and this one.  

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

Christmas wreath - using non-Christmas stamps

 Hi there.   I'm sharing a card I made using a Pinkfresh hot foil plate and stencil, that I made into a Christmas card by using red inks.   And of course, a Spellbinders hot foiled sentiment.  

I used Altenew inks to add the rich red colours and lovely green leaves.  And the hot foiled sentiment was the reverse foiling from some red on white foiling.   A few bronze Nuvo drops finished the card.  

I can't believe it's the last day of November.   Only 23 days till our NZ family head over to Perth to spend time with our Aussie family!   Some very excited people on both sides of the Ditch who can't wait.  

April Card Chain Challenge Reveal.

 It's time to reveal the card I sent to Elle in Illinois USA as part of the CCC for April.   You can see all the cards HERE 

I chose to use Spring for my theme - with this Spring Wreath.  I used the stencils from Pinkfresh Daisy Fresh Hot Foil set and die cut it out.  Coloured with Altenew inks.  I used a foiled sentiment from Pinkfresh Perfect sentiments hotfoil.  Love this one as it makes a variety of sentiments all at once. 

You can still sign up for May's CCC on the blog here  -it's such fun to make and get a card as well.  

Die Cut Divas - Slimline Paper Piecing

  Hi there.   Over at  Die Cut Divas this month our sponsor is Rachel Vass Designs and our theme is Flowers.   

I tried something a little different with my Rachel Vass florals by paper piecing the florals.

I printed the image -Floral Border Slimline - three times... once on white card stock, one on cream colour paper and once on purple paper.   I cut the white panel with Pink Fresh Studios Essential Mini Slimline dies.  The purple layer was cut with another of the dies from that set.  I used some pencils to add some colour to coloured flowers.  I then fussy cut them and added to the base.   Just prior to Christmas I purchased a Go Press and Foil machine and ordered some Spellbinders foil dies.  This one I foiled with silver foil.  Using this machine is just another way to use your die cut machine... I use a Cuttlebug and the foiling machine goes through perfectly.  

Do come and join us with your Flowers this month. 

World Cardmaking Day - October 2nd

 Hi there... Saturday 2nd October is World Cardmaking Day....As we here in NZ get to play a bit earlier than the other half of the world... I did get some time to play today (and am planning to play tomorrow with some of the wonderful challenges coming up)

I made three cards today.... one A2 sized, one tiny note card and one mini slimline.  

My first card is made for a new to me challenge.  One of my design teamies (Tristan) is now desiging for Just Add Ink  Their latest challenge is Choose Two

I chose Sunshine and Silhouette.

I cut my panel with Gina K Master Layouts 2 and used some washi to mask a frame aound it.  I used a Tim Holtz stencil to add my sunshine using inks from Altenew.  Once I finsihed I took three sides of the washi off, leaving the bottom piece.  I took some stamps from Catherine Pooler's Wild Garden stamp set for my my silhouette stamping.  The sentiment is from an Altenew stamp set.  

Next up is a mini note card.  The base came about when I cut down a pre folded base to a mini slimline size.  This one is 2.25" X 3" size. (although it looks bigger in my photo)

I used a little die rectangle from one of Gina K's Master Layouts.  I had some ink of my blending tool from my first card so I used a Hero Arts stencil (Crossing Waves) that Karren send me.  The leaf is from an Altenew mini stamp set called Bitty Botanicals and the Thank You from the mini set called Best Sentiments.   I'm giving this note card to a friend who ordered two masks from me.  I had the fabric cut out, so earlier today I sewed them.  Plus another one for both hubby and myself.  

And my third card for the day - using new dies that arrived yesterday.   I am loving the 3.25" x 6.25" mini slimline size and had ordered the Pink Fresh Studio Mini Slimline Essential Bundle.  Plus I got Altenew Itty Bitty Flowers die set.  

I cut a white frame using one of the Pink Fresh Studio dies. For my flowers I took a scrap of white card and used my blending tool and Altenew's Wisteria, Hydrangea and Ultramarine inks to make my own coloured card.  I cut the layers and glue them.  Used some dark brown card to cut the branch.  Added the flowers and then added a little gold gem in the centre of some of the flowers.  The sentiment is from Altenew Engraved Flowers set.  I just couldn't get a good photo.  Even struggled to edit it.  

Enjoy spending some time crafting over the weekend and Happy World Cardmaking Day