Sunday Crafting: Briar Blossoms and a Festive Poinsettia Tag

I enjoyed a little crafting on Sunday as the World Cardmaking Day celebrations stretched over the weekend for me.

When I stamped the One Go – Briar Blossom the other day, I did two panels, so I had another set ready for a new card. Before choosing my colours, I searched for photos of briar roses and found several in pink and yellow. That became the colour scheme for this design. I also stamped and embossed another panel so I could add a few extra leaves.

For the flowers, I used Altenew Rose Quartz and Maple Yellow, pairing them with Shadow Creek and Mountain Pine for the leaves. I created the background by embossing a panel with the Altenew Organic Linen 3D folder, then used the stamp packaging as inspiration for the floral arrangement. A small sentiment from Altenew Sentiment Strips 3 completed the card.

While tidying up, I found the narrow offcut left over from the square card I made last week. It was just the right size to turn into a tag card. I created a smaller version of my white poinsettia card, this time cutting the poinsettia from homemade red glitter card. I chose a different sentiment from the Rosies Studio Heath & Home stamp set and added a few tiny gold glitter dots as the finishing touch.

I really love making Christmas cards, and my festive stash is growing quickly!

Hope you all got some time to craft over the weekend. 

A Festive Poinsettia Card Inspired by Crafting with Donna

I recently discovered the lovely Craft with Donna channel on YouTube, and one of Donna’s beautiful cards immediately caught my eye. Inspired by her design, I decided to create my own version—and I’m delighted with how it came together.

 

I started with a lovely poinsettia die set that includes extra branches and berries. To give the flower a fuller look, I die-cut the poinsettia several times from white card, layered the pieces, and added a gold glitter centre. I cut the branches and berries from green and gold card, then cut additional berries from red card. After a little fussy cutting, I layered the red berries over the green ones for a festive pop of colour.

I loved the square format Donna used, so I made a 5¼-inch card base—slightly smaller than hers—with a 5-inch panel. I stamped a fine-line sentiment from the Rosie’s Studio Hearth + Home stamp set, then arranged the poinsettia, branches, and berries around it. A scattering of gold glitter dots added the perfect finishing touch.

I love how this card turned out, and I’m already planning to make a few more using poinsettias in different colours. It’s a simple way to give the same design a fresh new look each time.

Recycle, Re-use, Re-purpose at Die Cut Divas

Today I’m sharing a fun card I made for this month’s challenge at Die Cut Divas. Our sponsor is Art Impressions, and the theme is a fantastic one: Recycle, Re-use, Re-purpose.

For my recycled element, I used part of a tissue box for the background. The design was too pretty to throw away, so I die cut it with a Pinkfresh Studio Essential Mini Slimline die to make the most of the pattern. For the focal point, I used the Laughing Girlfriends stamp set from Art Impressions. I stamped the image, coloured it with alcohol markers, and fussy cut it before adding it to the card.

The sentiment is from another Art Impressions set, Loungers, and it paired perfectly with the image. I did a little die surgery so the die cut would fit neatly around the sentiment, and I’m so pleased with how it all came together. It turned out just as I had imagined!

 

The sentiment is from another Art Impressions set, Loungers, and it paired perfectly with the image. I did a little die surgery so the die cut would fit neatly around the sentiment, and I’m so pleased with how it all came together. It turned out just as I had imagined!

 

Craft Roulette #337 - Penguin inspired card,

This week’s card was inspired by my friend Linda W, whose adorable penguin card for Craft Roulette #337 immediately sparked an idea. She used penguins with a blue gingham-style background, and as soon as I saw it, I knew I had the perfect die set waiting in my stash.

Even better, the die set was getting its very first outing, which made this project feel extra fun. I love when a challenge gives me the perfect excuse to use something new.

I started by searching through my paper stash for the right blue check pattern, but nothing quite matched what I had in mind. After a quick search on PNGWING, I found a lovely blue tartan checked image, resized it, and printed it as an A2 panel. I then die cut the panel with Gina K Designs Master Layouts #2.

The print was a little brighter and whiter than I wanted, so I softened it with a quick blend of Altenew Eastern Skies ink. Once the colour felt right, I matted the panel with some paler blue patterned paper to tie everything together.

For the die-cut sentiment, I used soft blue glitter cardstock from Crafters Choice for the top layer, then added a slightly offset black layer behind it for extra definition and dimension. The penguins came together from scraps of coloured paper and black cardstock, which made them a great way to use up little leftovers from my stash.

To finish them off, I added Clear Glossy ink to the white parts of the hats for a little shine.

Since the die set was making its debut, I’m also entering this card in Darnell’s NBUS challenge.   It always feels good to give something new a proper first outing!

 

I'm also entering the Merry Little Christmas Challenge - #70

Christmas Cardmaking with Poinsettia Sticker Tape

 A quick creative update from me today: over the past couple of weeks, I’ve been working on a festive set of Christmas cards using some Poinsettia Sticker Tape I recently purchased.

I made four cards in this set, combining the poinsettia tape with die cuts and a little stamping to add extra detail and dimension. The tape gave each card an easy festive starting point, while the die-cut pieces helped to create a more finished handmade look.

It was a lovely way to play with a new product and put together a coordinated mini collection of Christmas cards. I always enjoy projects where a few simple supplies can be mixed and matched to create variations that still feel like they belong together.

I’ll share the finished cards here, along with a few notes on how I used the tape, die cuts, and stamping. 

First up - Peace

Using Hero Arts Peace die and stamp set.  

Next-

This one used a large Joy die - the "O" made with the sticker tape.   Added a little stamped sentiment die cut and ink blended. 

Next -

Used an oval die from Gina K Master Layout with the scalloped backing layer in dark green and a gold die cut sentiment and finished with three little gold dots. 

And finally -

For this one I used a large die cut sentiment and some stitched rectangles from a Gina K Master Layout die. 

Have you started your Christmas cardmaking yet?

 

White on White with One Colour: Heartfelt Wishes.

It’s the last day of August, which means it’s time to share my card for the Die Cut Divas August Challenge. This month’s theme is White on White with One Colour, and our wonderful sponsor is Birch Press Design. If you enjoy intricate and elegant die cuts, their website is full of beautiful inspiration.

For my card, I reached for a lovely Birch Press flower set called Star Flowers Contour Layering Die.

It was the perfect starting point for this challenge, giving me a delicate focal image while still leaving plenty of room for that soft white-on-white background.

I began by die cutting the flower die twice from white card. Using a selection of pinky-red Altenew inks, I blended colour onto the flower pieces and layered them together to create two large flowers and two small flowers. For the white-on-white background, I embossed a panel of white card with the Craft Concept Leavy Flourish embossing folder, which added just the right amount of texture and interest. I then created a die-cut frame using two dies from the Hero Arts Infinity Arches set and adhered it to the embossed panel. The flowers were arranged with three in the bottom left-hand corner and one in the top right-hand corner, giving the card a balanced yet graceful look. To finish, I stamped the sentiment in the same pinky-red colour using a Hero Arts stamp from the  All Occasions (retired) set, then die cut it and added a few white pearls for an elegant final touch. All in all, I’m really pleased with how this card came together—it feels soft, pretty, and fitted the challenge theme perfectly.

I hope you’ll join us at Die Cut Divas this month and share your own White on White with One Colour creation. We can’t wait to see how everyone interprets this elegant theme!  Just remember to use your die cut machine to cut or emboss. 

Two cards, two inspirations...

I have two cards to share today: one I made on Friday for a retirement party we attended, and another I created on Saturday for Amy’s Woodblock Wednesday Challenge.

First up is the retirement card. It was made for a woman who had worked with my husband for nearly 30 years. She is heading to Vietnam for a holiday, with a friend,  in a few weeks, so that became the inspiration for the design.

I used Pingwing to find a beach scene, printed it onto an A2 card, and then trimmed it down with a Gina K Master Layout die. I had recently purchased a jandals die, which was perfect for the theme, so I cut the jandals from gold glitter card from Altenew and some black card. To finish, I created the sentiment on my laptop using Word.

My next card came about on Saturday while I was doing a bit of tidying up. As I sorted through some of my woodblock stamps, I realised I was still in time to join Amy’s Woodblock Wednesday Challenge.

For this card, I used a Penny Black stamp called Gossamer. It is such a pretty image, and I came up with the idea to ink blend around the flower, then paint the flower in a lighter tone of the same colour.

I stamped the image and die cut it with a Pinkfresh Studio Folk Edge die. After masking the flower, I added Distress Ink in Tumbled Glass and Broken China, blending the colour all around the image. I then used a light wash of Tumbled Glass as paint, with a little Mowed Lawn for the leaves and flower centres.

The sentiment is from a Penny Black photopolymer set, Je T’aime Paris, and I finished the card with a little die cut butterfly from Monte’s Craft Supplies Layered Butterflies die. 

I'm entering this into the Penny Black Saturday Challenge - Anything Goes - optional Things with Wings. 

I was really pleased with how this one came together — it turned out just as I had imagined. Thanks so much for stopping by to see today’s cards.

A Pair of Mixed Media Cards for Dad

Yesterday I spent some time making cards for my dad, with two special dates coming up very close together. Father’s Day is on 6 September, and his birthday follows just a few days later on 10 September. Because I need to post both cards—and NZ Post can be a little slow these days—I’m trying to be organised and get them sent early.

I decided to go with a mixed media theme for both cards, beginning with the Father’s Day design. 

I started with a piece of ombré patterned paper from Uniti in shades of blue and purple, then cut it using Gina K Master Layout 1.

To build up the background, I used the Circle Disruption stencil from AALL & Create and added areas of blue and purple ink with my blending brushes. I also brought in Memento Toffee Crunch, along with Altenew Cloudy Night and Cloudy White inks, to add extra depth and contrast.

For the embellishments, I die-cut several black cogs using Paper Rose Studio cog dies. I randomly dabbed them with embossing ink, then heat embossed them with WOW Metallic Copper Sparkle powder for a worn, metallic effect. A few dots from a gold Posca pen added the final touches of shine.

I finished the card with a pre-printed sentiment from a Uniquely Creative digital kit, then matted the panel onto black card before attaching it to a white card base.

I carried the mixed media look through to Dad’s birthday card as well, this time creating a bold blue-and-gold panel. I ink-smooshed the background using Catherine Pooler Juniper Mist and Distress Oxide Chipped Sapphire, which gave the piece a rich, layered feel.

Next, I used a Craft Giraffe splatter stencil with Versamark ink, then added Ranger Gold embossing powder for texture and shimmer. Once the panel was ready, I punched out a pile of 1-inch squares and arranged them diagonally across a die-cut panel.

To complete the card, I backed the panel with dark blue card, attached it to a white base, and added a sentiment cut from gold mirror card. 

Both cards have the same mixed media feel, but each one has its own personality. Now I just need to get them safely into the post and hope they arrive in plenty of time!

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.  

Waffle Flower Christmas in July at Die Cut Divas

It’s the final day of the Die Cut Divas Christmas in July challenge, and I’m back with a couple of festive cards featuring our wonderful sponsor, Waffle Flower.

For my first card, I used one of my favourite Waffle Flower dies: the Postage Collage Die.

I die cut three of the top “stamp” shapes so they would all be the same size, then used the poinsettia from the Christmas stencil to add colour with Distress Inks.

To create the centre panel, I found a free Christmas sweater pattern image online, printed it out, and trimmed it to fit. Once the panel was ready, I added the three die-cut “stamps” on top. I finished the card with a Scrapbook.com die-cut sentiment, cut from red card that I had spritzed with Sparkle Spray. It came together quickly and has such a fun Christmas feel.

For the second card, I had a little “oops” moment. I originally cut the “stamps” slightly larger than the stencil, which meant they didn’t fit quite as planned — but I decided to make it work.

To give myself more room, I chose a mini slimline card base. I made the base in red, then added a dark green panel embossed with a Cuttlebug folder for texture. After arranging the three die cuts across the card, I finished everything with a Spellbinders foiled sentiment.

I love when a creative mishap turns into another finished card. It’s a good reminder that sometimes the best projects come from simply adjusting the plan and carrying on.

Thanks so much for stopping by today. I hope these cards inspire you to join in with the Die Cut Divas Christmas in July challenge and have some festive fun with your dies, stencils, and favourite holiday supplies.

Christmas in July with Waffle Flower Cardinals

 It’s time for Christmas in July at Die Cut Divas, and I’m excited to share a festive card project featuring our fabulous sponsor this month, Waffle Flower.

When I was down at the Tauranga Create and Craft event, I picked up the Waffle Flower Cardinal Duo Christmas die. A card I spotted on the Waffle Flower website sparked the idea for today’s project, and I decided to pair the cardinal with the Waffle Flower Poinsettia Frame die that was already in my stash.

I started with a dark green top-folding card base, then cut the Poinsettia Frame die twice from light green card. Because I only wanted to use the corner sections of the frame, I did a little die-cut surgery and trimmed each one into two parts.

For the details, I cut the separate poinsettias from white card, the berries from red card, and the flower centres from yellow card. I also created a white frame using two dies from the Simon Says Stamp A2 Nesting Stitched Rectangles set.

Before assembling everything, I stamped a sentiment from the Waffle Flower Star Snowflake Sentiment set and heat embossed it in white. Once the frame was in place, I added the poinsettia frame corners, then layered on the white flowers, berries, and centres to build up the festive arrangement.

Next, I die cut the cardinal and used the matching stencils to colour it with Altenew inks. I was just about ready to attach it when I realised I had cut the bird facing the wrong direction! So, back to the die-cutting machine I went. I cut the other cardinal, coloured it up, and this time he was facing exactly the way I wanted.

Of course, that first cardinal wasn’t going to waste, so it led me to create a bonus card.

For this one, I used the other sections of the Poinsettia Frame die that I had cut away for the first card. I die cut the flowers again and added a subtle touch of Pink Crystal ink, then cut the berries from red card and added a few extra green leaves.

I gave the pieces a generous spritz of shimmer spray for a bit of sparkle, then cut a smaller white frame and added another sentiment from the Star Snowflake Sentiment set. A few white acrylic paint splatters finished the background before I added the cardinal. This one was coloured in slightly lighter shades than the cardinal on the first card, giving the bonus card its own softer look.

I love when a little crafting mishap turns into a second project. The Waffle Flower cardinal and poinsettia dies work beautifully together, and both cards have such a cheerful Christmas-in-July feel. Thanks so much for stopping by, and I hope this inspires you to join in the festive fun at Die Cut Divas.

As my Cardinals had there first outing today, I'm entering into Darnell's NBUS challenge.  This month is all about appreciating the companies that help us make our cards. 

The joy of interference ink and irresistible rub-ons.

 After a busy four-day work week, finding time to get creative felt like a real treat. Several new crafting supplies had been sitting patiently, waiting for their turn on the desk, and yesterday,  with some help with the housework from hubby, I finally had the chance to spend the afternoon crafting.

I managed to complete three cards during my crafting session, although only one can be shared at the moment. One card is part of a swap and must remain under wraps until it reaches its recipient, while another is being saved for an upcoming post.

That leaves today's featured card—a design inspired by a recent Make ’N’ Take session with Philippa from Scrapbook Central.

The inspiration began with a small tag project that introduced me to two fascinating products: the 49th & Market Irresistible Rub-Ons and Lisa Horton’s Cloud 9 Interference Ink. What makes this ink particularly special is its ability to shift colours depending on the cardstock beneath it. Applied to white cardstock, it creates one effect; on black cardstock, it transforms into something entirely different.

Although I purchased some Irresistible Rub-Ons around 18 months ago, they had remained untouched in my stash. This project was the perfect opportunity to finally give them a try. I started with a white cardstock panel and applied one of the rub-on designs. Over this, I blended Mermaid Lagoon Shimmer interference ink—a gorgeous combination of teal and purple. The result on the white background was a stunning teal shimmer that immediately caught the light.

For the focal point, I die-cut a delicate dragonfly from rice paper and added colour using the same ink. To create depth and definition, I used a micro blending brush with Versafine Clair Nocturne ink, adding soft black shading around the edges and across the body of the dragonfly.

While waiting for the black ink to dry, I decided the card needed a little extra texture. One of my recent purchases, Altenew’s Alhambra Mosaic Cover Die, seemed like the perfect addition. I die-cut the intricate design from white cardstock, trimmed it slightly, and adhered it to a card base.                                                   

Once the dragonfly was dry, I applied more interference ink using a pouncing technique. This is where the real magic happened—the black areas shifted to a rich purple, while the teal tones intensified, creating a beautiful iridescent effect.

To finish the card, I added a pre-printed sentiment and blended the same interference ink over it to tie everything together.

Then this afternoon had another crafting session dedicated to future projects. I also spent some time cutting and folding card bases, a simple bit of preparation that always makes future crafting sessions more productive.

And now it is time to settle down and watch some rugby, with New Zealand taking on Italy. 

As there is some items being used for the first time in this card, I'm entering it into Darnell's NBUS challenge. 

Celebrate with Two Cards for Die Cut Divas

It’s the last day of the month, which means it’s time to share my card for the final day of our challenge at Die Cut Divas. This month’s theme is Celebrate—a wonderfully open prompt with so many creative directions to explore, from birthdays and weddings to milestones and holidays.

Our wonderful sponsor this month is Poppy Stamps.

For today’s post, I have not one but two cards to share.

First up is a Christmas celebration card.

For this card, I chose a cream card base and matching panel. I have a few small edger embossing folders, and one of them features this sweet snowflake design that decorates the top of the panel. The ornaments were created using the Poppy Stamps Clarissa Ornament Outline die, cut from shiny silver card. Because I don’t have the matching background die, I adhered the ornaments to blue cardstock and then fussy cut them. I found the perfect sentiment in a Rosie’s Studio stamp set called Hearth + Home and heat embossed it directly onto the panel in silver. To finish, I used a fine silver gel pen to add the ornament strings. There’s just something so lovely about a blue and silver Christmas colour combination.

 My second card celebrates a birthday.

For this card, I used the Poppy Stamps Intricate Leaf Square Frame. I first cut the frame, then used a Spellbinders square die to create an aperture in the card. Behind the aperture, I added patterned paper and layered the frame over the top. I also used a die set from an old magazine to cut two decorative elements, which I backed with the same patterned paper before fussy cutting them. The finished panel was mounted onto a 4.75” square card base, and the sentiment comes from a Woodware stamp set.

Come and join us at Die Cut Divas with you Celebration card - just remember to use your die cut machine

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.

Embossed Elegance: A Card Inspired by Jo Simons

Over the weekend, I watched a YouTube video by Jo Simons that used a technique I had not done in quite some time—using dies to emboss a card. It immediately inspired me to pull out my supplies and give it another try.

For this card, I used the Spellbinders 5 x 7 Elegant Labels 4 die and ran it through to create an embossed frame. Before removing the label die, I did some ink blending with a soft blue ink, both inside and outside the shape to add extra depth and softness. For the sentiment, I chose one from the Peony Glow stamp set by Pinkfresh Studio. I also used the coordinating washi tape and matching dies from the same collection to cut the floral elements. To finish the design, I arranged two of the floral die cuts around the embossed frame and added a few black dots to tie in with the stamped sentiment.

It was so enjoyable to revisit these older techniques.  

Celebrating With Poppy Stamps: My May Challenge Card

 I’m back with another inspiration piece for this month’s challenge over at Die Cut Divas. Our May sponsor is Poppy Stamps, and the theme is Celebrate—a wonderfully open prompt with so many directions to explore. Birthdays, weddings, milestones, holidays… you name it.

For my project today, I decided to lean into a warm, seasonal vibe and create a Thanksgiving card.

I pulled out a few of my older Poppy Stamps dies—always fun to revisit—and paired them with a leftover piece from a recent gesso resist panel I created (you can see that project in my earlier post). That little scrap was just waiting to become something, so I used it with the Orchard Leaves die to cut a handful of textured leaves. I also cut additional leaves from a rich mahogany patterned paper to bring in more depth and contrast.

For the background, I spritzed a panel with Distress Spray Stains and Distress Oxide Spray in Tarnished Brass and Picked Raspberry. Once it dried, I trimmed it down to fit one an “Ardyth-style” 4.25" square card base.

To build the focal point, I die cut an orange ribbon and bow using the Poppy Stamps Grosgrain Ribbon and Grosgrain Bow dies. I adhered the ribbon across the background panel, then tucked the leaves on either side to create a full, autumnal cluster.

A Spellbinders hot-foiled sentiment, die cut and added over the ribbon, finished the card beautifully.

Another celebration card complete—and a lovely way to use up those special little scraps we all hang onto.

Come and join us at Die Cut Divas with you Celebration card - just remember to use your die cut machine

Catching up!

I’ve still been finding time to craft, but blogging has definitely taken a back seat lately. Today, though, on my non-work day, I finally found some time after lunch to head into the craft room, get creative, and catch up on sharing what I’ve been making. I have three cards to show you today, each with its own little story.

The first card is what I’d call a “Mesk” card — made from the bits and pieces that were sitting on my messy desk waiting to be turned into something useful.

I had a 3.75-inch strip of 12x12 patterned paper left over from making an envelope, so I trimmed it down to fit a white panel and rounded one side for a softer look. I added another scrap of patterned paper along the side, then went digging through my container of saved bits and found a sentiment I’d pre-cut awhile ago. A scrap of vellum became the circle tag, and I finished everything off with a few little gold hearts from my die-cut embellishments. This one actually came together earlier in the week, and I love how it made good use of leftovers.

The next card is a Christmas card, also made earlier this week. Back in March, I picked up some non-branded Christmas dies from my local stationery store, and they turned out to be such a great buy.

For this card, I die cut the pieces from green and red cardstock, then used scraps of gold and dark brown for the star and trunk. After that, it was simply a matter of piecing everything together to create the tree. To give the design a focal area, I used an old embossing folder to create a border around the panel and softly ink blended around the edges. A few gold dots on and around the tree finished it off nicely.

And finally, today’s make — another Christmas card.

This one came about while I was putting some of my stash back where it belonged. As I tidied up my Tim Holtz Bigz dies, I came across the Christmas Cardinal die and knew it would be perfect for the Christmas Kickstart Challenge — Season’s Tweetings.

I die cut the design — it’s an all-in-one die — and then used Tri-Blends alcohol markers to colour each section. For a snowy touch, I added White Nuvo Crystal Drops to the branch. To really let the die-cut image shine, I mounted it on a 5-inch square panel embossed with a Cuttlebug folder. The sentiment is from an LDRS Creative stamp set and was die cut with the coordinating Sentiment Stack II die.

And card #2 is being entered into Darnell's NBUS May Challenge 

Thank you so much for sticking with me to the end. I really do appreciate every one of my readers and commenters.

Happy crafting!

Things with Wings: A Shimmery Dragonfly Card for the Sweet Stampin’ Challenge

It’s time for the Sweet Stampin’ Challenge again, and this fortnight’s theme is Things with Wings—so I couldn’t resist pulling out a dragonfly and building my card around it.

I actually had this dragonfly sitting on my desk from a crafty session a while back—Grace and I made it during the school holidays, and we coloured it with Nuvo Shimmer Powders for that gorgeous sparkle. 

I started by blending a soft blue circle using a Penny Black stencil and a few pale blue inks from Altenew. Once the background was in place, I die cut a mix of leaves from a Sizzix set in green and gold cardstock, then cut a few coneflowers from yellow card and added a touch of gold pen to the centres.

From there it was all about arranging- I popped the dragonfly into the spotlight and built up the florals and foliage around the edge of the circle to frame it nicely. To finish, I stamped a sentiment from an Andy Skinner set directly onto the card, before matting in some soft blue. 

If you’re playing along with the Sweet Stampin’ Challenge, I’d love to see what you create for Things with Wings—butterflies, birds, bees, dragonflies… anything goes!

A Creative Friday inspired by Christine S

 Fridays are my non-working day and as is becoming my norm,  I spent a relaxed afternoon in my craft room catching up on YouTube. A video by Christine Stokes inspired me to try a gesso resist technique with Distress inks.

I adapted the idea using what I had—clear gesso instead of white. I dabbed it onto watercolour paper, let it dry, then added Distress inks (Scattered Straw, Antique Linen, Rusty Hinge, and a touch of Aged Mahogany) by smooshing on my glass mat with a spritz of water and a foam blender to add to the panel. The texture turned out beautifully.

Using a very old Tim Holtz Bigz Tattered Leaves die, I cut two leaves and added detail with a splatter stamp in Altenew Toasted Mauve, clear embossed. For the background, I used a corner aperture die with orange patterned paper behind it and added more stamping in Pink Sand ink.

I finished the card with a dark brown mat, an embossed sentiment (Altenew Sentiment Strips 3), and a few simple embellishments made from packing tape and cardstock.

A satisfying session—and a lovely reminder that adapting ideas with what you have can lead to great results.

Textured Florals with Altenew’s African Daisy Embossing Folder and Die

 It’s the last day of April, which means it’s also the final day of this month’s challenge over at Die Cut Divas! Our challenge this month is Birthdays/Anniversaries.. We have a wonderful sponsor - Altenew, and for my final bit of inspiration I’m sharing a card I made with the newest addition to my craft room- African Daisy Embossing Folder and coordinating Die set from Altenew’s April release. I was thrilled to get my hands on it (it’s already sold out in the Altenew store!)—and it arrived just in time yesterday, so I got straight to work.

Before I started, I did a quick search for African daisies—and wow, they come in a huge range of colours. I found a photo that immediately caught my eye and used it as the colour inspiration for this card.

To create the flowers, I die cut all the pieces three times from white cardstock. Then I added colour by blending Altenew Hydrangea and Andromeda Crisp Dye Inks onto the petal tips and around the centres. For the flower middles, I used Altenew Espresso ink, then finished them off with a little yellow sparkle pen for a subtle pop of shine. Once everything was coloured, I embossed the pieces for dimension and glued the layers together.

For the background, I embossed a white panel using the Altenew 3D Daisies embossing folder to add lots of lovely texture. I softly inked around the edges with Hydrangea ink, then matted the panel onto purple cardstock to help those tones really stand out. To finish, I added a sentiment from Altenew Sentiment Strips 3, inked in Andromeda to tie everything together.

You have till 9.00pm US Pacific Time to join us in our Birthday/Anniversary challenge.