Use a Die: A Festive Christmas Card for Sweet Stampin’ Challenge

It’s my team’s turn to share some inspiration at SweetStampin’ Challenge, and this fortnight’s theme is one I always enjoy: “Use a Die.” I absolutely love dies and die cutting. I’ll admit I probably have far more dies than I need, but somehow, I still can’t resist adding more to my collection.

For today’s card, I used a die set I picked up from my local stationery store. They carry a small range of dies at very reasonable prices, and over the past few months I’ve collected a few Christmas designs. This card gave me the perfect excuse to use one of them.

I started by cutting the full die from red card. Then I cut the smaller pieces —the trees, stars, and topper — from green card and gold glitter card, before piecing everything together. To keep the die cut as the focal point, I created a simple background using white card embossed with the Altenew Dotty Circles 3D embossing folder.

The sentiment comes from an LDRS Christmas Stack and coordinating all-in-one die. I had already stamped and die cut the full stack, so I now have plenty of extra sentiments ready to use on future festive projects. To finish the design, I added a few red glitter dot embellishments for a touch of sparkle.

Once the main panel was complete, I cut it into a square, matted it with red card, and added it to a top-fold card base. The result is a bright, textured Christmas card with the die cut taking centre stage.

I hope this inspires you to get out your favourite dies and join us at Sweet Stampin’ Challenge. We’d love to see what you create!

One Stamp, Three Projects: Altenew Evergreen Beauty

 A week or so ago I was lucky enough to receive a gorgeous stamp set from Altenew: Evergreen Beauty. It’s a beautiful floral image with a few lovely sentiments—and the sweetest bonus for me was a little “created by” stamp with my name on it.

Around the same time, over in the Altenew Fan Group on Facebook, Nicki Baxley was running a “One Stamp, Three Cards” challenge. I didn’t quite get all three projects finished in time—but I did make two cards and a tag.

 I stamped the main floral image three times—once on white cardstock (then cut it with my ScanNCut), once on patterned paper (also cut with the ScanNCut), and then directly onto a white panel (stamping it a couple of times to build the arrangement).

Project 1: The Tag

For the tag, I used the floral image stamped onto patterned paper and coloured it with sparkle pens. When I cut it, I didn’t include a white border—and the ScanNCut couldn’t quite handle the finest leaf details, so I trimmed those bits away by hand.

I made the base tag with a Hero Arts Infinity Arch die, then stamped the floral image again onto the tag. Next came the fun part: paper piecing the sparkly patterned-paper flowers over the top. To finish, I added a little green sparkle around the image, a light watercolour wash over the tag, and a sentiment from Altenew’s Leaf Canopy.

Project 2: Card One

For my first card, I used the die-cut floral image stamped on white cardstock and painted it with Altenew Woodless Watercolor Pencils. To give the design a “grounding” element, I inked up the Altenew Simple Frame 3D embossing folder with Tattered Rose Distress Oxide ink and ran it through my die-cutting machine. I added extra blending with a foam domed blender and rubbed a little metallic wax over the raised frame for subtle shine.

I popped the floral piece into the corner with dimensional tape and finished it off with a sentiment from Altenew’s Classic Greetings stamp and die set.

Project 3: Card Two 

For the second card, I stamped the images directly onto the card panel. I coloured the florals with Altenew Bamboo and Dusty Rose inks using mini and micro blending tools. Then I added splatter with Distress Oxide Spritz in Fossilized Amber, followed by a spritz of sparkle spray over the whole panel for extra shimmer. The sentiment is a die cut from Altenew’s Scripty Sentiment dies.

Three quite different projects, all from one stamp set—paper piecing, watercolour pencils, and ink blending. If you’re ever stuck for ideas, try limiting yourself to one main image and see how many different looks you can get from it!

Green plants and vases.... and an oops!

 Well this is an OOPS card.... I was busy working on my Die Cut Diva sample cards for this month... our sponsor is Altenew  (which you will know is my favourite craft company) with our theme for the challenge - FLOWERS - right up my alley!

So I had this idea in mind to use the Mini Delight set - Plants and vases and using a design idea from a recent set of videos I watched for Penny Black... so off I went and made this card.

Doesn't it look great.  Lots of ink blending, white embossing, stamping and die cutting the vases from Holly Mirri card.... yeah - feeling pleased as punch - even with messing up the white embossing of the sentiment and having to layer over the sentiment stamped in black!   So about to take the photo when it struck me..... NO FLOWERS!!!!  OMG how did I miss that!!!    I did think to add some small die cut flowers - but when I hovered them over the card, it completely spoilt the look.   Oh well back to the craft room and another card has been made (look out for it on the 25th!)   Luckily I had time yesterday as I was not feeling great - 2 weeks of a cold and cough and had the day off so I could go to the doctors... viral infection but she gave me some antibiotics just to ensure it doesn't turn bacterial,   So a quiet afternoon of crafting was the order of the day. 

   Feeling better today so went into the office.  Now for a quiet weekend resting up and hopefully improve health wise. 

Dancing Ballerina

 It's the last day of the month and I'm sharing my card for Die Cut Divas.   We have no sponsor this month, but Whimsy Stamps are giving us a $15 voucher for our winner. 

The challenge this month is to use something NEW!  

I only have a few Whimsy stamps... so when I found they have digital stamps I just had to buy some. 

Here's the card I made using Ballerina image. 

It's such a lovely image.  I printed it and used Alcohol markers to colour her in before fussy cutting her.  I have been following Penny Black's New Year Sketches and used this day 2 sketch - using a large frame I cut from two dies from a Spellbinders set.  I ink blended the background in a couple of Altenew purple inks and added some paint pen dots to the top half of the panel.  I then took a Kaisercraft sentiment - stamped the first two lines on the front and the rest on the inside...  I added my ballerina with some dimensional tape in the middle and glued to the edges.  

Our monthly challenge ends at 9.00pm US Pacific Time 

Spring flowers at Die Cut Divas.

 I'm a little late posting for today's last day of the month challenge at Die Cut Divas.  

Our challenge this month is sponsored by Sheepski Designs - Wet or Dry Embossing

I have used both dry and wet embossing on my card.  The floral panel is using SheepSki Design Mini vases.  I die cut with a Spellbinders Rectangle die and added some ink blending with it still in the die.  I used some pearlescent paints to add colour.  I stamped the sentiment with Onyx Versafine ink and clear embossed it.   The background was dry embossed with a Cuttlebug folder, before adding the floral panel. 

The spring flowers are fully in bloom in our garden now.  So timely to make a spring card to share. 

SENZ - Creative Craft Expo 2022 Day 2

Hi there.. Today was day 2 of SENZ - and after taking a class yesterday... I decided to do another one today - luckily there were still places available for Chick's Interactive Underseas class.  And I found that I could get a concession entry as a Pensioner! Saved me $3 on the entry.   So after doing the grocery shopping off I headed to the fair again.    More shopping as I needed to buy the Distress Oxide colours I needed for the class.. plus I did a little make'n'take - which used Nuvo Glimmer paste - which just jumped into my shopping bag!  

The class was really cool - even if I made a few mistakes... we did three interactive cards 

First up - A shaker card 

We did the ink blending first and then die cut out the centre.... so mistake one was that I did my die cutting with the darker portion at the top... it should have been at the bottom... so had to put all my bits and pieces on the other side to everyone else!  The dies are from Memory Box.  The little fish on top and three layers - two white and one in holographic card.  

Second technique - Hidden sentiment.

Again, when I added my little fishes, I put the darker portion to the top instead of the bottom.   As you can see, there is a little pull tab to the side that shows the hidden sentiment. 

And the third technique - is a wobble card. 

On this one, the jellyfish moves from side to side - done with a little die cut circle with a little disc that allows the jellyfish to move around.  Once I was home I added the clear gems to this one and some clear Nuvo drops to the other two.  

Such a fun class and I had a ball.  

Spring Mood Board - Sweet Stampin' Challenge.

 Hi there.  Time for a new challenge at Sweet Stampin' Challenge - we have a lovely mood board made by our lovely Wendy, to inspire us.  

My card was inspired by the bottom left hand side... 

I used a Dipped Ink technique (inspired by this video from Natasha Foote) with Distress Oxide Mowed Lawn, to make the "grass" background onto some watercolour card.   The Coneflower by Altenew was stamped with grey ink.  I then used some of the grey ink to give some shadows to the white flower.  I found a little bee in a Rosie's Studio stamp and coloured it with Copics.  Added some gold Wink of Stella onto the wings.  The sentiment is also from Altenew. 

Tomorrow I'm flying to Perth Australia to spend some time with my daughter, Emma and her hubby, Andrew and my grandson Archer.... Archie is turning 6 on the 20th and we'll be there to celebrate.  Hubby will flying over on the 15th as he has to work.  So I get 5 days with Archie on my own... some Nanny and Archie time!

Altenew Educator's "Alphabet Name Game"

 Hi there.  Over at Altenew's blog, the Altenew Educators are having an "Alphabet Name Game".  Basically we were supposed to use the first initial of our name and use a technique or style to start with that letter.   The Altenew Educators have a blog hop to inspire.  And they have challenged us to have a go. 

So Dawn.... D for - dry embossing and die cutting

I am in love with mini slimlines at the moment.   And I'm in love with Altenew's 3D Decorative Floral folder.  I die cut a panel and ran it through my trusty Cuttlebug with the 3D folder.  It really is stunning.  I then stamped and die cut some flowers from the Playful Plumeria.  I used some gorgeous reds to make the flowers with a touch of browns for the final layer to add some depth.  I added a sentiment from the Playful Plumeria set. The only embellishment I needed was a black gem in the centre of each flower.

I enjoyed this challenge which allowed me to play with everything I love.  Thanks Altenew Educators.  

 

Grown with Love

The lastest challenge is on at Let's Squash It....

I'n not sure if my card really fits the challenge as my folder is not a nature one - other than it is a  weave pattern and my card is the Nature theme.  I used some watercolour pencils to colour it in.    So I am pushing the bountries a bit. 

My stamps come from a freebie set with Simply Cards and Papercraft #214.   The background panel is coloured by smooshing Old Paper distress ink onto my glass mat and spritzed with water and dipping my panel through the watery mixture.  I added the burlap and added the embossed panel over the top then added the pots of herbs.  My panel is added to a dark green card base. 

So ladies, if this doesn't fit the challenge... just let me know. 

Update on my health:  Still coughing a lot and stuffed up.  Doctor's advised me to stay home till Wednesday.  So more time resting up and reading and crafting.