Christmas Joy.

 Well- it's been a while!   Life has been very busy of late... I had some cards to make for a couple of Christmas swaps... so can't share till they are received.  And had to make a Golden Wedding Anniversary card.  Plus Hubby wanted a thank you card for the guy who's holiday home we were renting for the weekend.  Our friend's had their anniversary luncheon on this past Saturday.  

Today, though, is my day to share at Die Cut Divas.   Our challenge this month is "Any Holidays"  Our sponsor this month is Birch Press Designs

We will award BPD's prize of a $20 gift card to the store on Dec. 3rd, drawn randomly from eligible entries in the November gallery.

For my card I've gone for a Christmas card - but using non-Christmas products from Birch Press. 

I chose a watercoloured panel from my stash.  It's made with watercolour powders and had been sitting on the desk for awhile.   I took my Birch Press String Art Hot Press Plate and used it to emboss the panel.  I made a poinsettia out of Birch Press Star Flowers. I cut the two flowers with red card.  The centre layers I added dark red in.    I recently picked up the JOY die at my local magazine store.   It's by Chloe's Design and had been a magazine freebie.  I cut it with some gold card and layered the flower over the O.  It's great to use non-Christmas stash.  And use up some of my more colourful backgrounds.

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

I'll be back tomorrow to share the Anniversary card and the Thank You card.

 

Cardstock Christmas at Jingle Belles.

 I saw this challenge when my bloggy friend Jo entered.  Although I have hundreds (literally hundreds) of patterned paper pads... I still most tend to use just cardstock.  So thought this challenge was for me! 

While scrolling through my Splitcoaststampers newsletter I saw that Watercolor Wednesday challenge was to use watercolor powders.   I knew I wanted to try a colourful Poinsettia  so pulled out my Pixie Powders and a Nuvo shimmer powder and some mixed media card from Fabriano and went to town.  The flower was using Pixie Powders in Lava Red and Purple Violet.  One half went really red and the half more in purples and blues.  For the green I used the Nuvo shimmer powder in Atlantis Burst.  One dry I stamped Hero Arts Woodblock stamp - Antique Poinsettia and then cut with the matching die and layer all together.   Added some Altenew Pure White spray splatters onto the flower.  For my background I went with an embossing folder for some texture.

I am also entering this one into The Flower Challenge...Colour your Flower  

Had great fun playing with the powders.  I still have a number of sheets from a previous session and will be using one for tomorrow's post, so keep an eye out for that. 

Happy crafting this weekend. 

A Blue Kitty...

 My local swap group had a fun challenge this month... sketch with the image to be an animal and should be coloured in colours they normally are not!

I followed the sketch closely and used a Blue Kitty 

I used a pink panel from my stash - think it's the "mop up" of some pink ink.  I die cut it with a Gina K Master Layout dies.  I die cut a white circle and embossed it with a folder called Kitchen Weave from Cuttlebug.  Used two Spellbinders petite circles to cut the frame.  My blue kitty is a a Tim Holtz stamp, as is the matching sentiment.  The cat is from Crazy Cats and the sentiment from Snarky Cats.  Added some blue glitter to the die cut heart for some sparkle. 

It is always fun to see what everyone comes up with each month.  

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.  

Chillin' with my Snowmies....

 It's time for the latest challenge at Christmas Kickstart Challenge and it's right up my alley... Chillin' with my Snowmies.... 

Perfect timing as I still have a couple of Penny Black Snowy's painted up waiting to be used.   

Today I used the one I had stamped onto some Mixed Media paper and painted with Orange Cream from the Altenew 36 pan watercolour set. 

I decided to use the Cuttlebug Snowflakes embossing folder for my background.  I inked it up with some Catherine Pooler Orange Twist ink and ran it through my machine.   Love how it turned out.  I found some gorgeous burnt orange paper in my stash and used my new Gina K Master Layout 12 set to die cut the fancy circle frame.   It cuts the circle out of the frame but I just laid in it back in.  I pop up Snowy on the frame.   I stamped a sentiment from Rosie's Studio Hearth and Home set with the Orange Twist ink and fussy cut it out.   I am so pleased how this non-traditional coloured card turn out. 

Add Spots or Stripes...

Hi there.   I have been chock full of a cold I caught before I came home and it's not improved much this week.   I had Monday and Friday off sick... I haven't done much crafting till this weekend.   I had to make my Dad's Father's Day card (3rd September) and his birthday card (10th September) so I could get them in the post.... I'll share these later.. and then I had to make my sample card for Die Cut Divas for the 31st August.   Once that was done I thought I'd make a card for The Flower Challenge.... Add spots or stripes... made it and them realised the challenge finished two days ago!!!!!  Oh well, another card for my stash!!

I started by taking a piece of gold foiled stripe card and using my new Hero Arts Infinity Arched dies I cut the card.  I took some rose gold card and used the dies to make a frame.  Next up was to do the embossed background.   I have a Spellbinders M-Bossibility Reversable Embossing folder (circa 2012) and used the dotted chevron side.  I haven't used this folder for such a long time!  At the recent SENZ fair I picked up the a Spellbinders die called Layering Cherry Blossoms.   I die cut the flowers from some paint chips and added some inking.  The branches were cut from kraft card and I used some Altenew Sea Form ink to add shading.   The leaves were cut from green card and blended with the same ink.  Added the branches and flowers over the frame.   I had the Cherish sentiment already stamped and die cut (From Couture Creations "For You" stamp and die mini set) and added along the bottom of the frame.

All in all, a good weekend of crafting.   

Woodblock Wednesday - Dogwood Hello

 I can't believe it's been so long since I last posted.... I have been busy this last couple of weeks.  I have been crafting... but it's been stuff I can't share yet.  And I've been doing some knitting for the upcoming little ones.  Plus some last minute babysitting.   And then this week - went out to dinner with our friends on Tuesday for an early birthday celebration, Birthday on Wednesday and then last night went to the theatre with some of my work friends.  We went to the musical - Kinky Boots.   LOVED it... it was an incredible experience.  Such awesome music and dancing and superb costuming.  I went straight from work into the city and we all meet up for dinner first.  I had driven my car to the bus hub near home and caught the bus into town.  Saved having to pay for parking in the city as it's free to park at the hub and the bus is free for me as a pensioner!   

Today was a work at home day thank goodness.  Meant I didn't have to get up quite so early.  And my Altenew goodies finally arrived.  It's been a COLD WET day, so nice to be cozy at home.   After finishing my work for the day and doing some housework, I headed into the craft room.  Was going to work on a card I'm making for a swap... but while putting some stuff away, I saw a Hero Arts Dogwood stamp (wood block stamp) and remembered that Amy Tsuruta's Woodblock Wednesday challenge was still on.  So quick change of plans and here's what happened.

 

I stamped the Dogwood in Altenew Permanent Black ink as I was using Spectrum Noir Tri-blends to added colour.   The flowers are in various shades of blue and the leaves have some green (hard to see here, but it is there!)  I used a sentiment from Hero Arts Color Layering A Happy Day Flowers and added some Hero Arts Hues gems.  I had used Gina K Master Layouts 3 to cut out the panel and the blue layer.   In my Altenew order was the Dotty Circles 3D embossing folder so gave it a spin on the 5 1/4" base.  

I'm also entering into Darnell's NBUS challenge - first time using the embossing folder. 

Just waiting for the birth's over the next couple of weeks....one should be sometime next week and the other one, the following week.

Thanks for visiting 

Pink butterfly

 A couple of weeks ago I received a little parcel from the UK.  It left there in October and finally made it her nearly 6 months later!  It was an embossing folder I had won on the Let's Squash It challenge before it closed. 

So here is my first card using the folder

I die cut a white panel.  I embossed the butterfly  and then using some soft Altenew inks and ink blended the butterfly and the background.   Added some splats of white ink spray.  The greeting is one I had stamped ages ago from a Woodware set. A very CAS card but looks so effective.  

I'm adding this to Darnell's NBUS challenge - first time used the folder

I've been working on design work over the weekend with some new products.  Two orders arrived, and two more to come!  Now to find time to play!

Christmas Bauble.

 Over at Christmas Kickstart the February challenge is "Baubles"  Over the past couple of days I made a card to enter.   I'm working from home at the moment as our office in Takapuna can't open as the power is still out.  A small pocket of streets around the office lost power late afternoon on the 13th and as yet it has not been  restored.  So in my breaks I pop into the craft room and have a 10 min play.

So I started by taking a 12x12 sheet of Christmas paper and cut it into 6 panels.   It's lovely double sided paper.  I thought it might get me enthusiastic to getting my Christmas cards.  

Baubles...... I had to think what stamps/dies I have.  First I pulled out a stamp set and then remembered I had a very old Cuttlebug die and embossing folder set.  So I found it and away I went.

  Started by trimming some of the bottom of the green panel and flipped it over.  I layered the two panels to a red card base and added a little rose gold strip across the join.   I took a piece of white card and die cut the bauble and then put it through the embossing folder.   I took some Altenew Gold ink and rubbed it all over the die cut.  Added a little bit of gold ribbon and a few gold gems.    I can't wait to use more of the paper.  It really is lovely. 

And a big thank you to Christmas Kickstart for picking my January card as one of the Top Picks.  

I'm working from home again tomorrow so another little crafting time in my breaks.  The North Island of New Zealand got hammered by Cyclone Gabrielle.  Auckland and Northland still have some flooding and power outages.  The main highway north is blocked and lots of detours to get supplies up to the north.  And further south the Hawkes Bay was hit very hard.  Both north and south roads are blocked, huge floods, slips and sadly lost of lives - both in Auckland and Napier.   Aroha (Love) to all the people affected by the cyclone. 

A few Christmas cards

 Hi there.   What a weekend!  I was set to go to the FYI (For Your Inspiration) Craft Fair with Suna.  It was being held at Lake Karapiro  - a trip of just over 2 1/4 hours from my place.   I picked up Suna and after about 1/2hr down the motorway I got a bit concerned about the noise my car was making.   So made the decision to abort the trip so we got off the motorway south and got onto the motorway north!   Luckily when Suna rang her hubby to tell him he said to take their car.   So we headed off again - finally making it to the fair at 10 to 11.  And did we have fun.  It was well organised and there were lots of stalls including our favourites like Krafter's Cart, Creatables, Imagine If, Faith Pocock Studio.  I was quite restrained.  I picked up a cool Altenew hot foil floral at 30% off and a couple of stamps from Montarga.  Plus some enamel dots, a few little bits and pieces.  

Anyway, today I have a couple of cards I created last week and on Saturday evening.    I also did some cards with a stamp I got in July and had put away and forgot about.  I'll share them later in the week. 

I had picked up a few stamps, dies and stencils at the local stationery store.  They were freebies from a magazine.  One of them was an Altenew set that was from 2021 - Bells  at $3.99

I used Altenew inks to stamp the bells and mistletoe.  The set had the matching dies for the bells.   The bows look black but are in fact silver card to match the silver pen strings.   Once I was finished I went to put the stamps away and oh no... the first layer of the bells couldn't be found anywhere.  Plus a couple of the little stars.... found one of them quickly but it took till the next day to find the big layer... about a metre away on a pad of paper that was on the floor.   Still missing one little star.    

My next card uses an embossing folder that was in one of the set I picked up for $6.99.  It had a stamp set, a matching die, a stencil and an embossing folder.  

I decided to do a bit of a letterpress look.  I swiped some Distress Ink onto the folder.  It bubbled up a bit and when I embossed it turned out very splotchy.  But I decided that I was going to just go with it.   I then added some gold Pocsa pen colouring to the stars.  The sentiment is one of the stamps I got from Montarga on Saturday.    

Had a lovely day yesterday with hubby for his birthday.   I took him to the local beach cafe - a nice walk down to Murrays Bay- for brunch, had a little sit at the beach before heading back home.  The family came round for dinner.  Our little one was super keen to get here so they arrived earlier than I expected.  Hubby had baby sat on Saturday morning and the two of them had a fun filled time - playing games, going to the Wonderland indoor playground and having chocolate ice-cream for breakfast!  Pop and Grace time went well.

Thanks for stopping by today.  Have fun crafting. 

Christmas in September - Sweet Stampin' Challenge

 Hi there...   Time for another challenge at Sweet Stampin' Challenge.   Our challenge this time is Christmas in September.    

I did a ghost technique using a stencil - 

I started by using Hero Arts White Unicorn pigment ink through the stencil and then after shifting the stencils a tiny bit, used some Mowed Lawn Distress Oxide ink to stencil again.   I added a few pearls for the berries.  The sentiment from Gina K's Holiday Tapestry was heat embossed with white powder. 

We'd love to see you Christmas projects over at our challenge (Here)

Sparkly Christmas

 Hi there..  Today I'm sharing a card I made for a DT challenge... then realised that it was as STAMPING challenge and my card was embossing and die cut only!    So here it is in it's sparkly glory!

I started by using a Sizzix folder to emboss my white panel.  I don't know who the beautiful die is by, it was a gift from my bloggy friend, Greta.  She sent me three of this die cut a number of years ago.  I used my Zig Watercolor pens to add colour.  I layered the three dies together and then liberally spritzed with Sparkle spray. I added it to the panel and finished with some gold gems.

Many thanks to the lovely Greta for the dies.   I really love it..

Entering this into the CAS Christmas challenge - Sparkle and/or Shine. 

Thanks for stopping by.  

Let's Squash It... Cuz 2 out of 3 ain't bad.

 Hi there.   Today I have an entry for the Let's Squash It challenge... Cuz 2 out of 3 aren't bad!   The challenge is to use an embossing folder and fill 2/3 of the card.   

I decided to do a Christmas card - inspired by a card I saw on You Tube by Gina K.  

I used a big sweater folder and trimmed it down to 2/3rd of the card size.  I layered it onto black card and then onto a white card layered with black and then red.   I die cut an oval and layer.  The sentiment is from Holdiay Tapestry by Gina K.  Added a Spellbinders Poinsettia die cut and some Catherine Pooler die cut holly leaves.  

CAS at Let's Squash it....

 Just sneaking in with a last minute entry into the July's Let's Squash It challenge - 

 I was looking through my Facebook feed and saw a lovely CAS card... which got me thinking I had better hurry up if I wanted to enter the July challenge... it closes in a couple of days.  

In the end my card was nothing like the one I saw...

I had some lovely cream card - hard to get the colour right in the photo.... I took a strip and used a Darice embossing folder - Daisies.  I took some metallic paste and rubbed it over the panel.  I matted it on to black and added to the same colour base.  Took a sweet sentiment white embossed onto black - this one is from a LDRS set.  A few sparkle enamel dots finished it beautifully.  

Thanks for stopping by... I'll be back shortly with my Sweet Stampin' Challenge card. 

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.  

Go Green!

 Yes, today my cards are GREEN.... I decided I better get a card into the latest challenge at Let's Squash It.... but OH NO... I didn't read the brief properly  - It's Green and an insect!!!!  I've made two GREEN cards ... I had finished the cards before I realised - but managed to add a butterfly to one to meet the criteria!  

Here's the first card that DIDN'T follow the brief...  

I took a Craft Concepts Folder and some Catherine Pooler Lime Rickey ink and used a brayer to add the ink to the folder.  I have to admit this is the third try to get the look I wanted.   I had this little MFT Toucan sitting on my desk so added some colour to it.  I added Glossy Accents to her beak.  I used a dimensional dot behind her and slipped the die cut leaves (also from the scrap bowl) behind.  The sentiment was also in the scrap bowl - so not sure who it's by.  Did some matting, adding to a white base.  I really like this one.  Good practise to try th
e inking the folder technique.  

And here's the card I added the butterfly to so it DID meet the brief.  

For this one I took some light green card and an Altenew 3D folder.  I then look some green Altenew ink and blended over parts of the folder to highlight the embossing.  I added white dots on the flowers and added some pearls.  I had a silver foiled sentiment which I blended the green ink over. ( so hard to photograph) and added the Memory Box die cut Butterfly.  So this one is going into the Let's Squash It challenge. 

I must say though, I had a great afternoon playing in my craft room.   Staying home as much as I can...as Omicron numbers are rising... 1906 today.  Luckily no places of interest in my part of the city. 

Die Cut Divas - Farewell to 2021

 Hi there - It's the last day of the month and the year... goodbye 2021... you've been a hard year....

Anyhow over at Die Cut Divas we are sharing our last creations for the year.  

I have used an embossing folder to create my winter scene.  I stamped and fussy cut the polar bear and added it to my card.  My sentiment is from Gina K Designs.

Have a great last day of 2021 and wishing you all a very Happy New Year and here's hoping 2022 is a better year.  

Merry Christmas from the Die Cut Diva team....

 Merry Christmas to you all.... Here is NZ the day is almost over.  Hope your will have an awesome day wherever you are.  

Today I'm sharing a Winter card with you - for Die Cut Divas

We are so happy to present Frantic Stamper as our Sponsor for our December Challenge of Winter/Christmas project with an optional twist to make a shaped Winter/Christmas Card.

My card uses two penguins from Gina K Designs - Playful Penguins and a sentiment from the set.  I embossed the edges with an edging folder.  Our sponsor, Frantic Stamper has a large stock of folders, and dies.  Do go check them out. 

Do come and join us - our challenge is open till 9.pm US Pacific Time on the 31st December. 

I'm entering this one into the "It's your call" challenge at Let's Squash it.   I used a border embossing folder for my snowflakes.  

Card Chain Challenge... November Reveal.

 

I enjoy taking part in this swap group.  It's fun to make a card and send it to a fellow crafter - and this month it was to my friend Linda in Minnesota.  We are team mates on Die Cut Divas.  

At CCC this month we had a number of options for making our cards a choice of colours, a sketch, a theme or a technique/product.  I chose the sketch and the theme of Polar animal.  

For my card I turned the sketch on it's side....

I die cut the white curvy piece and ran it through the Cuttlebug with old favourite Swiss dot folder.   I then did the same with the oval piece.  I found some striped papers to add behind the panel.   My Polar Bear in his Christmas sweater was a freebie stamp set that I was gifted.  One of my friends was given it but already had it.  I stamped, coloured and fussy cut it out.  Added a sentiment stamped from different stamp sets and trimmed out and added to the card. 

I also received a sweet card from Pia in Norway

Thanks for stopping by today.   Today in NZ we moved to a new Covid 19 Protection Plan... Red, Orange or Green - Auckland is in Red... little restrictions - lots of places open now if you are fully vaccinated - you have to use a vaccine pass, scan in, use masks in public places, social distancing and there are limits to numbers in places.  As we go down the colours the few restrictions there are.  The area I live in has reached 90% double vaccination.  My team at work had an outdoor meeting/coffee together on Wednesday - social distancing of course.  Our office opens next week for the first time in 4 months.  We are able to slowly go back into the office and spend split our time with working from home and in the office for the next few weeks.  I'm taking a 4 week break over the Christmas break.  Or at least 3 weeks. I had planned the leave earlier in the year, with the idea we were going to visit our daughter in Perth, Australia - but it's was not to be for the second year in a row.   

But on a positive note, we are having the Princess stay overnight on Saturday while her Mummy and Daddy go out.   

Sand It! at Let's Squash It!

 

Today I'm sharing the card I made for the latest Let's Squash It! Challenge.... and the theme is Sand It!  Yes..Use an embossing folder that includes numbers or letters AND Sand It!

For my card I chose to use a Christmas folder....

I took some aqua card stock and ran it through the folder.  I then took my sanding block and sanded the words.  The card had a white backing so it came through when I sanded.  I had the little gnome already stamped and sitting in my bits and bobs container so just had to colour him up.  I chose some darker teal colours. 

My stash of different Christmas cards is growing. 

Happy to say Auckland is going to Level 3 tomorrow... so click and collect coffees and takeaways  - yeah.  Still at home for at least another two weeks and then it will be review again.