Happy Birthday with Elizabeth Craft Designs

Don't you just hate that moment when you realise you need a card - like NOW.... for me it was for my inspiration post for Die Cut Divas.  I thought I was up to date with my design team cards.... and suddenly realised that I was not prepared!

So some patterned paper and a beautifully large die from Elizabeth Craft Designs to the rescue

Some PP that looks like watercolour paper made for a perfect background to the shimmer card cut die.  I did one layer white card and then one in the blue shimmer.  Added a few hand made enamel dots in a matching blue and all done and dusted in less than 15 mins.

Our challenge this month is Anything Goes.  So pull out those dies and embossing folders or crank up you electronic cutter and have some fun.  We love seeing all your beautiful creations.

Hope you've been busy this weekend.  We spend some time today sharing a lunch to celebrate the engagement of our friend's son and his fiance.   Congratulations to David and Kelly

I haven't shared any Archie photos for a while so here is one of him today... playing on the slide

 He's almost 16 months old now and a real boy.  Loves to play and climb and loves going to the park.

Sending Hugs and kisses

A very CAS card today that was inspired by a FB live by Lydia Evans for Altenew.  It was a couple of weeks ago when Altenew had their summer sale on.  One of the cards Lydia made used the Watercolor Frames set and I just had to order it.  I was so inspired to CASE her card.  Well today the stamp arrived.  Added to that, I had ordered the yellow inks and they had arrived earlier this week.   I got some time this afternoon to play with them.

The watercolour frames where stamped in Limestone and Silverstone Grey inks.  The sentiment from Wishing You set was stamped in Pure Graphite.    I used Painted Flowers to make my roses.  I used the new yellows - Fresh Lemon and Honey Drizzle.   I used some of the Tropical Forest Green inks for the leaves.  The background leaves are from the Beautiful Day set.   I wasn't sure if I needed something more on the card, but love the simplicity of the card.

My poor hubby has had the 'flu this week.   He didn't have a cough or a runny nose but had the hot and cold shivers and feeling lethargic and headachy.   He really did get a bad bout.  Finally feeling a bit better.  Just hope he hasn't passed it on to me!

Thanks for stopping by.  Enjoy your weekend and hope you get to be crafty

Go Wild

As I was blog hopping over the last couple of days I saw that CASology Cue card was SAFARI
I knew what I wanted to do... and the set I would use and finally this afternoon after work I managed to get it done.

The stamp and the embossing folder came recently with one of my Papercraft magazines.  I started by using a Simon Says Stamp circle die and embossed it with the folder.  I then used three Oxide inks to sponge over it and gave it a spritz with water.   I stamped, coloured and fussy cut the little adventurer and his giraffe friend.   These got popped up off the panel,

I've also entered this into the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - For a Child

Weekend stamping and a Christmas Tag

Hi all.  Hope you have all had a great weekend.  I did some stamping... a few cards for my design teams and some just for fun. 

Sunday morning I took part in Hero Arts Flickr group 90 mins scramble.  I really had a struggle.  The challenge was to use a frame on your card.   I decided I'd use some oxide inks for a background, smooshing on a stamping block ... but oh my goodness....what a mess!  After several goes, I gave that a miss.... and then decided to use an older HA stamp called Flower Box.  Started by stamping and colouring and then added my sentiment with Versafine Onyx black.   But I forgot that this ink takes time to dry - so don't go and trim it up too soon....

ARRRG... by this time it I flagged it and came back half an hour later and started again!

Still not 100% happy but it got finished.

My next project was a tag to enter into the current Christmas challenge at StampNation. 

I used a tag die cut with a Catherine Pooler SOA die, and used a Sunny Studio stamp set.  The branches were stamped with Altenew Evergreen ink.  The bells are stamped with Catherine Pooler inks in Garden Party, Lime Rickey and Grass Skirt   They really look shiny

I did some testing of different inks for the bells

I'll be sure to be trying out some different colour schemes for my Christmas cards this year.

The Colour Purple.... my favourite

Yes, once again I'm making a card with my favourite Purples..... and what would suit that better than the lovely Enchanted Iris from Altenew.

I did some google searching to get some idea of the way to colour these.  I used Copic markers
V012, V015 and V017 with a little bit of yellow from a Spectrum Noir pen C3.  I used a couple of greens to do the leaves and a very pale blue to provide a shadow.  I did somehow manage to get marks on the page - hence the well place sequins!   The sentiment is from Beautiful Day set from Altenew.

I also made a very simple card using some  purchased die cuts.  I got 5 packs of die cuts, twines, enamel dots usually $3.99 each for a $1 each.   I don't usually use these sorts of die cuts, but when I need a card quickly they can work well

 

I went to the local stationery store to pick up the white card stock I use and found a pad of this beautiful pearlescent blue card - $4.99 for 40 sheets of A5 card.  Good value. This makes for a nice base and I'm sure I'll be using it a bit. 

Use your little bitty stamps....

New challenge at StampNation today.... to use those little bitty stamps that came with lots of our stamp sets...

Here's a sneak peek - hop over to StampNation for the full reveal and to see what my team mates came up with.

Not a member.... it's a great place to be...

July CCC reveal

It the time for the reveal over at Card Chain Challenge.  It such a fun challenge.  
 I got to send a card to Dee.  Dee lives in Kenya, but was in England visiting her sister, so I sent my card off to her there.

I used my new Tim Holtz Mixed Media die and backed it with some purple card.  I used some dusty pink glitter card to die cut a butterfly.  Added some yellow/gold spray splatters.   My sentiment is from Kaisercraft. 

There were so many beautiful cards that were shared this month.  Do go have a look and join us for the August challenge.

Anything Goes for August at Die Cut Divas

New challenge time at Die Cut Divas and it's an Anything Goes 

Our sponsor Elizabeth Craft Designs has kindly given the Design Team so stamps and Dies to work with this month.... and I got Flower Power

And here is my card.

I stamped and Copic coloured my flower and then used the die to cut it out.   I used some yellow embroidery floss to add French Knots to the centre and then did some hand stitching around the purple panel. My sentiment is from a Catherine Pooler Designs stamp set.

Be sure to visit Die Cut Divas and join us for Anything Goes August.