One more for Happy Little Stampers...........and ATSM Challenge #129

Hi Everyone - from a pretty wet and windy Somerset.............

As I had some background card left over from my play with the Brushos I decided I needed to make another card and as the Happy Little Stampers Challenge - Watercolouring - is still open I will be entering it there.  Also there is as new challenge over at ATSM #129 which is CAS so I'll pop my card over there as well.  This is what I came up with:

I used my Stampin Up Wonderful Wings Sizzlets folder to die cut the five different size butterflies (each one three times), popped them up on top of each other with silicone glue and added them to my top fold A6 card.  I brushed Clear Wink of Stella over the top of each to give them some shine.  The sentiment is Stampin Up stamped in Versafine Purple ink.  I then added three pearls in three shades to match in with the butterflies........but somehow in the photo they don't look as if they match as they do IRL!!!

Thanks for dropping by - keep safe and warm.

Happy Little Stampers Watercolour and Less is More sketch 14 challenges

Hi Everyone

Think I'm just in time to enter the Happy Little Stampers latest challenge which is watercolouring and also the sketch challenge over at Less is More. Here is the sketch:

I had a bit of a play with my Brushos and some watercolour paper - this stuff is absolute magic and you never know what you're going to get, so it can be a bit hit and miss but definitely lots of fun!  Here is what I came up with:

After I'd made a piece of background paper I dried it with my heat gun and then put it between two reams of cardstock overnight to straighten it out. 

First I took the second smallest of my Lil'Inker Stitched Circle dies and die cut a circle from the centre of the watercolour paper.  I then positioned my Die-namics Fishtail Flags largest die and placed it over half the negative circle and partially die cut it as I didn't want the bottom pennant to cut.  I then took it out of my Big Shot and turned the die round so the straight line would cut, wiggled the die around until I felt it "bite" so I knew it was in the right place, and put it through again to finish the cutting.  I decided to also cut the smallest stitched circle die to put on top of the larger circle.  I then took the bluebell stamp from Clearly Besotted Fresh Flowers set and a butterfly and the sentiment (stamped with Versafine Purple ink) from Clearly Besotted Elegant Butterflies set and stamped with Versamark ink and then used my silver detail e/p over the top and heat set.

Apologies for the photo but whichever way I tried it not all the silver embossing showed so ended up propping the card up slightly...........so the angle may look a little bit odd.

Thanks for stopping by - all your comments are very much appreciated.

Happy stamping.

Triple Heart Easel Card Tutorial.........picture heavy!!!

Hi again everyone.  After my posting the triple heart easel card yesterday one of my blogging buddies, Sylvie of Gibmiss, asked if I had a tutorial for it.  Well I didn't...........but I do now! lol  

Please be warned this tutorial is picture heavy!

You will need:

• Spellbinders Hearts and Scalloped Hearts dies (3 largest from each set used) or any other heart dies
• White cardstock
• Patterned d/p
• Embellishments

Step 1

Cut three pieces of cardstock 8” x 4 ¾” and fold in half.  Lay the largest scallop die on the front of the c/s with the top of the heart slightly over the fold.  Do this with the two other dies so you end up with three “cards” in the three sizes.

                               

Step 2

Fold the top half of the heart cards in half and crease.

Step 3

Die cut three more scalloped hearts on single layer white cardstock.     

Step 4

Die cut your designer paper using the three sizes of the plain heart dies.  You can just do the three to add to your single hearts but I did six so I could also layer onto the base.

Step 5

Add the plain hearts with the d/p onto the folded heart cards (as you normally would for an easel card) and add the d/p onto the bases if you want to complete this step.

                              

Step 6

Attach the three heart easel cards together as per the picture.  The largest heart easel will “stop” behind the middle heart and the middle heart will “stop” behind the smallest heart.  You need to make a stop for the smallest heart……..I used a flower, but you could just as easily use the smallest heart die cut and pop up on some d/s foam.

    
                                         

         


Step 7

Add your embellishments as required.

Hope you all found this useful.  I've just got the Little B hearts die set which are larger than the Spellbinders and these are what Martine at AbFabDesigns used.

Happy crafting.

Triple Heart Easel card

Hello everyone

It's pretty cold and damp down here in Somerset but just got back from a lovely lunch with two of my crafting buddies.

The other day my friend Martine of Ab Fab Designs posted a lovely triple easel card she'd made and I was so taken by it I just had to CAS(e) it.

I needed to make a birthday card for my friend and neighbour Inga so decided to have a go at the triple easel card.  I didn't have the Little B heart dies that Martine used (which are larger) but decided to use my Spellbinders Hearts and Scalloped Hearts dies.  Here's what I came up with:

Each heart is a separate card and all three get joined together at the end.  It's really clever as the largest heart clips into the middle heart and the middle one goes into the smallest one, so all you need to do is make a "stop" for the front heart.  All the flowers and pearls are from my stash as was the paper.  The alphabet dies are Tattered Lace Elegant Alphabet and the Happy Birthday is Elizabeth Craft Designs 717 Happy Birthday - both cut out of blue mirri card.

Now I thought I'd share something with you all.  There was a Papertrey die I really wanted........it was $3 but the only place you can buy these dies is from Papertrey directly.  Unfortunately their shipping costs are pretty high but a girl's got to do what a girl's got to do eh?  Very quick service - the die arrived this afternoon.  Now I know why the PTI cost of shipping is so high - take a look at these photos and let me know what you think!!!!

Excitement.......a big parcel from the USA!!!

What?????  All there is in here is paper packing!

Oh, here it is.......one wafer thin die in an envelope measuring 3.5" x 5"!

Crazy or what!!!!!!!!


Happy crafting.

As you like it..............

Happy Friday fellow bloggers, followers and friends.

I was playing with a few things on my desk when I saw a new challenge over at As You Like It and it is asking you to show off your favourite embossing folder and give your reasons why.  Well, I just happened to have an embossing folder on my desk which I've had for yonks but never used so thought this would fit the challenge perfectly.  As it's a NBUS it fits in with my friend Dippy's latest challenge over at djkardcreations and also with CASology - so I'm entering this card in both of these.

The embossing folder I've used today is a Spellbinders 3D M-Bossabilities folder called Delightful Daisies.  It is so pretty and gives a really clean and crisp impression and would suit any occasion so it's really versatile.  Here is my card:

Card blank is 6x6 so I cut down the embossed panel to fit making sure I got the large daisy and the butterfly fully on the card.  Matted and layered onto cardstock from my stash.  The piece of card on top of the embossed panel came about by using my Lawn Cuts Stitched Hillside Borders and the sentiment is from Hobby Arts, using Versamark ink and gold detail e/p.  Final addition was a small ribbon bow.

Thanks for stopping by.  Wishing you all a very happy weekend.

Happy crafting.

Two for one.............

Well, I must be on a roll!!!  Either that or I'm dodging doing the VAT returns..........hmmm!

Anyway, I thought I'd join in the fun over at my friend Dippy's (Darnell to everyone else.....) blog djkardkreations where she has a NBUS challenge going on.  NBUS to the uninitiated means Never Before Used Schtuff.  Then I got another email saying she had been asked to be Guest Designer over at CASology collaborating on the same theme.

 Hence the two for one in the post heading.  Anyway come and have a look at my creation:

This card was pretty straight forward and I've used Sue Wilson's Striplet die - Floral Meadow, using the outside edge die to make a frame.  I sponged some colour through the striplet die to give some colour to the flowers.  This was then mounted onto some mats but put some glitter card behind the striplet.  The sentiment frame is Sue's French Collection - corner, border & tag set and the bow is Finishing Touches - filigree 3D itty bitty bows.  The embossed section of card is Creative Expressions Eternal embossing folder - isn't it pretty?  I then just added some pearls to the centre of the flowers.  Everything is new apart from the bow and tag dies.

Thanks for popping by - don't forget to jog on over to Darnell's blog and take a look at the CASology challenge as well.

Happy crafting.

LIM Challenge 206 - One Layer

I'm back again with a couple of cards.  The first one is for the LIM Challenge 206 which is one layer with the theme of New Beginnings.  It's an absolute age since I entered a LIM challenge but I just received a stamp set with a magazine - would you believe that it's called New Beginnings!!!  Co-incidence or what?  My friend Dippy (djkardkreations) has just pointed out to me that this card would be perfect for the NBUS challenge and also the new CASology challenge so I'm going to pop over there to enter as well.

I chose to use the baby in the hammock image for my card.  Stamped in Memento ink and coloured using my Chameleon pens.  The sentiments also came from the same stamp set.  Hope I'll be forgiven for adding a tiny ribbon!!!

My second card is using the free HOTP feather die and matching stamp set and stencil - both coming with craft magazines.

I started off by using the stencil and glitter embossing paste to create the feather in the bottom left hand corner.  I then die cut a feather and sponged with DI's and finally used the feather stamp and die for the third feather.  I sponged through the stencil with DI onto the main panel to create some interest and added one of the other stamps.  The corners have been punched with an EK Success corner punch and I added some pearly and a ribbon.  Matted and layered using cardstock from my bits box.

Thanks for dropping by.

Happy crafting.

A very belated Happy New Year!!!

A very belated Happy New Year to everyone! 

I've just realised I've been MIA for just about 3 months......... sorry I've not been around , but like lots of people haven’t been very well and then the rush up to Christmas completely submerged me to boot!!! Lol  I was desperately trying to get all my handmade cards ready to send out……..don’t you just hate all those inserts for different sized cards?  Yawn……  Still I managed it in the end, as I’m sure you all did as well.

Anyway as I've been making cards using some dies that hadn't seen the light of day yet I thought I’d pop by to show them to you.  Mostly using Creative Expressions dies and the genius of Sue Wilson, so lots of ideas have been CAS(e)d.

This card uses the pretty Gemini Dies – Carina together with the Spanish Collection tag.  The sentiment is from the Stampin Up Oval All set, gold embossed.  Matted and layered using linen cream card and some pretty packaging I’d saved.  Paper pierced around the edge of the middle mat and added some ribbon.

For this card I used up a piece of acetate that I’d used to demonstrate the Caught in Crystal technique at club a while ago.  Die cut the French Collection Background to go over the top.  The tag is from the French Collection as well; matted and layered with ribbon and gems to finish off.

Now this one is a definite CAS(e) from a Sue Wilson card using the French Collection Corner and tag and the Sue Wilson Quilted embossing folder.  I thought this was such a pretty way of using the corners to make up the backing frame for the tag – a bit of paper piercing and the addition of mats, layers and some pearls and voila, a really pretty card.

This last one is using the Tonic Verso Sending a Big Hug die set, Spellbinders Grand Circles dies and the Tattered Lace Westminster Corner with a border of the Creative Expressions Gemini – Carina die.  I made some felt roses using Creative Expressions Finishing Touches – Classic Rose and added some ribbon and pearls to finish off.

Well, thanks for stopping by – hope you've all now stashed your Christmas gear away and are looking forward to an exciting 2015.

Happy crafting.