A trio of celebrations.............

Hello Everyone - hope you're all having a good weekend and enjoying what might be the last of the nice weather.  Sorry I've been missing for a while but sometimes life takes over craft!!!

Well, I have a trio of celebratory cards for you today some which I couldn't share until they had been received by the recipients.

The first card was a commission for a friend in the village whose granddaughter was getting married over in Cyprus.  Inspiration was taken from Pam's blog as I had the same two dies and also hadn't realised that the Memory Box Butterfly Exhibit fitted perfectly over the Angel Wings Butterfly die.  As my friend was flying over to Cyprus for the wedding she asked that the card not be too bulky in case of getting damaged in transit.  

 

Although it's not too clear from the photo the butterfly exhibit was cut three times in card and vellum and sponged before I layered up.  The sentiment was computer generated.  The flowers and ribbon were from my stash, as were the pearls etc.

 

I was asked to make an envelope to go inside the card to take the gift of money.

The second card was one I made for my sister Val and brother-in-law Jim whose anniversary it was a week or so ago.  Inspiration for this one was taken from the super talented Sue Wilson using her Configurations - Lattice Arched Adornment die.  I die cut 8 pieces and after putting a piece of double sided sticky onto a piece of cream card then attached the 8 die cuts as shown below, trimming off the edges.  I then used Glamour Dust over the whole piece so it stuck to the background.  Everything was matted onto card die cut using Creative Expressions double pierced rectangle dies with the addition of ribbon, some netting and CE Finishing Touches - Perfect Peony Complete and open Petals dies for the flower.

 

A close up showing the Glamour Dust in the background.  The sentiment is from a Waltzingmouse set die cut using Dienamics Stitched Banners.

This last card hasn't been given yet but as my hubby doesn't look at my blog there's no chance he will see it!  It's our 25th Wedding Anniversary on the 27th of this month and although it's quite tricky making an anniversary card for a man I thought the occasion demanded a bit of glitz and glamour!

The main card is a 7" square and I've used Creative Expressions Noble Ornate Pierced Squares to make up all the background mats and layers.  The number is a Memory Box die which was raised from the main card by a piece of acetate bowed over the top layer so it wouldn't get lost in the white and silver behind it.  The flowers are Heartfelt Creations Poinsettia stamps and dies using snow paper.  Pins, pearls, leaves etc are all from my stash.

 This shows the dimension of the card.  I've made a matching box for it as well.

Hope he likes it!

Happy crafting.

Just Us Girls #304 WORD Autumn

Hi everyone

Just dropping by to let you know how excited I was to be invited by Just us Girls to be their Guest Designer for August!!!

It's a word week and the word is Autumn. 

 

Here's what I came up with:

I used a 5" x 7" card blank and took a slightly smaller piece of white card with an aperture cut into it.  I then die cut my Memory Box Toulouse background, covered it in Flitter Glu and then metallic flakes (Sunset).  For a background behind this die I covered some cardstock in a sticky glitter sheet which I also die cut a butterfly from.  I attached the main die cut behind the aperture with the butterfly in the corner.  The sentiment is from Waltzingmouse Stamps heat embossed with copper e/p.

Thanks for dropping by - please pop on over to the JUGs blog to see the lovely samples made by the design team.

Happy crafting.

Happy Little Stampers CAS Challenge June and Just Us Girls #297 Trend Week

Happy Friday everyone.

In between trying to do jobs in the garden I managed to make this card which fits in with the Happy Little Stampers CAS Challenge for June which is Sprays/Mists and also Just Us Girls #297 Trend Week Stacked Die Cuts.

I was playing with my new Ken Oliver Colour Bursts and it's quite amazing how much colour (as you will see from my card!!!) comes out in a puff of air..........!  I put my Memory Box stencil Texture Honey Comb on some watercolour card and sprayed water over before lifting it off.  I then "puffed" some colour over the w/c card and set it aside to dry.  I then die cut Memory Box Honey Blossom Spray from the coloured  w/c card and another four from white cardstock.  I glued all the die cuts together with the coloured one on top and inserted them back into the negative piece.  I then covered the blossom spray with Diamond Glaze.  Mounted onto a top fold card base.  The sentiment is SU Celebrate Today stamp set and punched out with a SU punch.  Not sure whether the light in my room wasn't very good but it looks much more dimensional IRL!!!

Thanks for dropping by.  Have a great weekend - the weather looks like it's going to be good.

Happy crafting.

NB  Just been to link up with the Just Us Girls challenge to find the link has been closed - ah well, never mind!

Carried away with CAS(E) this Sketch Challenge # 112

There's a new challenge over at CAS(E) this Sketch and I had a bit of a play yesterday and made not one, not two but THREE cards!!!!  Here is the sketch:

 

and here are my cards:

For the first one  I have used my Sue Wilson Expressions Die - Enjoy.  I used a combination of blue mirri and a light green cardstock and die cut the sentiment.  I then played with adding (paper piecing) the die cut sentiment back into the negative aperture in different colours.  The sentiment was added to complete the card and I mounted it on a piece of dark green card.  Sorry I don't know the make of the sentiment stamp but think it came free with a magazine.

For the second card I used Tonic partner sentiments die set and used a combination of plain red cardstock, embossed red cardstock and some glitter card (although I don't think it shows up very well in the photo).  I added the heart which came out of the sentiment to the top of the card.

For my third, and last, card I have used my Memory Box Grand Happy Birthday die - very simply cutting it out of cream card and laying a piece of d/p behind it.  I added some gold gems and that was the card finished.

Thanks for popping by.  Hope you're having a great weekend.

Happy crafting.

Happy Little Stampers February Sketch challenge & Showcase your Style

Hello to all my friends, followers and fellow bloggers.  Thanks for dropping by today.

A really quick card today to enter into the Happy Little Stampers February Sketch challenge.  Here is the sketch:

I thought it was so pretty that the temptation was to actually recreate it!!!  But I think that defeats the point..............so here is what I came up with:

I started off with a blank 5 x 7 card and using Memento London Fog stamped Stampin Up Off the Grid stamp and then over stamped with three different Paper Artsy Mini grunge stamps.  I then die cut two mini and one normal Memory Box hot air balloons out of d/p from my stash.  Popped them up with silicone and then stamped the sentiment from Sheena Douglass's A Little Bit Sketchy Only Words - From the Heart using SU Pumpkin Pie ink.

This also fits with the Showcase your Style challenge.  Thanks for the heads up Dippy. Here is their challenge photo:

Have a great day.

Happy crafting.

Less is More - Week 192 Colour Challenge

Hello everyone - well Autumn has certainly arrived and it seems that Less is More are embracing it with their new challenge:

For our Colour challenge this month we have chosen 

Autumn's Bounty

Sounds kinda poetic doesn't it...

so we'd love to see autumnal shades in your cards.

Don't forget to make them CAS of course!

Now it's been absolutely ages since I joined in the fun at Less is More but as I'd just made this card and it fitted the theme then I thought I'd give it a go.

At club tonight one of our projects is showing them the faux pearl technique as demonstrated so wonderfully by my ATCAS DT pal Loll of Stamping with Loll.  I decided to try out my Brushos to see if they worked with the faux pearl technique and to my delight they really did.  I die cut my Memory Box fern and coloured it with Brushos and then when my pearl paint was dry I sprinkled the crystals on the card and spritzed with water.  I layered it up on some brown cardstock, placed a brown strip across with the fern over the top.  The sentiment is SU punched with a circle punch and I added a ribbon.

This is really a great technique so pop on over and watch Loll's YouTube video.

Happy crafting.

Addicted to CAS - Challenge # 49 and a fab new product!

Hello Everyone - can you believe it's October already???  This year has just flown.  Talking of which it's time for a new challenge over at Addicted to CAS.  Your hostess for this challenge is our amazing leader Kylie of  Kylie is Addicted to Stamps.  Here is the code word she has chosen for us:

Our Sponsor is:

http://www.whimsystamps.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=13_38

Welcome to our Guest Designer for October ... Hannelie of Desert Diva

Hi, my name is Hannelie Bester. So thrilled to be guest designer for October at ATCAS!

I've actually made two cards to show you today, both using stencils but in a slightly different manner.  Here is my first one:

I've used Memory Box "Texture Honey Comb" stencil and for this I've used Glitter Frosting Paste from Glitz Craft which is a fast drying paste (probably about 15-30 minutes depending on how much you have used).  I've matted it onto a light blue base.  The sentiment is Tattered Lace and the lovely snowflake is Memory Box "Precious Snowflakes".  

Before I die cut the snowflake I added a new product to my cardstock called Stick It Die-Cut Adhesive Sheets.  These are micro thin sheets of adhesive specially formulated for intricate die cutting and can also be used with electronic cutting machines...it creates a uniform layer of adhesive making it so easy to stick down those fiddly die cuts.  I bought the large sheets but there is also a smaller pack size.  You just cut a piece to size, peel off the easy release backing and stick it down onto your cardstock.  In this case I actually put it on the front rather than the back as I wanted to glitter the snowflake.  I then passed my cardstock and die through my Big Shot, removed the backing paper (super easy!!!) and then sprinkled it with Glamour Dust.  This product was extremely easy to use, it's lightweight and the backing removes perfectly even with an intricate die.  I'm definitely going to use this for all my dies that are difficult to add adhesive to!!!  I added the snowflake to the card using some Pinflair to raise it up.

Here is my second card:

I've used Studio 490 Wendy Vecchi "From the Garden" and sponged through using SU inks.  The sentiment is also Stampin Up!  I've added some gold Liquid Pearls to the centres of the flowers and matted onto a green base.

Well, that's about it from me.  Please pop on over to see all the lovely cards the rest of the DT and Hannelie our GD have made for you.  We're all gearing up to come visiting.

Have a great weekend.

Happy crafting.

Addicted to CAS - Challenge # 47

Yes, I know it's only been a week but what gorgeous creations you all made for the LUXURY challenge. Certainly makes it hard to decide!

So onto today's newest challenge at Addicted to CAS.  Your hostess for this challenge is the gorgeous and very talented Sylvia of Poppy's Papercraft Patch.  Here is the code word she's chosen for you:

Our Sponsor is:

http://www.whimsystamps.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=13_38

and they are offering a prize of 5 free digis

Now I must admit I really don't have many oriental stamps..........or not really any that I wanted to use so I turned to Joanna Sheen's Oriental Dreams CD and picked out this lovely bird graphic.  Very simply matted it onto dark blue cardstock and the greeting (computer generated) was treated the same.  All popped up on a DL card blank and I added two swirls of Memory Box Blooming Vine as it looked a little too bare!

As I was left with more of these images in different sizes I decided to make another card, not quite to CAS, to use them up.  I matted the various sizes of image onto dark blue card and then layered them up side by side.  The sentiment actually says "Love" in Chinese and was computer generated and punched out using my EK Success label punch.  I then added a double bow and some Liquid Pearls.

Now, let's see what you come up with - can't wait to come visit your blogs.

Happy crafting.

KYLIE'S BIRTHDAY PARTY

Hello everyone - it's a big shout out as it's our esteemed leader Kylie's birthday today - Happy, Happy Birthday Kylie.  Hope you have a wonderful day and that you get a very pleasant surprise with your birthday party which the fabulous Loll has organised for you.

Here is the card that I've made for Kylie (although I might have just sent it to her old home, but as it's only a couple of doors away from where she lives now I am hoping that it gets to her safely.........Kylie - please knock on number 91 and retrieve it in case they haven't already delivered it!!! oops!).

So hope you've got a cuppa as this is a bit picture heavy but I wanted to show you the whole card which is difficult to get in one shot.

I've made a shaped card using my new Tonic Ornate Elegance Header Fold dies.  All the d/p is from my First Edition "New Leaf" pad.  The centre is made up of two ovals from my MFT Stitched Oval Stax.  On the top one I have die cut the Happy Birthday out of the oval and then cut several other layers, glued them together and then re-inserted them back into the oval.  The flower die is MB Glorious Gerber Daisies.  I have die cut Kylie's name using MB Large Classic alphabet dies

This is the card as it would normally stand - a type of zigzag.

This looks quite strange but the left fold goes backwards and the right comes forwards.

This is the card laying flat.

A close up of the die cut sentiment.  The greeting is on the back side of this oval.

Showing the dimension

Hope you have a wonderful day Kylie and that this little birthday party shows how much people think of you.

Hugs.

Less is More : One Layer Challenge - Week 176 & NBUS Challenge #1

Hello everyone from a very sunny but breezy Somerset.  Just popping by to enter my card into the new Less is More challenge which I haven't done for ages it seems.

This week's challenge is:

Once more it's One Layer Card time and

 the title of our challenge is 

OFF THE EDGE

My card was super quick to produce.  I've used my Memory Box Grand Happy Birthday die on a 6" square card.  Positioned it right on the edge and then placed a piece of cardstock behind the "birthday".  Add in a matching ribbon and "Bob's your uncle"...........well, maybe not, but you know what I mean!!! lol

Whilst we're at it I can't help but join in my great buddy Darnell's new challenge which is to use NBUS (Never Before Used Schtuff) in celebration of her reaching 500 followers - she's a star and a seriously good friend (mwah!!! Dippy xxx).  This card qualifies as I've never used this die before and it is a new reel of ribbon.  Hope it qualifies on the friendship angle as I'm going to be sending it to a friend.  If you haven't come across Darnell (where on earth have you been????) please pop on over to her blog (be prepared to spend hours and hours and have serious face ache when you finish..........hehe).

Thanks for dropping by.  Hope you're all having a good week.

Happy crafting.

Addicted To CAS - Challenge #38

Happy Saturday everyone - it's time for another challenge at Addicted to CAS and this time it's the lovely Marie's turn to set the challenge.  Your code word is:

 

Our Sponsor is

http://www.whimsystamps.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=13_38

Prize is 5 free digis

New Guest Designer Alert! :)  We are so excited to announce that Darnell (djkardkreations), will be guest designing at ATCAS for the month of May!  Welcome Darnell!

 

"Welcome to the merry month of May at Addicted to CAS! As a lot of you know, I'm a CAS cardist who has been blogging for a couple of years. I started making cards in 2002 and my hobby grew to the point where I now have my own little Playhouse in the back yard where everyone is welcome! I'm so delighted to be here as a Guest Designer this month! I'd like to thank the DT for inviting me to join them and thank you for joining in the fun and participating in our challenges!!"

 

I'm delighted that Darnell is our guest designer for the month of May as she's one of my all time favourite bloggers (and a great friend as well aren't you Dippy??? lol).  If you've never had the pleasure of meeting her I will warn you that if you visit her blog once you will go back time and time again - my face aches every time I visit........and you'll see why when you pop on over!!!

 

Well, things have been hectic for me this last two weeks and I apologise for the lack of commenting but had some things been happening and the last straw was that our computer died on us on Wednesday - my tablet joined in - and all I was left with was my phone! Still good news there we've just got our new computer and I'm desperately trying to find my way around it so please bear with me!  So, on to my card for the challenge:

 

 

 

 

Off the Edge seemed appropriate for me after all we've been through, so instead of jumping off a cliff (that was tempting believe me.....!) I decided on a simple effect of die cutting and paper piecing and then slicing down the centre to give an off set gatefold card.  I've done the same with the sentiment which is Tattered Lace.  The main die cut is Memory Box Blooming Vine.  I've added some liquid pearls at the end.

 

 

We can't wait to see what you come up with and will try to catch up with all my visiting.  Please pop on over to the Addicted to CAS blog to see what inspiration the DT have come up with for you.

 

Happy crafting.

 

 

 

 

Christmas Card Challenge #8

Hello everyone and welcome to my new followers.  It's time for another challenge over at Christmas Card Challenge and this time it's the lovely Asha of Sunny Summer Crafts who has chosen the theme which is:

Christmas Lights (candles, fairy lights, lamps, lanterns)

Now I have been really busy this week and had to leave making this card until yesterday after I had done a few hours of gardening.........so I merrily went about making my card; one of those times I knew exactly what I wanted to do.  Finished it, photographed it, just going to schedule my post and then a niggling thought in my mind made me check again...........yep, I'd read the wrong challenge and made a card for the next challenge due on 27th April.  Soooooo, panic stations - what shall I do, help, ummmmh!!!! lol  Anyway I gathered myself and then thought about what I had, if anything, to meet this challenge and then remembered my lovely MB candles die.

So I die cut  three sets, one in gold mirri, one in red mirri and one in green bazzill cardstock.  I then die cut my shape using Spellbinders Labels 8 and die cut the candles again from the centre of the label.  I then paper pieced all the elements back into the negative shape.  The sentiment is Tattered Lace.  Tartan paper and red and gold glittery paper from my stash, borders are a MS snowflake border punch to which I've added red Liquid Pearls.  Sorry for the quality of the photo, I just couldn't seem to get a good photo with all the mirri card.

Thanks for popping by...........at least there's no rush for the next challenge; mine's already made!!! lol

Happy crafting.