Die Cut Dreams "Karen's special sketch and Lavender & Lace"

The theme of this week's challenge over at Die Cut Dreams is Karen's special sketch and lavender and lace.

I found some backing paper in my stash which was the nearest colour - I think it is from a Papermania set.  I printed out this great image "mistletoe kisses" from Prairie Fairy  and coloured using Promarkers.  I then used nesties to give a nice die cut shape and mounted on the next size up.  I added some Diamond Glaze on her glasses.  I used a strip of lace from my stash and then computer generated the sentiment which was matted onto some matching cardstock.  I then added some gems and flowers.

Thanks for looking.

Less is More - Week 7 Challenge - Masculine

This weeks challenge over at Less is More is Masculine.

I decided to use this stamp from Lili of the Valley called zooming along and stamped onto white card with Memento ink and coloured with Promarkers.  I decided to try the "inside the box" technique that I saw Sue Wilson doing on C&C the other day.  I frequently use the "outside the box" method but hadn't thought of doing it this way round.  I took the nestie I wanted to use and positioned it on the card where I wanted the aperture.  I then lightly pencilled around the inside of the die and cut out the part of the image which was inside this mark.  I then positioned the die (cut side down) under the part of the image I had just cut out.  This gives the impression of the car being within the window.  I positioned some paper from my stash at the back of the window.  Now I know the challenge is definitely less is more but it did look pretty plain at this stage so I ran the piece of card through my die cutting machine in a Creative Expressions embossing folder and then inked lighly over the raised area.  The edge was cut using a Martha Steward punch.  Sentiment is from a Stampin Up kit and cut out using Stampin Up punches.

Thanks to all for stopping by on this beautiful sunny spring day.

Boys & Girls come out to play

Challenge number 6 over at Do It With Digi's is Boys & Girls come out to play.

I decided to use this digi stamp from Di's Digi's which was a freebie.  Coloured with Promarkers and die cut using nesties and mounted on a piece of sage green Bazzill card.  I decided to make it up into a twisted easel so I scored and folded the top flap of a 6" square card diagonally.  This is covered with some paper I had in my stash and I used the remainder on the inside and created a border out of pink bazzill using a Martha Stewart punch.  The pinwheel flower was created using the new Tim Holtz die.  The sentiment has been die cut using Whimsy Stamps ticket die and sponged with a pink chalk inkpad.  The addition of some flowers and a parchment butterfly completed the card.

Thanks for stopping by.

Apertures and Starlight, Starbright

This week's challenge over at Bah! Humbug! is apertures and over at Die Cut Dreams it is starlight, starbright.  As I'm desperately trying to sort out my craft room and moving books to our new bookcase I thought I would cover both challenges in one card.

I have taken an 8x8" scalloped card and covered with paper from Dovecraft Let it Snow series.  I then positioned one of my grand nesties (Labels 1) on the front and put it through my JT machine.  The paper I have used for the front of the card is double sided so I cut a frame using the same nesties but turned the paper over to use the plain back as it was a perfect match for the patterned side.  I layered some acetate over the frame and glued it down and then put shaker tape around the back of the frame ready for putting it over the aperture.  The image is from a stamp set by Debbi Moore and has been coloured in with Promarkers and Diamond Sparkles used for the fluffy bits on the dresses/shoes and also the stars.  I then punched out stars of various sizes from red, green and gold mirri to put as the "shaker" element of the card and placed the acetate and frame over the top.  The sentiment is from a clear stamp set by Dovecraft and has been embossed using detail gold e/p.  The snowflakes are made using a die called Winter's Jewel 1 from Whimsy Stamps.  The border has been made using a Martha Stewart edge punch.  I then added a few gems to finish off.

Thanks for stopping by.

Less is More - Off the edge, one layer, no scored lines

It's Week 6 over at Less is More and the challenge is to make a card with an "off the edge" image, one layer and no scored lines........... hmm so presumably that means no embossed lines to frame anything???  To be on the safe side I decided not to include anything like that.

I took a square white linen card and used the large medallion stamp from Stampin Up which was stamped in Versamark, half off the page, and embossed using detail copper e/p.  I then ran the card through my printer for the computer generated sentiment.

Thanks for looking.

Less is More - Pastels

Week 5's challenge over at Less is More is Pastel Colours.

I used an old Anita's stamp of roses for my main theme.  I stamped in Stampin Up Old Olive and then coloured with Promarkers.  I then die cut the image using a Spellbinders labels nestie - I used the two largest sizes to create a main focal image and a frame.  I tied a piece of ribbon around the frame and put it directly onto my square card.  The main focal image was placed using foam pads with some glue stick on them to allow me to manoeuvre it into the correct position.  The pink swirl is a Marianne's die.  The sentiment is from Stampin Up Sincere Salutations stamp set and again stamped using the SU Old Olive.  I used the same labels set (but a smaller die) to cut this out.

Thanks for dropping by.

Embossing

This week's challenge over at Bah! Humbug! is embossing.

For this card I decided to do the double embossing method.  First of all I decided what die to use and I've chosen a Nellie Snellen set.  I then took two pieces of card (same size as the embossing folder that I am going to use) and place the largest die on top and cut out the centre.  I repeated this with the other piece of card and made sure I had placed the die in the exact position by putting the first piece of card over the top and pencilling in the aperture.  When you have both pieces of card cut use some temporary glue to position them together.  These two pieces then get taped on top of the embossing folder (on the outside).  Cut a piece of card to fit the embossing folder - in this case I've chosen a universal e/f - and run through your die cutting machine.  You will see that the whole card apart from the central area where your die had been cut out have been embossed.  Then separate the pieces of card and taking one piece position your die back over the aperture and put this directly over your embossed card making sure everything lines up.  Again run through your die cutting machine  so the outside of the die is actually embossed on your embossed card leaving the central piece untouched.  You may have to have a play to get the correct recipe of plates etc as you don't want the original embossing to be flattened out.  I then took the same die set and made a frame to enhance the unembossed piece, stamped my sentiment (Stampin Up) and embossed in red glitter e/p.  I then placed the frame on top using silicone gel to raise it up, put an embossed line around the edge of the card using red liner tape and then matted and layered as normal.  The only addition it needed was a ribbon and some gems.

Thanks for looking.

Less is More - 3 squares challenge

The challenge this week at Less is More is 3 squares which is a little less frightening than the last challenges!!!  lol

When I was at the Farnborough show last week I bought a new stencil and some red variagated foiling sheets from the Hobby House.  The stencil is part of a new range from Sweet Poppy and they have some lovely designs which are very reasonably priced.  For this card I took the stencil and taped it onto some ice white pearlised card and put transluscent embossing paste over it.  I let it dry for an hour or so and then replaced the stencil and brushed on some size; I left this for about 10 minutes to go tacky and then placed a sheet of the red variagated foil over the top, rubbed gently and then used a fairly stiff stencil brush to remove the excess.  I cut this foiled image into three and mounted onto a piece of red card.  The sentiment is computer generated (I'm getting addicted to these text boxes!!!  lol).  A very simple, but effective card.

Thanks for dropping by.

Things that fly and Sketch & Colour Combo

The challenge over at Bah! Humbug! this week is "things that fly" and over at Die Cut Dreams Christmas Club it's a sketch and colour combo with the theme of blue and pink.  I thought I would combine the two into one card.

The DCD challenge provided a card sketch so I have followed this by taking a 5x7 card and covering it with light blue paper onto which I have watermark stamped an ornate snowflake from a SU stamp set.  I then cut two strips of darker blue card and used my MS embossing snowflake punch to give a decorative edge on both pieces.  The image is a digistamp called 4 calling birds by Bekki but I don't have the link to her blog unfortunately.  The birds were coloured in using Promarkers.  The sentiment was printed and embossed in blue e/p.  The card candy was punched out and then embossed on a mouse mat to get the domed shape and the flower is made using my Xcut embossing Botanical punch.

Thanks for stopping by.

Wedding card

I was asked to make a "special" wedding card for a friend's son who is getting married soon.  They are having a very quiet wedding but Pat wanted to give them something for them to keep.

I wasn't given any preferences as to style but Hannah's wedding dress is a dark pinky red - so I decided to make the card around that colour.

I had some card with wedding sentiments glittered onto it (which I actually got from Lidl's!!!) and so I sponged it lightly with a claret coloured ink.  The bottom of the page has a border punched with a MS deep edger punch and it has a matching strip under it in red glitter card.  I added a border of red glitter card with lace over through the middle of the card.  The bride is from a Joanna Sheen stamp set "Victorian Bride" and was stamped and embossed with detail gold e/p.  I then inked up the same stamp with Staz-On, covered it with Angelina fibre and ironed it to get the fibres fused with the imprint of the dress.  I cut this out and glued it on top of the original image.  The main toppers were die cut using nesties - the bottom one is actually a red silk fabric which I glued (Stick & Stay) onto a piece of card.  Fabric cuts beautifully with the nesties with no threads hanging........  Hannah and Jim's initials were die cut in the red glitter card.  I then made up a bouquet of paper flowers, pins and gems.  The heart was made in the same way.  The sentiment was computer generated using text boxes in Word.

I have made a matching envelope box and added a fabric heart and matching flowers, ribbons etc.  I used the same MS punch in the centre of the opening with a gold mirri behind it.  Their initials are card die cuts which have been gold embossed. The heart on the ribbon is from Anna Griffin.

Thanks for stopping by.

CD card and matching card and tag

Hello everyone.

This week's challenges over at Bah! Humbug! and Die Cut Dreams Christmas Club are CD/DVD's and a matching card and tag respectively.

For the CD card I have chosen papers from the Papermania Classic Christmas set.  I checked the size of the CD I was using and then using my EK Success Circle Scissor I cut out the holly image and made my own pyramage.  It's so easy with the Circle Scissor as I can't cut a straight circle to save my life......... actually that doesn't sound quite right - how can you cut a straight circle!!!  lol  Anyway, I am sure you know what I mean.  I then layered the pyramage onto the CD using foam tape in various thicknesses.  I then cut a circle out of red mirri card to back the CD.  The backing paper is also from the same set and then I used my Xcut silhouette corner punch to make the photo corners.  I added some Stickles and the sentiment is a peel off.

For the matching tag I used nesties to cut out the main image and the backing mirri card and then added a ribbon.

Sorry the photo's not terribly good!

Thanks for dropping by.

Thank you so much to my good friend Anne from  Stamps & Paper for giving me this award.  I would like to pass the award onto 7 more lovely blogs the rules are:

Step 1 - Make a post linking back to the person who gave you the award!

DONE.......

Step 2 - Share 7 random things about yourself

1. I used to teach ballroom and latin dancing
2. In a past life I was a college lecturer
3. I love Michael Buble
4. My cat runs rings around me
5. I've just lost over 1 1/2 stones in weight
6. Still can't run to catch the bus!!!!  lol
7. I love Marmite

 

Step 3 – Award 7  recently discovered bloggers with this award

 

1. Jill at http://jillsquills.blogspot.com/
2. Chrissie & Mandi at  http://simplylessismoore.blogspot.com/
3. Sue at http://particraft.blogspot.com/
4. Liz at http://rarelizzie.wordpress.com/
5. Lynne at http://sentiments4you.blogspot.com/
6. Jenny at http://stampingmoments.blogspot.com/
7. Kate at http://tastykaeru.blogspot.com/

Step 4 – Contact these bloggers and tell them they’ve won the award

Less is More - Spring challenge

This week's challenge over at Less is More is "Spring".

They have provided a great tutorial on producing sentiments on your computer using text boxes.  This is something I've always wanted to know how to do so would like to thank Chrissie and Mandi very much for posting the instructions.

I started with the sentiment on the computer and printed it out onto a 6"x6" card base.  I then inked up my stamp (Soldago Sprig from Rubber Stampede) using Stampin Up Rich Razzleberry and Old Olive inkpads which matched the colours in the sentiment and stamped the image to the side of the sentiment.

Thanks for looking.

And now for something a little different.............

Thought I'd share this project that I have just finished in my free machine embroidery class.  It's a wall hanging and has been made totally from scratch.  I started off with a base of felt and layed sheers in different colours over the top;  this was then free machined to give a piece of fabric that could be used for this project.  Eight circles were cut out of the fabric in four different sizes and then sewn together to make the four "cones". 

On the remaining fabric I used my flower stitch attachment and stitched lots of circles, some overlapping and then a part of this was cut out and had the centres of the circles removed - this was used on the largest cone to add texture; beads were then added to the centre of the circles.  Other circles were cut out singly and then manipulated to give a twisted shape and were added to the hanging and then beaded. 

The tassle was made by hand and has a topping of another small cone and then beads were added.  The cord was made on the sewing machine by using a zigzag stitch over a long length of yarn. 

Lastly I took eight more circles that I had made using my flower stitcher and cut out the centres.  These were put together with the cord threaded through to make an embellishment for the cord.




Thanks for stopping by.

Doilies

Bah! Humbug's! challenge this week is "Doilies" so I raided my stash of doilies and chose a small round one.  In the centre is a Lili of the Valley Christmas Angel which I die cut with a nestie and added a silver peel off around the edge and mounted it on the doily which was then mounted onto blue mirri.  The backing paper is from my stash and then I added a strip of lace which, I thought, actually looks rather like individual angels.  The sentiment is from Sentiments4You which I resized in Word and then die cut using nesties.  This was matted onto blue mirri.  I then added some flowers and gems to finish it off.

Thanks for taking the time to stop by.