1st Anniversary.

Another Anniversary card which I can now show as it has been received. This time all the web pages say that the 1st is Paper so I have created the background paer to show that.

 

The Stamp is a Penny Black called Letters and Flowers (thanks Hettie) and I have just lightly coloured a few of the flowers using a purple promarker  Butterflies  and hearts were Di's ex snippets. Sentiment created in word and printed off, stuck to card and die cut using a nestie. Pearls from my stash.

 



 

Entering into the following challenges:

Love to Create: Punches and/or dies.

Dream Valley: Things with wings.

Emmas Cards UK: Butterflies.

Country View Crafts: Butterflies.

Stamping Sensations: Special Occasions.

Crafty Catz: The colour purple.

Make it Monday:  Paper Crafts.

Fairy Tale Challenge: A very special occasion.

Stampin for the Weekend: Die cuts and/or punches.

 

 



W is for Winter.

The current letter to use over at the Craft Barn  is W but with a twist. You must use circles on your background. I have chosen Winter as my word. It has certainly felt like it here  today as we have had several showers of hail stones in between sunny spells and the temperature has plummeted again.
My background circles have been created using bubble wrap (now you do all keep it from your packaging don't you? Shame on you Miss Di but thanks ever so!). Cut to page size and inked up with distress ink, simply pressed down on page and a heavy book applied for a few seconds and hey presto circles or in this case sort of snow flakes.



Scene is cut from an old Christmas card  and ribbon and lace from my stash (very old stash). How do I know that ? Well I used to buy my lace and trimmings from down Walthamstow market (East London) and we have lived here in Hampshire for 30 yrs so that is the latest time I could have visited and bought any.
The  W is a freebie downloaded from here.

Entering into the following challenge:
The Craft Barn: Alpha Challenge letter W.

Linen, Lace or Pottery.

Have been busy making things but can't show  yet as most are for swaps or occasions that have not arrived  but I'm okay to show this one now as it was yesterday.
 





The Web pages that I looked up for Wedding anniversary meanings all said something different  for this particular year so I played safe and used all three to create the backing paper on this card. Done in word and coloured before printing off and cutting to size.  The Lace is from my snippets box and came originally from MIL's unmentionables.

 

 

The stamp is a Penny Black that I just lightly coloured with my promarkers  and the Butterflies and hearts are further snippets that came my way.



 

The sentiment was cut from an old card.

 

Entering into the following challenges:

Scrap Creations: Insects or animals.

Through the Craft Room: Anything goes.

Simon Says stamps: Anything goes.

Penny's Paper-Crafty: Anything goes.

Fab 'n' Funky: Love is a many splendid thing.

Sister Act: Anything goes.

All Sorts: A passion for flowers.

Pixies Crafty Workshop: Use your snippets.

Sparkles: Hearts.

Lexi's Creations: Add lace and/or ribbon.

 

 

 

 





Round Robin.

The little robin on this card looks just like the fat  one we have visiting our garden at present.
In fact all the birds are well rounded and Mr Squirrel is a very happy chappy too. They are costing us an arm and a leg to keep up with the nuts and sunflower seeds they they are scoffing by the bucket load!! It's nice  though to see all the varieties that pop in to visit us.

I'm trying out two items that I haven't used before on this card. Kraft paper and a Die-cut topper.The kraft paper is a Twistwrap  made by Foundations craft unlimited and has the look of tree bark which I  rather like.  The topper is from a sheet  called Robbins/Gold by Craft Creations Ltd. You get 6 assorted sized images and 9 smaller ones which you could use to make tags with.  The lace has been in my stash for ever and a day  (over more than 3 decades!) and the flower trims probably as long. They were originally attached to a loop of green ribbon each  but it clashed ever so slightly with the green ribbon threaded through the lace so it  had to go. Like wise the centres had a bead attached which I removed and replaced with the red pearls and the holly backing  paper came from a friend in America. The sentiment is from an old, old Christmas card just waiting for the right time so I reckon I have made a well and truly vintage card. 

 

Entering into the following Challenges:

Sweet Stampin Christmas: Krafty Christmas (use kraft paper).

Christmas Card Challenges: Something with wings.

Crimbo Crackers: Vintage.

Crafty Hazelnuts Extra: Anything goes.

Christmas Stamping all year long: Snowflakes,snowmen or a winter scene.

Pixie's Crafty Workshop: Use your snippets. (flower trims &  sentiment).

 



It's Cold Outside.

It's been a funny old day today. We have had hail stones the size of peas that came down so thick and fast that within five minutes the garden and roadway looked like it had a coating of snow on. My card is quite in keeping  with the weather! Made as the second card for the
challenge over at Lady Anne's this month which was to use this digi image by Anji's Antics.
Details of their site can be found here.
I have also followed the sketch on Christmas Challenges (with Sketches).

 

Snowman has been coloured in using Distress Markers and then given a light dusting of matching pearlescent chalks. I have tied  cotton thread on his buttons to make them look more authentic. The sentiment has been recycled from inside of an old Christmas card. Blue glitzy paper was one of my star buys from the Ally Pally show. 10 sheets for £1. Everything else from my stash.

 

Entering into the following challenges:

Lady Anne's: #3 Use image by Anji's Antics.

Christmas Challenges: Follow sketch provided.

52 Christmas Card Throwdown: Use dark blue/light blue/ white.

Jingle Belles: Include a recycled element. (sentiment)

Crafty Hazelnuts Extra: Anything goes.

Crafty Creations: No patterned papers.

Natalie's and Amy's challenge: Monochromatic.

 

 

 



Birthday Girl.

I can post this now as it is my DIL's Birthday today.  Happy Birthday Mrs N.

The backing paper is by Nancy Watt 'Pretty Pansies' free in Making Cards magazine.

The digi is called  Playing Dressing Up by Emma Canning available from here. I have paper pieced her dress, socks, shoes, bows and the little flower.  Dress paper is by Prima 'Botanical' free in Simply cards and Papercrafts. Digi coloured using Promarkers and Pearlescent chalks. Wardrobe and image edged round using a gold highlighter pen.

The little flowers are the snippet offcuts from the tonic punches I mentioned in a previous post. 

I had enough of each of the papers left over  to make this little gift  folder to go in with the card. (This is the tonic punch that makes the little umbrellas on the card posted  below).

Entering into the folowwing challenges:

Dream Valley: Happy Birthday.

Challenges 4 Everybody: Anything goes.

Bearly Mine: Anything goes.

Totally Gorgeous: Spring Shades.

Sweet Stampin: Pastels

Hiding in my Craft room: Use your scraps.

Ruby's Rainbow: Happy Birthday.

Fab 'n' Funky: Spring colours.

Pixie's Crafty Workshop : Use up your snippets.





R is for Raffia.

The current letter over at the Craft Barn is R. I have chosen Raffia as my word and made a little mat from it for my page. 

Raffia  and  gold ribbon  from my stash and pearls newly bought to match the diluted wash of a colour match  paint pot  'Tuscan Terracotta'  The letter R was downloaded for free from here.

 

Running all behind again and entering at the eleventh hour into the following challenge.

 

The Craft Barn: Alpha challenge letter R.



It's Raining Cats & Dogs!

There is a Tonic  border punch that I use which leaves off cuts behind  as shown below.
Can't possibly throw those out! I have already used some of the flowers on a card I must not show yet as it is a Birthday card. The half moon shapes reminded me of little umbrellas so into my stash they went. 





Then a challenge popped up and I just had to do it. Sorry Fluff couldn't resist!

 

The background paper was a freebie from Birds Cards. The stamps again were freebies from various magazines.  The cut out nestie used is the largest size  of Spellbinders S4-383 and the inset of course has gone into my stash for future use. Sentiment was generated in word and  have used a Cheery Lynn Design Sentiment Frame #2 B190.

 

The raindrops (which you can just about see) were made usingGlossy accents.

 

Entering into the following challenges:

Cupcake Crafts: Raining Cats and Dogs.

Crafty Card Makers: Humour.

Craft Your Passion: Water, water everywhere. (raindrops)

Creative Card Crew: Clouds.

Rhedd and Rosies: Monochrome.

Wags  and Whiskers: April showers/spring.

A Gem of a Challenge: Animals.

That Craft Place: Animal challenge.

Crafty Calendar: Sunshine and  showers.

Heck of a Challenge: Just add water. (raindrops)

Pixie's Crafty Snippets :Use your snippets. (Yes Miss)

 





Button Bonanza

Picture heavy post!!!
I have just completed a button  swap where we had to send our partners 10 fun buttons.
I didn't just want to post them off in a bag so came up with the idea of sending them as a
little  book. I sourced buttons by theme and then went off in search of papers in my stash that would go with them. Ended up  with slightly more than the 10 buttons needed but had fun making the pages anyway!
Here's the completed book closed with a couple of cute  buttons on the front. I used Ivory satin sheen cardstock for the front and backs of the pages.

I made the book as a concertina so when standing up all the pages can be seen. The papers are all freebies from Papercraft Inspirations magazines editions at various times. I used cardboard for the shapes and attached cream satin ribbon in a ruffle  around the edges before adhering the pages.

Page one had dragone flies and ladybugs on it so I used  a couple of butterflies ,dragon fly and a ladybug  button.  Edging at bottom is a Tonic punch and the cutouts (waste not want not) I stuck around the curved top.

The buttons are stitched on with a single thread and tied in bows so that the buttons can be removed and then the thread  re tied on the pages so as not to leave holes showing. The back covers to the pages were attached last of all so that the stiches on the reverse would not be seen either.



On page 2  I used a  different tonic punch for the edging and the waste cuts were trimmed down and used up the sides of the page. The flower paper was just begging for buttons to be added as the centres.

Page 3 is my favourite paper as it looked to me like an underwater scene with water nymphs and sea urchins darting across the page. The centres of the leaves all had a heart shape so I used various shapes and colours. I found a mother of pearl button in a star fish shape and aded that to the paper and the fishes are buttons with shanks that I attached to the page with 3d sticky pads. A Martha Stewart punch  for the bottom edging.



The last page has a fiskers punch along the bottom and flower and leaf buttons picking out the design on the paper.  The sentiment on each page was created in word. I could quite happily have kept going adding more pages but I was conscious of the bulk/ weight aspect as this is now on its way to my partner in Australia. Hope she likes her Button Book.

 

Entering into the following:

Make it Monday: Papercrafts #135

LEJ Designs: Show us your ribbons.

Crafty Ribbons: Anything goes with ribbon.

Unstampabelles: Anyhting but a card (papercraft).

Crafty Catz: Anything  goes.

Through the Craft Room: Anything goes.

2 Sisters Challenge: Anythng goes.

Catch the Bug: Anything goes.

One stitch at a time: Anything goes.

Glitter 'n' Sparkle: Buttons.

Pixie's Crafty Workshop: Use up your snippets. (Waste not want nots from snippets).

Craft My Life: Anything goes no card.

 

 

 

 

 



Lights Anyone!

I made this card for the challenge over at Lady Anne's which was to use this digi image by
Anji's Antics. The details of their site can be found here.
I have also followed the sketch on  Christmas Challenges (with sketches).

I have coloured in using both Promarkers and Distress Markers and then given the image a light coating of pearlescent chalk.Lastly going over the lines  and edges using a gold pen to highlight. Fairy lights have been switched on with Glossy accents!   Gold gems added to the corners for a bit of bling.
Close up below.

 

Entering into the following challenges:

Lady Anne's: #3 use image by Anji's Antics.

Crafty Hazelnuts Extra: Anything goes.

Creative Craft World: Anything christmas goes.

Christmas Card Challenges: Reindeer.

Christmas Challenges: Follow sketch provided.

Winter Wonderland: Lots of spots. (spotty paper and spotty bling).

Jingle Belles: Lots of bling. ( christmas lights and gems)

 



Floral Delight.

This is the second Tap paper transfer that left a residue of the picture still on the contact paper.

 The original post about it can be found below. I layered pink sparkly organzer (available from here) over the image which darkened it down sufficiently to use on this card shown with two paper roses (made last year) that just happened to match the colours perfectly.

I used a white card blank and cut pink card stock to cover the front which then had a nestie
die cut from the top half.( put back in my stash for later use). The sentiment was from a sheet of various toppers I had purchased, not sure from where and the spotty ribbon, tiny bow and pearls  from my stash. Little butterfly was punched from a left over piece of the pink card which was a tad too large for the fromt. Transfer and pink organza was sandwiched between the layers.

Entering into the following challenges:
Papertake Weekly: Anthing goes.
Sweet Stamps: Spring Pastels.
Through the Craft Room: Anything goes.
Crafting for all Seasons: Floral delight.
Crafty Creations: Flowers or Fairies.
Card Makin Mamas: No patterned paper.
Pin and Tack: Anything goes:
Pixie's Crafty Workshop. Use your snippets (spotty ribbon and butterfly)

 

So what was in the Box!

I posted about this  box I made last week but couldn't show you the contents as I had sent it off without taking any photos. Silly me!!

 



I have received photos from Sam so can now reveal what I crafted to go into the the box.

Actually it is a bit like the chicken and the egg (which came first) as I made the flowers and then needed a container to send them in!!!



 

Nestling in the plate are  Roses (various), Carnations,  Chrysanthemums, Cornflowers, Anemones, Pansies and just because there was room in the top of the box for one more

a Poinsettia.



 

I have used various flower dies in different combinations to achieve the flower shapes I wanted.  Distress inks and chalks to colour the Roses Also used up loads of cardstock snippets and  hopefully they all  look real enough to pass muster.

 

Entering into the following challenges:

Lexi's Creations: Use your punches  & dies.

Pile It On: Handmade flowers.

613 Avenue Create: Anything goes with flowers.

Pan Pastels: Anything goes.

Challenges 4 Everybody: Anything goes.

The Crafty Bloggers Network: Anything goes.

A Little Bit Crafty: Anything goes.

Simon Says Stamps: Anything goes.

Make It Monday: Paper craft items #134

Pixie's Crafty Workshop: Use up your snippets.