Batch Baking.

It's Rudolph Day time again  and as I made 6 cards last time thought I had best keep up the momentum otherwise I won't keep up my tally. I have chosen a theme of blue cards and used  two freebies from magazines  to make them with. I used grey silver card blanks for them all. 

Paper, sentiment and topper by Jennifer Ellory  free from Cardmaking & Papercraft magazine

silver and navy  pearlescent papers from stash

pearls from stash

 

Freebies same as above card.

Silver pearlescent paper from stash along with pearls.

Freebies as above

Sentiment  is Anita's Glitterations in black from stash.

 

Freebies as bove.

Happy Christmas satin ribbon from stash

Anita's Glitterations  in black  sentiment.

 

Freebie papers by Jennifer Ellory as above.

Die cutting  Tree stencil free with Simply Cards & Papercrafts.

 

Papers and die cut as above

sentiment is cut using Britania word  dies.

Showing insides of cards

 

 

Entering into the following:

Merry Mondays Christmas #97 Aqua, white and silver.

Simon Says # Anything goes with pearls.

Fab 'n' Funky #205 Christmas.

Creative moments #37 Anything goes Swirls and Pearls.

Creative Craft World #2 Beat the rush

Crafty Hazelnuts Patterned paper # Use patterned paper on front of your card.

Crafty Hazelnuts Extra # Christmas cards only.

Rudolph Day # Two or more cards.

Christmas Card challenge # Anything goes.

 

 

 



 



Faux Leather Note books

I first saw this technique done on Doreen's blog  and Doreen had very kindly added the link to the tutorial for making them which is by Sheena Douglass so I just had to have a go for myself. Off I went and collected up the necessary items shown below.

Kraft card, Glycerin, Tacky Glue, Spray & Shine, Fabric.

I already had most of these items in my stash.

Video tutorial above  shows how to make these from  plain Kraft Card stock.

 

Sheena Douglass embossing folder 'Flying  Beauties' used

Paper for inserts in my stash  along with buttons and elastic string.

 

I used T.H. distress inks  Fired Brick & Tattered Rose to colour.

Finished book really does feel and look like real leather.

Pressed paper was in an assorted pack  from Hobby Craft  in my stash.

Showing the outside of cover with the stitched binding .

Toggle button using elastic for the enclosure.

Made for my Butterfly Challenge #2.

Entering into the following challenges:

The Paper Nest Dolls #4 Anything goes.

Oldie But  A Goodie # Buttons. (buttons, elastic, cord, distress inks, fabrics all more than 6 mths old).

Through  The Craft Room Door. # Anything goes.

Pixie's Crafty workshop #113 Use up your snippets.

One Crazy Stamper # Anything goes.

Recylced Pencil Pots.

A quick and easy recycled project. I really needed some pots to keep my marker pens together and tidy all in one place on my desk. I didn't want to go to the expense of buying any, however cheap they may have been so made these from old cardboard  tubes that a well known crisp snack  comes in . I cut the tube in half  to get 2 from each one. The tube comes with a plastic lid so that became the base of the top I cut off. You can see it on the left of this picture.

I used torn up kitchen paper towel with mod podge to cover the tubes.

Once dry I gave them  a coat of tester pot paint which I had left over from a previous project.

The paper towel gives a nice  textured finish .

I used up scraps of lace , ribbon bow, pre cut flower die cuts

pearls, mother of pearl buttons  and  cream cord from my stash.

Butterflies were cut using Cheery Lynn Exotic Butterflies #2 DL 113AB

Made as a project for my Butterfly challenge #2.

In use with my Promarkers all nicely kept in their colour ranges.

Fluff will  be so proud of me.!!

 

Entering into the following challenges:

Oldie But A Goodie # Buttons.  (buttons and lace from my stash 15yrs plus.)

Everybody Art #267Ribbon or lace.

Pixie's Crafty Workshop #113 Use up your snippets. (Every thing was a snippet).

Tuesday Throwdown #  Anything Goes.

Through The Craft Room Door # Anything goes.

Gate Fold Twist.

Another Gate fold card but with a twist. An aperture cut into the open folds. I saw this design  made by Melanie Quin in a card magazine  and I have adapted it here by using a split die cut shape which meant I could  do the card in one  whole piece instead of 3 pieces  as Melanie  did.

Kraft card folded into a Gate fold.

Cheery Lynn designs Kaleidoscope DL 187 die

This comes as half a die which you flip over to cut the other half out.

This made it ideal to use for cutting the shape out on each gate fold.

Cheery Lynn  Flourish B117S

Cheery Lynn Exotic butterflies #2 DL 113AB

Britannia word dies used for sentiment.

Design paper by Prima 'Botanical collection' free in card magazine.

button, pearl, cord from stash.

Coral butterfly made from shrink plastic coloured with Promarkers.

 

Kaleidoscope die used whole and positioned on back panel of card to fit aperture.

Snippet of patterend paper used  for inset raised slightly from kraft card.

Butterfly die adhered on top.

 

Entering into the following challenges:

4 Crafty Girlz challenges #12 Anything goes.

Delightful challenges # Add a flourish.

Sister Act #45 Anything goes.

Card Makin Mamas #82 Stack it up.

Pixie's Crafty Workshop#113 Use up your snippets. (Kraft paper and small patterned piece.)

One Crazy Stamper # Anything goes.

Crafty Hazelnuts patterned Paper.  #2 Anything goes with designer paper on front of card.

Created With Love # Friends.

 

 

Not so quick

Do you ever start a card and wish you hadn't but the only way out is to keep going?
Well this is just such a card. It was supposed to be a quick wham bam  and done but was anything but.
I wanted to make a card to show that there was  still 6 1/2 days to enter over at the Butterfly challenge but there isn't! It took so long there are only 5 days left!!
I decided to make a stepper card  and this is very much a
 "Don't do as I do but do as I say"  as I decided after cutting the slit in the card  to cover the front , inside and out.  Hence the time taken to paper piece  together.  Pleased with the result of the card in the end but it would have been so much easier if I had thought it through first.  Lesson learnt.

Image is LOTV  from Cute cottage Garden Set 19 Art pad.

Design papers are Nitwits collection free with Simply Homemade magazine.

Stepper card Hand cut by myself.

Sentiment Stamp by Kanban Crafts.

Lace and ribbon snippets in stash.

Inside of card.

Spellbinders scalloped circles die

Tonic Studios Butterfly border punch.

Side view showing the Stepper feature.

Hope I have given you some more inspiration.

As you can see the Butterflies can be quite incidental to the main feature on your card.

 

Entering into the following challenges:

Crafty Hazelnuts Patterned Paper # Anything goes as long as paper covers front of card.

Open - Minded Crafting #4 Monochrome.

Scribble and Scrap #12 Anything goes.

Pixie's Crafty Workshop #112 Uae up your scraps.  (white card. ribbon. lace).

My Craft Creations #  Anything goes.

City Crafter  #199  Flowers and lace.

Paper Minutes #309 Decorate the inside.

Ladybug Crafts Ink # Flowers Galore.

The ABC Challenge #  F= flowers.

Stampin For The Weekend # Flower Power.( used stamped sentiment.)

Hexagon Pyrimage

Ever onward with my quest to find new shapes and techniques I have had this sheet in my stash  since 2012 so thought it high time it saw the light of day. The design is not a true hexagon as the top and bottom do not equal the sides so I couldn't use my Hexagon dies to cut a card shape to accommodate  the pyrimage. Instead I used folded gold lustre card stock to cut a larger base around the design just measuring with  a ruler to get the same distance all round and leaving the card attached at the folded top to create the card shape.

Pyrimage sheet 'Popcorn the Bear' Crafter's Companion 2012  magazine freebie.

As the sheet was only thin paper I cut the hexagons out

then stuck to 160gsm card before cutting again.

Layered up using 2mm  3d pads on first three layers then 1mm on the rest.

Doily and black pearls from my stash.

Side view showing the layering in detail.

Sentiment is Sticker Anita's Glitterations.

2nd doily trimmed down to inner circle.

Ribbon box from my stash.

 

Entering into the following challenges:

Merry Monday Christmas #95 Use an animal on your card.

Crimbo Crackers  #58 Santa. (A Bear as Santa.)

C.R.A.F.T challenge #246 Christmas.

Crafty Hazelnuts Extra # Anything goes Christmas.

Sparkles Christmas challenge #37 Anything goes.

 

 



The Key.

Following on with my quest to find new card  shapes to use here is a Centre Fold Card I created  for The Docs Valentine card.

Base made from a  sheet of white card 6" x10" folded in at 2.5" either side to centre.

 Scraps of red card stock cut and added to side flaps front and back.

Scraps of design paper from a previous card  used to cover.

White and red card used for the Cheery Lynn Sentiment Frame #2 B190.

Britannia Alphabet die used o create the wording.

Lock & key brads by Woodware from stash.

Centre of back is a scrap of vellum paper wrapped over a piece of white card cut to fit.

The heart is made from two pieces of scrap design paper cut and woven together.

Desire Fourie has a neat little tutorial on her blog which is where I saw them first made.

They are very easy to make.

Sentiment  was added to the right hand frame after photo was taken.

 

Yes I did have a card from The Doc. He was apprehended in the card shop using the assistant's stool to reach the cards on the top shelf! When told he wasn't allowed to do that the assistant  passed the cards down for him to choose from. He bought two, this years and last years card but only came clean  with this nugget of information today!!

 

 

Entering my card into the following challenges:

Cut It Up Challenge #38 Valentines Day.

One Stitch At A Time #199 With Love.

The Squirrel and The Fox #63 Love.

Paper Minutes #308 Love is in the air.

Paper Take Weekly  # With a heart.

Scrap Creations # Valentines Day.

Divas By Design # With love.

Fab and Funky #203 Love/Valentine theme.

Rhedd and Rosies #26 Love is in the air.

The Crafter's Cafe #50 Must have hearts.

Paper Crafting  Journey # Love is in the air.

 

 

 

 

 



 

Recycled Bottle.

The Doc does like his Bourbon whisky and some of the bottles are unusual shapes. Much to good to throw away in the bottle bank so I decided to make something useful with this one.

Either a Doorstop or a Bookend I thought.

An old serviette torn into pieces and some Mod podge soon  had the bottle covered.

A quick coat of match pot paint in Voilet White .

Once dried ready for the top sheets from the paper servettie.

 

This is the back of the finished bottle.

 The pattern on the serviettes was flowers and butterflies.

I gave the bottle a final coating of the violet white but watered down this time.

The front of the bottle with flowers, ribbons,  hessian, butterfly and pearls from stash.

I made this to show on  My Butterfly Challenge.

Entering into the following challenges:

Through The Craft Room Door # Anything goes.

Crafting with Dragonflies #19 Alter a tin or a jar vintage theme.

Really Reasonable Ribbons #88 Anything but a card and ribbon.

Scribble and Scrap #12 Anything goes.

Pixies Crafty Workshop #111 Use up your snippets (ribbons ,hessian ,serviette).

2 Creative Chicks #11 Repurpose Glass.

 





 

P.s.
Look what The Doc has waiting in the wings!!

 

Book Ends it is!!

Door Plaque.

I decided to liven up my craft space with a few home made goodies using up some of my hoarded stash. I made this door plaque for only the cost of the cardboard  shape which I had purchased from the NEC back in November. I also wanted a project to show on My Butterfly Challenge.

Backing paper is  'Florals and Flutters' from Making Cards Magazine.

Butterfly is Spellbinders Shapeabilities  S3-`146

Leaves , beads and lace from stash.

Words cut with Britannia dies.

 

The back with a snippet of ribbon and butterfly out cuts from  a punch.

Words created on computer.

Die cut Spellbinders' Deckled Rectangles'.

Entering into the following challenges:

Pixie's Crafty Workshop #111 Use up your snippets (ribbon and tiny butterfly offcuts).

Suzy Bee's Bloomin Challenge #15 Anything goes.

Jo's Scrap Shack #36 Anything goes.

Delightful Challenge # Anything goes.

4 Krafty Girlz Challenges #11 Anything goes.

Scribble and Scrap #12 Anything goes. 



Flip Over Card.

With my quest to try out as many new card shapes as possible I  found this video by Christina on how to make your own flip card using a metal ruler and craft knife.(Really it is quite safe though I did end up with a few iron shavings on my desk !)

I used a 6"x6" card blank for my base and cut my shape .

Floral images are  Penny Black Stickeroos  'Sun-kissed'

mounted onto a cream and then pink card panel.

Pink spotted paper is by Hunkydory.

Embossed panel made with a Spellbinders  M-Bossabilities 'Regal ' folder.

Butterfly is Memory Box Pippi/Isabella dies.

Gems on flower and butterfly from stash.

 

Unlike the video I have decorated all the sides of the card

which is why I have called it a Flip Over Card as it truly is.

 

Sentiment is made using Britannia Word dies.

 

The back of the card has  a Spellbinders 'Majestic Elements ' die for the sentiment.

Butterfly is  Spellbinders Shapeabilties  die S3-146.

Card is now with my swap partner in Australia.

Entering into the following challenges:

2 Sister's Challenge #173 Embossing.

Great Impressions # Floral images.

Flat Friends #17 More than 1 fold.

Cards Galore #2  Add a gem or glitter.

Crafting Musketteers #10 Butterflies.

Challenges 4 Everybody #38 Anything goes.

The Paper Nest Dolls # 3 Anything goes.

Feeling Crafty Challenge #25 Dies/and or punches.

Pixies Crafty Workshop #111 Use up your snippets. (snippets used to die butterflies.)

 

Sunburst Technique.

I was surfing blogger as one does late at night at the weekend and came across a technique that was new to me. So following on from my quest this year to try as many new ideas and card shapes as possible I decided to investigate further. Thanks to Kimbo I was able to watch a video on how to do this technique and found a new challenge into the bargain. I just happened to have some  Christmas papers on  my desk  so I followed the video there and then and today have finished making it up in to a card.

KaiserCraft  'Christmas Collections' Paper Pad.

Ribbon, lace and  burgundy card from stash.

Sentiment cut  from an old Christmas card.

Determined to finish the insides of my cards as I go along.

Die  is By Xcut  'Rectangle Parentheis'

Wording salvaged from an old Christmas card.

I not only found a new technique and a new challenge but have also added to my C. cards.

Results all round!!

 

Entering in to the following challenges:

The Technique Twist #16 Sunburst Technique.

My Craft Creations # Anything goes.

Sister Act #43 Anything goes.

Crafty Ribbons #75 Anything goes with ribbon.

Sparkles Christmas Challenge # Anything goes.

Crafty Hazelnuts Extra # Christmas cards only.

Crafty Hazelnuts #163 Use a die cut and or punched shape. (Die cut used on inside of card shown).

Winter Wonderland # No stamping allowed.



The Secret is Out!

There's a New Kid on The Block!

 

You can read all about it

 

HERE.

 

Hope to see you there.

Hugs Mrs A.

 

Love Letters.

This card was made for a swap and I have now heard that it has been received by my partner in America.

 

Plain red card from stash.

Both patterened papers were free in magazines.

Script is a freebie from here.

Backing paper adhered to thick card and then pierced and hand sewn .

Envelope created using my envelope maker.

Script paper  aged round egdges with 'Fired Brick 'distress ink.

Hearts punched from scraps of card and ribbon from stash.

Sentiment cut using Britania word  dies.

Inside of card .

 Circle  cut using Sizzix die  657552

Left blank for personal greeting to be added.

Entering into the following challenges:

Pixies Crafty Workshop #110: Use your snippets.

That Craft Place # Valentine.

Craft - Mojo # Love , love love.

Just For Fun: Love is in the air.

Crafty Calendar # Love is all around.

The Cupboard Trilogy #19 Love.

Seema Crafts # Valentine love.

Artistic Inspirations #77 Anything hearts.

Ooh -La La Creations #149 Use a heart.

Simon Says Stamps # Love notes.

Love You.

This is a tag I made go with the  card I did for a recent swap which is above.

I cut the tag from old cardboard and used plain card and a freebie paper to cover both sides.

Little glitter hearts were in my stash as well as the twine.

Rose was made using  Spellbinders  'Rose Creations' die

Spellbinders 'Deckled Rectangles'  used for the blank verse.

Part of the swap  was to send something red from my stash .

This is the goodie bag I made up for my partner.

 

Entering Tag into the following challenges:

Anything but A Card #32 Tic tac toe (Red, recycle, glitter.)

Natalie and Amy's Challenge #17 Love is all round.

Craft your Passion #199 Love is in the air.

Kaboodle Doodles #209 Valentine themed.

Melon Headz# Valentines/love.

The Crazy Challenge: Love is in the air.

Shopping Our Stash #137 Love me tender.

Oldie But A Goodie: Valentine.

Crafting For All Seasons #70 Show us some romance.

Paper Pretties #296 Valentine love.





Stockings

 

This image was still sat on my desk from when I was picking out 2 designs for Sarn's challenge. I mainly didn't use it because I couldn't find another to match it to.

Nearly put it away when another challenge came up that it suited perfectly so here it is.

 

Image is by LOTV Art Pad Festive foliage

and comes ready coloured. Phew!

Simply trimmed the image to fit and edged with Distress ink .

Die is Spellbinders Romantic Rectangles.

 Whole  sheets of Red and green card from stash

along with pearls and twine.

Sentiment cut using Britannia  word dies from a snippet of  separate red card.

Inside finished with the same die and left blank for verse to be added.

 

Entering into the following challenges:

Merry Monday Christmas #94 Use a stocking.

Simon Says Stamps # Anything goes with Twine or string.

Sparkles Christmas Challenge #37 Anything goes.

Crafty Hazelnuts Extra # Anything goes Christmas.

Pixie's Crafty Workshop #110 Use our snippets up (red card for sentiment).