Nativity Scenes.

I am positive that there is a very highly trained gang of robbers stealing hours/days even weeks from under our very noses! I mean where has the past fortnight gone! I did look under the carpet and behind the fridge too but to no avail.
It is Mary's turn to choose the theme for the Christmas Card Club girls to make our next cards with. Mary has given us Nativity.  A quick look through my used christmas card box turned nothing up but I did find a blank card front with just a little bit of border on top and bottom which combined with some gold stickers gave me my first card.

I have made an acetate fronted card and sandwiched the card/image in between thus making a 3 page card. Some gold stickers down the spine  and the negative left over from already using the sentiment cut into a stip and added to the front of the acetate. 

My second card  uses Stickeroos from their sticker sheet 'Christmas at Dusk.'

Striped paper is from a  paper pack I picked up at the NEC last year by First Edition News. I used my Xcut Oval nesting dies to die cut an oval slightly larger than the 3 Kings image and decorated it with gems from my stash along with the two banners. I felt this was all the card needed.

Third card uses stamps from my stash.  The design paper has the snowflake and the border printed into the design even though at a glance it all looks separate.  I love this nativity set by woodware which has quite a contemporary look to it. The sentiment stamp is by Phil Martin and goes perfectly.

The design paper is a freebie from Making cards Dec 2015 'Traditional Christmas'. There was enough of  the sheet left  to decorate the inside of the card and I used another stamp from the nativity set as well. I added a large pearl to the snowflake from my stash.

 

I'm linking this last card to the following challenges:
Scraps Of Life by Scrappy Mo # April Rudolph challenge.
Winter Wonderland # Add some sparkle or bling.
Crafty Hazelnut's #331 Anything goes /include a star or two.
Crafting By Designs # Christmas.
Crafty Gals Corner #120 Anything goes.
Fab 'n' Funky #348 Christmas.
Crafting With Friends #42 Anything goes.
Creative Fingers #129 Anything goes.
Jo's Scrap Shack #186 Anything goes.
Scrapping 4 Fun #89 Anything goes.

Daisy,Daisy.

Now just because I have used  Spellbinders Delicate Asters die cut  and matching stamps doesn't make these Asters. Oh no.  For the purposes of this card they need to be Michaelmas Daisies.  So glad we got that little mishap sorted!!!
This card is for Little boys/DIL's 5th Wedding Anniversary which the World Wide Web informs me is symbolised by Wood and Daisies.  DIL's favourite colour is purple hence the need for them to be Michaelmas daisies.  The wood effect  digi design paper is by Raspberry Road Barber Shop Papers No 02. I used my bone folder to accentuate each of the groves more.  Backing paper was created in word and printed off. Pearls, ribbon and gold sticker sentiment were from my stash.

Entering into the following challenges:
Crafty Cardmakers #187 Pearls and or Gems.
Deep Ocean Challenge #153 Spring.
Through The Craft Room Door # Anything goes.
Crafty Creations #340 Anything goes.
Crafty Gals Corner #120 Anything goes.
Penny's Paper Crafty #326 Anything goes.
Crafting With Friends #42 Anything goes.
Creative Fingers #129 Anything goes.
Fussy and Fancy #186 Anything goes.
Jo's Scrap Shack #186 Anything goes.
Simply Create Too #126 Anniversary.

Faux Patina

Into the second week already of the butterfly challenge.
#77 Butterflies + F is for Faux and/or the colour Jasmine. Here is some more inspiration for you.

First card uses the Faux Patina Technique and you can find an excellent tutorial here on  Splitcoaststampers.

I used Spellbinders M-Bossabilities Embossing folder EL-006 Design B to make my faux panel with. Distress inks in four colours as per the tutorial above and Wow Embossing powder in Gold. The die cut panel is from Creative Expressions by Sue Wilson called  'Butterflies in Flight' and was a snippet I already had cut out from a previous card. I gave the panel the same Patina treatment.  Card base is made from pale yellow card stock which I have also used behind the  Patina panel.  No sentiment as I thought it would look overdone. A bit disappointed with the photo as it is not showing the blue/green of the panel. The gold isn't as bright IRL but snap was taken at night under kitchen lighting and was the best I could get.

Entering into the following challenges:
Pixie's  Crafty Workshop #277/278. (butterfly panel was a snippet in my stash.)
Artistic Inspirations #177 Anything goes.
Make My Monday #44 Embossing heat and dry. (I have used both.)
Tuesday Throwdown #340 Embossing.
Creative Ladybirds Creations #25 Anything goes.
Love To Craft #9 Anything goes.

Second card  uses Faux Buttons. The die cut is by Joy crafts 6002/0057. I cut four out for each button and  glued them together and then threaded with bakers twine.

The digi papers are from an Etsy shop called Cottage and Lace from their Yellow dots and swirls collection papers No's 1 and 3.  (I like buying the digi papers in sets as you know they are always going to match and go together and also you will never run out of them!) The butterfly is from Tonic - Studios and is a metal filigree design. (They came 5 different designs in the one packet.) Sentiment is a Britannia Word Die and I used a liquid Pearls in baby blue to dot the i.

Entering this card into the following challenges:
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterened Paper # Anything goes.
Petal Lu Challenges #36 Yellow flowers.
Scrapper's Delights #65 Anything goes.
The Crafty Addicts #35 Anything goes + Add a sentiment.
TLC Creations # Anything goes.

13th Wedding Anniversary

It is Fluff's / S.I.L'sWedding Anniversary and this is the card I have made for them. A quick look on the  World Web tells me that 13yrs is Lace and Hollyhocks.
I remembered an oil painting I had done 6yrs ago now and sorted through my store of photos and found this one I had taken of it.  Ok it was actually meant to be Delphiniums  that I painted but screw your eyes up, tilt your head side ways, don't look too closely and they will pass for Hollyhocks on a dark night!!  The background is yellow which is what I wanted on the card.
Here's the painting I did in oils .

And here is the card I made from a photo of  it.  Base is made from cream cardstock and the sentiment background paper I simply created in word and then printed off  and adhered to the cream card. The die cut is by Crafts - Too called 'Lattice Frame' which I cut in the cream and then used the inside die to cut out the image which I then reset into the frame work. Cream lace was from stash and also the Silver sticker sentiment. 

I have been away on a 3 day Craft Retreat (run by Oyster Crafts) and got back home yesterday evening.I had free Wi fi in the hotel but it wouldn't let me connect up to my emails so now I'm having to play  catch up with you all asap.  Had a lovely time and created lots of things ( 9 items in all which I will be showing you later ) but boy oh boy was it tiring. I feel like I could sleep for a week now!!

Need to make another card for end of week as it is Little Boy's/D.I.L's  Wedding Anniversary which the web tells me is Wood and Daisies.   Eek. Asters are Daisies aren't they ?  Well for the purposes of my card they are now!

Splat That!

I didn't manage to enter  the Craft Mad Swaps in Jan/Feb due to the Bathroom refurbishments but did manage to send off cards in March to my swap partner which have now been received in Oz so I can show now. The theme was to send two cards with splats & drips on them. I did threaten to just take a couple of cards out into the garden and drop them in the mud/puddles and send them off but I made these instead!

1st card uses a Stamosaurus stencil called 'Splatts' and the sentiment is by Clearly Besotted from their 'Elegant Butterflies'. I just added a few sequins adhered to a blue background and called it done.cA very CAS card for me and had to sit on my hands not to add anything else.

I went to town a bit more on my 2nd card.  I used 'Water Droplets' CM - T3 by Designs by Ryn and Memory Box Honeycomb stencil 'Style  88521' Sentiment is by Clearly Besotted from their 'Elegant Butterflies' stamp set. Die cut is by Crafts-Too 'Rectangle dies stitch hole'.  I used distress ink pads to colour and the rose was from my stash along with the pink blank card base.. 

 

Entering just this card into the following challenges:

Love to Craft #9 Anything goes.

Creative Ladybirds #25 Anything goes.

Create And Inspire #61 Anything goes.

Card Mania #91 April showers/May flowers.

Crafty Calendar # April showers / or spring.

Lets Craft And Create #124 Easter/april showers/ spring.

One Crazy Stamper # Spring.

Scrappers Delights #65 Anything goes.

Stamping Sensations # Anything goes.

The Crafty Addicts #35 Anything goes/add a sentiment.

Not What It Seems.

The new challenge has started for

#77 Butterflies + F is for Faux and/or the colour Jasmine.

and here is my inspiration card for you. There are plenty of faux techniques to be found on You Tube and also on Splitcoast Stampers. Here is just a selection that I found.

Stitching, marbling, buttons, metal, tarnished silver, washi tape, patina, crazed porcelain, tiles, brads,silk and glass. All made using faux methods.

For my card I have used faux stitching made with a die cut by Diesire called 'Fancy Stitched Edges.

I have gone with a gate fold design this time another shape I have not used in a while. The base card is made from cream cardstock and a creamy yellow card which I used the faux stitching on.  The image is by Hunkydory from their Little book of 'Vintage Lace'.  As the image is quite thin I glued to heavier white card stock before cutting out using my Xcut Rectangle Parenthesis.

The butterfly is a rub on transfer by Royal Langnickel, very easy to apply using the enclosed stick to smooth it down onto the card.  The cream organza ribbon for the tie came from my stash as did the inside of the card.

This is a panel of faux leather that I had left over from when I showed the technique to a local craft group and we made faux leather note books using the excellent You Tube tutorial by Sheena Douglas 

I coloured the leather ( which had previously  been embossed using a butterfly ef ) with distress inks  in  'Antique Linen' and then  'Wild Honey' . Added some snippets from the faux stitching  panels top and bottom  and then added a faux stitching line down each side using a Tattered Lace diecut.

Hope you will come and play along. 

Entering into the following challenges:

A Bit More Time to Craft #42  Anything goes.

Shopping Our Stash #299 A rose by any other name.

Crafting With Friends #41 Anything goes.

Creative Fingers #128 Anything goes.

Fussy and Fancy #185 Fancy folds or shaped cards.

Jo's Scrap Shack #184  Anything goes.

A Gem Of  A Challenge #192 Ribbon and/or lace.

Love To Craft #9 Anything goes.

Creative Ladybirds Creations #25 Anything goes.

Crafts and Me # things with Wings.

Create and Inspire #61 Anything goes.

Humorous.

It's time again for the girls in the Christmas Card club to show our cards made with the theme which is my choice today of  'Humorous.'

My first card is made with an old christmas card that I believe one of the children got sent by a class mate so it really is an oldie. I have kept it in the box waiting all these years just for the right moment to reuse.  I simply trimmed down the card front slightly and then adhered to a green card blank which I have made into one of my signature acetate cards.

The image on the front of the card has the name Pip on it which I take to be the artist.  As the card has snow falling I have used an acetate with a snow flake pattern on it. The sentiment is a die cut by Presscut. Picture below shows the acetate front open.

For my second card I have used a Bugaboo digi which I have coloured in using my promarkers and added googly eyes to. The sentiment was produced in word and printed off.  I have used a red card blank to make the card with. 

Again I have used an acetate with falling snow on it but this one is in gold instead of the white as above. Tartan ribbon from my stash. The picture below shows the acetate front open. 

I'm looking forward to seeing what the girls have come up with for their makes. 

Window Dressing.

We are  into the second week for the Butterfly Challenge already

#76 Butterrflies +W is for Windows and/or the colour Rose.

and here is some more inspiration for you showing that you don't have to have a fancy window die or even a window stamp to take part. 

First up is a card using an oblong rectangle die cut (this one is by Crafts-Too PCD98) but you could cut your own aperture. The image is by Hunkdory from their Little Book of Flowers and shows a vase of Tulips on a window sill. Perfect! I merely used very thin d.s tape to make the window panes pattern  (leaving the tape intact and not removing the covering). I placed a sheet of acetate behind the framework and then attached the picture behind that. The frame and image were then adhered to the base card front which I had cut from cardstock to fit.  Rose coloured butterflies were die cut using SU's Beautiful Wings Embosslits and the pearls came from my stash.

 Taken here at an angle to catch the light in order to highlight the acetate.

Second card just sort of evolved really from a selection of diecuts that I had pulled out as possibles to use.

I started off with the insert die cut frame from the card above and selected a smaller die cut to make a further frame. This time I used offcuts to make up the crossbars for the window which were attached from behind before adding the acetate.  Then I went to town using the following die cuts to create the flowers, window boxes ,border and a punch for the butterflies.

Poppy Stamps 'Small flower box style 823'

C.C. Designs  'Flower border'

Clearly Besotted 'Fresh grass die'

Craft Stash  'Meadow border DIOB0079'

Tonic Studios 'Small butterfly punch'

I cut both of the flower strips in green first and then again in various flower colours and fussy cut the flowers out and adhered to the green bases. The small strip of flowers was cut up into sections and added built up behind the flower boxes for a 3d effect. The grass was die cut twice and then each one cut in half and added behind the flowers. Boxes were then attached to the window frame. The larger strip of flowers was attached below the window frame to create a flower bed. You can see a little better in the photo below where I have added check curtains (from a snippet of design paper) to the windows and made folds in them to look more realistic. Window frame was adhered to the front of the card and raised up on on 3d pads so as to not to crease the curtains. Well I wasn't about to get the iron out and start ironing them !!!! Butterflies were punched from  a snippet of rose cards stock and liquid pearls 'white opal' added to their bodies.

Entering this card  into the following challenges:

Artistic Inspirations #176 Anything goes.
The Crazy Challenge #246 Spring is coming.
Use Your Stuff #259 Flowers.
Craft Heaven #19 Scent of flower.
Create And Inspire #61 Anything goes.
How Everything Become Scrap # Spring has come.
Unicorn Challenge #20 Petal power.

Flamingo

This is the painting  I did for the Post card swap for March which my partner has now received. The stamps are by Chocolate Baroque and I have coloured using my Marvey Le Plume 11 water colour pens.  The theme was 'Wings' and I was so determined not to do a Butterfly. I got the lovely stamps as part of the blog candy prize from Sue at Sue's Crafty Corner. Thankyou Sue. These are their first outing but won't be the last.

Apologies for not being around but I had a funeral to attend last Wednesday which I went to by train, in fact 3 trains each way.  I'm fine with using trains and hoping platforms with 2mins to spare on one connection but just couldn't face doing the M25 and trying to work out which correct exit to come off at. It was a tiring day though. Then when I came home I had a commissioned card to hand deliver the next day and whilst the card was made I needed to just make a quick envelope up for it.

Just and quick do not go together! Firstly my envelope maker required me to use a 12"x12" paper but the digi paper I was working with was only 8"x 11" ish and not wanting to put a join in the envelope I went off to the the drawing board to devise my own envelope.  3 hrs later and  I had a box envelope I was pleased with. Then I had the bright idea of building  a magnetic closure into the design.  Do I ever learn!!!!!   I eventually finished the box in the small wee hours of the morning.  I can't show the card or box yet but they were well liked by the recipient.  I had another commission on Saturday to hand deliver so Friday was spent out in the garden (it being lovely weather) finishing that one too. I will show that in a post shortly.  Today has been just as hectic as we had the planner arrive  for the last stage of the bathroom refit  to measure up for the replacement door to the built in cupboard (that had to be partially  demolished in order to fit the new bath and shower screen in). Once that has been fitted it will all be done and I can show you the finished bathroom in all it's glory.  Oh and The Doc also  had the dentist on Friday as well and we both have the opticians  this Thursday. If work rang me up now and said we need you back I'd be saying "Exactly which 5mins of the day would you be thinking of then?"  Whoever said retirement was easy or boring!!  

I will be round asap to all your blogs.

Flowers Around My Window.

A new challenge has started over on the Butterfly Challenge.

#76 Butterflies +W is for Window and/or the colour Rose.

So a window of some description either looking into or out of somewhere on your card/project and the colour to use is Rose + of course your butterfly. The colour can be anywhere you choose.

Here is my inspiration for you.

I created a brick wall effect using my Imagination Crafts Wall stencil and embossing mat . The window is spellbinders Window one S2-015 which I first cut out using a stone coloured card stock.

I actually cut two, one to go inside to neaten the apperture cut into the card base and to hide the tape on the acetate which I stuck inside the one attached to the brickwall.  I penciled round the inside of the window frame and cut a corresponding hole in the brickwall and the card base and then built the window. The flowers and vine were created from lots of offcuts of cardstock and made using  Cheery Lynn Designs Mini Fanciful flourish B117S, Memory Box Fancy blossoms 98312 and Marianne Design CR1210 which is the ruffled flower and various extra leaves.  The  Rose butterflies are Su's Beautiful Wings.  The sentiment is a Britannia word die.

I applied liquid pearls in several colours to  the centres of the flowers. I have turned the card slightly at angle and you can just see the shimmer from them. 

Entering into the following challenges:

Pixie's Crafty Workshop # 275/276 Use up your snippets.

Christmas Flowers

It's time once again for the girls in the Christmas card club to show our makes. The theme was set by Carol and she has asked for Christmas flowers. Now I should have posted this yesterday but I got incredibly tired  as the day progressed and when I get like that the only thing to do is early bath , early tea and early bed.Szzzzz.  I'm running around today playing catch up. Wednesday will be another tiring day as I need to get to Leatherhead so The Doc will drop me off at the station in the morning and pick me up again in the evening. I have two trains to catch each way or possibly 3 if the timing isn't right coming home.
But I digress. Back to the cards I made. A quick rootle round in my used christmas card box turned up a card front with christmas roses on .

 It was originally quite a big card as it had a border all the way round which I trimmed off and have re used. You can see it top and bottom and also to trim the inside of the card with.  The card had a slight smattering of snow showing  around the lantern so I decided to enhance the look by covering with a sheet of acetate that has snow blobs as a pattern already on it.  I attached with green brads to match the ivy and raised up on 3d pads before attaching to a slightly larger piece of cream card which in turn was adhered to the red card base that I made from card stock.

For my second card I have used the Craft Creations Topper sheet 'Christmas Poinsettias' that I had out to make the previous cards with. I noticed that amongst the toppers still left on the sheet to use  were some with Christmas roses on, so perfect I thought to compliment  my first card. Again  have gone for making a Joy Fold card. 

The sentiment is a britannia word die which I have cut multiples of  and glued together to give a raised effect.  For the inside of the card  two of the toppers were a tag shape so I used the larger of the two to make into a tag and made a small pocket for it to slip into. The other I attached to the opposite side leaving room for a short message to the recipient.