Blue Christmas

Well blow me down with a snowball it's Rudolph time again! I was looking through my Christmas stash box supposedly putting something away when I spied this design paper and an idea popped into my head (they do from time to time) So as not to waste it I quickly made this card up. 

The white surround is left over from another project where I die cut the image that I had stamped and waterer coloured. The small christmas tree paper was a freebie in Making cards magazine Dec 2016 and just fitted behind the aperture perfectly. The papers also came with some larger christmas trees for you to cut out. I fussy cut 2 and then dotted with silver glitter glue. You can't see in the photo very easily but there is also a sheet of snow dotted acetate behind the aperture but in front of the design paper. The die cut is a Creative Expressions by Sue Wilson which I have cut from a left over piece of the  dark blue cardstock I used to make the base of the card with . Glued straight onto the acetate. I was having a rootle through my ribbon stash for a matching blue one and had a lucky find of the  little christmas trees in blue which was an exact match. (I like it when a plan comes together). 

Entering into thee following challenges:

The Holly and Ivy  Christmas Challenge #11 Anything goes.

Scraps of Life By Scrappy Mo # July Rudolph day.

A Snowflakes Promise #42 Anything goes.

Crafty Hazelnuts Extra # Anything goes.

Frilly and Funkie # Christmas in July.

Crafting By Designs # Get ready for christmas.

Cards 4 Galz #52 Christmas or winter.

Jagged Edge.

Time for another new challenge over on The Butterfly blog.

#83 Butterflies + J  is for Jagged edge and/or the colour of Kiwi fruit 

So a jagged edge showing  somewhere on your card. Here is my inspiration for you.  I have chosen to use a Die-namics Fresh cut Grass die to make my jagged edge and I'm back to using my beloved acetate for the card front.

I really should have taken a picture of the back of the card to show that it is actually one sheet of green cardstock folded in half with the die cut along the top edge on the back  and then turned upside down on the bottom of the front . Hang on a mo. I'll go and make another one up.  Get yourself a coffee I won't be long!
Ok. This is actually a smaller model as I only had a snippet of the green card left. It will also serve as a reminder to myself of how I made it  for future use.

Now your probably thinking why not just cut a piece of green card ,a piece of acetate and join them together then put the die cut along the front edge.  Yes you could but it wouldn't look neat and I wanted the acetate completely enclosed inside the green cardstock and all the ds tape hidden (which it is).

The inside is a panel of watercolour card cut to fit and I have used 3 different stamp sets. First I used an 'IndigoBlu' flower border which I placed in my misti and then coloured up the flowers separately using my Marvy LePlume II water colour pens straight to the stamp. The butterflies are by 'Marianne Design' from CS0927 stamp set and the sentiment  was part of a Fairy Dust Stencil and stamp set that came free in a magazine. 

  The inside of the card when open with not a singe piece of ds tape insight and I used loads of it.!

Entering into the following challenges:
Crafting with Friends #48 Anything goes.
Jo's Scrapshack #198 Anything goes.
Pixie's Crafty Workshop #291/292 (finally manage to use a snippet of acetate Yay!)
Country View Challenges # Things with wings.
Creative Ladybirds #28 Anything goes.
Emerald City Crafts #1 Anything goes.
Love To Craft #12 Anything goes.
Create and Inspire #64 Anything goes.
Crafts Galore # Anything goes.
One Crazy Stamper # Anything goes.
Stamping Sensations # Anything with flowers.

Ding Dong!

Another fortnight has sped by and its time once more for the girls in the Christmas Club to show their makes. Margaret chose the theme this time which is Jingle Bells.
A quick look in my used christmas card pile turned up the following  which I had already trimmed  down prior to taking the photo.

Straight onto card no1. which I have matted onto a christmas paper from Nitwits From their Holly Jolly Frolics range 'Ticking Green'. Matted onto gold shimmer card stock and then adhered to a red card blank. The yellow bow was on my desk and matched the bells perfectly.

Card no2.  had a slight mishap in that I had cut the green parchment and gold shimmer papers in ascending size to mount the bell card onto.  Had them all sitting straight in the middle of the card  but then I knocked the card sideways and the pile shifted to how you see them now and I liked it better so left as is. I went over the  bow with red glitter glue and it now has a nice sparkle to it. The sentiment is an Xcut die  which also comes with a little die cut bell which you will see used on a card further down.  Design paper by Raspberry Road in their Christmas Collection  free in Quick Cards Magazine several years ago now. 

Now it wouldn't be Christmas if card no3. didn't have any acetate on it but just when I wanted the camera to show  a bit of glare it decided to take a perfect photo. The acetate is there  though trust me. I attached using a different method this time  and you can't see any ds tape. I will leave you to work out how I did it!

For the next 3 cards I delved into my christmas stash for some bell ideas. This first one uses a memory box die 'Swirl Bell' that I die cut from gold shimmer card stock and backed with green parchment paper and then fussy cut round. Tied together with a snippet of gold thread. You can just see the little additional bells that I cut using the Xcut die from above. I used more green parchment paper and embossed using a folder by Crafts -Too called  'Merry Christmas' . Attached to  a blank card base. Camera decided to give me a pink background  even though the card was standing in my white light box. Now why couldn't it have done that on my pink card from  the previous post!!

 Card no5. uses 2 different shades of yellow/gold shimmer card and a holographic red sticker . The bell design in the centre and the sentiment were from another gold sticker sheet.

My last card to show you uses bell design silver stickers , a sentiment sticker and silver strips to edge the red card which is adhered to silver shimmer card stock. 

I'm late in linking up so apologies to Margaret for being so but I  entirely blame that time thief. If anyone spots him make a Citizens Arrest!!

Linking up to the following challenges:

Deep Ocean Challenges #159 Christmas in July.

Aud Sentiments #184 Christmas  in July.

Crafting By Designs # Recycle, reuse, repurpose.

Crafty Gals Corner #132 Christmas in July.

Creative Moments #122 Anything goes +Christmas  in July.

Little Red Wagon #403 Christmas in July.

A Gem of a Challenge #199 Christmas in July.

Watercolour Splashes

This card all came about from making yesterday's card in the previous post below. I had used a piece of water colour card to mop up the the left over colours on the acrylic block each time I had painted a different sweet pea. When it had dried I thought it too good not to use and I did have a couple of  challenges in mind so I set about creating a new card using it. The lighting has been abysmal today so my camera is not showing the true colouring.  The backing card is a lovely candy floss pink and the mopped up paint is red/pink/plum not the brown muddy shade shown.  It was going to be a quick and easy card which it was until I decided that the butterflies in the panel would  show up more if I had  left the cutouts in. The only problem being I had already chucked them in the waste bin.  Ever tried rescuing tiny pieces of card that actually bear no resemblance to the cutouts they came from! I only needed to find 15 pieces but I might as well have been trying to do a 100 piece jigsaw with no picture. Lesson learnt. Don't chuck anything in the bin until the card is completed.

Panel die cut is a Sue Wilson Creative Expressions 'Butterflies in Flight'. Background was made from using Marvy Le Plume II watercolour pens as already described. The sentiment (Desire 'Only Words' by Crafters Companion) was die cut from the card and then die cut again from a scrap of the pink card and the pink reinserted into the card so that it became inlaid (The dot over the i as well). The pieces were all secured from behind using ds tape along with the butterflies and then attached to the pink card which was then adhered to the card base. Phew!! Job done. 

Entering into the following challenges:

CAS Water Colour #10 Butterfly

Country View Challenges # Things with wings.

Less Is More #338 No stamps

Sweet Pea

This card all came about because I saw a post on Jennifer Mcguires blog for adding score lines for interest on your cards using your Scor-Pal (very nearly typed in Pay Pal , that would have been a first!!) so I just had to have a go myself. I thought that using a coloured card base would show the lines up more so I found an odd peach coloured card and had a play.

I was trying to be clever by having a circle in the centre and the grid lines coming from it but I wasn't happy with the result which looked too much.  I did have a vague idea of covering up with a fresh circle on top but it got abandoned on my desk overnight. Looking at it this morning with fresh eyes I suddenly thought if I'm going to cut a new  circle why not just cut the circle out of the card front, so I did! Then I had the problem of finding a flower stamp to fit inside the circle but nothing worked so I abandoned that idea and went instead with using this Woodware stamp 'Sweet Pea' (had it for several years but this is only it's second outing) on the inside of the card and then lining up and stamping on the front over the cut out.
Coloured the image in using my Marvy LePlume II water colour pens by scribbing the colours down onto an acrylic block and using a damp paint brush to pick up the colour.  Here's a close up of the inside of the card.

I had intended to add the wording on the inside  but I noticed a brown blemish in the card front so I stamped over to hide. 

With the card open showing the circle cut out. 

Entering into the following challenges:

Less Is More #336/337 OLC coloured cardbase (I  used just one layer albeit  with a circle cut out)

AAA Cards #94 OLC coloured card base(I have used just one layer albeit with a circle cut out)

Pile It On #132 Primary colours and/or something beginning with S (Sweet Pea)

Artistic Inspirations #183 Anything goes with additional twist of use summer colours

Creative Ladybirds Creations #28 Anything goes

Emerald City Crafts #1 Anything goes

Get Creative #60 CAS

Love To Craft #12 Anything goes

Love To Scrap #99 Anything goes.

Addicted To Stamps #251 Anything goes.

CAS is Best.

My 2nd weeks card for inspiration on the Butterfly Challenge

#82 Butterflies +M is for Matching Pairs and/or the Colour Orange Peel

doesn't come much more CAS than this yet it covers all the required elements. 

I simply used a snippet of white card already out on my desk and as the box of Distress Ink pads was also out on the floor ( currently being used on another project) I pulled out the Spiced Marmalade and inked straight onto the card. Micron black fine liner pen used to draw the random lines and then the butterflies stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black  using a small wooden stamp by Dovecrafts. Backed onto black card  and then adhered with 3D pads onto a white cardstock base. Simples!!

I like it when a plan comes together. 

Entering into the following challenges:
Use Your Stuff #272 Colour splash. Black/white +1 colour
Little Miss Muffet #167 Anything goes.
Craft Rocket Challenges #39 Anything goes.
Cards 4 Galz #51 Butterflies.
Get Creative #60 CAS.

Creative Ladybirds Creations #28 Anything goes.
Country View Challenges # Things with wings.
Love to Craft #12 Anything goes.
Love to Scrap #99 Anything goes.
Through The Craft Room Door # Anything goes.

Lavender and Lace

I had all the elements to hand more or less for this card which I wanted to make for a challenge I had seen. Base is a scalloped white card and the purple card stock and lavender parchment paper from my stash.The image is from Hunkydory's '2nd book of flowers which I have trimmed down slightly to fit my layers. Lace was on my desk , flowers and pearls also from my stash.Sentiment was die cut from the remaining cardstock I had left over using 'Diesire' words by Crafters companion. Added a few stickles to the roses as an afterthought as I felt the card had something lacking but now I'm not so sure. Isn't that always the way! Can't change it now.

Entering into the following challenges:

Create and Inspire #64 Anything goes.
Crafty Calendar # Anything goes.
Penny's Paper Crafty #337 Anything goes.
Creative Inspirations #279 Anything goes.
Crafty Creations #345 Anything goes.
A Bit More Time To Craft #48 Anything goes.
Crafting With Friends #47 Anything goes.
Creative Fingers #134 Anything goes.
My Time To Craft #350 In The Garden.
All Sorts Challenges #426 Lavender and lace.
International Art and Soul #12 Elements of nature.
Lil patch of Crafty Friends #62 Anything goes.

Matching Pairs

Time for another new challenge over on The Butterfly blog.

#82 Butterflies +M is for Matching Pairs and/or the colour of Orange Peel 

Here is my inspiration for you. A Trifold card. For my Matching Pairs I have used butterfly  rub-on transfers by Royal Langnickel, Fancy border off cuts and Die cut buttons by Joy Crafts. The design paper is by Teresa Collins 2013 'Fabrications'.

 The buttons were made by die cutting several out and adhering together to make a thick button. I used 10 die cuts for each button from the card stock used for the base card. Pearls were from my stash and I edged around using a gold gel pen. The scalloped circle die is by Sizzix.

I have used a die cut sentiment by Presscut and a wooden filigree butterfly from 'The Works' on the inside of the trifold.

Hope you will play along with this new challenge which runs for 2 weeks.

Entering into the following challenges:

Snowy Scenes in abundance!

I'm sure if we were entering the Grand National we would be first past the post as the weeks are just galloping past for us girls in the Christmas Card Club. Time to show our latest makes. The theme was set by Shaz  for  ' Christmas/Snowy Scenes.' As I have a lot of used christmas card fronts that fit the bill and I'm woefully short on the numbers needed, I decided to go for the marathon and made 10 up last night. (It was much too hot to sleep anyway!)
Here they are in quick succession.  Cards 1 -5 are made from old card fronts and 6 - 10 are made using prints from Hunkydory's  Little book of  'Sparkling Season' which are all snowy type images.

Now it wouldn't be christmas if I didn't make at least one using acetate. This time I have made an acetate outer sleeve and the card is on a separate leaf held in place with a raffia cord tied into a bow.
Sentiment is by Dovecraft 'Tis the season ' clear stamp. If you look closely you can just about see the acetate sleeve.  Brown and blue cardstock used to mount the cut down robin image.

Second card I have mounted the card front onto red cardstock and then adhered to a light beige cardbase. Die cut the sentiment out of the bottom of the red card leaving the negative image behind. I have used the die cut on a card further down. 

Third card  I have simply mounted the robin card front onto several layers of alternate red/blue card which is finally adhered to a navy card base. Sentiment is a silver sticker from my stash.

Fourth card I haved mounted onto orange card and then used a snippet of the green base card to diecut the sentiment using a die by Presscut.

Fifth card  the sentiment was already in the card front so I used some silver coloured cord that was on my desk from a couple of shop labels that came with some dresses. (I keep the labels  for making into christmas/birthday tags and the cord as you can see comes in handy too. ) 

Card six using a Scribble christmas sentiment corner from Phil Martin. Image has been layered using different coloured card stock adhered to a turquoise  base card to match the snowman's scarf.

Card seven again layered up using different coloured cardstock to compliment the image. Sometimes the dress labels come with ribbon attached and this piece was on my desk and matched perfectly. Sentiment is a silver sticker from stash.

Card eight  uses another piece of ribbon on desk that matched and a piece of cardstock that I had previously used to cut a frame out and also die cut the sentiment from which is a Britannia die. The Hunkydory image fitted perfectly. The square flat pearls from my stash. 

Card nine  again lots of layering onto a pale green card stock base. The silver sentiment from my stash was a tad too long for going down the side but I simply cut the surplus off and added it to the larger star in the image. (Waste not want not!)

Finally card ten which uses the Britannia die cut from card  which I have added a sprinkling of   Glamour dust to. Layered up using red and silver card stock onto a red card base.

Ok thats me done for the day. I will leave you in peace. Off out into the garden now  for a cooling drink and catch up on all your blogs My thanks go to Shaz for choosing a nice easy theme which enabled me to use up some of my  card mountain in one fell swoop!

Shabby Rose

It is the second week for the butterfly challenge of

#81 Butterflies + K is for Key and/or the colour Vermillion

Here is some more inspiration for you.

The design paper is by Teresa Collins '2013 Fabrications' which I have backed onto cream cardstock.

The tag and butterfly cut outs are by Studio Light from their' 3D 2013 Vintage line sheet'. The ribbon and key are from my stash along with the the cream matting which is actually a piece cut from an anti slip mat made by Tiger. (I thought it had quite a nice texture and would work on a card as backing which is why I bought it some time ago .I have already used it on a tubular box previously) The sentiment is a gold sticker which I have adhered onto a label by SU using their  Extra Large Modern 

labels die punch.

The rose is a freebie stamp that came in a magazine by Practical Publishing  and was part of a combination set of stamps and embossing folder. I have stamped the image onto water colour paper and used Distress ink pads in Fired Brick and Forest Green by stamping onto a clear stamp block and picking up the colour with a wet paint brush. You can see a close up below.

Entering into the following challenges:

Stamping Sensations  # Anything with Flowers.

Sea Glass Box

Picture heavy post!

A friend on facebook recently said that she collected sea glass but only had a few pieces. I asked her if she would like some more as I have it in abundance. It was quickly arranged that as she lived quite close by we would meet up at the services on the local motorway. Now I needed a box to put it in and having found out that Ailsa loves the colour Purple I set to making one to transport the sea glass in.
Here is the finished box.

 The box has a hidden magnetic closure on the flap so it just closes with a click.

 Sea glass safely packed.

Ailsa was pleased with her new collection.


I'm pleased too as I have recently been back to the cove I collect it from and my stocks are now replenished.!! There was plenty of brown this time and blue and I even found a piece of red glass which is very rare indeed. You can just see it sitting on top of the large white chunk at the top of the bowl. This was all collected over the course of 4 afternoons trawling along the beach. Very good exercise!!

Before I go here are a few pictures showing how I make my boxes.

Thick cardboard cut to size and then each section covered with the chosen fabric. Then the pieces are laid out in the order they need to be stitched together.

 I use invisible thread to sew with. You can see all the threads in the picture below/

 This is the base now all sewn together.

 Edging braid then added for neatness.

 Lastly the sculptured lid is made. You can see all the pins holding the material taught prior to sewing .

I have just realised from the date I took these photos that we had some pretty good weather the beginning of April as I sat in the garden making this over several days.

If anyone would like some Sea Glass then  just email me at the address on my side bar.

Entering into the following challenge:

Pixies Crafty Workshop # 287/288. Use your snippets.(cardboard and the glass is snippets!)