Sunburst Christmas

Time once again for the girls in the Christmas card club to show our next cards. The theme was set by Zoe and is Cozy Cute Christmas though I have opted to go with Anything Goes ( which we can use if we have nothing  suitable for the theme).

I haven't made any Sunburst cards for ages and and I had a pad of 4"sq size Christmas papers (for ages and not used) in various designs in shades of grey/white/ and blue/white  so decided to use them as my starting point.
I pulled out 3 designs in each colourway and cut them into strips 1.5" wide and then into elongated triangles corner to corner on the 4" length.  This is when the fun not began as 4 of the chosen papers had a very definite right way up!!! My brain did engage on that fact and then promptly dismissed as not being relevant, me being on the ball at all times!!!!! Hence two cards that should have taken me no time at all took up all of last night and then part way today taking the  photos and finally getting posted.

First Card. 
Uses design papers from Paper Addicts 'It's cold Outside' paper pack and 'Ice Grey Glacier' from Tonic Studios December Skies paper pack. I adhered  the design papers onto a sheet of card stock 5" long  x 2.75" deep in the sunburst pattern. So far so good.

Then I went to construct the card and found that not only had I stuck the tree design paper on upside down but the log cabins too. Nothing for it but to start again. I can't show you the wrong one as waste not want not I glued the papers the correct way up over the top. Ha. Won't make that mistake twice!!!
(What's that phrase don't count your chickens..............).
Having got that fixed I found a tree stamp by Inky licious 'Flight of Dreams' stamp set and used silver embossing powder and my Woodware punch to create the little topper. Sentiment is a silver sticker from my stash. Phew. Card finally made and onto next  card which should have been a piece of cake to make .................

Entering  card  above into the following challenges:
Crafty Creations #389 Anything goes.
52 Christmas Card Throwdown # April stash.
Merry Little Christmas #9 Anything goes.
Sweet Stampin Christmas # Anything goes with optional Monochromatic.


Second Card. 
 Again uses design papers from Paper Addicts 'It's cold Outside' paper pack and 'Silver Silk' from Tonic Studios December Skies paper pack. I adhered  the design papers onto a sheet of card stock 5" long  x 2.75" deep in the sunburst pattern making sure the Deer and Antler papers were the right way up. Yay!

 Stamped and embossed the Deer (a freebie from a sheet of Essential christmas stamps from Making Cards magazine) in silver and cut out using a Deckled Rectangle die cut and then put the card together. Silver sentiment from my stash.
Cleared everything up and put tidily away ready to take photos of said cards  Looked at this one and only then did I see that I had glued the Sunburst panel onto the card upside down with the reindeer topper firmly attached on top.*%~ < #*.  Ruined the reindeer topper getting it off  but managed to salvage the image by fussy cutting out. No way was I getting everything out again. Tried getting the sunburst panel off (thinking that I could just turn it the right way up) and tore it. Nothing for it but to make another panel up which I did and promptly put the reindeer paper on the wrong way up. By now I  had a distinct feeling of it being Ground Hog Day. Finally got the card completed and called time hence me posting this late.

Entering this card only into the following challenges:
Crafting By Designs # Get ready for christmas.
The Holly and  Ivy Christmas Challenge # 48 Anything goes.
Scraps of life By Scrappy Mo # Rudolph Day.
Unicorn Challenges# 42 Spots and or stripes. (I have both of  these in the design papers used. )

Twisted Single Easel.

It is the second week of the latest Butterfly Challenge and here is another Easel card for your inpsiration.  This time it is a single twisted one. The Measurements are for a finished card size of 5" square.
Cut card stock to 10"x 5". Score and fold at 5" along the length to make a square card base. Score on the diagonal by placing fold to top and opening to the bottom. Score from 'top right' down to 'bottom left'.  Decorate as desired.

Here I have used dark blue card stock for the base card and cream pearlised for the 5" x 5" sq topper which I have put through a Creative Expressions Embossing folder called Bark.  The flower is from a freeebie sheet of flower motifs that I have had in my stash for ages. the sentiment is a silver sticker also from my stash.  The  image is by a company no longer in existence but I do have a few sheets of images before they did. The company is Nicecrane Designs and this image is from their Water Babies sheet vol 1. I backed onto stiff card and stitched around the edge for some extra detailing.

Entering into the following challenges:
Artistic Inspirations # Anything goes.
Use Your Stuff #356 Yarn/string/twine.
Through The Craft Room Door # Anything goes.
A Bit More Time To Craft #90 Anything goes.
Pile It On #153 Lots of layers.
Ally's Angels #21 Anything goes.
Crafts Galore #62 Anything goes.
Get Creative #79 Anything goes.
The Creative  Crafters #15 Anything goes.


Challenge runs for another week and ends on Tuesday 30th April 8pm (GMT).

Daisy Days

Each year I plan to do an Easter type card and fail so I was determined this time to make a card for Spring instead.
It is quit a big card being 8" x 5.5" but the size is due to the scalloped die cut I used for making the blank card base.  I have been trying to buy some more scalloped card blanks for ages but couldn't find the size I wanted when I came across this Large Scallop Card die by 'John Next Door.' As it was practically the same price as buying a ready made pack of blanks it won hands down. I also bought the Small Scallop Card die too. Now I will never run out of blanks, just cut my own. p.s. It also cuts like a dream with the added bonus you can cut the pattern paper with it too.

The digi is by Robyn's Fetish called 'Daisy Days'. Coloured using my Graph'it pens for a change and a gold gel pen. As usual I colour the digi first and then (with heart in mouth) go and look for a paper to match/compliment it.
I found this freebie one from Making cards August 2014 'Patchwork pals' had a flower on it in almost the identical design as the large daisy I had coloured in on the digi!!!! Luckily the sheet was large enough to die cut , then cut it in half and add to the front and inside of the card. After colouring I mounted onto blue card stock cut using my Prescut  Rectangle die Stitch Hole PCD98. The sentiment was computer generated and cut with a woodware circle punch and then adhered to two further dies. The blue being Xcuts 'Bloom' die  and the rasberry red Sizzix 657552 'Scallop Circle' die.  Below is a close up of the digi  showing the gold gel pen detailing which really sparkles as you turn the card to the light.

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:

Tuesday Taggers # Springtime.

Moving Along With The times #95 That spring feeling.

Brown Sugar #289 Spring or fall.

Colour Crazy #15 Anything goes.

Creative Fingers #162 Anything goes.

T G I F challenges #208 Show off your piercing (rectangle die cut has pierced edging)

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends #104 Anything goes.

Country View Challenges # Easter and/or spring.

Crafter's Castle #16 Anything goes+optional Spring and/or distressed.

Tales From The Craft Room #3 Spring/easter.

Easel Cards.

A new challenge has started over at the Butterfly Blog.
#121 Spin The Butterfly Wheel with E for Easel card. 
Here are my inspiration cards for you.

First card is for a basic Easel design. You will find full  instructions for making all of the cards under the card shape tab at the top of the Butterfly blog underneath the banner heading.
 I used Easel Card/Emerald Green/Eminence/Edges/Butterfly.
The stamp is by Craft UK 'Flower collection'.I embossed with white embossing powder and then coloured in using my promarkers. Once coloured I die cut using Spellbinders 'Romantic Rectangle'
The sentiment came in the same stamp set.  The edge of butterflies is also embossed with white powder and coloured with my promarker.

 My camera always has a problem with purple. It comes out looking blue but IRL it is purple.

Entering the above card into the following challenges:

Through the Craft Room Door # Anything goes.

Addicted To Stamps #337 Make your mark.

I Love Promarkers #382 Anything goes + optional Embossing.

Ally's Angels #21 Anything goes.

Creative With Stamps #37 Birthdays.

Get Creative #79 Anything goes/no twist.

Patties Creations #157 Flowers.

The Creative Crafters #15 Anything goes.

My second  card is for a Double Easel design. 
 I used Easel Card//Eminence/Edges/Butterfly.
The digi stamp is by Delicious Doodles 'Butterfly Border.  I downloaded several prints and coloured and fussy cut flowers and butterflies for extra embellishment. I used promarkers and a silver gel pen.  The sentiment is die cut twice and is by Presscut PCD02 Happy Birthday #1. Gems were from my stash.

Entering this card only into the following challenges:

Make My Monday #94 Diamonds.

Aud Sentiments #225 Use a Happy Birthday Sentiment.

Penny's Paper Crafty #426 Anything goes.

The Paper Shelter #379 A Birthday Card.

Crafting By Designs # Anything goes.

Crafts Galore #62 Anything goes.

Lets Craft and Create Challenge #146 Anything goes.

Sheepski Designs #25 Wings.

Final card is a Double Twisted Easel.
 I used Easel Card//Egyptian Blue/Embossing folder/Butterfly.
The embossing folder is by Sizzix Texture Fades 'Trellis Set' The toppers are by Marianne Designs 'Butterfly Dreams' sheet.  Blue butterfly from my stash.

Entering this card into the following challenges:
Crafty Creations #388 Anything goes.
Creative Moments #166 Anything goes.
Cute Card Thursday #578 Flowers.
Simply Create Too #148 Anything goes no twist.
2 Crafty Critter Crazies #25 Anything goes with a Critter.
Daisy Chain Challenges #29 Make it feminine.
Love To Craft #33 Anything goes.



Challenge runs for the normal 2 weeks and I hope you will come and play along. .

Winter Scenes.

Running late again. I was out at a Craft Class all day yesterday and made these cards up late last night to post today.  It's time again for the girls in the Christmas Card Club to show their cards for the theme chosen by Shaz which is Winter or Christmas scenes.  I chose  winter scenes and got my water colour paints out by Caran d'Ache Ganache Studios to make the sky backgrounds.
I have used water colour paper which I gave a liberal coating of water to before using the paints and then dried with my heat gun before doing the stamping and  additional colouring.  Stamps are various by Hobby Art, Inky Licious, Stamp Scapes, Card-io and Artimpressions.

First card.
Using Hobby Arts for the house and trees and Card-io for the geese and deer. The sentiment is by Inky Licious.

Second card.
Using  Hobby Arts for the trees  and gate, Inky Licious for the House scene and Artimpressions for the front fencing. The sentiment  is by Tattered Lace.

One extra card for the pot which is actually cut off the scene above as I was trying to extend the fencing the other side of the cottage but  it didn't match up and looked wrong. So waste not want not I decided to make into a smaller scene. As I had already stamped the fence (Hobby Arts) there wasn't room to include a house so looking through my small stamps I found this man walking his dog by Stamp Scapes so put him in the front and then added the Hobby arts larger tree and bush.

I will be around later to see what the other girls have done and also catch up on all your blog news. I'm off out into the garden now as the shed which got delivered last week is being put up first thing Monday morning and I need to make sure that the proposed site is nice and level.

Dutch Folds

It's the second week now of the current Butterfly Challenge  so here is some more inspiration for you. This card shape is so easy to make ( you will find tutorials over on the challenge blog under card shapes) but you don't have to use the shape to enter your card. You can also combine others colours besides the 3 showing on the wheel.

Card one uses Version III of the Dutch fold .
Wheel elements Dutch fold/ Diamonds/Digi Image/ Dark Orange/ Dartmouth Green/Butterfly.

Th digi image is by Card Mad Fairies Flower 1. I printed the image twice and coloured one of the flowers two times and then fussy cut one of them out to create the 3D image on the card front. Coloured with my Promarkers and a gold gel pen.  Below is showing the card opened up.

Entering this card into the following challenges:
Artistic Inspirations #214 Anything goes.
Use Your Stuff #354 Flora and Fauna.
Through The Craft Room Door # Anything goes.
Colour Crazy #13 Anything goes.
Pile It On #153 Lots of Layers.
Addicted To Stamps '173 Lots of layers stamps or papers.
Crafter's Castle #15 Anything goes.

Card Two uses Version II of the Dutch fold .
Wheel elements Dutch fold/ Denim Blue/Butterfly.

I have used patterned paper by The Works layered up  and two pre cut butterfly toppers from my stash.  Silver stickers for the sentiment and silver edging to form the frame work.

Entering this card into the following challenges:
Southern Girls # Frame It.
Creative Fingers #161 Anything goes.
Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends #103 Anything goes.
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge# Anything goes.
Love To Craft # 33 Anything goes.
Crafts Galore #62 Anything goes.
Lets Craft and Create # Anything goes + Optional Beautiful butterflies.

Card Three also  uses Version II of the Dutch fold .
Wheel elements Dutch fold/ Dartmouth Green/ Digi Image/Butterfly.

The digi  image is by A Day for Daisies 'Wax Window'  and again I have printed off twice and coloured two of the flower up as extras and fussy cut out. Coloured using my Promarkers and a silver gel pen.  The butterflies are  puffy stickers from my stash. (It is amazing what you find when you have a good sort out!)

The sentiment is by Xcut which I die cut 3 times and layered up to give dimension.
Entering this card into the following challenges:
Pattie's Creations # Flowers.
Tuesday Throwdown #429 Anyhing goes.
Simply create Too# 148 Anything goes with no twist.
Creative Craft Cottage # 117 Not patterned papers.
The Crafty Addicts #59 Anything goes with pink
Daisy Chain Challenges# 29 Make it feminine.



The Butterfly challenge has a week to run. Remember you do not have to use the card shape to enter a card. Hope to see you there.

Room Update.

As promised here are the photos of my recent Craft Room Update.
First two were taken as I was half way into dismantling the room prior to moving everything around. I couldn't possible have contemplated showing the state of my desk prior to starting.!!!

It took a week's worth of sorting and restoring to get this far!!!!  I used to sit with my back to the long row of built in wardrobes. The end three slanted  cupboards had my craft stash in them which meant I was constantly having to push my chair back and move out of the way to then be able to open the doors to access what I needed.  The flap with the yellow mitten on used to get piled high with what ever I  had been using and tended to stay put instead of being put straight back into the cupboards.

Something had to be done.  I finally realized that if I turned the table round 90 degrees and moved it down(the room) away from the window I could fit a book case in along the green wall between the built in wardrobe and the built in chest of drawers. This meant that the stash stuffed (under the table flap) on the floor would have a proper place to go. So the search was on to find a bookcase to fit the green space.  Enter 'Billy'  from Ikea along with the storage boxes which were made to fit. A perfect fit and the patterned boxes went perfectly with my carpet rugs.

So here you can see the desk has been turned round and I now sit facing the window.  I can open the 3 long cupboards (nearest the window) with ease and access everything I need. There is enough room for  me to still be able to put the flap up for when I have my sewing machine out.

You can see that 'Billy ' fits that wall like a glove!

That is Archie sitting in the corner. Made by one of my lovely blogging friends who makes bears and just recently dolls too.  Julia had put him up for sale on her blog on my Birthday so what could I do but purchase him straight away!! He is Adorable and his head woggles in agreement to everything I say to him.

This is the view with me sitting from my desk. Now the eagle eyed amongst you will no doubt  have spotted the infamous Butterfly Winners Teacup residing on top of the printer.  Sorry about the glare from the flash but without it the photo was too dark.  I now have space to put some of my mixed media crafts out that I have made over the years.

I did purchase a 'Half Billy' which will fit against this wall but for now I am just using the boxes stacked. They can be rearranged easily to fit as my mood takes me by stacking higher or lower and are empty at the moment.  Now that I have taken the photos I can put next weeks Butterfly Challenge cards on show but you will have to wait till Wednesday to see them.

Gate Fold.

If scheduled posts are working then by the time this goes live we should have our internet back and the problem finally sorted as the engineer was due out on Monday morning.
The New Butterfly Challenge should have gone live today as well.
#120 Spin The Butterfly Wheel With D for Dutch Fold.
Here are my Inspiration cards for you.

1st card uses 

Dutch Fold/Digi Image /Dark Orange/Dartmouth Green/Butterfly

You will find several versions on how to make this Gate Fold card shape over on the Butterfly Blog under the card shapes tab at the top of  the page.  I have used Version I.  The dig image is by A Day For Daisies called 'Flower Frame'. I printed it off twice and coloured one and then fussy cut out. Adhered to the the seond image with 3D pads so that it stands out on the card front.  The design paper is from a paper pack that came free with a Magazine several years ago now. The stickers are Anitas Outline Stickers called Elegant Butterflies Gold. The sentiment was a free stamp from Crafts Beautiful  Mar 2019. 

 Here it is fully opened up and below showing partially closed up.

Entering this card into the following challenges:

Crafty Gals Corner #188 Spring is here.

Creative Moments #165 Anything goes.

A Bit More Time To Craft #89 Anything goes.

Crafting With Friends #2 Anything goes.

Catch The Bug # Unusual folds.

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends #102 Anything goes.

2nd card uses 

Denim Blue /Dartmouth Green/Diamonds/Butterfly

On this card I have interpreted  the diamonds as being the design paper but you could of course use diamond gem embellishments.  The diamond paper is a freebie from Making Cards magazine May 2015. The stamp is a Penny Black Slapstick Cling called Lilacs. I used my Marvy Le Plume II water colour pens to ink directly onto the stamp, spritzed the stamp with water and then stamped out onto watercolour paper. I was a bit heavy handed with the spritzing though  and lost some of the definition of the flower head so I used the nib end of the pen to colour back in and rather like the resulting look The sentiment and the die cut butterflies were from my stash. 

Entering the card above into the following challenges:

Through The Craft Room Door # Anything goes.

Double 'D' Challenges # Water colours.

Penny's Paper Crafty #424 Anything goes.

Creative Fingers #160 Anything goes.

Pixie's Crafty Workshop #349 Use up your snippets ( odd piece of water colour paper in stash)

3rd  card uses 

Dartmouth Green//Butterfly

I have used another Penny black Slapstick/Cling stamp called 'Crimson Blush'. This time I inked the stamp using a memento ink pad onto white card stock and coloured the flowers on the paper with my Marvy Le Plume II  water colour pens and a gold gel pen.  The design paper is a Simply Cards and Paper Craft magazine freebie from a Nitwit collection 'Spring Whimsy'.  The stamped greeting is by Wild Rose Studio clear stamps called Birthday Greetings that I inked using a distressed ink pad. The die cut butterfly is Memory Box Isabella/Pippi with a bit of glitter glue on Pippi and a green pearl.

Entering this card into the following challenges:

Crafting By Designs# Anything goes.

Crafty Creations #387 Anything goes.

Fab 'N' Funky #434 Just add ink.

Colour Crazy #12 Anything goes.

Scrapping 4 Fun #137 Anything goes.

All Sorts Challenge #513 Use Yellow.

The Butterfly Challenge runs for the next two weeks so I hope you will have time to come and play along. 

Santa Cards

Back in business!!
We have a spanking new router which was set up by the engineer when he came today. Hopefully this will be the end of all our troubles. Fingers and toes crossed.

I'm a day late for this post but wanted to get it in before I post the new Butterfly challenge up on Wednesday as it is scheduled now for that day.

It was time once again for the girls in the Christmas Card Club to show our latest cards. Rita chose the theme of Santa. Whilst having a sort out in my craft room I found a wooden stamp that I hadn't used before and another that I had only used once and as they were both Santa stamps thought they would be ideal to use here .

The 1st card  uses a wooden stamp by Creative Expressions HH140 H. I stamped in versamark ink and then using black embossing powder. Coloured in using red and green promarker pens.  The card base was already semi created and had been put in my stash when not used on a previous project so I simply die cut the santa image using the same size oval and then slightly moved them apart to create  the shadow effect. The sentiment is by Imagination crafts.

2nd card again uses the same Santa stamp but this time I used versamark ink with gold embossing powder. Coloured using the same two promarker colours as above.  I found this ready made aperture card unused in my stash and found a piece of beloved acetate with falling snow on it which was just the right size too. The sentiment is a gold sticker from my stash.

Last card is a stamp by La Blanche which depicts a really old Santa image. I stamped using red distress ink, then trimmed around the image using my TH distressing tool. The Noel sentiment was part of a sheet of all different ones which came free in a magazine. I trimmed down, glued to a backing piece of card and distressed around the edges to match the santa image. The design paper was another magazine freebie which I distressed the edges of before attaching to an olive green piece of cardstock made into the base card. The red/green bakers twine was from my stash.