How Many Candles!

Time again for the girls in the Christmas Card Club to show our next cards. Rita chose the theme of
Christmas Candles.  I had intended to make four cards but having checked with The Doc that the clocks weren't going forward this weekend but in fact found they were I'm a bit pushed for time so two it is.  I have used the same  candle stamp on both cards but the results are a total contrast.

First card.
The stamp is by Marianne Design. 'Clear Stamps Border'. It doesn't say it is a christmas stamp so I suppose it could be used on a Birthday card but here I am classing it as a christmas image.  I stamped in black ink first and coloured the candles in using my Graph'it markers.  As I had positioned in my Misti I was able to put it back in place and re ink over the top with versamark ink  and emboss with silver embossing powder.

 Mounted onto silver card stock and then a Russet Brown that went well with the colours of the candles. The silver sentiment sticker and stars were from my stash.  Simple card but the coloring of all the candles was the time consuming part making sure the colours all complimented each other.

Second card.
I embossed the stamped image using versamark ink and Gold embossing powder.  Mounted onto gold sparkly cardstock and then white card. The sentiment is a gold sparkly sticker from my stash. The edging was actually cut from the top of the sticker sheet. Waste not want not!
It is also time for the Rudolph March Christmas challenge so I am popping this card over to Maureen's to play along .

Entering into the following challenge:
Scraps Of life By Scrappy Mo # March Rudolph challenge.

Hope you are all staying safe and well.

How many candles?   36. Go on count them I know you will.

Hugs 

Diamond Roses

Both of us woke up this morning absolutely sure that it was Friday. The days are all out of place at the moment with everything that is going on.  I have managed to make two more cards for the current Butterfly Challenge which is due to finish next Tuesday but I am going to extend the deadline by a further week so the challenge will now end on Tuesday 7th April.  Each New Challenge  requires me to do four separate blog posts, The winners post, The new challenge post, The Tutorial post and a Seperate post here on this blog and with having to spend extended time just on my PC  toggling  daily between shopping sites trying to find the elusive food delivery slot I am not keeping up.

This card again is showcasing some of the lovely digi papers that are from Raspberry Road who
are my chosen company for the Gift Vouchers on offer as prizes.
I am using from the wheel:
Vegas Gold/Vivid Burgundy/Vintage Style/Vertical Embellishment +Butterflies.

The diamond paper is from their Renaissance Papers and the floral from their Rust And Roses Set.The joy of using digi papers is that you never need to run out and you can print out onto different textured papers if your printer allows . I have printed these out using smooth gloss paper 160 gsm. I used my TH distress edger to rough up both papers to give a vintage look and feel.  Butterflies were punched out using a Woodware punch and scraps. The sentiment is by Julie Hickey and the dotted  circle design is part of the same stamp set. I used my sizzix scalloped circle die set to cut out. Gems  from my stash.
Entering into the following challenges:
Always Fun Challenges #155 Birthday Wishes.
Shopping Our Stash #416 Happy Birthday.
Crafty Gals Corner #205 Use flowers.
Creative Knockouts #343 Anything goes.
Southern Girls # Anything goes.
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends #128 Anything goes.
Love To Craft #44 Anything goes.
Ally's Angels #32 Anything goes.


This second card is actually a remake. I didn't like it when  first finished so I dismantled and remade.  Now I do like it.
Using all Seven elements of the butterfly wheel.

 The wood effect paper design is from Raspberry Road's Poppy Hill Paper. The scripted paper from their Antebellum Collection and the top paper  from the Rust and Roses Paper set. Made into a View Master Card. You will find the tutorial on how to make under the card shape tab over on the Butterfly Blog. The oddment of ribbon , small butterflies, gems and brad are from my stash.  I managed to fit 4  different sentiments by  Julie Hickey onto the wheel  along with the stamped butterfly which is by Clearly Besotted from their Elegant Butterflies stamp set.  I am just showing two of them here today 'Just for You' above and 'Hi'  below.

Entering into the following challenges:
Artsystamper Digitals #12 Lots of layers.
Through The Craftroom Door # Anything goes.
Creatalicious Challenges #183 Anything goes with layer it up.
Crafty Sentiments Design # Anything goes.
Water Cooler Challenges #264 All about occasions.
Little Red Waggon #542 Left  overs.
Creative Moments #187 Anything goes.
Through the Purple Haze #165 Anything geos.
Crafter's Castle #27 Anything goes.

If your feeling bored with being indoors on this enforced shut down then I 'd love to see you over on the challenge.  Don't forget I have added an extra week to the finish time. Till then  Stay Safe and Well and keep on Crafting. Your blog needs you!

Virtual Hugs 

Keeping Busy.

It was a beautiful sunny day today so I threw open the double doors to the Summer House and set the Chess Set up for a game with The Doc. 

 May the best man win!!! Let battle commence.

 Well I managed  35mins (but most of that time was learning the rules of engagement) before
 The Doc had my White King  in Checkmate with his Black Bishop. Close up of my defeat below.

 I managed a more respectable 1hr 35mins on the next game

 before The Doc had my White King in check with not only his Queen but both of his Knights.

Oh well, there is always another day!


Hope you are all keeping well and safe and finding ways to spend your extra time at home.

Virtual Hugs 

View Master Card.

Time for a new challenge over on the Butterfly blog. Here is the new theme.
#139 Spin The Butterfly Wheel with V for View Master Card.

Vegas Gold/Vivid Burgundy/Viridian/Vertical Embellishment/Vintage Style/ Butterfly.

Viridian = Blue /Green colour.

As usual here are my inspiration cards for you. 

1st card using 

 View Master Card/ Vegas Gold/Vivid Burgundy/Vertical Embellishment/Vintage Style +Butterflies.

As all  the prizes for this challenge will be gift Certificates from  Raspberry Road Designs. I am using some of their papers that I have already purchased in previous years. 

Please go to the tutorials page on the Butterfly Blog to see how to make a View Master Card. It is very easy and I have broken it down into easy steps for you to follow.

I am using  design paper from Raspberry Roads Renaissance Papers range.  The butterflies were punched out using my SU Large Butterfly.  The sentiments for the circle are by Julie Hickey. The ribbon was on my desk from a chocolate box  and the brad and pearls from my stash.

 The 3 pictures below are all the same card showing the different sentiments as I turned the View Master Wheel round.

Entering this card into the following challenges:
Artsy Stamper Digitals #12 Lots of layers.
Creatalicious Challenges #183 Anything foes with option of layer it up.
Lost Coast Portal Challenges #95 Winged things.
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends #128 Anything goes.
We Love To Create #3 Anything mixed media goes.
Ally's Angels #32 Anything goes.
Classic Design Challenge #3 Anything goes/

My second Card uses.

Vivid Burgundy/Vertical Embellishment/Vintage Style +Butterflies.

Design paper is again by Raspberry Road Designs and I have let it do the talking on this card. Doesn't that window look as if it is opening  right into the card.  The banner is by Julie Hickey layered up 3 times. I extended the top layer to fit the sentiment which is a silver sticker from my stash.  Butterflies this time are a Woodware punch. Gems from my stash. 

Entering this card into the following challenges:
Jan's Digi Challenges #10 Anything goes.
Through The Craftroom Door # Anything goes.
Crafty Creations #407 Anything goes.
Creations In Pink #20 Anything goes.
Creative Moments #186 Anything goes.
Love To Craft #44 Anything goes.
Through The Purple Haze #165 Anything goes.

Do hope you are all staying safe and well and if you are holed up due to restrictions with the  current Coronavirus Crisis that you will feel like coming and joining in over on the Butterfly Blog. Challenge is running for the normal two weeks and there are new prize details. 

 Virtual Hugs 

Garlands Galore

Goodness what happened to the last fortnight that has just whizzed by. I hope you are all staying safe and well in these worrying times which is now Global.
Lorraine has picked the theme of Garlands or Wreaths for our next cards in the Christmas Card Club where we try to make cards in advance of the usual mad rush at the end of the year.  Sorting through my Christmas stash I found 5 stamps that were wreath or garland themed so I used them all to make the following cards.

First card.
I have used ‘Merry Garland ‘by Julie Hickey and a sentiment by Woodware. The stamp set comes with a separate poinsettia flower and a sprig of holly so I stamped out extras at the same time as the garland itself. All coloured using my Graph’it marker pens and then edged with a silver gel pen. I fussy cut the extra stamps and then die cut the garland using  a Card Deco Essentials Stitch Round. Added the extra flowers and holly using 3D pads for definition and adhered the circle onto a card base made from green cardstock to match.

Second card.
For this one I have used ‘Loopy Wreath’ by Woodware and the sentiment came in the same set. Coloured with my Graph’it marker pens and then edged with a bronze sparkle pen which shows up most on the ribbon bow. Backed onto matching card stock  and  dark green cardstock to make the base card. Pearls were from my stash.

Third card.
Uses a small silhouette stamp by Nellie Snellen called ‘Christmas Wreath’. I stamped first with a black ink pad and then over the top with a Versamark ink pad and embossed using black embossing powder. The sentiment by Julie Hickey which  I stamped several times in black ink to make it very dark and then embossed with Ultra clear embossing powder. I did try with the black embossing powder but it made the sentiment in distinct . The black spots were stickers in my stash and I just mounted onto black card and then white cardstock to make the base card. Simple but effective.

Fourth card.
Not strictly either a garland or a wreath but I am including it in this selection.  The stamp is by Creative Expressions called ‘Danielle’s Partridge’ and I have stamped out using a ‘Forest Green’ Distress ink pad . Using four Graph’it marker pens to just colour in the Pears, Partridge and one side of each leaf. Mounted onto dark green card and then caramel cardstock to make the card base. Raised up on 3D pads for definition. The sentiment was cut out using my SU labels punch. I like the resulting  card.

Last card .
Using another Woodware stamp set called simply ‘Garland’. Stamped using Distress ink in ‘Forest Green’ and whilst still wet I smooshed a flat paint brush loaded up with a bit more of the ink around the stamped garland to spread the colour a bit . The sentiment was in the same set which I went over using a gold gel pen and also a few of the spots around the design. Gives just a subtle sheen as you turn the card under the light. Die cut using my Sizzix scalloped circle dies. The pearls and the gold edging ( which is stickers)  were from my stash. Raised up on 3D pads and added to card base made from red card stock.

Hope you like my little collection Lorraine.

Now to leave you with the Doc’s latest escapade.  Has the panic buying of Toilet rolls  in the shops  left you short?  Just follow his lead and buy underpants instead! Seventeen pairs to be precise.  His local clothing store have now introduced PPP (a Panic Pants Policy) restricting all customers purchases to one pair of pants per head.

Enjoy  the rest of your day.  I now need to execute a mad dash for the back door  as I have been sat in the summer house writing this on my I-pad. It is now teeming down with rain and I need to upload photos of the cards on my main PC.

Floral Spray.

I have made another  U fold shape for your inspiration. This time I have used acetate to cover the  entire front of the card instead of just a bar going across and have attached using brads  on each of the corners. I am calling this Version II and I have put instructions for making it over on the Butterfly Blog under the Card Shape page. Again I have used all of the seven elements.
Umber/Unbleached silk/Ultra Pink/ U fold/Flower pattern paper/ Die cut/Butterflies.
The sentiment is die cut using  Xcut Ornate Frame and the flowers are from the same set by StampinUp  called Birthday Blooms. I have  coloured using my Caran D' Ache water coloured paints and when dried fussy cut out. Edged with silver gel pen. The U fold base has been made from a KanBan  Background card sheet called Butterflies and Roses 901023. The flowers have been mounted onto the acetate using 3d pads and it does all fold flat for postage.

I am rather pleased with how the card has turned out.
Entering this card into the following challenges:
Make My Monday #117 In The Pink
Crafty Sentiments Designs # Add flowers.
Crafty Catz #496 Anything goes /Flowers.
Lil Patch Of  Crafty Friends #127 Anything goes.
Ally's Angels #32 Anything goes.
Craft Stamper # Anything goes.
Crafty Calendar # More Than One Fold.
Pattie's Creations #168 Anything goes /digi or stamped image.
The Flower Challenge #42 Anything goes.
Unicorn Challenge #52 Flower Power.

My second card just uses up all the scraps from the two U Shape Cards I made and posted last week.
I have six of the elements on this card. I am determined to use the scraps up on my desk instead of just adding to the over flowing box so have been attaching them to off cuts of white card as and when they fit. This was a small piece of water colour card which after attaching all the  pieces I simply rounded off three of the corners, added the die cut butterfly which was also out on my desk, attached to a bigger snippet of pink card and then onto the white card base cut from cardstock.  The sentiment is by Phill Martin Scribble Corner Sentiments 'Every Day.' This is a very CAS Card  for me which you will not see very often so feast your eyes!!

Entering into the following Challenges:
Creative Fingers#181 Anything goes.
Scrapping 4 Fun #161 Anything goes.
All Sorts Challenge #562 Anything with wings.
Pixie's Crafty Workshop #373 Anything goes with your snippets.
A Perfect Time To Craft #3 Anything goes.
Classic Design Challenge #3 Anything goes,
Crafter's Castle #27 Anything goes.
Love To Craft #44 Anything goes.
Love To Scrap #131 Anything goes.
Through The Purple Haze #165 Anything goes.

Challenge has another  week to run so hope you can come and join in.

Defused Anemone

I just felt like creating a card yesterday using my CaranD'Ache water colour paints.  One of my favourite flowers are Anemones. I love all the different colours that they come in. I really wanted to have them in my Bridal bouquet but the florist said that as the stems were hollow she couldn't wire them up and they would wilt without support. I had to have carnations instead and it still rankles to this day that I didn't have Anemones!! To help make up for it I have used a Woodware stamp 'Anemone' JG153 on my card.

I stamped out onto water colour card  using Versa Mark ink and Wow Gold embossing powder When the paint was dry I die cut using  Card Deco's Stitch Round die and my trusty Bigshot. I wanted to give the painting a defused look so placed white vellum over the top and attached with brads to the design paper behind.
Finally mounted onto pink card stock as the base. the sentiment is by Wow from their Everyday Sentiments set and the brads from my stash.   When I went to take the photos of the card though you couldn't really see the flower so I ended up going over the outline of the Anemone on the vellum using a gold gel pen and filling in the petals very slightly with more colour. Talk about making work for myself but I do like the end result.
Entering card into the following challenges:
Make My Monday #117 In  the pink.
Incy Wincy Designs # Hand coloured images.
Cuttlebug Mania # Tic/tac/toe using the line Sentiment/Flower/Circle.
Crafty Creations #407 Anything goes.
The Crafters Cafe #237 Anything goes.
The Sisterhood of Crafters # Patterned paper.
As You Like It Challenge# Favourite flower and why.
Craft Rocket Challenges #68 Flowers.
Southern Girls # Anything goes.
Creations In Pink #19 anything goes.

U Folds.

The beginning of March already and time for another Butterfly challenge.
#138 Spin The Butterfly Wheel with U for U.Fold Card.

Here are my inspiration cards for you. The tutorial for how to make the fold is as usual on the Butterfly Blog on the card shapes page which can be found at the top of the blog under the banner heading.
I have managed to use all seven elements on both of my cards.

First card.
I have used papers from The Works and various Dovecraft Butterfly dies to decorate with. The heart pearls are from my stash.

 Below is the card taken at an angle to show the U Shape. The sentiment is by Woodware from their 'Deco Sayings' along with the one on the back of the card and stamped using Distress ink 'Walnut Stain'.

 I have decorated the back panel and left a space for the greeting to go. Card is a nice one to be free standing for the recipient to display.

Entering this card into the following challenges:
Make My Monday #117 In The Pink.
Use Your Stuff #393 Use your favourite embellishment (Butterflies).
Through The Craft Room Door #Anything goes.
Crafty Catz #495 Anything goes /pretty papers.
Get Creative #89 Bingo board. ( I have used Pearls/Shaped card/Use pattern paper.)
Creations In Pink #19 Anything goes.
Crafter's Castle #27 Anything goes.
A perfect Time To Craft. #3 Anything goes.
Shopping Our Stash #415 Is It Summer yet.

Second Card.
More papers from The works and Butterfly dies by Tonic called 'Butterfly Blooms' 293719.

 The sentiment is by Woodware from their 'Just To Say' collection. Stamped onto cream cards stock with Distress ink 'Walnut Stain' . Die cut using Crafts-Too Square dies Scalloped edge PCD 77 and then further distressed around the edges with the same ink pad.  The Butterfly dies were given the same treatment to give them an aged look.

 I like the papers from the Works as they are double sided and as I used one to make the base card you can see the other pattern on the back of the card which I have decorated using the cut out from the sentiment. Cream butterfly was left over form the first card and is by Dovecraft.

Entering this card into the following challenges:
Crafty Sentiments # Anything goes.
Creative Knockouts #339 Die cuts/punches.
Creative Fingers #180 Anything goes.
Scrapping 4 Fun #161 Anything goes.
Crafty Friends Challenge #130 Animals/birds.
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper # Anything goes.
Classic Design Challenge #3 Anything goes.
Ally's Angels #31 Anything goes.


Hope you will come and play along. the challenge runs for the normal 2 weeks.

Post Box

It is my turn over at the Christmas Card  Club so best not be late. I have chosen the theme of
Postbox/Mailbox. I have three cards to share.

My first card uses  a digi from Delicious Doodles called 'Jolly Holly Post box'.

I have coloured using my Graph'it and Promarker pens. Edged with both silver and gold gel pens. Once I had finished colouring I die cut using my spellbinders Romantic Rectangle.  The sentiment is by Studio Light from their Winter Memories stamp set which I heat embossed using Wow gold powder. I layered onto gold metallic cardstock and then a base card made with Dark Evergreen Cardstock.
Entering this card into the following challenges:
Ally's Angels #31 Anything goes.
Crafty Cardmakers # 251 Embossing dry/wet.
Polkadoodles Craft Challenge #week 9 Anything goes.
Jan's Digi Challenges #8 Anything goes.
Crafty Sentiments Designs #Anything goes.
Through The Craftroom Door # Anything goes.
Aud Sentiments #245 Anything goes.
Creative Moments #185 Anything goes.
Creative Knockouts #339 Diecuts/punches.
Colour Crazy #week 8 Anything goes.

The next two cards are recycling shop bought  christmas cards that I received last year and were much too useful to throw out.
On this one I have cut the card out using my Crafts-Too Square scalloped edge  PCD77. The sentiment was salvaged from the inside of a received card and die cut using an SU punch. Layered up with red cardstock to match the post box and then blue cardstock used to make the card base.

On this last card I have used  a die from Julie Hickey's 'Layers,Frames and Banners Square die cut set.' The used card has a beige background and I found some beige vellum cardstock that matched perfectly in my stash.  The sentiment is again  salvaged from the inside of a card and punched  out using my  SU labels punch. Finally mounted onto red cardstock for the base card.

I am off to see what the rest of the girls have come up with. Hope everyone is staying safe and warm in this awful weather. We nipped down to the village yesterday for food supplies and got caught in a hail storm.  Luckily it didn't last and by the time we got back home the sun was out but not for long though.