Ring The Bells

It is my turn to set the theme for the girls over at the Christmas card club so I made sure I was bang on time today.  I have chosen Bells as we don't seem to have used those for quite a while. In fact the one  digi image I have is from a Lady Anne's   Progressive challenge way back in May 2013 and I think I have only used it once more since then! I found some silver sticker bells in my stash and then I bought a further 2 digi images from Etsy shops that caught my eye. 

Card 1 using the image by Priscilla Styles from the progressive challenge but  neither Prisciulla's blog or the challenge are current anymore. 

I decided to make easel cards and this one uses circle dies from Clarity Stamps to make the base and cut the image out which is a circle design  anyway. 

Colored using my Graph'it pens, silver gel pen and silver glitter glue.  The Merry Christmas is a Tonic die cut using silver glitter card. 

Entering this card into the following challenge:

Fezziwigs Festive Frolics # Anything festive goes. 

Card 2  using a digi image  called Bells and Holly by 'A Creative Need'. Coloured again using my Graph'it markers, Gold gel pen and gold stickles glitter glue.  The sentiment is a stamp by  Woodware embossed with gold powder. Gold glitter cardstock used on the base card. 

Card 3  using a digi image called Jingle Bells 3 by' Hellens Ar't. I have used a' Press - Cut ' Scalloped Edge die cut for the layers. The sentiment is by Dovecraft and embossed in gold powder. The image coloured using my graph'it pens, gold gel pen and gold stickles glue.  The jingle die cuts are by Xcut. Gems from my stash. 

Card 4  using  silver stickers I found in my stash so I made a monochromatic card with them. The large Merry Christmas die is by' Sweet Dixie' and cut using silver holographic paper which I had adhered to plain card stock before cutting out.  If you look closely you can see that the stars came from the inside of the bells. I used another one on the inside  of the card. 

This last card is to enter into Mo's January Rudolph Challenge using a recycled christmas card front.

I have challenged myself this year to not only make 12 christmas cards per month Jan -Nov but to also do one extra one each month using the 12 days of christmas as my theme. January is 'A Partridge in A Pear Tree' which this card is perfect for. 

 I have used a First Edition Nesting Stamp die cut for the layers and drop shadowed them by offsetting slightly and using scraps of cardstock glued beneath to give the extra height needed. (I rarely use 3D pads anymore, only for very small items such as flowers.  I have drop shadowed the sentiment too which is by Tonic. 

I am pleased to say I have managed my Bakers Dozen for January. Yay!!.

Stay Safe and Well

Hugs 

Herringbone

We are at the start of another  butterfly challenge and this time we are on the letter H. 

#151 Spin The Butterfly Wheel with H for Herringbone. 

These  colours are well out of my comfort zone but  I have tried to show them off to avantage in my inspiration cards for you.  The colours do all exist on the spectrum wheel.  Whilst researching for this style of card I came across several more  unusual ways of making the herringbone and have included these in the tutorial page over on the Butterfly blog.  I will show  more variations  next week. 

First card is showing  Version I. which I am calling the Classic  Herringbone Card Design.

Using the following from the wheel.

Herringbone Card/Hemp/Heat Wave/Hansa Yellow/Hazel/Butterfly

3 of the design papers used are from a paper pad from Hero Arts called Serenade and purely by chance the butterfly is also digi image  by them in their  Winged Friends collection  'Colias Cesonia'. DK032. I have used hemp string to make the attena.

I have used strips of paper cut  very thinly ( approx one eighth inch or 4mm). The sentiment is by Julie Hickey.  Hazel and Orange design paper for the base card from my stash. 

Second card is showing  Version II. which I am calling  3 Bar Herringbone.

Using the following from the wheel.

Herringbone Card/Hemp//Hansa Yellow//Butterfly

Now you do not have to use all the colours on your card and can add in other splashes of colour to compliment. Here I have just used the Hansa Yellow (Sand) and brightened with turquoise and greens. The papers are all from My Minds Eye pads  'Indie Chic NutMeg ' and 'Now and Then'.  The hemp butterflies are from my stash along with the string. Sentiment is by Julie Hickey.

Third card is showing  Version III. which I am calling  Quilters Herringbone.

Using the following from the wheel.

Herringbone Card/Hemp//Hansa Yellow//Butterfly

I have used a paper pad from Dovecraft called 'Nature'a Grace. which has delicate purple itsy butterflies on it. This uses small squares of paper cut in half to form the design.  Base card is made from yellow cardstock and the sentiment is by Julie Hickey. 

Hope I have inspired you to play along . Thankyou to everyone who played in the last challenge. You inspire me to keep going.

Stay Safe.

Even with the vaccine imminent

we are not out of the woods yet. 

Hugs

More Gaps

Well what a week that was. Firstly the next visit to the Dentist where he had to unscrew the titanium bolt and then check new bone growth was okay. He then took the impressions for the new cap. Of all the prodeedures to date that was the most uncomfortable. If anyone has had a mold of their teeth taken you will know what I mean! Coming out of  car park afterwards The Doc scrunched his bumper against a pile of bricks he hadn't seen.  Spent the next few days 'Hunter Gathering' for replacement tubes (out of stock on one site) for my white light craft lamp. Then the china pot in the Crock Pot (slow Cooker) developed a bad crack right across the bottom so had to go on the hunt for a replacement. I now have a spanking new bright red one which I will be trying out  tomorrow as it has now done its 72hrs quarantine . Finding a food delivery slot has been the most elusive but finally managed to get one for Monday. Phew. 

In between that I have managed to write up another two versions of the Gap Card and they are now showing over on the Butterfly Blog  under the Card Shapes Tag so without further ado here is some more inspiration cards for you. 

Version III an upright card.

From the wheel I have used

Gap card/Gingham/Geranium/Granny Smith/Gold/Butterfly.

Paper is a really pretty digital one by Floraiumka. The gingham butterflies are a stamp set by Clearly Besotted which also has a matching die cut to go with it.  I die cut out three extra plain butterflies which I adhered inside the card for extra strength and it does look neater too. The gold stickers were in my stash. 

Version IV Double Gap Card.

With this version I have given you instructions for making it two ways.Again both over on the butterfly blog.

First card. 

From the wheel I have used

Gap card/Gingham/Geranium/Granny Smith/Gold/Butterfly.

Patterned paper was a magazine freebie from several yrs ago and the gingham paper was sent to me.

The Alphabet dies are by Julie Hickey and are a nice size to work with being 35mm high. Perfect for this style of card. Again I reinforced inside with white letters adhered to the backs.

Second card. 

From the wheel I have used

Gap card/Gingham/Geranium/Granny Smith/Gold/Butterfly.

Gingham paper a magazine freebie. The stamp is by Woodware called ' Thankyou Flowers' and is 5.5" tall so a nice size for linking the gaps up.  I have used a sentiment by Clear -2-You from Hobby Art.Part of a set called Roses - BK - HA012. on the inside of the card.

 Gold sticker butterflies from my stash. I have gold embossed the flower and sentiment in Wow gold.  I stamped the flower out first using black ink and coloured in using my Graph'it pens. Then I embossed over the top. Never done it that way before but I am pleased with the result.  Fussy cut out and then edged round using a thick nibbed gold marker pen. 

Thankyou to everyone who has entered a card so far into the Gap Card Challenge and your lovely responses to seeing the Butterflies being back   With so many of you entering  a Full House I have managed to put together another Top Prize. Not quite all the same items but the equivalent of so I have added to those already listed over on the challenge.  I am also going to pick a special draw prize for the entry that most catches my eye using the gap card. So all in all 5 prizes up for grabs.  The challenge is running for another 4 days and will finish on Tuesday 26th January 8pm (GMT).

Also in case you have missed it. there is another Word Search below. You are looking for Garden Flowers this time. Next one coming soon will be Dog Breeds. 

Finally, if you  are still with me I am slowly getting the Spot The Difference prizes out to you all . Sorry for the delay, partly due to getting myself organised/set up using online posting with The  Royal Mail (and the then ensuing learning curve) but each package  has a hand  made item enclosed in it individually crafted for each person. (I have done a lot of online stalking.!!) 

Stay Safe

and 

watch out for your 

NHS invite

for the Vaccine. 

Until then 

HUGS

Know Your Flowers

Are you ready for another Word Search? Before we begin though here are the answers to the previous game 'A Little birdie told Me'. 

Swissie was the first person to find all 60 birds.  Now I amazed even myself by finding a further 15 unrelated words. See if you can spot them. 

1.    Cat

2.    Has

3.    Leg

4.    Let

5.    Net

6.    Nil

7.    Pew

8.    Rake

9.    Rat

10.  Red

11.  Reo

12.  Room 

13.  Send

14.  Tee

15.  Tram

Ok. so is the coffee poured, your pencil sharpened and your sitting comfy, then lets begin.

Time to search out the Garden Flowers. There are 48 to find.

1.    Aster                                                25.    Loosestrife

2.    Blackeyedsusan                               26.    Lupin

3.    Bluebell                                           27.    Mallow

4.    Chrysanthemum                              28.    Marigold

5.    Cornflower                                      29.    Nasturtium

6.    Cosmos                                            30.    Paeony

7.    Crocus                                              31.    Pansy

8.    Daffodil                                           32.    Phlox

9.    Dahlia                                              33.    Pink

10.  Daisy                                               34.    Poppy

11.   Eveningprimrose                            35.    Primula

12.   Flax                                                36.    Redhotpoker

13.   Foxglove                                        37.    Rose

14.  Gerbera                                           38.    Sage

15.  Geum                                              39.    Salvia

16.  Heliotrope                                       40.    Sedum

17.  Hibiscus                                          41.    Stock

18.  Honesty                                           42.    Thrift

19.  Iris                                                   43.    Thyme

20.  Jacobsladder                                    44.    Tulip

21.  Jonquil                                             45.    Viola

22.  Larkspur                                          46.    Violet

23.  Lavatera                                          47.     Wallflower

24.  Lily                                                  48.    Zinnia

Hugs

Stay safe

and

Have fun.

No pulling the cats tail or hiding the dogs bone 

if you can't find all the flowers!

Nativity.

Time once more the girls in the Christmas Card Club to show our latest cards. Gramaragret set the theme of Nativity and I have 2 cards to show that are from recycled shop cards I was sent last year.  I wanted to do something a little different other than just mount onto new card so have made a Tri Fold Card for each one. 

Card One. 

Made using Navy card stock. The banner is a Clearly Besotted Clear stamp 'Basic Banners'. Stars and sentiment from my stash.  This card is 5.5" square so I needed to add a further panel as once the card is opened out flat it is 14.5". The recycled card is attached to the last panel which folds into the middle.

Front panel has a circle die cut so that the card shows through. Finally you open the card up and there is room to place your greeting inside.I stamped the banner in versamark and embossed with Wow Gold powder and fussy cut out. 

Card Two. 

Made using Rich Teracotta card stock and the same method. Recycled card was slightly larger so the depth of card is 5.75  and the width still  5.5"

I am slowly sending out the Goodie Bags to the winners of the Spot The Difference games played over christmas.  Taking time as though the Click and Drop is brilliant it does take time to set each address up, weigh the packages correctly and then  print off the labels. I am also trying to ensure the parcels are in quarantine here for 72 hrs before taking to the post box.  I will email each of you individually to say when your goodie bag has been dispatched. I know some have already been received. 

I will be posting the answers to  the The Birdie Word Search on Monday and a new one will be up and running then too. We have done the birds so it will be time for the Garden Flowers. I actually have 87 on my list but we shall see how many I can endeavour to fit into the grid!

Stay Safe

and keep a watch 

for your call up for the Vaccine.

Hugs

Mind The Gap Please.

The Butterflies are back after their long sojourn  and ready and fluttering to go. The next letter of the alphabet to use is G so the challenge is  #150 Spin The Butterfly Wheel with G for Gap Card.

As usual I have prepared cards for your inspiration. This card shape has so many possibilities and over on the Butterfly Blog on the Card Shapes Tab you will find tutorials for several versions.

My first card is showing Version I and in the tutorial for it I give you hints and tips on how to work the spacing out with the minimum of fuss.

I have used from the wheel

Gap Card/Gingham/Geranium/Granny Smith/Butterfly.

I am finding the best place to take my photos at the moment is directly under the Velux window in the bathroom as the ledge is white and  the light streams in via the large tilted window. 

The green gingham paper is a really old digi design by Funky Hand called 'Paper Blossom'. The butterfly paper a freebie from a magazine.  The stamp and die set is by Crafter's Companion and comes with two sentiments and a Love die which is 3.25in x 1.7in (8.2cmx4.3cm) so a nice size to use here for my gap segment. Below is showing the card sideways on so you can see the gap fully.

Entering this card into the following challenges:

The House That Stamps Built #J1321 Anything goes.

Ellibelle's Corner # Something new/old/ anything goes.

My second card is  showing Version II and you do need to be more precise with your two cuts but my tutorial makes that pain free too. 

I have used from the wheel

Gap Card/Gingham/Geranium/Gold/Butterfly.

The gingham paper is a freebie not sure from where though. The butterfly paper and the big motif is from Making cards magazine 'Busy Butterflies' July 2015 edition. Sentiment is a Julie Hickey Designs 

'Essential Sentiments' JHE1001. I also used a fluted circle die from Julie Hickey as well.  Below is showing the card sideways where you can really appreciate the design gap.

The challenge has now gone back to running fortnightly so will close on 26th January at 8pm (GMT).

I have also resurrected sending out prizes  now that I have set up the click and drop service from  the Royal Mail and will not need to go to the post office. The prizes have a Valentine theme to them so the winners will be able to use in time for 14th February.  Next week I will show you two more options. 

Also if your a glutton for punishment and might just have missed it, then the latest Word Search is in the post below 'A Little Birdie Told Me'.  Only 60 of them to find!!  Swissie has done it. 

Stay Safe

and

Keep Your Distance.

We are so nearly there

with the vaccine rapidly being rolled out.  

A Little Birdie Told Me.

Are you ready for another word Search? This time you are looking for Names of Birds. When rechecking the grid this morning I found there are actually only 60 birds for you  to find so off you go.

Here are the birds your looking for.

1.    Auk                                                       31.       Nuthatch

2.    Blackbird                                              32.       Ostrich

3.    Cardinal                                                33.       Owl

4.    Chaffinch                                              34.        Parakeet

5.    Coot                                                      35.        Penguin

6.    Crow                                                     36.       Pheasant

7.     Dove                                                    37.       Pigeon

8.    Duck                                                     38.       Quail

9.    Dunlin                                                   39.       Raven

10.   Eagle                                                    40.       Redpoll

11.   Eider                                                     41.       Redwing

12.   Finch                                                    42.       Robin

13.   Flycatcher                                            43.       Rook

14.   Gannet                                                 44.        Shag

15.   Goose                                                   45.        Skylark

16.    Hen                                                      46.       Sparrow

17.    Heron                                                   47.       Starling

18.    Hoopoe                                                 48.       Swan

19.    Ibis                                                        49.       Swift

20.    Jackdaw                                                 50.       Teal

21     Jay                                                          51.       Tern

22.    Kestrel                                                   52.       Thrush

23.    Kingfisher                                              53.       Treecreeper

24.    Kite                                                        54.       Vulture

25.    Lark                                                        55.       Wagtail

26.    Linnet                                                      56.       Warbler

27.     Loon                                                        57.       Wren

28.    Martin                                                      58.       Yellowhammer

29.    Moorhen                                                   59.      Yellowthroat

30.    Nightjar                                                    60.       Zebradove

     

                                                           

Have Fun

Hugs 

Birthday Boy.

Grandson No1. also has his birthday in December ,though at the end of the month and this was the card I sent him. 

Digi image is by LOTV 'Oliver Texting' and looks so much like him. He detests school and is filled with horror at the very idea of having to stay there till he is 18!!

Coloured with my Promarkers and Graph'it pens. My thanks go to' Pinky' for  showing this card shape on her blog. I had not seen this fun fold before and just had to try it out. Sentiment is by 'Clearly Besotted'.

Card design is a clever pop up which folds down flat for posting.  A godsend this time as all cards had to be posted for Birthdays and Christmas as we couldn't visit like we normally would have done.

This second card is the Christmas card that  I also  sent  and have not shown in last years cards.

Stamp is by 'The House of Zandra' and no longer available in stamp form. I stamped and coloured 3 images and decoupaged him up. coloured using my pens as above and the noel and star were red stickers from my stash. 

You can just about see the layering in this second photo below.

I am entering this card into Hazel ( Didos) challenge at

Fezziwigs Festive Frolics # Anything festive goes. 

I will be back shortly with another Word Search for you. In the end I  managed to squeeze in 62 birds for you to find!

Stay Safe

and keep indoors

away from that Nasty Virus. 

Search Word Answers

As promised here are the answers to the Word Search challenge.  Kitty found all 60 and even found 2 more unrelated words. Incredibly I went on to find another 12 words myself.

So if your a glutton for punishment can you also find the following.  10 words and 4 names.

1.    Bats

2.    Dots

3.    Fig

4.    Log

5.    Oat

6.    Owl

7.    Stir

8.    Test

9.    Tie

10.  Tier

Yes Tie and Tier are on different places in the grid!!

11.    Len

12.    Pat

13.    Rob

14.    Tom

As we have now found ourselves back into a third lockdown and twiddling our thumbs for something to do whilst waiting to be called up to be vaccinated I will be making these word searches a regular feature here on my blog. Coming up next will be 'Look For The Birds'. So far I have 40 for you to find  but I might sneak a few more into the grid. Who knows!!!

So

Watch this space

and above all

Keep Safe.

Hugs 

Kraft Card

It's a New Year and time for the girls in the Christmas Card Club to show our first cards. I got well and truly caught out as I had printed off the list of who was doing what and when,  but one lady left the group so her place was re taken by Kate who has asked to use Kraft Card. Now I must admit that kraft card is the last thing I go to in my stash so I was a bit flummoxed as to what I could do.  I had already made the cards for this challenge using the other ladies theme of Deer/s and only spotted the change because I was checking it was for this Sunday!  The two I had made quickly I changed the images onto Kraftcard and embossed in Gold powder. It really shows up on the cards but not in the photo's which I had to take in the bathroom this morning  under the Velux window. 

Card 1

Paper is from The Works and the stamp is by Nellie Snellen CT028 Two Reindeer. I am trying to use stamps that I have bought and not yet used and this is one from last year. I used Wow embossing powder and the stars are stickers from my haul. I have been very good and finished all the insides off on each card. You can't see the inside but I used a sentiment from Dovecraft. 

Card 2

I had this sunrays backing sheet left over from a project  and thought it would go perfectly with another stamp not used before. This one is by Stamperia.WTK035. Doesn't seem to have a name.  Embossed onto a mottled pattern kraft card which worked well.  It is a nice big stamp 7x11cm.

Card 3

I looked in my odds box of christmas papers and found two scraps of different red designs (they look as if they clash with the red cardstock but IRL they are perfect together) and made another sunrays backing sheet. This time I used a sentiment from Dovecraft on the same mottled Kraft card as above.  You can see the mottling a bit clearer here.  Wow gold embossing powder and sticky spot from stash.

Finished off inside with another sentiment from Dovecraft. 

Card 4

Another look in my  christmas papers and I found some odd sheets of LOTV papers  which complimented the kraft card . The stamp is by Nellie Snellen  CT030 Cosily Snow Cottage. Embossed with Wow gold powder.  Adhered to red cardstock and then raised up with leftover strips of card instead of 3D pads.  The pop of red brightens the card up considerably.  Gold star from my stash. 

Card 5

Using up more LOTV paper and another stamp by Nellie snellen CT019 Idyllic Winter Scene. Again popped up on a red border of cardstock and stamped onto Kraft card.  Gold dots are stickers from stash.

Card 6.

Was meant to be shown as card two but I haven't worked out how to delete a card and move it whilst in  post it mode other than delete the post and start again. (Does anybody know?)  Spotty paper is the reverse side of the reindeer paper  The Reindeer stamp thi time is from Tattered Lace by Stephanie Weightman and came in a magazine set.  Gold embossed and the gold spot a sticker from my stash.

Hope I recouped myself Kate with no black marks apart from being so late in the day posting. 

Hugs 

Hang in there.

The Vaccine is on it's way.

Until then 

Stay Safe.