Spirelli Christmas Tree

Whilst in a charity shop I came across some Spirelli shapes for Christmas trees and candles.  There were only a few shapes in the packet, no picture and scant instructions, but for 20p I thought I would buy them and try some Spirelli.  I'm not sure if I've wound it correctly, but even so I was quite pleased with the final result which reminded me of the Spirograph I had as a child!

The tree shape was die cut so I fastened the thread to the rear and wound around the shapes before attaching the tree to the card blank with foam tape.

To make this card I used:
     5" x 5" warm white hammer card blank
     Marianne Design 'Spirelli Christmas Tree'
     Warm white thin crochet thread

I am entering the following challenges:
     Tales from the Craft Room - Something New (I've tried a new technique)
     Christmas Crafts All Year Round - Anything Christmas or Holiday Related
     Happy Little Stampers Christmas Challenge - Trim the Tree

Kath x

Christmas Birds

I came across another Lili of the Valley Art Pad image whilst tidying my snippets drawer - perfect for this quick Christmas card.

I attached a piece of red holly paper to the front of the card blank, leaving a small border around the edge.  I used the curved border die to cut and emboss a fancy edge along the right side of the precoloured image and then trimmed the panel on the other edges so it was slightly smaller than the backing paper.  I stamped the sentiment in the top corner before attaching the panel to the card front.

To make this card I used:
     6" x 4" white matt card blank
     Lili of the Valley 'Winter Wonderland' Art Pad
     Clearly Besotted 'Rockin' Robin' sentiment stamp
     Versafine Crimson Red ink
     Spellbinders Borderabilities 'Curved Borders Die'
     Kars tan embossing mat
     Wild Rose Studio 'Annabelle's Christmas' paper pad

I am entering the following challenges:
     ABC Christmas Challenge - Anything Goes   
     Cutie Pie Challenge - Cute, Clean and Simple  
     Winter Wonderland - Little Friends

Kath x

With Sympathy

There are a few 'One Layer' challenges this week, perfect for this CAS Sympathy card.

I placed the card blank into my MISTI and placed the sentiment stamp in the lower corner and the 'Wheat' stamp so it was off the edge of the card as I only wanted a section of the stamp.  I stamped the image and sentiment a few times to get a good sharp image and then embossed them with clear embossing powder.

To make this card I used:
     6" x 6" white matt card blank
     Woodware 'Wheat' and Clearly Besotted Fancy Sayings' stamps
     Versafine Vintage Sepia ink
     Stampendous clear embossing powder

I am entering the following challenges:
     AAA Cards - One Layer     
     Less is More - One Layer Card Off Centre
     Perfectly CAS - One Layer

Kath x

Twofer Hearts

My first post this week is for the Twofer Challenge where the prompt is 'Hearts'.  I had made these cards to post last week, but couldn't get enough daylight to photograph them so have saved the post for today.  I've used a Clearly Bessotted 'With All Your Heart' die to make an anniversary card and a notecard.

Onefer - Happy Anniversary

To make this CAS Anniversary card I trimmed a piece of card slightly smaller than the card blank and rounded the corners.  I stamped and embossed the sentiment along the lower edge and attached the panel to the card.  I stamped and embossed five hearts and die cut them with the coordinating die.  The hearts were attached above the sentiment using wet glue to give me a little 'wriggle room' to get them straight.

To make this card I used:
     5" x 5" white hammer card blank
     Clearly Besotted 'With All Your Heart' stamps and coordinating die
     Hobby Art 'General Greetings' stamp
     Versafine Satin Red ink
     Stampendous clear embossing powder

I am entering the following challenges:
     Happy Little Stampers Anything Goes With Dies

Twofer - Just for You

I attached a snippet of pink paper to the front of the card, leaving a border around the edge.  I trimmed a snippet of white card slightly smaller than the pink layer and stamped the sentiment in the lower corner.  The panel was then attached to the card.  I attached more snippets of pink paper to a piece of white card and die cut four hearts attaching them to the card to make a flower.  I added a purple sparkly gem to the centre of the flower and highlighted the sentiment with a Wink of Stella.

To make this card I used:

     6" x 4" white hammer card blank

     Clearly Besotted 'With All Your Heart' die

     Clearly Besotted 'Fancy Sayings' stamp

     Versafine Imperial Purple ink

     Snippets of Hot off the Press 'Ultimate Floral Pack' pink paper and  white hammer card

     Purple sparkly gem

     Wink of Stella

I am entering the following challenges:
     Allsorts - More than a Single Word Sentiment
   
Kath x    

Knitted Easter Basket

My non-cardmaking item this week is a small knitted basket from a design by Marianna.

I won't buy Easter eggs because I object to the excessive packaging, so these small baskets made from oddments of yarn are ideal for filling with small eggs (my basket is actually filled with baking beans as I've not bought the eggs yet!).

Kath x

Christmas Tag Card

Just one card from me today - made for the CAS Christmas 'Tag' challenge.

I covered the front of the card with a snippet of red paper, leaving a small margin around the edges.  I attached the robin paper to thin card and die cut and embossed the tag, ensuring the robins were on the top part of the tag.  I placed the tag in my MISTI before stamping and embossing 'Christmas' in the lower corner.  The tag was then attached to the centre of the card.  I die cut 'happy' from brown card and attached it across the tag.  To finish, I made a small bow from brown ribbon and attached it to the top of the tag.

To make this card I used:
     6" x 4" white matt card blank
     Creative Expressions 'Pierced Tags' and Lawn Fawn 'Scripty Happy' dies
     Practical Publishing 'Opulent Baubles' stamp (the stamp was Merry Christmas, but I cut it in half!).
     Snippets of red paper, robin paper, white and brown matt card, brown ribbon
     
I am entering the following challenges:
     ABC Christmas Challenge - B for Bingo (Ribbon, Christmas Sentiment, Die Cut)    
     CAS Christmas - Tag
     Crafty Calendar Challenge - Add a Tag
     Christmas Crafts All Year Round - Anything Christmas or Holiday Related
     Happy Little Stampers Anything Goes With Dies - January Challenge
     Happy Little Stampers Christmas Challenge - Anything Goes
     Pixie's Snippets Playground - Challenge 369
     
Kath x

My First Purse

Whilst trying to find something at the weekend I came across the first purse I made whilst at infant school so thought I would share it.  I've sewn various stitches onto binca and also stitched in a lining - I think I may have had some help with the press studs as I can't imaging sewing them on my own!

My stitching has got a lot neater over the years!

Kath x

Thank You

My final card today was made using the AAA Cards sketch and the Less is More colours.

I embossed a strip of white card, trimmed it and attached it across the front of the card.  I stamped the butterfly onto a snippet of white card using blue ink and embossed it with clear embossing powder before cutting it with the coordinating die.  I coloured it with a Coral Promarker.  I placed the card into my MISTI and laid the butterfly onto the embossed strip so I could place the sentiment.  I removed the butterfly before stamping and embossing the sentiment.  I attached the butterfly in the centre of the strip and added three small coral gems to the card.

To make this card I used:
     6" x 6" white matt card blank
     Card Making Magic 'The Best of Card Making Magic' butterfly stamp and Hobby Art 'General Greetings' sentiment stamp
     Xcut 'Small Polka Hearts' embossing folder
     Versafine Majestic Blue ink
     Stampendous clear embossing powder
     Coral Promarker
     Prima Marketing self-adhesive crystals
     Snippets of white matt card

I am entering the following challenges:
     AAA Cards - Sketch
     Happy Little Stampers CAS Challenge - Wings
     Less is More - Colours - Living Coral & True Blue

Kath x

Twisted Pyramage

I recently bought some pyramage sheets for a gift and bought an extra sheet for me as I've not done any twisted pyramage for years!  The card is for a friend's birthday and is perfect for the Seize the Birthday 'Lots of Layers' challenge.

I trimmed a piece of white card to the same size as the card front and embossed it before attaching it to the front of the card.  The twisted pyramage was die cut so I removed the pieces from the backing sheet, attaching thin pieces of foam to the back of each piece before layering them.  I used wet glue to attach the layers to give me some 'wriggle room' and ensure the design was correctly aligned.  I attached the panel to the front of the card, placing it at an angle to highlighted the twisted pyramage.  I attached the sentiment across the top corner, using strong tape on the ends and a foam pad in the centre.

To make this card I used:
     5" x 5" white matt card blank
     Buzzcraft 'Floral Xpressions - Twisted Pyramage'
     Xcut 'Small Polka Hearts' embossing folder

I am entering the following challenge:
     Seize the Birthday - Layer It

Kath x

Another Buttoned Neck Warmer

I had previously posted a buttoned neck warmer in autumnal colours and have made another one in  blue and beige.  I enjoy knitting these as there's no complicated pattern to follow whilst I'm watching television in an evening!

This neck warmer is in a twist stitch with a garter stitch border and fastens with three beige buttons.

Kath x

Penguin Parade

Just one card from me today.  I thought I had used all the LOTV Winter Wonderland images, but found this one amongst some Christmas papers - perfect for the new Christmas Kickstart Challenge.

I covered the front of the card with mustard paper, leaving a small border around the edge and attached a strip of striped paper across the lower section.  I die cut the precoloured Lili of the Valley image.  I wanted to make the panel longer than my US sized die so I attached the die to one end of the image and die cut it about half way.  I then moved the die to the other end of the image ensuring the stitched edge matched and die cut the second half.  This panel was then attached to the centre of the card.  A Wink of Stella added the finishing touch.

To make this card I used:
     6" x 4" white matt card blank
     Lili of the Valley 'Winter Wonderland' Art Pad
     My Favourite Things 'Inside & Out Stitched Rectangle STAX Die-namics' die
     Making Special Cards Magazine Issue 22 papers
     Wink of Stella

I am entering the following challenges:
     ABC Christmas Challenge - B for Bingo (I've chosen Patterned Paper, Lots of Layers & Die Cut)
     Allsorts - Anything Goes     
     Christmas Crafts All Year Round - Anything Christmas or Holiday Related
     Christmas Kickstart Challenge - Penguin Parade
     Christmas with the Cuties - Christmas Cuties
     The Cutie Pie Challenge - Christmas Cuties
     Winter Wonderland - Anything Christmas Goes

Kath x

Happy New Year!

Marianne posted yesterday 'Looking back and forward' which made me think about how my crafting and blogging has changed over the last year and will possibly change over the next year.

Part way through last year I started to blog on Wednesdays rather than several times a week.  Some weeks I only posted one card and other weeks I posted several - these are all cards that I am entering into blog challenges.  I found it easier to set aside time to blog weekly rather than putting myself under any pressure to post more often.  These Wednesday posts will continue this year.

Towards the end of last year I also started to post on Sundays - these are non-cardmaking crafts.  Okay, some may be cross stitch that I've made into a card - but I won't be entering any challenges with these posts.  A lot of the items I'll be adding are knitted accessories or cross stitch as I've rekindled my love of these crafts.  It's also easier to take knitting or cross stitch with me when we're away in Cali.  I also want to try new crafts and will be attending some different workshops this year.

I stepped down from the three Design Teams I was on.  This was a difficult decision as I enjoyed working with the teams but I needed to create more time for myself.  The reason for this is that in October I started to sell on Folksy.  Previously I've sold to family and friends but thought it's about time to dip my toe in the water with online selling.  I made a couple of online sales before Christmas and am looking at developing my Folksy shop this year.  I also hope to do a craft fair later in the year and several blogging friends have kindly offered to give me some advice - I'm sure I'll be taking them up on their offers later in the year.

I only use Facebook for my crafting and will continue to post on Wednesdays and Sundays (when I remember!) adding photos of the crafts on my blog.  I'll also be adding various items that I've listed on Folksy too.

One of the reasons that my crafting time has been reduced is because I've joined a different gym where they run a lot of 'Seniors' exercise classes.  These classes are a little more gentle than the regular classes, although they're still challenging!  Up to now I've enjoyed Functional Fit, Kettlebells and Studio Stride as well as starting a new yoga class and gym programme.  More exercise time means less crafting time, but I do enjoy the classes and one of my 2020 targets is to get fitter.

I hope 2020 will be a good year for everyone.

Kath x