Christmas Bubble Tree

I made this card using one of my favourite Christmas stamps and probably one of the first ones I ever bought.

I trimmed a piece of white card so it was slightly smaller than the front of the card blank and rounded the corners.  I stamped the Christmas tree and sentiment with dark green ink and embossed them with clear embossing powder.  I coloured the baubles with pink purple and gold Promarkers before attaching the panel to the front of the card.  I stamped the trunk onto a snippet of dark green paper, fussy cut it and attached it to the tree.  To finish I added Glossy Accents to the baubles.

To make this card I used:
     7" x 5" white matt card blank
     Woodware 'Christmas Bubble Tree' stamp
     Woodware 'Corner Rounder' punch
     Versafine Olympia Green ink
     Stampendous clear embossing powder
     Promarkers - Fuchsia Pink, Gold & Plum
     Glossy Accents
     White matt card

I am entering the following challenges:
     52 Christmas Card Throwdown - Colour Challenge (Pink, Purple & Gold)
     Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge - Non-traditional Colours
     Happy Little Stampers Christmas Challenge - Anything Goes
        
Kath x

Card Chain Challenge - Game 2

Game 2 at the Card Chain Challenge is to post your favourite card that you have sent as part of the challenge.  My favourite card is one that I made for the February 2020 challenge using the Colour, Sketch and Theme Options - this card was sent to Mia in Greece.

I enjoy sketch challenges and this is one that I've used many times as I love it's simplicity.

Kath x

Upcycled Birthday Wishes

One of Steve's birthday cards had got a large die cut sentiment on the picture.  I'd had my eye on it all week and as soon as he took his cards down and gave them to me for upcycling I made this birthday card.

The lovely marbled paper was a freebie from Jessica at Lincolnshire Marbled Art.  I trimmed the paper to a square, layered it onto dark blue card and attached it the card front.  I then attached the sentiment across the card with foam tape.

To make this card I used:

     6" x 6" white matt card blank

     Upcycled greeting 

     Lincolnshire Marbled Art burgundy, blue and green paper

     Dark blue card

I am entering the following challenges:

     Crafty Cardmakers - Masculine

     Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge - Anything Goes

     Seize the Birthday - Anything Goes

     Pearly Sparkles Challenge - For the Boys/Men

Kath x

Hope and Chances Charity Kit - June 2020

The June Hope and Chance Charity Kit is being sold to support the British Hedgehog Preservation Society.  I'm so glad I bought it as soon as it was released as it's now sold out.

The kit has everything to make the card other than adhesive, gems and coloured pencils.  I only attached one of the matt layers as I wanted to see more of the cream card around the edge (I've used the second matt layer to make some gift tags!).  I attached the check blind behind the window die cut and attached it to the card.  The window box was 3D but Christine suggested cutting the edges and laying it flat if the card is to be posted.  I did this, but found it looked too flat so I added thin strips of foam tape behind the balcony before attaching it to the window.  This gives a little dimension to the card but should also survive the postal system.  The leaves were coloured with two shades of green coloured pencils and were highlighted with a Wink of Stella.  After attaching the ivy to the balcony I added the flowers and small gems to the centres.

In hindsight I should have attached the window a little higher as the ivy covers part of the sentiment, but once it was stuck it was there to stay!

I love these card kits and can't wait to see what Christine will design for July.

Kath x

Card Chain Challenge - Game 1

As part of this month's Card Chain Challenge Blog Hop there are some games too!  It's time for Game 1 where the team would like to know who has been a link in the chain and why they enjoy taking part.  They would like to know where we are, when we first participated and whether we are a regular or occasional player.

I'm not sure where I first heard about the Card Chain Challenge - I must had read about it on someone's blog.  I enjoy making cards and love to receive handmade cards I thought I would take part in the challenge.

I'm in the UK and sent my first card to Lucille in Colorado in May 2019.

In return I received this lovely card from Greta in Oregon.

I'm now a regular participant and take part most months, although there have been a few months where I've either missed the deadline or life has got in the way!

It's a lovely, friendly challenge so if you've not already taken part why not sign up for the July Card Chain Challenge.

Kath x

Thank You

I love patterned papers with bold patterns to make quick cards - this pretty paper was perfect for a 'Thank You' card.

I die cut a stitched square in the centre of the card blank and attached the paper behind the aperture.  I then added another piece of card behind the patterned paper.  I die cut the sentiment from white card and attached it above the flowers.

To make this card I used:
     6" x 6" white hammer card blank
     Lawn Fawn 'Outside In Stitched Square Stackables' and Cheery Lynn 'Thank You' dies
     Wild Rose Studio 'Antique Library' paper
     White hammer card

I am entering the following challenges:
     Crafty Calendar Challenge - Flowers
     Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge - June Challenge
     Happy Little Stampers Anything Goes With Dies - June Challenge

Kath x

Happy Birthday to my Husband

It's Steve's birthday today and as he liked the sailing boat card I recently made I made a similar card for his birthday.  This card uses the striped boat instead of the spotty one.

I covered the front of the card blank with blue paper leaving a border around the edge.  I die cut the waves from both blue textured card and white matt card, layering the blue onto the white to create the white tops of the waves. Thankfully I had got my MISTI to stamp the sentiment onto the wave as it was three separate stamps and they took a bit of fiddling around to get them lined up.  I stamped them several times to get a good depth of colour as I was stamping onto textured card - even so, there were some stamped bits missing on 'husband' so I filled them in with a black pen!  These strips were trimmed and attached to the card - the top layer was only attached along the bottom so I could slip the boat between the waves.  I stamped and embossed the boat before using the coordinating die to cut it.  After colouring the boat with Promarkers I attached it to the card with a foam pad behind the sails.  I die cut three clouds,  the largest and smallest were attached to the card with glue and the medium cloud attached with a foam pad.

To make this card I used:
     6" x 4" white matt card blank
     Clearly Besotted 'Sail Away' stamp and die set, Impression Obsession 'Ocean Border' and 'Clouds' dies
     Hobby Art 'General Greetings' stamp
     Versafine Majestic Blue ink
     Promarkers - Chestnut, Forest Green &Ivory, 
     Snippets of pale blue paper, blue textured card, white matt card and white hammer card

I am entering the following challenges:
     Pearly Sparkles Challenge - For the Boys/Men
     Seize the Birthday - All About Summer

Kath x

To a Very Special Couple

I made this Christmas card using more bits from my snippets box.

I trimmed a piece of white card so it was slightly smaller than the card blank and attached two snippets of red paper, covering the join with a piece of self-adhesive ribbon.  I die cut the stitched oval and then used my MISTI to stamp the sentiment in the lower corner.  I rounded the corners of the panel before attaching it to the card.  I die cut the precoloured image with the stitched oval die and inlaid in into the panel.

To make this card I used:
     6" x 6" white matt card blank
     Lili of the Valley ''Tis the Season' Art Pad
     My Favourite Things 'Inside & Out Stitched Oval STAX' die
     Clearly Besotted 'Happy Birthday All' stamps
     Versafine Onyx Black ink
     Woodware 'Regular Corner Rounder' punch
     Snippets of Lili of the Valley 'Classic Christmas' paper and white card
     Floral self-adhesive ribbon

I am entering the following challenges:
     ABC Christmas Challenge - L is for Love
     Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge - Anything Goes
     Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge - June Challenge
     Happy Little Stampers Christmas Challenge - Anything Goes

Kath x   

Framecraft Cross Stitch Trinket Box

I recently bought this Framecraft trinket box and some patterns to make a small gift.  Although I have plenty of  snippets of fabric, I decided 14 count would make the design too big and and 18 count would be too small, so I bought some 16 count which is 'just right'.  I also bought a skein of dark green stranded thread which matched the colour of the trinket box.  The pink, red and yellow threads were all from my 'oddments' box.

Kath x

Happy 30th Birthday Asha

Steve asked me to make a card for a colleague's birthday - someone who likes flowers and is going to be 30.

I trimmed the green paisley paper, layered it onto burgundy card and attached it to the card front.  I die cut the precoloured image with the fishtail die, extending it so the image was the correct length.  This was then attached to the card.  I printed the sentiment onto white paper, trimmed it, layered it onto burgundy card and attached it across the top of the image image with foam tape.

To make this card I used:
     6" x 6" white matt card blank
     Lili of the Valley 'Garden Delights' Art Pad 
     My Favourite Things 'Stitched Jumbo Fishtail' dies
     Snippets of burgundy card, green paisley paper and white paper

I am entering the following challenges:
     Crafty Calendar Challenge - Flowers
     Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge - June Challenge

Kath x

Magical Fairies

A cute birthday card using more 'odds 'n' ends' from my box.

I've had the blue floral card blank for ages - I think it originally came in a card making set - and it was a perfect colour match for the fairy's wings.  I die cut an oval from the front and added a piece of white card to the rear of the front panel.  I die cut the fairy precoloured image and inlaid the oval.  I stamped and embossed 'birthday' before cutting it with the coordinating die.  I also cut an extra 'birthday' from white card and attached it to the back of the stamped sentiment. I didn't have a 'wishes' stamp so used 'best wishes' masking 'best' before stamping it onto my card.  To finish I attached 'birthday' to the card.

To make this card I used:

     5.5" x 5.5" pale blue floral card blank

     Lili of the Valley 'Magical Fairies' Art Pad

     My Favourite Things 'Inside & Out Stitched Oval STAX' die

     Clearly Besotted 'Modern Calligraphy' stamp and die, and 'Fancy Sayings' stamp

     Versafine Majestic Blue ink

     White matt card

I am entering the following challenges:

     AAA Cards - Birthday

     Allsorts - Magical World

     Moving Along With The Times - Things With Wings

Kath x

Hello & Card Chain Challenge Blog Hop

The Card Chain Challenge is a simple idea - sign up and send a handmade card to the person above you on the list and receive one from the person who signed up after you.  Each month there is a Colour Option, Sketch Option, Theme Option or Product/Technique Option - the card has to be made using at least one of the options. 

Gail, who runs the CCC had decided to have a celebration when 3,000 people had signed up for the challenge and last month I was the 3,000 person to sign up! To celebrate Gail and Jo are running a blog hop from today until 28 June - all the details can be found on the Card Chain Challenge May Reveal post - there will be lots of prizes for people who leave comments. There will also be some games on the CCC blog during June, so keep popping back and have a look - there will be prizes for the games too!  All winners will be announced at the end of June and there will be a few extra prizes as everyone loves happy mail in these difficult times.

This is the card I made to send to Linda in Michigan for the May Challenge using the Colour Option (Raspberry, Rose & Cream) and the Theme Option (Repeat).  Linda is the next person on the blog hop - so why not pop over to see her card.

I die cut the flowers (using a die that I've had for ages and never used) from raspberry, rose and cream textured card and set them aside.  I stamped 'hello' in the lower corner of the card and then laid one of the flowers onto the card so I could see where to emboss the two lines - one above and one below the flowers.  I embossed the lines and then attached the flowers to the card.  To finish I added a Wink of Stella to the flower centres.

To make this card I used:
     DL white matt card blank
     Creative Dies 'Flower' die
     Ultimate Crafts ''L'aquarelle Designs' stamps
     Brilliance Orchid ink
     Snippets of raspberry, rose and cream textured card
     Wink of Stella

I am entering the following challenges:
     NBUS - Challenge 15
     Pixie's Snippets Playground - Challenge 379

This is the lovely card that Dee in Kenya has sent me:

Kath x