Always be Kind

I was very lucky to win a £25.00 gift voucher in the Snippets Playground and chose a voucher to spend at CraftStash as some items on my 'Wish List' were in their sale.  I spent an extra £5.00 to avoid paying postage costs and was able to buy a Sizzix stamp and die set, two Creative Expressions dies, two Woodware stamps and a Creative Expressions stamp - so I have plenty of 'new toys' to play with this year.  This card uses the lovely Creative Expressions 'Be Kind' stamp - I used the sentiment in the set but as it's separate from the floral frame stamp I can use the frame with other sentiment stamps too.

To make this card I used:
     7" x 5" white matt card blank
     Creative Expressions 'Be Kind' stamp
     Versafine Imperial Purple ink
     Cosmic Shimmer Clear Detail embossing powder
     Lilac and Pale Gold Promarkers
     Gold gems
     Wink of Stella
     Snippet of white matt card and gold sparkle card

I placed the white card into my MISTI and stamped the outline and sentiment a few times to get a good depth of colour before embossing them with clear embossing powder.  The panel was trimmed, layered onto gold sparkle card and attached to the centre of the card blank.  I used lilac and pale gold Promarkers to colour the flower and circles and then highlighted them with plenty of Wink of Stalla.  To finish I added three small gold to the frame.

I am entering the following challenges:
     Allsorts - Anything But Square
     Ally's Angels - Anything Goes
     As You Like It Challenge - Pearls or Gems (I don't often use either, but my favourite is gems and I have them in several colours - they're perfect to add a bit of sparkle to a card)
     Moving Along With The Times - New Craft Item (I have used my new stamps)
     We Love Stamping - Something New (I have used my new stamps)

Kath x

January Rudolph Day

It's time for the first Rudoph Day of 2024 and sadly it will be the last challenge as ScrappyMo is closing the challenge blog.  I love RD and over the years have entered 93 cards into the challenge, the first was in May 2013 when Sarn was running the challenge, and I have also been Guest Designer for five challenges.

For the past few years I've enjoyed working to a theme for my Rudolph Day cards.  In 2017 I used images from a Lili of the Valley Art Pad, in 2018 my cards were 4" x 4", in 2019 all cards had a Christmas tree on them, in 2020 I used wet and/or dry embossing on my cards, in 2021 I used something that had been upcycled, in 2022 I used something that had been a cover gift with a magazine and last year all my cards were cross stitch designs.  This year I had decided to have a colour theme and my cards were to be white, green and gold - this is my first and last with this theme.

To make this card I used:
     5" x 5" white matt card blank
     Uniko 'Rustic Wreath' stamps
     Lawn Fawn 'Outside In Stitched Square Stackables' & Memory Box 'Mini Holly Leaves' dies
     Versafine Olympia Green ink
     Snippets of white matt card and gold mirri card

I placed a snippet of white card into my MISTI and stamped the wreath and sentiment with green ink.  The panel was then cut with a stitched die, layered onto a snippet of gold mirri card and attached to the card front.  To finish, I die cut lots of small holly berries from gold mirri and attached them around the wreath.

I am entering the following challenges:
     ABC Christmas Challenge - A is for Anything Goes
     Christmas Kickstart Challenge - The Midas Touch 
     Daisy Chain Challenge - No Design Paper
     Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge - Anything Christmas Goes
     Rudolph Day - January challenge
     52 Christmas Card Throwdown - Wreaths

Kath x

Teeny Tiny Notecard

I'm still sorting through all the cross stitch goodies my neighbour gifted me last year and there are more things I'm going to be giving away on a RAK group.  I like to send a small notecard with the packages and have taken inspiration from Sarn who sent me a super cute 2¼" x 2¼" card when I won a Snippet Playground prize last year.  

To make this card I used:
     2¼" x 2¼" card made from a snippet of white matt card
     Catkin and Lillie 'Mini Presents' cross stitch pattern
     Sizzix 'Dots' embossing folder
     Snippet of 14 count perforated paper
     Pink, green and black DMC threads left over from cross stitch kits (I save thread snippets too!)
     Snippet of green paper for the envelope

I trimmed the snippet of white card to make the tiny card blank and embossed the front with dots.  After stitching the mini present I trimmed around the edge of the design and attached it to the front of the card.  I didn't have any tiny envelopes so I used a snippet of green paper and my Crafter's Companion Enveloper (a 99p charity shop find last year) to make an envelope for the card.

I am entering the following challenges:
     Ally's Angels - Anything Goes
     Love to Craft - Anything Goes
     Love to Scrap - Anything Goes
     Snippets Playground - Challenge 472

Kath x

Spread Your Wings

I have been gifted a Hunkydory magazine kit which includes toppers, cardstock and inserts - perfect for making a quick card.

To make this card I used:
     6" x 6" white matt card blank
     Hunkydory 'Beautifully Blue' card and 'Loving Memories' topper
     Snippet of silver mirri

I trimmed the butterfly corner on the cardstock to 5.25" x 5.25", layered it onto silver mirri and attached it to the front of the card blank.  The butterfly topper was attached to the top corner of the card with the 'Spread Your Wings' topper attached below it with a small foam pad.  There were also some lovely patterned inserts so I cut one down and fixed it to the inside of the card.

I am entering the following challenges:
     Allsorts - January Blues
     Ally's Angels - Anything Goes
     Love to Craft - Anything Goes

Kath x

Lighthouse Collage

I spotted this preloved Stampendous 'Lighthouse Collage' stamp in a charity shop last week and couldn't resist buying it as it was a 20p bargain!  It was another wooden stamp but, like my Woodware stamps, I was able to peel the whole stamp from the rubber block so I can use it in my MISTI.

To make this card I used:
     6" x 6" white matt card blank
     Stampendous 'Lighthouse Collage' and Practical Publishing 'Stamps for All Occasions' stamps
     Versafine Vintage Sepia ink
     Snippets of brown card and Marianne Design 'Watercolour' paper

As the foam was still on the back of the stamp I removed the foam pad from my MISTI before using brown ink to stamp the image onto a snippet of blue watercolour paper.  I replaced the foam pad into the MISTI and lined the 'Happy Birthday' sentiment to the right before stamping it a couple of times with brown ink to ensure it was the same depth of colour as the collage.  I trimmed the panel to 5" x 5", layered it onto dark brown card and attached it to the centre of the card blank.

I am entering the following challenges:
     Cardz 4 Guyz - Something New from Stash (I have used a 'new to me' stamp)
     Make My Monday - Happy Birthday
     Moving Along With The Times - New Craft Item (I have used my new Stampendous stamp)
     Seize the Birthday - Anything Goes

Kath x

Season's Greetings

As part of my thrifty crafting year I'm also upcycling as much as I can and this cute Santa card was too good to go into the recyling bin.

To make this card I used:
     5.5" x 4.25" white matt card blank
     Upcycled Christmas card   
     My Favorite Things 'Inside & Out Stitched Rectangle STAX Die-namics' and Creative Expressions 'Festive Collection - Season's Greetings' dies
     Snippets of silver mirri card

The original Christmas card was a large square, but I used the rectangle die to cut the top half so I could make a smaller card.  The stitched panel was layered onto silver mirri before being attached to the card blank.  To finish I die cut the sentiment from another snippet of silver mirri and attached it to the lower corner of the card.

I am entering the following challenges:
     ABC Christmas Challenge - A for Anything Goes
     Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge - Anything Christmas Goes
     Merry Little Christmas Challenge - Anything Christmas Goes

Kath x 

Hello There

I wanted a small note card to send with a cross stitch giveaway and made this one with a lovely stamp from a set of floral stamps I won in a challenge last year.

To make this card I used:
     4" x 4" white matt card blank
     Oakwood 'A6 Doodles in Bloom - Flowers and Frames Stamp Set' and Clearly Besotted 'Mini Calligraphy' stamps
     Lawn Fawn 'Outside In Stitched Square Stackables' die
     Versafine Olympia Green ink
     Cosmic Shimmer Clear Detail embossing powder
     Promarkers
     Pentel Hybrid Dual Metallic gold pen
     Snippets of white matt card and gold sparkle card

I used green ink to stamp the flower and sentiment onto a snippet of white card before embossing them with clear embossing powder.   I cut a stitched square and layered the panel onto a snippet of gold sparkle card.  I coloured the flower and leaves with Promarkers and used the gold gel pen to highlight the centre of the flowers before attacing the panel to the centre of the card blank.

I am entering the following challenges:
     Ally's Angels - Anything Goes
     NBUS - Challenge 58 (my new Oakwood stamps)
     Pearly Sparkles Challenge - Clean and Simple
     We Love Stamping - Something New (my new Oakwood stamps)

Kath x

Butterfly Anniversary

The butterflies are back and Mrs A has changed the format of the challenge - to start the year there is a themed challenge to make an anniversary card.

To make this card I used:
     5" x 5" white hammer card blank
     Spellbinders Nestabilities 'Standard Circles Large' and Memory Box 'Pippi Butterfly' dies
     Card Making Magic 'The Best of Card Making Magic' stamps
     Versafine Imperial Purple ink
     Woodware Corner Rounder punch
     Snippets of Lili of the Valley 'Antebellum' paper, white hammer card and purple textured card

I trimmed the snippet of white hammer card so it was slightly smaller than the card blank and rounded the corners.  I die cut a circle from the centre before using an embossing mat with my Cuttlebug to emboss the edge of the circle.  I layered the panel onto a snippet of Antebellum paper and then placed it onto my craft mat with the open lid of the MISTI on top.  The sentiment stamp was curved, but not enough to fit inside the circle so I applied a little glue to the back of it and attached it to the lid of the MISTI, curving the stamp so it followed the outline of the circle.  I then placed the panel into the MISTI ensuring the stamp was in the correct place before stamping it with purple ink.  The panel was then attached to the front of the card blank.  To finish I die cut a butterfly from purple card and attached it into the aperture.

I am entering the following challenges:
     As You Like It - Favourite Paper Brand (I have two favourite brands and Lili of the Valley is one of them - the designs are beautiful and the quality of the paper is lovely - sadly they are no longer available for sale)
     Butterfly Challenge - A for Anniversary Card (I have chosen option two and have used African Violet, Amethyst and Apple Green as well as an Aperture, Anniversary sentiment and Butterfly
     Pearly Sparkles Challenge - Clean and Simple

Kath x

Clarissa Bubble Bloom

I made this card for a friend's birthday using an old Woodware 'Bubble Bloom' stamp and some Card Candi that I came across in the bottom of my oddments drawer.

To make this card I used:
     6" x 6" white matt card blank
     Woodware 'Bubble Bloom - Clarissa' and Clearly Besotted 'Fabulous Fuchsias' stamps
     Versafine Vintage Sepia ink
     Cosmic Shimmer Clear Detail embossing powder
     Red Card Candi
     Purple enamel nailheads
     Lili of the Valley 'Pressed in Time' paper 
     Snippet of white matt card

I used brown ink to stamp the flower and sentiment onto a snippet of white matt card before embossing them with clear embossing powder.  The panel was trimmed, layered onto green paper and attached to the centre of the card blank.  I stamped the leaves onto another piece of green paper, fussy cut them and attached them to the card.  For the flower bloom, I attached red Card Candi to the large dots and purple nailheads to the smaller dots.

I am entering the following challenges:
     Allsorts - Anything Goes
     Ally's Angels - Anything Goes
     Daisy Chain Challenge -  No Design Paper
     Pearly Sparkles Challenge - Clean and Simple
     Seize the Birthday - Wet or Dry Embossing (I have used wet embossed flower and sentiment)

Kath x

Life is Beautiful

I've made this small note card to send with a RAK gift to a friend who loves 'posh frocks and sparkle'.  I didn't think I had any dress stamps until I found this small stamp in a set that was a cover gift with a magazine a while ago.

To make this card I used:
     C7 white matt card blank
     Immediate Media 'Making Special Cards' stamp set
     My Favorite Things 'Inside & Out Stitched Rectangle STAX Die-namics' die
     Versafine Crimson Red ink
     Cosmic Shimmer clear detail embossing powder
     Pink Promarker
     Pentel Hybrid silver gel pen
     Wink of Stella
     Small pink flower confetti (from an old Papercraft Society box)
     Snippets of white matt card and dark red pearlescent card

I placed the white card into my MISTI and used dark red ink to stamp the dress and sentiment before embossing them with clear embossing powder.  I cut the panel with a rectangle die before layering it onto dark red pearlescent card and attaching it to the card blank.  I coloured the dress with a pink Promarker, highlighted the bow with a silver gel pen and then added lots of clear Wink of Stella to the dress to make it sparkle (although it doesn't show too well in the photograph).  To finish I added three small pink flower confetti to the front of the card.

I am entering the following challenges:
     Birthstone Challenge - Garnet and/or Amethyst (I have used Garnet - the January birthstone colour)
     Daisy Chain Challenge - No Design Paper
     Pearly Sparkles Challenge - Clean and Simple
     Stamping Sensations - January Mood Board (I have used the dress and colours from the mood board)

Kath x

Happy 90th Birthday Mum

I made this card for my mum's birthday - although her birthday isn't until next month I can post the card now as none of my family read my blog!

To make this card I used:
     7" x 7" white matt card blank
     49th and Market 'Vintage Artistry in Blush' paper
     My Favorite Things 'Fishtail Flags' and Spellbinders Nestabilities 'Classic Hearts' dies
     Snippets of dark brown pearlescent card
     White paper
     Computer generated sentiment 'Algerian' font

I layered a whole sheet of paper onto dark brown pearlescent card and attached it to the card blank.  I printed the sentiment onto white paper (my printer refuses to print onto card) and cut it with the fishtail flag die.  I attached the sentiment onto a strip of dark brown card and trimmed around the edge before attaching it to the upper corner of the card.  I cut two hearts from snippets of paper from the same pad, attaching the larger heart onto the lower corner and then used a foam pad to attach the smaller heart.

I am entering the following challenges:
     Allsorts - Mood Board (I have used Pink, Flowers & Bird from the mood board)
     Ally's Angels - Anything Goes
     As You Like It - Favourite Paper Brand & Why (I have a two brands I really like one of which is 49th and Market - the quality is excellent, more like a thin card than paper, the designs are unusual with beautiful colours and they're double sided too!)
     Crafty Calendar Challenge - Anything Goes
     Seize the Birthday - Anything Goes

Kath x

Cute Cross Stitch Robin

Last year I bought some pre-loved Christmas cross stitch charts and kits and this cute robin was amongst them.  It had originally been a cover gift with a magazine and is from a design by Lucy Heaton.  

To make this card I used:
     4" x 4" white matt card blank
     Robin cross stitch kit by Lucy Heaton
     Lawn Fawn 'Outside In Stitched Square Stackables' dies
     Snippet of dark red matt card

The kit gave instructions to patch the finished design onto the card blank that had been in the kit, but I chose to make my own card blank.  After finishing the stitching I attached it to the rear of a frame that had been die cut from dark red card and then attached it to the front of the card blank.   The kit also contained a small bell for the top of the tree and a small bow for the bottom of the tree, but I chose to leave them off to make the card design simpler and also also to make it easier and cheaper to post the card.

I am entering the following challenges:
     Ally's Angels - Anything Goes
     Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge - Anything Christmas Goes
     Love to Craft - Anything Christmas Goes
     Merry Little Christmas Challenge - Anything Christmas Goes

Kath x