Jenny Bear

My final card today uses one of my favourite precoloured Lili of the Valley 'Jenny Bear' images to make this cute Mother's Day card.

I covered the front of the card with pink paper, leaving a small margin around the edge and ensuring the hearts showed on the right side of the card.  I die cut the precoloured LOTV image with a stitched oval die and attached it to the left side of the paper.  I attached a piece of pink paper from the lower edge of another sheet of pink paper onto card and die cut 'MUM'.  I die cut 'MUM' from two pieces of white card and layered them with the pink layer on the top.  I also trimmed the top of the first 'M' so the sentiment would lie flat on the card as it overlapped the stitched panel.  To finish I attached 'MUM' on the lower corner of the card ensuring the writing on the backing paper matched.

To make this card I used:
     6" x 6" white matt card blank
     Lili of the Valley 'James and Jenny Bear' Art Pad
     My Favourite Things 'Inside & Out Stitched Oval STAX Die-namics' and Creative Expressions 'From the Heart - Female Relations' dies
     Lili of the Valley 'Heartfelt' paper
     White card

I am entering the following challenges:
     Allsorts - Make it Girly
     Happy Little Stampers Anything Goes with Dies - February challenge
     The Cutie Pie Challenge - Cute and Cuddly Animals

Kath x

February Rudolph Day

My first card today is for the February Rudolph Day Challenge and I have used both wet and dry embossing (embossing is my Rudolph Day theme this year).

I embossed a piece of white card with the holly embossing folder and trimmed around the edge.  Using my MISTI I stamped the sentiment in the centre with green ink and embossed it with clear embossing powder.  I trimmed a piece of dark green card for my matt layer, but it looked rather 'flat' against the shiny embossed sentiment.  To give the green card some shine I applied Versamark around the edge of the card panel and embossed it with clear embossing powder.  I layered the holly panel onto the green matt and attached it to the centre of the card.

To make this card I used:
     5" x 5" white matt card blank
     Woodware  'Festive Verse' stamp
     Apple Blossom 'Holly' embossing folder
     Versafine Olympia Green ink
     Versamark
     Stampendous clear embossing powder
     Dark green and white matt card

I am entering the following challenges:
     Moving Along With The Times - No image - sentiment/quote as focus to your card     
     Rudolph Day - February challenge
     The Male Room - Use Embossing
     Winter Wonderland - Anything Christmas Goes Tribute Challenge

Kath x

To Mum

This Mother's Day card was made using another preloved cross stitch kit I have recently purchased.  I didn't like the patterned card that came with the kit as it was a bit too fussy for me, so I die cut a stitched circular frame.  I trimmed around the edge of the completed cross stitch before attaching it to the rear of the frame and the centre of the card.

I do enjoy stitching these small kits and have several more different designs to stitch over the coming weeks.

Kath x

Floral Display

My final card today was made for the AAA Cards Optional Twist 'Use Those Older Supplies'.  This is a wood mounted stamp that made its first appearance on my blog in 2012 for a Get Well Soon card.

It's a long time since I've used wood mounted stamps so I first stamped the flowers onto a scrap of paper so I could see how they would fit in the corner.  I then stamped the image in the corner of the card and used my MISTI to stamp the sentiment along the lower edge of the card.  To finish I coloured the image with coloured pencils.

To make this card I used:
     6" x 6" white matt card blank
     Hobby Art 'Floral Display' and Clearly Besotted 'Fancy Sayings' stamps
     Versafine Vintage Sepia ink
     Faber Castell Coloured Pencils

I am entering the following challenges:
     AAA Cards - One Corner + Optional Twist Love Those Older Supplies   
     Seize the Birthday - Show Me Your White Space
     Uniko - 8th Birthday Linky Party
   
Kath x

Happy Birthday Hedgehog

A friend saw the hedgehog card I posted a couple of weeks ago and asked me to make a similar card for a birthday.  The stamp set has five different hedgehog images so I chose the one holding a balloon.  Although there was a 'Happy Birthday' sentiment in the set I prefer my Hobby Art sentiment as it's slightly smaller.

I cut a piece of card slightly smaller than my card blank and placed into my MISTI.  I stamped the hedgehog and sentiment a couple of times to get a clear outline and then embossed them with clear embossing powder.  I coloured the hedgehog with Promarkers before attaching the panel to the card.  To finish I highlighted the balloon with a Wink of Stella.

To make this card I used:
     5" x 5" white matt card blank
     Immediate Media 'Make Special Cards' hedgehog and Hobby Art 'General Greetings' stamps
     Versafine Onyx Black ink
     Stampendous clear embossing powder
     Promarkers (Cinnamon, Royal Blue & Satin)
     White matt card
     Wink of Stella

I am entering the following challenges:
     AAA Birthday Card Challenge - Cute  
     AAA Cards - One Corner 
     Seize the Birthday - Show Me Your White Space
 

Kath x

Beautiful Blooms

My first post today is a Mother's Day card made with a precoloured Lili of the Valley image.

I covered the front of the card blank with pink paper, leaving a small border aroiund the edge.  I die cut and embossed the LOTV image and then die cut 'Mum' from the lower corner, before attaching the panel to the centre of the card.  I die cut 'Mum' twice from white card, inlaying and layering these before attaching the 'Mum' I had set aside from the floral panel.

To make this card I used:
     5.5" x 4.25" white matt card bland
     Lili of the Valley 'Beautiful Blooms' Art Pad precoloured image
     Spellbinders Nestabilities 'Wonky Rectangles' and Creative Expressions 'From The Heart - Female Relations' Dies
     Kars tan embossing mat
     Lili of the Valley 'Antebellum' paper
     Snippets of white card

I am entering the following challenges:
     Allsorts - Dies and/or Punches
     Crafty Calendar Challenge - Use Dies and/or Punches
     Happy Little Stampers Anything Goes with Dies - February challenge

Kath x

Cross Stitch Clematis Fridge Magnet

This fridge magnet was made using a design from a magazine cover kit and a Framecraft fridge magnet I've recently purchased as part of someone's craft clearout.

The cross stitch kit used 16hpi aida, but I used 14hpi so the design fitted better in the fridge magnet - and it was easier to stitch too!

Kath x

Ruby Wedding Anniversary Card

My final card today is a Ruby Wedding Anniversary card using one of my favourite heart dies.

I die cut a stitched red pearlescent frame and attached it to the card blank.  I die cut a stitched square from white hammer card and then die cut the 'Heart of Hearts' from the centre of the square.  I put the small hearts to one side before inlaying the square into the frame.  I die cut the heart from red pearlescent card and inlaid the red and white hearts into the card.

To make this card I used:
     6" x 6" white hammer card blank
     Lawn Fawn 'Outside In Stitched Square Stackables' and Impression Obsession 'Heart of Hearts' dies
     Red pearlescent and white hammer card

I am entering the following challenges:
     Allsorts - Add a Heart
     Crafty Calendar Challenge - Use Die Cuts/Punches
     Happy Little Stampers Anything Goes With Dies - February Challenge
     Pearly Sparkles Challenges - Include Some Red

Kath x

Another Cross Stitch Heart

I made another small cross stitch heart using the remainder of the aida and threads from the kit I used to make my Cross Stitch Key Ring.

I used a Lacy Square and Classic Square Die to make a small frame.  I trimmed the aida around the completed cross stitch heart before attaching it to the rear of the frame.  I then used extra sticky tape across the back of the aida to attach the framed heart to the centre of my card.

To make this card I used:
     4" x 4" warm white hammer card blank
     Future Publishing Needlecraft Magazine 'Heart' cross stitch kit
     Spellbinders Nestabilities 'Classic Squares Large' and 'Lacy Squares' dies
     Snippet of red mirri card

I am entering the following challenges:
     AAA Cards - Up to One Third + Optional Twist: Hearts
     Allsorts - Add a Heart
     Pearly Sparkles Challenge - Include Some Red

Kath x

Joy

Another red card using one of my favourite dies to make this CAS card for some of my favourite challenges.

I trimmed a piece of white hammer card so it was slightly smaller than the front of the card and die cut 'JOY' from the centre.  I rounded the corners before attaching the panel to the front of the card.  I die cut 'JOY' from three small snippets of red mirri card and inlaid them in to the card  I die cut the fancy 'JOY' from dark red textured card and attached it over the top.

To make this card I used:
     6" x 4" white hammer card blank
     Creative Expressions 'Festive Collection - Joy' die
     Woodware regular corner rounder punch
     Snippets of red mirri, dark red textured and white hammer card

I am entering the following challenges:
     AAA Cards - Up to One Third     
     CAS Christmas - Joy
     Christmas Kickstart Challenge - Red
     Happy Little Stampers Anything Goes With Dies - February Challenge
     Moving Along With The Times - Sentiment/Quote as Focus
     Pixie's Snippets Playground - Challenge 371

Kath x

LOTV Christmas

I've recently bought a few Lili of the Valley Art Pad sheet and have used one to make this quick Christmas card.

I cut a piece of red textured card slightly smaller than the card blank and die cut a circle from the centre.  I rounded the corners before attaching the red panel to the card.  I die cut the precoloured image and inlaid it into the frame.  I added Diamond Stickles for the snow and lots of Wink of Stella on the little's girl's fur clothing.

To make this card I used:

     5" x 5" kraft card blank

     Lili of the Valley ''Tis the Season' Art Pad 
     My Favourite Things 'Inside & t Stitched Circle STAX Die-namics' die

     Woodware regular corner rounder punch

     Red textured card

     Diamond Stickles

     Wink of Stella

I am entering the following challenges:

     Christmas Kickstart Challenge - Red

     Happy Little Stampers Christmas Challenge - Xmas Wings

     Pearly Sparkles Challenge - Include Some Red

Kath x

Cross Stitch Heart Card

The first of today's red cards!  This cross stitch kit was actually to make a sachet, but I chose to make the finished cross stitch into a card for my mother's birthay.  I don't often use coloured card bases, but the white aida was a lot brighter than my card blanks so I used a dark red colour that matched the thread I'd used for the backstitch on the flowers.

I trimmed a piece of red card  so it was slightly smaller than the front of the card base, die cut a circle in the centre and rounded the corners.  I attached the cross stitch heart behind the aperture and added thin foam tape around the edges of the panel.  To ensure the panel lay flat on the card front I added a small piece of white card behind the cross stitch - this also ensured that no colour peeped through the aida fabric.  I die cut 'Mum' twice from red card, before layering the die cuts and attaching them to the lower corner.

To make this card I used:

     5" x 5" dark red pearlescent card blank

     Immediate Media  The World of Cross Stitching 'Floral Sachet' heart cross stitch kit

     My Favourite Things 'Inside & Out Stitched Circle STAX Die-namics' and Crafts-Too 'Mum' dies
     Woodware regular corner rounder punch

     Red pearlescent card and white card

I am entering the following challenges:
     Allsorts - Add a Heart
     Crafty Calendar Challenge - Use Die Cuts/Punches
     Pearly Sparkles Challenge - Include Some Red

Kath x

My First Needle Felt Picture

On Wednesday I went to a free two hour taster session at a local education centre to make a Needle Felt picture.  We started by making a brooch using a cookie cutter to form the shape and then progressed to the picture. Some people made their own design, but Sam, the tutor, also had some pictures we could use as inspiration so I chose a hot air balloon

It was a fun two hours and Sam was excellent (I've got two more courses booked with her over the next few weeks) but I'm not sure that it's the new craft for me.

Kath x

All We Need

My final card today uses a sentiment die I saw on Jo's blog - I thought it would make a lovely anniversary card for my OH.  It's not our anniversary until next month, but as he doesn't read my blog I can post the card now!

I cut a piece of white card slightly smaller than the front of the card and rounded the corners.  I then die cut and embossed the heart from the centre before attaching the panel to the card.  I die cut the heart from red card and embossed it with lots of hearts before inlaying it into the frame.  I die cut the sentiment twice from black card, layered them and attached them across the heart.

To make this card I used:
     6" x 6" white hammer card blank
     Huinkydory 'All you Need' and Spellbinders Nestabilities 'Classic Heart' dies
     Xcut 'Small Polka Hearts' embossing folder
     Kars tan embossing mat
     White hammer card, red and black matt card

I am entering the following challenges:
     Crafty Calendar Challenge - Use Die Cuts/Punches
     Moving Along With The Times - No Image - Sentiment/Quote as Focus
     Pearly Sparkles Challenge - Include Some Red
     The Male Room - Heart You
     

Kath x

Hugs and Kisses

My first card today is one I made for the new Less is More 'Less' challenge using one of the stamps in the magazine my OH bought me for Christmas.

I cut a piece of card slightly smaller than my card blank and placed into my MISTI.  I stamped the hedgehog and sentiment a couple of times to get a clear outline and then embossed them with clear embossing powder.  I coloured the hedgehog with Promarkers before attaching the panel to the card.  To finish I added a generous layer of a Wink of Stella to the heart.

To make this card I used:
     5" x 5" white matt card blank
     Immediate Media 'Make Special Cards' stamps
     Versafine Onyx Black ink
     Stampendous clear embossing powder
     Promarkers
     Wink of Stella
     White matt card

I am entering the following challenges:
     AAA Cards - Up to One Third + Optional Twist 'Hearts'     
     Less is More - Less (Tiny and Few)
     Tales from the Craft Room - Love is in the Air

Kath x

Sea Green Infinity Scarf

I've knit a couple of these infinity scarves and enjoyed knitting them as the yarn is lovely and soft.  The scarf is knit with two strands of double knitting yarn which is an acrylic and merino wool mix.  It's been knit in a lace pattern on large needles so it drapes well.

Kath x