Sorry You're Leaving

My OH asked me to make a card for a colleague who is leaving their department next month.  A rummage through my stamps and dies revealed I had nothing suitable!  After a bit of hasty online shopping I bought this Crafter's Companion stamp and die set - perfect for Darnell's NBUS Challenge.  I also made a matching tag for the present they are going to buy.

To make the card I die cut 'sorry' from turquoise card and set it aside.  I trimmed a piece of floral paper to a square, setting aside the strip I had cut from the side, and layered it onto turquoise card.  I put the panel into my MISTI and placed the die cut onto it so I could line up the sentiment.  I removed the die cut and stamped the sentiment a couple of times to get a good deep colour.  I adhered the panel to the card front and then attached the die cut above the sentiment.  

To make the tag I took the floral paper I had set aside and attached it to a piece of white card.  I die cut the tag and attached a piece of turquoise embroidery thread through the hole.

To make this card and tag I used:

     6" x 6" white matt card blank

     Crafter's Companion Gemini 'Sorry You're Leaving' stamp and die and Creative Expressions 'Pierced Tags' die

     Versafine Deep Lagoon ink

     Lili of the Valley 'Beach Bliss' paper

     Turquoise matt and white matt card

     Turquoise embroidery thread

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

     NBUS Challenge - Challenge #13 (my new stamp and die set)

Kath x

Cross Stitch Poppies

These lovely poppies were another small cross stitch magazine cover gift I've recently purchased.  I didn't like the small flimsy card that was in the kit, so I make a dark green frame for the poppies and added a sentiment below.

I enjoyed stitching these poppies and have saved the pattern to use again - I think they would look lovely stitched in shades of red too.

Kath x

April Rudolph Day

It's time for another Rudolph Day and another of my embossed cards - this uses more die cuts from my 'cut but not used die cuts box', plus some snippets.

I embossed the panel and trimmed the edges before layering it onto red textured card and attaching it to the card front.  The circle and bauble were from my box so these just need to be layered and attached to the centre of the card.  I made a small bow from a snippet of red ribbon and used strong glue to attach it to the top of the bauble.  I die cut the line border from red card and snipped the ends either side of 'christmas' and attached the sentiment below the bauble.

To make this card I used:
     5" x 5" white matt card blank
     Marianne 'Designs Creatables 'Christmas Bauble', Lawn Fawn 'Merry Christmas Line Border' and Spellbinders Nestabilities 'Standard Circles
     Large' dies
     Apple Blossom 'Holly' embossing folder
     Snippets of gold mirri, red textured and white matt card, snippet of red ribbon

I am entering the following challenges:
     Allsorts - Add a Bow 
     Fezzwig's Festive Frolics - Clean and Simple
     Happy Little Stampers Anything Goes With Dies - April Challenge
     Happy Little Stampers Christmas Challenge - Anything Goes
     Rudolph Day - April Challenge

Kath x

Heart of Hearts Shaker

I'm slowly working my way through my box of die cuts - all sorts of things that I cut to make a card and then never used.  This card makes use of a couple of die cuts, plus some snippets and some confetti I found in a charity shop to make a shaker card.

The red mirri frame was from my die cut box.  I layered it onto a snippet of red mirri card and attached it to the card blank.  The 'Heart of Hearts' had already been die cut from white hammer card and cut into a stitched square.  I attached a piece of acetate behind the panel and added foam tape around the edges.  I removed the backing from three sides of the tape and attached the panel to a snippet of white hammer card.  After adding the red heart confetti I removed the backing from the tape at the top and secured the shaker.  The panel was then inlaid into the red mirri frame.

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

I am entering the following challenge:
     Happy Little Stampers Anything Goes With Dies - April challenge

Kath x

Santa Claus is Coming to Town

I love this Christmas scene die - it's also perfect for making quick snippets cards.

I die cut the scene from white hammer card before layering it onto a snippet of dark blue snowflake paper and trimming around the edge.  This was layered onto dark blue mirri card and attached to the centre of the card blank.  I used a couple of teeny snippets of gold pearlescent card to die cut the moon (the snippets were so small I had to cut it in two pieces!) and these were inlaid into the card.

To make this card I used:
     5.5" x 4.25" white hammer card blank
     Cottage Cutz 'Christmas Eve Night' die
     Snippets of white hammer, dark blue mirri and gold pearlescent card, dark blue snowflake paper

I am entering the following challenges:
     52 Christmas Card Throwdown - Forest & Deer
     CAS Christmas - Christmas Song (I've chosen 'Santa Claus is Coming to Town')
     Christmas Crafts All Year Round - Anything Christmas/Winter Holiday Goes
     Christmas Kickstart Challenge - Winter Wonderland (Create a Scene)
     Happy Little Stampers Christmas Challenge - Anything Goes + Optional: Festive Animals
     Pixie's Snippets Playground - Challenge 376

Kath x

Flower Pot Fridge Magnet

This fridge magnet was made with another small cross stitch kit that had been a cover gift with a magazine - it's the perfect size to fit in a Framecraft fridge magnet.

I've almost finished all of my small cross stitch kits so need to find some more!

Kath x

Have a Wonderful Day

I was struggling to find something for Jo's Tales from the Craft Room 'Sweet Treats' challenge until my upcycling box came to the rescue with a cute glittery cupcake on a birthday card.

To make this card I trimmed a piece of white card so it was slightly smaller than the card blank, rounded the corners and attached it to the card blank.  I die cut the sentiment into a fishtail flag and attached it to the lower edge of the card, just above the curved corner.  I fussy cut the cupcake and shaped it before attaching it to the card with Pinflair glue.

I posted the card on Folksy and sold it within a week!

To make this card I used:
     5" x 5" white matt card blank
     My Favourite Things 'Fishtail Flags' die
     Woodware 'Regular Corner Rounder' punch
     Upcycled birthday card (cupcake and sentiment)
     White matt card

I am entering the following challenges:
     AAA Cards - Sketch     
     Seize the Birthday - Anything Goes
     Tales from the Craft Room - Sweet Treats

Kath x

Hope You Feel Better Soon

Today's card is for a friend who is feeling a little under the weather - I made the card using the AAA Cards sketch.

I trimmed a piece of white hammer card so it was slightly smaller than the card blank and rounded the corners.  I put the panel into my MISTI before placing the sentiment and butterfly stamps onto it.  I stamped these a couple of times to get a clear impression before embossing them with clear embossing powder.  I coloured the butterfly with Promarkers before attaching the panel to the card.

To make this card I used:
     5" x 5" white hammer card blank
     Clearly Besotted 'Butterfly' stamp (from a magazine cover gift) and Hobby Art 'General Greetings' sentiment
     Versafine Imperial Purple Ink
     Promarkers - Amethyst, Bright Green & Gold
     Woodware 'Regular Corner Rounder' punch
     Snippet of white hammer card

I am entering the following challenge:
     AAA Cards - Sketch + Optional Twist: It Flies
     Crafty Calendar Challenge - Add a Butterfly

Kath x

Isabella Butterfly

As I'm not working at the moment and we're obviously not away in Cali, I've more time for crafting.  So, in future I'm moving away from only posting my cards on Wednesdays and will post as and when I' want to link to challenges.  I'll still post Folksy Fridays and my non-cardmaking item on a Sunday.

Today's card is one I made for my friend's birthday using one of my favourite butterfly dies.

I covered the front of the card blank with pink floral paper, leaving a border around the edge.  I die cut 'Happy Birthday' from white hammer card and attached it across the bottom of the card, lining up the edges with the paper.  I die cut 'Happy Birthday' from red pearlescent card and inlaid the letters.  To finish, I die cut a butterfly from red pearlescent card and attached it above the sentiment.

To make this card I used:
     6" x 4" white hammer card blank
     Memory Box 'Grand Happy Birthday' and Memory Box 'Isabella Butterfly' dies
     Lili of the Valley 'Heartfelt' paper pad
     Snippets of red pearlescent card

I am entering the following challenges:
     Crafty Calendar Challenge - Use a Butterfly
     Happy Little Stampers Anything Goes with Dies - April Challenge
     Seize the Birthday - Anything Goes

Kath x

Cross Stitch Initial Keyring

Another cross stitch keyring - this one with a friend's initial.  I do enjoy stitching these small items - they're great for using tiny pieces of aida and oddments of thread left over from other projects.

I've just bought another pack of blank keyrings, so there will be more to show soon!

Kath x

Festive Sheep

My final card today is for a couple of challenges asking for 'Festive Animals'.  I wasn't sure I had anything suitable for the challenges until I delved into my upcycling box and found this image from a card I received last Christmas.

To make this quick card I die cut the image, layered it onto dark red textured card and attached it to the centre of the card blank.  This card was so quick to make it feels like cheating - but I do rather like the simplicity of it.

To make this card I used:
     6" x 6" warm white hammer card blank
     Upcycled Christmas card
     Snippet of dark red textured card

I an entering the following challenges:
     Fezziwigs Festive Frolics - Festive Animals
     Happy Little Stampers Christmas Challenge - Festive Animals
   
Kath x

Thinking of You

I bought a magazine several weeks ago as I liked the fern stamp and die set which was a cover gift.  I put the magazine into Cali to read when we were away - how life can change over a few weeks!  I've emptied Cali as we're obviously not going away for several months and have found the magazine.  The stamp and die set is perfect for Darnell's new NBUS (Never Before Used Schtuff) challenge.

I die cut the fern from brown card and then used my MISTI to stamp the coordinating fern.  I embossed the fern with clear embossing powder and set it aside.  I trimmed the paper to make the largest square possible and layered it into brown card before putting it into my MISTI.  I placed the fern onto the card to line up the sentiment.  I removed the fern before stamping and embossing the sentiment and then attached the panel to the card.  To finish I used strong glue to attach the fern.

To make this card I used:
     5" x 5" white matt card blank
     Bright Rosa 'Fern' stamp and die set
     Versafine Vintage Sepia ink
     Stampendous clear embossing powder
     Snippets of brown pearlescent card and Wild Rose Studio 'Peach Blossom' paper

I am entering the following challenges:
     Allsorts - Something Old, Something New (the snippet of paper is old - the pad was first used on my blog in 2016 - and the stamp and die set is
     new)
     NBUS - Challenge 13
     Pixie's Snippets Playground - Challenge 375

Kath x

I am not over the hill ...

My first card today is one I made for a friend's 60th birthday.

I resized the Bugaboo digi stamp and printed it onto white card before colouring it with Promarkers.  I trimmed the panel, layered it onto red card and attached it to the card front.  I then die cut '60' from red card and attached the numbers to the lower corner.

To make this card I used:
     7" x 5" tent fold kraft card blank
     Bugaboo 'Gus Over The Hill' digi stamp
     Memory Box 'Classic Numbers' dies
     Promarkers
     Dark red textured card

I am entering the following challenges:
     The Male Room - Make me Laugh

Kath x

Cross Stitch Notebook

This cross stitch picture was from another card kit, but I chose to use it in the front of this notebook that was amongst my craft stash.  The little girl is really quick and easy to stitch and I'm going to be stitching more soon.

Kath x

Garden Delights

I made this card to send to Suze for the March Card Chain Challenge.  I used the Theme Option (Things with Wings, Flowers & Friendship) and the Product/Technique Options (Embossing/Designer Paper).

I trimmed a piece of beige/green paper so it was slightly smaller than the front of the card and attached a strip of pink paper down the left side - ensuring that my sentiment would fit across the bottom.  I stamped and embossed the sentiment along the lower edge and attached the panel to the card.  I die cut the precoloured image with a circular stitched die and attached it to the card.

To make this card I used:
     6" x 6" white matt card blank
     Lili of the Valley 'Garden Delights' Art Pad
     My Favourite Things 'Inside & Out Stitched Circle STAX Die-namics' die
     Clearly Besotted 'Dandelion Dreams' stamp
     Versafine Vintage Sepia ink
     Stampendous clear embossing powder
     Lili of the Valley 'Antebellum' paper

I am entering the following challenges:
     Pearly Sparkles Challenge - Bunnies, Birds and/or Bears 
     Try It On Tuesday - Beauty of Nature

This is the lovely card I received from Linda:

Kath x

Just for You

Jess from Lincolnshire Marbled Art has sent me some snippets of beautiful marbled papers.  The designs are fabulous and I used one to make this quick card for the AAA Cards 'Made in Minutes' challenge .

I trimmed a piece of paper and used my MISTI to stamp the sentiment - stamping it a couple of times t get a good depth of colour.  The paper was layered onto black mirri card before being attached across the lower edge of the card.

To make this card I used:
     6" x 4" cream tent fold card blank
     Clearly Besotted 'Fancy Sayings' stamp
     Versafine Onyx Black ink
     Marbled paper from Jess
     Black mirri card

I am entering the following challenge:
     AAA Cards - Made in Minutes

Kath x
   

Beautiful Balloons

My first card today is one I made for my father-in-law's birthday.

I attached a piece of dark blue sky paper to the top of the card blank leaving a border around the edge.  I die cut 'Happy Birthday' from white hammer card and attached it across the bottom of the card, lining it up with the edge of the blue paper.  I die cut two balloons - one from mustard card and one from bronze metallic card.  I attached the mustard balloon directly onto the card and attached the bronze balloon over it using foam tape.  I die cut 'Happy Birthday' from mustard card and inlaid the letters in the the card.

To make this card I used:
     6" x 6" white hammer card blank
     Memory Box 'Grand Happy Birthday' and Memory Bob 'Beautiful Balloons' dies
     Snippets of dark blue sky paper, mustard card, bronze metallic card and white hammer card

I am entering the following challenge:
     Allsorts - Men and Boys

Kath x