Christmas Tree Ornament

A friend recently sent me some cross stitch kits, one of which was this Christmas tree.  It was a perfect fit for a gold coloured frame that was amongst a box of cross stitch items I purchased a while ago.

Kath x

Celebrate in Style

I'm still working my way though my 'oddments and snippets' box and came across some papers I'd trimmed but not used - perfect for making a quick card for a friend's birthday.  I had wanted to add a 'Happy Birthday' sentiment but as the card is only 5" x 5" the 'Best Wishes' sentiment looked better on the smaller card.

I layered the 'Celebrate in Style' paper onto the black paper and placed them onto the card front to see how they would fit.  I then attached the papers and trimmed around the edge of the card.  A simple stamped sentiment in the lower corner finished the card.

To make this card I used:
     5" x 5" white matt card blan
     Clearly Besotted 'Fancy Sayings' stamp
     Versafine Onyx Black ink
     Wild Rose Studio 'Man About Town' papers

I am entering the following challenges:
     AAA Cards - Happy Birthday
     Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge - May challenge
     Seize the Birthday - Anything Goes

Kath x

We Three Kings

Whilst looking through my box of upcycled images I came upon this card (one of the Christmas cards we received last year) which is perfect for the current ABC Christmas Challenge.

I die cut a stitched square from a snippet of gold mirri card and then die cut a circle from the centre before attaching it to the card front.  I die cut the crowns and sentiment into a circle and inlaid it into the frame.  A quick and simple card using an ucpcled Christmas card and a snippet of mirri.

To make this card I used:
     4" x 4" white matt card blank
     Lawn Fawn 'Outside In Stitched Square Stackables' and My Favourite Things 'Inside & Out Stitched Circle STAX' dies
     Upcycled Christmas card
     Snippet of gold mirri card

I am entering the following challenges:
     ABC Christmas Challenge - K is for King
     Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge - Anything Goes

Kath x

May Rudolph Day

It's time for another Rudolph Day and another of my embossed cards - this card used both wet and dry embossing.  I'm using a wreath stamp set that I bought ages ago and have never used - perfect for Darnell's NBUS challenge too.

I stamped the wreath in green ink and embossed it with clear embossing powder.  I used lilac pearlescent ink to stamp the extra small snowflakes.  I die cut the square and used my embossing mat to emboss a line around the square.  As I didn't have any lilac card for my matt layer I cut a piece of white card slightly larger than the embossed square and inked the edges with the lilac pearlescent ink.  I then layered the wreath panel onto the matt layer and attached it to the card.

To make this card I used:
     4" x 4" white matt card blank
     Clearly Besotted 'Happy Holidays' stamp set
     Spellbinders Nestabilities 'Classic Squares Large' die
     Kars tan embossing mat
     Versafine Olympia Green ink and Brilliance Pearlescent Purple inks
     Stampendous clear embossing powder
     Snippets of white matt card

I am entering the following challenges:
     52 Christmas Card Throwdown - Embossing
     Christmas Kickstart Challenge - Wreathed in Christmas Smiles
     Happy Little Stampers Christmas Challenge - Anything Goes
     NBUS - Challenge 14
     Rudolph Day - May challenge

Kath x

Cross Stitch Picture

I made this picture over twenty years ago but haven't displayed it in our current home, so had forgotten where it was stored. I found it a few days ago whilst looking through a box of old photographs - I'mnot sure why it was in there!

I recall the cross stitch taking ages to complete as it was stitched with two strands of thread on 18 count aida - I think my eyesight must have been a lot better when I stitched the picture.

Kath x

Rainbow Daisies

I've now made and sold several Rainbow Butterflies cards so have made some Rainbow Daisies birthday cards, which are proving equally as popular.

I trimmed a piece of card so it was slightly smaller than the card blank and stamped the sentiment in black ink.  I punched seven daisies in rainbow colours and placed one of them onto the card so I could see where to make the embossed lines - one above and one below the daisies and then used my Hougie board to score the lines.  I attached the panel to the card blank and attached the daisies across the card.  To finish I added black nail heads to the centre of the daisies.

To make this card I used:
     DL white matt card blank
     Hobby Art 'General Greetings' stamps
     Woodware 'Regular Daisy' punch
     Versafine Onyx Black ink
     Snippets of white matt card, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet textured card
     Black nail heads

I am entering the following challenges:
     Addicted to CAS - Rainbow
     Moving Along With The Times - Flowers
     Seize the Birthday - Anything Goes

Kath x

Happy Birthday

Another birthday card today, this one uses snippets and oddments from my 'stamped and die-cut but not used' box!

I trimmed the floral paper, layered it onto green card and attached it to the card front.  The 'happy' die cut was in my box of bits.  I die cut another 'happy', layered them and attached them to the card front.  The sentiment had already been stamped, so I trimmed around 'birthday', layered it onto green card and attached it below 'happy'.  Another quick and simple card.

To make this card I used:

     6" x 6" white matt card blank

     Lawn Fawn 'Scripty Happy' die

     Clearly Besotted 'Fancy Sayings' stamps

     Versafine Spanish Moss ink

     Snippets of pink floral paper, green textured card and white matt card

I am entering the following challenges:
     Allsorts - Anything Goes
     Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge - May Challenge
     Moving Along With The Times - Flowers

Kath x

Happy Birthday to You

I've been asked to make some more male cards, which is always a challenge for me!  This card is made with card and paper from my snippets box.

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. I used my MISTI to stamp the sentiment onto the wave, stamping it several times to get a good depth of colour as I was stamping onto textured card.  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
     Snippets of pale blue paper, blue textured card, white matt card and white hammer card

I am entering the following challenges:
     Allsorts - Anything Goes
     Happy Little Stampers Anything Goes With Dies - May challenge
     Pixies' Snippets Playground - Challenge 378

Kath x

Garden Delights Notebook

A while ago I bought two small Framecraft notebooks which had an aperture in the front for cross stitch.  I used one for a Cross Stitch Notebook but used the second with a Lili of the Valley image to make a quick gift for a friend.  The precoloured image was trimmed and inserted behind the aperture before assembling the notebook.

Kath x

Happy 90th Birthday!

One of my neighbours is 90 next week - sadly he can't have visitors to celebrate with him and neither can he visit his wife in a local care home.  Another neighbour has arranged a fish and chip supper for him and we're all sending cards - celebrations will have to wait for a while.

I covered the top of the card blank with blue paper leaving a border around the edge.  I die cut the sentiment from white card and attached it to the lower edge, lining it up with the paper.  I attached the wood effect paper to white card to make it more robust before die cutting a hot air balloon, the inlaid pieces for the sentiment and a '90'.  I die cut another hot air balloon from green patterned card.    The brown balloon was attached above the sentiment with the green one attached above it with foam pads.  I inlaid the pieces into the sentiment and attached '90' to the green balloon.

To make this card I used:
     6" x 6" white hammer card blank
     Memory Box 'Grand Happy Birthday', 'Beautiful Balloon' and 'Classic Numbers' dies
     Snippets of Lili of the Valley 'Shabby Shack' and Papermania Capsule Elements 'Wood' papers, green pattered card and white hammer card

I am entering the following challenges:
     Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge - May Challenge
     Happy Little Stampers Anything Goes with Dies - May Challenge
     Seize the Birthday - Anything Goes

Kath x

To My Lovely Friend

I made this card to send to Linda for the April Card Chain Challenge using the Colour Option (Black, Plum and Lilac) and the Theme Option (Friendship).

I trimmed a piece of pale lilac paper and layered it onto black card before stamping the sentiment in the lower corner.  The panel was then attached to the front of the card blank.  I die cut a branch from black card and attached it across the card, trimming the end so it was level with the black mat layer.  I die cut the birds from lilac and plum card and attached them with Pinflair glue so they sat on top of the branch.

To make this card I used:
     6" x 4" white matt card blank
     Memory Box 'Woodland Branch' and 'Resting Birds' dies
     Clearly Besotted 'Lovely Lilies' sentiment stamp
     Versafine Onyx Black ink
     Snippets of Lili of the Valley 'Timeless Victorian' paper, black textured card, plum and lilac pearlescent card

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

This is the lovely card I received from Lucille:

Kath x

Hope and Chances Charity Kit - May 2020

I hadn't heard of the Hope and Chances Charity Kits until I read Di's post when she used the March kit.  I loved the look of the May kit (which was sold to support Whizz Kids).and am so pleased 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 did change the card slightly as I only used one matt layer and then used the second one to stamp a different sentiment which I cut with a stitched die.  I coloured the leaves with different shades of green coloured pencils and the flowers with different shades of pink and purple.  I gave both leaves and flowers a bit of sparkle with a Wink of Stella and added clear gems to the centre of the flowers.

Each month the kits are sold to support different charities and they're available from the first Sunday of the month.

Kath x

Simple Christmas Tree

I love this Sizzix die as it's perfect to make quick CAS cards.

I die cut the leaf tree from green textured card, layered it onto a green tree cut with the coordinating plain die and attached it to the card.  I die cut the tree again from snippets of red textured card and inlaid the leaves.  Simple!

To make this card I used:
     6" x 4" white hammer card blank
     Sizzix ' Trees, Leafy' dies
     Snippets of green and red textured card

I am entering the following challenges:
     Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge - Include a Tree or Two or More
     Fezzwig's Festive Frolics - Anything Christmas Goes
     Happy Little Stampers Christmas Challenge - Anything Goes
     Winter Wonderland - Your Favourite Colour Combination (mine is red and green)
 
Kath x

Upcycled Christmas Ornament

As I'm slowly working my way though my snippets and upcycled boxes, I came across these bits of card - perfect for a CAS Christmas ornament.

I die cut a stitched panel from white hammer card and attached it to the card blank.  I used gold holographic card from an old gift card to die cut the back of the ornament and the bow.  The floral ornament was die cut from a birthday card.  The ornament pieces were layered and attached to the card.  I snipped the lower part of the tail from the bow and attached it above the ornament.

To make this card I used:
     A2 white hammer card blank
     My Favourite Things 'Inside & Out Stitched Rectangle STAX  Die-namics', Memory Box 'Traditional Ornament' & 'Lydia Ornament' dies
     Upcycled birthday card and gift tag
     Snippet of white hammer card

I am entering the following challenges:
     Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge - Anything Goes as long as it's Christmas
     Fezzwig's Festive Frolics - Anything Festive Goes
     Happy Little Stampers Christmas Challenge - Ornaments

Kath x

Rainbow Butterflies

I've been asked to make a rainbow birthday card for someone who likes butterflies - hopefully this card will tick all the boxes!

I trimmed a piece of card so it was slightly smaller than the card blank and stamped the sentiment in black ink.  I die cut seven butterflies in rainbow colours and placed one of them onto the card so I could see where to make the embossed lines - one above and one below the butterflies and then used my Hougie board to score the lines.  I attached the panel to the card blank and attached the butterflies across the card.

Great news is that I added two of these cards to my Folksy shop and sold one the following day!

To make this card I used:
     DL white matt card blank
     Tattered Lace 'Mini Butterfly' die
     Hobby Art 'General Greetings' stamps
     Versafine Onyx Black ink
     Snippets of white matt card, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet textured card

I am entering the following challenges:
     AAA Birthday Card Challenges - Things with Wings
     Allsorts - Butterflies
     Butterfly Challenge - Spin the Wheel with X - I have used Xiketic (which is the black I used for the sentiment) and Xtra Colours (my rainbow
     butterflies)
     Pixie's Snippets Playground - Challenge 377

Kath x

Cross Stitch Notecard

This floral cross stitch is 'Victorian Posies' from The Ladies Work Society by Jane Greenoff.  I noticed a big difference in stitching this design compared to stitching designs that are magazine cover gifts as I had loads of thread left.  I find that most cover gifts have just enough thread and, in some cases, I've had to use some of my own to finish a design but with this kit I've enough threads left to make another card.

Kath x

Christmas Bears

Amongst my box of die cuts was this cute Lili of the Valley image that I'd already cut with a stitched die - perfect for a quick CAS card.

I die cut a stitched square in the front of the card blank and added another piece of the same card to the inside of the card front.  I then inlaid the image into the frame.  To finish I added lots of Wink of Stella to the bear's hat, trees and snow.

To make this card I used:
     5" x 5" red textured card blank
     Lili of the Valley 'Christmas Bear - Sledge' image
     Lawn Fawn 'Outside In Stitched Square Stackables' die
     Red textured card
     Wink of Stella

I am entering the following challenges:
     Christmas with the Cuties - Red and Green
     Fezzwig's Festive Frolics - Clean and Simple
     Winter Wonderland - Favourite Colour Combination (for me that's red and green)

Kath x