Life Begins at Retirement

Although Steve's actual retirement date is his birthday next month, today is his final working day so I've made this card for him.  Hopefully he will have lots of 'me time' in his retirement as well as many adventures in Zebedee.  

I attached dark blue paper to a piece of white paper and trimmed it so it was slightly smaller than the card blank.  I die cut a stitched circle from the centre and rounded the corners before attaching it to the front of the card blank.  I put the precoloured image into my MISTI and lay the circle die on top so I could see where to stamp the sentiment.  I removed the die and stamped the sentiment before die cutting the image.  The circle was then inlaid into the aperture.

To make this card I used:
     6" x 6" white matt card blank
     Lili of the Valley 'Vintage Boys' Art Pad
     My Favorite Things 'Inside & Out Stitched Circle STAX Die-namics die
     Practical Publishing 'Stamps for All Occasions' stamp
     Versafine Vintage Sepia ink
     Lili of the Valley 'Father Knows Best' paper
     Woodware Corner Rounder punch

Our first adventure in Zeb starts on Monday and we're going to be away for several weeks so I won't making any new posts until mid July.  I'm not sure how much commenting I'll be able to do either - that all depends on the weather and the wifi signals on our campsites.

Kath x

May Rudolph Day

It's time for another Rudolph Day - I can't believe that another month has flown by.  My Rudolph Day theme this year is 'Upcycling' so this is another card with an upcycled image from a Christmas card I received last year and a gold frame made from an old birthday card.

The Christmas card had got three angels on the front and I used a stitched rectangle die to cut this angel from the left side (I also cut the angel from the right of the card to make another Christmas card). The gold die cut stitched frame was from an old birthday card.  The frame was attached to the card and the angel topper inlaid into it.

To make this card I used:
     5.5" x 4.25" white hammer card blank
     My Favorite Things 'Inside & Out Stitched Rectangle STAX Die-namics' dies
     Upcycled Christmas card and birthday card

I am entering the following challenges:
     Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge - Anything Goes
     Happy Little Stampers Christmas Challenge - Anything Goes
     Merry Little Christmas Challenge - Anything Christmas Goes
     Rudolph Day - May Challenge

Kath x

Christmas Choir

This card is made with another Hunkydory Deco-Large topper which was amongst some preloved cardmaking items I've recently bought.

To make this quick card I layered the main image onto silver mirri and then onto red patterned paper before attaching it to the front of the card blank.  The images in the Deco Large kits are die cut so I removed them from the backing sheet and trimmed any small 'pips' around the edge before using Pinflair glue to add the decoupage layers to the card.  There were some small sentiments with the toppers pack but I chose to leave the card without a sentiment.

To make this card I used:
     7" x 5" white matt ard blank
     Hunkydory 'Christmas Choir Deco-Large' topper
     Snippets of red patterned card and silver mirri

I am entering the following challenges:
     Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge - Use Some Silver
     Happy Little Stampers Christmas Challenge - Anything Goes
     Love to Craft - Anything Goes
     Merry Little Christmas Challenge - Anything Christmas Goes

Kath x

Whale Cross Stitch Keyring

I made this keyring with a mini 'Whale' cross stitch kit that I've recently purchased as part of a preloved selection of cross stitch items.  The design is by Graphworks.

After completing the stitching, I trimmed around the whale and inserted the fabric into an acrylic keyring.  I cut a small piece of white textured card to fit behind the stitching before clicking the two part of the keyring together.

Kath x

Thank You

I've recently bought some Hunkydory 'Flourishng Florals' Deco-Large images to put in my crafting box when we go away in our campervan.  Most of the designs are quite delicate but I love this vibrant design which is perfect for Allsorts '12th Birthday - Anything with Bright and Sunny Colours' challenge.

I trimmed the gold from around the edge of the main image and layered it onto gold mirri as I wanted to add an extra layer.  I then removed the decoupage layers from the backing sheet and used Pinflair glue gel to build the image.  I trimmed one of the sentiments to cut out 'Thank You' before layering it onto a tiny piece of gold mirri and attaching it to the corner of the topper with a small piece of foam tape.  Once the glue gel had dried I attached the topper to the card blank.

To make this card I used:
     7" x 5" cream hammer card blank
     Hunkydory 'Flourishing Florals - Retro Radiance' Deco Large
     Gold mirri

I am entering the following challenges:
     Allsorts - 12th Birthday - Anything with Bright and Sunny Colours
     Love to Craft - Anything Goes

Kath x

Enjoy your Special Day

I've recently been very fortunate to win two Chocolate Baroque stamps from the Allsorts Challenge - they're both lovely but this one is my favourite.  The stamps have lovely fine etched details which stamp beautifully.

I placed a piece of white hammer card into my MISTI and stamped both the floral panel and the sentiment in brown ink.  As I was stamping onto hammer card I stamped several times to get a good depth of colour.  I coloured the shaded parts of the roses with an orange pencil and then the rest of the flowers with a yellow pencil.  The leaves were coloured with two shaded of green.  I then gently rubbed the side of the tip of a pale pink pencil across the netting to give a slight colour behind the flowers.  I used a corner rounder punch to round the corners of the panel before attaching it to the card blank.

To make this card I used:
     6" x 6" white hammer card blank
     Chocolate Baroque 'Floribunda Net' and Hobby Art 'General Greetings' stamps
     Versafine Vintage Sepia ink
     Faber Castell Colour Grip coloured pencils
     Woodware Corner Rounder punch
     Snippet of white hammer card

I am entering the following challenges:
     AAA Birthday Card Challenge - Happy Birthday
     AAA Cards Challenge - Happy Birthday
     Allsorts - Anything Goes
     NBUS - Challenge 26 (using my new Chocolate Baroque stamp)
     Seize the Birthday - Make it a Bouquet
     We Love Chocolate Baroque - Bright Sunny Colours

Kath x

Pretty Girl

I made this card following the Less is More sketch and used the image from the cover of an old Lili of the Valley Art Pad.

I die cut the girl from the front of the Art Pad.  The first cut was down the right side of the image to remove the Art Pad number.  I then lined up the die along the stitched outline ensuring the frame from the Art Pad cover was removed down the left side.  The topper was layered onto the reverse side of a snippet of card from my 69th and Market Art Pad (the reverse side of the papers are a more solid colour than the patterned fronts).  The panel was then attached to the upper edge of the card blank.  I stamped the sentiment onto another snippet of the same pink card and die cut it with a circular die.  The sentiment was attached to the lower corner of the topper with a foam pad.

To make this card I used:
     7" x 6" white matt card blank
     Lili of the Valley 'Pretty Girls' Art Pad (the image from the front cover)
     My Favorite Things 'Inside & Out Stitched Rectangle STAX Die-namics' and 'Inside & Out Circle STAX Die-namics' dies
     Practical Publishing 'Stamps for All Occasions' sentiment stamp
     Versafine Onyx Black ink
     Snippets of 49th and Market 'Vintage Artistry in Blush' paper

I am entering the following challenges:
     AAA Birthday Card Challenge - Happy Birthday
     AAA Cards Challenge - Birthday
     Allsorts - Anything Goes
     Less is More - Sketch 26

Kath x

Cross Stitch Bow Card

Last week I posted a cross stitch heart card - this bow is from the same pattern and uses the same colours and fabric as the heart.

After stitching the bow I frayed the edges of the fabric before layering it onto red mirri card and attaching it to the centre of the card blank.

Kath x

Happy Birthday to You

I made this card following the new sketch at Freshly Made Sketches although I chose to rotate the sketch for my card.

I die cut a snippet of white card to make a fishtail flag, cutting it from each end to elongate the shape. I placed the flag into my MISTI and used black ink to stamp the sentiment along the lower edge before embossing it with clear embossing powder.  The flag was then attached along the lower edge of the card.  I used black ink to stamp the flowers onto gold textured card and the leaves onto green textured card.  These were embossed before being cut with the coordinating dies.  I coloured the decoration on the flower with a green Promarker and green sparkle pen.  The leaves were attached directly onto the flag and the flower was attached with a foam pad.

To make this card I used:
     8.25" x 4" white matt card blank
     Lil'inker Designs 'Modern Mehndi' stamps and coordinating dies
     My Favorite Things 'Fishtail Flags' dies
     Hobby Art 'General Greetings' stamps
     Versafine Onyx Black ink
     Lush Green Promarker
     Spectrum Noir Soft Jade Sparkle pen
     Cosmic Shimmer clear embossing powder
     Snippets of gold and green textured card and white matt card

I am entering the following challenges:
     AAA Birthday Card Challenges - Happy Birthday
     AAA Cards - Up to One Third
     Freshly Made Sketches - Sketch 485
     Pixie's Snippets Playground - Challenge 402I

Kath x

Winter Wonderland

I made this card using a lovely Hunkydory Deco-large topper which was part of a preloved pack of goodies I've recently purchased.

I trimmed the green floral paper, layered it onto silver mirri and attached it to the card front.  The Deco-large toppers are die cut, so I popped them from the carrier card and used Pinflair glue to layer the image.  Once the glue had set I attached the decoupaged panel to the centre of the card.  The small 'Festive Wishes' sentiment is also from Hunkydory (although as it was from my oddments box I don't know the name of the topper sheet it was from) and this was attached to the card.

To make this card I used:
     6" x 6" white matt card blank
     Hunkydory 'Winter Wonderland Deco-Large' toppers
     Hunkydory 'Festive Wishes' topper 
     Kaisercraft Christmas paper 
     Silver mirri card

I am entering the following challenges:
     Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge - Anything Goes
     Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge - May challenge
     Happy Little Stampers Christmas Challenge - Anything Goes
     Merry Little Christmas Challenge - Anything Christmas Goes

Kath x

Cross Stitch Heart Card

I've made several of these small cross stitch hearts - stitched in different shades of pink and red thread on a cream coloured aida with a gold thread running through it.  I have made some of the hearts into keyrings and others have been made into cards.  

For this card I frayed the edges of the fabric before layering it onto red mirri card and attaching it to the centre of the card blank.

Kath x

Hello (again!)

I made this card to send to Mia for the April Card Chain Challenge.  I used the Colour Option (Walnut, Lavender and Jade), the Theme Option (Friendship) and the Product/Technique Option (Die Cut).

I used brown ink to stamp the flowers onto lavender textured card and the leaves onto jade textured card, stamping them a couple of times to get a good depth of colour before embossing them with clear embossing powder.  I then used the coordinating dies to cut the flowers and leaves and highlighted the pattern on the flowers with a brown Copic pen.  The two smaller flowers were attached directly onto the card and the larger flower was attached with a foam pad with the leaves tucked underneath the flowers.  I die cut 'hello' from dark brown textured card and attached it to the lower corner of the card.

To make this card I used:
     7" x 5" white matt card blank
     Lil'inker 'Modern Mehndi' stamps and coordinating dies
     Altenew 'Simply Hello' die
     Copic E25 pen
     Snippets of dark brown, lavender and jade textured card

I am entering the following challenges:
     Love to Craft - Anything Goes
     Pearly Sparkles Challenge - Clean and Simple

This is the lovely card I received from Gundi:

Kath x 

Cross Stitch Cat on Pile of Ironing Card

This is the third Mouseloft cross stitch kit I received in the Easter cross stitch swap.  This one is called 'Perfect' which I made into a small card for a cat loving friend.

After completing the stitching I trimmed the fabric and frayed the edges before layering it onto a small piece of white card and then gold card.  

Kath x