Thank You

I made this quick 'Thank You' card to send to a friend and have used a few more snippets and an upcycled dragonfly which had been stamped onto vellum.

I attached a strip of marbled paper to a piece of dark purple card and trimmed the edges so there was a very thin strip of card on either side of the paper.  I placed the card blank into my MISTI and laid the marbled paper strip on top so I could see where to place the 'thank you' stamp.  I stamped the sentiment in purple ink, stamping a couple of times to get a good depth of colour.  After removing the card from MISTI I attached the marbled strip above the sentiment and then attached the dragonfly with a spot of glue under its body.

To make this card I used:
     5.5" x 4.25" white hammer card blank
     Upcycled vellum dragonfly (this was on a card I received from a friend a while ago and I don't know the name of the stamp and die)
     Clearly Besotted 'Mini Calligraphy' stamp
     Versafine Imperial Purple ink
     Snippets of marbled paper and purple card

I am entering the following challenges:
     Less is More - Vellum
     
Kath x  

August Rudolph Day

It's time for another Rudolph Day and another card using a magazine cover gift (which is my RD theme this year).  This card uses a die that was a cover gift with a Practical Publishing magazine several years ago and also some papers that were a cover gift with a magazine last year.

I cut a frame from cream hammer card using stitched square and circle dies.  A snippet of turquoise star paper was placed behind the frame before it was attached to the centre of the card.  I die cut the Elegant Reindeer from dark brown pearlescent card and attached it across the front of the aperture.  I die cut the swirl and bow from gold mirri, inlaying the swirl in the reindeer's body and attaching the bow to his neck.

To make this card I used:
     4" x 4" cream hammer card blank
     Creative Dies 'Elegant Reindeer', My Favorite Things 'Inside & Out Stitched Circle STAX Die-namics' and My Favorite Things 'Inside & Out
     Stitched Square STAX Die-namics' dies
     Snippets of cream hammer card, turquoise paper, brown pearlescent card and gold mirri

I am entering the following challenges:
     ABC Christmas Challenge - R for Reindeer
     Christmas Crafts All Year Round - Reindeer
     Happy Little Stampers Anything Goes With Dies - August Challenge
     Rudolph Day - August Challenge
     Snippets Playground - Challenge 435

Kath x

Birthday Giveaway Winners

Thank you to everyone for leaving comments on my blog and for your birthday wishes too.  I have now picked the winners of the three prizes and they are:

Prize A - Creative Expression stamp sets 'Nature's Botanicals' and 'Floral Delights' - Liz

Prize B - Little Claire Designs stamp sets - 'Loverley Jubblies - Keep in touch' and 'Loverley Jubblies - Robert & Daisy - Anne

Prize C - Tattered Lace 'Afternoon Tea' - Valerija

Liz, Anne and Valerija - will you please email me (kmbuckell@btinternet.com) with your addresses so I can pop the stamp sets in the post.

Kath x

Cross Stitch Thistle

This Thistle is another floral kit from Serendipity Designs that I stitched whilst away in the campervan.  The completed stitching has been mounted behind a frame made from green textured card and cut with two stitched square dies.

I'm also giving away some stamp sets as part of my Birthday Giveaway.

Kath x

Cross Stitch Day Lily

This is one of the designs I stitched when we were away in our campervan.  The Day Lily is from the Carolyn's Garden by Serendipty Designs.  After stitching the lily I mounted it behind a frame made from brown textured card and cut with two stitched square dies.

I'm also giving away some stamp sets as part of my Birthday Giveaway.

Kath x

Upcycled Reindeer Card

This month I'm challenging myself to finish part-made cards, use bits from my snippets box and have a general tidy up of my crafting drawers.  This card uses a strip from the front of a Christmas card I received last year.  

I trimmed a strip from the front of the Christmas card, cutting on either side of the dashed lines.  I placed the card blank in my MISTI and put the strip on top so I could see here to position the sentiment stamp.  I stamped the sentiment in Satin Red ink and then stamped it again in Crimson Red so the colour matched the reindeer strip.  To finish I attached the strip above the sentiment.

To make this card I used:
     5.5" x 4.25" white matt card blank
     Upcycled Christmas card
     Clearly Besotted 'Cheerful Christmas' sentiment stamp
     Versafine Crimson Red & Satin Red ink

I am entering the following challenges:
     ABC Christmas Challenge - R for Reindeer
     Christmas Crafts All Year Round - Reindeer
     Happy Little Stampers Christmas Challenge - Anything Goes
     Merry Little Christmas Challenge - Anything Christmas Goes
     Winter Wonderland - Reindeer

I'm also giving away some stamp sets as part of my Birthday Giveaway.

Kath x 

My Favourite Flower

I recently bought this preloved stamp in a charity shop - poppies are my favourite flower so it's perfect for the current Less is More challenge.

I put the card blank into my MISTI and placed the poppy stamp on top so I could decide on the sentiment to use (whoever had donated the stamp to the charity shop had cut the sentiments from the stamp set and just left the poppies!).  I decided to use a simple 'Just for You' which I felt was the right size for the card.  I then stamped the poppy and sentiment with dark brown ink.  I coloured the poppy with coloured pencils using two shades of red for the poppy, yellow for the flower centre and dark green for the stem and leaves.

To make this card I used:
     5" x 5" white card blank
     Woodware 'Poppy' and Clearly Besotted 'Fancy Sayings' clear stamps
     Versafine Vintage Sepia ink
     Faber Castell Colour Grip pencils

 I am entering the following challenges:
     Less is More - One Layer - Favourite Flower
     Love to Craft - Anything Goes
     We Love Stamping - In my Garden

Kath x

Cross Stitch Conch Shell

A few months ago I purchased a cross stitch kit but unfortunately the seller had made a mistake with the listing.  She refunded my money and also sent me this Conch Shell kit as a freebie - which was very kind of her.  After stitching the design I mounted it behind a frame made from dark blue textured card and two stitched square dies.  The framed stitching was then attached to the centre of the card blank.

I'm also giving away some stamp sets as part of my Birthday Giveaway.

Kath x

Enjoy your Special Day

When I got home after our latest campervan adventure, I had a lovely surprise to find a package with some stamps, dies and washi tape I had won in a magazine giveaway.  This is the first card I've made using the washi tape and coordinating die to make a card for a friend's birthday.

I attached the washi tape to a snippet of white card and used the coordinating die to cut the wreath.  I placed the card blank in my MISTI with the wreath on top so I could see where the position the sentiment.  I removed the wreath and stamped the sentiment first with blue ink and then with several stampings of grey ink so the colour matched the leaves in the wreath.  To finish I attached the wreath with foam tape.

To make this card I used:
     5" x 5" white hammer card blank
     PinkFresh 'Indio Vines' washi tape & Coordinating die
     Hobby Art 'General Greetings' stamp
     Memento Paris Dusk and Gray Flannel ink
     Snippet of white card

I am entering the following challenges:
     AAA Birthday Card Challenge - Anything Birthday Goes
     Happy Little Stampers Birthday Challenge - Anything Goes
     Love to Craft - Anything Goes
     NBUS - Challenge 41 (my new Pinkfresh washi tape and die)
     Seize the Birthday - Anything Goes

I'm also giving away some stamp sets as part of my Birthday Giveaway.

Kath x

Cross Stitch Father Christmas

This Father Christmas design is from an old Quick & Easy Cross Stitch magazine - another piece of my holiday stitching.  I used oddments of thread to stitch the design and then mounted it behind a frame made from red glitter card and two stitched square dies.  The framed stitching was then attached to the centre of the white matt card blank.

I'm also giving away some stamp sets as part of my Birthday Giveaway.

Kath x

Cross Stitch Beach Hut

I've several cross stitch pieces I've stitched whilst away in our campervan so am making them into cards as part of my August tidy-up.  This card uses a Mouseloft beach hut cross stitch kit I was given as part of a cross stitch swap.  After completing the stitching I mounted the fabric behind a frame I made from cream hammer card using stitched square and circle dies.  The framed stitching was then attached to a cream hammer card blank.

I'm also giving away some stamp sets as part of my Birthday Giveaway.

Kath x

Jammie Dodger Cross Stitch Coaster

A friend sent me a cross stitch kit to make a Jammie Dodger coaster which should have been backed with a piece of felt.  I didn't want my stitching to get stained with tea and coffee so after finishing the design I trimmed the fabric and placed it into an acrylic coaster instead.  A piece of paper was placed behind the design to cover the back of my stitching before the coaster was clipped closed.

I'm also giving away some stamp sets as part of my Birthday Giveaway.

Kath x

Birthday Blog Giveaway

I am celebrating a milestone birthday this month - it doesn't have an '0' at the end, but I do get a pension and bus pass!  To celebrate the occasion I'm offering three stamp sets.

Set A - Creative Expression stamp sets 'Natures Botanicals' and 'Floral Delights'

Set B - Little Claire Designs stamp sets - 'Loverly Jubblies - Keep in touch' and
'Loverly Jubblies - Robert & Daisy'

Set C - Tattered Lace 'Afternoon Tea' stamps

If you would like a chance of winning one of these stamp sets, please leave a comment before 1.00pm on Sunday 21 August.

I will put all names into a hat and draw Set A - that person's name will then be left out of the draw for Set B.  I will draw a name for Set B - that person's name will then be left out of the draw for Set C.  I will then draw a name for Set C.   The winners' names will be announced the following day.

Kath x

July Card Chain Challenge

I made this card to send to Gundi for the July Card Chain Challenge.  I used the Colour Option (Red, White & Blue) and the Product/Technique Option (Something a friend sent you/Stitches).  My card uses a Mouseloft seahorse cross stitch pattern that a friend gave me last year.

I stitched the seahorse in two shades of blue and used red thread (rather than the green on the pattern) for the weeds as this matched the colours in the challenge.  I made the frame from red card using two stitched circle dies.  The fabric was trimmed to fit behind the frame and this was then attached to the centre of the card.

To make this card I used:
     5" x 5" white matt card blank
     Mouseloft 'Seahorse' cross stitch pattern
     My Favorite Things 'Outside In Stitched Circle STAX Die-namics' dies
     White 14hpi aida
     DMC threads 307, 310, 702, 995 & 996
     Snippet of red matt card

I am entering the following challenges:
     Love to Craft- Anything Goes  

This is the lovely card I received from Joanne -

Kath x