Happy Birthday Mum

My mum told me she liked the birthday card I sent her last year as she loved the layers in the Flourishing Florals card so I decided to make her another decoupage card this year.  

I trimmed the green floral backing card, layered it onto gold mirri and attached it to the card blank.  I used Pinflair glue to build the layers of the floral panel.  The 'Happy Birthday to You' strip wasn't long enough to go across the card so I cut it in the centre.  I attached the strips to the card ensuring there was a small butterfly on the left of the panel and the full sentiment and two butterflies on the right.  I used a foam sheet to attach the panel to give more dimension.  As my mum likes to see 'Mum' on her cards, I added a gold die cut 'Mum' to the top of the flowers panel.

To make this card I used:
     7" x 7" white matt card blank
     Hunkydory 'Floral Favourites Floral Fancy backing card, base layer and Deco-Large'
     Crafts-Too 'Mum' die
     Gold mirri card

I am entering the following challenge:
     Seize the Birthday - Anything Goes

Kath x

February Rudolph Day

My Rudolph Days theme this year is to use something that has been a cover gift with a magazine.  This card uses a 'Noel' die that was a cover gift with Simply Cards & Papercraft Issue 222 last year.

I attached a piece of white hammer card to the front of the card blank leaving a small border around the edge.  I placed both the border and letter dies onto green mirri card and used washi tape to hold everything in place.  After die cutting them, I removed the letters and attached the border to the centre of the card blank.  I attached a snippet of gold glitter adhesive paper to a piece of white card and die cut the letters.  The glitter letters were then inlaid into the frame.

To make this card I used:
     6" x 4" white hammer card blank
     Practical Publishing 'Noel' die
     Snippets of  white hammer card, bright green mirri card, gold glitter adhesive paper and white paper

I am entering the following challenges:
     ABC Christmas Card Challenge - C for Clean & Simple
     Happy Little Stampers Anything Goes With Dies - February Challenge
     Happy Little Stampers Christmas Challenge - Anything Goes
     Rudolph Day - February Challenge

Kath x

Cross Stitch Lily

This card was made with another pre-loved Mouseloft kit I've recently purchased.  After stitching the design I placed it behind a frame made from stitched circle and square dies and attached it to a white hammer card blank.

Kath x

Joy

I'm in the process of using bits from my 'die cuts' box that were die cut for a various projects but not used.  This card uses the 'JOY' letters that were die cut from a snippet of green card that had splatters of gold ink.

I trimmed a piece of white card so it was slightly smaller than the card blank, rounded the corners and die cut 'JOY' from the centre.  The panel was attached to the card and the green letters inlaid into the panel.  I die cut the fancy 'JOY' from s snippet of gold glitter paper and attached it over the green letters.

To make this card I used:
     6" x 4" white matt card blank
     Creative Expressions 'Festive Collection -Joy' die
     Snippets of white matt card, green and gold card and Xcut gold glitter paper

I am entering the following challenges:
     ABC Christmas Challenge - Clean and Simple
     Allsorts - CAS + Elegance Option
     52 Christmas Card Throwdown - Colour Challenge (green, gold & white)
     Happy Little Stampers Christmas Challenge -  Anything Goes

Kath x

Cardinal Butterfly

I made this card for the Butterfly Challenge using the colour option and, of course, a butterfly.

I attached a piece of marbled patterned paper to the front of the cream card leaving a small border around the edge.  I die cut the 'Grand Happy Birthday' from cream card and attached it to the lower part of the card.  I die cut it again from a snippet of cardinal red card and inlaid the pieces.  To finish I die cut a butterfly from cardinal red card and attached it to the upper corner of the marbled paper.

To make this card I used:
     6" x 4" cream hammer card blank
     Memory Box 'Grand Happy Birthday' and 'Kaleidoscope Butterfly' dies
     Snippets of cream hammer card, red textured card and marbled paper

I am entering the following challenges:
     AAA Birthday Card Challenge -Pattern (I have used a lovely marbled patterned paper)
     Butterfly Challenge - Spin the Wheel with C (I have used the colours Coral, Celadon and Cardinal with my butterfly)
     Happy Little Stampers Anything Goes with Dies - February Challenge
     Seize the Birthday - Anything Goes

Kath x

Skating Snowman

I love stitching Mouseloft designs as they're quick and easy to stitch whilst I'm either watching television or when we're away in our campervan.  I bought this 'Skating Snowman' chart and left over threads in a 'craft clearout' and used a piece of pale blue aida that was in my snippets drawer.  After stitching the design I placed it behind a frame made with a stitched circle and stitched square dies before attaching it to the card.

Kath x

You Have My Whole Heart

I was fortunate to win a gift certificate for an online store in the AAA Cards Micro Hop and chose a voucher for Dies to Die For.  I'd had this MFT stamp and die on my wish list for a while so took the opportunity to buy it and make this card for Steve for our forthcoming wedding anniversary.  It's not our anniversary until 7 March but as he doesn't read my blog I can post the card now. 

I trimmed a piece of white card so it was slightly smaller than the card blank and rounded the corners.  I die cut the heart in the centre of the panel and embossed the edges.  I placed the panel into my MISTI to  line up the sentiment before stamping it a couple of times with black ink.  I then attached the panel to the front of the card blank.  I die cut the heart from a snippet of black textured card and inlaid the frame and then die cut it again from lots of teeny snippets of red glitter card and inlaid these into the heart.

To make this card I used:
     6" x 6" white matt pearlescent blank (pearl for our Pearl anniversary)
     My Favorite Things 'Heart Burst Hellos' stamp and coordinating 'Heart Burst' die
     Versafine Onyx black ink
     Woodware Corner Rounder Punch
     Snippets of white matt card, black textured card and red glitter card

I am entering the following challenges:
     AAA Cards - Black, White + One Colour (I've chosen Black, White & Red)
     Addicted to CAS - Hearts
     Allsorts - CAS + Elegance Option
     CASology - Affection
     Happy Little Stampers Anything Goes with Dies - February Challenge
     NBUS - Challenge 35 (my new MFT stamp and die)
     Snippets Playground - Challenge 421

Kath x

Big Birthday Wishes

I've recently bought this MFT die as I thought it would be perfect for male cards and a great way to use snippets too.

I die cut the sentiment from a kraft card, trimmed it so there was a border down each side and attached it to the front of the card.  I cut strips of cream hammer card and attached those on both sides of the panel.  I glued a snippet of check paper to a snippet of thin card so it was the same thickness as the kraft panel and die cut 'BIG' from the paper before inlaying it into the card.  The rest of the sentiment was die cut from more snippets of cream hammer card and inlaid into the panel.

To make this card I used:
     6" x 6" kraft card blank
     My Favorite Things 'Big Birthday Wishes' die
     Snippets of kraft card, cream hammer card, thin white card and red check paperI

I am entering the following challenges:
     CAS on Friday - Male
     Love to Craft - Anything Goes
     Love to Scrap - Anything Goes
     NBUS - Challenge 35 (using my new MFT die)
     Seize the Birthday - Anything Goes

Kath x

May All Your Dreams Come True

For various reasons, I missed a lot of the CCC challenges last year but hope to do better in 2022! I made this card for Marianne for the January Card Chain Challenge using the Sketch Option, the Theme Option (Scraps & Friendship) and the Product/Technique Option (Sequins & Embossing).

I trimmed a snippet of blue paper, embossed it with the hearts embossing folder and attached it to the front of the card blank.  I die cut the precoloured Lili of the Valley image with a stitched circle die.  I placed the card blank into my MISTI and laid the circle topper on top so I could see where to position the stamp.  I removed the topper and stamped the sentiment a couple of times with dark blue ink before embossing it with clear embossing powder.  I die cut a circle of thin foam (slightly smaller than the topper) and glued it to the rear of the topper before attaching it to the card blank.  To finish I added three white sequins to the bottom of the card.

To make this card I used:
     7" x 5" white matt card blank
     Lili of the Valley precoloured topper
     My Favorite Things 'Inside & Out Stitched Circle STAX Die-namics' dies
     Clearly Besotted 'Dandelion Dreams' stamps
     Xcut 'Small Polka Hearts' embossing folder
     Versafine Majestic Blue ink
     Cosmic Shimmer Clear Detail Embossing Powder
     Snippet of blue paper
     Small white sequins

I am entering the following challenges:
     Allsorts - Anything Goes
     Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge - Anything Goes
     Love to Craft - Anything Goes
     Try It On Tuesday - Add a Quote

This is the pretty card I've received from Mia, as well as some lovely cross stitch gifts - thank you Mia!

Kath x

Christmas Teddy

I stitched this cute Christmas Teddy when we were away last year.  I have a box of completed designs waiting to be made into cards and this one was perfect for the 'Real Stitching' challenge at 52 Christmas Card Throwdown.

I made a frame from two stitched dies and then trimmed the stitching so it was slightly smaller than the outer edge of the frame.  I attached the stitching to the back of the frame and then to the centre of the card.

To make this card I used:
     4" x 4" white hammer card blank
     Cross Stitch Card Shop 'Christmas Teddy' cross stitch kit
     Lawn Fawn 'Outside In Stitched Square Stackables' die
     Snippet of white hammer card

I am entering the following challenges:
     ABC Christmas Challenge - A for Anything Christmass
     52 Christmas Card Throwdown - Real Stitching
     Love to Craft - Anything Goes
     Merry Little Christmas Challenge - Anything Christmas Goes

Kath x

Have a Gorgeous Day

I was lucky to win one of the prizes in the Snippet's Playground Grand Draw (two lovely Uniko stamp sets).  Di sent pretty notecards with the prizes and challenged the winners to upcycle the front of the card. 

As the card is so pretty I didn't want to cut away too much, so just trimmed the edges. I stamped the sentiment (Lil'inker Designs 'Modern Mehndi) in the lower corner with Versafine Deep Lagoon ink.  It looked a bit too dark to match the turquoise matt layer so I stamped over the top with Brilliance Pearlescent Sky Blue ink.  As the ink wasn't drying well I was about to sprinkle it with embossing powder when disaster struck and I smudged it!   So out came my Tombow Sand Eraser (a prize a few years ago in the Snippets Playground) and I managed to remove the smudge, dabbed the missing inky section with a Versamark pen and then embossed it with clear embossing powder.  To finish I layered the panel onto the turquoise pearlescent card before attaching it to the card blank.

Thank you Di for the pretty card and the sand eraser!

Kath x

January Rudolph Day

It's time for the first Rudolph Day of 2022!  For the past few years I've enjoyed working to a theme for my Rudolph Day cards.  In 2017 I used images from a Lili of the Valley Art Pad, in 2018 my cards were 4" x 4", in 2019 all cards had a Christmas tree on them, in 2020 I used wet and/or dry embossing on my cards and last year I used something that had been upcycled on my cards.  This year my cards will all use something that has been a cover gift with a magazine.

This month's card uses a 'Nativity Bauble' die that was a cover gift with Die-Cutting Essentials magazine. I trimmed a piece of white hammer card so it was slightly smaller than the card blank and rounded the corners.  I die cut the Nativity Bauble from the centre of the panel before attaching it to the card.  I die cut the bauble from dark blue pearlescent card and inlaid it into the aperture.  I attached a snippet of gold patterned paper onto a thin piece of card (so it was the same thickness as the aperture) and die cut the bauble before inlaying the background.  To finish I die cut the star from gold mirri and attached it to the top of the bauble.

To make this card I used:
     5" x 5" white hammer card blank
     Practical Publishing 'Memory Box Nativity Bauble'
     Snippets of white hammer card, dark blue pearlescent card, thin white matt card, gold mirri and gold patterned paper

I am entering the following challenges:
     Happy Little Stampers CAS Challenge - Anything Goes
     Happy Little Stampers Christmas Challenge - Anything Goes
     Love to Scrap - Anything Goes
     Merry Little Christmas Challenge - Anything Christmas Goes
     Rudolph Day - January challenge
     Snippets Playground - Challenge 420

Kath x