Upcycled Christmas Hare

This lovely image was the front of a Christmas card I received last year and thought it was far too lovely to pop in the recyling bin.  The image has lots of blue and silver glitter, which unfortunately  doesn't show up too well in the photograph.

The card was quite big as there were trees on both sides of the hare, but I die cut a smaller square framing the hare and moon.  This was then inlaid into a silver mirri frame to make another quick Christmas card.

To make this card I used:

     6 x 6" white hajmmer card blank

     Upcycled Christmas card

     Lawn Fawn 'Outside In Stitched Square Stackables' dies

I am entering the following challenges:

     ABC Christmas Challenge - S for Sparkle     

     Merry Little Christmas Challenge ' Anything Christmas Goes

If you would like to share your views on ink and also have a chance to win two Clearly Besotted stamp sets - please see my Questions about Ink and Giveaway post.

Kath x

More Gingerbread Wishes

This lovely precoloured topper is the last one from the sheet I used for my Gingerbread Wishes card I made last week.

For this card I layered pale green snowflake paper onto red mirri and attached it to the card.  Although the topper was already die cut, I used a square die to trim the edges and to add the embossed border.  This topper was then layered it onto a red lacy square before attaching it to the centre of the card with a square of foam.

To make this card I used:
     6" x 6" white matt card blank
     The  Hobby House 'Gingerbread Wishes' precoloured topper
     Spellbinders Nestabilities 'Classic Squares Large' and 'Lacy Squares' dies
     Kars tan embossing mat
     Wild Rose Studio 'Annabelle's Christmas' paper
     Red mirri card

I am entering the following challewnges:
     Christmas Crafts All Year Round - Christmas/Winter Food or Drink
     Crafty Calendar Challenge - Add Lots of Layers
     Merry Little Christmas Challenge - Anything Christmas Goes

If you would like to share your views on ink and also have a chance to win two Clearly Besotted stamp sets - please see my Questions about Ink and Giveaway post.

Kath x

Winter Wonderland Border

I've almost finished tidying my craft area which means that my box of snippets and assorted toppers has grown, so today's cards are all made with snippets and oddments.

This card uses snippets of blue and gold pearlescent card and a snippet of paper that I think was from Making Cards magazine.  I trimmed the paper and attached it to the card front with the darker area at the top.  I die cut the border from blue pearlescent card and attached it to the lower edge of the paper.  I then die cut the windows from gold card and inlaid them into the buildings.  The die cut sentiment was one from my snippets box so that was ready to attach to the top of the card.

To make this card I used:
     6" x 4" white matt tent fold card blank
     Cottage Cutz Scrapping Cottage 'Winter Wonderland Border' and Creative Expressions 'Festive Mini Expressions - Stacked Happy Christmas' dies
     Snippets of dark blue and gold pearlescent card, blue snow paper

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

If you would like to share your views on ink and also have a chance to win two Clearly Besotted stamp sets - please see my Questions about Ink and Giveaway post.

Kath x

Creative People Don't Have a Mess .....

Before putting my dies away after making my Gingerbread Wishes card, I made my final card today incorporating a card a friend sent to me with a fabulous (and very apt) sentiment.  I made this into a card to send to another friend.

I die cut the topper and layered it onto a slightly larger piece of black card to frame the image.  This was then layered onto the red card and attached to the card blank.

To make this card I used:

     5.5" x 4.25" cream hammer tent card blank

     Upcycled image (sorry, I don't know the name of it)

     My Favourite Things 'Inside & Out Stitched Rectangle STAX Die-namics' dies

     Snippets of matt black and red pearlescent card

I'm not entering any challenges with this notecard, I just wanted to share this super sentiment with all of you creative people (especially any messy ones!).

Kath x

Gingerbread Wishes

I'm still on a mission to use all my bits 'n' bobs before buying any new products so there will be plenty of cards using old toppers in the near future.  This is one of the toppers from the bottom of my box - it's a lovely Elisabeth Bell design.

I die cut a frame from red mirri card and attached it to the card.  Although the topper was already die cut, I used one of my stitched dies to trim the shape of it before inlaying it into the frame - another quick and easy card for my box.

To make this card I used:
     5.5" x 4.25" tent told white silk card
     The Hobby House 'Gingerbread Wishes' precoloured topper
     My Favourite Things 'Inside & Out Stitched Rectangle STAX Die-namics' dies
     Red mirri card

I am entering the following challenges:
     CAS Christmas - Holiday Treats
     Christmas Crafts All Year Round - Christmas/Winter Food or Drink
     Merry Little Christmas Challenge - Anything Christmas Goes

Kath x

Heart of Hearts

I made this card to send to friends on their wedding anniversary, using the colours for the HLS CAS Challenge.  I love this 'Heart of Hearts' die as it always looks so different depending on the colours I've used.

To make this card I die cut a square of white card and die cut the heart from the centre. This panel was layered onto grey card and a pink stitched die cut square before being attached to the centre of the card.  I die cut the heart from both grey and pink card and inlaid the pieces.

To make this card I used:
     6" x 6" white hammer card blank
     Impression Obsession 'Heart of Heart' and Lawn Fawn 'Outside In Stitched Square Stackables' dies
     Snippets of white hammer, pink textured and grey pearlescent card

I am entering the following challenges:
     Happy Little Stampers CAS Challenge - Pink and Grey
     Pixie's Snippets Playground - Challenge 360

Kath x

Questions about Ink and Giveaway

I was overwhelmed by the number of responses I received to last month's question about card blanks and thank you to everyone who commented on my post.

This month my questions are about ink and, of course, there is another Giveaway.  There are so many different types of ink on the market and I'm sure everyone has their favourite for different uses.  Here are a few questions to start you off:

  - What types of ink do you use?
  - Do you have a favourite brand?
  - What is your favourite ink for stamping?
  - What is your favourite ink for heat embossing ?
  - What is your favourite ink for using with stencils?
  - What is your favourite ink for using with different colouring mediums - alcohol pens, coloured pencils?
  - Please feel free to add any other comments or advice you would like to share.

All comments will be entered for the giveaway, unless you specifically say that you don't want to be included.  This month I'm giving away two Clearly Besotted mini stamp sets - 'Bye Bye Butterfly' and Elegant Butterflies'.

I've had a couple of requests to give more time for responses, so please leave all comments by 08:00 BST on Tuesday 24 September.  I'll announce the winner of the stamp sets the following day.

Kath x

Summer Fun

My final card today is a super quick card to send to a friend who has a sports card and loves driving in the summer with the roof down.  To make the card I attached a snippet of brown spot paper to the front leaving a small white margin around the edge.  I die cut and embossed the precoloured image before attaching it to the centre of the card - another quick and easy card!

To make this card I used:
     5.5" x 4.25" tent fold white matt card
     Lili of the Valley Art Sheet 'Toot, Toot' (post updated to thank Jules for letting me know the name of the  image)
     My Favourite Things 'Inside & Out Stitched Oval STAX Die-namics' die
     Lili of the Valley 'Country Gent' paper

I am entering the following challenges:
     Crafty Calendar Challenge - Anything Goes 
    Tales from the Craft Room - Summer Fun

Kath x

Snowy Friends

I made this card for the Christmas Kickstart challenge using a cute Bugaboo digi stamp (one from my drawer of printed but not yet coloured images).  I die cut the image and then coloured it with Promarkers using the colours from the Christmas Kickstart banner.  A piece of turquoise paper was attached to the card front and the snowman image added to the the centre.  To finish I edged the snowman's hat with Fun Flock and highlighted the snow with Stickles.

To make this card I used:
     5" x 5" white matt card blank
     Bugaboo 'Snowy Friends' digi stamp
     My Favourite Things 'Inside & Out Stitched Circle STAX Die-namics' dies
     Promarkers
     Lili of the Valley 'Beach Bliss' paper
     White matt card
     Stampendous White Fun Flock
     Diamond Stickles

I am entering the following challenges:
     Bugaboo Weekly Challenge - Photo Inspiration (I have used the colours blue, red with a little bit of brown and green)     
     Christmas Kickstart Challenge - Get a Head-er Start (I have used the snowman and colours as my inspiration)
     Christmas with the Cuties - Let's Build a Snowman
     I Love Promarkers - Anything Goes
   
Kath x

Wishing you Happiness

I made this card to send to Cat for the August Card Chain Challenge (I can post the card as Cat has emailed to say she's received it).  I have chosen the Colour Option (Sunshine, Sea Green & Flamingo) and the Theme Option (Friendship).

I cut a piece of card slightly smaller than my card blank, before stamping and embossing the flower and sentiment.  This panel was then attached to the card blank.  I also stamped the leaves onto snippets of green paper, these were fussy cut and attached to the card.  I added Card Candi to the larger circles and coloured the smaller ones with a yellow Promarker and Glossy Accents.

To make this card I used:
     6" x 6" white matt card blank
     Woodware 'Bubble Bloom - Clarissa' and Clearly Besotted 'Dandelion Dreams' stamps
     Versafine Vintage Sepia ink
     Stampendous clear embossing powder
     Promarkers
     Card candi
     Glossy Accents
     White matt card
     Snippets of sea green paper

I am entering the following challenges:
     Allsorts - Feminine      
     Alphabet Challenge 'K for Kind Thoughts'

This is the lovely card I received from Dee in Kenya, who also included two bead medallions which are handmade by the Maasai women.

Kath x

August Rudolph Day

My first post today is a Christmas tree card for the Rudolph Day challenge using one of my favourite Christmas tree stamps.  I stamped the tree onto the front of the card blank and then stamped the tree onto green paper, the pot onto burgundy paper and the holly leaves, bow and star onto pink paper.  These were all fussy cut and attached to the card.  I then attached the nailheads to the tree.  My ink pad is drying out and the inked design looked a bit 'flat' so I ran a Wink of Stella on all the black lines to give some sparkle.

To make this card I used:
     6" x 4" white matt card blank     
     Woodware 'Holly Tree' stamp
     Versafine Onyx Black ink
     Lili of the Valley 'Heartfelt' paper
     Burgundy metal nailheads
     Wink of Stella

I am entering the following challenges:
     Christmas Crafts All Year Round 'Add a Tree'
     Rudolph Day 'August Challenge'

Kath x

Welcome Baby

My final card today is a card for a new baby using a new stamp and coordinating die set.  The pale blue paper was attached to a thin piece of card before being die cut with the stitched circle die.  I stamped the sentiment and attached the circle to the centre of the card.  The stork and baby bundle were stamped and die cut before being coloured and attached to the card with foam tape.  To finish I added a Wink of Stella to the baby bundle.

To make this card I used:
     5" x 5" white matt card blank
     Clearly Besotted 'Special Delivery' stamp and dies
     My Favourite Things 'Inside & Out Stitched Circle STAX Die-namics' dies
     Versafine Onyx Black ink
     Snippets of blue paper and white matt card
     Wink of Stella

I am entering the following challenges:
     Allsorts - Something for Baby
     Happy Little Stampers Anything Goes With Dies - August Challenge
     Pearly Sparkles Challenge - Something Beginning with B (I have used Baby and Blue)

Kath x