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

July Rudolph Day

It's time for another Rudolph Day challenge and another card I've made with a magazine cover gift (which is my RD theme this year).  This cute teddy was a cover gift with Cross Stitch Card Shop magazine.  I had previously stitched the design but kept the pattern to stitch again with snippets of fabric and threads.

I stitched the teddy using oddments of thread left over from other projects onto a small piece of 14hpi white aida.  I attached a snippet of  'Merry Christmas' paper onto white card and trimmed it so it was slightly smaller than the card blank before rounding the corners.  I die cut a stitched circle from the centre of the panel and glued the fabric to the rear of the frame before attaching it to the front of the card blank.

To make this card I used:
     5" x 5" white matt card blank
     Cross Stitch Card Shop cover gift pattern
     My Favorite Things 'Inside & Out Stitched Circle STAX Die-namics' die
     Woodware corner rounder punch
     Snippets of Lili of the Valley 'Classic Christmas' paper, white card, 14hpi aida, DMC threads

I am entering the following challenges:
     Love to Craft - Anything Goes
     Rudolph Day - July Challenge
     Snippets Playground - Christmas in July

Kath x

Christmas in July

This card uses one of my favourite stamp, die, embossing folder sets which was a magazine cover gift a while ago.  I have used the colours from this week's 52 Christmas Card Throwdown (red, white & aqua) for the card.  

I embossed a piece of white card with the bauble embossing folder and trimmed it so it was slightly smaller than the card blank before attaching it to the front.  I attached a snippet of aqua paper to white card and then stamped the 'joy' bauble with red ink and embossed it with clear embossing powder.  I used the coordinating die to cut the bauble and inlaid it into the card.  I stamped the bow with red ink onto a snippet of red textured card and fussy cut it before attaching it to the top of the bauble with a foam pad.

To make this card I used:
     C6 white matt card blank
     Practical Publishing 'Opulent Baubles' stamp, die and embossing folder set
     Versafine Crimson Red ink
     Cosmic Shimmer Clear Detail embossing powder

     Snippets of white matt card, Lili of the Valley 'Beach Bliss' paper and red textured card

I am entering the following challenges:

     52 Christmas Card Throwdown - Colour Challenge (red, white & aqua)
     Happy Little Stampers CAS Challenge - Christmas
     Happy Little Stampers Christmas Challenge - Anything Goes
     Let's Squash It - Keep it CAS
     Merry Little Christmas Challenge - Anything Goes

     Snippets Playground - Challenge 432 (Christmas in July)

Kath x    

Cross Stitch Campervan

A friend recently sent me some cross stitch kits in a swap, this is one of them - a lovely Mouseloft campervan.  After stitching the campervan I made a frame from two stitched dies and layered the stitching behind the frame before attaching it to the card front.

Kath x

Sam's Birthday

I made this card for my youngest great-nephew's birthday using one of my last remaining Lili of the Valley 'Action Time' toppers.

I trimmed a snippet of blue textured paper so it was slightly smaller than the card blank and die cut a circle from the centre before attaching it to the card blank.  I die cut the precoloured topper with the same circle die and inlaid it into the frame.  I die cut a star from a snippet of brown card (that matched the colour of the dog) and attached it to the top of the card.  To finish I die cut '6' from blue paper and attached it to the centre of the star.  

To make this card I used:
     7" x 5" white matt card blank
     Lili of the Valley 'Action Time' precoloured topper
     My Favorite Things 'Inside & Out Stitched Circle STAX Die-namics', Xcut 'Nesting Stars' and Memory Box 'Classic Numbers' dies
     Snippets of blue textured paper and brown textured paper

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

Kath x

Cross Stitch Summer Garland

I took several cross stitch kits away with me our our last campervan 'adventure' as they're quick and easy for me to stitch in the evenings.  This design was a DMC kit for handbag mirror which should have been stitched on 18hpi.  I find it hard to stitch on 8hpi fabric, especially if the light isn't too good, so I changed the fabric to 14hps and made the design into a card.  The cross stitch was attached to the rear of a frame made from stitched square and circle frames.

Kath x

June Rudolph Day

It's time for another Rudolph Day and another card made with a cover gift from a magazine - which is my RD theme this year.  This card uses a 'Partridge in a Pear Tree' die that was a cover gift with a magazine a while ago, although I can't recall the title of the magazine.

I cut a snippet of white matt card into a square and die cut a stitched circle from the centre.  I attached a snippet of pale green snowflake paper behind the aperture and layered it onto dark brown pearlescent card before attaching the panel to the card blank.  I die cut the 'Partridge in a Pear Tree' from dark brown pearlescent card and attached it to the centre of the aperture.  I die cut the image again from snippets of gold mirri so I could inlay the leaves, pears and swirl on the partridge.  To finish I used a clear Gelly Roll pen to highlight the snowflakes and the eye of the partridge.

To make this card I used:
     5" x 5" white matt card blank
     Immediate Media 'Partridge in a Pear Tree' die and My Favorite Things 'Inside & Out Stitched Circle STAX Die-namics' die
     Snippets of white matt card, dark brown pearlescent card, gold mirri and Wild Rose Studio 'Annabelle's Christmas' paper
     Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen

I am entering the following challenges:
     Happy Little Stampers Anything Goes with Dies - June Challenge
     Happy Little Stampers Christmas Challenge - Anything Goes
     Rudolph Day - June Challenge
     Snippets Playground - Challenge 431

Kath x

Sending Smiles Across the Miles

I made this card to send to Dee for the May Card Chain Challenge.  I chose the Colour Option (Peach, Terracotta & Pineapple), the Theme Option (Friendship) and the Product Option (Embossing Powder).

I used the two largest rectangle dies to cut a frame from a snippet of terracotta textured card.  I trimmed a snippet of peach paper so it was slightly smaller than the frame and then placed it into my MISTI.  I stamped the sentiment in the top corner of the paper using brown ink and then embossed it with clear embossing powder.  The paper was attached to the back of the frame and then onto the centre of the card. I stamped the butterfly with brown ink onto a snippet of white card and embossed it with clear embossing powder before cutting it with the coordinating die. I coloured the butterfly wings with a yellow Promarker and the body with a peach Promarker.  I attached the butterfly to the card along its body so I could shape the wings.  To finish I attached three small clear shimmering dots below the sentiment.

To make this card I used:
     6" x 4" tent fold white matt card blank
     Card Making Magic 'The Best of Cardmaking Magic' butterfly stamp & coordinating die
     My Favorite Things 'Inside & Out Stitched Rectangle STAX Die-namics' dies
     Practical Publishing 'Slimline Spring Florals' sentiment stamp
     Versafine Vintage Sepia ink
     Cosmic Shimmer Clear Detail Embossing Powder
     Promarkers ' Yellow & Soft Peach
     Papermania transparent shimmering dots
     Snippets of white matt card, terracotta textured card and Lili of the Valley 'Bear Necessities' peach paper

I am entering the following challenge:
      Snippets Playground - Challenge 429

This is the lovely card I received from Marga -

Kath x