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

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