31 July 2023

An Mmm card!

 Hi Everyone, my card today was to pick some snippets, and make a Christmas card for The Playground. I got the snippets, used an embossing folder, used some bakers twine, which was far too stiff, stamped the sentiment in gold, to match the gold edge snippet. I added a die cut poinsettia, left over from last year, from my bits box. But do I have a half decent card? Mmm. You will have to judge that. I got it done in double quick time, maybe it looks it. 
 
Never mind, it's going into the Playground and I know with all the mud around, and with the rain we have been having, it may be blurred out, if most of them there have glasses. OH! They will, there's eggnog, that's OK then, they'll be drunk. Ah! That puts my mind at rest.
 
embossing folder, stamp - Magazine freebies
poinsettia die - Cut & Make mini die
bakers twine - The Range
I nearly forgot, here are the snippets used.


 
 

28 July 2023

Little lion

 It's LEO time and I have 2 lion cards, one a DT card in a few days. This little lion is for my Niece's grandson. The image is an old one, and I haven't used it before. I am ashamed that so many digi stamps have been left in files, not even looked at. Something I am trying to rectify.

Anyhow, I print and cut 2 layers of the lion and the circle, with 3 layers of the 3, in Silhouette and coloured him in DI's. Next I blended the edge of the circle, to match the papers I had chosen and die cut. I also printed the title of the card.  They were all then attached to the main card. I used this MFT sketch to help with the design, not followed to the letter as such.

stuffed lion digi stamp - Meljen's Designs 2014
inks - Distress Inks. wild honey, rusty hinge, carved pumpkin, scattered straw
 card - crossed stitch embossed
paper - Craft Sensations, Kids
dies - Tonic
googly eyes - stash
Silhouette

Cut It Up #283 Animals on Parade.

25 July 2023

Gingerbread Men

 Hello Everyone. My card today was especially made for a challenge that I came across through reading another blog. I haven't many Gingerbread images, but I do have this from 2006! Never used. Bad girl!

I printed the main image and then edited the image down, in Photoshop, to get 3 on an A4 sheet. Next I did my favourite thing, I don't think! And fussy cut them out, gluing them together and attaching them to the main image. I die cut a blue card to add the main image. These were then attached to the main card. 

I stamped a sentiment and, using the same blue card, layered it. Next, I added 3D glaze to the eyes and clear sparkle pen to the bows and candy cane.
image - PC Hugware, Laurie Furnell (2006)
glaze - Nuvo Crystal Glaze
sparkle pen - Spectrum Noir Clear Sparkle pen 
blue card - Lidl
sentiment - Magazine freebie, Papercrafter Xmas 2022
 
here you can see the sparkle

Christmas Kickstart Challenge #76

22 July 2023

Little birds! And Steam Engine

 Hi Everyone, I had a play on my computer, done all I needed around the house, it was raining and chilly, so computer it was.

I looked through my digital images and found these birds, never used! So with Silhouette opened, I played with them until I was happy, this is the result!

I print and cut 2 of the background circle wreath and sentiment, and 3 of the edge birds and flower. It was just layering and gluing them together and placing onto the card. A card for my stash of just in case cards.
images - PC Hugware, no longer available
the artist hasn't been identified on the images.
I've had these unused images, plus others, since 2007. I really must go through my files and use more.

 

Now for something completely different, but still relating to old things. I thought I'd share a few photos of a trip we had recently. Hubby gave 2 huge boxes of his old tools, to The Gwili Railway, as he couldn't use them any more, due to modern sizing of machinery. However, as the railway has old machinery, they were thrilled to have them. As a reward, he was given a Cream Tea and train ride for the both of us. He and I were thrilled.

When we went, hubby had also decided to give them two massive vices too. It took 2 men to carry one of them.

Anyhow, hubby's Great Nephew, is a Volunteer and qualified Fireman on the Steam Engine, he's only 20 so did well. (He's also a student Pharmacist). When the Engine was moved from the front of the train to the back, on the return journey, hubby was asked if he would like to board the footplate while they did it. He was thrilled, so here are a few of the photos of hubby, train, and Nephew.

The Engine RSH 7849 Moorbarrow approaching the platform.


Nephew uncoupling the engine and coach, to enable the engine to return to the front of the engine.
 
Here he is changing the points for the return journey.

Hubby and Nephew

A typical waiting room, of the time, at one of the stops in the journey

Nephew on a deserved break at the same stop, he had got up in the early hours to start the engine. Hubby wearing Nephews Fireman hat.

 

One of the Engine's awaiting Restoration

 

I took a few more of the old engines and wagons awaiting restoration, but this is one I wanted to share, as it had a sad story.

  

 A beautiful day, which we ended driving through gorgeous countryside, in glorious sunshine, from the Railway at Carmarthen to Llandovery and home.

18 July 2023

Daisy Floral - mid month WLSC

 Hi Everyone, my DT card today is for We Love Stamping 
the theme this month being "Anything stamped, option, Fabulous Florals"

Please share our challenge logo 

A few months ago, I received an unexpected gift voucher from a blogger friend. These are some of the stamps I bought with it.

The images were stamped with Stazon, then I coloured them with DI's. I kept it very simple as the sentiment was tiny.  I love the bright combination of colours and quite surprised how quickly it all came together, I think the stamps make it look more difficult somehow?

images - Polkadoodles, DaisyDays
inks - Distress Inks, picked raspberry, ripe persimmon, squeezed lemonade, mustard seed, twisted citron, mowed lawn.

I felt the insert should be simple too, so I just used a simple sentiment, a magazine freebie, then stamped the flower and coloured it in the same colours, a little too much ripe persimmon?
 
I hope to see you at the at the Challenge,
 there are Great prizes for the Winner this month
 
 
Two prizes, AALL and Create Petal Therapy and Vase Trio
 
I think my card will suit the new challenge

15 July 2023

Bird brain

Hi Everyone, I saw this fat bird and had to use it, as it made me smile. It was originally for QKR. I'm so sad they are not available any more. 

Sorting some paper files the other day, I came across this feather digital paper that I thought would be suitable to use with the fun bird. I also decided he needed to sit on something, so I took him, the branch and the sentiments into Silhouette. After printing and cutting him 4 times and the sentiments and the branch just twice each, I cut around the sides and bottom of the feet, to base the bird on the branch. 

I coloured the branch and the bird quite simply, although you can't see the shading on the bird much, then glued them together, the background paper was printed and cut to fit and was layered onto yellow card. 

The bird was attached to the branch and both added to the background layer, then the sentiments, with an inked border, were added to each corner. All attached to the feather and yellow card and then onto the base card.

 image - Fat Bird, Bird Brain & Bird Day - Eureka Stamps
branch - Vinyl Designers
markers - Spectrum Noir, BG2, CT3, DG4, EB5
paper - Humble & Create. Digital Press
 

11 July 2023

First Christmas card!!!

 Hi Everyone, I made my card for the Snippets Playground, why? because there is a promise of Eggnog at the Playground. Now I'm not one for alcohol normally, but Eggnog reminds me of my Mother drinking it at Christmas when I was a few, ahem! years younger and sharing with me, well diluted with lemonade. I may get a bottle for Christmas?

Anyhow, off to find my mass of Christmas snippet papers and I found these. One was of a wood background, that I felt was light enough for what I wanted, the others I hoped would fit in, they are from the same paper pad. I reversed one as it showed embossing on the wrong side.

I think it's all self-explanatory so here are the piccies.

paper pad - First Edition Merry Little Christmas, years old. 
dies and stamp - Chloes Creative, Magazine freebies
sentiment stamp - Magazine freebie
sequins and gems - stash

  I followed this sketch from MFT

 

08 July 2023

Cat loss card

 Hi Everyone, I had a call recently from one of my Sisters in Law who, through tears, told me they had to put their cat down to her illness and old age. She was a stray and was found full of fleas and sores, my brother and she, took her in, and saw she had a wonderful life of many more years.

This is the card I made for them. I used my Silhouette to cut the heart frame, and used Photoshop to make the centre. I used a photo they had sent me, of Chloe, on my brother's lap, using the same blue as his trousers, to make her stand out in the circle shape I used.

heart frame - My Scrap Chick
circle die - Tonic

For the insert, I found a couple of verses on the web and adapted them to suit. I used the same photo on the left of the page. 

verses - CraftsUprint


05 July 2023

Travel TMR

Hi Everyone, my DT card today is for  
 
 I was fortunate to win a set of assorted stamps from Uniko, one set which fit this challenge so well, however I was CAS minded and only used 4 of the set.  Never mind, here is my card on the theme of travel. I followed this sketch very loosely.
I stamped the balloon shape then added the basket shape, the flags shouted out to me, so I added those too, then embossed them with gold powder. I coloured them with DI's and did what I hate doing, but had too, and that was fussy cut them. 
 
A stitched die was used to cut the background. I was going to add a digital paper sky, but then decided to try to copy it with Oxide inks, this is the result. The sentiment was stamped onto the sky and the balloon placed with 3D pads. It seemed too CAS, (what is too much?) so I added some birds. 
 
air balloon, basket, flags & sentiment stamps - Uniko Stamps (thank you for my wonderful win)
birds stamp - Magazine freebies 
stitched die - Card Making Magic
sky inks - Distress Oxides, lost shadow, chipped sapphire, shaded lilac, 
tumbled glass, salty ocean
balloon inks - Distress Inks, carved pumpkin, squeezed lemonade, cracked pistachio

 

this is the sky I tried to copy, 
Gina Jane breezy sky 


02 July 2023

Iris flower WLSC

 Hi Everyone, my DT card today is for We Love Stamping 
the theme this month being "Anything stamped, option, Fabulous Florals"

I received a newsletter advert and just had to buy the stamp, there is a tutorial of how to use the stamp on their blog, a new technique to me, so I followed the tutorial and cased the card.

I stamped the shadow layer, then the flower layer.  A piece of ripped vellum was stamped with the sentiment and using clear embossing powder heat embossed. It was then attached to the stamped layer. 

I layered the card and vellum onto yellow and purple card, so they were on 2 sides each. The colours were different for me too.  I am pleased with the result and glad I could case, and learn. I hope you like my version too.

stamp - Stamps by Me
inks - Distress Oxide, hickory smoke, fossilised amber, villainous potion 
vellum - Crafters Companion 
coloured card - Lidl
 
 
I hope to see you at the at the Challenge,
 there are Great prizes for the Winner this month
 
Two prizes, AALL and Create Petal Therapy and Vase Trio
 
I love Iris and have a blue and rust Iris in the garden. 
piccies below, taken in May.
 
 I haven't played at the 613 Avenue Challenge for a long while, so here goes, with my ATG.

01 July 2023

Four peas QKR

Hi Everyone, one of 2 my DT cards today was for -

QKR Stampede - Challenge #467

      Edited to add:  We are sad to announce that this will be our last challenge for an indefinite period.  The QKR Stampede and Eureka Stamps brands are up for sale and, until a new buyer is found, the challenges will be on suspension.  Neither can QKR Stampede/Eureka Stamps sponsor any outside challenges until a new buyer takes over since there is no website available for viewing or choosing the prize images.

I am, however, still posting the card I did for the Challenge.

A simple card today, just some Peas and a Pea background! I  thought this sentiment would be great for a masculine card.

I took the image and dp into my Silhouette and print and cut, cutting 4 of the peas with a tiny border around them. Then I coloured the peas with markers, a change from DI's. After colouring, I attached the 4 layers together and added the image to the background layer, which I had layered onto a piece of card. The "pea" background paper was also layered onto the same card, leaving a narrow border on each. 

Like I said, very simple, but fun.

paper -  Green Circles, CreativeFabrika
card - Create & Craft 
inks - Spectrum Noir CG2, DG2, DG3
white Pen - Uniball
Silhouette 

Flamingo CCC

   Hi Everyone, my one of 2 DT cards today is for -

Critter Crazy

Whether Furry, Feathered, Fantasy, Fairytale, 
Scaly, or Insect, there must be a critter...

Looking through my stamps for an animal, I came across this Flamingo, that hasn't seen any ink and I thought it about time it did. I printed the sentiment that I had seen online onto card, then stamped and embossed in gold onto the same card. To make it more interesting, I decided to add embossing lines each side of the flamingo and use a marker in pink. What a mess I made. To save the sentiment and flamingo, I cut the card each side of the flamingo, then edged it with the same ink, and used it with the flamingo backing paper, I found in my files.

 The flower stamps were included in the stamp set, so I stamped and embossed in gold onto pink card. A completely different card to what I intended, but it turned out OK. 

I made the insert in Photoshop, adding a flamingo, again in my files and a sentiment that I thought of, because of all the pink!

All stamps - Magazine freebies, SC&P #205
ink- Distress Oxide, kitsch flamingo 
embossing powder - Altenew Vintage Gold
font - Goodies Alt2
flamingo digital paper - Sizzix
insert flamingo - Marisa Lerin Digital Scrapbook/Pixelscrapper

  Just in case you can't see it, the sentiment is in pink and says
 "We are tickled pink to wish you a happy birthday"