18 May 2024

Vintage Mid month WLSC

   Hi Everyone, my DT card today is for We Love Stamping. This month, we would love to see your cards with the theme, chosen by Lynn -

Vintage.
 
As I said at the beginning of the month, this theme threw me, but, I found a die cut strip of card in my bits box, so decided to see if I could make it vintage. I blended DO's, mustard seed, vintage photo and antique linen ink, all over the strip, then used a text stamp and DO vintage photo to add texture. 
 
The flowers were stamped with mustard seed and coloured with fired brick, the leaves were stamped with Stazon black, and coloured with DO's forest moss, mowed lawn. The sentiment die cut, was shaded the same colours as the main piece and the sentiment stamped with DO vintage photo.  
inks - Distress Oxide colours as above
flowers, text & sentiment stamps - Magazine freebies SC&P #239

Don't forget, we now require At least one stamped element on entries. Those of you like us, who love to stamp, we would still love you to enter your fully stamped entry.

The wonderful Prizes are from Lisa Horton Crafts, coordinating embossing folder, die and stencils and two dies from Highlight Crafts


Our Sister Challenge "Allsorts" is celebrating 15 fabulous years, today. Congratulations to you all. 
They have a Fun Fold Challenge until the end of the month, I'm sure they would love you to join in and share the badge.

14 May 2024

Yellow flowers birthday card

 Hi Everyone, my card today was for a girlfriend of one of the Nephews in the family. I had had the stamp in my magazine subscription and wanted to use it right away. I thought of a design of adding the image as a centrepiece of the card. The flowers were stamped twice and coloured. Next I stencilled a flower stencil avoiding the stamped flower, I also only went to the bottom of the stems to help "ground" the flower, although it doesn't seem it has in the photo. 

The stamped flowers were added to yellow card and attached onto the base card. I stamped the sentiment. Next, the flower heads were fussy cut and placed onto the flower image. 3 yellow gems were then added.

I forgot to take a photo of the insert, as it was a bit of a rush to send it. I stamped a flower head and added more stencilling and a verse.

stamp set - The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady
Magazine freebies SC&P #254
stencil set -  Amazon
inks - Distress Inks, squeezed lemonade, fossilised amber, mowed lawn, rustic wilderness, tumbled glass
yellow card - Lidl
gems - stash

EDIT! I was in so much of a rush I sent it a month early DUH!

 

A Celebration too, at the

Allsorts Challenge

09 May 2024

Light Bulb birthday card.

 Hi Everyone, I have been lax in posting and comments, I'm apologising again, in between other things, I have also been ill with some sort of virus, don't know if it was Covid, but I felt quite ill. OH! Well, hopefully the year will improve from now on. As I sit here typing, the sun is out and making everything seem wonderful. At last!

My card today was for my Hubby's birthday in April, yep! I'm that far behind. Be warned, this post is picture heavy.

Anyhow, there are a few images to show you. I started off, by choosing a light bulb stamp, which was then followed by light bulb digital paper, which I changed the background colour from white to blue. I designed the card in Photoshop, I did the sentiment on the front, a little joke? In blue to match the paper. It was printed and sized for the 7inch x 10 inch card, larger than I usually make, but he is pretty special. I then printed out the light bulb paper and cut it to size. 

I stamped, coloured and die cut the bulb, placed it onto the paper and worked out where I wanted it. I then stamped the rays, the bulb paper was attached, and the bulb was 3D'd onto the main front piece under the rays, next the bottom sentiment was also 3D'd onto the lightbulb paper.  They were added to blue card and then attached to the base card, I had cut to make the card.
 
light bulb and rays stamps and die - "Sheena"  Simply Cards & Papercraft #244. Magazine freebies
light bulb dp - Digi Dewi
birthday font - School
blue card - Lidl
 

I didn't know what to  do with the insert, so, went searching for verses for hubby. I found one, that I liked and went about designing the pages in Photoshop, I used Photoshop shapes for hearts and coloured them. I wrote the verses on each page, changing the position of the hearts. They were printed out and added to the centre of the card. I'm glad to say he liked his card.





05 May 2024

Vintage WLSC

  Hi Everyone, my DT card today is for We Love Stamping. This month, we would love to see your cards with the theme, chosen by Lynn - Vintage

 
I'm afraid the theme Vintage, threw me out of my comfort zone. I had nothing in my mind that I could do, even looking on the web, didn't help, the only thing I saw I liked, was with a blue theme, so here is my version of a "Blue? Vintage".

I found this lady and a paper I thought would match her, in my files. I printed them out, then looked through my stamps to see what could be vintage, I found these cherry blossom stamps and thought I could use them.

I stamped two in Distress Ink stormy sky and die cut them, then brushed over them with an DI antique linen, that's vintage? I did the same with the sentiments. Next, I felt it needed something else and haven't used ribbon for ages, I found a grey ribbon, that I also wiped with DI antique linen. 

For some reason, I decided to use a deckle edge for the lady image, I had to go searching for the deckle scissors, I found them, and a die, that shouldn't be where it was! Decided that had to be used too, and so, after antique linen was wiped around the image after cutting, 2 corner die cuts were added to the image. I also cut the sentiments with the deckle edge scissors.

The leaf paper was added to the same grey paper as the corner die, the ribbon placed onto them, and both attached to the base card. I then 3D'd the cherry blossom stamps, which were placed around the image. The stamped sentiments were glued to the ribbon and the image. After they were all attached to the base card, I wiped around the card, again with antique linen.

After choosing a blue theme, the blue wasn't very blue, but I liked the card in the end. I hope this card is vintage enough, as to my thought process with this card, goodness knows where it came from.

inks - Distress Ink
all stamps - Mag freebies Simply Cards & Papercraft #215
image - Create With TLC
paper - CreativeFabrica
corner die - QuickKutz
ribbon - stash

 

Don't forget, we now require At least one stamped element on entries. Those of you like us, who love to stamp, we would still love you to enter your fully stamped entry.

The wonderful Prizes are from Lisa Horton Crafts, coordinating embossing folder, die and stencils and two dies from Highlight Crafts

01 May 2024

Trains, Planes & Automobiles TMR

 Hi Everyone, one of 2 DT posts today this is for 

What a great selection to choose from ay? I went from one to another, then decided to get my car die out and go for it. 

I tried to get the embossed lines to be gold embossed, but it wouldn't have it, and embossed all over instead. Not a good one, but I quite liked the look of it. I wondered if I could use an all over gold embossed car. I went looking for a gold birthday quote and came across this, which was computer generated and die cut. Next, I die cut another car and embossed it all, as you see it, I went over the embossed lines with a black fine liner pen, to accentuate them. 

I looked for gold paper and found this, which was die cut, and a plain card die cut to layer over it. The car was 3D'd onto the plain card with the sentiment, which was layered twice and attached directly onto the card. 

car die - Sweet Dixie
gold embossing powder - Altenew Antique Gold
gold paper - Papermania, Modern Lustic
sentiment die - Julie Hicky layers, frames and banners + squares
font used - Bigger Lemons
square dies - Sue Wilson Noble square dies.
 
I wanted something for the insert and adapted something I saw on the web to suit my card. I also made the fuel pump in Photoshop, by added rectangles and colouring them, then a Photoshop brush to make the nozzle and pipe, dragging it to shape it. Adding a shadow to make it come to life - hopefully.

Go see what fabulous cards the DT have produced. Great inspiration for those pesky masculine cards.

Panda CCC

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

Critter Crazy

Whether Furry, Feathered, Fantasy, Fairytale, 
Scaly, or Insect, there must be a critter.
 
 This panda came to light when I was looking for something else in files, do you find that? I do a search and the strangest things come to light. This was a cut file, so I took it into my Silhouette and cut it out with the negative frame, at the same time. The panda was a "hollow" shape, with just the black, but I made a white layer for the black to sit on. I sized them all to fit a 5x7 inch card. The eyes were so tiny, I'm surprised I could even pick them up. 

As for the sentiment, I also found it in my files, something I had saved for future use. I generated it in Photoshop, and print & cut it out layering it onto black card which, with the negative shape was laid onto the base card. Next the panda was 3D'd and laid inside the negative shape.  

I decided to make the insert full colour, so again, in my files, I found the "paint strips", and added a few words I thought would be suitable for the insert. 
panda - So Fontsy, Silhouette School
negative shape - Carin Grove
font - Bigger Lemons 
paint strips - Marisa Lerin
Silhouette
 

18 April 2024

Spring Mid month WLSC

  Hi Everyone, my DT card today is for We Love Stamping. This month, we would love to see your cards with the theme SPRING.

My birthday being in Spring, I love the season, to see the bulbs coming up, the leaves on the trees in their lime green (mostly) appearing, just lovely, and the sun coming out for longer, apart from the rain that is!

Anyhow, my card today has a hyacinth, we had some come and go in the garden, such joy to see them and enjoy the delicious perfume.

I embossed and coloured the background hyacinth, then die cut a frame to 3D over it. I don't have DL size dies, so I used the double cutting technique to get the die size to fit. Then stamped the sentiment with the DI to match the flower, and clear embossed it. The hyacinth was stamped and coloured in the same colours as the embossed hyacinth. I quite liked this card, but it was too thick to post, however our neighbour had her birthday a few days after I made it, and it went to her.

Hyacinth embossing folder - Lisa Horton, mag freebie
sentiment - Stamps By Me
hyacinth stamp - Pink Fresh, mag freebie 
frame dies - Craft Making Magic
inks - Distress Inks, twisted citron, mowed lawn, kitsch flamingo, picked raspberry.
 

 
Three prizes from AALL and Create, 1) Key Botanicals 2) See you Soon and 3) Hexagon stencil with Delicate Wings stamp

 
 

Don't forget, we will now require At least one stamped element on the front of all entries. Those of you like us, who love to stamp, we would still love you to enter your fully stamped entry.

 

I just want to add, THANK YOU, for the lovely messages and support from you lovely ladies, through this difficult time we are having, it really is so kind of you all, and much appreciated. I realise that many of you are going through difficult times too, many more serious than mine, and I hope you your coping mechanism is better than mine, at this time. I suppose I'm what many people will call a wimp at the moment. God give you strength to carry the load you have. I pray he helps us too. 

 

Reading some lovely words on this challenge, helps too.

 

15 April 2024

CAS

 Hi Everyone, apologies for not being around, I haven't been on the 'puter, due to something happening that put me completely out of kilter, nothing serious, but it has thrown me completely, I've got no motivation at all. I hope I'll be able to get to visit you all, sooner rather than later. 

At least I am being pushed into making cards for family members, but thinking of things to do is hard. Anyhow, I have a card today for my nephew. I cased a card from Hannelie and now can't find it.  As you can see, it's very simplistic. I kept off the layers, as he and my niece live in Belgium, and thought of postage costs, being the meany I am!

I bought some stencils, a pack of 30, and they are really great, only 125mm in size, but for patches of stencilling just perfect.  I stamped the car and made a mask, then using the stencils I blended the colours, removed the mask, stamped the sentiment, and it was done, so quick and easy, to get into the post double quick.
stamps - Magazine freebies SC&P 
stencils - Amazon
inks - Distress Inks, blueprint sketch, evergreen bough, twisted Citron


07 April 2024

Spring Time WLSC

  Hi Everyone, my DT card today is for We Love Stamping. This month, we would love to see your cards with the theme SPRING.

 

Mojo was lacking for me and has been for weeks, but after looking through my stamps I found this and thought him cute. I stamped the chick, then die cut him and coloured him, I then added another die cut layer for him and inked it. Next came the butterfly stamped and coloured, the sentiment was next. I stamped it in the same pink of the inked layer and embossed it. 

From there I was stumped, I went through my files looking for Spring paper and found this one, which went with the pink beautifully. After playing with the images a few times, I thought they needed something else, but what? My mind went into overtime and I thought Spring Time? Out came the clock die, I wiped green ink over it, then added the paper to yellow card and layered the elements, all attached to the base card. Seems my mind was in time motion, with my cards this month!

stamps - Uniko
inks - Distress Oxide, mowed lawn, kitsch flamingo, stormy sky, squeezed lemonade, carved pumpkin 
paper - I don't know, I have had it since 2005
rectangle dies - Tonic
clock die - Amazon


 
Three prizes from AALL and Create, 1) Key Botanicals 2) See you Soon and 3) Hexagon stencil with Delicate Wings stamp

 
 
Don't forget, we will now require At least one stamped element on the front of each entry. Those of you like us, who love to stamp, we would still love you to enter your fully stamped entry.

03 April 2024

Embossing TMR

 Hi Everyone, my DT card today is for 

 OH! So much that I could have done, but ended up with simple embossing. First I printed out on 160gsm a vintage paper, I've had for an age. I then embossed it with an old ef and wiped a DO ink over it.  It was cut to size and placed on brown card, that was also cut to size. The next thing, I found a frame in my files, that I thought was quite vintage, in shape, so I cut two out with my Silhouette then embossed the top layer, but left it without ink etc. 

The quote was printed out in brown ink and placed behind the frame. A piece of the embossed paper left over, that I had embossed on the wrong side, duh! had a complete watch face on it, so I fussy 😒cut it, and wiped the ink over, then placed it at the bottom of the frame. 

vintage paper - Billie Irene at Digital Scrapbook
embossing folder - Embossalicious, Clocks
ink - Distress Oxide, gathered twigs, vintage photo
frame - Aimee Harrison Designs (June 2022)
verse, mixture of words from the web

01 April 2024

Llama birthday CCC

 

    Hi Everyone, my DT cards today is for -

Critter Crazy

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

I have so many animal digi stamps, that I decided to trawl them and came across this wonderful Llama. I printed her and the sentiment, borrowed from the web. Next, I coloured her with markers and decided to extend the image with stencils and add clouds and extra flowers. They didn't look right, so I added some strokes, with a fine black pen, to the stencilling to copy the image. 

After I was happy with the image, I die cut it out and added it to the base card. Simple, but I'm pleased, and it will go to a friend. 

Llama - Elizabeth Dulemba
stencil - Funky Fossil
markers - Spectrum Noir
inks - Distress Oxide
fine pen - Uni Pin
die - Sue Wilson Noble Square die  

 Have you got an animal, you haven't seen in a while? Hope to see you at the Critter Crazy Challenge.

 

23 March 2024

Trainers birthday card

 Hi everyone, a card today, for another nephew, it's lovely having a large family. Anyhow, as he is also a runner, most are now, in the family. I cased a card I did here.

 I cut the circle dies, then inked the bottom one with DI, I cut the clock die and also used DO to wipe over it. The trainers were stamped and fussy cut, I hate doing that, as I'm not good at it, then coloured with DI's. I didn't have what I wanted as a sentiment, so generated it in Photoshop, using 3 different fonts, the front is Amienne. The sentiment was printed and die cut then 3D'd onto the card.

The insert fonts are Amienne for the first and last words, "happiest" is the font Blackjack, and the swashes on the front and back of "happiest" is Alterlight Swashes, that I added. I found some free trainer images on the web to add a little something inside. The sentiment on the front was printed and die cut and 3D'd.

circle dies - lost packaging (very old)
clock die - Amazon, (an old one) 
sneakers - Magazine freebies
ink - Distress Inks. blueprint sketch, scorched timber

 
the simple insert

18 March 2024

Feminine mid month WLSC

 Hi Everyone, my DT card today is for We Love Stamping. This month, we would love to see your cards with the theme Feminine.

 

I saw a colour combination, that had me wanting to use it, so here it is. I had a looky through my stamps for something feminine, what's more feminine than flowers? So I included them, in the design that I thought would be better on a DL card. 

Next, I blended the colours with DO's on a piece of card to layer on the base card. The sentiments were then stamped, I decided to make the shine sentiment be white with sparkle, but it ruined the clarity. I stamped it again with Stazon on top of the white glitter, it worked, giving the black a glow outside the letters. A save, thankfully.

I stamped the bulbs and flowers, then fussy cut them out ugh! (you know I hate fussy cutting). I coloured them in matching DI's. They were added to the blended card and I drew a line to "hang" them onto the white sentiment.

I was colouring the stamps, when I accidentally dropped water onto the background, so I just added more.

stamps - Sheena
 inks - Distress Oxide, pine needles, lucky clover, twisted citron, squeezed lemonade
 
 
 
This months lovely prizes are from 
Lavinia stamps two prizes: 1)Small Pines, Christmas Joy and Eve, 2) Fairy Chain

 

 
Don't forget, we will now require At least one stamped element on entries. Those of you like us, who love to stamp, we would still love you to enter your fully stamped entry.

11 March 2024

Cake boxes

 Hello Everyone, it was my birthday on Saturday, too near to that big 80, where did the time go? On a shopping trip, to a store, a few miles away, after a couple of years of not visiting. I saw packs of prepacked, 6 small chocolate chip muffins, just a mouthful size, for a £1.00, that I thought would go well for a birthday gift from me for my walking group. A sort of slice of my birthday cake for them. 

Of course, I go to my Silhouette for cutting, but I had to hunt in my files for a box to fit, I couldn't find something suitable, so decided to make a design fit. It didn't take long. A paper pad bought recently, although, I told myself I wasn't going to buy anything this year. I HAD too, it was so pretty and only £2.99 for 24 sheets of double sided paper 250gsm. A bargain!

Anyhow, the box and the different shaped lid, which was narrow at the back and dipped to the front, a lovely shape, were cut and glued together. The cake inserted, and then I thought I would add a little something to the lid. I die cut a flower and coloured it with markers. Attached to the top, all done. None of them are crafters, so I hope they like them. I will give them to the group tomorrow, great with a cuppa and chat after our walk. 

I want to thank the ladies who sent me beautiful birthday cards, I'm so happy you thought of me. Thank you. 

choc chip muffins - Asda
template -  Simply Cards & Papercraft #250
paper pad - Craft Sensations Romantic Florals
die - Tattered Lace
markers - Spectrum Noir


Here are the templates, such a pretty shaped lid. I hope I've not done wrong in putting them here, they are freebies, from Simply Cards & Papercraft #250 on the website. Perhaps you can size them to suit too?


 

Onto comments on Blogs. I was in the middle of commenting, OK, I was a bit behind as some of you know, but, after quite a number of comments, I got a message saying - I had come to the end of my allowance for that day. Or  words to that effect. Anyone else come across it?