Entwined Hearts

Hi all.  For this anniversary card I used a set of dies I was lucky enough to win called Entwined Hearts from Sue Wilson's Paper Cuts range for Creative Expressions, and being used here for the first time.  I also used some die cut flowers which were left over from my last card which came with a recent magazine and called Sentimental Ampersand.

I decided to use Peacock Feathers Distress Ink with a snippet of white card, and I blended some of it using a brush and then die cut the uneven outer edge die and used the frame die inside that which cuts into the card.  I then found another snippet of white card and cut the heart into it, again it does not have an edge, but I decided to cut it out, to give me the heart shape within the frame, and then the piece that came from the centre of this piece I ink blended again using the Peacock Feathers DI, and then I used another snippet of white to cut the central smaller heart, again it just cuts into the card, but I did the same with this and cut around it to be placed on top.  I used a 6" square card as the base card, but soon realised that the die cut was not quite square so cut it down so it would fit with just a small border.  I layered the pieces up as you can see and added the peach coloured flowers and a few of the different sized leaves and two leaf sprigs, and finished with a fishtail banner sentiment stamped with the Peacock Feathers Ink and then embossed using WOW Clear Gloss Embossing Powder, and attached it below the flowers.

Thank you for joining me here today and I'll see you again soon.

I am entering the following challenges:

The Snippets Playground Challenge - No. 478 Where we use up our snippets of card and paper etc.

Allsorts Challenge - Week 777 Balloons/Anything Goes.
Triple B Challenge - April'24 Birds, Butterflies and Blooms (use 1, 2 or all 3).
Beautiful Blossoms Challenge - No. 16 Anything Floral Goes.
Dragonfly Dreams Challenge - April'24 Use a Die.
NBUS Challenge - No. 61 Where we use our Never Before Used Schtuff.
The Flower Challenge - No. 90 Add Layers.

I am also joining Darnell with her I.D.E.A.S., a challenge she has set herself but has said that anyone can join in.  This is Week 4: Anything Goes.

Floral Ampersand

Hi everyone.  I have a card today featuring some dies by Spellbinders called Sentimental Ampersand, which came with a recent Die Cutting Essentials Magazine, and  I also used a set of dies from Paper Discovery called Slimline Card Builder, and both being used for the first time here.

I started with the topper using the Ampersand and the flowers and leaves which decorate it.  I cut them out using some black card for the ampersand, cut twice and glued together and then heat embossed with WOW Clear Gloss EP, and then cut the flowers and leaves and coloured them using Adirondack Peach Bellini for the flowers and Lettuce for the leaves and added them to the Ampersand.  I then cut the background using a square die from the Card Builder set using a piece of white card cut to fit a 6" square base card and cut into this piece of card four times to make a square design and then adhered this to the base card.  I decided to use another layer beneath the floral piece and so I cut a square stitched die from more white card and glued this to the centre of the card raising it up with some foam and then added the topper to this.  I finished with a sentiment cut from black card using another die from the set and added a strip of white card on the back of it to highlight the letters more, and also added some foam on this to raise it to the same level as the topper.

Thank you for visiting my blog today and I'll see you again soon.

I am entering the following challenges:

Color Hues Challenge - No. 84 Peach and Green.
Seize the Birthday Challenge - No. 281 Any Colour and Green.
Allsorts Challenge - Week 776 It has to be Spring/Anything Goes.
The Flower Challenge - No. 90 Add Layers.
NBUS Challenge - No. 61 Where we use our Never Before Used Schtuff.

I am also joining in with Darnell's I.D.E.A.S., a challenge she has set herself but has said anyone can join in.  This is Week 2 'D' is for Dies/Die Cuts.

T'wit T'woo

Hi everyone.  I have a card today using an Indigoblu owl stamp which I have had for a number of years but is still available, and I also used the latest technique over at Group of Seven Cardmakers which is the eclipse technique using a cover die.  I used a new die set which I bought a while ago and being used for the first time here by Card Making Magic featuring a foliage frame, separate coverplate foliage and a 5" x 7" rectangle die.  I did go to Craft Stash to see if it is still available but it is now out of stock.

For the technique you have to stamp, stencil or use two identical pieces of paper.  As I was using a stamp I cut two pieces of card to 5" x 7" and placed each in turn in my stamp positioner and stamped the image, and then I used the framed foliage die to cut one of them, and then I lined up the die cut piece and adhered it exactly over the the whole image.  I then cut the piece down to fit onto a 5" x 7" card with just a small border.  I stamped the images using Versafine Vintage Sepia Ink and I then used the same ink to stamp a sentiment and heat embossed it with WOW Clear Gloss Embossing Powder, and cut it into a strip and placed it over the image.  It worked well and I like the look but the foliage die was so difficult to cut, and after sending it through my Big Shot about ten times, twisting and turning it and using different shims including a metal plate it still did not cut entirely through, except around the edges, so I had to use a pair of small decoupage scissors to cut about three quarters of it which did take quite a long time.  I only use Craft Creations 300 gsm card which is of course rather thick, but I do not usually have such a job to die cut with it.  The reason I like this card is that it is the exact match to the cards I use and I do hate it when white card you use for a topper doesn't match the base card.

Before I go I would like to welcome a new follower called Marjolijn whose blog you will find here and thank you very much for becoming a follower.  

Thank you for visiting me here today and I will see you again soon.  Our son is visiting us from Australia for just a couple of weeks and it will be wonderful to see him especially as it was only planned yesterday and he arrives on Sunday, so I apologise if I don't get to visit as much and there may not be very much activity here. 

I am entering the following challenges:

Triple B Challenge - April '24 Anything Goes/Mood Board using Birds, Butterflies and Blooms (one, two or all three elements).
Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Happy Birthday.
NBUS Challenge - No. 61 Where we use our Never Before Used Schtuff.

Allsorts Challenge - Week 755 For the love of Animals/Anything Goes.

I am also joining Darnell with her I.D.E.A.S., a challenge she has set herself but she has invited anyone who wants to join her.  This is April Week 1 - I is for Ink/Colour Mediums.