Masculine Joy Fold

Hi everyone.  Following on from my last post here is another shaped card.  Having looked at different types of folds I eventually settled on a joy fold style which I haven't made before although I have seen quite a few different versions of it online.   I used a very old Stamps Away image of a vintage car which was one of four in a set including a double decker bus, a steam engine and a gypsy caravan which I don't think are likely to be available now.  I also used an Xcut embossing folder Galvanised Steel, again don't think it will be available now, and a set of Papermania  papers which I haven't got out for a very long time.  They have lots of different looks in black on white and white on black, and are 6" square and called Bexley Black.

I started with the 6" square base card cutting a couple of inches off the front and used a piece of white card embossing it with the Galvanised Steel EF and matted it onto black card to fit this piece.  I then used a paper from the Bexley Black Papermania pad using this white circle pattern on black to cover the back section of the card.  I went on to stamp the vintage car and sentiment using another piece of white card and Versafine Clair Nocturne Ink heat embossed with WOW Clear Gloss Embossing Powder and matted it on to a snippet of red.  I then cut a piece a little more than double the length of the topper and a little wider, folded it in half and added the topper to it with the opening to the left attaching the back to the inside of the card.  I also put a sentiment on the back of the topper so that when written and the card is opened up that doesn't show.

This actually was a lot easier than my last effort and it was fun to make.  Thank you for taking a look at my blog today and I hope you visit again soon. 

I am entering the following challenges:

Country View Challenges - March - Birthday card for a man.
AAA Birthday Challenge - No. 47 Stripes and/or Dots.
Happy Little Stampers March Birthday Challenge - Anything Goes.
Creative Creases Challenge - No. 53 Anything Goes with a Fun Fold.
Can You Handle The Pressure? Challenge - Anything Goes Embossing/Twist of Easter.

Floral Waterfall

Hi everybody.  I have a more complex card...well, complex for me anyway, using this design I saw on Sam Calcott's Mixed Up Craft You Tube site here.  Her waterfall card was for a new baby but mine is a birthday version made for a friend and using papers, an embossing folder, a stencil and a sentiment die that came from the latest Crafters Inspiration magazine called Timeless Florals.  This is how it looks standing up.

I started by constructing each of the three pages of the waterfall.  The outer one covered in one of the papers, the next using the embossing folder, inking the raised side by rubbing the Dusty Concord Distress Ink pad over it and then just putting the snippet of white card inside and pressing the folder together to transfer the ink.  I then decided to line it up inside the folder and run it through to emboss it.  I used Dusty Concord Distress Ink for this, and then I ink blended using this same ink and also Victorian Velvet DI.  The third layer I stamped onto another snippet of white card and clear embossed the sentiment with the Dusty Concord and added some stencilling but with Spun Sugar DI because it is paler and I just wanted a little bit of colour in the background.  I then matted and layered these three with snippets of blue on to the white background.   

Here are the second and third layers so you can see what they look like.

...and a close up look at the stencilling on the sentiment layer.

 

                                                                                                                                                                        

I also added the die cut sentiment to the front piece again using the Dusty Concord DI swiped over another snippet of white card and then heat embossed several times to build up the shine using WOW Clear Gloss Embossing Powder, and framed it with a white die cut frame using another snippet and a set by Clarity called Frame-Its.  Finally I added a blue layer to the base top fold card with another snippet which I ran through the floral embossing folder and then added the same paper I used on the front, but the reverse plainer side with the leftover piece from the front of the waterfall, and attached it to the underneath of the two layers, and using the mechanism put it all together.  I also added a round stitched circle with a hand drawn arrow coloured with a deep purple fine liner pen for which I used another small snippet.

 

I have to say Sam said this was a quick card, but as it is not something I normally attempt it did take quite a bit of time and not something I will be repeating on a regular basis...lol.  I was very happy with the result as it does flip very smoothly even though it is a large waterfall design, but rather too thick for posting so one to be hand delivered which this will be.   I've just realised that I didn't mention that the finished size is 7" x 5".

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

I am entering the following challenges:

Snippets Playground Challenge -  No. 450 Where we use our snippets of paper and card etc.  This card used up lots of snippets of white and blue card and also some leftover bits of the patterned paper.
NBUS Challenge - No. 48 Where we use our Never Before Used Schtuff.  Everything was having its first outing apart from the Clarity set which I have used before though not that particular frame.
Beautiful Blossoms Challenge - No. 3 Anything Goes with Flowers/Florals.
Triple B March Challenge - Birds, Blooms and/or Butterflies (any one, two or all three).
The Flower Challenge -  No. 78 Die Cuts or Stencils.
Happy Little Stampers March Birthday Challenge - Anything Goes.
Happy Little Stampers March Stencil Challenge - Anything Goes.

Flowers Whisper

Hi there everyone.  Another birthday and I made this card using a Spellbinder's die set called Flowers Whisper which I very luckily won over at The Snippets Playground recently and I used snippets of gold mirri and white card to die cut this pretty flower, and I also used another snippet of white for the added mat which I cut and then added the fancy edge to using a set by Claritytstamp which cut into the card called Fresh Cuts Nested Doodle Frame-Its.  There are two sets with five different edges in each, and then a die which cuts out all ten frames using one die to do so. 

After cutting the mat and adding the fancy edge I cut the flower die twice in gold and then white and used the gold frame which I stuck onto the ornate mat, and I then infilled the leaves with the gold pieces, and the flower itself with the white.  I also added the sentiment which I embossed using WOW Metallic Gold Rich Embossing Powder.  I decided that the flower would look better with a bit of added colour so I ink blended the petals with Spun Sugar Distress Ink being ultra careful not to get any pink on the surrounding white frame.  I then finished by attaching it to the card.

Thank you for visiting my blog today and I hope to see you again soon.

I am entering the following challenges:

Snippets Playground Challenge - No. 449 Where we use our snippets of card and paper etc.
NBUS Challenge - No. 48 where we use our Never Before Used Schtuff.
Allsorts Challenge - Week 718 Anything Goes/Four Legged Friends.
Happy Little Stampers March Birthday Challenge - Anything Goes.
Seize the Birthday Challenge - No. 256 Anything Goes/Red, White Plus One Colour.

Jelly Beans and a Mouse

Hi All.  I have a card for a Great Nephew's birthday today using a pre-coloured digital image from Beccy's Place.  I spotted this amongst the freebies and thought that it would perhaps work for an 8 year old and I needed a quick card as had left it rather late to make one.  

I found a free digital paper which went with it quite well and I cut the printed image using a square stitched frame die and added a sentiment using my Versafine Clair Nocturne Ink and embossed the image with WOW Clear Gloss Embossing Powder.  I personalised it with a number on the jelly bean container, and added his name on the side of the mouse, and that was it..a quick and easy make.

Our son who has been staying with us throughout February is on his way back to Australia as I write this, and it has been so lovely to have him here, and the time has gone far too quickly.  Obviously I have not been doing much in the way of cardmaking and as it happens February is a quiet month for birthdays, but will gradually be returning to normality with more cards appearing.  Thank you for visiting me here today and I'll see you again soon.

I am entering the following challenges:

Allsorts Challenge - Week 718 Anything Goes/Four Legged Friends.
Gem of a Craft Challenge - Week 5 Anything Goes.
Beccy's Place Challenge - Anything Goes using a Beccy's Place image.

Heart of Hearts Valentine

Hi everyone.  I made this card of my hubby using a Sue Wilson Heart of Hearts die from her Finishing Touches range, and I also used a die cut frame from a set by Claritystamp called Nested Doodle Frame-Its.

I started with the main heart die which cuts into the card and I made a stencil cutting it from an offcut of card.  I then found a piece of white card cut at approximately 4" square, and having found the centre I started with the stencil of the die upside down and roughly assessed whether I could fit it four times on the card going round from the centre, and I thought I would give it a try.  I ink blended with a blending brush and Candied Apple Distress Ink and it fitted perfectly by making sure I butted each time up to the last.  I was then left with the empty corners and I used the die with the bottom pointed section and fitted in some more hearts to to fill the card.  I then had the idea of using the stencil again to place a heart in the centre of the piece of card, using the same ink but just to give a soft impression.  This was not so successful and I then decided to use a Black Micron Pen to outline the hearts and then fill them in to make them stand out from the busy background.  I then added the sentiment using Versafine Clair Nocturne Ink and added a black matted layer.  I had already cut a set of the frames and I chose this one which allowed room for the topper to fit within it and adhered it to the white 6" square card, and then added the topper too.

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

I am entering the following challenges:

Allsorts Challenge - Week 715 - Anything Goes/All About Hearts.
Country View Challenges - Feb. 2023 - Be Sentimental.
Inkspirational Challenge - No. 283 Use Stencils.
Simon Says Monday Challenge - Frame It.
Cardz 4 Guyz Challenge - No. 315 Valentine for a Guy.
Stencil Fun Challenge - February - Anything Goes with a Stencil/Hearts.

Floral Anniversary

Hi everybody.   I have been a bit negligent of the blog over the last week or so as I was preparing for a visit by our son from Australia, and naturally we have been enjoying his company.  It has been three years since we last saw him, and he also very generously bought us a new computer, which he got up and running over the weekend, and it's great and we are really enjoying using it.  He will be here until the beginning of March so there may be some gaps in my posting, but I will probably still get to visit you all.  I was looking through my drafts and found an anniversary card using some flowers from a Creative Expressions set called Bouquet.  It was inked for the first time here, and on checking through my posts I don't appear to have used it since, so I must remedy that soon. 

I started by stamping on to the white card itself using my Versafine Clair Nocturne ink and then heat embossed it using WOW Clear Gloss Embossing Powder.  I then coloured using Distress Inks and a waterbrush in Dried Marigold and Ripe Persimmon, and Adirondack Sunshine Yellow for the flowers, and Crushed Olive and Peeled Paint DI's for the leaves.  I decided to add some small stencilled hearts using a set of heart stencils from The Range and applied the Broken China Distress Ink using a brush for a softer effect all around the image.  I finished by stamping the sentiment in the same black ink and heat embossed with the Clear EP.

Before I go I would like to say a big thank you to a new follower Donna whose blog you will find here, and I'm sure she would appreciate a visit.  Thank you for coming to visit my blog today and I'll see you again soon. 

I am entering the following challenges:

The Flower Challenge - No. 77 Use Your Latest Stamps or Dies (although I have had this stamp for a while it was the first and only time it has been used).
We Love Stamping Challenge - February - Anything Stamped/Add a Stencil.
Stamping Sensations Challenge - February - Anything Stamped/Use the Sketch (no option).
Country View Challenges - February - Be Sentimental (use a sentiment and/or some inspiring words).
We Love to Create Mixed Media Challenge - Anything Goes.
NBUS Challenge - No. 47 Where we use our Never Before Used Schtuff.

Holly Blossoms

Hi everybody.  Yet another Beccy Muir digital stamp and another of her free images, this one called Holly Blossoms.  It is the Rudolph Days Challenge time, the first one of 2023, and it runs from the 25th to the end of each month.  This card was made before Christmas but I didn't get around to showing it so I thought I would use it for this first one of the year.

 

 

I did colour initially with my Sakura pens which have a lovely sparkle and used them with my waterbrush which works quite well, but I only have a couple of greens and the colours were a bit pale, so I ended up adding some extra colour using my Inktense Pencils again using the waterbrush, and it does still sparkle although it doesn't show in the photo.   I then added some gloss to the berries and cut the image out.  This one is extra fiddly and the paper is only 120gsm, and some bits of stem fell off in a couple of places, so I cut and coloured some strips of card and added them in where they were needed and luckily it worked well.  I cut a snippet of white card and backed it with a piece of red, and then added the sentiment using Versafine Satin Red Ink and heat embossed with WOW Clear Gloss Embossing Powder before adding the image.

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

I am entering the following challenges:

Rudolph Days Challenge - Anything Christmas Goes
ABC Christmas Challenge - A & B are for?  A is Anything Christmas Goes.
The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge - No. 132 Anything Christmas Goes.
Sparkles Christmas Challenge - No. 144 Sparkle/Glitter Accents.
Merry Little Christmas Challenge - No. 48 Anything Christmas Goes.

Foliage Galore

Hi all.  I have a card featuring a recent set of freebies called Eucalyptus Wishes featuring some foliage dies and some stamps produced by Apple Blossom for Die-cutting Essentials (Issue 98) and being used for the first time.  I cut the foliage dies using snippets of a light and dark green, kraft and gold mirri card.  I used a set of stitched dies to cut two circles, one from a snippet of white pearlescent card, and a piece of patterned paper which was one of a set of coordinating design and available digitally to go with the dies and stamps, and I also found an already stamped sentiment on a snippet of white card which I used in the centre. 

 

As one of the challenges I am entering is the Snippets Playground I have taken a photo of some snippets and I wasn't sure what colours I was going to use, so I took a photo of lots of different coloured ones so that I could decide which to use as I made the card.

I found a 6" square card and added the two circles and then stuck down the sentiment in the centre.  I then arranged my foliage around the edge of the outer circle and stuck that in place. 

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

I am entering the following challenges:

Snipppets Playground Challenge - No. 446 Where we use our snippets of paper and card etc.
NBUS Challenge - No. 46 Where we use our Never Before Used Schtuff.
Simon Says Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes.
Seize the Birthday Challenge - No 254 Anything Goes/Candles