Be HAPPY

 

Hello

As usual I'm trying to catch up with blogging! 

Keeping my blog posts short while I try to get back in control! 

As ever Friday is Daring Cardmakers challenge day and this week it's our lovely Shabneez in the hot-seat.

 Be HAPPY

It's Shabneez here and I would like to thank those of you that joined in with our challenge last week.  I've chosen an easy one this week:

Happiness is so important to us all and I'd like to see the word 'HAPPY' on your card.  It could be for a birthday, anniversary or anything that makes you happy!

There comes a point when I have to stop making excuses and start making Christmas cards! I never like making them until after my birthday, but that was a couple of weeks ago, and even if I do have a rotten cold which seems to be hanging around for ever I still need to bite the bullet and make a start on the Cword cards

 

I made a simple stencil just with a piece of scrap card by drawing the rough shapes of the apertures and cutting them out with scissores

 

I used washi tape to attach it to the card front, then rubbed a couple of shades of Nuvo Embellishing mousse with some bunched up scraps of old wet wipes and also coloured more scrap card with some lime green mousse for the letters

The trees are cut in black glitter card using one of my new Spellbinders Christmas die sets.  The HAPPY letters are from a Memory Box set of three versions of the word 'Happy' I used 3 layers for this card, but if I make more of the same style I probably won't be faffing around with that!

I had to make a new set of White on Black sentiments because I can't find the leftovers from last year.  

They'll be in a safe place....

To finish I punched a few tiny stars from card coloured to match the Coral, Rose Pink and Green I's already used and I was done 

Thank you so much for coming by

 Happy Crafting, Stay Safe, 

 

Standing with Ukraine

September's Elemental Inspiration challenge

 

Hello, 

And yet again I've fallen behind with blogging so I'm going to keep posts short and to the point in the hope that I can keep up with new stuff and catch up on my unblogged bits and pieces too/

We'll see how that goes!

 

This week its time for September's Elemental Inspiration challenge over at the Daring Cardmakers. 

 Our lovely Miri chose the mood-board this time

With these challenges you need to choose a minimum of 3 elements from the picture to use when making your card - and we don't mind a bit of 'artistic licence!

From Miri's picture I've gone with the rectangles and circles, leaves, shoelaces and all the lovely texture'

I chose some printed Kraft paper plus some corrugated card to cut the rectangles for the background.  The piece of corrugated card still had a little bit the brown paper upper layer stuck to it, but I liked how it looked so left it there.

To echo the crosses on the shoelaces I used some thread down the side and made a couple of cross stitches too

For the circles I used my Tonic nested circles set with some white and deep blue Bazzil card

The flowers are made using a craft punch and the leaves are die cut

I've not added a sentiment yet as I'm not sure what it will be, or where it will go either! Maybe on the circles, or perhaps under the corrugated rectangle

 

Thank you so much for coming by

 

 Happy Crafting, Stay Safe, 

 

 

Standing with Ukraine

30 Candles

Hello

Yet again I'm trying to catch up with blogging! 

The good thing is that I'll be trying to keep these posts short and not resort to the usual waffling 🤣

 

My card for Rizwana's 'Cakes and Candle' challenge to the Daring Cardmakers was a birthday card for my eldest nephew

 

I gathered a bunch of papers with a Newcastle United colour theme (usual plus 2nd strip) and used them to roll up  into 'candles'.  I stiffened some twine by covering it with glue and when dry glued one end of the pieces to the insides of of the candles 

 

I cut the card blank down so that the top row of candles would stand up over the folded edge. Then I adhered some strips of narrow washi tape across the card.  

The candles were arranged and glued down and a 'celebrate' sentiment die cut from layers of black and silver cardstock to complete the card

Thank you so much for coming by

 

 Happy Crafting, Stay Safe, 

 

 

Standing with Ukraine

Long Things!

 

 Hello

This week Joanne set the Daring Cardmakers Challenge, and its a really fun one!

Monday is a Bank Holiday here in the UK so that means it’s a long weekend. Use the idea of “long” to make your card. It might be the card shape (long and thin), an image of something long (dachshund dogs! soft drinks!), something representing a long journey or a long time (a map, a bird that migrates…), anything you can think of inspired by the idea of “long”!

 Here is where you can see the Design Team: inspiration

 

I decided to make graduated zig zag fold card and used new baby dies from CraftStashUK along with some beautiful, but old SEI papers (does SEI even exist any-more?)

It did take longer to put together than I anticipated, and as I currently have a bad back sitting for any length of time is an issue didn't help!  There's a lot of die cutting involved as I wanted to add extra layers of different colours it took flipping ages to do - timing cutting between OH's work calls adds to the time scale.

Anyway, getting the card made was only part of my troubles this week.  Turns out this card is just impossible to get a decent photo of.  I took loads, both with my little studio set up, and with my phone and they were all rubbish.  This morning I called in OH to help and even he struggled to get something half-way acceptable. 

So I've decided to just post a whole bunch of pics, the best of a bad lot and hope you get the idea - its better in real life, I promise!

Thank you so much for coming by

 

 Happy Crafting, Stay Safe, 

 

Standing with Ukraine

Keep Your Cool

 

Hello

This week its my turn to set the Daring Cardmakers Challenge, and I've chosen something to match the weather

Keep Your Cool
It's been pretty hot so far this Summer - even here in the UK!  
So let's see your favourite ways to keep cool when the temperatures soar features on your cards this week.
A dip in the sea, putting your feet in a bucket of water, 

A snooze in a hammock in the shade (I wish!)

Sunhats and parasols

 Ice cream and ice lollies

A slice of juicy water melon

a long cold drink...

 Here is where you can see the Design Team: inspiration

I will admit to loving ice cream, gelato and sorbet - there is so much joy to be had just standing by those wonderful Italian style fridges filled with loads of flavours of the chilly stuff!  Sometimes I just cant choose which ones to have in my tub and end up getting OH to surprise me/

After all these years he knows me well enough to make a good selection!

 Info

 My card blank is a plain white square with the lower section embossed with a very old Cuttlebug Dots and Circles folder

I adhered two lengths of very narrow washi tape above the embossing and wound gold thread around the card between the tape.  I made a gold tassel with the thread and added a bow

 I inked up some pieces of scrap card in ice cream shades.

For the ice cream cones I used a Spellbinders die for the scoops if ice cream. The cones were cut by hand and the pattern made using a score board

The ice lollies were made using  another Spellbinders die - looking through my dies I spotted a tall gothic window shape from a beach hut set that was perfect for the job.

I added a coat of Glossy Accents and dropped some tiny beads on for the 'hundreds and thousands' and a little Glamour Dust glitter for good measure

  To finish the card I die cut the word and letters from leftover inked card and added some matching tiny hears and enamel dot

Thank you so much for coming by

 

 Happy Crafting, Stay Safe, 

 

Standing with Ukraine

August Elemental Inspiration

 

 Hello

 

It's Daring Cardmakers day again so here's this week's challenge

 

August Elemental Inspiration Challenge

 

 Nat here today, and as it's the first Friday of the month, 

it's the return of our Elemental Inspiration challenge.

You need to incorporate three elements from the image below on your card, and the colours count as one element.

We can't wait to see how you are inspired. 

Here is where you can see the Design Team: inspiration

A good chance to revisit the colours of Ukraine where although its fallen further down in the News headlines Putin and his cohorts continue to wreak devastation and destruction on a country that they have no business to be stomping about it.

So I've used the basket weave pattern, leaves and flower along with the colours from Nat's mood-board,  for my card today. 

 And just in case anyone from the Ukraine comes across this - you're not forgotten.

The background for the card is a basket weave pattern stencilled in blue ink

in a nod to the patchwork of different patterns on the mood board I added an inked blue panel, over-stencilled with leaves in a darker blue ink

The filigree leaves are die cut using a Spellbinders die from inked green card

The flower has die cut petals and a hand cut centre - it would also have been die cut if my OH hadn't been on yet another long Teams call so that I couldn't use my ebosser! 

To complete I used one of my home made decal sentiments and a few enamel dots

 Thank you so much for coming by

 Happy Crafting, Stay Safe, 

 

Standing with Ukraine

Less is More

 

Hello

I hope you’ve enjoyed the sunny weather, and managed to keep your cool.  I give thanks every day and every night for our collection of fans. strategically placed around the house!

 

Today I’m sharing the card I’ve made for this week's Daring Cardmakers Challenge. 

Less is More

It’s always tempting to add another die cut, tiny extra stamped flower, or just one more embellishment isn't it? 

But this week we want to see cards with at least 75% of the card left totally blank - no stamped or embossed backgrounds. Lots of white space.....try it, it’s amazing how effective it can be.

 Here is where you can see the Design Team: inspiration

 I thought the challenge would be just perfect for a First Wedding Anniversary card on my to-do list.

 

 

 

Info

 My card blank is a plain white square

For the hearts I coloured some scrap of the same card with several shades of pink Nuvo embellishing mousse.  These give a lovely soft sheen which you can see on the next 

 photo.  

The hearts were cut out using dies from a Bright Rosa die set from a couple of years back

 

I adhered three narrow pieces of silver glitter Washi tape to the left side of the card and arranged the hearts over, using scrap chipboard between the layers to keep them level.

The sentiment was pc generated and attached over the hearts.

To complete I added a few tiny silver gems to the large heart, anda silver heart shaped brad below the sentiment.

Thank you so much for coming by

 

 Happy Crafting, Stay Safe, 

 

Standing with Ukraine

Cards with Attitude!

 Hello

I hope you’ve had a good week 

It's my turn to set the Daring Cardmakers Challenge for this week

Cards with Attitude!
 I often find myself in a bit of a card-making rut, making the same square or rectangular cards, using the same kind of layouts and embellishments etc

 - and hey, they work so why not? 

 But sometimes its good to break out of that rut and that's what I'd like you to do this week

I would love to see cards with some 'Attitude' this week. The kind that surprise the recipient by being a bit different from regular flat(ish) squares and rectangles we all like to make.
For example; box cards, pop-ups, shaped cards, cards with unusual folds, cards that rock, cards with secret compartments.

You could even use this challenge to experiment and have a go at a kind of card you've never made before!

Go on, it'll be fun!

Here is where you can see the Design Team: inspiration

 

I needed a card for my nephew’s birthday and as I’ve been meaning to use this fab die to make a masculine card this seemed the perfect opportunity .

Info

The die set is by Crafters Companion and consists of one die to cut the base card and one to cut the letters for the upper layer.

I cut the base card in a 360gsm navy cardstock and was pleased that the die cut both layers of the card with no trouble.

Next I printed out some deigns from one of my favourite masculine colour palettes of an old Funky Hand digital set and cut out the letters individually. The HAPPY section is a single die but it’s easy enough to place the paper so you can trim down to the individual letters.to make it easier to arrange the letters and add a little definition, I cut the HAPPY  die from plain white card, then glued the patterned letters in place before adhering the whole upper layer onto the card base.

The BIRTHDAY sentiment is attached with box hinges to the letters behind so that it stands out but folds flat for mailing.

I finished the card with a few punched gold stars.

 Thank you so much for coming by

 

 Happy Crafting, Stay Safe, 

 

Standing with Ukraine