Day 7

 I'm back today with day 7 of my Gummiapan Easter calendar.  There were three dies in this set and I've used two of them along with a technique which I'd not tried before.  This method was featured in a YouTube video by Lou Collins and it involves using copy paper to make delicate features such as flowers or butterflies etc.  Basically the image you require is either stamped and cut out or simply die cut and then embossed with clear embossing powder which gives a delicate appearance.  I die cut the butterfly and dragonfly in copy paper and then coloured before embossing.  The bodies were cut separately in white card and then coloured with a touch of Wink of Stella for shine.. I was lucky enough to have been gifted the hexagon slatted die set recently and two of the dies were used as a background.  Some waterlily leaves and bulrushes were added as a final touch.

Hexagon Dies - from Craft Addiction UK
Dragonfly and Butterfly - from Gummiapan Easter calendar 2025
Waterlilies and Bulrushes - unbranded dies
Background - a piece of patterned paper to show through the slats - paper from Clarity
Lou Collins Video link

Allsorts Challenge #822

 The theme for Allsorts Challenge #822 has been chosen by Sarah and she would like to see your designs **Inspired by a Song** or there is of course the anything goes option. Prizes this time are from In2Crafts

 I've gone back a good few years to 1945 with a song entitled 'Love Letters Straight from Your Heart' which featured in a film of the same name.  I really liked the look of the dies in the form of various letters and have used one of them for this card along with the slatted heart die set.  The letter die cut was easily snipped apart so that it could be layered and I sponged a little ink to give it the appearance of a bit of age. The pink backing to the heart was over stamped with some text and I added a die cut sentiment.

Slatted Heart - dies from Craft Addiction UK
Love Letters - unbranded die
Sentiment - die I've had a long time and I think it was a give-away with a magazine 

Rudolph Days

 A short break from the remainder of my Easter Calendar cards because suddenly it's Rudolph Days again - the months are certainly whizzing by.  I was, of necessity, having a bit of a tidy of my working space which had shrunk to almost nothing and as luck would have it I came across a few odds and ends of Christmas themed die cuts so I was able to put together this card fairly quickly.  The Santa wine glass was already assembled and I found the foliage and poinsettia flower to add a bit of interest.  I did have to cut the sentiment from a scrap of gold card.

Happy Rudolph Days everyone 😊

Wine Glass and Sentiment - unbranded die set
Poinsettia - Stamp from Crafty Roo (sadly no longer trading)
Foliage - I think Sizzix dies

Day 6

 Day 6 of the Gummiapan Easter calendar offered up some interesting dies to cut a distressed tag and a matching pocket.  I used various Distress Oxide inks to colour a piece of card which I then used to cut out the two pieces.  My next move was to use stamps from my box of miscellaneous backgrounds to decorate before assembling the pocket.  For the main image on both the tag and pocket I've used a flower stamp, which I then stamped again onto a piece of scrap card so that I could fussy cut the petals to layer up onto the outside.  Final touch was some baker's twine for the tag and there you have it - a project using the mystery dies from Day 6.  Only two more to share after this - I know it was only eight days but I do miss opening the little surprises with my breakfast - sad or what 🤣🤣.

 Flower Stamp - from Aall & Create (readable words also from this set)

Day 5

 I'm sharing the card for Day 5 of the Gummiapan Easter calendar today - I have actually made something with each set through to the eighth day so watch this space 😊.  The dies for this day were food orientated and it took me a while to think of a way of using them, finally deciding to bring out my postage style die to make this into a Thanks card which would perhaps be good to send in thanks for a dinner party or meal out.  As well as using the 'dies of the day' I also included a tall drink die (source unknown) and a couple of milkshakes which I think used a mini Gummiapan die which came in an order as a little thankyou.  The sharp-eyed of you will probably recognise the plates from Day 4 😉.  Cheese and wine anyone???

Postage die - unbranded
Sentiment - using a set of alphabet dies which were a magazine freebie eons ago

Day 4

The dies which came on Day 4 of the Gummiapan Easter calendar had me flummoxed for a while when I opened the packet - I could see that three of them were sweets or chocolates but couldn't immediately see what the other four pieces were.  I came to the conclusion that they should be assembled into  a three-tier cake stand, or in this case, a sweetie stand.  I also used the pretty patterned border die which came with the previous day's set to decorate the edge of the white layer.  So that's it - a CAS card with a birthday greeting on a fancy label shape.  The card blank is the same white as the tag layer but for some reason it appears to be grey 🙄.  I must say that assembling the stand and adding the sweets took me quite a while - all die cut in white and coloured with alcohol pens.  I can think of quite a few different items which could be perched onto this stand once I get around to playing.

Dies - from the Gummiapan Easter calendar 2025
Tag Layers - two dies from an unbranded triptych set
Sentiment - from a retired Stampin' Up set (stamp and die)

Day Three

 Today I'm sharing what I made using  some of the dies which were in the packet opened on Day 3 of the Gummiapan Easter Calendar - I couldn't really incorporate the other two - a little feather and decorative border into this card.  I did however use a wooden crate die which I've had in my stash for a while (can't remember where it came from).  I also went to the 'useful bits' pot on my desk and fished out some grasses and a couple of flowers 😊.The crate and bunny were coloured using Distress inks and alcohol pens; the eggs cut from tiny snippets of coloured card. and I smooshed some green onto the card to ground everything.  The sentiment also came from the pot - would you believe I don't seem to have an Easter sentiment.  I opened Day 6 this morning, leaving just two more surprises to come - I'm pleased I decided to treat myself to this calendar.