Rudolph Days May

 It seems a bit odd to be posting a Christmas card on what is probably the hottest day so far this year but we are into the Rudolph Days Challenge for May.  This is an opportunity to make and share Christmas cards and of course it helps to build up a stock of cards through the year in an effort to avoid a last minute scramble in December.  For this one I've used a cute duck in a Santa hat - it's a digital image which I've printed and fussy cut, popping him onto a slatted circle with a circular die cut sentiment.  Some very old scalloped circle dies were brought of retirement to add interest.  Happy Rudolph Days everyone!! 

Duck - digital download from Craft Addiction UK, designed by Louise Dunne
Slatted Circle - die from CAUK
Sentiment - unbranded die
Scalloped Circles - very old Spellbinders dies
Background - printed using a download from Buddly Crafts
Square dies - very old set from Tonic 

Allsorts Challenge #850

There's a special event over at the Allsorts Challenge blog where they are celebrating their 17th birthday with extra prizes and and until the end of the month Aall & Create are offering a 15% discount on purchases. What's not to like??   Full details can be seen on the Allsorts blog post..  The theme is *anything goes* and for my Design Team card I thought that a birthday card would seem to be appropriate. I've made a CAS card with a fairly prominent birthday sentiment.  A slatted rectangle die was used to cut into a white square and A strip of colour was added behind it to tone with the 'inky play' card from which the leaves and sentiment shadow were cut.  The leaf veins and words were die cut from some scraps of card coloured gold with gilding flakes.

W'e'd love to see what you make to help us celebrate this special birthday event.

Slatted Rectangle - die from Craft Addiction UK
Leaves - Artsy Leaves die, Tim Holtz for Sizzix
Birthday - unbranded dies from Amazon

Get Well Bouquet

 Some 9 or 10 years ago an embossing folder which was a magazine gift went viral and was followed by more in the same style. I've used one of them as a backdrop to a bouquet made using some lovely floral stamps and dies. Once the flowers were stamped, coloured and die cut it was a quick card to make and I decided to make it a 'Get Well' card using a sentiment from a favourite magazine gift of sentiment stamps which I've had, and been using, for many years.

Embossing Folder - from series by Apple Blossom but possibly no longer available Flowers - Designed by Susan Hardy available from Craft Addiction UK Sentiment - from a magazine gift set from many years ago Sentiment Label - from a die set by Creative Expressions Greek Island Collection

Another DIY Lattice Card

 I've still held off buying any of the latest lattice dies and  I've used a different, and very ancient, die from my stash.  This time it's framed by a circle and I've added butterflies and a stamped and die cut sentiment.  I seem to recall that this particular lattice die and its matching embossing folder (which I never managed to get hold of) were both extremely popular when they appeared and crafters were almost 'queueing around the black' to acquire one or both of these items.

Circle Die - from Noble Pierced Circles set Creative Expressions
Lattice - Cover Plate die  Tied Together from Couture Creations
Sentiment - from Craft Addiction UK flower stamps/dies by Susan Hardy
Butterflies - also from CAUK 

Paper Piecing

 I was having a sort out of some of my snippets of patterned papers, wondering if I should discard some of the smaller pieces but I just couldn't bring myself to put them into the recycling box.  Instead I've used a couple of them to make this card using a stamp which I've had for some time although I have to confess it's not been used recently.  I stamped it onto a die cut square of white card and again onto the two pieces of patterned paper so that I could neatly fussy cut the two dogs.  For a bit of added interest I did some over stamping onto the background before sticking them into place, where according to the packaging they are 'waiting for their next adventure'.  A fun card which I enjoyed putting together and making good use of some scraps.

Stamp - from Crafty Individuals, sadly no longer trading
Background Stamping - Selection of stamps from magazine giveaways
Sentiment - Tiny tag from Craft Addiction UK set

Snippets Playground Challenge #532

 I'm off to visit the Snippets Playground to see what's afoot - not quite warm enough for the paddling pool but no doubt the breakfast club is doing well.  Time for another challenge with the usual lovely prize.  Everything on today's card, apart from the card blank and the pink card layer, has been made using bits and pieces from my Snippet mountain.  I'm polishing my halo too because - at least for the time being - I've resisted purchasing any of the latest release from Craft Addiction UK which included some really tempting lattice style dies.  I put my thinking cap on and tried to work out ways of achieving similar effects by using what I already have in my well stocked stash of dies.  I came up with some ideas and then started a search for at least one lattice  die which I knew must be lurking somewhere.  Well I didn't find anything with a straightforward lattice but managed to pull out a couple of slightly more elaborate ones which haven't been used for many years and I've actually come up with a couple of cards and this is one using an arch shape.

I trimmed a snippet of white card to be slightly smaller than the pink layer and used an arch die to make a frame (cut twice and glued together to give it a bit of strength).  I then die cut the lattice die from another snippet of white and placed it behind the resulting aperture, slipping a small snippet of pink paper behind to show through. The white frame was popped back into the aperture. Next move was to stamp, colour and die cut Buttons the mouse using another white snippet, finally stamping and die cutting the sentiment.  Phew - quite a selection of small white snippets used and I nearly forgot to mention that I used a brick stencil to add a little colour to the surround of the archway..  

The card I made using the other lattice die is a circle design for a different look and I will be blogging that one fairly soon.

Arch Die - from Graces Garden stamp/die set Stampin' Up (long retired)
Lattice Die - Ornate Trellis Crafters Companion (years old)
Mouse - Buttons stamp/die set Craft Addiction UK Louise Dunne design
Stencil - from an unbranded set of stencils  

Allsorts Challenge # 849

 The theme for this Allsorts Challenge has been chosen by Liz who would like to see some monochrome projects (shades of one colour) or there is the usual 'anything goes' option.  The prize is a stencil and stamps from Creative Expressions - full details on the Allsorts post.

For my Design Team card this time I've I've made a DL card in shades of  lilac starting with some smooshed ink down the centre of the background and then stamping to add some visual texture.  I then cut a panel for the main image of cone flowers in a loose watercolour technique.  Final addition was a die cut sentiment to tone.

Background - unbranded stamp from Amazon
Main Image - Cone Flowers from Paper Artsy, designed by Alison Bomber
Sentiment - dies also unbranded from Amazon

There's an exciting challenge coming up for the fortnight after this because it's our 17th Birthday with lots of prizes, so something to look forward to.  Hope you will come along to help us celebrate.

Tag-along Challenge

The theme for the May challenge at Tag-along & ATCs is to add some pink so I started by smooshing some pink ink onto my die cut tag and then overstamped in a different shade of pink with some visual texture from a background stamp.  I then selected a different background stamp to over stamp onto a snippet of the remaining smooshed card and fussy cut the small hexagons to add to the design.  The quotation was added, followed by a die cut bird and a piece of pink ribbon.  That's it my tag with a touch of pink.

Background stamps - large numbers and hexagons both from Crafty Roo
Quotation - from Tim Holtz Attic Treasures CMS123 stamp set
Bird - unbranded die set

Mid Week Share

 I have a card to share today using another of the cute designs drawn by Louise Dunne.  This little mouse is called Buttons and the images were stamped, coloured and die cut.  I started with a white panel to fit the card blank and this was dry embossed using a very ancient A4 embossing folder.  I then die cut the two slatted rectangle panels and backed them with some blue to tone with the flowers.  The sentiment is part of  a different CAUK set. stamp set.  Images were coloured using ink pads pressed onto a ceramic tile, picked up with a damp paintbrush for a watercolour effect.

Embossing - A4 embossing folder probably from Crafter's Companion but years old
Slatted rectangles - dies from Craft Addiction UK
Stamps - set also from CAUK designed by Louise Dunne

Furball

 I've used this cute Furball image to make a card for one of my great grandchildren who is three years old today.  It's a digital download which I resized, printed and fussy cut.  The background was made by cutting out the circle designs and then backed the panel with some pink polka dot paper.  Simply added the number and sentiment alongside the image.

Furball - digital download from Craft Addiction UK drawn by Louise Dunne
Background circles - die set from CAUK
Sentiment and Age Number - birthday tags die set from CAUK

Snippets Playground Challenge #531

 Time for another challenge in the Pixie Snippets Playground and this time I've taken inspiration from Both Di and also Sarn who used some of their snippets to inspire us all.  Lovely interesting prize as usual and one of the items is also featured on my card.

I went first to my box of larger snippets and came up with a piece of yellow and one of ivory, both of which only needed a slight trim to fit onto a 5" x 7" card blank.  I next worked out the position of the various elements before die cutting the slatted arch, leaving an aperture.. There are three arches in the set and this is the largest of them.  The two layers were glued in place and the slatted arch popped back into the aperture.  More smaller snippets were then used to die cut the flowers, bunny and stool, then finally there was just enough of the yellow card to cut the small sentiment.  Flowers were cut from some ivory card and coloured using ink pads to lay a little ink onto a white ceramic  tile, picking it up with a water brush.  The popular bunny and stool die set is part of the prize this time although I've had mine for a few years but have never before had him actually seated on his stool - can't believe I've had the stool for such a long time and never used it 🤪  

Thank you Di and Sarn for inspiring me to bring bunny out to play 'underneath the arches' 🤣🤣

Slatted Arch - die set from Craft Addiction UK (set of 3, 9 dies in all)
Flowers - also from CAUK
Bunny and Stool - unbranded dies which I've had for several years (Amazon)
Sentiment - from Hey Chick stamp/die set Stampin' Up (long retired)

Rudolph Days Challenge

 Can it really be time for the April Rudolph Days challenge already - where did that month go ?  Fortunately I still have one or two Christmas cards on file so I can share one of them today, although I should make a start on getting a few more made through the year to avoid a rush in December.  For this one I printed off two identical digital images and used slatted circle dies to make an eclipse feature which I then backed with a red scalloped circle and added a circular sentiment, also with a scalloped circle.  The background was a square of patterned paper and a strip of a toning green for added interest.

Happy Rudolph Days everyone!!  Still a few days left if you have a card to share this month.

Penguins - digital download from Craft Addiction UK drawn by Louise Dunne
Background - papers from a downloaded Buddly Crafts collection
Scalloped Dies - from an ancient Spellbinders set
Slatted Circles - die set from Craft Addiction UK
Sentiment - from my box of useful oddments

Allsorts Challenge # 848

 Time for a new theme at Allsorts Challenge and this one has been chosen by Christine, who would like to see *Shaped Cards* (anything but rectangular or square).  There is the usual *Anything Goes* option.  Prizes this time are from Aall & Create - full details on the Allsorts blog post..  For my Design Team post I've chosen to make a circular card incorporating a wreath with various die cut  flowers and a sentiment. The wreath was die cut twice using different shades of green and the extra leaves were cut from a scrap of inky card from my 'useful bits' collection.  Flowers were die cut from various pieces of coloured card., also from the 'useful bits'. Finally the sentiment and tiny butterflies used up the remaining scrap of the inky purple piece.

Scalloped Circle - die from Tattered Lace which I've had for years
Plain Circle - die from Creative Expressions Noble Pierced circles (also quite old)
Wreath - die from Craft Addiction UK
Flowers and Extra Leaves - dies from Crafts Too (John Next Door)
Sentiment - dies by Crafter's Companion
Butterflies - tiny die from Gummiapan 

I made another Tag

 Following the 'birds, blooms, butterflies'  theme for the current Tag-along and ATC challenge I had a rootle through some of my older stamps and came across a set of bird themed stamps dating back to 2009 when Chocolate Baroque was known as Elusive Images.  Another piece of my inky-play background has been used with the addition of a little stencilling and background stamping. (think I've used up most of that at last!). I then stamped the small bird and the words.  Final touch was a stamped and die cut feather from another set which has also been in my stash for a really long time. Some colour was added to the bird using  pencils.  There's still some time left before this challenge closes if you feel like having a go - there's a really handy prize.

Bird and Words - Curly Birds/Fly Away by Elusive Images from 2009 (probably no longer available)
Feather - Stamp and die set Four Feathers from Stampin' Up (long retired)

Snippets Playground challenge #530

 The sun is shining this morning so I'm skipping off to the Snippets Playground to hand in my homework and hopefully there will still be some cups of hot chocolate around because it's still none too warm 
outside.  I started with a snippet of cream card trimmed to slightly smaller than the card blank and die cut the frame.  This left me with a smaller square snippet which I coloured by smooshing some ink to colour it before popping it back into the aperture, adhering both to the card.  More cream snippets were used to die cut the flowers and the decorative circle.  This die doesn't entirely cut out from the piece of card so I used a plain, slightly larger circle die to cut it free.  The flowers were coloured and assembled before arranging onto the fancy circle, adding a few leaves which came from my trusty 'useful bits' container.  Final touch was a small tag with an embossed sentiment.  There's the usual generous prize on offer for the lucky person who is randomly selected to win so why not use up some of your snippets to be in with a chance.

                                         

Square Frame - Stich Craft Fusion Frames die from Craft Addiction UK
Sentiment Tag - Mini Birthday Tags Collection also from CAUK
Decorative Circle - die from Irresistible Blooms die set Stampin' Up (long retired)
Plain Circle - die from Crafts Too circle set
Flowers - Magazine Giveaway from Die Cutting Essentials 

Tag and ATC Challenge

 It's mid-month reminder time from the Tag-along Challenge and this time I have an ATC to share. which has  the *butterfly* and *flower* part of the theme. I trimmed another piece of my inky background strips to the correct size and stamped the floral image and word.  Next I delved into my box of useful bits and pieces where I found the small white slatted circle and a stray butterfly which was die cut from a scrap of inky card which had been coloured a while ago using Pixie Powders.  A little silver gilding wax was added as well as a touch of Wink of Stella

Knapweed Stamps - from Aall & Create
Butterfly and Circle - dies from Craft Addiction UK

Allsorts Challenge #847

 The theme for the Allsorts challenge is **In the Garden** or the option of *Anything Goes*.  This was chosen by Gail and the prizes are from Lavinia Stamps - full details on the Allsorts post where you will also see the inspiration from the Design Team.

For my card I've turned to a die set which has been in my stash for some years and I've used it to build up a garden scene.  I started by smooshing some colour onto a piece of white card to give the appearance of sky and grass followed by die cutting the gateway, foliage and flowers.  I then used different dies to cut the bird, cats and watering can.  The three tiny butterflies were from my box of saved bits and pieces.  The sentiment was stamped within the archway.

Gate, Flowers and Foliage - Garden Gateway die set from Stampin' Up (long retired)
Cats - dies from Impression Obsession (also very old)
Watering Can - from an unbranded die set
Bird - from a Joanna Sheen Bird Feeder die set (very old)
Butterflies - 'waste' from a border die (Crafter's Companion)

Daffodils

 A quick CAS card to cheer up a dull foggy morning although I must say we've had a couple of really quite warm sunny days this week.  I've used one of the smaller stitched detail frame dies here and also a slatted square which was placed behind the aperture and the whole thing layered onto a piece of green patterned paper.  The daffodils were die cut using snippets of white card, coloured using watercolour pens.  The sentiment is from a selection gifted to me by a kind friend.  I used it 'as is' rather than foiling which is their original use.

Frame Die - from Craft Addiction UK
Square Slatted Die - also from CAUK
Sentiment - foilable sentiments by Julie Hickey
Daffodils - unbranded die from Temu last year

Good Crafting Weather!

Wet and windy here today, albeit with a few glimpses of sunshine in between the showers but it does mean that it's perfect crafting weather.  I have another entry into the Tag-along and ATC challenge and this time it's a tag. I started with a piece of a Geli print, made some time ago and used one of the dies from a triptych set to cut it, then the slightly larger die to cut a piece of brown card.  To this I added a brick wall die cut in cream, a dragonfly cut out from a scrap of card which had been coloured using Pixie powders and some die cut flowers which I coloured to tone.  Finally the flowers had some gold centres to match with the die cut bow.  There is a nice shimmer on the flower petals and the flowers cover the 'blooms' part of the current challenge theme.

Tag - dies from unbranded triptych die set
Bow - die from Gummiapan
Bricks and Flowers - unbranded die set from Temu
Dragonfly - Elegant Dragonfly die set from Craft Addiction UK (smallest one used)

Happy Easter

 I don't normally make Easter cards and have never really had much in the way of Easter crafting items in my stash but I have to confess that in a weak moment I succumbed - couldn't resist the Hoppy Bunnies die set.  Of course once I'd got my sticky mitts on them I just had to make a couple of cards which I'm sharing today to wish Happy Easter to all of my bloggy friends and the people who visit my blog leaving lovely comments.  Would you believe it was only a few days ago that I realised that it was actually Easter this weekend - caught me out by being so early this year 🤣🤣.  Bunnies aren't just for Easter and I'm sure the dies will get used through the year, either as a group or trimmed down somewhat which is what happened here. There are actually seven bunnies in a row, the grass, carrots, eggs and the sentiment complete with shadow.

Slatted Circle - dies from Craft Addiction UK
Bunnies etc - also all from CAUK
Crate - an unbranded die
Torn Edge dies - also unbranded from Amazon
Cut out circle detail on second card -  die from CAUK