20th Century Style

This is the title of the challenge this week on Make My Monday and here it is Saturday already - just about made it in time!!  I've gone for Art Deco style using a stamp from a free A4 set which I've had for some time and probably only used possibly one of them before - certainly not this particular one I know.  Stamped onto cream card and coloured with Polychromos pencils then cut using an oval die and put onto a couple of other layers with a Deco Style sentiment stamped and punched.

I had a good sort out of my miscellaneous stamps, mostly freebies from magazines and smaller single ones which I've bought over the years.  They were all in boxes but rather jumbled up so I went through them and re-organized into categories, keeping similar types together.  This has also resulted in reminding me of just what stamps I actually have and that they are rather under used, probably due to the current trend towards die cutting and embossing for cards without actual images in many cases.

Stamp - freebie from Creative Stamping magazine ages ago
Corners - Sizzix die
Oval die - Spellbinders
Cream embossed layer - Docrafts embossing folder
Blue layer - Deco labels die from Stampin' Up
Sentiment - Papermania stamp (Docrafts) SU punch
Backing paper - Die Cuts with a View

Very Important Date

A fairly quick card today using an image from a CD with the title 'A Very Important Date' which as you might guess features characters from Alice in Wonderland - I thought this would be a good male card.  Background paper was printed from the CD and I've added an embossed panel featuring watches.

Background and main Image - Important Date CD by My Craft Studio
Embossed Panel - Folder from Sizzix Tim Holtz range
Sentiment - computer generated

Lotus Blossom

Today's card for Pixie Snippets challenge uses a three step stamp set which comes free as part of Stampin' Up's 'Sale-a-Bration' promotion - a photopolymer set which makes this sort of technique easier than it was when using wood mounted stamps with a positioning gizmo.  I used Pumpkin Pie ink for the stamping and some scraps of matching card for the layers along with an odd piece of paper from the scrap box.  A doily was cut from a scrap of white card and the remaining coloured scraps  were used for the sentiments which were stamped and punched.  On my desk at the moment I have a pile of random bits and pieces, mostly left over die cut corners, flowers etc and I've almost decided to throw them out (something I find VERY difficult!!) - on the other hand they might be 'saved' and used on future Snippet cards.  I don't know why I find it so hard to throw anything away because after it isn't as if I don't have oodles of scrap card to cut more as and when they are needed and then at least they would hopefully be just the right colour or design I need at the time.

Image - Lotus Blossom stamp set Stampin' Up
Doily - X-cut die
Layers - Spellbinder dies and Tonic die
Sentiments - stamped and punched with Stampin' Up punches

Cats

When going through my computer files of pictures I realised this is a card from last year which didn't get posted.  It is one of the samples made for demonstrations showing techniques using embossing folders and the folder had been loaned to me for that reason.  After embossing I used brushes to apply Distress ink to bring out the detail in the scene, then die cut some little birds to sit in the branches and some cats to sit on the ground observing them.  I felt all this needed was a simple greeting which I added on a die cut shape (also embossed and inked).

I'm off now to go and sit by the fire because my fingers and toes are getting very cold sitting here in front of the computer.  It's been a beautiful day with lots of sunshine but very cold and the forecast is for more sub zero temperatures - brrr!!!!

Cats and Birds - Memory Box dies
Embossing Folder - on loan and I've forgotten who made it
Label shapes - Sue Wilson dies
Words - Creative Expressions, Phill Martin stamp

Winter Birthday

Winter Birthday is the theme on Make My Monday challenge and hopefully this card in wintry shades of blue and white will fit the bill.  This is an easel card and I've used a large die for the background, adding some decorative ovals, a computer sentiment and some flowers die cut from tulle with a little butterfly on the stopper.

Large die - Tied Together by Couture Creations
Ovals - Austrian collection from Sue Wilson
Flowers - Aster die from Heartfelt Creations
Butterfly - stamp and punch from Stampin' Up

Floral Card

I seem to have made quite a few blue cards just recently so I'm posting one which I made towards the end of last year that is in different colours before you all get bored with the blues.  I would say this flower could be a buttercup, stamped and coloured with alcohol pens.  I then dug out some suitably coloured paper from my stash and cut some layers from scraps of card, adding a simple greeting.

Image - from Stampin' Up Bloom with Hope coloured with Blendabilities
Die Cuts - Spellbinders and Marianne dies, punched little banners (SU)
Sentiment - computer generated with Cuttlebug dies

Challenge Time

I think the weeks are going to pass by just as quickly again this year - it is already time for the next challenge on Pixie Snippets blog.  While I still had some stamp sets and dies out on my desk and of course some snippets of paper and card I decided to make another card using them.  My next job before doing anything else is to clear the working space which, yet again, seems to have shrunk dramatically.  I used the same resist technique as on a recent card but a different layout, still including that super feather die.

Stamps - Serene Silhouettes from Stampin' Up and feather from HOTP freebie set
Dies - Banners and Deco Labels from SU, also HOTP feather die
Background - Snippet (large) of paper from Tim Holtz Vintage Shabby range