More Flowers

When I was digging out the stamp set I used yesterday I came across another of my once favourite sets, also wood mounted and also double stamped images so here is a card using some of the flowers which I stamped and fussy cut with scissors.  The background is a piece of card embossed using one of the all occasions EF's in my stash and I die cut some leaves along with banners and sentiment circles to complete yet another floral birthday card.  I have to say that floral cards are usually much quicker to make these days using die cut flowers but I quite enjoy a bit of fiddly and leisurely cutting out for a change.

Background - 'that' embossing folder which came free with a magazine
Flowers - Greenhouse Garden stamp set Stampin' Up (discontinued)
Sentiment - download from Netty's Cards
Banners - dies by Sizzix for Stampin' Up
Leaves - Sizzix leaves die set
Circles - SU punches and stitched circle die

A Rose is a Rose

Yesterday I spotted a card posted by my friend Anne and she had used some flowers stamped with this set (discontinued) from Stampin' Up.  Now at one time this was one of my favourite stamp sets and was well used but seeing the card reminded me that I'd probably not inked any of these particular ones for maybe a few years - how bad is that??  I decided to challenge myself to use up a die cut shape which has been lying around amongst my many 'saved to use later' collections and set about stamping some of the roses, buds and leaves in colours to tone with it.  The rose set is one which has to be double stamped to get the effect and of course all images have to be cut out using scissors (no thoughts of matching dies around when these were issued).  They are wood-mounted stamps too so no chance of using the Misti for lining them up although I did use a Stampamajig (another item not used for ages). I stamped a sentiment and die cut a larger shape to back the 'found one' before running this through an embossing folder which I'd inked for the letterpress effect.  Finally I found a piece of suitable paper for backing and assembled my card.  A real 'blast from the past' I'd say but I did enjoy making it.

Background - Vintage Shabby paper by Tim Holtz
Die Cut Shapes - Sue Wilson dies
Embossing Folder - Embosalicious roses design inked before using
Sentiment - Stampin' Up wood-mounted stamp
Roses - discontinued SU set A Rose is a Rose, cut out using scissors
Inks used - Distress Oxide Picked Raspberry and Aged Mahogany also Mowed Lawn for leaves

Anniversary Cats

I had a smallish scrap of watercolour paper which had been coloured using various Pixie Powders and it was just enough to die cut a circle and a banner.  Next I found some pink card which matched nicely and from this I die cut the wording, a larger circle and then punched a small heart.  A scrap of black came into play for the entwined cats.  The pretty background paper was from a selection which came with a magazine some time ago.  Luckily this was separate from the actual magazine so it is of reasonable weight - such a shame that some magazines only give away papers within the pages and the paper just doesn't come up to standard really for using on cards.  This fairly quick anniversary card will fill a gap in my box of 'ready to send' cards and has used up a bit more of my scrap mountain!

Background - paper given free with magazine
Heart - punch from Stampin' Up
Circles - Sizzix dies stitched circles
Banner - Sue Wilson die
Words - Crafter's Companion dies
Cats - unbranded die

Freebies

I've certainly not been buying as many magazines with freebies recently, mainly because the reduction in our bus service means I don't get to the larger newsagents as frequently and the supermarket with magazines right next door to the fruit and veg which I used to frequent is 'out of bounds' to me.  However I went out of my way to get my hands on an issue of Diecutting Essentials which was giving away what I thought looked like a really good value set of dies with houses, skyscrapers, a circus and various trees, clouds and hills/grassy slopes.  I've only just got around to using some of them to build this little scene - a bit on the fiddly side because I decided to hand cut some yellow paper to pop behind the tiny windows and the row of houses was cut in a few colours so that I could trim some of them to make a multicoloured row.  I still have a selection of houses ready cut for another scene when the mood takes me.

Brick Pattern - embossing folder from Crafter's Companion
Scene - built using some of the dies in the magazine freebie die set
Grass at Base - Die-namics grass die
Sentiment - freebie from Netty's Cards resized to fit a punch from Stampin' Up

Two Challenges Covered

My card today should cover two challenges one of which is the Rudolph Days which is running a little later than normal and of course the Pixie's Crafty Workshop Snippets fortnightly challenge.

The blog has been a bit neglected for a few days, partly due to the fact that while we had a short spell of slightly cooler weather I tried to catch up with some of the domestic tasks which had gone by the board when it was so very hot.  Now of course we have a return of the hot and humid conditions which isn't really good for so many people and of course plays havoc with gardens, crops in the fields and the wildlife.

Anyway back to the reason for this post which is to show the card which I made initially for the Snippets challenge and then realised that I was still in time to pop along to the Rudolph Days as well.  I started by embossing a piece of white card having first applied some ink to the actual embossing folder using a brayer.  I then found some snippets of kraft card to cut the two deer; some green for the grass; had a rummage around in the little containers littering my desk and found some spare leaves, berries and a stray flower before assembling everything together.  A seasonal greeting was added popped onto an odd red circle which I  also 'found'.  It is amazing just how many 'left overs' there are sitting around just waiting to be used.

If you follow the links above to visit the two blogs you will find plenty of Christmas inspiration and the chance of a prize on Rudolph Days and I defy anyone not to raise a smile when they see the super amusing card which Di has made for us this time using some of her snippets and the stamp set which is the prize on offer - she certainly sources some really inspiring and unusual items for us.

Background - embossing folder by Sizzix for Stampin' Up
Deer - Sizzix dies
Grass - Die-namics
Leaves etc - oddments which were littering my desk!
Sentiment - freebie from Netty's Cards resized and printed

Brighter Days

For today's card I've used stamps from four different Stampin' Up sets to make this summery scene.  I started with a wash of colour using distress inks on watercolour paper; over-stamping some detail for the sea and sand before adding some birds and grasses.  The girl and balloons were stamped and cut out - the strings were added using a black fine line pen.

Sea, Sand, Birds in Sky - High Tide stamp set Stampin' Up
Birds on Beach and Tall Grasses - Wetlands stamp set SU
Girl and Sentiment - Beautiful You stamp set SU
Balloons - Balloon Celebration stamp set SU
Distress Ink Pads - Scattered Straw and Tumbled Glass

Challenge #331 in the Playground

It seems there is no let up in the heatwave for the moment - unfortunately the heat doesn't really suit me and I don't function particularly well under these conditions.  However I have managed to make a card for the current Playground challenge which as you will see is a Christmas one in readiness for the cooler weather at the end of the year.  It doesn't seem possible that we will no doubt soon be complaining about the cold weather.

You certainly need to visit the Playground this week to see something new and interesting which the clever Di has sourced to show us and of course as usual there is no need to guess what the prize will be for one lucky participant.

I found a suitable piece of seasonal background paper, then used snippets of various colours to die cut the wreath and the decorations.  Using the wreath as a guide I stamped the wording into the centre of the background using the Misti which certainly helps me to keep things straight.  The wreath was then stuck into place and the various flowers and leaves were arranged around.  I have to say that die cutting all these really tiny elements was a bit of a faff as the dies are all individual and so tiny (mostly the size of my little finger nail or smaller) and of course I will have to be really careful not to lose any of them.  Luckily I had a snippet of magnetic sheet which was just the right size to fit into the packet so all dies are now safely packed away until I need them again.

Background - paper from Craftwork Cards
Die set - Pretty Wreath from Sizzix