Free as a Bird

 As I was trawling around a few blogs (as you do) I spotted a little row of birds on a branch which had been coloured as robins HERE so I decided to have a go.  I didn't have the colour of card which had been used originally but I tried mine using kraft card with Coloursoft pencils and my card layout is different but I think it has worked. Made a change from stamping  onto white and helped with the shading on the birds.. The image panel was backed with a circle which had been embossed with a 'falling snow' embossing folder and a piece of design paper was used also.  Sentiment stamped in red onto a scrap of white card with the ends punched.

Image - Free as a Bird stamps Stampin' Up
Sentiment - from a retired SU stamp set
Rectangle - die from John Next Door
Embossing Folder - Falling Snow Stampin' Up
Background - printed from Artylicious Season's Greetings CD

Squash It Challenge #2

The Squash It challenge this time has a theme of Christmas and stamps - pop along for a visit to them if you don't know what I'm talking about and all will be explained.  I started with a square of white card of suitable size for my card and  stamped the sentiment in place using the Misti.  Next it was embossed  using a snowy embossing folder.  I then found some red card and stamped two baubles using red ink then heat embossed using clear powder.  The bows were stamped onto some tiny scraps of gold pearl card and the baubles and bows were cut using  matching punches. Layered everything together with some more gold and red card onto a white card base.

PS - I've just been reminded that the same theme follows for the Christmas Kickstart Challenge so I'm popping over there with my card too - another interesting blog for you to take a look at

Baubles - Contempo Christmas stamp set and punch Stampin' Up (retired)
Bows - Holly Berry Happiness Stampin' Up (retired) with matching punch
Embossing - Snow fall embossing folder Creative Expressions
Squares - dies from Tonic and Phill Martin
Sentiment - clear stamp from my stash (unbranded) probably a freebie from way back

Trio of Trees

 Over the years I've attended quite a few craft Extravaganza days which I've always very much enjoyed and one of the 'perks' has always been a set of stamps to keep.  I've revisited a set from a few years back and come up with this trio of trees card.  Started by die cutting the stitched rectangle and then stamping the three trees in green, followed by stamping just the pots onto some scrap card in red and fussy cutting them to add to the panel.  The three tiny stars were from my little pot of 'die-cutting waste' where I save all but the tiniest pieces.  The square of green paper was left over from another project and a couple of red layers were cut to complete this card.  Sentiment was stamped onto a strip of white card and the ends punched to make into a banner.

Stamps -  Contempo Christmas set from Stampin' Up (retired)
Banner ends - punch also from Stampin' Up
Patterned Paper - printed from Artylicious Season's Greetings CD
Square Dies - Tonic
Rectangle Dies -  John Next Door

Seasonal Card

Yet another seasonal card, this time featuring an old fashioned post box in a little scene.  At first I was devoid of ideas when it came to using this die until I had the idea of incorporating a few animals.  Started off by die cutting the frame and then stamping the trees onto a piece of white card, brushing some blue ink across the sky area and stamping a sentiment.  After die cutting the post-box, fence and animals I played around with arranging them into a little group and that's it - another card for the Christmas collection.

Frame - Phill Martin die
Trees - stamps from a free set (magazine gift from last year)
Post Box - Britannia die
Dog - Xcut die
Cats - Impression Obsession dies
Robins - Memorycraft dies
Fence - Sizzix die
Sentiment - from SU Contempto Christmas stamp set (retired)

Fairy

 Two of the pieces from my recent dabbles using the gel plate were very pale and I almost ditched them but thought there would be nothing lost by playing with them a bit more using a stencil and some over stamping.  This card is the result of taking the lighter of the two  pieces and stencilling a design all over in a toning colour (Milled Lavender) and then stamping some delicate trees on the lower half.  I then cut a small oval from the second piece which had a little more colour and detail then stamped a fairy silhouette in black, adding some grasses and foliage in purple (Dusty Concorde).  Matted the two pieces onto some purple card and put it together with a birthday sentiment.  Great satisfaction achieved in rescuing two pieces of card which could well have found their way into the bin.

Stencil - Lavinia Pods
Trees - from Chocolate Baroque stamp set Tall Trees
Fairy - Lavinia Stamps
Foliage -  small stamps from various Chocolate Baroque sets
Sentiment - free download from Netty's Cards (resized)

Snippets Challenge #390

 Time to pop along to the Playground for this fortnight's challenge and certainly well worth the visit because there is a super prize as always for the lucky person whose name is drawn.  Super card for inspiration as well with an excellent explanation as to how it was made.  For my card this time I've made something sewing related because I know quite a few people who would appreciate receiving such a card. Started with a square snippet of cream card, trimmed to fit the sie of card and also cut a circle from another cream snippet.  Placed the circle into the centre of the square and lightly marked with pencil before stamping some flowers around in a kind of 'wreath'.  Stamped and heat embossed the sewing machine and words onto the circle before sponging the edges of both shapes, popping it all onto a toning die cut square to assemble the card.

Stamps - from a free magazine set designed by Phill Martin
Dies used - nesting shapes from Tonic and Sizzix

Mystical Scene

 Dragged my gel plate out of semi-retirement for a bit of a play using Distress Oxide inks and Brusho powders mixed with water - enjoyed the exercise and have coloured fingers to prove it 😀.   The results were a bit variable and of course pretty unpredictable but I selected one to use with some stamps to make into a card.  I started off by stamping a silhouette image and then using a circle mask to give the impression of a full moon, sponging ink carefully around; also torn paper masks were used to ground the image.  Next I chose a selection of suitable stamps from several sets to do the rest of the stamping to make a pleasing scene, finally sponging around the edges and mounting onto a piece of toning card.  I have a few more gel plate backgrounds to use and it made a break from the making of Christmas cards.

Main Image - from Serene Silhouettes Stampin' Up
Trailing Foliage - from Wisteria Lane stamp set Chocolate Baroque
Ground plants and grasses - various stamps by Chocolate Baroque
Sentiment - computer generated using Word